Pityflakes

Sleet in W. Springfield, but w/ 6 inches on the ground and more on the way later tonight who can complain?!

So not as bright as Polaris then?

This. Can we please shelve the "surge is baked in because it used to be a Cat 5" myth. Which as far as I can tell isn't based on anything other than people invoking Katrina. Seems like surge is actually way more complicated and difficult to predict, but appears much more sensitive to topography, fetch, wind direction and duration, etc. Wind speed of course matters (an actual 140/150 mph cane at landfall is going to push a lot of water, but those extreme impacts are localized to the actual eye wall), but "historical" wind speed/pressure of a storm is less relevant. ETA: I'm not downplaying the impact of Milton or suggesting it was a "bust" somehow. But rather I'm suggesting that the surge impacts played out exactly like one would expect from a robust Cat 2/3 given approach angle and topography.

Heavy ponding alert inbound

This is the banter thread?

Yikes. I think this likely exceeds Charlie in the Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda area. May actually be the zone of highest realized surge.

Obviously too early but I'd be breathing a sign of relief in Tampa this am based on weakening and track trends. Even if they catch the eye wall, a broad eye of a Cat 2/3 struggling w/ dry air/structure isn't going to produce a devastating surge w/ a mostly offshore flow. Surge will be more wind than pressure driven; could see Siesta Key and areas south hitting the max potential though of 10-15 feet.

Nobody likes the Feb 1-2 timeframe? Seems like the 500mb energy swinging through as depicted on the GFS might pop something. I have no idea about necessary cold though.

Largest sleet pellets I've ever seen earlier this am in W. Springfield. So at least there's that.

White rain 4-eva in W. Springfield.

Raleigh NC will end up getting more snow tonight than DC proper from this weekend's event.

ZR in Springfield. Has been for a while. Plain rain soon.

Storm just north of downtown dc seemed to get its act together in a hurry.

Huuge flakes in W Springfield amoung pixie and sleet

On 12th floor of building on top of Metro Center. Honestly first thought was that the station collapsed and my building was next. Guess that means the terrorists have won.....