New Zealand Local Weather Forum
Weather Discussion => International => Topic started by: Mark on October 11, 2013, 08:35:15 AM
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Its only October but looks like winter has started.
South Dakota blizzard kills 20,000 head of cattle.
October 10, 2013 – SOUTH DAKOTA – Like in a scene from an apocalyptic parable, dark carcasses of cows and steers lie motionless in silent clusters across swaths of South Dakota. An early blizzard caught ranchers off guard this week in the state, killing as many as 20,000 head of cattle, a state official says. But ranchers say they are the real victims. The storm left many of them in ruins, and now Washington is leaving them out in the cold. “With the government shutdown and no farm bill in place, we need South Dakotans to help their neighbors,” Gov. Dennis Daugaard said. This year’s federal farm legislation got hung up in Congress before the shutdown. There’s no money to help the ranchers, and Daugaard is asking for donations. South Dakota’s civil air patrol did flyovers to take pictures of whole herds that keeled over together, dotting the gaping, snow-covered flatlands with big, black blotches. Ranchers who thought they were doing the right thing were blindsided, said state veterinarian Dustin Oedekoven. Now they are dazed by their losses. “
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/10/us/south-dakota-blizzard-kills-herds-cattle/
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Camanche, Iowa and East Moline, Illinois were hit the hardest.
MidAmerican Energy says 100 different incidents of trees hitting or downing power lines left more than 4,000 customers without power.
And then there was thick, dense fog. White snowflakes were visible, but not much else.
http://wqad.com/2013/10/22/first-october-snowfall-since-1980-leaves-thousands-without-power-others-stranded/
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Also breaks record for shortest number of days between 4-inch snowstorms Spring to Fall.
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Quote from NWS Facebook post.
“this will mark a new record for the fewest number of days between the last 4+” snowfall in the Spring and the first 4+” snowfall in the Fall. This year will only be 197 days, which would break the old record of 203 days set in 1970, and would be a full 100 days shorter than the average of 297 days for the period of record since 1893.”
https://www.facebook.com/US.NationalWeatherService.SiouxFalls.gov/posts/639424609429704
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ATHENS, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -
Athens broke a record low temperature Thursday that previously stood for over 100 years.
Freeze warning issued for Atlanta, cold day ahead
The temperature dropped to 23 degrees at 5:48 a.m. Wednesday morning in Athens which broke the record low of 24 degrees previously set in 1911.
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/23961906/athens-breaks-record-low-wednesday
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Dangerous cold blanketed northwestern North Dakota on the heels of heavy snowfall in some areas.
The National Weather Service on Thursday morning issued an advisory for wind chills in the region as low as 30 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit).
Weather Service reports show that a system that crossed the state on Wednesday dropped as much as 6 ½ inches of snow in some areas, prompting the state Transportation Department to issue a travel alert for the northwest and north central parts of the state.
http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/419047/group/homepage/
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At least 50 drivers were stranded in a snowstorm that closed an 80-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 93 between Pioche and Ely on Friday, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department.
“The motorists were trapped in snowstorms that accumulated up to 6 feet (almost 2 meters),” Highway Patrol Capt. Tom Merschel of the Elko Command said. “Some were trapped between 10 to 12 hours.”
Lincoln County has accumulated 5 inches of snow, but an estimated 3 feet of snow has been measured closer to Ely.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/snow-and-rain-storms-hit-nevada
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The “Nordic outbreak,” which has already claimed eight lives, ”will end up impacting much of the nation,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Harris.
More than a foot of snow was reported on Sunday in many mountainous areas of Utah and Colorado, with almost four feet (120 cm) in Abajo Peak in southeast Utah, according to the Weather Channel.
Flagstaff, Arizona, has seen 6 inches of snow since Thursday night, according to AZ Central.
As the storm moves Northeast, snowfall is expected over Tennessee through West Virginia on Wednesday, said Weather Channel meteorologist Dr. Tom Niziol.
See entire article:
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/24/21596548-severe-weather-threatens-holiday-travel-across-most-of-the-us?lite=
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California citrus growers worried about devastating damage.
“This cold air is going to overtake just about the entire country,” said Carl Parker, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel.
In California, temperatures Wednesday fell into the 30s in typically mild San Francisco. In the Central Valley, where 85 percent of the citrus crop is still on the vine, growers are worried about devastating damage.
In the Dakotas, the extreme cold posed a threat to cattle ranchers, who lost thousands of their stock in a blizzard in early October.
The temperature at Ely, Nev., reached minus 17 early Wednesday, and the wind chill dropped to about minus 30.
Chicago temperatures could plunge to the low teens by Friday night, while Duluth, Minnesota, could drop to minus 22F..
In Lubbock, Texas, the low Saturday morning could be below 10.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/03/21734950-arctic-invasion-brutal-weather-system-threatens-most-of-us-with-snow-ice-wind?lite
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In western Colorado, the low temperature this morning was -24F at 4 miles southwest of Craig. This set a new record low temperature for December 6, breaking the previous record of -10F set in 2011.
At the Grand Junction regional Airport, the low was -9F. This set a new record low, breaking the previous record of 7F, set in 2011.
At Palisade, the low was 5F setting a new record low, breaking the previous record of 6F set in 1912.
At 1 mile east of Rangely, the low was -22F, setting a new record low, breaking the previous record of -12F set in 1972.
In eastern Utah, At Jensen, the low this morning was -23F. This set a new record low, breaking the previous record of -10F set in 1972.
http://www.wunderground.com/US/CO/010.html
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December 7, 2013 – ARKANSAS - At least 10 deaths — including three in California — were blamed on the deep freeze that continued to grip the U.S. on Friday, canceling hundreds of flights and leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power. The Santa Clara County, Calif., Sheriff’s Office said hypothermia — an extremely low body temperature — had killed three people since frigid conditions rolled in late Wednesday, NBC Bay Area reported. An earlier report from the medical examiner’s office said four people had died, but it included a person who was found dead last week, before the current weather system hit the region. With icy conditions stretching almost coast to coast, the cold blast was blamed for deaths as far east as Indiana, where a woman died in a four-vehicle crash in Wayne County, and as far south as Arkansas, where an ice-coated tree fell on the camper housing a 62-year-old man in Pope County, authorities told NBC News.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/06/21787171-frozen-nation-at-least-10-dead-as-cold-ice-and-snow-grip-us
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Icy conditions stretch almost coast to coast - At least 11 dead – Hundreds of thousands lose power – Thousands of flights canceled.
Arctic air, snow and freezing rain moved across the U.S. Saturday from California to the Northeast, as the winter storm that has killed 11 people continued to wreak havoc.
The deaths of at least 11 people — including three in California and the mayor of a small Missouri town — were blamed on the deep freeze.
The big chill extended to parts of the country much less accustomed to it. Parts of Nevada were at 18F below zero; in Flagstaff, Arizona, the temperature dropped to 7F; temperatures as low as 27F were expected in usually mild Las Vegas and surrounding areas, and the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for Riverside and San Bernardino counties in “sunny” Southern California.
Five states have recorded at least 2½ feet of snow since Wednesday.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/06/21787171-frozen-nation-at-least-11-dead-as-cold-ice-and-snow-grip-us?lite
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By Elisha Fieldstadt and Daniel Arkin, NBC News
A winter storm wreaked havoc in the Midwest and East on Sunday, covering roads with dangerous sheets of ice and snow that triggered fatal pileups involving dozens of cars, officials said.
