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Quincy

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  1. Quincy
    A pattern change is soon underway that will leave much of the U.S., especially the eastern two thirds, feeling spring fever. Unlike patterns in recent years, a prevalent ridge of high pressure off or near the East Coast (“Southeast ridge”) will maintain generally at or above average temperatures for the region. The only exception may be parts of the Northeast, where some backdoor cold fronts could keep temperatures cooler. To the west, troughing across the West Coast should help keep a much-needed stormy pattern in place for California and surrounding areas. In the middle is where things can get interesting in terms of severe thunderstorm potential with the possibility for above average tornado activity.
     
    After taking a close look at past mid to late March patterns over the last 20 years, two periods can be identified as close analogs to what is forecast to unfold, March in 2006 and 2009. The short and medium range guidance is in agreement that the first springlike setup over the Plains gets going on Sunday and lasts into early next week. Beyond that, the longer range ensembles agree that the basic pattern, one with ridging in the Southeast and troughing over the western third of the country, continues. The Euro weeklies show this right through the end of March, while the 16-day GEFS has this setup solidly through the third week of March.
     

    Without spending too much time on details, both 2006 and 2009 saw a fair amount of tornado activity to the north and west of a “typical” March, where activity is favored over Dixie (Deep South/Gulf Coast). There was a significant early season tornado outbreak from March 9-13, 2006 across the Middle Mississippi Valley and Ozarks, particularly over Missouri. In 2009, activity was not nearly as concentrated, but there were notable tornado events across the Plains and Midwest. Essentially, both years had a relatively active March, but the biggest story was how far north and northwest tornado events took place.
     
    Both 2006 and 2009 featured ridging across the Southeast and warmer than average temperatures over much of the central and eastern U.S. This is important for the rest of this month. Aside from the warmth, moisture (think instability) is able to travel farther north, which is often a key limiting factor for severe events in the Plains and Midwest in late winter and often early spring. Assuming the pattern that shows up early next week is repeated through the month, we may have a very active March on our hands.
     
    Summary
    The rest of March may feature persistent Southeast riding and western troughing
    Above average precipitation is expected in California
    Warmth is likely from the southern Plains to the Tennessee Valley/Southeast/Mid-Atlantic
    Above average severe activity is anticipated, overall, nationally
    The threat exists for multiple tornado events over the southern/central Plains and parts of the Midwest

    It is not clear at this point if we will have a significant March outbreak like 2006. Also, there are still some limiting factors for Sunday-Tuesday coming up that may preclude a bigger event. Nonetheless, severe weather, including at least a few tornadoes are anticipated into early this upcoming week. Through mid and late March, expect at least a couple of more severe events, continuing the pace for near to above average tornado activity in the U.S.

  2. Quincy
    Map above is based on reports from various sources, including this board, the National Weather Service and data viewers from across the state sent in.
    Event Summary:
    Scattered snow showers reached portions of western Connecticut by late morning on the 29th. This snow was associated with weakening low pressure over Pennsylvania.
    The main storm began to develop east of Virginia during the afternoon.
    Steady precipitation overspread the state from southwest to northeast between about 1 and 3 p.m. Most areas saw snow, but some ice pellets and graupel were reported near and southeast of I-95. Coastal New London County even switched to rain for a time.
    Colder air moved in and a heavy band of snow set up over central and eastern Connecticut.
    Snowfall rates between 1 and 3 inches per hour hammered portions of New Haven, Middlesex and New London Counties. This area of heavy snow eventually moved northeast and also impacted Tolland and Windham Counties. This band was a bit more intense than some predictions, resulting in higher snowfall amounts than forecast.
    Extreme western Connecticut was too far west to be affected by this heavy snow.
    The heaviest snow fell between about 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. before the shield of precipitation began to break apart. After midnight, the only leftover precipitation was occasional snow showers. By then, the bulk of the accumulation was over.
    I still find the Feb. 7, 2003 analog to be quite good for this event, with respect to Connecticut. It's clear that with a warmer solution, southeastern Mass. could not have had such high snowfall amounts.
    Shift the axis about 75 miles SW and you get a VERY good match-up. This analog showed up as a strong match about 2-3 days before the event: The point was that interior eastern Conn. and NW R.I. was favored for the highest amounts.

    Forecasts for the storm were decent within 24 hours of the event, but before that, most were playing catch-up. What was expected to be a minor event turned into a moderate one with several snowfall totals in the 10-12 inch range, especially across eastern Connecticut.
    My own forecast (from 5 p.m. the night before the storm) was too high for areas SW of Conn. and was generous as well for eastern Mass. With that said, I could have also pushed the 6-10" zone back further west:

    The image below shows approximate snowfall totals from across the region:

    Heavy snow focused in on the eastern half of Connecticut and the radar image below shows moderate to heavy precipitation pounding southern portions of the state. At the same time, some observed 2 to 3 inches of snow per hour for a few hours.

