January Banter 2026

[Fozz]

7 minutes ago, Steve25 said:

One cold period that I rarely see brought  up, likely because it was dry, is the end of December 2017 into January 2018. 
 

It dropped below freezing in the evening on December 26th, and didn’t rise above  freezing until the afternoon on January 8th. 12/13 consecutive days of freezing or below. There were also several days in that stretch that barely got to 20 degrees. 
 

This current stretch will likely end up being about 9/10 days consecutively sub freezing. 

I vaguely remember that cold snap, but missing the triple phaser ruined it for me.

[Fozz]

2 hours ago, CAPE said:

Live vicariously. Time sensitive

 

Hey that looks like Worcester

[pazzo83]

21 minutes ago, Fozz said:

I'm about to head to MD early this coming week and so I'll have a chance to see this glacier for myself.

you can literally just walk on top of the snowpack.

[Steve25]

4 minutes ago, Fozz said:

I vaguely remember that cold snap, but missing the triple phaser ruined it for me.

I only remember it because I took before and after pics of a lake nearby on January 1st and then a week later on the 8th and it froze completely over. First time I had ever seen that happen. 

[Brianonymous]

I almost killed myself on my own driveway shovel mounds trying to get into my car today. I parked a bit too close to them, so I did the natural thing of thinking I could just step on the mounds like we were living some kind of normal snow event. 

Heck no. Solid block of ice. I even stomp tested it in anger. No give.

 

[pazzo83]

Detroit right now on ESPN just playing beautiful basketball.  45 points in the 1st Quarter lol

[Fozz]

14 minutes ago, pazzo83 said:

you can literally just walk on top of the snowpack.

If this is anything like Feb 2007, then I imagine the glacier as a slippery sheet of ice that you can slide on.

[pazzo83]

4 minutes ago, Brianonymous said:

I almost killed myself on my own driveway shovel mounds trying to get into my car today. I parked a bit too close to them, so I did the natural thing of thinking I could just step on the mounds like we were living some kind of normal snow event. 

Heck no. Solid block of ice. I even stomp tested it in anger. No give.

 

I took a hammer to some of it on some steps (that we rarely use), and it was like "lol"

[pazzo83]

1 minute ago, Fozz said:

If this is anything like Feb 2007, then I imagine the glacier as a slippery sheet of ice that you can slide on.

yeah kids around here are just sliding on it.  Sledding on this is basically suicidal.

[Steve25]

2 minutes ago, Fozz said:

If this is anything like Feb 2007, then I imagine the glacier as a slippery sheet of ice that you can slide on.

It is. I tried walking on some of the untouched, grass covered areas today and it actually caught me off guard how slick it was. 

[Fozz]

9 minutes ago, pazzo83 said:

yeah kids around here are just sliding on it.  Sledding on this is basically suicidal.

I was one of those kids back in the day. Sledding would be a disaster, but ice skating might work.

[psuhoffman]

@mitchnick

I saw this seasonal snowfall mean map back in the early 2000s and was like “what’s that little max in north central MD just south of PA that gets as much snow as southern CT according to this. That can’t be real”. So I started paying attention to coop reports in the area after every storm.  Even drove up from northern VA a couple of times to see for myself. And damn it was real. During “snowy” periods there was this little area on these ridges up here that got dumped on. I remembered that when I ended up in the area and bought a place accordingly. 

[Interstate]

It is funny how 20 degrees does not feel cold anymore.

[wxdude64]

49 minutes ago, Interstate said:

It is funny how 20 degrees does not feel cold anymore.

Yep, what was simply wonderful was the 3-4 hour period midafternoon where we were almost calm on the winds. 

[Jebman]

2 hours ago, pazzo83 said:

yeah kids around here are just sliding on it.  Sledding on this is basically suicidal.

Get on one of those plastic circular 'sleds' like I did once. Go down a sleet covered hill. You will go fast as heck!!!!!

Good luck trying to stop. I was wearing gloves. They got shredded. Glaciated sleet pack is superfast stuff. Ride it at your own risk.

[pazzo83]

12 minutes ago, Jebman said:

Get on one of those plastic circular 'sleds' like I did once. Go down a sleet covered hill. You will go fast as heck!!!!!

