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Spring Banter - Pushing up Tulips


Baroclinic Zone

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over a week . Maybe 10 days? But they are more apt to open direct sun as that affects them more

 

It's probably been longer than that.  I'm thinking that it was back on the 5th.  It's probably been almost three weeks since you've had a day averaging below freezing.

 

It's a combination of factors, but if it was sun alone, they would open up at the same time each year and they don't.  The fact is that it's probably milder at that 1,000' location than the valley, on average for the past three weeks or so.  That's all it takes.

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It's probably been longer than that. I'm thinking that it was back on the 5th. It's probably been almost three weeks since you've had a day averaging below freezing.

It's a combination of factors, but if it was sun alone, they would open up at the same time each year and they don't. The fact is that it's probably milder at that 1,000' location than the valley, on average for the past three weeks or so. That's all it takes.

Well all I know is in all my years in the hills, I've never seen anything bloom before the valley does.. Or green up. The valleys are always 10 days at least ahead . If it's just one forsythia you saw, it's probably some type of anomaly. Just like the leaves change first in elevation, everything comes out later in the spring
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Well all I know is in all my years in the hills, I've never seen anything bloom before the valley does.. Or green up. The valleys are always 10 days at least ahead . If it's just one forsythia you saw, it's probably some type of anomaly. Just like the leaves change first in elevation, everything comes out later in the spring

 

It's definitely anomalous but indicative of temperatures lately at the location.  Like you said, it's been 10 days since you've had a below freezing temperature and I've been below freezing 8 out 10 mornings and had scattered frost, just like the valley.  I was just making an observation based on all my years of observing the weather here as well.  I don't think it happens every year.

 

You are generally correct about the hills but don't confuse elevation with the hills.  The first places to green up is the valley but it doesn't mean that isolated pockets in either place can be inversed.  I would also suggest that elevated valleys will be the last to green-up and I've observed that from driving from my 1,000' valley location in Union to the 1,000' hill top location in West Stafford.  It's also the reverse in the fall where leaves change in the lower elevated valleys before they change higher elevations.  So while things do change earlier in the hills, they start at the lower elevations of the hills and work there way up while they also work there way down to the main valley.

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Not sure how those high elevation AWOS sites handle vis being in the clouds combined with +SN, bit it's impressive nonetheless. It's tough to get any obs of M1/4SM out here whether snow or fog...nevermind a full day of them.

I'm pretty sure they can get messed up with the fog...I've seen that one at Berthound Pass and the one at Copper Mountain give M1/4 +SN when below the cloud deck it looks like light snow at best. It would be hard to figure out snow rates in dense cloud all the time. How does MWN manually figure out the vis for snowfall when they are in the clouds?

It's like a mountain top climate where if it's in the cloud, vis is M1/4....like top of MWN.

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Berthoud Pass

Yeah see the station obs would make it seem like 3"/hr type stuff but in that cam pic it's light snow at best. Vis reduction is probably more fog and blowing snow than falling snow based on the web cams.

I actually think the heavier snow totals are down about in elevation, in like the 8000-10,000 ft range...while above 10-12kft it's lighter further up the slope.

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Yeah see the station obs would make it seem like 3"/hr type stuff but in that cam pic it's light snow at best. Vis reduction is probably more fog and blowing snow than falling snow based on the web cams.

I actually think the heavier snow totals are down about in elevation, in like the 8000-10,000 ft range...while above 10-12kft it's lighter further up the slope.

this is interstate 80 in Wyoming. 

 

Also where is the station located, might not be where the pic is

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I'm pretty sure they can get messed up with the fog...I've seen that one at Berthound Pass and the one at Copper Mountain give M1/4 +SN when below the cloud deck it looks like light snow at best. It would be hard to figure out snow rates in dense cloud all the time. How does MWN manually figure out the vis for snowfall when they are in the clouds?

It's like a mountain top climate where if it's in the cloud, vis is M1/4....like top of MWN.

There are sensors out there that can estimate precip rates based on the energy used to keep the sensor plate sfc dry. I couldn't tell you what they use up there, but my guess is it's your typical AWOS with precip detection. As for MWN...has anyone seen Jim Salge around here lately? He'd know.
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Find the snowstorm...

attachicon.gifimage.jpg

 

Not to be a Debra ... but I'm not that impressed with that. 

 

It's snowing above Denver, which is a mile high. 

 

Hello ?    It's always snow more than a mile high -- pretty much no matter where you are outside the tropics. So they were in the right place when a cut-off drifted over and brought what is normally relegated to the higher els and summits, anyway.  

Not sure I see the significance/justification of putting touristy industries in the clouds and acting excited and in awe for it.  But that's just me.  

 

I have a buddy that went up to a 10,000' elevation in the Rockies once in late July.  A thunderstorm came through, and they were in the cloud...with lightning, rain/hail/graupel and snow all falling intensely...  5 minutes later, it was sunny and 50.  That chart of temps you posted reminds me of what happens when you pass through a core of a CB, and the core is punched because of it.  

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Not to be a Debra ... but I'm not that impressed with that. 

 

It's snowing above Denver, which is a mile high. 

 

Hello ?    It's always snow more than a mile high -- pretty much no matter where you are outside the tropics. So they were in the right place when a cut-off drifted over and brought what is normally relegated to the higher els and summits, anyway.  

Not sure I see the significance/justification of putting touristy industries in the clouds and acting excited and in awe for it.  But that's just me.  

 

 

 

I don't think anyone is in awe in terms of like anything record breaking...its a spring snowstorm in the Rockies.  Its just the only interesting weather occurring in the U.S. right now and their upslope storms are pretty fun to watch evolve. 

 

Its ok to be interested...

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I don't think anyone is in awe in terms of like anything record breaking...its a spring snowstorm in the Rockies.  Its just the only interesting weather occurring in the U.S. right now and their upslope storms are pretty fun to watch evolve. 

 

Its ok to be interested...

Certainly when the GM of Snowbird comments that the 44 inches is more than he has ever seen in 24 hrs its unusual ,interesting and possible record breaking in areas.

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Certainly when the GM of Snowbird comments that the 44 inches is more than he has ever seen in 24 hrs its unusual ,interesting and possible record breaking in areas.

 

I'd be really surprised if that was a 24-hour record for those mountains (where futility record is 314")...I know Alta has done up to 60" in 24 hours in extreme storms.

 

Not worth getting into but I don't think this type of storm is that unusual.  The Wasatch and Colorado Rockies often get some absolute whoppers in April.  Big ol' slow moving cut-offs filled with moisture.

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Fascinating read for anyone curious on the dry Sierra winter...I didn't know they employed these people in California that go on like 10 day backcountry ski tours doing snow samples and cores way out in the middle of nowhere.  "Snow surveyors".

 

http://sustainableplay.com/winter-of-his-disbelief/

 

They are screwed in CA. 

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I'd be really surprised if that was a 24-hour record for those mountains (where futility record is 314")...I know Alta has done up to 60" in 24 hours in extreme storms.

 

Not worth getting into but I don't think this type of storm is that unusual.  The Wasatch and Colorado Rockies often get some absolute whoppers in April.  Big ol' slow moving cut-offs filled with moisture.

It was unusual enough for Snowbird is what I said, the GM said they hadn't received that much snow 44 inches in 24 hrs before

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