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February 2016 Forecasts/Disco/Obs


snowman19

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Previously, some of the guidance had suggested the potential for an appreciable or greater snowfall around 1/29. Since then the guidance has backed off with the consensus favoring a storm passing well offshore so as to avoid any meaningful snowfall in the New York City area. This outcome is consistent with the return of the positive Arctic Oscillation (AO). The January 27 AO figure was +2.053.

 

It is forecast to remain generally positive to strongly positive over the next 10-15 days. As a result, the probability of a significant snowfall for the New York City area will be much lower than it would be during an AO-. Such a probability is not zero. For example, February 4, 1995 saw 10.8" snow fall in NYC when the AO was +2.328 (and falling).

 

AO01272016.jpg

 

However, if one looks back to past El Niño cases when the AO reached or exceeded +1.500 during the January 25-February 10 period (as shown on the ensembles), such a development occurred in 1983, 1992, 1995, and 2003. Both February 1983 and 2003 were much snowier than average on account of major snowstorms.

 

In sum, even as the forecast pattern reduces prospects of a significant snowfall for the time being, it does not preclude the idea that February could wind up snowier or even much snowier than normal. The return of blocking may hold the proverbial key to February's snowfall outcome.

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some NYC February stats...so far the last six February's are averaging 33.3 thanks to last years third coldest on record...since 2010 February is averaging 16.1" of snow...the 1980's averaged 5.4"...the average max is the lowest since the 1920's...2010's max was 46 and last year 43...
Decade averages...
decade..ave.t...high....low.....ave max/min...max....min....snowfall...big snow...precipitation...
1870's....30.6....37.0....25.2..........................69......-1........9.3"......11.0"......2.71"
1880's....30.5....37.2....22.7....55.2......4.5....69......-4........7.9"........9.0"......4.07"
1890's....31.9....37.9....24.1....54.6......6.2....68......-6......10.1"......16.0"......3.65"
1900's....29.4....37.7....24.8....52.2......6.8....62.......1........9.3"......11.0"......3.54"
1910's....30.4....35.9....25.4....55.5......4.8....62......-6........7.5"........9.7"......3.44"
1920's....32.1....37.9....26.2....54.3......8.7....64......-2......12.2"......17.5"......4.32"
1930's....32.5....37.0....19.9....58.7......7.8....75.....-15.......7.6"......10.0"......3.13"
1940's....32.6....38.6....29.3....58.1......9.7....73......-8........8.9"......10.7"......2.53"
1950's....35.1....40.1....27.4....58.5....10.1....71.......0........4.0"........7.9"......2.73"
1960's....32.6....36.7....28.3....56.1......8.4....65......-2......10.1"......17.4"......3.31"
1970's....32.6....39.9....25.5....58.7......8.6....70.......0........9.9"......17.7"......3.69"
1980's....35.4....40.6....31.4....60.9....13.0....75.......4........5.4"......17.6"......3.08"
1990's....36.3....40.6....30.6....62.5....11.0....72.......5........8.7"......12.8"......2.99"
2000's....35.2....40.6....28.2....59.7....13.8....68.......8......10.1"......26.9"......2.64"

2010's....33.2....40.9....23.9....54.8....13.3....67.......2......16.1"......20.9"......3.88"
1880-
2009......32.7....38.4....26.4....57.3......8.7....69......-1........8.6"......13.9......3.27"

1980-09..35.6....40.6....30.1....61.0....12.6....72.......6........8.1"......19.1".....2.90"


