Discuss the Blizz of 2010 - Part II

[CoastalWx]

You hit the nail on the head in terms of what went "wrong" for a massive area of snow. This came down to banding and it was feast or famine outside of the initial main shot. Either you were in them (weatherfella) or you weren't (ray). It's a historic event in the immediate boston area SW, is one of the most damaging storms along the coast here in ages in terms of beach erosion/seawall damage and was a general bomb.

What it didn't have in one sense last night is the +6 or +8 850mb temps trying to slam into Boston from the SE while wedging up against the cold air that was in place. Instead I stayed mostly frozen/frozen mix, warmer 850s were deflected way east and we had a fairly large area of -4 to 2-4 over a lot of miles. Rudimentary, but not the hallmark of the usual blizzards here where you need that super sharp gradient, the S so to speak. Esp around those layers there wasn't a tremendous push like we sometimes see. If I had a driving rain and was at 40 last night a lot of you would have faired better.

They had that in NJ!

850's aren't everything though. I actually thought we had a nice warm tongue coming into eastern areas last night. In fact, remember all those radar echoes that kept generating near and just east of the Canal as they moved nw. This was due to upglide..likely enhanced by CF too. However, you need good moisture in the DGZ. That's key.

[CTWeatherFreak]

Their pain continues. That is brutal. I did a double take to make sure I was seeing updated totals and most are.

Yea.. once that dry slot interrupted the flow, it just never recovered in this area.... 7". thats all she wrote..

[radarman]

We are going to see some huge totals from the Berks. They got crushed last night.

Thinking it's more the Taconics and far western slope of the Berks that got crushed this time. NWS reports from 730 AM in Chesterfield have only 7.5". The dry slot did affect the east slope quite a bit last night.

Snowing again in Noho.

[dryslot]

GAY's getting pummeled right now with his boyfreinds big weenie outside with heavy heavy snow

Wow, Whod of thunk it....

[CoastalWx]

Thinking it's more the Taconics and far western slope of the Berks that got crushed this time. NWS reports from 730 AM in Chesterfield have only 7.5". The dry slot did affect the east slope quite a bit last night.

Yeah right near the NY/MA border....they got it good.

[Kbosch]

Well ... I must say, I am fascinated as to why the consolidation never took place in interior Massachusetts, particularly as the storm was passing S/SE of ISP toward ACK. I made the statement later last evening that I thought we would see that take place during the overnight time frames, but the congealing on rad never took place. At no point did a Meteorologist friend out toward Fitchburg, or my self, experience S+ during this event; this area will end as having been synoptically shadowed for whatever reason. 8" is nothing to shake a stick at - it is a decent little event - but the event shredded for much of the area west of ~ BED -ORH and E of CEF, and in CT, and remained that way for the entirety of the event. Shredded systems are not that uncommon, no - but doing so with a 3 or 4 contoured closing mid level circulation that is collocated with the attending 700mb center, both passing historically ideal latitude and longitude underneath, the vast majority of times will see a solid comma head type uniform output that pivots through. Not so this time.

Good stuff for all that you wrote, but why do you think that was? I don't mean that as a complaint as I obviously cashed in; I'm merely pondering a fascinating question.

[hooralph]

Minor coastal flooding and a fire (could have been started by cigs for all we know) with some light snow.

Where's the low visibility, heavy snow, winds?

I don't think it's minor coastal flooding, first off. But my point is that those who want to keep downplaying the storm should be clear they are talking about their own back yards. On the whole, there is no denying it is a high impact storm for the East Coast, yet because it underperformed for a pretty good swath NW of 128, people are writing it off.

Here in Boston, I'd rank it well below 2005 for sure, and both 2003 storms.

[Tropopause_Fold]

hya: 26G49 knots...rippin.

[Clinch Leatherwood]

Looks like some people measured in drifts. No way we have 17 inches here. I'd say more like a foot. This storm will be remembered for the winds more than snowfall.

