Is snow in the forecast this week?

To snow or not to snow? That is the question. Some forecasters are calling for snow in the extended outlook for the Aiken area, while others say only rain will come.

The six-day AccuWeather.com forecast Saturday predicted rain mixed with snow for Friday afternoon, clearing Friday evening, with temperatures from 47 to 26. WJBF-TV's weather department gave a six-day forecast on wjbf.com predicting a 40 percent chance of rain Friday with temperatures from a high of 50 to a low of 33. The National Weather Service's Columbia office, on the other hand, predicted a slight chance of afternoon rain and temperatures in the mid-40s for Friday.

"There can be a lot of variation with computer models when you're forecasting that far out," said National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Liscinsky. "We're talking a week away, and there can be a lot of uncertainty in that time. The computer model we're using is showing a weak system passing over the central portion of Florida for Friday afternoon and evening. We usually try to err on the conservative side with our forecasts."

Extended forecast predictions are updated with new climatic data taken into account as the day gets closer, according to Liscinsky.

Many weather services offer frequent forecast updates online to aid weather-watchers with their long-range plans. The National Weather Service's website can be found at www.erh.noaa.gov/cae/; the AccuWeather service posts its forecasts at www.accuweather.com; and WJBF's service is online at weather.wjbf.com.

Contact Suzanne Stone at sstone@aikenstandard.com.