  3. Quincy
    I've been creating daily 6-day forecasts for the better part of this year, with a focus on inland Connecticut. Before making any forecast, I take a close look at the computer model forecasts through Day 6, including a few forecast techniques to see how verification pans out. In April, I had 29 days worth of data, out of a possible 30, to measure forecast accuracy.
    As expected, forecast error generally increases with time. It is interesting to note a spike at Day 5 and a decrease at Day 6. That goes back to two particular days that had poor Day 5 forecasts vs. actual temperatures. The spread is relatively uniform as well. The error with the NAM model does seem to increase faster with time than the others, which is not a surprise. DGEX data was used for Days 5 and 6.
    With respect to my own forecasts, I measure verification as a mean of inland temperatures across the state. When I look at the computer models, I choose Meriden (KMMK) as a central point. This is due to its location near the center of the state. With that said, since my own verification is slightly different than the control (KMMK), this may skew results slightly. For that reason, I will be creating 6-day forecasts specifically for Meriden as a go-forward.
    The Euro and MAV MOS rank fairly close, but it is very interesting to note that the negative (cold) bias the Euro has is almost a mirror reflection of the MAV MOS positive (warm) bias:

    The MAV MOS appears to correct some of its bias towards Days 5 and 6. That can perhaps be partially explained by the fact that MOS is skewed towards climatological temperatures. The NAM also seems to have somewhat of a cool bias. I re-project highs from the NAM for Day 1, but that re-projection seems to over compensate the bias, at least in the case of April.
    Explaining the models/forecasts...
    Q: My forecast high temperatures for inland Connecticut. (mean of inland stations)
    MAV MOS: Forecast high temperatures for KMMK. (06z model run)
    ECMWF: Forecast grid-point high temperatures for KMMK. (00z model run)
    NAMDGEX: Approximate high temperatures for KMMK. These values are interpolated off of a graphical forecast, so the numbers are estimated. I use the NAM for Days 1-4 and the DGEX for Days 5 and 6. (06z model runs)
    850mb: An 850mb forecast technique that I have been working on for quite some time. Because this technique is based off of Danbury (KDXR), that station is used for verification.
    LAMP MOS: Forecast high temperatures for KMMK. (most recent run in morning)
    NAM Re-projection: This takes into account the actual 9 a.m. temperature vs. the 06z forecast for 9 a.m. for KMMK. That error is then re-projected into the high temperature forecast. Example: If the 9 a.m. temperature was 2°F warmer than forecast, then 2°F is added to the high temperature forecast.
    Consensus: A mean of each forecast above, including my previous forecast (continuity)
    How accurate was a Euro/MAV MOS blend? Well, not only do the opposing biases balance out close to zero, but the overall forecast error was less than any other forecast technique for Days 2-6:

    It's pretty interesting to see the results. It goes beyond comparing computer model verification. In order to become a better forecaster, I want to see what forecasts have worked out, which ones haven't and if I have any biases. This is only one month's worth of data, so more will need to be compiled over the long-run to see how models perform. I also expect that different models/techniques will perform differently depending on the season, weather pattern, etc.
  4. Quincy
    A colder than average pattern may persist into April across the Great Lakes and Northeast.
    Based on the information I've been reviewing over the past several days, I have enough confidence to post a temperature outlook for the month of April.
    As I see it, below average temperatures will likely continue from the Great Lakes into interior New England and up toward Hudson Bay Canada. I expect a continuation of troughiness extending from southeast Canada into portions of the Northeast. While the heart of the Arctic air should remain well north of the U.S. border, there are other factors coming into play. With the current Great Lake ice coverage being significantly above average, it is going to take quite some time for the ice to melt and for lake-water temperatures to rebound. This means that any wind flow over the lakes will likely bring at least locally cooler temperatures, with transport from cold water to the adjacent land.
    For portions of the Deep South and especially into the southern Plains, I am expecting slightly above to moderately above average temperatures. A gradual re-emergence of a "Southeast Ridge" combined with a general storm track (with shifting entirely possible) through the Ohio Valley and Northeast, warmer air should be able to extend from the lower Mississippi Valley toward the lower Appalachians. Further west, the long-term drought over the central and southern Plains may persist, which is return would tend to allow for higher daytime temperatures than what is observed on average. Temperatures along the immediate Gulf Coast may be able to remain near average, as sea-surface temperatures in the area are running somewhat below average.

    Further speculation into the potential severe weather season leads me to believe that a relatively slow start to the season will continue. With that said, I can see a scenario where the region from the Ark-latex into Mississippi and Alabama has the opportunity for at least a few severe weather outbreaks into the month of April. This is supported by climatology as well, but places such as Kansas, Oklahoma and western Texas may not see a marked increase in severe weather activity until the second half of April. Severe weather forecasting is challenging, because all it takes is one major event to leave a mark. 2013 is a great example, as while the overall year saw below average severe storm reports, there were at least a few particularly damaging events.
    Other supporting references:
    The Euro weeklies and now the extended day Euro ensembles show the Northeastern U.S. trough relaxing north with some ridging (above average temperatures) across the Gulf States. (this is for the final days of March leading into the start of April)
    The CFS up until late last week had a strong lean on well below average temperatures continuing across the Northeast. There has not been the greatest run-to-run continuity, but as of March 18th, there was at least moderate agreement with warming by the 2nd week of April.
    The extended CMC ensembles do show some troughing in the East to start April, despite substantially above average heights in the final days of March in the same area.
    The MJO is forecast by the Euro ensembles to move into Phase 2 and perhaps even Phase 3. The GFS ensembles move the MJO toward the edge of Phases 8 and 1, with the end of the curve clustering into Phase 1. More lean is placed on the Euro solution, however it should be noted that Phase 1 of the MJO favors below average temperatures in the eastern U.S., especially the Great Lakes. Phase 8 is closer to neutral/average. Phases 2 and 3 both match up more closely to Phase 1, with below average temperatures in the East and well below average temperatures from the Great Lakes into New England and southeastern Canada.
    The 1993-94 seasonal analog has matched up in more ways than not to 2013-14. April 1994 saw a return to near and slightly above average temperatures in the East, with some stations reporting well above average temperatures in the Deep South and southern Plains.
    March 1967 has several days that match up closely to the predictions for the latter half of March 2014. April 1967 featured considerably warmer than average temperatures across the southern Plains.

