WOW... that's all I can possibly say to sum up late last week and last weekend. To start things off this is the third largest snowfall event in Blacksburg (and Roanoke) recorded history. Let that sink in for a bit... that's a humongogiganticsorous storm the final counts in Blacksburg varied anywhere from 19-26" (which yes I know is quite a variation) however the number they're going with for all purposes is 20.1 outside of the national weather service building right off campus. for those of you interested the record was set in 1996, and we were a little further off than I thought (my friend misinformed me) it was a whopping 33.2". Don't let that take away from this storm however, we got absolutely pummeled and Virginia tech canceled 2.5 days of school to bring our total since the beginning of existence to a whopping 10 days.
the national weather service did a nice write-up on this storm (as they do for most significant events you just gotta dig around a little) here http://www.erh.noaa.gov/rnk/events/2014/Feb12-13_winterstorm/summary.php and im gonna sum it up a little and throw in some more cool tidbits.
As I mentioned before the high pressure system in the north-east and the low pressure system over the gulf are the perfect type of track to build a storm of this caliber. For future reference every time you see this starting to play out on your tv screen or they start talking about a noreaster start packing up the emergency supplies. These consistently produce the biggest snow events for the east coast, as they typically have the largest moisture build up as you can see here in this lovely sounding.
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/soundings/14021218_OBS/
for those of you tired of clicking on links ill be sure to pretty it up a little tomorrow but its a little late and homework took me a tad longer than I thought it would and I really really wanted to get this done.
These lines and graphs may look like gibberish to you, but I want to point out something VERY significant. These are called skewTs and a forecaster can live and die by them. They don't lie, however the data usually doesn't come out until a day or even a few hours before a storm and for that they're kinda unreliable but looking back on things they provide some beautiful information. We have two important lines here a blue one and a red one (and several temperature lines that are important but again ill save that for a forecast next semester.) when these two lines are very close together and below the freezing line as they are, it means that the air is very saturated....LIKE REALLY SATURATED in this case. This will lead to large snow storms, with large snow flakes and because there was such a deep layer of saturation we knew we had quite the storm on our hands.
The initial storm did drop what a lot of snow enthusiasts were predicting (ill admit I was a tad short with my 9-12 inches) and dropped a good 12-16 inches on us, however a second layer of moisture doubled over behind the low pressure system and dropped another 4-8" which is what screwed over a lot of forecasts. the euro saw it, and Im ashamed I ever doubted it. I do feel smart for trusting its track over that of the Canadian I just wish I had trusted the numbers a little more. This second wave was clearly visible too, it hit on the night of the thirteenth my roommate looked out the window and asked me if we were finished, to which I turned to him and said
followed by a terrible game of thrones joke
It had already fallen at an absurd rate, and kept falling at a ridiculous rate completely shooting my forecast out of the water. Either way I digress, my friend was warning me all week that someone in Virginia was getting hit with "the bullseye" he predicted central Virginia would get it and receive 20+". He was right about the amount, wrong about the location, make no mistake we got it and we got absolutely crushed by snow literally and figuratively.
I hope it didn't disturb everyones work schedules and I hope everyone was safe and got to kind of enjoy the snow like I know I did. We went sledding behind my apartment and brought out a cooler....beer and sledding great combination. Anywho im going to post many more things on this tomorrow that draw this storm to a starking resemblance to the snowmageddon storm that im sure some alumni here remember...like seriously the soundings are almost identical. but....its really really late and I do have class tomorrow so I bid you all a farewell and there will be plenty of information posted tomorrow!
PS! JOE would it be possible to get a weather tag? I hate posting these things under tags like derp haha thanks again guys
Comments
I was at VT for the 1996 storm. That was a monster. I remember the flights going back from my home out West during Xmas time were all getting cancelled and then our pilot came out to the terminal and said:
"There appears to be a small window of opportunity to break through the storm if we leave now. I can't guarantee that and if we get stuck we'll need to divert to Atlanta. Anyone that wants to stay should go home because this is the only flight leaving."
