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December 11 Week Event(s)


mitchnick

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43 minutes ago, das said:

Yup. Providence, RI, Burlington, VT, Portland, ME as well. All cities have been paralyzed by an inch of snow before. 

Correct. I think it was just last year we saw a lot of video from Montreal in a similar one inch scenario where cars were all over the place. It's a stupid complaint from people - it isn't the amount, it is the road and air temp to go with the moisture that makes a difference.

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1 hour ago, Eskimo Joe said:

There's been a good deal of research put into the quantitative factors that contribute to this namely:  road temps  < 25 degrees, air temp at start < 32 degrees, and heoght of precip rates coincidong with the AM/PM rush hour.  Cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, Pittsburgh and Nashville also have this problem.

 

57 minutes ago, das said:

Yup. Providence, RI, Burlington, VT, Portland, ME as well. All cities have been paralyzed by an inch of snow before. 

It only makes sense.

I got stuck trying to get from Boston Logan airport to Bedford, MA during an early-season snowfall that happened in early rush hour. It was a real pounding - so not a light snowfall at all - but it took me 7 hours to make that 23-mile trip. And this in a place that sees much more snow than we do on a regular basis. Craziness.

Ob: It’s chilly and cloudy. Hoping for a dusting later. I took the day off, so no worries a out traffic for me!

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1 minute ago, mitchnick said:

It does, but we still need ground and radar confirmation. by 9AM, per the Rgem, there should have been an area of snow out along Skyline Drive that would expand and move east. That's not happening and it's 10.

By 11AM, the radar is supposed to look like this per the Rgem

https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/analysis/models/?model=rgem&region=neus&pkg=ref_frzn&runtime=2017121512&fh=4&xpos=0&ypos=116

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5 minutes ago, mitchnick said:

It does, but we still need ground and radar confirmation. by 9AM, per the Rgem, there should have been an area of snow out along Skyline Drive that would expand and move east. That's not happening and it's 10.

Yeah, but conversely the 12z RGEM doesn't have the stuff modeled up in N MD. 

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Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
951 AM EST Fri Dec 15 2017

.SYNOPSIS...
Low pressure will develop along the North Carolina coast today,
moving northeastward and out to sea tonight. High pressure will
return for Saturday before weak low pressure impacts the area
early next week.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
Latest analysis shows low pressure developing off the North
Carolina coast and an upper-level trough swinging through the
Ohio Valley toward our area.

The upper-level trough will pass through the area today. A
strong jetmax aloft that is associated with the upper-level
trough will swing through late this morning through this
afternoon. Our area will be within the left exit region of the
jetmax and that will enhance lift across our area which will
also lead to the development of a coastal low off the North
Carolina coast. This system is progressive...and that is due to
energy digging into the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies.
This means that the system will not phase in time over our area.

However...the jetmax is potent and this means that precipitation
will develop overhead as it moves through and it will continue
to develop and blossom as it is moving off to the north and
east. Temperatures are cold enough for the p-type to be snow
across our area. The best lift will be across the Washington and
Baltimore metropolitan areas this afternoon into southern and
central Maryland as well as northern Virginia. These areas have
the best chance for accumulating snow...and again with this
system developing overhead and moving northeast...the farther
northeast you go the better chance for accumulating snow.

Most likely snow accumulations are less than an inch south and
west of the Potomac River across northern Virginia to around and
inch near Washington DC...to 1-2 inches near Baltimore and
northeastern Maryland. Farther west across central Virginia into
the Shenandoah Valley...a brief period of light snow is possilbe
late this morning through early afternoon but any accumulation
will be light.

A couple things to point out. First...temperatures were cold
overnight and plenty of cloud cover will prevent temps from
rising too much today. Even for areas that get above
freezing...if it snows temperatures will drop below freezing due
to evaporative cooling. Therefore...any snow that does occur
will stick on paved surfaces and this will cause any untreated
surfaces to become slippery. Slippery untreated surfaces will
affect the evening commute for the Washington and Baltimore
Metropolitan areas even if snow ends before. Second...there is
a tight gradient overhead between no or little snow vs
accumulating snow and that is setting up near the Potomac River.
Therefore...any slight change in the gradient will have a
significant impact on the forecast. This lowers confidence a
bit.

The snow will exit the area between 1 and 3 pm across central
Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley and between 3 and 6 pm for
most other areas. Snow could hold on another hour or two near
Baltimore and extreme northeastern Maryland. High pressure will
build overhead tonight...bringing dry conditions with temps
below freezing. Slick spots that develop on untreated surfaces
will last throughout the night.
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