Re: Late season Mtn snow

by **WxFreak** 2012-04-22, 7:53 am

Latest from MRX this morning:

PREVIOUS AFD FOLLOWS...

.SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT)...EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING NE THIS MORNING...AS A SHORTWAVE DROPS QUICKLY SE FROM IOWA/ILLINOIS. LOW PRESSURE DEEPENS OVER OHIO VALLEY AND SRN APPALACHIANS TODAY...AND WINDY CONDITIONS DEVELOP TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. WIND ADVISORY POSTED FOR THIS PERIOD
DUE TO STRONG GRADIENT AND STRENGTH OF 850 MB WINDS.

RAIN CHANCES BUMPED UP FOR ESPECIALLY E AND NE AREAS...WITH A SWITCH TO SNOW SHOWERS FOR SW VA/NE TN/SMOKIES LATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. TWEAKED SNOW AMOUNTS UP SOME IN FAVORED AREAS...BUT SEE NO NEED FOR AN ADVISORY AT THIS TIME.

CURRENT HOURLY TEMPS WERE RUNNING ABOVE THE PREVIOUS FORECAST GRIDS...BUT STILL FAVORED THE COOLER NAM MOS FOR HIGHS TODAY. MOS MINS TONIGHT WERE QUITE CLOSE AND GENERALLY FOLLOWED. MUCH TOO WINDY FOR ANY AREAS OF FROST TONIGHT...AND PROBABLY SAME COULD BE SAID FOR MONDAY NIGHT.

.LONG TERM...(MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)...NW FLOW CONTINUES MONDAY INTO TUESDAY WITH SNOW SHOWERS POSSIBLE EARLY MONDAY WITH SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF SW VA AND NE TN UNTIL ABOUT LATE MORNING. STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION CONTINUES AS SURFACE LOW MOVES SLOWLY NE UP THE EAST COAST AND ACCOMPANYING UPPER
LOW MOVES NORTH INTO CANADA.

Hopefully, they are correct about the winds being the saving grace in regards to a damaging frost.

I actually had some rain overnight. About 6 hundredths.

by **WxFreak** 2012-04-22, 8:10 am

No wind yet this morning. Actually raining very lightly right now. Or drizzle, really. I don't see much of a reflection on radar, so I assume it's going to be a cloudy, cool, drizzly day.

Tomorrow night, and Tuesday night, I'm still worried about frost. It's pretty difficult to keep the winds up down in the TN valley, especially in sheltered areas. And this storm is draining every last drop of cold air still left in Canada, and pulling it down our way. Right now, lows in the mid to upper 30s being forecast. IF the winds go light, there will definitely be some frost in areas prone to it.

by **Adam2014** 2012-04-22, 8:16 am

There is a ton of wind here right now, winds chills in the mid 30s. This storm is really fascinating. I am ready for a switch to snow in the mountains because this storm could really suprise areas with some sypnotic banding. Going to be interesting to watch.

by **WxFreak** 2012-04-22, 8:33 am

Adam2014 wrote:There is a ton of wind here right now, winds chills in the mid 30s. This storm is really fascinating. I am ready for a switch to snow in the mountains because this storm could really suprise areas with some sypnotic banding. Going to be interesting to watch.

My point exactly about the winds, and the TN valley. Right now, there is the slightest breeze here--less than 5mph. Over on the other side of the mountains in Asheville, they are already having gusts up to 20mph.

by **WxFreak** 2012-04-22, 9:03 am

Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue ridge mountains, Shenandoah river
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze....

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
513 AM EDT SUN APR 22 2012

...HEAVY WET SNOWFALL POSSIBLE IN NORTHERN WV MOUNTAINS...

WVZ046-047-221715-
/O.CON.KRLX.WS.A.0003.120423T0600Z-120424T0400Z/
POCAHONTAS-RANDOLPH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MARLINTON...ELKINS
513 AM EDT SUN APR 22 2012

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING...

* LOCATIONS...RANDOLPH AND POCAHONTAS COUNTIES.

* HAZARD TYPES...HEAVY WET SNOW.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...5 TO 8 INCHES. LOCALLY HEAVY AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.
* TIMING...RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW TONIGHT...AND CONTINUE IN THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH MONDAY. RAIN MAY MIX BACK IN WITH THE SNOW IN THE VALLEYS DURING THE MONDAY AFTERNOON...BEFORE CHANGING BACK TO SNOW MONDAY EVENING.

* IMPACTS...STRONG WINDS CAUSING BLOWING SNOW MAY LEAD TO LOW VISIBILITIES. THE HEAVY WET SNOW MAY ALSO BRING DOWN TREE LIMBS CAUSING POWER OUTAGES OR FLUCTUATIONS. UNTREATED ROADS MAY BECOME VERY SLICK.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE LOWER 30S.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
rock on

by **Stovepipe** 2012-04-22, 9:16 am

Great song!