If you put up a report you got 23" it would be run with in a second. That's why I'm so impressed with Bob - Weathefella, NWS TAN measuring almost a foot and a half of heavy wet snow is astounding because you know it was 100% done by the book.

There are huge variations everywhere, about a 4" difference here in 500' and it's legit, just the way it worked.

[powderfreak]

Yeah right near the NY/MA border....they got it good.

I posted the summary from ALB a page or two back... most of Berkshire County was 13-18" but the best snows were definitely just over the border in E.NY in the Taconics where there was a lot of 18-24" amounts in Columbia and Dutchess Counties.

[SC48]

I'd be surprised if anyone from Lexington NNE up to Cape Ann (including Ray) reports more than a foot. That screw-zone persisted for the whole storm. Haven't been out yet to measure.

Eyeballing guestimate ~10" Snow is snow.

No, Not really. Take a look at the amounts form the National Weather Service. Even Saugus, MA has over 19 inches as of earlier this morning. You may have had the heaviest banding down there but being right on to the very edge left of the CF gave us a fluff factor. By the way they measured that the normal way and not the freak way. Demarkation zone was intense.

[40/70 Benchmark]

Looks like about 11.5".....but it's tough to tell with all of the drifting; did the best that I could.

Not used to that issue, here....don't have it often.

[amarshall]

My aunt said that in the ocean bluff section of Marshfield, the coastal flooding was top 3 of all time.

#1 Oct 30 1991

#2 Blizzard of 78

#3 last night.

http://www.patriotle...off-Houghs-Neck

[Baroclinic Zone]

I haven't seen Black Ops Bob ... no power down in Taunton?

I'm here. Been cleaning up from the mess. Few limbs down. Everything is caked in snow. Been playing outside with my daughter.

14-15" total. Not a bad storm. Winds were ferocious. Gusts to mid 40's, sustained in the upper 20's. Not nearly as good as Jan 2005 in my world. Some of the deepest, heaviest snow I have had to dig out from in some time. Temps. never budged from the 32-34F for the whole storm. 1.49" QPF. NAM and GFS were not far off. I believe they were in the 1.7" range.

[mahk_webstah]

We had the wind here overnight, but I don't think the vis. got low enough.

I think we got close here for 2 or 3 hours this morning, but no way for 3 straight hours. It was ripping though and intense and we had some 1-2/hour rates for a bit. Definitely the most intense since I've lived here (this is my 3rd winter). HIghest single storm was 14 inches. We got 11.5 I think here. You?

[40/70 Benchmark]

Snowing almost moderately again, so I'll probably hit 1'.....impressive system....no doubt.

The problem is mine because I get so obsessed with seeing 2' of snow, but stepping back from that preoccupation, this is one of the more impressive events in memory.

Probably only 2nd in snow\wind combo to March 1993.

[isnice]

We finished here in Newton between 7 and 8 inches. Huge bust in terms of what we were expecting, but it's still really pretty outside!

I came up for the weekend from my house in central New Jersey. Bad idea, as I'm sure I got over two feet.

[Damage In Tolland]

Snowing almost moderately again, so I'll probably hit 1'.....impressive system....no doubt.

The problem is mine because I get so obsessed with seeing 2' of snow, but stepping back from that preoccupation, this is one of the more impressive events in memory.

Probably only 2nd in snow\wind combo to March 1993.

Someone in your town in the obs thread said they got 17 inches

[dryslot]

SN, 1.5"

Snowfall Total- 10.5"

Temp- 29.7 F

Winds NE 10.0 mph G 38.2 mph

Pretty steady band here for the last hour and a half 20-25 dbz's

[SC48]

Looks like about 11.5".....but it's tough to tell with all of the drifting; did the best that I could.

Not used to that issue, here....don't have it often.

Wow..., I'm suprised you have only about a foot. her in the north Woburn/Southern Wilmington (Jacquith Road) Burlington line, area we have 17-18" now. Saugus is closing in on 20". What gives?

.

