2025 foothills Thread

[wncsnow]

3 minutes ago, CentralNC said:

Not sure but I can tell you the same conversations were being had right before Superstorm 1993. 

Yes that was a less snowy period, and so was the late 90s but this one is the longest lasting here at least. Since 2019 we have had 1 winter storm that met warning criteria.

[BooneWX]

14 minutes ago, wncsnow said:

As I perused through NCDC data, NC State data and Webber weather data, I noticed a lot.

1. We used to get a lot more small events per year. 2 to 4 inch snow/mix storms happened 2 to 4 times per year most winters. 

2. Its now feast or famine. Really since 2010, its either been big snowstorm or nothing. Very few 2 to 4 inch type storms in the past 15 years. 

3. There is no true set of conditions that will lead to snow for us. MJO, NAO, PNA, QBO, AO? Of course if all of these are optimal that helps but some of our best storms have occurred in the "bad" phases of each.

 

In my amateur opinion, something isn't right with the atmosphere in relation to snow across most of our area. 

Is it because of the solar max?

Is it because of the warmer oceans?

Is it because of the crazy Active Pacific?

Arctic Sea ice? 

Global warming? Too many cows farting in the Midwest?

 

I'm not completely sure but I do know it takes absolute perfect conditions for it to snow here now. 

 

 

 

All of the above, some weighing on winter more than others at various points. Hot tub temps in the Gulf have certainly made things a challenge, evident in the shift of tornado frequency from the plains to the Deep South. Im on the fence for arctic sea ice/high latitude snow cover. It helps but we’ve had some seriously strong cold outbreaks through the 2000s and they rarely mean anything other than nose bleeds and pipes bursting. This is why I’m not the least bit bullish with the Barney cold showing up on some of the ensembles. It’s useless. Great to have cold on your side of the hemisphere, sure, but if we’re talking about an air mass that would produce temps in the low 30s with full sunlight, those storms will be raining on Cuba. 

[Ernest T Bass]

12 minutes ago, wncsnow said:

As I perused through NCDC data, NC State data and Webber weather data, I noticed a lot.

1. We used to get a lot more small events per year. 2 to 4 inch snow/mix storms happened 2 to 4 times per year most winters. 

2. Its now feast or famine. Really since 2010, its either been big snowstorm or nothing. Very few 2 to 4 inch type storms in the past 15 years. 

3. There is no true set of conditions that will lead to snow for us. MJO, NAO, PNA, QBO, AO? Of course if all of these are optimal that helps but some of our best storms have occurred in the "bad" phases of each.

 

In my amateur opinion, something isn't right with the atmosphere in relation to snow across most of our area. 

Is it because of the solar max?

Is it because of the warmer oceans?

Is it because of the crazy Active Pacific?

Arctic Sea ice? 

Global warming? Too many cows farting in the Midwest?

 

I'm not completely sure but I do know it takes absolute perfect conditions for it to snow here now. 

 

 

 

It's interesting because I was thinking about the winters of the late 70's and 80's, and one of the things I recalled was a lot more small events.  Also ice storms or icing events were common. I remember as a kid; older folks complaining that we never got good snows anymore; we just always got ice or a mix.  But for sure we had some really good winters.  Another thing I recall is being told not to look much for snow before Christmas and looking back we didn't have much snow prior to January.  That's anecdotal but I think I saw a post yesterday that showed that.   It's odd because even though the last 25 years have overall not been good, we have had some nice December snows.  

Anyway, I don't know what any of it means, but I do think we go through cycles and longer patterns.  Anyway, I'd like to order another 86-87 winter but would also take a 2009-10.

[wncsnow]

5 minutes ago, Ernest T Bass said:

It's interesting because I was thinking about the winters of the late 70's and 80's, and one of the things I recalled was a lot more small events.  Also ice storms or icing events were common. I remember as a kid; older folks complaining that we never got good snows anymore; we just always got ice or a mix.  But for sure we had some really good winters.  Another thing I recall is being told not to look much for snow before Christmas and looking back we didn't have much snow prior to January.  That's anecdotal but I think I saw a post yesterday that showed that.   It's odd because even though the last 25 years have overall not been good, we have had some nice December snows.  

Anyway, I don't know what any of it means, but I do think we go through cycles and longer patterns.  Anyway, I'd like to order another 86-87 winter but would also take a 2009-10.

Yep 3 of our 6 biggest December snows the past century have been in the past 16 years