Friday, February 4, 2011

State Senate Curtails Cuccinelli's Capers;
Limits Subpoena of Academic Research

In response to Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's fishing expedition in U. Va. email servers, the State Senate has voted to limit the powers to subpoena academic research. The Attorney General's investigation has been directed against former professor and climate researcher Michael Mann.

The sponsor of the legislation, Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, was quoted saying:
We have numerous legal issues in the commonwealth which requires the attention of the people’s lawyer, the Attorney General. We don’t need him sorting through the trash cans of our university professors in order to foment litigation.

Midwest Groundhog Day Blizzard Update: Michigan Snowfall Exceeded in 1978


Images (click to enlarge): Michigan storm total snowfall ending Feb. 2, 2011, from National Weather Service

The National Weather Service reports that a few daily snowfall records were set in western Michigan during the blizzard of February 1 and 2. However, the storm totals did not exceed the records set in the blizzard of 1978:
WITH THIS LATEST STORM...DAILY RECORDS WERE SET FOR FEBRUARY 1 AND
FEBRUARY 2...RESPECTIVELY. NO OTHER OFFICIAL RECORDS WERE BROKEN.
HERE ARE THE NEW RECORDS THAT WERE SET:

...GRAND RAPIDS...

FEBRUARY 1...RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL OF 6.1" (PREVIOUS WAS 5.7" IN
1974)
FEBRUARY 2...RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL OF 11.1" (PREVIOUS WAS 5.2" IN
1994)

...LANSING...

FEBRUARY 2...RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL OF 8.0" (PREVIOUS WAS 2.9" IN
1970)

...MUSKEGON...

NO RECORDS WERE SET DURING THIS STORM.

THE BLIZZARD OF 1978 SET A RECORD ALL-TIME CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL
OF 16.1" IN GRAND RAPIDS ON JANUARY 26. EVEN THOUGH THIS EVENT
RIVALED THAT BLIZZARD IN TERMS OF STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL...THE HIGHEST
CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL WITH THIS STORM IN GRAND RAPIDS IS
11.1"...WHICH FALLS SHORT OF THE 1978 RECORD.

THE STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL WITH THE BLIZZARD OF 1978 WAS 19.2". THIS
WAS ACTUALLY A 3 DAY TOTAL FROM JANUARY 25 THROUGH JANUARY 27.
THUS...THE STORM WAS LONGER IN DURATION THAN THIS STORM. WITH A
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 16.0" WITH THIS RECENT BLIZZARD...IT FALLS A
FEW INCHES SHORT OF THE 1978 STORM. HOWEVER...IT IS VERY IMPRESSIVE
THAT THIS RECENT STORM PRODUCED AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF SNOW IN A
RELATIVELY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. IMPACTS TO COMMERCE WERE MORE
SEVERE DURING THE 1978 STORM...BUT THIS LATEST BLIZZARD MANAGED TO
SHUT DOWN MANY BUSINESSES AND SCHOOLS FOR AT LEAST 2 DAYS. IT ALSO
STRANDED HUNDREDS OF MOTORISTS IN CHICAGO WITH WINDS UP TO 70 MPH
RECORDED AT THE CHICAGO LAKEFRONT. THE HIGHEST RECORDED WIND GUST IN
GRAND RAPIDS WAS 49 MPH THE NIGHT OF FEBRUARY 1.

THE FOLLOWING LISTS INCLUDE THE TOP 3 ALL TIME CALENDAR DAY
(MIDNIGHT TO MIDNIGHT) SNOWFALL MEASUREMENTS FOR GRAND
RAPIDS...LANSING...AND MUSKEGON.

