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NNE Winter Thread


powderfreak

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There's a 15-acre field that slopes up from across the road at my place, and cold air draining from there settles at the house because the other 3 sides of the dooryard are surrounded by dense forest.  The folks living near the high end of that field are probably 5-10F milder on prime radiational cooling nights, though only 1/4 mile away.

Very interesting about the field. That same effect happens in my area too. My temp sensor near the field can be up to 10 degrees colder than just a mile away.

 

Microclimates are fascinating...

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17/-9

Feels like deep winter

 

Yesterday and today are cold.  Yesterday afternoon's 13-15F in town felt real deep winter, sucks cause the midnight high was 30F yesterday.  Today its mid-teens still.  Actually warmer up at 1,500ft.  From the mountain I can see the very subtle low level inversion with the hazy look right on the valley floor.

 

Today's actually warmer than yesterday at the summits.... it was near zero with a 30-40mph breeze yesterday afternoon, but today its calm and 10F.  Feels like a big difference.

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BTV goes winter storm warning for 8-12" of heavy wet snow followed by some ice.

 

Here's their accums map:

 

08DEC14E.jpg

 

 

That's another bump up in potential accumulations on the map for this area; it's getting a bit deeper into the 10-14" range now.  Winter Storm Watches have also been converted to Winter Storm Warnings in much of the BTV NWS forecast area as you mentioned:

 

08DEC14D.jpg

 

WWUS41 KBTV 082000

WSWBTV

 

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT

300 PM EST MON DEC 8 2014

 

NYZ029>031-034-035-VTZ006-008>012-016>019-091000-

/O.UPG.KBTV.WS.A.0007.141209T1200Z-141210T2200Z/

/O.NEW.KBTV.WS.W.0007.141209T1600Z-141210T2200Z/

SOUTHEASTERN ST. LAWRENCE-SOUTHERN FRANKLIN-WESTERN CLINTON-

WESTERN ESSEX-EASTERN ESSEX-LAMOILLE-WASHINGTON-WESTERN ADDISON-

ORANGE-WESTERN RUTLAND-WINDSOR-EASTERN FRANKLIN-

EASTERN CHITTENDEN-EASTERN ADDISON-EASTERN RUTLAND-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...STAR LAKE...SARANAC LAKE...

TUPPER LAKE...DANNEMORA...LAKE PLACID...PORT HENRY...

TICONDEROGA...JOHNSON...STOWE...MONTPELIER...MIDDLEBURY...

VERGENNES...BRADFORD...RANDOLPH...RUTLAND...SPRINGFIELD...

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION...ENOSBURG FALLS...RICHFORD...UNDERHILL...

BRISTOL...RIPTON...EAST WALLINGFORD...KILLINGTON

300 PM EST MON DEC 8 2014

 

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TUESDAY TO 5 PM EST

WEDNESDAY...

 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BURLINGTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER

STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM

TUESDAY TO 5 PM EST WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER

IN EFFECT.

 

* LOCATIONS...THE NORTHERN ADIRONDACKS OF NEW YORK...AS WELL AS

  CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF VERMONT.

 

* HAZARD TYPES...HEAVY WET SNOW AND MIXED PRECIPITATION.

 

* ACCUMULATIONS...8 TO 12 INCHES OF HEAVY WET SNOW...ALONG WITH

  AROUND A TRACE OF ICE.

 

* MAXIMUM SNOWFALL RATE...1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR...MAINLY TUESDAY

  AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

 

* TIMING...LIGHT SNOW WILL SPREAD FROM SOUTH TO NORTH ACROSS THE

  AREA TUESDAY AND BECOME HEAVY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING

  HOURS. HEAVY SNOW WILL LIGHTEN EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING BUT

  CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY...MIXING WITH RAIN AND SLEET AT TIMES

  ESPECIALLY ACROSS VERMONT.

 

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL BECOME DIFFICULT DUE TO SNOW

  COVERED ROADS AND VISIBILITIES WILL DROP SHARPLY IN THE HEAVY

  SNOW. IN ADDITION...THE WEIGHT OF THE SNOW AND SLEET MAY ALSO

  LEAD TO POSSIBLE POWER OUTAGES.

