Scarlet Pimpernel

1 hour ago, WxWatcher007 said:

I loved 2013-14 so I’d choose that easily. I’d also take option 1 for the second question because I’d know we had an epic season lol.

 

I'd choose that one as well.  Tough, but still, 2013-14 was gate-to-gate winter pretty much.  No HECS, but several moderate events.  When even @Bob Chill says he was exhausted and nearly tired of tracking at the end, you know it was a good winter!  And it snowed on my birthday in late March, so that wins for me!  Don't get me wrong, I loved 2002-03 of course especially as it came on the heels of a winter (2001-02) that totally sucked around here so it was a refreshing change.

15 minutes ago, Mrs.J said:

Just took the trash out and it is snowing!

Hello Mrs. J!!  I hope you are well!  That's cool...snowing!!!  I've heard there are some good snow showers going on in my home town up in northeast Ohio.

1 hour ago, WxWatcher007 said:

Best of both worlds. The joy of a huge snowfall followed by a massive surge of Panic Room rentals in the weeks afterward. I don’t like the lack of mask wearing here. We will be very strict. 

Looks like some kind of frat keg party at the Panic Room!  And yeah, no masks??? WTF???  I'm sure you will be very strict, making sure everyone's temperature is no more than room temperature of course!

3 hours ago, WxWatcher007 said:

It’s time for the GREAT debate. 
 

Would you take 3x climo snowfall in one epic blizzard followed by nothing; OR

3x climo snowfall spread out in numerous small and moderate events from December to March. No warning level snowfall events. 

29 minutes ago, WxWatcher007 said:

Ok next question. 

Would you take:

1) A 5” snowstorm Christmas Eve-Christmas Day

or 

2) A top 3 January Blizzard 

 

Way to take my snarky post from earlier and turn it into a serious discussion...damn you!  Joke's on me!! 

As for your second question, Christmas snow vs. top 3 January blizzard...oh my!  Where do you come up with these?  Just...diabolical!  Can I phone a friend to get the answer?  But, with no knowledge of how the entire winter would be, I'll just assume a good one overall for both scenarios, I'd just barely have to go with the January blizzard idea!  And as long as Christmas Eve/Day is not like it was in 2015, hazy and damn near uncomfortably humid!  A crisp, cold Holiday is nice (even without any snow), with the prospects looking good heading into the New Year!

So here's a question then, if I may:

(1) Re-live winter 2002-03 with the PD-II storm of course

or

(2) Re-live winter 2013-14

Or, how about this:

(1) Listen to Ji complain how winter 2009-10 ended after the Feb. 9-10 blizzard, thus it wasn't as good as it could have been

or

(2) In a sucky winter, having Ji cancel winter several times

(all in fun, sorry @Ji!!)

Is the Reaper stumped?  Nahhhhh, not possible!

21 minutes ago, WxWatcher007 said:

Let’s say it comes with 10 days of snow cover.  

Seems the Reaper is wheeling-and-dealing for those lost souls!! 

1 hour ago, WxWatcher007 said:

It’s time for the GREAT debate. 
 

Would you take 3x climo snowfall in one epic blizzard followed by nothing; OR

3x climo snowfall spread out in numerous small and moderate events from December to March. No warning level snowfall events. 

Hmmm, tough one!  Make the second option have a couple of moderate warning-level events (not necessarily double-digit), and I'd go for that one without question!  Would be similar to 2013-14 in that regard.  But even without that, I guess it would imply snow cover that sticks around for awhile (and persistent cold) and you just add to it.  I can live with several 1-3", 2-4", 3-5" type snows if that were the case!

So hey...this is a great forum to argue hotly debated political issues and controversial subjects, correct?  And maybe discuss weather?  Asking for a friend...

(That was serious snark, by the way, as if I need to say that!)

11 minutes ago, WxWatcher007 said:

Fantastic stuff. We’re gearing up...gonna be a winter to remember  

Yup!  Just like the Titanic and a "Night to Remember", this will absolutely be a "Winter to Remember!!"  (I have a "sinking" feeling, hahaha!) 

18 hours ago, WxWatcher007 said:

Snow is serious business. As a full service operation, we like to think ahead at The Panic Room.

We have legal counsel on retainer to cover all your needs. We’re offering 40% off divorce services with the discount code EURO.

For estate planning, we’re offering 20% off with the discount code POS NAO.

No bones about it, our staff are the best around.

Classy high-powered lawyers...love it!  I wonder if they'd do pro bone-o work for those who need counsel but don't have an unlimited bank account.

(Oh, I'm sorry, I put "classy" and "lawyer" in the same sentence, my bad!  No offense to any lawyers out there! )

21 hours ago, WxWatcher007 said:

We're almost ready. As you know, this is a year unlike any other, and we've needed to fortify our compound. 

Oh, we knew you must have been working on something good!  Just a little concerned is all, having heard nothing from the Reaper in so long!  Brilliant fortifications, to keep the extreme weenies out who might otherwise ruin the establishment!  I guess you have guards at the gate taking people's temperatures to make sure they'e OK to come in!

