Central PA Winter 23/24

[MAG5035]

At 6”, with heavy snow and 32/32ºF. I think there’s been some compacting too with the marginal temps. This event started around 630am here, what a beat down. 

Roads have been a mess, haven’t heard too many bad accidents on the scanner but lots of stuck cars. 

[MAG5035]

[CarlislePaWx]

Here in Carlisle...zero snow to report with this event.  Rain began about 2 hours ago and has been heavy for a while already.  I've picked up 0.25" of rain in just 2 hours.  Temp was 32.7 at the start of the rain and it has only risen to 33.4.

I also forgot to post the finals on the storm from Saturday.  I recorded 4.9" of snow and 0.1" of sleet for a frozen storm total of 5.0".  The snow melted down to 0.60" of liquid.  There was likely a little bit of sleet that made it in to the gauge before I brought it inside to melt it.  The SLR was 12:1 (which likely was closer to 10:1).  Then, after the transition to rain, I recorded another 0.77".  Nearly all of this fell before midnight.  The storm total liquid was 1.37" which is in line with many others here.

[Itstrainingtime]

10 minutes ago, MAG5035 said:

At 6”, with heavy snow and 32/32ºF. I think there’s been some compacting too with the marginal temps. This event started around 630am here, what a beat down. 

Roads have been a mess, haven’t heard too many bad accidents on the scanner but lots of stuck cars. 

That's awesome! Averaging 1.5"/hour rates for 4 consecutive hours - great stuff right there. 

[pawatch]

1 hour ago, MAG5035 said:

A look at 511pa cams in the Laurels still shows mostly snow on the cams in Somerset Co all the way down to Meyersdale and the cam on the Somerset/Westmoreland line. Mixing or rain on those cams are usually a sign of such things here soon, so probably have some time yet here. I’m at about 5” now so it’s becoming very likely I’m going to verify a warning out of this. 

 

It’s funny how all this works after Saturday’s storm haha. I wonder if the high pressure to the north was underestimated, even with the HRRR. 

Darn Mag, nice little surprise storm for you!

[pasnownut]

18 minutes ago, MAG5035 said:

At 6”, with heavy snow and 32/32ºF. I think there’s been some compacting too with the marginal temps. This event started around 630am here, what a beat down. 

Roads have been a mess, haven’t heard too many bad accidents on the scanner but lots of stuck cars. 

Congrats Mag.  Enjoy

[MAG5035]

4 minutes ago, Itstrainingtime said:

That's awesome! Averaging 1.5"/hour rates for 4 consecutive hours - great stuff right there. 

This is easily the best snowstorm I’ve ever seen come from a straight cutter. Blue Knob Ski Resort claims a foot has fallen up there this morning.

[dj3]

3 minutes ago, MAG5035 said:

This is easily the best snowstorm I’ve ever seen come from a straight cutter. Blue Knob Ski Resort claims a foot has fallen up there this morning.

My in laws in Johnstown are saying they have around 7 inches new. Sounds like this was pretty unexpected up that way? Either way nice to see some central PA brethren cash in. Slushy mess down in Pittsburgh early this AM but been all rain since 8 or so.

[mitchnick]

Icon now giving us snow next week. Very 6z Gfs'esq. We're  basically on the cold side of the boundary that results in overrunning. It'll changeat 0z, so...

[pasnownut]

Central and northern snow cams are just beautiful.  Enjoy it while you can lucky buggers.  

 

[pasnownut]

1 minute ago, mitchnick said:

Icon now giving us snow next week. Very 6z Gfs'esq. We're  basically on the cold side of the boundary that results in overrunning. It'll changeat 0z, so...

.....we'll enjoy it for 12 hrs. 

[jm1220]

2 minutes ago, pasnownut said:

Central and northern snow cams are just beautiful.  Enjoy it while you can lucky buggers.  

 

Exactly how you want a cutter like this to come in so snow is maximized-come in like a white wall so the temps don’t rise or crawl upward at the surface and mid levels like it would during breaks in the precip and into a big high pressure so overrunning is maxed out. Wish we had a big positive bust like this when I was at PSU. I remember disappointment one after another when I was there 2005-09. I know these are really tough to come by in central PA so enjoy! 

[MAG5035]

5 minutes ago, dj3 said:

My in laws in Johnstown are saying they have around 7 inches new. Sounds like this was pretty unexpected up that way? Either way nice to see some central PA brethren cash in. Slushy mess down in Pittsburgh early this AM but been all rain since 8 or so.

 

A couple inches were expected even up that way but definitely nothing like this. The Cresson Summit and Gallitzen 511 cameras look nuts right now. 

