ariof

4 hours ago, Angus said:

as @ariofmentioned, half the fun was navigating the traffic. We hiked off of little Bigelow (3.5-4 miles) while my boss with young family departed from Eustis Ridge immediately after the event. He got home to Milford MA area about 11:20 while I arrived in Concord MA at midnight. Heck, we stopped for a quick pizza in Portland at 930! My big decision was going west on rt 2 at Norridgewock versus going to Waterville and getting on 95 and from there to 295. I didn't get on 295 until below the Gardiner tolls on 295. The Sugarloaf area is constrained by rivers and therefore bridges - there aren't many bridges so those became choke points. @HIPPYVALLEY did Iceland in 2017 during summer months - such a different landscape - would be very cool.

 

I'm sort of wondering about your strategy, but it sounds like you probably didn't hit the road until 1700 or so.

From Eustis at least I wonder if the optimal route would have been to get to Kingfield and then take 142 down to 156. There are enough branching roads south of there that it may have been possible to do so. The whole idea here was to avoid converging roadways (especially if you were on the secondary road in a merge) and seek out branches, and where possible think about three steps ahead of the average driver (one step ahead = taking the parallel road to the interstate, two steps ahead is a different route, three steps ahead is a parallel road to a different route). Get beyond what can be solved algorithmically, use intuition. Google is not smart enough to predict where there will be backups 30 minutes after totality ends. Try to figure that out, and go elsewhere!

Caught the eclipse in Monson, Maine after deciding the longer drive (without traffic) would be better with fewer clouds (none) and probably less traffic. Especially once we saw Franconia backed up before dawn. Zero traffic up the Turnpike and past Waterville; saw some exiting traffic in Newport so got off onto 152 near Pittsburgh. No traffic to Guilford, then I made a mistake of listening to my dad telling me to get onto a back road instead of Route 6 because Google Maps said to. The issue was that it was "junior" to Route 6 in the merge in Monson, and backed up a mile. No cell service, so Google didn't expect or detect the traffic, so kept pushing people that way. We were well into totality and it eventually stopped in Monson, a few miles shy of meeting friends who had flown to Greenville.

The event was spectacular watching across a snowcovered lake. Surrounded by white snow I took my sunglasses off before totality; didn't need them.

I had spotted the car so we were the first ones out of town. The Monson traffic had been a blessing in disguise, as we would have been stuck in Greenville for an hour. From Abbott, we did an end-around of Guilford to avoid that bottleneck, west on 16 and south on 151. Amazing to go through towns with 50 people and see people at every turnout and every clearing. That was a good choice, although 151 had a 20 minute backup into Athens since, again, it was "junior" to the other road. I had originally plotted a route onto a road which would be out of the way by 2 miles but avoid the merge. It would have been faster, but wasn't a dealbreaker. A bit of traffic crossing Kennebec in Hinckley and then freeflow to Portland for dinner.

Drive time under 5 hours each way from Boston. Route planning almost as exciting as the event itself!

12 hours ago, weathafella said:

Incredible day!   Newport was perfect for the show.  Unobstructed view including just spectacular beads as the sun re-emerged.  I echo Ryan’s observation-this one was better than 2017 in my view.

It took 90 minutes to get out of Newport-then 9.5 hours thanks in part to something crazy on 93 S near Franconia.   Still worth the sacrifice.  I can’t imagine I’ll be here for 2044 but there’s one in Spain 2026 and Australia 2028 I’ve got my eye on.

I think that's three lanes of traffic squeezing into one!

3 hours ago, CT Rain said:

My parents drove to Danville, VT to a brewery I found online. I told them to leave right after totality and they managed to hit no traffic at all coming down 91. Made it back to New Haven in like 4 hours.

In Dallas there was no traffic either… seems like everyone who worked downtown stayed home. No rush hour and just the coolest of vibes. 

Dallas also has from satellite maps the instance of the cumulus clouds dissipating as the solar radiation decreases and totality passes, then increasing back. Just very cool to watch.

5 hours ago, HIPPYVALLEY said:

My coworker said there’s still traffic coming back from northern Vermont.