GRAND RAPIDS

1. 16.1" (JAN 26 1978)
2. 14.2" (DEC 11 2000)
3. 14.0" (JAN 31 1914)

LANSING

1. 15.4" (JAN 26 1967)
2. 15.1" (JAN 26 1978)
3. 14.5" (DEC 11 2000)

MUSKEGON

1. 22.0" (JAN 10 1982)
2. 21.7" (JAN 26 1978)
3. 16.0" (NOV 14 1908)

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Midwest Groundhog Day Blizzard Update: Wisconsin Records Set



Images (click to enlarge): 24-hour and storm total snowfall ending Feb. 2, 2011 for southern Wisconsin, from National Weather Service

Special note for Tom Nelson fans: Check out the link he forgot to include.

The National Weather Service has reported that several Wisconsin locations observed top-5 snowfall amounts for 24, 48, or 72 hours in the blizzard ending yesterday:
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN WAS RECENTLY BOMBARDED WITH MULTIPLE STORMS THAT   
PRODUCED BETWEEN 15 TO 28 INCHES DURING A 72 HOUR PERIOD. MANY SITES
SAW SNOWFALL RECORDS BROKEN DURING THIS PERIOD...FOR 24 HOUR...48
HOUR...AND 72 HOUR INCREMENTS. THE FOLLOWING TABLES NOTE THE SITES
THAT REPORTED SNOWFALL AMOUNTS IN THE TOP FIVE SINCE OBSERVATIONS
BEGAN.
**THE BEGINNING YEAR IS HOW LONG DATA HAS BEEN COLLECTED FROM THE
INDIVIDUAL SITE**

24-HOUR SNOWFALL RECORDS (FEBRUARY 1-2)
-------------------------------------

LOCATION AMOUNT RANK BEGINNING YEAR
(INCHES)
------------------------------------------------------------------
RACINE 24.0 1ST 1896
HALES CORNERS(WHITNALL PARK) 22.0 1ST 2000
BURLINGTON 17.0 1ST 1948
KENOSHA 16.8 1ST 1944
MILWAUKEE 16.0 4TH 1871
N.MILWAUKEE (MT MARY COLLEGE) 15.0 2ND 1946
BELOIT 15.0 TIED 1ST 1893
PADDOCK LAKE 14.0 1ST 2004
STOUGHTON 14.0 TIED 1ST 1931
CLINTON 11.5 2ND 1948

48-HOUR SNOWFALL RECORDS (JANUARY 31-FEBRUARY 2)
------------------------------------------------

LOCATION AMOUNT RANK BEGINNING YEAR
(INCHES)
------------------------------------------------------------------
HALES CORNERS (WHITNALL PARK) 28.0 1ST 2000
RACINE 26.0 1ST 1896
KENOSHA 25.3 1ST 1944
N.MILWAUKEE (MT MARY COLLEGE) 20.5 2ND 1946
BURLINGTON 20.0 1ST 1948
MILWAUKEE 19.6 4TH 1871
STOUGHTON 19.1 1ST 1931
BELOIT 17.0 2ND 1893
PADDOCK LAKE 16.8 1ST 2004
MADISON 14.3 5TH 1869
CLINTON 13.9 3RD 1948
BLANCHARDVILLE 11.0 TIED 4TH 1954

72-HOUR SNOWFALL RECORDS (JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 2)
------------------------------------------------
LOCATION AMOUNT RANK BEGINNING
YEAR
(INCHES)
------------------------------------------------------------------
HALES CORNER(WHITNALL PARK) 28.0 2ND 2000
RACINE 26.0 1ST 1896
KENOSHA 27.3 1ST 1944
N. MILWAUKEE 20.5 3RD 1946
BURLINGTON 20.0 1ST 1948
STOUGHTON 19.1 1ST 1931
MADISON 18.7 2ND 1869
BELOIT 17.0 TIED 5TH 1948
PADDOCK LAKE 16.8 1ST 2004

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Pepco Failometer Update: 2778

Yes, failure fans, the wind has increased to over 20 mph, and your Baghdad Dys-Peptico power system has gone into failure mode. Currently there are 83 outages affecting 2778 customers.

