Category: National and World
Boston Snowfall Makes Their Top Ten List
The 21.8 inches of snow through 7 a.m. at Boston’s Logan Airport is not an all time record there, but it did make the top ten. Some additional snow fell after 7 a.m., which could have been enough to push the storm total into the top five.
Here is the current list through 7 a.m.
1. 27.5″ 2003 February 17-18
2. 27.1″ 1978 February 6-7
3. 26.3″ 1969 February 24-25
4. 25.4″ 1997 March 31 – April 1
5. 22.5″ 2005 January 22-23
=====================================
6. 21.8″ 2013 February 8-9
=====================================
7. 21.4″ 1978 January 20-21
8. 19.8″ 1960 March 3-5
9. 19.4″ 1958 February 16-17
10. 18.7″ 1994 February 8-10
We will update the ranking later.
It looks like blizzard conditions were confirmed at Falmouth AFB in Massachusetts. Here are the obs during the early morning, focusing on the ones between 2:15 and 5:35.
The NWS defines a blizzard as:
…the following conditions are expected to prevail for a period of 3 hours or longer:
Sustained wind or frequent gusts to 35 miles an hour or greater; and
Considerable falling and/or blowing snow (i.e., reducing visibility frequently to less than 1/4 mile)
It could be argued that the blizzard conditions started as early as 12:35 a.m.
It looks to me like the readings at Boston’s Logan fell just short of the definition, although they were close.
So far, the highest snow total I have seen out of the NWS Boston is 32.0 inches at Manchester CT.
The snow is definitely tapering off now as the low departs to the northeast. Here is a picture of the low with satellite and radar, as well as the isobars.
The pressure now is 978 mb. I have seen an estimate as low at 974 mb.
Evening Notes from the Northeast
A view from Boston’s Back Bay tonight thanks to Twitter user @knomad.
Some notes from the Northeast:
NEW YORK CITY/LONG ISLAND
CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS
CENTRAL PARK LGT SNOW 30 28 92 NE15G26 29.66F VSB 3/4 WCI 19
LAGUARDIA APRT LGT SNOW 31 28 89 N18G26 29.64F FOG WCI 19
KENNEDY INTL LGTSLEET 31 28 89 N21G32 29.62F FOG WCI 18
NEWARK/LIBERTY LGT SNOW 31 29 92 N23 29.65F FOG WCI 18
TETERBORO LGT SNOW 30 28 93 N16G24 29.65F VSB 3/4 WCI 19
WHITE PLAINS SNOW 29 25 85 N15G23 29.62 VSB 1/2 WCI 18
FARMINGDALE LGT SNOW 30 27 86 N21G32 29.56F FOG WCI 17
ISLIP SLEET 30 29 96 N24G35 29.53 VSB 1/2 WCI 16
SHIRLEY HVY RAIN 33 31 92 N14G24 29.53F FOG WCI 23
WESTHAMPTON RAIN 34 33 96 N25G39 29.53F FOG WCI 21
MONTAUK POINT N/A 33 33 100 N29G48 29.46 WCI 19
…NWS New York City reports that their 7 p.m. balloon was lost after release, so there will be no sounding data.
…Here is a link to some thundersnow video from Middle Island in Suffolk County.
…Coastal flood warnings are in effect. High tide at the Battery tonight was at 7:12 p.m. Tide was a little more than two feet above normal.
…8,000 have no power on Long Island.
…80 mph wind gust reported on the end of Long Island at Montauk a earlier.
…Preparations in the New York City area were taken a little more seriously today in light of Superstorm Sandy at the end of October.
The Upton radar shows heavy sleet and heavy snow in bright colors.
BOSTON/MASSACHUSETTS
CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS
BOSTON SNOW 31 30 96 NE36G52 29.79F VSB 1/2 WCI 15
BEVERLY SNOW 31 28 89 NE28G44 29.81F VSB 1/4 WCI 17
LAWRENCE HVY SNOW 21 17 84 MISG 29.87F VSB 1/4
…63 mph wind gust at Nantucket
…MASSDOT weather station north of Brockton, Massachusetts reported a 91mph wind gust at 7:50pm.