I bet Snowshoe Mountain wishes they were open to skiers for this.

rock on

by **Toot** 2012-04-22, 9:48 am

Tomorrow into wednesday I would say mt Leconte will get at least 5-8 inches of snow maybe more
Late season Mtn snow - Page 2 USA_CSNOW_sfc_027

Late season Mtn snow - Page 2 USA_CSNOW_sfc_030

Late season Mtn snow - Page 2 Usacsnowsfc033vr

by **WxFreak** 2012-04-22, 9:53 am

It would actually be a good time to be up there hiking if one was dressed properly. Nothing like a spring snow in the high mountains.

by **Toot** 2012-04-22, 9:59 am

Ive heard alum cave is treachorus while there is snow on the ground yikes

by **WxFreak** 2012-04-22, 10:09 am

I stay on the gravel paths when its wet or snowy. Cosby campgound is one of my favorite places for day hikes. Not as crowded, and several trails to choose from that lead to higher elevations. Two of them actually go up to the App. Trail. Lots of creeks and brooks as well. Haven't been in long while. Need to get back there this spring. bounce

Probably no snow at the campground itself. It's about 2,000ft in elevation. May be some there by tonight, though. At least mixing w/ the rain.

by **WxFreak** 2012-04-22, 10:11 am

Still a heavy drizzle falling here right now. Temp is 48.8F. Feels/looks more like late February.

by **Toot** 2012-04-22, 10:14 am

Cosby Campground is not too high elevated...may be some light sn/shrs but I wouldnt think there would be any accumulation due to the boundary later being warm

by **WxFreak** 2012-04-22, 10:33 am

A few years ago, I drove up there after an "upslope" winter snow event. I had a heavy dusting at home. As I made my way over there, the ground grew whiter with each passing mile. By the time I got to the campgound entrance, there was about 6 inches of snow on the ground. The road further up into the campground, itself, was closed due to ice/snow. I walked part of the way, but turned around after the sky got black, and snow started falling again. I didn't want to get stuck up there. cold

I doubt they will see more than a passing flurry with this system. It certainly won't stick there.

by **WxFreak** 2012-04-22, 12:16 pm

http://weather.rap.ucar.edu/satellite/displaySat.php?itype=vis®ion=MGM

Pretty good local sat pic. Really shows the effect of downsloping. Note the clearing over in western NC, as the northwest flow goes up, over, and down the other side of the Smokies.

You can also see the slighest evidence of downsloping off the Plateau. You can almost trace the ridge line where the northerly flow comes down off the Plateau down into the Great Valley.

by **WxFreak** 2012-04-22, 4:22 pm

Wind finally starting to pick up. Still nuttin on the Fujita scale just yet. Just blowin' some leaves around.

by **Toot** 2012-04-22, 4:27 pm

fujita scale

Late season Mtn snow - Page 2 LOL_Face

by **WxFreak** 2012-04-22, 4:53 pm

Toot wrote:fujita scale

WTF...

by **Adam2014** 2012-04-23, 7:30 am

Snow already coming down In Pennsilvania, New York, and West Virginia. I would love to be there right now, heavy damaging snow falling there right now.

by **Adam2014** 2012-04-23, 7:43 am

The snow is coming down where the Weather Channel guy is in Somerset, PA. It looks like 5 inches or more already. Wow!

by **WxFreak** 2012-04-23, 12:51 pm

Snow looking less likely for our part of the Appalachian Mountains. Snow of the accumulating variety mainly confined from W. VA and points northward.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1007 AM EDT MON APR 23 2012

.DISCUSSION...RADAR COVERAGE DECREASING SO WILL CONTINUING WITH THE DECREASING POPS FOR TODAY. IT SHOULD BE BREEZY SO WILL CONTINUE THE ADVISORY. TEMPERATURE AND THE REST OF THE FORECAST ON TRACK...WILL UPDATE TO LOWER POPS FOR TODAY.

by **WxFreak** 2012-04-23, 5:54 pm

Late this morning, I did notice the very tops of the highest peaks in the Smokies had some white showing after the sun came out. Looks like they did see some snow up there.

by **Toot** 2012-04-23, 5:56 pm

WxFreak wrote:Snow looking less likely for our part of the Appalachian Mountains. Snow of the accumulating variety mainly confined from W. VA and points northward.

It snowed plenty in the higher elevations...there was 3 inches on top of Round Mtn (Cocke county)

Here are some photos I took of Snowbird mtn while going up to Grassy Fork today. (Cocke county near the NC line on I-40) It was very pretty Smile

Late season Mtn snow - Page 2 ?ui=2&ik=bf2fab4117&view=att&th=136e12baa9da878b&attid=0

Late season Mtn snow - Page 2 ?ui=2&ik=bf2fab4117&view=att&th=136e12c797efc6cc&attid=0

by **WxFreak** 2012-04-23, 5:59 pm

Yup, noticed the white peaks myself when I was out and about after the sun came out.

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