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Feb 23-24th Winter Storm Part 2


Chicago Storm

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000

FXUS63 KDTX 240247

AFDDTX

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI

947 PM EST THU FEB 23 2012

.UPDATE...

IN THE VERY SHORT TERM, NO CHANGES ARE EXPECTED IN THE TIMING OR

COVERAGE OF HEADLINES. FORECAST ADJUSTMENTS WILL ADD A MIX OF

SLEET TO THE ACTIVITY NEAR THE OHIO BORDER UP TO ABOUT DETROIT

DURING THE NEXT 3 TO 6 HOURS. IN THE LONGER TERM, NORTHWARD

ADJUSTMENTS TO THE PLACEMENT OF HEAVIEST SNOW ACCUMULATION MAY BE

NEEDED, BRINGING THE TRI CITIES CLOSER TO A POTENTIAL WARNING

HEADLINE RATHER THAN AN ADVISORY.

CONVECTION INCREASING IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY OVER NORTHERN

INDIANA AND OHIO AT PRESS TIME IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP WESTWARD

TOWARD THE INFLUENCE OF THE STRONG MID LEVEL SHORT WAVE INDICATED

IN SATELLITE IMAGERY MOVING IN FROM IOWA. THIS WAVE WILL INDUCE

INTENSE SECONDARY SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS OVER INDIANA WHICH WILL

HOLD THE LOW LEVEL JET IN PLACE OVER LOWER MICHIGAN AND SUPPORT

STRONG SYSTEM RELATIVE ISENTROPIC ASCENT THROUGH HIGHER ELEVATIONS

OF THE FRONTAL ZONE. WITH SPECIFIC HUMIDITY ON THE 290K ISENTROPIC

SURFACE APPROACHING 4 G/KG, THE RESULT WILL BE CONTINUED NORTHWARD

EXPANSION AND INTENSIFICATION OF THE PRECIPITATION PATTERN INTO

THE EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INTENSE MOISTURE

TRANSPORT AND RESULTING DESTABILIZATION. ANY REMAINING MIX OF

RAIN, SLEET, AND SNOW WILL BE FORCED OVER TO ALL SNOW BY THE

COOLING EFFECT OF HIGHER PRECIPITATION RATES. EVIDENCE OF THIS IS

ALREADY APPEARING UPSTREAM CLOSER TO THE NORTH FLANK OF THE

SURFACE LOW.

THE ABOVE REFERENCED MODE OF FORCING WILL DOMINATE THE FIRST

THIRD OF THE EVENT WITH ABOUT 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW EXPECTED TO

RESULT THROUGH 3 OR 4 AM, MAINLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 69, AS THE

LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHES THE REGION. AS THE SYSTEM MOVES BY

TO OUR SOUTH AND EAST, ISENTROPIC ASCENT WILL TRANSITION TO A

CONSIDERABLY MORE DYNAMIC TROWAL PATTERN CAPABLE OF EVEN MORE

INTENSE RATES OF SNOWFALL. THIS IS EXPECTED TO BE THE BULK OF THE

REMAINING EVENT THAT WILL LAST FROM LATER IN THE NIGHT THROUGH

MID TO LATE FRIDAY MORNING AND WILL BRING THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTION

TO SNOWFALL TOTALS. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT MEANS THE PEAK OF THE

EVENT WILL BE ONGOING THROUGH THE FRIDAY MORNING TRAVEL PERIOD.

THIS IS ALSO THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE FORECAST IN TERMS OF

IDENTIFYING THE PLACEMENT OF THE MOST INTENSE BAND AND POTENTIAL

IMPACTS OF THE DRY SLOT MAKING A RUN INTO THE DETROIT AREA BY

SUNRISE. INCOMING 00Z MODEL DATA SUPPORTS THE TROWAL AXIS

SETTING UP A LITTLE FARTHER NORTH, ROUGHLY ALONG A LINE FROM

LANSING TO BAD AXE, WITH A SHARP GRADIENT IN ACCUMULATION

SOUTHWARD THROUGH DETROIT TO THE OHIO BORDER. EXPECTING THE MOST

INTENSE MESOSCALE BAND TO SET UP ROUGHLY BETWEEN THE TROWAL AXIS

AND THE LEADING EDGE OF THE DRY SLOT THAT MARKS WHERE CONVECTIVE

INSTABILITY WILL BE MAXIMIZED, OR ROUGHLY ALONG A LINE FROM HOWELL

TO LAPEER TO PORT SANILAC.