21 hours ago, WxWatcher007 said:

Of course, we will have guards to ensure strict compliance with social distancing mandates. 

Is that from "Jason and the Argonauts" (or maybe I'm thinking of "Clash of the Titans)??  Great movie!

21 hours ago, WxWatcher007 said:

We are ready. We have greatly increased our medical staff, and we are prepared for whatever comes our way. 

Love it!  No x-rays required!!!

21 hours ago, WxWatcher007 said:

Scared of being in the bubble alone? We've got the deal for you! For the first time ever, we are offering couples discounts!

Buy a suite and get a discount on couples therapy. 

Whoa!  The amenities of this place are just over the top!  Couples therapy for the distraught snow weenie looking at models every night while their significant other falls into depression due to lack of attention!  Looks like this guy fantasizes over 384-h GFS snowstorms more than the woman he's with!!  I think Dr. Bones will set him right!

So...@WxWatcher007...where is this year's Panic Room?  Reaper taking an extended vacation?  There were so many promises of upgrades!  I was particularly looking forward to the snakes you advertised, as long as they've been better trained, and don't spill the drinks when they knock on your door!

Is it social distancing issues, and limited space as a result?  Can't keep people 6 feet under...errrr...6 feet apart??  No bone sanitizer available?  Reaper working with a...skeletal crew this year??  (pun very much intended!!)

I'm sure this will be a record-breaking year for you going by some of the discussion.  Consider it the inverse of winter 2009-10!  @Ji might ask for his money back if he isn't allowed in...hasn't he reserved a penthouse suite years in advance, using his "I cancelled winter first this season!" coupon??  He must get as many of those as I do of the Bed, Bath, and Beyond 20% off coupons!!

But in all seriousness (if I can be)...hope you are doing well these days!

So for the "Washington Football Team", is this what can be said of them every week when they screw up?...

WTF, WFT?!?!  JFC!! 

21 minutes ago, Mrs.J said:

Who wants COOKIES!!!!

Ohhhh, tasty!!  And I like the "Wine!  How classy people get wasted!" coaster/hot-pad thing there in the background!  Reminds me of this, which always makes me laugh...

Happy Halloween, everyone!  Here's a "blue" Blue Moon for you...the 2nd full moon this month.  Tinkered with the white balance to give it this effect:

6 hours ago, WinterWxLuvr said:

Ah man, Sean Connery died. Talk about an iconic actor. RIP

Yeah, heard about that...RIP, James Bond!!  And of course he was iconic in so many other roles as well.  I especially liked him as the doddering, semi-absent minded old professor/dad in the 3rd Indiana Jones (Last Crusade).  He was perfect, with so many good lines in there, and actually could humble Indiana Jones with the stare and raised eyebrow.  One of my other favorites was "The Man Who Would Be King", with Connery and Michael Caine.

Sad news...as if we haven't had enough in 2020.

7 hours ago, mappy said:

Post 33,000

been here too damn long and talk way too much 

Congrats!  Cue the balloons!  Party time!

7 hours ago, psuhoffman said:

People keep asking the same questions. I don’t mind since I don’t expect everyone to scroll through the whole thread.  But maybe answering the same thing over when the answer isn’t pleasant isn’t the best for the mood of the thread. 

Is that something like the definition of insanity?  Not for you, but for those asking the questions, hoping for a different answer!! 

2 hours ago, Mrs.J said:

Last night on Chincoteague for a much needed mental health break. Rented a house on the Bay on the Northern end of the island. Have enjoyed some nice warm weather. Some beautiful sunsets and skies on fire. Finished off the week with a brought in shellfish feast of which there was nothing left. 
 

Hello there, Mrs. J!!  How are you my friend?  What amazing photos!  I was in Chincoteague around mid-August, hope you had a great time there!  The sunsets from Chincoteague were amazing!!

Some photos from today...

Streaks of mid-level clouds (black/white, with red filter applied):

Those clouds stuck around to create an awesome, amazing sunset!!

7 hours ago, toolsheds said:

think about the mixed signals here in Carroll County where school was scheduled to go back on Monday, but at the last minute the High Schools were pulled from that plan.  Elementary and Middle schools are back with a hybrid plan, but High Schools are virtual through at least the end of the quarter.  I'm so thankful that my two High Schoolers home are able to handle this and manage on their own.  The tough part for my Senior is getting out for college visits.  We have been doing self guided campus tours, but without access to the classrooms or dorms, it's hard to understand how your kid feels about a campus when looking. 

I hear you!  My daughter is a senior this year.  College visits?  Not happening the way things are.  It makes things very...surreal.  I honestly at times don't even know what to do (not to mention how things are done now compared to when I was applying a century ago, it's a lot different!).  She's putting in applications, but that's about all one can do right now.

