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Sandy Snow Chase(rs) - Major Snow Event


BeauDodson

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The November 1950 storm took a track from coastal North Carolina to near DC. It then retrograded and deepened as it moved west to the PA, OH border and remained stationary. Many areas in eastern Ohio and West Virginia got over 30 inches of snow with Parkersburg getting 34 and Pickens (Western Randolph County at 3000ft) getting 57.

Obviously the storm track isn't identical but having a storm system stall out in central/southern PA would be similar to 1950. Also, this storm won't be as cold as that one so the lowlands won't have to worry about massive snow totals. That said, from everything I've seen and from what other folks on this forum are saying, it looks like areas above 2000 feet are going to get walloped with massive snow totals. Not sure if they will rival 1950 but that idea doesn't seem too far fetched at the moment.

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Okay, just checked with the boss (my wife) and she said I can put up snow chasers for this event for no charge (I would probably hope for some tips to cover her time to clean rooms).

Just finished my man cave in the carriage house complete with pool table, air hockey/ping pong, 55" Flat Screen, wood burning stove and it catches the wifi from the house. If things go down as the models currently show, we may be throwing a Sandy Blizzacane party with our local friends and just enjoying the event. If you can handle that then you are welcome to come. Frankly, I will need some help trying to measure the snow in this kind of event. We're still a day or two from being in the confidence range that I would like to be in as far as the forecast that would make the trip be worth it, but if you are considering coming you may want to commit sooner than later as we only have 4 guest rooms.

Those not familiar with our place/location see our website -- www.meyerhousebandb.com -- we are located in the highest incorporated Town in West Virginia (the house is almost exactly at 3100') -- most cell phone providers have great service here, and we are walking distance to a few restaurants/pubs (and a grocery store!).

Getting here from the east won't be too bad -- they just opened another leg of the highway yesterday which basically takes you all the way to the base of the Alleghenies. Its about a 17 mile drive from where you climb the Allegheny front until you reach here -- that will be the only real tough stretch. From DC, its a basic I-66 to I-81 South (just 4 miles on I-81), then 55/48 basically straight here, with only a short stretch in VA not being highway (besides the last 17 miles or so atop the mountain as mentioned earlier).

I hope this post doesn't jinx the forecast -- but we'd love to have some people out who would really love to enjoy the experience of this possible event.

If not for fear of leaving the house empty during this storm, I'd take you up on that very generous offer in a second. Your place looks great (my wife really likes it). One of these days we're coming out there. Hope you have great snow and a great time.

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Interesting map - seen several today that are impressive. I guess elevation will be everything with this storm. A snow-acane! A weird event - that is for sure. Never seen anything quite like it. Hoping Davis ends up picking up some decent totals. Snoeshoe would be a sure bet - but then again big snow in Snowshoe isn't as interesting perhaps as some of the other locations.

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I live in Hillsboro WV in the southwestern part of Pocahontas County. I'm at 2500-2600 feet and expect to see a fair amount of snow. If anyone does decide to come snowchase out here I can probably point you in the right direction and by all means I can be a contact if anyone gets stuck or runs into trouble of any kind. PM me for my cell phone number if you are planning to head out this way and happy snow chasing!

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I live in Hillsboro WV in the southwestern part of Pocahontas County. I'm at 2500-2600 feet and expect to see a fair amount of snow. If anyone does decide to come snowchase out here I can probably point you in the right direction and by all means I can be a contact if anyone gets stuck or runs into trouble of any kind. PM me for my cell phone number if you are planning to head out this way and happy snow chasing!

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Does this tell you the total QPF of the event?

Appears to be around 6" of precip

Believe it is showing 39" of snow - considering temperatures - wet nature of the snow - ratios should be low. Would be hard to have that much wet snow - compacting and what not. Really tough call in temp profiles

NAM is an outlier on snowfall totals

post-77-0-89148700-1351398165_thumb.jpg

and wind

post-77-0-46505100-1351398251_thumb.jpg

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Watching temps at snowshoe. imagine if it is all snow there? the leaves are gone and the winds are often high out there so fewer power outages.

http://raws.wrh.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/roman/meso_base.cgi?stn=D2884

when is snowed here in Hardy County last Oct 29 there were still lots of leaves, Lost power for 26 hours, this year most of the leaves are already gone.

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I talked to Jon this morning - didn't realize that was Pittsburgh. I see HPC winter maps are on-board for a big event.

