josh_4184

LES belts look to get hammered through through the weekend. Pretty strong / entertaining AFD from APX. Map just through Friday morning

Hey guys still around now and then been pretty busy. Hope to be on here more this winter, that also depends on how arrive our winter unfolds past few years hasn't been worth the effort. This coming weekend setup looks pretty decent for my area, WNY Belts look to get pretty slammed looking forward to the pics Buff. Really haven't bothered with an LES thread past couple years just been mainly Bo and myself and as I said LES been pretty lacking, don't think people have much interest in 1-3" events and sub 100" totals for the year.

Only two deaths is a miracle.

Yea I realize that we don't see many storms to this magnitude, but I do feel like NWS and SPC kind of played it to conservative with their headlines and messaging prior to the storms firing ahead of the cold front. Most of gaylord proper still without power, many businesses along M32 sustained some damage to extensive, going to take a while to rebuild. I feel horrible for the families in the trailer park who lost love ones. Was watching it on radar from work and one I say this hook I was in disbelief never seen anything remotely close to this in this area.

Per 10AM conf, tornado was on the ground approx 26 mins. I also need to update my previous post, apparently Gaylord APX was able to send a code red alert to all phones in the area regarding the warning I must have been to far away to get the alert.

APX still reviewing the damage, haven't been able to access all the damaged areas due to power lines, damage, etc obstructing. Drove by the area that I could get to and have to say I was pretty shocked the damage, when I was watching this on radar I seen the path it was taking and was very concerned where it was headed. Not many know as its been hidden more and more over the years due to development but their is a trailer park (Notingham) situated directly between several business developments, tornado tracked directly over that, I am assuming this is where many of the injuries have occurred. Frankly surprised their haven't been more reported deaths yet. Since moving to Northern Michigan this is the 3rd tornado to have hit in my relative area, the other two were weaker tornadoes EF0/1 and hit relatively low pop areas which is expected in Northern Mi. But having a strong tornado track right down M32 in the heart of the new business section is quite remarkable. Gaylord is a great community, will rebound quickly, but this was definitely a wakeup call to my family. My work is about 28 miles from where the storm caused the most significant damage, I was more concerned with how close the developing tornado passed towards my daughters school. They did execute their tornado drill even though it was only severe warned at that time, which I must admit I think APX was a little slow issuing the warning for that cell. It was already showing all signs of rotating near her school which is about 20 miles due West of Gaylord. APX also sent up a special balloon shortly before the storm reached the area which was indeed showing fairly impressive parameters especially for northern Michigan standards. Most cities in Northern Michigan do not have weather sirens, but I feel in this age they are not needed as better alerting methods exist, I do feel that their needs to be more effort in developing the cellular alert system to push emergency alerts as that's the only way to reach as many people as possible prior to a potentially dangerous storm impacting that particular area. If they implement this for amber alerts, terror alerts, etc why can't it be developed for severe weather? Approx. 7 min warning is not enough time, this day a doge it hasn't improved hardly at all since the inception of Doppler radar, surely we can do better. Its easy to armchair quarterback post event but I hope all NWS's can use this especially APX and learn what they did well but more imprudently what can be done better.

If this happens 1 hour later I would of been right there in that spot as I pass that area every Friday. Storm passed by a few miles north of my daughters school.

Hit 91 imby was enjoying every moment of it. Pretty crazy temp drop for TC yesterday when the lake Mich AC kicked in. We did torch for May pretty crazy temps for this area.

Down to 19 last night, winter snow banks finally gone, that 77 degree day Sat did them in. Had about 3" otg yesterday but with the high sun angle even through dense cloud cover it didn't last much past early afternoon. Like everyone else these 10-20 below normal temps and rain/snow/wind is beyond frustrating. We don't get much spring up here anyway but even this pattern is beyond ridiculous. Looks like another 1-2 weeks of this crap.

100 Percent Agreed, this year has been worst then others very sick of clouds and staring at this ugly rock hard ice pack that we have had since last November. Dont know how Bo does it in the UP his cover is deeper and longer. The snow birds def have it right for Michigan.