As temperatures plummeted, the wild storm was barreling east, threatening to slam major cities in the Northeast with rough conditions.
A fatal chain-reaction crash involving “about 50 cars” shut down westbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike on Sunday afternoon, state police told NBCPhiladelphia.com. The pileup was triggered after a motorist involved in a minor accident got out of his car and was hit by another vehicle and killed, authorities said.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/08/21817579-take-extra-precautions-massive-wintry-storm-system-hits-country-hard-as-it-plows-eastward?lite
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Record cold in South Dakota, too.
Mitchell, Minnesota’s mercury sank to 18F below zero a little after 7 a.m. on Saturday.
This shattered the city’s 105-year-old Dec. 7 record low of minus 12F set in 1908, said Philip Schumacher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls.
Another area town, Tyndall, also made history, plunging to minus 8F on Saturday, obliterating the previous record low of 9F below set in 2005.
However, both were warmer than Aberdeen, South Dakota, which hit 27F below zero on Saturday, defeating the previous Dec. 7 record of minus 24F set in 1976.
Winter weather is nothing new in South Dakota, but such cold temperatures in the first week of December are less common, Schumacher said.
“If this were January, it’s certainly not unheard of to get into the teens and 20s. In early December it is a bit unusual,” he said.
http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/content/105-year-old-record-shattered
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New storm could dump up to 10 inches on parts of Maine and several inches on major Northeast cities.
New York will get 2 to 4 inches of snow before the day is out, said Kevin Roth, a lead meteorologist for The Weather Channel. Boston could get 3 to 5 inches and Philadelphia 1 to 3 inches.
“This is not gonna be the biggest snowstorm on record by any means,” said Tom Niziol of The Weather Channel. “But 3 to 5 inches of snow during rush-hour traffic for tens of millions of people…”
Heavy snow is also possible Tuesday in Idaho, Montana and parts of Wyoming, according to the National Weather Service.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/17/21934443-snowy-double-whammy-forecast-for-midwest-and-northeast?lite=
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Quadruple last year’s snowfall.
Wexford County had seen more total snowfall by the end of November this year than it did through December of 2013, says Al Cooper, Wexford County Road Commission manager.
So far, said Cooper, the county has received a total of 62 inches of snow this season. Last year, the road commission reported a total of 22.75 inches of snow by Dec. 31.
Pete Meyer, general manager of business operations at Caberfae Peaks, said the resort has received more snow on their hills recently than he’s ever seen.
“It’s the earliest that we’ve been 100-percent open in the last 30 years,” Meyer said. “What has been most helpful are the below-average temperatures. That’s allowed us to make snow and open earlier this year.”
Quadruple last year’s snowfall
Meyer said the ski resort has reported 59 inches of natural snowfall as of Dec. 16.
Last year, the ski resort had reported 13.5 inches of snow as of Dec. 16.
The NOAA reported 53 percent of the lower 48 states had some snow cover on Dec. 15. The percentage topped all readings on that date since records began in 2003.
http://www.cadillacnews.com/news_story/?story_id=1814708&year=2013&issue=20131218
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About 400,000 customers in eastern Canada and another 400,000 in the northern United States had no power as of Monday.
Another 50,000 customers were without power in Quebec and 6,000 more in New Brunswick.
Temperatures as low as -15C (5F) are expected in southern Canada over the next few days.
At least 11 deaths have been blamed on the storm system in North America, five of them in accidents on ice-covered Canadian roads.
‘Truly catastrophic’
In Toronto, virtually every tree branch and twig is encased in ice. Many streets are blocked by fallen branches and festooned with yellow safety tape where live power lines have come down.
Toronto Hydro’s chief executive officer Anthony Haines said it was “truly a catastrophic ice storm that we have had here, probably one of the worst we’ve ever had”.
In New York’s St Lawrence County, almost two inches (51mm) of ice had accumulated on Sunday.
About 280,000 were still without power in Michigan, including 80,000 in Detroit.
A spokesman for one of the Michigan electricity firms told the Detroit Free Press it could be the end of the week before power is restored.
The US National Weather Service warned “another round of snow and ice” was expected for New England on Monday.
See entire article and lots of photos:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25499753
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Hundreds of thousands left in the dark.
Toronto Hydro reports that 250,000 people are without power in what they call the worst ice storm in the city’s history. It’s possible that many won’t have power back in time for Christmas.
Two hospitals have been affected by the blackout, while a major one is on emergency reserves.
Meanwhile, dense sheets of ice have locked up transit and closed off roads in Canada’s largest city.
Stretching beyond Toronto, the ice storm knocked out power to about 350,000 customers across the province of Ontario, and at least 45,000 homes lost electricity in Quebec, where six people have died as a result of the storm.
“This ice is not going anywhere”
Temperatures are forecast to plummet behind the storm front, leaving the coating of ice on power lines, trees, roads and sidewalks. “This ice is not going anywhere,” said Marie-Eve Giguere, a meteorologist based at Environment Canada’s Downsview office in Toronto. “It’s staying with us.”
For some, the storm is reminiscent of the 1998 “Ice Storm of the Century,” when 35 lives were claimed, millions of trees were downed and some eastern Canadians were left without power for more than a month.
The worst-hit areas are around the shores of Lake Ontario where ice accumulation on surfaces has reached 2 to 3 cm (¾ to 1¼ inch) in some locations – easily enough to topple trees and other vulnerable structures (but still less than half of recorded accumulations during the 1998 ice storm).
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/thousands-in-the-dark-as-ice-storm-hits-ontario-quebec-maritimes/article16082828/
http://news.yahoo.com/insane-ice-storm-crippling-toronto-looks-202213800.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/at-least-five-killed-thousands-without-power-as-ice-storm-hits-quebec/article16083278/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/five-things-to-know-about/article16083698/
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This includes Canada, the U.S.A. and the U.K.
The worst affected state was Michigan, with about 180,000 homes and businesses still without power.
In Toronto, Ontario, some 72,000 people were still waiting to be connected to the grid.
Much of southern Ontario and southern Quebec experienced temperatures between -15 and -20, with the mercury expected to drop further through the night.
In Maine, more than 70,000 customers remained without electricity, and another 2,300 people in Vermont and New York state were in the same boat.
With temperatures far below freezing, ice on power lines was refusing to budge after the severe weekend weather.
“Tens of thousands are without electricity in the UK too,” says reader Ian in the UK. “And we are expecting a second powerful storm by the weekend to heap more misery on the British people.”
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/25/22045934-swathes-of-icy-midwest-northeast-without-power-on-christmas-morning?lite
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/12/25/ice_storm_thousands_in_toronto_still_without_power.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/12/24/ice-storm-2013-power-outage_n_4497332.html
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The coldest air of the season so far, featuring temperatures well below zero, will continue to blast out of Canada, the northern Plains, and the the Upper Midwest early this week. The frigid air will also reach into the upper reaches of the Northeast at midweek.
Portions of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan are likely to have several days where the temperature does not climb above zero this week.
People in these areas awoke to temperatures well below zero Sunday morning. RealFeel® temperatures plunged to minus 50 to minus 30 F.
Cities in the North Central states facing around the clock, sub-zero temperatures include Fargo, N.D.; Minneapolis; Rhinelander, Wis.; and Ironwood, Mich.
