Where have all the cowboys (I mean clippers) gone?

[Hoosier]

So this is a subject that gets bantered about from time to time, and I'd like to get some input.

I think most of us here share the perception that these types of systems have not been occurring in the subforum as frequently as they used to.  But as they say, perception is not necessarily reality.  I wonder if there is a convenient way to objectively determine this or if we're just left to our own recollections.

Let's side with our groupthink though and say that clipper systems are occurring less often.  What are some potential reasons for this, and is it just a temporary down cycle or is there reason to think that this could be some kind of new normal?

[cyclone77]

13 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

So this is a subject that gets bantered about from time to time, and I'd like to get some input.

I think most of us here share the perception that these types of systems have not been occurring in the subforum as frequently as they used to.  But as they say, perception is not necessarily reality.  I wonder if there is a convenient way to objectively determine this or if we're just left to our own recollections.

Let's side with our groupthink though and say that clipper systems are occurring less often.  What are some potential reasons for this, and is it just a temporary down cycle or is there reason to think that this could be some kind of new normal?

Was just thinking this earlier actually, that we don't get nearly as many clippers as we used to.  Also seem to be lacking in icing events as well.  Also while I'm at it, seem to be lacking in the big storms that used to wrap up and throw us into the dry tongue.  Used to always loathe the dry tongue, but now kind of miss it.  Man that sounded kind of weird lol.

Seems that we mostly get progressive/positively tilted pos lately, especially the kind that down-trend in the final 48hrs.

[nwohweather]

2 minutes ago, cyclone77 said:

Was just thinking this earlier actually, that we don't get nearly as many clippers as we used to.  Also seem to be lacking in icing events as well.  Also while I'm at it, seem to be lacking in the big storms that used to wrap up and throw us into the dry tongue.  Used to always loathe the dry tongue, but now kind of miss it.  Man that sounded kind of weird lol.

Seems that we mostly get progressive/positively tilted pos lately, especially the kind that down-trend in the final 48hrs.

Explains why the TN Valley over into the mid South gets severe outbreak after outbreak.  Also who needs clippers from the Pacific when you can get atmospheric rivers?

[beavis1729]

Maybe it's the +AMO cycle (which should be ending soon after nearly 30 years), and lack of +PNA.  We need the "blob" (warm water by Alaska) to appear again, like in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

[michsnowfreak]

Admittedly I'm not always the best at remembering what type of event any given snowfall was. I remember the amount, but not always what it was.  But this is actually an interesting topic because I too have noticed we don't seem to get as many clippers as we used to in the 1990s, but we get a lot more snow now than we did back then too. Back then they were our bread-and-butter and now they just make occasional appearances. And cyclone mentioned icing. Back in the 1940s and 1950s we had way more ice storms amd glazing events than we do now, but way less snow. 

 

[hardypalmguy]

Maybe it's the +AMO cycle (which should be ending soon after nearly 30 years), and lack of +PNA.  We need the "blob" (warm water by Alaska) to appear again, like in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

No way. That blob of warm water kept us in persistent troughs.

[Powerball]

On 1/11/2023 at 12:47 PM, cyclone77 said:

Also while I'm at it, seem to be lacking in the big storms that used to wrap up and throw us into the dry tongue.  Used to always loathe the dry tongue, but now kind of miss it.  Man that sounded kind of weird lol.

Seems that we mostly get progressive/positively tilted pos lately, especially the kind that down-trend in the final 48hrs.

Indeed.

[RogueWaves]

Was treated very well last winter with 5 or 6 so prolly due a break this winter tbh. But over all they have been less frequent during the last 3-4 winters replaced by numerous hybrids it would seem. 

[Great Snow 1717]

On 1/11/2023 at 1:31 PM, Hoosier said:

So this is a subject that gets bantered about from time to time, and I'd like to get some input.

I think most of us here share the perception that these types of systems have not been occurring in the subforum as frequently as they used to.  But as they say, perception is not necessarily reality.  I wonder if there is a convenient way to objectively determine this or if we're just left to our own recollections.

Let's side with our groupthink though and say that clipper systems are occurring less often.  What are some potential reasons for this, and is it just a temporary down cycle or is there reason to think that this could be some kind of new normal?

One thing that may be playing a role is the lack of cold fronts. Fewer cold fronts lead to fewer clippers.  Also the dividing line between cool/cold air and mild/warm air is further north leading to storms developing further north.  Often times the "Montreal Express" was introduced by a clipper system. Now that rarely happens.

[michsnowfreak]

1 hour ago, Great Snow 1717 said:

One thing that may be playing a role is the lack of cold fronts. Fewer cold fronts lead to fewer clippers.  Also the dividing line between cool/cold air and mild/warm air is further north leading to storms developing further north.  Often times the "Montreal Express" was introduced by a clipper system. Now that rarely happens.

This milder Winter notwithstanding, we've been seeing less clippers for years even in colder winters with many cold fronts. We've not had a problem getting snow from many other ways, but they hey day of clippers seems past.

[hardypalmguy]

If you want clippers, you're heading to the US/Canadian border now.

[michsnowfreak]

1 hour ago, hardypalmguy said:

If you want clippers, you're heading to the US/Canadian border now.

Not true. For whatever reason clippers, while they occur, are just less frequent overall.  Locally we had more clippers but less snow overall in the 1990s then we get now. Go figure.

[hardypalmguy]

Not true. For whatever reason clippers, while they occur, are just less frequent overall.  Locally we had more clippers but less snow overall in the 1990s then we get now. Go figure.

Yeah I remember clippers all the time as a kid. Now they are nonexistent.

[RogueWaves]

On 2/7/2023 at 5:51 PM, michsnowfreak said:

Not true. For whatever reason clippers, while they occur, are just less frequent overall.  Locally we had more clippers but less snow overall in the 1990s then we get now. Go figure.

On 2/7/2023 at 7:32 PM, hardypalmguy said:

Yeah I remember clippers all the time as a kid. Now they are nonexistent.

Most of last winter was clippers delivering the goods here. They aren't extinct, just on the "rarely sighted" list

[buckeye]

We still get them... it's just that they are now drippers instead of clippers.

 

[zinski1990]

I just miss the winters in the 2000s besides 2001-02 and early to mid 2010s except of course 11-12. Seems like its sucked ever since 2015 honestly. Indys been way below average in snow every year since then. 2017-18 was probably closest to average.