snowman21

16 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

It’s definitely not old news. The CDC literally just provided updated guidance on this topic based on new study results. Many businesses and schools have been wasting millions of dollars on unnecessary extra cleaning. Hopefully states will catch on soon and drop requirements. 

It's old news from a practical standpoint. It's been a year since anyone has suggested you're gonna catch Covid from a Prime delivery or because you didn't run your groceries through a Lysol bath before using them. That's fine if the CDC took its sweet time updating official guidance because they wanted to wait for fully conclusive studies to complete. The deep cleanings we see businesses undertake are half theater/public reassurance and half CYA over potential claims of negligence. Until you had brought it up I thought wash your hands, wear a mask, socially distance was basically it.

41 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

There appears to be a camp of people who are still of the mindset that we can get to "near zero" cases by "vaccinating everyone" before we reopen. It seems they are stuck in 2020 mode still with impossible goals.

The last time I was in Maine in late March, I was struck by how much they emphasized the surface cleaning hygiene theater behavior. They seemed even more into it than VT. 

BTW, the CDC has formally changed their position and are now saying regular household cleaning and hygiene practices (such as just washing your hands with soap) are sufficient. No more need for people in bunny suits to be hosing down every surface at night.

https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/updated-cdc-cleaning-guidance-highlights-coronavirus-spread-mostly-through-air-not-surfaces/

The media really buried this one, unsurprisingly.

 

It wasn't buried, it's just old news. We are a year removed from the initial scare that surfaces that may have been contaminated with the virus pose a significant risk. If public places want to continue the bunny suit deep cleanings, that's fine by me. More cleanliness and hygiene in public places is way better than less. Does anyone ever complain that some place is too clean?

In the 80s now across NY metro. NWS with another great forecast. What's a 10 degree error on a <12 hr forecast?

Snowing here in Greenwich as well, so even the coast is seeing flakes despite the warm temps.

Figured we were gonna get downgraded to an advisory since we can't meet the 6 in 12 or 8 in 24 requirements for a warning.

5 inches now, tapered off for about an hour, but snowing heavily again this is probably the grand finale with the back edge of the good stuff moving through the city now.

2.5 inches already

3 minutes ago, WxWatcher007 said:

A group of kids tossed my snow board and stole my ruler. Good start. 

Shoot 'em.

4 minutes ago, WinterWolf said:

Nice!   Should be starting up this way any second now. 

The flakes are big and fluffy and accumulate quickly though it's relatively warm so for now paved and concrete surfaces are just wet.

First inch down

20 minutes ago, OceanStWx said:

I'm trying to think if I've ever seen an unaugmented ASOS report M1/4SM. I can think of MHT and PSM, but both of those are augmented the majority of the day.

Usually you can tell from the SPECI when it either got the VIS or wind criteria, so as long as that hits ~ 3 hours we're not going to kill ourselves over a few minutes. 

SNC did it today at 1755z, though that may not be an official ASOS station.

14 minutes ago, tavwtby said:

any reports of verified blizzard conditions down on LI or coastal areas yet? I wouldn't be surprised if someone verifies over the next few hours as this bombs out

HPN has been 1/4 mile visibility in heavy snow for three straight hours. Think they are just shy on the wind gusts though.

This band means business. Visibility <1/4 mile at this point.

Just now, Hoth said:

I little surprised OKX didn't go with blizzard warnings for the immediate coast.

In their discussion they said confidence wasn't high enough for three straight hours of <1/4 mile visibility and frequent wind gusts over 35. Blizzard warnings don't seem to have a high verification rate.

Can't believe the snow is having such a tough time moving north. Almost an inch here after several hours of light snow.

Snow has started here

First flakes in Greenwich CT

9 hours ago, HIPPYVALLEY said:

This will go Supreme Court if it becomes a big enough liability for businesses.  It may anyway based on observed resistance. 

Just wait until the idea of "vaccine passports" gets introduced.

Public schools and some universities require proof of vaccinations to attend, so we've always had a vaccine passport.

Getting some bigger flakes now. A steady light snow now with a little dusting on the roof.

Very light snow beginning here.

Very light snow here now - tiny flakes that are hard to see.

1 minute ago, JC-CT said:

That's what machine learning is...basically, let the computer mix and match its own variables to come up with a formula that works through trial and error. A lot of times they end up getting these machine-learned programs and nobody knows how the heck they actually work.

Models kind of do this through MOS. It's not machine-learning, but they can account for their own biases in the output. If you're looking for something that knows that NAM is always too NW with low center placement in winter, well that's basically what the humans are for, and there's a published catalog of known model biases on one of the national center sites.

Poor Philly on that snow map. From 12+ to zero.

1 minute ago, Snowcrazed71 said:

Yeah. I noticed channel 3 WFSB is calling for mostly 10"-20", Gil on Channel 8 WTNH is calling for 12"-24" and also very windy with Blizzard conditions. 

Some of those higher end numbers are silly because that's the only number people will remember, and for a storm that's gonna be truckin', it's gonna be tough to put down widespread totals much over a foot I think. A foot is still a lot of snow. For our state, I would probably say 6-10 or 8-12 and mention localized amounts 4 inches higher than the top number (i.e. 14 or 16).

45 minutes ago, Wentzadelphia said:

Ugh, I like New England, but you guys really gonna make me drive 7 hours again? Thanks aholes 

Connecticut is a two hour drive from Philly. You don't have to go all the way to northern New England to get in on the action.