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Historic Lake Effect Snowstorm


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From Tom Niziol:

 

Geek out time...

Below is the overview BUFKIT showing wind direction through the cloud layer as well as lake-induced CAPE. Time goes from right to left. YOu can easily see how the CAPE wanes as the next system comes through Wednesday then fires up again as the next round of arctic air filters in. Even more interesting is the wind direction. It shows the band locked over the Southtowns, including places like Elma, Lancaster, Orchard Park and Hamburg tonight before it moves north through Buffalo tomorrow morning then right off the lake axis as winds go southerly. Toward Thursday morning the band will likely form again and slide south through Buffalo, spend several hours over the Southtowns before finally setting up across the area we call Ski Country well south of Buffalo. This is a critical situation for the Southtowns where over 4 feet of snow has fallen. Talking with relatives, they have had to crawl out of windows to shovel enough to open doors...

 

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Its now nearly moderate snow as far north as the airport...notice the LGT reported in the ob at 23Z

 

KBUF 182316Z 22016G26KT 3/4SM R23/5500VP6000FT -SN FEW004 BKN009 M07/M09 A2987 RMK AO2 PK WND 21026/2314 SNB06 P0000 T10721094
KBUF 182306Z 21014G19KT 2SM -SN BKN018 M07/M10 A2987 RMK AO2 SNB06 P0000 T10721100
KBUF 182254Z 23014G20KT 10SM SCT019 M06/M14 A2987 RMK AO2 PK WND 26026/2205 SLP127 OCNL LTGIC DSNT SE CB DSNT SE SHSN E-S-SW T10611139

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I can't recall having this much fun from an event 450 miles away. 

 

This is too correct. I traveled and saw the blizzard up in New England in Feb 2013 so I didn't armchair that one. This is by far the most fun I've ever had covering an event that never effected me. I really wanted to be there too. Almost glad I didn't since I would've basically been stranded. It's a feast for the eyes.

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Life threatening

...LAKE EFFECT SNOW BANDS OFF LAKE ERIE AND LAKE ONTARIO WILLCONTINUE TO PRODUCE VERY HEAVY SNOWFALL OVERNIGHT. EXERCISEEXTREME CAUTION IN AND NEAR THESE SNOW BANDS TO KEEP FROM GETTINGINTO A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION...* DO NOT OVEREXERT YOURSELF...SHOVELING OR EVEN WALKING IN THE  HEAVY SNOW IS EXTREMELY TAXING. TAKE PLENTY OF BREAKS TO AVOID  OVEREXERTING YOURSELF.* VERY COLD WIND CHILLS...IF VENTURING OUTSIDE MAKE SURE TO HAVE  PLENTY OF WARM CLOTHING AND TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS TO WARM UP.  WIND CHILL VALUES WILL FALL BELOW ZERO IN MOST AREAS OVERNIGHT.* CLEAR SNOW FROM HIGH EFFICIENCY FURNACE PIPES...SNOW COVERING  FURNACE PIPES CAN LEAD TO CARBON MONOXIDE BUILD UP IN YOUR HOME.  ENSURE CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS HAVE FRESH BATTERIES AND ARE  WORKING PROPERLY.* GENERATOR SAFETY...IF YOU ARE RELYING ON A GENERATOR FOR POWER  MAKE SURE THE GENERATOR IS LOCATED AWAY FROM THE HOUSE AND NOT  IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE. RUNNING A GENERATOR INDOORS CAN LEAD TO A  BUILD OF HARMFUL GASES IN YOUR HOME.* SPACE HEATER SAFETY...SPACE HEATERS SHOULD ALSO BE PROPERLY  VENTILATED AND USED ONLY IF THEY ARE OPERATING PROPERLY.* TRAVEL SAFETY...IF YOU ARE LOCATED UNDER THE HEAVY SNOW  BANDS...DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL AS YOU WILL BECOME STUCK. IF  YOU LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE HEAVY SNOW DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE INTO  THE SNOW BANDS AS ROADS ARE IMPASSIBLE AND YOU WILL BECOME  STUCK. IF YOU NEED TO TRAVEL OVERNIGHT MAKE SURE TO HAVE A  WINTER SAFETY KIT IN YOUR CAR.
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Best video yet, Enjoy all. I was a trooper today for you guys! =)

 

Yeah, way to take one for the team!  :lol:

 

In all seriousness, thanks for all the pics and videos, etc., etc.! Awesome....

I'll echo what Coastal said about enjoying an event so much even though it's miles away.

Thanks to all of you posting storm pics and obs, etc. for that.

 

This reminds me of a thread from last year along the lines of "How much snow is enough for you?"

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Yeah, way to take one for the team!  :lol:

 

In all seriousness, thanks for all the pics and videos, etc., etc.! Awesome....

I'll echo what Coastal said about enjoying an event so much even though it's miles away.

Thanks to all of you posting storm pics and obs, etc. for that.

 

This reminds me of a thread from last year along the lines of "How much snow is enough for you?"

 

Np. I try my best to document everything. I really enjoy looking at pictures/videos of events. I know you guys will do the same when you get hit.

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Not that this isn't obvious from the radar, but some ground verification from just north of the band...I just drove down Harlem and Wehrle.  Hit an absolute wall of snow at Harlem and Walden.  There's no transition whatsoever - right from nothing to SN+.  

 

Yeah, it's amazing to see how close the narrow convergence zone in radial velocity is to the northern edge of the band. It also kind of coincides with a sharp increase in ZDR, maybe indicating some rogue pristine ice crystals that have advected out of the band.

 

post-869-0-76689400-1416356928_thumb.png

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As beatiful as this is there has got to be a human toll. Elderly stranded in their house, no access for emergency vehicles and  equipment, cars trapped, plows immobilized and the economic cost to the region as a whole. The beauty of nature comes at a price. 

 

Totally agree. Family, including my elderly grandmother who lives alone, is on the northern edge of the intense band in South Buffalo. Thankfully, my cousin lives in the flat upstairs and has been keeping things as clear as possible. The last I spoke to them, they had over 5' on the ground and it was still snowing heavily. 

 

Has anyone seen updated snow totals? A lot of the 4 feet totals were from around noon and the band hasn't really moved. It's interesting to watch the radar, because it looks like there is much more of a east-west orientation as it comes off the lake now yet the northern edge still seems to be converging in the same area.

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