Major East Coast Storm Gets Underway

Eastern US Weather Forums ^ | Various: NWS/HPC/NOAA

[nwctwx]

A major to possibly historic snowstorm is now forming in the Gulf of Mexico. This storm will track northeast along the East Coast Monday and Tuesday bringing very heavy snow and near blizzard conditions to many. The exact track is still uncertain at this time, but the big cities along the megalopolis could be in for a very large event. I put together a few maps to track the system, and will add more shortly.

---

National Warning Map

Clickable Map Here

Current East Coast NEXRAD Radar Composite

National Radar Loop

National Radar Summary

U.S. Surface Pressure Map and Radar Overlay

NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
132 PM EST SUN FEB 27 2005
QPF DISCUSSION

...ERN STATES...

WILL KEEP THIS SHORT AND SWEET. FOR THE MOST PART THE MANUAL
DAY1 QPF OVR THE ERN U.S. STRONGLY REFLECTS THE GFS MODEL. THIS
MODEL HAS GOOD CONTINUITY NOW FOR THE PAST FEW MODEL RUNS AS
OPPOSED TO THE NAM WHICH HAS BEEN ERRATIC AND FOR THE MOST PART
WRONG WITH ITS SCENARIO. THAT BEING SAID THE CURRENT GFS IN THE
EARLY PART OF ITS 1200 UTC FCST CYCLE DOES NOT HAVE A GOOD HANDLE
ON THE DEPTH OF THE GULF LO. TO WHAT EXTENT THIS WILL IMPACT ITS
FCST IS UNCERTAIN. ITS FARTHER WEST SFC LO SOLUTION AS COMPARED
TO THE UKMET AND THE ECMWF ALSO DOES NOT LEND SUPPORT TO A
HIGHLY CONFIDENCE FCST. IN ANY CASE...USED THE GFS FOR THE TIMING
OF THE PCPN ASOCTD WITH THIS SYSTEM WHICH HAS TRENDED SLOER FM
PREVIOUS RUNS. THE ONLY CORRECTION MADE TO THE GFS...WHICH IS
IMPORTANT FOR SNOW LOVERS...IS THE ADDITION TO ITS QPF ON THE NW
SIDE OF ITS PCPN SHIELD. BELIEVE ITS CURRENT FCST DOES NOT STGLY
REFLECT THE TRACK OF THE MID/UPPER LVL CNTR AS DEPICTED BY ITS OWN
MASS FIELD FCSTS. LATEST STLT AND RADAR ALREADY INDCS THAT IT HAS
MISSED THE PCPN DVLPNG OVR THE UPPER TN VLY TO THE NORTH OF THE
MID LVL CIRC AND SUSPECT THIS COULD CONTINUE. PLEASE SEE LATEST
WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS FOR FURTHER INFO CONCERNING FROZEN
PCPN.

---

For more information, including thoughts from nationally known meteorologists visit:
Eastern United States Weather Forums

[xcamel]

Sorry, March 1993.

[pabianice]

Aiieee! Watch out for falling helicopters!

[lainie]

I remember when Willard & Bryant were fighting! That was funny. Another goofy weather-guy thing is how Tony what's his name is on (is it?) GMA now. He was the weather guy for one of the D.C. channels for a long, long time. He wasn't very good. Nobody beats Bob Ryan.

[LibFreeOrDie]

NWS coastal flood watch for Massachusetts:

Flood Watch / Flood Statement As of 3:09 PM EST on February 27, 2005

... A coastal Flood Watch is in effect for east coastal Massachusetts...
this coastal Flood Watch includes Newburyport... Gloucester Harbor...
Marblehead... Boston Harbor... Scituate... Plymouth... Sandwich...
Provincetown... Chatham Outer Harbor... Nantucket Harbor.

A powerful coastal storm will impact New England Monday night and
Tuesday. Low pressure is beginning to develop over the eastern Gulf of
Mexico late Sunday afternoon. This low will track to the South Carolina
coast tonight and then northeast to the mid Atlantic shore Monday. The
storm will intensify rapidly Monday night as it moves northeast...
passing near Cape Cod and Nantucket early Tuesday morning. Gale force
east to northeast winds will accompany the storm Monday night into
Tuesday morning across eastern Massachusetts. In fact... a few wind gusts
could reach 50 to 55 mph.

These strong onshore winds will begin to pile up water along the
coastline Monday night and early Tuesday... with a storm surge of 2.0 ft
to 3.0 ft possible. In addition... onshore winds of this magnitude will
generate seas of around 20 ft across the eastern Massachusetts coastal
waters. The combination of strong onshore winds... a 2.0 to 3.0 ft storm
surge and very large seas will pose the risk of moderate coastal flooding
along the eastern Massachusetts coastline.

At this early stage... the timing of the greatest storm surge... winds and
seas appears to be late Monday night. Therefore... the 2 am to 3 am
Tuesday morning high tide cycle appears to be the most vulnerable for
coastal flooding.

However... the exact track and intensity of the storm still remains a bit
uncertainty. If later forecasts indicate a more certainty... a coastal
Flood Warning may be issued.

[SamAdams76]

I know, I know. But it's not what you think. This is the first time today I logged on and I only logged on to check the weather back home (and check in here briefly). I have a wireless Internet connection with my Nextel phone and it's clumsly and slow as hell so I only use it intermittently.

But before I go, I must share with you all that this is my first major car trip with Sirius (satellite radio). All I can say is WOW. It really paid for itself on this trip. Crystal clear music the whole way down here. I'm listening to the same stations I listen to back home. Made a huge difference and a much less stressful trip for my wife and I. We could even check the news and traffic reports across the country at our convenience.

Usually on long car trips, we endlessly fuss with the radio dial and deal with stations constantly fading in and out. Not anymore!

[BurbankKarl]

Who you calling a a freak?

[leadpenny]

It's a brave new world, and I'm constantly being drug into it.

Like the term, "dial a number," "tuning the radio" will be as distant as TV Test Patterns soon.

Enjoy your trip.

[pt17]

Appreciate your pics. Thanks!

[JoeV1]

Forget the meeting. Stay home and if anyone says anything you tell them Joe said it was ok.

[SuziQ]

Everyone to the store for your toilet paper, NOW!

[sure_fine]

what kind of connection do you have, and how costly if you don't mind?

[SuziQ]

Is that deep red area over East-Central MA the heaviest part of the snowfall? Yowsers! That's right over our place!
The grocery stores are gonna be hoppin Monday afternoon!

[sure_fine]

sorry leadpenny, Sam, what is your connection and is it costly?

[Donna Lee Nardo]

Hi Ian.

Here is an "I don't like this, I don't like this one bit" BUMP!

[Nick Danger]

Time to fire up the Nick-cam. This is in DC, about 1/2-mile from the White House. Updated every 20 secs.

[ContraryMary]

Bummer. I guess I'd better go grocery shopping tomorrow morning. Don't want to get stuck in the house without any food.

[JellyJam]

We got deluged today. It was more rain than what we got from Hurricane Frances.

[larryjohnson]

I visited the site. I found the threads and comments disjointed and only for insiders. But thanks for the maps you posted here. I am degreed, but retired and removed from today's meteorology. I read Caribou, ME discussions and spot snow measurements from my cove.

[lainie]

me :)

and you!

[Donna Lee Nardo]

I still curse Jan '96 in NYC! I did all I could to get into my office in Manhattan.

Yet I never made it to the scheduled business trips to DC and Albany during the snow storms.

Jan. '96 is not a favorable memory for me. Please don't mention Jan. '96!