Jump to content
  • Member Statistics

    17,606
    Total Members
    7,904
    Most Online
    ArlyDude
    Newest Member
    ArlyDude
    Joined

December 2011 General Discussion/Obs


Chicago Storm

Recommended Posts

By my count there have been 31 Ninas since 1900. Only 4 of them have resulted in Toronto receiving less than 3" of snow in December. Those years were 1928-29 (33.7"), 1950-51 (52.8"), 1998-99 (63.9"), 1999-00 (32.6"). Quite a spread there so it's tough to get predictive, but considering 50-51 was aided by an anomalously snowy November, and 98-99 was aided by an equally unlikely stretch of extreme winter weather in the first two weeks of January, I'd tend to think a sub 40" is the way to go this year.

This is predicated on December being the unredeemable disaster it appears it is going to be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 978
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Now the blizzard of '78, THAT was a changeover event. From rain and upper 30s to heavy snow and temps plummeting to the single digits in hours. You know whats REALLY funny though? The official total on Jan 26/27, 1978 was only 8.2" at DTW. The snow depth post storm was 15", and it was certainly a true blizzard, but not even 9" of snowfall officially (there were a few inches of snow on Jan 25th before the storm hit actually, so the 3-day total was 10.1"). Its funny because the 1978 storm lives on in SUCH lore in this area, yet for Detroit officially, it doesnt even make the top 40 largest snowstorms list! Just goes to show you there is a lot more to a storm than just total snowfall amount.

MiSnFr,

I agree 100%. Snowfall total is only "part of the picture" for a good winter storm. Type of snow, and/or Intensity & visibility (like our recent 30Nov storm here) can make up for a lack of deep accumulations as far as true impact is concerned. Most of our historic blizzards at this latitude and region have started with bare ground/change-over scenarios. What helped The Great One of '78 is that most (if not all) sites started with a solid snow pack of 4-12" (and associated piles and old drifts) on the ground. This had the effect of "jump starting" the storm to crippling status shortly after bliz conditions commenced. The net effect was as if the storm had been going for hours already and roads were quickly made impassible to 2WD vehicles (if you even had visibility to drive anywhere in an open area). So, for places like KIND for example, an accumulaton of 15.5" was more like a raging 36 hour storm of over 20" because of the existing snowpack when the storm and winds set in. Especially in the more farm country oriented states of IN & OH, it was just "lights out" bad in a matter of hours after change-over.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, for places like KIND for example, an accumulaton of 15.5" was more like a raging 36 hour storm of over 20" because of the existing snowpack when the storm and winds set in. Especially in the more farm country oriented states of IN & OH, it was just "lights out" bad in a matter of hours after change-over.

Right on the nose! We went from rainy mid-40s to howling blizzard in twelve hours in my part of NW Ohio. The snow drifts were high enough to climb from the ground to the top of a ranch house without a ladder. smile.png

That was fun then - not so sure I'd like to see it again, though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OT... but I figured the Michigan crowd will enjoy this -

http://www.notsopuremichigan.com/

Sorry for the OT response for all the 'serious posters'

I love that site; they are awesome! The Detroit Tigers bit about Inge is one of the best!!!

Not from them but Millenball is great:

http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2011/10/13/2487176/millenball-movie-video

Back to the weather: unfortunately nothing new!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MiSnFr,

I agree 100%. Snowfall total is only "part of the picture" for a good winter storm. Type of snow, and/or Intensity & visibility (like our recent 30Nov storm here) can make up for a lack of deep accumulations as far as true impact is concerned. Most of our historic blizzards at this latitude and region have started with bare ground/change-over scenarios. What helped The Great One of '78 is that most (if not all) sites started with a solid snow pack of 4-12" (and associated piles and old drifts) on the ground. This had the effect of "jump starting" the storm to crippling status shortly after bliz conditions commenced. The net effect was as if the storm had been going for hours already and roads were quickly made impassible to 2WD vehicles (if you even had visibility to drive anywhere in an open area). So, for places like KIND for example, an accumulaton of 15.5" was more like a raging 36 hour storm of over 20" because of the existing snowpack when the storm and winds set in. Especially in the more farm country oriented states of IN & OH, it was just "lights out" bad in a matter of hours after change-over.

That is why climo data only says so much. As example take September 1986 and September 2008 well even September 2011. All were extremely wet months in southern MI. I have lived through them all. I would repeat 1986 a million times more then the others. 1986 the t-storms were just incredible. 2008 was interesting but mostly heavy rain from tropical remnants (not from t-storms). 2011 was OK but nothing close to 1986.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow at the persistence of this pattern. It has to buckle and it will. Thinking it will be like someone flipping a switch and we settle into some serious cold air. It has to happen according to Climo. This reminds me of May and early June all over again..Cool and rainy then right into a Death Ridge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12z looks the same...warm and wet for December...

Almost all the snow is gone from the rain today. Ground will probably soften back up again. Trees will probably leaf out in Saukville.

Wonder if this will be the year without a winter?

I saw some buds on trees today. Uh oh.

We're about to get into the 40s for the 2nd day in a row.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Odds of a brown Christmas are increasing for many.

Gaylord Mi WFO agrees with you.

WHITE CHRISTMAS: IT`S NOT LOOKING GOOD IF THIS FCSTR IS READING THE

SIGNALS CORRECTLY. CANADIAN ENSEMBLE 10 DAY MEAN TEMP ANOMALY IS

NEARING +2 STANDARD DEVIATIONS WARMTH AND HAS BEEN INCREASING THE

PAST 3 RUNS. NAEFS 8-14 DAY TEMPS ANOMALIES HAVE AN 85% CHANCE OF

ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. THE NAO HAS BEEN

POSITIVE /FAVORING RIDGING AND +HGT ANOMALIES OVER THE ERN USA/ AND

NO CHANGE IS FCST...FAVORING A STORM TRACK W OF THE GTLKS AND

SUPPORTING IDEA OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS CONTINUING. CHECK OUT THE CPC

6-10 AND 8-14 DAY FCSTS FOR MORE CONFIRMATION. PLEASE SEE WEB STORY

ON LACK OF SNOW...POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE UNDER TOP NEWS OF THE DAY.

http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=APX&issuedby=APX&product=AFD&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That Day 7-9 storm has been on my radar for a while. Ensembles are all over the place, but the ECMWF/GFS are showing a halfway decent potential.

Yeah it sure has been persistent for the last few days. Looks like the models generally agree on cutting off the southern vort for a few days before finally lifting out after 160hrs. The evolution of the upstream vort is gonna be key on how this all goes down. The Euro has done really well lately, so hopefully it's on to something with a less "torchy" ejection of the southern vort.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

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

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...