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Central PA OMG SNOW thread -- Winter 2016


neff

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The 12z Euro has the main precip shield right now south of Shreveport. In reality, it's mostly north of Shreveport. I think it's almost radar-watching time. If we can get more precip than modeled up to Paducah by tomorrow morning, we might still have a shot.

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 yea not sure if it means much and it could just be grasping for straws or not sure how reliable the spc mesoanalysis stuff is for all products but this is oriented more to the north than what both NAM/GFS/etc had at 18z for today from what I saw

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The 12z Euro has the main precip shield right now south of Shreveport. In reality, it's mostly north of Shreveport. I think it's almost radar-watching time. If we can get more precip than modeled up to Paducah by tomorrow morning, we might still have a shot.

OK i know this is a total weenie comment but arent models generally underdone with juiced up STJ systems coming out of the gulf?  I just seem to remember so many where the precip trended north in the last 24 hours.  I can't really remember too many that trended south at this point.  I kind of expect as this thing really starts to get going later today that starting tonight models trend back north a bit.  They can only go so far, the H5 is cutting off too far south and at some point it will reach a point where it runs out of its upper support, become stacked, triple point, and start to slide east.  We just need that to be 50 miles north perhaps.  Its also possible that even with a track about where it is now the precip shield is more expansive then the euro/ggem have it.  I could see this ending up a little north of where the GFS has it, maybe almost to the NAM...but probably not much more then that.  WHats your take?

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OK i know this is a total weenie comment but arent models generally underdone with juiced up STJ systems coming out of the gulf?  I just seem to remember so many where the precip trended north in the last 24 hours.  I can't really remember too many that trended south at this point.  I kind of expect as this thing really starts to get going later today that starting tonight models trend back north a bit.  They can only go so far, the H5 is cutting off too far south and at some point it will reach a point where it runs out of its upper support, become stacked, triple point, and start to slide east.  We just need that to be 50 miles north perhaps.  Its also possible that even with a track about where it is now the precip shield is more expansive then the euro/ggem have it.  I could see this ending up a little north of where the GFS has it, maybe almost to the NAM...but probably not much more then that.  WHats your take?

 

I dunno, I'm learning every day, myself. :P

RAP also looks better now, and further north/west later, FWIW.

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The 500-hPa ridge out ahead of the storm is definitely more amplified on the RAP by 12z tomorrow. The surface low is further northwest of pretty much any model. And the trough beginning to form along the Carolina coast is still significantly weaker on the RAP. All good signs, I think.

 

EDIT: However, the trends in the RAP at the latter parts of the run seem to generally be the opposite direction, so...

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Side note from the storm, this week as been running cooler than expected. My highs this week have been 19f, 23f, 26f, and today it's currently 29f.

I said this yesterday that i thought we had not reached our progged highs in a couple days. Its hard to believe how hard my ground is, considering how warm December was ya know?!? 

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I have a question, and I'm not sure how we could go about this.

 

I don't know where some of you guys are in relation to the state. I know State College, for instance, but not specifically where you are Voyager or 2001 (I know Tamaqua and Clearfield, but not WHERE they are really), when looking at a map.

 

Would it be possible for someone to create a map and pinpoint posters' locations? Is that even doable?

my location

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ok one last argument why this could trend north for southern 1/2 of PA.  First I dont think the track will trend north much.  SLP will track over eastern NC, but I do think the low could/should make it a little north of where some models turn it east...maybe getting it up towards the southern tip of the delmarva.  But if you look at the NAM, its low location isnt much off from the other guidance it just has a much more expansive qpf field.  SInce january 1996 is the number 1 analog on the threat guidance right now I pulled up the track.  Yes it got all the way to Boston because the low kept going north up until ocean city MD then northeast.  I dont think that happens this time...but for PA look at this precip map from the 1996 storm and the low location.  That low location at that point is right where this one is going to be with an almost identicle H5 position at that time also.  THe NAM is the only model showing a similar qpf distribution though.  WHat I am saying is its not unfounded that without much change in the track heavy snow could get further into PA then the models are showing (except the nam).  Thoughts?

