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gopper

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    February Medium/Long Range Thread

    in Mid Atlantic

    Posted

    Help me to understand the phrase, "The models always sniff out the big ones early." Does this mean all the models spit out a lot of snow and keep it throughout all their cycles?  Is there not wavering in the models even for the "Big ones"?  If memory serves (which it might not as I have a poor memory) I believe even in the "Big ones" models will shift around a bit with snow amounts and then come into better focus within 2-3 days of the event.

    • Like 1

    February 11-12; 12-13: Are they real??

    in Mid Atlantic

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Jebman said:

    Old? I remember when I used to call the number 361-7171 or 361-1212 to find out if it was cold enough to snow back in 1976. In Dale City. Used to listen to the Weather Radio hoping for snow.

    Slept with weather radio on always hoping to hear the beeping signals when they announced a storm warning.  I called Balto. weather 936-1212 several times a day

    • Like 4
    • 100% 1

    February 11-12; 12-13: Are they real??

    in Mid Atlantic

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Ralph Wiggum said:

    Marcus (formerly vortmax) and I cofounded #neweather on mirc back in 1997(?). Ian used to get on once in a while and i think Randy too, but im not sure. We were also, at least i was, very active on the ne.weather usenet bulletin boards. Gary Gray, Joseph Bartlo, myself, and a few others were the originals to that group.  I went by "SteveB" at the time. So yeah, I'm old as dirt and probably have most of ya beat wrt seniority. There is someone name Jerry that I think may post in the New England forum that goes back and also a Logan that might be in the NY forum, but i dont peruse those forums too often. 

    loved Gary Grays write ups!

    Is Marcus still around or is that a story for a different thread?

    February 11-12; 12-13: Are they real??

    in Mid Atlantic

    Posted

    3 hours ago, RDM said:

    Me too - good old days of dial-up and slowwww downloads.  But because it was slow, people thought more about what they said.  I am really old - almost born in the 50's. 

    Oh, yes. dial up!  Never forget those modems! 

    I appreciate that I am not the only old timer that spends a lot of lurking time here. It is nice to share a strange obsession with others who have the same obsession

    • Like 3

    January Medium/Long Range: A snowy January ahead?

    in Mid Atlantic

    Posted

    5 hours ago, Scarlet Pimpernel said:

    Yeah, Commutageddon on Jan. 26, 2011.  Also known as the "PSU Hoffman Storm" (@psuhoffman alluded to this above with his early call about that event...I even remember the thread for that event, it was labeled with his name!).  I got 8" snow in about 5 hours from that, it was amazing...thunder snow even.  It started as literal chunks of ice falling in the late afternoon that quickly turned into large flakes.

    I wouldn't exactly say that LWX "downplayed" the event so much.  There was a sort of predecessor event in the pre-dawn and early morning hours that some areas did well in, prior to a lull, and then the main snow later.  LWX as I recall actually upped the advisories in the area to winter storm warnings by late morning on the 26th, and even highlighted the potential commute issues (since it was to start right around then).  I think most of the problem is that a lot of people figured it won't be too bad by the evening commute, so not many were sent home early.  Or, they were sent home only a little early, but by then it was kind of too late...everyone was out on the roads.  I know of a couple of people who lived a bit north of the DC metro area who were stuck on the roads until like midnight or 2AM! 

    Great storm for sure!  Remember the thread well and how PSU saw it coming many days away.  I became a true PSU believer then!  The Jeb walk with the kids and the thunder and lightning was the best.  Reminded me of the blizzard of 87 with the thunder an lightning.  

    • Like 1

    Presidents' Day Storm of 1979 -- Most Memorable Snowstorm Ever

    in Mid Atlantic

    Posted

    6 hours ago, TJ3 said:

    I only post on this board when it is about that storm. Yes it was life changing for me. Before then I loved snow because I was a teenager hoping to get out of school. After that day it was because I was fascinated by what the hell just happened. I thought I was the only one obsessed for years after that storm.  Thank God I found this place. With regards to the storm, waking at dawn and looking out my window that Monday morning is still one of the most shocking weather things I ever witnessed. I have not seen those rates in the DMV since. Honestly not even close . February ‘83 was incredible. But no. ‘96 it snowed forever but not close. Biggest drifts I have seen to this day. I have pictures somewhere from ‘66 my dad took. They were actually higher. But I was only 2 1/2 so no actual memory of it.  PD1 will stay with me forever. 

    My experience was very similar to yours.  I was 11 years old, always enjoyed snow, but this was the storm that I caught the "snow weenie illness".  I have not been the same since....lol.  Seriously, it changed me.

    I remember that Sunday evening well.  My Grandmother who lived up the street from us in Baltimore, would come down to our house every Sunday night for Spaghetti night.  She made the spaghetti.  She was older and walked with a cane due to arthritis.  When it started snowing, she wanted to get back to her house quickly because she was not good with walking.  So, I went in front sweeping the sidewalk for her while my mother and Grandmother walked gingerly behind.

    I remember watching Bob Turk that night (he was with WJZ forever and not even a met.).  It was probably the 6PM news.  His forecast was for 1-3 or 2-4.  So I went to bed with that in my mind.  Something woke me up very early in the morning.  It was the wind.  I had a window next to my bed, so I ducked my head under the curtain and looked outside.  I was really confused because I could hardly see a thing outside my window.  But I was able to see the orange glow of the sky due to the urban lights, so I knew it was still snowing.  I tipped toed downstairs because everyone was still sleeping.  I looked out the front door and absolutely could not believe my eyes!  It was snowing harder than I had ever seen before in my life.  I was amazed!!  I never thought it could snow that hard.  It was puking snow! (People on here use that word nowadays, but they have no idea what puking snow really looks like).  Our front porch was a covered porch, but there was two plus feet of snow right up to the front door due to the wind.  I wanted to keep the moment to myself, so I purposely, did not wake up my brothers or parents.  I spent the next hour or two going from window to window saying quietly, "WOW!" over and over again.

    The next day all of the neighbors started to shovel out the street as we were told that the city was not going to be able to plow side streets for up to a week.  It was like a neighborhood party.  My school, which did not close for snow often, was out for a week!

    The '83 blizzard was also very cool because we were out playing in it when the rounds of thunder snow came through.  I don't remember thunder snow from the '79 blizzard, but perhaps I slept through it.  Nothing will replace the euphoria I felt waking up on that Monday morning in Feb. of '79!

    • Like 7
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