Jump to content
  • Member Statistics

    17,587
    Total Members
    7,904
    Most Online
    LopezElliana
    Newest Member
    LopezElliana
    Joined

Historic Lake Effect Snowstorm


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 1.4k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

You had 6-6.5 SWE in that event?

no about 3 or so. dont get me wrong its a tremendous amount of snow but synoptic snow does not compact like that in these parts. after the 96 storm i had about 36 inch depth, a few days later depth was still close to that amount. i guess having so much snow makes it compact that much. your snow  has basically compacted about half in less than 36 hrs with sub freezing temps?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

no about 3 or so. dont get me wrong its a tremendous amount of snow but synoptic snow does not compact like that in these parts. after the 96 storm i had about 36 inch depth, a few days later depth was still close to that amount. i guess having so much snow makes it compact that much. your snow  has basically compacted about half in less than 36 hrs with sub freezing temps?

 

We have a winner.

 

The amount of QPF within this snow is insane, it compacts it much more than I thought it would due to the weight per square inch of this stuff. Like I said it's concrete.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just found out some really sad news. My dad works with the wife of Donald Abate. Donald Abate died during the storm in Alden. My dad was really close to Jackie Abate at work, and he was really taken back by this when he heard it on the news.

 

http://wivb.com/2014/11/20/widow-speaks-out-about-storm-related-deaths/

 

Another case of someone dying in their cars during the storm.

 

http://wivb.com/2014/11/21/cheektowaga-police-investigating-death-of-man-found-in-his-car/

 

I really wish there was a way for meteorologist to truly warn those about this storm. All the ingredients were there. They should have been more adamant about what was going to happen. I believe this brings the death toll to 14 during this storm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just found out some really sad news. My dad works with the wife of Donald Abate. Donald Abate died during the storm in Alden. My dad was really close to Jackie Abate at work, and he was really taken back by this when he heard it on the news.

 

http://wivb.com/2014/11/20/widow-speaks-out-about-storm-related-deaths/

 

Another case of someone dying in their cars during the storm.

 

http://wivb.com/2014/11/21/cheektowaga-police-investigating-death-of-man-found-in-his-car/

 

I really wish there was a way for meteorologist to truly warn those about this storm. All the ingredients were there. They should have been more adamant about what was going to happen. I believe this brings the death toll to 14 during this storm.

all the warning in the world can't prevent it all, sorry to hear that. think of all the lives their warnings did save, the untold and unknown number.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

all the warning in the world can't prevent it all, sorry to hear that. think of all the lives their warnings did save, the untold and unknown number.

 

You're right, it's just a tough pill to swallow. I wish everyone was as informed about the weather as we are here. I made sure I was home when the snow started Monday night because I knew what was coming. =/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just found out some really sad news. My dad works with the wife of Donald Abate. Donald Abate died during the storm in Alden. My dad was really close to Jackie Abate at work, and he was really taken back by this when he heard it on the news.

http://wivb.com/2014/11/20/widow-speaks-out-about-storm-related-deaths/

Another case of someone dying in their cars during the storm.

http://wivb.com/2014/11/21/cheektowaga-police-investigating-death-of-man-found-in-his-car/

I really wish there was a way for meteorologist to truly warn those about this storm. All the ingredients were there. They should have been more adamant about what was going to happen. I believe this brings the death toll to 14 during this storm.

Awful story.

I typically keep my cars with a survival kit in winter. Blankets, small shovel, minor food, flares, sand etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

all the warning in the world can't prevent it all, sorry to hear that. think of all the lives their warnings did save, the untold and unknown number.

 

The warnings were pretty clear by Sunday that the Southtowns were facing a major event. What probably ought to happen is a driving ban in advance of a storm. Gov. Cuomo made a remark about drivers ignoring closures on the Thruway, but the fact of the matter is that you can't shut down the road in the middle of someone's trip -- where are they supposed to go?

 

Closure of the Thruway and other key roads in advance of a major LES event, along with driving bans, would allow clean-up to being during the event itself. The problem is that some not insignificant number of these things are busts, and the snowbands are somewhat unpredictable. People will quickly forget this event, as they did the December 2001 event which was of a similar magnitude, and will b**ch long and hard if they're told they have to wait out a snowfall to be able to drive again, and the storm puts down a couple inches.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Calculus. A fitting end to one of the most epic threads ever.

 

 

That was an awesome parody to that. I can not stop laughing at the guy in the horse head snow blowing with the snow up to his shoulders  :lmao: 

 

You guys up in that area deserve a lot of props for dealing with situations like that. People down here in the Mid Atlantic area beyond ridiculous when it comes to dealing with snow. They would never handle that situation you were in well. We were crippled during the 2010 blizzards in February and that was from 40-50" over a week. You had more than that in a day. Truly a crazy event 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Family sent me this picture today from Seneca Street in South Buffalo. Considering the brunt of their snow fell Tuesday, it seems like they are having a difficult time clearing the snow. Seneca Street is labeled as a snow "evacuation route". I can only imagine what the secondary roads must look like. They are bringing the snow to the Central Terminal in Buffalo, an old unused rail terminal on the East side. I believe that's where those earlier pictures of the mountains of snow are from.

