March 2018 Observations and Discussion

[St Paul Storm]

Huh. That’s a fairly large shift south with the snow tonight/tomorrow on the Euro, GFS and GEM. Now 1-2” in the point with gusts to 45mph. March was in like a lion and out like a lion.

[jaster220]

Taking a look back at guidance in late Feb, the CFSv2 didn't do a bad job at all.  I expect to see temp anomalies a bit lower across the north but other than that, it didn't do a bad job.  A tongue of AN precip from the Dakotas into the SE was forecasted along with dryness across the GL's and also in the desert SW/C&S Plains.

 

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/people/mchen/CFSv2FCST/monthly/images/summaryCFSv2.NaT2m.201803.gif

 

 

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/people/mchen/CFSv2FCST/monthly/images/summaryCFSv2.NaPrec.201803.gif

 

 

 

As you said, "not bad" but as WMIJim posted we're finishing March well below normal. Otherwise, yeah it did good on the dryness here in The Mitt

[Niko]

Cloudy and chilly w temps @ 37F.

[jaster220]

  Ahhh.. good ol Easter wx in NMI.    I'll admit I don't miss the mostly white Easters during my 7 yrs up there.

 

[St Paul Storm]

Some legit late March snow squalls right now. It’s in preparation for April. You know, because winter never dies.

[Tom]

Blizzard Warnings hoisted for Fargo, ND! Impressive compact storm system in the works. A precursor of what is to come. #endlesswinter

[St Paul Storm]

2-4” now in the forecast for tonight into tomorrow. Sneak attack system. Plus 45mph gusts. Wowzers.

[St Paul Storm]

About to get rocked by heavy snow. Going to look like early January in the morning. Winter weather advisory for 2-4” with localized 6”.

 

Mesoscale discussion says lightning and 2-3” per hour rates possible for a few hours overnight. Ground is already covered and convective looking returns on radar popping just to the west.

[Stormgeek]

It is crazy out there. Could hardly see on my way home from work. Roads are already covered, including the freeway.

[Tom]

As we close the books today on a wild March, it is rather "fitting" our region will experience another strong storm system.  Looks like you guys up north got a pretty good thumping.  A few 11" reports just north of St. Cloud being reported and about 3" near MSP.

 

High Wind Advisory hoisted for a lot of us near the GL's/MW.

 

 

 

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM CDT /10 AM EDT/ THIS MORNING
TO 5 PM CDT /6 PM EDT/ THIS AFTERNOON...

The National Weather Service in Chicago has issued a Wind
Advisory, which is in effect from 9 AM CDT /10 AM EDT/ this
morning to 5 PM CDT /6 PM EDT/ this afternoon.

* TIMING...Strongest winds this morning through mid afternoon.

* WINDS...Gusts up to 50 mph. Southerly direction this morning
becoming westerly this afternoon.

* IMPACTS...Driving conditions could become difficult, especially
for high profile vehicles. Unsecured outdoor objects may be
blown around by the wind.

[Tom]

@ CentralNeb, looks like you are under a Winter Storm Warning bud!  4-8" in your grid forecast...what is your season total so far?

[St Paul Storm]

Merry Christmas and Happy Easter. A heavy, wet 4” or so fell overnight. It’s not going anywhere either with temps crashing today and a low of 10 tonight. Another 3-6” in the point for Monday.

[Tom]

Merry Christmas and Happy Easter. A heavy, wet 4” or so fell overnight. It’s not going anywhere either with temps crashing today and a low of 10 tonight. Another 3-6” in the point for Monday.

#EndlessWinter continues for you guys in the north...what is your season tally???

[CentralNebWeather]

@ CentralNeb, looks like you are under a Winter Storm Warning bud! 4-8" in your grid forecast...what is your season total so far?

Our local station has my county around 30”, give or take, lots of nickel and dimers. If the high end amounts materialize, we would be above normal with several more chances in April. If the 6z GFS were correct, we would smash records.

[Tom]

Our local station has my county around 30”, give or take, lots of nickel and dimers. If the high end amounts materialize, we would be above normal with several more chances in April. If the 6z GFS were correct, we would smash records.

SMH, that's pretty remarkable given how this winter season started.  Good luck with this Easter system...I think your going to be close to the meso scale banding and may luck out on some heavier bands in your area.  This stuff looks like it will have some fluff to it as well which says a lot for an early April snow system.

[St Paul Storm]

#EndlessWinter continues for you guys in the north...what is your season tally???

This should put MSP officially around 53”. I have a bit more at my place. I’m at 57”. Should hit 60” on a Monday.