Temperatures may struggle to climb out of the single digits around Chicago Monday. The air will be warmed slightly downwind of the Great Lakes, but even Detroit will be cold with highs around 20.
http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/belowzero-air-to-sweep-across/21428255
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RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
504 AM CST THU JAN 02 2014
...RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE SET AT INTERNATIONAL FALLS MN...THE TEMPERATURE WAS -42 DEGREES AT 5 AM IN INTERNATIONAL FALLS MN.
THIS TEMPERATURE BREAKS THE OLD RECORD LOW FOR THIS DATE OF -37
DEGREES...WHICH WAS SET IN 2010. THE TEMPERATURE WILL LIKELY FALL
FURTHER THIS MORNING.
http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=INL&product=Cf6&issuedby=INL
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A powerful nor’easter accompanied by dangerously cold temperatures left behind more than two feet of snow.
The storm dumped 10.6 inches of snow in Boston on Thursday, setting a new record for the day set in 1904 when the city received 8 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
Boxford reported 24.3 inches, and Topsfield 23.5 inches.
Governor Patrick urged homeowners to safely remove snow from rooftops before Sunday to avoid the added weight that would come from rain mixing in with a foot or more of snow.
Boston is expected to reach zero degrees tonight, just four degrees shy of the city’s record low for the date, set on Jan. 4, 1981.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/01/03/storm-continues-threaten-state-w ith-record-snowfall-bitterly-cold-temperatures-and-potential-coastal-flooding/Hj8XAkAsU1kK MASNsqe54L/story.html
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On the verge of the snowiest single day in history in Indiana.
DEADLY WIND CHILLS BETWEEN 30 BELOW AND 45 BELOW ZERO.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA… JAN 5 2014
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/iwx/
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Winter wheat threatened by the cold.
A whirlpool of frigid, dense air that pummeled much of the U.S. on Monday could break decades-old records from Montana to Alabama.
For a big chunk of the Midwest, the subzero temperatures were moving in behind another winter wallop: more than a foot of snow and high winds that made traveling treacherous.
The forecast is extreme: 32 below zero (-35 C) in Fargo; minus 21 (-29 C) in Madison; and 15 below zero (-26 C) in Minneapolis, Indianapolis and Chicago. Wind chills could drop into the minus 50s and 60s.
“It’s just a dangerous cold,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Butch Dye in Missouri.
It hasn’t been this cold for almost two decades in many parts of the country.
“I never remember it ever being this cold,” said Jeffery Davis, 51, in Chicago. “I’m flabbergasted.”
http://www.agweb.com/article/record-breaking_cold_pummels_the_midwest_NAA_Associated_Press/?smartid
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Temperature records were shattered in many states, including Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Michigan, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.
Some parts of the Midwest hit -26C (-14F), much colder than the inside of a domestic freezer.
Across the border in Canada, temperatures in parts of Ontario fell to -30C (-22F), causing flights in and out of Pearson International Airport to be halted for several hours on Tuesday morning.
Roads in the cities of Toronto and Ottawa were coated in dangerous black ice.
Freezing temperatures even extended into the usually mild southern United States.
In northern Florida temperatures briefly dropped below freezing.
Atlanta, Georgia, was 25 degrees below average for this time of year.
To make matters worse, people in the Midwest are still digging out from two massive snow storms which recently dumped more than 2ft (61cm) of snow.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25647963
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DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
800 PM PDT FRI JAN 17 2014
...GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN DECLARES A DROUGHT STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR
CALIFORNIA ON JANUARY 17TH 2014...
...THE USDA HAS DECLARED A DROUGHT DESIGNATION FOR SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTY FOR 2014 FOR ELIGIBLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS...
...EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS DEVELOPING OVER PORTIONS OF
SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA...
SYNOPSIS...
PORTIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA HAVE EXPERIENCED TWO BELOW
AVERAGE RAINFALL SEASONS RESULTING IN A REDUCTION IN RESERVOIR AND
GROUNDWATER LEVELS IN SOME AREAS. THE MUCH DRIER THAN USUAL
VEGETATION FOR MID-WINTER HAS CONTRIBUTED TO A HEIGHTENED WILDFIRE
CONCERN. THESE CONDITIONS WERE ELEVATED TO AN EXTREME DROUGHT
DEPICTION (D3) ON THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAPS WITHIN ORANGE COUNTY
IN MID JANUARY 2014. THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR CLASSIFIES DROUGHT
INTO FIVE CATEGORIES OF INCREASING SEVERITY: ABNORMALLY DRY
(D0)...MODERATE DROUGHT (D1)...SEVERE DROUGHT (D2)...EXTREME DROUGHT
(D3)...AND EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT (D4).
PLEASE NOTE THAT NEITHER NOAA NOR THE NWS DECLARES DROUGHTS.
DROUGHTS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA ARE DECLARED BY THE GOVERNOR
THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE DEPARTMENT OF
WATER RESOURCES AND THE STATE CLIMATOLOGIST. HOWEVER...LOCAL
OFFICIALS CAN DECLARE LOCAL DROUGHT OR WATER EMERGENCIES AT TIMES
WHEN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAS NOT DECLARED AN OFFICIAL DROUGHT.
LOCAL WATER PURVEYORS CAN ALSO IMPLEMENT VOLUNTARY OR MANDATORY
RESTRICTIONS ON WATER USAGE IN RESPONSE TO CURRENT OR FORECAST WATER
SUPPLY CONDITIONS REGARDLESS OF DROUGHT DECLARATIONS. THIS DROUGHT
STATEMENT PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF PERTINENT INFORMATION TO ENHANCE
PUBLIC AWARENESS OF DROUGHT OR ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS.
SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...
AT THIS TIME...IMPACTS HAVE BEEN LIMITED IN EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN
PORTIONS OF THE STATE DUE TO THE AVAILABILITY OF IMPORTED WATER.
HOWEVER...THE LACK OF PRECIPITATION HAS ALLOWED VEGETATION TO DRY TO
CRITICAL LEVELS IN MANY AREAS...INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR
WILDFIRES. THE WARM AND DRY WEATHER HAS ALSO REDUCED THE
AVAILABILITY OF RANGE LAND GRASSES FOR LIVESTOCK. WHERE LOCAL WELLS
ARE FED BY RAINFALL AND LOCAL RUNOFF...SOME SHALLOW WELLS MAY BE
GOING DRY OR HAVE ALREADY DRIED UP. IN ADDITION...THE LACK OF
RAINFALL AND RUNOFF THIS WINTER HAS LOWERED THE FLOW IN THE SAN
DIEGO RIVER...RESULTING IN STRESSES ON THE VEGETATION AND
WILDLIFE.
CLIMATE SUMMARY...
ORANGE COUNTY HAS BEEN ONE OF THE DRIEST AREAS IN OUR REGION OVER
THE PAST FEW YEARS. WESTERN REGION CLIMATE CENTER RECORDS FROM THE
SANTA ANA FIRE STATION INDICATE 2013 WAS THE THIRD DRIEST...AND THE
THREE YEAR PERIOD ENDING DECEMBER 2013 WAS THE FIFTH DRIEST. RAINS
HAVE BEEN MORE GENEROUS FARTHER SOUTH IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY WHERE
LINDBERGH FIELD LOGS BOTH 2013 AND THE THREE YEAR PERIOD 2010-2013
AS ONLY THE 20TH DRIEST ON RECORD.
A WELL-DEVELOPED MONSOON IN LATE SUMMER HELPED TO RAISE SEASONAL
RAINFALL IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS.
PRECIPITATION SUMMARY FOR SELECTED CITIES...
