Richmond Metro/ Hampton roads obs/disco winter thread

[Coach McGuirk]

Why do some of you people treat DT as god?

He's a human being like the rest of us.

[Kevin Druff]

Why do some of you people treat DT as god?

He's a human being like the rest of us.

Not really sure who here has treated him like God. I simply called for folks to behave like adults. Looks like that message didn't make it through.

[Coach McGuirk]

Not really sure who here has treated him like God. I simply called for folks to behave like adults. Looks like that message didn't make it through.

LOL

He acts like a child.

[Kevin Druff]

LOL

He acts like a child.

Pot. Kettle. Black. Etc.

Two wrongs. Right. Etc.

[RIC Airport]

LOL

He acts like a child.

Yeah....and so do you.

[Coach McGuirk]

Yeah....and so do you.

He leaves then comes back.

[MidlothianWX]

He leaves then comes back.

His account has been completely erased. I highly doubt he comes back.

[RIC Airport]

It looks like it will rival December 2000 and come in as the 5th or 6th coldest December since 1897 at around 33.0 degrees. In terms of snowfall, it will rank the 11th snowiest since with 8.0".....this is after the adjustments with last week's storm. All in all, a very great month for C VA and two white Christmases in a row. IIRC, this has not happend before. And with the above average December snowfall, the 1981-2010 average should be around 10.2" or 10.3". NCDC will probably have us at 10.7" if they don't count some of the seasons in the late 90s with missing data. The 1898-2010 long term average comes in at 12.9".

For RIC, December 2010 finishes with an average temperature of 33.3°F and ranks as the 6th coldest December since 1897.

Richmond Top 10 Coldest Decembers (since 1897)

1. 30.1°F (1917)

2. 31.3°F(1989)

3. 31.6°F (1935)

4. 32.4°F (1963)

5. 33.0°F (2000)

6. 33.3°F (2010)

7. 33.4°F (1958)

8. 34.1°F (1910)

9. 34.6°F (1960)

10. 34.8°F(1955)

Richmond Top 11 Snowiest Decembers (since 1897)

1. 17.2" (1908)

2. 15.3" (1917)

3. 12.5" (1958)

4. 12.3" (1935)

5. 12.2" (1966)

6. 11.7" (1989)

7. 9.9" (1973)

8. 9.1" (1916)

9. 8.2" (1945)

10. 8.1" (1962)

11. 8.0" (2010)

[RIC Airport]

Looks like RIC ends as follows for the brand new 1981-2010 30 year period of record.....

Average Precipitation: 43.58"

Average Snowfall: 10.2"

Average Number of Days 32F or below: 75 days

Average Number of Days 90F or higher: 43 days

BTW, this is the lowest 30 year snowfall average since records began. The previous lowest was 10.6" for the 1921-1950 period.

I will add more as I get them.

[Patreeot]

Looks like RIC ends as follows for the brand new 1981-2010 30 year period of record.....

Average Precipitation: 43.58"

Average Snowfall: 10.3"

Average Number of Days 32F or below: 75 days

Average Number of Days 90F or higher: 43 days

BTW, this is the lowest 30 year snowfall average since records began. The previous lowest was 10.6" for the 1921-1950 period.

I will add more as I get them.

Thanks for the info. What was the 51-80 snowfall average?

[RIC Airport]

Thanks for the info. What was the 51-80 snowfall average?

RICHMOND 30-yr Averages

1981-2010: 10.2"

1971-2000: 11.8"

1961-1990: 16.4"

1951-1980: 16.1"

1941-1970: 14.9"

1931-1960: 11.8"

1921-1950: 10.6"

1911-1940: 11.7"

1901-1930: 12.8"

[Kevin Druff]

He leaves then comes back.

What are you going to say next?

"But, Mommy. He hit me first." My wife teaches preschool and most of them come up with better excuses than you've spewed in this thread.

[Coach McGuirk]

What are you going to say next?

"But, Mommy. He hit me first." My wife teaches preschool and most of them come up with better excuses than you've spewed in this thread.

[weathervswife]

So my wife is really pushing hard for us to move to Florida. I'm pushing back with my snowstorm passion, but this cold dry stuff is really wearing on me. Truth is, I'd LOVE to walk outside to 70's all year long. However, summers in FLA are unbearable with the humidity and sun angle. I would be suicidal down there during the winter months while you guys are amped up about an impending storm. The bottom line is I'm saying no due only to my snow passion. Am I being unreasonable? BTW, my wife is from MN so she's way over snowstorms. I thought this might be a good topic to bring up while there's NOTHING going on.

