NATIONAL STORM SUMMARY

 

JANUARY 2010

 

1^st-9^th…New England saw another snowy day on Sunday, as a strong low pressure system lingered off the East Coast. The system created a counter clockwise flow that picked up moisture from the Great Lakes and pour cold and moist air over New England. This will allow for lake-effect snowfall over the eastern shores of the Great Lakes. Buffalo, New York reported snowfall rates of 2 inches per hour, with total accumulation ranging between 8-10 inches.

A dynamic winter storm system brought hazardous wintry weather and a surge of cold, Arctic air into the Central US on Wednesday. Significant amounts of snowfall blanketed areas from the Northern and Central High Plains through the eastern portions of the Ohio Valley, while blustery, north winds reduced visibilities with periods of blowing and drifting snow. Blizzard conditions developed in central South Dakota through the afternoon and produced snow totals of up to 6 to 8 inches. Dangerous weather activity in the Central US caused regions from the Northern High Plains through the Ozarks and Eastern Valleys to remain under Winter Weather Advisories and/or Winter Storm Warnings. Meanwhile, the surge of cold, Arctic air gripped the eastern half of the nation and kept most of the region under frigid temperatures, bitterly cold wind chills, and numerous Wind Chill and Freeze Advisories/Warnings.

 

10-16^th…Showery weather continued throughout portions of the West today as an area of low pressure from the Pacific moved up the Pacific Northwest Coast. Brief periods of strong, gusty south winds spread across the coastal areas and brought plenty of moisture ashore. This allowed for areas of light to moderate rain showers, light high-elevation snow, and fog to develop across the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Intermountain West. As the low moved northward, an associated trough pushed into the interior of northern California, while a fast moving associated cold front trekked through the state, the southern Cascades, and through Sierra, Nevada. Rain and snow showers, along with gusty winds accompanying this front began to taper off during the afternoon. Lingering moisture behind the front continued to spark a few pockets of light showers and areas of fog throughout the nearby coastal areas of northern California. Meanwhile, drier weather conditions returned to most of southern California as lower level flow turned to a drier northwest to north direction by the late afternoon.

There were a few active areas of weather on Friday, but nothing like what occurred in the eastern half of the country a week ago. Instead, a low pressure system in the western Gulf of Mexico allowed moisture to pour into the Southern Plains and instigated widespread moderate to heavy rain in southern Texas and Louisiana. This precipitation was enough to allow Flood Warnings and Watches to be posted in southern Texas. In the West, moist flow off the Pacific Ocean streamed into the Northwest and produced rain and high elevation snow in Washington and Oregon. This wet weather pattern will persist for the next several days as multiple storms will slam into the West Coast. This parade of storms will help the drought in California.

 

17^th…23^rd…California saw another dose of wet and stormy weather on Monday as a powerful Pacific storm pounded the state with periods of intense rain and snow, strong winds, building seas, and strong thunderstorms. Lines of active thunderstorms with winds gusting to 55 mph, heavy rainfall, and frequent lightning created dangerous weather conditions and possible flooding near the northern and central coasts and across the interior valleys. Soaking rains and damaging wind gusts ranging from 40 and 50 mph in most of southwestern California to 75 mph near Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties created dangerous weather conditions across southern California. Significant snowfall also joined this hazardous mix of weather as the storm reached the higher elevations of northern California. Higher winds and heavy snowfall with snow fall rates of up to 2 inches per hour or more produced difficult travel conditions and possible whiteout conditions throughout the Sierras. Several inches of snow also began to accumulate across the lower valleys of the region as cold air crept over the mountains.

Stormy weather persisted throughout California on Wednesday as low pressure located just off the coast swung a powerful, energetic disturbance into the state. Strong flow associated with the system ushered abundant moisture into the state, sparking significant amounts of precipitation. Heavy and persistent rainfall created chances for minor urban flooding and coastal flooding throughout the day. Lines of strong thunderstorms with high winds and gusts up to 64 mph accompanied wet weather activity. Meanwhile, even higher winds and periodic snowfall developed across the mountains today. Periods of heavy snowfall and winds gusting to 60 mph created very dangerous travel conditions with lowered visibilities.

More active winter weather streamed through the West on Friday. A low pressure system moved through Northern California and into southern Idaho while its associated front stretched through the Rockies and Southwest. This storm produced heavy rain and high elevation snow in the Four Corners area and instigated mudslide and flooding. In addition, widespread showery rain and high elevation snow continued in California, only adding to the very wet week the state has already had. The heaviest precipitation was falling in Southern California where mudslides were an increasing concern. Many areas of the state have received several inches of rain over the past week, putting a good-sized dent in the water storage deficient. Ahead of the storm, cold air and an increase in moisture allowed widespread snow to fall in the Northern Plains. Winter Storm Warnings were in effect from Montana through northern Wisconsin as the storm was expected to move to the east.

