Category: Posts EN

Surprise Snowstorm Halts Traffic Through the Urban Corridor!

Written by Team Morecast

 

It’s only a matter of a degree or two separating wet but drivable roads and a snowy mess. Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to give cities along the Eastern Seaboard the “cold” shoulder today. Much heavier snow has fallen than was expected, leading to traffic snarls and power outages from the Midwest to the East coast. The map below shows the deadlocked traffic situation that still exists around the New York City metro as late as 11 pm Thursday evening. Needless to say, officials and commuters across this region are frustrated.

 

 

 

Meteorologists expected temperatures to warm just above freezing as the precipitation moved in earlier on Thursday. This would have meant a mix of sleet, snow, and rain with relatively light accumulations. However, the snow moved in and became heavy quickly, locking near freezing temperatures in for a longer period than anticipated. The snow didn’t last very long but rates exceeded 1″/hr (2.5 cm/hr) in some areas. Below is a map with snow accumulations for the day around the major cities. NOTE: Totals are preliminary in the Boston area since the snow is still falling as of late Thursday evening.

 

 

It’s part of the same storm system that dropped major ice accumulations up to 0.5 inch (1.3 cm) over portions of the Ohio Valley and Appalachians late Wednesday into Thursday. Numerous traffic accidents and power outages have been the result. The storm is also producing heavy snows over the interior Northeast. Some of the higher elevations will likely see totals approaching a foot (30 cm) before all is said and down.

Slippery Mix Climbing up the Eastern Seaboard On Thursday

Written by Team Morecast

 

A fast-moving system will move out of the southeast on Thursday. Precipitation will move from the Mid-Atlantic during the morning through the Northeast in the afternoon. Cold air already in place will mean a hazardous mix of snow, sleet, and rain for travelers in the Urban Corridor!

 

 

The heaviest accumulations of ice and snow will occur inland from the Urban Corridor. Temperatures should remain just above freezing as precipitation moves into the major coastal cities from Washington, DC to Boston. However, temperatures aloft will be cold enough to yield some wet snow and sleet despite the surface temps, at least initially. Elevated spots could see some slushy accumulations up to an inch.

 

 

The wintry mix will move into the capital district around sunrise. That means the morning commute could be hazardous, especially coming from the western suburbs. Look for a mix in Philadelphia by late morning and NYC by early to mid-afternoon. Areas further north will disruptions for the evening commute. The wintry mix will likely change to just rain from south to north with locally heavy rain leading to minor flooding.

Late Season Cyclone Threatens Southern India

Written by Team Morecast

 

Cyclone Gaja has continued to steadily gain strength overnight. As of Tuesday morning it remains nearly motionless over the central Bay of Bengal. However, model guidance indicates it will soon begin to move westward towards southern India. This region will see significant impacts as Gaja approaches later this week.

 

 

Gaja is and will remain a very small cyclone. That fortunately limits the area of potential impacts. However, the small size could also allow for more rapid intensification. Some of the high-resolution models pick up on this and project a much stronger cyclone nearing landfall. Other, more low-resolution models are forecasting less intensification. How much the system strengthens could also have a significant bearing on where landfall occurs.

 

 

Regardless of how intense Gaja ends up being, the cyclone will bring locally torrential rainfall to southern India. Totals could approach 150-200 mm in some locations, leading to serious flash flooding. Depending on how the system evolves, the southwest coast could also see damaging winds and a minor storm surge. The time frame for main impacts is Thursday into the upcoming weekend. Lead photo courtesy flickr contributor Antoine Delepiere.

Deadly Wildfires Rage Across Parts of California Due to Santa Ana Winds

Written by Team Morecast

 

Strong east to northeast winds and extremely low humidities have developed over much of interior California. This combination has produced the perfect environment for wildfires. Infernos are torching hundreds of thousands of acres along with many homes and businesses. The fire burning near Chico, California has even claimed lives.

 

 

The flow of wind between high pressure over the Great Basin and low pressure near the Pacific coast is producing strong winds. These winds are particularly high on the lee (western) slopes of the mountain ranges of California. Gusts up to 50-70 mph (80-110 kph) have been reported in the hills around the L.A. Basin today (see map above). In this region, these downsloping easterly winds are known as the Santa Ana winds. Relative humidities are also running at 10% or below across much of interior California, dangerously dry conditions. It’s the proverbial powder keg waiting for the slightest spark to start out-of-control blazes.

 

 

The wildfire near Paradise, California began only this morning and has already burned more than 20,000 acres. Evacuations have been mandated across this area with some residents forced to drive through flames and flying cinders to escape (see tweet videos above). A hospital was burned to the ground, one of hundreds of structures destroyed. So far fire containment efforts have been largely ineffective. The city of Chico is next in line to be impacted by this deadly blaze on Friday. Choking smoke has even been blown southwest across the Bay area (see satellite animation at top).

Winds will diminish somewhat by Friday in northern California and a lesser wildfire threat is forecasted. Hopefully this will allow firefighters to gain the upper hand to on the Camp Fire blaze. However, southern California will remain in an extreme wildfire danger (see map below)