Winter in de V.S. (2009/2010)

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Een actieve depressie van mogelijk historische proporties treft de komende dagen het noordoosten van de Verenigde Staten. Vandaag al teistert een andere depressie het aandachtsgebied met zware sneeuw (tot regionaal meer dan 30 centimeter) en een mix van smeltende sneeuw en regen. De tweede depressie ontwikkelt zich ter hoogte van de zuidoostkust en veroorzaakt de komende dagen in met name de staat New York een ware blizzard. Er worden windsnelheden (uit het noordoosten) tot rond 120 km/uur verwacht en het gaat wederom hard sneeuwen.
In de kustgebieden gaat het hard regenen en door een combinatie van hoge windsnelheden en hoge zeeën, kan het tot kusterosie en overstromingen komen. Steden die met ‘blizzardconditions’ te maken gaan krijgen zijn onder meer New York City, Rochester, Syracuse en Albany. In plaatsen als Boston, Portland en Providence is wateroverlast mogelijk. Er wordt trouwens gesproken over een ‘snow hurricane’ vanwege de combinatie van zware sneeuw en windsnelheden boven 100 km/uur.

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The U.S. just experienced its coldest winter in 25 years, according to the National Climatic Data Center. The winter period December - February was the 18th coldest winter in the contiguous U.S. over the past 115 years, and the coldest since 1984 - 1985. It was also a wet winter, ranking 19th wettest. The states experiencing the coldest winters, relative to average, were Texas and Louisiana, which had their 5th coldest winters on record. Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida, and South Carolina also had a top-ten coldest winter. The only state much above average was Maine, which had its 3rd warmest winter. As I discussed earlier this week, this winter's cold weather over the U.S. is largely due to the Arctic Oscillation/North Atlantic Oscillation, which assumed its most extreme negative configuration since record keeping began in 1950. El Niño helped keep things cool from Texas to the Southeastern U.S., as well.


A cold February in the U.S.
February temperatures were 2.2°F below average across the contiguous U.S., making it the 29th coldest February in the 115-year record. For the second month in a row, Florida was the coldest state, relative to average. Florida had its 4th coldest February on record. Seven other states had February temperatures between 5th and 8th coldest on record: Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, and South Carolina. Maine had its 3rd warmest February, New Hampshire its 5th, and Washington its 6th. Precipitation across the U.S. was near average in February.

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Do not let the current mild weather fool you across the Rockies, Plains and Great Lakes. Winter is not over and the return of disruptive snow is right around the corner.

All places across the nation's midsection will turn noticeably colder at some point this weekend and snow will fall on some areas dealing with flooding or beginning cleanup.

While temperatures were surging into the 50s and 60s throughout the lower elevations of the Rockies, Plains and Great Lakes Wednesday, highs on Saturday, the first day of spring, will be mainly the 30s for much of the region.

As the chilly air plunges southward, a snowstorm will get underway across the central Rockies late on Thursday. The snow will spread into northern New Mexico and the central Plains during Friday.

A period of rain will mark the storm's arrival along the Front Range of the Rockies and central Plains. A changeover to substantial snow will follow.

Gusty northerly winds ushering in the cold will worsen the situation by whipping the snow around and reducing visibility.

The potential exists for 6-12 inches of snow to blanket southeastern and central Wyoming on Thursday night into Friday. This includes Cheyenne.

Around 6 inches is in store for Denver on Friday. Airline passengers should prepare for lengthy delays and potential cancellations. The resultant ripple effect threatens to impact travelers at other airports across the nation.

Travel along Interstates 25, 70, 76, 80 and 90 will become slow and slippery. Parents should plan for possible school closures.

On Friday night into the weekend, many places from the Texas Panhandle to northern Missouri and Iowa to upper Michigan are forecast to receive accumulating snowfall. Amounts will range from 3 to 6 inches, but locally more may fall.

The exact track of the storm and snow totals are not set in stone. The possibility that the snow expands to part of the Midwest. cannot be ruled out.

Residents of Chicago could forced to sweep off their cars after enjoying 60-degree temperatures the next couple of days. Flakes could even fly in St. Louis and Detroit late in the weekend.

While the snow could disrupt travel and daily routines, there is one benefit to the invading cold air. The rate of snow melt will slow across the flood-ravaged northern and central Plains and part of the Midwest.

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Late-Season New England Snowstorm Continues

The late-season snowstorm that got underway across northern New England on Tuesday will continue into today, leading to more slick travel and potential power outages.

Before ending by this evening, snow will continue to accumulate from the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York to the higher terrain of Maine.

A fresh 3 to 6 inches of snow will add to what fell prior to daybreak in the highest terrain. Even the valley cities of Plattsburgh, N.Y., and Burlington, Vt., will receive an additional coating to an inch this morning.

Substantial snow amounts have already been measured across northern New England. Through late Tuesday evening, North Underhill, Vt., topped the storm's snowfall totals list with 13.3 inches.

Below are other snowfall totals, as of late Tuesday evening:


--Jericho, Vt.: 12.0 inches

--Cambridge, Vt.: 11.0 inches

--Marshfield, Vt.: 6.0 inches

--Whippleville, N.Y.: 6.0 inches

Burlington, Vt., picked up 2.8 inches of snow on Tuesday. That exceeded the day's previous snowfall record of 1.3 inches from 1946.

As today's snow piles onto the snow that fell on Tuesday, its weight may prove to be too much for tree limbs and power lines in the higher terrain. With temperatures close to freezing, the snow is heavy and wet in nature.

Residents should prepare for possible power outages. Additional damage or bodily harm could result from the falling tree limbs.

Motorists will encounter difficult travel on mountain roadways. Some untreated roads could even be slushy and slippery for this morning's commute in the lower elevations, but the heaviest snow totals here will be measured on grassy and elevated surfaces.