Snowfall Totals Range Up To 20" Over 2 Feet in Midwest Blizzard; New February Daily Record at Chicago


Midnight Update: The National Weather Service reports that this was the 3rd biggest snowstorm in Chicago history, and the biggest in the month of February:
1.  23.0 inches Jan 26-27, 1967
2. 21.6 inches Jan 1-3, 1999
3. 20.2 inches Feb 1-2, 2011
4. 19.2 inches Mar 25-26, 1930
5. 18.8 inches Jan 13-14, 1979
6. 16.2 inches Mar 7-8, 1931
7. 15.0 inches Dec 17-20, 1929
8. 14.9 inches Jan 30, 1939
9. 14.9 inches Jan 6-7, 1918
10. 14.3 inches Mar 25-26, 1970
It was also the 4th biggest in Rockford history:
1.  16.3 inches on January 6-7, 1918
2. 16.0 inches on March 30–31, 1926
3. 15.0 inches on March 21–22, 1932
4. 14.3 inches on February 1-2, 2011
5. 13.8 inches on March 1–2, 1948
6. 12.9 inches on December 11–13, 1909
7. 12.5 inches on February 10–11, 1944
8. 12.3 inches on January 11–14, 1979
9. 12.0 inches on January 17–19, 1943
10. 11.5 inches on January 14–15, 1943
In Milwaukee, the Weather Service reports:
- The total snow amount that fell on Wednesday, February 2nd was 9.1 inches, a new daily record for this day for Milwaukee.

- 16.0 inches fell between 6 pm on Tuesday, February 1st and noon on Wednesday, February 2nd. This total is tied for fourth for any 24 hour period.

- 19.6 inches fell between noon on Monday, January 31st and noon, Wednesday, February 2nd. This total is fourth for any 48 hour period.
6 PM Update: Today's 6.6" at Chicago O'Hare is a new record for the date. The preliminary storm total is 20.2", and the season to date is 47.5". The record February snowfall was 27.8" in 1896, and the record winter amount (December-February) was 80.6" in 1978-1979. This season now ranks 11th. Chicago snowfall records began in 1884.

5 PM Update: As the heavy snow winds down, the National Weather Service is reporting a peak snowfall amount of 27" near Antioch, Illinois, with another 2-foot-plus amount (24.3") north of Glen Ellyn. In southern Wisconsin, locations near Kenosha (24") and Racine (23.5") were also in the 2-foot range. Here are the 20"+ reports as of 4 pm:
...ILLINOIS...
ANTIOCH 2.1 ESE 27.0
GLEN ELLYN 2.3 N 24.3
ST. CHARLES 6.0 NW 22.7
BEACH PARK 1.4 W 21.7
GENEVA 0.9 N 21.5
MARSEILLES 5.6 WNW 21.5
OTTAWA 1.3 NW 21.5
WONDER LAKE 0.8 WNW 21.1
WOODSTOCK 5 NW 21.1
SPRING GROVE 2 N 20.8
WESTMONT 1.2 SSE 20.3
HOFFMAN ESTATES 4.6 W 20.2
ABINGDON 20.0
INVERNESS 1.7 S 20.0
NORTH AURORA 1.5 NE 20.0

...WISCONSIN...
KENOSHA 4.8 NNE 24.0
RACINE 2.3 WSW 23.5
WEST ALLIS 0.7 SSE 22.5

...MISSOURI...
GREEN RIDGE 3.3 SW 22.0
URBANA 2.7 NNE 22.0
JERICO SPRINGS 20.0

...OKLAHOMA...
MIAMI 20.0
Original post:
The massive storm system now moving through the Northeast has left snowfall amounts ranging up to 20" and ice amounts near 1" in some parts of the Midwest.

