DISCUSSION: As a reasonably strong low pressure system moved across the North Atlantic Ocean over the past 24 to 48 hours, there was history in the making. To be more specific, there was a record snowfall for the month of February reported in Reykjavik, Iceland. To be more precise, the snow depth was measured at 51 cm (or 20.08 inches) at 9:00 AM Atlantic Standard Time (AST) on Sunday morning (February 26) in the capital city of Iceland which breaks the record of 48 cm (or 18.90 inches) recorded back in February of 1952. As you can see from the images above (captured the morning after the heaviest recent snowfall occurred), there was most certainly very substantial snowfall accumulated on the ground. It is not common to see heavy snowfall across Iceland since extra-tropical cyclones which move through this part of the North Atlantic Ocean change the character of their impacts during the course of their existence. For example, the heaviest precipitation from previously classic Nor'easters often weakens in intensity over far northern sections of the North Atlantic Ocean and therefore does not often reach areas such as Iceland.
To learn more about other high-impact winter weather events from around the world, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz
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Winter Storm to Impact the Midwest United States (Credit: NWS Central Region, NWS Sioux Falls)2/23/2017  With the record warm February temperatures these past few days, it’s hard to believe that parts of the Midwest will be pulling the shovels and the boots out again. A strong winter storm system is set to bring heavy snow and gusty winds from Wyoming to Minnesota. This storm is associated with a cold front moving east and is expected to strengthen as it moves into the High Plains. In the path of the storm, there will be snow totals ranging from 10- 16 inches. Despite the warm temperatures and the ground being warm, snow accumulation is still expected to occur. This is a dangerous storm that will make driving very unsafe. Winter storm watches and blizzard watches have been issued ahead of this to prepare people for the potential hazardous road conditions. With heavy snow expected, be prepared with the essentials at home and in your car! Winter is back for now! ~Meteorologist Shannon Scully   DISCUSSION: As we reflect on the progress of this current 2016-2017 winter season up this point in time, there are fairly major discrepancies to be found only just a few years ago by this time. More specifically, this discrepancy is referring to the tremendous contrast in the degree of total lake ice coverage across the western Great Lakes region of the northern/northeastern United States. As you can clearly see in the graphic attached above (courtesy of forecasters at the National Weather Service office located in Marquette, Michigan), there is a major contrast in the amount of ice coverage across Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron just to start. Though the statistics for Lake Ontario and Lake Erie are not presented in the graphic above, there has most definitely been a precipitous drop-off in the magnitude of lake ice cover across those Great Lakes as well when comparing the 2013-2014 winter season and the 2016-2017 winter season.
The chief factor which has been responsible for this tremendous difference in the amount of lake ice cover in place during this current 2016-2017 winter season is the predominantly warmer conditions which have dominated across many parts of the nation. These warmer conditions in place across many sections of the eastern United States have been due to greater tendencies for southerly flow which are a direct consequence of more low pressure systems moving through the central-to-eastern United States. Thus, as these more prevalent low pressure systems developed and moved across the eastern half of the nation, there was a greater frequent for warmer air masses to surge further northward. As a result of this more frequent northward surge of warmer air, this has consequently allowed the majority of the western and the eastern Great Lakes region to remain chiefly unfrozen through the course of this winter up to this point in time. It is worth noting that there is still a possibility that this could change but it does not appear to be likely based on the relatively warmer patterns that appear most likely to continue in the coming days and weeks. To learn more about other neat winter weather-related stories from around the world, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Evaluating the Variable Intensity of the Recent February 8-9 Snowstorm! (credit: Dr. Bob Hart)2/14/2017  DISCUSSION: As the numbers continue to be organized by various forecasters, researchers, a clearer picture is being painted about the evolution of the recent February 8 to 9 snowstorm. As previously noted in other recent posts in both our North America and winter weather sections, this recent snowstorm impacted areas in and around the greater New York City metro area as well as areas located to the north and east. To get into some of the finer details of how this storm evolved, we will be analyzing the graphic above (courtesy of Dr. Bob Hart from Florida State University). The graphic above shows the distribution of major reporting stations from along the heart of the I-95 corridor and points to the east. The details of this graphic are explained in detail below for your convenience.
