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February 20-22 Winter Weather Threat


snowstormcanuck

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And LOT AFD this aft mentioned possibility of frozen precip

 

THERE CONTINUES TO BE CONCERNS OF A WINTER MIX OF SNOW...FREEZING
RAIN AND SLEET AT THE ONSET OF THE PRECIPITATION
OVERNIGHT...PARTICULARLY AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 88. IT
APPEARS THAT STRONG DYNAMIC FORCING WILL SET UP ALONG THE NOSE OF
THE LOW LEVEL JET...AND THIS STRONG FORCING COMBINED WITH
EVAPORATION COOLING COULD RESULT IN A COLUMN COLD ENOUGH FOR ALL
SNOW...ESPECIALLY CLOSER TO THE WISCONSIN BOARDER. THIS COULD RESULT
IN A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW AND SLEET ACROSS FAR NORTHERN
ILLINOIS TONIGHT INTO VERY EARLY THURSDAY MORNING BEFORE THE WARM
SURGE KICKS NORTHWARD...CHANGING EVERYTHING OVER TO LIQUID. MODEL
BUFFER SOUNDINGS ACROSS THIS REGION ARE VERY CONCERNING...WITH THE
PROFILES INDICATING A NEARLY ISOTHERMAL LAYER FROM THE SURFACE UP TO
AROUND 700 MB HUGGING THE FREEZING POINT...AND VERY STEEP MID LEVEL
LAPSE RATES ABOVE THIS ISOTHERMAL LAYER. SO ALTHOUGH THERE MAY ONLY
BE A COUPLE HOUR PERIOD SUPPORTIVE OF SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING
RAIN...THERE COULD BE A FEW INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION AND A FEW
HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION FAR NORTH PRIOR TO THE
CHANGE OVER TO RAIN...ESPECIALLY WITH ANY CONVECTIVE ELEMENTS.
CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW...BUT I HAVE ADDED SOME SNOW AND ICE
ACCUMULATIONS INTO THE FORECAST...WITH THE POTENTIAL OF SOME RAPID
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. I WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS THREAT IN AN SPS...AND
PASS ALONG THE CONCERNS TO THE EVENING SHIFT TO SEE IF ANY WINTER WX
HEADLINE WILL BE NEEDED.

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AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL  

918 PM CST WED FEB 19 2014  

   

DISCUSSION  

 

918 PM CST  

 

EVENING UPDATE...  

 

KEY UPDATE THIS EVENING IS THAT WE WILL BE HOISTING A HIGH WIND  

WATCH FOR THE ENTIRE AREA STARTING AT 00Z TOMORROW EVENING.  

 

INTENSE WARM ADVECTION DRIVEN PRECIP CURRENTLY ACROSS SOUTHERN IA  

AND NORTHERN MO AHEAD OF DEVELOPING SURFACE LOW OVER CENTRAL  

PLAINS WILL OVERSPREAD AREA LATE TONIGHT. BIGGEST CONCERN IS WITH  

SURFACE TEMPERATURES ESPECIALLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AND ALSO  

TEMPERATURES ALOFT DUE TO EVAPORATIONAL/DYNAMIC COOLING MAINLY  

ALONG/NORTH OF I-88 AS PRECIP BEGINS. SURFACE WET BULB 0 VALUES  

WITH DEWPOINTS CURRENTLY IN THE 20S NORTH OF I-80 WILL BE AT OR  

BELOW FREEZING UNTIL 12Z OR SO WE ADDED IN FREEZING MENTION ALONG  

I-80 CORRIDOR. STRONG WARM SURGE WITH H8 TEMPS WARMING TO +6 OR  

+7C FROM SOUTH SHOULD AID IN WARMING ENTIRE COLUMN ABOVE FREEZING  

BY DAYBREAK. FARTHER NORTH/ALONG NORTH OF I-88...DRY EAST FLOW  

ALOFT WILL CAUSE COLUMN TO COOL TO OR BELOW FREEZING AS IT TRIES  

TO SATURATE. THUS THERE COULD BE A BURST OF ACCUMULATING  

SNOW/SLEET...FOLLOWED BY TRANSITION TO ZR AND THEN PLAIN RAIN BY  

14 TO 15Z TOMORROW. WOULD EXPECT IMMEDIATE DOWNTOWN CHICAGO TO BE  

AT LESS OF A THREAT OF SNOW AND BRIEF ICE ACCUMS DUE TO VERY MILD  

TEMPS THE PAST FEW DAYS. SURFACE TEMPS WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED  

CLOSELY REGARDING POTENTIAL FOR ZR TO HOLD ON A BIT LONGER IN  

PARTS OF FAR NORTHERN IL TOMORROW AM. WILL CONTINUE WITH SPS FOR  

SNOW/ICE THREAT.  

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Good point, Geos. Just looked at the RAP. It actually doesn't look very impressive for wintry precip. over here. Definitely more on your side of the lake.

 

It will be more of an inland issue. Winds will be SE most of the morning with lake temps 33-34°. Freezing rain maybe across some areas, but since the sun has been beating on the pavement, I don't think it will be a major issue like it was 5 weeks ago.

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Winds off the lake shouldn't matter given it is frozen!?  You're trying way too hard as others have said.

 

I'm being realistic. The sun has been beating on the roads for 2 days now. We didn't come off -15° lows this week. But in case the roads are icy, take it easy out there.

 

...I'm basing this assumption off of conditions early this evening. I noticed the roads were wet from the melting during the day but I didn't notice any ice on them. Didn't notice anyone spinning their tires or anything trying to get traction like that one evening 5 weeks ago.

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I'm being realistic. The sun has been beating on the roads for 2 days now. We didn't come off -15° lows this week. But in case the roads are icy, take it easy out there.

 

...I'm basing this assumption off of conditions early this evening. I noticed the roads were wet from the melting during the day but I didn't notice any ice on them. Didn't notice anyone spinning their tires or anything trying to get traction like that one evening 5 weeks ago.

 

Realistic would be the word if it was clear you still wanted wintry weather, but given you've reached the boiling point, it is trying to rationalize what you prefer to happen.  I agree that we won't get much wintry weather, but using poor reasoning for it (winds off the lake) may be called out.

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