Let it snow… let it snow… let it snow…biggest snowstorm since 1922, and still not over.
From the New York Times, a crippled government. Even the post office gave up.
Capital Is Crippled as Blizzard Continues
A winter storm continued its blizzard rage in some parts of the Mid-Atlantic region on Saturday morning, dumping nearly two feet of wet, heavy snow that cut power to about 200,000 residents, caused the roof of a private jet hangar to collapse at Washington Dulles International Airport and forced the nation’s capital into quiet hibernation.
All postal operations in the Washington area, including the suburbs in Northern Virginia and Maryland were canceled on Saturday.
Full story at NYT here
CBS news calls the storm “epic”. See video report below.
From NOAA/NWS
…EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS CONTINUE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON REGION…EASTERN
PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA…AND NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY…
…BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ONGOING IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND…
…POISED TO SET ALL-TIME STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL RECORD FOR
BALTIMORE…
BLIZZARD WARNINGS CONTINUE UNTIL 10 PM FOR MARYLAND EAST OF THE
INTERSTATE 95 CORRIDOR BETWEEN BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON DC AND WEST
OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. WINTER STORM WARNINGS FOR HEAVY SNOW
CONTINUE ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE REGION UNTIL 10 PM.
AT 11:45 AM THIS MORNING…WEATHER OBSERVERS AT BALTIMORE`S THURGOOD
MARSHALL BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REPORTED 26.5
INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND. THIS IS ONLY 0.3 INCHES SHY OF THE
26.8 INCH RECORD FROM THE PRESIDENTS DAY FEBRUARY 2003 STORM. THE
AIRPORT IS FORECAST TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 3 TO 6 INCHES BEFORE THE
STORM ENDS THIS EVENING. A RECORD REPORT WILL BE ISSUED WHEN THE
RECORD IS REACHED.
GENERALLY…24 TO 32 INCHES OF SNOW HAVE FALLEN ACROSS NORTH OF A
LINE BETWEEN ANNAPOLIS MD TO WASHINGTON DC TO PETERSBURG WV. SOUTH
OF THIS LINE TO CHARLOTTESVILLE VA…APPROXIMATELY 14 TO 20 INCHES
HAVE FALLEN.
AN ADDITIONAL 4 TO 8 INCHES WILL FALL ACROSS THE REGION BEFORE THE
SNOW TAPERS TO FLURRIES LATER THIS EVENING. AREAS SOUTH AND EAST OF
BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON WILL SEE ACCUMULATIONS AT THE HIGHER END
OF THIS RANGE…ALONG WITH WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH CREATING BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS.
Blizzard Warning
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1002 AM EST SAT FEB 6 2010 DCZ001-MDZ007-011-013-014-062315- /O.CON.KLWX.BZ.W.0001.000000T0000Z-100207T0300Z/ DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-HARFORD-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-PRINCE GEORGES- ANNE ARUNDEL- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WASHINGTON...BALTIMORE...ANNAPOLIS 1002 AM EST SAT FEB 6 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...MODERATE SNOW. * ACCUMULATIONS...AN ADDITIONAL 4 TO 8 INCHES TODAY WITH TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 20 TO 30 INCHES. * TIMING...MODERATE INTENSITY SNOW BANDS WILL MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD THIS MORNING THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL BECOME LIGHTER THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL TAPER OFF BY EARLY THIS EVENING. * VISIBILITIES...VISIBILITIES AS LOW AS ONE-QUARTER TO ONE-HALF MILE ARE EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. * TEMPERATURES...TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR 30 DEGREES THIS MORNING AND WILL FALL INTO THE MID TO UPPER 20S TONIGHT. * WINDS...NORTHEAST WINDS 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 25 MPH THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE COAST. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... ALTHOUGH WIND SPEEDS WILL DECREASE THROUGH THE DAY...VISIBILITIES WILL BE AT OR BELOW ONE-QUARTER MILE AT TIMES IN MODERATE SNOW... WHICH WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY DANGEROUS. A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY.
Yes there is a preponderance of conservatives here
But hardly exclusively, since I feel perfectly comfortable here and I’m way left of most Americans. Anthony kindly takes all types, including a few warmistas. As part of that we get to share our little space with NWO conspiracy nutcases.
Steve M’s problem appears to be that he can’t distinguish the content posted by Anthony from the comments posted by others. WUWT allows you to make any liberal-biased comment you want Steve (within bounds of legality etc). Always has.
Does anyone knows if there is any (sensitivity) estimate for water vapours only?
I’ve looked at that, I haven’t computed a value but it must be infinitesimal; looking at the absorption and emissivity spectra for water, say 0-25 deg. C, there is very little overlap.
