May 1st

[Mike Hollingshead]

http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/surface/sfc_pir.gif

A few of us on here have been watching Amos' countdown to May 1st for months now with anticipation to what it would bring. This was not what I had imagined for the first day of real spring. It is noon and we have 30s from NE to Canada. Maybe by June we will have 50s! *jumps up and down*

 

[Amos Magliocco]

If somebody had said I would chase eastern Arkansas on April 29th believing there might be upslope LPs in west Texas and eastern NM a few days later, only to turn right back around and drive home to Indiana so I could spend May 1 nursing a small hangover (at least I got back early enough for the $2 Stoli specials), while posting to my blog and Stormtrack, I would have thought they were from Illinois.

But I'll give my blog a shameless plug here (not that I make any money), because Mike's subject matter was on my mind this morning too.

Here's the beginning and I'll post the link underneath:

When I added the countdown clock to my front page, a friendly argument began on Stormtrack about whether chase season started in May or March. Well, now we have March in May, so it's the best of both worlds for people who start their engines early.

I could have imagined a slow first week of May, but the way it's slow is what seems so strange. Veteran forecasters describe this pattern and the Canadian low as "highly anomalous." So while I think it's fair to critique the various model performances...

http://www.cycloneroad.com/chaseblog.html

 

[Scott Olson]

Well it's May 1st and its snowing outside. In the mid 30's and yep its really coming down.

 

[Aaron Kennedy]

May 1st, and the weather(Texas) still sucks!

Aaron

 

[Verne Carlson]

I'm trying not to get to down on the current weather. Here in Denver we are getting snow daily and I know from past years that a wet spring translates into a good supply of evapotranspiration for storms in eastern CO when the warm temps finally do arrive. I think we're a few weeks away from being really concerned.

 

[Tony Laubach]

Just like Verne said... and here's the pic I've already posted a dozen times since yesterday...

[Broken External Image]:http://www.tornadoeskick.com/images/tracer08.jpg

Fortunately last night's snow has melted with the brief appearance of the sun this morning, but another round of light snow is expected tonight... it's felt like an Ohio winter over the past few days here... while snow this late isn't terribly unusual (average last snow date April 27), I think the consecutive days is...

Ah well... my vacation doesn't start til the 10th, so as far as I'm concerned (being selfish), I'm not missing anything until then anyway! :lol:

 

[Kurt Silvey]

[Broken External Image]:http://www.pdswatch.com/Vids/chaser.jpg
by David Hoadley

 

[rdale]

"This was not what I had imagined for the first day of real spring."

Meteorological spring begins March 1...

 

[Jeff Miller]

Well

Report: May 1. South Sioux City NE.

It was snowing. in May. The looks on peoples faces were priceless. One looked at me at a red light (apparently noticing the storm chase decals) and gave me a look like "What in the World"? I just looked back at her, shook my head and smiled, while contemplating the fact it is May, and snowing.

Beautiful way to start May. :roll:

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

"This was not what I had imagined for the first day of real spring."

Meteorological spring begins March 1...

Real spring begins May 1... .....

 

[rdale]

Not sure I've heard that defined anywhere - when does "real" spring end? And what is real if it's not on the calendar, in astronomy, or meteorology ;> ?

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Not sure I've heard that defined anywhere - when does "real" spring end? And what is real if it's not on the calendar, in astronomy, or meteorology ;> ?

Oh you are so correct Rob. Please accept my appology for going into the "figure of speach" realm of life. Never again, I promise. Doing so just opens the door for you to step in with the analness. Does it ever get old? I mean it isn't like you didn't get it anyway.

Wait, it is possible you didn't get it. This is a chaser site. I think when most of us think of "real" spring starting we think of May 1. I don't think of March 1. But you are right the calendar doesn't say so. Congrats.

 

[JHadorn]

The Wizards On Top of Yonder Hill say that if I wait five or six more days we'll see a return to normalacy. Not that I don't enjoy defrosting my windshield.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Not sure I've heard that defined anywhere - when does "real" spring end? And what is real if it's not on the calendar, in astronomy, or meteorology ;> ?

Oh you are so correct Rob. Please accept my appology for going into the "figure of speach" realm of life. Never again, I promise. Doing so just opens the door for you to step in with the analness. Does it ever get old? I mean it isn't like you didn't get it anyway.

Wait, it is possible you didn't get it. This is a chaser site. I think when most of us think of "real" spring starting we think of May 1. I don't think of March 1. But you are right the calendar doesn't say so. Congrats.

Eeek... Sarcasm a bit thick... Play nice...

For what it's worth, "real" spring would imply, to me, that it be some sort of objectively-determined spring (beit metr or calendar spring)... I'll vote for Apr 15 as real spring in terms of chasing, but even that'll depend upon if one is in the norhtern plains, southern plains, southeast, or upper midwest.

Regardless, I agree that this very highly anamolous pattern is very bad for chasers... While it does appear as though a change is in the offing, it also coincides with finals week (here at OU atleast) if next week ramps up... I'd cite climo, but this spring has been very unclimo. so far, so there's probably not much point in spouting anything about climo...

 

[Billy Griffin]

All I can say is the next time I hear someone mention "global warming", I'd like to kick them in the knee! j/k :roll: :roll: :roll:

The other thing that gripes my @$$ is that all these people who, constantly, rant on and on about oh how funny it is that we're not getting any severe weather... let these folks see how happy they are come July and August when it's drier than a "popcorn fart" and all their precious little gardens, etc. are all dried up. For us here in the plains, and for many in the Central states, this cold/dry airmass is also playing hell and threatining an impending "doom" for severe drought this year!

Not to say it all won't change in a matter of a day or two, but all I'm saying is "if" this pattern continues, all those making fun that it's stupid to chase storms and poking fun at how funny it is with this dry spell and cool weather... I don't want to share a shoulder for them to cry on come later this summer! :wink:

Gees, I sound a little bitter don't I? See, I work with a bunch of "jerks" who seem to think that, somehow, I have control over the weather and that I'm an idiot (no comments needed) because I chase storms. :twisted: