MGorse Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 This was a rather impressive and dynamic system. The WAA shot on the front end was impressive and produced more snow than what was forecast. We actually had this storm as one of our winter weather training sessions for this season. The RUC actually had stronger frontogenetic forcing and WAA farther north than say the NAM/GFS, which turned out to be right. Figured I would add some of our text products that were issued as a review. SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 1052 PM EST WED JAN 26 2011 DEZ001-MDZ008-NJZ008>010-012-013-015>021-027-PAZ067>071-270530- NEW CASTLE-CECIL-MORRIS-HUNTERDON-SOMERSET-MIDDLESEX- WESTERN MONMOUTH-MERCER-SALEM-GLOUCESTER-CAMDEN- NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-OCEAN-CUMBERLAND-SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON- CHESTER-MONTGOMERY-BUCKS-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WILMINGTON...ELKTON...MORRISTOWN... FLEMINGTON...SOMERVILLE...NEW BRUNSWICK...FREEHOLD...TRENTON... PENNSVILLE...GLASSBORO...CAMDEN...CHERRY HILL...MOORESTOWN... MOUNT HOLLY...JACKSON...MILLVILLE...WHARTON STATE FOREST... WEST CHESTER...NORRISTOWN...DOYLESTOWN...MEDIA...PHILADELPHIA 1052 PM EST WED JAN 26 2011 ...AN AREA OF HEAVY SNOW WITH ISOLATED THUNDER CONTINUES TO POUND THE REGION... AT 1050 PM, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR ALONG WITH SURFACE REPORTS CONTINUES TO TRACK AN AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW ALONG THE INTERSTATE 95 CORRIDOR. THIS AREA IS GRADUALLY SHIFTING MORE INTO NEW JERSEY. THE SNOWFALL RATES WITHIN THIS AREA ARE MOSTLY BETWEEN 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR. RECENT SPOTTER REPORTS INDICATED THAT IN THE MOST INTENSE PART OF THE BAND, SNOWFALL RATES HAVE REACHED 3 INCHES PER HOUR. THESE RATES WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE VISIBILITIES TO ONE HALF OF A MILE OR LESS. IN ADDITION, THESE ENHANCED SNOWFALL RATES WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR PLOWING CREWS AS ACCUMULATIONS ARE VERY QUICK. NORTHERLY WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO UP 35 MPH WILL CAUSE SOME BLOWING SNOW ESPECIALLY ACROSS OPEN AREAS. ROADWAYS CONTINUE TO BE VERY HAZARDOUS ACROSS THE AREA. THE ENHANCED BAND OF HEAVY SNOW WILL GRADUALLY PIVOT FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. IT IS BEST TO STAY INDOORS AND NOT TO TRAVEL UNLESS IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 1011 PM EST WED JAN 26 2011 .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE ALONG THE MID ATLANTIC COAST WILL INTENSIFY AND MOVE NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT, REACHING THE CANADIAN MARITIMES THURSDAY. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION THURSDAY BUT WILL BE REPLACED BY SEVERAL WEAK CLIPPER SYSTEMS DROPPING DOWN FROM THE NORTHWEST FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL RETURN LATER IN THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/... THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A RATHER IMPRESSIVE CLOSED LOW JUST EAST OF THE DELMARVA AT 03Z. THERE IS TREMENDOUS LIFT ON THE NORTH AND NORTHWEST SIDE OF THIS FEATURE WITH A RIBBON OF VERY STRONG FRONTOGENETIC FORCING LINING UP FROM NEAR KNYC TO KPHL THEN BACK INTO NORTHERN DELAWARE. STRENGTHENING CONVERGENCE IS ALLOWING THE LARGE AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW ALONG THE I-95 CORRIDOR TO BECOME ENHANCED MORE FROM NEAR HUNTERDON COUNTY NEW JERSEY TO PHILADELPHIA TO NEW CASTLE COUNTY DELAWARE. RADAR IMAGERY OVER THE LAST HOUR HAS INDICATED THIS AREA IS INTENSIFYING. SNOWFALL RATES IN THIS BAND MAY NEAR 3 INCHES PER HOUR FOR A TIME AS UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION BECOMES EVEN DEEPER WITHIN THE DENDRITIC SNOW GROWTH ZONE. THERE CONTINUES TO BE AN OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKE DETECTED ALONG OR NEAR THIS FEATURE. WE WILL WATCH THIS FEATURE AS AN ADDITIONAL UPWARD ADJUSTMENT IN SNOWFALL TOTALS MAY BE REQUIRED. THE GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS IS PRODUCING SOME BLOWING SNOW AS WELL WHICH IS REDUCING THE VISIBILITIES EVEN MORE. THE ENHANCED SNOWFALL RATES WILL MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR PLOW CREWS TO KEEP UP. WE WILL ADJUST THE GRIDS DURING THE NEXT HOUR OR SO BASED ON TRENDS AND SOME NEWER MODEL GUIDANCE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famartin Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 This was a rather impressive and dynamic system. Figured I would add some of our my text products that were issued as a review. Fixed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGorse Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Fixed? Okay, you got me. I just wanted to include some products that were issued during the height of the storm to show how intense it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famartin Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Okay, you got me. I just wanted to include some products that were issued during the height of the storm to show how intense it was. We know you rock, Mike! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGorse Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 We know you rock, Mike! Thanks, much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chubbs Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 What a difference a year (or two) makes. Snow bomb is apt. We had 3.7" in one hour and 11" in 4 hr - 18" total. Not quite up to Feb 5 2010 here though 21" in 13 hr - 26" total. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redmorninglight Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I recall this storm as I was paintently waiting for the front to clear, rain to transition to sleet, and then once it finally turned to snow, 1 hour of light snow showers. Best dynamics missed us to the north. It was painful to read all the texts from my friends up north "dude, thundersnow!". