This edition is mainly about how the Great Lakes play havoc with winter weather when bitter cold arctic air is sweeping SE and east across the Great Lakes.
* 35 mph will be the west wind gusts across Lake Ontario today producing snow showers and snow squalls. Those squalls can produce enormous amounts of snow with visibility dropping to zero and causing whiteout conditions. When that occurs, if you are outside, you can lose all sense of direction and get lost. These squalls also can produce thunder and lightning. Areas mainly affected by Lake Ontario include Watertown, Rochester and Syracuse aswell as other communities along north-south Interstate 81.
* 8 to 11 feet high will be the waves today. When those crash ashore, freezing spray can add to the problems but also produce a pretty post-card wintry scene. The winds will remain almost that strong through Thursday.
* 58 inches is how much snow Buffalo has received this season. Much of that has fallen recently. Actually, Buffalo is 8 inches short this season as of this morning.
* 44 inches of snow has fallen on some parts of Western New York in the last several days from these lake effect snows. Often areas just south of Buffalo get buried in snow moreso. One plus side to the bitter cold, it has caused more of Lake Erie to freeze over and that will cut down on the number and intensity of the snow squalls.
* 6.7 inches is all the snow that Albany, over on the other side of New York, has received this season. Normal by this time is 39 inches.
* 8 below zero was the low at Saranac Lake, in Upsate New York. They have experienced a lot of sub-zero weather lately and, on several mornings, were the coldest in the “Lower 48” states.
* 5 below zero was the low in Chicago this morning with 13 below in Rockford, Ill.
* 10 was the mid-morning temperature in Worcester, Mass.,as we look elsewhere. The wind chill was 11 below as winds gusted to 36 mph.
*13 was the temperature in the Big Apple (sometimes known as New York City) It is windy and their wind chill was minus 4.
* 20 below zero was the mid-morning temperature atop Mt. Washington, New Hampshire. (We just gotta check in there) Visibility was 1/8 of a mile in freezing fog. The wind chill was 66 below zero as NW winds were averaging 89 mph with gusts as high as 117 mph in the last few hours. Remember, the wind chill is calculated on the average wind speed, not the peak gusts. It would take much effort to be outside in that. Your hat would blow off in 1/100th of a second and would be out over the Atlantic in no time. Observers have a guide rope to hang on to when they MUST go out. Here is a quote from a recent post by the Mount Washington observer:
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Waking up this morning, I sensed an added rumble to the building that I did not remember last night. “The wind is back,†was my first thought as I could hear the unmistakable tone of the winds crashing against the northwest side of the building. Sure enough, as I checked our weather wall we were sustained around 100 mph with gusts to near 115. Not only was it windy, but we were 24 degrees below zero as well. I don’t think it’s one of those days I’ll be getting out to do some hiking around the summit. And I recommend that if you’re thinking of venturing above tree line that are seriously prepared in your plans as it is dangerously cold up here with wind chills in excess of -80 F!
–Brent Antkowiak – Summit Intern
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* 7 foot waves are reported off the Massachusetts Coast based on buoy and lighthouse reports. Temperatures are in the teens and winds gusting to 37 mph. If you were out there in a little bitty rubber raft, you and the boat would take on the appearance of a huge icicle quicker than you think.
* 65 was the high in Bozeman, Mont., yesterday and 63 in Helena. (yes, those were above zero as we close on a warm note.) Credit the Chinook wind that comes down the east slope of the Rocky Mountains and heats by compression. I was on duty at the NWS one day. At that time, we received a new satellite photograph every 15 to 30 minutes. I saw 16 inches of snow disappear during my 8-hour shift out in NE Colorado away from the mountains due to a strong Chinook.
* 91 was the warmest (no, hottest) in the USA at El Cajon, Calif., yesterday. Do you realize that is equal to the normal high for Birmingham during the peak of summer?
* 31 below zero was the low for the Lower 48 States this morning at Cook, in NE Minnesota, That may not be the final score. We have not heard from Embarrass and Tower, Minn., so far this morning.
* Enough is enough. I am out of here. Having lunch at 11:15 with Bill Murray and Skywatcher Chuck Biddinger at Jim and Nicks in Trussville.