The snowfall on Tuesday, February 1, was a new all-time February calendar day record at Chicago, according to the National Weather Service:
A RECORD BREAKING 13.6 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT CHICAGO OHARE  
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT YESTERDAY. THIS NOT ONLY BREAKS THE PREVIOUS
RECORD OF 4.0 INCHES FOR THE DATE SET BACK ON FEBRUARY 1 1967...BUT
ALSO ESTABLISHES A NEW ALL TIME RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH
OF FEBRUARY FOR CHICAGO. THE PREVIOUS CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL RECORD
FOR CHICAGO FOR FEBRUARY WAS 11.5 INCHES SET BACK ON FEBRUARY 18
1908.
The main reason for the excessive snowfall was the record-setting liquid precipitation:
A DAILY RECORD PRECIPTATION OF 0.74 INCH(ES) WAS SET AT  
CHICAGO-OHARE IL YESTERDAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 0.67 SET
IN 1915.
As of this morning, here are some storm total ice and snowfall reports from the National Weather Service via the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (alphabetical by state):
...SELECTED STORM TOTAL FREEZING RAIN ICE AMOUNTS IN INCHES FROM
700 AM EST MON JAN 31 THROUGH 900 AM EST WED FEB 02...

...CONNECTICUT...
BRIDGEPORT 0.50
NEW HAVEN 0.40
CHESTER 0.20

...NEW JERSEY...
CLIFTON 0.60
WHITEHOUSE 0.50
HAWTHORNE 0.30
EWING 0.25
GLEN ROCK 0.20

...NEW YORK...
SHOREHAM 0.60
BRONX 0.50
LEVITTOWN 0.40
REGO PARK 0.30
SCARSDALE 0.20
WOODSTOCK 0.20

...PENNSYLVANIA...
HONEY BROOK 0.50
SPRING MOUNT 0.50
ERNEST 0.25
EXTON 0.25
HOMINY RIDGE 0.25

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES FROM 700 AM EST MON JAN
31 THROUGH 900 AM EST WED FEB 02...

...CONNECTICUT...
ENFIELD 9.2
STAFFORD SPRINGS 8.7
SUFFIELD 8.4
SOUTH CANAAN 2 N 8.3
WEST HARTFORD 6.5
POMFRET 6.3
WATERBURY 5.0
MANSFIELD 4.0

...ILLINOIS...
SPRING GROVE 2N 20.8
MUNDELEIN 17.5
CHICAGO - OHARE AIRPORT 17.3
STREAMWOOD 16.5
DE KALB 15.7
ROMEOVILLE 14.4
YORKVILLE 12.0
BATAVIA 11.5
NAPERVILLE 10.6
KANAKEE 7.5

...INDIANA...
LITERS FORD 12.0
REMINGTON 10.4
NORTH WEBSTER 2 N 8.2
WARSAW 2 ENE 5.0
LIMA 4.5
MILLERSBURG 1 SW 4.0

...MASSACHUSETTS...
WEST SPRINGFIELD 13.5
SUDBURY 13.0
WARE 11.5
BOYLSTON 10.8
HEATH 10.5
METHUEN 9.8
RANDOLPH 9.8
BOSTON - LOGAN ARPT 9.7
BROCKTON 9.1
NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH 8.5

...MAINE...
CHERRYFIELD 4.0
NORWAY 1 ESE 3.8
LEWISTON 2 E 3.5
BRIDGTON 3.3
DURHAM 3.0
PORTLAND 3 WNW 2.6
DEER ISLE 3 N 2.0

...MICHIGAN...
CARO 10.7
FLUSHING 9.0
YALE 8.0
ORTONVILLE 7.5
NEW HAVEN 7.0

...NEW HAMPSHIRE...
WINCHESTER 8.5
HUDSON 7.3
NASHUA 7.0
EAST ALSTEAD 6.0
DERRY 3 E 5.5
GREENFIELD 5.0
GILFORD 3 S 4.0
SPRINGFIELD 1 NNW 4.0
EATON 3 SSW 3.0

...NEW JERSEY...
WANTAGE 5.0
GREEN POND 4.5
WEST MILFORD 4.0

...NEW YORK...
GREENVILLE 11.5
LATHAM 10.5
SCHENECTADY 9.6
CAROGA LAKE 9.5
KINDERHOOK 9.0
SARATOGA SPRINGS 8.0
MOUNT HOPE 7.8
WOODSTOCK 7.5
WELLS 5.5
ARMONK 3.8

