Jump to content
  • Member Statistics

    17,588
    Total Members
    7,904
    Most Online
    LopezElliana
    Newest Member
    LopezElliana
    Joined

February 6-8th Great Lakes Wintry Storm


wisconsinwx

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 1k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Might as well lower Madison and Milwaukee.  Our local Fox 6 affiliate Skyvision Plus shows much less precip than many of the other models, and nearly nothing in Madison.  What it does show in Madison is mixy or light snow.  Could be kooky, but if it is right, it is unbelievable how the trends of this storm have changed.  If the UK, GEM and Euro don't throw a curveball, I won't worry so much.

 

Lower my call based off a TV station model? Come on. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lower my call based off a TV station model? Come on. 

 

Let's see, the NAM and GFS are calling for 3-5" at best, other models seem to be shifting SE, therefore taking the higher QPF out of those regions.  Unless the UK, GEM and Euro hang strong with healthy precip that far back, it seems fair to lower totals.  Then again, sometimes the short range timing does seem to shift storms SE and they still end up NW versus the projection, so this could just be some false SE movements.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DISCUSSION

947 PM CST

VERY TRICKY FORECAST THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS AMPLIFYING NORTHERN STREAM
SHORT WAVE DIVES SOUTHEAST INTO THE MIDWEST BEFORE HEADING TO JOIN
UP WITH SOUTHERN STREAM ENERGY OFF THE EAST COAST RESULTING IN AN
IMPRESSIVE NOR'EASTER.

WEAK SURFACE LOW OVER SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA THIS EVENING IS FORECAST
TO MOVE EAST SOUTHEAST INTO EASTERN IOWA BY MIDDAY THURSDAY BEFORE
TRACKING ACROSS NORTHERN/CENTRAL ILLINOIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND
THEN INTO INDIANA THURSDAY EVENING. SOUTHERLY WINDS ACROSS THE
REGION HAVE BEEN ADVECTING MILDER AND MORE MOIST AIRMASS NORTH
INTO THE REGION AND WHEN COMBINED WITH INCREASING HIGH CLOUDINESS
SHOULD RESULT IN LITTLE TEMPERATURE CHANGE OVERNIGHT. MODEL
GUIDANCE HAS GENERALLY BEEN RUNNING TOO COLD WITH THERMAL PROFILES
IN THE LOW LEVELS...LIKELY DUE IN LARGE PART TO ISSUES WITH
BOUNDARY LAYER TEMPS AND SNOW COVER. SHOULD CONTINUE TO SEE WARM
AIR ADVECTION UNTIL SURFACE LOW PASSES EAST INTO INDIANA AND WINDS
TURN NORTHERLY LATE THURS PM INTO THURSDAY EVENING AND EVEN THEN
THE COLD AIR ADVECTION DOES NOT LOOK OVERLY IMPRESSIVE. COULD SEE
SOME WET BULBING LATER TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING RESULTING IN
A SLIGHT DROP IN SURFACE TEMPS...BUT LOOKS LIKE THE MAJORITY OF
THE PRECIP SHOULD FALL INTO ABOVE FREEZING SFC TEMPS WITH THIS
EVENT.

STARTING TO SEE PRECIP/CONVECTION BREAK OUT FROM NE KS EAST ACROSS
SOUTHERN IOWA LATE THIS EVENING. WOULD EXPECT THIS ACTIVITY TO
CONTINUE TO EXPAND AND DEVELOP EASTWARD INTO OUR CWA WELL AFTER
MIDNIGHT. INITIAL P-TYPE WILL BE QUITE TRICKY WITH SOME LIGHT
SLEET/SNOW/RAIN SEEMINGLY THE MOST PROBABLE PRECIP TYPE BEFORE
TRANSITIONING OVER TO RAIN AFTER SUNRISE THURSDAY MORNING. CERTAINLY
COULD SEE A BRIEF PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN...BUT WITH SFC TEMPS
LIKELY TO BE VERY NEAR FREEZING NOT ANTICIPATING ANY BIG TRAVEL
PROBLEMS.

HUGE DILEMMA THIS EVENING WAS WHAT TO DO WITH THE WINTER STORM WATCH
FOR LAKE/MCHENRY COUNTIES. SEEMS THE CHANCES OF REACHING ANYTHING
CLOSE TO WARNING CRITERIA WAS VERY LOW SO REALLY DID NOT THINK
LEAVING A WATCH IN EFFECT WAS SENDING THE RIGHT MESSAGE. COULD BE
SOME LIGHT WINTRY PRECIP LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING...BUT
DOESNT LOOK LIKE THAT WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT EVENT WORTHY OF A
HEADLINE. NOW ITS PLAUSIBLE THAT COLUMN COULD COOL ENOUGH FOR A
CHANGE OVER TO WET SNOW LATE AS EARLY AS LATE THURS AFTERNOON BUT
MORE LIKELY INTO THURSDAY EVENING FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST.
TIMING OF CHANGE TO WET SNOW IS TRICKY AND SURFACE TEMPS COULD
LINGER JUST ABOVE FREEZING DURING THE SNOW INITIALLY WHICH WOULD
LIMIT THE ACCUMULATION TIME AND CUT DOWN ON TOTALS. BEST
ACCUMULATIONS LOOK TO BE NEAR THE WISCONSIN BORDER WHERE A COUPLE TO
MAYBE A FEW INCHES COULD ACCUMULATE...THOUGH CONFIDENCE IS LOW.
WOULD APPEAR THAT SNOW ACCUMULATION WOULD BE SHORT OF WHAT IS
TYPICALLY ADVISORY CRITERIA...BUT WITH A WATCH ALREADY OUT WAS
HESITANT TO GO DOWN TO NO HEADLINE...PARTICULARLY WITH THE
POTENTIAL FOR A COUPLE HOURS OF DECENT SNOW. POSSIBLE THAT AREAS
FARTHER WEST TOWARD ROCKFORD COULD GET A COUPLE INCHES OF SNOW TOO
BUT WITH LOW CONFIDENCE AND NO HEADLINES OUT ALREADY DECIDED TO NOT
EXPAND THE HEADLINED AREA ANY FARTHER AT THIS TIME.