1622024_10205487336252465_21468709376494

 

post-8457-0-15403200-1416691845_thumb.pn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting highlight from the BUF AFD regarding flooding potential:

 

SNOWMELT AND FLOODING POTENTIAL...
THE WARM UP AND PRECIPITATION EVENTS ARE STILL ON TRACK AND APPEAR
FAVORABLE TO PRODUCE FLOODING FROM THE SNOWMELT. ONCE SURFACE
DEWPOINTS RISE ABOVE FREEZING SUNDAY THE RIPENING SNOWPACK WILL
BEGIN TO LET LOOSE WITH RAPID SNOW MELT ACROSS AREAS WHICH RECEIVED
LAST WEEKS HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOWFALL. SNOW DEPTH MEASUREMENTS FROM
FRIDAY INDICATED SNOWPACK HAS COMPACTED DOWN TO BETWEEN 20 AND 40
INCHES WITH AN AVERAGE OF 4-6 INCHES OF LIQUID LOCKED UP. SNOWMELT
MODELING COVERING A TIME RANGE FROM LATER SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY
INDICATED 50 INCHES OF SNOW COULD MELT UNDER FORECASTED CONDITIONS.
THEREFORE...ALL OF THE EXISTING SNOW PACK IS EXPECTED TO MELT AWAY
RAISING THE CONCERNS FOR FLOODING WITH FINER DETAILS HIGHLIGHTED IN
THE FLOOD WATCH AND HYDROLOGY SECTION BELOW.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well that didn't take long

 

FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
454 PM EST SAT NOV 22 2014

NYC009-013-029-037-121-242115-
/O.NEW.KBUF.FA.W.0021.141122T2154Z-141124T2115Z/
/00000.0.RS.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CATTARAUGUS NY-GENESEE NY-WYOMING NY-CHAUTAUQUA NY-ERIE NY-
454 PM EST SAT NOV 22 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WARNING FOR...
NORTHWESTERN CATTARAUGUS COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...
NORTHERN CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY...INCLUDING THE LAKE SHORE...IN WESTERN
NEW YORK...THIS INCLUDES DUNKIRK...FREDONIA AND WESTFIELD...
ERIE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...
THIS INCLUDES WEST SENECA...LANCASTER...LACKAWANNA...HAMBURG...EAST
AURORA...DEPEW...CHEEKTOWAGA...ALDEN...AND SOUTH BUFFALO...
THE SOUTHERN HALF OF GENESEE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...
THIS INCLUDES BATAVIA...CORFU AND ALEXANDER...
WYOMING COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...INCLUDING WARSAW AND ARCADE.

* UNTIL 415 PM EST MONDAY

* AT 430 PM EST...TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE WARNED AREA HAVE CLIMBED
ABOVE FREEZING AND WILL REMAIN THERE THROUGH MONDAY. TEMPERATURES
WILL THEN STEADILY CLIMB INTO THE LOWER 50S ON SUNDAY...BEFORE
REACHING 60 ON MONDAY. WHILE RAINFALL GENERALLY A QUARTER INCH OR
LESS IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND...SIGNIFICANT SNOWMELT WILL NOW
BEGIN AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND. IT IS THIS
SNOWMELT THAT WILL ULTIMATELY CAUSE THE FLOODING CONCERNS.

CORE SAMPLES OF THE DEEP SNOWPACK AT THE START OF THE WEEKEND
INDICATED THAT OVER 5 INCHES OF WATER WAS LOCKED IN PLACE...BUT AS
TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO CLIMB...THIS WATER WILL BE RELEASED...AND
IN SOME CASES FAIRLY RAPIDLY. SINCE MANY STORM DRAINS ARE SNOW
CLOGGED...MANY URBAN AREAS WILL LIKELY BE THE FIRST TO EXPERIENCE
FLOODING WITH SEVERAL FEET OF WATER POSSIBLY ACCUMULATING ON SOME
STRETCHES OF ROAD. RESIDENTIAL BASEMENTS WILL START TO FLOOD DURING
THIS TIME AS WELL.

AREA TRIBUTARIES...PARTICULARLY BUFFALO CREEK...CAZENOVIA CREEK...
CAYUGA CREEK AND ELLICOTT CREEK...WILL TAKE A BIT LONGER TO
EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT RISES WITH THE POTENTIAL TO REACH AT LEAST
MINOR FLOOD STAGE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY.

A FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN REPORTED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This really irks me.  I have no dog in political issues in upstate NY, but WTF Cuomo?  IMO, the NWS and all local mets in WNY did a great job getting out in front of this storm well in advance.  Warnings were issues in ample time to prepare for the storm.  Municipalities and the NY Thruway authority in WNY know the drill.  When the NWS is calling for "2+ feet" of snow, they need to be prepared for the worst.  

 

ALDEN, N.Y.- During a press conference Saturday afternoon Governor Cuomo had some criticism for the National Weather Service and its forecast of the storm.

