MEGA WHITEOUT COVERS THE U-S

DEADLY SNOWSTORM IMPACTS 2/3 OF THE US – SATELLITE IMAGES

The mega snowstorm, which stretched about 2,100 miles and left parts of the Midwest under 2 feet of snow, has killed at least 12 people, the authorities said.

At least 21 states from New Mexico to New Hampshire had received a minimum of 13cm (5 inches) of snow by 9:00am on February 2.

Chicago and Cook county, where schools were closed once again, received 51.3cm  (20.2 inches) of snow, weighing an estimated 500 million metric tons, a February record and the 3rd biggest ever for the city.

Massive snowstorm covers much of the U.S.

Image Source: NOAA – Dated Feb 3, 2011.

GOES-13 image shows the storm at 21:31UTC on February 1. “Heavy snow, ice, freezing rain, and frigid wind battered about two thirds of the United States, making it ‘a winter storm of historic proportions,’ said the National Weather Service.” At least 21 states from New Mexico to New Hampshire had received a minimum of 13cm (5 inches) of snow by 9:00am on February 2, the National Weather Service reported. Chicago, where the schools were closed once again, received 51.3cm  (20.2 inches) of snow, a February record and the 3rd biggest ever for the city. The snow record for Chicago is 58.4 cm (23 inches) set on January 26–27, 1967. SOURCE: NASA-EO. Click image to enlarge.

Photo-like true color of snow extent in the U-S.

MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite captured the above composite images in 3 separate overpasses on February 2. “The top image shows the United States in photo-like true color. The lower image was made with both visible light and infrared light to distinguish between clouds and snow. Snow is turquoise, while clouds are white and pale blue. The exception is a turquoise streak of icy clouds over Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.”  SOURCE: NASA-EO. Click images to enlarge.

• Last 48 hours  of GOES-13 images of the snowstorm progression (animation)

Related Blog Pages

• Weather
• World Now
• Satellite Imagery

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

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• Northern Hemisphere
• United States and Canada
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Related Links:

• Mega Snowstorm Affects 1/3 of U-S Population
• Massive Midwest Blizzard Batters a 2,100-mile Stretch

• Another Nor’easter Dumps a Foot of Snow on the East Coast
• Arctic cold hits New England
• Latest of East Coast Snowstorms
• Nor’easter Pummels the U-S East Coast

• Western U-S Blasted by Fierce Storm, 2 ft of Snow
• Blizzard Dumps 2 Feet of Snow in NYC
• Winter Storms Hit the U-S
• U-S Snowstorm Headlines
• Deadly Snowstorms Hit North America
• Transitory Impact of AO is the ‘Good News’

• Global Climate Extremes INTENSIFYING

Winter Storms Hit the U-S

Both the West and East Coasts of the U-S Hit by Winter Storms as Drought Persists in the South

States of Emergency have now been declared in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Maine, New Jersey, Delaware and Massachusetts in the Past 72 hours in response to major rainstorms, severe snowstorms and persistent drought.

The D.C. area could see about 10 inches of snow, beginning Sunday, The National Weather Services said.

As the major snowstorm buffets the region, forecasters believe the worst may be yet to come.

Click images to enlarge

• Update Image
  

• Click HERE to Animate Image. (Source: SSEC/Wisc-Uni)
• Update Image
  

• Update Image

• Update image

• Update image [See inset for validity]