...OHIO...
BEL MORE 4 NNE 6.5
VAN WERT 5.2

...PENNSYLVANIA...
SE STANFORDVILLE 5.5
POCONO SUMMIT 5.0
TOBYHANNA 4.4
MAHONING TWP 3.9

...RHODE ISLAND...
MANVILLE 7.7
WEST GLOCESTER 6.7
HARRISVILLE 6.3
SCITUATE 5.5
WARWICK 5.0

...VERMONT...
BENNINGTON 2 E 8.0
WOODFORD 7.0
GILFORD 5.2
SOUTH BURLINGTON 1 NE 4.9

...WISCONSIN...
KEWAUNEE 9.0
GERMANTOWN 6.9
PE LL LAKE 6.8
MOUNT HEREBY 6.2
HARTLAND 5.5
GREEN BAY 5.0
SATISFIED 4.5
DODGE VILLE 4.0
PALMYRA 4.0
WHITEWATER 4.0
MILWAUKEE 3.7

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL FREEZING RAIN IN INCHES WHERE THE EVENT
HAS ENDED...

...ARKANSAS...
WINSLOW 0.25

...ILLINOIS...
MOSQUE 2 S 0.75
ELLIS GROVE 0.50
FLORA 0.50
NASHVILLE 0.50
NEWTON 0.40
LANE 0.30
MOUNT ZION 0.30
MUTTON 0.30
ROBINSON 7 NW 0.30
CASEY 0.25
CHARLESTON 0.25
EFFINGHAM 0.25
DANVILLE 0.20

...INDIANA...
INDIANAPOLIS 0.61
GREENS FORK 0.50
LIBERTY 0.50
GREENWOOD 0.30
JAMESTOWN 1 E 0.30
TERRIE HATE 0.30
BATESVILLE 0.25
BROOKVILLE 1 W 0.25
CENTERVILLE 0.25

...MISSOURI...
FORD LAND 4 S 0.25 5
HIGHLAND 3 E 0.10
MACON 0.10

...OHIO...
COLUMBUS 0.90
UNION 0.80
COSHOCTON 0.60
DAYTON 0.60
WEST POINT 0.60
GREENVILLE 0.50
OXFORD 0.50
SALEM 0.50
CINCINNATI 5 NW 0.40

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES WHERE THE EVENT HAS
ENDED...

...ARKANSAS...
BENTONVILLE 5.0
BELLA VISTA 4.0

...IOWA...
EDGEWOOD 8.0
CORYDON 7.0
MECHANICSVILLE 6 E 5.9
CEDAR RAPIDS 3 NNW 4.5

...KANSAS...
S FORT SCOTT 18.0
ALTA MONT 13.0
ERIE 5 NW 13.0
PARSONS 1 W 13.0
FREDONIA 11.0
ARKANSAS CITY 10.0
CANEY 10.0
GREELEY 10.0
HOWARD 10.0
RICHMOND 10.0
YATES CENTER 10.0 ESTIMATED
GARNETT 9.5
OTTAWA 8.5
WINFIELD 7.5
EL DORADO 7.0
TOPEKA 6 WSW 6.0
WICHITA 7.1 ESE 5.0

...MINNESOTA...
MORGAN 11.0
MARSHALL 0.6 S 10.0
BIRD ISLAND 9.0 NNE 7.0
MONTEVIDEO 0.4 SSW 5.3
MINNEAPOLIS 4.7
LAKEVILLE 4.4
FOREST LAKE 3.3

...MISSOURI...
NEW BLOOMFIELD 19.0
JEFFERSON CITY 18.3
COLUMBIA 12 N 18.0
APPLETON CITY 17.0
MEXICO 17.0
FULTON 2 SSE 16.0
ST. MARTINS 15.0
STOCKTON 15.0
MEADVILLE 14.0
NEMO 14.0
ASHLAND 7 NE 13.0
BROOKFIELD 13.0
CHILLICOTHE 12.5