&&

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Should get interesting between 11pm - 2am. Could be quick 2"

Yup! I mean the models weren't forecasting the best dynamics to develop until then anyways. I didn't expect much out of this anyways but people have to realize this is forecasting! Over a decade ago when I was at PSU I had Fritsch and he always made us forecast events that were to evolve rather than already developing and on the move. Makes you a lot better forecaster. No need for weenie suicide. The best is yet to come tonight ;)

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From Skilling via. Facebook:

Quick update as we prepare for the 9PM show. More than 2" of wet snow is down across some north suburbs---Forreston & Wadsworth have both reported 2.2"--while rain is mixing with ice pellets OakBrook and in the I-88 corridor. The storm's maximum lift, where dynamic cooling will take rain over to snow, is entering western Illinois near the Quad Cities. There there's been noticeable enhancement of precip echoes there are radar and that region will continue eastward across northern Illinois. This lift is occurring under the nose of a 110 mph jet stream wind max. Sections of Iowa under the the nose of this speed max in Iowa and South Dakota have recorded 6-10" of snow under this speed max during the day--a guide to this system's potential. The liquid or mixed precip will transition from north to south to snow here and snow intensities will pick up. We may even see embedded thunderstorms. This strong lift is to continue into the morning rush hour. It's during this period the system's main accumulation is expected. We think widespread 5 to 7" totals--lighter southern sections where the change to all snow may wait until the wee hours of the morning--- are likely. We're bracketing area snowfall from 4 to 9".
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02z update from Izzi:

//DISCUSSION...UPDATED 02Z...

SITUATION EVOLVING MORE SLOWLY THAN EARLIER ANTICIPATED AND HAVE

ONCE AGAIN DELAYED THE ONSET OF STEADIER SNOWFALL. RADAR/SATELLITE

TRENDS SHOW CONVECTIVEY ELEMENTS CONTINUING TO POP UP FROM CHGO

METRO SW TO UIN AREA...WITH REPORTS OF RA/SN/GS BEING RECEIVED

WITH THESE SHOWERS. UNTIL STEADIER HEAVIER DEFORMATION BAND

DEVELOPS OVER THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT...WOULD EXPECT TO CONTINUE

TO SEE OCNL SHRASNGS WITH PERIODIC DZ OUTSIDE OF THE SHOWERS.

STARTING TO SEE A MORE ORGANIZED FRONTOGENETIC BAND DEVELOP NEAR

THE QUAD CITIES INTO NW IL AND WOULD ANTICIPATE THIS BAND TO GROW

IN AREAL COVERAGE AND DEVELOP EAST TONIGHT...EVENTUALLY REACHING

CHICAGO METRO AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. STILL ANTICIPATE A 4-6 HOUR

LONG PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW FOR CHICAGO...THOUGH NOW

APPEARS AS THOUGH THE MORE LIKELY TIMING IS LATE TONIGHT/EARLY

FRIDAY MORNING.

IZZI

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Yup! I mean the models weren't forecasting the best dynamics to develop until then anyways. I didn't expect much out of this anyways but people have to realize this is forecasting! Over a decade ago when I was at PSU I had Fritsch and he always made us forecast events that were to evolve rather than already developing and on the move. Makes you a lot better forecaster. No need for weenie suicide. The best is yet to come tonight ;)

Just curious where are you located?

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MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0147

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

0845 PM CST THU FEB 23 2012

AREAS AFFECTED...SRN IA...NRN IL...SRN WI

CONCERNING...HEAVY SNOW

VALID 240245Z - 240745Z

A BAND OF SNOWFALL...ASSOCIATED WITH A NEGATIVELY TILTED SHORTWAVE

TROUGH AND ATTENDANT SFC LOW...WILL RESULT IN BRIEF PERIODS OF MOD

TO HVY SNOW ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST.