As noted in the graphic, each of the colored circles represent the corresponding number of hours in which official blizzard conditions were reported with light blue shading representing 3 hours of blizzard conditions, light green shading representing 4 hours of blizzard conditions, yellow shading representing 5 hours of blizzard conditions, orange shading representing 6 hours of blizzard conditions, and red shading representing 7 hours of blizzard conditions. In addition, you can see how there were several unofficial lighting reports during the course of this recent snowstorm throughout the aforementioned region based on the presence of the thunderstorm symbol without the snowflake on top. On the flip side, the 15 + stations scattered across southeast New York, northern/eastern Connecticut, Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts, and southeastern New Hampshire which had official thundersnow reports indicated the widespread sufficient thundersnow dynamics in place throughout the course of this recent winter storm. It is also worth noting that at several of the reporting stations scattered across eastern New England, there were several instances of multiple thundersnow occurrences within minutes of each other; indicating that the lightning strikes occurred in bunches in many cases. To learn more about other high-impact winter weather events from around the world, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Early February Winter Blast Across the NYC Metro Area And Points East! (credit: NWS New York, NY)2/12/2017  DISCUSSION: Just a few days ago, a recent winter storm impacted the tri-state area of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. Having said that, here is a map showing snowfall totals from yesterday's storm. As you can see in the above graphic (courtesy of forecasters at the National Weather Service Amounts located on the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York), snowfall totals varied quite a bit depending upon where you were located during this recent winter storm. More specifically, snowfall totals ranged from 6-8" in parts of northeast NJ to over a foot across much of Long Island and southern CT. Islip, NY set a new daily snowfall record with 14.3" of snow. Thus, despite the short-lived nature of this particular winter storm, it set some daily snowfall records in a few spots in just the 6 to 8 hour period in which the heaviest accumulating snowfall occurred. It is also worth noting that during the heart of this recent winter storm, there were multiple confirmed thundersnow occurrences across Long Island and even more so across southeastern sections of New England. Therefore, despite the relatively short duration of this particular winter storm, it was still a memorable winter storm for millions of people across many parts of the Northeast!
To learn more about other high-impact winter weather events from around the world, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Impacts of an Ice Jam Release in Western Montana! (credit: KPAX-TV via NWS Missoula, Montana)2/10/2017 
DISCUSSION: As temperature rose across parts of the north-central United States somewhat over the last 24 to 48 hours, some issues arose as a result. More specifically, with a sufficient amount of warm air in place, this led to problems for some people and many animals in and around the city of Hamilton, Montana. This warm air allowed for the weakening and destabilization of an ice jam which had been "clogging up" flow through part of Blodgett Creek which is located in far western Montana. As the ice jam broke apart and released this "blockage" in the flow, this created major havoc as tons of tree limbs, rocks, and other debris raced downstream through this particular creek. When ice jams break up anywhere and at anytime, they have the potential to do tremendous damage to both the creek and the surrounding landscape due to the increased potential for ambient soil erosion. Therefore, in order to stay out of harm's way, it is always best to avoid remaining in the path of a potential ice jam release (especially if there is a forecast for a potential ice jam which can therefore be avoided). Thus, "if ice is heading your way....it is never a good idea to hang around and stay!"
To learn more about other high-impact winter weather events from around the world, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Importance of Submitting Reports After Snowstorms! (credit: Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz)2/9/2017  DISCUSSION: As the latest winter storm which has greatly impacted many cities along far northern sections of the I-95 corridor begins to make its exit, there are several things to consider. First off, as discussed in the video briefing above, it is imperative to try to get out and shovel some of the snow on the ground now so you can minimize the amount of wet snowfall on the ground outside of your home or apartment which freezes overnight due to the excessively cold temperatures which will be in place during the overnight hours and right through much of the day tomorrow. Therefore, if you can try to get out and knock off some shoveling tonight, that would be in the best interest of your personal safety so that you do not slip unnecessarily during your morning commute tomorrow.