 

24^th-31^st…The Northern Plains saw blizzard conditions on Monday while the Northeast saw heavy rain and flooding. A low pressure system spun over the Great Lakes and moved northeastward into eastern Canada. This system also created a cold front that stretched down the East Coast and into the Gulf states. In Texas Valley, New York, 1.68 inches of rain has been reported, 2.28 inches were reported in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, and strong winds blew down trees in Frankford, Delaware. Light rain even reached into Maine as temperatures remained above freezing. Most of the region saw problems with flooding as this slow-moving front has brought much rain to the same areas Sunday and Monday. Out West, another low pressure system offshore pushed a cold front through northern California and the Pacific Northwest. This triggered between a half to one inch of rain in most of northern California and light snow in the Sierras and Cascades. New snow ranged between 3-7 inches, while 1.14 inches were reported in Ukiah, California.

Southeastern states were bracing Friday for overnight snow and icy roads from a storm that has toppled Midwestern power lines, closed major highways, buried parts of the southern Plains in heavy ice and snow and left tens of thousands of people in the dark. As snow and sleet fell Friday in several Southeastern states, forecasters said some parts of the region could see up to a foot of accumulation. The heaviest snow was expected in Arkansas near the Missouri state line, northern Tennessee near the Kentucky and Virginia borders and western North Carolina, according to the National Weather Service. Mark Rose, a forecaster with the weather service's Nashville office, called it "a major winter storm for this part of the country - heck, for any part of it." In North Carolina, Interstate 26 near Asheville and Interstate 40 near Black Mountain were shut down Friday night after snow and icy roads caused multiple wrecks. Troopers said they expected the highways to remain closed until early Saturday. The storm left 13 inches of snow in the northern Texas Panhandle, where nearly all of Interstate 40 from the Texas-Oklahoma line to New Mexico was closed for part of the day.

More than 164,000 homes and businesses in Oklahoma were without power Friday evening, officials said. The outages were caused by a massive storm that left up to a half-inch of ice on trees and power lines. Gov. Brad Henry requested a federal disaster declaration for all 77 Oklahoma counties. "In some places, as far you can see there are hundreds of utility poles on the ground," said Andrea Chancellor, spokeswoman for Public Service Co. of Oklahoma. She said it could be five days before electricity is restored to all customers. The storm has been blamed for the death of a 70-year-old Oklahoma woman in a propane explosion.

The woman and her husband had apparently been using propane heaters to warm their house in Ada after the storm disrupted their electric service, Assistant Fire Chief Robby Johnson said. The woman, who was not identified, died and her husband was injured when a propane tank exploded Friday morning. Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen declared a state of emergency and state workers were sent home around lunch ahead of the worsening weather. Many businesses followed suit. States of emergency were also declared in Arkansas and parts of Virginia and schools closed early in northern Alabama. In Western Kentucky, shoppers at Murray Home & Auto store snatched up every available sled in anticipation of a heavy snow, said store manager Chris Burgess. Others grabbed shovels, kerosene heaters and chain saws, mindful of another winter storm a year ago that caused widespread power outages in the region. "They're trying to be prepared this time," Burgess said. The Nashville area saw up to 3 inches of snow by late afternoon, and I-40 traffic crawled toward Nashville International Airport for miles because of an accident. Snowfall was subsiding late Friday afternoon in Memphis after an estimated 3 inches had fallen. Most flights at Memphis International Airport were canceled, and Graceland stopped giving tours of the Elvis Presley home at midmorning. Memphis officials worried because temperatures were forecast to remain below freezing overnight, posing a threat of icy highways and falling tree limbs. General contractor Tom Baldwin, 59, said he cut loose his crew at a downtown Nashville building at noon to give them time to get home safely. "I want to tell people to have some common sense out there," he said. "Only because you have big four-wheel-drive doesn't make you stop any quicker." The steady snowfall didn't keep Jason Martin from delivering beer to Lonnie's Western Room in Nashville's Printer's Alley.

"When it snows, everyone goes out and buys milk and eggs - and beer," joked Martin, 37. "We're like the Pony Express." The Texas Department of Transportation closed I-40 east and west of Amarillo on Friday but later reopened it. Downed power lines and icy, dangerous road conditions also temporarily closed a 50-mile stretch of I-44 southwest of Oklahoma City and parts of I-40 in far western Oklahoma and eastern New Mexico on Thursday.  The storm was good for business at the Days Inn and Suites in Guymon, Okla., where stranded travelers waited for road crews to clear U.S. Highway 54 of ice and snow, employee Rocky Bhagavan said. Sixteen of the hotel's 35 rooms were occupied at the motel in the Oklahoma Panhandle, he said - twice as many as usual. "Most of the travelers decided to leave this morning. As soon as they got to the Texas border they had to come back," Bhagavan said. Heide Brandes, spokeswoman for the Salvation Army in Oklahoma City, said the organization's men's shelter has been full since the slow-moving storm moved into the area Thursday. She said some of the 90 men in the shelter are homeless and sought relief when temperatures dropped to the mid-20s.  Flights were canceled Friday morning at airports in Oklahoma City and Little Rock, AR. Arkansas State Police warned people who were driving to work on Friday to be prepared to be stranded. Spokesman Bill Sadler encouraged motorists to bring blankets, water and snacks and to make plans for an overnight stay.

 

 

Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com