February 2019 Observations and Discussion

[gosaints]

Might make it up to 20F here today but down to -3F tonight. Nothing warmer than the 20s for the foreseeable future. The deep glacier is intact into March as it looks now.

I think you for sure get a very short period of heavy wind driven snow today

[Stormy]

Already eclipsed the forecast high for today with 40° attm. but the c f should arrive soon. Feels good outside.

[St Paul Storm]

Liking the chances of a nice squall this afternoon

Yup, looking good. Short lived, but I’ll take it. We’re already only 5” from a Feb record at MSP.

[Tom]

Yup, looking good. Short lived, but I’ll take it. We’re already only 5” from a Feb record at MSP.

I think your going to easily set a new Feb snow record the way I’m seeing things play out. Pretty incredible stretch of winter in your region.

[Hawkeye]

It is 40 degrees here as well, with bright sun.  There is definitely some melting going on.

[CentralNebWeather]

How about the 12Z CMC?  Hello.  

[Niko]

So far, temp is at 32F w cloudy skies, so not much warming happening.

[Minny_Weather]

Frontal boundary passed through at about 0900. Overcast now. Winds are howling. With the snowmelt overnight (temps never went below 32*F), freezing can be considered a possibility. 25.2*F.

[mlgamer]

I'm sitting at 53F and sunny skies at the moment. Very nice day! Hard to believe this time tomorrow it should be snowing with a temp around 19F. Good ol' Kansas weather!

[Iowawx]

44 degrees here and full sun! Snowpack here is taking a beating, but temps are supposed to drop here tonight.

 

I actually opened my windows when I went home for lunch because it is actually pretty nice outside considering it is the middle of February.

[Andie]

[East Dubzz]

It appears the cold front has swept through. Temp has dropped 7 degrees in the last couple hours. Just about to leave work, so we’ll see what the extent of the damage was on the snowpack today.

 

Edit: Some melted, but I still have 4-5” at least in most places. Despite the strong winds, don’t expect blowing snow to be much of an issue with the top layer now being hardened.

[SE Wisconsin]

Some fairly impressive radar returns showing up in western Wisconsin associated with the passage of the cold front.  Hopefully, we might get a raging blizzard for an hour or so later this evening.  

[St Paul Storm]

Some fairly impressive radar returns showing up in western Wisconsin associated with the passage of the cold front. Hopefully, we might get a raging blizzard for an hour or so later this evening.

 

Was quite the squall line when it went through here around 1pm. Picked up about an inch. Good luck!

 

Already down to 8F with a WC of -13.

[East Dubzz]

Some fairly impressive radar returns showing up in western Wisconsin associated with the passage of the cold front. Hopefully, we might get a raging blizzard for an hour or so later this evening.

I was over in Dubuque driving when the snow passed through. Think it may be done now, but it was some impressive snowfall!

[Niko]

Very pleasant currently w temps in the 30s. CF will pass on through tanite and temps will tumble.

[Niko]

Man, this month has a lot of potential and right through March. Storms are lined up.

[Stormy]

[Hawkeye]

There is a 40+" different between Sioux City and the Quad Cities.  That's insane.  That might not be rare between Lamoni and Mason City, but SC to QC?  Wow!

 

As great as winter has been for many, ne NE into wc/nw Iowa has been truly dreadful.  Every storm has trended away from that area.

[Stormy]

Here's the national map of season total snowfall.

[Minny_Weather]

Here's the national map of season total snowfall.

That hole over Sioux City is something else.

[Grizzcoat]

Euro forecasted snowfall by WED PM next week-

[Clinton]

I'll take that 10, I think that 3rd system could be real wet.

[Tom]

Temps have crashed since last night when I went to bed as they were still in the low 40's. Current temp of +9F with a WC -8F is going to feel like a smack in the face when I step outside this morning. Temps actually are below guidance which were calling for a low of +12F and this is with no snow OTG. True arctic air in the region has settled in and taking up shop for the foreseeable future.

 

Speaking of the future, I always like to challenge myself and try to provide some LR thoughts and the pattern is pretty much locked across the central CONUS, although, I'm still seeing a brief reprieve from the cold to those east of the Mississippi River/GL's in the Day 7-10 day range, but then the cold will push again as we close out the month. Guidance continues to suggest the Plains/MW to be the main action zone for storm systems and many more chances for snow.

 

00z GEFS through months end...is a Feb '14 cold outbreak lurking??? I remember that year we had low single digit highs when we opened up March. I really think something similar is lurking but centering it a bit farther west this time across the Plains/MW instead of the GL's. Depending on how much Snow is OTG will be a big determining factor. Nonetheless, the 2nd half of this month certainly will deliver wintry systems and cold as we close it out.