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGorse Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I recall this storm as I was paintently waiting for the front to clear, rain to transition to sleet, and then once it finally turned to snow, 1 hour of light snow showers. Best dynamics missed us to the north. It was painful to read all the texts from my friends up north "dude, thundersnow!". Yeah, your area was one of a small portion of the region that did not get much from this storm. At least it snowed though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redmorninglight Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Yeah, your area was one of a small portion of the region that did not get much from this storm. At least it snowed though. I really did not expect much from that event. NWS never gave us more than 1-2" on our point/click. It was facinating to see the temps crash during the late afternoon and the very loud clink of sleet on the NW side of the house. Since i have moved here from Morris county, i do not expect much snow and try to enjoy what we do receive. Keep up the great work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cast4 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Man, this thread brings back the memories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder Road Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 Most of the great memories are in here: http://www.americanwx.com/bb/index.php/topic/11158-phl-cwa-jan-2627-obs-and-discussion-threadpart-ii/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaoPos Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Lightning strike map below: and the snny mm5 gradient SHIFT!! vs and another sick band towards the end: that got philly over the 12" mark.. Hope you enjoy some of these captures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LVblizzard Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 One of my top 5 favorite storms I can remember. The Lehigh Valley was on the edge of the gradient in all the forecasts under 48 hours. The day of the storm, at about 2 pm, I looked at the radar and thought "Yeah...there's no way the heavy stuff is gonna miss us." After 2 inches from the overperforming first wave and a few hours of solid 1-3"/hr rates, we ended up with around 11 inches in Allentown. The January of moderate snow events went out with a bang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quakertown needs snow Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Nothing tops jan.'96 for me yet. Feb.'06 was better for me than last year except for one thing. Went to bed around 11pm had <1". Woke up middle of the night and flipped on the back flood lights. It was like looking at a white sheet of paper. 6:30am had 18". Bad part was i slept through the heavy stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chubbs Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 The Am Wx thread posted above brings back great memories. Its funny how the enjoyment of the storm depends on the expectations going in, Jan 26 2011 was one of the all-time great overperformers right up there with Jan+Feb 1987 and Jan 2000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris L Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Nothing tops jan.'96 for me yet. Feb.'06 was better for me than last year except for one thing. Went to bed around 11pm had <1". Woke up middle of the night and flipped on the back flood lights. It was like looking at a white sheet of paper. 6:30am had 18". Bad part was i slept through the heavy stuff. Not even February 2010 tops Jan 1996? Impressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder Road Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 Not even February 2010 tops Jan 1996? Impressive. You have to remember that north of Philly the 2009-10 storms were just average bigguns and not epic storms. QNS and the LV peeps only saw like 7" out of one them...I don't remember which one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goombatommy Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Not even February 2010 tops Jan 1996? Impressive. Thunder Road is right. Whereas some of the storms in the 2010 season were quite epic, you have to also realize the incredibly tight gradients. While most Bucks County south could have seen 12+", most of us up here got 5 - 7" and the gradient would only thin out the more north you got. I felt bad for PSU that winter...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violentweatherfan Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Not even February 2010 tops Jan 1996? Impressive. Jan 96 was epic. I Remember speaking with my brother in-law asking him if it was still supposed to snow the Friday before the storm. His expression on his face explained it all. It just wouldn't stop snowing. Someone from churchville pa, posted a pic with I believe your reply chrisL mentioning your wonderment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NortheastPAWx Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 You have to remember that north of Philly the 2009-10 storms were just average bigguns and not epic storms. QNS and the LV peeps only saw like 7" out of one them...I don't remember which one. The 2/5/10 storm that gave PHL 30"...we got a trace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quakertown needs snow Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Not even February 2010 tops Jan 1996? Impressive. as others mentioned, much less for us and north. '96 was much more widespread with statewide effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthDoppler Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 For us in and around the Lehigh Valley, January 96' is still king: (for snowfall amounts......best winter was 93-94 though, due to the COLD+snow/ice) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthDoppler Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 As for 1-26-11 .......that was suppossed to be a Lehigh Valley special. I probably had 12"-13" here from that, but seeing places that had been having mixed precipation end up with more left a bad taste in my mouth! Now the 12~13" from OCTOBER 29, 2011...... (yes expectations make and break storms for many of us, don't they?!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BucksCO_PA Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 no doubt, what a difference a yr makes - am shots from 2/1/2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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