ARCTIC BLAST COMMING !!! Feb 5 may be coldest since 1996!!!

Significant Accumulating Snowfall Forecasted For Mid-Atlantic
By Andrew at 11:07 AM

Significant accumulating snowfall looks probable in parts of the Mid-Atlantic over the next 48 hours, with two reputed models supporting accumulations surpassing one foot.

The image shown depicts the GFS model on the left and NAM model on the right, images courtesy of Weatherbell. The models are forecasting accumulated snowfall to reach significant amounts in parts of the Mid-Atlantic. The GFS believes much of Virginia will experience the brunt of this snowfall, with east Kentucky and east Tennessee getting in on the snowy fun. As far as the NAM model goes, a wide swath of snow appears forecasted across all of Virginia, especially in the western part of the states. Southern West Virginia is also primed for accumulating snowfall in the NAM's scenario, with KY and TN finding themselves with shovel-able snow.


Andrew [link to theweathercentre.blogspot.de]

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1012 AM EST Thu Jan 17 2013

The sharp cold front arrived in Tallahassee around 6am this morning just as we released the balloon. Sudden gusty winds made for a interesting release.

Posted by: Dr. Jeff Masters, 05:18 PM GMT em 17 de Janeiro de 2013

It's snowing in Mississippi and Alabama, thanks to strengthening Winter Storm Iago. Iago is poised to bring up to a foot of snow across the Central Appalachians, and 3 to 8 inches of snowfall across Mid-Atlantic metro areas including cities such as Richmond, Raleigh and Roanoke. Washington DC is on the northern edge of the accumulating snow, and is only expected to see an inch of wet, sloppy accumulation. With sunny skies and high temperatures expected to be in the mid-40s over the weekend in the nation's capital, it appears unlikely that we'll see a white Inauguration Day on Monday, when President Obama is scheduled to be sworn in at noon. Temperatures should be in the low 30s at the time, but there is a 30% chance of some snow flurries brightening up the scene. According to the National Weather Service's Presidential Inaugural Weather web site, the normal high temperature for 12 pm EST on January 21 is 37°F, with partly cloudy skies, a 10 mph wind, and a wind chill of 31°F. During President Obama's 2009 inauguration, the noon temperature was 28°F under partly sunny skies, with a wind chill near 15°F due to breezy northwest winds of 15 mph, gusting to 25 mph.


Figure 1. Main Street in Starkville, Mississippi, on January 17, 2013. Image credit: Lee Adams, @WTVAmatt [link to pic.twitter.com]

Famous Inauguration Day weather events
The most infamous inauguration day weather occurred in 1841, when President William Henry Harrison was sworn in. Harrison, 68, gave a one hundred minute speech in cold, wet weather without wearing a coat or a hat. He spent a lot of time talking about ancient Rome to a mostly unappreciative audience. The new president then attended a parade and three inaugural balls, possibly in the same wet clothing he wore outside during the speech. Within a month, Harrison was dead from pneumonia and pleurisy. While there's a debate about what exactly killed Harrison, the inauguration was linked to his death.

Almost as bad--1853: President Franklin Pierce was sworn into office on another cold and snowy day. He awoke to heavy snow in the morning which continued until about 11:30 am. Skies looked to be brightening by noon. Shortly after Pierce took his oath of office, as he began his inaugural address, snow started again. It came down heavier than ever dispersing much of the crowd and ruining plans for the parade. Abigail Fillmore, First Lady to the outgoing President Millard Fillmore, caught a cold as she sat on the cold, wet, exposed platform during the swearing-in ceremony. The cold developed into pneumonia and she died at the end of the month.

Worst Weather Day--1909: President William H. Taft's ceremony was forced indoors due to a storm that dropped 10 inches of snow over the Capital city. The snow and winds began the day before. Strong winds toppled trees and telephone poles. Trains were stalled and city streets clogged. All activity was brought to a standstill. Sanitation workers shoveled sand and snow through half the night. It took 6,000 men and 500 wagons to clear 58,000 tons of snow and slush from the parade route. See pictures. Despite the freezing temperatures, howling wind, snow, and sleet, a large crowd gathered in front of the Capitol to view the inauguration, but the weather forced the ceremony indoors. Just after the swearing-in, the snow tapered off.

Warmest January Inauguration: 1981, Ronald Reagan; 55°F under mostly cloudy skies.