[skiier04]

Fun AFD from CTP this morning 

 

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
Yesterday`s signal for a front end snow thump has materialized
with areas from the Laurels through the WC and C Mountains
having seen a quick 2 to 5 inch accumulation this morning.
Dramatic snowfall rates and reflectivities have accompanied
the heavy snow, with some of the largest aggregates I`ve seen
occasionally tripping DP hydrometeor hail classifiction.

The warm air is on the move and messy mix to to sleet and rain
is occurring from south to north, slowest over the Laurel
Highlands and WC Mountains. Here at Innovation Park southeast of
campus, we have repeatedly gone from heavy snow to mixed sleet
and rain and back again several times. Strong forcing will keep
this back and forth transition going through midday, with
additional coatings of high SLR slush across the central and
south. Best additional snow accumulations will be north of I-80
with again a general 2 to 5 inches expected before the warm air
wins by late afternoon.

9:15 AM: 4.3 inches measured at Penn State Altoona and a 5.4"
from our Glencoe observer from this morning`s burst of heavy
snowfall. Transition to sleet and rain occurring central and
south with minimal additional snow accumulations south of I-80,
but we`ll see similar 2 to 4 inch amounts up to parts of McKean
and Potter through the midday hours. No additional updates at
this time.

805 AM: Doubled snow amounts into the central mountains
as 1.5-2" per hour rates are lifting across the area. KCCX
WSR-88D sampling of aggregates bumped hydrometeor classification
into hail, a first that I`ve seen. In the bizarre category, a
large flock of starlings simultaneously flew over our office at
Innovation Park (between State College and UNV). Very possible
that this large biological target was being sampled along with
the heavy snow. A general 2 to 5" range is now being mentioned
for the Winter Weather Advisory, which we`ve expanded to include
Elk, Cameron, Potter, McKean and Clinton Counties

[MAG5035]

Between 6.5-7” now, heavy rates. 32/32ºF

[pasnownut]

6 minutes ago, jm1220 said:

Exactly how you want a cutter like this to come in so snow is maximized-come in like a white wall so the temps don’t rise or crawl upward at the surface and mid levels like it would during breaks in the precip and into a big high pressure so overrunning is maxed out. Wish we had a big positive bust like this when I was at PSU. I remember disappointment one after another when I was there 2005-09. I know these are really tough to come by in central PA so enjoy! 

on occasion we've seen SLP go far enough W such that the warm air intrusion was lessend, which give some a little extra time before warm air scours out thermals.  Like you said, doesnt happen often, but it happens.  CAD feature was consistantly showing up for a while, even though many were too snakebit to believe.  Thats why I love this game...always keeps us guessing.  

[skiier04]

8 minutes ago, MAG5035 said:

Between 6.5-7” now, heavy rates. 32/32ºF

Wow surprised you're still holding on and impressive totals! Seems like some rain mixing in with some lighter rates here now. But that was a fun one. Heavier snow this morning than I saw anytime on Saturday. Eyeballing about 3" imby

[Mount Joy Snowman]

CTP upping the totals bigly, as expected....probably still low in a number of spots.....

[MAG5035]

2 minutes ago, skiier04 said:

Fun AFD from CTP this morning 

 

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
Yesterday`s signal for a front end snow thump has materialized
with areas from the Laurels through the WC and C Mountains
having seen a quick 2 to 5 inch accumulation this morning.
Dramatic snowfall rates and reflectivities have accompanied
the heavy snow, with some of the largest aggregates I`ve seen
occasionally tripping DP hydrometeor hail classifiction.

The warm air is on the move and messy mix to to sleet and rain
is occurring from south to north, slowest over the Laurel
Highlands and WC Mountains. Here at Innovation Park southeast of
campus, we have repeatedly gone from heavy snow to mixed sleet
and rain and back again several times. Strong forcing will keep
this back and forth transition going through midday, with
additional coatings of high SLR slush across the central and
south. Best additional snow accumulations will be north of I-80
with again a general 2 to 5 inches expected before the warm air
wins by late afternoon.

9:15 AM: 4.3 inches measured at Penn State Altoona and a 5.4"
from our Glencoe observer from this morning`s burst of heavy
snowfall. Transition to sleet and rain occurring central and
south with minimal additional snow accumulations south of I-80,
but we`ll see similar 2 to 4 inch amounts up to parts of McKean
and Potter through the midday hours. No additional updates at
this time.