A NEGATIVELY TILTED SHORTWAVE WILL CONTINUE TO PROGRESS EWD ACROSS

THE MIDWEST DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS. SFC LOW ASSOCIATED WITH THIS

SHORTWAVE IS CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER S IL AND FAR W KY. 850 MB

FRONTOGENESIS AND ITS ASSOCIATED SNOW BAND... CURRENTLY LOCATED

ACROSS SRN IA EWD TO SRN MI...IS EXPECTED TO DRIFT SWD AND WEAKEN

OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND SFC LOW PROGRESS

EWD. A SATURATED DENDRITIC GROWTH ZONE AND EASTERLY FLOW BTW 925-850

MB SHOULD CONTINUE TO PROMOTE BRIEF PERIODS OF MOD TO HVY SNOW

WITHIN THE BAND. HOWEVER..WEAKENING FRONTOGENESIS WITH TIME WILL

RESULT IN A GRADUAL REDUCTION IN SNOWFALL RATES ACROSS IA. FURTHER

E...THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGHER RATES WILL LINGER FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL

HOURS. ADDITIONALLY...QUICK PROGRESSION OF THE SYSTEM SHOULD LIMIT

OVERALL SNOWFALL TOTALS.

..MOSIER/LEITMAN.. 02/24/2012

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Axis of band has stalled out just south of here, moderate to maybe heavy snow continues across downtown Madison. 0.07" liquid thus far and roads getting covered. Everything else already has a nice coat of wet snow.

You are under an advisory now.!

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LOT

NO CHANGES TO GOING ADVISORY HEADLINES THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...

FORECAST REMAINS QUITE COMPLEX WITH RESPECT TO SNOW AMOUNTS AND

PRECIP TYPES THROUGH THE EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS.

EVENING VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS STRONG SHORT WAVE TROUGH DIGGING

EAST-SOUTHEAST ACROSS IA/MO. MAIN SFC LOW WAS OVER SOUTHERN INDIANA

WITH TROUGH TRAILING BACK THROUGH WESTERN IL/SOUTHERN IA. INITIAL

PUSH OF WARM ADVECTION RAIN/SNOW HAD GENERALLY LIFTED TO/NORTH OF

THE WI BORDER DURING THE EVENING HOURS...WHILE FARTHER TO THE WEST

REGIONAL RADAR MOSAIC DEPICTED EXTENSION OF BROAD DEVELOPING

DEFORMATION BAND FROM SOUTHWEST IA INTO SOUTHERN WI. EVIDENCE OF

FRONTOGENETICALLY FORCED ENHANCED PRECIPITATION WAS NOTED ACROSS FAR

EASTERN IA...JUST NORTH OF THE QUAD CITIES.

MUCH OF THE CWA HAS SEEN A LULL IN MORE ORGANIZED MEASURABLE PRECIP

DURING THE EVENING HOURS. 22-23Z RUNS OF THE HRRR SEEM TO HAVE A

VERY GOOD HANDLE ON TRENDS ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH MID-EVENING...

AND WOULD SUGGEST DEFORMATION PRECIP AXIS WILL GRADUALLY TRANSLATE

EAST ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE OVERNIGHT/FRIDAY MORNING HOURS.

WHILE THE CURRENT BAND NEAR DVN IS IMPRESSIVE LOOKING...HIGH RES

SHORT TERM MODEL TRENDS WOULD SUGGEST THIS WOULD WEAKEN AND BECOME

SOMEWHAT LESS FOCUS AS IT TRANSLATES EASTWARD...THOUGH ENTIRE

DEFORMATION PRECIP AREA WILL LIKELY BECOME A BIT BETTER ORGANIZED.

