Winter 2025/26 Banter Thread

[nvck]

1 hour ago, Chicago Storm said:

ready for spc outlooks to be the most confusing thing ever?

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/conditional-intensity-information/

Probably a good way to communicate probability as well as intensity, but what about areas w/o the shading, in, say the 5% tor? is the shading just different "levels" of the previous sig shading? so 1 would be equivalent to the existing sig dashed lines, and then 2 and 3 are "levels" on top of that?

[Chicago916]

1 hour ago, Chicago Storm said:

ready for spc outlooks to be the most confusing thing ever?

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/conditional-intensity-information/

Good luck to Nadocast in coding all of that in

[Stevo6899]

47 minutes ago, Chicago Storm said:

i think it's common knowledge here that many winter threads will go off the rails at some point with some mi winter weather history or some other back-and-forth.

...which is why it's a running joke.

Im glad we can entertain y'all. With there being so many of us, that seems normal that everyday there's something to learn about Michigan weather history. It is a weather board. Blame Josh with all his stats n shit.

[Harry Perry]

6 hours ago, nvck said:

Probably a good way to communicate probability as well as intensity, but what about areas w/o the shading, in, say the 5% tor? is the shading just different "levels" of the previous sig shading? so 1 would be equivalent to the existing sig dashed lines, and then 2 and 3 are "levels" on top of that?

Yeah, pretty much emphasizing how severe the storms are expected to be in a given area.

[roardog]

10 hours ago, Chicago Storm said:

ready for spc outlooks to be the most confusing thing ever?

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/conditional-intensity-information/

I guess it makes sense to a weather weenie but this is way too much for the general public that still don’t even know the difference between a watch and warning. 

[KeenerWx]

10 hours ago, Chicago Storm said:

ready for spc outlooks to be the most confusing thing ever?

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/conditional-intensity-information/

What’s the point? A large population cannot even comprehend probabilities at their most simple application. Weather based probabilities already introduce a different dimension where product/forecast type and area coverage muddy how one would interpret the chance that x outcome happens specifically at their location. Ask a person what a 60% probability of an event happening within 25 miles of them means. Not a damn clue. This added level of complexity, then, cannot be for the benefit of the public. Suppose it’s a more hyper specific mode of grading forecasts internally? 

[roardog]

2 hours ago, KeenerWx said:

What’s the point? A large population cannot even comprehend probabilities at their most simple application. Weather based probabilities already introduce a different dimension where product/forecast type and area coverage muddy how one would interpret the chance that x outcome happens specifically at their location. Ask a person what a 60% probability of an event happening within 25 miles of them means. Not a damn clue. This added level of complexity, then, cannot be for the benefit of the public. Suppose it’s a more hyper specific mode of grading forecasts internally? 

It seems like they just make things more difficult for the general population. It’s like when they simplified winter weather headlines. Now, a winter weather advisory can mean anything from 5 inches of snow to a little bit of freezing drizzle to .2 inches of ice or anything in between. Also, why does a winter storm watch precede an ice storm warning? Why not just have an ice storm watch? For the general public, I think the headline should tell you what to expect and not make you guess or dig deeper to figure out what a winter weather advisory means on a particular day. 

[King James]

Don't blame/take it out on us for the weather boredom in your area and for the cold stretch. You don't see us ever bitching and moaning about Chicago's lake effect shit.

That’s the stuff

[King James]

Guess it's only fitting for a guy named king James to be whining and complaining.

lol so good. Like moths to the light

[mimillman]

Saw tiny bits of ice forming on the river by my office this morning which is exceptionally rare 

[cyclone77]

2 hours ago, mimillman said:

Saw tiny bits of ice forming on the river by my office this morning which is exceptionally rare 

The Mississippi is about as frozen over as I can remember.  If it weren't for barges maintaining a narrow swath you could run across right now.

The Rock near here 100% frozen across.  If we were to have a quick warmup with heavy rains the ice jam situation would be pretty dicey. 

[Brian D]

January 30

1994: Duluth has a record low of -35.

