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March 11-12th Winter Storm Part 2


Chicago Storm

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whoa, i didn't know it has been that bad there...ouch

Anyways, GFS looks like it has a good handle...NAM way out to lunch. Euro playing catch up.

Yep. Detroit according to some may very well run laps around most other major climo sites when it comes to winter weather overall, but it has to be the worst place for big dogs (even worse than Toronto).

And no, my post should not be taken as a green light to pull out Detroit's other weather stats nor for a climo debate. :lol:

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I'm very worried to trust the GFS. It seems to be doing pretty well, given the current state of the atmosphere, but after its numerous fails this winter and last minute changes... my gut tells me to buy a solution closer to what the GEM is selling  (even though it isn't the solution I would "prefer") as the GEM has had an excellent track record this winter albeit lately not as good as it had been.

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This forecast discussion is the best for any synoptic system that I've ever read I think.(In my area) ^_^

 

A SURFACE LOW WILL REACH THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY BY WEDNESDAY
MORNING...BEFORE CROSSING CENTRAL PA DURING THE DAY AND REACHING NYC
BY EVENING. THIS LOW WILL CONTINUE INTO THE GULF OF MAINE BY
THURSDAY MORNING. ALOFT...THE PACIFIC VORTICITY MAXIMA AND THE
NORTHERN STREAM TROUGH WILL FULLY PHASE BY THE TIME THE SYSTEM
REACHES OUR LONGITUDE...WHICH IS NOTABLY FASTER IN PHASING THAN
MODEL GUIDANCE FROM SEVERAL DAYS AGO AND EXPLAINS THE DEEPER/FARTHER
NORTH TREND SEEN IN RECENT MODEL RUNS. THE PHASING STREAMS AND AMPLE
MOISTURE WILL PRODUCE AN INCREDIBLY DYNAMIC SYSTEM.

FRONTOGENESIS AND DEFORMATION IN THE 850-600MB LAYER WILL RAPIDLY
INCREASE ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION WEDNESDAY MORNING AS THE MID LEVEL
TROUGH PHASES AND DEEPENS...FORCING STRONG DOWNSTREAM AGEOSTROPHIC
FLOW ADJUSTMENTS. AT THE SAME TIME...STRONG UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE
WILL DEVELOP WITHIN A COUPLED JET STRUCTURE FORMED BY THE RIGHT
ENTRANCE REGION OF A 150+ KNOT UPPER LEVEL JET OVER QUEBEC...AND A
120+ KNOT UPPER LEVEL JET OVER THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY. THIS WILL
COMBINE TO PRODUCE A PERIOD OF DEEP LAYER ASCENT. A 12 HOUR PERIOD
OF STRONG ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE WILL ALSO BE FEATURED DURING THE FIRST
HALF OF THE EVENT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON. MOISTURE WILL BE MORE THAN AMPLE DURING THIS TIME
FRAME...WITH AROUND 4 G/KG SPECIFIC HUMIDITY NEAR THE 700MB LAYER.
USING THESE DATA...THE GARCIA METHOD SUGGESTS AROUND 8 INCHES OF
ACCUMULATION IN SOME AREAS JUST FROM THE WARM ADVECTION PHASE OF THE
STORM.

DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING THE SURFACE LOW WILL BE RAPIDLY
DEEPENING AS IT PASSES BY TO OUR SOUTH. AS THE SYSTEM MATURES...
MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WELL DEFINED TROWAL
AIRSTREAM AND ASSOCIATED COMMA HEAD TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE SURFACE
LOW TRACK. WITHIN THE TROWAL...STRONG DEFORMATION AND FRONTOGENESIS
WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT STRONG CONVERGENCE. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO
PRODUCE MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW INTO THE EVENING BEFORE SLOWLY
TAPERING OFF FROM WEST TO EAST OVERNIGHT. THE AIRMASS WILL GROW COLD
ENOUGH FOR LAKE ENHANCEMENT ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE OF LAKE ONTARIO
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS LAKE INDUCED EQUILIBRIUM LEVELS
RISE TO AROUND 7K FEET. THIS WILL LIKELY ADD AT LEAST A FEW INCHES
TO TOTALS ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE OF LAKE ONTARIO. STRONG WINDS WILL
CARRY THIS ENHANCEMENT WELL INLAND...PROBABLY AS FAR SOUTH AS ABOUT
THE NYS THRUWAY. NORTHERLY FLOW WILL ALSO RESULT IN UPSLOPE
ENHANCEMENT DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS THE CHAUTAUQUA
RIDGE AND OTHER NORTHWARD FACING SLOPES IN THE SOUTHERN TIER AND
FINGER LAKES.

