Big Story Weather – December 11, 2013
redOrbit Meteorologist Joshua Kelly
Big Story Weather from December 10:
More wintry weather was felt along the East Coast into the Northeast over the last 24 hours. Arctic air continued to pound a large portion of the country yesterday. However, the state of Florida looked and felt like summer while the rest of the country was freezing.
Big Story Weather Discussion for December 11:
Surface Map 11AM: A trailing cold front will push through the Northeast and the Eastern Lakes. This will be responsible for some heavy snowfall around the lakes and into the Northeast. High pressure over the Mid-Mississippi River Valley will bring cold weather to a good portion of the US from the Plains to the Gulf Coast. A second area of high pressure will bring cold weather to the Rockies westward to the West Coast.
Surface Map 11PM: This evening, the cold front will push eastward through the northeast. We will be looking at a fairly tranquil weather map overnight with the biggest headlines being the continued cold air for many locations.
Winter Weather: This morning there is a Freezing Fog Advisory for portions of Arkansas, Northern Mississippi and Western Tennessee. Lake Effect Snow warnings/advisories are in effect for the Eastern Lakes for very heavy snowfall possible. A winter weather advisory is in effect from Eastern Iowa to Lake Michigan for periods of moderate snowfall around 2-5 inches. The wind chill advisories and warnings continue to hamper the Northern Plains with wind chills approaching the -40F range.
Winds: The strongest winds today will be mostly confined to the lakes which will enhance the snowfall potentials.
72hr Westward Storm Watch: Storm 1 has now entered the Eastern Gulf of Alaska and should be pushing towards Western Canada over the next couple of days bringing heavy snowfall to the region. Storm 2 has pushed west-northwestward into Eastern Russia. This low should undergo re-development causing a new low to push eastward across the Kuril Islands towards the weekend.
Today’s Spotlight Cities Forecast:
Boston MA: Partly cloudy with a high near 28F and overnight lows near 21F. Thursday partly cloudy with a high near 22F and overnight lows near 16F. Friday partly cloudy with a high near 27F and overnight lows near 20F. Saturday mostly cloudy with heavy snowfall. High temps around 27F and overnight lows near 23F. Total snowfall around 6 inches. Sunday mostly cloudy with snow. High temps around 36F and overnight lows near 19F. Total snowfall around 3 inches.
Atlanta GA: Partly cloudy with a high near 50F and overnight lows near 30F. Thursday partly cloudy with a high near 45F and overnight lows near 32F. Friday partly cloudy with a high near 48F and overnight lows near 41F. Saturday mostly cloudy with showers. High temps around 57F and overnight lows near 39F. Total rainfall near 0.45 inches. Sunday partly cloudy with a high near 45F and overnight lows near 34F.
Oklahoma City OK: Partly cloudy with a high near 30F and overnight lows near 23F. Thursday partly cloudy with a high near 36F and overnight lows near 30F. Friday partly cloudy with high temps near 48F and overnight lows near 28F. Saturday partly cloudy with a high near 34F and overnight lows near 26F. Sunday partly cloudy with a high near 48F and overnight lows near 37F.
Salt Lake City UT: Partly cloudy with a high near 36F and overnight lows near 30F. Thursday partly cloudy with a high near 41F and overnight lows near 35F. Friday partly cloudy with a high near 36F and overnight lows near 33F. Saturday partly cloudy with a high near 38F and overnight lows near 34F. Sunday partly cloudy with a high near 41F and overnight lows near 39F.
Seattle WA: Partly cloudy with a high near 45F and overnight lows near 41F. Thursday mostly cloudy with showers. High temps around 43F and overnight lows near 40F. Total rainfall around 0.35 inches. Friday partly cloudy with a high near 45F and overnight lows near 43F. Saturday partly cloudy with a high near 45F and overnight lows near 43F. Sunday partly cloudy with a high near 48F and overnight lows near 43F.
Ask The Weatherman for December 11, 2013:
Question: What is the meaning of upslope precipitation?
Answer: When you hear the word upslope precipitation, this refers to moisture being pushed up the side of a mountain. This moist air is unable to go over the mountain or the higher hill. In return, this will setup a very heavy precipitation event for the region that is located in this area. It is almost a 1-2 ratio when upslope precipitation occurs.
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December 11, 2013 Storm Tracker Update:
SST Analysis (right image): The ENSO Phase remains in the neutral phase.
Looking at the Hudson Bay over Canada, we can see the entire region is frozen over based on latest satellite imagery.
Eastern Pacific Ocean: Low pressure pushing towards SOCAL will bring increased winds/seas to the region. Low pressure moving into the Eastern Gulf of Alaska will bring heavy snowfall to Alaska and also Western Canada.
Atlantic Ocean: Low pressure over Eastern Canada will bring snow showers to the region. The cold front will bring strong winds and high seas to the open Atlantic creating a hazard to boating. Low pressure pushing into England will bring showers to England and snow to a good portion of the Scandinavian region and higher elevations of Western Europe, along with showers over Northern Africa.
