Winter '13/'14 Banter/Complaint Thread Part 1

[MidwestChaser]

Severe sucks outside the plains, tornados aren't visible unless they are right on top of you, the havoc and destruction they wreak isn't worth the 10 minutes of excitement a severe storm brings.

 

 

 

Wrong again.

[TugHillMatt]

The thaw coming for here sucks, but it will have its benefits...namely roads becoming glacier free again. But thaws are a way of life in central Indiana winters...even the big dog winters had them. Ho hum.

 

Thinking back to last March for LAF: we've had four 6"+ snowstorms (nearly five)...a big flood event in April...a tame summer with temps...a historic tornado outbreak in November...snowy December...one of the most impactful winter storms in years this January...almost a foot and a half of snow combined in the first 5 days of the month...already have surpassed normal season snowfall for 2013-14...double digit below zero temps. I have nothing to complain about. It's been a lot of fun for LAF. It's probably time for some boring weather here, for awhile...

Our roads will become more glacial. Mid 30s with rain tomorrow night, Snow absorbing the rain, and then temps drop below freezing by Saturday evening. I'm hibernating much of this weekend!

[TugHillMatt]

How common are snow tires down your way?

Snow tires are such a Canadian thing. I hardly know anybody in the U.S. who has them...and then for the 2 years I lived in Canada, I was like "Woah, look at all the cars without their rims."

[nwburbschaser]

The roads around here are horrible already.  There's a lot of new potholes and I'd imagine it will only get worse as the winter goes on.  Maybe it's just me, but I don't remember anything like this in recent memory with the roads. 

[TugHillMatt]

The roads around here are horrible already.  There's a lot of new potholes and I'd imagine it will only get worse as the winter goes on.  Maybe it's just me, but I don't remember anything like this in recent memory with the roads.

There has been a lot of precip. and cold air, so whatever moisture there has been collects in the cracks/holes in the roads and expands as it freezes...pushing the road apart. I love living in places where the roads are covered all winter. That is when they're in the best shape...NO potholes!

[BuffaloWeather]

Severe sucks outside the plains, tornados aren't visible unless they are right on top of you, the havoc and destruction they wreak isn't worth the 10 minutes of excitement a severe storm brings.

 

Winter storms here cause more traffic accidents and deaths than any Tornado would. Nearly impossible to see an f3-f5 tornado within hundreds of miles of here.

[McDude]

imagine this current storm dump another 10"+ on Chicagoland.  That would be awesome.  Third 10" snow storm in 2 weeks.

[hawkeye_wx]

It has not snowed here in nine days so it's turning pretty grungy.  The roadsides appear to be covered by mud piles and even parts of my backyard are covered by old bird seed and rabbit crap.

[beavis1729]

Perhaps I'm being a bit dramatic...but this 1" rainstorm with temps near 40 and dewpoints in the upper 30s is tragic and heartbreaking IMBY.  

 

5 days ago, I was playing with my kids in the deep snow pack in our front yard...shoveling, making huge piles, running around, sledding, feeling the misty snow and wind in our faces in the single digit temps, stomping through the middle of the street in deep snowbanks with no cars around, etc.  

 

Then a few days later, braving wind chills of -45 and realizing how extreme of an event the cold snap was, trying to soak it all in...and then the torching rainstorm comes today.  Only 3 afternoons ago, it was still below zero F.  It always slaps me back to reality when I realize how perilously close we are to springtime weather in the Chicago suburbs, even in the heart of winter.  Climo 200 miles south of here is not consistently wintry at all, whereas climo 200 miles north of here is very wintry.  We're always right in the middle...just close enough to taste it for awhile, but always knowing it can be taken away at a moment's notice.

 

I look out tonight at the same scenery as earlier in the week, and it's all gone.  I really get an emotional attachment to the pristine beauty of snowfall and cold temps...and it really sucks when it goes away.

[Jonger]

Perhaps I'm being a bit dramatic...but this 1" rainstorm with temps near 40 and dewpoints in the upper 30s is tragic and heartbreaking IMBY.  

 

5 days ago, I was playing with my kids in the deep snow pack in our front yard...shoveling, making huge piles, running around, sledding, feeling the misty snow and wind in our faces in the single digit temps, stomping through the middle of the street in deep snowbanks with no cars around, etc.  

 

Then a few days later, braving wind chills of -45 and realizing how extreme of an event the cold snap was, trying to soak it all in...and then the torching rainstorm comes today.  Only 3 afternoons ago, it was still below zero F.  It always slaps me back to reality when I realize how perilously close we are to springtime weather in the Chicago suburbs, even in the heart of winter.  Climo 200 miles south of here is not consistently wintry at all, whereas climo 200 miles north of here is very wintry.  We're always right in the middle...just close enough to taste it for awhile, but always knowing it can be taken away at a moment's notice.

 

I look out tonight at the same scenery as earlier in the week, and it's all gone.  I really get an emotional attachment to the pristine beauty of snowfall and cold temps...and it really sucks when it goes away.

