For the skiers and winter weather enthusiasts, it's the most wonderful time of the year. For the rest of us, it's time to brush up on our winter driving skills! We haven't seem much lake-effect activity so far this season, but that will all change as we open up the new year. The start of 2012 will be rather mild with temperatures as warm as 50°! By early afternoon, we'll be falling into the 30's with rain showers changing to snow showers. As colder air continues to push in from the north we'll see more snow, especially west of I-99/Route 220.

Then a secondary cold front arrives early Monday morning. This front will really mean business. We'll start in the mid to upper 20's Monday morning, then fall into the teens later in the day with significant snow showers and squalls impacting the Laurel Highlands and Northern Alleghenies. Even areas along and east of I-99 will see a few squalls move through, providing some light accumulations. Further west, an isolated thunderstorm cannot be ruled out with heavier bursts of snow as the arctic air crosses the warm waters of lakes Erie and Huron.

To make matters worse, winds will gust up to 30 mph at times from Monday through Tuesday creating plenty of blowing and drifting snow and create very low wind chills. Total accumulations are questionable at this point, but it's a safe bet to say that some of us that live from Somerset to Johnstown to Ebensburg to DuBois and Saint Marys will have to use the snowblower early next week.

I'll have more Sunday night during the 6 and 11 o'clock newscasts!