For Friday, January 30, 2026
1936 - Birmingham, AL, established a single storm record and 24 hour record with 11 inches of snow. (29th-30th) (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
1966 - The Blizzard of 1966 impacted New York and paralyzed the region. The train service was disrupted. Numerous highways, the New York State Thruway from Albany to the Pennsylvania state line, and the Buffalo Airport and other airports throughout western and central New York were closed. The Syracuse-Oswego area's hardest hit, where Bob Sykes, a meteorology professor at the State University of New York at Oswego, reported a whopping 102.4 inches! Some schools in Orleans County were closed for the entire week following the blizzard. Economic loss from the storm was estimated at $35 million. Winds gusting to 60 mph and temperatures in the teens, and heavy and blowing snow created severe blizzard conditions.
1977 - The great "Buffalo Blizzard" finally abated after three days. The storm added a foot of new snow to 33 inches already on the ground. Winds gusting to 75 mph reduced visibilities to near zero, produced snow drifts twenty-five feet high, and kept wind chill readings 50 degrees below zero. The blizzard paralyzed the city, and caused 250 million dollars damage. (David Ludlum)
1987 - A winter storm brought more heavy snow to the North Atlantic Coast Region, with 13.6 inches reported at Hiram ME. January proved to be the snowiest of record for much of Massachusetts. Worcester MA reported an all-time monthly record of 46.8 inches of snow. (National Weather Summary)
1988 - Strong southerly winds, gusting to 53 mph at Kansas City MO, spread warm air into the central U.S. Nineteen cities reported record high temperatures for the date. Snow and strong northwest winds ushered cold arctic air into the north central states. The temperature at Cutbank plunged from 54 degrees to a morning low of 7 degrees below zero. (National Weather Summary)
1989 - The temperature at McGrath, AK, dipped to 62 degrees below zero, and Fairbanks reported a reading of 51 degrees below zero, with unofficial readings in the area as cold as 75 degrees below zero. The massive dome of bitterly cold air began to slide down western Canada toward the north central U.S. Strong southwest winds ahead of the arctic front pushed the temperature at Great Falls MT to 62 degrees, and gusted to 124 mph at Choteau MT, overturning trucks and mobile homes, and a dozen empty railroad cars. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1990 - A major winter storm produced heavy snow from Indiana to New England. It was the biggest storm in two and a half years for eastern New York State. Snowfall totals in the mountains of Maine ranged up to 20 inches at Guilford and Lovell. Other heavy snowfall totals included 17 inches at Utica NY, and 19 inches at Bethel VT, Ludlow VT, and New London NH. The storm claimed three lives in eastern New York State, and four lives in Vermont. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
2002 - One of the driest Januarys on record in Iowa was broken up by a winter storm that produced snowfall across the state from January 30-31. The snow was heaviest across southern and southeastern Iowa, where storm total accumulations ranged between 11 and 13 inches along and south of Chariton�s line through Ottumwa to Wapello and Burlington. The highest reported totals were 13.2 inches at Leon and 13.0 inches at Bloomfield and Fairfield.
2005 - A significant ice storm struck parts of northern Georgia on the 30th-31st. Ice accretion was as great as 2 inches in Monroe county, located southeast of Atlanta. Power outages in the area at the height of the storm affected nearly 320,000 homes and businesses.

[Chinook]

Hey guys, I am thinking of getting a new laptop because I've heard computer prices are going up. I have a laptop from 2019 that is working well. And by the way, whoever answered my question about fixing my computer battery, thanks a lot. It cost me a good bit to fix my battery, but it was necessary.

I was shopping for new laptops, and possibly refurbished laptops. I am not sure I want to buy someone else's 3-year-old laptop. That might already have a lot of wear and tear, when a new laptop could be nearly the same price.

I was also considering the possibility of Linux, which I have never done before. If you look up information about Windows 11, they will say that it's bloated and it's spying on you. But I might still go with it. I have questions about radar programs GRLevel3 and Radarscope. They're not designed for Linux at all. Can they be run in Linux anyway?  That sort of question is what's going through my mind-- Linux is an unknown. I don't know if some of my favorite programs (or files,) will do the same thing on Linux. I know GRLevel3 and Radarscope aren't written for Linux.

If I go with Windows 11, I know my GRLevel3 can be put on it with my license code. I assume Radarscope won't have this capability and I could purchase it again. (Any thoughts on the Radarscope? I got the full package for Radarscope a while back, so I could see 4 panels. I don't know if that could transfer over to a new computer.)

One of the things I've struggled with is this: is trying to determine if a new laptop's monitor will be bright and as colorful as it could be. I want one that's above average. It's tough to tell from computer descriptions on the "nits" and "%NTSC"  I'm pretty sure 300 nits could appear quite bright, but I've heard there's better brightness. Are 60Hz and 45% NTSC reasonable? I like a good display. (I'm not exactly sure what I have.)

I'm kind of assuming Intel i5 and/or Ryzen-5 series does fairly well if you're not running modern graphics-heavy games. There's a part of me that says, "go with i7" because I don't want to be running something that's too slow in 5 years.

I've also noticed there's not a lot of 14" laptops listed when you search. For me, 14" is fine for portabilty.

I don't quite understand it when the description says "AI Copilot+ laptop."

[Brian D]

January 31

1893: The temperature drops 40 degrees in five hours during a blizzard at Park Rapids.