We know it has to be small; drowned out by everything else that influences the climate, for otherwise, the atmosphere would have saturated and remained that way eons ago!
: )
Get ready for “AFRICAGATE”
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2010/02/and-now-for-africagate.html
p.g.sharrow “PG” (12:18:23) :
‘Once spent 5 days, after 3 feet of wet snow, no power and 2 miles from the nearest plowed road. I live in California below the normal snow line. NO fun, survival, glad I had a wood stove which the ecos are trying to outlaw. ‘
They’ll have to get their act together then, judging by this eco promotion eulogising the woodburner
http://www.greenandeasy.co.uk/Information/InformationPage.aspx?pagekey=71
This was happening the last previous two years in the northwest.
It’s your turn.
Thanks, Carsten… I’m gonna start saving my nickles and get one soon since there’s nothing like being master of your own weather station. 🙂
Interesting summary on events and take on MSM, but I’m disappointed with the continued reference to the Guardian as the story originator.
http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2010/02/03/fat-lady-warms-up-for-global-warming-grey-lady-not-listening/
“DirkH (12:52:44) :
O/T Richard North is up!
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/
”
Sorry i jumped the gun, but now he has posted again: Africagate !
Chris
I don’t think you’re missing too much, but pasting a link to Climate Depot wouldn’t convince too many as it appears to be extremely biased. I’m a sceptic but I winced as I read it. Why not try linking to something less shrill?
Alternatively, why don’t you suggest your new warmist friends acquaint themselves with some climate history and learn something about the constant climate oscillations?
Hubert Lamb was the first director of CRU and he wrote some very good books on climate-truly there is nothing new under the sun and todays events are nothing out of the ordinary.
As a first read I would suggest his book;
“Climate, History and the Modern World” ISBN 0-415-12735-1
Tonyb
Steve M. (12:02:56),
I’m not a conservative (nor am I a liberal besides these terms have different meanings in Canada which also means that I’m not a republican nor a democrat) and I post here regularly as well as writing my own independent commentary based upon science rather than “belief” over at PathsToKnowledge dot NET (http://www.PathsToKnowledge.net).
WUWT is an informative web site that, as I have observed, is consistently dedicated to what is actually happening with the weather and climate in objective reality rather than “believing” in a hypothesis (such as the AGW Hypothesis) that has so many flaws that it’s essentially been falsified time and time again.
I’m the kind of guy that demands proof from claims, especially the extraordinary claims that underlie the alleged AGW Hypothesis.
I’m an independent thinker Steve M. (12:02:56). I don’t follow “cult beliefs” like those of Al Gore or a “political party”. I’m a member of none. I know that most people want to save themselves from actually thinking by simply being lemmings and “belonging” to one group or another including political groups and let the groups do their thinking for them but I prefer to think through issues myself especially when it concerns matters that can be resolved with science.
After spending months asking innocent questions, as someone wanting to learn about the science behind the alleged “anthropogenic global warming climate change hypothesis”, at various web sites (http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula for instance) I was always immediately subjected to a barrage of ad hominem person attacks which clearly indicated that those people – allegedly dedicated to the pursuit of science instead – were (and evidently still are) blinded by their “beliefs” rather than looking at the actual evidence in objective reality. The fact that they wouldn’t even engage in the questions raised by the alleged AGW Hypothesis with a civil discourse indicates the depth of their “cult belief” in said alleged hypothesis.
Look, in science it’s ok to be dedicated to a hypothesis to some extent, however it’s not ok in science to berate people for even asking questions of your prized hypothesis. When you cross that line you’re become a cult member and not someone dedicated to the pursuit of the facts of life or Nature. Besides any hypothesis needs to have means by which it is falsified and *when* counter evidence is suggested it needs to be properly dealt with. Lo and behold there are so many lines of effective counter evidence to the alleged AGW hypothesis that it’s scary and as a result as far as I can tell the alleged AGW hypothesis has been falsified.
The facts of science have nothing to do with politics, except that people such as yourself and the likes of Al Gore or Maurice Strong and others make it political. The sad part is that the evidence shows that you’ve got it wrong, it’s not the end of the world as we know it. The ice won’t all melt anytime soon. The seas won’t rise and flood the cities. You’ve seemingly bought Al Gore’s propaganda hook line and sinker. It’s time to pull that hook out of your mouth and do some independent thinking for yourself.
WUWT is an excellent place to ask actual questions since people here are not adverse to pursuing what is really happening. So if you have any actual questions of substance or for learning about the good, the bad and the ugly of climate science this is one of the better places to ask them. It’s time to unlearn your “beliefs” and learn some actual science.
Hopefully you and others can learn how when it comes to science “beliefs” in a hypothesis can prevent you from seeing what is really going on.