DECEMBER 2013 SINCE JULY 1 2013
REPORTED % OF NORMAL REPORTED % OF NORMAL
NEWPORT BEACH 0.31 17% 0.69 20%
TUSTIN 0.98 41% 1.91 41%
IDYLLWILD 1.47 40% 7.77 80%
RIVERSIDE 0.16 10% 1.15 36%
PALM SPRINGS TRACE 0% 1.26 45%
BIG BEAR LAKE 1.02 33% 5.50 70%
REDLANDS 0.16 10% 2.54 61%
EL MIRAGE 0.03 4% 2.14 101%
BORREGO SPRINGS 0.00 0% 4.35 168%
CAMPO 0.78 34% 5.57 100%
LAKE CUYAMACA 1.71 35% 11.88 99%
LINDBERGH FIELD 0.46 30% 2.24 68%
PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...
LITTLE IF ANY PRECIPITATION IS FORECAST FOR THE REMAINDER OF JANUARY
WITH THE LATEST AVAILABLE GLOBAL MODELS HOLDING A STRONG RIDGE OF
HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE WEST COAST.
THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER OUTLOOK FOR FEBRUARY IS INDICATING A
BETTER THAN 70% CHANCE OF CONTINUED DRIER AND WARMER THAN AVERAGE
WEATHER.
HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...
WITH NO WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE...NO
SIGNIFICANT INCREASES CAN BE EXPECTED IN AREA RIVERS AND RESERVOIRS.
THE LATEST U.S. SEASONAL DROUGHT OUTLOOK CALLS FOR DROUGHT
CONDITIONS TO PERSIST OR INTENSIFY THROUGH MARCH 2014.
NEXT SCHEDULED ISSUANCE DATE...
THE NEXT SCHEDULED DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY
FEBRUARY 17TH...OR SOONER IF NECESSARY...IN RESPONSE TO SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES IN CONDITIONS.
&&
RELATED WEBSITES...
GOVERNORS EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION: WWW.GOV.CA.GOV/NEWS.PHP?ID18368.
CALIFORNIA DATA EXCHANGE CENTER: CDEC.WATER.CA.GOV/
CALIFORNIA NEVADA RIVER FORECAST CENTER: CNRFC - California Nevada River Forecast Center (http://WWW.CNRFC.NOAA.GOV/)
DROUGHT MONITOR: DROUGHTMONITOR.UNL.EDU
U.S. DROUGHT PORTAL: HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.GOV/DROUGHT/
CALIFORNIA DROUGHT PAGE: WATERSUPPLYCONDITIONS.WATER.CA.GOV/
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER: Climate Prediction Center (http://WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV)
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO: National Weather Service - NWS San Diego (http://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/SGX/)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER
DROUGHT MONITOR
NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
CALIFORNIA STATE CLIMATOLOGIST
US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS SOUTHERN DISTRICT
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS...PLEASE REFER ALL QUESTIONS TO
W-SGX.WEBMASTER@NOAA.GOV.
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America is set for the coldest month of the century as forecasters predict yet another freezing blast of Arctic air – putting Super Bowl Sunday – to be held in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on February 2 - in jeopardy.
Teams have been warned to stay on high alert for changes to the schedule – meaning that the game could be postponed.
‘We are advising teams to prepare in case a contingency plan goes into effect,’ said Eric Grubman, NFL vice president of business operations, told the Denver Post.
The game could be moved to the preceding Friday or Saturday or the following Monday if authorities decide the weather will constitute a danger to public health.
If Super Bowl Sunday is moved to, say, Super Bowl Monday, the first people to find out will be Broncos coach John Fox and Seattle coach Pete Carroll.
Temperatures have already hit record lows, and are expected to plunge in the coming days.
Matt Rogers, president of Commodity Weather Group LLC, said: ‘The crazy thing is that the current cold snap this week look to be a bit more modest in the face of next week’s outbreak.
‘The cold coming for the end of January is sufficient to make this the coldest month of the century so far and the coldest the Lower 48 has felt in the last 20 years.’
U.S braces itself for coldest month of the century | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2545153/U-S-braces-coldest-month-century.html)
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Beginning Thursday, more than a foot of snow is likely in the Bitterroots, Wasatch, Colorado High Country, and the Sierra of California.
Lighter snowfall totals are expected in the Cascades and Siskiyous.
The snow will spread into the Plains and Great Lakes starting early Thursday and continue through Friday.
On Saturday, another wave of light to moderate snow, sleet and freezing rain is expected to spread from the central Plains to the mid-Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, western, central and Upstate New York, and parts of New England.
This second wave will produce challenging winter driving conditions from Kansas and Missouri to Upstate New York and northern New England.
Total snowfall accumulations could top six inches in a broad swath from Nebraska and Kansas to Upstate New York by Saturday night.
Winter Storm Maximus to Bring Snow, Ice to Over a Dozen States, Including Drought-Plagued California - weather.com Winter Storm Maximus to Slam West (http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/winter-storm-maximus-forecast-california-rockies-midwest-northeast-snow-ice-20140129)
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New Winter Storm to Impact the Central U.S. – both the Plains and the Midwest – on Tuesday, the Northeast on Wednesday.
Heaviest snow is forecast from central Kansas through central Missouri and Illinois, into central Indiana. This same system could bring a foot of snow to northern Pennsylvania into central New England on Wednesday.
NOAA's National Weather Service (http://www.erh.noaa.gov/bgm/)
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To cold for me. We are pretty well off weather wise in NZ.
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Fresh on the heels of record snowfall in New York and across the region, a second winter storm was dishing up more misery from the Rockies to Maine.
A record 8 inches of snow blanketed New York’s Central Park on Monday, with up to 9 more inches forecast through Wednesday.
The situation is so bad in New Jersey that Gov. Chris Christie has declared a state of emergency.
Tuesday’s storm swirled out of the southern Rockies overnight, cutting a 400-mile-wide swath from Nebraska to Texas. Snowfall amounts could reach 6-10 inches in places like St. Louis, Springfield, Illinois; Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio, and could hit a foot deep in the Kansas City area.
“The month of January was the third-snowiest for Chicago,” said CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen, adding the area was deluged with 33.7 inches of snow. “If you go back the last 50 days, it’s literally snowed every other day in Chicago.”
”The Northeast faces a triple threat this week,” said Hennen. ” Expect … perhaps a bigger storm over the weekend into early next week.”
Second Snowstorm of the Week Slams Nation's Midsection, Northeast – New Day - CNN.com Blogs (http://newday.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/04/second-snowstorm-of-the-week-slams-nations-midsecti) on-northeast/
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4406 Record Cold Temps
1259 Record Warm temps
1073 Snowfall records
http://wx.hamweather.com/maps/climate/records/4week/us.html?cat=maxtemp,mintemp,snow,lowma x,highmin,
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From Montana to New England, more than 120 million people are – yet again – bundling up against cold, ice, snow or all three, according to CNN meteorologists.
The snow and ice will run from Missouri to Illinois to Maine. Up to 2 inches of snow per hour may fall around Boston, with as much as a foot (30 cm) of snow forecast for parts of Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, cold will envelope the nation’s midsection from Montana to Wisconsin all the way south to northern Texas.
We’re talking incredible cold – as much as 40 degrees below average in some places, according to the National Weather Service.
In Helena, Montana, for instance, Wednesday’s high is forecast to be 3 degrees Fahrenheit below zero (-19.4 C). That compares with the average high of 36F (2.2C).
In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared an emergency for the entire state and shut down Interstate 84.