 

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RPM and RAP FOR THE WIN! Everyone south of I-80 a foot plus if snow, and south of turnpike 2 feet.

We all win lol!

 

This 100%

 

I don't care if DC gets 3 feet of snow as long as I can get 12" or so.

 

Anyway, yesterday someone asked about making maps. That was me who was doing them last year, so here is one for the 12z NAM from today. This is the model I'd like to see come close to verifying...lol

 

post-317-0-50258200-1453404745_thumb.jpg

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CTP updated their text forecast at 1:22, here is the relevant section.

 

 

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...

*HEAVY SNOW POSSIBLE IN SOUTH-CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THROUGH
SATURDAY NIGHT...
*POTENTIALLY CRIPPLING SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 12+ INCHES POSSIBLE
ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE...

CHANGES TO WINTER WEATHER HEADLINES: ADDED 5 COUNTIES TO THE
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM CAMBRIA TO JUNIATA.

WATER VAPOR IMAGERY EARLY THIS MORNING SHOWED AN UPPER TROUGH
MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO
STRENGTHEN RATHER MARKEDLY AS ENERGY DIVING OUT OF THE SOUTHERN
ROCKIES DIPS DOWN INTO THE LOWER MS VALLEY AND EVENTUALLY LIFTS
NORTHWARD REACHING THE CAROLINAS BY SATURDAY MORNING. THE INITIAL
SURFACE LOW WHICH TRACKS ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY EARLY FRIDAY
WILL GIVE WAY TO DEEPENING COASTAL LOW/MAJOR EAST COAST WINTER
STORM FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY.

THE MAIN DETAIL DIFFERENCES WITH THE 21/0000Z GUIDANCE STILL
REVOLVE AROUND THE AMOUNT OF NORTHWARD PROPAGATION OF THE
PRECIP SHIELD ON THE NW-SIDE OF THE SFC LOW TRACK. THE NAM/SREF/CMC
ARE GENERALLY MORE ROBUST AND FURTHER TO THE NORTH WITH THE EDGE
OF THE MOISTURE REACHING THE NEW YORK BORDER. MEANWHILE THE
GFS/ECMWF/GEFS ONLY GO TO ABOUT THE I-80 CORRIDOR WITH A SHARP
NORTHERN GRADIENT TO I-80. COLLECTIVELY THE 00Z MODELS SEEMED TO
TREND A JUST TAD NORTHWARD WITH THE QPF WHICH WAS REFLECTED IN THE
WPC WINTER WEATHER SNOWFALL GUIDANCE. THIS TREND ALONG WITH
SUPPORT FROM THE ENSEMBLE MEANS WAS THE REASON FOR EXPANDING THE
WATCH TO COVER CAMBRIA TO JUNIATA COUNTIES.

CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO INCREASE FOR HEAVY...DOUBLE-DIGIT
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHERN TIER COUNTIES ALONG THE
TURNPIKE TO THE MARYLAND BORDER. HAVE REWORDED THE WSW TO INDICATE
THE POTENTIAL FOR 12+ INCHES OVER THIS AREA...WITH MAX AMOUNTS IN
THE 15 TO 20 INCH RANGE. THE OTHER CONCERN IS FOR POSSIBLE
BLIZZARD AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS INVOF LANCASTER COUNTY WITH PEAK
WIND GUSTS SATURDAY MORNING IN THE 30 TO 35 MPH RANGE. SIGNIFICANT
BLOWING AND DRIFTING COULD COMPOUND HEAVY SNOW IMPACTS -- MAKING
TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE DURING THE HEIGHT
OF THE STORM. SNOW CONTINUES OVER SOUTHEAST PA INTO SATURDAY NIGHT
BEFORE ENDING SUNDAY MORNING.

