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January 31-February 2 Potentially Historic Winter Storm


Hoosier

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Is the PV pushing this storm more east once it gets into Southern Indiana?

It's starting to occlude by the time it gets there. The pressure field gets "baggy" on the east side due to incipient triple-point cyclogenesis. What you're seeing isn't an eastward shift of the system, just the beginnings of an energy transfer. The actual primary surface low will be located along the western side of the elongating pressure field.

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this is going to decide my fate.

Yes, your area is extremely close. LSX pointed out some of the finer details in their AFD this morning. It might be one of those wild-roller coaster rides for a while, especially if you get convection thrown into the mix (which would be a positive thing for snow).

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http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/winter/chi_sno_hist.php

Chicago's 10 biggest Snowstorms:

  1. 23.0 inches Jan 26-27, 1967
  2. 21.6 inches Jan 1-3, 1999
  3. 19.2 inches Mar 25-26, 1930
  4. 18.8 inches Jan 13-14, 1979
  5. 16.2 inches Mar 7-8, 1931
  6. 15.0 inches Dec 17-20, 1929
  7. 14.9 inches Jan 30, 1939
  8. 14.9 inches Jan 6-7, 1918
  9. 14.3 inches Mar 25-26, 1970
  10. 14.0 inches Jan 18-20, 1886

Lots of MDW or lakefront storms on that list, other than Jan '99. Somewhat safe to stay, but this will be probably be, at worst, the 2nd largest storm to be measured officially at ORD.

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WAA is normally underdone to an extent but I'm not convinced that the icing threat is any less significant for areas along and North of I-70. There is an Easterly flow, tight baroclinic zone, it will be a fine line, but we'll see. During the 05 ice storm here, the models busted way high on temperatures. We were suppose to get about a quarter of an inch of ice and then change to rain. Needless to say, we never changed to rain and had all ZR due to the easterly flow and evap. cooling, ended up with an inch and a half of ice accretion.

I think further east in Columbus we might be saved because the low should have a strong southerly wind push there. Still, this sounds similar b/c we're expecting about a quarter inch now before going to rain :unsure: You're area may be in worse shape though with less of a surface warm push...

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What is the record for most snow in a storm in Chicago AND could this break that?

For Chicago's "official" climate record (ORD post-1980, MDW before that from 1942-1980, various downtown locations before that). Could a record be broken? Possibly. Could an all-time February record be broken? Rather likely at this point.

  1. 23.0 inches Jan 26-27, 1967
  2. 21.6 inches Jan 1-3, 1999
  3. 19.2 inches Mar 25-26, 1930
  4. 18.8 inches Jan 13-14, 1979
  5. 16.2 inches Mar 7-8, 1931
  6. 15.0 inches Dec 17-20, 1929
  7. 14.9 inches Jan 30, 1939
  8. 14.9 inches Jan 6-7, 1918
  9. 14.3 inches Mar 25-26, 1970
  10. 14.0 inches Jan 18-20, 1886
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Yes, your area is extremely close. LSX pointed out some of the finer details in their AFD this morning. It might be one of those wild-roller coaster rides for a while, especially if you get convection thrown into the mix (which would be a positive thing for snow).

as the NW trend has been going on, models compared to 3 days ago are more snowy because of the stronger system.

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WAA is normally underdone to an extent but I'm not convinced that the icing threat is any less significant for areas along and North of I-70. There is an Easterly flow, tight baroclinic zone, it will be a fine line, but we'll see. During the 05 ice storm here, the models busted way high on temperatures. We were suppose to get about a quarter of an inch of ice and then change to rain. Needless to say, we never changed to rain and had all ZR due to the easterly flow and evap. cooling, ended up with an inch and a half of ice accretion.

When I'm talking about WAA in this case, it's aloft. Surface temps are going to struggle with that high pressure setup and moderately strong northeasterly wind fetch, that's for sure. While models typically underforecast WAA, they can also mess up with arctic airmasses near the surface too.

In reality, the frontal slope will likely be more shallow than shown now.

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It's starting to occlude by the time it gets there. The pressure field gets "baggy" on the east side due to incipient triple-point cyclogenesis. What you're seeing isn't an eastward shift of the system, just the beginnings of an energy transfer. The actual primary surface low will be located along the western side of the elongating pressure field.

Wow a transfer that early. thanks.

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For Chicago's "official" climate record (ORD post-1980, MDW before that from 1942-1980, various downtown locations before that). Could a record be broken? Possibly. Could an all-time February record be broken? Rather likely at this point.

  1. 23.0 inches Jan 26-27, 1967
  2. 21.6 inches Jan 1-3, 1999
  3. 19.2 inches Mar 25-26, 1930
  4. 18.8 inches Jan 13-14, 1979
  5. 16.2 inches Mar 7-8, 1931
  6. 15.0 inches Dec 17-20, 1929
  7. 14.9 inches Jan 30, 1939
  8. 14.9 inches Jan 6-7, 1918
  9. 14.3 inches Mar 25-26, 1970
  10. 14.0 inches Jan 18-20, 1886

Yes- it's an interesting list - both the absence of any February storms and also two March 25-26 storms...

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wow and the ukie responds by pumping up heights quicker in the eastern lakes than even the NAM and leaving the polar vortex teetering.....just a little more pump needed, but im enjoying the 12z trends

Hi everyone...new member here...always lurked since I don't have much met knowledge, and can't really contribute much tongue.gif But boy this storm has my interest...!

OL...the fact that the Euro has been consistently increasing precip amounts our way (I am from, as a friend of mine from TO put it, "the arctic village that is Ottawa" haha)...showing 0.81 from 00z, along with temps below -10C throughout, shouldn't that be a good sign? The 00z GEFS also had good amounts, even though the op didn't. Since you are getting pumped, I take it things are looking up? I'll be cautiously pessimistic anyways, I'll get pumped when I see snow falling! My apologies for asking such questions, but I really can't read maps much to tell if things are looking up or getting pear-shaped!

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