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The March 6 Storm- The (last) Great White Hope


stormtracker

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3/14/91 was a heart-breaker. We had either a WSWatch or warning up for 8+" of snow. 

That one is almost never brought up. Interesting that you you remember it. I can only vaguely recall what happened. I was a senior in high school so that was probably the only time in my whole life that the potential for snow didn't rule my life.

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18znamsnow_NE084.gif18znamp24_NE084.gif

 

I think the biggest forecast challenge will be with the amounts east of I-95, especially southern MD.  We typically see this terrain-dependent gradient when BL issues are present (especially early).  However, I've seen the CCB/deformation axis and deepening TROWAL crank up wicked precipitation rates at the tail end, with this feature hanging on a little while longer over the eastern 'burbs while pivoting more N-S, to a point where those areas more than make up for the fact that they are lower in elevation when all is said and done.  Elevated convection doesn't hurt matters either.  

 

Many of the analogs for this time of year, with a similar track (including the March '58 and '60 storms) do not have that sharp cutoff NE-E-SE of DC.  Will be very interesting to see how this pans out!

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Some sleet makes sense simply because the storm may deepen just enough to

bring long-fetch east winds all the way to the west of the Bay.  The boundary layer

freezing level has no reinforcing source of cold air.  The surface low is going to be

just a tiny bit too close to the big cities.

I don't think this makes any sense.

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I am sorry, but my climo is much more similar to northern Maryland than to the rest of central PA.  I am 10 miles from the M/D line.  Why must people be so rigid?

 

There are folks in VA who do not have climate like the DC area that post here (because they are in our defined region)...subforums are around for a reason but this is a banter conversation anyway. 

If we go by climo only that defeats the purpose of subforums.

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I don't think this makes any sense.

almost all big storms mix to some degree at least in spots like around here. i haven't really looked at many soundings though.

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How much if at all do models run to climo favoring NW? Or is it just all the temp profile?

 

Not sure I'm answering the correct question, but its relevant with respect to the gradient seen in a lot of the snow depth maps from the models, but i've noticed a large difference in "total snowfall" vs "total snow depth" which is being traced back to how the land surface model component of the model is handling melting (or lack of accumulation at the surface)....snow physics in LSMs are difficult to parameterize, and as someone who works with them all the time, i'm not a particularly big fan of how the Noah LSM handles snow physics (which is the operational land surface component in the NAM/GFS). 

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almost all big storms mix to some degree at least in spots like around here. i haven't really looked at many soundings though.

Seems like it is pretty much rain or snow. Upper levels are plenty cold on all of the models. In fact, with these new NAM/GFS depictions the 850s crash super hard as the coastal ramps up.

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almost all big storms mix to some degree at least in spots like around here. i haven't really looked at many soundings though.

 

Even here to a degree. In the past I have been just far enough N+W to be okay but I do tend to get a bit of mixing during bigger events. Doesn't impact my final total THAT much usually. 

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Not sure I'm answering the correct question, but its relevant with respect to the gradient seen in a lot of the snow depth maps from the models, but i've noticed a large difference in "total snowfall" vs "total snow depth" which is being traced back to how the land surface model component of the model is handling melting (or lack of accumulation at the surface)....snow physics in LSMs are difficult to parameterize, and as someone who works with them all the time, i'm not a particularly big fan of how the Noah LSM handles snow physics (which is the operational land surface component in the NAM/GFS). 

 

thanks.. i think that's probably what i was interested in. maybe. ;)

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thanks.. i think that's probably what i was interested in. maybe. ;)

 

well i know i don't have to convince most of the perils of "clown" maps...but just the issues with snow physics should be enough to leave you with no faith (and that's not even addressing how snow liquid equivalent is handled).

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well i know i don't have to convince most of the perils of "clown" maps...but just the issues with snow physics should be enough to leave you with no faith (and that's not even addressing how snow liquid equivalent is handled).

 

yeah--tho i am not sure they are all the same (i guess at least the initial conditions are?). the ones i see on a pay site generally seem to line up with soundings so i still use them as a general idea of where things are and the bullseye etc. as far as taking numbers verbatim or modified.. not sure there is much value there but still fun. ;)

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