PRECIP TYPE WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE
EVENT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TIER. EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING IT WILL
LIKELY STILL BE WARM ENOUGH FOR JUST PLAIN RAIN ACROSS MUCH OF THE
WESTERN SOUTHERN TIER COUNTIES...WITH A NARROW ZONE OF WINTRY MIX
TRANSITION ACROSS SOUTHERN ERIE/WYOMING/LIVINGSTON/ONTARIO COUNTIES.
THIS TRANSITION WILL SINK SLOWLY SOUTH DURING THE MORNING...THEN
ACCELERATE INTO PA DURING THE AFTERNOON WITH RAIN CHANGING OVER TO
SNOW. THE CHANGEOVER MAY GO THROUGH A PERIOD OF SLEET AND FREEZING
RAIN WITH MINOR ICE AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.

STORM TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS OF 12-16 INCHES ARE NOW EXPECTED IN MOST
AREAS WITH SOME 18 INCH AMOUNTS POSSIBLE TO THE SOUTH OF LAKE
ONTARIO INCLUDING THE GREATER ROCHESTER AREA WHERE LAKE ENHANCEMENT
WILL DEVELOP. IF THE CURRENT PTYPE FORECAST HOLDS...AMOUNTS WILL BE
CONSIDERABLY LOWER NEAR THE PA STATE LINE. HOURLY SNOWFALL RATES MAY
REACH OR EXCEED 2 INCHES PER HOUR LOCALLY IN ANY MESOSCALE BANDING
THAT DEVELOPS. SOME THUNDER AND LIGHTNING IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION
WITH MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTING THE POTENTIAL FOR SLANTWISE OR EVEN
UPRIGHT CONVECTION. SOME MODEL POINT SOUNDINGS SHOW AS MUCH AS
80J/KG OF CAPE FOR PARCELS ROOTED IN THE 700MB LAYER.


NORTH WINDS WILL BECOME QUITE STRONG ESPECIALLY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING PRODUCING SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND NEAR
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY WITHIN 20 MILES OF THE
SOUTH SHORE OF LAKE ONTARIO.

TEMPERATURES WILL PLUMMET THROUGH THE 20S AND INTO THE TEENS DURING
THE DAY WEDNESDAY...THEN INTO THE SINGLE NUMBERS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A
FEW SPOTS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TIER AND EAST OF LAKE ONTARIO MAY DROP
TO A FEW DEGREES BELOW ZERO BY THURSDAY MORNING.

ON THURSDAY ANY LEFTOVER WRAP AROUND/DEFORMATION SNOW EAST OF LAKE
ONTARIO IN THE MORNING WILL TAPER OFF. LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL
STILL BE LIKELY SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST OF LAKE ONTARIO ESPECIALLY
DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAY. THIS MAY ADD A FEW MORE INCHES IN
SOME SPOTS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE FRIGID BY MID MARCH STANDARDS...
WITH HIGHS STRUGGLING TO REACH THE MID TEENS ACROSS LOWER ELEVATIONS
AND POSSIBLY NOT GETTING OUT OF THE SINGLE NUMBERS ON THE HILLS. IT
WILL REMAIN QUITE WINDY WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ONGOING
ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS.

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This is why I hate all the :weenie: runs. Talking those 12-24" runs.

Several people who just days ago would have been happy to just get 2-4" are going to be pissed to ONLY get 4-8".

:weenie: model runs turn decent storms into 'if only' storms (in peoples heads that is).

very well said and I agree 100%! Reminds me of most storms in 2007-08. Remember about 4-5 days ago when most punted a storm all together as most runs were literally snowless for most? I am getting excited but want to keep things in check. One things for sure...bye bye for now dirty snowbanks!!!
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GFS never had a handle on this as the NAM didn't. They are both migrating to a happy medium - the GFD stronger and the NAM weaker

 

 

IMO the GFS will take a step back south at 12z, probably between 0z and 6z. It's pretty clear looking at obs/short range guidance that support for a far NW solution is fading.

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IMO the GFS will take a step back south at 12z, probably between 0z and 6z. It's pretty clear looking at obs/short range guidance that support for a far NW solution is fading.

 

What's your final call? I think 6.1 sounds like a good number.

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