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Pittsburgh, PA Thread: Winter 2015-2016


meatwad

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It's kind of bizarre how different the NAM has been all this time in terms of moisture placement.  Honestly I'm used to seeing its inflated totals, but the plume of moisture is significantly farther north than the other "bigger name" models, and it has been there consistently. If it was one run you'd instantly write it off.  While the moisture content might be overdone, you can't completely discount that it is a higher-resolution and specifically short-term model whereas the other models are more of the opposite.

 

Not saying the NAM is right, but perhaps its guidance can be blended with the other models to create a forecast?  I honestly don't know.  I'm aware the verification percentage is most certainly lower on the NAM, though I'd be curious to see how those numbers compare once you're inside 24 hours.

 

With all the deformation banding and convection going on with this amped system, I guess all bets are off.  Of course maybe I'm just blowing smoke and the NAM tomorrow will resemble the GFS for some reason, even though it had plenty of information to go on in its run tonight.

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Hey folks one more major model and then nowcasting. Please remember that the model is not a final. The actual precip could be further north when it gets here. It is not an exact science. Just because the model doesn't shift 20 miles the storm could move 20 miles. Let's wait and be patient.

Yeah, I'm sure the Euro isn't going to change much, but one more model to look at nonetheless. After that, we watch the radar, as the precip creeps closer, and see if it matches up with what the models have been showing.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

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So we are also riding the edge here to the west of you guys doing everything we can to suck this storm north.

When I saw that snowfall map from '96, (here in Columbus we got 9" from that), I can't believe how similar it is to what the model output is for this storm, (except for the northern extent in the OV).

The interesting thing was that storm was entirely a now cast situation here. The forecast the morning of was for a dusting. I know you guys got clobbered, but was that storm also a surprise for PIttsburgh?

'96 was fairly well forecasted here. It had varying totals, but not this gradient from hell.

I believe the final forecast was for 8-12" or maybe even 8-14". Airport total was 10", with ~12" downtown. South and south east did better....as i think there were a lot of 15-20" totals especially towards Morgantown.

So i think the nowcasting/surprise component was in the southern and eastern parts of the area as i dont think those higher totals were expected even there.

Great storm to be sure...just not historic for most of the immediate Pittsburgh area, so it left you wanting more considering what was going on to the east

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Some strong wording in here...

 

 

 

.SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/...

...CRIPPLING WINTER STORM AHEAD FOR NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND
WESTERN MARYLAND...

ALL EYES TURN SOUTHWESTWARD TO THE MAIN EVENT THIS
EVENING...WHICH HAS BEEN ADVERTISED IN ALL MODEL AND ENSEMBLE
SOLUTIONS FOR MANY DAYS...A DEEPENING AND RAPIDLY MATURING UPPER
LEVEL SYSTEM CURRENTLY CROSSING THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND
READYING TO ROUND THE BASE OF THE UPPER TROUGH AND EJECT INTO THE
MIDDLE ATLANTIC.

MODEL AND ENSEMBLE TRENDS HAVE BEEN RELATIVELY STEADY OVER THE
PAST SEVERAL CYCLES WITH ONLY A MINUTE NORTHWARD JOG IN TERMS OF
THE NORTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE NORTHWEST SIDE DEFORMATION BAND
RELATIVE TO PREVIOUS GUIDANCE. IT STILL SEEMS BASED UPON GOOD
RUN-TO-RUN CONSISTENCY OF THE SREF AND GFS THAT THE BEST
DEFORMATION ASCENT WILL TRANSIT A CORRIDOR FROM FAIRMONT TO
UNIONTOWN AND SOUTHWARD. THIS IS THE LOCATION WHERE QPF HAS
CONSISTENTLY BEEN FORECAST TO BE THE HIGHEST...DEFORMATION
MAXIMIZED...MOIST ADIABATIC ASCENT INTO THE TROWAL IS
MAXIMIZED...AND A HIGHLY CURVED UPPER JET STREAM IS FORCING
INCREASING UPWARD AGEOSTROPHIC MOTION. THAT SAID...IT SEEMS THIS
AFOREMENTIONED CORRIDOR IS WHERE SNOW AMOUNTS COULD RATIONALLY GET
OUT OF HAND. THIS IS NOT HYPE. THIS IS THE REAL DEAL.

BUILDING SNOW TOTALS BASED UPON SNOW-TO-LIQUID RATIOS GENERALLY ON
THE ORDER OF 10-12:1...WHICH ARE ACTUALLY BELOW CLIMO...STILL
FAVORS IN EXCESS OF A FOOT OF SNOW OVER THE ENTIRETY OF THE AREA
FROM FAIRMONT TO UNIONTOWN AND SOUTH. WITH ATLANTIC MOISTURE
FEEDING RIGHT INTO THIS DEFORMATION ZONE AND OROGRAPHIC ASCENT
COMING INTO PLAY DURING THE HEART AND BACK END OF THE EVENT...THE
RIDGES WILL LIKELY DO EVEN BETTER. WIDESPREAD 18 TO 24 INCH
AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED THERE...AND AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 2 FEET ARE
LIKELY IN PORTIONS OF TUCKER COUNTY. SHOULD THE DEFORMATION BAND
LINGER IN ANY LOCATION FOR MORE THAN A DAY OVER THE
RIDGES...AMOUNTS OF 30 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE.