    With all of the factors considered, I think this is a fair forecast to make at this point. Since we're talking about temperatures averaged out for the entire month of April, it's possible that an overall colder than average pattern lingers into the beginning of April before shifting. It is likely that even in such a pattern, we could see a couple of bouts of warmth. A good example is at the end of March. While as of March 18th there was a strong signal for an East Coast low around March 25th-26th, the consensus at this point is that some above average temperatures reach the Northeast once the low passes.
    On Saturday, I said this:
    There is a growing signal of a late-season winter event from March 25-26. However, given the overall troughy pattern expected to start April, there could be yet another winter event between April 1-5.
    I contemplated putting together a precipitation forecast, but rain/snowfall can vary substantially over a region, especially this time of the year. I think the pattern will remain active and perhaps some of this activity could help relax the drought in the Plains come later this spring.
    This was outlook was originally created on Saturday, March 15th, but I have added a few things here and there as new data as arrived. The maps and overall thinking have not changed. This is my first stab at a formal long-range forecast, so a lot will be learned by watching how the trends pan out.
  5. Quincy
    A localized threat of severe thunderstorms, including possible tornadoes, targets Arkansas Sunday afternoon into the evening hours. A compact shortwave trough approaches from Oklahoma during the afternoon, with a modestly warm, moist flow from the south to southeast streaming up the lower Mississippi Valley.
     
    Computer forecast models have been quite consistent with this general threat for quite some time and now that Sunday is approaching, some high resolution, short-term guidance has been reviewed. Clusters of severe thunderstorms are expected to form during Sunday afternoon and track east to northeast across the region. Large hail and a few tornadoes are expected, along with damaging wind gusts and some localized flooding, mainly where any heavy rain falls over already saturated, or even flooded, areas.
     
    With the environment across the Arklatex vicinity being largely undisrupted, a corridor of moderate instability is progged from the Arkansas/Oklahoma border, southeastward across Arkansas and northern Louisiana. The focus for thunderstorm initiation will be immediately head of a weak surface low crossing over from Oklahoma into Arkansas.

    The 4km NAM has been consistent for several runs now, showing discrete cells forming on a northwest to southeast axis from approximately Fort Smith to Malvern and southward into southern Arkansas by mid-afternoon. Given the environment, supercells are likely with large hail being the initial threat, given cold air aloft and relatively steep mid-level lapse rates. By late afternoon, the tornado threat will likely increase due to several factors, including locally backed near-surface winds, an increasing low-level jet and terrain influences.
     
    The greatest apparent tornado threat will be from central to east-central Arkansas, given very good model agreement with the most robust cells forming in this location, just ahead of the surface low. There is also a possibility that moisture return may also be slightly underestimated by the models given recent rainfall across the region.

    Nonetheless, the setup may also take advantage of channeling of low level flow in the Arkansas Valley, as has been seen many times in the past, meaning that a tornado or two could also be possible between Conway and Fort Smith, on either side of I-40. The confidence in thunderstorm initiation decreases with southward extent, particularly from far southern Arkansas into northern Louisiana. Although some convection may fire here, the most robust storms are likely to remain farther north.
     
    Into the evening, the cells will mature and move northeastward, perhaps reaching the Memphis area before merging/weakening overnight. Both high resolution guidance and the GFS agree in a swath of heavy rain/convection from roughly Little Rock to Memphis. This means that some localized flooding may be possible here. Given the thermodynamic and kinematic environment, a strong tornado cannot be ruled out. Model QPF swaths all support the idea of discrete or semi-discrete convection, particularly from 21-03z from central to eastern Arkansas.
     
    One last note is that although models have been in strong agreement, there may be a very slight slowdown of the system, but this will not have major impacts on the outcome. It does mean that a few strong to perhaps severe thunderstorms may fire in eastern Oklahoma early in the event and that the severe threat will decrease with eastward extent, to the east of the Mississippi River.
  6. Quincy
    Here is a snowfall map using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered. All reports gathered were carefully considered and compared before being included.
    Periods of light snow and flurries began on the morning of Monday, January 26th and continued through the afternoon. It wasn't until after dark that the snow became heavy at times, particularly across the eastern half of the state. Although western sections hung on to a steady snow, it was generally light to moderate.
    A band of intense snowfall set up near I-395 in eastern Connecticut during the early morning to predawn hours on the 27th. The band of snow dropped 2 to 4 and occasionally 5 inches per hour for a few hours. During the day on the 27th, periods of light to occasionally moderate snow continued across eastern Connecticut, while only a few stray flurries affected western portions of the state. A couple of bands of briefly heavy snow hit northeastern Connecticut on the night of the 27th. The last flurries ended early on the morning of the 28th across Windham County. This is where the highest amounts were found.
    I-91 was an approximate divide between less than a foot to the west and over a foot to the east. Over two feet of snow was common from northern New London County into much of Windham County. For some of these communities, this was the most significant snowfall since the Blizzard of 1978.

