Dec 8/9 Obs and discussion (Showme's) Storm

[MN Transplant]

#3 pre-Christmas storm in my 9 winters at home.  #1 & #2 are from 2009 of course.

[gymengineer]

9 minutes ago, Deck Pic said:

 

You almost definitely got more in the 12/5/02 event and probably the 12/5/03 as well. Maybe 12/14/03 too. Perhaps on 12/5/05 and 12/9/05 and 12/5/07. 12/8 and 12/10 2013? Not to say this wasn’t significant. Could be #1. But is a testament that you live in a pretty good spot.


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Yeah, I was going to post but you beat me to it.

In Potomac, MD, I measured the following in the storms that beat 3.5” in early December from 2003 onward:

12/5-6/03: 7 1/2”

12/14/03: 4”

12/5-6/05: 4”

12/5/07: 4 1/4”

12/5/09: 3 3/4”

 

[NorthArlington101]

2.5" is my final number. Grass is gone. Pretty happy.

[Sparky]

26 minutes ago, Eskimo Joe said:

What is that tool and how can I access it?

http://www.iweathernet.com/total-rainfall-map-24-hours-to-72-hours

[Ltrain]

The final total here in Severna Park is 3.1" Right on the mark with the forecast for this area.

[Stormpc]

Thanks Sparky. That's it.29.4, still flurries...

 

[Bob Chill]

10 minutes ago, gymengineer said:

Yeah, I was going to post but you beat me to it.

In Potomac, MD, I measured the following in the storms that beat 3.5” in early December from 2003 onward:

12/5-6/03: 7 1/2”

12/14/03: 4”

12/5-6/05: 4”

12/5/07: 4 1/4”

12/5/09: 3 3/4”

 

Dude, I love having you on this board. We live close and your records are immaculate. 

I know why I don't remember the 03 events. I was travelling for work and was out of town 24 days a month. Ugh I hated that.

I honeslty have no recollection of the 07 event and my memory of 05 is foggy at best. The 09 event sounds right. I thought I got less but that's probably because I got pasted at work and was disappointed when I got home. Lol. 

Would love to get 3 events over 3" this Dec. That would put this year in elite status. I have a hunch we will get another one but 2 more starts getting really hard to do. We're kinda due for a white christmas....hee hee

[mitchnick]

2 minutes ago, Ltrain said:

The final total here in Severna Park is 3.1" Right on the mark with the forecast for this area.

Dang, same here. That fattie band saved it. I'm happy. 

[Deck Pic]

Dude, I love having you on this board. We live close and your records are immaculate. 

I know why I don't remember the 03 events. I was travelling for work and was out of town 24 days a month. Ugh I hated that.

I honeslty have no recollection of the 07 event and my memory of 05 is foggy at best. The 09 event sounds right. I thought I got less but that's probably because I got pasted at work and was disappointed when I got home. Lol. 

Would love to get 3 events over 3" this Dec. That would put this year in elite status. I have a hunch we will get another one but 2 more starts getting really hard to do. We're kinda due for a white christmas....hee hee

12/5/07 was a clipper that overperformed. Mainly because a huge fat yellow band developed to the west and swung through. It’s when we started using the term super band and death band. Ian called it an uber band, but it never caught on.


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[mitchnick]

2 minutes ago, Deck Pic said:

 

12/5/07 was a clipper that overperformed. Mainly because a huge fat yellow band developed to the west and swung through. It’s when we started using the term super band and death band. Ian called it an uber band, but it never caught on.


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Remember it vividly.  I had to file an emergency case of sorts in Rockville and was slipping all over the place. Then there was a bit of a lull until aftetnoon and I came home to a similar fattie fest we had this evening. BUT, I'll never forget Bastardi's line "it's a clipper, and it's a flipper" suggesting that the pattern would flip afterwards to warmer. Sadly, he was obviously correct with that call as that winter flat out sooked.

[Deck Pic]

Remember it vividly.  I had to file an emergency case of sorts in Rockville and was slipping all over the place. Then there was a bit of a lull until aftetnoon and I came home to a similar fattie fest we had this evening. BUT, I'll never forget Bastardi's line "it's a clipper, and it's a flipper" suggesting that the pattern would flip afterwards to warmer. Sadly, he was obviously correct with that call as that winter flat out sooked.

