2017-2018 Fall/Winter Banter, Whining, Complaining Thread

[beavis1729]

On 2/18/2018 at 10:13 PM, blackrock said:

Here's my complaint: We wait forever to get some systems to come up from the SW, and OF COURSE they come when there is no cold air source to be found. If the bloody ridge would break down a bit, we could have gotten some nice systems. The midwest SUCKS for powerful storms that spread-the-wealth in terms of winter weather.

 

Ok. I feel better.

 

Ha - I hear you. 

Just wish that seasons could be seasons. Instead of hoping that every possible index aligns in our favor, it would be nice if snow and cold occurred in DJF simply because the calendar says it’s winter. No days above the 20s in January, and the 30s in December and February. Doesn’t need to be barbarically cold and snowy all the time; just consistent winter. But alas, it’s not meant to be. Most of us are on the wrong side of the Midwest winter gradient. Need to live at 46N or higher. I used to think 44N...but that’s not the case either. See Traverse City for an example. It is shocking how many thaws they get there in a typical winter...and they don’t get too cold either due to lake moderation. Heck, I get upset in MBY when I don’t have snow cover every day during DJF. I would lose my mind in TVC with bare ground, given the amount of snow they receive. Feast or famine. 

[Baum]

^

winter arounds these parts has been acting like a typical La-Niña winter. Really no surprises. Suspect, end of month will go cold again. The opening 20 days of February has been an active weather lovers dream.

[mississaugasnow]

Well, winters back is broken. After experiencing the first 60F day in months, bring on spring!. It will get cold again but March around these parts is more a spring month, not winter. Average highs are skyrocketing to the mid 40s, sun angle, and the fact that we dont retain snowpack in March means it won't feel like deep winter again until next December. 

 

[TugHillMatt]

3 hours ago, beavis1729 said:

Ha - I hear you. 

Just wish that seasons could be seasons. Instead of hoping that every possible index aligns in our favor, it would be nice if snow and cold occurred in DJF simply because the calendar says it’s winter. No days above the 20s in January, and the 30s in December and February. Doesn’t need to be barbarically cold and snowy all the time; just consistent winter. But alas, it’s not meant to be. Most of us are on the wrong side of the Midwest winter gradient. Need to live at 46N or higher. I used to think 44N...but that’s not the case either. See Traverse City for an example. It is shocking how many thaws they get there in a typical winter...and they don’t get too cold either due to lake moderation. Heck, I get upset in MBY when I don’t have snow cover every day during DJF. I would lose my mind in TVC with bare ground, given the amount of snow they receive. Feast or famine. 

Traverse City can see big-time thaws with southerly winds, which cause downsloping off of the higher elevations to the south. If there is a strong surge of warmth moving into Michigan, TVC can often be the warmest spot in all of Michigan. I am learning you really want to be at a higher elevation in the lake effect snow belts to experience a great winter.

[michsnowfreak]

5 hours ago, beavis1729 said:

Interesting...thanks for the link. Good info.

However, the current winter situation you mentioned in your post (Duluth = average and Detroit = extreme) is only relative to each location’s own climatology...which doesn’t say much. We know that Chicago and Detroit’s winters are very tame on average, so an ”extreme” winter in these locations is probably equivalent to the warmest winter on record in northern MN. In other words, not very noteworthy.

The “Average annual WSI” calculation that I mentioned for northern MN vs. Chicago (120 vs. 8) is based on absolute numbers, and uses a different calculation (only includes days with sub-zero lows or 15+” of snow on the ground). 

Yes that link is soley based on averages, as you see by the severe winters in spots of the deep South.

 

For whatever reason Chicago and Detroit have been so different from mid December 2016 thru the end of January 2018. Detroit only averages 6" more annually and actually a bit milder in the winter (both a product of the Lakes) but it's been like night and day the last year plus. My brother lives in Chicago and we have a family group text that we talk in every day. He has confirmed time and time again how much less snow he has had. Data of course backs this up. So i understand your frustration. I just want you to realize that while you don't live in a winter mecca you do live in a place that's wintrier than most of the country. Keep your head up because the other shoe will drop...remember Chicago recently saw 4 so here of 50"+ in a row for the first time on record. As for the last 2 days of hell...It was 58° in traverse city with 50°+ dewpoints into Gaylord and Alpena. You are not alone lol.

[Powerball]

On 2/18/2018 at 12:26 PM, Snowless in Carrollton said:

Why is it so difficult to get sunny days in the midwest ? It seems nearly impossible to get a cloud free day in the winter. I think even the east coast gets more sunshine. Is the midwest the cloudiest region in the country outside of the pacific northwest?