Nice Pics Bo, jealous, really disappointing that NWL hasn't had anything remote to a decent winter the past few years. it is what is though. Was hoping we could get something from that system showed promise early but went to far north same story either to far south or north. I'm not surprised your contractor said that about your roof as I'm sure most houses were built to handle the snow load. Even in my area the stick built homes are built strong on the roof/trusses, I was shocked how may supports/braces my roof had when I went in my attic. Makes it a bear walking around up there with all the braces everywhere. I would be okay with having 5-6' on my roof without thinking anything of it, not that I would ever see that down here in troll land

You know its been a bad couple of winters when APX is issuing winter storm warnings for 3-6" of snow . Nice to see some fresh white to go along with our glacier.

Yea I feel the same way, I have ridden in good snow imby quite a bit though end of March early April but that was several years back. Definitely don't like the tends for weather /climo in this area. Hence why I already go rid of most my winter sports toys and moved towards camping and boating. Would like to get a sxs as well as that is path forward even though in winter not nearly as fun as a sled. But you can use a sxs all year, in my area you maybe have 1-2 months of sledding. Although these areas will need to change their laws and regulations regarding atvsxs as most aren't permitted of many trail systems up here. I think in the next several years that will begin to change as businesses start voicing their frustrations.

The UP has no reason to complain this year, LES been great up there along with a couple synoptic events. Northern Lower needs some snow especially for the businesses and is more than due. The past few years have been brutal, unless your a ski resort and can make it.

Euro trying to throw Northern Mi a bone next week.

lol, yea im ready for spring, sustained cold and no snow is no beano for me. Does sting a bit more since UP and coastline have ha da good year, you don't get to pick your weather you get what you get, as said before just glad I gave up on most winter sports besides Skiing / tubing now. Ready to get my boat and 5th wheel out now. Here is a pic at our "peak" winter isnt saying much. This was back around December 7th, for a brief period we were actually above average for snow ytd.

i have had a couple good hit early on in November then in December had about 24" otg then we torched and haven't had much since been all on he coast. I'm ready for spring now, if I read another APX AFD mentioning N/NNW winds going stop reading until next season lol.

Browsing APX snow map history, the last true good winter was back in 08/09 I moved up North in 2012 so missed that one. 2013/14 was good, had lot of LES early then faded as lakes froze from the cold.

He Bo How you been... Very strange how the UP especially towards Munsing and East have been more of a NW flow (best flow for my area and most common during normal winters) while my area not to far to the south has been in a N or NNW flow all winter, never seen that before. NWL was just to close to the sharp trough that kept setup for winter and all the systems lopped around here dragging the sharp N winds with it. Just south of Grand Traverse bay has been cleaning up this winter for sure.

That pretty much sums up the winter up here. UP has done very well this year, NWL not so much. I have about a foot on the ground for quite some time but mainly due to persistent cold and no sun. Still getting Lake Effect Clouds just not the snow as its hugged the shore all winter long.

Yea most normal years, NW or WNW flow is most prevalent, the past few however NNW or N has been most common which is very peculiar. Which as you said is a no go for my area towards Kalkaska. Only really favors helps the UP especially East of Munising.

My group would have gotten along great we road very similar, only used trails to get to gas and food on occasion. I bought my new 2013 Polaris Assault and sold it in 2017 with only 800 miles on it and we road quite a bit but not very much distance as we off trailed 90% of the time.

I have lived in the Gaylord area for about 7 years now, the are near LON where I live "used" to average around 160-180" a year, I think I have hit that number maybe once. Perhaps its just been a bad stretch but do have some concern that perhaps is trend may be more of the norm for the foreseeable future. I do enjoy living in Northern Michigan, although dealing with the cold from late September though April does get a little old. Its not bad when its snowing but just cold air and dirty snowbanks does get old looking at. The wife and I did consider relocating further South last year but with COIVD everything has gone crazy in terms of costs especially housing. Ill get off my soap box now, but do feel bad for the local businesses who rely on the snow to maintain operations until Golf Season.

Not much to talk about again this year in my area, I had one good week around first week of December since then just a few inches here or there. No real sustained LES, The pattern has sucked for our area with the toughing setup to close to us, most systems miss to the south and most LES is N or NNW wind flow which isn't good unless your hugging the coast. UP has been pretty good overall though. I have about a foot at my house but trails and two tracks are beat to sh*t right now. I seen a ton of riders around the area over the weekend riding in dirt with some snow with whooped out trails. Desperate i get it especially since the past 2-3 years have been abysmal for snow.. I guess I'm pretty happy about selling the sleds a few years back and buying a boat got a lot more use out of that thing that's for sure. Although I do miss the sleds everyone once in a while. Certainly not worth the costs/headache to ride for a couple good weeks a year.