It was a vile winter after that. Two move events for me. 1/17 which was 2.5” paste job that flipped to rain. And then a car topper+ at end of February


.

[MN Transplant]

2.4" on 0.21" precipitation.  So, drier than expected.

[ErinInTheSky]

3.5” is my final. Looks awesome on the ground.

[The Dude]

I ended up with 2.75 here in N. Bethesda

[WxUSAF]

Not quite sure what to go with as my total. Just did a bunch of measurements and got values between 3” and 4” with most near 3.3-3.5”. The nearby spotter reported 2” at 545pm which seems really low since I measured just under 3” at the same time. Will probably go with 3.3” pending further info.

[dailylurker]

40 minutes ago, Ltrain said:

The final total here in Severna Park is 3.1" Right on the mark with the forecast for this area.

3" on the dot just to your west. That tail end saved the day. Bob Chill knows his s**t. Beautiful winter wonderland out there this evening. I'm an inch ahead of last season's total.

[psuhoffman]

2 hours ago, Bob Chill said:

So true. This event played out like countless others during early season. Luckily there were no ptype issues but still, the reports around the area confirm what we've known and witnessed for many year. 

A lot of us only half jokingly brought up the northern tier would win the accum piece of the storm and they did. 

I ended with 3.5 and I assume close to .35 LE. Pretty much exactly what the euro said with the back to back runs leading in. All models screwed up the SoMD jackpot though. Part of the storm did not evolved as first thought. Things got disorganized for quite a while as the storm got going off the coast. Eastern NC had some some heavy rain last night but heavy precip didn't push north like models showed. The snow part for the corridor and west was handled really well. Especially onset of the good precip and shutoff. All in all for our sub, this was mostly a win and not a bust. 

Just got home. 5.5" on my deck.  I'm not about to say anything you don't already know but I do hear others often "wonder" if topography is why the Westminster death band always ends up in the same place. It most definitely is. Parrs ridge and the hills in northern Baltimore county are just high enough to create enough upslope flow to enhance precip. It's not drastic. But were already usually a few degrees colder to begin with then you add in just a bit of enhanced lift and that's why this happens every time. You can see it on just about every long range gfs or euro snow map in winter where the local snow maximums are in the same places. 

Given those factors plus the heat islsnd and about the only times the urban corridor will beat those locations is when we really do get fringed and the back edge ends up between the 95 corridor and here.  It can happen. But of course the odds of being on the edge is slim. Usually it either misses all of us or we manage to get into the decent qpf also and then given those advantages the typical climo spots will win. 

Im not from up here. I grew up in south jersey then northern VA. I moved up here because of the snow climo advantage. Yea I also love the view and cooler summers and all but the main reason was the snow. Yes I'm that crazy. But I suffer for my snow. If there is any accidents it can take me forever to commute. Even a good day is almost an hour.  But I don't regret it one but. Helps that I like to drive. Gives me time to think and reflect on things. 

People joke about moving up here. Come on up. We need more weather weenies up here.  I'll do more BBQs. It's a great place to live and the snow is real and if you don't mind the commute it's worth it. (From DC it's too much to up here but Demarcus to Mt Airy is a pretty good local max for that area and a doable drive). For those that can't I totally understand and I also understand the frustration each storm, I felt it to which is why I moved up here. If you can't beat em join em. 

[Bob Chill]

2 minutes ago, WxUSAF said:

Not quite sure what to go with as my total. Just did a bunch of measurements and got values between 3” and 4” with most near 3.3-3.5”. The nearby spotter reported 2” at 545pm which seems really low since I measured just under 3” at the same time. Will probably go with 3.3” pending further info.

The correct answer is 5.5"

[psuhoffman]

1 hour ago, mappy said:

Gonna submit 6" as my total to LWX. Will be interested to see what my ratio is once my core sample melts. 

My ratios were crazy high. Can tell just by the fluff consistency. It was huge fluffy flakes all afternoon. I bet my qpf was only about .35. 

[Sparky]

My final total is 6.5".  Certainly an overperforming little gem of a storm out here.

[psuhoffman]

1 hour ago, das said:

It really is. The Clarksburg/Damascus area really does get consistently the best snows in the area if you are considering the DC area the domain. 

