RDM

Just had a pretty intense 10 mins of hail in Vienna.  Up to about nickel size.  Was really coming down hard for about 5 mins.  When it finished the sun was out.  

It's that time of year - April.  The super-outbreak of tornados on 3/4 April 1974 was one for the record books.  Recall it well.  

Xenia, Ohio was demolished - about 25 miles from our home just North of Dayton.  First responders provided mutual aid from throughout the Dayton area, and as far away as Columbus and Cincinnati.  The F-5 that plowed through the center of Xenia left a path that is still visible today.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974_Xenia_tornado  

Our dad and several firefighters from our local volunteer department in New Carlisle provided support for many days with our rescue truck - which was advanced for the era.  Families in town donated food which was ferried down to Xenia to feed our team, plus other first responders.  About a week after the tornado hit our dad drove us through the center of town - only getting by the National Guard checkpoints because of the big red light on top of his red and white Rambler.  The destruction was unworldly and unforgettable.  

There were over 30 F4/F5s in that outbreak.  Was beyond extreme in the intensity of the tornados and their duration on the ground.    

8 minutes ago, MN Transplant said:

First good thunder of the year.

Yup several rumbles here IVO Vienna.  Pouring outside - at 45F.  

7 hours ago, katabatic said:

It’s still winter here for sure. We’re in a relative lull right now. Total estimate but so far 3 1/2 feet. About a half an hour ago. I heard this tremendous explosion and thought oh shit that’s a transformer that just blew. But the power stayed on and I heard a second explosion and then a third. It literally made the dishes rattle and it took me a minute to realize these explosions are the howitzers that they’re firing up on the mountain for avalanche control. 

Thanks for the pictures.  The sounds from the howitzers brings back memories of my time in the Alps.  Lived in Germany 2 different times and skied all over the Alps (I telemark).

They use a variety of methods to initiate controlled avalanches.  Depending on the area and conditions, they may use howitzers also, or recoilless rifles mounted on vehicles, or artillery in strategic locations concealed behind fake fiberglass rocks, or bye helicopter, or by cable systems strung between ridge lines, or via hand by ski patrol or thrown from gondolas.  They do it and have it down to the art.  

28 minutes ago, MN Transplant said:

1.0” snow.  0.12” precip (not a ratio, some was rain).

 

Just a debacle from the global models.  

Yup - bust here too just NW of Vienna.  Right at an inch.  Driveway totally melted last night - even the stepping stones by our deck melted.  

Went out for a feeble attempt at a Jebwalk around 0200 and it was coming down nice, until the sleet started mixing in.  At that point it was over.  Big disappointment around here.  

Congrats to those who scored 4+.  

Amazing with today's computing power how most the models missed it until the retraction started a few hours from the start.

Ground starting to cabe here already.  SN and SN+ at times.  One of the quickest changeovers I recall seeing around here.  Transition came in with a gust of wind and 2F temp drop that only took a minute.  

Was 38F and raining here until about a min ago.  A gust of wind brought the changeover and within a couple mins it transitioned to all SN.  Ripping pretty good now at 36F.   

33 minutes ago, psuhoffman said:

There is some crazy shit starting to show up in the long range.  Storms getting trapped under 40* and meandering around.  Redonculous retrogrades.  Fun times ahead. 

Sorry for the banter but...  LMAO - given your superb vocabulary skills I actually looked up "redonculous" with the thought "that's a new one!" Alas, my expectations were grounded.  haha.  

11 minutes ago, brooklynwx99 said:

jesus christ

 

Geeze - with the exception of one bump/ridge over the eastern Atlantic, that jet is roaring nearly around the entire globe.  It's like the entire PV has been enlarged and displaced south a couple thousand miles.  

205 Views in the first 13 mins.  Great start Randy!   Oops - I mean Bob Chill since he MADE you do it!

Still 27F here - been 26 or 27 all day since I got up yesterday morning - about 20 hours ago.  Time to hit the sack.  Good luck to all for the remainder of whatever is to come.  

42 minutes ago, midatlanticweather said:

A little more in some spots on another NWS update! 

That sliver of yellow running through Nrn FFCO and Eastern Loudoun is likely not wide enough.  We're approaching 5 here NW of Vienna and reports from Reston & Great Falls appear similar.  Hope the banding that is filling in from down by Warrenton and Luray continues.  

4.5" here - last measurement for tonight...   sn- now   

Pretty amazing thin line of precipitation all the way back to GOM by NO.  

Now 4"+ here NW of Vienna.  Went for a Jebwalk and it turned to sleet for about 15 mins then back to the heaviest rates of sn so far - until a few mins ago when it got even heavier.  Approaching sn+ at times.  Fatties mixing in now.  Awesome outside.   Surface streets are largely unplowed around here.  

42 minutes ago, wxdude64 said:

Ditto here, left 1/2-2/3 of outside lights up JUST in case, and bingo! 

Haha - yeaaaa   I regret taking down the ground lights we put out on your yard.  10 rolls of lights - each roll with 36 LEDs that hang on small wires about 6" above the ground.  Each roll is 360' long.  So yes, that's 3600 feet of wire.  Takes a while to install but I need the exercise.  Wish's I'd left them in place.  Enjoy the snow!!!

Just a few pics...   Great night for a Jebwalk!   

Just came in from plowing our 500' driveway - have a legit 3" (no slant sticking!).  Would be nice to squeeze another inch out of this.  Temp stayed rock steady 26/27 throughout most of the day.  Not bad...   Can sense a sigh of relief across the forum.  

21 minutes ago, goodwidp said:

I stopped turning my Xmas lights on a week or so ago but left them up in hopes we'd get some snow. I am officially pleased with that decision. 

 

 

 

Well done.  Thought I was the only one who was thinking the same thing.  Took about half of ours down outside but left up enough to provide the ambiance.  

Just drove from Dulles to our house in Vienna on Lawyers Road.  The Toll Road and 28 were fine - just wet with snow crews lined up along the berm on stay.  (Athough some infidels were still driving 25mph with their flashers on).  

Hunter Mill road is starting to cave w.slush and ice.  Portions were surprising slick with a layer of slush transitioning to ice in spots.  

Lawyers road was even more tricky.  Does not appear to have been treated since this morning and the traffic is compacting the slush and turning it to ice (currently 27F here).  Was hard to get stopped to turn into our driveway.  

Amazing what a since inch can do around here.  I grew up on Ohio and this would be a non-event.  

When will the soundings come out for DCA and IAD?  Curious if they show the warm nose intruding.  

4 minutes ago, Terpeast said:

Thanks - Interesting - they bumped it up by an 1" for much of the forum within the last hour.  

NWS has the upper limit for several locations at 5".  Realize this is likely not going to happen, but one of the locations in that category is the National Mall in DC.  Rare.  

37 minutes ago, Terpeast said:

Went to Vienna today. Might snow in Ashburn and not here. Lol

Snowing here now 1/2 mile NW of Vienna - at 40F (was 46 30 mins ago).  We don't get that very often around here.  

Cold air inbound - it's 19F now at Garrett Co. Airport.  Hard to see a warm nose survive the inbound air mass, but we are DC so anything is possible.  

2 minutes ago, stormtracker said:

ok, fills in and still going at 48..looks like some coastal enhancement..nothing super heavy tho

Thanks for the pop Randy - anything is something, which is more than most of us have gotten for 2 years.   Bring er home!