Comments on: Debuting the Weather Journal “snow meter” — week ahead likely snowless

By: Tina B in Montgomery Co

Tina B in Montgomery Co — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 13:40:07 +0000

Oh Kevin, I would NEVER contradict my mom on that. No, I let her have those memories. I was just wondering if there was at least one winter possibly in her childhood that stuck in her mind. Like the one winter in the late 60s early 70s where I remember snow being so deep it was almost over my head. In reality it was probably only 12 inches or so but we did make a snow fort that year, so I probably remember building the snow walls that were up over my head.

By: Doug Griggs, SW ROA County, 1420 Ft

Doug Griggs, SW ROA County, 1420 Ft — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 03:27:40 +0000

Ditto, Tina B and Kevin. I may be wrong about the year in which the snow piles at the grocery store happened. But I do remember that it was during my Christmas break, and it was at least as late as 1968. Could have been Dec. 1970. I was driving a taxicab during Xmas break 1969, I am sure of that.

That Christmas break was notorious for being bitterly cold. On one morning when it was about 5* I drove over two RR tracks and immediately heard an enormous bang. Suddenly the taxi lost power, and the speedometer was not working. No wonder. The battery had exploded. Once I learned that I wasn’t in danger and that I had done nothing wrong …. it was actually pretty funny.

By: Kevin Myatt

Kevin Myatt — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 03:07:18 +0000

Be kind to your mom, Tina. I usually avoid contradicting older folks on their weather memories. Even if every memory isn’t perfect, it’s usually based on something. I even find my weather memory isn’t flawless when I look back at records of events or seasons I’ve lived through. Our minds tend to focus on the most extreme elements and stretch those in time and intensity.

By: Tina B in Montgomery Co

Tina B in Montgomery Co — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 02:10:36 +0000

Woop woop!! Snow talk!! Thanks Kevin and all for the info on they snowfall, snowpack history. My brother and I were just talking about that because he said my mom had brought that up when she talked to him on the phone tonight. I think she’s just not remembering things well. I, on the other hand, DO remember some of the snow in the 60s, having been born and a child of that era. I wonder if that is what my mom is remembering. Boy I miss those days. I will keep my eye out for more flakes on the snowflake meter!

By: Captain Glen 'Windchill" Quagmire

Captain Glen 'Windchill" Quagmire — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:06:43 +0000

Scott…

just remember that DT was the one that predicted Irene, Issac & Sandy much better than most of the other Mets out there. Henry M today at American WX declared winter dead already. I have faith that the PNA will flip to + after mid December & the – west based NAO will be very strong.
The new Euro weeklies show great promise after December 16 for the east coast for a potential major snow event for the Mid Atlantic. Week 4 of the Euro weeklies also are beginning to latch onto another possible snow event somewhere around Christmas. Don’t let the “Weather Weenies” get you down. Change will be coming for colder after December 14.

Time for Football! Go Skins!!!

Will update my website Tuesday.

By: Doug Griggs, SW ROA County, 1420 Ft

Doug Griggs, SW ROA County, 1420 Ft — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:52:43 +0000

And the Chairman of the Snow-Haters Club is not AT ALL optimistic about a warm or even normal winter for temps, nor that Roanoke’s seasonal snowfall total will stay under 14 inches. Although the latter is a definite possibility, because of the dryness. To Scott Saunders: I agree with Kevin completely. “Chill.” I even think that there is a definite possibility of an extremely severe Arctic outbreak in either late December or January, with the AO tumbling to -5, etc.
I will become truly optimistic when (more like IF!!) both the AO and NAO go positive (at least +0.7) and stay there for at least 8 days. Such a movement would make it very likely IMO that the pattern change would be happening to warm and that the following two months would be warmer than normal. Brent Watts showed the temp in Dawson, British Columbia (east of central Alaska) today. -31 F!! There is no guarantee that such ridiculously cold air like that (of course, it wouldn’t be nearly that cold by the time it reached here) will ever invade the eastern USA, but it is still a very real possibility.

By: Kevin Myatt

Kevin Myatt — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:09:31 +0000

Tomorrow’s record high for Roanoke is 76, set in 1982. 1982-83 turned into a 35-inch snow winter for Roanoke with a big wallop in February. We’re in the opening minutes of a long game.

By: Kevin Myatt

Kevin Myatt — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:00:05 +0000

3 days isn’t nearly enough to declare a trend for 90. Would be just as true if our temps were 20+ below normal right now.

By: Kevin Myatt

Kevin Myatt — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 23:51:53 +0000

There are common threads in a lot of these seemingly dissimilar forecasts. Most agree that a pattern shift is happening about mid-month, but not on the results for the East, at least the immediate ones. Getting the PNA-/Pac NW vortex to end by itself would be a positive step for snow lovers, whether it results in immediate cold/snow our our window or not. One step at a time.

By: scott saunders

scott saunders — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 23:49:21 +0000

and looked through my winter weather data from last “record breaking winter”..we NEVER got to 70 or above at all last December, this year will be at least a good 3 days!!! Reminds me of the WARM winter of 1984!