Saturday, October 31, 2009

Cold air is rumored by models

While its still 10 days off, the GFS is picking up an enormous trough for the eastern part of the country with the 0 line at 850mb (where it needs to be to snow) going all the way to Orlando on the 14th. The model has it below 0 at 850 for CT from the 8th through the remainder of the run, the 16th. All we need is some precip.

Friday, October 30, 2009

First real storm for our area


0z above with explosive development
12 z below prior to explosive development

While the October snow was certainly impressive and rare, a real life opportunity has come into the models for around the 6th or 7th. Above is the Euro interpretation from today. The GFS also has snow, but the accumulation is not there. What makes this different than Octobers storm(s) is that the thickness lines are clearly indicating snow, not just the 0 line at 850.

Now the 12z is showing the time before this explodes. I also note that the Canadian is not showing anything. The GFS has a light snow event though.







Sunday, October 18, 2009

No snow but cold

1pm - its 38-39 degrees, rainy with one or two flakes mixed in, it seems, when its windy. Winds 10-15mph. Tough to see if the gfs won this one or not, or if the heavy precip just never made it here to bring down the snow. It has been getting slowly colder though but the precip is heading east. Can't tell how long the wraparound will last.

Tough day to be outside.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Rain or snow or both?

GFS has temps at 850 mb under freezing until a little past midnite, precip starting this evening and lasting through late evening sunday. NAM has danbury mostly below freezing at 850mb with the line on us late afternoon sunday, at which point most of the precip will be winding down. Candian model also has similar to the NAM with the r/s line moving as far west and north as Danbury but again late in the day on Sunday. UKMET has the line as far north as just above I84 in CT but with less precip. Euro has only 24 hr time frames, but keeps the line well se of the entire forecast area.

So, Euro and Ukmet have less precip and colder, Nam and Canadian have more precip and are cold and GFS has it warming in the 850 layer. 4 models with mostly frozen precip aloft and one liquid. GFS places low much further west. All have thicknesses above 540, indicating surface temps remain above freezing.

So there is serious chance of snow, but not likely to accumulate except in the hills, and only small amounts and it will melt fast. I hope...

Radar at 10am Saturday shows heavy precip over N NJ heading our way. Dewpoint around 26 and temp of 43

Winter weather is so much more interesting!

Friday, October 16, 2009

More snow today

Went to work this morning in snow, mixed with rain. High today of 44 on a normal of 64. Brrrrr

Thursday, October 15, 2009

What was that???

I remember once taking the bus home from NYC around the end of October and seeing a snow shower come through Paterson. But it was a brief two minute flurry.

Today it snowed in Danbury from 11:30am to about 9pm. No accumulation, just patches of snow on roofs, cars, some grass, patio and outdoor furniture. But enough for a snowball. This qualifies as the earliest snow I've ever seen in my life in the tri state area. It snowed on Sept 30 this year while I was in Tahoe.

High temp was 41 at 10am, but when the precip started it dropped to 36 down to 33 where it stayed for most of the evening. Anne reported snow as far down 684 as exit 3 at noon, which is about where it started for my ride back to Danbury.

Now that the precip is tapered, the temp is back up to 35. I don't expect it to go under freezing, but heck, who thought it would snow all day.

Interesting thing was that the wx station for the NWS at DXR was reporting snow, but they seemed to ignore it in all of their statements. Finally, after having snowed for 6 hours, they put a chance of snow/rain in the forecast.

Joe calls for a warm November, so this may be it until Thanksgiving. Unless Saturday???

Storm 3 - could be the one! (spoiler, it was)

 2/9  Set up is an upper low over TX that heads northeast into TN valley and then transfers off the coast. At the upper levels, there's ...