And now you understand part of the reason why I moved down to your old neck of the woods in Metro Atlanta. 

But that said, it's been Detroit / Seattle-like cloudy since Friday (2/9/18) around here (If you combine a few hours of 3 days, we've had maybe 9 hours of total sunshine since then) despite temps well into the 70s and near 80*F and that doesn't look to change until at least Thursday. I'm NOT a happy camper about it either. 

[beavis1729]

3 hours ago, blackrock said:

Traverse City can see big-time thaws with southerly winds, which cause downsloping off of the higher elevations to the south. If there is a strong surge of warmth moving into Michigan, TVC can often be the warmest spot in all of Michigan. I am learning you really want to be at a higher elevation in the lake effect snow belts to experience a great winter.

Yep. Traverse City area is beautiful - we have a friend who moved there a few years ago, and loves it. 

[TugHillMatt]

14 minutes ago, beavis1729 said:

Yep. Traverse City area is beautiful - we have a friend who moved there a few years ago, and loves it. 

It is indeed a beautiful area. I could never live there though. Way too overcrowded and congested with tourists from Chicago and Detroit....like your friend. lol

[Jackstraw]

Stick a fork in this thread.  Bring on the Spring Banter 

[cyclone77]

I'll take more snow if it comes, but really don't see much potential anytime soon.  Next week's potential looks like a thread the needle type event, so good chance that misses any one location.  I'm ready to move on to Spring.  Kind of jealous of all the thunderstorm activity south and east of this area.  Haven't heard thunder since sometime back in October or September.  It's done a good job avoiding this area the last 5 months.

[hawkeye_wx]

46 minutes ago, cyclone77 said:

I'll take more snow if it comes, but really don't see much potential anytime soon.  Next week's potential looks like a thread the needle type event, so good chance that misses any one location.  I'm ready to move on to Spring.  Kind of jealous of all the thunderstorm activity south and east of this area.  Haven't heard thunder since sometime back in October or September.  It's done a good job avoiding this area the last 5 months.

Re: thunder.... really?  I received three thundershowers from this last system.

[cyclone77]

2 hours ago, hawkeye_wx said:

Re: thunder.... really?  I received three thundershowers from this last system.

Yep, zero thunder.  

[Snowstorms]

What a surprise, the GFS trends warmer and wetter for that early March storm as the SE Ridge keeps pumping warmth in the east. That's what? The 5th fooking rainstorm in a row? Unbelievable! What a terrible end to a lackluster winter. 

Bring on Spring! 

[SchaumburgStormer]

20 hours ago, cyclone77 said:

I'll take more snow if it comes, but really don't see much potential anytime soon.  Next week's potential looks like a thread the needle type event, so good chance that misses any one location.  I'm ready to move on to Spring.  Kind of jealous of all the thunderstorm activity south and east of this area.  Haven't heard thunder since sometime back in October or September.  It's done a good job avoiding this area the last 5 months.

Heard some in Sydney Australia a few weeks back... It was also 104 degrees, so it gave me my "Summertime pulse storm" fix. 

Like others have said, we very well may see another cold shot, but it looks like the slow inevitable climb towards warmer temps has begun. 

[Chinook]

I saw this originally as animated Gif on Imgur recently. Another reason why not to drive through high water -- super deep water!

[cyclone77]

After being in the mid 60s today missing the potential snowfall Thursday doesn't really seem like a big deal.  Anything that falls from here on forward won't be on the ground more than a day or two anyway, so it would basically just be stat padding.  I'm on the warmth/thunderstorm bandwagon from here on out.  Bring on chase season! 

[UMB WX]

Bring on fall.

[Hoosier]

1 hour ago, UMB WX said:

Bring on fall.

You forgot summer.

[King James]

Time for some thunderstorms


.

[Stebo]

Yeah it is time for spring, bring on thunderstorms.

[Hoosier]

Too bad the NAM from yesterday isn't going to verify (especially the 18z with a heavy band from the MS River eastward, and the big wind potential around here). Still could be a nice storm for a more limited area.

[Baum]

11 hours ago, Hoosier said:

Too bad the NAM from yesterday isn't going to verify (especially the 18z with a heavy band from the MS River eastward, and the big wind potential around here). Still could be a nice storm for a more limited area.

Yup. Had written this off until the NAM posted a dream run....in March it's go big or go home. Won't be long and I'll be signing off for the season.