[Tom]

This should put MSP officially around 53”. I have a bit more at my place. I’m at 57”. Should hit 60” on a Monday.

Since the mid/late Jan flip, the back loaded winter has delivered the goods for you.  Congrats.  Taking a look at this NWS Snowfall analysis map, by the time we put an end to Winter for good, I think there will be a lot less "pinkish" color and more "teel" north of I-80.

 

[Hawkeye]

It got pretty windy here early this morning as a line of heavy showers moved through.  The Cedar Rapids airport reported a gust of 58 mph.  I picked up 0.23" of rain.

[CentralNebWeather]

SMH, that's pretty remarkable given how this winter season started. Good luck with this Easter system...I think your going to be close to the meso scale banding and may luck out on some heavier bands in your area. This stuff looks like it will have some fluff to it as well which says a lot for an early April snow system.

Correct. NWS Hastings mentioned where the heavy band sets up might be more than 8”. As always, there will be a fairly tight gradient between heavy snow, and little to nothing, like one side of a county to another.

[Tom]

Correct. NWS Hastings mentioned where the heavy band sets up might be more than 8”. As always, there will be a fairly tight gradient between heavy snow, and little to nothing, like one side of a county to another.

You've been in a good spot all season to score these meso scale features.  Believe it or not, the LRC actually is used in a meso scale fashion in local regions.  

[CentralNebWeather]

You've been in a good spot all season to score these meso scale features. Believe it or not, the LRC actually is used in a meso scale fashion in local regions.

Not a bad year, 5” was the largest storm, just not any big ones. Would be something if our largest storm was on April Fools Day.

[CentralNebWeather]

12z NAM has even more snow. Wow

[westMJim]

As of Friday March 30^th there was no reported snow on the ground in lower Michigan but there is still snow on the ground in in UP. Here are some reputed snow depths from several locations in Michigan’s UP.  30” locations.  34" Painesdale, 31" Hancock and Grand Marais, 30"  20 inch locations Atlantic Mine 28”, Coper Harbor 25”, Munising 21” over 10 less than 20” Herman 18”, NWS Marquette 16” downtown Marquette 10” Watersmeet 13” Sault Ste Marie and Ironwood 12” less than 10” Champion 8”, Ontonagon, Chatham and Rapid River, 7", Garden Corners 6” Green Garden 5” Gladstone 4” Stambaugh 3” Norway 2” and Manistique 1” it should be noted that more snow fell last night so locations may now have more snow on the ground and temperatures have been staying below 32.

[westMJim]

Here are some of the latest seasonal snow fall totals from some locations in Michigan as of this morning. Grand Rapids 71.7”, Muskegon 97.8” Lansing 50.6”, Detroit 58.6” Flint 77.4”, Saginaw 35.9” (note Saginaw is just 48 miles north of Flint) Alpena 50.3” Houghton Lake 40.4”, Sault Ste Marie 95.0” Gaylord 103.4” Traverse City 96.3”. West Branch  32.2” , Petoskey 107.4”, Marquette 135.1” Munising a reported 178.1”  the range with the above locations is between a low of 32.2” at West Branch to a high of 178.1” at Munising.  More snow is expected in norther lower and the UP in the next week.

[NEJeremy]

Had some pretty active tstorms just to the north of Omaha last night between 1-2am. Lot's of lightning including multiple CG's. Felt like a true spring night with temps still in the 50's and a strong south wind and lightning lighting up the sky

[OKwx2k4]

Congrats to Nebraska for making up for the previous 3 seasons in the snow category. Here's to it being my turn next season. Spring-type day today but it's back to cold tomorrow.

[Minny_Weather]

Congrats to Nebraska for making up for the previous 3 seasons in the snow category. Here's to it being my turn next season. Spring-type day today but it's back to cold tomorrow.

We haven't come close to making up for the past 3 years. We're better off than you, but relative to what we're supposed to get, we haven't had an appreciable season since 2010-11.

[NEJeremy]

March ended up .8 degrees above average with only .9" of snow here. Received 2.82" of precip at the airport though which was almost an inch above normal. However, I had over 3" of rain at my house the last couple of weeks.

[Hawkeye]

I finished March with a -1.3F temp departure.  My precip total was 2.96, modestly above avg.  My snowfall was 10.0, well above avg.

[jaster220]

I finished March with a -1.3F temp departure.  My precip total was 2.96, modestly above avg.  My snowfall was 10.0, well above avg.

 

Nice. Congrats!