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January 10th-12th OV/MW/GL Winter Storm prospects


Madmaxweather

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Baro is mr optimistic tonight :thumbsup:

Haha, honestly I don't care too much, I just try and forecast and stick with the thought. From a forecasting standpoint I am always unbiased. From a wish-casting standpoint, I am always pessimistic. Last storm I was pessimistic and was still let down--I need to remain pessimistic! Pessimism means letdowns aren't a big deal and big hits are a pleasant surprise.

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Yea, I saw that...

Not as strong/well defined as the 12z, but it's there.

Yep..Only thing i can think of too that would cause the storm to track as far se as it does considering the 500mb below..

post-90-0-88203200-1294209245.png

Maybe it is me but that does not scream track off the GA coast or whatever as far se?

It gets better too per the 500mb maps..lol

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The 6Z GFS is having issues with the Great Lakes vortex and tries to save the day with no suppression. Looks a lot like the 18Z. For now not giving it much credit, but those wanting snow have a new friend.

When you compare the 6z gfs to the 00zeuro same time frame, they have a very similar 'idea'. Obviously the gfs is much stronger with the vort moving thru the miss valley. I guess the question is what has been the 'trend' with these vorts this season....stronger or weaker?

I also think, looking at the euro 500, that it doesn't look like a weak slp should be sliding off the se coast with that setup....i would think a weak low placed somewhere in the W. TN valley

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When you compare the 6z gfs to the 00zeuro same time frame, they have a very similar 'idea'. Obviously the gfs is much stronger with the vort moving thru the miss valley. I guess the question is what has been the 'trend' with these vorts this season....stronger or weaker?

I also think, looking at the euro 500, that it doesn't look like a weak slp should be sliding off the se coast with that setup....i would think a weak low placed somewhere in the W. TN valley

Not really. Check the earlier plots I posted with ECM 500 hpa vorticity. It shows the lingering "elongated" vortex over the Great Lakes much better than the plot you have posted. This small difference makes a huge difference regarding the developing storm threat.

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Not really. Check the earlier plots I posted with ECM 500 hpa vorticity. It shows the lingering "elongated" vortex over the Great Lakes much better than the plot you have posted. This small difference makes a huge difference regarding the developing storm threat.

oops had wrong time frame....here's the corrected, anyways the euro is actually ridging a bit more ahead of the vort than the gfs. To me the diff over the great lakes doesn't scream suppression to the degree the euro shows. I think Harry made this ob as well

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The 6Z GFS is having issues with the Great Lakes vortex and tries to save the day with no suppression. Looks a lot like the 18Z. For now not giving it much credit, but those wanting snow have a new friend.

Yeah, I'd just throw it out attm. Stick with the seasonal trends. If later, more models support the solution, then make the adjustments, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

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oops had wrong time frame....here's the corrected, anyways the euro is actually ridging a bit more ahead of the vort than the gfs. To me the diff over the great lakes doesn't scream suppression to the degree the euro shows. I think Harry made this ob as well

The Great Lakes trough supresses everything early and results in huge changes later in the forecast. Watching trends with that Great Lakes vortex is the key to our forecast.

Also, here is a good site with decent ECM 500 hpa vorticity graphics--he chose some good colors/contours for his plots. Apparently this guy also posts in our forums (see the 1978 blizzard thread) :http://greatlakes.sa...mouth_page.html

I posted a very brief and very simplistic blurb about the storm threat in the Philly/NYC thread.

http://www.americanw...post__p__223848

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The Great Lakes trough supresses everything early and results in huge changes later in the forecast. Watching trends with that Great Lakes vortex is the key to our forecast.

Also, here is a good site with decent ECM 500 hpa vorticity graphics--he chose some good colors/contours for his plots. Apparently this guy also posts in our forums (see the 1978 blizzard thread) :http://greatlakes.sa...mouth_page.html

I posted a very brief and very simplistic blurb about the storm threat in the Philly/NYC thread.

http://www.americanw...post__p__223848

i get what you're saying....it just seems that even the euro depiction of what is going on over the great lakes isn't really that 'bully'. A stronger midsection vort would probably easily overcome suppression, I would think. Was wondering as well if the fact that our 'clipper(s)' this week/weekend (modelling less impressive) as they head east is also something to watch regarding the strength of the GL vortex.

