And we continue......

[weathafella]

[Stebo]

Would really love to see western Russia get in the act some.

[nzucker]

Would really love to see western Russia get in the act some.

We're seeing some great expansions across northeast China, Mongolia, and the Rockies, but that glaring deficit across western Russia is killing global snow cover numbers. Continued improvements should occur in Canada and the US, but hopefully the ridging in that area will break down...12z ECM did show a colder pattern emerging there in the long range, and I'd love to see an expansion by late November as we prepare for meteorological winter.

[JBG]

Would really love to see western Russia get in the act some.

Does Western Russia snowcover correlate to -NAO?

[Gastonwxman]

Some snow cover gained for NA and Asia for today.

[nzucker]

Small gains in western Russia, and larger gains in North America.

Yesterday:

Today:

[DC Mike]

Canada filling in nicely - SE Canada should improve further with the system passing by tomorrow and Saturday. Western Russia still struggling.

[nzucker]

Large gains in snow cover over Kazakhstan, China, and Canada....Canada is almost 100% covered now with the only missing areas being the Maritimes and a bit of Labrador. Overall, snow cover looks very healthy on the North American side, and the -NAO should allow lots of eastern Europe and western Russia to fill in within the next week.

Yesterday's snow cover:

Today's snow cover:

[snowstormcanuck]

Large gains in snow cover over Kazakhstan, China, and Canada....Canada is almost 100% covered now with the only missing areas being the Maritimes and a bit of Labrador. Overall, snow cover looks very healthy on the North American side, and the -NAO should allow lots of eastern Europe and western Russia to fill in within the next week.

Yesterday's snow cover:

Today's snow cover:

If only.

[nzucker]

If only.

Yeah that little point of Ontario that extends down towards Michigan is still snowless. That's a pretty small area though compared to the huge gains the last few days in the Prairies, Ontario and BC, so not too worrying. Aren't you also supposed to get some snow soon?

[weathafella]

Glad to see this thread continue till necessary. Cold and wet now here in SF. Looks like good snows in the high country of CA this wknd. We are near the end of monitoring snow cover. Winter is on the doorstep.

[nzucker]

Large gains over Western Russia, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan...smaller gains on our side of the hemisphere in the Mountain West, Dakotas, and Labrador:

Yesterday's snow cover:

Current snow cover:

[okie333]

Large gains over Western Russia, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan...smaller gains on our side of the hemisphere in the Mountain West, Dakotas, and Labrador:

Yesterday's snow cover:

Current snow cover:

Wow that's a huge jump! Over 1000-pixel gain in snow!!!

[nzucker]

Wow that's a huge jump! Over 1000-pixel gain in snow!!!

We're going to see some awesome gains in the next week with the pattern over Western Russia and Europe...we've eaten away at most of the deficit in Eurasia and could easily go in the plus side as the PV gets forced over central Siberia and sets up a brutally cold, easterly flow of continental air into the snowless areas like Poland, Lithuania/Latvia and Kazakhstan. That says nothing for the amazing gains in North America this week due to the -EPO pattern...those will also be continuing as snow coats SD and the Upper Midwest.

[okie333]

Giant gains in Europe (It's about time!!!), small gain in North America, tiny loss in Asia.

Yesterday's snow cover:

Current snow cover:

Last year's snow cover at this date:

[Gastonwxman]

Giant gains in Europe (It's about time!!!), small gain in North America, tiny loss in Asia.

Nice to see we have more snow cover in Canada than last year.  It's about time Western Russia cashed in on something.   Let's keep it up!  

[nzucker]

Huge gains today in the American West, with modest gains over Western Russia and Kazakhstan. Looking great.

Yesterday's snow cover:

Current snow cover:

[HIPPYVALLEY]

30 Day animated version for those who have not seen it:

http://www.natice.noaa.gov/ims/loop/usa-1mo-loop.html?session-id=0e4a58479de00f004a6ece86362acd30

[I-83 BLIZZARD]

Awesome! Really shows how winter is slowly creeping south.

[Sundog]

You can really tell where the ridge and trough have set up across the USA:

[JamieOber]

There's this from Tom Skilling: http://twitter.com/Skilling/status/7158229855375360

[weathafella]

We've arrived. This is my last post for this year's version.

[Jaguars]

Does anyone know how close we are to avg as far as NH cover going into December?

[skierinvermont]

While NH snowcover is probably pretty irrelevant at this point, I think the snow/ice conditions to our north can make a difference in modifying air-masses, perhaps even altering the pattern.

One thing to note on that map is the lack of ice in Hudson's Bay as well as Foxe Basin which is the small extension just north of Hudson's Bay. In the 80s and 90s Hudson's Bay was always totally or mostly frozen by now, and Foxe Basin was usually totally frozen by 2-3 weeks ago. Even in 2007, 2008 and 2009 Foxe Basin was totally frozen by now, and part of Hudson's Bay was frozen.

The crazy thing is, not only are we 2-3 weeks behind climo for freezing Foxe Basin, but it will probably take it at least another week to freeze completely based on SSTs. Hudson's Bay also has some warm water and will likely also take a while to freeze. That would put us 2-3 weeks behind climo for Hudson's Bay as well and possibly a full week behind the previous latest freeze. We're entering record territory here.

That's a lot of warm unfrozen water sitting up in Canada for early December.

We are also well below climo in the Bering Straight and in Baffin Bay, which could influence the pattern upstream and downstream.

[tacoman25]

While NH snowcover is probably pretty irrelevant at this point, I think the snow/ice conditions to our north can make a difference in modifying air-masses, perhaps even altering the pattern.