Apparently Franconia Notch cleared out around 0330 and then there was additional traffic this morning.

Taking three lanes and cramming it into one is not a recipe for success, I guess!

2 minutes ago, Ski Patroller said:

https://www.mountwashingtonavalanchecenter.org/forecasts/#/presidential-range

Avalanche Watch
ISSUED Tuesday, April 2, 2024 - 4:00PM EXPIRES Friday, April 5, 2024 - 4:00PM
What

A significant winter storm, bringing the possibility of 30+ inches of snow and strong wind to the higher summits in the Presidential Range, will create dangerous avalanche conditions.
When

In effect from Tuesday, April 2, 2024 - 4:00PM to Friday, April 5, 2024 - 4:00PM
Where

The Presidential Range avalanche forecast area, including but not limited to Tuckerman Ravine, Huntington Ravine, Gulf of Slides, Great Gulf, King Ravine, Burt Ravine, Ammonoosuc Ravine, Oakes Gulf and steep, open terrain in the mountains that are bounded by US Rt 2, US Rt 302, and NH Rt 16. This includes hiking trails that traverse across steep terrain like Summer Lion Head trail. Similar avalanche danger may exist at locations outside the coverage area where steep, open terrain exists that has collected wind drifted snow.
Impacts

Large, destructive avalanches are likely to occur naturally and spontaneously and will exist throughout steep terrain including hiking trails.These avalanches may be large enough to bury multiple people, do significant damage to trees or buildings, and will likely run far down in paths or to areas that are normally considered safe zones. Precipitation rates are forecast to be heavy, with 1-2 inches of snow falling per hour at times and visibility limited.
Precautionary/Preparedness Actions

As the storm develops, expect rapidly changing and dangerous conditions. Strong winds and heavy snow will limit visibility with white out conditions expected. Avoid traveling in or near avalanche terrain.

Basically a reminder that while it might say April, Tux isn't spring skiing this week or probably weekend. (The Sherbie should be in, though!)

5 minutes ago, mcglups said:

That could work in the area of pontoon reservoir heading into thirteen mile Woods but all side roads will be snow and mud.

The biggest reality to embrace is average speed on any road with people pulling over will reduce by 50% or 80%.  By 1pm I would think all roads will start to get filled with people pulling over.

I think most people are, rightly or wrongly, going to a destination, not the side of the road. I mean people have booked rooms in totality for $1000, so I assume they have destinations chosen. (This is, of course, the wrong way to do it; it doesn't really matter where you are since you are looking at the sun; mountains nearby would be fun to be able to see them in the light when you're in the shadow, being on top of a mountain might let you watch the shadow as long as there's not any FG which is not a given this time of year. I would assume Mansfield will be mobbed, even with the trail conditions up there, which might actually be "microspikes".) In 2017 we wound up at random pullout near a lake in Southern Illinois. We got there about 45 minutes before totality and there were people parked along the road but no real traffic.

If the storm hits far enough north and there's nowhere to pull off it won't help, but traffic will mostly all be going in the same direction at least so if people pull off there won't be too much trouble pulling into the other lane. Somewhere like Willoughby Gap might be fun to watch the shadow cross the mountains (there will be a split second when one side is in light and the other side in darkness), I guess? But the whole thing is, for the most part, the cool stuff is going on up in the sky, so there's really no need to be in a cool place to view it, the sky is the same.

6 minutes ago, wxsniss said:

Good bet given guidance at this range Jerry... northeast looks like it actually has a chance sitting west of ridge. I'll be driving somewhere with my wife.

Any thoughts from anyone on this plan? I'm thinking Newport, VT... 3.5 hr drive during weekday rush hour, so we'll plan on a 6 hour drive up: Drive up 93N, onto 91N at St. Johnsbury. Stay on 91 and get car to southbound direction before eclipse and that way can immediately hit road after. At worst might even just pull over side of 91 southbound...