  7. Quincy
    April is seen as a transition month during the severe weather season, as the frequency of tornadoes typically picks up rather quickly through the month. Despite what the calendar has to say, tornado activity has been fairly lackluster so far this month. In fact, after moving well above the average to-date tornado count in late February, the U.S. has steadily been losing ground. As it stands now, through April 18, the U.S. is near average this year for tornadoes, but with a relatively quiet rest of the week forecast, it looks like the country will fall below average for the first time since February. (The 1986-2015 climate period of 30 years is used for this average)
     
    The month of April started with the “dreaded” trough of low pressure across the Northeast. Locally, it was cold and snowy after a winter that was relatively mild and snowless. Likewise, after an active winter season for tornadoes, severe activity has been sporadic over the past several weeks. With all of this said, a pattern change is finally on the not-to-distant horizon, with troughiness returning to the West and the welcomed return to ridging across the Southeast U.S. This pattern will broadly support a more active period of weather across the central states, including an uptick in tornado potential.
     
    If we’re keeping track, a pattern change was slated for mid-April a long time ago, back as early as mid-March. That pattern change has been delayed somewhat as pesky troughing across southeastern Canada hangs on and the models display a glaring ridge (positive height) bias. This past week saw a shuffling of the pattern, but an omega block led to a messy setup and only a few isolated tornado reports in parts of the High Plains. The models often have issues handling larger scale pattern changes, but now that such a change is effectively inside of a week, confidence is increasing and the models are getting into good agreement.

    By this weekend, the first in a series of troughs is likely to swing across the western half of the country with some modest ridging to the east. Watch for lee-side cyclogenesis in the central High Plains vicinity between Sunday and Monday. While this is encouraging, the setup is not without flaws. This first trough ejection and evolution of the system is kind of junky (for the lack of a better word) in terms of tornado potential. There’s some instability as early as Saturday progged in the north-central states, but shear is forecast to be lackluster. The similar is the case for Sunday and Monday from the Plains into the Upper Midwest – generally marginal overlays between modest shear and favorable instability as a frontal system slides east. This is subject to change, but the trends are not particularly impressive. It’s the middle and latter portion of next week that really bears watching, figuring that this first system may at least get the gears turning for building a warm, moist air-mass over the Plains.

     
    With the Euro and GFS in good agreement (including the ensembles), it’s fair to use the GEFS analogs as a baseline for what type of setup we could be looking at, somewhere in the Tuesday to Saturday (April 26-30th) time-frame. Even before looking at specific dates, the string of digging troughs in the West with increasing moisture return in the central states sets the stage for a classic period of near-peak/peak tornado season activity. This does not necessarily mean we will have a massive number of tornadoes or that there will be a high-end setup, but at the very least, it is probable that tornado activity will markedly pick up as the week wears on. Now speaking of those analogs, there are some big dates and periods that show up, in order from ranking:
    5/10/1953: A couple of days removed from the day 6-10 analog, but this date featured a localized outbreak of strong tornadoes in the Upper Midwest.
    4/25 – 4/29/1994: 124 tornadoes in five days, including an outbreak from the 25th into the 26th.
    5/12 – 5/13/1980: Not an outbreak, but strong tornadoes in Missouri followed by a pair of EF-3 tornadoes in Michigan the next day.
    4/17/1995: AR/OK/TX outbreak with 21 tornadoes.
    4/26/1991: Plains outbreak with 53 tornadoes, including the Andover, KS EF-5 tornado.
    5/2/1994: The only analog in this bunch that didn’t have notable tornado activity.
    5/7 – 5/11/2008: 122 tornadoes in five days. (2008 has been an analog on the radar for a while, also one of the busiest spring seasons of this century)
    5/8/1979: 21 tornadoes, though mostly in Florida, two were reported in Iowa, including an EF-3.
    4/30/1978: 15 tornadoes in the southern Plains, including 6 strong tornadoes and a mile-wide EF-4 on the northwest side of Oklahoma City.
    5/4 – 5/6/1960: 71 tornadoes in three days from the Plains into the Midwest, including a long-track EF-5 tornado in eastern Oklahoma.
    If the pattern unfolds closely to what is modeled, it would appear that April certainly has the potential to go out with a bang.

     
    Through some of the research I’ve done with a May tornado outlook for USTornadoes.com, I noticed that the analogs have things in common. Without giving away too many of the details, one of the common themes in the analog was for the potential for violent tornado events in May. It could be the case that we’re just getting warmed up next week…
  8. Quincy
    Here are some filtered snowfall maps that I created using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered.
    After early afternoon highs in the lower 60s across much of Connecticut on April 15th, a strong cold front moved through the area at night. Rain quickly changed to sleet and snow across the higher elevations of western Connecticut between 8 and 11 p.m. Although a changeover eventually took place from west to east across most of the state, the heaviest snow fell across western Connecticut. Snow ended before the pre-dawn hours on the 16th.

