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January 2011 Part 2


MotoWeatherman

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Posted from Larry in the other thread...good info....

- KATL hasn't had a 6"+ snow since the great 3/24/1983 storm's 7.9" (1.71" liquid..so very wet snow).

- As has been stated, most of ATL area had 6"+ S in the 3/1993 blizzard due to changing to snow earlier.

- KATL just missed it with 5" of S 1/18/1992 from 0.53" liquid.

- The 3/1/2009 storm had enough liquid equiv. (0.87") for 6"+ but it was way too wet a snow and they got 4.2".

- The great 1/7/1988 sleet storm yielded 4.2" of mainly IP from 0.82" liquid. So, this was equivalent to ~8" of snow. 4.2" of IP is easily more impressive than 6" of snow as far as staying power is concerned. Tony's favorite kind of wx.

- 1/22/1987 just missed as it was just a little too warm. They got 3.6" of snow from a storm total liquid amount of 1.14". I recalled there being flash flood warnings for heavy rain in the immediate SE burbs while it was snowing heavlily in the NW burbs! I got nearly 5" of S in Doraville.

- "Snowjam '82" produced a solid 7" of S/IP 1/12-14 (from 0.91" liquid) that didn't budge for days! That was an incredible storm.

- The Great 2/17-18/1979 sleetstorm produced a solid 4.2" of nearly pure IP (another Tony special) from a whopping 1.53": liquid. another incredible storm

- So, the period 1979-1993 was an incredible period for KATL S/IP lovers. This was the snowiest/sleetiest period for KATL since the late 1800's/early 1900's! However, after the 2/1979 major ZR, the ATL area didn't have another MAJOR ZR storm until 1/2000! So, all KATL major storms were S/IP from the 2/1979 IP storm through the 3/1993 blizzard.

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Posted from Larry in the other thread...good info....

- KATL hasn't had a 6"+ snow since the great 3/24/1983 storm's 7.9" (1.71" liquid..so very wet snow).

- As has been stated, most of ATL area had 6"+ S in the 3/1993 blizzard due to changing to snow earlier.

- KATL just missed it with 5" of S 1/18/1992 from 0.53" liquid.

- The 3/1/2009 storm had enough liquid equiv. (0.87") for 6"+ but it was way too wet a snow and they got 4.2".

- The great 1/7/1988 sleet storm yielded 4.2" of mainly IP from 0.82" liquid. So, this was equivalent to ~8" of snow. 4.2" of IP is easily more impressive than 6" of snow as far as staying power is concerned. Tony's favorite kind of wx.

- 1/22/1987 just missed as it was just a little too warm. They got 3.6" of snow from a storm total liquid amount of 1.14". I recalled there being flash flood warnings for heavy rain in the immediate SE burbs while it was snowing heavlily in the NW burbs! I got nearly 5" of S in Doraville.

- "Snowjam '82" produced a solid 7" of S/IP 1/12-14 (from 0.91" liquid) that didn't budge for days! That was an incredible storm.

- The Great 2/17-18/1979 sleetstorm produced a solid 4.2" of nearly pure IP (another Tony special) from a whopping 1.53": liquid. another incredible storm

- So, the period 1979-1993 was an incredible period for KATL S/IP lovers. This was the snowiest/sleetiest period for KATL since the late 1800's/early 1900's! However, after the 2/1979 major ZR, the ATL area didn't have another MAJOR ZR storm until 1/2000! So, all KATL major storms were S/IP from the 2/1979 IP storm through the 3/1993 blizzard.

Larry that sleet storm of 88 was amazing. I lived south of Atlanta at the time and the storm happened on a Thursday and I worked at a big box retailer and they were shut down for 3 days which is very usual in these parts of the world.

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Posted from Larry in the other thread...good info....

- So, the period 1979-1993 was an incredible period for KATL S/IP lovers. This was the snowiest/sleetiest period for KATL since the late 1800's/early 1900's! However, after the 2/1979 major ZR, the ATL area didn't have another MAJOR ZR storm until 1/2000! So, all KATL major storms were S/IP from the 2/1979 IP storm through the 3/1993 blizzard.

i was about to repost here as well since it was a really good post! i think why some of us, at least, got spoiled as we grew up here during the really good period :devilsmiley:

as for wed., i have been paying attention but unable to figure it out since it looks so close, yet again. i am hopeful we see at least something, and the past winter and a half lady luck seems to have been on our side a couple of times. it is interesting to see the qpf increasing as we get closer similar to the other storm.

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I have a couple of suggestions that might make this thread easier to follow:

1) Since the upcoming pattern appears fraught with several opportunities for wintry weather, when referencing a particular threat, attach a date or day to it so that everyone can align the comments with the particular threat.

2) Let's put obs into a separate obs thread.

3) Let's keep banter in the banter thread, unless said banter is particularly funny or clever. :)

I believe that will help everyone follow the myriad of threats and allow for a cleaner thread. Feel free to ignore any or all of this, though. :)

Now bring the :snowman: !

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Posted from Larry in the other thread...good info....

- KATL hasn't had a 6"+ snow since the great 3/24/1983 storm's 7.9" (1.71" liquid..so very wet snow).

- As has been stated, most of ATL area had 6"+ S in the 3/1993 blizzard due to changing to snow earlier.

- KATL just missed it with 5" of S 1/18/1992 from 0.53" liquid.

- The 3/1/2009 storm had enough liquid equiv. (0.87") for 6"+ but it was way too wet a snow and they got 4.2".

- The great 1/7/1988 sleet storm yielded 4.2" of mainly IP from 0.82" liquid. So, this was equivalent to ~8" of snow. 4.2" of IP is easily more impressive than 6" of snow as far as staying power is concerned. Tony's favorite kind of wx.

