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February Winter Storm Prospects


WeatherX

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Although the colder pattern does come down here on some GFS runs, most storms are either too far north/east or offshore. Assuming that a colder period does set up around 2/10-15 with ridging in the western US, what other component in the pattern would be needed to take advantage of this pattern and result in a larger coastal storm instead of a cold/dry period with mostly clipper-type storms? Would such a component be a reasonable possibility, or is it more likely that any changes in the pattern would be limited to cold and only the potential for weak snow events?

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I didn't totally agree with PHL on that one, the problem has more been the GOA low, the NAO can be -5 but if the GOA low is there its still gonna be above normal. We had a very +NAO in 93-94 and a large portion of 02-03 the NAO was positive...at the end of the day if you have the BC or GOA ridge you can do fine with a +NAO.

Disagree, and 2010-11 was a perfect example of how the NAO signal can dominate the north pacific, particularly the stronger it is.

The actual NAO value for December 2010 was -1.8. The PNA was < -2 and we had a GOA trough, complete with low heights over Alaska, much like this December.

However, here were the H5 anomalies for Dec 2010:

16bblzr.gif

And the associated surface temperature anomalies.:

24yb6gi.gif

Note the corridor of cold from AK/NW Canada southeast through the Plains and Eastern US. This is with very little help from the north pacific.

I think the issue this winter is everything was horrible - a perfect storm of crappy ingredients so to speak, giving us the worst tasting cake we've seen in awhile. A monstrous AK vortex AND a raging low height field in the arctic AND a positive NAO. Essentially everyone north of 60-70N around the arctic circle has been below normal Dec/Jan.

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The 18z GFS super ensemble is still indicative of a favorable pattern through days 8 to 14. I don't think there is any reason to veer from the original idea of February 10-15 offering the potential for a moderate winter storm and below normal temperature departures.

Yea.. this timeframe pretty much looks like one of the more favorable ones we've had... if it actually play out like the pattern is being forecasted.. I like that there is a pretty decent ridge poking northwest into the Davis Straight region... that would help out tremendously

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On the 0z GFS, it looked like 2...maybe 3 of the ensemble members wanted to turn the Low up the coast and brush the area with some snow on Sunday around Hour 90...and even then, far from a direct hit... with almost all the other members the flow was flat and out to sea...very discouraging, no doubt.

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On the 0z GFS, it looked like 2...maybe 3 of the ensemble members wanted to turn the Low up the coast and brush the area with some snow on Sunday around Hour 90...but with almost all the other members the flow was flat and out to sea...

00z euro has nothing. The 2 streams just don't want to interact, so in that case, this event is one and done.

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Once you get into mid-February, the best you can hope for is a transient shot of cold air, it is very difficult, to have long-lasting sustained cold.

I'm usually the optimist, but once that minor change to colder set in around Jan 14 but was unable to sustain itself; it was becoming apparent that it just wasn't going to happen...

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I'm usually the optimist, but once that minor change to colder set in around Jan 14 but was unable to sustain itself; it was becoming apparent that it just wasn't going to happen...

If the 00Z ECMWF is close to being correct, I don't see much in the way left of winter unless you get a rogue storm.

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Once you get into mid-February, the best you can hope for is a transient shot of cold air, it is very difficult, to have long-lasting sustained cold.

Yep...I use the 20th...of both February and August....as cutoff points for when both the cold and hot seasons begin to "fade away"...

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Well...that big PNA ridge is pretty much gone now on the Euro, and even though its still there on the GFS, you can see how the cold air is pretty much locked in with the PV in eastern Canada. Stick a fork in this one.

The euro weeklies did not get favorable for our area until late week 2 and into week 3 and 4. Hopefully, tonights weeklies show something similar.

Don S has shown 1956 as an analog and so far it has worked out well. That year featured a cold and snowy March.

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The euro weeklies did not get favorable for our area until late week 2 and into week 3 and 4. Hopefully, tonights weeklies show something similar.

Don S has shown 1956 as an analog and so far it has worked out well. That year featured a cold and snowy March.

In his latest post, he says that March might be the coldest month out of the bunch.

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The euro weeklies did not get favorable for our area until late week 2 and into week 3 and 4. Hopefully, tonights weeklies show something similar.

Don S has shown 1956 as an analog and so far it has worked out well. That year featured a cold and snowy March.

I don't see that happening, when you look at the rest of the ensemble forecasts its pretty clear what direction we are headed... and I am normally one to trust the Euro, but its been awful so far this winter in just about every range

The PNA is forecasted to become more neutral

pna.sprd2.gif

The AO is all over the place lol

ao.sprd2.gif

We have all seen the NAO forecasts, no real signs of going negative. Things looks good for about 3 days, and thats quickly changing. The MJO forecast still looks pretty good, but once again its been inconsistent

ensplume_small.gif

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:lol:

Winter of 1955-1956 for NYC:

Dec: 3.3"

Jan: 1.2"

Feb: 2.7"

Mar: 21.1"

Apr: 2.6"

Obviously, I'm not saying we will get 20" in March, but Don S has pointed to 1955-56 as an analog for temps, nao state, etc. since November and so far, its pretty good. We had LESS snow through Feb. 2nd that year, then so far this year.

Don can explain in more detail.

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