[OSUmetstud]

850's aren't everything though. I actually thought we had a nice warm tongue coming into eastern areas last night. In fact, remember all those radar echoes that kept generating near and just east of the Canal as they moved nw. This was due to upglide..likely enhanced by CF too. However, you need good moisture in the DGZ. That's key.

I think the main problem was the pattern was uber amplified...causing the 500mb trough to cut far west...leading to ridiculous dry slotting to the northwest of the surface low center. The 500mb low cut-off too late and too far west for SNE to get a widespread epic snowstorm. The storm this morning is crazy wrapped up...instead of a larger areas of upward vertical motion, you are getting smaller mesoscale areas. It looks similar to a hurricane on satellite due to the deep occlusion.

[Damage In Tolland]

If you put up a report you got 23" it would be run with in a second. That's why I'm so impressed with Bob - Weathefella, NWS TAN measuring almost a foot and a half of heavy wet snow is astounding because you know it was 100% done by the book.

There are huge variations everywhere, about a 4" difference here in 500' and it's legit, just the way it worked.

Jerry was in the mid 20's the entire storm and powder

[40/70 Benchmark]

Someone in your town in the obs thread said they got 17 inches

Drift measurements aren't reccomended, but to each their own.

I'm after the truth.

[cpickett79]

anyone have a link where i can look at archived radar of last nite. interested to see what happened after 11pm (when i passed out)

no idea what the totals over in w. framingham are as i just got back....doesn't look particularly special.....but def. powder.

Spending the nite in bridgewater.......and then stopping at friends house where there was a tree down on hall street (raynham, ma) could be the culprit for no power....but the snow was heavy and wet there. noticeable differance driving 495 as you approach mansfield exit (no more snow caked trees) definitely a big event for interior Plymouth and bristol countys in mass.

Measured 11 inches in bridgewater, ma this am....at 830 am. (on top of car along side of road) snow was compacted to hell thou.

[Clinch Leatherwood]

Good stuff for all that you wrote, but why do you think that was? I don't mean that as a complaint as I obviously cashed in; I'm merely pondering a fascinating question.

I think Scott kind of nailed it down last night, whenever you have a 5h elongating as it comes up the coast that can result in drive air getting driven north. Combined with the curling nature of the low pressure and the time/location at which it bombed once it did the deed and screwed some of you the dynamics had escaped for most.

I'd contend a lot of it did have to do with where it bombed/curved. If that had occured 100 miles east the conveyor belt may have won out eventually.

Shift this map so that the 8h is due south of RI when all this happened and Kev, Ray, Tip, Will, etc....everyone would have gotten their share of epic bands and IMO it wouldn't have changed much out west they'd still have gotten nailed.

On this map you have a 12c differential at 8h over just a few miles during the height, skip ahead to 6z and look over SNE, as the low matured we lost most of that gradient aside of a tight area and really even there it was vastly diminished. IMO we just needed it to cut from where it was to just south of RI and slowly roll ENE and this would have been a blizzard for the ages.

Your classic Paul Kocin S

And your not so classic, more mature storm ( too close to a lot of SNE)

[Bostonseminole]

just measured.. looks lke 12"

[mattlacroix4]

Northern and northwest NH got creamed, way more then forecast. 2+ feet in spots, and some places in the Whites will get over 30 inches. My friend in Lyme, NH is near 20 inches. This storm way outperformed in those areas and really was sad in many others. Luckily I have some beautiful bands going through right now. I guess another 2-4 could make me happy.

[Tropopause_Fold]

Snowing almost moderately again, so I'll probably hit 1'.....impressive system....no doubt.

The problem is mine because I get so obsessed with seeing 2' of snow, but stepping back from that preoccupation, this is one of the more impressive events in memory.

Probably only 2nd in snow\wind combo to March 1993.

i guess i don't have to leave the board

[MaineJayhawk]

anyone have a link where i can look at archived radar of last nite. interested to see what happened after 11pm (when i passed out)

Archived radar Whoops, that evidently doesn't go to last night. sorry/

[Bostonseminole]

mod snow right now.. maybe I can eek out another 1"