[mitchnick]

So my wife is really pushing hard for us to move to Florida. I'm pushing back with my snowstorm passion, but this cold dry stuff is really wearing on me. Truth is, I'd LOVE to walk outside to 70's all year long. However, summers in FLA are unbearable with the humidity and sun angle. I would be suicidal down there during the winter months while you guys are amped up about an impending storm. The bottom line is I'm saying no due only to my snow passion. Am I being unreasonable? BTW, my wife is from MN so she's way over snowstorms. I thought this might be a good topic to bring up while there's NOTHING going on.

Be sure to remind your wife of the

1) hurricanes-cold and snow does not destroy homes regularly

2) tornadoes-plenty of them throughout the year

FL may be a great place to visit, but live there year round? not me never

[Mark304]

So my wife is really pushing hard for us to move to Florida. I'm pushing back with my snowstorm passion, but this cold dry stuff is really wearing on me. Truth is, I'd LOVE to walk outside to 70's all year long. However, summers in FLA are unbearable with the humidity and sun angle. I would be suicidal down there during the winter months while you guys are amped up about an impending storm. The bottom line is I'm saying no due only to my snow passion. Am I being unreasonable? BTW, my wife is from MN so she's way over snowstorms. I thought this might be a good topic to bring up while there's NOTHING going on.

I say go for it! There is a lot more sun in Florida and you can stay in the a/c when it gets unbearable.

[Jim_in_CA]

So my wife is really pushing hard for us to move to Florida. I'm pushing back with my snowstorm passion, but this cold dry stuff is really wearing on me. Truth is, I'd LOVE to walk outside to 70's all year long. However, summers in FLA are unbearable with the humidity and sun angle. I would be suicidal down there during the winter months while you guys are amped up about an impending storm. The bottom line is I'm saying no due only to my snow passion. Am I being unreasonable? BTW, my wife is from MN so she's way over snowstorms. I thought this might be a good topic to bring up while there's NOTHING going on.

From what you are saying Florida does not sound like a good choice to me. And her being from MN? I bet she thinks it sounds good but once she hits a summer that runs from April to mid October with 90+ temps and high humidity, she probably won't like it much either.

Honestly, I'm not sure why people complain about DC area weather so much. We get 4 seasons, spectacular springs and falls, and winters which generally (last year being the exception) are not particularly harsh but do feature a bit of snow. Personally I find this area frustrating - I'd prefer a climate like Boston or southern Maine - but for "normal" people DC seems pretty good. The only thing truly objectionable to me is the summer - but at least it's not too long!

If you really want more mild winters, I'd consider places out west over FL. California (I'm partial to the Bay Area, but if you prefer warmer, SoCal is preferable) is a good choice. Seattle actually isn't bad - you have 4 seasons but they are muted. Summers are fantastic, long sunny days with highs in the 70s, and an occasional day of heat. Winters are dreary but not particularly harsh (highs in the 40s, lows in the 30s). Average snow is around 13" so you do get a little but it rarely sticks around long. If you don't care about ocean - Arizona may be a good choice too. I've heard thing about Prescott. The other plus with the west is you are a weekend trip away from areas with good snow in all the places I mentioned. That's definitely not the case with Florida.

In short... unless both you and your wife love hot, tropical weather - I'd shy away from Florida. There are way better options if you want something other than DC. Also, the economy in Florida is horrible, and the job market shows it.

[weathervswife]

From what you are saying Florida does not sound like a good choice to me. And her being from MN? I bet she thinks it sounds good but once she hits a summer that runs from April to mid October with 90+ temps and high humidity, she probably won't like it much either.

Honestly, I'm not sure why people complain about DC area weather so much. We get 4 seasons, spectacular springs and falls, and winters which generally (last year being the exception) are not particularly harsh but do feature a bit of snow. Personally I find this area frustrating - I'd prefer a climate like Boston or southern Maine - but for "normal" people DC seems pretty good. The only thing truly objectionable to me is the summer - but at least it's not too long!

If you really want more mild winters, I'd consider places out west over FL. California (I'm partial to the Bay Area, but if you prefer warmer, SoCal is preferable) is a good choice. Seattle actually isn't bad - you have 4 seasons but they are muted. Summers are fantastic, long sunny days with highs in the 70s, and an occasional day of heat. Winters are dreary but not particularly harsh (highs in the 40s, lows in the 30s). Average snow is around 13" so you do get a little but it rarely sticks around long. If you don't care about ocean - Arizona may be a good choice too. I've heard thing about Prescott. The other plus with the west is you are a weekend trip away from areas with good snow in all the places I mentioned. That's definitely not the case with Florida.

In short... unless both you and your wife love hot, tropical weather - I'd shy away from Florida. There are way better options if you want something other than DC. Also, the economy in Florida is horrible, and the job market shows it.