If you find a animated graphic of an entire winters snowcover, you can watch it expand and contract north to south back and forth all winter. We do live in the zone of most change from week to week. When your average high is so close to freezing, it's inevitable that the snow will come and go here.

[weatherbo]

Perhaps I'm being a bit dramatic...but this 1" rainstorm with temps near 40 and dewpoints in the upper 30s is tragic and heartbreaking IMBY.  

 

5 days ago, I was playing with my kids in the deep snow pack in our front yard...shoveling, making huge piles, running around, sledding, feeling the misty snow and wind in our faces in the single digit temps, stomping through the middle of the street in deep snowbanks with no cars around, etc.  

 

Then a few days later, braving wind chills of -45 and realizing how extreme of an event the cold snap was, trying to soak it all in...and then the torching rainstorm comes today.  Only 3 afternoons ago, it was still below zero F.  It always slaps me back to reality when I realize how perilously close we are to springtime weather in the Chicago suburbs, even in the heart of winter.  Climo 200 miles south of here is not consistently wintry at all, whereas climo 200 miles north of here is very wintry.  We're always right in the middle...just close enough to taste it for awhile, but always knowing it can be taken away at a moment's notice.

 

I look out tonight at the same scenery as earlier in the week, and it's all gone.  I really get an emotional attachment to the pristine beauty of snowfall and cold temps...and it really sucks when it goes away.

This was so moving! I felt your agony.

The warmer temps are hard to take...

[DAFF]

Stupid warmth.... 20" of paradise reduced to total crap within 36 hours.

[Whitelakeroy]

Wow 18 hours of near 40F and some rain basically destroyed the beauty.  It was 34F at 4PM yesterday and is about 33F at 4PM today but the awesome 20"+ depth is now about a foot average of hard pack ugly snow.     Such is life in SE MI.  It happens every year!!  Thankfully lots of winter ahead and hopefully another big storm or two (no I don't expect another EPIC).

[IWXwx]

I was coming here to whine about my snowpack, but it looks like several have already beat me to the punch. 17" Tuesday morning, around 3" today.  

[DAFF]

Waiting for another Zzzzz from Alec.... This phrase is usually good for a storm to pop up on the models with 72 hours. Sad to see the snow melt but it will be replenished just like the last batch.

[michsnowfreak]

I have to join the griping about the snowpack hits. I was at 17" Monday morning, about 6-7" now on average. Still a lot of snow around, especially considering the massive snowbanks, but its very dirty. I knew we would lose snow, but didnt expect this much. Hopefully we can keep most of this base around (still expecting mild temps tomorrow/Monday) and see if a light snow can work its magic transforming the grunge back into winter wonderland.

[andyhb]

Looks like an exceedingly zzzz pattern up coming, persistent eastern trough with most of the storm potential around or off the East Coast.

[Harry]

Waiting for another Zzzzz from Alec.... This phrase is usually good for a storm to pop up on the models with 72 hours. Sad to see the snow melt but it will be replenished just like the last batch.

 

 

Gonna be hard to do( storm to pop up )  with the PNA ridge. We need the -EPO ridge back and the +PNA to relax a bit. Trough is gonna be to far east for all in this forum. And unless the AO tanks the clipper action will as well be too far north for most.

 

So yeah for now the pattern really does look like a total snooze fest.. Zzzzzzzzzzz

[TugHillMatt]

Weekends like this remind me of when a lake effect snow belt's average snowfall, at least this latitude, is hogwash. There should be some sort of snow to rain ratio that snowfall averages are based on. 65 inches of snow so far for the season, but dry lake effect melts faster than an ice cube in summer.

Sure, I still have snow on the ground....but weeks and weeks of working up to a nice snow base around here gets destroyed in two days. Urgh. Rant done. I'm glad I hibernated inside this weekend and watched Netflix. Come Tuesday, hopefully I can get out and enjoy winter again before it all disappears in a two day thaw.

[michsnowfreak]

Weekends like this remind me of when a lake effect snow belt's average snowfall, at least this latitude, is hogwash. There should be some sort of snow to rain ratio that snowfall averages are based on. 65 inches of snow so far for the season, but dry lake effect melts faster than an ice cube in summer.

Sure, I still have snow on the ground....but weeks and weeks of working up to a nice snow base around here gets destroyed in two days. Urgh. Rant done. I'm glad I hibernated inside this weekend and watched Netflix. Come Tuesday, hopefully I can get out and enjoy winter again before it all disappears in a two day thaw.

No doubt the fluffy snow disappears way faster. But thats why there is snowfall, liquid equivalent in the snowfall, and snow depth. You can always kind of tell what kind of snow it was by looking at those stats.

[WestMichigan]

No doubt the fluffy snow disappears way faster. But thats why there is snowfall, liquid equivalent in the snowfall, and snow depth. You can always kind of tell what kind of snow it was by looking at those stats.

Those of us who get lake effect love it when it is falling, but hate it when it melts/compacts into nothing.  I'll take an equal amount of synoptic snow over LES any day, but LES is better than nothing.