Latest Seasonal Assessment – During the past several weeks, drought coverage increased or intensified across much of the Southwest, southern Plains, and the Florida peninsula. In contrast, continued precipitation improved drought conditions across the central Appalachians and Ohio Valley, with impacts easing across West Virginia, northern Virginia, and western Maryland. Further west, precipitation ameliorated drought conditions in southern Oregon and northeastern California. With moderate to strong La Niña conditions expected to continue through the northern hemisphere winter season, strong consideration was given in this outlook to climate anomalies associated with the cold ENSO phase. Therefore, drought expansion or intensification is expected across the Gulf Coast and southern Atlantic states, particularly in Florida. To the north, storm systems frequently translate across the Ohio Valley region into New England during La Niña winters, increasing the odds for drought improvement from eastern Arkansas and western Tennessee northward into the eastern Corn Belt. A similar precipitation anomaly dipole exists across the western U.S., with increased odds for above median precipitation in the Northwest contrasting with greater chances of below median precipitation for the Southwest and southern Rockies. Due to this consideration, continued improvement is expected for remaining drought areas in northern California and western Wyoming, while drought expansion or intensification is forecasted for the desert Southwest and portions of the central and southern High Plains. Increased odds for above median precipitation during the rainy season in Hawaii favor improvement across the western islands, but significant improvement of long term drought conditions on the eastern islands is more uncertain. [Source: NWS/ CPC]

Click Below for 31 Day Animations

• Northern Hemisphere
• United States and Canada
• Alaska
• Europe/Asia

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 Da

Related Links:

• It Never Rains in Southern California
• California Rainfall Nears December Record
• Calif Rainstorm, Mid-Atlantic Snowstorm Update
• Global Snow and Ice – NH

• FIRE-EARTH Weather Links
• Satellite Imagery Page

Other Related Links

• NEW Snowstorm to Hit Upper Midwest
• Michigan: A 2010 Disaster Area
• Wisconsin Wind Chill Temps to Drop to -33ºC
• Your World Under Siege
• Megadisasters Loom

• Winter Officially Starts Today!

• 2010 Disasters
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN) March 2008
• 2010: The Year of Disasters
• Earth’s Human Induced Antiphase Nears Completion

• FEWW DISASTER FORECAST 2011
• Earth: Wounded and Feverish
• 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010

European Weather

• The Third Worst Kind: Airline Passengers
• Europe Freezing to Death!
• Arctic Blast Hits Britain Again
• Transitory Impact of AO is the ‘Good News’
• United Kingdom of Ice

• Europe Freezes Over 3 Weeks Early
• When Disasters Strike
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• IF Nature Had a List of Extreme Dislikes
• How many are up there polluting our skies?

NEW Snowstorm to Hit Upper Midwest

… as  Drought Persists in the South, Southeast

By this time next year, extreme climate could devastate parts of the U-S, leading to famines, epidemics and civil strife

USDA declares parts of 16 states as natural disaster areas due to drought

Drought continues to increase in intensity and coverage across the southern and central Plains,and parts of the southeast,  NWS/CPC forecast.

Drought will persist and expand from central and southern Texas eastward along and near the Gulf Coast through the southern Atlantic Seaboard.

Drought is forecast to also persist in the central and southern Plains, and expand into south-central Nebraska and northwestern Kansas, and from the southern Rockies, central Great Basin into central Nevada… Read full forecast here.

Meanwhile…

NEW Snowstorm pushes  more snow toward the upper Midwest

“Snow will develop today ahead of a storm system dropping down into the Plains. The heaviest snow is expected to fall from central Minnesota down through northeast Iowa and northwest Illinois. 3 to 5 inches of snow is expected to fall over this area by Thursday morning with lesser amounts to the northeast across western Wisconsin.” NWS – Weather Forecast Office.

Related Links:

• Michigan: A 2010 Disaster Area
• Wisconsin Wind Chill Temps to Drop to -33ºC
• Your World Under Siege

• Megadisasters Loom

• 2010 Disasters
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN) March 2008
• 2010: The Year of Disasters
• Earth’s Human Induced Antiphase Nears Completion

• FEWW DISASTER FORECAST 2011
• Earth: Wounded and Feverish
• 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010

Wisconsin Wind Chill Temps to Drop to -33ºC

Wisconsin declares a state of emergency in 72 counties

Wind chill temperatures expected to drop to as low as minus 27 degrees F (- 33ºC).

Gov Jim Doyle of Wisconsin declared a state of emergency in 72 counties as a powerful snowstorm barreled through the upper Midwest depositing about 20 inches of snow, causing extensive power outages, closing many roads in several states and grounding thousands of flights across the region.