...NEW MEXICO...
CLOUDCROFT 4.9 NE 5.2
ALBUQUERQUE 8.4 ENE 5.0

...OKLAHOMA...
MIAMI 20.0
OWASSO 1 W 19.0
AFTON 18.0
PAHASKA 2 S 17.0
TULSA 9 SE 15.0
VINITA 12.0
GLEN POOL 11.0
HENRYETTA 11.0
HOMINY 11.0
KANSAS 4 E 11.0
NOWATA 10.0
PRYOR 10.0
WAGONER 10.0
CLAREMORE 9.5
NORMAN 7 E 7.0
OKLAHOMA CITY 7.0

...TEXAS...
ABILENE 6.0
ROBY 6.0
ALBANY 5.0
BOONS VILLE 3 E 5.0
JACKBOOT 5.0
GRAFORD 8.1 ENE 4.5
DECATUR 4.0
FRIONA 4.0

Pepco Failometer Index: 11,000;
Nation's Capital Electricity Supplier Fails in the Rain

The collapsing electrical system of Baghdad Washington, DC and its suburbs was reported to have over 10,000 customers without power tonight . . . in a rainstorm. Apparently the forecast of an ice storm, which has failed to materialize, was enough to knock the equivalent of a moderate size town off the grid. According to tbd.com:
More than 11,000 customers are out of power in Maryland and D.C. tonight, with the bulk of power outages in Montgomery County.

Pepco is reporting that 9,513 customers in Montgomery County are in the dark tonight.

And 1,802 customers are out of power in D.C.

This comes as Pepco announced Tuesday that it was sending hundreds of Pepco workers into the field to prevent power outages.

Customers and elected officials have been critical of the power company since Wednesday, when a snow storm hit the region and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of customers in the area.

Some Pepco customers didn't have their power restored until Monday night.
The WaPo reports nearly all were restored after 2 hours, so that's OK. Who really needs electricity 24 hours a day?

In the next installment: excerpts from emails to the Montgomery County Council.

Arctic Ice Extent Reaches Record January Low

The National Snow and Ice Data Center reported yesterday that Arctic ice extent reached an all-time low for the month of January:
Arctic sea ice extent averaged over January 2011 was 13.55 million square kilometers (5.23 million square miles). This was the lowest January ice extent recorded since satellite records began in 1979. It was 50,000 square kilometers (19,300 square miles) below the record low of 13.60 million square kilometers (5.25 million square miles), set in 2006, and 1.27 million square kilometers (490,000 square miles) below the 1979 to 2000 average.

Ice extent in January 2011 remained unusually low in Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait (between southern Baffin Island and Labrador), and Davis Strait (between Baffin Island and Greenland). Normally, these areas freeze over by late November, but this year Hudson Bay did not completely freeze over until mid-January. The Labrador Sea remains largely ice-free.

New February Daily Snowfall Record at Oklahoma City

The National Weather Service reports that the major storm sweeping through the Midwest has set an all-time daily snowfall record for February at Oklahoma City:
PRELIMINARY REPORTS INDICATE THAT 11.8 INCHES OF SNOWFALL HAS BEEN   
MEASURED TODAY AT WILL ROGERS WORLD AIRPORT IN OKLAHOMA CITY. THIS
IS A NEW RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL...BREAKING THE OLD RECORD OF 5.5
INCHES WHICH WAS SET ON THIS DATE IN 1913.

TODAYS SNOWFALL IS ALSO A NEW DAILY RECORD AMOUNT FOR ANY FEBRUARY
DATE...BREAKING THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 6.5 INCHES WHICH OCCURRED ON
FEBRUARY 7TH IN 1986.

