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Central PA Winter '10-'11 Obs/Discussion I


PennMan

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yeah and the timing could be right at rush hour am.

A couple I remember include Christmas Eve 1983 before that arctic blast, Christmas night 1994 (nothing was forecasted and I happened to glance out the window at S+ and thought I was hallucinating, lol) and this one instance that I wish I remember the exact date....

I was working at Jay's Supermarket, I don't know if any of you fellow 40+ age guys remember it. Anyway, the supermarket actually had a really good and really cheap restaurant attached to it.

I work in the restaurant as a busboy/dishwasher but was asked to help with crushing boxes in this cool-ass thing they had right outside the supermarket. The place as on a hill in York right near my middle school, and had a nice view of the NW. I knew that a bit of snow was expected, but as we were crushing boxes I noticed the NW sky beginning to darken, like a summer storm. It was near dusk, but it was darkening. I thought nothing of it.

Then we heard thunder, and I nearly crapped myself. It was around 35 degrees, so I knew something big was about to happen. I got called into the restaurant because we began to get busy. It was a Friday night. There was a line waiting to be seated.

About 30 minutes later, I went out to get a bus tub and nearly crapped myself in front of a lot of diners. It had gotten dark, but there was a full-fledged whiteout. I could see it because this grocery store was one of those classic old-fashioned ones with the all-glass fronts. What was hilarious, I looked over and the entire line of people went "poof!". All were gone and people were literally turning around and leaving carts with food in them to get out of the storm. There were crashes of thunder, flashes of lightning, and roaring winds.

I finished my work and got to leave early, and my dad picked me up. We measured when I got home and we got around 5 inches. The snow came in a big 30-minute burst then it snowed steady for about an hour or so.

One of my all-time favorite weather events, but I wish I remembered the date. I think it was in January.

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A couple I remember include Christmas Eve 1983 before that arctic blast, Christmas night 1994 (nothing was forecasted and I happened to glance out the window at S+ and thought I was hallucinating, lol) and this one instance that I wish I remember the exact date....

I was working at Jay's Supermarket, I don't know if any of you fellow 40+ age guys remember it. Anyway, the supermarket actually had a really good and really cheap restaurant attached to it.

I work in the restaurant as a busboy/dishwasher but was asked to help with crushing boxes in this cool-ass thing they had right outside the supermarket. The place as on a hill in York right near my middle school, and had a nice view of the NW. I knew that a bit of snow was expected, but as we were crushing boxes I noticed the NW sky beginning to darken, like a summer storm. It was near dusk, but it was darkening. I thought nothing of it.

Then we heard thunder, and I nearly crapped myself. It was around 35 degrees, so I knew something big was about to happen. I got called into the restaurant because we began to get busy. It was a Friday night. There was a line waiting to be seated.

About 30 minutes later, I went out to get a bus tub and nearly crapped myself in front of a lot of diners. It had gotten dark, but there was a full-fledged whiteout. I could see it because this grocery store was one of those classic old-fashioned ones with the all-glass fronts. What was hilarious, I looked over and the entire line of people went "poof!". All were gone and people were literally turning around and leaving carts with food in them to get out of the storm. There were crashes of thunder, flashes of lightning, and roaring winds.

I finished my work and got to leave early, and my dad picked me up. We measured when I got home and we got around 5 inches. The snow came in a big 30-minute burst then it snowed steady for about an hour or so.

One of my all-time favorite weather events, but I wish I remembered the date. I think it was in January.

thats a great story.

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A couple I remember include Christmas Eve 1983 before that arctic blast, Christmas night 1994 (nothing was forecasted and I happened to glance out the window at S+ and thought I was hallucinating, lol) and this one instance that I wish I remember the exact date....

I was working at Jay's Supermarket, I don't know if any of you fellow 40+ age guys remember it. Anyway, the supermarket actually had a really good and really cheap restaurant attached to it.

I work in the restaurant as a busboy/dishwasher but was asked to help with crushing boxes in this cool-ass thing they had right outside the supermarket. The place as on a hill in York right near my middle school, and had a nice view of the NW. I knew that a bit of snow was expected, but as we were crushing boxes I noticed the NW sky beginning to darken, like a summer storm. It was near dusk, but it was darkening. I thought nothing of it.

Then we heard thunder, and I nearly crapped myself. It was around 35 degrees, so I knew something big was about to happen. I got called into the restaurant because we began to get busy. It was a Friday night. There was a line waiting to be seated.

About 30 minutes later, I went out to get a bus tub and nearly crapped myself in front of a lot of diners. It had gotten dark, but there was a full-fledged whiteout. I could see it because this grocery store was one of those classic old-fashioned ones with the all-glass fronts. What was hilarious, I looked over and the entire line of people went "poof!". All were gone and people were literally turning around and leaving carts with food in them to get out of the storm. There were crashes of thunder, flashes of lightning, and roaring winds.

I finished my work and got to leave early, and my dad picked me up. We measured when I got home and we got around 5 inches. The snow came in a big 30-minute burst then it snowed steady for about an hour or so.

One of my all-time favorite weather events, but I wish I remembered the date. I think it was in January.

Talk about a walk down memory lane, I remember that so well, but like you, I can't remember the date. Our house sat on a hill in western Lancaster county overlooking the river, it was a great vantage point to watch summer storms coming from the west and northwest. This is the only time in my life I can recall seeing black skies before it snowed. And it is one of only 2 times that I could literally HEAR the snow coming before it was actually falling at our home. Simply amazing...within seconds, the ground went from green to white and you see literally nothing. My memory says we ended up with more like 3" from that, but I will never, ever forget that. Take the most intense snowfalls from some of our super-juiced northeasters, and even those moments don't compare to the intensity of that snow squall. 3" in 30 minutes? (at most) Every time (which isn't often in these neck of the woods) that I hear "squalls" mentioned in our forecast, I pine for that event all over again.

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Oh, yah, I'm aware. It's just funny that in tiny non-impact events we are our own little snowhole. :) Excited to see what happens in the next few days for the midweek gig.

The euro took another step our way today. Light event being depicted right now. The GFS/Euro/GEM/DGEX/JMA all have a storm now coming up the coast. Time to watch for any nw trends next few days.

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thats a great story.

Thanks!

Talk about a walk down memory lane, I remember that so well, but like you, I can't remember the date. Our house sat on a hill in western Lancaster county overlooking the river, it was a great vantage point to watch summer storms coming from the west and northwest. This is the only time in my life I can recall seeing black skies before it snowed. And it is one of only 2 times that I could literally HEAR the snow coming before it was actually falling at our home. Simply amazing...within seconds, the ground went from green to white and you see literally nothing. My memory says we ended up with more like 3" from that, but I will never, ever forget that. Take the most intense snowfalls from some of our super-juiced northeasters, and even those moments don't compare to the intensity of that snow squall. 3" in 30 minutes? (at most) Every time (which isn't often in these neck of the woods) that I hear "squalls" mentioned in our forecast, I pine for that event all over again.

Wow....someone else remembers that.

I try to ask family/friends about it and all I get are blank stares, except for my mom. My dad's passed but he sure remembered it.

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That time frame sounds about right. I know I was old enough to remember it well, but still fairly young. I graduated in '83 and it was well before then...

I think it was 1978. I remember somewhere in that time, but i don't think we had that much snow, maybe 2" and what fell came quickly. (Jaime said he thought 5") anyhow we were working a wreck on 11 & 15 when the storm hit. People couldn't see and The roads turned bad and we had wrecks all up and down I-81. It was really brief, but blizzard like conditions. and didn't it get bitter cold afterwards?

But maybe i'm thinking of something else.

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I think it was 1978. I remember somewhere in that time, but i don't think we had that much snow, maybe 2" and what fell came quickly. (Jaime said he thought 5") anyhow we were working a wreck on 11 & 15 when the storm hit. People couldn't see and The roads turned bad and we had wrecks all up and down I-81. It was really brief, but blizzard like conditions. and didn't it get bitter cold afterwards?

But maybe i'm thinking of something else.

Was that late afternoonish? What I recall so vividly came through our area at or just before 5pm. We usually ate dinner at 5, and we all went running outside just as we were getting ready to eat. So, it would have been maybe 30 minutes-hour earlier where you were.

I'm definitely remembering something different than Jaime, and it kind of bugs me that I don't recall what he's talking about, because I was around at that time as well.

I do remember a Saturday morning in the early 80's when York got 5" of snow and we got rain. The rain/snow line seemingly set up right over the river. Try as might, I can't forget that event, either.

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Was that late afternoonish? What I recall so vividly came through our area at or just before 5pm. We usually ate dinner at 5, and we all went running outside just as we were getting ready to eat. So, it would have been maybe 30 minutes-hour earlier where you were.

I'm definitely remembering something different than Jaime, and it kind of bugs me that I don't recall what he's talking about, because I was around at that time as well.

I do remember a Saturday morning in the early 80's when York got 5" of snow and we got rain. The rain/snow line seemingly set up right over the river. Try as might, I can't forget that event, either.

Bingo. Your exactly right. It was nuts on the roads up here...........on what the now call the capitol beltway

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WWA issued for Chester, Berks and points east. Our State College boys are a stubborn bunch sometimes.

While I would agree that CTP might lag behind at times, I'm not sure this "event" tonight warrants an advisory. Seems to me that we have just as much a chance of seeing nothing as an inch or so, and even at that, advisory's aren't normally issued in this area for that amount of snow.

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Agree we likely won't make it on the quantity criteria but maybe (likely?) will on <1/4 visibility given the squall potential. An issuance by the NWS always gives that little extra psychological boost this time of year. Plus it will give Doug Allen something meaningful to base his forecast on besides the Most-Lame-Named-Award Predictor model they so highly tout.

I honestly can't remember the last time I watched Doug Allen, or anyone else on WGAL for that matter. Probably back to the days of Tony Cavalier. Come to think of it, I don't watch anyone on local TV, they all suck. The only local met that I trust/like at all is Eric Horst.

I do agree that if we end up in a short burst/squall that it could be a real mess come rush hour tomorrow morning.

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I honestly can't remember the last time I watched Doug Allen, or anyone else on WGAL for that matter. Probably back to the days of Tony Cavalier. Come to think of it, I don't watch anyone on local TV, they all suck. The only local met that I trust/like at all is Eric Horst.

I do agree that if we end up in a short burst/squall that it could be a real mess come rush hour tomorrow morning.

i told my daughter i wouldn't be shocked if they had a delay. But not to expect or count on it

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i told my daughter i wouldn't be shocked if they had a delay. But not to expect or count on it

Yep, I told my kiddos the same thing last night. I guess I need it to snow some soon, since I went out on a limb earlier this week and announced that I could feel snow coming in my old bones. I'm increasingly worried that we whiff next week. Wes (Usedtobe) is sounding really negative about THEIR chances, and they're further south then we are.

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While I would agree that CTP might lag behind at times, I'm not sure this "event" tonight warrants an advisory. Seems to me that we have just as much a chance of seeing nothing as an inch or so, and even at that, advisory's aren't normally issued in this area for that amount of snow.

It almost sounded like they issued the advisory because of the time of day (Friday AM rush) that it's occurring. I don't think they usually put out advisories for an inch or two, even down there.

I agree for around here -- the only spots that should pick up widespread advisory snowfall in Central PA will be in the Laurels.

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