North American Weather (U.S.A & Canada)

[debs]

Hi Peeps,

Another snow storm forecast for tonight with upto 20cm aparently. Looking out my window I can see the snow falling and already the driveway (which had a partial melt over the last couple of days) is already covered.

Its set to continue through the night with high winds blowing the snow around. I suppose that means we'll lose power again as the power lines are bound to fall.

What a life......Love it

TTFN

Debs

[Roger J Smith]

Debs, the storm doesn't look too windy although as you say 20 cms of snow likely with it, winds probably won't get much above 40 mph peak gusts, so the power grid should survive unless someone collides with a hydro pole, that always does the job here in Vancouver for some large part of the city. We have been having snow almost daily here, nothing very heavy, but there is always an inch or two on the ground, and Rich, I would look for some snow around Sunday night into Monday, the frontal boundary is ebbing back towards southern BC and I expect 3-5 inches fairly widely distributed from a low coming in around then, but as you say, it has been a rather nondescript weather pattern recently, needs for something to happen to get it moving in some direction.

[debs]

Hi Roger,

I think you are right about the winds they seem mild in comparison to what we've experienced so far this December, but I'll keep my oil lamp close by just in case.

I'm hoping this will last a while because it has been pretty boring weatherwise these last few days.

Hope you had a good Christmas.

TTFN

Debs

[mezzacyclone]

i find this chart extraordinary..does the cold always penetrate so far south

Seems so BD, New Orleans had a white xmas in 2004

[mettalfabrik]

check this out

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...1228?hub=Canada

[mettalfabrik]

Timing the Arctic BlastUpdated: Friday, December 28, 2007 2:40 PM

During the first half of next week, cold air will be on the move, and nothing can stop it. The front will make it all the way to Florida Wednesday. The entire episode of cold will put the eastern two-thirds of the nation into the deep freeze for two or three days. Up at International Falls, Minnesota the temperature will never leave the single digits Tuesday and Wednesday, and nights will be below zero.

Occasionally, an extremely harsh winter comes along with bitter blast after bitter blast and little or no break in between. The cold wave that will hit early next week will come temporary with no backups. As the week progresses, a much milder air mass will overspread the nation, encompassing a vast area from the Rockies to the Eastern Seaboard by next weekend.

Story by AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist John Kocet.

[WhiteFox]

Timing the Arctic BlastUpdated: Friday, December 28, 2007 2:40 PM

During the first half of next week, cold air will be on the move, and nothing can stop it. The front will make it all the way to Florida Wednesday. The entire episode of cold will put the eastern two-thirds of the nation into the deep freeze for two or three days. Up at International Falls, Minnesota the temperature will never leave the single digits Tuesday and Wednesday, and nights will be below zero.

Occasionally, an extremely harsh winter comes along with bitter blast after bitter blast and little or no break in between. The cold wave that will hit early next week will come temporary with no backups. As the week progresses, a much milder air mass will overspread the nation, encompassing a vast area from the Rockies to the Eastern Seaboard by next weekend.

Story by AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist John Kocet.

Indeed it looks like quite a big warmup is on the way after next week. I fly back to NY on Wednesday and I'm keeping my eye on a couple of developing systems, the first of which may bring a decent amount of snow from a Nor'Easter on New Year's Eve and the second which shows the possibility of a smaller amount of snow on Wednesday. After that, Thursday shows a maximum temperature of -3oC under -15 850 temps and then a blowtorch sets up with above average temperatures looking to last well into January. Some mets are calling for another pattern change after the 20th of January back to an Eastern trough, but we shall see...

[mettalfabrik]

here is alink for ya very interesting times

http://www.accuweather.com/news-top-headli...&traveler=0

[debs]

Hello all.

Forecast for here this evening and into tomorrow is for 15 - 20cms. We had about 20cm yesterday (Saturday) and it warmed ujp slighlty today but back down to below freezing again tonight. Its a good job I'm not tiring of shovelling snow yet, but I think I will invest in a snow blower for next year http://nwstatic.co.uk/forum/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif , they look so much easier.

Ta ta for now

Debs

PS. Hope the cold spell in UK next week materialises and you all ge a white out.......

Edited December 30, 2007 by debs

[Coopsy]

Roger, you should work for the weather netwrok. They stated no chnace of snow overnight, but you called this last week. We had a light covering overnight and now clear sunny skies. Feeling cold though this weekend...I was skiin at Lake Louise on Saturday and it was minus 20oC

[❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️]

Hello all.

Forecast for here this evening and into tomorrow is for 15 - 20cms. We had about 20cm yesterday (Saturday) and it warmed ujp slighlty today but back down to below freezing again tonight. Its a good job I'm not tiring of shovelling snow yet, but I think I will invest in a snow blower for next year , they look so much easier.

Ta ta for now

Debs

PS. Hope the cold spell in UK next week materialises and you all ge a white out.......

