January 24-26: Miracle or Mirage OBS Thread!

[mappy]

Mr Map left me a note saying snow started around 1am.

Measured 3” - pixie flakes falling 

[Ruin]

3 minutes ago, stormtracker said:

I need this in my life 

Careful fruition about that.Because the dry area is just to the south.And west of those big blobs and moisture, unfortunately, it doesn't look like the radar is filling in.It's actually getting drier

[87storms]

3 minutes ago, EastCoast NPZ said:

That's probably next.

100% sleet now.

Well that’s not ideal. Guess I need to head out soon, sinus cold or not.

[hsq]

6 minutes ago, hsq said:

4.25” in Huntingtown.  I’m in circled area, still no sleet mixed in… yet. Also, a few wind gusts in past hour have been a ton of fun!  17F

 

I should’ve kept my mouth shut!  Just changed over to IP.

[T. August]

Obs/measurement question: should the snow board be cleared after the transition to sleet, even if it’s before the 6 hour clearing?

[Ji]

How is Winchester sleet? So the Nam won?

[MN Transplant]

5.0” on 0.56” precip.  So we scored on the precip and the ratios were bad.  As is evidenced by my mesh outdoor furniture not collecting snow at all with tiny snow grains. (Actual snowboard location in fencing above dog).

 

[Terrapinwx]

Starting to hear some pingers in Chesapeake Beach but still have solid flakes coming down. Wind has really picked up getting gusts up to 20 now, worried what that will do if we flip to freezing rain for an extended time


.

[balltermen]

4.8".  all snow still. 

[EastCoast NPZ]

1 minute ago, 87storms said:

Well that’s not ideal. Guess I need to head out soon, sinus cold or not.

The change over was very quick.  I saw flake size and intensity increasing so I got dressed to go out and enjoy..  As soon as i opened the door I heard the pings.  A minute later it was all sleet.  Now its pouring sleet.  A kick in the nuts.

[HighStakes]

Haven't measured. Maybe 3.5 or so. Moderate snow and almost heavy now but picking up in intensity now. Tiny flakes and low visibility. Piling up though. Temp has been hovering around 10.

[NorthArlington101]

How is Winchester sleet? So the Nam won?

NAM kicked butt on thermals for the most part as anyone should’ve reasonably expected. I don’t know if anyone modeled the I-81 corridor flipping to sleet before DC, though

[Eskimo Joe]

2 minutes ago, T. August said:

Obs/measurement question: should the snow board be cleared after the transition to sleet, even if it’s before the 6 hour clearing?

Yes, then a best practice is to log the time. 

[Terpeast]

snow putting up a valiant fight. Will prob cross the 5” mark soon

[Wetbulbs88]

16 minutes ago, heavy_wx said:

I measured just over 4" of snow here in North Bethesda with moderate snow falling currently. The aggregates are mostly compact indicating less than optimal snow growth at temperatures > -10C and possibly some riming. I did see a few dendrites mixed in so there is still some growth occurring at temperatures < -12C.

Yes the growth is awful. We're not going to get near forecast totals. At least it's beautiful out, and we're not going to flip to rain (famous last words). 

[LeesburgWx]

1 minute ago, Ji said:

How is Winchester sleet? So the Nam won?

Loudoun holding on for dear life

[LP08]

Back to good flakes in the band coming into dc.  Probably last hurrah before the sleet.

[EastCoast NPZ]

1 minute ago, Ji said:

How is Winchester sleet? So the Nam won?

Why people discount that model is head scratching.   It is almost always right with thermals.

[Snowman.]

Pouring heavy snow still. North of Sterling VA.

[MillvilleWx]

4.8” at 7am for out here. Moderate snow continues 

[nj2va]

~4.9” still all snow but very rimed.  

[87storms]

I’ll say this…it looks awesome outside. Very hecs-y (while it’s snowing). About to go out and investigate.

[ifindppl]

Wind has picked up, much gustier.  Still ripping flakes.  No pingers yet.

[PrinceFrederickWx]

3.3” and we’ve flipped to all sleet.

[Kmlwx]

Seems people forget that the radar beam rises in elevation as it gets farther away from the radome. Hence the donut appearance in winter weather events - and also subsequently why low level rotation for tornadoes can get missed in radar sparse zones away from the radar. 

The beam height near Winchester is over 2500ft. Once you get out to Delray, WV it's almost 5000ft! 

[Wetbulbs88]

1 minute ago, EastCoast NPZ said:

Why people discount that model is head scratching.   It is almost always right with thermals.

Most focus on its QPF exaggerations. But the NAM has always had its benefits and I've always stood by its usefulness. 

[baltosquid]

Somewhere between 4 and 5 inches in Baltimore based on the very scientific technique and shoving my hand index finger first into the snow while walking the dog and measuring up to the spot it sunk to when I got home. Probably 4.25ish. Very beautiful walk though! Snow got heavier as it went on. May have been one of the first people to put footprints in Patterson park. As long as we get a band of heavy stuff before the changeover I think we are good for 6…

[Ji]

Snowing hard in Leesburg and still don’t hear pingers. I can see the snow easily

[DarthHokie]

1 minute ago, Terpeast said:

snow putting up a valiant fight. Will prob cross the 5” mark soon

Yea definitely now its starting to mix then go back.  Coming down hard, but its about to give.

[Paleocene]

Still all snow in silver spring at 715, dawn breaking. Mod to heavy. Eyeballing 4-5", haven't ventured out. Gorgeous!