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Posts Tagged ‘US snowstorm’

Snow, Ice, Flood and Fire

Posted by feww on February 9, 2011

Snow and Ice in the U-S, Floods and Fire in Australia – Satellite images

Storm Headline News:

  • Yet another snowstorm is moving across the central plains affecting   Oklahoma and North Texas.  Denver, Colorado Springs, Santa Fe, Wichita, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Little Rock should expect sizable snowfall from this latest storm system.
  • The snowstorm is expected  to shift eastward into the lower-Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys by late Wednesday, according to data from NWS.
  • Up to 11 inches of snow expected in parts of central Kansas, district schools call off classes.
  • Snow packed roads across Kansas prompts DOT to issue a winter travel advisory.
  • The entire state of Arkansas is to receive snow on Tuesday night and Wednesday, with at least 6 inches expected in western and central Arkansas.
  • Oklahoma City and Tulsa could get more than a foot of snow by Wednesday night.

Dallas Whiteout


An image of snow-covered Dallas and surrounding region captured by MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite on February 6, 2010. “On February 4, a winter storm settled four to six inches (10–15 centimeters) of snow over northern Texas, including Dallas. The city gets 2.6 inches (6.6 cm) of snow per year on average, according to the National Weather Service.” The latest snowstorm is forecast to drop 8 to 13cm (3-5 inches) of snow on northern Texas by Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Source: NASA-EO. Click images to enlarge.

Flooding in Southeastern Australia



Above images use a mix of infrared and visible light to increase the contrast between land and water. MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite took the these images on February 8, 2011 (top), and January 29, 2010 (bottom). The bottom image shows drier conditions across the region. “Water ranges in color from light blue to navy. Clouds range in color from pale blue-green to off-white. Vegetation is green. Bare ground is pink-beige.” Source: NASA-EO. Click images to enlarge.

Fire in the Outskirts of Perth, Australia


Wildfires in the suburbs of Perth consumed about 2,000 hectares of land, destroyed more than 70 buildings and damaged at least 32 others. This image was captured by MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite at 2:20 p.m. local time. The image shows three fires, one each in Roleystone and Red Hill (Gidgegannup),  and a third fire closer to the city.  Source: NASA-EO. Click images to enlarge.

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Posted in Australia Flooding satellite images, midwest snowstorm, Perth fire satellite image, SE Australia Floods MODIS images, Victoria floods satellite images | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Latest US Snowstorm Exits, ‘Two More’ Arriving

Posted by feww on February 7, 2011

The Latest US Snowstorm Left the East Coast, Making Room for Two More

The latest storm left East Coast on Sunday, after dumping another 3 inches of snow over Chicago.

A new front is departing from the Midwest and is forecast “to bring snow from the Ohio Valley throughout the Northeast starting Sunday night,” a forecaster said.

“Schools in Seabrook, New Hampshire, have been closed since Wednesday of last week and those in Methuen, Massachusetts, schools are expected to remain shut through at least Wednesday of this week to remove rooftop snow,” a report said.


Click Images to enlarge. (24-Hr FE ED). Click HERE to Animate Image. (Source: SSEC/Wisc-Uni)

US Weather Forecast – NOAA

US Snow Cover: February 6, 2011

Area Covered By Snow: 48.3%
Area Covered Last Month: 44.9%
Snow Depth
Average: 7.3 in
Minimum: 0.0 in
Maximum: 909.9 in
Std. Dev.: 12.8 in
Snow Water Equivalent
Average: 1.6 in
Minimum: 0.0 in
Maximum: 448.9 in
Std. Dev.: 3.6 in

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MEGA WHITEOUT COVERS THE U-S

Posted by feww on February 3, 2011

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.

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Posted in midwest snowstorm, New England Snowstorm, snowstorm, U.S. Northeast Snowstorm | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Another Nor’easter Dumps a Foot of Snow on the East Coast

Posted by feww on January 27, 2011

Nor’easters Blamed on Arctic Oscillation

AO Carves an Icy Path from Western Canada to Eastern United States

The 8th snowfall in New York since December 14 (6th this year) dumps another 19 inches of high compact snow on the city.


A bus stop in Queens, NY. An optimistic man waits for a bus as a fast moving winter storm causes a whiteout all the  way up the northeastern coast of the U-S. Photo credit: Mike Segar/Reuters. Image may be subject to copyright.

Once again a major snowstorm engulfed the Northeast United States, dumping as much as 10 inches of snow in some places.

“Classes were called off and commutes were snarled from Tennessee to New England as cars and buses slipped and slid on highways. The New York area’s airports, among the nation’s busiest, saw hundreds of delayed or canceled flights. Pedestrians struggled across icy patches that were on their way to becoming deep drifts.” AP reported.

New York region experience its eights snowfall since December 14, 2010,  including the “Bloomberg Blizzard” that dumped  20 inches on New York City after Christmas. When the snows arrived Wednesday, the city had already seen 36 inches of snow this season in comparison with the full-winter average of 21 inches.”

