Central PA - Winter 2021/2022

[Blizzard of 93]

13 minutes ago, Festus said:

Great stuff.  Was also an avid Weather World watcher.  Paul & Fred, Elliot Abrams, Joe Sobel, Joe Bastardi (what the heck happened?), Lee Grenci, etc.  Seemed like Elliot was everywhere back in those days as Accuweather must have had exclusive contracts with local radio.  I even won the Snowflake contest a few times and the grand prize in the trivia contest once (one year subscription to Weather Bell).  Hardly ever used it, lol.

They had the most in depth info of anything that most of us had access to back then. Many great forecasters on there that I learned a ton from when I was growing up.

[canderson]

I’d sit and watch the weather channel for hours when I was little. But being in Texas it was the local weather guys during storms or hurricane season where I really learned about weather. 

[Voyager]

1 hour ago, TimB84 said:

It amazes me how many of “that kid” there are. I had no idea. I didn’t know any other weather nerds growing up, but I also spent a lot of time making hypothetical forecasts, following actual stats, watching hours of the Weather Channel and tuning into all three local news broadcasts at 6:15-6:20 every evening, tracking storms

I was that kid as well. So much so that my second grade teacher made me the "official" classroom weatherman. She even provided me with one of those flannel maps that you could (if I'm remembering correctly, it was 37 years ago) stick another flannel object to. She had made me fronts, suns, clouds, snowflakes, and raindrops, and every morning I would arrange them on the map like a TV met would.

Too bad I didn't pursue that passion, do better in school, and get a meteorlogical degree.

[KPITSnow]

2 hours ago, TimB84 said:

It amazes me how many of “that kid” there are. I had no idea. I didn’t know any other weather nerds growing up, but I also spent a lot of time making hypothetical forecasts, following actual stats, watching hours of the Weather Channel and tuning into all three local news broadcasts at 6:15-6:20 every evening, tracking storms and being thrilled when they panned out and devastated when they didn’t. Back then I probably thought it was kind of exciting when Pittsburgh got to 100 that day in the summer of ‘95 (I was too young to understand the magnitude of 1988), but I have no use for heat records now and even less use for warm winters. Even so, things haven’t changed enough to ruin this hobby for me yet, outside of maybe that 18 month period in 2016-2017 when every single month had above normal temperatures here.

I remember in the 90's getting into the 60's in February was outlandish. I asked my mom to let me wear shorts, but I think she just didn't want to wash them haha.

In general though, we get less cold snaps, less big storms, and less snow in general. It used to be not unusual at all to get squalls and clippers in November and it just doesn't happen anymore. I remember PIrates games in September with snow mixing in. Now we often don't see our first flakes till mid november.

That may all be anecdotal, and maybe it is just weenie kid me misremembering, but from the early 90's till the mid 2000's it seemed we had more big storms, more front end thumps, more LES events, and more overperforming clippers. I can't remember how many miller b's we had that gave 3-5 of snow, then ice, then maybe rain at the end. I can't really remember the amount of clippers we had that were consistent 1-3 or 2-4 events. I also absolutely remember tons of days where LES set up over us so we got a couple inches, and days where squalls popped whiteout conditions and dropped an inch or two in an hour in the fall. 

Again, this is anecdotal, but it feels something has 100% changed.

[KPITSnow]

2 hours ago, TimB84 said:

It amazes me how many of “that kid” there are. I had no idea. I didn’t know any other weather nerds growing up, but I also spent a lot of time making hypothetical forecasts, following actual stats, watching hours of the Weather Channel and tuning into all three local news broadcasts at 6:15-6:20 every evening, tracking storms and being thrilled when they panned out and devastated when they didn’t. Back then I probably thought it was kind of exciting when Pittsburgh got to 100 that day in the summer of ‘95 (I was too young to understand the magnitude of 1988), but I have no use for heat records now and even less use for warm winters. Even so, things haven’t changed enough to ruin this hobby for me yet, outside of maybe that 18 month period in 2016-2017 when every single month had above normal temperatures here.

Oh, we had a 6-8 inch snowstorm on Halloween in 1993. Just off the top of my head, we had a foot storm before xmas in 92, the blizzard of 93, the halloween storm, the 20 inch storm in January of 94, then the 96 blizzard.

[TimB]

28 minutes ago, KPITSnow said:

I remember in the 90's getting into the 60's in February was outlandish. I asked my mom to let me wear shorts, but I think she just didn't want to wash them haha.

In general though, we get less cold snaps, less big storms, and less snow in general. It used to be not unusual at all to get squalls and clippers in November and it just doesn't happen anymore. I remember PIrates games in September with snow mixing in. Now we often don't see our first flakes till mid november.

That may all be anecdotal, and maybe it is just weenie kid me misremembering, but from the early 90's till the mid 2000's it seemed we had more big storms, more front end thumps, more LES events, and more overperforming clippers. I can't remember how many miller b's we had that gave 3-5 of snow, then ice, then maybe rain at the end. I can't really remember the amount of clippers we had that were consistent 1-3 or 2-4 events. I also absolutely remember tons of days where LES set up over us so we got a couple inches, and days where squalls popped whiteout conditions and dropped an inch or two in an hour in the fall. 

