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2nd Annual Snow Thread for the Mountains


Met1985

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Great question that I do not have an answer for. Based on the new map, I would tend to agree with you...

 

FWIW, GSP did add a short discussion at 11:35. I'm still not convinced that this map is a direct result of met forecasts and not just some sort of weighted model average though.

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Probably not a big deal but GSP has been decreasing WNC totals all day down to 5" in Asheville

can't quite see gsp thinking on only 5 inches when most data says this may be a storm to remember and for the record books.  somethings up when news 13 starts showing other major storms and dates and says this one may be right up there with those storms. 

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For all the board vet's.

 

 

This... this is looking more and more like a KU snowstorm. Euro ensembles are in very good agreement on this outcome now.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm going to get on my high horse for a brief moment, but I think the GFS and NAM are doing a horrible job with this event  (wednesday and beyond). When I look at models and try to get an assessment of what is going to happen, the first thing I do is look at the ECMWF and its ensembles.

 

When the ECMWF is showing an overamplified solution relative to the rest of the guidance, I stand back and try to understand if its catching on to something the other models are missing or if its an outlier that should be thrown out. The easiest way to figure this is out is to look at the its ensemble mean. Guess what, the ECMWF ensemble mean is pretty much exactly what the deterministic solution is. The ECMWF Ensemble Prediction System (EPS) is superior to the GFS Ensembles because it contains 50 members and does a more realistic job of depicting the probability PDF of any one particular solution, preventing it from being under dispersive like the GFS ensembles are in most cases.

 

So when there is strong agreement within 72 hours from the ECMWF and the ECMWF ensembles, I place that in the highest regard over all other guidance. Thats what we are seeing currently. The GFS and NAM are completely on the edge of the ECMWF ensemble PDF and therefore should both be considered outliers in this case. Its a little startling to see this must dispersion between the model guidance within 72 hours, but for tricky phasing cases like this, its the norm. While taking a mean might sound like the best course of action, in reality when there is this much spread, you are taking a good forecast and merging with a bad forecast to create a mediocre forecast. I think it would be a better idea to place greater emphasis on the ECMWF solution given the strong support it has by its ensembles. 

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Looks like it is going a little south and east.

 

Correction: Actually maybe it is a little more inland, just looks colder for everyone else. Maybe it will make the folks in Raleigh stop complaining.... Heavy snow here in WNC until Thursday when the system starts to pull out

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Looks like it is going a little south and east.

 

Correction: Actually maybe it is a little more inland, just looks colder for everyone else. Maybe it will make the folks in Raleigh stop complaining.... Heavy snow here in WNC until Thursday when the system starts to pull out

 

Do you have access? Can you post maps?

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I know it's kinda personal IMBY question. But when do you guys think precip will begin falling and sticking here? The timing has been different on all the models. I have a test at UNCA in the morning and don't want to get stuck driving down Old Fort mountain. I know what happened last time there was heavy snow people were stuck on top of the mountain for a day or more.

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I know it's kinda personal IMBY question. But when do you guys think precip will begin falling and sticking here? The timing has been different on all the models. I have a test at UNCA in the morning and don't want to get stuck driving down Old Fort mountain. I know what happened last time there was heavy snow people were stuck on top of the mountain for a day or more.

 

That's hard to say...I would guess very early afternoon. I would be surprised if UNCA didn't cancel all classes though. I live in Hendersonville and ended up in a ditch trying to get to UNCA today. Roads were a mess.

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I know it's kinda personal IMBY question. But when do you guys think precip will begin falling and sticking here? The timing has been different on all the models. I have a test at UNCA in the morning and don't want to get stuck driving down Old Fort mountain. I know what happened last time there was heavy snow people were stuck on top of the mountain for a day or more.

 

Right now, I would just stay with the plan until UNCA announce the cancellations. I think afternoon classes, Thursday, and Friday are goner though.

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Took the words right out of my mouth......

 

 

I'm not very familiar with vorticity maps. What are the implications of this for WNC?

You see how the energy is further southwest on the RAP, that backs the flow and allows for a better moisture transport. That's the way I understand it with my limited knowledge. And with more phasing that the RAP shows it would lead to a more westward LP track than the NAM or GFS have, probably similar to the euro.

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