NNE Spring 2012

[klw]

moderate snow here with close to an inch on cars, grass, and colder ground, 33f

[dryslot]

-RN and falling temps, 39.2F, We may see some slop here before this system pushes SE..

[Allenson]

Snowed here last night too. Started as ice pellets yesterday afternoon while still in the low 40s at the surface but quickly cooled to 33-35. It was when it got down into the low/mid 30s, but still above freezing that it started to stick to the ground.

30F this morning with a few tenths otg.

Interesting to note that this is the fourth accumulating snowfall we've had since the heatwave 10 or so days ago and the bulk of what little precip we've had since then has come in the form of snow.

It's been very cool to watch it start to accumulate on the ground during these marginal, post-thaw events. It becomes very clear where the ground is still fairly cold as these are the spots where is sticks first and easiest.

[j24vt]

0.2 overnight.

[dryslot]

Trace here

[klw]

Close to 2 inches on the car this morning- probably 1.8 inches. There was quite a bit on everything other than bricks and pavement. It made for a pretty sunrise with the coated trees and the deep blue sky.

[powderfreak]

Close to 2 inches on the car this morning- probably 1.8 inches. There was quite a bit on everything other than bricks and pavement. It made for a pretty sunrise with the coated trees and the deep blue sky.

Sweet... looks like the winner out of this!

I woke up about an hour ago and only had 0.1-0.2" on the car in the shade, as the sun already evaporated everything else.

I see Killington is reporting 2", as them and Jay Peak are the two remaining ski areas operating in Vermont today.

Just broke out the skins and am about to head up for a lap or two on the big mountain. I gotta think the upper elevations picked up an inch or two.

[bch2014]

Mount Washington Observatory is reporting 4", they've had like 16" or something since the thaw...

[tamarack]

Almost every event since the end of January has underperformed for precip here, and this last one followed the trend, with "T" for both snow and qpf. Did note a tenth or two of white stuff on Mile Hill. Doesn't look to be any better this week for precip. Looks like a significant period of boring - no snow, little rain, no extreme temps. Been a lot of spells like that since Dec. 1.

[powderfreak]

Mount Washington Observatory is reporting 4", they've had like 16" or something since the thaw...

Which means Tuckerman's Ravine has had like 4 feet, haha. All that snow has to go somewhere.

I've been surprised at how big the drifts have gotten in areas this week from just dustings to an inch of snow. This drift appeared overnight with 0.5-1.0" of snow.

Snow-nado...

Snow depth at 1,500ft has actually increased over the last 7 days... from bare ground to 2"

[powderfreak]

I just realized that at this point last year, BTV had 128" and this season they've only had 38"... nothing like a small 90" difference from winter to winter.

That's 7.5 more feet that fell last year and didn't this year; that's a hefty amount of snow.

[N. OF PIKE]

wildcat seem'd to be the winner with up to 4 inches last nite

[adk]

Which means Tuckerman's Ravine has had like 4 feet, haha. All that snow has to go somewhere.

Yep. In 1 giant wind slab. Best wait for it to go isothermal unless you'd like to go for a very long, very scary, very problematic ride.

[ski MRG]

Yep. In 1 giant wind slab. Best wait for it to go isothermal unless you'd like to go for a very long, very scary, very problematic ride.

[adk]

Are you aware that that image pretty much is what I looked like after a dynafiddle issue right in the middle of dodges drop?

Bringing back some sketchy memories

[ski MRG]

Are you aware that that image pretty much is what I looked like after a dynafiddle issue right in the middle of dodges drop?

Bringing back some sketchy memories

Only pros lead with their heads.lol

[bch2014]

My scariest fall ever was tomahawking 300 vertical ft down a chute at Taos... I was 11 and had not figured out that it was *NOT* a good idea to turn uphill into the cat track to cut speed! I had a very sore leg for a few days but I was generally OK!

