Winter Storm "PDS"?

[Robert Dewey]

Found this kind of interesting:

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
1133 AM EST WED FEB 10 2010

DCZ001-MDZ003>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ042-052>055-057-501-
502-WVZ052-053-102200-
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-WASHINGTON-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL-
NORTHERN BALTIMORE-HARFORD-MONTGOMERY-HOWARD-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-
PRINCE GEORGES-ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-ST. MARYS-CALVERT-LOUDOUN-
PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX-
ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-KING GEORGE-
NORTHERN FAUQUIER-SOUTHERN FAUQUIER-BERKELEY-JEFFERSON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WASHINGTON...HAGERSTOWN...FREDERICK...
WESTMINSTER...GAITHERSBURG...COLUMBIA...BALTIMORE...ANNAPOLIS...
WALDORF...ST MARYS CITY...LEESBURG...MANASSAS...MANASSAS PARK...
FAIRFAX...ALEXANDRIA...FALLS CHURCH...WARRENTON...MARTINSBURG...
CHARLES TOWN
1133 AM EST WED FEB 10 2010

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS CONTINUING THIS
AFTERNOON FOR THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON REGION...CENTRAL AND WESTERN
MARYLAND...SOUTHERN MARYLAND...AND THE EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST
VIRGINIA...

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THIS AFTERNOON. LIFE THREATENING BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS ARE OCCURRING ACROSS THE REGION AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
EARLY EVENING. THE MARYLAND STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION IS URGING
ALL MARYLAND DRIVERS TO STAY OFF THE ROADS DUE TO THE EXTREME
WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE CITY OF BALTIMORE HAS IMPLEMENTED PHASE III
OF THEIR SNOW PLAN...WHICH MEANS THAT ONLY EMERGENCY VEHICLES ARE
ALLOWED ON THE ROAD.

WIND GUSTS OVER 40 MPH ARE OCCURRING THROUGHOUT THE AREA...COUPLED
WITH FALLING HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...PRODUCING WHITE-OUT
CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION WEST OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. THESE
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING BEFORE GRADUALLY
SUBSIDING AFTER 8:00 PM.

WHILE ALL REGIONS IN THE AREA ARE EXPERIENCING EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
CONDITIONS...BALTIMORE COUNTY...THE CITY OF BALTIMORE...AND ANNE
ARUNDEL AND HARFORD COUNTIES IN MARYLAND ARE EXPERIENCING
PARTICULARLY PERILOUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGH 3:00 PM.

PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED NOT TO PANIC...BUT TO SIMPLY STAY
INSIDE...ENJOY YOUR FAVORITE INDOOR ACTIVITIES...AND RIDE THIS STORM
OUT...THE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS WILL BE IMPROVING LATER THIS EVENING.

IF YOU GET STRANDED IN YOUR VEHICLE...DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR TO TRY
TO WALK FOR ASSISTANCE...YOU CAN QUICKLY BECOME DISORIENTED IN
WIND DRIVEN SNOW AND COLD. THIS STORM WILL SUBSIDE EARLY THIS
EVENING...SO WAIT IN YOUR CAR FOR EMERGENCY HELP TO ARRIVE.
PERIODICALLY RUN YOUR ENGINE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES EACH HOUR FOR
HEAT. ENSURE YOUR EXHAUST PIPE IS CLEARED OF SNOW AND ICE. CRACK
YOUR WINDOWS TO AVOID CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. TIE A COLORED CLOTH
TO YOUR CARS ANTENNA OR WINDOW TO BE VISIBLE TO RESCUERS. FROM
TIME-TO-TIME...MOVE YOUR ARMS...LEGS...FINGERS...AND TOES TO KEEP
BLOOD CIRCULATING.

$$

LEE

 

[rdale]

First lesson of sociology - never tell people what NOT to do. Instead of saying "don't panic" - say "remain calm." Same reason you don't tell kids "Stay out of the closet in a fire" because "the closet" is the first thing that comes to mind in a stressful situation.

 

[Karen St John]

Of course, the original post and first two responses are from Michigan folks...I just think that people in areas where these conditions are unusual might want to think about taking it easy. Then again, even here in the frozen North, people don't think.

