Sunday, December 28, 2008

Strong Storm System Pushes Into NYS

NYS could see some severe wind reports today, as a storm system makes its way across the state today. The front has already produced a line of storms, which formed over lake Erie and died out shortly after passing Rochester. A new line could form over lake Ontario, which would have the potential to produce severe winds.

The line that passed through western NYS early this morning has not produced any reports yet, but the winds were quite strong. The Buffalo airport recorded wind speeds of 41 knots, gusting to 65! Rochester airport, which caught the end of the line of storms, reported winds speeds of 40 knots, with gusts as high as 55 knots.

Even without severe storms, wind is still a concern, as the cold front passage will be accompanied by strong westerly winds.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The Report That Sneaked By

A narrow line of storms brought in one wind damage report in western NY last week, which was a little surprising, but not necessarily unexpected.

12/15/08



(click for a radar loop in larger resolution)

The radar and sounding closely match my findings for what causes severe wind reports in NYS. I shall elaborate on this more when I have worked on my research a bit more.

Speaking of my research, I am going to refine my paper to just include winter cases, and submit it to the 34th Annual Northeastern Storm Conference. Hopefully, I'll get a spot to present my original research to the scientific community. Because of this, I won't put my findings up here until after that, should my paper get accepted.

Duo Snowstorms Pack A One-Two Punch

The last weekend of holiday shopping before Christmas was hindered in NYS by two snowstorms, which caused havoc on the roadways.

The first storm arrived on Friday, 12/19/08, around noontime at Albany. Conditions quickly worsened, as heavy snowfall limited visibility and made roads treacherous. The main part of the storm went on throughout the afternoon, and diminished in the evening hours. Flurries continued throughout the night, adding another inch or so to the storm total. Snowfall totals in the Albany area for this storm was between 8-10 inches.

Two days later, on Sunday, 12/21/08, a second storm rolled into the Capital Region in the late morning hours. Snowfall continued until the early evening, which provided the Albany area with another 6-8 inches of the white stuff.

My forecasts for both days for the Albany area was 7-9 inches for the Friday storm (which is what most people got), and 6-8 inches for the Sunday storm (nailed it!). Two for two so far... let's see how the rest of the season goes.

So here I sit, with 16 inches of snow at my front door. Add these storms to the ice storm from last week, and you've got one crazy start to the winter season!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Winter Storm Rocks NYS, New England

12/12/08:
A coastal storm ramped up and slammed into NYS and New England Thursday and Friday, leaving a massive streak of ice and flooding in its wake. Not even Albany was spared from the onslaught of ice, which accumulated up to an inch or more in areas. Due to the nature of the storm, with a warm layer aloft and northerly winds at the surface bringing in subfreezing temperatures to all local areas, despite the difference in elevation. This caused the entire region to get freezing rain, which was in abundance due to the high amount of moisture that was drawn northwards by the storm.
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While the city kept its power going throughout most of the storm, many others in the outlying neighborhoods spent the weekend without power, which may not return until later this week.

Many schools canceled afternoon activities on Thursday, as the winter storm crept its way into the region. The storm dumped heavy rain over the region Thursday evening into Friday morning, which turned to ice due to the below-freezing temperatures at the surface. Tens of thousands lost power overnight, as ice caused power lines and trees to fall. Many people spent their Fridays at home, stranded because of the ice storm.

Some of those without power also suffered from flooding, as sump pumps sat idle without a power source. A fortunate few without power were able to purchase a generator to keep their losses to a minimum. One person I spoke to visited as many as 15 stores looking for this weekend's number one most-sold product in the region before finally getting the last available generator at that store.

The University At Albany, one of the few schools to have power on (most) of the campus Friday, remained open for finals, despite the inability of some students and professors to commute to the school.

Cleanup will continue through the week, as energy companies rush to restore power throughout the region.