January 24-26: Miracle or Mirage OBS Thread!

[eyewall]

8 hours ago, Jebman said:

I am very happy you are okay. You'll get the windshield fixed, but the most important thing is you are okay.

Thank you and yep about to go to the dealer for when they open.

[MN Transplant]

12 hours ago, Roger Smith said:

DCA reported 1.99" liquid and 6.9" snow. If I'm generous and say .09" of that was freezing drizzle (probably an overestimate) then their snow report equals real snow plus sleet at some possible-to-calculate ratio after an assumption is made on the snowfall to liquid conversion. I will assume 10:1 in my calculation that follows.

So let's say 5" real snow, then we have

5.0 + 1.40*(ratio/10) = 6.9

That reduces to 1.40*(ratio/10) = 1.9

and makes ratio/10 = .21, in other words a 2.1 :  1.0  ratio. Sleet ratios are often quoted at 3:1. 

For 3:1 to be correct, then snow at 10:1 is 2.7" .. that is clearly a low estimate based on regional reports.

So either this was very watery sleet or very underestimated sleet. I would guess what really happened is that 3" of sleet pounded 6" of snow down to 4 inches and sat on top giving 7 inches.  

Roger - my sleet was 2:1