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From: smwincva_wxman{at}webtv.net
Date: Tue Jan 21 2003 - 18:57:10 EST
Winchester VA
The Artic air has been entrenched here for the last week & half, and
won't leave thru the weekend.
Since i have not posted lately a few extreme wx events happened earlier
in the month, that i wanted to share, then i move forward to more recent
events.
=========
Jan 9th: High Winds
A very strong downslope wind developed in the early morning hours. The
day before a wind advisory had been in affect, but was dropped for the
4pm (8th) package. The evening AFD said it would be breezy, but below
advisory criteria.
About 11pm (8th) the NWS started receiving damage reports in central WV.
By 1am, more reported in eastern WV.
A series of High Wind Warnings were issued from eastern WV, thru the
Shenadoah Valley, then to the Piedmont sections.
Locally, i measured winds to 38mph; the airport measured a peak gust of
45mph, & WINC radio had a peak gust of 50mph.
Temperatures were in the low 50's overnight, and the barometer had
fallen to 29.22" the night before then had stated rising.
Damage Reports & Peak Gusts from Baltimore/Washington NWS
http://wxmatrix-membersonly/group/VA_StormNet/message/19190
The Winchester (VA) Star (Jan 10th)
Fallen Tree No Fun for Nursery
http://www.winchesterstar.com/TheWinchesterStar/030110/Area_nursery.asp
==========
Jan 10th: Snow Squall
As the Artic air began to rush in, a major Lake Effect snow event
started. Normally, nothing more than snow flurries reach the area when
this happen. Perhaps once a winter a snow shower will coat small areas
with amounts of well under 1".
A few snow showers were making east over the mountains during the
evening. About 9pm, another was shown on radar just to our west.
It started snowing here at 9:18pm, and 18 minutes later we had 1" on the
ground!! That is the hardest i seen it snow in several years. Another
briefer snow squall moved thru about 9:55pm. When was all said & done,
we had 1.33" on the ground.
The area affected was only about 3 miles wide & 40 miles long, ending
at Dulles Airport. Other isolated snow showers & squalls left amounts
between 1/4 to 1" in a few locations. Total areal coverage in the areas
north of I-66 to the Mason Dixon was only 10-15%.
Here, a few roads became solid sheets of black ice. I-81 was the worst,
w/ several cars sliding or wrecking. The state police weaved between the
2 lanes trying to slow drivers to 15mph.
Two secondary roads were closed until VDOT could apply abrasives. It
took 2 hours for trucks to arrive since the snow was not forecast.
The only big accident was a tractor trailer that jack knifed, closing
down a 7 mile stretch of I-81 for about 1 hour.
The snow squall was so localized that areas just 5 miles N & S of my
location had no accumulation.
====
Jan 16th: Mid South, Mid Atlantic snowfall
We have had little in the way accumulating snow since the jet stream is
avoiding the Gulf of Mexico.
The exception was last Thursday, when a 2" snowfall coated the area
between 3pm & 11pm. The water content was .11", or a ratio of 18:1
The road crews were ready for the snow, & were applying chemicals soon
after it began.
My Photo Album
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4003288&a=30525295&f=0
Wakefield (VA) NWS Snowfall Map
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/akq/wx_events/winter/snowJan16_2003.htm
VA Snowfall Totals
http://wxmatrix-membersonly/group/VA_StormNet/message/19377
Thur Jan 16th VA wx
http://wxmatrix-membersonly/group/VA_StormNet/message/19378
News Stories:
http://wxmatrix-membersonly/group/VA_StormNet/message/19572
Visible Image (from Polar Orbital?) (Jan 18)
http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/dynatrack/chesa/CHESA_124.n16.03jan18_1810.jpg
========
Artic cold (ongoing since Jan 10th)
The cold weather is NOT unusual. In fact, right now National Airport is
running in the middle of the pact as far cold January's go.
http://wxmatrix-membersonly/group/VA_StormNet/message/19566
In fact some of the coldest air ever recorded here was back on this week
back in 1994. That week i measured lows sub zero twice that week.
On Jan 19th 1994, 5" snow ushered in the coldest air of that season. Two
days later the mean temp was -1.3º, with a low of -9.8º and and high
of +7.2º.
On Jan 21st, my low was -5.4º. The airport fell to -18º! WINC radio
recorded a low of -12º. At the time i lived in an apt building
downtown, and had a lone wired thermometer that hung from a neighbor's
deck. It was was 5' above the ground and 3' from the building, and was
accurate most if not all the time.
Because of the extreme demand of electricity, and that Allegheny Energy
had 2 plants down, there was a critical need to conserve electricity.
There was dire warnings of brownouts & rotating blackouts. Schools &
factories closed early, & stayed closed the next day. There were no
outages locally however.
~
In contrast, the cold air early Saturday was generally in the single
digits above or below zero.
My low was +3º, or the coldest since Jan 20th 2000 when it was +4º.
Winchester Regional Airport fell to -6º, and WINC radio fell to +4º.
Saturday's high was 29. That made the temperature similar to a mid Jan
day in Burlington, VT
More temperatures from the Baltimore/Washington CWA and from VA
http://wxmatrix-membersonly/group/VA_StormNet/message/19565
On Sat, a father & sun that had been fishing on the Potomac River nw of
Washington DC had be rescued. There boat was trapped by ice, and they
were successfully rescued by the Montgomery Co (MD) FD. Image © WRC tv
Washington DC.
http://attach5.wxmatrix-membersonly/v1/8NAtPsZfu0aXCvRnsgsjEXBBNFLumvKe3LBKnWqbCFY-9QX6Bhu1_hgOzB3SFxJPJ9vRRBKp4qTOo6VhJqJeSEsv4vsxIiyIhq0z3A/snapshot.jpg
And you think you could escape it in FL?
Miami (FL) Herald (Sun Jan 19th)
Some chilling thoughts rattle Brrr-oward
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/4981145.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
====
Early Jan 21 (A touch of snow)
As the Artic air was arriving this air, it squezed out all the moisture,
resulting in 20 mile wide band of snow west to east & sagging south.
Most areas got a dusting. Some southern suburbs of Washington DC got 1".
A winter weather advisory was in affect from Frederickburg VA south &
east in VA & MD this am until 1pm.
Forecasted amounts of 1-3" were noted, but neither NWS office prepared a
PNS on the event.
It snowed here from 5 to 11am, and it appears we had a 1/4", but most
had melted when i got up at noon. Water content was .02".
=====
Since Jan 14th we have been above freezing only about 12 hours on 3 days
total. We were below 32º 5 straight days from Jan 15th to Sunday.
Although we have had a break the last 2 days, that has come to a end. We
won't be out of the 20's daytime (& into the single digits above at
night) thru Friday.
There is a slight chance of light snow Wed night & Thursday.
A very slow moderation is due this weekend (ie: near 32º daytime). The
models show the jet stream becoming zonal next week, meaning
temperatures may rise into the 40's for the first time since Jan 10th!
As noted at the end of the LWX AFD:
" RDG BUILDS S OF CWA OVR THE WEEKEND. THIS SHD LEAD TO A GRADUAL
WARMUP. MEX GUIDANCE FCSTG A MAX OF 49 TUE AT DCA...51 AT CHO. TIME TO
PULL OUT THE SWIMSUITS. "
Steve Minghini
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