    Snowfall amounts of 1 to 2″ were common across northern Fairfield and Litchfield Counties. Although there was a gap in the data, it is possible that there were more reports of greater than 2″ across the Litchfield Hills. With this relatively small sample, the highest amounts were from Redding to Roxbury with 2 to 3″ or so. The radar image above left shows a band of heavy snow across northwestern Connecticut shortly after 12:30 a.m. on the 16th.
    As of 2 p.m. on April 16th, temperatures across the higher terrain in western Connecticut were only in the mid to upper 30s. As is often the case with early spring snowfalls, unseasonably cold air followed the snow.
    Here is a black and white version of the map:

    Click here for a complete list of snowfall totals used in these maps.
  9. Quincy
    Here are some snowfall maps that I created using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered. It should be noted that some of the reports include sleet.
    A general 4 to 8 inch snowfall blanketed the state before a changeover to sleet and in some cases freezing rain/rain. Very few totals deviated from that range, except for a few 8"+ reports in northwestern Connecticut and totals less than 4" across coastal New London County.
    Precipitation came in multiple waves between December 14th and 15th. Periods of light snow fell from morning through early afternoon. Radar imagery showed pronounced dryslots and breaks in the snow shield through much of the afternoon and early evening hours before a slug of heavier precipitation moved back in. This lack of steady snow likely cut down on some of the snowfall totals.
    Warmer air began to work north overnight as low pressure developed along the New Jersey coast. It took quite some time to erode the cold air that was in place prior to the event. Even though areas such as KGON and KIJD changed to rain, KHVN never rose above freezing during the steady precipitation. There, there was even a pronounced temperature drop of 7 degrees within an hour around midnight as the wind shifted to the north, allowing for colder air to drain into the city. As a result, New Haven and nearby North Haven reported an ice accretion of 0.3 inches. Other areas between I-95 and I-84 saw some icing, but most of the freezing rain was confined to lower Fairfield and lower New Haven Counties.
    If any amounts you reported conflict with these amounts, please comment back with your total(s).
    Here is an alternate black and white version of the map:

  10. Quincy
    Here are some snowfall maps that I created using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered.
    A clipper system that gave way to a coastal low just south of Long Island resulted in generally 2 to 4 inches of snow across the state. There were a few localized totals of just over 4 inches, but there were no reports over 5.0 inches. The highest totals were across the higher terrain, where some modest orographic enhancement and/or higher snowfall ratios may have come into play. There was a "snow hole" in southeastern Connecticut where generally 2 inches or less was measured. A few of the higher resolution models hinted at this area of localized lower amounts, but most data pinned that area further north.
    Snow flurries developed around daybreak on December 17th and periods of light snow continued through midday. After a break in the action, an area of moderate to locally heavy snow formed by mid-afternoon as low pressure intensified just to the south. Snowfall rates approached one inch per hour for a time. Some warmer air worked north and there was a change to sleet and freezing rain cross portions of lower Fairfield County. Snow tapered to flurries during the evening hours.
    If any amounts you reported conflict with these amounts, please comment back with your total(s).
    Here is an alternate black and white version of the map:

  11. Quincy
    Here is a snowfall map using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered. All reports gathered were carefully considered and compared before being included.
    Occasional flurries developed on Sunday, February 1st across Connecticut. A steadier snow moved in after midnight with some moderate to heavy snow during the morning hours on February 1st.
    By 7 to 8 a.m., precipitation changed to sleet across lower Fairfield County. Snow mixed with and changed to sleet in most areas up to roughly I-84 from mid to late morning. There was some spotty freezing rain as well, mainly for a short time near the I-95 corridor.
    As colder air worked in behind a low pressure system passing by east of Long Island, precipitation quickly changed back to all snow across the state. An intense band of heavy snow formed across western Connecticut and moved from west to east across the state. This band of snow was producing 2″+ per hour snowfall rates. Snow quickly tapered off by mid-afternoon in western Connecticut and by early evening near the Rhode Island border.
    The majority of the state saw anywhere from 8 to 12 inches of snowfall. Locally higher amounts were reported in the northwestern and northeastern hills. Southeastern Connecticut, where there was the longest period of sleet and freezing rain, had anywhere from about 5 to 8 inches of snowfall.

  12. Quincy
    Here is a snowfall map using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered. All reports gathered were carefully considered and compared before being included.
    As low pressure moved east from the Great Lakes, some modest warm advection light snow developed around Connecticut during the morning and afternoon on February 14th. The snow was intermittent and amounts were generally less than two inches during the daylight hours.
    The storm system rapidly intensified east of New England overnight and some bands of moderate to heavy snow rotated through eastern Connecticut. The snow tapered off on Sunday, during the morning in most areas, but not until early afternoon near the Rhode Island border.
    Snowfall totals ranged from less than two inches across far western and southwestern Connecticut, to four to eight inches across most eastern portions of the state. A few totals up to nine inches were reported, across the hills of Tolland County and across southeastern Windham County.

