• After witnessing the continued decrease of involvement in the SpotterNetwork staff in serving SN members with troubleshooting issues recently, I have unilaterally decided to terminate the relationship between SpotterNetwork's support and Stormtrack. I have witnessed multiple users unable to receive support weeks after initiating help threads on the forum. I find this lack of response from SpotterNetwork officials disappointing and a failure to hold up their end of the agreement that was made years ago, before I took over management of this site. In my opinion, having Stormtrack users sit and wait for so long to receive help on SpotterNetwork issues on the Stormtrack forums reflects poorly not only on SpotterNetwork, but on Stormtrack and (by association) me as well. Since the issue has not been satisfactorily addressed, I no longer wish for the Stormtrack forum to be associated with SpotterNetwork.

    I apologize to those who continue to have issues with the service and continue to see their issues left unaddressed. Please understand that the connection between ST and SN was put in place long before I had any say over it. But now that I am the "captain of this ship," it is within my right (nay, duty) to make adjustments as I see necessary. Ending this relationship is such an adjustment.

    For those who continue to need help, I recommend navigating a web browswer to SpotterNetwork's About page, and seeking the individuals listed on that page for all further inquiries about SpotterNetwork.

    From this moment forward, the SpotterNetwork sub-forum has been hidden/deleted and there will be no assurance that any SpotterNetwork issues brought up in any of Stormtrack's other sub-forums will be addressed. Do not rely on Stormtrack for help with SpotterNetwork issues.

    Sincerely, Jeff D.

12/30/08 FCST: MN/WI

Joined
Jul 23, 2004
Messages
497
Location
Iowa City, IA
A winter storm will bring several hours of moderate snowfall to central and northern MN on Tuesday. Snowfall will start late tonight and continue through late afternoon tomorrow. The following are forecasts for specific locations in Minnesota:

Twin Cities, MN:
Snowfall will start at 1:30 AM in the north metro and 2 AM in the south, while accumulating to 5.5 inches north and tapering to 4.4 inches across the south metro.

St. Cloud, MN:
Snow will start at 12:00 AM tomorrow with 5.9 inches accumulation.

Duluth, MN:
Snow will start at 5:30 AM tomorrow with 1.2 inches accumulation.

Discussion:
The WV loop indicates a departing SHRTWV over the upper-Great Lakes with an upstream wave and baroclinic leaf over MT. At 18Z, weak echos were starting to show up on the UDX, BIS, and GGW radar sites. The SHRTWV will take aim at the Upper-Midwest tonight. The SFC low will track SE from ERN MT into SD and then SWRN IA. The H85 low will track along the IA/MN border with a large temperature gradient over SRN MN during the first part of Tuesday. Looking at MDL performance, the GFS has been more consistent then the WRF over the last several runs. The SREF ensemble continues to favor a far more NLY track for the SFC/H85 lows and will be discounted. Recent trends indicate an earlier onset and faster progression of the system.

After 08Z, STG isentropic upglide develops along 284-294K SFCS; first over WCNTRL MN and then spreading EWD towards CNTRL WI through 18Z with upwards of 2g/kg mixing ratio FCST. A zone of impressive H7 frontogenesis shifts through CNTRL MN between 15Z and 21Z. Application of the Garcia method yields 4 to 5 inch SNWFL totals while assuming a precipitation duration of 8 hours. A snow/liquid ratio of 18:1 was assumed along I-94 with slightly higher ratios further N, which may be too conservative. The progressive nature of the system will help keep SNWFL totals at bay despite snowfall rates as high as 1.5 inches/hour along and N of I-94 between 18Z and 21Z. Following the passage of the system, a cold AMS will surge SWD with H85 temperatures of -12 to -14 C FCST. Looking ahead, a couple of SHRTWVs will ripple through otherwise zonal flow, with the next system affecting the area on Thursday. This weekend, the ULVL flow transitions to a split flow pattern with the SRN branch becoming highly amplified over the Four Corners area resulting in a period of interesting WX. One or more SFC systems should develop in response, bringing a mixture of winter WX to the upper-Mississippi valley and episodes of SVR WX to the SRN states.

- bill

1:30 PM CST, 12/29/08
 
RE: Upper Midwest winter storm on Tuesday

Twin Cities, MN:
Snowfall will start at 1:30 AM in the north metro and 2 AM in the south, while accumulating to 5.5 inches north and tapering to 4.4 inches across the south metro.

St. Cloud, MN:
Snow will start at 12:00 AM tomorrow with 5.9 inches accumulation.

Duluth, MN:
Snow will start at 5:30 AM tomorrow with 1.2 inches accumulation.

MPX/DLH CWA snowfall totals for Tuesday...
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mpx/?n=dec30_08snowfall
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/dlh/SnowfallMap_2008Dec30.jpg

Interesting day as banding with enhanced snowfall rates developed
along and N of I-94. A narrow band of heavy snowfall resulted with a
sharp cutoff in accumulations immediately north and south of this
area. The Twin Cities saw anything from over 5 inches in the far
northern metro, tapering down to less then 1.5 inches in the south
(1.4 at the airport). St. Cloud received 6.1 inches (with far
higher amounts only 10 miles to the north and lesser amounts to the
south). No reports for Duluth. McGregor, the closest reporting
station to Duluth, received 1.2 inches.

- bill
 
it was really interesting to watch that band of snow develop/intensify/train over central MN. We received 2" here in New Brighton which is a northern suburb of Minneapolis, just 30 miles north of me in Forest Lake they picked up i think 6 or 7 inches. I wonder if the NWS-Chanhassen or Duluth are going to do a write up on what caused the unexpected heavy snow?? Mulitple reports of 14" with one report of nearly 16".
 
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