Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Where is the Warm Weather?

I think we all got spoiled by the 80 degree weather last weekend. It seems I have been getting asked "When is it going to get warm again?" a lot! First off, keep in mind just over a week ago, we got 17" of snow and my records do show snow in previous years during this time of April. Secondly, the weather we are getting is only a few degrees below normal, which is a bout 60.

However, that being said, it does look like we may get into above average range again soon! Heat is just starting to build across the dessert South West. By the weekend, it will spread into the rest of the west, then start to spill east. It will eventually make it here, probably in a couple of stages. One stage should warm us up early next week. Then, we might cool down a bit, but I think it may come back at us. Its still a long ways off and there aren't too many details out there on it, but I do think we should see 70 again within the next week or so!

Monday, April 16, 2007

tree damage

Our storm is pretty much over now, with just some light snow tonight. During the 7 o'clock hour, I was out helping knock snow off the trees in my yard. During that time outside, I heard a lot of creaking and cracking of tree branches, and a couple of bigger crashes where I think whole trees fell. I ask that you please let me know of any tree damage you have/see. Even tomorrow, when it gets light out again, I would appreciate any reports you have for me. I am also going to be giving this storm an entire page on my website, so pictures would be great as well!

Not Done Yet

While the snow has let up and may actually stop soon, do not be deceived because we are not done yet. The regional radar, once again taken from NewsChannel9's website, shows why:
If you look at the "ac" in "Syracuse" on the radar, you see a stripe of brown, indicating no precipitation. However, travel east and there is an area of dark greens and yellows, indicating heavy rain. This slug of precipitation is heading towards us, meaning we still have another round of heavy snow to go. This batch should push our totals into the 14-18" range I predicted earlier.

The winds will continue to be gusty, and, with the weight of the snow, could cause tree limbs and wires to come down, creating some power outages. If you have any tree damage, I would appreciate knowing about it so I can forward the information on.

I have been reporting to accuweather.com senior meteorologist Henry Margusity. He has been kind enough to put two videos up that I sent him, along with a few others from around the Northeast. Click Here to view his blog. My videos are in the posts titled "Another Cool Video" and "Snow Video from Madness Reader". Check them out!

The storm will begin to taper off after this next batch of snow. Flurries will continue into tomorrow before they change to rain showers. The rain showers won't leave until Wednesday night or early Thursday. After that, it looks like spring will finally arrive!

Superstorm Update: 10AM

Here is the latest on what is happening with this super storm, not just across our area, but elsewhere as well:




This radar image, taken from the NewsChannel9 Website, really tells the whole story. I have painted the low pressure center (red L) and the winds around the low (black arrows) on the map. The low pressure is sitting over Long Island, where it will stay for at least a few more hours. The minimum pressure is about that of a category 2 hurricane, so you know this is a monster storm! As you can see, winds around the low blow counter clockwise. That means all that precipitation to our east (we are about under the "r" in Syracuse) still has to come through.

What is this storm doing elsewhere? Here is a general overview. In Binghamton, there are reports of power outages. Parts of New Jersey have gotten over 6" of rain, and it is still raining. The winds at the coast are gusting to over hurricane force. That, coupled with an already high tide due to the new moon tomorrow, is creating coastal flooding. All in all, by the time this storm is done, it should cost over a billion dollars.

For us, the heavy snow should continue for most of the day. There may be a couple times it lets up a bit, but it will come down hard again after a while. This evening, as the low weakens and starts to move, our heavy snow will end, leaving us with just snow showers. Storm totals should end up in the 14-18" range, but there will be spots around here that get 2 feet, and I wouldn't be surprised to see someone go over 30".

Keep checking back for updates through the day! Send me pictures and data too!

10:20 AM Update: I am on a NATIONAL WEBSITE! I took a movie clip and sent it to Accuweather's Henry Margusity, who writes an excellent blog column...and he put my video up! Click Here to view Henry' Accuweather Blog Post!

Friday, April 13, 2007

Historic Storm coming

Everything has remained constant and it looks like we are in for a historic storm starting Sunday going into Monday. This storm is a true monster, not just for us, but for all of the Northeast and a good portion of the South. Tornadoes and severe weather will rock the south tonight and tomorrow. Flooding rains and tropical storm force winds in New England. And for us here in Central New York, a crippling snow storm:

The snow should start here sometime overnight Saturday or during the morning Sunday as low pressure begins its trek up the east coast. Low pressure will stall out near Long Island, keeping us in the heavy snow through the days Sunday right into Monday. Snow rates of at least an inch an hour are possible. Its still a little early to tell exactly how much snow we will get, but it looks like a foot minimum is a very good bet. As if that was not enough, it will be a very heavy, wet snow. This could possibly bring down tree limbs and power lines, knocking out power. If we get enough, there could even be problems with roofs. You will definitely want to check back later tonight or tomorrow as total amounts become clearer.

Overall, this storm will probably go down in the record books as the worst April storm yet and one of the most destructive ones in a long time.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Trouble Brewing

All I ask is you don't shoot the messenger. After a bit of snow tonight, we could be in for some real trouble early next week. This is still a ways out, but it could be pretty major, which is why I am alerting you of the possibility so far ahead of time.

First off, tonight:

A pretty decently sized storm is heading our way, spreading precipitation towards us. It will start as rain for everyone as it moves in during the next few hours. As the night goes on, colder air will work in and change a lot of the rain over to snow. I think there will only be a few valleys that won't see a change over, Groton not being one of them. I don't think we will get much snow though...maybe 2 or 3 inches max. The precipitation will change back to rain tomorrow, before ending as snow showers Friday.

While all this is happening, a storm system will move through the Southern Rockies and out into the Texas, before moving into the Southeast. As it stands now, this storm will then move up the coast, spreading precipitation over us Sunday or Monday. We should also be cold enough for snow. If a nor' easter wasn't enough, the storm is then expected to stall out somewhere between the New Jersey and Massachusetts coast. This means it will keep snowing here, possibly heavily for a couple of days.

Needless to say, this storm bears a lot of watching over the next few days. It has the potential to be very destructive, not just from snow, but wind and flooding as well across the entire northeast. You will defiantly want to stay tuned. Feel free to leave comments on the blog, or email me if you have questions/comments!