Weather Blog: Upslope Snow Showers In Western Maryland

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Happy Tuesday! Folks in western Maryland are enjoying some upslope snow showers today! During the winter, we sometimes refer to snow that occurs in the mountains as an "upslope snowfall event." But what does that actually mean?

We made a simple graphic to explain it for you. Simply put, when air flow encounters mountains, it cannot flow through the mountain, so the air is forced upward. The air cools as it rises. Any moisture within the air column will then condense into clouds and precipitation. This process is know as upslope precipitation.

Upslope flow can trigger thunderstorms in the summer and snow in the winter.

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