One thing to note on that map is the lack of ice in Hudson's Bay as well as Foxe Basin which is the small extension just north of Hudson's Bay. In the 80s and 90s Hudson's Bay was always totally or mostly frozen by now, and Foxe Basin was usually totally frozen by 2-3 weeks ago. Even in 2007, 2008 and 2009 Foxe Basin was totally frozen by now, and part of Hudson's Bay was frozen.

The crazy thing is, not only are we 2-3 weeks behind climo for freezing Foxe Basin, but it will probably take it at least another week to freeze completely based on SSTs. Hudson's Bay also has some warm water and will likely also take a while to freeze. That would put us 2-3 weeks behind climo for Hudson's Bay as well and possibly a full week behind the previous latest freeze. We're entering record territory here.

That's a lot of warm unfrozen water sitting up in Canada for early December.

We are also well below climo in the Bering Straight and in Baffin Bay, which could influence the pattern upstream and downstream.

The big -NAO is mostly responsible both for the late freeze up of Fox Basin as well as the near-record snowcover in Europe right now.

Regardless, I think you will see both Foxe Basin and Hudson Bay freeze up very quickly over the next couple weeks.

[nzucker]

While NH snowcover is probably pretty irrelevant at this point, I think the snow/ice conditions to our north can make a difference in modifying air-masses, perhaps even altering the pattern.

One thing to note on that map is the lack of ice in Hudson's Bay as well as Foxe Basin which is the small extension just north of Hudson's Bay. In the 80s and 90s Hudson's Bay was always totally or mostly frozen by now, and Foxe Basin was usually totally frozen by 2-3 weeks ago. Even in 2007, 2008 and 2009 Foxe Basin was totally frozen by now, and part of Hudson's Bay was frozen.

The crazy thing is, not only are we 2-3 weeks behind climo for freezing Foxe Basin, but it will probably take it at least another week to freeze completely based on SSTs. Hudson's Bay also has some warm water and will likely also take a while to freeze. That would put us 2-3 weeks behind climo for Hudson's Bay as well and possibly a full week behind the previous latest freeze. We're entering record territory here.

That's a lot of warm unfrozen water sitting up in Canada for early December.

We are also well below climo in the Bering Straight and in Baffin Bay, which could influence the pattern upstream and downstream.

I'd still take the robust snow cover over Canada and the Northern Plains over a frozen Hudson Bay; we just have so much more snow cover this year, than either 2009 or 2008, for cold N/NW winds to travel over as they make their way into the CONUS. Sure, there's going to be some moderation from the unfrozen waters of Hudson Bay, but I don't think that'll make too much of a difference compared to the fact that all our cold air is travelling over snow-covered lands.

Actually, SSTs in Hudson Bay and Foxe Basin are below average according to NOAA; there is shore ice showing up in Foxe Basin and a chunk of ice in the NW corner of Hudson Bay. As Tacoman said, these areas will probably freeze in the next cold outbreak which looks to take place in the coming weeks. It's also hard to say what record territory is since we only have 30 years of records dude. And no, Hudson Bay wasn't always frozen by now in the 1980s and 1990s; there were always some years where it lagged pretty badly. For example it was only about 1/3 frozen on November 27,1981...still better than this year by a lot but not great:

Not a surprise that ice is lagging in Canada with the +EPO/-NAO pattern prevailing.

[tacoman25]

Not a surprise that ice is lagging in Canada with the +EPO/-NAO pattern prevailing.

I agree with most of what you said, but the pattern the last couple weeks hasn't really been +EPO for the most part.

[nzucker]

I agree with most of what you said, but the pattern the last couple weeks hasn't really been +EPO for the most part.

No, but it was in October which kept SSTs pretty high in Foxe Basin and Hudson Bay. We had a big GoA low in October, and it takes time to reverse the effects of that.

[tacoman25]

No, but it was in October which kept SSTs pretty high in Foxe Basin and Hudson Bay. We had a big GoA low in October, and it takes time to reverse the effects of that.

Ah, agreed there.

[skierinvermont]

I'd still take the robust snow cover over Canada and the Northern Plains over a frozen Hudson Bay; we just have so much more snow cover this year, than either 2009 or 2008, for cold N/NW winds to travel over as they make their way into the CONUS. Sure, there's going to be some moderation from the unfrozen waters of Hudson Bay, but I don't think that'll make too much of a difference compared to the fact that all our cold air is travelling over snow-covered lands.

Actually, SSTs in Hudson Bay and Foxe Basin are below average according to NOAA; there is shore ice showing up in Foxe Basin and a chunk of ice in the NW corner of Hudson Bay. As Tacoman said, these areas will probably freeze in the next cold outbreak which looks to take place in the coming weeks. It's also hard to say what record territory is since we only have 30 years of records dude. And no, Hudson Bay wasn't always frozen by now in the 1980s and 1990s; there were always some years where it lagged pretty badly. For example it was only about 1/3 frozen on November 27,1981...still better than this year by a lot but not great:

Not a surprise that ice is lagging in Canada with the +EPO/-NAO pattern prevailing.

lol.. "Actually" SSTs are not "above average" Foxe is always completely frozen by now and Hudson's Bay is mostly or totally frozen, how can SSTs be above average where every other year it is already frozen? Might want to think that one over again.

"And no" I didn't say Hudson's Bay was always 100% frozen by now, I said in the 80s and 90s it was mostly or totally frozen by now (Nov 29 not 27 BTW). Try reading that again.

You are kidding yourself if you think Foxe Basin was still totally unfrozen in the 40s and 50s on Nov 29th.

Also, unfrozen water has a much bigger moderating effect on cold air than does snow vs no snow. Basic physics. Also the area of unfrozen water is larger than the area of above average snow cover.