Doom News

Watts Up With That?
Thursday, February 11th, 2010

It’s almost as if the planet is trying to send a message to Washington. I find the choice of words from NOAA/NWS (see below the read more line) interesting when they say”

AS WITH ANY MAJOR CLIMATE RECORD ACHIEVEMENT…

Perhaps in this one case, weather is climate.

From NWS:

The seasonal snowfall total in Washington DC stands at 54.9 inches. This would break the previous all-time seasonal snowfall record for Washington DC of 54.4 inches set in the winter of 1898-99.

And the snow continues tonight. A blizzard warning remains in effect until 10PM EST with snow tapering off after that. Here are preliminary snowfall reports from the NOAA/NWS in Baltimore:

click for interactive source 

While there will be a break, my forecast engine says there may be more snow next Monday.

Click for the Washington DC forecast 

Here’s the details on the breaking of the all-time snowfall Wahington and Baltmore record from the NWS: 

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
300 PM EST WED FEB 10 2010

...PRELIMINARY ALL-TIME SEASONAL SNOWFALL RECORDS SET AT THE
THREE MAJOR CLIMATE SITES IN THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON AREA...

AS OF 2 PM TODAY...WITH THE 9.8 INCH TWO-DAY SNOWFALL TOTAL MEASURED
AT RONALD REAGAN WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT...THE SEASONAL SNOWFALL
TOTAL IN WASHINGTON DC STANDS AT 54.9 INCHES. THIS WOULD BREAK THE
PREVIOUS ALL-TIME SEASONAL SNOWFALL RECORD FOR WASHINGTON DC OF 54.4
INCHES SET IN THE WINTER OF 1898-99. OFFICIAL SNOWFALL RECORDS FOR
WASHINGTON DC DATE BACK 126 YEARS TO 1884.

AS OF 1 PM TODAY...WITH THE 11.9 INCH TWO-DAY SNOWFALL TOTAL
MEASURED AT BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL THURGOOD MARSHALL
AIRPORT...THE SEASONAL SNOWFALL TOTAL IN BALTIMORE STANDS AT 72.3
INCHES. THIS WOULD BREAK THE PREVIOUS ALL-TIME SEASONAL SNOWFALL
RECORD FOR BALTIMORE OF 62.5 INCHES SET IN THE WINTER OF 1995-96.
OFFICIAL SNOWFALL RECORDS FOR BALTIMORE DATE BACK 118 YEARS TO 1893.

FINALLY...AS OF YESTERDAY...THIS YEARS SEASONAL SNOWFALL TOTAL AT
DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT STOOD AT 63.5 INCHES. THIS WOULD BREAK
THE PREVIOUS SEASONAL SNOWFALL RECORD OF 61.9 INCHES SET IN 1995-96.
AS OF 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON...THE TWO-DAY SNOWFALL TOTAL AT DULLES IS
8.5 INCHES...WHICH WOULD MAKE THIS YEARS SEASONAL SNOWFALL TOTAL
72.0 INCHES. OFFICIAL SNOWFALL RECORDS FOR DULLES DATE BACK 48 YEARS
TO 1962.

THESE PRELIMINARY STORM TOTALS ARE AS OF THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
10 FEB 2010...AND WILL BE UPDATED AFTER THE CURRENT SNOW HAS ENDED.

AS WITH ANY MAJOR CLIMATE RECORD ACHIEVEMENT...THESE PRELIMINARY
RECORDS WILL BE QUALITY CONTROLLED BY NOAA`S NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA
CENTER OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

=============

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
720 PM EST WED FEB 10 2010

DCZ001-MDZ009-013-014-016-110300-
/O.CON.KLWX.BZ.W.0002.000000T0000Z-100211T0300Z/
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-MONTGOMERY-PRINCE GEORGES-ANNE ARUNDEL-
CHARLES-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WASHINGTON...GAITHERSBURG...ANNAPOLIS...
WALDORF
720 PM EST WED FEB 10 2010

...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS
EVENING...

A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS
EVENING.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE...HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS...STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 10 TO 20 INCHES.
  DRIFTS 2 TO 4 FT.

* TIMING...HEAVY SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING.

* TEMPERATURES...LOWER 20S. WIND CHILL VALUES IN THE SINGLE
  DIGITS TO LOWER TEENS.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH. BLOWING AND
  DRIFTING SNOW WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO A QUARTER MILE OR LESS
  AT TIMES... PRODUCING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
OCCURRING. DO NOT VENTURE OUTSIDE. THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING
SITUATION FOR ANYONE WHO BECOMES STRANDED.

FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF
YOU MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET
STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.

===========================

And here is the details on the Philadelphia record:

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
730 PM EST WED FEB 10 2010

...SNOWIEST YEAR (JULY THROUGH JUNE) ON RECORD FOR PHILADELPHIA...

WITH THE 14.0 INCHES OF SNOW THAT FELL IN PHILADELPHIA THROUGH 7 PM,
THE SEASON TOTAL JUMPED TO 70.3 INCHES. THIS TOTAL NOW RANKS AS THE
SNOWIEST SEASON ON RECORD, SURPASSING THE 65.5 INCHES THAT FELL IN
1995-1996 SEASON.