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February 13, 2021 Ice Storm Obs


WxUSAF
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2 minutes ago, SnowenOutThere said:

Alright we just made a thread how much longer till the storm collapses. On a more serious note it does look pretty likely at least .2 inches of ice should fall and since I have never lived through an actual ice storm what would it be like?  

A quarter inch of ice isn't that uncommon actually. An isolated power outage would be possible. You really don't start getting "crippling" damage until you're above a half inch of ice. Truly severe ice storms approach or exceed the 1 inch mark. 

Even a tenth of an inch though can cause mayhem on the roads if cold enough. Otherwise - .1-.25 ice is usually just pretty up in the trees. Usually...not always. 

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6 minutes ago, SnowenOutThere said:

Alright we just made a thread how much longer till the storm collapses. On a more serious note it does look pretty likely at least .2 inches of ice should fall and since I have never lived through an actual ice storm what would it be like?  

Like your car and everything around you was encased in carbonite. Bring a hammer.

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1 minute ago, high risk said:

Definitely worth remembering that when it comes to freezing rain and temps in the 20s, even if model QPF drops from 0.4" to 0.1", it's still a high-impact event.

trend, yo.  soon it will be 0.1" to tumbleweeds.  frozen ones

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3 minutes ago, SnowenOutThere said:

Alright we just made a thread how much longer till the storm collapses. On a more serious note it does look pretty likely at least .2 inches of ice should fall and since I have never lived through an actual ice storm what would it be like?  

Oh... it is a truck load of fun. I just removed 20 large maple branches/trunks from my neighbors yard and threw out my back in the process. One my favorites parts is releasing my vehicle from their ice cocoons and prying doors open just to get inside. But perhaps my most favorite part is sliding all over the place and busting my ass on the ground. And let's not forget the ice damning on roofs and stuff that will cause your house to leaks in place you never thought were possible. Actually, I am getting excited just typing this... can't wait.

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Just now, H2O said:

trend, yo.  soon it will be 0.1" to tumbleweeds.  frozen ones

Shouldn't you of all people be able to fix the moisture issue? I mean....it's in your username :rolleyes:

Back on topic - it does seem a good chunk of the area will be pretty slick Sat PM to Sun AM. 

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5 minutes ago, high risk said:

Definitely worth remembering that when it comes to freezing rain and temps in the 20s, even if model QPF drops from 0.4" to 0.1", it's still a high-impact event.

Very true, it doesn't take much ice at all especially if it really is that cold.  If anyone remembers the early March 2015 ice event (I think it was on the 1st, a few days before that snow we got), it was nothing heavy...light drizzle or rain, maybe some sleet as well as I recall.  Temperatures were also just below freezing, not as cold as what models are indicating for this Saturday.  Didn't accrue a ton of ice, but it was outright dangerous!!  In broad daylight, in early March no less.

ETA:  Experienced a really bad ice storm in Atlanta in Jan. 1999 (not the Super Bowl one the next year).  Decent precip rates just pouring into that cold air, and it accumulated quite a bit (can't remember exact amounts, but I'd say pushing half inch of ice or so at least some places).  Pine trees and those southern magnolias (which keep their leaves all year) with the huge leaves got absolutely shredded.

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7 minutes ago, eyes2theskies said:

I am driving from Florida to Virginia tomorrow. When do we think the worst of the ice will hit southern VA. I am trying to time my trip its a 17 hour drive all together.

 

Its all clear all day tomorrow...not an issue until saturday morning maybe in VA

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1 hour ago, wawarriors4 said:

this right here, 0.1" of qpf can be a nightmare if it falls at 25 degrees. It may not bring down trees, but travel will be awful

There's so much salt and sand and brine on the roads that they wouldn't need to pretreat them even if the storm dropped a foot of ice.

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Just now, mattie g said:

There's so much salt and sand and brine on the roads that they wouldn't need to pretreat them even if the storm dropped a foot of ice.

There is so much salt I am having a hard time distinguishing between salt accumulations and snow accumulations.

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1 hour ago, wawarriors4 said:

this right here, 0.1" of qpf can be a nightmare if it falls at 25 degrees. It may not bring down trees, but travel will be awful

.02 maybe even worse.   More likely to be overlooked by road crews only expecting some spotty freezing drizzle.  Happened in Kansas city in 2019

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From an impact size, Event #1 could be the bigger event. Prolonged, light ZR / icing events can accrete much faster than heavier precip storms because of less latent heat release and faster accumulation on exposed or elevated surfaces. Unless it's in the low 20s, rainfall rates above 0.2"/hour won't convert to ice fast.

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3 minutes ago, mattie g said:

Fairfax County has dropped so much salt on the roads recently that Scipio Africanus doesn't have any left to sow into the fields of Carthage.

I do not post often but as a fan of Gladiator, that is hilarious.  

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