189 replies to this topic

[mp184qcr]

Here are a couple news updates about the cold weather and snow in Europe:

*Death toll as of Feb 6 is: 300+ To put things into perspective, The Perfect Storm had 310 deaths.
*160,000 houses without electricity.
*Bologna, Venice, L’Aquila and the Marches have called in the army for help clearing the snow.
*Almost 1,600 people have sought medical attention for frostbite and hypothermia and thousands have flocked to temporary shelters.
*Ferry Sharden carrying 262 passengers runs aground in a snow storm. No fatalities.
*30% of flights in Heathrow cancelled for Sunday.
*EU prepares for potential gas crisis.


http://finance.yahoo...504706.html?a=4
http://www.terradail...ground_999.html
http://www.terradail...ps_220_999.html
http://www.corriere....bc42d9d61.shtml

Edited by mp184qcr, 6 February 2012 - 01:20 PM.

[tmagan]

06Z Sunday SYNOP, MSLP, Observations, Isotherms.

[Roger Smith]

Heavy snow fell all night in parts of eastern and southeast England around London. Reports of closed or almost impassable major highways. Amounts generally 5-8 inches. Hilly areas are especially problematic, same issues as Seattle or Vancouver would have, no winter tires on vehicles, less plowing than in snow-prone areas, driver skills generally lower (unless you moved to escape the snow).

This map shows temps and winds at 06z Sunday:

http://www.uni-koeln...NNWWsahel06.gif

Looks like the arctic outbreak spread across the Atlas Mountains in northern Algeria about halfway to Timbuktu in Mali, in other words it covers the northern half of the Sahara although temperatures are not that extreme for this time of year. There was widespread snow in the coastal and mountain regions of Algeria.

(note -- map updates around 0830z each day, if you read this any day after post date of Sunday Feb 5th).

[Cheeznado]

Good summary article ar weather.com:

http://beta.weather....cast_2012-02-02

[HurricaneJosh]

It's already 3F at PRG and it's not even 11 pm-- so it looks like another subzero night is in store for the city. It'll struggle to get out of the single digits tomorrow afternoon-- and we'll have a couple more cold days after that-- but then things should start to improve. We might even get above freezing after next weekend. It's been a while.

[tmagan]

18Z Sunday SYNOP, MSLP, streamlines.

[HurricaneJosh]

It was -2F at PRG this morning-- about an hour ago. Currently it's 1F, with a forecast high of 12F. We won't even get back above freezing until maybe a week from now. I've almost gotten used to it at this point.

[tmagan]

06Z Monday SYNOP, MSLP.

[HurricaneJosh]

Colleagues told me a town in Czech Republic-- Zelezna Ruda-- went down to a record -36F last night. They say it was all over the news. Can anyone verify this? I'm all thumbs when it comes to verifying European weather obs. I'm skeptical because Prague only went a couple of degrees below zero. Apparently, the town is at ~800 m-- so it's not crazy high.

[Matthew-Northern Italy]

This morning lows down to -4°F/-6F° in some parts of Po valley, 4°F/2°F in W-SW Lombardy with also 5°F in Milan.


Alessandria
http://www.centromet...ntType=Stazioni

Milan
http://www.centromet...ntType=Stazioni

Pavia
http://www.centromet...ntType=Stazioni

Piacenza
http://www.centromet...ntType=Stazioni




Absolute low in Piedmont was -22.0°C/-8°F in Castell'Alfero near Asti (140m a.s.l.)

[HurricaneJosh]

So today was the coldest so far: PRG's morning low temp was -2°F and the afternoon high was 12°F. Small towns outside of the capital apparently got much, much colder.

It looks to stay very cold for the next week-- then we might start to come out of this.

[phil882]

HurricaneJosh, on 6 February 2012 - 04:11 AM, said:

Colleagues told me a town in Czech Republic-- Zelezna Ruda-- went down to a record -36F last night. They say it was all over the news. Can anyone verify this? I'm all thumbs when it comes to verifying European weather obs. I'm skeptical because Prague only went a couple of degrees below zero. Apparently, the town is at ~800 m-- so it's not crazy high.

Josh,

While that does seem really cold, it could very well be possible. It seems like the location is located in a valley between two higher peaks that probably allows for decent pooling of cold air in arctic air masses. There is a station to the SE that is at around 3000ft (1000m) that got down below -20 so no doubt it was very cold. The ECMWF shows a local minimum in 2 meter temperatures in this region too.

[HurricaneJosh]

phil882, on 6 February 2012 - 10:48 AM, said:

Josh,

While that does seem really cold, it could very well be possible. It seems like the location is located in a valley between two higher peaks that probably allows for decent pooling of cold air in arctic air masses. There is a station to the SE that is at around 3000ft (1000m) that got down below -20 so no doubt it was very cold. The ECMWF shows a local minimum in 2 meter temperatures in this region too.

Awesome-- thanks, Phil. I don't know anything about winter meteorology, cold air-masses, and temperature gradients, so I really was hoping a pro met would weigh in on this. Much appreciated.

[HurricaneJosh]

Kind of a flat temperature trend today in Praha. The morning low was 5°F and the afternoon high was 12°F-- so very little change throughout the day.