The deadly snowstorm which has claimed at least 4 lives so far,  hit Wisconsin and Minnesota first and moved eastward toward Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio. In Minnesota the roof of the Metrodome in Minneapolis collapsed under about 2 feet of snow.

The National Weather Service has issued a  blizzard warning for Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Chicago, northern, and north-western Illinois, as well as Michigan, North and South Dakota.

“In Wisconsin, wind gusts were as high as 70 miles per hour, the National Weather Service said, and an advisory was issued with wind chill temperatures expected to drop to minus 20 degrees F to minus 27 degrees F (minus 29ºC to minus 33ºC).” A report said.

Pacific Northwest

Extreme rain events in parts of the Pacific Northwest have  triggered major mudslides, closing roads and blocking at least one railroad track in the state of Washington. Forecasters say storms could dump an additional 15cm (6 inches)   or more of rain in the Cascade Range and Olympic Mountains, a report said.

Middle East

Torrential rains, snow, fierce winds and a major sandstorm hit countries across the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean for a second day.  The storms sunk a  cargo ship off the Israeli port of Ashdod and disrupted shipping in the Suez canal and  most Egyptian ports on the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.

A factory collapsed in the port of Alexandria killing at least three people and pushing the reported death toll from climate-related incidents to at least 6 in the region so far.

U.S Weather Outlook

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National Weather Service. Click image to enter portal.

Related Links:

• Megadisasters Loom

• 2010 Disasters
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN) March 2008
• 2010: The Year of Disasters
• Earth’s Human Induced Antiphase Nears Completion

• FEWW DISASTER FORECAST 2011
• Earth: Wounded and Feverish
• 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010

More Rain in the West, Snow in the East

Another storm is expected to hit Southern California today

More rain would spell more mudslides and misery for the hill side communities in California.  The new system is likely to move in Tuesday with a 40% chance of showers starting Tuesday afternoon, lasting into Wednesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

The storm is expected to be less severe than the ones that buffeted the area on Friday and Saturday, triggering mudslides which caused much destruction in the  foothills communities of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Forecasters say the coastal and valley areas should expect about  1.5cm (1/2 inch) of rain, with up to 4cm (1 1/2 inches)  in the mountains areas Tuesday through Wednesday.

So far about 31cm (12 inches) of rain has fallen in downtown Los Angeles, compared with a norm of 21cm (8 inches) during this time of year, NWS said.

Weather Forecast  (Click Images to enlarge and update)

Winter Weather Advisory

Storm Warning from NWS

As of posting, a winter storm warning is in effect for the following counties

• In Oklahoma: Adair, Sequoyah and Le Flore.
• In Arkansas: Benton, Sebastian, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford and Franklin.

Winter storm will continue to impact much of the mid south tonight.

Snow will continue mainly north of a Wynne Arkansas to Lexington,  Tennessee line tonight. A mixture of snow, sleet, and rain will continue along interstate 40 from Forrest City Arkansas to the Memphis metropolitan area to Jackson and Decaturville, Tennessee. Rain will occur across north Mississippi.

Current NWS Weather Hazard Warnings (U.S.)

• Tornado
• Hurricane
• Severe Thunderstorm
• Flash Flood
• Flood
• Winter Storm
• Special Marine
• Non Precipitation
• Tsunami
• Space Weather
• All Warnings

Click image to enter NWS portal

• List of  Saturday’s Storm Total Snowfall
• Wilmington, OH Base Reflectivity Radar

GOES IR Satellite image of N America. Click to enlarge and update.

Related Links:

• Humongous Snowstorm Paralyzes Eastern U.S.
• 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

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

Snowstorm Destroys Chinese Forests

China provinces lose entire forests

Snowstorm destroyed a total of 17.3 million hectares of forests in 18 provinces in southern China. Monetary value of the losses, which amount to 10 percent of all forests in China, may reach $US3billion, according to the State Forestry Administration.

Bamboos collapse under the weight of snow in Xianning of Hubei Province
[Photo credit: Xinhua/China Daily]

Full report