All the best,
pwl
http://www.PathsToKnowledge.net?s=belief
SteveM
Perhaps it might help you to see things in a better perspective and not be so concerned about weather events if you also read something about the climatic variabilty of our planet, of which the current era is but the latest unremarkable episode. You might enjoy the book I just recommended to Chris.
Tonyb
dochia (12:29:54) :
Does anyone knows if there is any (sensitivity) estimate for water vapours only?
No one is even sure of the sign of water vapor feedbacks.
The sign on water vapor as a cloud is negative, water vapor as water vapor is positive.
http://gcss-dime.giss.nasa.gov/cmai/cmai.html
“Representation of clouds and cloud processes in climate and weather models (particularly in NASA-supported models) is considered one of the central issues driving uncertainty about their fidelity in making forecasts. “
from richard at EU -ref
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2010/02/and-now-for-africagate.html
In our little garden spot in the “northeast inland area of Ohio”
we received 10.2” of snow between 10:30pm Friday evening
and 10:30am Saturday morning. This fell on top of the roughly
3” already on the ground (and on trees, wires, etc.) that arrived
Friday morning & afternoon::
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/cle/clesnow.php
None of this was “lake effect” snow. Curiously, a good amount
of snow blew from the south (our “garden spot”) and pumped a
couple inches of pollutant free snow 10 or 12 miles out onto
the Lake Erie ice(view before the new snow):
http://ice-glaces.ec.gc.ca/prods/NAIS25ECT/20100204180000_NAIS25ECT_0004804114.gif
:
To put it in a more global context:
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/326193main_sup1seaicemax_full.jpg
Richard Holle(11:05:04)
I’m pretty sure that if you go over your calculations again you’ll find you’ve missed the extra day leap year from 2008 – so in fact you called it absolutely right. Well done!
Sorry – leap year day
kyle (10:47:22) : Also Piers Corbyn.
http://www.weatheraction.com/pages/pv.asp?p=wact4&fsize=0
Shutting down Washington can only be good.
Dammit! I meant Richard Holles at12:31:17
Hi Anthony. I am a fan of your site, reading it every day.
Thanks for the abundance of high quality information and comment you supply.
And I have noticed that you report not only news, analysis and debate on the AGW hypothesis, but also interesting weather phenomena, like this blizzard.
So, yes, it is obvious to me that you do not make the mistake of saying that cold weather is proof of a cooling earth. As opposed to so many ‘warmists’ who use every warm spell to say it proves the earth is warming.
[snip]
It’s just not worthy of this site.
That said, it does look like the AGW hypothesis is crashing and the warmist movement is imploding.
Personally I deeply regret the damage that it will do to the trust people have in science.
I think the time is near that we need to defend science by proposing ways to prevent the peer review process from being hijacked like the paleo-climatologists have done.
Winston Churchill, one of my great heroes, said: “In war, resolution; in defeat, defiance; in victory, magnanimity”.
In other words, “You don’t kick a (wo)man who is down.”
From a guy in Aus. Is it warm snow?
You can’t fool Mother Nature.
>> Steve M. (11:03:47) :
Er, dude? I’m here in Manhattan and there’s been NO SNOW WHATSOEVER. There’s no snow north of here — y’know, in upstate New York, where it’s supposed to snow a lot in February? And in New England, ditto? <<
Engage Brain before fingers on keyboard.
I did not know we measured temperature with a ruler. What does the depth of snow have to do with temperature? (Oh, I know, it is all melting because of global; warming.) NWS and several other weather services indicate that up-state NY (WAY-upstate, e.g. Syracuse) has been about 10 degrees below average for the last month.
To find off any flames that is ABOUT not exact. I did not do a mathematical calculation. I just looked at the stated normal high and the daily high for the last month.
Actually, shutting down Washington was Hansen’s idea a year ago in a snowstorm. It’s not Washington I want to see shut down, it’s this AGW bill that has no basis in the real world.
According to AGW, this snowstorm was NOT supposed to be happening.
It was to be Hurricanes Galore and barbecue summers.
To borrow a meteorological layman’s phrase:
Clear & Hot through Doomsday.
(You might remember that one, Anthony).
The last year or two, they have been paint-jobbing thier philosophy of what exactly Global Warming is supposed to look like. “Snowmageddon” is nothing more than a continuance of the same chamelion act. They change tunes faster than an Octopus traveling around a Coral Reef.
“Robin Kool (14:45:52) :
[…]
In other words, “You don’t kick a (wo)man who is down.”
”
You shouldn’t forget that all of Europe is still in the hands of a carbon trading scam. NOTHING is down. They need to be kicked for at least another 2 years – until Kyoto expires.