  13. Quincy
    Here are some filtered snowfall maps that I created using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered.
    Flurries and light snow moved into Connecticut around daybreak on February 18th as low pressure formed east of New Jersey. The snow moved east and began to develop into a steadier area of snow across New Haven and Middlesex Counties. As a compact, but potent low pressure system developed over Long Island, a band of heavy snow formed near and just east of I-91 from the New Haven area up to the Massachusetts border. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were observed in many locations.
    The snow changed to a bit of rain across extreme southeastern Connecticut before ending. Some mixed snow and ice pellets were also noted near the shoreline from New Haven and points east during the afternoon.
    Snow ended in northeastern Connecticut by late afternoon. A general 3 to 6 inch snowfall was observed for the eastern half of the state. Less snow fell in western Connecticut and across southeastern sections. There was a narrow band of 6"+, extending from near Meriden, northeastward up to Somers.
    Here in New Haven, the total snowfall was 4.1" Toward the end of the storm, 1.2" of snow fell in just one hour from noon to 1 p.m. The precipitation ended as snow pellets shortly after 1 p.m.
    Here is a black and white version of the map:

  14. Quincy
    Here is a snowfall map using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered. All reports gathered were carefully considered and compared before being included.
    Areas of weak low pressure moved through the Ohio Valley along a frontal boundary on February 21st and periods of light snow moved into Connecticut during the afternoon. The snow gradually became moderate to briefly heavy at times during the evening.
    Due to the frontal boundary being west of the state, winds were generally out of the south to southwest ahead of low pressure, through the event. This led to temperatures rising into the lower 30s overnight. Snow changed to sleet, roughly as far northwest as I-84. A narrow corridor of freezing rain was reported just to the northwest of I-95. Some areas changed to plain rain south and east of I-95 along the coast and east of I-395 in far eastern Connecticut.
    Precipitation changed back to snow in all areas before ending on the morning of the 22nd.
    Most of the state reported a 4 to 8 inch snowfall. A few totals just over 8 inches were reported in Litchfield and Tolland counties. Snowfall totals along and southeast of the I-395 to I-95 corridor were generally in the range of 2 to 4 inches. The immediate shoreline in southeastern Connecticut reported around or just under 2 inches.

  15. Quincy
    Here are some snowfall maps that I created using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered.
    Light snow overspread the state from southwest to northeast shortly after midnight on February 5th. This was ahead of a low pressure system that was moving into the eastern Ohio Valley. The snow quickly became heavy at times around daybreak, with snowfall rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour. A gradual change to sleet and freezing rain also took place through the morning from south to north. Warmer air flooded in aloft, although there was a cold layer that was very slow to erode near the surface.
    Around midday, there was a break in the action with just some spotty drizzle and light mixed precipitation. The shoreline and parts of eastern Connecticut did briefly rise above freezing. A glaze of ice was observed between I-95 and I-84, with the most significant icing across the climatologically favored sheltered areas of Fairfield and New Haven Counties in the vicinity of Route 15. An inch of sleet was reported in many areas and the size and intensity of sleet that I observed was the most impressive I can ever recall.
    During the afternoon, colder air moved in as a secondary low developed just south of Long Island. Precipitation ended as a few snow showers on the night of the 5th, with a few flurries into the early morning hours on the 6th across eastern Connecticut.
    Snowfall totals between 8 and 10 inches were common. Somewhat less snow fell along the immediate shoreline and in eastern Connecticut. The higher totals were around a foot across central and northwest portions of the state.
    Here is a black and white version of the map with filtered reports:

  16. Quincy
    Here is a snowfall map using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered. All reports gathered were carefully considered and compared before being included.
     
    Spotty light rain impacted portions of Connecticut on February 4th as a frontal boundary slowly advanced east through the area. As the front became nearly stationary near the coast, a wave of low pressure developed over eastern North Carolina early on the 5th. As low pressure organized, colder air filtered in and precipitation changed to snow across Connecticut.
     
    The storm system moved swiftly to the northeast, but there were several hours of moderate to heavy snow across parts of southern and eastern New England, as well as Long Island. The heaviest snow in Connecticut was observed from New Haven County, northeastward into interior periods of eastern Connecticut. Some of the hill towns in northeastern Connecticut reported just over a foot of snow. Snow came to an end between late morning and the afternoon hours on the 5th.

  17. Quincy
    Here is a snowfall map using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered. All reports gathered were carefully considered and compared before being included.
    This event was spread out over three days as low pressure passed along a frontal boundary, draped from the Ohio Valley into southern New England. On the first day, Saturday, February 7th, occasional flurries and a few bands of light snow passed through Connecticut. Snowfall totals on this day were generally an inch or less around the state.
    On Sunday, February 8th, scattered snow showers and flurries continued. During the evening hours, a band of heavier snow developed from roughly Danbury to Meriden. Outside of that band, daily snowfall totals were mainly less than two inches. Snow across Connecticut, especially northern portions of the state, became steadier after midnight.
    Snow, heavy at times, continued through much of the day on Monday, February 9th. The heaviest snowfall affected the northern portion of the state. Snow finally tapered off during the evening hours in Windham County. The majority of the total snowfall from this event occurred on Monday.
    Through the event, there was some mixing with sleet, graupel and freezing drizzle across the southern half of Connecticut. Mixed precipitation was the dominant precipitation type in lower Fairfield County and much of New London County.
    Some shadowing of snowfall totals can be noted west of the hills in northwestern Connecticut and across the Connecticut River Valley. There, snowfall totals were generally 4 to 8 inches. Some localized 8"+ snowfall amounts were reported in west-central Connecticut and across some of the higher elevations in Tolland and Windham counties.

