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Nor-Easter on Wednesday


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Looks like the ECMWF and GFS are predicting a moderate size Nor-Easter on Wednesday. A strong pressure gradient. excellent upper level support, lots of moisture and winds gusting to 40mph or so. This is the last thing the mid Atlantic needs. Another phase up as the NAO stays negative, so I am sure that this is going to happen.

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This is from the 12z Big 3 ens means at 120hrs, EC, GGEMm and GFS respectively, H5 anoms...

http://raleighwx.americanwx.com/models/ecmwfens/12zECMWFENS500mbHeightAnomalyNA120.gif

http://raleighwx.americanwx.com/models/cmcensemble/12zGGEMEnsembles500mbHeightAnomalyNA120.gif

http://raleighwx.americanwx.com/models/gfsensemble/12zgfsensembles500mbHeightAnomalyNA120.gif

On the iPad, can't link images directly, sorry. Going to have to use the right click, summation, sig EC storm is a go.

ECMWF op and ens leading the way no surprise.

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Wow, look at the latest GGEM...I do not think the folks in New England (outside of geeks) want to see that.

The GFS has a 1 foot snow storm in western New England.

Euro also a slow moving system with lots of precip, but warmer.

And a strong LLJ feeding right into the Jersey Shore/LI Sound.

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PRELIMINARY EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION

NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD

956 AM EDT SAT NOV 03 2012

VALID 12Z WED NOV 07 2012 - 12Z SAT NOV 10 2012

...CHANCES INCREASING FOR A SLOW-MOVING NOR'EASTER ALONG THE

ATLANTIC COAST...

...ARCTIC OUTBREAK WITH UPSLOPE SNOWS SLATED FOR THE NORTHERN HIGH

PLAINS...

USED AN EVEN BLEND OF THE 00Z/03 DETERMINISTIC ECMWF AND EUROPEAN

CENTRE ENSEMBLE MEAN TO UPDATE THE PRELIMINARY FRONTS AND

PRESSURES FOR DAYS 3 THROUGH 7. THE GLOBAL NUMERICAL GUIDANCE IS

CLUSTERING MORE TIGHTLY ALONG THE ATLANTIC SEABOARD, INDICATING

THAT THE VOID IN THE ATMOSPHERE LEFT BEHIND SANDY AND ITS

POST-TROPICAL VORTEX WILL BE REENERGIZED NEXT WEEK- THIS TIME IN

THE FORM OF A MORE TYPICAL NOR'EASTER. THE BLOCKING PATTERN- WHERE

THE NORMAL WEST-TO-EAST FLOW BREAKS UP INTO QUASISTATIONARY

CYCLONIC AND ANTICYCLONIC CIRCULATIONS- IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE

EXTENDED PERIOD OF UNSETTLED WEATHER ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA

AND THE ADJACENT OCEANS. AS A WHOLE, THE EUROPEAN CENTRE GUIDANCE,

PARTICULARLY THE ENSEMBLE PRODUCTS, WAS RELIABLE WITH THE HANDLING

OF SANDY AND ITS INTERACTION WITH THE COLD VORTEX THAT DUG INTO

THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES, SO HAVE LEANED TOWARD IT FOR THIS

SEPARATE, BUT NOT ENTIRELY UNRELATED EVENT. ALL THE MODELS,

INCLUDING THE GFS, GEM GLOBAL, AND UKMET, INDICATE A LARGE CYCLONE

OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC THIS PERIOD, WITH THE DIFFERENCES IN

WHERE AND HOW DEEP THE SYSTEM MATERIALIZES.

THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS UPCOMING EVENT AND SANDY'S

INCORPORATION INTO THE BLOCKING PATTERN WILL BE UPSTREAM OVER THE

WESTERN UNITED STATES, WHERE AN ARCTIC HIGH IS EXPECTED TO BUILD

INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS DAYS 6 AND 7.

WITH A POWERFUL PACIFIC JET IMPINGING ON THE WEST, THE STAGE WILL

BE SET FOR SNOWS BOTH IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE COASTAL STATES AND

IN THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND UPSLOPE AREAS OF MONTANA.

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Hmmmm ......

EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION

NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD

137 PM EDT SAT NOV 03 2012

VALID 12Z TUE NOV 06 2012 - 12Z SAT NOV 10 2012

...CHANCES INCREASING FOR A SLOW-MOVING NOR'EASTER ALONG THE

ATLANTIC COAST...

...ARCTIC OUTBREAK WITH UPSLOPE SNOWS SLATED FOR THE NORTHERN HIGH

PLAINS...

USED AN EVEN BLEND OF THE 00Z/03 DETERMINISTIC ECMWF AND EUROPEAN

CENTRE ENSEMBLE MEAN FOR THE FRONTS AND PRESSURES FOR DAYS 3

THROUGH 7. THE GLOBAL NUMERICAL GUIDANCE IS CLUSTERING MORE

TIGHTLY ALONG THE ATLANTIC SEABOARD, INDICATING THAT THE VOID IN

THE ATMOSPHERE LEFT BEHIND SANDY AND ITS POST-TROPICAL VORTEX WILL

BE REENERGIZED NEXT WEEK- THIS TIME IN THE FORM OF A MORE TYPICAL

NOR'EASTER. THE BLOCKING PATTERN- WHERE THE NORMAL WEST-TO-EAST

FLOW BREAKS UP INTO QUASISTATIONARY CYCLONIC AND ANTICYCLONIC

CIRCULATIONS- IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD OF UNSETTLED

WEATHER ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA AND THE ADJACENT OCEANS. AS A

WHOLE, THE EUROPEAN CENTRE GUIDANCE, PARTICULARLY THE ENSEMBLE

PRODUCTS, WAS RELIABLE WITH THE HANDLING OF SANDY AND ITS

INTERACTION WITH THE COLD VORTEX THAT DUG INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN

UNITED STATES, SO HAVE LEANED TOWARD IT FOR THIS SEPARATE, BUT NOT

ENTIRELY UNRELATED EVENT. ALL THE MODELS, INCLUDING THE GFS, GEM

GLOBAL, AND UKMET, INDICATE A LARGE CYCLONE OVER THE WESTERN

ATLANTIC THIS PERIOD, WITH THE DIFFERENCES IN WHERE AND HOW DEEP

THE SYSTEM MATERIALIZES. IF THE STORM TRACKS CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE

COAST, IT APPEARS THE AIRMASS MAY BE SUFFICIENTLY COLD FOR SNOW TO

FALL, EVEN IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. THIS TYPE OF SYNOPTIC DETAIL

WILL HAVE TO BE REFINED WITH FUTURE MODEL RUNS.

THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS UPCOMING EVENT AND SANDY'S

INCORPORATION INTO THE BLOCKING PATTERN WILL BE UPSTREAM OVER THE

WESTERN UNITED STATES, WHERE AN ARCTIC HIGH IS EXPECTED TO BUILD

INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS DAYS 6 AND 7.

WITH A POWERFUL PACIFIC JET IMPINGING ON THE WEST, THE STAGE WILL

BE SET FOR SNOWS BOTH IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE COASTAL STATES AND

IN THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND UPSLOPE AREAS OF MONTANA.

CISCO

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Nice discussion on the potential nor'easter in Mount Holly's disco this morning. Goes into the differences in the model solutions and why they've selected the blend they did:

LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...

CHANGES MADE TO THE BUSINESS PART OF THE LONG TERM WERE SUBTLE. THEY

REFLECT A VERY MINOR SLOWING DOWN OF THE SYSTEM FROM CONTINUITY.

IF WE TOOK THE NAM SERIOUSLY WITH ITS LATEST RUN, WE WOULD BE RATHER

PLEASED WITH THE PROSPECT OF ONLY A 1002 MB LOW ABOUT 250 MILES OFF

VIRGINIA BEACH AT 12Z WEDNESDAY. IT IS QUITE THE ODD MAN OUT WITH

THIS SOLUTION.

OF THE NOR`EASTER TRACKS OF THE FOUR REMAINING MAJOR MODELS, ALL ARE

WITHIN ABOUT 75 MILES OF EACH OTHER REGARDING DISTANCE FROM OUR

COASTLINE DURING PASSAGE (FOR THIS RUN, OF COURSE). THE GFS IS THE

FASTEST AND THE ECMWF THE SLOWEST.

WE TOOK A FAIRLY CLOSE LOOK AT THE GFS (THE FASTEST MODEL) OVER ITS

03/12Z, 03/18Z AND 04/00Z RUNS AND THE ECMWF (THE SLOWEST MODEL)

OVER ITS 03/00Z, 03/12Z AND 04/00Z RUNS. THE GFS HAS BEEN DOING A

DRUNKARD`S WALK TOWARD WHAT WE CAN HOPE IS THE RIGHT SOLUTION. IT

SHIFTED MODESTLY WEST FROM 03/12Z TO 03/18Z, AND THEN IT SHIFTED

SIGNIFICANTLY EAST FROM 03/18Z TO 04/00Z. REGARDING ITS SPEED, IT IS

SLOWER IN ITS 04/00Z APPROACH AND FASTER IN ITS 04/00Z ESCAPE FROM

THE WATERS OFF DELAWARE AND NEW JERSEY THAN THE PREVIOUS TWO RUNS.

THE 04/00Z ECMWF IS SUBTLY FURTHER EAST IN ITS APPROACH, AND THEN IT

LIES WITHIN THE RELATIVELY NARROW RANGE OF ITS TWO PREVIOUS RUNS.

THE SAME IS TRUE FOR ITS TIMING IF YOU SUBSTITUTE "SUBTLY SLOWER"

(THAT`S NOT A MIDNIGHT SHIFT MISTAKE) FOR "SUBTLY FURTHER EAST."