There is an actual organized event, but I imagine it'll be impossible to enter:

https://www.discovernewportvt.com/eclipse/

 

 

Yeah this seems pretty reasonable. There probably won't be traffic going north from Boston since people will be spread out over the morning, although I would be somewhat surprised if the Manchester-to-Concord section is not slammed. (A good time to go around on Dunbarton/Logging Hill.) 93 north should then be fine since it is a 3-to-4 split in Concord, but I'd watch the Notch where there could be quite a backup where it goes from 2 to 1. (Generally there's not an issue here even at the busiest times since enough hiking/skiing/leaf peeping people peel off further south.) If it's bad, go across 25 or Kinsman instead over to 91, which I doubt will be bad, and then you can meter off onto some random side roads into Vermont.

I'm looking at various areas which are high up and clear, to be able to see distant hills in the day while you stand in the night. That is an advantage of going for a hike up a mountain (the main disadvantage, of course, being that there's a much higher likelihood of FG. Some of the open fields up in, like, Irasburg would fit the bill quite well.

Just now, Prismshine Productions said:

It was

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I had forgotten after getting some ECT with my toaster in the bathtub.

4 minutes ago, HoarfrostHubb said:

When hasn't it looked good.

If this pos model scores a coup, I will switch to Molsen Golden for all of April

Was it the CMC that had sniffed out the whiff for basically all of Mass for the Valentine's Day storm?

Just now, MJO812 said:

Nam is more NW

 

NAM runs the low straight up the Connecticut River Valley like the GFS did at 18Z.

2 hours ago, Hazey said:

It’s early but a decent look for the Northeast

Yeah this does not look bad at all. This would be a game-time decision based on winds. Hoping for a day like today.

On 3/28/2024 at 7:56 AM, tunafish said:

At this point I'm almost as interested in the human element of this whole thing more than the eclipse itself.  It's going to be theatre in NNE.  

Hoards of people, most of whom will be ill-equipped, woefully unprepared for any extended stay on the roadways, and tempted to try alternate routes that'll lead them to no-gas-no-cell-service land.  Will be fascinating to watch unfold if we get a clear-ish day.

Will be a good day to break out the DeLormes, that's for sure.

I think a lot of people are going to make the mistake of choosing a place in advance and being wedded to it. Hotels are completely gone in totality for an event which occurs at 1500, but you can get a hotel in MHT for $100 and drive up (or for this forum, just drive up). I would expect some traffic on the highways on Monday but nothing outrageous since the trip up will be spread out somewhat. I think people will probably stick to the interstates on the way up since traffic won't be too bad and a lot of people want to experience the whole event, even though the lead up to totality is unremarkable. (Oh, look, my shadow is lighter.) I could see some bottlenecks getting trafficky in the places we see traffic during peaks in Northern New England, especially 93 south of Concord, and further up 93, potentially at Franconia Notch since everyone will be trying to go through. 25 across from Plymouth might be a good choice.

Coming back will be … whoo boy. One option would be to just go get dinner somewhere (if you can get a reservation) and wait it out. But it's a Monday, probably a lot of people will be going back for work/school, and it will be like if every ski mountain shut down the lifts at the exact same time times 10. If everywhere in NNE is CLR then it won't be as bad as traffic will filter onto 89, 91 and 93 (again, the Notch might be a mess), but if there's a NWely flow and really only the Champlain Valley is in the clear 89 could be a nightmare, that is, if people are smart enough to all go to the Champlain Valley. My tactic to get back to Boston in that case would probably be to take 15 across Vermont and then 89 south to 25 to cut over to 93 if I saw a lot of red on the traffic maps. Assuming the cell network isn't entirely overwhelmed, it will definitely pay to have a navigator checking traffic maps.

It's almost as fun as the event itself. Almost.

Imagine if we'd had this forum in late March of 1997.

I remember funding a Boston Globe from March 28 a while after the storm and the forecast was for "partly sunny and in the 50s on March 31."

Yeah, well, no.

34 minutes ago, shawnmov said:

Heading up to Burlington VT as early as possible in the AM.  Expecting traffic to be a problem.