  18. Quincy
    Here are some snowfall maps that I created using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered. Blowing and drifting snow made it difficult to obtain an accurate measurement. Some towns had multiple reports and totals that appeared to be too high based off of surrounding reports were not used.
    Some warm-advection snow lifted into Connecticut as early as the night of January 1st, the vast majority of the accumulating snow began on January 2nd. From morning through afternoon, flurries and periods of light snow moved from south to north across the state. By afternoon, some areas, mainly across the northern half of the state, reported an inch or two of snowfall. The 12z sounding from January 2nd at OKX indicated somewhat of a dry layer aloft, while ALY was more saturated. The best snows early on were measured from central New York into portions of interior Massachusetts.
    During the evening, low pressure eventually developed off of the mid-Atlantic coast and an area of snow filled in across Connecticut. It was from about 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. that the heaviest snow fell. The bands of heaviest snow wound up remaining south of Connecticut and there were even more impressive snowfall totals across eastern Massachusetts. There, ocean-enhancement was a key role in significantly higher snowfall amounts.
    In Connecticut, accumulating snow ended by mid-morning on January 3rd, with most areas receiving anywhere from 4 to 7 inches of snow. There was a narrow band of 7 to 7.5 inches across the northern part of the state, where additional snow during the beginning of the event increased overall totals. Close to the coast, there were also a few totals of 7 to 7.5 inches, where some towns were grazed by heavier snow toward the end of the event.
    While there were a few snowfall totals reported in the range of 8 to 9+ inches, those did not line up with other totals in the same or neighboring towns. Strong winds caused blowing and drifting snow, which was the most likely cause for the totals that were assumed to be erroneously high.
    One variable that was generally missed by the computer forecast models was lower liquid-to-snow ratios. While these ratios are generally close to 10:1, model forecasts predicted anywhere from 15-20:1 ratios, or even higher. If higher ratios had been observed, snowfall totals across Connecticut would have been higher. In the end, ratios were fairly close to 10:1.
    It was quite cold during the storm with temperatures falling into the lower 10s and single digits by the morning of January 3rd. Although there is a loose correlation between surface temperatures and snow ratios (colder yielding higher ratios), it was the snow growth above the surface that did not promote higher ratios. Surface temperatures alone have no impact on snow ratios, unless the temperatures are near or above freezing, then they can actually lower the ratios.
    If any amounts you reported conflict with these amounts, please comment back with your total(s).
    Here is an alternate black and white version of the map:

  19. Quincy
    Here are some snowfall maps that I created using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered.
    Flurries began to move into Connecticut shortly after daybreak on January 21st. The snow gradually overspread the state from southwest to northeast and light accumulations were noted across southwestern Connecticut by midday.
    As an area of low pressure developed off the mid-Atlantic coast during the afternoon, a band of heavy snow developed along a SW to NE axis from Philadelphia into Long Island. This band of heavy snow lifted northward and made it about as far as I-84 in Connecticut. Drier air won out on the northwest side of the storm as snowfall totals across Litchfield and Hartford Counties were generally lower than forecast. Areas southeast of the I-95 corridor from Bridgeport to the Rhode Island border also saw less snow, as the heaviest band of snow lifted inland.
    The below radar image demonstrates where the heavy band of snow maxed out. Most of the higher-end snowfall totals were observed in the green shading:

    With low pressure moving eastward early on January 22nd, snow tapered off from west to east during the pre-dawn hours. By daybreak, the accumulating snow was over and air temperatures had dropped into the single digits above, and in some cases, below zero.
    Liquid-to-snow ratios with this storm were fairly impressive. Ratios were commonly in the 20-25:1 range, although some locations observed even greater ratios. Here is a sampling of some of the ratios that were reported:
    North Grosvenordale: 30:1, Oakdale: 26:1, Stratford, 26:1, Portland: 20:1, Essex: 19:1, West Hartford: 18:1.
    The result was a very light and fluffy snow that was very easy to move and shovel. The fluffy nature of the snow also resulted in settling and compaction.
    Here in New Haven, the final snowfall was 8.0". Most of the snow fell before 10 p.m. Snowfall rates averaged around 1" per hour from about 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. when the band of heavy snow moved through the area. The depth of snow as of the afternoon on January 22nd was approximately 6".
    Liquid equivalent precipitation amounts were generally less than modeled across Connecticut. Common values were near 0.2 to 0.3", with lower amounts across north-central and northwestern parts of the state. The SREF data did an excellent job at nailing down a region for heavy snow from the northern half of New Jersey into southwestern Connecticut. It was here that the model showed strong frontogenetical forcing and was eluding to a snowfall maxima. With that said, the SREF and many other models were too generous on the northwest side of the storm for precipitation amounts.
    Here is a black and white version of the map with filtered reports:

  20. Quincy
    Here is a snowfall map using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered. All reports gathered were carefully considered and compared before being included.
     
