Historic Jan '19 Cold Wave - Polar Vortex Intrusion

[WBadgersW]

Stupid owners with their policy of never closing. My place of work lost power and the employees are sitting in the dark waiting for it come back on.

[OmahaSnowFan]

-15.8 was the low on my weather station. Could hear the popping and banging outside too. In fact someone posted in our neighborhood Facebook page asking if anyone else was hearing the noises that sounded like gunshots or fireworks. Should be all the way up into the 50s this weekend

[Minny_Weather]

Though this is the coldest temp I've ever felt (-9), it actually doesn't feel that bad. I wonder how much clouds will hold down temps today, they weren't really in the forecast until yesterday. May also get some light snow.

If it weren't for the clouds we probably would have gone lower. Temps were plummeting till they came in.

 

Light snow right now in downtown, enough to blow around on the roads & there is a dusting on my parking garage. -7°F.

[East Dubzz]

What are these booms and pops people are referring to?

[Cfweather]

What are these booms and pops people are referring to?

So I think it’s a combination of everything sounding louder in the extreme cold and the house/deck getting cold- and contracting and therefore popping etc.?

 

It was also the wind?

 

Editing to add that I’m hoping it wasn’t anything bad- like things breaking that shouldn’t- I won’t know for sure until it warms up enough for me to go outside and look.....

[indianajohn]

Heard this earlier and thought it was kind if cool.....if you add the wind chill  the temperature at which Fahrenheit and Celsius thermometer readings are equal is: - 40 degrees

[Tom]

What are these booms and pops people are referring to?

They could be whats called "cryoseism"...

 

[FV-Mike]

Update from Tom Skilling: some pretty crazy stats

 

"It's now official! Word from my colleagues and in-house climate gurus weather producer Bill Snyder and veteran meteorologist Steve Kahn. This is now the 2nd coldest day in Chicago weather history. That's quite a feat. Weather records here go back 148 years to 1870. Today's -10-degree high at midnight and this morning-s 24-below minimum averages out to 17-below. The ONLY OTHER DAY COLDER was Christmas Eve Day--December 24, 1983 when the high and low were -25 and -11-degrees respectively averaging 18-below.
This morning's 24-below minimum was the coldest in Chicago in the 36 years since the morning of January 20, 1985 when Chicago's all time record low of 27-below was recorded."

[indianajohn]

They could be whats called "cryoseism"...

 

I see some Extreme Pot Holes in the near future LOL!!

[Grizzcoat]

Just found out from a co-worker that at 9:06AM Duluth Airport (KDLH) had a wind chill of -74F. If verifed- it wold be the coldest wind chill ever recorded in MN. 

 

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/climate/journal/historic_windchills.html

[Snowshoe]

What bag did you get? I've been thinking about getting into winter camping.

 

Update on how things went-

 

Everything went fine. Until I thought I had left my truck keys (again have to get ready for work at 10:30pm) in my coat which was outside my bag- then wasn't. Blew against a fence. Spent 10 minutes looking for keys in snow. Thank goodness I had left them inside the house!! That ended things at about 9:45pm. Otherwise, very impressed with the overall sleep system and was quite comfortable to be totally honest. The wind howling was epic! When i got inside the outdoor temp registered -14.2F and the wind was around 25kts Gusting to 35mph. Not my coldest night outside, but it was outside a tent fully exposed to ma nature.

[Grizzcoat]

Western Moutinaneering Cypress --- If you plan on travelling by foot - I reccm down and don't go cheap. It's worth it. If your not going to be travelling by foot and bulk is not an issue their are much less expensive methods. But you simply can't beat down for it's insulating qualities and light weight / pack size.  If you have any other ? - just IM me on here.

 

http://www.westernmountaineering.com/sleeping-bags/gore-windstopper-series/cypress-gws/

[Snowshoe]

Forecasted high of -12 today. It's still -25 and it's almost 11am. I'm not so sure we make it to -12.

[Bryan1117]

Sioux Falls got all the way down to -25 this morning, this didn’t break the 119 year old record low for the day for them up there which I found amazing.

 

My nearly brand work new truck thankfully had no issues starting up this morning - however it was coldest air I have ever experienced before.

 

Heading back south now, back into the negative teens in Sioux City, Iowa. Definitely feels a little “warmer” here.

[Niko]

Currently at -6F w partly cloudy skies. WCF is at -27F.

 

Btw: all mail has been suspended for today and tomorrow.

[East Dubzz]

Really warming up here. All the way up to -21 with a wind chill of -47.

[St Paul Storm]

Forecasted high of -12 today. It's still -25 and it's almost 11am. I'm not so sure we make it to -12.

Same here. Still -24F with a forecasted high of -13F. We have some work to do to get there.