Snowfall Totals (so far this winter)

  • NYC: 60 inches (compared with the average of 21 inches for the entire winter season)*
  • Boston:  50.4 inches (about 270 percent increase over normal seasonal snowfalls for the same period)
  • Providence, RI: 31.7 inches (two-fold increase)
  • Connecticut (Bradley Int Airport):  59.1 inches ( more than double the normal)

Source: National Weather Service
* Not confirmed by NWS

Storm Highlights

  • More than 1,000 flights canceled in New York area’s three major airports
  • Thousands of airline passengers are stranded
  • At least 300,000 customers is Washington DC metro area are without power
  • Public schools remained closed for a second day Thursday

January 26, 2011

Area Covered By Snow: 45.5%
Area Covered Last Month: 52.9%
Snow Depth
Average: 16.5 cm
Minimum: 0.0 cm
Maximum: 2385.7 cm
Std. Dev.: 32.2 cm
Snow Water Equivalent
Average: 3.7 cm
Minimum: 0.0 cm
Maximum: 1138.5 cm
Std. Dev.: 8.9 cm

Source: NOAA/NOHRSC

Arctic Oscillation Chills North America, Warms Arctic

“Technically, the Arctic Oscillation (AO) is a climate pattern caused by the ring of winds that blow around the North Pole from west to east. When they are strong, they trap the Arctic air mass north of 55°N. That’s north of Edinburgh, Moscow and Ketchikan, Alaska. When they are weak, however, the frozen polar air escapes south and can visit sunny California.” Source.


United States, Canada, eastern Siberia, and Greenland land surface temperature anomalies  for January 9 to 16, 2011, against 2003 to 2010 base averages, as observed by MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite. Above-average temperatures are in red and orange, below-average temperatures in shades of blue. “Oceans, lakes, and areas with insufficient data (usually because of persistent clouds) appear in gray.” Source: NASA-EO. Click image to enlarge. Download larger image (3 MB, JPEG)

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Posted in and surface temperature anomalies 2011, Arctic Oscillation, Bloomberg Blizzard, climate pattern, northern hemisphere | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

U-S Snowstorm Headlines

Posted by feww on January 12, 2011

3rd blizzard in 3 weeks to hit US NE

Up to 18 Inches of Snow Forecast for U.S. Northeast


Continental US Snow Depth Chart. Image source:  NOHRSC. Click image to enlarge.

National Snow Analysis:

January 12, 2011
Area Covered By Snow: 70.9%
Area Covered Last Month: 35.1%
Snow Depth
Average: 17.4 cm
Minimum: 0.0 cm
Maximum: 2274.4 cm
Std. Dev.: 28.6 cm
Snow Water Equivalent
Average: 3.5 cm
Minimum: 0.0 cm
Maximum: 1105.1 cm
Std. Dev.: 7.6 cm

NO Snow in Florida!


Continental U.S. Snow Cover Map. Florida was the only state in the U-S without snow [for now anyway!] Image source:  NOHRSC


This shows the most recent image of the United States, taken from a NOAA satellite. This image is taken in the infrared band of light and show relative warmth of objects. Colder objects are brighter and warmer objects are darker. Lower layers of clouds, generally warmer and lower in altitude, are colored gray. Colder and generally higher clouds tops are highlighted in colors. Source NESDIS-SSD

NYC Mayor Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Snowstorm

NYC. Mayor Bloomberg, who is totally not in Bermuda this time, has declared a weather emergency ahead of the incoming snowstorm. That’s not to be confused with a “snow emergency,” which would have banned cars without snow chains and tires from major roads. The newly created “weather emergency” designation urges New Yorkers to avoid unnecessary driving, and suspends alternative side parking, payment at parking meters, and garbage collection. Source

Mass. Gov. closes state offices

BOSTON, Mass (WWLP) – Western Massachusetts is preparing, along with the rest of the state, to wrestle with a major storm that’s threatening to dump up to a foot of more of snow Wednesday.

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Posted in U.S. Northeast blizzard, U.S. Northeast Snowstorm, US snow, US Snow Cover, US snow depth | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Winter Storms Hit the U-S

Posted by feww on December 26, 2010

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

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]

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NEW Snowstorm to Hit Upper Midwest

Posted by feww on December 15, 2010

… 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.

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Michigan: A 2010 Disaster Area

Posted by feww on December 12, 2010

Weather Severely Affected Michigan Fruit Production This Year

Michigan, USA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) declared 47 counties, including the entire West Michigan, as “primary natural disaster areas” this week. The designation follows freezing temperatures and frost, as well as severe storms, extreme rain events, hail, flooding, strong winds, tornadoes, and lightening throughout the year, which destroyed/damaged fruits and crops including apples, blueberries, cherries and vegetables.


Tim Tubbs, who farms with his father in Oceana County, holds an apple with a frost ring on it earlier this year. Source:  Muskegon Chronicle. Image may be subject to copyright.

Based on the October harvest projections report issued by the Michigan Department of Agriculture, fruit production will fall across the board— from apples by nearly a half to peaches down by more than a fifth.

  • Apples (49%)
  • Tart Cherries (47%)
  • Grapes (44%)
  • Sweet Cherries (41%)
  • Plums (33%)
  • Peaches (21%)

Source: Michigan Department of Agriculture: October Fruit Report

Weather Now

Meanwhile, severe weather including 2 major snowstorms hit large parts of the US:


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National Weather Service. Click image to enter portal.

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Posted in 2010 disasters, climate impact on food production, Food scarcity, frost ring, October Fruit Report | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »