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12/26-12/28 Potential Snow Threat


CooL

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Both the 12z Canadian and UKMET now keep NW NJ on the cold side of the 850 line for the entire storm.

People who read your blog are going to assume that all the weather models are wrong because you claim that they show all snow. Unless they are aware you are just misinterpreting what they show. There is more to it then just the 850, these models all have an incredible mid level warm punch associated with the strong waa because of the lows track. Yes there will be a period of front end snow but again eventually the warm air aloft will win out and the transition to sleet and plain rain will occur. This will happen well before anyone in western bergen sees 6-12 inches. Seen this setup several times and it typically results in at most 3-6 inches for western bergen followed by sleet and plain rain ultimately. You are deceiving people by claiming the models show all snow.

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Both the 12z Canadian and UKMET now keep NW NJ on the cold side of the 850 line for the entire storm.

Part of the problem here, and this is not a rip on you but hopefully you understand what I'm getting at, is that the warm layer doesn't always occur at exactly 850mb, or 925mb, or 700mb. Those are individual slices of the atmospheric column that are shown on the model graphics to help you get an understanding of whats going on. But the NAM soundings, just as an example, show the warm layer poking through in some locales between 875mb and 900mb. So on the graphic you'll be seeing 850mb temperatures below zero, when in reality it could be sleeting or rain (maybe freezing rain) there if that warm layer is deep enough.

Paying attention to that one thin 850mb line, which is a tiny little slice of the atmospheric column only tells you 1/1000th of the story. There is a lot more to it.

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Part of the problem here, and this is not a rip on you but hopefully you understand what I'm getting at, is that the warm layer doesn't always occur at exactly 850mb, or 925mb, or 700mb. Those are individual slices of the atmospheric column that are shown on the model graphics to help you get an understanding of whats going on. But the NAM soundings, just as an example, show the warm layer poking through in some locales between 875mb and 900mb. So on the graphic you'll be seeing 850mb temperatures below zero, when in reality it could be sleeting or rain (maybe freezing rain) there if that warm layer is deep enough.

Paying attention to that one thin 850mb line, which is a tiny little slice of the atmospheric column only tells you 1/1000th of the story. There is a lot more to it.

i believe it would be 1/850th of the story !!! ;-)

Great point though John. That's where soundings come in handy.

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i believe it would be 1/850th of the story !!! ;-)

Great point though John. That's where soundings come in handy.

Especially in mid level warm air advection events like this...I have always found it prudent to analyze every inch of the column before calling for snow. I've been bitten many of times.

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Part of the problem here, and this is not a rip on you but hopefully you understand what I'm getting at, is that the warm layer doesn't always occur at exactly 850mb, or 925mb, or 700mb. Those are individual slices of the atmospheric column that are shown on the model graphics to help you get an understanding of whats going on. But the NAM soundings, just as an example, show the warm layer poking through in some locales between 875mb and 900mb. So on the graphic you'll be seeing 850mb temperatures below zero, when in reality it could be sleeting or rain (maybe freezing rain) there if that warm layer is deep enough.

Paying attention to that one thin 850mb line, which is a tiny little slice of the atmospheric column only tells you 1/1000th of the story. There is a lot more to it.

Believe me, I completely understand all of this. I am counting on the intensity of the precipitation keeping this all snow until the precipitation subsides. The ECMWF snowfall map on Accuweather shows 6-12 inches for Hunterdon, Warren, Sussex, Morris, Northern and Western Somerset County, Northern Passaic County, and Western Bergen County. That map goes right along with my thinking. I am basing this all upon intensity of the precipitation keeping the column cool enough for snow. Of course I may bust, but we shall see soon enough.

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People who read your blog are going to assume that all the weather models are wrong because you claim that they show all snow. Unless they are aware you are just misinterpreting what they show. There is more to it then just the 850, these models all have an incredible mid level warm punch associated with the strong waa because of the lows track. Yes there will be a period of front end snow but again eventually the warm air aloft will win out and the transition to sleet and plain rain will occur. This will happen well before anyone in western bergen sees 6-12 inches. Seen this setup several times and it typically results in at most 3-6 inches for western bergen followed by sleet and plain rain ultimately. You are deceiving people by claiming the models show all snow.

You are welcome to your interpretation of things, but I am counting on the cooling of the column by the intensity of the precipitation to keep this snow until the intensity subsides. Sure, I may bust. We shall soon see. It is my forecast, win or lose. People follow my blog because they have seen me get it right many times when others don't. Will I get it right this time? Only time will tell.

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