Western Pacific: Low pressure moving through Western China will bring snow showers to the region. Low pressure near Northeast Russia will bring another day of snow and gusty winds to the area. This will also push strong winds and rain showers into the Kuril Islands.
Indian Ocean: Tropical Cyclone Madi has weakened to around 40kts and pressure around 993mb. The storm will continue to impact Southeast India along with Sri Lanka with strong winds and heavy rainfall. A second area is being watched for possible development as well.
Southern Hemisphere: Multiple low pressures moving through the region are bringing impacts to parts of Chile and Southern Argentina with showers and thunderstorms. A second low pressure is moving towards Southern Africa and will bring an increase in southeasterly winds. A third low pressure moving towards Southwest Australia will start to increase the moisture in the region.
Major Weather Impacts Discussion for December 11, 2013:
Day 1-3: A weak cold front pushing across the Great Lakes today will bring with it the potential for snowfall from Chicago to Buffalo. Downwind of the lakes the potential is there for lake effect snows today with watches/warnings are already in place. The rest of the country will enjoy high pressure and cold weather from the Northern Plains to the Gulf Coast and across most of the Western US. Day two a frontal boundary will enter the Pacific Northwest with showers and snow. Otherwise the majority of the country will be tranquil. The period will end with a new storm system over the Southern Plains which will bring rain, ice and thunderstorms to the Southern Mississippi River Valley and into the Tennessee River Valley. The rest of the country will be dealing with high pressure and cold temps.
Day 4-7: The period will start with low pressure pushing through the Tennessee River Valley bringing rain and thunderstorms to the Gulf Coast, showers to the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic and snow over the Ohio River Valley. Day five the storm will rapidly push up the Eastern Seaboard bringing rain to the coastline and snow to the higher elevations west of the I-95 region. High pressure will dominate the rest of the United States with very limited precipitation. Day six high pressure will be over both coasts, while a clipper system moves through the Northern Plains bringing a few snow showers to the area. The period will end with lake effect snows across the Great Lakes.
Day 8-12: The period will start with high pressure along the Eastern US. A new storm system will push into the Northern Plains bringing with it cold air, heavy snows and strong winds. Day ten we will have a storm system moving into the Great Lakes with the associated cold front extending to the Gulf Coast. There will be heavy snow over the lakes and showers and thunderstorms over the Gulf Coast. A strong high pressure will build in over the Northern Plains bringing cold weather and possibly Arctic temps to the region. Low pressure will push into the Southwest bringing snowfall to the region. Day eleven high pressure will slide into the Mid-Mississippi River Valley, while low pressure begins to develop in Southern Texas. This will bring rain and snow to the region along with thunderstorms over the Gulf Coast. The period will end with a storm system moving through the Mid-Atlantic bringing rain and snow to the region. Another weak low will push into the Western Gulf of Mexico. This will bring showers to the Gulf Coast and even some wintry mix to the Arkansas and Northern Mississippi regions.
Long Range Outlook: The period will start with low pressure pushing across Florida bringing showers to the region, while high pressure builds in over the Northern Plains. During the middle of the period high pressure will dominate most of the country again with another cold spell under way. A few light snow showers will be over the Northern Plains. The period will end with high pressure dominating most of the country. There will be a few snow showers over the Northern Plains associated with a clipper system.
Green Energy Report for December 11, 2013:
Wave Energy: There will be extreme amounts of energy over the Pacific Northwest as a strong cold front approaches the region. The Southwest will see moderate amounts of energy. The Northern Gulf Coast and the Southeast will see lighter amounts of energy. The Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast will see moderate amounts of energy.
Hydro Energy: There will be some energy overnight in the Pacific Northwest as the cold front brings rain to the region. Long term energy will fall from the Great Lakes into the Northeast with moderate snowfall expected over these areas.
Solar Energy: The best places for solar energy today will include the Southeast, the Southern Plains, moving northward into the Northern Plains along with the Southwest.
Wind Energy: There will be an increasing amount of energy over the Pacific Northwest. Another good place for wind energy today will be over the Great Lakes behind the cold front.
Weather and Your Wallet for Cleveland OH:
Mostly cloudy with intermittent snow showers and gusty westerly winds.
Dining: Today will be both cold and snowy. A great day to take lunch to work instead of braving the elements.
Transportation: There will be delays on the roadways as snowfall is likely to accumulate. Look for delays at the airport due to visibilities being lower and also slick runways.
Shopping: Take it easy if you’re heading out to the malls today as it will be cold, windy and snowy.
Electricity: The area will have a moderate demand for heating today due to temps falling into the teens and high temps only rising into the mid 20’s. This will bring a forecasted 43HDD’s to the region.
Yard Work: If you are going to be outside moving snow off the sidewalks this afternoon, take it easy as it will be breezy and cold.
Construction: Today will be a great day for those indoor projects since it will be cold, snowy and breezy outside.
Outdoor Venues: If you have any outdoor plans today, you will want to make sure to bundle up as it will be cold and snowy across the region.
Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1113025282/big-story-weather-121113/
