A Blizzard Watch has been posted by the National Weather Service for Friday afternoon through Saturday night. This includes much of Central Maryland. This means it is possible, but not a guarantee at this time. The Winter Weather Advisory in for tonight is in purple shade over it for Please do not feel dismayed or left out if your counties in southern Pennsylvania, NJ, or Delmarva are not included. You local National Weather Service Offices have not posted yet… as of this post 2 PM Wednesday. They will! The blue shade (west) is a Winter Storm WatchPlease see my notes and advice below.
A Blizzard is a storm with a 3 hour block of time or more that has over 1 inch per hour snowfall rates, plus 35 mph winds or higher. That means white out conditions. Essentially, roads cleared get covered quickly and travel is a big fat NO unless you are a first responder. These conditions are likely on Saturday, when the storm cranks up the most intensity, and could last more than just 3 hours.
- We are going to get slammed! Over a foot and it’s academic. That’s why I only posted the low number this morning.
- Snow Drifts could be a ‘quite a few feet’. It will be dangerous in heavy snow zones to walk, as you may not recognize your surrounding. This will be a large impact event for the entire Mid Atlantic region.
- Event the coast will mix to rain,then end as snow.
- I-95 corridor could mix with sleet or rain for a time, then back to snow Saturday night. That will be a factor of the wind and warmer water nearby.
I first mentioned the ‘blizzard word on Tuesday, but now it is being taken seriously. This will be an Epic storm, and more weather balloon launches will help add information into the grid for more accurate predictions as the storm develops and approaches.
Advise Now:
It is ironic that we have not had 1 full inch of snow as of January 20, and the season kicks off with a blizzard. Funny like a Greek Tragedy. I have no intention of scaring or alarming. I’ve worked hard to not hype too much all week. Now it is real. It’s likely that we return to normalcy by Monday.. but if you remember past events, it might take some time to clear all local roads. Best to prepare, as I don’t scare.
This morning I woke up my snowblower (some of you got me as a gift). Let yours run for 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure you have fresh gas in it, and fresh oil. When my started up, a few unlucky stinkbugs got puréed. Eww, but good riddance. Better than than on top of my new snow ;-(- If you have a generator, fill that up as well. Gas is cheap, so why not.
- Groceries- Yeah, I guess it’s time to stock up. Make sure you food for your pets, better snacks and refreshment than milk/bread, and include batteries. Power could go easily out.
- Fully charge all of your devices before the storm (Friday). Make sure your flashlights are ready to go too.
- Check on elderly neighbors
- Have stuff to do with your kids. Cabin fever could set in as you will be in for at least the weekend.
Snowfall:
A blizzard does not relate to the amount of snow, but it is appearing more likely that we could be closer to the 2 foot mark (see my first call for snowfall), it is the combined snow and wind. The event in December 2009, and two in early February 2010 all had blizzard conditions. Note that the last blizzard was on the way to a record daily snowfall at BWI, when NWS adjusted it downward. It took them 10 years to identify that the FAA snow measuring guidelines at the airport were not the same as NWS. *They lost the NWS observer due to budget cuts in 2000.
Snow totals will vary widely due to the storm dump itself, as well as blowing and drifting.
Again, even coastal areas that deal with rain, will end as snow with accumulation Sunday.
Faith In The Flakes: Show Off You Pride As The Snow Arrives
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