Coldest.........Warmest.........Wettest..........Driest...........snowiest
19.9 in 1934...40.9 in 2012...6.87" in 1869...0.46" in 1895...36.9" in 2010
22.7 in 1885...40.6 in 1998...6.83" in 1896...0.55" in 1901...29.0" in 2014
23.9 in 2015...40.6 in 1984...6.69" in 2010...0.71" in 2002...27.9" in 1934
24.1 in 1895...40.6 in 2002...6.41" in 1920...0.93" in 2009...26.9" in 2006
24.8 in 1905...40.1 in 1954...6.20" in 1939...0.94" in 1892...26.4" in 1994
25.2 in 1875...40.0 in 1997...6.14" in 1893...1.01" in 1987...26.3" in 1926
25.4 in 1904...40.0 in 1991...6.04" in 1981...1.04" in 1980...26.1" in 2003
25.4 in 1914...39.9 in 1976...6.01" in 1915...1.13" in 1968...25.3" in 1920
25.5 in 1979...39.8 in 1990...5.96" in 1887...1.24" in 1877...25.3" in 1899
25.7 in 1936...39.3 in 1981...5.95" in 2008...1.29" in 1872...23.6" in 1967
Highest temperatures...
75 in 1930 2/25
75 in 1985 2/24
73 in 1949 2/15
72 in 1997 2/27
71 in 1954 2/16
70 in 1976 2/25
70 in 1991 2/5
70 in 1985 2/23
Coldest temperatures...
-15 in 1934 2/9
-8 in 1943 2/15
-7 in 1934 2/8
-6 in 1899 2/10
-6 in 1918 2/5
-5 in 1896 2/17
-4 in 1886 2/5
-4 in 1895 2/6
-4 in 1873 2/24
Coldest monthly max...
41 in 1978
41 in 1905
42 in 1934
42 in 1901

43 in 2015
44 in 1969
44 in 1923
46 in 2010
46 in 1924
46 in 1895
46 in 1885
Warmest monthly minimum...
22 in 1927
20 in 2012
19 in 1897
19 in 1964
19 in 1982
19 in 2000
19 in 2002
18 in 1986
18 in 1960
18 in 1957
18 in 1932
Biggest snowfalls...
26.9" in 2006 2/11-12
20.9" in 2010 2/25-26
19.8" in 2003 2/16-17
17.7" in 1978 2/6-7
17.6" in 1983 2/11-12
17.5" in 1920 2/4-7
17.4" in 1961 2/3-4
16.0" in 1899 2/12-13
15.3" in 1969 2/9-10
12.8" in 1994 2/11
12.7" in 1979 2/19
12.5" in 1921 2/20
12.5" in 1967 2/7

12.5" in 2014 2/13-14
12.0" in 1926 2/9-10

11.4" in 2013 2/8-9
11.0" in 1876 2/3-4
11.0" in 1907 2/4-5
10.8" in 1995 2/4
10.7" in 1947 2/20-21
10.7" in 1996 2/16-17
10.4" in 1926 2/3-4
10.0" in 1902 2/17
10.0" in 1933 2/11
10.0" in 2010 2/9-10
least snowiest...
0 in 1998...
T in 2002
T in 1981
T in 1971
T in 1938

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February looks to start off with quite the torch. Highs could crack the 60 degree mark next Tuesday ahead of a cold front. After the warm up, a deep trough should move into the Eastern US and deliver seasonably, and perhaps even below seasonably cold temperatures with a potential storm chance around the 6th/7th as pieces of energy attempt to dive down the backside of the trough. That storm chance would also correlate with a rebounding NAO which is forecasted to drop to near neutral around the end of week 1.

 

nao.sprd2.gif

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February looks to start off with quite the torch. Highs could crack the 60 degree mark next Tuesday ahead of a cold front. After the warm up, a deep trough should move into the Eastern US and deliver seasonably, and perhaps even below seasonably cold temperatures with a potential storm chance around the 6th/7th as pieces of energy attempt to dive down the backside of the trough. That storm chance would also correlate with a rebounding NAO which is forecasted to drop to near neutral around the end of week 1.

nao.sprd2.gif

Moved for Mr Yanks

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That's a recipe for another rapidly changing pattern from warm to cold after the cutter pulls the trough back into the East.

 

Agree , we are spiking the AO / then crash it back to N . That will push that Arctic air S . 

If we lay any snow cover it will stick around .

 

 

ao.sprd2.gif

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Frist 3-4 days not good, but after that I think we have the opportunity for a prolonged snowy/cold period. 