805 AM: Doubled snow amounts into the central mountains
as 1.5-2" per hour rates are lifting across the area. KCCX
WSR-88D sampling of aggregates bumped hydrometeor classification
into hail, a first that I`ve seen. In the bizarre category, a
large flock of starlings simultaneously flew over our office at
Innovation Park (between State College and UNV). Very possible
that this large biological target was being sampled along with
the heavy snow. A general 2 to 5" range is now being mentioned
for the Winter Weather Advisory, which we`ve expanded to include
Elk, Cameron, Potter, McKean and Clinton Counties

That 4.3” report at 915am was from me, and I reported 6” to them when i reached it a little while ago. That is a pretty wild disco with the CCX radar, likely a result of the record anomalous moisture influx from the Gulf. 

What a presentation on satellite

 

[MAG5035]

8 minutes ago, skiier04 said:

Wow surprised you're still holding on and impressive totals! Seems like some rain mixing in with some lighter rates here now. But that was a fun one. Heavier snow this morning than I saw anytime on Saturday. Eyeballing about 3" imby

Yea this is a really unique setup, CTP had noted a lot of mixing at the office there in State College. It’s almost like a valley to valley difference.  I briefly had mixing when I made that report at 915am, figured that was going to be it. Then it went back to snow and it resumed piling up. The CC product is starting to close in now, so it won’t be long. I actually am just starting to hear some pings. 

[pasnownut]

If only we had HP up north for the next one, I'd consider a road trip, but looks pretty wet...w/ little white. 

Then we set the table for the next week.  Nooners at 500 are more of a progressive look (like last weekends event...just notably colder wrt thermals), so hoping us SE'rs dont taint.  If one believes GFS...theres nothing to worry about cause there aint no storm to fret abt.  

 

[CoralRed]

I just checked and we are due for more rain and warmth here in Williamsport than when I last checked overnight. Temp 54 at 11p, 53 at midnight then by 7a Wednesday down to around 40 where we stay for daylight hours tomorrow. About 2.25 on rain, before was under 2. We have been getting more snow too but of course that won't last on ground for long. Temps dropped a bit since snow started, from 36 around 8a to 33 now. 

Very glad I don't have to leave house later when rain and wind pounding.

[skiier04]

1 minute ago, MAG5035 said:

Yea this is a really unique setup, CTP had noted a lot of mixing at the office there in State College. It’s almost like a valley to valley difference.  I briefly had mixing when I made that report at 915am, figured that was going to be it. Then it went back to snow and it resumed piling up. The CC product is starting to close in now, so it won’t be long. I actually am just starting to hear some pings. 

Yeah similar story here... told the wife the snow was done after we went to sleet/rain around 9AM... then it changed back to heavy snow for a while longer... there goes my met credibility 

Wishing I would've made the predawn drive up to Blue Knob now.... was tempting to still try it after I saw they opened the whole mountain but I imagine it's still gonna get pretty wet and nasty up there very soon.

[pasnownut]

9 minutes ago, skiier04 said:

Yeah similar story here... told the wife the snow was done after we went to sleet/rain around 9AM... then it changed back to heavy snow for a while longer... there goes my met credibility 

Wishing I would've made the predawn drive up to Blue Knob now.... was tempting to still try it after I saw they opened the whole mountain but I imagine it's still gonna get pretty wet and nasty up there very soon.

not often you get to hit 12" of fresh ungroomed snow.  Go get it....and like NOW.  

[paweather]

Per JB turnaround is next week with the coastal storm, that Mag pointed out, and then the cold. We shall see. 

[Itstrainingtime]

32 minutes ago, MAG5035 said:

That 4.3” report at 915am was from me, and I reported 6” to them when i reached it a little while ago. That is a pretty wild disco with the CCX radar, likely a result of the record anomalous moisture influx from the Gulf. 

What a presentation on satellite

 

As an all weather (except severe) geek, all I can say is - even without an ounce of wintry precip falling here...that is an absolute beaut of a storm. I love images like this...

[anotherman]

20 minutes ago, Itstrainingtime said:

As an all weather (except severe) geek, all I can say is - even without an ounce of wintry precip falling here...that is an absolute beaut of a storm. I love images like this...

Reminds me of March '93 satellite presentation.....

[pasnownut]

Northern Pa right now.  Hearing totals of over 14" otg. in Cambria county.  Of course not a trained spotter, but if you wanna see his pic I'll share that too.  

 

[str8liner]

Just changed to rain here after we got about 7 inches.  

Ought to be quite a mess later on.

[str8liner]

28 minutes ago, Itstrainingtime said:

As an all weather (except severe) geek, all I can say is - even without an ounce of wintry precip falling here...that is an absolute beaut of a storm. I love images like this...

 

Wow. Wish it would have came up the coast. Would have had the biggest snowstorm in years around my area.