Again, this is anecdotal, but it feels something has 100% changed.

 

20 minutes ago, KPITSnow said:

Oh, we had a 6-8 inch snowstorm on Halloween in 1993. Just off the top of my head, we had a foot storm before xmas in 92, the blizzard of 93, the halloween storm, the 20 inch storm in January of 94, then the 96 blizzard.

This is very anecdotal. There were some abysmal winters in Pittsburgh in the ‘90s, including ‘92-93 until that switch flipped in mid-February. Further, every year of the ‘90s reached 60 in either January or February or both, and it was 2/4 or earlier in all but 1992 (2/22) and 1994 (2/18). It got to 70 in February twice in the ‘90s. There were three winters that were above normal snowfall (yes, all three were way above normal snowfall), but there were also 3 years with snowfall totals in the 20s and ‘90-‘91 ended with 17.2” at PIT. The big events you mention were memorable, but outside of those it was a bad decade for snow in general. Early 2000s were a bit better.

[Burghblizz]

Your “model runs” were the Weather Channel 5 day business planner. If those hit a couple times in a row, then I started watching locals. If they started mentioning it, I’d  wait for the orange screen on TWC for the Winter Storm Watch. 

I mean, I wouldn’t trade today’s direct access to models, message boards, internet, etc. But still very nostalgic about those times. 

[TugHillMatt]

1 minute ago, Burghblizz said:

Your “model runs” were the Weather Channel 5 day business planner. If those hit a couple times in a row, then I started watching locals. If they started mentioning it, I’d  wait for the orange screen on TWC for the Winter Storm Watch. 

I mean, I wouldn’t trade today’s direct access to models, message boards, internet, etc. But still very nostalgic about those times. 

Waiting for the red scrolling screen with the loud beeping was an exciting time...watch or warning coming!

[Burghblizz]

7 minutes ago, TimB84 said:

 

This is very anecdotal. There were some abysmal winters in Pittsburgh in the ‘90s, including ‘92-93 until that switch flipped in mid-February. Further, every year of the ‘90s reached 60 in either January or February or both, and it was 2/4 or earlier in all but 1992 (2/22) and 1994 (2/18). It got to 70 in February twice in the ‘90s. There were three winters that were above normal snowfall (yes, all three were way above normal snowfall), but there were also 3 years with snowfall totals in the 20s and ‘90-‘91 ended with 17.2” at PIT. The big events you mention were memorable, but outside of those it was a bad decade for snow in general. Early 2000s were a bit better.

That 37 months from Dec 92 to Jan 96 had a LOT of snow. It was more than a few big storms. That’s my favorite extended period. Best month was 2.10.

https://www.weather.gov/media/pbz/records/hissnow.pdf

[KPITSnow]

1 hour ago, TimB84 said:

 

This is very anecdotal. There were some abysmal winters in Pittsburgh in the ‘90s, including ‘92-93 until that switch flipped in mid-February. Further, every year of the ‘90s reached 60 in either January or February or both, and it was 2/4 or earlier in all but 1992 (2/22) and 1994 (2/18). It got to 70 in February twice in the ‘90s. There were three winters that were above normal snowfall (yes, all three were way above normal snowfall), but there were also 3 years with snowfall totals in the 20s and ‘90-‘91 ended with 17.2” at PIT. The big events you mention were memorable, but outside of those it was a bad decade for snow in general. Early 2000s were a bit better.

92 had a 10-12 inch storm before Christmas? 

[TimB]

24 minutes ago, KPITSnow said:

92 had a 10-12 inch storm before Christmas? 

And that’s it. 19.3” through like 2/9/93.

[MAG5035]

25 minutes ago, KPITSnow said:

92 had a 10-12 inch storm before Christmas? 

Yup, there’s also part 1-9 of coverage of this on Youtube, since you guys have been reminiscing about old school TWC. Jeff Morrow traveled west from H-burg to Breezewood to cover the snow. 

This was a huge storm, especially between here and Pittsburgh but this area had about 2 feet. State College had 18” despite turning to mix/rain mid-storm. 

[Rd9108]

1 hour ago, MAG5035 said:

Yup, there’s also part 1-9 of coverage of this on Youtube, since you guys have been reminiscing about old school TWC. Jeff Morrow traveled west from H-burg to Breezewood to cover the snow. 

This was a huge storm, especially between here and Pittsburgh but this area had about 2 feet. State College had 18” despite turning to mix/rain mid-storm. 

looks like Pittsburgh was fringed 

[Burghblizz]

1 hour ago, Rd9108 said:

looks like Pittsburgh was fringed 

It was a solid foot in the city, but it was an epic storm 50 miles east. 

[Rd9108]

44 minutes ago, Burghblizz said:

It was a solid foot in the city, but it was an epic storm 50 miles east. 