THE MONTHLY RECORD SNOWFALL FOR OKLAHOMA CITY IS 12.9 INCHES...SET
IN 1913. TODAYS AMOUNT OF 11.8 INCHES ALREADY PLACES FEBRUARY OF
2011 INTO THIRD PLACE ON THE MONTHLY RECORD LIST.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Record Snows Fueled by Record Heat;
January Heat Outpaces Cold

As noted in the previous post, some areas of the Northeast U.S. have racked up impressive snowfall totals so far this winter, particularly in near-coastal portions of southern New England. Hartford, for example, set an all-time monthly snowfall record in January. Is this the harbinger of a cooling trend, as some alarmist ice-agers would claim? In fact, preliminary data for January from the National Climatic Data Center indicate that, for the U.S. as a whole, record high temperatures actually exceeded record low temperatures.

This is now the 10th month out of the last 13 since last January that heat records have exceeded cold ones. The ratio of high temperature records to low temperature records over that period is 2.18 to 1, and the cumulative excess of heat records is almost 7000.

Images (click to enlarge):
- Monthly total number of daily high temperature, low temperature, and high minimum temperature records set in the U.S. for July 2010 through January 2011, data from NOAA National Climatic Data Center, background image © Kevin Ambrose (www.weatherbook.com). Includes historical daily observations archived in NCDC's Cooperative Summary of the Day data set and preliminary reports from Cooperative Observers and First Order National Weather Service stations. All stations have a Period of Record of at least 30 years.
- Cumulative excess of heat records vs. cold records by month for January 2010 through January 2011, data source as above

Monday, January 31, 2011

Mid-Winter Snowfall Review: East Coast 80% Above Average

As of January 29 (Saturday), meteorological winter was 2/3 over (30 days remaining until March 1). The seasonal snowfall amounts to date from the major East Coast National Weather Service reporting locations show that overall snowfall has been 83% above average across the region.

The top chart shows the total snowfall this season through January 29 (blue bars) compared to the climatological normal (green bars) for 26 stations from Caribou, Maine through Raleigh, North Carolina. The stations are arranged roughly from north to south. With the exception of the lake-effect snowfall at Syracuse (SYR), the greatest amounts relative to normal have been at near-coastal locations from southern New England through the Mid Atlantic. In fact, Caribou, Maine (CAR), the most northerly location, has a deficit of over 20" (second chart). The area with the most excess of snow ranges from Boston (BOS) to Philadelphia (PHL). Note that the interior location of Scranton (AVP) is the only other one besides Caribou with below-average snowfall.

Here's the full list of stations and snowfall amounts (inches) to date, compiled from individual National Weather Service daily climate reports:
                    Through 1-29
YTD Normal
CAR Caribou ME 40.1 63.5
BGR Bangor ME 57.0 35.0
BTV Burlington VT 54.6 44.7
PWM Portland ME 42.3 36.2
CON Concord NH 45.4 35.9
ALB Albany NY 47.1 35.1
BGM Binghamton NY 56.9 44.8
SYR Syracuse NY 115.1 67.0
BOS Boston MA 60.3 20.8
ORH Worcester MA 61.6 30.7
PVD Providence RI 41.0 17.3
BDL Hartford CT 71.2 24.8
BDR Bridgeport CT 54.4 12.2
NYC Central Park NY 56.1 10.5
EWR Newark NJ 61.8 11.6
AVP Scranton PA 22.6 24.4
ACY Atlantic City NJ 34.1 6.0
PHL Philadelphia PA 37.9 8.3
ABE Allentown PA 30.6 15.6
ILG Wilmington DE 22.0 9.5
BWI Baltimore MD 12.1 8.7
DCA Washington DC 9.4 8.0
IAD Dulles VA 11.8 10.6
RIC Richmond VA 10.7 5.9
ORF Norfolk VA 18.0 2.5
RDU Raleigh NC 8.6 2.8

Seasonal Outlook

Latest seasonal forecast: Click here.


Latest 3-month temperature outlook from Climate Prediction Center/NWS/NOAA.