MidlothianWX
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8.0" on the nose here in Richmond. It was a little hard to measure with all the drifting. All in all another great event here - we've been lucky the past few seasons.
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Storms I can remember in my lifetime: 1) PDII (Frederick) 2) Jan. 2016 (Richmond) 3) March 2009 (Richmond) 4) Jan. 2010 (Richmond) 5) Dec. 2009 (Richmond) Honorable mention: 2/10/2010, 1/7/2011, 3/6/2013, 1/28/2014, 3/3/2014
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Richmond is a #backendtown
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The weekend rule always applies. I might be a little biased but I love that NESIS map (sans the issues Ian pointed out). The backside banding down this way really did bullseye Richmond.
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My official depth in a shady spot this morning is 7.5". Sunny spots are a little less, obviously.
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Anthony has been banging this drum for years. I admire his effort and have tried to assist him by calling AKQ, leaving comments on their FB page, sending emails, etc. You are correct about the Sandston override. Brian Hurley has confirmed that this was the policy when he left AKQ a few years ago. The lead met has informed me that the totals were too close (11.4 vs. 12.4) to do anything this time around though. This still begs the question: why does ORF have an NWS observer and RIC does not? I understand the points about cost savings etc. But why not have all airports in an NWSFO area doing the same thing?
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I am currently conversing with the AKQ lead met and co-op program manager on Facebook. I have been told that some airports use FAA contractors for snowfall measurements (RIC, DCA) while others utilize paid NWS employees at nearby co-op stations (ORF). The program manager has informed me that all of these decisions are entirely in the hands of the FAA and that the NWS has no control over them. What frustrates me is that this all seems to be entirely arbitrary. If some airports are able to utilize NWS co-op observer's totals why not all of them? The AKQ lead met even claimed that KRIC is a micro-climate. Why use totals from there then? I feel like I'm spinning tires in the mud with this one.
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I've received an official response from the lead met at AKQ. It appears that the 11.4" total at the airport will stand. According to Wakefield, it is in line with the 12.4" total reported nearby at the Sandston co-op. My wish is that they begin using the co-op totals as the official measurement in the near future. That is probably wishful thinking on my part though.
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Unfortunately, from a historical/climo standpoint Tidewater rarely gets in on these types of events. There are events where both RIC and ORF cash in but I'd tend to think that it would be nearly impossible for DCA, RIC, and ORF to all see 12+ from a single storm. As Anthony has alluded to in the past RIC has a 60/40 NE/SE storm connection. I would guess that ORF is more closely linked to SE storms during the winter.
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1/17: 0.75" 1/22-1/23: 16.0" Total: 16.75"
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The response we've gotten from AKQ boils down to "FAA contractors suck and there is nothing we can do about it lol." I've sent email after email. Made post after post on the Wakefield FB page. No one seems to care. The 96 total at KRIC is egregious enough (there is a mother effing hole on the NESIS map over the airport). Someone once saw a tower observer taking a measurement under a tree, or so the story goes. Sad thing is, it's completely plausible.