Yeah that would have been hard to track nowadays seeing 3ft so close. Imagine 3 almost 2 ft storms within almost a year apart dec 1992, March 93, jan94. Insane 

[Festus]

HWO for Lanco for freezing drizzle.  WWA issued for neighboring counties east and south.

[Blizzard of 93]

If Valentine’s Day snow doesn’t work out, then the 0z GFS gives us another chance on President’s weekend.

 

[RitualOfTheTrout]

9 hours ago, Rd9108 said:

Yeah that would have been hard to track nowadays seeing 3ft so close. Imagine 3 almost 2 ft storms within almost a year apart dec 1992, March 93, jan94. Insane 

Yeah I was like 12ish and really started getting into trying to understand the science behind weather. Checking out books at the library, reading the encyclopedia etc. My ideal winter was formed in the 92-96 period, no wonder I have unrealistic expectations lol.

[Voyager]

6 minutes ago, Blizzard of 93 said:

If Valentine’s Day snow doesn’t work out, then the 0z GFS gives us another chance on President’s weekend.

 

So the great and powerful Oz may finally give us some snow...

[TimB]

14 hours ago, Burghblizz said:

That 37 months from Dec 92 to Jan 96 had a LOT of snow. It was more than a few big storms. That’s my favorite extended period. Best month was 2.10.

https://www.weather.gov/media/pbz/records/hissnow.pdf

I’m not diminishing the significance of that period, as it was almost certainly the best 4 year period Pittsburgh has ever had for snowfall. Just addressing the assertion that the 90s in general were by far superior to more recent years, there were tons of warm periods and snowless periods and several winterless winters outside of that great period. So yes, while I’m fairly certain that “something has changed” since the ‘90s, it’s not the quality of winters from purely a total snowfall perspective.

[paweather]

17 minutes ago, Blizzard of 93 said:

If Valentine’s Day snow doesn’t work out, then the 0z GFS gives us another chance on President’s weekend.

 

We need something Blizz other than dry and warm. Let's hope

[TimB]

17 minutes ago, Voyager said:

So the great and powerful Oz may finally give us some snow...

Did he promise that as part of his Senate campaign? If so, he’s got my vote. Oh, not that Oz. Carry on.

[paweather5]

euro for valentine’s Day, no support but man if they get hit again. 
 

[mahantango#1]

 This is weather related. People will disagree with this (not all) people think all Robin's leave and head south. But being out doors and observing, some Robin's stay here throughout the fall and winter. I have heard and seen them throughout the fall and winter. In the fall and winter they stay in flocks 15-20 or more. In the fall and winter they fly high in the sky and stay in the trees. When the time is right in the spring that flock will come down to the ground to search for worms. Then they split from the flock status. Then they are mated up with another Robin to breed and raise their young. Yesterday afternoon there was a flock of at least 20 Robin's down on the ground at my place (where the creek flooded the bottom land and receded) looking for worms. Could this be a sign that maybe just maybe that winter is soon over?

[Mount Joy Snowman]

So, since it appears we are in for a rather mundane week of weather, I thought we'd play a little game.  I have a nice shiny nickel for the person who can tell me what mountain is pictured in my profile pic.  Your one and only hint is that it resides in the United States of America.  No cheating with whatever high tech image search crap is available haha.  Board bragging rights on the line, let's hear it!

[pasnownut]

2 minutes ago, Mount Joy Snowman said:

So, since it appears we are in for a rather mundane week of weather, I thought we'd play a little game.  I have a nice shiny nickel for the person who can tell me what mountain is pictured in my profile pic.  Your one and only hint is that it resides in the United States of America.  No cheating with whatever high tech image search crap is available haha.  Board bragging rights on the line, let's hear it!

mt hood

[Mount Joy Snowman]

2 minutes ago, pasnownut said:

mt hood

No but good guess.

[TimB]

5 minutes ago, Mount Joy Snowman said:

So, since it appears we are in for a rather mundane week of weather, I thought we'd play a little game.  I have a nice shiny nickel for the person who can tell me what mountain is pictured in my profile pic.  Your one and only hint is that it resides in the United States of America.  No cheating with whatever high tech image search crap is available haha.  Board bragging rights on the line, let's hear it!

That’s the great Mt Shasta for sure.

[Mount Joy Snowman]

4 minutes ago, TimB84 said:

That’s the great Mt Shasta for sure.

Ding ding ding we have a winner!  Wow that went faster than I thought it would.  Should have known the sleuths on this board would solve it quickly.  But yes Shasta indeed, one of the most majestic mountains anywhere for my money.  Great job TimB!  I'll send you that nickel ASAP 

[TimB]

1 minute ago, Mount Joy Snowman said:

Ding ding ding we have a winner!  Wow that went faster than I thought it would.  Should have known the sleuths on this board would solve it quickly.  But yes Shasta indeed, one of the most majestic mountains anywhere for my money.  Great job TimB!  I'll send you that nickel ASAP 

I fancy myself a bit of a geography buff, though I’d have to say my skills pale in comparison to yours.