7 hours ago, mappy said:

well said, friend. We want our kid back too, she wants to be back. We manage virtual learning because we have to. My only frustration right now as a parent is the lack of communication from the county on when kids may return. As of right now, she's virtual through the end of January as well, at which point a hybrid system is supposed to be in play. Balt Co's super intendent came out a month ago saying they were going to start having some kids back in classrooms this month, but then he reversed course and its been crickets since then.

Thats incredibly frustrating. What are they doing? What's the thoughts as of now on a plan forward? It's hard not knowing. So we just keep on doing what we need to do.

Thank you, my friend!  Good to hear from you and hope you are well.  I totally get the frustration concerning some lack of communication.  Sometimes, I honestly just cannot keep up with various announcements.  Sometimes, they're more on the ball with information, but other times, it's a bit opaque on what's going on.  But like you...we manage as best we can.  Hang in there...I have to keep the faith (or something!) that this will be over at some point.

On a different...but I guess mildly related subject...I dropped off my mail-in ballot last week (yay!!).  Went to one of those drop boxes that's nearby.  I only bring that up because the last time I did anything mail in was as an undergrad in college, when I submitted an absentee ballot!  That was...well, I won't say how many years ago!  So this was a bit surreal for me in a way!

Anyone care about or paying much attention to the World Series this year?  Anyone...anyone...Bueller??  Me neither!  (apologies to any Dodgers' or Rays' fans out there!!) 

5 hours ago, Eskimo Joe said:

People aren't taking this seriously and it's infuriating.

Amen!!

4 hours ago, mappy said:

Just says within the community. I know your position, and respect it. However, if its spreading enough in the community that the positivity rate tripled in 10-days, then it most certainly can spread within schools. I'm of the mind that it's better to be safe now, then sorry later. 

Agree.  Whether or not schools are a primary vector for spreading the disease is almost irrelevant.  If it's spreading in the community and spiking like that, better to play it safer.  Personally, I think Gov. Hogan may have been a bit too quick on relaxing the restrictions more of late, and I say that as one who has been impressed and supportive of how he's dealt with this overall.  Though he does allow (as I understand it) individual counties to make their own decisions.  I live in MoCo, which has one of the highest rates and number of cases in the state (perhaps PG is the highest?).  It was determined late in the summer that schools would be virtual *at least* through the first semester this academic year (end of January).  They're supposed to re-evaluate the situation in the near future, to determine what's to be done for the 2nd semester (still virtual, in-person, or some hybrid?).  But I'm not optimistic that they'll have any in-person instruction in MoCo this year at all.  It sucks, we all want our kids to be in school (and hell, *they* want to be in school to see their friends!)...but in my opinion the closures and virtual learning is a sad necessity given the situation.  Be glad we live in a time, at least, where it's possible to do that.

2 hours ago, psuhoffman said:

Probably. But there is a chance this is an epic fail if the result of an actual Nina during a period when we were already experiencing a Nina type pattern due to other factors leads to an Uber ultra Nina pattern. We could get a stable +3-5 std dv pac ridge that floods the conus with Pac puke all winter. It’s not necessarily the most likely outcome but it wouldn’t shock me.  On a personal note (and yes I realize this makes me an ass) if we have the choice between some pathetic 6” from several slop storms winter or a complete blank were its 55-65 all winter and we don’t even get a flake I would take the latter just to be able to chuckle at all the “it can’t be worse than last year” posts. Those people obviously aren’t paying attention. It can always be worse. Always.  

In a way, I agree with you here (no, not the part where you say that this makes you an ass...well, maybe sorta!).  I personally see little difference between 6" slop spread over several events, that disappear before you sneeze...and dealing with 55-60 degrees most of the winter.  Honestly (and this is simply conjecture on my part), I don't see us having quite so consistent a level of warmth as we did last year, and our single best event being...all of 1.5" total.  Whether that means anything, who knows.  But yeah, if we're going to have a couple of slop storms, who cares, might as well have it be "late fall" most of the time instead!  I just hope we don't have mosquitos still hanging around in January, please!

Interestingly, I looked up DJF last year (2019-20) and DJF from 2015-16 (year we got the blizzard).  At least for DCA, last year was warmer over those 3 winter months compared to '15-16, and more consistently so.  And that is after a +11.5 departure in Dec. 2015!!  Take out Dec. 2015 and you see a different picture that year.  I know people like to "dis" that winter as a one-and-done luck out with the blizzard that sucked otherwise, but fact is...we DID luck out.  And it wasn't all luck.  We were graced with a favorable pattern and a STJ on 'roids through the middle-end part of January.  And in fact, besides the awful warmth in December, Jan-Feb were kinda at or slightly below normal overall (2nd half of Feb did get warmer, to be sure, as I recall).  Last year didn't even give us any chance for a luck event, really.  Oh, and last year, DCA did not record a single max temperature of 32 or below at all.

3 hours ago, WinterWxLuvr said:

C'mon, if you're gonna punt, go for the best (Ray Guy)!!