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Remembering Snowpocalypse -- 12/18-12/19, 2009


Ian
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I remember really being stoked by pattern and talking quite awhile about the potential for a KU storm since the pattern was looking so favorable. By the 11th, The D+8 CPC analogs identified 3 KU storms within several days of the centered mean.

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By the 14 or 15 the number had jumped up to 5 inclduing some really famous events.

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By 72 the esnemble mean pattern was almost identical to KU storms that produced over 8 inches at DCA.

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It was actually a storm I was bullish about despite having a non-bullish rep.

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I liked this storm much more than the snowmageddon. It was light snow, so easy to shovel, and it was the first big snow since '03, so it was just special.

Snowmageddon was a nightmare in every regard. Lost the power at 3am and since my Security System's backup battery was low, the alarm started Screaming and I couldn't turn it off because there was no way to punch in the code arrowheadsmiley.png

I had friends over, and after 2 hours of listening to the siren I lost my temper and pulled the battery backup system out of the wall and cut the cable. Not to mention there were large tree limbs and even whole trees down all over the place on our street, so we couldn't even drive the SUV to somewhere with power. I never realized how heavy the snow was until I started shoveling Sunday, It took me 2 hours to clear out the Driveway and Steps, and I had already promised by elderly nieghbor that I'd shovel her driveway, so I was stuck with that as well.

Most importantly, it was (near) Christmas snow, and would ensure the first white Christmas in many years.

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Most importantly, it was (near) Christmas snow, and would ensure the first white Christmas in

many years.

Yeah exactly, just the perfect storm in all regards. Delicately covered the trees/bushes w/ no wind at all making for the perfect postcard. Never understood the blizzard warning either, it was so still the snow fell perfectly straight.

I never understand why so many folk find snowmageddon preferable.

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Yeah exactly, just the perfect storm in all regards. Delicately covered the trees/bushes w/ no wind at all making for the perfect postcard. Never understood the blizzard warning either, it was so still the snow fell perfectly straight.

I never understand why so many folk find snowmageddon preferable.

Because there was more snow...with more to follow.

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What I remember most of this storm was how gipped I felt on Saturday. It was supposed to snow all day, but we got dry-slotted something horrible down here.

The saving grace for this storm was the absolute pasting we took Friday night 2-3x the amount of snow originally forecast got us to 11" of snow on this side of town.

Of course, it was also followed by the absurdity of KRIC reporting 7" of snow accumulation when EVERY single coop station around was closer to 10".

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That's beautiful. I cannot say I envy your guests the headache of travel, it sure made for a memorable day and lovely pictures.

Thank you! Some of the guests drove six hours in the snow from the eastern shore to Frederick (where we got married). They were determined to get there! Sadly, we did have about 30 people not be able to make it. But I wouldn't change a thing.

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Thank you! Some of the guests drove six hours in the snow from the eastern shore to Frederick (where we got married). They were determined to get there! Sadly, we did have about 30 people not be able to make it. But I wouldn't change a thing.

Being a snow lover, too, I would not have wanted to change a thing either.

My wife and I got married towards the end of July and were worried about it being incredibly humid and ruining the view of downtown (our reception was in the ballroom at the top of the Key Bridge Marriott).

We got incredibly lucky when a nice cold front blew through Friday morning and it was in the mid-80s with very low humidity Friday and all day Saturday.

post-127-0-09711500-1324139948.jpg

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Being a snow lover, too, I would not have wanted to change a thing either.

My wife and I got married towards the end of July and were worried about it being incredibly humid and ruining the view of downtown (our reception was in the ballroom at the top of the Key Bridge Marriott).

We got incredibly lucky when a nice cold front blew through Friday morning and it was in the mid-80s with very low humidity Friday and all day Saturday.

post-127-0-09711500-1324139948.jpg

My condolences

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Wow is all I can say for remembering the snowstorm of December 2009. I got very lucky when it came to shoveling my driveway. 2 Spanish guys came and knocked on my door saying they will shovel my driveway for 20 dollars and clean my cars off. 20" inches of snow for $20 bucks. That was the gift that makes you enjoy the snowstorm even more. Took them 2hours to clean my driveway and I felt bad on the $20 and decided to give the $60 for all there hard work. Let's say they never came back to my house 2 months later when we all got blitzed again by blizzard of 2010. I can not argue with winter 09-10. That was the best winter ever and I do not think there will ever be a winter in my life again that will even match that year.

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I had a Jebman moment.......lolz

YEAH JEBMAN.....we're in for an EPIC SNOWSTORM

Ferocious snow, lightning and thunder, a blizzard if we're lucky, and at least 18 inches of snow. That is 18 INCHES or even MORE.

We've been waiting for years to get something like this, but the time has come.

Bring it on!!!!!!!!

:bike::snowman::scooter: :scooter: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :weight_lift: :weight_lift: :snowman: :snowman:

http://www.easternus...ost__p__4332793

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I don't know if this thread makes me

1.) Happy to look back and remember the good times

or

2.) Depressed to look back and then look at the crappy pattern we're in and realize we aren't going to be seeing anything like this (much less anything even 1/3 as good as this) anytime soon.

I'm think I'll go with #2.

Definitely #2, but it's more than just knowing we're currently in a crappy pattern. It's knowing that our normal snowfall is somewhere around 20" (depending on where you live), and it's rare to even get that much in any given winter.

This is simply a s****y snow area.

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I don't know if this thread makes me

1.) Happy to look back and remember the good times

or

2.) Depressed to look back and then look at the crappy pattern we're in and realize we aren't going to be seeing anything like this (much less anything even 1/3 as good as this) anytime soon.

I'm think I'll go with #2.

Definitely 1.

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Two years ago right now -- 1130 or so -- it was really kicking into overdrive. Midday Saturday, it was snowing heavier than I could recall with any other storm with the possible exception of 1983 (which I don't remember that well). Heavier than anything I remembered from 96. I can sympathize with those who prefer Snowpocalypse to the February storms. Snowpocalypse was a delight. Snowmaggeon was an event; the whole 10-day period was almost trial by snow; the stuff kept coming down and, once the majesty of the blizzard was over, the charm began to wear off. But the December snowstorm was perfect in practically every way: the holiday season, the best part of it occurred during daylight hours, cold but not brutally, no sleet, enough wind to keep things interesting, generous accumulations. I was out and about in it a lot more than I was during Snowmaggedon. I remember it more clearly, too, because at the time I was thinking, OK, I better commit every moment to memory because the next one will be, if I'm lucky, at least six years (and not six weeks) away.

,

As the reality of DC snow climatology reasserts its noxious self, that winter just seems more and more surreal.

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It was indeed a great storm. 20.5" in Clarksburg, right during the height of the holiday season and cold enough throughout the column that it was going to be all snow, all the time. It was great fun to see the storm modeled so well and I was giddy as more and more hitsoric storm analogs popped up as the event drew near. The two things that stick out the most for me were 1) being able to drive an AWD SUV through 20" of powder since it was so light and fluffy (technical term) and 2) taking a look at the ULL back in the midwest as the coastal bas bombing out off the VA capes and thinking, "that's going to make the pivot righ over me and give another inch or two on the wraparound 12 hours from now!!!" Here's a pic from the house on the morning of the 20th. It's safe to say construction on the remodel was at a halt...

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meh, 1" Christmas snow = 3" regular snow. If it had snowed 63 inches then maybe I'd agree.

On second thought, no way. Snowpocalypse >> Snowmageddon.

dca had epic meltage on christmas tho it was the snowiest start to xmas ever (tied)

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