Geos Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 I've been measuring on my deck and it has compacted about 1.0"-1.25". The measurements some are taking I think were done on cement/street levels that allowed more melting. My current snow depth is 5.5". Thanks.I think I'll go with 3.8" here. With 0.29" of water that would be a 12:1 ratio. One thing that is challenging with spring snows, is if your not home to measure right away during the day when it stops - it's hard to figure out the actual total later. This snow put my average above normal now for the season. Impressive from the December and early January we had. Quote Mercer Island, 350 ft 2021-2022: 11.6", 02/21 2020-2021: 15.6" 2019-2020: ~10" 2018-2019 winter snowfall total: 29.5" 2017-2018: 9.0", 2016-2017: 14.0" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildWisconsinWeather Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Actually majority of people did including you. What are you thinking for tomorrow night's system Money? This winter has been filled with disappointments here, so I'm ready for spring weather for good, but of course that won't happen, will it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Money Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 What are you thinking for tomorrow night's system Money? This winter has been filled with disappointments here, so I'm ready for spring weather for good, but of course that won't happen, will it? Meh. i haven't even looked at the models for at least couple days. Just saw it mentioned in the AFD tonight. I'll wait and see what 0z runs show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted March 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Nice write-up regarding this late season snow event.... Snowfall Totals Preliminary Snowfall Map http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/lot/15mar23/prelimsf.jpg Map based on Local Storm Reports MeteorologySome of the key meteorological takeaways of this event:The timing of this event was key to impacts, in that it came during the morning commute time, including in the Rockford and Chicago metro areas. Snowfall rates of 1-2" per hour were common during Monday morning and spread across a larger area than is typically seen with a Pacific/Clipper-hybrid system. Normally such rates with these systems archetypes are in focused bands.High moisture (3-4 g/kg) was steered into the precipitation forcing region of this system. In other words, ample moisture was ingested and the forcing for lift was strong enough to wipe out the dry low-level air mass ahead of the snow.The thermal profile aloft was unstable enough to warrant some thundersnow to the northwest of the area. Even though thundersnow did not occur in our area, the thermal profile aloft was quite unstable per observation and analysis and thus resulted in stronger areas of rising air and quicker precipitation development and increased rates.Typically with early or late season events where the atmosphere is milder than during the heart of winter, snow-to-liquid ratios can be quite low...or in other words, the "efficiency" of the atmosphere to produce snowfall from the same amount of liquid diminishes. While low ratios were indeed observed, the vertical temperature and moisture profiles ended up being ideal for snow aggregation, where flakes "clump" together as they fall, leading to larger flakes reaching the surface producing quicker and larger accumulations. Water Vapor Satellite Loop on 3/23/15: 2 am - 12 pm http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/lot/15mar23/15mar23wv.gif This satellite loop shows the pronounced upper level wave and its areas of rapid saturation in advance, where the heaviest of snow was being observed under. Elevated Lapse Rates (Instability) on 3/23/15: 7 a.m. 850mb Warm Advection (Milder Air Advancing and Lifting) on 3/23/15: 10 a.m. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/lot/15mar23/lapserates.jpg http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/lot/15mar23/waa.jpg NWS Chicago 0.5° Radar Image from 3/23/15: 8:30 a.m. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/lot/15mar23/15mar23radar1.jpg http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/lot/15mar23/15mar23xsect1.jpg http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/lot/15mar23/15mar23xsect2.jpg Late Season Snow ClimatologyPUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTNATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL242 PM CDT MON MAR 23 2015...LARGEST CALENDAR DAY SNOW AFTER THE SPRING EQUINOX SINCE 1982...BOTH ROCKFORD AND CHICAGO OHARE AIRPORTS TODAY...MARCH 23RD...RECEIVED OVER FIVE INCHES OF SNOW. THIS WAS THEIR HIGHEST CALENDARDAY SNOW AFTER MARCH 21ST SINCE 1982. PLEASE SEE THE FOLLOWINGTABLES TO SEE WHERE THE SNOW RANKED WHEN COMPARED TO ALL OTHER POSTSPRING EQUINOX SNOWFALLS OF FIVE INCHES OR MORE:...CHICAGO...RANK VALUE DATE1 13.6 MARCH 25 19302 9.4 APRIL 5 1982- 9.4 APRIL 2 19754 9.0 APRIL 6 19385 8.9 MARCH 26 19706 8.2 APRIL 1 19707 7.8 MARCH 30 19268 7.7 MARCH 29 19549 7.1 MARCH 29 196410 6.6 MARCH 26 193411 6.5 MARCH 29 197212 6.4 APRIL 4 192013 5.6 MARCH 23 2015- 5.6 MARCH 26 193015 5.4 MARCH 25 1970- 5.4 MARCH 23 1965- 5.4 APRIL 16 196118 5.3 MARCH 28 1894THE TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THIS MOST RECENT EVENT WAS 5.8INCHES WITH 0.2 OF THAT HAVING FELL ON MARCH 22ND AND THUS NOTINCLUDED IN THE TABLE ABOVE....ROCKFORD...RANK VALUE DATE1 13.5 MARCH 31 19262 12.0 MARCH 23 18973 10.4 MARCH 29 19724 7.0 APRIL 18 19125 6.3 APRIL 5 19826 6.0 APRIL 6 1938- 6.0 MARCH 25 19338 5.1 MARCH 23 20159 5.0 MARCH 29 1954- 5.0 MARCH 25 1933$JEE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Money Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 What are you thinking for tomorrow night's system Money? This winter has been filled with disappointments here, so I'm ready for spring weather for good, but of course that won't happen, will it? 18z GFS had 0.7 QPF in MKE with mostly rain (temps between 32.5-33.5 degrees) 18z NAM was a bit warmer. 18z GFS had about 7 inches of snow in LSE and near gosaints area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildWisconsinWeather Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 18z GFS had 0.7 QPF in MKE with mostly rain (temps between 32.5-33.5 degrees) 18z NAM was a bit warmer. 18z GFS had about 7 inches of snow in LSE and near gosaints area Yeah, I'm not expecting anything here, more excited about isolated thunder prospects than anything wintry tbh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FV-Mike Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Nice graphic from Skilling showing how unusual the storm was yesterday. Great to get one last push of snow! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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