Good luck trying to stop. I was wearing gloves. They got shredded. Glaciated sleet pack is superfast stuff. Ride it at your own risk.

my daughter's friend broke her wrist on Monday - you almost need those old-timey sleds with metal rails

[09-10 analogy]

I've put in some serious time in the OBX, although not recently. Part of the allure was that it was very pet-friendly and we had our two beloved beagles. Before our daughter was born, my wife and I would go there over Xmas occasionally (we saw the Millennium in with a bottle of Dom Perigon -- which someone had given us -- on top of Jockey's Ridge) and experienced a couple of coastal storms, which were wild even though they were wet. I can (or maybe can't) imagine what one would be like that was all snow.  Can't get down there, but wish I could.

[mappy]

13 hours ago, T. August said:

@WxUSAF @mappy a random normal non-weather person was talking about the past storm and mentioned how some parts of Harford County got 16”.

I hit the fastest “well actuallyyyy” in my entire life.

lol did you explain that 16” is from a notorious slant sticker?? 

[87storms]

Charlotte might get more snow in this coastal bombo than Frederick has seen in at least 5+ years.  I actually had a chance to move there (well, anywhere) in '21, but decided to try Frederick for a few reasons including because it snows more than Charlotte.  Granted, I'm still glad I chose Frederick because of the Watershed/Downtown combo, but yea...

[snowfan]

2 minutes ago, 87storms said:

Charlotte might get more snow in this coastal bombo than Frederick has seen in at least 5+ years.  I actually had a chance to move there (well, anywhere) in '21, but decided to try Frederick for a few reasons, but also because it snows more than Charlotte.  Granted, I'm still glad I chose Frederick because of the Watershed/Downtown combo, but yea...

They’re under a WSW for 5-8 that will start melting tomorrow. Enjoy your glacier from the 8” that Frederick reported less than a week ago. 

[87storms]

4 minutes ago, snowfan said:

They’re under a WSW for 5-8 that will start melting tomorrow. Enjoy your glacier from the 8” that Frederick reported less than a week ago. 

5-8" of "pure" snow is winning.  Gonna end up being a great event there.

[esullivan]

Last night in Folly Beach. Stopped at brothers house here for a couple days on the way to DC from FL. 

[EHoffman]

Damn W NC and NW SC getting absolutely pounded.  Awfully jealous.

[Terpeast]

9 minutes ago, EHoffman said:

Damn W NC and NW SC getting absolutely pounded.  Awfully jealous.

Look at raleigh/durham though

[Bob Chill]

15 minutes ago, Terpeast said:

Look at raleigh/durham though

That has to be one of the more evil dry slots. Upper level low and coastal have remained 2 separate and discrete events. RDU should get into the ULL action shortly but it's a shame things didn't merge and play nice today. 

[clskinsfan]

19 minutes ago, Terpeast said:

Look at raleigh/durham 

Definitely wild to see dry slots on a southern storm. We suck at winter here for the past decade. But the synaptics and science involved with watching storms unfold still amazes me. 

[BlizzardNole]

Oh man I just looked.  I would not want to be a Raleigh snow weenie right now!  Brutal

[Nomz]

Dudes would blame their wife leaving them on a nina

[snowfan]

Its like 15 degrees outside and there were 75k in attendance for the outdoor hockey game between penn state and Michigan state today in state college. That's pretty cool 

[Kay]

55 minutes ago, TowsonWeather said:

1. The last storm WAS majority sleet - both by duration and by QPF. Is that not clear to you?

2. Several Charlotte suburbs have gotten more snow (already) from this storm than I've gotten IMBY in Towson in a DECADE. So please, spare me the "some parts have the region have gotten ___ inches of sweet powder" nonsense. If Southern MD and Northern VA get smacked, I'm happy for them - but that doesn't change the reality for a huge portion of this board. 

I've had the same bad decade you have. Terrible. Last year/two I got jealous of DC, AA Co...jfc even BWI. So I feel part of this take. But - and clearly ymmv - this last event I measured majority snow and in my subjective limited human faculties, I shoveled majority snow. Looking out now at a blanket of white. Duration and qpf are valid things to note. It's just...the conversation was not just about data...and this storm was the best in ages for mby. I made friends with it. People are allowed to crap on it though! I hope we get the powder storm of our dreams...I will take another sleet bomb if need be.

Edit: not paying any attention to Charlotte or anywhere it is snowing rn. probably helping me out