You never seem to get many marginal snow situations like we do here, and if you do, you know that in a couple of weeks you will get dumped on. And not with rain or sleet!

[tinybill]

here is alink for ya very interesting times

http://www.accuweather.com/news-top-headli...&traveler=0

plus i was reading a post on here it looks like its going to get very cold in the us by friday!!

[Roger J Smith]

Looks like Debs is the first of hopefully many NW members to get some snow from this low, it's the one progged to arrive in northern France on Thursday.

Rich, thanks but in fact the system weakened quite a bit in real time after I made those comments, so any snow you saw was my good fortune. I was looking at it back then because as planned, we just drove up from Vancouver to the Nelson area last night (for readers, Nelson is in south central BC) and we had clear skies after Hope where the arctic front was giving 10-15 cms ... except at the end of our trip it was snowing but I think this is largely lake effect from Slocan Lake. Snow pack seemed 25% above normal from Hope to Grand Forks and then closer to normal to here (New Denver 100 km north of Nelson). There is 18 cms on the ground here, I know because I had to shovel it at 0100 to get into the garage. Very light powdery too. About the usual amount for New Years here. Temp is -2 C moderated again by the nearby lake which is 40 kms long, it rarely freezes over except in the coldest winters.

[debs]

Hi All,

Snowed quite alot today, well over a foot which is a little more than was forecast. Managed to sledge on a sand bank and down onto the beach, which was covered in snow. Never seen anything like that before. Managed to do a bit a sledging myself and I am sure I will feel my age tomorrow when I wake up, especially after doing several back flips off the board.

Down to -10 tonight and a little more snow forecast for tomorrow and Wednesday.

HAPPY NEW YEAR ONE AND ALL.

TTFN

Debs

You never seem to get many marginal snow situations like we do here, and if you do, you know that in a couple of weeks you will get dumped on. And not with rain or sleet!

Hi Rain,

I know the disappointment of a marginal as I am only a recent immigrant to this country and one of my main reasons to move here was for the snow....honest I'm not kidding. I still have family there which is why I am hoping Basingstoke gets some snow from the possible snow event on Thursday.

I can recommend a move here for anyone who would love to relive their youth or just experience this weather. I have been told by the locals that I will tire of this snow but I don't think so........... http://nwstatic.co.uk/forum/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif http://nwstatic.co.uk/forum/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif

TTFN

Debs

[Roger J Smith]

Debs, after all the lovely snow guess what, next week it may all melt ... 7-10 C air mass developing for Great Lakes region this weekend and Monday, heading your way during next week. Got a problem basement? You may want to check it out with previous resident, a lot of homes in rural and small-town Canada have once-a-year problems with sudden flooding around the basement windows coming into the basements, many houses have sump pumps to deal with this and parts of the basement remain unfurnished as a result. Just a heads up ... snow to slush and ice then who knows, green grass for a day or two? Such is winter in eastern Canada.

[debs]

Debs, after all the lovely snow guess what, next week it may all melt ... 7-10 C air mass developing for Great Lakes region this weekend and Monday, heading your way during next week. Got a problem basement? You may want to check it out with previous resident, a lot of homes in rural and small-town Canada have once-a-year problems with sudden flooding around the basement windows coming into the basements, many houses have sump pumps to deal with this and parts of the basement remain unfurnished as a result. Just a heads up ... snow to slush and ice then who knows, green grass for a day or two? Such is winter in eastern Canada.

Cheers for the warning. The basement has a pump. We heard that there is usually a small thaw during January then it starts again.

Present conditions are quite bad, We've had over a foot of snow over night and its still coming. We've quit shovelling till its over. Since Saturday last week we have had about 60 cms of snow and in the drifts its comes upto my waist. Went sledging yesterday again, and my bones ache. I must remember I'm not a kid anymore and when you do a backwards roll off the sledge YOU WILL ACHE the next day:-). What can I say I love it.

TTFN

Debs

[johnholmes]

Happy New Year overseas cousins!

You lot must wonder what the fuss is all about over here for hoping to see a few snowflakes in a few places compared to a foot. If I added my snowfall totals over the past 20 years it would still be way below that!

Enjoy being a child again Debs and if Roger is right best you get a boat as well!

[debs]

Hi all,

Not as bad here as other parts of Canada, but thought I would post some pictures.

Thought I'd call ithem "nowhere for the snow to go"

As I write this the snow is lessening and once its over there will be more snow for the snow ploughs to move onto those mounds.

TTFN

Debs

[Beverley Lass]

WoW Debs those pics are quite something !

To think we're getting weather warnings for snow flurries here

at the mo. LoL.

Keep safe and cosy gal and enjoy !

BL x

[WhiteFox]

It's proper cold here in NYC tonight. Currently it's -8oC which is our forecast low, so it'll probably get colder than that. This is the coldest air of the season so far, so we're looking at a high temperature of -5oC tomorrow with a brisk wind.

