UPDATE: The map and data have been updated from NOHRS. We now have added to yesterday’s total with new overnight snows, bringing the CONUS coverage to 70.9%. KGMB-TV in Hawaii reports, that with snowfall on Mauna Kea, 49 out of 50 states have snow on the ground, with Florida the exception. -Anthony
Meanwhile, New York City declares a weather emergency due to snow.
Data from the National Weather Service National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center in Minnesota show that nearly 70 71% of the USA has snow cover.
January 12, 2011 Data:
| Area Covered By Snow: | 70.9% |
| Area Covered Last Month: | 35.1% |
| Snow Depth | |
|---|---|
| Average: | 6.9 in |
| Minimum: | 0.0 in |
| Maximum: | 895.5 in |
| Std. Dev.: | 11.3 in |
| Snow Water Equivalent | |
| Average: | 1.4 in |
| Minimum: | 0.0 in |
| Maximum: | 435.1 in |
| Std. Dev.: | 3.0 in |
January 11, 2011 data:
| Area Covered By Snow: | 69.4% |
| Area Covered Last Month: | 33.1% |
| Snow Depth | |
|---|---|
| Average: | 6.9 in |
| Minimum: | 0.0 in |
| Maximum: | 897.2 in |
| Std. Dev.: | 11.4 in |
The map above is done from snow reports from COOP stations and other observers. Here’s the map done by satellite:
The 70% value may be exceeded tomorrow as the area around Washington DC has picked up a couple of inches of snow, which is shown as no snow cover in Jan 11 maps above. See this from NWS Baltimore/Washington:
At the time of this post, the Northeastern USA was getting hammered with significant snowfall:
Earlier today, NYC mayor Bloomberg declared a snow emergency:
This from Notify NYC, a city email messaging service:
The Mayor has issued a Weather Emergency Declaration for NYC. The public is urged to avoid all unnecessary driving for the duration of the storm and use public transportation. For info on MTA service visit http://www.mta.info. Any vehicle found blocking roadways or impeding ability to plow streets will be towed at owner’s expense. Alternate Side Parking, payment at parking meters, and garbage collection are suspended citywide until further notice.
The NWS has issued this:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY 1054 PM EST TUE JAN 11 2011 ...WINTER STORM TO IMPACT THE AREA TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY... NJZ002-004-006-103>108-NYZ072>075-176-178-121200- /O.CON.KOKX.WS.W.0002.000000T0000Z-110112T2300Z/ WESTERN PASSAIC-EASTERN PASSAIC-HUDSON-WESTERN BERGEN- EASTERN BERGEN-WESTERN ESSEX-EASTERN ESSEX-WESTERN UNION- EASTERN UNION-NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)-BRONX-RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)- KINGS (BROOKLYN)-NORTHERN QUEENS-SOUTHERN QUEENS- 1054 PM EST TUE JAN 11 2011 ...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST WEDNESDAY... A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST WEDNESDAY. * LOCATIONS...NEW YORK CITY...AND NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY. * HAZARDS...SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES. * ACCUMULATIONS...8 TO 12 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. * WINDS...GUSTS 20 TO 25 MPH. * VISIBILITIES...LESS THAN 1/4 MILE AT TIMES. * TIMING...HEAVIEST SNOW OCCURS AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH DAYBREAK WEDNESDAY. * IMPACTS...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL TONIGHT AND THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD... AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
Looks like a fun day tomorrow in NYC.
I would like to see a third reference page showing global albedo. When the warmists insist that the lack of ice cover in the artic causes warming, and cooling to the south of the artic regions, causing snow. They seem to be implying that negative feedback exists (but they don’t know they are saying this). But it does seem silly to say the sun is heating the ice free artic, when the artic is cast in 24 hour darkness, and only has marginaly less ice than up to 30 years ago.
A square mile of snow cover in the south is like 25 square miles of snow cover in the north.
