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Early January 2014 cold snaps - featuring the polar vortex of doom


Ian

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The mainstream wx reporting world is in the midst if losing its mind without care. And NWS seems like they feel they are supposed to follow to stay relevant.

It's going to be cold here but only really special due to lack of it lately. And yes to other pts.

My heat is fixed leesturd.

Whew...I was worried

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I wonder how the much more plugged-in world of 2014 would react to the rolling brownouts we had in 1994 during the worst of the cold and ice?

 

statisically 1994 was absolutely amazing, but it would have been a somewhat pedestrian cold shot for someplace like MSP.  DC is absolutely unique in its "patheticness" in the face of adverse weather and every media entity  in DC including CWG (unfortunately) capitalizes and encourages as much complaining and hysteria as possible.

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statisically 1994 was absolutely amazing, but it would have been a somewhat pedestrian cold shot for someplace like MSP.  DC is absolutely unique in its "patheticness" in the face of adverse weather and every media entity  in DC including CWG (unfortunately) capitalizes and encourages as much complaining and hysteria as possible.

This is so true! There are sensible things to do when it gets cold, and usually, as soon as anyone who lives in comfort realizes how cold it is, they have the means and the capability to act on it. Like go inside! This should be an alert to get animals and homeless taken care of! We have to watch out for those that are not fortunate. Anyone on this board is fortunate!

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Congrats leesburg

 

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
1004 AM EST MON JAN 6 2014

MDZ004-VAZ036>040-042-501-062315-
/O.UPG.KLWX.WC.Y.0002.140106T2300Z-140107T2300Z/
/O.EXA.KLWX.WC.W.0001.140106T2300Z-140107T2300Z/
FREDERICK MD-NELSON-ALBEMARLE-GREENE-MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-LOUDOUN-
NORTHERN FAUQUIER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FREDERICK...CHARLOTTESVILLE...
WASHINGTON...LEESBURG...WARRENTON
1004 AM EST MON JAN 6 2014

...WIND CHILL WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM
EST TUESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS
ISSUED A WIND CHILL WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS
EVENING TO 6 PM EST TUESDAY. THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS NO LONGER
IN EFFECT.

* WIND CHILL...15 BELOW TO 25 BELOW ZERO ABOVE 1000 FEET
ELEVATION. 10 TO 15 BELOW AT LOWER ELEVATIONS.

* TIMING...THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY. THE LOWEST WIND CHILLS
ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY
MORNING.

* TEMPERATURES...FALLING INTO THE TEENS THIS EVENING...THEN LOWS
ZERO TO 5 ABOVE TONIGHT AND HIGHS 10 TO 15 ABOVE TUESDAY.

* WINDS...WEST 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

* IMPACTS...DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILLS COULD THEN LEAD TO
FROSTBITE AND HYPOTHERMIA MONDAY EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WIND CHILL WARNING MEANS THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD AIR AND
STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES. THIS
WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA OR DEATH IF
PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

&&

$

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statisically 1994 was absolutely amazing, but it would have been a somewhat pedestrian cold shot for someplace like MSP.  DC is absolutely unique in its "patheticness" in the face of adverse weather and every media entity  in DC including CWG (unfortunately) capitalizes and encourages as much complaining and hysteria as possible.

There's just no negative to going all out on language that's not even necessarily fitting etc.  The one post that made the cold sound world ending got like 1000 replies and was the top story on all of the washingtonpost for most of the weekend.  Plus you have news this morning talking about the subzero temps at the Green Bay game.. people forget the hype that doesn't verify it seems. 

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There's just no negative to going all out on language that's not even necessarily fitting etc.  The one post that made the cold sound world ending got like 1000 replies and was the top story on all of the washingtonpost for most of the weekend.  

 

ORD is currently -15 with a WC of -42...we are wimps

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ORD is currently -15 with a WC of -42...we are wimps

I don't think we'll do it at this rate but if we can get a high of 15 or so that's legit. NAM MOS is pretty "pedestrian" with 19/10 tomorrow. That doesn't even best 2009. :( 

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There's just no negative to going all out on language that's not even necessarily fitting etc........

 

 

statisically 1994 was absolutely amazing, but it would have been a somewhat pedestrian cold shot for someplace like MSP.  DC is absolutely unique in its "patheticness" in the face of adverse weather and every media entity  in DC including CWG (unfortunately) capitalizes and encourages as much complaining and hysteria as possible.

 

For a facility manager who has lived in DC their whole life and is 35, they've never dealt with cold like this.  Burst pipes, failed insulation, inadequate heating systems are all "real world" issues that are relevant here.  I have 0 faith that the govt building I work in is prepared for this cold.

 

While it's easy for "humans" to add more clothes, stay outside less, etc, this is dangerous to other "systems" that don't have easy ways to adapt to the weather. 

My same justification for FUD about 3" of snow during rush hour.  It only takes one Jan 2011 to show how even a minor event any other time can have major impacts to those not prepared.

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Was looking at Burlington, VT weather at one point last week (going there for a long weekend in February) and the high was to be -5 with a low of -19. I assume that most of that town didn't pass away that night...

Normal for them for that to happen couple times a year. Was up there (well actually at Jay Peak) couple years ago and it was -8 with a WC of -33 and people just acted like it was normal except having heavier clothes on.

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2009 was 18/11?

Yeah.. I was thinking more in terms of besting it on the low and high end regardless of same day which the NAM doesn't do anywhere.  

 

GFS is colder though and I think has been doing better than NAM MOS.  

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For a facility manager who has lived in DC their whole life and is 35, they've never dealt with cold like this.  Burst pipes, failed insulation, inadequate heating systems are all "real world" issues that are relevant here.  I have 0 faith that the govt building I work in is prepared for this cold.

 

While it's easy for "humans" to add more clothes, stay outside less, etc, this is dangerous to other "systems" that don't have easy ways to adapt to the weather. 

My same justification for FUD about 3" of snow during rush hour.  It only takes one Jan 2011 to show how even a minor event any other time can have major impacts to those not prepared.

 

Eh, this is a pretty quick shot. We saw cold about this level 5 years ago that persisted longer and have had a number of lengthier streaks of subfreezing cold. I'm not going to pretend I know much about frozen pipes or something but I'm not sure I agree that potentially 'problematic' cold has been missing for so long. 

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Eh, this is a pretty quick shot.

 

And there's also a difference between 19* high and 13*, -2* low vs 10*, etc.  Whether the "cold shot" should continue to justify this level of warning is a good question, but I think big picture this is still a pretty big and dangerous deal.

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the last time there has been a serious stretch of cold like 94 had to be in 00/01.  Thats when i walked out 50 feet on the potomac up by Lowes island.

 

94 will still be tops in my memory for cold.  Talk about being rough on infrastructure.

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