…Moderate to potentially major coastal flooding is expected in the morning on the eastward facing coastlines in Massachusetts. Scituate, Sandwich and Nantucket are expected to experience major flooding around the time of high tide around 9-10 a.m. on Saturday.
…Just saw a new one for me: an Ice Accretion Advisory for coastal areas of the coasts of MA, RI down to Montauk NY.
…Boston forecast:
SUFFOLK MA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…BOSTON
715 PM EST FRI FEB 8 2013
…BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST SATURDAY…
…COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST SATURDAY…
.TONIGHT…SNOW. SNOW MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES. ADDITIONAL SNOW
ACCUMULATION OF 12 TO 18 INCHES. VERY WINDY WITH LOWS AROUND 15.
NORTH WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW
NEAR 100 PERCENT.
.SATURDAY…SNOW. SNOW MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES IN THE MORNING.
TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION MORE THAN 2 FEET. WINDY AND COLDER WITH
HIGHS IN THE LOWER 20S. NORTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS
UP TO 40 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW NEAR 100 PERCENT.
RHODE ISLAND/CONNECTICUT
…12 inches or snow already at Woonsocket and Smithfield RI
…63 mph wind gust at TF Green Airport near Warwick
…13,000 without power in Connecticut.
Northeast U.S. Blizzard Beginning
Snow begins from NYC to Boston. Intensity will increase dramatically this afternoon with increasing wind. Below is the blizzard warning from the NWS Boston…
…BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST SATURDAY…
* LOCATIONS…EASTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS…INCLUDING BOSTON AND THE BOSTON METRO AREA…ALL OF RHODE ISLAND INCLUDING BLOCK ISLAND…AND SOUTHEASTERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
* HAZARD TYPES…HEAVY SNOW…BLOWING AND DRIFTING AT TIMES… QUARTER MILE VISIBILITIES…AND WINDS GUSTING NEAR 60 MPH.
* ACCUMULATIONS…SNOW ACCUMULATION OF MORE THAN 2 FEET.
* TIMING…LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP BY THIS MORNING…BECOMING HEAVY LATE IN THE DAY INTO THE EVENING COMMUTE. THE HEAVIEST SNOW…ESPECIALLY FOCUSED ALONG THE I-95 CORRIDOR… WILL FALL TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY.
* IMPACTS…BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AND DANGEROUS TRAVEL. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED AS ROADS BECOME SNOW COVERED BY THIS EVENINGS COMMUTE. STRONG NORTH-NORTHEAST WINDS ARE ANTICIPATED WITH GUSTS UP TO AROUND 60 MPH…RESULTING IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW. DAMAGE TO TREES AND STRUCTURES ALONG WITH SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ARE ANTICIPATED.
* WINDS…NORTHEAST 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 70 MPH.
* VISIBILITIES…ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES.
* TEMPERATURES…IN THE UPPER 20S.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A BLIZZARD WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS OR FREQUENT GUSTS OVER 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH CONSIDERABLE FALLING AND/OR BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. VISIBILITIES WILL BECOME POOR WITH WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES. THOSE VENTURING OUTDOORS MAY BECOME LOST OR DISORIENTED…SO PERSONS IN THE WARNING AREA ARE
ADVISED TO STAY INDOORS.
Adairsville GA Hit by Large Tornado
The thunderstorm that displayed impressive rotation over Calhoun and Cleburne Counties went on to produce a large tornado in Northwest Georgia a short time later.
The tornado struck near Lindale GA at 10:01 a.m. CST.
It crossed I-75 near Adairsville GA, flipping cars. Cars were overturned and there was major structural damage in downtown Adairsville. There are injuries reported but there are no specifics.
Image from WSB.
Reports say over 100 cars were thrown from the Interstate, which is closed in boh directions at Exit 301.
There are unconfirmed reports that a factory was destroyed. It is reportedly the Daiki plant, where 180 people were working. Reports are that there was only one injury!
Here is a damage image via WSB-TV.
Here is the storm relative velocity lowest tilt from the FFC radar just before the tornado struck Adairsville.
Excellent warnings were in place. Here is the warning that provided 20 minutes of lead time specifically mentioning Adairsville.