Track details - track details. Can't say I have ever looked at trying to forecast snowfall totals with a land falling hurricane. Will be interesting to see how the thermal profiles play out in each county.

Outside of the wind, rain, flooding, and power outages, this sentence speaks volumes about the uniqueness of the event that is presently on our doorstep.

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Any opinions on western Maryland? I am pretty confident I can head down towards Harrisonburg and see some snow. But if I am going to chase I wanna see some blizzard like conditions if possible.

Western MD is iffy.......the track of the storm could bring lots of mixing even there. Go for the WV mountains above 3000', Snowshoe seems like a great spot IMO.

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Any opinions on western Maryland? I am pretty confident I can head down towards Harrisonburg and see some snow. But if I am going to chase I wanna see some blizzard like conditions if possible.

I dont think Harrisonburg would provide much on snow in this system,

Garrett county, Md has a winter storm watch already as does the Allegheny Mtns in WV all the way down to Eastern KY. I would just take 81 to US 48 in Strasburg and follow the new Corridor H freeway all the way to the end in Scherr, WV and then up Rt 42 North to Mt Storm and there you would be 2800 Ft up and it is one of the windiest spots on the Allegheny Front too. Once you get to Mt Storm, take US 50 West to 219 south and you would be near Davis and Thomas and Canaan , WV pretty quickly

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Any opinions on western Maryland? I am pretty confident I can head down towards Harrisonburg and see some snow. But if I am going to chase I wanna see some blizzard like conditions if possible.

First time poster here. Snowshoe would be my pick too, it is 4500 or so in elevation and has some conveniences. More adventurous could check out the scenic hwy (rt 150) between rt 219 and rt 39, it averages 4000 ft elevation, but they close it in winter. Another possible spot would be US 250 on the WV/VA state line, that is around 4300 foot and there are small towns on each end (Monterey in VA and Bartow/Durbin in WV) that have small B&B's/motels and a few mom and pop gas stations/eateries to use. Hope that helps. Love to be there myself but have to work. sad.png Remember cell is EXTREMELY spotty in those areas due to the quiet zone around obversatory in Green Bank.

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URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA

433 PM EDT SUN OCT 28 2012

...ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL AND HIGH WIND EXPECTED FOR THE HIGHER

ELEVATIONS...

.POST TROPICAL STORM SANDY WILL INTERACT WITH A COLD UPPER LOW

AND RESULT IN HEAVY SNOW AND HIGH WIND OVER THE HIGHER

ELEVATIONS.

MDZ001-WVZ023-041-290445-

/O.UPG.KPBZ.WS.A.0004.121029T2200Z-121031T1200Z/

/O.NEW.KPBZ.BZ.W.0001.121029T2200Z-121030T2200Z/

GARRETT-PRESTON-TUCKER-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...OAKLAND MD...GRANTSVILLE...KINGWOOD...

TERRA ALTA...PARSONS...DAVIS...THOMAS

433 PM EDT SUN OCT 28 2012

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM MONDAY TO 6 PM EDT

TUESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD

WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM MONDAY TO 6 PM EDT

TUESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* LOCATIONS...THE BEST CHANCES FOR HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW

WILL COME FOR ELEVATIONS GREATER THAN 2500 FEET OVER THE

TRICOUNTY AREA TO THE SOUTH OF OAKLAND.

* HAZARD TYPES...HEAVY WET SNOW AND HIGH WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40

MPH AT TIMES.

* ACCUMULATIONS...LOCATIONS IN THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS ARE EXPECTED

TO RECEIVE UP TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW. LOCATIONS IN THE LOWER

ELEVATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO RECEIVE SNOW MIXED WITH RAIN...WHICH

COULD RESULT IN NO ACCUMULATION.

* TIMING...RAIN IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN CHANGING OVER TO SNOW MONDAY

EVENING...WITH THE MOST INTENSE SNOW EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT.

WINDS WILL ALSO BE AT THEIR STRONGEST AFTER MIDNIGHT. SNOW WILL

BEGIN TO DIMINISH IN INTENSITY ON TUESDAY.

* IMPACTS...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED

DUE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL AND STRONG WIND. VISIBILITY WILL BE NEAR

ZERO IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. STRONG WIND MAY DOWN POWER

LINES AND TREE LIMBS. SECONDARY ROADS MAY BECOME IMPASSABLE.

* WINDS...WEST 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER 20S TO MID 30S.

* VISIBILITIES...LESS THAN ONE-QUARTER MILE IN THE HEAVIEST SNOW

BANDS.

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