This cold air has really pushed a long way south; Atlanta recorded a high today of -1oC which is the lowest maximum recorded since 1997.

As Roger says, it warms up quite quickly after this. Downsloping winds from the West will flood the plains with much warmer air; parts of the Midwest look like being 10oC+ above average next week and this filters East. At the same time a succession of storms will slam into the West Coast with the mountains of California picking up copious quantities of snow; some places could see ten feet or more of much needed snow.

So, as often seems to happen over here, the situation reverses: a trough sets up in the West and a ridge in the East. The question is how long this pattern will last. With 850 temps progged to reach 10oC for New York by next Wednesday it will seem positively spring-like. After this ensembles trend downwards slowly.

Could be some more snow for you over on the West Coast Roger? The trough looks to dig quite deep and draws in transient cold air from time to time.

[Roger J Smith]

Yes, WF, as you say the west coast trough is about to dig deeper again and although it has turned quite mild at the coast now (returned home yesterday UK time) it does look snowy during the week again.

Debs, that warmup should be gradual and that will help somewhat as a lot of the snow will sublimate into the dry air for several days, and the huge piles should turn into moderate piles soon, but eventually it could become a faster meltdown as it's looking like 8-10 C in NB middle of next week (and 15 C in NYC, near 20 C in some parts of the midwest.)

Posting a couple of pictures I took while in the mountains this week, Monday I think ... these are looking across the narrow Slocan Lake towards Valhalla Provincial Park in the Selkirk Mountains.

[WhiteFox]

Temperatures fell to 12oF (about -10oC) in Central Park overnight last night, so a couple of degrees below the forecast. Maximum only hit 20oF (@-16oC) so lower max also.

Currently we sit at 17of (about -7oC), but high cloud coming in later should prevent the temperatures falling below about -8 or -9oC. This heralds the approach of a cold front (believe it or not!) which will actually flatten our Arctic High and allow a milder SW fetch to develop bringing the much anticipated warmer air. The High picks up some moisture from the Gulf which will allow some cloud to develop, so overall maximum temperatures look to be lower than last year's record-equalling January blowtorch. Having said that, temperatures getting into the low 60s Fahrenheit are not out of the question.

[Roger J Smith]

Quite the storm hitting the west coast in the past 24-36 hours, California has had widespread heavy rain and mountain snow, and from there to here, winds in some exposed areas have reached 80 mph (currently gusting to 60 mph in the Vancouver area although not quite where I live) ... and this is all pumping very mild air across the Rockies and into the plains states and prairie provinces as far north as almost 60 N.

We're expecting a sharp downturn in temperatures here, now 11-12 C, at midnight, but by early next week it could be snowing here again.

The cold high has sunk southeastwards into the jet stream and is rapidly losing its arctic characteristics, so if you see it edging towards the central Atlantic, think of it as a very modified polar air mass.

This winter is beginning to resemble 1989-90 on this side of the Atlantic, and you all probably remember the outcome of January 1990 with that damaging windstorm in London later in the month (was it the 24th or 25th, don't remember exactly).

Could we see something of a repeat with the strong energy peaks around the 20th to 23rd this month?

Meanwhile, as I recall, that winter produced a very mild January in most eastern regions, but near the end of the month there was a super-cold arctic high over Alaska and the Yukon that swelled up to over 1060 mbs and covered the west in frigid air for about a week. Another development that would not surprise me this year the way things have gone so far.

Edited January 5, 2008 by Roger J Smith

[stormchaser1]

Morning Roger

insteresting read on the Canadian weather , thankyou for posting, My wifes cousin lives in Canada, will try and find out where abouts later [she told me once but ive forgotten] typical

Anyway regarding your last post when you mentioned the energy peaks , we are also scheduled for a FULL MOON ON THE 22ND AND THE MOON WILL BE perigee ON THE 19TH

tHANKS AGAIN FOR KEEPING US UPDATED

NIGEL

[WhiteFox]

Another pattern change beckons after next weeks warm spell. Discussions had centred around colder air returning around mid-month and this is now being reflected in the ensembles.

So far this winter no one pattern has been able to lock-in for any period more than a week; last year we had a very warm spell which persisted for six weeks. This year, the pattern seems to be broken up into periods of a week at a time. Consistent with a typical La Nina winter according to some commentators over here. Anyway, ensembles for Chicago and New York show the change to cold after next week. For New York in particular it also looks unsettled which could give the potential for further coastal storms. With the ongoing La Nina it is difficult to get the right ingredients for a Coastal snowstorm as it tends to promote the South East ridge; we shall see! Anyway, some colder air on the way, but certainly nothing exceptional; I remember being in Chicago last year when the 850s were at about -25oC - the air temperature was about -16oC at night and -11oC during the day.