 

If this month is any indication, that is not in the cards for this winter.  The below-normal cold only seems to stick around for a few days at most.  Look at this month:

 

First below normal stretch started on Jan 4:

1/4: 36/14

1/5: 29/11

1/6: 41/25

1/7: 46/31

 

Two below normal days

 

The next period was Jan 13-14

1/13: 30/22

1/14: 38/22

15: 51/34

 

Two below normal days

 

A few days later..:

1/18: 31/18

1/19: 28/16

1/20: 37/27

1/21: 36/26

1/22: 30/21

1/23: 27/24 (Blizz of '16)

1/24: 35/20

1/25: 39/28

 

That was basically the longest period of cold snow, and it lasted about 7 days.  Granted, we got the (arguably) largest snowstorm in NYC history, which was awesome.

 

This is not going to be a winter of prolonged cold, but as shown above, all you need is a few days with some good timing, and we can get some major snow.

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If this month is any indication, that is not in the cards for this winter.  The below-normal cold only seems to stick around for a few days at most.  Look at this month:

 

First below normal stretch started on Jan 4:

1/4: 36/14

1/5: 29/11

1/6: 41/25

1/7: 46/31

 

Two below normal days

 

The next period was Jan 13-14

1/13: 30/22

1/14: 38/22

15: 51/34

 

Two below normal days

 

A few days later..:

1/18: 31/18

1/19: 28/16

1/20: 37/27

1/21: 36/26

1/22: 30/21

1/23: 27/24 (Blizz of '16)

1/24: 35/20

1/25: 39/28

 

That was basically the longest period of cold snow, and it lasted about 7 days.  Granted, we got the (arguably) largest snowstorm in NYC history, which was awesome.

 

This is not going to be a winter of prolonged cold, but as shown above, all you need is a few days with some good timing, and we can get some major snow.

 

 

FEB is starting to look like a mini  FEB 2014 to me . The PV ( ITS COMING ) may center itself  through the GLK/OHV/SE  and after FEB 1-4 which will be AN ,I think we  lock into a colder pattern for 15 days . 

So FEB 5 - 20 is BN .

 

I am not sure of the  monthly departure yet , I  really cant see between the 20 - 29 although the PARA look fine through the 22nd . 

But the 15 day period I am looking at may be COLD/SNOWY .  The core of the coldest against the norms will be W/SW of us . 

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FEB is starting to look like a mini FEB 2014 to me . The PV ( ITS COMING ) may center itself through the GLK/OHV/SE and after FEB 1-4 which will be AN ,I think we lock into a colder pattern for 15 days .

So FEB 5 - 20 is BN .

I am not sure of the monthly departure yet , I really cant see between the 20 - 29 .

But the 15 day period I am looking at may be COLD/SNOWY . The core of the coldest against the norms will be W/SW of us .

Well, here come the news stories about the Polar Vortex once again lol

Also, how cold was February 2014? Obviously not as bad as 2015, but I do recall that big storm we had. 16.1 inches here.

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Yeah, the EPS are really bullish on maintaining that very strong block centered over the pole north of Alaska until further notice.

The sharp warm up in the first few days of February should turn colder as the trough gets pulled into the East following the cutter.

 

 

Agree ,  it`s going to lock off for a while and could snow on either side of the Arctic intrusion . 

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Yeah, even the week 4 EPS is still showing the same pattern. That look would argue for

more of a trough in the East like we have discussed in the past.

 

WSI twitter freebie

 

attachicon.gifEPS.jpg

 

Looks like one cold HP system after another with direct discharges of Arctic air .

 

The coldest air relative to averages will head into the midwest /lakes /OHV then east . 

gfs-ens_T2ma5d_nhem_7.png

 

gfs-ens_T2ma5d_nhem_12.png

 

gfs-ens_mslpa5d_nhem_7.png

 

gfs-ens_mslpa5d_nhem_12.png

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Today's 12Z Op GFS is a great example of why you do not use Op Runs far out. From 280-384 it more or less matches 2 of the 12 members on the last nights 00Z ensembles. All others have a deep eastern trof

 

Agree ,

 

D 10-15 EPS/GEPS/6ZGEFS . All see the deep trough in the E 

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