[ctsnowstorm628]

LSC picked up 1.2" yesterday morning. All gone now obviously lol

43F

[tamarack]

Looks like another week (at least) of blah wx for NNE. Sandy River flow is at about 1/2 the 25th percentile for the date, and continuing to decrease; Carrabasset is similar, despite all the manmade snow running off the 'Loaf.

March avg temp for MBY was 34.39, and foothills winter (DJFM) avg was 24.90. 2009-10 retains #1 position for both, with 35.03 and 24.98, respectively.

[J.Spin]

I mentioned seeing potential snow on the ECMWF for the beginning of next week in my post in the ski thread this morning, but I was just checking on today’s BTV forecast discussion and they are mentioned the potential for that timeframe as well. I wouldn’t describe what I saw on the ECMWF as “copious”, but with the experts at BTV using that word, I decided to check the GFS as well, and it has precipitation in the area day after day next week. Based on the runs I’ve looked at, the ECMWF has the precipitation Sunday morning through Monday evening, and GFS has it midday Monday through Thursday night. Excerpt from the BTV discussion below:

LATEST RUNS NOW BRING CUTOFF LOW FROM THE SOUTH OFFSHORE AND PHASING IT WITH NORTHERN SYSTEM OVER THE MARITIMES. THIS COMBINED SYSTEM WILL RETROGRADE CLDS/PRECIP BACK UPON THE NORTH COUNTRY RIGHT THRU TUESDAY. EMPHASIS WILL BE OVER THE NORTHERN ZONES AS SFC FLOW SETS UP WITH LOW ENDING UP PARKING ITSELF OVER EASTERN CANADA. THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW COPIOUS MOSITURE TO PINWHEEL THRU THE CWA. COLDER AIR FILTERING IN WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING A CHANGOVER TO SNOW SHOWERS DURING THE NIGHT-TIME HRS. HIR TTRN MOSTLY EFFECTED DURING THIS TIME.

I’m surprised that there hasn’t been any discussion about this yet though; although the timing is somewhat different on the two models, they both seem to be suggesting a similar retrograding low pressure system, and when one of these lows sits there and spins, that can send in a nice dose of precipitation. Based on the projected thicknesses and 850 mb temps I’m seeing projected on the ECMWF and GFS, I have to think there’s going to be some snow, especially for the mountains. It seems pretty interesting, so what’s the catch?

[Ginx snewx]

<p>

I mentioned seeing potential snow on the ECMWF for the beginning of next week in my post in the ski thread this morning, but I was just checking on today’s BTV forecast discussion and they are mentioned the potential for that timeframe as well.  I wouldn’t describe what I saw on the ECMWF as “copious”, but with the experts at BTV using that word, I decided to check the GFS as well, and it has precipitation in the area day after day next week.  Based on the runs I’ve looked at, the ECMWF has the precipitation Sunday morning through Monday evening, and GFS has it midday Monday through Thursday night.  Excerpt from the BTV discussion below:

LATEST RUNS NOW BRING CUTOFF LOW FROM THE SOUTH OFFSHORE AND PHASING IT WITH NORTHERN SYSTEM OVER THE MARITIMES. THIS COMBINED SYSTEM WILL RETROGRADE CLDS/PRECIP BACK UPON THE NORTH COUNTRY RIGHT THRU TUESDAY. EMPHASIS WILL BE OVER THE NORTHERN ZONES AS SFC FLOW SETS UP WITH LOW ENDING UP PARKING ITSELF OVER EASTERN CANADA. THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW COPIOUS MOSITURE TO PINWHEEL THRU THE CWA. COLDER AIR FILTERING IN WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING A CHANGOVER TO SNOW SHOWERS DURING THE NIGHT-TIME HRS. HIR TTRN MOSTLY EFFECTED DURING THIS TIME.

I’m surprised that there hasn’t been any discussion about this yet though; although the timing is somewhat different on the two models, they both seem to be suggesting a similar retrograding low pressure system, and when one of these lows sits there and spins, that can send in a nice dose of precipitation.  Based on the projected thicknesses and 850 mb temps I’m seeing projected on the ECMWF and GFS, I have to think there’s going to be some snow, especially for the mountains.  It seems pretty interesting, so what’s the catch?

It is very very interesting for a huge upslope potential but it seems with all the wavering the models have done daily no one is biting. This could easily be nada too.

[Ginx snewx]

no one from Maine is biting?

[dryslot]

no one from Maine is biting?

No, I know better...

[J.Spin]

It is very very interesting for a huge upslope potential but it seems with all the wavering the models have done daily no one is biting. This could easily be nada too.

Thanks Ginx, it is a bit out there still, so we’ll keep watching.

On a related note, skies were clear this morning, but clouds have been building in throughout the day, and as of ~2:00 P.M., snow has started crashing out along the spine of the Greens, presumably in association with tonight’s system. The area south of Bolton Mountain (near Bolton Valley Ski Resort) was the first place I saw the snow start to fall, but it’s also forming just south of Mt. Mansfield now. I snapped a quick shot from here in the office because it was sort of nice with the sun lighting up the snow. I also added the radar image below, where you can see some of the most intense moisture hitting the Bolton Valley area of the spine around I-89. On the far right of the image is Camel’s Hump that I mentioned the other day, with foreboding clouds above it. Snow just crashed out there in the past few minutes so now it’s mostly hidden from view.

[powderfreak]

It really looks like it wants to snow now in town. Down to 39F now...

It is snowing at 1,500ft at the ski resort base though.

[tamarack]

no one from Maine is biting?

Been getting bit all winter.

Looks more like extended mid-upper 30s with -RA/dz, NNE's worst face for spring. And the rivers keep dropping.

[Ginx snewx]

<p>

Been getting bit all winter.  

Looks more like extended mid-upper 30s with -RA/dz, NNE's worst face for spring.  And the rivers keep dropping.

eh I would not be so sure.

[J.Spin]

I’m heading home right now on the bus and we’ve driving right into that precipitation that the mountains are forcing out of the sky. We had partly cloudy skies with an occasional drop of rain in Burlington, which increased to a steadier light rain once we hit Williston, and continued into Richmond. We’re passing through the spine now and the rain is actually coming down pretty hard. Although it’s liquid down here in the valley, it’s definitely snow in the high country based on the look of the precipitation from earlier this afternoon and the fact that the temperature is 28 F on the Mt. Mansfield ridgeline at the moment. I can’t see the snow line from here on the floor of the Winooski Valley because the high peaks disappear in the precipitation, but hopefully the snow level comes down tonight.

[powderfreak]

I just drove from Stowe to Albany, NY to visit family, and as I was driving through the Spine, it seemed quite obvious where the snow line was based on a change in visibility at roughly 1500-2000ft. However, on Richmond-Hinesburg Road, I drove through one squall where precip actually changed to all snow and I know that's at 1,000ft or below. It had looked like it really wanted to snow near J.Spin's but never changed when I was going through, but a bit higher up coming out of Richmond it did change over to flakes.

Before leaving Stowe, I drove up to Trapps at 1,400ft and it was snowing up there too.

Of course, once out in the Champlain Valley on RT 7, the sun came out and the temp went from upper 30s in the Spine region, to mid 40s out in the valley. The whole drive south was sunny with snow/rain showers evident in the Adirondacks, and the Greens were obscured behind their "wall of white."

Now it appears as though Mansfield is still pulling snow out of the sky 4 hours later... with 30-35dbz developing over and upstream of Mansfield.

[Allenson]

Rain showers yesterday afternoon and last evening transitioned to snow showers here last night. It came down pretty darn hard for a while. Picked up 0.4" and the ground is once again white this morning. Fifth accumulating snowfall since the heatwave.