Actually, I forgot about the tropical angle. It wouldn't kill me to live in Orlando or some such place. It would be statiscally improbable that my house would be blown down, but I would certainly experience tropical storm conditions, not to mention run of the mill Tstorms at a good clip. Actually, I'm pushing to move somewhere like Buffalo, western PA/NY or Maine. I don't think anywhere out west would ever work unless it was Flagstaff. They get lots of snow, but normall it's pretty warm there. If I'm going to be cold, it needs to be productive.

[MidlothianWX]

FWIW, the 00z GFS drops a couple inches on RIC during the morning hours on Thursday.

I'll be skiing at Wintergreen from the 3rd-6th, so I'm hoping some snow makes its way up there.

[Coach McGuirk]

If the GFS is right, we're looking at a cold and snowy first half of January.

[cbscott126]

Actually, I forgot about the tropical angle. It wouldn't kill me to live in Orlando or some such place. It would be statiscally improbable that my house would be blown down, but I would certainly experience tropical storm conditions, not to mention run of the mill Tstorms at a good clip. Actually, I'm pushing to move somewhere like Buffalo, western PA/NY or Maine. I don't think anywhere out west would ever work unless it was Flagstaff. They get lots of snow, but normall it's pretty warm there. If I'm going to be cold, it needs to be productive.

Orlando's not really safe from hurricanes. Charley ripped through there with 100 MPH winds and did substantial damage. You have to remember that there is nothing there to weaken storms. They just wash right over the peninsula like it wasn't there.

As a native Floridiot (born and raised in Fort Myers on the southwest coast), I would discourage anyone from making that move. I could sit here and list the myriad of reasons why (heat, humidity, hurricanes, crappy economy, old people, snow birds, bugs, snakes, etc.), but comedian Daniel Tosh put it most succinctly: Florida is flat, hot, and dumb. I couldn't agree more with his assessment. If I were to go anywhere, I would go to San Diego. It's expensive, but so worth it.

[RIC Airport]

If you really want more mild winters, I'd consider places out west over FL. California (I'm partial to the Bay Area, but if you prefer warmer, SoCal is preferable) is a good choice. Seattle actually isn't bad - you have 4 seasons but they are muted. Summers are fantastic, long sunny days with highs in the 70s, and an occasional day of heat. Winters are dreary but not particularly harsh (highs in the 40s, lows in the 30s). Average snow is around 13" so you do get a little but it rarely sticks around long. If you don't care about ocean - Arizona may be a good choice too. I've heard thing about Prescott. The other plus with the west is you are a weekend trip away from areas with good snow in all the places I mentioned. That's definitely not the case with Florida.

In short... unless both you and your wife love hot, tropical weather - I'd shy away from Florida. There are way better options if you want something other than DC. Also, the economy in Florida is horrible, and the job market shows it.

Agreed. I lived in the Seattle area for 3 years and loved every single second of it. I would move back there in a heartbeat if I could. It's a fun, beautiful city and a rather diverse one as well. Summers there are absolutely spectacular!!! It's not uncommon to undergo weeks upon weeks of wall to wall sun. You're talking highs in the mid-upper 70s with upper 40s/low 50s at night...just perfect! And yes it does snow in Seattle. I was there in winter 2008-09 and saw my first snowstorm 12" or more since January 1996. I think Seattle officially got 25" that season, but some of the areas including where I live got well into the 30s. The NW windstorms are also very intriguing if you ever witness one of those like I did in December 2006.

And I would have to agree with others about FL. I'm sorry, but it's so overrated. I would never want to live there and others have stated all the reasons. San Francisco and San Diego would be on my list as well as Boston and Washington, DC if I had any pick.

[Kevin Druff]

Agreed. I lived in the Seattle area for 3 years and loved every single second of it. I would move back there in a heartbeat if I could. It's a fun, beautiful city and a rather diverse one as well. Summers there are absolutely spectacular!!! It's not uncommon to undergo weeks upon weeks of wall to wall sun. You're talking highs in the mid-upper 70s with upper 40s/low 50s at night...just perfect! And yes it does snow in Seattle. I was there in winter 2008-09 and saw my first snowstorm 12" or more since January 1996. I think Seattle officially got 25" that season, but some of the areas including where I live got well into the 30s. The NW windstorms are also very intriguing if you ever witness one of those like I did in December 2006.

And I would have to agree with others about FL. I'm sorry, but it's so overrated. I would never want to live there and others have stated all the reasons. San Francisco and San Diego would be on my list as well as Boston and Washington, DC if I had any pick.

We were in Seattle this past summer and LOVED it. We were there during the August heat wave. The high temperature was ~90* and folks were dying. The NWS issued excessive heat warnings those two days . They even told us to expect "limited" relief as temperatures overnight would only fall into the m/u 50s. My wife and I laughed as folks around here wouldn't know what to do if overnight lows were in the 50s.

