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Birdbean

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    Looking Back: The Megalopolitan Storm of 1983

    in Philadelphia Region

    Posted

    I love talking about this snowstorm more than any other and is my favorite followed by 96 then 93.  I remember Elliott Abrams excitedly talking about it on KYW for a couple of days before it hit the area. 
       I had just turned 18 a week earlier and had been a senior in high school and this storm was going to be a big snow according to most forecasts for our Lancaster Co (and Philly area). The snow started falling just before sunrise that Friday morning and had been falling steadily and moderately for several hours. My father and I went out to take care clearing our driveway in the afternoon with our garden tractor that had a plow attached. I had plowed our entire driveway which would take probably about 45 minutes with powdery snow being involved. Not sure how many inches there were on the ground at that point but when I had finished, another 2” had fallen where I had started in those 45 or so minutes. I do remember hearing about thunder snow but I hadn’t heard any personally in this storm.
       Went to bed that evening with heavy snow falling and at around 3 or 4 am I had woke up and looked outside with the front porch light on. I was blown away with the most heaviest falling snow I had even seen and have never witnessed since. Giant pancake flakes mixed with every other size flakes imaginable. Rates must have been a couple of inches and hour easily. By that point in the morning, 2 feet had probably fallen.  Went back to bed and I believe the snow came to an end around 6 or 7 in the morning. 
      I remember putting a yardstick in the ground but not remembering what the exact measurement had been but I’m 100% sure it was at least 30” when all was said and done.  I had a 3 year old sister at the time and the next day I thought it would be cool to drop her feet first into this deep snow. I did just that and she went all the way up to her chin in snow. Needless to say she did not appreciate this snow dunk and started crying her eyes out.

    One more memory was driving past the PA turnpike and 222 exits the day after the storm and seeing tractor trailer trucks completely littered all over the highway exits. Tractor trailers had bailed off the highways when plows could not keep up. Snowplows had to weave there way around these trucks like a maze and looked it looked almost apocalyptic as they were plowed into place where they had abandoned them. Also remember getting a rainstorm several days later and some roofs had collapsed under heavy snow and then rain.

     It would be great but I never have and never expect to see snow falling at those intense rates ever again. Simply put it was a weenie storm for the ages as far as snowfall rates go.

     

    Jan. 31-Feb. 2 Miller B storm

    in Philadelphia Region

    Posted

    State college getting cold feet for us in Lancaster Co? 

    NEAR TERM /UNTIL 7 PM THIS EVENING/...
10AM/15Z: Initial shot of WAA snow (varying intensity) has
overspread the majority of the CWA as of 10AM. Only minor
adjustments needed to hourly T/Td with maxT still on track.
After seeing the 12Z extended HRRR run, we are growing a little
leary (somewhat less confident) in double-digit snowfall totals
across the Lower Susquehanna Valley. This would be the result of
a longer period wintry mix in the dry slot with the main
deformation band setting up farther to the north. We will
continue to monitor closely.

    Winter 2019-2020 Banter Thread

    in Philadelphia Region

    Posted

    12 minutes ago, RedSky said:

    I thought about different regions of the country and believe parts of Colorado are the place to be. Great scenery and you can go from 70-80F and get slammed with 1-2' snow in the blink of an eye. Better than other areas that are bland and colder that hit their totals nickle and dime all winter. Colorado would give you that big nor' easter hit feel. Almost no long cool dreary wet patterns from coastal influence and  slow upper level lows like we get subjected too.

     

    As I creep closer to retirement (55)  I’m thinking about moving to the Phoenix/Mesa AZ area.  Been out there several times and it’s gorgeous with great temps for half the year.  Sure the summers are hot but very little humidity make it much more tolerable.  If you want to get your appetite of snow, Flagstaff is only a 4 hour drive North.  Averaging 100 inches a year and an elevation of almost 7000 feet, taking the easy drive up occasionally on weekends would satisfy your snow hunger.  I believe it was last winter, Flagstaff set a 24 hour snow record of 36”. 

    January 29, 2019 Snow Event and January 30th Snow Squall Discussion and Obs

    in Philadelphia Region

    Posted

    Getting towards the back end of the squall line here 15 miles east of Harrisburg.  Snow started an hour ago and still have light to moderate snow.  Temp dropped from 28 when snow started to 20 right now.  Just eyeballing the snow amount probably about an inch, but hard to tell as winds are rather fierce and snow already on the ground from yesterday.  Quarter mile visiblities at worst with varied intensities through the hour. 

    Hope you folks that missed out yesterday get something from this.

    Winter 2018-19 Banter Thread

    in Philadelphia Region

    Posted

    1 hour ago, LibertyBell said:

    EXACTLY!  Halloween 2011 was a nice novelty but the winter that followed was awful. 

     

    Right after that Oct snow in 2011, my uncle who was an old farmer told me "if you get a snowfall before the first frost it will be a mild winter with little snow".  Words of wisdom I'll never forget.

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