Behind the scenes–forecasting snowstorms
It’s been quite a winter so far. This morning, winter storm warnings blanket New England as the second major tempest–a true blizzard near Boston–in a little over two weeks mounts a furious assault. It’s already dropped 6 to 12 inches on NYC. Winter storm warnings are also in effect for much of Washington state, northern Idaho and northwest Montana. Wind chill advisories cover the Great Plains and portions of the Midwest. Hard freeze warnings are a dime-a-dozen in the Deep South. Where I live, near Atlanta, things remain at a virtual standstill after Sunday night’s crippling snowstorm. No mail. No newspaper delivery. No trash pick up. No school. ...
Read MoreEight plows?
To say this has been an interesting winter so far would be a healthy understatement. As I write this, the largest city in the South remains wrapped in a blanket of white and virtually shut down for the second day in a row. What little traffic there is creeps like a garden slug on a dewy morning. And the busiest airport in the world isn’t boasting any more action than the airstrip at Barrow, Alaska. This is Atlanta’s third bout with winter weather this season–and by far the most crippling. The last time the metro area was blitzed by this much snow was in March 1993–the infamous Superstorm. That near-blizzard blew in on a weekend, however, and within...
Read MoreDo they make you do it?
As I write this, bitter cold arctic air is slashing eastward and southward across the eastern two-thirds of the nation, and a pugnacious winter storm is aborning over the Southwest. Thus, the stage is set for a blitzkrieg of ice and snow from New Mexico to North Carolina over the next 48 hours. Curiously enough, the storm comes almost exactly a year after a devastating bout of ice and snow assaulted roughly the same area. The 2010 version, however, will end up focusing its fury just a bit farther south. After punching New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma hard, the system will throw crippling haymakers at large chunks of Arkansas, Tennessee and North...
Read MoreSack and Pillage Alert
All one has to do in the Deep South is mention “snow” or even “snow flurries” in a weather forecast, and it’s a given that residents will descend upon local grocery stores like barbarian hordes. All milk and bread will disappear from shelves within 12 hours. The sacking of Kroger. The pillaging of Publix. Now, before you read any further, I must issue a caution: please keep in mind the Bernard Three-Day Theorem which states “never make or alter any plans based on a weather forecast beyond 72 hours into future.” Despite the proliferation of modern technology and computerized tools, that’s what this ancient meteorologist has learned the hard way a...
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Senior Meteorologist
The Weather Channel (Ret)
Colonel, USAF Weather Officer (Ret)
Awarded the Legion of Merit