- 1/22/1987 just missed as it was just a little too warm. They got 3.6" of snow from a storm total liquid amount of 1.14". I recalled there being flash flood warnings for heavy rain in the immediate SE burbs while it was snowing heavlily in the NW burbs! I got nearly 5" of S in Doraville.

- "Snowjam '82" produced a solid 7" of S/IP 1/12-14 (from 0.91" liquid) that didn't budge for days! That was an incredible storm.

- The Great 2/17-18/1979 sleetstorm produced a solid 4.2" of nearly pure IP (another Tony special) from a whopping 1.53": liquid. another incredible storm

- So, the period 1979-1993 was an incredible period for KATL S/IP lovers. This was the snowiest/sleetiest period for KATL since the late 1800's/early 1900's! However, after the 2/1979 major ZR, the ATL area didn't have another MAJOR ZR storm until 1/2000! So, all KATL major storms were S/IP from the 2/1979 IP storm through the 3/1993 blizzard.

Amazing that 2 of the biggest snowstorms in the Atlanta area in the last 30 years occurred after March 10th !! That's just unbelievable to get 8 inches of snow at the end of March in Atlanta !!

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Larry that sleet storm of 88 was amazing. I lived south of Atlanta at the time and the storm happened on a Thursday and I worked at a big box retailer and they were shut down for 3 days which is very usual in these parts of the world.

The roads were horrible in many places for several days after due to there having been a near 96 hour period of 32 F or lower and the precip. having been mainly IP. In my opinion, the 4.2" mainly IP storms of 2/1988 and 2/1979 far exceeded the effects of a typical 6" snowstorm as far as driving and overall staying power are concerned.

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i was about to repost here as well since it was a really good post! i think why some of us, at least, got spoiled as we grew up here during the really good period :devilsmiley:

However, we may be in the midst of a new golden era for pure snow (3/09-12/10) at least in N GA and nearby areas! Perhaps this is the case since we appear to be entering a new grand minimum for sunspots....lowest in ~200 years.

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The 0z gfs looks to keep the heaviest precip down in south Ga....Temps also look warm.

EDIT: Sorry, this is for tomorrow night.

Was just looking at that. GFS is warmer and is usually more accurate than the NAM. At this point likely P-TYPE in GA would be cold rain.

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Amazing that 2 of the biggest snowstorms in the Atlanta area in the last 30 years occurred after March 10th !! That's just unbelievable to get 8 inches of snow at the end of March in Atlanta !!

March overall has been a major overachiever in ATL since 1980 vs. longterm climo (since the late 1800's) with the multiinch snows of 3/1980, 3/1983, 3/1993, and 3/2009. FEB was a major underachiever 1980-2009. Hopefully, 2/2010 is the start of a new trend for FEB. The late 1800's/early 1900's had more S in FEB than in any other month.

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March overall has been a major overachiever in ATL since 1980 vs. longterm climo (since the late 1800's) with the multiinch snows of 3/1980, 3/1983, 3/1993, and 3/2009.

It also seems like if Atlanta gets any wintry precip in March, it's almost always snow. I can't think of any sleet or icestorms in March in Atlanta, and even in February it seems like over the last 15-20 I can't remember many sleet or icestorms. Seems like Feb and March Atlanta is more likely to get snow than freezing rain or sleet, at least over the last 20 years or so.

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the OO z GFS seems to lose precip atter 18 hurs, but the latest RUC has it pretty substantial in Ga and the Caroinas, esp. around the Upstate to sw NC where its just barely cold enough to snow. So, the saga thickens. I still don't have a lot of hope here for much qpf , even if temps work out, but based on RUC and radar trends, the northern parts of GA stand a very good shot at some nice fluffy flakes. Also parts of Tenn and NC could get some minor accum. out of this, but the more important thing may be the visual impact of seeing fluffy flakes, not much accumulations. Howeve as I said earlier, these things are sneaky. Watch the radars tomorrow as well as RUC.

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It also seems like if Atlanta gets any wintry precip in March, it's almost always snow. I can't think of any sleet or icestorms in March in Atlanta, and even in February it seems like over the last 15-20 I can't remember many sleet or icestorms. Seems like Feb and March Atlanta is more likely to get snow than freezing rain or sleet, at least over the last 20 years or so.

Good memory. My take on that is that the atmosphere from 850 mb up tends to be a bit colder in FEB/MAR GA storms on average in relation to the surface vs. earlier winter storms. Actually I think that it is coldest in FEB in general due to a lag even though the coldest at the surface is in JAN in GA. I know that significant snows in SAV have been most frequent in FEB. The biggest "problem" with some FEB and MAR storms is that the snow is often very wet and, therefore, doesn't accumulate very efficiently in these cases. However, that wasn't a problem in 3/1993 or 3/1980 due to VERY cold surface temp.'s!

I know of no major mainly IP storms in MAR. However, I do know of several major MAR ZR's (the last one in 1971). Believe it or not, there was one as late as 3/25 (the one in 1971)!!! This 3/25/1971 major ZR was a major snow in NE GA.

Going back to the late 1800's, the highest concentration of major ZR's in ATL has been from late Dec. to early Feb. Jan. has easily been the main major ZR month.

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the colder air is prevailing on this run, further west , like the Euro and Phil mentioned. the only thing is the southern stream is weaker, which I have doubts about compared to the better resolution EURO. This could be overrunning snow for ATL and northern Deep South fairly quickly, adjusting for the biases of the GFS. By Sunday midday at 114 its supressed in southern Miss. and the precip shield doesnt' get far north. It may be correct, but I love the look , again adjusting for biases and errors the GFS has at this range.

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