Winter Storm Chase Season '07-'08 Begins...

[Adam Lucio]

Well, Im not a huge fan of winter. Winter events in a big city = messy commutes and way too many traffic accidents.

However last winter we had not 1, but 2 Thunder-snow events. So I'm hoping for another this year that I may try and snap a picture of.

Altho I will agree winter has some good photo-ops as well.

Note to self: Wear gloves next time

 

[Joel Wright]

Ahh, the cold air is already building up in the tundra. Days are getting shorter. Freshly cool Canadian air is infiltrating the northern states as we speak.

It won't be long!

 

[Skip Talbot]

Listen people, its only freaking September. Those of us not bound to an iceberg are still looking forward to a couple months of possible supercell chasing, not blizzard chasing (remember the November High Risks of 2005?)

Adam, I remember those ice slabs on the Chicago River from last winter. The vantage looking toward the Jackson Street bridge is also very familiar too as that's where I exit Union Station. I remember the lake had quite a bit of ice on it too, and that doesn't happen very often up here. If I do any sort of winter chasing it will be to catch some steam devils on Lake Michigan.

 

[Robert Dewey]

Being the winter buff that I am, I am finding this recent cool air to be a bit premature :-/

 

[MatthewCarman]

I prefer to feel warmth on my skin then freezing cold temparatures. 90+ temps are terrible but I got used to them and would take them any day over -0 to -65 degree temps that some areas sometimes get in Winter. (even though it is rare) You can also do so many more outdoor things in Summer. Example: Fishing,Camping, Hiking,Going to parks etc and I can not do those things in the Winter. I do not make weather my life and Winter is hard to get used to when it is so cold outside. I will take Summer anyday!

I do like Winter around Thanksgiving and Christmas only because it has that atmosphere and holiday feel and I do like a white christmas

 

[Danny Neal]

I and would take them any day over -0 to -65 degree temps that some areas get in Winter.

-65?!?!!? I hope you mean windchills! and even thats a stretch in the lower 48, it would take one power storm system and cold air pool to dive down for that to happen! alrhough I have recently(last couple of years) seen the temps dive down to mid to upper negative 30's. please correct me if I am wrong

On a related matter, I do not like the winter, but since I have a new camera and tools to go with that, I want to try some nice photos of fresh fallen snow or blizzards in progress. Some of the most astounding photos I have seen were from snow fall. Especially Mike H's ice storm pictures with 3 inch thick ice covering a pole. So in a way I am looking forward to winter

 

[Robert Dewey]

You can also do so many more outdoor things in Summer. Example: Fishing,Camping, Hiking,Going to parks etc and I can not do those things in the Winter.

Technically you can do those things in the winter... it just takes a greater amount of effort (i.e. camping and hiking requires more gear). Some people enjoy winter activities.

 

[MatthewCarman]

Feb 3, 1947 Coldest recorded temperature in North America: -81.4 Deg F at Snag, Yukon Territory, Canada.

That is the extreme but still anything is possible as we enter Winter. Below is a example of how cold it can sometimes get but even this is rare. My point was it sometimes get's this cold for some areas. As you can see it has been -50 to -70 degrees from Idaho/Utah to Minnesota.

Lowest recorded temparature by state: (before 2005)


AK -80
MT -70
UT -69
WY -63
CO -61
ID -60
ND -60
MN -60
SD -58
WI -55
OR -54
NY -52
MI -51
VT -50
NV -50
NM -50
WA -48
ME -48
IA -47
NE -47
NH -47
CA -45
PA -42
WV -40
MD -40
AZ -40
KS -40
MO -40
OH -39
CT -37
KY -37
IL -36
IN -36
MA -35
NC -34
NJ -34
TN -32
VA -30
AR -29
OK -27
AL -27
TX -23
RI -23
SC -22
MS -19
DA -17
GA -17
LA -16
FL -2

 

[MatthewCarman]

Just to be clear yes I ment with wind chills but as I showed above it can get very cold without windchills. Here is a few interesting weather stories.

In January of 1977 a cold wave hit the United States. Minniapolis MN had a wind chill of -78 degrees and Cincinati OH had a wind chill of -25 degrees. It snowed in Miami Florida. A severe blizzard hit the last week of January bringing -60 degree temps and 30 feet snow drifts. Winds gusted to 73 MPH.

Author John Murray recalls a mistake he once made after coming home from the University of Alaska in Fairbanks some years ago. A cold snap sent temparatures to -40 degrees and John forgot to put his gloves on while opening the door to his house. His hand froze to the doorknob. Fortunately his wife was home and was able to free his hand with warm water.

A thermomometer left at an elevation of 15,000 feet on Mt. McKinley Alaska for 19 years recorded a low temparature of -100 degrees at some time during it's exposure according to the US Army Natick Labratories in 1969.

The hamlet of Coldfoot 40 miles north of Prospect Creek Alaska reported a unofficial reading of -82 degrees. Prospect Creek Alaska holds the record on January 23, 1971. The recorded low temparature was -79.8.

After -81.4 degrees was measured at Snag Yukon Airport some airport enployees threw a water dish into the air and it made a hissing noise and froze and fell as tiny round pellets of ice. Spit also froze before hitting the ground. Breath remained as tiny motionless mist that lasted for 4-5 minutes after a person would walk outside. Ice was so hard a ax rebounded when trying to break it. (February 3, 1947)

At Woodstock Vermont the daylight recorded low temparature for January 10, 1859 was only -45 degrees with Montreal at -43.6 degrees.

 

[MatthewCarman]

Technically you can do those things in the winter... it just takes a greater amount of effort (i.e. camping and hiking requires more gear). Some people enjoy winter activities.

True but that requires alot more work and you have to be trained or experienced when doing some of those things for example it can be dangerous to go hiking in the mountains in the middle of Winter. I prefer to wait untill it is nice and warm outside before I do much in the way of outdoor activities.

 

[Joel Wright]

Listen people, its only freaking September. Those of us not bound to an iceberg are still looking forward to a couple months of possible supercell chasing, not blizzard chasing (remember the November High Risks of 2005?)...

Haha. Obviously it's still a long way away, but the recent cooling trends and shorter days sort of remind us that it's coming...

There's definitely going to be some late season chasing to be had as well. That pretty much goes without saying.

 

[Joel Wright]

Snow showers and flurries are flying this morning up in northern MN and parts of the UP. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

[Adam Lucio]

Listen people, its only freaking September. Those of us not bound to an iceberg are still looking forward to a couple months of possible supercell chasing, not blizzard chasing (remember the November High Risks of 2005?)

Adam, I remember those ice slabs on the Chicago River from last winter. The vantage looking toward the Jackson Street bridge is also very familiar too as that's where I exit Union Station. I remember the lake had quite a bit of ice on it too, and that doesn't happen very often up here. If I do any sort of winter chasing it will be to catch some steam devils on Lake Michigan.

I work across the street from Union Station, Ive never seen the river frozen like that so I thought it was pretty amazing. The only time I like winter is for the extremes.

I too am looking forward to those last chance supercell storms of oct-nov.

 

[beaudodson]

Some pictures from Waterloo, Canada - my first significant snowfall of the season.

http://blog.usawx.com/2008/01/14/january-14-2008-waterloo-canada-snowstorm/

All photos here
http://blog.usawx.com/2008/01/14/january-14-2008-waterloo-canada-snowstorm/

Waterloo picked up 1-3 inches of snowfall during the past 24 hours. Temperatures have been in the upper 20s and lower 30s.

 

[beaudodson]

january 22, 2008

An impressive snow squall passed through here at 3 p.m. Winds gusted over 40 mph with visibility at times less than 1/2 block. Impressive snowflakes - some larger than quarters. Took a bunch of photos - see below

Best snow event so far this season for me.