We just had our own Winter Storm here, and while it wasn't as epic as this storm, a 35 year old woman still died in it, because neither she nor the garbage truck she ran into (then bounced off from and slid under a truck) were taking it easy. It was, um, a grisly way to exit one's life.

It was less than 200 meters from my home; the cavalcade of sirens woke me up, and my scanner told me the rest. Fortunately, I can do that. She cannot.

 

[Marcus Opitz]

That sounds intense. The area affected is a highly populated area as well. That advisory really emphasizes the gravity of the situation.


I wish I was there!

 

[Chris Hayes]

Of course, the original post and first two responses are from Michigan folks...I just think that people in areas where these conditions are unusual might want to think about taking it easy. Then again, even here in the frozen North, people don't think.

We just had our own Winter Storm here, and while it wasn't as epic as this storm, a 35 year old woman still died in it, because neither she nor the garbage truck she ran into (then bounced off from and slid under a truck) were taking it easy. It was, um, a grisly way to exit one's life.

It was less than 200 meters from my home; the cavalcade of sirens woke me up, and my scanner told me the rest. Fortunately, I can do that. She cannot.

Karen, it's amazing how people DO NOT KNOW HOW to drive in the snow. At the onset of the friday-saturday storm, there were numerous accidents. Thankfully none resulted in serious injuries.

 

[MatthewCarman]

I heard a little girl on the east coast made a deep hole in the snow, fell in it and suffocated to death. That is terrible news.

State Trooper Doug Cutts pulled over to help somone who went off the road on Monday during the winter storm and a car lost control and slammed into his driver side door. I think he was inside but nobody was injured thankfully. I think a PDS warning is a good idea. I just wish more people would listen to it.

 

[Robert Dewey]

Of course, the original post and first two responses are from Michigan folks...I just think that people in areas where these conditions are unusual might want to think about taking it easy. Then again, even here in the frozen North, people don't think.

We just had our own Winter Storm here, and while it wasn't as epic as this storm, a 35 year old woman still died in it, because neither she nor the garbage truck she ran into (then bounced off from and slid under a truck) were taking it easy. It was, um, a grisly way to exit one's life.

It was less than 200 meters from my home; the cavalcade of sirens woke me up, and my scanner told me the rest. Fortunately, I can do that. She cannot.

The actual warning indicated upwards of 20-30 inches of snow for the area that the above SPS was issued. They've received more snow from these past two storms than our annual average here in SE MI. Definitely epic.

 

[Karen St John]

The actual warning indicated upwards of 20-30 inches of snow for the area that the above SPS was issued. They've received more snow from these past two storms than our annual average here in SE MI. Definitely epic.

Oh, absolutely. And if people who live with snow all winter cannot drive in it safely...God knows how people who don't live it that way can do anything but keep themselves inside when a major blizzard hits. The strongest possible warnings are definitely in order.

 

[Jason Foster]

This is actually from our Feb. 5th storm (and other thread from that date), but I had similar thinking about 'PDS'.

If there was such a think as a PDS for a snow storm warning, the NWS just issued it:

...RECORD SNOWFALL FORECAST IN THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON DC REGION...

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS DEVELOPING TONIGHT...

GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH VISIBILITIES FREQUENTLY
FALLING BELOW ONE-QUARTER MILE DUE TO HEAVY SNOW WILL DEVELOP
TONIGHT TO PRODUCE NEAR-BLIZZARD AND EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. TRAVEL IS HIGHLY
DISCOURAGED TONIGHT AND WILL BE VERY DANGEROUS.

LOOKING BACK AT THE BIGGEST STORM OF RECORD FOR WASHINGTON DC... THE JANUARY 1922 KNICKERBOCKER STORM...28.0 INCHES OF SNOW WAS
PRODUCED FROM 3.02 INCHES OF LIQUID WATER. CURRENT FORECASTS FOR
THIS EVENT HAVE TOTAL LIQUID FALLING FROM THIS STORM APPROACHING 3
INCHES...WHICH ACCORDINGLY WOULD CREATE A SNOWFALL THAT WILL RIVAL
THE KNICKERBOCKER STORM TOTAL. GENERALLY ACROSS THE REGION...20 TO
30 INCHES OF SNOW WILL FALL BY SATURDAY EVENING.

BALTIMORES RECORD OF 26.8 INCHES FROM THE PRESIDENTS DAY FEBRUARY 2003 STORM WILL ALSO BE THREATENED.

A FEW PRECAUTIONARY AND PREPAREDNESS ITEMS TO NOTE:

1. FOLLOW MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS WHEN OPERATING A GENERATOR OR AXILLARY HEATER. ENSURE PORTABLE GENERATORS ARE ADEQUATELY VENTILATED.

2. TRAVEL CONDITIONS TONIGHT ACROSS THE REGION WILL BE EXTREMELY
DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING. HELP YOUR LOCAL AND STATE
GOVERNMENT FIRST RESPONDERS AND TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES BY STAYING OFF ROADS LATER THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.

3. FOLLOW LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT EMERGENCY DECLARATION ORDERS. IF YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY...DO NOT TRAVEL ALONE. LET SOMEONE KNOW YOUR TIMETABLE AND YOUR PRIMARY AND ALTERNATE ROUTES. CARRY WITH YOU A WINTER STORM SURVIVAL KIT WHICH INCLUDES A MOBILE PHONE...BLANKETS...FLASHLIGHT WITH EXTRA
BATTERIES...HIGH CALORIE NON-PERISHABLE FOOD AND WATER...AND A
SHOVEL.

4. IF YOU GET STRANDED IN YOUR VEHICLE...DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR TO
TRY TO WALK FOR ASSISTANCE...YOU CAN QUICKLY BECOME DISORIENTED IN WIND DRIVEN SNOW AND COLD. THIS STORM WILL SUBSIDE SATURDAY
AFTERNOON...SO WAIT IN YOUR CAR FOR EMERGENCY HELP TO ARRIVE.
PERIODICALLY RUN YOUR ENGINE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES EACH HOUR FOR
HEAT. ENSURE YOUR EXHAUST PIPE IS CLEARED OF SNOW AND ICE. CRACK
YOUR WINDOWS TO AVOID CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. TIE A COLORED CLOTH TO YOUR CARS ANTENNA TO BE VISIBLE TO RESCUERS. FROM
TIME-TO-TIME...MOVE YOUR ARMS...LEGS...FINGERS...AND TOES TO KEEP
BLOOD CIRCULATING.

5. AVOID OVEREXERTION WHEN SHOVELING SNOW. BREAK THE SHOVELING
DOWN INTO SMALLER JOBS AND TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS.

6. IN CASE OF POWER SUPPLY DISRUPTIONS...HAVE AVAILABLE FLASH
LIGHTS WITH EXTRA BATTERIES...EXTRA FOOD AND WATER...EXTRA MEDICINES.

7. ENSURE ANY PETS AND FARM ANIMALS HAVE PLENTY OF WATER...FOOD...
AND SHELTER.

FINALLY...THE KEY TO GETTING THROUGH THIS AND OTHER PERIODS OF
HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER IS WITH ADVANCE PLANNING AND BEING AWARE OF CURRENT CONDITIONS. THIS STORM WILL BE WINDING DOWN EARLY SATURDAY EVENING...SO DO YOUR PART AND LET YOUR LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS RESTORE ROADWAYS TO NORMAL CONDITIONS BY STAYING AT HOME.

Basically, the special statement says that DC could see the highest recorded history storm, beating the 1922 Knickerbocker storm which recorded 28" in DC (much higher in MD suburbs). The estimates are up to 30+ inches of snow in and around DC which is BIBLICAL for this region for one storm. Add to that a few areas still have around 2 to 4 inches still on the ground from a few quick blasts last week and this past Tuesday, and we are likely to see a few more inches come this Tuesday after this weekends storm.

I'm going to be out in it this afternoon, likely in DC. I doubt I'll be able to make it home, so I'm going to be stuck in my car for quite a while. Don't know what will happen exactly. I just hope my datacard holds up as I will be streaming (see sig. for link).