Humongous Snowstorm Paralyzes Eastern U.S.

Snow Forecast: Record 76 cm (30 in)

Snowfall totals of up to 76 cm are forecast from Virginia to southern New Jersey

Virginia, Maryland and Delaware  declare states of emergency amid “snowpocalypse,” and put the National Guard on alert

Real-Time U.S. Composite Satellite Image. Click Image to enlarge (24-Hr FE ED). Source: UW-SSEC

• Click HERE to Animate Image

A ferocious blizzard caused by at least 12 inches of snow, as of posting (and mounting),  and 64 km/h  (40 mph)  winds in what is dubbed as “snowmageddon” is pummeling the US mid-Atlantic.

The authorities canceled all flights at Washington’s Reagan National airport, allowing only a few international flights to operate at Dulles International, news reports said.

The blizzard forced the U.S. govt offices in the Washington area to close after lunch yesterday.

Virginia Department of Transportation, VDOT said it had less than 6% of the state’s snow removal budget left, with the lion’s share already spent during the earlier blizzard in December.

About 20,000 homes have lost power in the Washington area as power lines and tree branches snapped under heavy snow.

The blizzard is the second to strike the area since December, when another storm dumped about 41 cm (16in) of snow in the Washington area.

Forecasters have predicted more than 76 cm (30 inches) of snow, for the area, some 5 cm (2 in) more than the all time record of 28 inches set in 1922.

GOES East – Eastern U.S. Imagery

An aviation color enhancement of a satellite image. GEOS Eastern U.S. Imagery, NOAA SSD.

Weather Map – Click Image to Enlarge –

• Forecast map loop

• Loop of sea-level pressures and fronts through day 7
• Short range forecasts in jpeg format
• Short range HPC 500-mb Pattern Graphics

The National Weather Service Snow Stats:

More than 30.5cm (12in, 1ft) of snowfall:  13 times since records began in 1870

Heaviest snowfall on record:  71cm (28in) in January 1922

Worst snowfall ever: about 91.5cm (3ft)  hit the area  in 1772 (100 years before records began)

National Snow Analysis:

February 5, 2010 (Metric Units)

Area Covered By Snow:	62.3%
Area Covered Last Month:	59.0%
Snow Depth
Average:	17.0 cm
Minimum:	0.0 cm
Maximum:	2340.7 cm
Std. Dev.:	27.6 cm
Snow Water Equivalent
Average:	3.7 cm
Minimum:	0.0 cm
Maximum:	1158.5 cm
Std. Dev.:	7.1 cm

February 5, 2010 (English Units)

Area Covered By Snow:	62.3%
Area Covered Last Month:	59.0%
Snow Depth
Average:	6.7 in
Minimum:	0.0 in
Maximum:	921.5 in
Std. Dev.:	10.9 in
Snow Water Equivalent
Average:	1.5 in
Minimum:	0.0 in
Maximum:	456.1 in
Std. Dev.:	2.8 in

Other NOHRSC Links:

• Station Snowfall Reports
• Station Snow Water Equivalent Reports
• Station Snowdepth Reports

Snow Cover Animations:

• Snow Water Equivalent: Season — Two weeks — One Day
• Snow Depth: Season — Two weeks — One Day
• Average Snowpack Temp: Season — Two weeks — One Day
  
• SWE Change: Season — Two weeks — One Day
• Snow Precipitation: Season — Two weeks — One Day
• Snow Melt: Season — Two weeks — One Day
• Blowing Snow Sublimation: Season — Two weeks — One Day
  
• Surface Sublimation: Season — Two weeks — One Day
• Non-Snow Precipitation: Season — Two weeks — One Day

Snow Reports

Top Ten:

Metric Units…

Station ID Name Elev (feet) Snow (in) Duration (hours) Time(UTC) 35.1322_082.9342 LAKE TOXAWAY (278LAK) 3061 5.000 6 2010-02-05 04 0724H_MADIS CLOUDCROFT 0.4 ESE, NM 8940 12.000 24 2010-02-04 14 0730H_MADIS CLOUDCROFT 2.3 S, NM 8684 12.000 24 2010-02-04 14 35.1906_083.3639 EAST FRANKLIN (840685EA) 2087 3.000 6 2010-02-05 03 35.3186_082.4611 HENDERSONVILLE (932HEND) 2188 3.000 6 2010-02-05 05 2199C_MADIS TIJERAS 5.0 E, NM 7113 11.200 24 2010-02-04 14 0722H_MADIS CLOUDCROFT 4.9 NE, NM 8294 10.700 24 2010-02-04 14 MTRN5 MOUNTAINAIR 8NW 6634 10.500 24 2010-02-04 14 2395C_MADIS CLOUDCROFT 16 ESE, NM 6621 10.000 24 2010-02-04 14 3705S_MADIS NORTH LOGAN 0.8 ESE, UT 4757 10.000 24 2010-02-04 15

NWS Radar Mosaic. Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).

Hazards. Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).

Snow Accumulation.   Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).

Weather Forecast.  Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).

Predominant Weather. Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).

IR Satellite Image. Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).

Water Vapor Satellite Image. Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).

Max Temps. Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).

Min Temps. Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).

Temp – Real Time Mesoscale Analysis. Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).

6-Hr Precipitation amount.  (24-Hr FE ED). Click Image to enlarge and update.

12-Hr Probability Precipitation (%).   Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).

Wind Speed.  Click Image to enlarge and update. (24hr- FE ED).

Wind Gusts.  Click Image to enlarge and update. (24hr- FE ED)

Sky Cover. Click Image to enlarge and update. (24hr- FE ED)

River and Lake Levels. Click Image to Enter Portal.

US Seasonal Drought Outlook. Click Image to enlarge.

Surface Weather Charts. Click image to enter portal.

Fire-Earth Related Links:

• Snow covers 70 pct of the U.S.

• Phil says ’six more weeks of winter’
• 6 feet of snow blankets the Alps
• 2010 Disaster Calender – January
• The Storms Attack on California
• California: Powerful new storm sails ashore

• Transitory Impact of AO is the ‘Good News’
• December Snowstorm Only a Cat 3 on NESIS Scale
• United Kingdom of Ice
• State of Emergency in Oklahoma, S. Dakota, Texas
• ‘Humongous’ storm spreads across the US

• You Don’t Bring A Gun To A Snowball Fight!
• Winter Officially Starts Today!
• Deadly Winter Storm Paralyzes United States
• FEWW FORECAST: 2009 Likely Wettest Year on Record