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OK i know this is a total weenie comment but arent models generally underdone with juiced up STJ systems coming out of the gulf?  I just seem to remember so many where the precip trended north in the last 24 hours.  I can't really remember too many that trended south at this point.  I kind of expect as this thing really starts to get going later today that starting tonight models trend back north a bit.  They can only go so far, the H5 is cutting off too far south and at some point it will reach a point where it runs out of its upper support, become stacked, triple point, and start to slide east.  We just need that to be 50 miles north perhaps.  Its also possible that even with a track about where it is now the precip shield is more expansive then the euro/ggem have it.  I could see this ending up a little north of where the GFS has it, maybe almost to the NAM...but probably not much more then that.  WHats your take?

 

When it comes to systems and the influence on the STJ, models have a hard time grasping the full scope of the moisture flux that is provided with a setup such as this. A perfect example was the Feb storm in 2014 when models were calling for 10-16" for parts of CMD and southern PA and it ended up higher by 20-40% in SPA and up to 20" in MD due to the wall of moisture that was coming in. My dad is a weather junkie and the reason I'm a meteorologist. He is a winter weather weenie just like most of us and has had so much experience with these storms in his lifetime. I remember I made a bet with him on the snow that would fall at our house just north of Baltimore. I went with model consensus and he went with 16-22". I thought he was nuts. Well, 19" later, I owed him lunch haha

 

He told me through his lifetime, no one ever predicts these southern systems right in terms of precip. They under do it all the time. That's why the QPF shield always ends up a little further to the north and areas in the bulls eye get slammed time and time again with "shocking" totals. That being said, for the northern fringe of things, the confluence to the north is going to kill chances most likely north of I80 getting anything other than light snow and to the north in NYS, they'll get the smoking cirrus. 

 

I was gonna make a map, but I think I'll just post my thoughts here. I feel like the southern tier south of Rt 30 will still walk with a foot with the typical spots for jackpots at 16-22" (ie. Mapgirl, 83 Blizzard, Cashtown and anyone else south of that line). Mapgirl and PSU could very well get 20-24" wen all said and done. Areas between Rt 30 and the turnpike to the east of 81, I can see 8-14" with the higher end towards the south. To the west of 81 in that same zone, I see 5-10" as the max due to the proximity away from the low. Above the turnpike to I80 is the rough spot.2-8" with again the further to the south. Clearfield region I can see getting 1-3" when all said and done, but the axis of qpf will be running wsw across the state, so areas like Pittsburgh could get shut out. 

 

This is just a call off the top of my head. The synoptic setup for this storm is incredible with the H5 depiction and LLJ structures that will play a huge role in banding and unexpected surprises. Systems this large and dynamic will put up some crazy numbers. I don't follow QPF maxes for my forecast, but more of the QPF placement. Are models and QPF/Snow maps fun to look? You're damn right they are, but a forecaster does not get driven by model run after model run. They look at the bigger picture and examine the different components to see what's lining up and what has been most consistent. The meso details are spared for later on during the storm, so for now, just sit back and watch the Meso Analysis and satellite/radar combo and watch how Mother Nature puts on a show. 

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I really need to make a snow map. I think I under did some areas of my "forecast" since I was just trying to go off the top of my head since I'm still at work (And will be for days haha).

Your description gives me the ideas you have MDT around 5" median. I can see that. I live about 5 miles due north of the turnpike (as the crow flies), every time I hear "south of the turnpike will do well" I want to punch things lol.

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Your description gives me the ideas you have MDT around 5" median. I can see that. I live about 5 miles due north of the turnpike (as the crow flies), every time I hear "south of the turnpike will do well" I want to punch things lol.

 

It could very well be more, in fact, I may have low balled you guys. I'm definitely making a map this evening. I'm exhausted from this week of tracking AND work. Brutal. And I work this weekend too, so I'll be hunkered down in front of my setup watching everything and living at the office. Fortunately, my work has me and few of my coworkers in a hotel right near the office complex, so I can sleep well after Saturday lol

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