 

* WINDS...NORTH 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

 

* TEMPERATURES...HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 30S...AND LOWS IN THE

  UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S.

 

* VISIBILITIES...REDUCED TO A QUARTER OF A MILE AT TIMES TUESDAY

  NIGHT.

 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

 

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER

CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING.  SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW

ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN

EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...

AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

 

PLEASE STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...YOUR LOCAL MEDIA...OR

GO TO WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BURLINGTON FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON THIS

WEATHER SITUATION.

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I think 5-10" is prudent for this area, or even 4-8".  I'm not sure I see widespread 8-10"+ being a reality.  Even if it stays all snow, the moisture just isn't there on a lot of these latest model runs.  QPF seems to be 0.5-0.75" prior to change over and given the marginal soundings, if you go with an 8:1 ratio wet snow... 

 

Recent trends in the past couple model runs have been to shove the better lift/moisture eastward before it gets this far north, and in general just weakens the lift as the best low level jet slides eastward up the coast.  Previously it looked like we could get into that nose of the better low level jet out of the SE and bring widespread 1"+ QPF prior to any mixing... I'm just hesitant to go big with all the snow having to fall in a relatively short burst of a weakening band as it lifts northwest.

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I think 5-10" is prudent for this area, or even 4-8".  I'm not sure I see widespread 8-10"+ being a reality.  Even if it stays all snow, the moisture just isn't there on a lot of these latest model runs.  QPF seems to be 0.5-0.75" prior to change over and given the marginal soundings, if you go with an 8:1 ratio wet snow... 

 

Recent trends in the past couple model runs have been to shove the better lift/moisture eastward before it gets this far north, and in general just weakens the lift as the best low level jet slides eastward up the coast.  Previously it looked like we could get into that nose of the better low level jet out of the SE and bring widespread 1"+ QPF prior to any mixing... I'm just hesitant to go big with all the snow having to fall in a relatively short burst of a weakening band as it lifts northwest.

200.gif

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I think 5-10" is prudent for this area, or even 4-8". I'm not sure I see widespread 8-10"+ being a reality. Even if it stays all snow, the moisture just isn't there on a lot of these latest model runs. QPF seems to be 0.5-0.75" prior to change over and given the marginal soundings, if you go with an 8:1 ratio wet snow...

Recent trends in the past couple model runs have been to shove the better lift/moisture eastward before it gets this far north, and in general just weakens the lift as the best low level jet slides eastward up the coast. Previously it looked like we could get into that nose of the better low level jet out of the SE and bring widespread 1"+ QPF prior to any mixing... I'm just hesitant to go big with all the snow having to fall in a relatively short burst of a weakening band as it lifts northwest.

Yeah, WCAX had widespread 8-14" on a 6:00 pm newscast map. Don't get me wrong, I'd take it but it seems a little high.
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Yeah, WCAX had widespread 8-14" on a 6:00 pm newscast map. Don't get me wrong, I'd take it but it seems a little high.

 

Its still going to be a nice snowfall...I just think we are going to have a limited time to snow, and like any event that is essentially a 6-9 hour burst of briefly heavy snow, its hard really rack up the big totals.  The best low level jet dynamics seem to go from southern VT up through NH/ME.  Even a county or two south looks like it may make a difference, so you guys near MPV tend to do well in these SE flow events (and down through Allenson's area and that eastern slope).

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What do you think the max snowfall total will be in the next 96 hours, at locations under 3000 ft ? (i.e. not Mount Washington). I am seeing the 12z GFS show up to 3" of total QPF for the middle of Maine. This area looks warm(ish) at 850mb for a long time though, so there won't be 30" of snow there. Based on this web site:

 

http://coolwx.com/ptype 

 

it looks like some sections of all mountains/hills (ME/NH/VT/NY) could get 1.25" of QPF in the form of snow, possibly up to 15" of snow if things stay a little cold. A 12:1 snow ratio might be the max snow ratio you might get in the low mountains/hills. Also of note: the 18z GFS has a lot of freezing rain for Burlington or Montpelier.

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Its still going to be a nice snowfall...I just think we are going to have a limited time to snow, and like any event that is essentially a 6-9 hour burst of briefly heavy snow, its hard really rack up the big totals.  The best low level jet dynamics seem to go from southern VT up through NH/ME.  Even a county or two south looks like it may make a difference, so you guys near MPV tend to do well in these SE flow events (and down through Allenson's area and that eastern slope).

I think you are a great poster, I bet as a forecaster you are too low 85 % of the time within 36 hours of an event.

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I think you are a great poster, I bet as a forecaster you are too low 85 % of the time within 36 hours of an event.

 

I agree PF generally leans on the conservative side in his forecasting, but I think in his position he can afford to do that somewhat since he's not forecasting for the transportation system etc.  If the resort gets a bit more than forecast it's probably not a big issue (and the skiers are pleasantly surprised), but the alternative may lead to grumbling customers wondering what the heck happened.  I like the reverse "weenieism" of the approach to counteract the sometimes inflated numbers from the general public, who might latch onto the highest numbers they hear thrown out.   I'm not sure how the projected snowfall numbers affect the mountain operations personnel, but I'd be interested in hearing what the most important aspects of snowfall forecasts are for them.

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I think you are a great poster, I bet as a forecaster you are too low 85 % of the time within 36 hours of an event.

 

A lot of the time up here on the synoptic coastal storms, conservative forecasts work out pretty well, especially when on the northwest fringe when the best QPF/snow growth just doesn't reach us. Obviously not always, that's dependent on storm track, and with the real moisture laden storms its probably better to go higher. But a lot of the times its a specific banded region that gets nailed, and it may or may not be over the point you're forecasting for. Then with the mesoscale events (upslope), then its time to go more bullish lol.

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Recent trends in the past couple model runs have been to shove the better lift/moisture eastward before it gets this far north, and in general just weakens the lift as the best low level jet slides eastward up the coast.  Previously it looked like we could get into that nose of the better low level jet out of the SE and bring widespread 1"+ QPF prior to any mixing... I'm just hesitant to go big with all the snow having to fall in a relatively short burst of a weakening band as it lifts northwest.

 

I've seen that trend as well PF, but concomitant with that, it shoves that Adirondack back side snow (not sure if that's technically a deformation band or what), as well as the 540 thickness line, the 0 C 850 mbar temperature line, and the edge of the dry slot farther and farther eastward into Vermont.  I guess there could be a region that just happens to miss out on both of those aspects of the storm, but it seems like one either gets hit by that front end bolus of moisture or gets into the back end and has a chance at more precipitation falling as snow.  You can see that on some of the more recent model runs as well.

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And the rollback has begun here on forecast snow amounts just a bit.

Overnight the models definitely cut back on the amount of moisture that comes before any mixing and slides the best forcing ENE up the coast. Even the Canadian border of NH/ME look to have taken a little cut back too.

I'm a little surprised BTV stuck with 8-13" up here.

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BTV going snowy above 3,000ft...they seem a bit more optimistic than I am with 9-21" forecast through Thursday.

 

attachicon.gifforecast.JPG

 

 

Here's the Sugarloaf point and click, just because...what the heck is "Sugarload Mountain" on the NWS topo map?  We've hit the sugarload!

 

attachicon.gifsugarload.JPG

 

Yeah the text is not matching the maps or warning text in many cases.

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BTV going snowy above 3,000ft...they seem a bit more optimistic than I am with 9-21" forecast through Thursday.

 

attachicon.gifforecast.JPG

 

 

Here's the Sugarloaf point and click, just because...what the heck is "Sugarload Mountain" on the NWS topo map?  We've hit the sugarload!

 

attachicon.gifsugarload.JPG

 

If you count all the 1-3" chances between tomorrow when the low cuts off and when it pulls out early friday am, I think something in the 16-18" range is very possible for the greens above 3000ft. That NWS forecast seems pretty reasonable. 

 

As for the most snow? I'd guess whiteface and the ADK ...these cut off lows are very good for the high elevation ADK. 

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