WITH LESS PRECIPITATION...ESPECIALLY IN THE FORM OF SNOW ACROSS THE

AREA DURING THE EARLY/MID EVENING HORUS...HAVE ADJUSTED SNOWFALL

AMOUNTS DOWN SOMEWHAT FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST...GENERALLY 2-6 INCHES

WITH THE HEAVIER AMOUNTS GENERALLY ALONG/NORTH OF INTERSTATE 88 IN

NORTHERN/NORTHEAST IL. SOME HIGHER AMOUNTS STILL NOT OUT OF THE

QUESTION GIVEN POTENTIAL FOR MESOSCALE BANDING...AND POTENTIAL FOR

CONVECTION...BUT OVERALL CONFIDENCE REMAINS FAIRLY LOW EVEN AT THIS

RELATIVELY CLOSE-IN TIME.

SOUTH OF ROUGHLY A DVN-ORD LINE HOWEVER...THE HRRR WOULD INDICATE

MORE CONVECTIVE SHOWERY TYPE PRECIP...WHICH HAS BEEN OCCURRING AS A

MIX OF RAIN/SNOW/GRAUPEL PER REPORTS IN UPSTREAM AREAS. THIS APPEARS

QUITE REASONABLE AS AREA OF STEEP MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES...IN EXCESS

OF 7 DEG/KM PER RUC/SPC MESOANALYSIS...WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD

ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE CWFA OVERNIGHT. HAVE CONTINUED TO

INDICATE SHOWERS/CHANCE THUNDER CHANGING TO SNOW DURING THE

OVERNIGHT HOURS...WITH SNOWFALL AMOUNTS QUICKLY DECREASING THROUGH

THE I-80 CORRIDOR SOUTHWARD.

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Sorry to hear that. You are overdue for some snow....you have been going back and forth all day it seems. I dont get this storm much like I dont get this winter lol.

It's been a lot of fun to track, that's for sure. Love these dynamic/slow moving systems. Never really expected a whole lot here. I still think we have a shot at my 3" call.

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I see Baro is about to post.. Breathing some common sense into equation.

I don't really have much of anything to add. You guys have been looking at this with an eagle eye, I have just been an outside viewer. One thing for sure...this has been a slow storm to develop...slowest solution is prolly the most legit. Should really begin cranking overall 6 through15Z as the mid level wave amplifies and the poleward oriented jet becomes highly active. The secondary deformation band is going to be the big show here, and as others have mentioned, TSSN seems a legit threat especially across portions of MI since the moist conveyor belt will be feeding that front. Just looking at how things are unfolding, 12Z ECMWF may be a little light on precip...but it has otherwise been pretty stellar on precip placement and timing of snow changeovers.

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Issued by The National Weather Service

Detroit, MI

Thu, Feb 23, 2012, 10:12 PM EST

... WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST FRIDAY...

HAZARDOUS WEATHER...* SNOW WILL SPREAD FROM SOUTH TO NORTH OVER THE REGION BETWEEN 10 PM AND MIDNIGHT... AND THEN INCREASE INTENSITY DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. A MIX OF RAIN AND SLEET WILL BE POSSIBLE AT THE ONSET ALONG AND SOUTH OF I 94.

* THE PEAK OF THE EVENT WILL BE FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM... INCLUDING THE MORNING COMMUTE.

* TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE 5 TO 8 INCHES. AREAS SOUTH OF M 14 WILL BE CLOSER TO 3 OR 4 INCHES. ISOLATED LOCATIONS NORTH OF M 59 MAY EXCEED 8 INCHES... ESPECIALLY WITH ANY THUNDERSNOW THAT DEVELOPS DURING THE EARLY MORNING.

* NORTH WINDS WILL GUST UP TO 30 MPH BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON RESULTING IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

IMPACTS...

* UNTREATED ROADS WILL BE HAZARDOUS THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

* LIMITED VISIBILITY WILL MAKE TRAVEL CONDITIONS VERY SLOW DURING THE FRIDAY MORNING COMMUTE.

* SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ON FRIDAY WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE FOR DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS THROUGH THE DAY... ESPECIALLY ON THE EAST-WEST ROADS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

* A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW EXPECTED. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS.

* PREPARE... PLAN... AND STAY INFORMED.

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