As you might have guessed from our forecasts, the models are now in agreement that the storm will move off the coast and (for the most part) not affect the Northeast. I-95 Snow Geese: I won't bore you with depressing model maps showing nothing over you. Instead, I'll answer a more general question.

One of the most frequently asked questions from blog readers is:

"How much snow (or ice or rain) will fall in my area with this storm?"

Due to the number of fans that I have, I obviously can't provide specific forecasts for each location, but I can recommend the tools that we have that will allow you to tap into the latest thoughts from our 100 forecasters.

One thing Joel always said was that the average of all forecasters was more accurate than any one. This means that what you see on our website is probably more accurate (over time) than what any one blogger might tell you. On AccuWeather.com, which is fed from a database updated by those 100 forecasters in real-time, the #1 product to look at when it comes to winter storms is AccuPOP.

AN EXAMPLE OF ACCUPOP (TM)

CHECK YOUR ACCUPOP NOW: ( | PREMIUM (96 Hours) | PRO (96 Hours))

With this product, we give you some refreshing honesty when compared with other websites: We know that precipitation forecasting is inexact, so we're not going to tell you "It's going to snow 1 inch at 1 pm tomorrow and assume a 100% chance of that, cause we're always 100% accurate, otherwise we wouldn't be called AccuWeather, duh." We're going to give you the probability of precipitation in each 3-hour period for the next four days, along with the most likely amounts in the next 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 96 hours (note: on our free, ad-supported site, AccuPOP is only available for the next 24 hours and is percentages only. To see percentages and amounts for the next 4 days, try a 30-day free trial to our Premium site).

For example, blog reader Ron wrote in this afternoon with this question:

Looking at AccuPOP, there is a big difference, and freezing rain is a great example of something that can vary greatly over short distances and make a big difference for travelling. From our Premium site (which has 4 days of AccuPOP), here's a screen capture of AccuPOP for Atlanta, Georgia:

There is up to a 60% chance of freezing rain tomorrow - and we believe the most likely amount is 0.19" (that's nearly a quarter of an inch, enough to make untreated roads quite slick and weigh down power lines) over the next 96 hours. Specifically, it's most likely between 4 am and 1 pm tomorrow; after that, the chance goes down considerably, so the drive home might be OK but the morning commute is likely to be nasty (especially on secondary roads). And if you're planning on being out tonight at 1 am, or tomorrow night at 11 pm: No problem, there is a Zero Percent chance of ice during that time.

But in Dacula, the situation is considerably worse. There, we're calling for a 77% chance of ice, with 0.73 (nearly three quarters of an inch) the most likely amount. The highest chance for ice is from 10 am to 1 pm, so forget going out for lunch tomorrow, Ron.

Ron could have also checked the AccuPOP for Snow, Rain, or "Precip" which means the chance of ANY precipitation falling tomorrow.

AccuPOP is also great for planning events. I frequently use it during the summer to gauge which evening I can mow the lawn or cook out. But it works this time of year too. Let's take a look at my AccuPOP for State College, PA from now through the weekend. I've highlighted an area in green where my wife and stepdaughter are going to a concert; in blue is the acceptable times to go to the grocery store on Saturday. Both events require travel.

For the concert, I'd advise leaving early; there is a huge chance of snow between 5 and 8 pm, whereas there was almost none before 5 pm. And after the concert, they probably shouldn't dilly-dally because the chance of snow goes up again at 11 pm. As to Saturday's grocery shopping, it looks like right now that it doesn't matter when we go -- there is an equal chance of snow and no snow all day.

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