411
WFUS52 KFFC 301559
TORFFC
GAC015-057-115-129-227-301645-
/O.NEW.KFFC.TO.W.0003.130130T1559Z-130130T1645Z/
BULLETIN – EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1059 AM EST WED JAN 30 2013
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A
* TORNADO WARNING FOR…
EXTREME NORTHWESTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA
WESTERN PICKENS COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA
NORTHERN BARTOW COUNTY IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
EAST CENTRAL FLOYD COUNTY IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
EASTERN GORDON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
* UNTIL 1145 AM EST
* AT 1056 AM EST…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 16 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF KINGSTON…MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. LAW ENFORCEMENT
HAVE REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD AND TREES DOWN WITH THIS STORM.
* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
ADAIRSVILLE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW! IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING…IT WILL BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE
PLACE.
IF YOU SEE WIND DAMAGE…HAIL OR FLOODING…WAIT UNTIL THE STORM HAS
PASSED…AND THEN CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL FREE AT 1 8
6 6 7 6 3 4 4 6 6. YOU CAN ALSO TWEET YOUR REPORT USING HASHTAG GAWX.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM EST WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON FOR NORTHERN GEORGIA.
Here is an image of the tornado from a video that is apparently legitimate.
U.S. 2012 Weather in Review
As we turn the page from 2012 to 2013, I thought it would be a good time to look back at the top ten weather events of 2012, as voted by the readers of AlabamaWX and the listeners at WeatherBrains.com.
Going from 10th to 1st:
10. A powerful derecho, which is a widespread damaging winds event, caused destruction from Illinois to Virginia on June 29th, Power was knocked out to over three million homes and businesses. A total of eighteen people were killed.
9. Heat, drought and fire dominated the headlines in 2012. The country started off with its warmest January – March on record, with the national average temperature some 6F above normal. Twenty five states east of the Rockies were warmer than normal during this period. The summer was the third warmest on record, just 2/10ths of a degree cooler than the record setting Dust Bowl year of 1936. Over eight million acres were burned by wildfires in June, July and August,, over twice the normal average for that period.
8. A line of severe storms moved through the lower Mississippi Valley on the night of the January 22nd and the early morning hours of January 23rd, producing 25 tornadoes in six states. Two people died in Jefferson County, Alabama, less than a year after the second deadliest tornado outbreak in the state’s history killed 251 on April 27, 2011.
7. A swarm of tornadoes affected the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex during the early afternoon of April 3rd. News helicopters captured amazing video of the tornado lofting truck trailers into the air like toys. Twenty tornadoes impacted the region that day, and amazingly, no one was seriously injured or killed.
6. Category one Hurricane Isaac moved into southeastern Louisiana on the evening of August 28th. The storm dumped over 20 inches of rain on New Orleans and caused serious storm surge flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi, but the Crescent City was spared tidal inundation. Seven people died in the U.S.
5. For the seventh consecutive year, the U.S. was spared a hit by a major hurricane. The last category three or higher hurricane to hit the country was Wilma in 2005. It was an active hurricane season, with nineteen named storms, ten hurricanes and one major hurricane (Michael).
4. Forty four tornadoes across seven states during the overnight of the 28th and the morning of the 29th in the Leap Day 2012 tornado outbreak. One tornado hit Branson, Missouri. Fifteen people died in the outbreak.
3. At least twenty four tornadoes touched down across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana on Christmas Day. There had never been a tornado in Alabama on Christmas Day (since accurate records began to be maintained in 1950). There was one EF3 tornado in Mississippi and a strong tornado struck areas northwest and north of Mobile.
2. The largest tornado outbreak of the year saw sixty eight tornadoes across eleven states from Illinois, Indiana and Ohio across Kentucky and south into Alabama. A total of forty people were killed.
1. The storm that emergency managers in New York City feared finally happened as Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the New Jersey coast on October 29th. The category one hurricane, which wasn’t officially tropical by the classic definition, had storm surge impacts of a category three hurricane. The New Jersey coast was heavily damaged, and there was severe flooding in the New York City metro area. Damage is estimated at over $65 billion, making it the second costliest hurricane in U.S. history.