[snowstorm83]

Steady light snow for the past couple of hours. Roads/sidewalks are covered and exposed grassy areas have a dusting. Of course it's pixie dust, but I wouldn't expect fat wet flakes at -3.

[westMJim]

Wow what a difference Lake Michigan makes. To the south and to the west temperatures are well below zero and even here in Michigan on the east side there are clear skies and temperatures are well below zero. Here in Grand Rapids the official reading is now at zero with light snow falling and here at my house I have a temperature of +4 with heavy snow falling . I am now just under 17" of snow on the ground (16.7) 

[Stacsh]

Temp is 1 with snow/blowing snow. -23 wc. Officially can’t and dont want to leave my house. Anyone else over it?

[Madtown]

steady-16 over the last couple of hours

[gosaints]

Euro the coldest model tonight

[james1976]

A few numbers:
Waterloo set a record this morning at -25 and Waterloo's lowest wind chill was -55. Forecast high today is -17 which would be a record cold high. Forecast low for TONIGHT is -33 which would shatter another daily record.
Lowest wind chill in the area this morning was Charles City at -60

[Minny_Weather]

This light snow is having zero problem accumulating. I have 0.3" here so far. 0.9*F.

[East Dubzz]

Euro the coldest model tonight

Except maybe the HRRR, though that always seems to be the case haha. Actually the Canadian is also very cold, but that also seems to be normal. Just like the NAM always seems to be too warm on this stuff, for whatever reason.

 

Unless there is more cloud cover than expected, I think the Euro has the better grasp on this.

[Minny_Weather]

The wind chill here bottomed out at -37*F last night. The air temp only got to a measly -9*F at the airport, but I know it got to -11*F at my place.

[Minny_Weather]

So far, the high for the day here in Lincoln is -1. The last time we didn't get above 0 here was 1996. With the WAA coming in, it's unlikely that changes.

[Niko]

Currently at -5F w a wcf in the -30s at times. Hello PV.

[East Dubzz]

Temperature did not rise between 2-3, so I wonder if we may have reached our max for the day at -17.

[gabel23]

I must say this is the first time I have ever seen a PDS put out for snow! 

 

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
402 PM EST WED JAN 30 2019

NYZ010>012-019-085-302300-
Chautauqua-Southern Erie-Wyoming-Genesee-Northern Erie-
402 PM EST WED JAN 30 2019

...A BAND OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL AFFECT WYOMING...ERIE...NORTHERN
CHAUTAUQUA AND GENESEE COUNTIES...

At 356 PM EST, two bands of lake effect snow are producing snow fall
rates of up to 2 inches per hour along with visibilities near zero.
Temperatures are below zero with wind chills near -25 degrees below
zero.

...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...

Blinding snow and whiteout conditions are occurring. A casual drive
or trip outside can quickly lead to a life threatening situation
without proper winter gear. Please heed all travel bans.

Two separate bands are occuring east of Lake Erie. One is over
Buffalo and edging into the Northtowns east past Batavia. A second
and stronger band extends from the PA line, across the Boston Hills,
the Southtowns, and into far northwest Wyoming County. These bands
are converging over Genesee County and are producing whiteout
conditions there as well. These bands will move very little
throughout the remainder of the afternoon. Meanwhile, temperatures
will continue to drop further below zero while wind gusts exceed 35
mph at times, producing blizzard conditions at times and dangerous
wind chills.

[Madtown]

-12.8 atm been bouncing back and forth between that and 13 below for the past hour or so.

[snowstorm83]

So far, the high for the day here in Lincoln is -1. The last time we didn't get above 0 here was 1996. With the WAA coming in, it's unlikely that changes.

Up to 1 now. Doubt we'll get to the original forecast of 6, but probably 2 or 3 at some point before midnight.

[Andie]

How the heck do you stay warm in this?  Even inside? 

 

[Minny_Weather]

How the heck do you stay warm in this? Even inside?

 

I have a fire going! Plus cold makes me feel alive.

[Niko]

Cant believe how cold it will get tanite. Lows expected to be in the -20sF. Already current temp is -8F.

[St Paul Storm]

-29F being forecasted again for tonight which would set a record for the date. The high today has been the current temp of -13F.

[Minny_Weather]

[Tom]

Afternoon high was -14F which was a record for any afternoon low high temp, but officially we did not achieve a record low high. Although, we may test the all-time record low of -27F tonight. Would be neat to be able to hit it or break it. Down to -15F, WC -35F.

[East Dubzz]

Dropped 3 degrees after the sun went down to -20, wind chill of -38.

 

Dubuque is going to come D**n close to the all time record of -32 set in 1887. Current forecast is exactly -32. Man, if we’re going to be that cold already, may as well just get to -33 to set the record.

[Niko]

At -10F currently w a wcf -31F crystal clear skies. Call me crazy, but I would have really wanted a blizzard right after this PV exits. Would have been awesome.