Winter wallop? Snow forecast up in the air
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Remember Mt. Chipotle, the mammoth pile of snow in the Barracks Road Shopping Center parking lot that had its own website back in the epic winter of 2010?file photo by Hawes Spencer
So far, winter 2012 hasn't been much like winter at all, with temperatures more than three degrees above average and snowfall nearly 14 inches below average. That could all begin to change this weekend, as the season's first major winter storm heads this way, expected to hit Sunday and continue overnight into Monday. But don't panic just yet, says State Climatologist Jerry Stenger.
"Right now," says Stenger, "it looks like it's going to be too warm to support snowfall or accumulation until enough cold air has gotten into place. By that point, most of the water will have already come down as rain."
While Stenger says Charlottesville and the surrounding area won't likely see more than an inch or two, he notes that March is the month in which Charlottsville typically gets the most snow– meaning we may not out of the winter woods just yet.
"It could wind up being a big difference," he adds, if this storm shifts 20 or 30 miles one way or the other. "That's the danger of winter forecasting here in Central Virginia."
Whatever happens, we can rest assured it won't be anything like Romania.
14 comments
And we have had snow/ice here in April before too! I'm just sayin'. We live in Central VA, if you don't like the weather, wait a minute...
Oh please. Instead of Snowmaggeddon, this time more like Insnowgnificant.
In case you forgot courtesy of Jerry Stenger and the Hook::
" Here are the top storms, courtesy of Stenger, and some of these have monikers. This one's maximum snows were probably not experienced over a large enough chunk of the U.S. to put it in the running for an "official" name, says Stenger. Nonetheless, the Hook thinks the White Christmas/Snowpocalypse of '09 should have one, and readers are invited to offer their own suggestions.
And, reminds Stenger, "There's plenty of winter left!"
Major Snow Events in Charlottesville 1894–2009
(From records at McCormick Observatory)
Rank Year Mon Day Total Moniker
1 1922 Jan 27-28 24 Knickerbocker Storm
2 1962 Mar 5-7 23 Ash Wednesday Storm
3 1996 Jan 7-8 21
4 2009 Dec 19-20 20.5
5 1899 Feb 13 18
6 1983 Feb 11-12 16.3
7 1969 Dec 26 16
8 1989 Dec 12-13 14.5
9 1996 Feb 2-3 14
10 1960 Mar 16-17 13.5
11 1987 Jan 22-23 13
12 1980 Jan 4-5 12.6
13 1958 Feb 15-16 12.3
13 1960 Mar 3-4 12.3
15 1924 Mar 11 12
15 1966 Jan 26-27 12
15 1993 Mar 13-14 12 Storm of the Century
Updated 9:40am December 24
Current forecast 5+ inches for our area - I hope they're right !
If you're hooked on winter weather - as I am - this is a great website for the history of Virginia snow storms.
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/lwx/Historic_Events/va-winters.htm
@Buffalo Chick. You might enjoy wxrisk.com (more specific to VA than any) or wxcaster.com is your a real weather geek.
I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the Channel 29 Storm Team to spring into action and give us live on-location shots of snow flakes falling from the sky.
I'm waiting for the Hookmobile to hit the road - one of my all time favorite Charlottesville snow videos - with Hawes Spencer at the wheel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTtTxv6dKEo
Thanks jimi great tips - I am truly a winter addict, and if this keeps up I may have to relocate, or become a polar penguin watcher for at least part of the year.
Nancy you need a hobby other than the internet. Try knitting it is very gratifying.
@ hr, sorry my hobby annoys you. Actually I have learned as much from reading comments at the hook about the community as I have from the articles and find this one more way to learn about the place where I live.
Hope you enjoy this beautiful day !
NancyDrew- love that WX stuff.........weather is a great hobby, even better than the internet. I would say that hook reader shares your hobby............
1< inch!! Linsignificant!!
No sledding this time . Even Buffalo is having a mild winter .
If you check any weather forecast right now you will see rain, sorry looks like snow to me, and has been snowing since 3pm. I wonder if that means more than the 1 -3" that they are predicting. A little wet but by tonight maybe sledding will be possible.