 

Looking way out from this point and through the 1st half of March, I am almost certain that we will see at least 1 or even 2 Blizzards somewhere in the Plains/MW/GL's. I just have this gut feeling based on what I know about the LRC and the evolving pattern that some places on here are going to get hammered. One of the most memorable finishes to a Winter season is on the table, of which we have not seen in years...possibly decades. Have a great Friday and stay warm!

[Niko]

Currently cloudy and colder w temps in the 20s.

[East Dubzz]

Got down to -2 last night. Think that was several degrees below guidance. I don’t mind keeping the colder temps around so the snow will stay, but I think I could go without it being this cold haha

[Beltrami Island]

Minnesota snow depth and percentile rank as of Feb 14. I don't know if I have ever seen this map have such a large area in 99% area in second half of winter.

[Stacsh]

Ripping LES right now. Wasn’t really forecasted. Won’t amount to much but nice to see fluffy LES blowing sideways.

[westMJim]

We are now more than half way thru February 2019 and Grand Rapids has made a remarkable recovery in the seasonal snow fall amounts. Since January 15^th Grand Rapids has had 41.3” of snow fall and now for the season Grand Rapids is at 60.4” So at this time We are on track for a near to maybe above average winter season as far as snow fall goes. One area we are still well behind average is the number of days with 1 inch or more of snow on the ground. At this time we are at 41 days the average since 1950 at Grand Rapids for the season is 73 the most was 116 days in the winter of 1977/78 with 114 days in the winter of 1958/59 in more recent times the winter of 2013/14 there were 109 days with one inch or more at Grand Rapids. On the low side the winter of 1982/83 there were only 23 days with one inch or more on the ground. In more recent times the winter of 2011/12 there were only 34 days.

 

At this time getting light snow and blowing snow with a temperature of 23.4

[jaster220]

Here's the national map of season total snowfall.

 

looks accurate here. Aligns with my tally very well tbh

[jaster220]

We are now more than half way thru February 2019 and Grand Rapids has made a remarkable recovery in the seasonal snow fall amounts. Since January 15^th Grand Rapids has had 41.3” of snow fall and now for the season Grand Rapids is at 60.4” So at this time We are on track for a near to maybe above average winter season as far as snow fall goes. One area we are still well behind average is the number of days with 1 inch or more of snow on the ground. At this time we are at 41 days the average since 1950 at Grand Rapids for the season is 73 the most was 116 days in the winter of 1977/78 with 114 days in the winter of 1958/59 in more recent times the winter of 2013/14 there were 109 days with one inch or more at Grand Rapids. On the low side the winter of 1982/83 there were only 23 days with one inch or more on the ground. In more recent times the winter of 2011/12 there were only 34 days.

 

At this time getting light snow and blowing snow with a temperature of 23.4

 

Said this morning in the SMI forum how this has felt a LOT like 11-12 (sadly)

[Niko]

Currently at 27 w partly cloudy skies. That sun angle this time of the year does the trick. Snow was melting today w below freezing temps.

[Niko]

Said this morning in the SMI forum how this has felt a LOT like 11-12 (sadly)

I agree... this was a very light Winter. Felt like I was in the south instead.

[Clinton]

The snow train doesn't end on Wednesday, almost all models agree there will be another cutter on Friday.

[Minny_Weather]

The snow train doesn't end on Wednesday, almost all models agree there will be another cutter on Friday.

Thermals are going to be a major issue with the Friday wave. We could very well just see rain with that one so quite frankly I'd rather not even have that storm.

[Bryan1117]

That hole over Sioux City is something else.

The last two Winters this same area around Sioux City back to the south and west towards Norfolk has gotten pummeled... interesting how Mother Nature has a way of leveling things out. The cut off to the north and west of Omaha and Lincoln has been pretty severe this winter.

 

Areas to our north and west will finally be catching up this week and next week it looks like though.

[CentralNebWeather]

Thermals are going to be a major issue with the Friday wave. We could very well just see rain with that one so quite frankly I'd rather not even have that storm.

Looks like it. Farther west would be better imo

[gimmesnow]

Madison has made it above average snowfall after spending half the winter well below.

 

Last time Madison Climatology office had such a turn around in Winter was the 1993-1994 winter, and boy did that Winter not let up.

[Clinton]

Thermals are going to be a major issue with the Friday wave. We could very well just see rain with that one so quite frankly I'd rather not even have that storm.

Ya it looks that way maybe the GEM will work out.  But then again I keep hoping my hair will grow back someday and thats probably not going to happen either lol.

[Niko]

Cloudy w a few flurries flying around and temps not getting outta the 20s.