Coldest Inauguration: 1985, Ronald Reagan. His second swearing-in ceremony on January 21 had to be held indoors and the parade was canceled. The outside temperature at noon was only 7°F. The morning low was 4° below zero and the daytime high was only 17°. Wind chill temperatures during the afternoon were in the -10 to -20°F range.

Figure 2. Photo taken in front of Presidential Reviewing stand during President Taft's inauguration in 1909. Image credit: National Weather Service, Baltimore/Washington D.C.

Wicked hot in South Africa
The mercury soared to 48.4°C (119°F) in Vioolsdrif, South Africa on Wednesday January 16, marking the third hottest temperature ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere portion of Africa, according to weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera. The two hottest temperatures in the Southern Hemisphere portion of Africa were also measured at Vioolsdrif: a 48.8°C (119.8 °F) reading on Jan 3, 1993, and a 48.7°C reading in January, 1995. Clouds moved in yesterday just as the temperature was peaking in Vioolsdrif, or else a new record would have been set.

Another super-hot day in Australia
Unusually hot weather continues in Australia, where a two-week heat wave has brought some of the hottest weather in the nation's history, including the Southern Hemispheres's hottest temperature measured so far in 2013--a 49.6°C (121.3°F) reading from Moomba Airport in South Australia on January 12. The record for all-time hottest temperature in Australian history is the 50.7°C (123.3°F) reading on 2 January 1960 at Oodnadatta, South Australia. The nation's average high temperature exceeded 102°F (39°C) for seven consecutive days January 2 - 8, 2013--the first time that has happened since record keeping began in 1910. To put this remarkable streak in perspective, the previous record of four consecutive days with a national average high temperature in excess of 102°F (39°C) has occurred once only (1973), and only two other years have had three such days in a row--1972 and 2002. Part of the reason for the extreme heat this year is the presence of a stubborn ridge of high pressure that has delayed the onset of the yearly monsoon by three weeks. Extremely hot high temperatures reaching into the mid-40s over eastern Western Australia, South Australia, western Queensland and large parts of Victoria and NSW are expected today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday), causing continued problems for firefighters. However, the monsoon is now pushing southwards across Australia, and is expected to bring cooler and wetter conditions to northern Australia this weekend. The monsoon will gradually work its way southwards next week, helping flush out the heat that has accumulated in Australia's interior.

Jeff Masters [link to www.wunderground.com]

Dayna Vettese‏@daynavettese

Southern Ontario - check out this beautiful visible satellite image from yesterday: [link to twitpic.com] ... #onstorm via @NASA

AccuWeather.com‏@breakingweather

Switching from sleet to snow in Huntsville, AL. It may start snowing very hard there soon. [link to ow.ly]

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING
TO 4 AM EST FRIDAY.

* AREAS AFFECTED: CENTRAL AND EASTERN VIRGINIA...NORTHEAST NORTH
CAROLINA.

* HAZARDS: SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS: 2 TO 4 INCHES.

* TIMING: RAIN WILL QUICKLY CHANGE TO SNOW THIS EVENING AND
BEGIN TO ACCUMULATE. A BRIEF PERIOD OF HEAVY SNOWFALL THIS
EVENING WILL CAUSE RAPID ACCUMULATIONS TO OCCUR. SNOW WILL END
LATE TONIGHT.

* IMPACTS: SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL ACCUMULATE ON ROADS AFTER
SUNSET AND CREATE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. HEAVIEST SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE ON GRASSY AREAS.

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

VISIBILITY: PATCHY FOG IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TOWARDS THE MORNING
ACROSS INTERIOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH FLORIDA. MOTORISTS SHOULD
EXERCISE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING THROUGH THESE AREAS, AS
VISIBILITIES COULD DROP TO A QUARTER OF A MILE OR LESS.

RIP CURRENTS: THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ACROSS THE
GULF COAST AS WIND BECOMES SOUTHWESTERLY AND PICK UP SPEED THIS
AFTERNOON.

WIND: EASTERLY FLOW WILL BECOME SOUTHWESTERLY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON
WHILE INCREASING IN SPEED, MAINLY ACROSS THE GULF WATERS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE, A COLD AIRMASS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS
SOUTH FLORIDA. WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED TO DROP INTO THE UPPER 30S
TO LOW 40S ACROSS PORTIONS OF GLADES AND HENDRY COUNTIES BY FRIDAY
MORNING.