[WestCoaster]

At least you people had a decent snow pack to melt. I had a whopping 5" reduced to 2" of glaciated grass fields.

 

The biggest snowfall I've had this winter was 6" and that was over a month ago. Toronto is hungry!!! No more of these crap-tastic skim jobs

[weatherbo]

Those of us who get lake effect love it when it is falling, but hate it when it melts/compacts into nothing.  I'll take an equal amount of synoptic snow over LES any day, but LES is better than nothing.

Lake effect up further north compacts into a great base that is pretty melt resistant. Through all the rain and 40 degree temps, I still have a 17" snow depth. This base is hvy water content now and will hold up great during future thaws. All I need is another 10" of powder on top of this nice base to ensure some great riding conditions ahead. Winter is still young people!

[Hoosier]

After the great start to January, the rapid snowpack demise has been kind of annoying and may factor into my winter grade depending on what the rest of winter is like. 

[Toronto4]

At least you people had a decent snow pack to melt. I had a whopping 5" reduced to 2" of glaciated grass fields.

The biggest snowfall I've had this winter was 6" and that was over a month ago. Toronto is hungry!!! No more of these crap-tastic skim jobs

Thanks to lake effect off Ontario, the downtown Toronto station at the U of T (near Queens Park) recorded 11.2" (28.5 cm) on Dec. 14th.

[TugHillMatt]

No doubt the fluffy snow disappears way faster. But thats why there is snowfall, liquid equivalent in the snowfall, and snow depth. You can always kind of tell what kind of snow it was by looking at those stats.

  

True enough. Most people are not avid weather people like us though. I am still getting over the harsh reality shock that, while Muskegon has much better winters than most of the U.S. in terms of snow, it fails to meet my expectations of a snow haven throughout the whole winter....mostly because lake effect just can't stand up to the thaws that sometimes plague this area in the winter. We still have a solid snowpack here...mostly from the snow that was protected by freezing rain and ice earlier in the winter. I think most of what we have gotten since Christmas is gone.

Those of us who get lake effect love it when it is falling, but hate it when it melts/compacts into nothing.  I'll take an equal amount of synoptic snow over LES any day, but LES is better than nothing.

Also true. The Lake effect snow is awesome until the temp hits 30 under sunny skies. That is why it is beneficial to be cloudy here in winter! Lol

[michsnowfreak]

  

True enough. Most people are not avid weather people like us though. I am still getting over the harsh reality shock that, while Muskegon has much better winters than most of the U.S. in terms of snow, it fails to meet my expectations of a snow haven throughout the whole winter....mostly because lake effect just can't stand up to the thaws that sometimes plague this area in the winter. We still have a solid snowpack here...mostly from the snow that was protected by freezing rain and ice earlier in the winter. I think most of what we have gotten since Christmas is gone.

Also true. The Lake effect snow is awesome until the temp hits 30 under sunny skies. That is why it is beneficial to be cloudy here in winter! Lol

Very true about the average joe and their having no concept of weather data. When we had all the heavy snow last week, saw a few comments in the Detroit Free Press/News from yoopers, one saying that downstate doesnt need all this snow it belongs up north, but a few others that had that tone of "oooh big deal XX inches of snow in Michigan in January...come up to [insert northern MI city] we have XX inches [insert season TOTAL]". No...you DONT have 70 inches of snow on the ground. Snow depths were as deep in southern MI as they were in most of northern MI last week (actually deeper here than the non-snowbelt UP), so in THAT aspect it gets tiresome hearing total snowfall, but the bottom line is snowfall is snowfall whether its 10-1 ratio or 40-1 ratio. But...I do get what you are saying.

 

We didnt lose much snow at all today despite us warming into the mid-40s. Overcast and the ice-laden nature of the compacted snow Im sure. going with about 5" depth here...of course there are bare spots and spots much deeper, but on average 5". And we were down to a T after the pre-Christmas grinch storm, so this is all snowpack since Dec 31st.

[Powerball]

I'm perfectly fine with some of the snow going away.

 

Roads are finally snow-free. 

 

It'll be back eventually. We're not in a climo where deep snow is on the ground all year.

[cyclone77]

It's obviously early, but at this point in the winter I'd grade it a solid C.  We're a bit ahead of schedule for seasonal snowfall, but it's been nickel and dimers so far.  If we don't get a meaningful single snowfall by the end of the season this winter will be graded a solid F-. 

[hawkeye_wx]

It's obviously early, but at this point in the winter I'd grade it a solid C.  We're a bit ahead of schedule for seasonal snowfall, but it's been nickel and dimers so far.  If we don't get a meaningful single snowfall by the end of the season this winter will be graded a solid F-. 

I'd still give it a B here because of the cold and the 20 inches that fell up to Jan 1st, but January looks like it's going to be a big ol' snow dud.  That B can easily turn into a C or D if February doesn't come through with something good.  I'm tiring of our multi-year big storm drought.