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Yeah, I'd just throw it out attm. Stick with the seasonal trends. If later, more models support the solution, then make the adjustments, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Yeah I am not holding my breath either. The GFS keeps doing the flip-flop regarding the Canadian vortex and the blocking pattern before the -NAO finally craps out. ECM has been consistent, and its ensemble mean is close to the OP. Because of that, and due to the GFS flopping around, I am sticking with the suppression solution for now.

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i get what you're saying....it just seems that even the euro depiction of what is going on over the great lakes isn't really that 'bully'. A stronger midsection vort would probably easily overcome suppression, I would think. Was wondering as well if the fact that our 'clipper(s)' this week/weekend (modelling less impressive) as they head east is also something to watch regarding the strength of the GL vortex.

I hear what you are saying. Earlier I was dynamically breaking this storm down to determine whether a stronger jet max/mid level leading S/W would "break-through" the Great Lakes vortex. The 0Z GFS shows the negative influence of the GL vortex, and you can see this through 120-132. Note the secondary jet developing on the backside of the trough through CO and the Plains. GFS/ECM has been consistent with this secondary jet, and it was one of the many reasons why it was easy to call the 12Z CMC bluff since the 12Z had one beefy jet ejecting into the plains. Consider this. As that secondary jet ejects into the plains on the 0Z GFS, what is the suppressing GL vortex doing? It is shunting the developing wave farther S and farther away from the main baroclinic zone (farther away from the reinforcing snowpack). Note how the 0Z GFS does not intensify the wave as the forecasts progresses. Why? Low level baroclinic zone is weak. This results in a hugely different forecast between the 0Z GFS/06Z GFS/0Z ECM. It is a feedback process, and early errors amplify with time. We need to watch trends with the GL vortex.

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OT: How does Kalamazoo do for snow? I might be going to WMich for Football. I saw online around 70". Good lake effect? Big storms? Historical storms?

Youd definitely want to ask Harry, hes an expert on Kalamazoo. Basically, while big storms can happen, probably not quite as frequently as Boston (Meaning 12"+), but from every other aspect you would probably like Kalamazoo if you are a snowlover, esp wrt LES.

While they dont have NOWData for rough averages for Kalamazoo, I can give you Detroit and Grand Rapids, Detroit is more even from a latitude perspective, but Grand Rapids is more similar wrt lake effect. NOWData is a good tool, but per my experience is FAR from perfect.

One thing the stats dont show, is how often you will see at least some snowflakes in the air. I can never find a place that has half the days with a trace of snow that you will get in MI. Thats in addition, of course, to all the other snow stats below.

BOSTON:

Avg Snow: 43.7"

Avg 1"+ Snowcover Days: 34 days

Avg Days w/ 0.1"+ Snowfall: 22 days

Avg Days w/ 1.0"+ Snowfall: 11 days

Avg Days w/ 3.0"+ Snowfall: 5 days

Avg Days w/ 5.0"+ Snowfall: 2 days

DETROIT:

Avg Snow: 44.0"

Avg 1"+ Snowcover Days: 50 days

Avg Days w/ 0.1"+ Snowfall: 37 days

Avg Days w/ 1.0"+ Snowfall: 13 days

Avg Days w/ 3.0"+ Snowfall: 4 days

Avg Days w/ 5.0"+ Snowfall: 2 days

GRAND RAPIDS:

Avg Snow: 70.2"

Avg 1"+ Snowcover Days: 72 days

Avg Days w/ 0.1"+ Snowfall: 55 days

Avg Days w/ 1.0"+ Snowfall: 23 days

Avg Days w/ 3.0"+ Snowfall: 6 days

Avg Days w/ 5.0"+ Snowfall: 2 days

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