THE 04/00Z CANADIAN TRACK LIES WITHIN THE RANGE ESTABLISHED BY THE

GFS AND ECMWF, FAVORING THE FASTER GFS IN ITS APPROACH AND THEN

FAVORING THE ECMWF. IT IS, HOPEFULLY, AN OUTLIER REGARDING THE DEPTH

OF THE LOW. IT DEEPENS IT TO 964 MB WHILE OFF NEW JERSEY.

WHEN WE PLOT THE MEAN TRACKS FROM THE LAST THREE RUNS OF THE GFS AND

THE ECMWF, WE FIND THAT THE 00Z UKMET IS A VERY CLOSE APPROXIMATION.

IT WOULD PUT THE SYSTEM ABOUT 75 MILES OFF HAT AT 12Z WEDNESDAY,

ABOUT 175 MILES OFF WAL AT 00Z THURSDAY, ABOUT 100 MILES OFF ACY AT

12Z THURSDAY, AND NEAR MVY AT 00Z FRIDAY. DISCARDING THE CENTRAL

PRESSURES OF THE CANADIAN AND THE NAM, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT ABOUT

A 980 MB LOW OFF OUR COAST.

THEREFORE, USING THE UKMET TIMING AND TRACK AS A BASIS, WE MADE SOME

SUBTLE CHANGES TO THE FORECAST. WE ARE VERY MUCH AWARE THAT TOO MUCH

RELIANCE ON WHAT WE ARE SEEING NOW COULD LEAD US TO HARM RATHER THAN

IMPROVE THE FORECAST, WHICH IS WHY WE MAINTAIN A GOOD DEAL OF

CONTINUITY THIS FAR OUT WHILE NUDGING THINGS IN THE INDICATED WAY.

THE STACKED LOW IS GOING TO BE PUSHING AGAINST A STUBBORN AND

STACKED HIGH TO THE NORTH (ALMOST A REX BLOCK ORIENTATION). THIS

WOULD TEND TO FAVOR A SLOWER SOLUTION, BUT IT ALSO FAVORS A STRONG

GRADIENT THAT KEEPS STRONG WINDS IN PLAY. THAT IN TURN KEEPS TIDAL

FLOODING IN PLAY, EVEN THOUGH WE NEED ALMOST TWO FEET TO START MINOR

TIDAL FLOODING AND ALMOST THREE FEET TO TRIGGER A COASTAL FLOOD

WARNING. HEAVIER PRECIPITATION WOULD FAVOR COASTAL REGIONS, BUT SOME

SNOW STILL IS A REAL POSSIBILITY NORTHWEST GIVEN THE PRESENT TRACK.

THE THINGS THAT MAY NOT FAVOR A LOT OF SNOW ARE THE TIME OF YEAR,

THE TEMPERATURE OF THE OCEAN WATERS AND THE FACT THAT THE HIGH TO

THE NORTH IS NOT THAT COLD.

HIGH PRESSURE PRECEDES AND FOLLOWS THIS EVENT. TEMPERATURES THROUGH

MOST OF THE PERIOD ARE FORECAST TO BE BELOW NORMAL.

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The GFS and Euro continue to be at odds, with the Euro showing the heaviest snow axis from RIC-DCA-MDT and the GFS barely showing anything outside the Poconos and the Berkshires. Obviously, much of the difference comes with the Euro being 2-4C colder in the lower levels than the GFS - though the GFS track is east of the Euro, as well. These differences obviously have something to do with either initialization schemes or model physics, since the GEFS is close to the op GFS and the Euro ENS is close to the op Euro. Then throw in the UKMET, which is way east with the low and you've got a very low confidence solution for a 2-3 day forecast.

My gut would be to weigh the models with 2 parts GFS, 1 part Euro. I just don't see where the cold air in the Euro is coming from, but you have to weigh it somewhat given the overall strength of the model. My guess would be heaviest snow in the Poconos and Berkshires - maybe up to a foot. I-95 stays mostly rain, but the western suburbs would pick up 2-4", especially with latitude. Best non-elevation snows go from MDT-AVP-ORH. That forecast couldn't be lower confidence though.

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I'm still going to ride with it, at least through 12z. I'm not going to try to get every single detail of the storm right, either. This is a macro forecast, not an IMBY forecast.

Yea, there is still a lot of waffling back and forth with the deterministic model solutions. The ensembles from both the GFES and ECMWF still show there is plenty of potential for a moderate snowstorm for the outlined areas on Adam's map.

A good illustration of this is the noticeable amount of "waffling" that is taking place with the deterministic GFS solutions. Looking at the dprog/dt of the 500 hPa model solutions at 00z 8 Nov show that the model has not locked in on a specific solution. The degree of phasing is still adjusting from run to run, and it appears that the "fully phased" solutions we saw 2-3 days ago are not looking as likely, but its still possible a later phase will occur.

http://www.atmos.albany.edu/student/kgriffin/maps/dprog/F048/500vort/namer/500vort_namer_dprog.html

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