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GHD III possible Winter Storm February 1st-3rd


Thundersnow12

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Yep.  I mentioned this with the "storm" from a few weeks ago too...but this winter season continues its never-ending quest to be extremely obnoxious.  This is just a general observation, not an IMBY-related sentiment.  Per the EPS, you have a sub-990 mb low in E-C IL.  All else being equal, that is pretty impressive...and knowing nothing else, you'd think there would be a huge snowstorm in the cold sector...yet the max swath is only 5-8".  It's like pulling teeth to get a storm to produce well in the Midwest, regardless of who gets hit.

 

Obviously there is still time for things to change... 

There are 51 ensemble members, so you wouldn't expect numbers to be too high at this timeframe. Many members have a max of 10"+.

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Keep in mind that it's a mean of all 51 members, so at this timeframe you wouldn't expect numbers to be too high. Many members have a max of 10"+.

That is true...but at the same time, a ~989 mb low is also a mean of the members.  So, the members with a 10+" swath are probably sub-985...which isn't a very impressive max snowfall amount with such a low pressure. 

 

If I recall correctly, the infamous January 1999 blizzard never dropped below 999 mb as it moved northeast from IN into MI, yet it dropped 16+" of snow in some areas, and 10+" over a very large area.  So, when you see a low that is significantly deeper than this coming together in a few days, it gets your hopes up a bit. :)

 

Of course every storm is different...but it's frustrating for all of us (whether in MSP, MKE, Chicago, Detroit, QC, etc.) when it seems like everything has to come together absolutely perfectly to get a decent spread-the-wealth storm...or even a decent big dog for a localized area.  That's fine for November or March...but it shouldn't be that difficult in DJF.  If one town gets 10" of snow in an early Feb snowstorm (with most others getting 4-8" or less), it's really not that impressive. 

 

Bottom line - this storm had big hopes when the models were spitting out 20" totals a few days ago.  Even so - although it seems like we've been watching this for awhile, there is still a bit of time for things to change. 

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Well, one thing we have going for us is the moisture transport doesn't look to be to strong with the first wave...shouldn't have much effect on what's available for the main system, wherever it ends up

 

 

if Sunday spins up the kind of 850 low shown on the NAM i can definitely see it lowering the bomb potential when the main trough ejects leading to more of bowling ball track but like you said, moisture return even in that scenario looks good with an open gulf and nino jet

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NAM still much slower with the western trough

 

this ends producing a large difference in WAA over the southern plains by 6z Tues on the GFS/NAM...with the GFS already pulling in a mid-level dry line across TX

 

slower could be good and bad..helps get the colder air advecting south from the nrn plains but could allow heights to further rise out east. 

 

The NAM is also slower to move out the Sunday system 

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That is true...but at the same time, a ~989 mb low is also a mean of the members.  So, the members with a 10+" swath are probably sub-985...which isn't a very impressive max snowfall amount with such a low pressure. 

 

 

 

Those maps are probably 10:1, so areas with better ratios could do better.

 

Overall I wouldn't get too hung up on qpf yet.

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