Tomorrow PRG might actually get up to the 20s-- which would be the first time in a solid week. But then it gets colder again, with possible additional subzero action by Friday.

[beavis1729]

Per wikipedia, the normal high/low in Prague is 37/25...does that sound right?

[HurricaneJosh]

beavis1729, on 7 February 2012 - 02:30 PM, said:

Per wikipedia, the normal high/low in Prague is 37/25...does that sound right?

Yeah, I believe that's about right for this time of year. That's what my sources say, too.

I never thought much about the temps here until this cold snap, and I actually would have guessed that Prague was climatologically colder. I always thought of this as a cold city in wintertime, but as you can see, it's really not that cold usually. The cities further E-- Minsk, Kiev, and Moscow-- are climatologically much colder-- more than I realized.

[JamieOber]

HurricaneJosh, on 6 February 2012 - 10:18 AM, said:

So today was the coldest so far: PRG's morning low temp was -2°F and the afternoon high was 12°F. Small towns outside of the capital apparently got much, much colder.

It looks to stay very cold for the next week-- then we might start to come out of this.

When will you be posting your chase footage of this incredible event to your new site, iFreezing? I can't wait for the dramatic images of frozen fountains and people walking past, hunched over with their hands in their pockets.

[Geos]

I just saw pictures of the icy canals of Venice on the London Telegraph! Incredible cold.

[Matthew-Northern Italy]

Geos, on 7 February 2012 - 04:32 PM, said:

I just saw pictures of the icy canals of Venice on the London Telegraph! Incredible cold.

Anyway that's not so unusual ... ok, doesn't happen every winter ... but also it's not su exceptional ...

In some big winters of the past, the Venice's lagoon froze over entirely ...


Like in february 1929

[Matthew-Northern Italy]

[HurricaneJosh]

It almost got up to a mild 20F at PRG today. (I think 19 was actually the afternoon high.)

We go back into some deep cold tomorrow night.

[Isopycnic]

HurricaneJosh, on 8 February 2012 - 09:30 AM, said:

It almost got up to a mild 20F at PRG today. (I think 19 was actually the afternoon high.)

We go back into some deep cold tomorrow night.

What does this mean for the 2012 Tropical season? I need info to steal take to Accuwx forums!!!!!!

[kwt]

Well after last weekends 4-6 inches in the London area another 4-8 inches seems likely tomorrow into Friday morning, though thats going to be to the west of London this time round.

Well below average first 10 days or so...

[HurricaneJosh]

Some light snow now, but it's not as cold now. In fact, we should easily crack 20F today.

[kwt]

Also I should just say some areas further north today are now reporting Freezing Rain.

Its a VERY rare to get Freezing Rain in the UK due mainly to the fact we have water all around us so it takes alot to get cold enough with uppers that are at the same time warmer, there tends to be 1-2 widespread instances of it a decade, today may turn out to be one of those sorts of days...all thanks to that deep cold pool over Europe I suppose!

[HurricaneJosh]

The airport (PRG) officially broke 20F this afternoon-- for the first time in over a week.

[HurricaneJosh]

Bitter cold tonight-- after some slight warming yesterday. (PRG actually hit 20F-- for the first time in a week.)

PRG's currently down to 3F, and it's not even midnight-- so another subzero night seems likely.

This is definitely the worst cold I've ever experienced. It's not just the low temps but the longevity of the cold snap. Except for yesterday's brief moment, we haven't cleared the teens in almost 10 days, with several days struggling to clear single digits and multiple mornings below 0F. I was almost getting accustomed to it yesterday, but tonight the cold really has an edge to it. I really felt it during a mere 15-minute walk.

I know folks in the Upper Plains deal with this all the time, but I think it's crazy.

[wxmx]

[HurricaneJosh]

PRG down to 1F and it ain't even midnight. Woo hoo.

Our low so far in this cold snap is -2F, which we hit twice. We gonna break it tonight?

[wxmx]

It will be close, but my guess is that your best chance for breaking -2 will be Sunday morning.

[am19psu]

wxmx, on 10 February 2012 - 06:03 PM, said:

It will be close, but my guess is that your best chance for breaking -2 will be Sunday morning.

I thought it was supposed to be Monday morning at Central Park? Oh, wrong thread.

[Cheeznado]

All I have to say about this is: OMG

[Mitchel Volk]

WOW! they need a super blow right now. It is amazing that people are walking on top of 13 feet of rock hard snow. People may have to wait to May to see the sun from their houses.

[OHweather]

What caused all that an easterly/northeasterly flow off the black sea? Unbelievable though, and that location isn't much farther north than Boston/Detroit.

[Matthew-Northern Italy]

New blizzard right now on central Italy.

Places like Urbino o Forli/Cesena are going to go above 1 meter of snow.

Snowing again Rome too.




Live webcam/TV of Forli
http://www.comune.fo...ng_piazzasaffi/




Urbino's webcam is quite self-talking ...



Cesena



Bologna's hillside



Bologna city



Pescara
http://www.pescarame...bcam/webcam.jpg


Abruzzo