Upstate sc....we expect snow tonight.

[link to www.crh.noaa.gov]

Hope we get some snow this coming week. We are way behind on snow and Lake Erie is 4 degrees above normal.

AccuWeather.com‏@breakingweather

RT @accupovick: Heavy, banded snowfall moving through Tuscaloosa, AL currently. 1" per hour snow rates next few hours!.

Wind thunder and heavy snowfall in Gardendale. Starting to stick to everything including roads

#ALwx

Thunder snow reported in Tuscaloosa County! Lightning detection confirms.

A vehicle slid on the road and ran into my crimson ride bus. Look out for delays. Close to UA dance studio. No one hurt, thankfully.

@spann Multiple wrecks and spun out cars on Rice Mine Rd/Sokol Park area of Tuscaloosa.

#SNOW REPORT: 3.5" of snow has been reported in Noxapater, MS. That's in Winston County. #MSwx #winter

Ryan Maue‏@RyanMaue

ECMWF 12z has a blizzard upper-Midwest has been waiting for all season. Alas, it's a 7-day forecast. [link to twitter.com]

AccuWeather.com‏@breakingweather

Numerous accidents due to snow have been reported on I-75 and US25 south of Williamsburg, KY.

Anymore information on blizzard for Midwest ryan

[link to i.imgur.com]

AccuWeather.com‏@breakingweather

Snow is tapering off across parts of western AL. Snow total at Shelton State Community College: 1" & Berry, AL: 3"

AccuWeather.com‏@breakingweather

1.0 inch of snow fell in 30 minutes this afternoon near Jonesborough, Tenn.

1 hAccuWeather.com‏@breakingweather

Athens, W.Va., has received 4.5" of snow.. and its still falling!

1 hAccuWeather.com‏@breakingweather

MT @accu_henry: Snow rates of 1-2" per hour occurring across SW VA now. 3-4 inches of snow has falling in the last two hours.

2 hAccuWeather.com‏@breakingweather

It's changed over to snow at Beech Mtn, the highest town east of the Rocky mountains in N.C. Webcam: [link to ow.ly]

[link to weather.unisys.com]

January 18-20 Clipper Event
By Andrew at 12:56 PM

A clipper event appears likely for parts of the Upper Midwest from January 18-20, 2013.

At this time, model forecasts have a disturbance pushing through southern Canada and possibly into the Great Lakes, with some weak accumulating likely to also move into the region. As the system pushes through, temperatures will rise to the freezing level in central Illinois and southern Iowa in response to the incoming clipper system. However, due to the typical lack of moisture in clipper systems, this will not be a significant event. I expect anywhere from a trace of snow to 1 inch of snow in the light blue areas, and possibly as high as 3 inches of snow in very isolated areas of the dark blue areas.

The new snow day potential chart has been made, and is shown below for this timeframe:

Andrew [link to theweathercentre.blogspot.de]

January 24-26 Potential Winter Storm
By Andrew at 12:57 PM

I am monitoring the threat for accumulating snow from January 24th to January 26th.

The GFS and ECMWF models are now hinting at a strong storm system crossing from the Central Plains east into the Midwest or Great Lakes. At the moment, there is a difference between the two, with the American GFS model taking the system into Chicago and the European ECMWF model taking the system into the US/Canada border in the Western Great Lakes. The map I drew above went by the GFS model for the sole purpose of covering all possibilities as far as who has at least a chance of getting snow at the moment. If this storm does happen and the models are correct, I would expect a good accumulation event occurring in the North Plains and Upper Midwest, possibly in the Great Lakes. The GFS model shows a fair accumulation event above 4 inches for some people in the Northeast, so that threat will need to be monitored.

Andrew [link to theweathercentre.blogspot.de]

The Weather Channel‏@weatherchannel

Black ice, #snow on roads making travel hazardous in parts of the Southeast from MS to AL, TN, NC, SC, VA. Temps: [link to wxch.nl]

Ryan Maue‏@RyanMaue

After brief warm-up, Midwest & Northeast goes into the freezer. ECMWF 8-day forecast low anomalies a bit extreme. [link to twitter.com]

+1 degree here in Chicago right now!!!

Wind chill -12.......Brrrr.

Sounds like a new Ice Age to me. They say it happens every 10,000 years.