No relief: More snow, cold for Midwest, Northeast - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/05/us/weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t2)
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Total Great Lakes ice cover is “soaring,” says meteorologist Mark Torregrossa. “It is going to be close, but we may be living in a historic winter with regards to amount of Great Lakes ice.”
Lake Superior is now 92 percent frozen, toppling a 20-year-old record of 91 percent set on Feb. 5, 1994. That statistic helped total Great Lakes ice cover soar, and we can expect to see more form in coming days.
The air temperatures this past week averaged around five degrees below normal for the Great Lakes area.
As of February 5, 2014, the entire Great Lakes system is now reportedly covered 77 percent with ice, according to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.
Let’s look at each individual lake.
Lake Superior - Almost frozen over (92 percent covered with ice).
Lake Michigan - Now 51 percent covered with ice. Coyotes were seen walking on the ice just offshore of Chicago this week. This makes us wonder if the lakes freeze over totally, will animals from Canada be able to cross over Lake Huron or Lake Superior, and enter Michigan.
Lake Huron - Ice cover rocketed up an additional 14 percent this week, climbing to a total ice cover of 86 percent. At that rate, Lake Huron could be almost frozen over, or frozen over by the end of next week.
Lake Erie - The shallowest of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie has an average depth of 62 feet and a maximum depth of 210 feet. It also has the least volume of any Great Lake, with 116 cubic miles of water. So it should come as no surprise that Lake Erie is 96 percent covered with ice.
Lake Ontario - Although Lake Ontario is the smallest Great Lake when it comes to surface area, its average depth of 283 feet makes it the second deepest Great Lake behind Lake Superior. Lake Ontario actually holds more than three times the amount of water when compared to Lake Erie. Lake Ontario is only 32 percent covered in ice.
Will ice continue to grow?
The ice cover should continue to grow at a rapid rate based on temperatures expected in the next few weeks.
It is going to be close, but we may be living in a historic winter with regards to amount of Great Lakes ice.
See entire article, along with photos of individual lakes
- Michigan weather news, weather forecast, satellite & radar - MLive.com (http://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2014/02/great_lakes_added_11_percent)
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“Expect significant – crippling – ice totals from Atlanta eastward along the I-20 corridor,” the National Weather Service said in alert this morning.
Two weeks after snow and freezing temperatures crippled Atlanta and other parts of the South, forecasters say another major winter storm is headed for the region bringing a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain.
The storm could be a “catastrophic event” reaching “historical proportions,” the National Weather Service warned this morning. “Do not wait to begin making plans for this significant winter event!!”
Forecasters expect widespread power outages that could last for days. As much as three-quarters of an inch of ice is forecast for Atlanta, and wind gusts up to 25 mph could exacerbate problems.
The National Weather Service said that the storm could be one of “historical proportions” with “crippling ice totals.”
A winter storm warning was issued for Georgia on Tuesday morning lasting until Thursday afternoon. Two to four inches of snow are possible through Wednesday night, the Weather Service said. As much as 7 inches of snow is forecast for parts of northern Georgia.
“Snow will accumulate on roads making for hazardous driving conditions today across the northern sections and tonight for all areas,” the Weather Service said. “As the more significant snowfall and ice accumulation occurs Wednesday and Wednesday night, travel will be dangerous given the high snow amounts combined with the ice. Widespread power outages are possible with the higher ice accumulation.”
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for much of middle Georgia on Tuesday and told residents to stay home.
“What we had two weeks ago was a minor event,” said Glenn Burns, chief meteorologist for CNN affiliate WSB. “This is likely to be a major event.”
The storm was expected to hit other parts of the South as well. Alabama and parts of Mississippi were forecast to get as much as 3 inches of snow and ice, and a blast of snow over a wide section of Kentucky slickened roads and closed several school districts.
South Carolina, which hasn’t seen a major ice storm in nearly a decade, could get a quarter to three-quarters of an inch of ice and as much as 8 inches of snow in some areas.
NWS website using the words “catastrophic” and “historical”:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/fxc/ffc/graphicast/image_full6.gif
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With today’s snowfall, it is now the snowiest January-February period on record at Central Park.
The 48.5″ (so far) this year beats 47.2″ in 1996.”
https://www.facebook.com/US.NationalWeatherService.NewYorkNY.gov
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With no end in sight, the winter of 2014 rages on, ushering in frigid Arctic air and dumping record-breaking snow and ice on much of the nation,” says Kristen Rodman, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer. “This season, ice coverage on Lake Superior has exceeded other measurements in recent history.”
“By the long shot this is the most ice we’ve had on Lake Superior in 20 years,” said Jay Austin, Associate Professor at the Large Lakes Observatory in Duluth, Minnesota.
During a typical winter, 30 to 40 percent of the Great Lakes are covered by ice, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson. But this winter, 80 to 90 percent are covered in ice.
That ice coverage, specifically on Lake Superior, is raising concerns.
“With all of this ice, all the sunlight that hits the surface of the lake is going to get bounced back out into space, so it’s going to take longer to get warmer this spring and summer,” Austin said. “The lake is going to just start warming this year when it will start cooling off for next year.”
This could bring a relatively cool year for the communities surrounding the lake.
The process of the sunlight bouncing back into space is known as the albedo effect, derived from the Latin word albedo “whiteness” (or reflected sunlight).
Potential Record Ice on Lake Superior May Mean a Cool Spring - AccuWeather.com (http://www.accuweather.com/en/features/trend/nearly_frozen_lake_superior_ma/23439393)
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The polar jet stream will plunge southward, tapping bitter cold air directly from the Arctic Ocean into the nation’s northern tier through the upcoming week. By midweek, much of the South will join in on the shivering, as well.
Today (Sunday), temperatures will run 10 to 30 degrees colder than average from Montana to the northern Plains, Upper Mississippi Valley and northern Great Lakes. The highs could remain below zero (Fahrenheit) in parts of the Midwest.
Read that again. The highs could remain below zero (below minus 17.7 C).
Below-average temperatures will then spill into the Northeast on Monday before making a more dramatic southward plunge Tuesday through Thursday.
By Wednesday, much of the Midwest, South and Northeast will also see temperatures 10 to 30 degrees colder than normal.
Below-freezing temperatures may reach the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Alabama by Thursday morning.
As we enter the first week of March, the latest long-range outlook from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center shows that below-average temperatures may continue across much of the country east of the Rockies.
Winter Won't Give Up: Bitterly Cold Finish to February - weather.com Extended Cold Snap Brings Subzero Temps (http://www.weather.com/news/bitter-cold-finish-february-20140221)
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Predictions have been stepped up to '25 to 35 degrees below average east of the Rocky Mountains' and
'Central U.S. to the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys could be having some frosty high temperatures, as low 20 to 30 degrees below normal.'
So what is causing it, the Polar Vortex north of Canada.
'When it weakens, this allows the cold Arctic air that is often mislabeled the "Polar Vortex" to spill southward across the U.S. border and bring bone-chilling temperatures.'
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Motorists urged to smarten up before taking on bad weather in the following week across the top of the USA.
Snowbound roads = Cold night stuck in car.
Below:
Vehicles are piled up in a wreck Friday, February 14, in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Traffic accidents involving multiple tractor-trailers and dozens of cars completely blocked one side of the Pennsylvania Turnpike outside Philadelphia.
Such standstills frustrate officials who warn the public of deadly weather and yet they still take to the road.
