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Jan 12-13th Storm Observation Thread


dryslot

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Ooh, ooh... I just saw a big flake.

 

I put on my glasses, and so I guess that there is more than one, but they're tiny and not coming down very quickly at all.

 

Radar says that we should be seeing much more, but evidently it's mostly not reaching ground level (well, 750' above MSL ground level) yet.

 

Posting from Washington Depot, CT right now (Litchfield County).

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How does that valley get the convergence? Even if winds are channeled, how does upward motion ensue? I need to see a topo map.

 

He's getting massive orographic lift from all directions.  The valley is far too narrow for that to make a difference.  He's acting on the terrain all around him.

 

Looking at the topo map... you see just behind him is a hillside that rises from 400ft to over 3,000ft (immediately to his NNW).  To his SSW is Camels Hump which is over 4,000ft.  The valley he is in is so narrow it doesn't act like a valley...any air moving through there is getting forced up in almost all directions.  NW flow snow blows up over the ridgeline and the hillside is steep enough it just blows down into his neighborhood.  Think 40kts NW wind and snow over the Spine, its ending up in his yard, lol.

 

 

So right now looking at the VAD profile, its a blocked low level SE flow probably going right into that 3,000ft terrain in his backyard to the NW.  His flakes on his cam look twice the size they do here which is a sure sign of meso-scale lift allowing those flakes to grow.

 

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How does that valley get the convergence? Even if winds are channeled, how does upward motion ensue? I need to see a topo map.

It is a narrow slot through the spine, relatively speaking and each side of the valley rises rather steeply.

 

post-363-0-97717500-1452629050_thumb.jpg

 

I am not sure exactly where he is between Waterbury and Bolton on this map.

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He's getting massive orographic lift from all directions.  The valley is far too narrow for that to make a difference.  He's acting on the terrain all around him.

 

Looking at the topo map... you see just behind him is a hillside that rises from 400ft to over 3,000ft (immediately to his NNW).  To his SSW is Camels Hump which is over 4,000ft. 

 

So right now looking at the VAD profile, its a blocked low level SE flow probably going right into that 3,000ft terrain in his backyard to the NW.  His flakes on his cam look twice the size they do here.

 

Damn, ninja'd and with a much more detailed and better explanation.

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It is a narrow slot through the spine, relatively speaking and each side of the valley rises rather steeply.

 

attachicon.gifJSpin Topo.JPG

 

I am not sure exactly where he is between Waterbury and Bolton on this map.

 

The other thing the Winooski Valley does there, is if the flow is blocked (like a ridgetop inversion), moisture gets squeezed through the valley like you'd squeeze out toothpaste.  It all gets funneled from a large area into a narrow area and it precipitates.  Having the ability to get snow in blocked flows from all directions is big too...as you never get left out from "west side" or "east side" events.

 

J.Spin definitely has the most unique backyard climates with regards to meso-scale precipitation of anyone on this board, without a doubt.  He gets precipitation and snow on par with what 2,000ft can get, except he's at 500ft.

 

Looks like he's up to 1.5" now, and I'm at about 0.4".

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Wow interesting. I never knew he was in such an all encompassing terrain area. I mean I know he was in a pretty good Valley with mountains all around him, but I never realized how prone he was to orographic lift from the SE too. And yeah, you aren't getting downsloped in such a steep Valley, so that makes sense. Cool.

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