    Snow reached southern Connecticut during the predawn hours on January 23rd. The snow gradually moved inland, dropping the most persistent bands of moderate to heavy snow on an axis from Fairfield County, northeastward into New Haven County and parts of eastern Connecticut. As low pressure slowly moved east to the south of Long Island, precipitation never reached the far northwest corner of the state.
     
    During the peak of the storm, winds consistently gusted to between 30 and 40 mph along the shoreline. No Connecticut stations officially reached blizzard criteria, but near-blizzard conditions affected southwestern Connecticut at times.
     
    Breaks in the precipitation shield across southeastern Connecticut resulted in locally lower amounts of snow, particularly across New London County. Snow quickly came to an end in all areas early on January 24th, ending from west to east across the state.
     
    The Blizzard of 2016 affected a large portion of the United States from the Arklatex region, eastward to the East Coast. The most intense snowfall fell from the Mid-Atlantic states into the New York City metropolitan area. Snowfall totals of 2 to 3 feet were common here, with a few locally higher amounts. All-time single event snowfall records were set at Allentown, Baltimore, Harrisburg and New York City’s JFK Airport. A record daily snow depth was also set at Washington Dulles International Airport. Both Harrisburg and JFK Airport reported 14 straight hours of snowfall rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour during the height of the storm. JFK Airport observed 30.2 inches of snow in one calendar day on January 23rd.

  21. Quincy
    Generally light snow overspread Connecticut from west to east during the morning on January 28th. Snow continued into the early afternoon and at the same time, warmer air moved in aloft. A change to sleet and freezing rain occurred from southwest to northeast, with portions of the I-95 corridor changing over to plain rain.
    Precipitation tapered off to intermittent drizzle with freezing drizzle across much of the interior by early evening.
    Snowfall totals were fairly uniform with most areas picking up 1 to 2 inches. The I-95 to I-395 corridor and points southeast generally received less than 1 inch of snow. A quicker changeover in lower Fairfield County may have also led to slightly lower snowfall amounts. Some of the hilly terrain of northwestern Connecticut picked up a little more than 2 inches of snow.
    I usually do color contoured maps as well, but I'm not sure it's really necessary for a relatively minor event.
    If you have any totals to add or ones that don't match up, please let me know. Sources include this forum, the National Weather Service, social media reports, WXedge.com, the Conn. Dept. of Transportation and CoCoRaHS.
  22. Quincy
    Here is a snowfall map using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered. All reports gathered were carefully considered and compared before being included.
    Periods of light snow developed across Connecticut between late morning and early afternoon on March 1st. The snow became moderate to briefly heavy at times during the evening hours.
    Snow tapered off across northwestern Connecticut by midnight, but lingered in eastern areas until the pre-dawn hours on March 2nd. The heaviest snow affected the I-95 corridor and a bit further north into eastern Connecticut.
    This event resulted in a general 3 to 6 inch snowfall around the state. The lowest amounts were reported in far northwestern Connecticut with near or just under 3 inches. A few spots in the southeastern half of Connecticut saw 6 to 7 inches of snow.

  23. Quincy
    Here is a snowfall map using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered. All reports gathered were carefully considered and compared before being included.
    Snow developed during the afternoon on March 20th across Connecticut. Dry air in place prior to the event resulted in several hours of virga until ground observations finally reported snow early in the afternoon. Snow overspread the state, but the snow was heaviest across southwestern sections. The snow continued overnight as low pressure developed east of New Jersey.
    Periods of light snow continued into the morning hours on March 21st. There was some enhancement of the snow across central Connecticut before the snow tapered to flurries statewide by midday.
    Snowfall totals ranged from 4 to 7 inches across southwestern Connecticut to just under 2 inches in northeastern Connecticut. Much of interior Connecticut reported 2 to 4 inches with a few isolated higher amounts in north-central portions of the state. A narrow band across the higher elevations of Fairfield County, just northwest of the Merritt Parkway, reported locally 7 to roughly 8 inches of snow.

  24. Quincy
    Here are some maps that I compiled from various sources. Most of the reports came in through the National Weather Service, with a few from this forum and social media reports that passed through quality control.
    Snowfall amounts were greatest across the higher terrain of Tolland County. This was due to a persistent band of moderate to heavy snow, as well as the altitude as temperatures were marginal through a portion of the event.
    Totals in the Connecticut River valley and the immediate shoreline were generally lower than surrounding areas. If any amounts you reported conflict with these amounts, please comment back with your total(s).
    Here is an alternate black and white version of the map:

  25. Quincy
    Here is a snowfall map that I created using reports from various sources. Many of the reports came from this forum and the National Weather Service. Only social media reports that passed through quality control were considered. All reports gathered were carefully considered and compared before being included.
    Light rain, with light snow across the higher elevations, developed across Connecticut during the evening hours of November 13th. The steadiest and heaviest snow fell around midnight and tapered off during the pre-dawn hours on November 14th. Most locations eventually changed to snow, with the exception being the immediate shoreline and urban coastal corridor from New Haven down toward the New York border.
    On average, the hills saw anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of snow, with generally an inch or less across the valleys and shoreline. The highest amounts around and just over 3 inches were reported in Litchfield County.

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