IZZI 
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's see, the NAM and GFS are calling for 3-5" at best, other models seem to be shifting SE, therefore taking the higher QPF out of those regions.  Unless the UK, GEM and Euro hang strong with healthy precip that far back, it seems fair to lower totals.  Then again, sometimes the short range timing does seem to shift storms SE and they still end up NW versus the projection, so this could just be some false SE movements.

 

Both the NAM and GFS  have 5+  inches here, there's not really too much to worry about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's see, the NAM and GFS are calling for 3-5" at best, other models seem to be shifting SE, therefore taking the higher QPF out of those regions.  Unless the UK, GEM and Euro hang strong with healthy precip that far back, it seems fair to lower totals.  Then again, sometimes the short range timing does seem to shift storms SE and they still end up NW versus the projection, so this could just be some false SE movements.

 

0z NAM has 0.80" for MKE. 0z GFS has at least 0.50". You're reaching here. And I acknowledged my concern for MSN already, but will stick with it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What's your call for the QC?  RGEM actually threw us a bone and gave us a couple quick inches of cement tomorrow afternoon.  It's all alone, and it's the RGEM, so I aint buying it.  Kind of makes you wonder though. 

 

Saw that. I don't know. Ride the season trend...T? :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Battle Creek: 3.5"

Detroit: 3.0"

Grand Rapids: 6.8"

Muskegon: 8.5"

 

You atleast know the drill here. Sadly it will make for the biggest snowstorm of the winter here should that 3.5" verify.

 

 

I'll be honest for a moment here. Besides the lower QPF on models the 850mb low track has shifted a bit south as well. Typically the best snows etc fall near/just nw of that. Earlier runs took that across the mid part of this state. Something to watch for.

 

One thing for sure is models are still in catch up mode. Thus this is likely to surprise a few with some good and some bad. Hard to say where that will be as is usually the case with developing systems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Both the NAM and GFS both have 5+  inches here, there's not really too much to worry about.

 

Maybe you're right, anyways my call this evening that I told people who asked was 3-5".  I'm going to say 3.2".

 

Btw, the GFS looked like 3-4" on the map that was posted, which is part of why I'm pessimistic.  I also expect dry air to be a ***** initially so I don't buy the model run QPF anyway.  I really wish I did, but dry air has won the battle at times recently, granted in moisture starved events to begin with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DTW

 

I think that call is pretty consistent with the modeled QPF right now. Plus, there could be mixing issues. Eh, call it conservative if you will. 

 

 

meh.. Josh will find a way to out snow here so i would go atleast 4 there. :lol:

 

Unless i make a quick trip and go and steal his snow magnet. :devilsmiley:

 

brb.....lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DTW

 

I think that call is pretty consistent with the modeled QPF right now. Plus, there could be mixing issues. Eh, call it conservative if you will. 

Makes sense. There's going to be quite the gradient over the Detroit area.2-4 south of 94.  Potentially 6-8 north of 8 mile. And 8+ possible north of 59. (Or even north of 696 east of 75 as the gradient seems to curve southeast over the extreme east side.) Decent call for DTW.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe you're right, anyways my call this evening that I told people who asked was 3-5".  I'm going to say 3.2".

 

GFS continues to show all snow through the event and the NAM has about .15" qpf not snow while the rest of the .55" is all snow. I think we are good here in MKE.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice, I'm hoping the NAM and GFS are just aberrations, tough to know though.

 

Like you were saying back a couple posts, those 2 models may have made a false SE move.

 

Between all the snowfall maps posted; except the RGEM, there is good agreement on the west side of the lake.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You're putting on me, right? All the models have 0.50"+ for MKE. All of them that matter. 

 

I guess I'm just a little bit uptight about this one.  I feel like I have to do well here, because the potential storms for next week are likely to go both sides of the region (although the second one could well trend this direction).  It's frustrating when even ensemble solutions seem locked in with 24-36 hours to go and then the OP or the Ensembles add more divergent solutions to the equation.  I guess I should be used to it by now.  With the temp around 32 or 33, I'm worried about losing a lot of our precip to either dry air or sleet/freezing rain.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jan 67 had a sh!tload of moisture to work with. Thus see the epic ice storm just to the south of here. The torch just prior to the blizzard probably helped out a bit as the GOM was wide open. Started out very briefly as a rn/sn mix believe it or not ( storm developed along a front that had ended the torch )  and then went straight heavy snow. Total QPF was 2.80" and thus almost straight 10-1 ratios. Keep in mind many from se WI/Chicago to Lansing saw 18+ and so it was widespread. The screwzone was the se part of the state who got a bit of ice from it and thus why the lower totals there in places like Detroit.

 

The problem is just ramming gob loads of GOM moisture over a front tends to be more conducive to changing the heaviest precip over to sleet and ice.  You also have to deal with the plague of moisture robbing warm-sector convection.  I'd be really interested in knowing exactly how you pull off something like the 67'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...