Cuomo said the Weather Service did not indicate that the heavy snow bands would remain stationary and blast South Buffalo and the Southtowns with the incredible rate of snowfall.

Cuomo said that's part of the reason why New York State is building its own linked weather forecasting system that will be superior to any other state system in the country.

 

"No one had an idea that it was gonna be that much snow that fast. Snow coming down at the rate of about five inches an hour. No one had an idea. The weather service was off. By the way, I said this in my state of the state last year we're putting in our own weather detection system," said Cuomo.

http://www.wgrz.com/story/news/politics/2014/11/23/buffalo-snow-andrew-cuomo-national-weather-service/19434545/ 

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Dozens of western New Yorkers are complaining about the conditions in their communities. Viewers are asking, “Why is help taking so long and why wasn’t my community more prepared?” Saturday night in Lackawanna, Governor Andrew Cuomo said it’s because the National Weather Service got it wrong.

4 Warn Weather meteorologists predicted the lake effect storm well in advance, but Cuomo said he is not satisfied with how it was forecasted, so the state is getting its own equipment to provide more data.

“Apparently they’ve been doing some of the main streets but none of the side streets, you’ve got cars in front of you stuck, cars in back stuck, nothing’s going on,” said Tony Darmstedter, of Lackawanna.

During a tour of Lackawanna on Satruday, Cuomo said there’s a reason the city is still snowed in.

Cuomo said, “I think Lackawanna by design was probably hit harder than any other community compounded by narrow streets, compounded by abandoned cars in those narrow streets.”

As far as why they weren’t prepared, the governor says the National Weather Service is to blame. He siad, “It came down earlier than forecasted and it came at a higher volume than they forecasted.”

His solution? The state is getting its own weather system and each county will soon be able to monitor its own weather. The state is using $15 million of federal funding granted after Superstorm Sandy.

“I went through this with Storm Irene, Storm Lee, Hurricane Sandy, none of them were predicted where they were predicted and how they actually happened.  Accurate weather prediction is a big deal now, it’s taken on a new context now with this extreme weather,” said Cuomo.

http://wivb.com/2014/11/23/cuomo-national-weather-service-got-it-wrong/ 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This really irks me.  I have no dog in political issues in upstate NY, but WTF Cuomo?  IMO, the NWS and all local mets in WNY did a great job getting out in front of this storm well in advance.  Warnings were issues in ample time to prepare for the storm.  Municipalities and the NY Thruway authority in WNY know the drill.  When the NWS is calling for "2+ feet" of snow, they need to be prepared for the worst.  

 

ALDEN, N.Y.- During a press conference Saturday afternoon Governor Cuomo had some criticism for the National Weather Service and its forecast of the storm.

Cuomo said the Weather Service did not indicate that the heavy snow bands would remain stationary and blast South Buffalo and the Southtowns with the incredible rate of snowfall.

Cuomo said that's part of the reason why New York State is building its own linked weather forecasting system that will be superior to any other state system in the country.

 

"No one had an idea that it was gonna be that much snow that fast. Snow coming down at the rate of about five inches an hour. No one had an idea. The weather service was off. By the way, I said this in my state of the state last year we're putting in our own weather detection system," said Cuomo.

http://www.wgrz.com/story/news/politics/2014/11/23/buffalo-snow-andrew-cuomo-national-weather-service/19434545/ 

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Dozens of western New Yorkers are complaining about the conditions in their communities. Viewers are asking, “Why is help taking so long and why wasn’t my community more prepared?” Saturday night in Lackawanna, Governor Andrew Cuomo said it’s because the National Weather Service got it wrong.

4 Warn Weather meteorologists predicted the lake effect storm well in advance, but Cuomo said he is not satisfied with how it was forecasted, so the state is getting its own equipment to provide more data.

“Apparently they’ve been doing some of the main streets but none of the side streets, you’ve got cars in front of you stuck, cars in back stuck, nothing’s going on,” said Tony Darmstedter, of Lackawanna.

During a tour of Lackawanna on Satruday, Cuomo said there’s a reason the city is still snowed in.

Cuomo said, “I think Lackawanna by design was probably hit harder than any other community compounded by narrow streets, compounded by abandoned cars in those narrow streets.”

As far as why they weren’t prepared, the governor says the National Weather Service is to blame. He siad, “It came down earlier than forecasted and it came at a higher volume than they forecasted.”

His solution? The state is getting its own weather system and each county will soon be able to monitor its own weather. The state is using $15 million of federal funding granted after Superstorm Sandy.

“I went through this with Storm Irene, Storm Lee, Hurricane Sandy, none of them were predicted where they were predicted and how they actually happened.  Accurate weather prediction is a big deal now, it’s taken on a new context now with this extreme weather,” said Cuomo.

http://wivb.com/2014/11/23/cuomo-national-weather-service-got-it-wrong/ 

This happens all the time up here in Canada too - politicians blowing off steam and taking advantage of situations in an attempt to bolster their own careers and egos.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...