GFS: Winter storm by 10/13

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dan Robinson
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If the GFS were to pan out, eastern CO would be seeing subzero temperatures and a blinding snowstorm Wednesday night!:eek: That would be a drastic change after the unseasonably warm weather we've been experiencing as of late. This would be devastating if it occured, because such a drastic temperature swing would kill many trees (for all you CO ST'ers, think something worse than the "Tree Killer" freeze in late October of 1991), ruin the millet crop, and kill off the entire winter wheat and triticale crop, which was planted about a month to two weeks ago and has already started to sprout because of the unseasonably warm weather. I doubt anything this drastic and dramatic will happen, but BOU is calling for a hard freeze and a light accumulation (on the order of an inch or so) for lower elevations of eastern CO Wednesday night and maybe a couple inches in the foothills. My dad is scrambling to get his millet crop picked up, because those kind of temperatures and the snow would ruin it, and he actually has a good stand (he thinks it will make 30 bushels to the acre this year for the first time in six years.) I just hope and pray that the scenario the GFS is depicting does not come to pass; because if it does, a lot of farmers, including my dad, are no longer going to be farming because there would be no crop to harvest next summer.
And plus, I'm just not ready to deal with a blizzard accompanied by bone ass cold subzero temps with windchills far nastier than that in the middle of October. If this kind of weather would hold off for another month or so, that would be FINE with me!:cool:
Shifting focus, I think with the potential intensity of and insane temperature difference on either side of this system, I too believe the eastern Midwest/Ohio Valley could see a nasty severe wx outbreak in the warm sector Thursday.
if this is a prelude to winter, this winter is going to be a real b***h.:mad:
 
" if this is a prelude to winter, this winter is going to be a real b***h."

We said that last year when December was very cold and stormy. Then Jan/Feb were very warm and dry. Never seems to work ;>
 
Definately looks like a cold snap in the works for around here in Colorado, but definately not the end of the world scenario by any means. As strange as this may sound, I'm sure farmers in CO have seen something like this before... just a hunch. Models have temps getting quite cold over most of Northern Colorado, and unfortunately snow won't be the main story with this. We should see our first flakes at the very least, but definately nothing to get terribly excited about.

I'm looking forward to the cold snap as I am one who bitched about the summer heat more than anyone. However, I will admit to enjoying the aspect of a downslope wind which makes a breezy night here very beautiful as was the case last night and early this morning.

None-the-less, fun stuff in store for us! I so enjoy the cooler season and am very much awaiting with open arms this cold embrace!
 
Hold on, folks.

This is the GFS model, which is sometimes prone to overexaggerating the depth and extent of cold outbreaks several days out. This is a good excuse, though, to check oil, get snowblowers repaired, cover the AC, and so on.
 
It may be the GFS model, but we need to look at it with a little interest now. There are some indications of a possible winter storm event for the central Plains and the upper Great Lakes *if* the GFS can be aligned and *IF* other models can come into agreement and also *IF* the strength of the cold air is not being overrexagerated.

If we look at the 12z run, we see a picture painted of potential minor winter storm conditions from Southcentral Nebraska ENE to around Omaha and REALLY wrapping up to major winter storm conditions SE Missouri to Northern Illinois at the 120 with high QPF and low thicknesses supporting snow as low pressure really wraps up near Chicago, then major winter storm conditions Northeast to Northern Lower Michigan.

Again, this is ONLY if GFS is to be believed and historically, I would simply watch and wait and in my personal opinion, watch this solution fizzle. ;)
 
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Starting to look like a very strong blast of early season cold air now. The GFS is coming more in line with other models. It still develops a second low down south on the leading edge of the cold push, but keeps pushing it back in time. Initially it had the second low tracking through eastern IL. Now it's way out east in PA. That trend will probably continue, so you folks in Ohio and western PA shouldn't get excited about accumulating snow just yet.

It does look like the main low will be very strong just north of the lakes, and may rotate some weak waves around it which may squeeze out the first flurries and snow showers of the year for a lot of us.
 
There are some pretty good differences in position and intensity at FH84 between the 12Z NAM and GFS. This run of the GFS really bombs out the system after FH84, but pretty far north. NAM is stronger and further east at FH84, while the GFS is holding back about 200-300 miles further west.

I'm hoping for a solution between the GFS and the NAM, or pretty similar to the 06Z GFS. Dynamics would point towards a strongly forced low-topped convective event, but sfc based moisture doesn't really move in that quick, and instability is really low, even for a purely forced event (though I've seen it happen). If this thing can become a synoptic scale monster / bomb near the UP of Michigan or Lake Superior, I'd venture to say we would be looking at a rather widespread and significant windstorm (not to mention snow and/or blizzard conditions for lake effect areas in the UP). I know those storms last November were pretty rough on the trees, and that was without leaves. Most of the trees here are still quite green and leafy.

That one run of the GFS with the 968mb low over Lake Superior would have done the trick... Can anyone say frequent hurricane force wind gusts?
 
The last few runs indicate a good chance of a few inches down the Appalachians Friday and Saturday. Not too surprising, since our first snow last year was on October 25. A definate photo op as the leaves have just begun to change.

I'm torn between staying here for that, or going up to the Erie/Buffalo area for a lake-effect thundersnow chase.
 
I'll be putting the MNDoT and WisDot forecast togther again in the moning so I'll have a blast (not!). I'm worried about some wind gusts potentially exceeding 60 mph in MN if the NAM pans out. Anyone ever seen a -35C H50 cold core of death in early October. The air aloft is so bloody cold and the lakes so warm that my point sounding for lunchtime Wed near Lake Winnipeg had over 1000 J/kg CAPE (add some sarcasm...throw in the 200 helicity advertised from frictional convergence and we can have some snowpercells). All of my Collier lake effect indicies are in the extreme range. The caviat is the wicked winds will not have much time to pick up moisture but this should be offset by the convective energy. Lapse rates on land alone will be plenty to generate scattered snow bursts Wed and Thurs.

I'd hate to be on one of them iron ore freighters...

"The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they called "Gitche Gumee."
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
when the skies of November turn gloomy.
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,
that good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
when the "Gales of November" came early."
 
That weather had better not DARE come anywhere near me here in central AR......if it does......it'll be getting chased! :D

Can't wait to see the results of this system if it pans out as promised. Even given the likelihood of us missing it here - it will be fun to see all of the news reporters lolloping around in the snow elsewhere on television.

The Appalachians - isn't that where those back-door cold fronts come down? They sure seem to light-up with winter precip on the 10/10 0Z GFS run this morning. Fingers crossed for an early frost and a quick end to those incessant crickets and biting-things! I truly can-NOT wait. Winter beckons......and it's my all-time favourite season!

KL
 
Here in KC we will should get our first freeze of the year.
It is right on schedule based on averages. No snow yet though.
 
Woke up this morning and everything was Frosted, grass, roofs, plants. Its getting cold here in Southeast Idaho. No talk yet of snow tho. Small disturbance this monday but Models arent indicating much moisture yet.

-gerrit
 
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