There were only 20 people on the plane. It was cloud cover from about the Mississippi and then magically right when we arrived in the pattern to land at BWI the sky opened up and the sun was out. You could see the city below and we landed with almost no turbulence. By the time I got off the plane, got my bags and out of the terminal to my friends car the airport was shutdown for the rest of the day.
That was a monster storm. I think this storm's accumulation has been faster though, but I have no evidence to support that.
ALSO the storm coming Friday, I wouldn't think much of it...however it is the beginning indicator of spring which has a lot of forecasters FLIPPING OUT. so good news bad news...
Good news, temperatures are going to be in the 50s, possibly as high as the 60s next week!
Bad news - this storm could bring a little ice...hope your driveway is already clear because it could freeze back over, the storm has next to no CAPE so all of this hype about a big storm....meh....all hype, we might get some thunder and lightning though!!!! god I miss that stuff
I need some sun this weekend. Moving in the snow is the WORST!
My senior year (2010), we had two massive snowstorms. Luckily for us students, they both arrived over the weekend. The folks in charge of plowing sidewalks and streets were kind enough to not plow any of the sidewalks in Oak Lane.
Why do I not remember either of these...?
There's a possible system for the middle part of next week, but I plan on enjoying the nice weather while it lasts.
E$PN8 the ocho. If it's almost a sport, we got it.
That is the sweetest! Nice find or make...
There is no Wahoo or Cavalier doing that for sure.
Another week. Another winter storm warning.
That was awesome. Nice share.
I just skied Snowshoe on Tues - Thurs. Conditions (for the east coast) were awesome. It never got above 22F and snowed 6" on 2nd night. The next day never got above 15F and the snow stayed soft all day. Last day was a high of 12F with very nice groomed fast conditions. There going to get another foot tonight through tomorrow. Then it gets warm, but it should be good for this coming week. Had a great time with my Dad and his retired jet jock buddies!
First time since 1985 I've been there (I set my classes up then so I had Thursday off both winters of 1984 & 1985 and went every Thursday in Jan and Feb those years). If you can, go get some end of season vertical!!
I am going next weekend.
Hey guys I was actually about to post something but thisll do
Originally I thought the storm was tracking north and into Pennsylvania and Maryland however....she's taken a steer for the south due to some northly winds and the positioning of some pressure systems. Due to the track expect us to get a few inches like 4-6 nothing close to what we got last time it won't pick up moisture along the coast. However it'll still be significant central further into the valley up towards Harrisonburg is looking to get hit the hardest. Expect around 10 inches same for some parts of northern Virginia it looks like its gonna hit tonight so bring out your shovles ladies and gents it still could track a little further south fersure so be warned alas I have a test to study for tonight but I'm totally gonna try to keep y'all updated on any last second changes.
Its gonna be a very fast moving storm though so expect it to dump a lot of snow very quickly! Sorry about the lateness of the post and update of the storm
Wooooooh lots of typos in that one haha
Thanks for the info man it is good to know!
So disappointed. As of Friday they were forecasting 8-16 inches here in central PA. Now accuweather (which is based here in State College) is saying 3-5. Boo urns. If we're gonna get snow, I wish it would be enough to close down the town.
Just paint a freakin' frozen bullseye on us in central va. sheesh.
well this being my final post prior to the storm getting here, this could be a doozy folks. expect the storm to begin with rain as temperatures will be a little to high. the rain could wash all of the salt off of the roads making this a terribly difficult storm to prepare for. this storm has a little bit of it all, as I mentioned before it will start as rain, as it cools down expect it to transition to sleet/ice tomorrow in mid to late afternoon, as we progress into the night snow will begin coming down fast and hard. There will be some very quick accumulation its going to be fat, thick snowflakes coming down very quickly. How much snow we get really actually depends on the rain, if the air is still moisturized by the time the temperatures drop we could be looking at the upper levels of predictions meaning probably around 7-8 inches in Blacksburg...and about a foot in central and northern Virginia (possibly even more depending on who you ask) now if it isn't saturated still expect a few inches of snow, I think the minimum expectation for myself in da burg is about 5" anything less and ill be pretty surprised. as for northern Virginia and central Virginia....youre prolly gonna get pummeled...sorry folks west Virginia up in the Appalachians is probably getting the worst of it....expect many couch burnings in order to keep it from accumulating to much
I hope the snow hits up here in Dulles, cuz i sure am drink'n like there is no work tomorrow
I got the e-mail that my work is cancelled. Looks like I can have another couple beers tonight!
