The December 2008 Arctic Blast!

[Capt_Picard 0]

The cold snap many of us are going through is just starting, and that isn't the bad news. NOAA (aka National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the people that run the National Weather Service and The Weather Channel in the USA, have said that the arctic air moving into the nation is messing us their computer models. The current models in use normally don't have to deal with arctic air for more then a few days, but long-range models are showing that we could see this air mass park itself over the lower 48 for weeks!!!

 

What does this mean? The coldest temperatures in the Seattle area in 20 to 50 years are going to happen between now and Christmas. Night lows getting down to near single digits. The normal night low in the area for this time of year is 36F. Wind chill could get to -10F in some areas. Many other western states are also going 10 to 30 degrees below normal. And let us not forget that just a few days ago there was snow in New Orleans.

 

Now we have heard of climate change, but the reason I think this happening is due to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). The PDO has been correlated to the winters in the Pacific Northwest. What this means is that 90% of the time if the PDO is positive then a warmer winter happen... If it is negative then there will be a cold winter. There is no research yet to prove what effect there might be on all of North America. Currently it is looking like we are entering a negative phase in the PDO.

 

Of course there could be many other reasons why this cold snap i happening. Many of those reasons might not be scientifical, but maybe valid in some peoples minds.

 

Now the maps!

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Where the heck is that global warming when we need it?

[Kor37 9]

I sure hope that your TNG suit is insulated Capt_Picard....... :biggrin:

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

We got SNOW on the California coast last night.

 

More SNOW is expected tonight.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Of course there could be many other reasons why this cold snap i happening. Many of those reasons might not be scientifical, but maybe valid in some peoples minds.

Is "scientifical" a word?

[Capt_Picard 0]

Of course there could be many other reasons why this cold snap i happening. Many of those reasons might not be scientifical, but maybe valid in some peoples minds.

Is "scientifical" a word?

Took that long to ask?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Forget that, how the heck did you get weather maps dated December 17 when your unedited post was on December 13?

[MrPsychic 1]

Uh, you do know that it's winter outside? Also, in all your "scientific research" are you familiar with the re-occurring phenomenon called La Nina? It's a counterbalance in nature to the more talked about El Nino and is characterized by a massive decrease in Pacific water temperatures.

[MrPsychic 1]

Forget that, how the heck did you get weather maps dated December 17 when your unedited post was on December 13?

Because the maps are linked back to an automatically updating image on The Weather Channel's site.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Oh.

[Ian Wood 1]

I sure feel bad for ya guys and gals up north, I'm from Oklahoma and we get pretty wacky weather here regardless all year long, so nothing too new here, although it is just a bit colder than this time last year for us. Bundle up!

[Gary Phaserman 0]

Anyone wanna come clear the snow out of my driveway? looks like 10 inches, possibly more...fun fun fun.

[Capt_Picard 0]

First...

Video of snow from work.

Also, we got near 4 inches here. Other places got near 10+ inches. The next storm is said to bring 4 to 26 inches in the area I live in (with in five miles of where I live). The last storm was forecasted to only bring in at most 3 inches... I am really not looking forward to Sunday.

 

And to MrP, El Nino happens every few years and this year is a neutral year.

Edited December 20, 2008 by Capt_Picard

[MrPsychic 1]

Did you look to see if this year was a La Nina year?

[Gummy 0]

We got 10" of snow today in my area.

They closed the roads. No plows have been out yet.

Good thing that I don't have to go anyplace.

[Capt_Picard 0]

Did you look to see if this year was a La Nina year?

There is no La Nina because it is a neutral year. What else could neutral year mean?

[youbroughtheryouRiker 2]

Yup, we got hit by it today/yesterday. I don't know how many yards we got, but I do know I barely managed to get out of my driveway in the morning, and miraculously back into it in the afternoon.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Wow, looking at that map its 22 - 38 in places I used to live. Right now it's about 70 where I am. Yes, I'm so glad I'm here.

[Capt_Picard 0]

I have to go to work today. I left a few things undone and I have to fix them ASAP! The storm should be here in three hours or less. I just hope I don't get snowed in at work. I won't be able to get to STF through the work internet blocker. I'll get back as soon as possible.

 

I am packed for bad weather, I have double layers on, and I have anything else I could think of stuffed in my backpack just in case. I should be at work around 1330 PST. If I don't leave by 1800 PST I'm stuck there for the night with how the weather is looking. See ya guys later.

 

Edit-----

I am at work. The snow started around 1330 and it is now 1600. I am almost done. Here is the current radar. I am just a liitle to the left of the S in Seattle.

Edited December 21, 2008 by Capt_Picard

[Capt_Picard 0]

Just got back from work and here is some video from a fe days ago...

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[MrPsychic 1]

Here, we've had the same fluctuating temperatures we've had for decades. It's cold and snowy one day and warmer another day. Just because you seem to remember more snow one year or another is hardly any evidence of weather on a global scale. Picard, I think you're just looking through a narrow view of the weather.

[Capt_Picard 0]

What is going on is way from normal for Washington State.

[MrPsychic 1]

What is going on is way from normal for Washington State.

How far back have you looked at temperature or snowfall records? Also, have you compared it to other areas outside of Washington State? If you have looked at one small area, that's hardly conclusive evidence.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Actually, average temperatures are off across the nation - many cities are experiencing lower than average daily temp's = while in the SE we're have higher average daily temps (but we've also had more flip flopping - ie turning on the heat at night and the a/c the next day) and we had cold weather earlier this year than typical.

 

I have no speculation as to why just that I don't mind the warm but I hate the cold and it was cold (relatively speaking) here today.

 

weather.com

[VaBeachGuy 12]

Where the heck is that global warming when we need it?

It's funny, I saw something on Fox News the other day where a Global Warming 'advocate' (or whatever you'd call him) said that all the cold weather was due to global warming.

[RikerChick 5]

Where the heck is that global warming when we need it?

It's funny, I saw something on Fox News the other day where a Global Warming 'advocate' (or whatever you'd call him) said that all the cold weather was due to global warming.

 

Because global warming cause erratic weather, not just hot weather.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Where the heck is that global warming when we need it?

It's funny, I saw something on Fox News the other day where a Global Warming 'advocate' (or whatever you'd call him) said that all the cold weather was due to global warming.

 

Actually that is a sound theory, warming can causing ice to melt which then raises ocean temperatures which in turn leads to a raise in land temperatures.

 

Global warming only means average global temperatures - not individual locations.

[vgrbabe 1]

we got about three inches and a layer of solid ice over everything

 

the past two days have been SOOOOOO cold!!!!!! So cold that when you go outside it hurts your eyeballs