The next morning we walked out of our hotel expecting it to be hot. Nope. We almost froze until it warmed up an hour later.

[SeanVA]

18z GFS is all "wtf", but it is south.

[rainstorm]

1 week anniversary of THE STORM.

[Suffolkweather]

Happy anniversary!!

[Coach McGuirk]

Happy anniversary!!

It's all gone.

Anyway, December ended up -9.1 F departure for Norfolk and 17.8 inches of snow.

I'll say this was a great winter with 2 maybe 3 months left for chances of snow.

[RIC Airport]

It's apparent that a rather noteworthy arctic outbreak may take place in long range period. In my opinion, severe arctic outbreaks are those that are responsible for official high temperatures below 20°F and low temperatures below 0°F at RIC. The two most recent episodes of this took place in early February 1996 and mid January 1994 when RIC's low temperature reached -2°F and -1°F respectively. Although the temperature reached -1°F on January 28, 2000, this was solely due to radiational cooling from an intense snowcover. The aforementioned occurrences as well as the January 1985 outbreak, when RIC had two consecutive nights below 0°F, were purely air mass driven. It will be interesting to see how the pattern evolves over the next week or two with a potential -EPO causing a cross polar flow as models and a few prominent mets seem to indicate.

The all time record low is -12°F and occurred because of snowcover in excess of 20" after a historic southeastern US snowstorm hit areas from ATL to DCA in late January 1940. The following are some recent below 0°F readings at Richmond. Since 1897, there have been a total of 37 occurrences.

-1°F January 28, 2000

-2°F February 5, 1996

-1°F January 19, 1994

-6°F January 21, 1985

-1°F February 11, 1979

-8°F February 10, 1979

-1°F January 17, 1977

-1°F January 22, 1970

High temperatures below 20°F are even less frequent with a total of 26 occurrences. The all-time lowest maximum temperature at RIC is 11°F set way back in February 1899 when observations took place at Chimborazo Park. These are the coldest daytime high temperatures at RIC since 1930 when observations for record began at the present airport site in Henrico County.

12°F January 19, 1994, January 9, 1970

14°F December 25, 1983, February 18, 1979

15°F January 21, 1985, February 9, 1934

16°F January 11, 1982

17°F January 17, 1977

18°F February 4, 1996, January 30, 1966, January 30, 1966, January 8, 1942

19°F December 22, 1989, January 18, 1977, January 26, 1961, February 17, 1958

[JB Fins]

It's apparent that a rather noteworthy arctic outbreak may take place in long range period. In my opinion, severe arctic outbreaks are those that are responsible for official high temperatures below 20°F and low temperatures below 0°F at RIC. The two most recent episodes of this took place in early February 1996 and mid January 1994 when RIC's low temperature reached -2°F and -1°F respectively. Although the temperature reached -1°F on January 28, 2000, this was solely due to radiational cooling from an intense snowcover. The aforementioned occurrences as well as the January 1985 outbreak, when RIC had two consecutive nights below 0°F, were purely air mass driven. It will be interesting to see how the pattern evolves over the next week or two with a potential -EPO causing a cross polar flow as models and a few prominent mets seem to indicate.

The all time record low is -12°F and occurred because of snowcover in excess of 20" after a historic southeastern US snowstorm hit areas from ATL to DCA in late January 1940. The following are some recent below 0°F readings at Richmond. Since 1897, there have been a total of 37 occurrences.

-1°F January 28, 2000

-2°F February 5, 1996

-1°F January 19, 1994

-6°F January 21, 1985

-1°F February 11, 1979

-8°F February 10, 1979

-1°F January 17, 1977

-1°F January 22, 1970

High temperatures below 20°F are even less frequent with a total of 26 occurrences. The all-time lowest maximum temperature at RIC is 11°F set way back in February 1899 when observations took place at Chimborazo Park. These are the coldest daytime high temperatures at RIC since 1930 when observations for record began at the present airport site in Henrico County.

12°F January 19, 1994, January 9, 1970

14°F December 25, 1983, February 18, 1979

15°F January 21, 1985, February 9, 1934

16°F January 11, 1982

17°F January 17, 1977

18°F February 4, 1996, January 30, 1966, January 30, 1966, January 8, 1942

19°F December 22, 1989, January 18, 1977, January 26, 1961, February 17, 1958

Great stuff Anthony. I remember 1982 and 1985 well. Both caused early school closings due to cold. I remember kids spitting on the covered awnings at Tuckahoe Middle and it would freeze before dripping to the ground, disgusting but true!

[Coach McGuirk]

It's all gone.

Anyway, December ended up -9.1 F departure for Norfolk and 17.8 inches of snow.

I'll say this was a great winter with 2 maybe 3 months left for chances of snow.

December finished as the 4th coldest and the 2nd snowiest for Norfolk, VA.