also I think they finally named a storm properly...titan....such an awesome name! also I want to purpose a rule to the weather channel or whoever the hell makes the names to change the name if the storm looks more threatening...much like the hurricane naming system you can only name a storm something cool if its gonna be awesome...and only name it lame like pax if its gonna suck hardcore and maybe drizzle and drop a snowflake or two...seriously how can you possibly feel ok with naming the biggest storm of the season PAX?
It is a snow storm. You don't name snow storms. Most of the midwest and north would go through the alphabet about 5 times.
I just want to let y'all slightly to the north know: it was 70 in North Carolina today. It might get down to 28 tomorrow...
It was 73 in Richmond today. It'll be in the teens tomorrow night.
It was 60 in cburg on Sunday, supposed to be 33 on Monday.
Yeahhhhh some polar air is moving through quickly we were even at 65 this morning before It dropped quickly this afternoon prior to some showers its dropping reeeeeal quick and when you have this significant of a change this quickly in the atmosphere you can get some winds too expect some pretty strong gusts too
not that it really matters..but I'm guessing Asheville will be missed again? I haven't really looked at the weather but I haven't heard anyone talking about it so we must not be expecting anything. We ended up getting about 6 IN from the last storm which was a real disappointment...it irks me to know Nova could get upwards of 12 IN and we'll get nothing...again
On the way into work this morning I heard on the radio that we'll have rain with temperatures cooling down this evening and a VERY SLIGHT chance for wintry mix....blaghh :/
If we're not going to get 6 inches or more I don't want anything at all..I'm ready for spring
Across the street from my house is a mix of precipitation but it's raining here.
Of course, across the street from my house is Reed Mountain.
Can't see the top, precip and fog.
I don't think I've ever seen a transition that fast from a rain storm to an all out snow storm.
It is snowing very heavily now and the snow is sticking on metal and roofs and grass.
It has just starting sticking on roads and concrete. Earlier than I thought.
too about 15 minutes from steady showers to 100% heavy snow.
snowing in blacksburg already. not sticking on roads/paths yet
Is it just me or are we back to rain?
You guys are getting absolutely hammered this winter, but I thank you for taking the hits since VA is a little bit more prepared for ice and snow. We got a bit of sleet yesterday and the roads all but shut down.
Yeah its been a doozy lately but it actually could have been a much worse winter we dodged the bullet on a few events if its raining its probably actually sleet at this point I think its a little to cold for rainfall both atmospherically and down here on the surface
Maybe it's because I don't want to do my presentation this afternoon but my mind is here.
well unfortunately temperatures stayed a little to high down here, a majority of the snow has already passed and temperatures were to high for to much accumulation, the water on the roads may freeze over tonight still, so drive safe anyway, this one kinda petered out on us...definitely still a little more on its way, but national weather service is shooting 1-3" I definitely got bitten by the euro this time around... my bad folks!!! still learning here
State College PA got exactly ZERO inches of snow today. If it's going to be this cold (below zero tonight), then we might as well get something out of it.
sorry horse :\ not looking to good, we might get a little more out of it but I wouldn't hold my breath this was a weird storm as soon as I noticed it, temperatures just were to high yesterday and the ground carried some of that warmth over. Its currently snowing in Blacksburg and despite it being 25 degrees today, none of its sticking to anything. theres been very little accumulation so far, people are more concerned at this point of the ground freezing back over tonight
youre stuck on that right side of the high pressure system which is just gonna pull down tons of cold air...springs right around the corner my friend hang in there!!!