This is going to be a study in bottlenecks, and coming back will sort of be a ski weekend on steroids. I doubt traffic going up is going to be a huge issue: a lot of people will go early and it will be relatively spread out since people have the whole morning and much of the afternoon. I'll definitely leave some extra time, though, and be ready to find some back roads if necessary. Franconia Notch will be interesting since it will squeeze traffic down to a single lane. There's almost never enough traffic there to cause backups, because so much peels off further south, but this could be an exception, since totality starts further north.

Back roads may help since I don't think many non-frequent travelers up there will take them. Boston to Saint Albans via Kinsman Notch and Route 15 only adds about an hour of drive time but probably avoids the traffic. Assuming 93 isn't jammed up into Concord. I'd guess 91 will be in better shape than 93/89, although the interchange at 89 might get tricky. But the way up the dispersal of people onto different routes should help.

Now, for the way back. The optimal viewing location is somewhere you can view the eclipse and then get the hell out of dodge as quickly as possible. You want to be on the side of totality your eventual highway is on, and you want to be close to it. This is what we did in Southern Illinois in 2017. Get in the car and hit the road. The only issue there was that there kept being 2-lanes-to-1 construction which led to long bottlenecks. I could foresee that happening to Franconia Notch, and I'd probably take 91 around that. (If there is a bluebird day, my plans are to head up to the NEK, possibly via 89 and 91 instead of 93, and definitely avoiding the Notch on the way back. But if you can be an early vehicle through the Notch, that will meter traffic onto 93 south quite well, and you'll probably get to Concord before the masses come down 93 and 89. I think the optimal location to view it would be somewhere along I-91 north of St J, but in the southbound lanes. Eclipse passes, you're already on the road ready to go south. It's going to be as if every skier at every mountain on a Sunday afternoon got off the lift and into their car at the same time. I'd expect the roads to be, uh, busy.

I remember in 2017 watch the red on Google Maps across the country on either side of the eclipse. It's fun!

18 minutes ago, Ginx snewx said:

Snowing ORH 34/0 how's that? wet bulb 26

34-7 now … winter finally decided to show up in late March.

56 minutes ago, Prismshine Productions said:

Yeah, lot of people gonna be taken by surprise

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Looks like the worst of the ZR might be in the Winnipesaukee-to-Sebago axis. Luckily it will fall so quickly that a lot won't accrete.

If you hit the Turnpike in West Stockbridge at 8:20 pm and drove east you would basically be in the squall line the entire time.

47 minutes ago, ChangeofSeasonsWX said:

Obviously it wont happen but It would be pretty cool to see that March hurricane off the east coast that the GFS has had for a couple of runs. Its much more impressive to get something to form in February/March than January or April, since those months have had a handful of storms but February and March have only had one each.

Hurricane Morch

50 minutes ago, WinterWolf said:

Yes…they had brutal cold. Thanks for posting. 

Fairbanks went down to -50 in January.

Of course, both PANC and PAFA hit record highs yesterday (43 and 41, respectively). 

6 minutes ago, TalcottWx said:

Boston is going to get crushed. 

Boston has to change from RA to SN first

1 minute ago, ChangeofSeasonsWX said:

Yeah that what makes this particular event seem rather unprecedented for the modern era. At least since the turn of the century. I can't think of another time where they got it this wrong.

I mean who can really blame them. The big models were all on board for several runs and then at 12Z they got the rug pulled out.

Maybe this will make it less likely that in the future they cancel everything the day before. But this does seem pretty unprecedented.

BOX is on it

4 minutes ago, ORH_wxman said:

I don't think it will be all that interesting...it's going to go way south because the 18z RAP/HRRR already did that....the 18z cycles clearly have data ingested that say this is going to be way south. The more interesting part of me is going to be if we see the mesos try and tick back N on the post-18z runs.

Yeah almost more interesting is that the Euro caught up to this at 12Z while the mesos were still very bullish at 12Z. Theoretically they were using the same data there, too.

7 minutes ago, tavwtby said:

we need a last minute jump north or there's going to be a lot of toaster baths, what a difference 12 hours has been since I last checked, wtf...ALY not too concerned about my area and immediate Berks, but has taken amounts way back points NW, stating big gradient as this now looks to pass SE of the BM

Toasters just sold out across eastern New England.