Jump to content
  • Member Statistics

    17,608
    Total Members
    7,904
    Most Online
    NH8550
    Newest Member
    NH8550
    Joined

Tracking the Late October Potential


stormtracker

Recommended Posts

it is I think...not sure where the threshold is...I mentioned 800-1000' earlier...Wes and Jason have both used the 1000' demarcation.....We might be able to get more specific tomorrow but I don't think we can be precise....based on recall some of the places in upper MOCO at 600' I believe have done pretty well in events when others have gotten shut out....but I don't really know where the cutoff will be from some accumulation to perhaps just some flakes or mangled mix

I think we just mentioned 1000 ft as an example. if there is convection 500 feet will do great and some places much lower might see decent accumulations but that's assuming the NAM is on the right track which still is very much up in the air.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 1.1k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Matt, do you see this being similar to the 12/5/09 event where the snow was 6 inches at Bluemount at 900' down to a trace just outside the beltway say Annadale, va??

Dave, I'm not Matt and think this has more dynamics than that storm if I remember correctly. That means the precip rates could be higher with this storm. Still the idea of more west and at elevation is probably the way to go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It does providing it has the other fields right. That's why I'd watch it for the next couple of runs. If it still has the unstable layer and the colder temps on tomorrow afternoon run, then I'd be worried that we are underplaying the event. Until then, I'd still wait before goign overboard. Still the unstable layer makes this a tricky event because any convection would guarantee some accumulation.

Yeah, that's why I'd lean heavily toward the up to a trace DCA but then on the other end (15%?) not really scale much till you get to like 2" or so as you can get that in a short period with convection even in marginal temps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dave, I'm not Matt and think this has more dynamics than that storm if I remember correctly. That means the precip rates could be higher with this storm. Still the idea of more west and at elevation is probably the way to go.

http://www.meteo.psu...09/us1205j5.php

it has more qpf to work with for sure this go around if the models are right-- that was a relatively quick hitter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dave, I'm not Matt and think this has more dynamics than that storm if I remember correctly. That means the precip rates could be higher with this storm. Still the idea of more west and at elevation is probably the way to go.

Thanks Wes. Probably more north than west though with this particular system. Will be interesting to see how the elevation plays out, makes these type of events fun in a way, more so for the folks than get the snow in some aspects.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I was more wondering like when should we start taking them more seriously instead of with a grain of salt. Inside 48 hrs?

At like 500mb I'd take them more seriously than the NAM in the mean until it stabilizes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Matt, do you see this being similar to the 12/5/09 event where the snow was 6 inches at Bluemount at 900' down to a trace just outside the beltway say Annadale, va??

yes...but just in result...that is why you can't get too imby if the GFS is right....If the NAM is closer to right then most of us would see some snow accumulate because snow at 34 at this sun angle if it is heavy will stick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I was more wondering like when should we start taking them more seriously instead of with a grain of salt. Inside 48 hrs?

INside of 84 hrs you start using them. Inside of 24, I'd believe the operational runs more than the sref because of their higher resolution. That said, they still offer information about the uncertainty of a forecast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

any similarities to March 1942?...I don't have the K/U book handy

I didn't find a march 42 but did find a March 41. Had a somewhat similar surface track but a stronger high located almost where this one has one. The book offered no 500 since they didn't have 500h back then. There is a website that will allow you to call up old analyses from the reforecast data. Unfortunately I can't find the link. I used to have it bookmarked.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't fine a march 42 but did find a March 41. Had a somewhat similar surface track but a stronger high located almost where this one has one. The book offered no 500 since they didn't have 500h back then. There is a website that will allow you to call up old analyses from the reforecast data. Unfortunately I can't find the link. I sued to have it bookmarked.

6 hr

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/data/composites/day_20thc/

Daily (only back to 1948)

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/data/composites/day/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anybody care to venture a guess at how all of this works out out here west of the BR where elevations range from about 700 feet to upwards of 1000? Seems like the temp profiles I can find would suggest snow by sat morning with, seemingly, ample precip. <BR><BR>Edit: not supposed to be an elevation post. Mainly asking about being further west, maybe colder, less precip. Along those lines.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't find a march 42 but did find a March 41. Had a somewhat similar surface track but a stronger high located almost where this one has one. The book offered no 500 since they didn't have 500h back then. There is a website that will allow you to call up old analyses from the reforecast data. Unfortunately I can't find the link. I used to have it bookmarked.

Wow that was a pretty good storm from Marc 7-8 1941. All snow in DC metro and the freezing mix down over EZF to ROA. If Im reading it right 10" of snow fell over a widespread area in that event

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dave, I'm not Matt and think this has more dynamics than that storm if I remember correctly. That means the precip rates could be higher with this storm. Still the idea of more west and at elevation is probably the way to go.

I didn't really start tracking until the Dec 19-20 storm, though I did follow the Dec 5 storm a little. I have to say I was shocked by how long it snowed here on that day and how much we ended up with - close to 4" if I remember correctly. I had no idea that just a little east of here didn't get much in the way of accumulation, and honestly would never have thought that elevation here may have played a factor (I'm at around 320').

It'll be interesting to see how this one turns out, and to see what the magic elevation number was.

Edit: Sorry - just saw that Midlo started an elevation thread.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow that was a pretty good storm from Marc 7-8 1941. All snow in DC metro and the freezing mix down over EZF to ROA. If Im reading it right 10" of snow fell over a widespread area in that event

It had 1032 high with it which at that time of year would be pretty cold. That's the big difference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It had 1032 high with it which at that time of year would be pretty cold. That's the big difference.

Thats a pretty strong HP. Im surprised even they flipped to the south of DC towards Fredericksburg. Even with the Low still sitting over MYB/ILM there must have been a warm boundary layer enough to keep it a mix down thru central VA.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

going to be funny some people will see their first snow before their first frost this year how often does that happen?

That is kind of funny. I never thought of that. But then again with the way this year has been with last winter, spring, summer, and fall with all the wild and weird events in the region this is the icing on the cake in a way. But good point.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...