And I chose far NW Vermont as my second place, which has the lowest annual snowfall totals in the state. By far. It will be weird to be on the outside looking in for a change. 

Did you want to be close to Burlington?  Wonderful town imo. 

[WxUSAF]

9 minutes ago, Bob Chill said:

The correct answer is 5.5"

If you’re not slant sticking you’re wrong.

[T. August]

1 hour ago, Warrior Bigfoot said:

Hey y'all what's good, haven't posted in awhile, but this storm brought me out.

had 3" before that last band, but just measured 4.1" with light snow still falling. Awesome stuff, even got the Christmas tree today

Lol 4.3" now

[Kingstonian]

2.1" inches (measured at 9pm) is my storm total and final spotter report, better than I thought I'd hit for my part of town, SSW Franconia/Kingstowne.  

[SLPressure]

2.1" National Harbor. Measured on deck in 7 different locations. Measuring on grass was impossible and I was not here most of the day so putting down a board was a no go. Beautiful for early December. No complaints at all.

[Eskimo Joe]

14 minutes ago, psuhoffman said:

Just got home. 5.5" on my deck.  I'm not about to say anything you don't already know but I do hear others often "wonder" if topography is why the Westminster death band always ends up in the same place. It most definitely is. Parrs ridge and the hills in northern Baltimore county are just high enough to create enough upslope flow to enhance precip. It's not drastic. But were already usually a few degrees colder to begin with then you add in just a bit of enhanced lift and that's why this happens every time. You can see it on just about every long range gfs or euro snow map in winter where the local snow maximums are in the same places. 

Given those factors plus the heat islsnd and about the only times the urban corridor will beat those locations is when we really do get fringed and the back edge ends up between the 95 corridor and here.  It can happen. But of course the odds of being on the edge is slim. Usually it either misses all of us or we manage to get into the decent qpf also and then given those advantages the typical climo spots will win. 

Im not from up here. I grew up in south jersey then northern VA. I moved up here because of the snow climo advantage. Yea I also love the view and cooler summers and all but the main reason was the snow. Yes I'm that crazy. But I suffer for my snow. If there is any accidents it can take me forever to commute. Even a good day is almost an hour.  But I don't regret it one but. Helps that I like to drive. Gives me time to think and reflect on things. 

People joke about moving up here. Come on up. We need more weather weenies up here.  I'll do more BBQs. It's a great place to live and the snow is real and if you don't mind the commute it's worth it. (From DC it's too much to up here but Demarcus to Mt Airy is a pretty good local max for that area and a doable drive). For those that can't I totally understand and I also understand the frustration each storm, I felt it to which is why I moved up here. If you can't beat em join em. 

@wxmeddler did some GIS research about that and came to the same conclusion.

[MDstorm]

Snow total: 5.25"

Very relaxing event as it snowed all day without any breaks (didn't have to sweat dry slots or pivots).  Congrats to those who nurtured this storm through it's ups and downs over the last week. 

 

MDstorm

[Eskimo Joe]

@psuhoffman you talk about long commutes...I used to do New Salem, PA to Gaithersburg, MD via Rt. 27.  Killer.  Sleeping at New Windsor FD saved me so many weeks.

[psuhoffman]

3 minutes ago, Eskimo Joe said:

@psuhoffman you talk about long commutes...I used to do New Salem, PA to Gaithersburg, MD via Rt. 27.  Killer.  Sleeping at New Windsor FD saved me so many weeks.

That's rough. For one year I commuted from Pine Grove PA to Baltimore every day. Over 120 miles each way.  It sucked. What's crazy is I got used to it after a couple months. Now when I have to do that same drive once every long while for family reasons it feels like a stress test gone wrong.  Can't believe I did that. 

[CAPE]

Snow is just tapering off here. I slept through the best part lol. Those are some big fluffy dendrites. Looks like 3" or so, I will measure a bit later. Pretty nice event, even though I got shut out overnight and had hours of pixie dust in between bands earlier today.

I am curious to see some reports out of southern DE. Still some back edge heavy snow bands going through there now. Must be places that will end up 10+ for the whole event, which is impressive given it's early December, and snow climo there closer to the coast is probably 10-12" for the whole winter.