re: Great Blizzard of 2016 - 6 1st Order Climate Site Snowfall Records

They just used them yesterday.

I'm in Baton Rouge. I've seen snow significant enough for us to build snowmen once in my life...I'm 37.

I'm just wanting a few ice days so I don't have to go to work.

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4" at 8pm

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My old neighbor is claiming 5". The radar looks great for y'all and the HRRR is showing another 20" by morning... Widespread 30" totals look to be a lock. The 12z Para Euro laid down a 28-30" zone right over DC.

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Anybody remember the blizzard of 93. Tampa got snow for Christ sake.

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I see 31 in central NJ and 33 in north Jersey.

lots of mid 20's in Virginia.

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But how often do systems similar to this move up the east coast. Not that it has to be during the winter months.

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This is certainly about as textbook of a snowstorm as you can get. They tend to be more common in El Ninos and need a winter time synoptic setup that has the jet stream digging into the Deep South. There is a pretty complex classification system for these systems depending on where the original surface low forms, the track it takes, where does a secondary low form and track, etc.

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BTW, during that storm of 93, central Alabama got up to 12 inches of snow in places.

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At last check, Jonas has dropped at least 5" of snow in 14 different states. Not that it can compare to the Superstorm but still impressive.

MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0056
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0856 PM CST FRI JAN 22 2016

AREAS AFFECTED...PORTIONS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC

CONCERNING...HEAVY SNOW

VALID 230256Z - 230800Z

SUMMARY...SNOWFALL INTENSITY WILL INCREASE WITHIN A CONSOLIDATING
BAND OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. SNOWFALL AROUND 1-2 INCHES PER HOUR
/WITH LOCALLY HIGHER RATES/ IS EXPECTED.

DISCUSSION...IR IMAGERY AND REGIONAL RADAR DEPICT AN EXPANSIVE
SHIELD OF PRECIPITATION ALONG THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST...IN RESPONSE
TO BROAD ISENTROPIC ASCENT ALONG THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE MATURING
CYCLONE. SFC PRESSURE FALLS AROUND 2-3 MB/HR NOTED ALONG THE NC/VA
COASTS AHEAD OF THE DEEPENING SFC LOW SIGNAL A GROWING MASS RESPONSE
FROM THE APPROACHING MID-LEVEL TROUGH. ADDITIONALLY...PRESSURE FALLS
AROUND 2 MB/HR ALONG/NEAR THE CHESAPEAKE/POTOMAC ARE LIKELY
SIGNALING STRENGTHENING WAA/ISENTROPIC ASCENT AHEAD OF THE DEEPENING
850-700 MB LOW. AMPLIFYING FRONTOGENETIC CIRCULATIONS WILL FURTHER
AID ASCENT TO BOLSTER SNOWFALL RATES OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
INDEED...KAKQ/KDOX INDICATE SUBTLE ENHANCEMENTS OF SPECIFIC
DIFFERENTIAL PHASE /KDP/ WITHIN THE -10 TO -20 C LAYER...LIKELY
SIGNALING IMPROVED ASCENT/CRYSTAL GROWTH ALOFT. AS SUCH CONDITIONS
EXPAND N/NWWD IN RESPONSE TO THE AFOREMENTIONED LARGE-SCALE
FORCING...A BAND OF HEAVY SNOW WILL CONSOLIDATE ACROSS THE
DISCUSSION AREA. CONDITIONS SHOULD FURTHER DETERIORATE AS SNOWFALL
RATES OF 1-2 INCHES PER HOUR /WITH LOCALLY HIGHER RATES/
DEVELOP...ESPECIALLY IN ANY SMALL CONVECTIVE ELEMENTS.

ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA...SOME MIXING WITH SLEET
MAY OCCUR...NOTED IN KDOX/KAKQ CC DATA AND A FEW MPING REPORTS. SUCH
MIXING WOULD TEMPORARILY REDUCE SNOWFALL RATES. HOWEVER...HEAVY
PRECIPITATION AND SUBSEQUENT COOLING DUE TO MELTING HYDROMETEORS
WILL SERVE TO SLOW/STOP THE N/NWWD PROGRESSION OF THIS WARM LAYER.

Ahh Yea

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But the sick part of my is looking forward to the Thunder Snow tonight

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Yea, everything is pointing towards thunder snow overnight into the early morning hours. Awesome!

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So excuse me but what is thunder snow?? And how long will my child be stuck up there?? 6pm flight Sunday out of DCA

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Just like a thunderstorm but with snow. I have no clue on airports but I would bet on the Metro being closed until Tuesday.