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Also 3rd snowiest winter on record in Chicago. And the snow and cold keep coming!
Records began in 1872.
Seasonal Climate Summary: Chicago | Rockford
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL… MAR 1 2014
A LOOK BACK AT THE CLIMATE FOR METEOROLOGICAL WINTER 2013-2014 FOR CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD…
AT CHICAGO…THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE WINTER SEASON WAS 27.1 DEGREES WHICH IS 6.5 DEGREES BELOW THE 1981 TO 2010 AVERAGE. THE AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE WAS 10.4 DEGREES WHICH IS 8.1 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THE MEAN TEMPERATURE FOR THE SEASON WAS 18.8 DEGREES WHICH IS 7.6 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.
THIS WAS THE 3RD COLDEST WINTER ON RECORD IN CHICAGO. THE COLDEST WINTER ON RECORD…1903-04…AVERAGED 18.3 DEGREES AND THE SECOND COLDEST WINTER ON RECORD…1978-79…AVERAGED 18.4 DEGREES.
A TOTAL OF 7.24 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION WAS RECORDED DURING THIS PAST WINTER…WHICH IS 1.47 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 67.4 INCHES OF SNOW RECORDED AT OHARE WHICH IS 39.3 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL…AND
THE THIRD SNOWIEST WINTER ON RECORD IN CHICAGO.
80.6 INCHES OF SNOW FELL IN 1978-79…THE SNOWIEST WINTER ON RECORD…AND 71.2 INCHES OF SNOW FELL IN 1977-78…THE SECOND SNOWIEST WINTER ON RECORD.
NEW DAILY RECORDS ESTABLISHED DURING THE WINTER MONTHS:
* 8.7 INCHES OF SNOW ON JANUARY 5TH. PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 6.2 INCHES IN 2005.
* LOWEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -16 DEGREES ON JANUARY 6TH. PREVIOUS RECORD WAS -14 DEGREES IN 1988.
* LOWEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -2 DEGREES ON JANUARY 6TH. PREVIOUS RECORD WAS -1 DEGREE IN 1912.
* 1.16 INCHES OF RAINFALL ON FEBRUARY 20TH. PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 0.95 OF AN INCH IN 2011.
AT ROCKFORD…THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS 24.1 DEGREES WHICH IS 8.1 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THE AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE WAS 5.1 DEGREES WHICH IS 0.5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THE MEAN TEMPERATURE FOR THE SEASON WAS 14.6 DEGREES WHICH IS 9.6 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.
THIS WAS THE THIRD COLDEST WINTER ON RECORD IN ROCKFORD. THE COLDEST WINTER ON RECORD…1978-79…AVERAGED 14.1 DEGREES AND THE SECOND COLDEST WINTER ON RECORD…1977-78…AVERAGED 14.5 DEGREES.
A TOTAL OF 5.43 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION WAS RECORDED DURING THIS PAST WINTER…WHICH WAS 0.67 OF AN INCH ABOVE NORMAL. IN ADDITION…A TOTAL OF 46.5 INCHES OF SNOW WAS RECORDED WHICH IS 17.3 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL.
THIS WAS THE NINTH SNOWIEST WINTER ON RECORD IN ROCKFORD. THE SNOWIEST WINTER WAS 2007-08 WITH 65.1 INCHES OF SNOW RECORDED.
NEW DAILY RECORDS ESTABLISHED DURING THE WINTER MONTHS:
* 0.56 OF AN INCH OF RAINFALL ON DECEMBER 22ND. PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 0.53 OF AN INCH IN 1979.
* 5 INCHES OF SNOW ON DECEMBER 22ND. PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 3.4 INCHES IN 2009.
* LOWEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -18 DEGREES ON JANUARY 4TH. PREVIOUS RECORD WAS -16 DEGREES IN 1979.
* LOWEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -21 DEGREES ON FEBRUARY 11TH. PREVIOUS RECORD WAS -12 DEGREES IN 1981. THIS TIED FOR THE 27TH COLDEST TEMPERATURE EVER OBSERVED IN ROCKFORD SINCE 1906 AND IT WAS THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE IN ROCKFORD SINCE -25 DEGREES ON JANUARY 16 2009.
* LOWEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 15 DEGREES ON FEBRUARY 27TH. PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 18 DEGREES IN 1912. THIS WAS THE COLDEST HIGH TEMPERATURE IN THE LAST WEEK OF FEBRUARY OR LATER SINCE 11 DEGREES ON MARCH 9 2003.
Cold
Below Zero Stats (Mar 1)
Unusually Long Stretch of Sub-freezing Lows (Feb 18)
Snowfall Amounts
Jan 2014: Third Snowiest Month on Record for Chicago (Feb 1)
One of the Snowiest Weeks on Record to Start the New Year (Jan 5)
Frequency of Snowfall
Snowfall Nearly Every Other Day This Winter (Feb 10)
A Seven Week Period (Dec 8-Jan 26) of Near Record Frequency Snowfall (Jan 26)
Snow on the Ground
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=lot&storyid=100792&source=0
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THIS IS ALSO THE COLDEST LOW TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED IN THE MONTH OF MARCH…BREAKING THE OLD RECORD OF -7 (-21.7C) SET IN 1999…1885…AND 1872..
http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=buf&product=RER&issuedby=ROC&format=ci&version=1
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On Monday morning, the thermometer bottomed out at -13 degrees (-25C).
National Weather Service observer Bob Simonson of WEEH-FM in Mears reported that the previous low temperature for March 3 was -8 degrees (-22.2C) set in 1943.
Record cold temperature set early Monday - Oceana's Herald Journal: Top Stories (http://www.shorelinemedia.net/oceanas_herald_journal/news/top_stories/article_0c872b14-a485-11e3-a9b5-001a4bcf887a.html)
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However, the headline in USA Today admits to damage of only “$5 billion so far.”
With close to $5 billion in damages — so far — the USA’s damage total from the fierce winter of 2013-14 is about $2 billion above average, the article says.
However, you then read this disclaimer: “The total does not include travel and transportation losses or other business disruption, however, which are likely to run into the ‘billions of dollars’,” according to Steve Bowen, meteorologist and senior scientist with Aon Benfield, a global reinsurance firm based in London.
“Lost flights alone have already cost airlines, airports and passengers an estimated $5.8 billion.”
USA's winter weather damage at billion so far (http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2014/03/07/winter-weather-damage-cost/6168223/)
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Up to a foot of snow expected.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN… MAR 17 2014
CONFIDENCE IS QUICKLY INCREASING FOR A MAJOR WINTER STORM IMPACTING THE REGION LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT…
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT WEST OF A LINE FROM REDWOOD FALLS TO HUTCHINSON AND CAMBRIDGE MINNESOTA.
WINTER STORM WATCH EAST OF THE WINTER STORM WARNING TO WEST OF A LINE FROM MANKATO…NEW RICHMOND AND RICE LAKE WISCONSIN.
SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL MINNESOTA LATE TONIGHT AND SPREAD SOUTHWEST ACROSS WESTERN MINNESOTA OVERNIGHT. SNOW HEAVY AT TIMES TUESDAY MORNING.
THE SNOW WILL SLOWLY SPREAD EASTWARD THROUGH THE DAY… REACHING SOUTHERN AND EASTERN MINNESOTA AND FAR WESTERN WISCONSIN BY EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON.
TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL AND WESTERN MINNESOTA…
4 TO 8 INCHES POSSIBLE FROM SOUTH CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA TO NORTHWEST WISCONSIN. HEAVIEST SNOW WILL LIKELY FALL ALONG A LINE FROM REDWOOD FALLS TO ST CLOUD AND MORA.
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF… ALEXANDRIA… LONG PRAIRIE… LITTLE FALLS… PRINCETON… MORA… MORRIS… GLENWOOD… ST. CLOUD… FOLEY… MADISON… BENSON…MONTEVIDEO… WILLMAR… GRANITE FALLS
OTHER IMPACTS…TRAVEL WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT.
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen, MN Forecast Office (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mpx/)
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Some going back more than 100 years.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN… MAR 17 2014
RECORD LOW OF -23 DEGREES (-30C) AT INTERNATIONAL FALLS MN YESTERDAY…
BREAKS OLD RECORD OF -18 (-28C) SET IN 1909.
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/climate/getclimate.php?wfo=btv
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT… MAR 18 2014
RECORD LOW OF -8 DEGREES (-22C) AT BURLINGTON VT YESTERDAY…
BREAKS OLD RECORD OF -6 (-21C) SET IN 1885.
RECORD LOW -13 DEGREES (-25C) AT MONTPELIER VT YESTERDAY…
BREAKS OLD RECORD OF -11 (-24C) SET IN 1967.
RECORD LOW OF -10 DEGREES (-23C) WAS SET AT MASSENA NY YESTERDAY…
BREAKS OLD RECORD OF -5 (-20C) SET IN 1950.
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/climate/getclimate.php?wfo=btv
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Portland, Maine, about to break SEVERAL cold records
Portland could have the most days staying below freezing in March since records began in 1941.
Could also have 3 days in a row below freezing in the 3rd week of March, which would set another record.
And, if forecasts are correct, Portland could break a daily low-temperature record on Monday.
SO FAR THIS MONTH THERE HAVE BEEN 9 DAYS WHERE PORTLAND DID NOT RISE ABOVE FREEZING. THE RECORD FOR NUMBER OF DAYS IN THE MONTH OF MARCH WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 32 OR LOWER IS 10 DAYS SET IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT YEARS (1984, 1972, 1967, 1960). AS WE ARE NOW
IF CURRENT FORECASTS ARE CORRECT… PORTLAND WILL NOT RISE ABOVE FREEZING ON MONDAY OR TUESDAY. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT PORTLAND WILL STAY BELOW FREEZING ON WEDNESDAY AS WELL.
SINCE TEMPERATURE RECORDS BEGAN IN PORTLAND IN 1941… THERE HAS NEVER BEEN 3 DAYS WITH HIGHS OF 32 OR LOWER IN THE LAST THIRD OF THE MONTH OF MARCH.
BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS IT IS LIKELY THAT PORTLAND WILL FINISH THE MONTH OF MARCH WITH 11 DAYS (POSSIBLY 12) OF HIGHS OF 32 OR LOWER… BREAKING THE OLD RECORD.
ALSO… THE RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE FOR MONDAY MARCH 24 IS 13 DEGREES SET IN 1997. THE CURRENT FORECAST LOW FOR PORTLAND MONDAY MORNING IS 12 DEGREES.
IF THIS OCCURS IT WOULD BREAK THE RECORD LOW FOR THE DATE. THE LAST TIME PORTLAND TIED A DAILY RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE WAS MAY 11, 2010. THE LAST TIME PORTLAND BROKE A DAILY RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE WAS MARCH 7, 2007.
http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=GYX&product=AFD&format=CI&version=1&glossary=0&highlight
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Nor’easter Bomb’ could dump a foot of snow on parts of Northeast.
Nor’easter bomb indicated off the mid-Atlantic coast late Tuesday night,” said the Weather Service of the huge beast.
A “bomb” is a ferocious storm that intensifies rapidly, often just off the East Coast.
Also known as “explosive cyclogenesis,” a “bomb” is a technical word meteorologists use when low pressure centers deepen at a rate faster than 24 millibars in 24 hours, which happens in only the most intense storms.
Although its exact track and impact remain uncertain, the “bomb” could be a major snow producer, bringing heavy snow from Virginia to New England; from the Carolinas to Maine. Some models are calling for six inches of snow, some for a foot or more.
The Cooperative Institute for Precipitation Systems at Saint Louis University shows “a reasonable six inches or snow from roughly Washington, D.C., to NYC to Boston.”
Two feet of snow?
One model, the GGEM (created by the Canadian Meteorological Centre), has a snow forecast that would rank as one of the biggest the New York City area has ever seen—more than two feet of snow by Wednesday.
Indeed, some computer models show the potential for blizzard conditions in eastern New England.
As one writer points out, “It may not be New York City, as this particular model suggests, but signs are increasingly pointing to a big snowstorm somewhere on the East Coast.”
Temperatures across most of the East will be more fitting of mid-January than late March
Aside from snow, numerous record lows are possible from the Plains to New England, according to Weather Channel meteorologist Michael Palmer. Many areas will be 10-20 degrees below average this weekend and 10-30 degrees below average for the early part of the week, Palmer warned..
Temperatures will be in the 20s, 30s and 40s in much of the Midwest on Saturday, the Weather Channel predicts. Incredibly for late March, a few subzero low temperatures are possible in northern Minnesota on Sunday morning, Weather Channel meteorologist Chris Dolce says. International Falls, Minn., could record its 80th subzero low temperature of the 2013-14 season.
Nor'easter bomb, Rex block: New winter storm may be headed East. (http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/03/21/nor_easter_bomb_rex_block_new_winter_storm_may_be_headed_east.html)
Happy Spring: Here Comes 'Nor'easter Bomb' - Big storm predicted for Tuesday in Northeast (http://www.newser.com/story/184159/happy-spring-here-comes-noreaster-bomb.html?utm_source=part&utm_medium=united&utm_campaign=rss_topnews)
Calendar says spring, but winter refuses to go away (http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2014/03/21/arctic-blast-polar-vortex-winter-weather/6690479/)
Forecasters predict potential 'Nor'easter bomb' | www.ktvu.com (http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/national/forecasters-predict-potential-noreaster-bomb/nfJYF/)
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Also, longest snow cover for Detroit since 1800s
And 3rd snowiest winter for Flint – so far.
“We have set records at both Detroit and Flint for consecutive days with snow cover,” says NOAA
“November and especially March are more like winter months in Michigan”
“Not too surprising that winter is also approaching another “Top Ten”…the most number of days freezing or below (32 degrees or lower for a high temperature). “
“February finished as another top 20 snowiest month with Detroit at its 9th snowiest February, Flint 3rd snowiest and Saginaw T-15th snowiest February on record. All of this snow is placing southeast Michigan into the top of the seasonal snowfall records. The past 10 to 15 years have had some active and snowy winters. In fact, this winter puts 6 of the last 14 years into the top 20 snowiest winters on record. “
Seasonal Snowfall Stats
Location
Seasonal Normal
Winter 2013-14 (through 4 pm March 22nd)
Record (Year)
Current Seasonal Ranking
Detroit Area
42.5″
90.7″
93.6″ (1880-81)
2nd
Flint Area
47.4″
82.3″
82.9″ (1974-75)
3rd
Saginaw
45.5″
58.5″
87.2″ (1966-67)
15th
Most Consecutive Days with Snow Cover (1 inch or greater)
Both Detroit and Flint have set records for consecutive days with snow cover. The snow cover streak began on 12/31/13 at Detroit, and on 12/9/13 at Flint, before ending in mid-March.
