Monster Winter Storm Takes Aim at One-Third of U.S. (Live Thread)

FOXNews.com ^ | January 31, 2011 | | Associated Press

[metmom]

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A monster winter storm took aim at a third of the nation Monday, threatening to lay a potentially deadly path of heavy snow and ice from the Rockies to New England, followed by a wave of bitter, bone-rattling cold that could affect tens of millions of people.

Cities including St. Louis, Kansas City and Milwaukee could be hardest hit, with expected midweek snowfalls of up to 2 feet and drifts piled 5 to 10 feet. Even hardy Chicago could be in for its third-worst blizzard since record-keeping began.

"I wouldn't want to be on the road in open areas tomorrow night," said forecaster Tom Skilling of Chicago television station WGN. "I don't think I'd want to be driving in the city either. The fact is people die in these things. They skid off the road and go wandering around in whiteout conditions."

Warmer areas were not safe, either. The system could spawn tornadoes in parts of the South.

[metmom]

What, exactly, is the link you provided in this post TO?

[metmom]

That’s a lot of thundersnow.

You must be getting some lake enhancement. The thundersnow is usually a lake effect event.

[metmom]

We’re just starting with the snow here.

I’ll just have to see what tomorrow brings when I get up.

[GOPJ]

Ernest had a picture of the storm hitting Australia - the storm size superimposed with a map of the United States. I gave him a World Disaster Map link ... it'll have updates of the mess down there.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Not exclusively. I’ve been in Iowa and driven north to cedar rapids in a thunder-snow storm about 3 years ago. I think it is dependent on (1) rate of precip being > 3-inches/hr and (2) moisture content being high.

[metmom]

Well, yeah, there wouldn’t be much chance for lake effect there.

Both those conditions fit with the times that I saw the thundersnow.

[metmom]

I saw that image.

It was this link I was wondering about.... The one you posted in post 418

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php

This link did not take me to the image that Ernest_at_the_Beach posted.

[GOPJ]

It was a link for him - an easy way to follow the storm he was posting about. His picture was in his post - my link was an extra for him. Click on Australia - then click on ‘details’ and it'll give additional storm information - thought he might enjoy the link. I didn't mean to be confusing...

[metmom]

What IS that site anyway?

Just a natural disaster du jour site?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

That is some neat stuff...got it bookmarked....thanks a bunch!

[GATOR NAVY]

Good point.

[dr_lew]

Here at 1AM 2/2 in the western 'burbs I just measured 8" to 10" in the street in front of my house. We've had very high winds and lots of drifting. I went to the drugstore earlier in the evening and it was really something to see the snow swirling around the tall street lights, making them look like fence posts in scale.

I was predicting earlier, based on the NWS radar, that it would quit by midnight. Not quite, but I think the bulk of the accumulation is past. Chicago is caught in the "curley cue", but this is a very fast moving storm, and the snow will surely end in a few more hours.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Thanks, GOPJ! Neat site!

[Brad’s Gramma]

The winds? They have begun....

[AbolishCSEU]

Had thundersnow in Sodus NY a few years back. Now I live in Phelps NY and it’s coming down pretty steady; no winds yet though.

[blondee123]

Southwest of Chicago, we've had so much wind, hard to tell how much snow we actually have gotten, cause you cannot measure it, we have 4 to 5 ft drifts on side of house, 2ft drifts in yard, some 3 ft on deck, no way to measure for sure anywhere!

WE had the thunder & lightening about 10 p.m. or so, it was different to say the least, we are used to that in warm weather not in a blizzard! My grandkids were like "WHAT?" then it would thunder & they were freaked out by it! LOL

Will try to get some pics in the daylight too, but I think our snow is pretty much over, but the wind isn't!

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Homer Glem Highway Dept marked 18 inches at 03:00. Looks like another 4-5 hours of snowfall left.

[SunkenCiv]

I started shoveling about 6 am, about 6:17 I came in and drew a half tub, adding epson salts, and shut off the water. The water heater started regenerating. I then spent another hour or so finishing the driveway, the street (which hasn’t been plowed) so I can get the car out into the two-track made by passing cars, the stoop, some other odds and ends. And I’ve called in late for work, s’cool.

[bcsco]

Here in Rochelle, 3’ drifts in the backyard with 4’ in the driveway. I-39 closed between Rockford > Bloomington, I-80 closed west of Morris, I-88 closed west of Rock Falls. Will & Kane counties have travel bans. Rockford has called a city emergency stating all residents should stay off roads. Lake Shore Drive Northbound in Chicago was a parking lot overnight with hundreds of stranded motorists and vehicles. The motorists have been rescued, but now the cars are being removed. Rockford is saying that at this time (8:00 a.m.) it’s the 5th largest storm in inches, but with continued snow, it could easily move up the scale.

[nascarnation]

We were lucky here in Indy.
Mostly sleet came down last night, now just snow showers and strong winds.
If it had been all snow, probably would have been close to the bliz of 78.