In addition, as is also noted and discussed in the video briefing above, it is incredibly important to take the time to submit accurate snowfall reports to your local National Weather Service office. You can find out which office covers your area by going to weather.gov and then entering your zip code or city in the search box in the upper left-hand corner. Then by looking towards the upper left-hand portion of the page that comes up next, you can then determine which office you should be calling. You can find the number for your corresponding forecast office by looking towards the bottom of the page on the left-hand side. From there, call the office and submit your snowfall report so the storm summary can be that much more complete. To learn more about other high-impact winter weather events from around the world, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz  DISCUSSION: In light of the upcoming winter storm which will be impacting far northern sections of the Mid-Atlantic states as well as many coastal as well as inland sections of the Northeast, here is a spectacular graphic worth explaining (courtesy of WOWK Meteorologist Erik Taylor). During winter storms, people all over the world integrate various forms of rock salt and/or sand to help improve traction in and around different businesses, offices, and transportation venues. However, at different temperatures, rock salt may or may not work for various surfaces depending on the exact temperatures in place during or after a given winter storm. More specifically, as shown in the graphic above, a drop in temperature from 30 degrees Fahrenheit to 20 degrees Fahrenheit reduces the ability of rock salt to melt ice by at least 5 times its ability to melt ice as that which occurs at 30 degrees Fahrenheit or above. Moreover, at 10 degrees Fahrenheit or less, rock salt no longer works since it no longer has the ability to further low the melting point of ice. Just some helpful facts to know as you prepare for your next winter storm.
To learn more about other high-impact winter weather events from around the world, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Explaining the Winter Storm Set-up Taking Aim at NYC Metro! (credit: Meteorologist Josh Cingranelli)2/7/2017 
DISCUSSION: Over the course of the next 24 to 48 hours, a winter storm will be developing just offshore from the Delmarva Peninsula as the low pressure system which is currently positioned across the north-central United States gradually travels eastward. As this system finally reaches the East Coast, the low pressure system will fairly quickly re-develop just offshore from the Delmarva Peninsula before turning off to the northeast. At that point, many coastal and semi-interior sections of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts will be experiencing fairly heavy snowfall with blustery conditions in place which will make both ground and air travel very difficult (or even near impossible) at times. This increase in difficulty in regional travel will unfold as the strengthening low pressure system continues to push deeper moisture into coastal sections of the Northeast.
This surge of Atlantic Ocean moisture will be visually apparent by way of multiple mesoscale (i.e., smaller-scale snow bands) coming onshore during the early to mid-morning hours during the day on Thursday. As is often the case, these mesoscale bands will likely be embedded within a large shield of snowfall which will overspread coastal sections of the Northeast over the next 24 to 36 hours or so. Thus, it will most definitely be a slow go of it across immediate coastal and semi-inland sections of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts for many people who are in the path of this incoming winter storm. If you must travel, be sure to leave plenty of extra time if you must go out and about during the heart of this upcoming winter storm. To learn more about other high-impact winter weather events occurring around the world, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz  DISCUSSION: As the winter storm begins to crank into full-gear over the next 12 to 24 hours, there will also be an increase in the severity of more localized winter storm impacts across many parts of Colorado state. As is noted in the graphic above (courtesy of forecasters over at the National Weather Service office located in Grand Junction, Colorado), there are and have been Winter Storm Advisories and Warnings in effect for many parts of western and central Colorado. As a result, if you need to travel out and about, be sure to leave plenty of extra travel time since both secondary and primary residential roadways as well as regional state highways will quickly become quite hazardous as the snowfall increases in intensity with time.
Moreover, at this next winter storm cranks into action, there will continue to be particularly cold air temperatures in place coupled with increased wind speeds. This nasty combination will lead to decreasing wind chill values which will consequently increase the threat of frostbite setting in within a shorter period of time if people's skin is less uncovered for a prolonged period of time. To avoid having this happen, be sure to dress in layers and always have a winter emergency kit on hand when you are traveling longer distances through areas being impacted by wintry weather. To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across North America, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz |
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