And it was COLD!
January placed in the top 15 coldest Januarys and February placed in the top twenty coldest (Detroit was 16th, Flint was 4th and Saginaw was 8th coldest February).
Source:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=dtx&storyid=100198&source=0
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According to NOAA, today, March 24th, marks the 110th day in a row with a snow depth of at least 15 inches in Duluth.
This stretch of days began on December 5th of last year and ranks as the 3rd most in recorded history.
Rank # Days End Date
1st 131 4/12/1956
2nd 120 4/11/1996
3rd 110 3/24/2014
National Weather Service Forecast Office - Duluth, MN (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dlh/)
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At least 176 reports of missing or unaccounted for after the disaster
March 24, 2014 1:49PM ET |Updated 9:11PM ET
The number of people known to have been killed in a devastating mudslide in Washington state rose to 14 Monday, with reports of another 176 missing or unaccounted for individuals.
Authorities cautioned that the figure would likely decline dramatically, with the potential that some people had been reported more than once, and that others may have yet to come forward to be crossed off the list.
But with fears of fresh landslides hampering rescue efforts, emergency responders suggested that the chances of finding anyone else alive were slim.
"I'm disappointed to tell you that we didn't find any sign of survivors or any survivors today," Snohomish County Fire District 21 Chief Travis Hots said at a press conference Monday night. "Sadly, six more fatalities were recovered, bringing the death toll to 14."
On Saturday morning the slide, triggered after rain-soaked embankments along State Route 530 gave way, swept through part of Oso, a former fishing village about 55 miles northeast of Seattle, leaving an estimated one square mile covered in mud and debris. Several people were critically injured, about 30 homes were destroyed and a mile of the highway was blocked.
"One of the responders out there today said to me, 'When we do find a void space... like in a house, it's very tough to even search those buildings because they've been compressed with all that material," Hots said Monday. "He described it like cement that's gone into the voids."
On Monday evening, President Obama signed an emergency declaration and ordered federal aid added to state and local efforts, officials said at a press conference. This allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate in the search and rescue efforts.
Snohomish County's emergency management director, John Pennington, said that the number of reports of missing people was raised to 176 on Monday. The list was pulled together from various sources that authorities are working from, but does not necessarily mean there are that many injuries or fatalities.
But Pennington cautioned against holding out hope for many more survivors.
"Most of us here in the community believe we will not find anyone else alive," Pennington said. "I'm a man of faith... so does that mean we give up? No. But we are moving towards the realization that we're moving towards a recovery operation."
Among the possibly missing are construction workers commuting to the neighborhood and people just driving through.
Voices of people crying for help in the wreckage of the mudslide stopped on Monday, authorities said, dashing hopes of finding more survivors as searchers continued to pull bodies from the tangled debris field.
Search and rescue teams took to the air in helicopters and the ground on foot on Sunday to look for anyone who might still be alive. Their spirits were raised late Saturday night when they heard cries for help from the tangle of trees, dirt and wreckage. Dangerous conditions forced them to turn back in the darkness.
Adding to the worries was that the slide struck Saturday morning, when most people are at home. Of the 49 structures in the neighborhood hit by the slide, authorities believe at least 25 were regularly occupied.
Crews were able to get to the soupy, tree-strewn mud, which was 15 feet deep in places, Sunday after geologists flew over in a helicopter and determined it was safe enough for emergency responders and technical rescue personnel to search for survivors, Hots said.
He added that they did not search the entire debris field, only drier areas safe to traverse.
Both frequent, heavy rainfall and geography make the area prone to landslides. Less than a decade ago, another slide hit in the same general area. Geologists and other experts said the Stillaguamish River likely caused some erosion in the area, which was carved by glaciers millennia ago.
Snohomish County estimated in a recent report that 28,500 people lived in areas across the county that are susceptible to slides.
Authorities believe Saturday's slide was caused by ground made unstable by recent heavy rainfall.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee described the scene as "a square mile of total devastation" after flying over the area midday Sunday. He assured families that everything was being done to find their missing loved ones.
The slide blocked the north fork of the Stillaguamish River, raising fears on Saturday of downstream flooding. But water began to seep through the blockage Sunday, alleviating some concerns.
Bruce Blacker, who lives just west of the slide, doesn't know the whereabouts of six neighbors. "It's a very close-knit community," he said as he waited at an Arlington roadblock before troopers let him through.
Search-and-rescue help came from around the region, including the Washington State Patrol and the Army Corps of Engineers.
Dane Williams, 30, who lives a few miles from the mudslide, spent Saturday night at a Red Cross shelter at the Arlington school. He said he saw a few "pretty distraught" people at the shelter who didn't know the fate of loved ones who live in the disaster area.
"It makes me want to cry," Williams said.
Al Jazeera and wire services
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March came in like a lion, and it looks like the lion isn’t leaving, but you can’t blame the “polar vortex” this time.
As a massive winter storm at sea known as a Nor’easter prepares to skirts the Northeast coast of the USA, bringing with it high seas and bitterly cold weather in its wake, Dr. Ryan Maue writes:
Massive Nor’easter will develop a warm-core thru a seclusion process.
Compare previous image w/Hurricane Sandy– same 850-mb Wind speed & MSLP. Nor’easter wind field much stronger/larger.
[It is] maybe 4 times more powerful than Sandy based on integrated KE of wind field.
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/
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CHICAGO:
THE IMPRESSIVE COLD THIS PAST WINTER CONTINUED DURING
MARCH...WITH A MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 31.7 DEGREES
FOR THE MONTH. THIS RANKS AS THE 19TH COLDEST MARCH ON RECORD IN
CHICAGO. HOWEVER...OF EVEN MORE INTEREST IS THE FACT THAT WITH THE
ABNORMALLY COLD MARCH ACROSS THE AREA...THIS MADE THE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE FOR THE DECEMBER THROUGH MARCH PERIOD IN CHICAGO 22.0
DEGREES...WHICH IS THE COLDEST SUCH PERIOD ON RECORD FOR CHICAGO
DATING BACK TO 1872!
HERE IS A LIST OF THIS YEARS DECEMBER THROUGH MARCH AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE RELATED TO THE OTHER COLDEST SUCH PERIODS ON RECORD
IN CHICAGO:
RANK AVERAGE YEAR
DEC-MAR TEMP
--------------------------------------------------
1. 22.0 2013-14
2. 22.3 1903-04
3. 22.5 1977-78
22.5 1892-93
5. 22.7 1978-79
ROCKFORD:
UNSEASONABLY COLD CONDITIONS ALSO OCCURRED IN ROCKFORD IN MARCH.
THE AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE WAS 29.6 DEGREES...WHICH WAS THE
12TH COLDEST MARCH ON RECORD. THE DECEMBER THROUGH MARCH AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE FOR ROCKFORD WAS 18.4 DEGREES. THIS RANKS AS THE 2ND
COLDEST SUCH PERIOD ON RECORD IN ROCKFORD DATING BACK TO 1906!
HERE IS A LIST OF THIS YEARS DECEMBER THROUGH MARCH AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE RELATED TO THE OTHER COLDEST SUCH PERIODS ON RECORD
IN ROCKFORD:
RANK AVERAGE YEAR
DEC-MAR TEMP
------------------------------------------------
1. 18.2 1977-78
2. 18.4 2013-14
3. 18.5 1978-79
4. 19.1 1911-12
5. 21.0 1981-82
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=lot&storyid=101458&source=0