IN ADDITION TO THE SNOWFALL...MODEL SOUNDINGS SUGGEST MIXING
POTENTIAL OF 35 MPH GUSTS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN DUE TO BOUNDARY
LAYER INSTABILITY AND STRONG SHEAR THROUGH THE LAYER. THIS WILL
MEAN BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW WILL INCREASE RAPIDLY OVERNIGHT
TONIGHT...YIELDING LOCAL VISIBILITIES NEAR ZERO. IF YOU CHOOSE TO
GO OUT IN THIS...YOU WILL LIKELY BECOME STRANDED WITH LITTLE HOPE
OF RESCUE FOR CONSIDERABLE TIME.

TO THE NORTH...DEFORMATION LIFT WILL BE WORKING TO OVERCOME A
STIFF NORTHEASTERLY FEED OF DRY AIR. THE GRADIENT OF QPF STILL
LOOKS TO EXTEND FROM JUST SOUTH OF ZANESVILLE...THROUGH
WHEELING...PITTSBURGH...AND INDIANA. FOR THIS
REASON...ACCUMULATIONS WILL LIKELY BE ONLY ON THE ORDER OF 1 TO 3
INCHES NORTH OF THESE CITIES...WHILE JUST SOUTH RUN QUICKLY TOWARD
4 TO 7 INCHES OR MORE. PLEASE REFER TO THE GRAPHICAL FORECASTS FOR
THE LATEST INFORMATION. HERE TOO...BLOWING AND DRIFTING WILL BE
POSSIBLE...THOUGH GUSTS WILL LIKELY STAY DOWN TOWARD 30 MPH.

DEFORMATION ASCENT PEELS EASTWARD ON SATURDAY AND LOW LEVEL FLOW
TURNS NORTHWEST QUICKLY THEREAFTER. THIS WILL BRING DRIER AIR IN
THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AND ALLOW FOR CLOUDS TO SCATTER OUT WITH
STRONG COLD ADVECTION. THIS WILL BRING BOUNDARY LAYER TEMPERATURES
QUICKLY DOWN TOWARD -12 TO -15C. UNFORTUNATELY...NORTHWESTERLY
FLOW EVEN WITH WEAK AND SHALLOW INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE WITH
BOUNDARY LAYER TEMPERATURES SMACK DAB IN THE DENDRITIC GROWTH
REGION MEANS VERY EFFICIENT SNOW SHOWERS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE INTO
SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE RIDGES. THIS WILL MEAN A POWDERY COUPLE OF
INCHES ON TOP OF THE MAMMOTH SNOW THAT WILL HAVE ALREADY FALLEN.

WITH COLD ADVECTION AND DRIER AIR MOVING IN SATURDAY
NIGHT...TEMPERATURES WILL PLUMMET AS WELL. LOWS IN SOME LOCATIONS
THAT CLEAR OUT AND HAVE WINDS DROP OFF WILL LIKELY CHALLENGE 0F.
THIS WILL ONLY WORK TO HAMPER SNOW CLEAN UP EFFORTS THROUGH THE
WEEKEND. FRIES
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Guys I've been waiting for this-and so pumped this thing moved a little more north for you guys and now hopefully you all can cash in with at least 6" instead of 1-2!....I have a feeling the models are having a hard time with such warm water on the atlantic and the low tracking the way of snowpack-here's to an over-performer!  get that low into the Delmarva and jackpot!  Come this evening's news-you'll see Jeff V have his snow amounts go from 1-3 last night to 4-8 all of a sudden!  :thumbsup:

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No matter what happens in my area..  this is going to be a classic storm and it has been a pleasure to watch it play out on the models over the last week or so.

I think you are in pretty good shape, although it will be gut wrenching if us guys to the North if we end up with coating to an inch I hope you post some pictures. I know I'll be in the MA thread, imagine when its all said and done they should have some epic drifts too.

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THe NAM is being disregarded

 

 

 

SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST/MID ATLANTIC COAST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~
PREFERENCE: NON-NAM COMPROMISE
CONFIDENCE: SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE

THE 00Z NAM BECOMES A SLOW OUTLIER LATE SATURDAY -- THE NAM HAS A
BIAS OF OCCASIONALLY BEING TOO SLOW. THERE HAS BEEN A TREND
AMONGST THE CANADIAN/UKMET/ECMWF TOWARDS A MORE NORTHERLY
SOLUTION, SIMILAR TO THE NAM BUT QUICKER. A COMPROMISE OF THE 00Z
GFS/00Z ECMWF/00Z CANADIAN/00Z UKMET IS PREFERRED WITH SLIGHTLY
ABOVE AVERAGE CONFIDENCE.
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There is no way this is not over performing for us here  That precip field is much more expansive than the models were projecting it to be.

usa.gif

I will say if you just showed me that radar picture and I had no background info on the storm I'd say we were in for a pummeling though. I'm not sold on the over performer though, I think its well within the realm of possibility we see that precip shield just hit a brick wall around I-70. If the primary can make it a bit further north before transferring to the coast though...

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