KA WINTER OUTLOOK 2008-09
#1
Posted 21 September 2008 - 11:05 PM
Temps: Below Average
Snowfall: Above Average. 25" for DCA, over 30" for IAD.
Precip: Near Average
Monthly Temp Breakdown
DEC:-1.0
JAN:+1.0
FEB:-2.0
Overall:-0.67
Discussion:
December will begin mild but turn considerably colder between the 7th-10th and remain so for the rest of the month. Christmas Day will feature snow on the ground and high temps in the 30's. He sees Novenber as mild and dry.
January will have an ice storm mid month but this will be the only ice storm of the season for DC.
There will be a 4"+ snowstorm in late Jan and another 4"+, both DCA totals, in mid Feb.
There will be snow in March also
The ENSO will be neutral.
The analog years are 1966-67 and 1959-60.
There will be numerous exciting snow scenarios to follow.
This forecast is being issued prior to the equinox due to a scheduling conflict. This forecast is not a product of Verizon weather.
My take on this is as follows. Nice not to see +2 to +4 littered all over the landscape again! One note is that for the last two winters he called for 70+ temps in Dec, Jan and Feb and I think 4 or 5 out of those 6 months 70+ did occur. No such call this year. Some may think that two 4"+ call is nothing significant but he is a snow conservative type of forecaster and the 25" plus two 4"+ plus "numerous exciting snow scenarios to follow" are bold statements from a person who rarely makes bold statements like that. One of my happiest moments, and one of his best calls, was when he told me in Sept 2002 that it would be the coldest and snowiest winter since 95-96. His last plus snowfall call winter did not materialize. Christmas Day is, and has always been, essentially for fun and due to the extreme attention that day brings. He is aware that so far most forecasts are leaning mild-very mild for the mid atlantic area.
So there we have it. Other forecasts will follow.
#4
Posted 21 September 2008 - 11:12 PM
WEATHER53, on Sep 22 2008, 12:05 AM, said:
Temps: Below Average
Snowfall: Above Average. 25" for DCA, over 30" for IAD.
Precip: Near Average
Monthly Temp Breakdown
DEC:-1.0
JAN:+1.0
FEB:-2.0
Overall:-0.67
Discussion:
December will begin mild but turn considerably colder between the 7th-10th and remain so for the rest of the month. Christmas Day will feature snow on the ground and high temps in the 30's. He sees Novenber as mild and dry.
January will have an ice storm mid month but this will be the only ice storm of the season for DC.
There will be a 4"+ snowstorm in late Jan and another 4"+, both DCA totals, in mid Feb.
There will be snow in March also
The ENSO will be neutral.
The analog years are 1966-67 and 1959-60.
There will be numerous exciting snow scenarios to follow.
This forecast is being issued prior to the equinox due to a scheduling conflict. This forecast is not a product of Verizon weather.
My take on this is as follows. Nice not to see +2 to +4 littered all over the landscape again! One note is that for the last two winters he called for 70+ temps in Dec, Jan and Feb and I think 4 or 5 out of those 6 months 70+ did occur. No such call this year. Some may think that two 4"+ call is nothing significant but he is a snow conservative type of forecaster and the 25" plus two 4"+ plus "numerous exciting snow scenarios to follow" are bold statements from a person who rarely makes bold statements like that. One of my happiest moments, and one of his best calls, was when he told me in Sept 2002 that it would be the coldest and snowiest winter since 95-96. His last plus snowfall call winter did not materialize. Christmas Day is, and has always been, essentially for fun and due to the extreme attention that day brings. He is aware that so far most forecasts are leaning mild-very mild for the mid atlantic area.
So there we have it. Other forecasts will follow.
Wow, expect this to become a 10 page thread by tomorrow! Nice historical analogs he's listed there. He forecasts for DC, but those winters were pretty momentous here. Although 59-60 wasnt as good as 60-61, it had that blockbuster in March, as well as one of the coldest Marches on record. 1966-67, started out with a bang in December, slowed down in January (above normal temps that month) and winter really got down to business in February and March. Long Island (Brookhaven) got 30 inches in EACH of those months! Looking at the temp profiles youve given, it looks like 1966-67 is the primary analog? I know he hasnt forecasted for March, but is it safe to assume negative temp anomalies and positive snowfall anomalies are forecast to continue through that month as well?
#5
Posted 21 September 2008 - 11:19 PM
#6
Posted 21 September 2008 - 11:21 PM
uofmiami, on Sep 22 2008, 12:19 AM, said:
Brookhaven, LI had 75" in 1966-67-- snowiest winter til 1995-96. March 1960 saw 18" of snow in a famous blizzard-- I think the Cape got around 2-3 feet?
#7
Posted 21 September 2008 - 11:23 PM
#8
Posted 21 September 2008 - 11:26 PM
#10
Posted 21 September 2008 - 11:33 PM
This is the 1st year I have waited till after KA......I am confounded....Have been leaning warm, but this outlook is refreshing
In 2005-06 he went a bit too cold and snowy, but we did have a cold DEC and average temp FEB with the 8-14" storm on 2/12....only 14" at DCA that winter, but the snowiest of the 2003-2008 winters
I feel invigorated
#11
Posted 21 September 2008 - 11:36 PM
zwyts, on Sep 22 2008, 12:33 AM, said:
This is the 1st year I have waited till after KA......I am confounded....Have been leaning warm, but this outlook is refreshing
In 2005-06 he went a bit too cold and snowy, but we did have a cold DEC and average temp FEB with the 8-14" storm on 2/12....only 14" at DCA that winter, but the snowiest of the 2003-2008 winters
I feel invigorated
agree 100% Now I don't have to waste my time in AP!
#12
Posted 21 September 2008 - 11:39 PM
#13
Posted 21 September 2008 - 11:41 PM
zwyts, on Sep 22 2008, 12:33 AM, said:
This is the 1st year I have waited till after KA......I am confounded....Have been leaning warm, but this outlook is refreshing
In 2005-06 he went a bit too cold and snowy, but we did have a cold DEC and average temp FEB with the 8-14" storm on 2/12....only 14" at DCA that winter, but the snowiest of the 2003-2008 winters
I feel invigorated
You had a good thread last year referencing and critiquing his last 6/7 winter calls.
#15
Posted 21 September 2008 - 11:50 PM
#16
Posted 21 September 2008 - 11:53 PM
HM, on Sep 22 2008, 12:50 AM, said:
He thinks an early spring will not happen. It's hard to research and post documents everyone's work so I think I will zero in on his, your's, Chuck's and Raleighs and just review them at the end of each month. I know you all do wider areas but DCA is within those area, and all of you ususally put a specific value or range for DCA/DC area and if not your charts are pretty easy to come up with what the idea was for right around DC.
#17
Posted 21 September 2008 - 11:59 PM
WEATHER53, on Sep 21 2008, 11:53 PM, said:
The NOV-DEC thoughts are, currently, nearly identical right now but the mid winter details are more scattered between us. However, the spring idea I feel strongly on based on several factors (late season snowfall???!?). I will elaborate, as usual, in October.
Good luck to all (and you Howard) and let's hope for some good snow events!


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