For Saturday, January 31, 2026
1911 - Tamarack, CA, was without snow the first eight days of the month, but by the end of January had been buried under 390 inches of snow, a record monthly total for the U.S. (The Weather Channel)
1949 - The temperature at San Antonio, TX, plunged to a record low of one degree below zero. Helena MT reached 42 degrees below zero. (David Ludlum)
1966 - A blizzard struck the northeastern U.S. When the storm came to an end, twenty inches of snow covered the ground at Washington D.C. (David Ludlum)
1969 - Minnesota experienced many winter storms throughout the month of 1969, where several people had died from heart attacks and auto accidents. Many roads were blocked or iced over several times during the month. Considerable snow during January and frequent periods of strong winds resulted in many days of blowing and drifting snow across northeast South Dakota. There were also many days with freezing rain. The most significant icing occurred on the 22nd and the 27th. There were numerous days where the traffic was at a standstill due to blocked roads and closed airports. Many school closings occurred throughout the month, with many activities canceled. Many rural roads went long periods without being opened, resulting in hardships for farmers.
1982 - A snowstorm struck Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. Twenty-five inches of snow at Greenville IL, located east of Saint Louis, paralyzed the community. The storm left 4000 motorists stranded for two days. (David Ludlum)
1987 - A storm in the Pacific Northwest produced wind gusts to 85 mph in Oregon, and nearly two inches of rain in twelve hours in the Puget Sound area of Washington State. Ten inches of snow at Stampede Pass WA brought their total snow cover to 84 inches. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1988 - Thirty-one cities in the central and northeastern U.S. reported new record high temperatures for the date, with many occurring during the early morning hours. Temperatures in western New York State reached the 60s early in the day. Strong northerly winds in the north central U.S. produced wind chill readings as cold as 60 degrees below zero in North Dakota. (National Weather Summary)
1989 - The barometric pressure at Norway, AK, reached 31.85 inches (1078.4 mb) establishing an all-time record for the North American Continent. The temperature at the time of the record was about 46 degrees below zero (The Weather Channel). Severe arctic cold began to invade the north central U.S. The temperature at Great Falls MT plunged 85 degrees in 36 hours. Valentine NE plummeted from a record high of 70 degrees to zero in just nine hours. Northwest winds gusted to 86 mph at Lander WY, and wind chill readings of 80 degrees below zero were reported in Montana. Sixty-four cities in the central U.S. reported record highs for the date as readings reached the 60s in Michigan and the 80s in Kansas. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1990 - High winds in Montana on the 28th, gusting to 77 mph at Judith Gap, were followed by three days of snow. Heavy snow fell over northwest Montana, with up to 24 inches reported in the mountains. An avalanche covered the road near Essex with six feet of snow. Snow and high winds also plagued parts of the southwestern U.S. Winds gusted to 54 mph at Show Low AZ, and Flagstaff AZ was blanketed with eight inches of snow. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

[nvck]

17 hours ago, Chinook said:

Hey guys, I am thinking of getting a new laptop because I've heard computer prices are going up. I have a laptop from 2019 that is working well. And by the way, whoever answered my question about fixing my computer battery, thanks a lot. It cost me a good bit to fix my battery, but it was necessary.

I was shopping for new laptops, and possibly refurbished laptops. I am not sure I want to buy someone else's 3-year-old laptop. That might already have a lot of wear and tear, when a new laptop could be nearly the same price.

I was also considering the possibility of Linux, which I have never done before. If you look up information about Windows 11, they will say that it's bloated and it's spying on you. But I might still go with it. I have questions about radar programs GRLevel3 and Radarscope. They're not designed for Linux at all. Can they be run in Linux anyway?  That sort of question is what's going through my mind-- Linux is an unknown. I don't know if some of my favorite programs (or files,) will do the same thing on Linux. I know GRLevel3 and Radarscope aren't written for Linux.

If I go with Windows 11, I know my GRLevel3 can be put on it with my license code. I assume Radarscope won't have this capability and I could purchase it again. (Any thoughts on the Radarscope? I got the full package for Radarscope a while back, so I could see 4 panels. I don't know if that could transfer over to a new computer.)

One of the things I've struggled with is this: is trying to determine if a new laptop's monitor will be bright and as colorful as it could be. I want one that's above average. It's tough to tell from computer descriptions on the "nits" and "%NTSC"  I'm pretty sure 300 nits could appear quite bright, but I've heard there's better brightness. Are 60Hz and 45% NTSC reasonable? I like a good display. (I'm not exactly sure what I have.)

I'm kind of assuming Intel i5 and/or Ryzen-5 series does fairly well if you're not running modern graphics-heavy games. There's a part of me that says, "go with i7" because I don't want to be running something that's too slow in 5 years.

I've also noticed there's not a lot of 14" laptops listed when you search. For me, 14" is fine for portabilty.

I don't quite understand it when the description says "AI Copilot+ laptop."

can't speak much to the Linux aspect of ur question, but I think grlevel3 could be run through "Wine", which lets you run windows applications on linux. not sure how technically involved it is to set up. I think radarscope (should?) be linked to an account with user/pass, so I'd think you could download on a new windows machine and sign in that way. For the display, Hz is basically the refresh rate, so how many times per second the display updates. 60hz is pretty standard, if a bit on the low end. lots of new displays have a refresh rate of 120 or 144hz, which looks much smoother, especially if you're gaming. this probably won't be super noticeable unless you're playing a lot of games. for the rest of the specs, what are you planning on using the laptop for? 

the "copilot" thing just is microsoft pushing generative ai in everything they sell. copilot is basically their version of chatgpt. a laptop advertised like that probably has a dedicated "copilot key" on the keyboard, and a bunch of gen-ai features in the software you probably don't want. that would turn me off of buying the laptop, personally.