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Central PA Winter 2024/2025


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1 hour ago, Bubbler86 said:

Interesting and obvious thoughts in the MA forum.  I say obvious because they are but not sure I had thought of it yet.   We were so gung ho on using Kuch because of the antecedent cold air but if one looks at the 10-1 maps maybe the model outputs were a bit more realistic.  QPF in Lanco was 2-3" on a lot of outputs....10-1 that is 2-3" of snow.  It is almost 30 degrees here right now.  Kuch may have over done it this time (sometimes Kuch is lower of course but obviously much higher up this way for this storm.)

I think their lower ratios down there were more of a result of what was going on aloft, especially in the mid levels. Here’s some mesoanalysis maps at 11z this morning one at 700mb and the other at 850mb.  At 700mb, a lot of that subforum was between -2º to -4ºC and was so overnight during the bulk of their snowfall. Cold enough to maintain the snow column of course but those are very warm temps at that level, and would have promoted poor snow crystal growth. They had the better forcing at the 850mb level  and 850mb temps were roughly the same as the 700mb temps.

700mb at 11z

image.thumb.png.025da5ef4ca45a7d6d015c79a207c7ba.png

 

850mb at 11z

image.thumb.png.022f0b051f4008160d16638bc1078af5.png

 

These 850mb and 700mb features were also fairly far to the north, especially the 700mb low.. which was why the best lift probably ended up where it did this morning. I’ve mentioned the secondary max a couple times since Friday, and noted the Euro had it about where it actually ended up on its 12z run yesterday. I didn’t anticipate the big separation between the two though. I expected the 700mb forcing to be in position to boost totals in the bottom two tiers of PA counties. I also expected the meso models to at least pick up on this stuff a little bit prior to the event arriving. They really didn’t.. the northern PA band ended up being more of a nowcasting deal. This was already a fairly progressive system given the setup and positive trough orientation, and I think it just ended up being more so in the end. 

On 1/5/2025 at 2:31 PM, MAG5035 said:

One thing at the mesoscale level I noticed on the 12z Euro is that despite it remaining on the lighter side with overall snowfall it managed to have a secondary band of enhanced QPF that extended from Pittsburgh to Clearfield to Williamsport, giving our northern folks in those spots approx 2-4”. Stuff like that will be need watched for on the meso models as we get close to start time. 

On 1/3/2025 at 1:49 PM, MAG5035 said:

I’m not budging from my original thinking quite yet of advisory snows I-80 south and warning snow potential in the bottom two tiers of counties across C-PA. I may eventually concede one or both of those tiers but I want to see the short range play out more, as we’re just barely into range of the NAM/RGEM and not even into the longer HRRR range. That stuff is going to see how the overall precip shield sets up better. I think we’ll still eventually see a more widespread snow shield into PA even if it’s lighter snows and we concede the whole swath of 6”+ to the DC folks. But if that happens the northern tier above 80 and especially NE PA might not see much.

Other thing to consider may be a secondary swath of higher snowfall due to better ratios. Lift would be further aloft (700mb level or a bit higher) in a further south solution and temps are plenty cold up there for good snow growth in that scenario with this storm and on down the column as well (less than -8ºC at 850mb on the Euro)

 

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Will chime in with some others who said it, without a phase, how does that come up the coast?  Not directed at your post, model discussion. 
image.thumb.png.4a47f026a94801089dbd0491e45c01fb.png
 

It likely doesnt come up at all and will be a southern slider wave. Need that southern shortwave to come out in full or at least a big enough piece to let the northern branch dive into it and take on a negative tilt. Bottom line is the players are there and the GFS has shown what COULD happen if it does phase. Who knows if it will or wont…yet


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Just now, DDweatherman said:

If I didn't know any better, I'd say were going to do okay here the next few hours @Bubbler86 @mitchnick based on the radar. Filling in nicely and some heavier stuff to the WNW. Couple that with high ratios and good growth and 20dbz returns should make for pretty heavy snow. 

Radar does look good.  Snow has commenced here albeit light so far. 

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Just now, AccuChris said:


It likely doesnt come up at all and will be a southern slider wave. Need that southern shortwave to come out in full or at least a big enough piece to let the northern branch dive into it and take on a negative tilt. Bottom line is the players are there and the GFS has shown what COULD happen if it does phase. Who knows if it will or wont…yet


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Agreed, I just did not see that happening with that 500H panel on the Nam. 

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Agreed, I just did not see that happening with that 500H panel on the Nam. 

Ironically, we may not want the whole piece to come out quickly as one lobe as it could phase too fast and try and cut inland. Now there is definitely blocking which helps but there is no doubt there will be a juiced up southern branch and energy diving in from Canada. Not more we can ask for at this point…other than a chancegiphy.gif


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3 minutes ago, AccuChris said:


Ironically, we may not want the whole piece to come out quickly as one lobe as it could phase too fast and try and cut inland. Now there is definitely blocking which helps but there is no doubt there will be a juiced up southern branch and energy diving in from Canada. Not more we can ask for at this point…other than a chancegiphy.gif


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I'd actually take my chances with the blocking and antecedent airmass. If it goes over Salisbury a lot of us still get a lot of snow. 

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My initial thoughts with the end of the week system is I think there will be at least a wave of lighter snows that moves through the commonwealth as the southern system over system ejects out and there’s a least some interaction with the northern stream. Euro hangs it back and northern stream diving in ahead shears the southern energy out. GFS has been trying to phase it, and through 102hr it looks like the 18z GFS is going to really be quite a solution. 

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1 hour ago, WmsptWx said:

Probably 2.5" if I had to say from eyeballing. It was enough to undo any clearing attempts that was made after Saturday morning's shock event. It was more than I expected.

You might have a chance at some more surprise bands the next couple days. High res models are showing a Huron connected band developing Wednesday with a favorable alignment through your general area and perhaps into State College again. 

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5 minutes ago, MAG5035 said:

You might have a chance at some more surprise bands the next couple days. High res models are showing a Huron connected band developing Wednesday with a favorable alignment through your general area and perhaps into State College again. 

Nothing I love more than a good Huron connection. Speaking of the Lakes, I don’t think we mentioned in here at all the 60+ inches some places north of Syracuse received this past week. Impressive. I know I mentioned way back liking the southern Tug region but wasn’t sure if we circled back to any actual totals. Also, yes I am aware this is the central PA forum haha. 

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