[IWXwx]

Wow. The rich get richer. Southeast MI, the 1%.

[Stebo]

30 minutes ago, IWXwx said:

Wow. The rich get richer. Southeast MI, the 1%.

Blame Josh

[IWXwx]

I was watching Matt21 on his weathercast tonight and had to lol when he complained about the boring upcoming weather for FWA. It's pretty bad when the tv met struggles to fill his time.

[Snowstorms]

Since this is the complaint thread, it's only fitting I post this. 

I really hope this current storm is the last winter threat of the season because I'm so over this winter. The sheer disappointments we in the GTA have endured is countless. And by disappointments I mean being teased by the models with 6"+ <36 hours out and then to have it abruptly shift either south or north by 25-50 miles. This is just another storm where the GTA rides the line yet again, where a shift 50 miles further north could have made a difference between 1-2" vs. 4-6". And that's just frustrating! While everybody, especially SEMI (which has done incredibly well in recent years), is knee deep, we ponder over a few inches at best. For once, I would like the GTA to do better than those surrounding us, minus the LES areas. It seems like everyone has had an historic winter of their own expect us. In all honesty, it feels like there is a snow dome over the city that prevents an ideal track from ever happening, lol.

I'm all in for Spring and some warmth now. I've had it with this winter. Onto next winters round of disappointments. 

[cyclone77]

11 hours ago, Baum said:

Yup. Had written this off until the NAM posted a dream run....in March it's go big or go home. Won't be long and I'll be signing off for the season.

We year-round weather enthusiasts will keep the lights on whilst you're out of office. 

[cyclone77]

5 minutes ago, Snowstorms said:

Since this is the complaint thread, it's only fitting I post this. 

I really hope this current storm is the last winter threat of the season because I'm so over this winter. The sheer disappointments we in the GTA have endured is countless. And by disappointments I mean being teased by the models with 6"+ <36 hours out and then to have it abruptly shift either south or north by 25-50 miles. This is just another storm where the GTA rides the line yet again, where a shift 50 miles further north could have made a difference between 1-2" vs. 4-6". And that's just frustrating! While everybody, especially SEMI (which has done incredibly well in recent years), is knee deep, we ponder over a few inches at best. For once, I would like the GTA to do better than those surrounding us, minus the LES areas. It seems like everyone has had an historic winter of their own expect us. In all honesty, it feels like there is a snow dome over the city that prevents an ideal track from ever happening, lol. 

I'm all in for Spring and some warmth now. I've had it with this winter. Onto next winters round of disappointments. 

Does this mean you're going to change your name to Rainstorms? 

[weatherdavewi]

I'm all in for spring now too and that's really saying something as I'm a huge winter fan. The La Crosse, WI area has consistently been dodged by major winter weather all season and really for the past few years. Heck, our last 10"+ snow was back in 2010! Sure, we've had some nickel and dime systems here and there but they have had no staying power at all for many years now with frequent thaws. In fact, La Crosse has over-performed on temperatures for quite a few days now, even coming close to 60° a few days ago. Snowmobile trails have failed to open for years now. This pattern simply sucks. Ready to punt to spring but I have a weird feeling we may be in for a chilly few months ahead. Just hoping we don't end up with some sneaky late season snows. 

 

[snowstormcanuck]

7 hours ago, Snowstorms said:

Since this is the complaint thread, it's only fitting I post this. 

I really hope this current storm is the last winter threat of the season because I'm so over this winter. The sheer disappointments we in the GTA have endured is countless. And by disappointments I mean being teased by the models with 6"+ <36 hours out and then to have it abruptly shift either south or north by 25-50 miles. This is just another storm where the GTA rides the line yet again, where a shift 50 miles further north could have made a difference between 1-2" vs. 4-6". And that's just frustrating! While everybody, especially SEMI (which has done incredibly well in recent years), is knee deep, we ponder over a few inches at best. For once, I would like the GTA to do better than those surrounding us, minus the LES areas. It seems like everyone has had an historic winter of their own expect us. In all honesty, it feels like there is a snow dome over the city that prevents an ideal track from ever happening, lol.

I'm all in for Spring and some warmth now. I've had it with this winter. Onto next winters round of disappointments. 

Nope. Grey skies and temps a bit north of freezing is all you shall get with this kind of blocking.

Seriously, move to Barrie. People live there and commute into the City. You'll get a very decent snowy climate, still close to civilization, and housing prices which are more affordable. Even Bradford or Newmarket. Get north of the Oak Ridges and you can bank 40" in your worst winter. 1/2 hr drive away.