Major Winter Storm Developing

[CaptinCrunch]

Major Winter Storm Developing
November 21, 2003


A storm developing over the Rockies may not look like much now, but it is
gearing up to become a significant winter storm with heavy snow and high
winds from later Friday into the weekend. As the animation in the upper right corner illustrates, the storms is expected to move northeast toward the Great Lakes over the weekend pulling up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico while a high pressure along the U.S. - Canadian border feeds very cold air into the system.

Early Friday morning, snow had already broken out in parts of South Dakota. WeatherBug cameras in Custer and Wall, South Dakota showed snow accumulating. Winter storm warnings are up for the Bitteroots of eastern Idaho and western Montana where up to a foot of new
snow is expected by Saturday morning.

Winter weather advisories are in effect for a large swath of the northern
Rockies and for parts of South Dakota and the southern fringe of North Dakota where 2 to 6 inches of snow is expected by Saturday morning. Up to a foot could fall in the Black Hills of western South Dakota, however.
Winter storm watches are in effect for the mountains of Utah and western
Colorado for Friday night and Saturday where snowfall of more than a foot is possible. Snow levels are expected to be around 5000 feet on Friday afternoon, lowering to near 3000 feet on Friday night.

In an unusual step, the National Weather Service has issued a winter
storm watch for Sunday night and Monday - over 48 hours in advance -for
the western upper peninsula of Michigan. More than 6 inches is possible here. WeatherBug live sensors showed the ingredients for the storm coming together. Bitter cold air was moving into the northern Rockies and northern Plains. A sensor in Jamestown, North Dakota reported 10 degrees at 9AM CST on Friday, down from a midnight high temperature of 17 degrees. A National Weather Service site in Williston, North
Dakota had dipped to 1 below zero.

The storm in the Rockies will track along a sharp boundary separating this
chilly air from unseasonably mild air entrenched over the southern Plains
and Ohio Valley. As it develops, strong winds of 15 to 30 mph will also become a factor, causing blowing and drifting snow and very poor visibility.

[WXBUFFJIM]

A huge themal difference between what we see ahead of the front and what we see behind it. The storm will likely feed into this contrast in different airmasses. Certainly a storm not to take lightly. The areas seeing heavier snow will likely also see wind with blowing snow and posibly near blizzard conditions.

There is talk that some places in the upper peninsula of Michigan could see over 2 feet of snow before this thing is all said and done with. That is certainly possible when there is abundant moisture and near storm force gusts of 60 mph on Lakes Michigan and Superior. Very strong gales are likely across the great lakes with the storm force gusts over the western lakes.

Jim

[wxid]

A huge themal difference between what we see ahead of the front and what we see behind it. The storm will likely feed into this contrast in different airmasses. Certainly a storm not to take lightly. The areas seeing heavier snow will likely also see wind with blowing snow and posibly near blizzard conditions.

There is talk that some places in the upper peninsula of Michigan could see over 2 feet of snow before this thing is all said and done with. That is certainly possible when there is abundant moisture and near storm force gusts of 60 mph on Lakes Michigan and Superior. Very strong gales are likely across the great lakes with the storm force gusts over the western lakes.

Jim

Jim S. , is that you bud?
Wxid

[WXBUFFJIM]

Definitely!!!! This is the Jim you're thinking about!!

Jim S.

[wxid]

Cool, just wanted to make a note of your S2K name for this winter! Lotta good forcasters here on S2K.

[WXBUFFJIM]

Storm2k rules!!! Gotta love it here!! I'm good to be part of it. Lots going on this weekend and beyond. A active and progressive pattern!!!

Next chance of rain and storms here in Maryland will be late Monday into Monday night by the way.

BWI AIRPORT WETTEST YEARS ON RECORD

1. 62.35 inches 1889
2. 58.98 inches 1979
3. 58.31 inches 1996
4. 56.87 inches 2003

Jim

[Anonymous]

the past 3 of those years featured historical blizzards

Blizzard of 79
Blizzard of 96
Blizzard of 2003!

[mrfreeze]

even if it winds up snowing here in st.louis the ground will be to warm for much of a accumulation. im pretty skeptical it will even snow at all. im almost postive we'll see no accumulation.

it was 75 today and yesterday. but eventually will get some snow, probably sooner than later.

[Stephanie]

Storm2k rules!!! Gotta love it here!! I'm good to be part of it. Lots going on this weekend and beyond. A active and progressive pattern!!!

Next chance of rain and storms here in Maryland will be late Monday into Monday night by the way.

BWI AIRPORT WETTEST YEARS ON RECORD

1. 62.35 inches 1889
2. 58.98 inches 1979
3. 58.31 inches 1996
4. 56.87 inches 2003

Jim

What a difference a year makes huh???

[wx247]

even if it winds up snowing here in st.louis the ground will be to warm for much of a accumulation. im pretty skeptical it will even snow at all. im almost postive we'll see no accumulation.

it was 75 today and yesterday. but eventually will get some snow, probably sooner than later.

Hey neighbor to the NE. Our local met is calling for a light dusting here. We shall see I guess.