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Chill Storm Discussion and Obs


WinterWxLuvr

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I have expected there to be quite a few big shifts along the way with this storm. Just slight differences in strength speed and placement of seemingly minor features cause large swings in solutions. There have only been a couple runs over the last week that we're out to lunch.

The big Chicago cutter was totally reasonable. Things changed after there was a better handle on the 50-50ish feature and the Xmas wave. Then an apps runner or miller b seems much more likely and reasonable.

Expecting any model to hit on all features' strength and timing leading up is a tall order. This particular pattern is riddled with subtleties. Other patterns can be much easier at long leads but not this one imo.

I'm personally getting more sold on a hybrid than a true apps runner but that doesnt mean much.

Even if a hybrid becomes a lock, just wait until we see another half dozen or more different solutions about where the jump happens and how strong the primary and secondary are. It will not be boring or locked in until Xmas night and even then it's gonna be miss in someone's eyes. Good times!

Anything can be reasonable based on the upper pattern being forecast. There's been little if any consistency on that past 4 or 5 days. You can pull old maps and see it.

I don't think anybody expects a model to have all aspects correct. Having said that, I think plenty of people like to base long range forecasts for warmth off modeled heights. So how are those forecasts expected to be solid when you're talking about upper air patterns that have proven to be unreliable? Yet a forecast based on a solution that is a cold or snowy scenario, a solution created by the modeled upper air pattern is called wish casting. Both are shots in the dark.

The early week forecasts are looking to bust. And that is because the early week forecasted upper air patterns are going to be way off.

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Anything can be reasonable based on the upper pattern being forecast. There's been little if any consistency on that past 4 or 5 days. You can pull old maps and see it.

I don't think anybody expects a model to have all aspects correct. Having said that, I think plenty of people like to base long range forecasts for warmth off modeled heights. So how are those forecasts expected to be solid when you're talking about upper air patterns that have proven to be unreliable? Yet a forecast based on a solution that is a cold or snowy scenario, a solution created by the modeled upper air pattern is called wish casting. Both are shots in the dark.

The early week forecasts are looking to bust. And that is because the early week forecasted upper air patterns are going to be way off.

I certainly overstated things by saying I'd be stunned if it changed as I didn't expect there to be no changes but didn't see any chance of the low going to our south and east enough for a snowstorm. I still think that is unlikely as the most likely track is still some type of miller b solution. I guess you'll consider my comments equivocated. I certainly did not see the storm coming as far east as it look like it will but still think the odds are that the storm track west of us which keeps most of us from getting a major winter storm. Could we get the latter, sure as I noted in my article. I guess part of the problem with communicating between us is that some always see snow chances (I'm not saying you) pretty much every storm and I probably have reacted too strongly to that. Anyway, congrats to you and Bob.

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I'm pretty modest Wes. We all know that it was just a hair above luck to have a call so far in advance actually appear to be working out in my favor.

All I ever said was that it appeared to be our first legit shot at a significant storm that may include winter weather.

I'm pretty enamoured by the next 15 days but first things first.....lol

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I certainly overstated things by saying I'd be stunned if it changed as I didn't expect there to be no changes but didn't see any chance of the low going to our south and east enough for a snowstorm. I still think that is unlikely as the most likely track is still some type of miller b solution. I guess you'll consider my comments equivocated. I certainly did not see the storm coming as far east as it look like it will but still think the odds are that the storm track west of us which keeps most of us from getting a major winter storm. Could we get the latter, sure as I noted in my article. I guess part of the problem with communicating between us is that some always see snow chances (I'm not saying you) pretty much every storm and I probably have reacted too strongly to that. Anyway, congrats to you and Bob.

Wes, you are a true met genius to many of us. Most of us here are here because we love weather, many of us loving winter weather over all of it. We learn so much from you, Ian, Matt, Bob, UsWx. It adds tremendously to our enjoyment of the weather. We haven't had much to celebrate. Not having this board would have made this December a maddening experience for many of us.

I deserve no congrats. I've been skeptical of everything, good and bad. All I did was point out a pretty big upper air modeling change that last Sat 18z put out. It was a game changer for this storm. When it moved away from for a couple of days, we went right back to bad solutions (for us). As soon as it went back to flattening the heights in southern Canada, the good results came back. I've simply been doing a play by play on the height pattern. Just watching. I had no confidence in it either until the Euro started going that way too. I've learned, from this board, that until there's some common ground from the models that any one scenario is likely to be wrong.

But anyway, thanks for being so gracious, you and others, and for allowing people like me who don't really know much to post and enjoy the ride.

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I'd love to hear some thoughts on the Christmas eve situation. I think the Euro is a pretty weak system, but marginally cold enough? Is the strong GFS solution a realistic possibility? It seems much stronger than the other models.

The NAM at 18z did something similar, the 18z models started the amped idea, I doubt its a trend but I mean we won't know til 0z and succeeding runs. Regardless, the 18z gfs has a more favorable vort passage relative to previous runs, though surface temperatures are still marginal. Overall though, the 540 thicknesses are favorable, and the sfc temps would in reality be around 33-34 for most. Its an improvement from the previous runs, but judging by the last few 18z rounds, I need to see more. The vort going just a tad more south from 18z would be optimal, and the verdict is still out on whether 0z follows up amping the system. The GGEM has been doing this for the last 4 days of runs, so we shall see.

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I'd love to hear some thoughts on the Christmas eve situation. I think the Euro is a pretty weak system, but marginally cold enough? Is the strong GFS solution a realistic possibility? It seems much stronger than the other models.

Pretty tricky as the even the intesnity of the precip may play a role in the ptype. The much wetter 18Z GFS has the temps at 7PM xmas eve above freezing from just below 850mb to the surface at DCA with the max temp around 35 degrees within that layer. I'm not sure what the ptype would be with the sounding, either very wet snow or rain. A little earlier in the day, the sounding would support snow. Lighten the precip and that layer would most likely be warmer. The GFS is the strongest in handling that feature of any of the models so far. I think rain is more likely than snow but don't really know.

Oops where you live, the chances of snow would be higher.

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I'd love to hear some thoughts on the Christmas eve situation. I think the Euro is a pretty weak system, but marginally cold enough? Is the strong GFS solution a realistic possibility? It seems much stronger than the other models.

It's seemed as though the vort max has gotten a bit more potent in the past few runs but I want to caution we still are 72 hrs out. In my experience these little buggers are notoriously finicky in regards to precip placement and often come down to now-casting situations. Temperatures are marginal and these little waves don't pack the punch to give 1in/hr + rates everywhere in order to make snow out of a marginal situation. In short, stay-tuned and don't get your hopes up. That way you'll either be pleasantly surprised or not dissapointed.

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