Arctic Outbreak/Snow Jan 5-8 2013

Finally getting to report in. Snow depth was about 1/2 to 3/4" which was pretty disappointing.

However I'm sitting at 4.4 degrees with at SW wind around 5-10 MPH, and a wind chill of -6, and a dew point at -4. Would like to see 0 even -1 just for the heck of it tho.

This is the coldest temps I've recorded since I've had my weather station at this location in 2006. I do remember it being colder (-15) in the 90's in Halls with a simple digital window thermometer.

Was just watching the news and I must say when they showed the radar, it looks like there may be some lake effect snow showers coming from Cherokee and Douglas Lake. It shows a narrow plume extending from the lake. Dunno, weird. That might explain the 4-6 in accum around strawberry plains and Dandridge today. Currently sitting at 0.5 degrees, WoW

Now at 3.6, winds are calming a little. It's going to be a race to see if the temp drops enough to 0 before the sun comes up.

Ive been out in the snow all day and night...measured about 4.5 inches in the lower elevations of Cocke county. It was still snowing at dark!! Back here in Hamblen county I have a crisp temp reading of 2.8 on my weather station right now. Its going below zero here tonight! I have many pics of the snow today but im tired and will upload tomorrow. Stay warm yall

I am down to -8 this morning. I imagine that's about as low as it'll go and my coldest morning since -20 on February 4th 1996.

I currently have -2 here at the house. Skies have cleared and winds have dropped off a little. This is certainly incredible I say the least!

-2 here also for the low...meanwhile I captured this on radar in the wee hours this morning. Ive never seen cold advection snow showers oriented from southwest to northeast like this. Just shows you how powerful this arctic airmass is!

Lowest this morning was 4. Had a trace of snow on the ground. Last report at the airport was 5. This will break a record at the airport. Waiting to see a update on the NWS. I really don't think anyone like the NWS and others was thinking it would get this cold this winter. I know i didn't. But enjoy everyone. This may well be the highlight of this winter. Hope not. Stay warm everyone.    

Toot wrote:-2 here also for the low...meanwhile I captured this on radar in the wee hours this morning. Ive never seen cold advection snow showers oriented from southwest to northeast like this. Just shows you how powerful this arctic airmass is!

I wondered last night if that could be Lake Effect from our local lakes? Any thoughts?


Also, officially even MRX recorded below zero last night with -1. Mt. Leconte was the coldest at -17!!

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1114 AM EST TUE JAN 7 2014

.DISCUSSION...COLD ARCTIC SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE NOW CENTERED OVER
THE PLATEAU AND SOUTHWEST OVER THE LOWER MS VALLEY LATE THIS
MORNING. LOWS THIS MORNING WERE RECORDS AT MANY LOCATIONS. EVEN THE
FORECAST OFFICE WAS IN THE BELOW ZERO CLUB WITH -1. COLDEST SINCE
FEBRUARY 1996. MOUNT LECONTES LOW WAS -17. WINDS ARE BEGINNING TO
DECREASE THIS MORNING AND WILL BE LESS THAN 10 MPH AS THE SURFACE
HIGH MOVES OVERHEAD THIS AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES LATE THIS MORNING
ARE IN THE LOWER SINGLE DIGITS TO LOWER TEENS AND EXPECT HIGHS TO
BE ABOUT 10 TO LOWER 20S WHICH IS SIMILAR TO CURRENT FORECAST. SNOW
FLURRIES HAVE ENDED AND SKIES HAVE BECOME MOSTLY CLEAR EXCEPT FOR
SMALL AREAS IN SW VA AND THE NE TN MOUNTAINS. HAVE UPDATED FORECAST
TO REMOVE FLURRIES...AND UPDATE SKY COVER. WILL UPDATE TEXT AGAIN
AT NOON TO REMOVE WIND CHILL ADVISORIES AND WARNING.

&&

.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...WIND CHILL WARNING UNTIL NOON EST TODAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
CHEROKEE...CLAY.

TN...WIND CHILL WARNING UNTIL NOON EST /11 AM CST/ TODAY FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES: BLEDSOE...BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS...
CAMPBELL...CLAIBORNE...COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS...EAST POLK...
HANCOCK...HAWKINS...JOHNSON...MARION...MORGAN...NORTHWEST
CARTER...NORTHWEST GREENE...SCOTT TN...SEQUATCHIE...SEVIER
SMOKY MOUNTAINS...SOUTHEAST CARTER...SOUTHEAST GREENE...
SOUTHEAST MONROE...SULLIVAN...UNICOI...WASHINGTON TN.

WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EST TODAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: ANDERSON...BRADLEY...GRAINGER...HAMBLEN...HAMILTON...
JEFFERSON...KNOX...LOUDON...MCMINN...MEIGS...NW BLOUNT...
NORTH SEVIER...NORTHWEST COCKE...NORTHWEST MONROE...RHEA...
ROANE...UNION...WEST POLK.

VA...WIND CHILL WARNING UNTIL NOON EST TODAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
LEE...RUSSELL...SCOTT...WASHINGTON...WISE.

Had a low of -1.9 this morning. Wow! Currently at 14.9 with a dew point of 2. Light winds variable but mostly from NE and SE. I'm thinking we'll go below the forecast low of 10.  

Guys, let me know if me posting these satellite images is annoying  ! Is that the warm nose showing up in the valley, bordering the plateau, or is that a snow shadow caused by the cumberland plateau/mtns?   

Jed33 wrote:
I wondered last night if that could be Lake Effect from our local lakes? Any thoughts?

Just upslope snow showers/flurries it looks like but those usually come from NW flow. That flow is SW to NE which was quite odd and something I have personally never seen. The arctic air squeezed 100% of the moisture out of the air and then some 
 

Knoxtron wrote:Is that the warm nose showing up in the valley, bordering the plateau, or is that a snow shadow caused by the cumberland plateau/mtns?   

Downsloping from the Plateau!





Here is what Round Mtn/Max Patch looked like today!



Ive got more pics from the last couple days that I may post later

Great pics Toot!

Good pictures. Toot, how high is Round Mtn ? Thanks

Looks like the GFS is reloading the cold air for the 15th and 20th. Not sure how this will work out. This is on the 06z run. Had a low today of 9.

Knoxtron wrote:Guys, let me know if me posting these satellite images is annoying  ! Is that the warm nose showing up in the valley, bordering the plateau, or is that a snow shadow caused by the cumberland plateau/mtns?   

Thanks for posting! I love the post-event sat snow pics. I wouldn't have guessed that Knox and Loudon counties would do so much better than Anderson and Roane counties.

windstorm wrote:Good pictures. Toot, how high is Round Mtn ? Thanks

About 4500ft