A global albedo number could be calculated and normalized to a number between 0 and 1, for example. 0 could represent the maximum albido possible (earth an ice ball), and 1 would be minimum (no ice/snow/glaciers at all). This calculation would include the intensity of the sun at each spot on earth that has ice/snow/glacier, a simple calculation based on the angle of the sun upon the earth surface. Add these all up and subtract from the minimum possible to come up with a number (then normalize to get your number between 0 and 1).
Is anyone doing this type of calculation? I could do it as I now have the math (calculus) skills and I have the computer programming skills. The hardest part for me would be to write an algorithm to take an image and figure out the geographical location of the snow cover it represents. But I’ve been working on far more difficult software projects.
AGW -> more precipitation, in winter more snowcover especially during low NAO-index.
In March snowcover will be about record small again <- AGW.
And more is coming, watch the accumulation in Connecticut:
http://www.meteoexploration.com/snow/snowmapsUS.html
AussieDan 11th Jan 11:22:
Aussie, sixty years ago or more there were suggestions put forward to divert some of Queensland’s rivers by means dams, cuts and tunnels to turn west and irrigate the area to the West of the dividing range. This enormous area only gets rain every few years, when Lake Eyre fills up, then evaporates. Is it time to dust off those plans, maybe – given that Queensland has a surfeit of water?
Last communication received by South African family recent emigrated to Canada.
Settled in to our new home in Canada, still amazed by the politeness and the way everybody follows the rules. Also cannot get over the new sense of security – no more burglar bars, razor wire etc. We had our first snow fall last night and in the morning the whole landscape was like a Christmas postcard – absolutely beautiful.
Day 2) White crystal flakes are still falling all around. This really is a winter wonderland. Ha ha, you guys are baking in the heat back home.
Day 3) Had to dig the SUV out of the driveway – hard work, but fun as it was our first “snow dig”. We also made a snowman and the kids had a great snowball fight.
Day 4) Had to dig the car out again, then nearly had three accidents on the way to town to fit snow tires. Another 5 inches today.
Day 5) Have been stuck inside for almost a week now, except for the near disastrous trip into town yesterday – can’t even see the bloody car now. Not going to dig again.
Day 6) I keep thinking about that movie “The shining”.
Day 7) It’ still F##king snowing – “all work and no play, all work and no play, all……………play”.
PS. only joking, you Canadians are great.
It’s coming down hard here in western New Hampshire, expecting 6 – 10″ total. Schools are closed. The skiers will be out in force this weekend!!
John Robertson says:
January 11, 2011 at 11:01 pm
Only 70%? Here in Canada it’s about 99.9% coverage….get used to it!
John :-#)#
With the solar minimum well under way, eaxpect that 99.9% in July!
That looks like 48 out of 50 state with some snow cover (all except FL & HI).
Last February, Patrick Marsh collected snow photos from all 50 states that were taken on the 11th (I think that was the day). That month Hawaii was tough, but people found some sad little snow patches on Mauna Kea that are likely the most photographed and views sad little snow patches ever.
http://www.patricktmarsh.com/snow-shot-of-america/
Nice one KPO – I think I know that family!
On a more serious note – why can’t you bloody Yanks give us our snow back? Here in Ottawa we are on our second winter with barely enough snow to go skiing while New England has got loads! It’s nice and cold (the Rideau Canal is open for skating already), but the snow is patchy on the cross-country trails. They had lots of snow in southern Ontario and Quebec seems OK, but it is just wrong when DC has more snow cover than Ottawa!
None here in Florida, we feel so left out…hey! I guess Hansen’s right!!!
What’s that map of the USA doing covered in global warming white? I remember some global warming boss ( was it Chu) saying that we should paint all our roofs white to help save the planet. I never realised that we could actually paint the map itself. Sarc off.
Suppose this AGW thing was not on, and our brains were not washed by the AGW gang, suppose we were to format the climate hard disk inside our brain, and analyse the last three years winters, both NH and SH. What would one start to think? The end of the Holocene?A new LIA? Another glaciation? The mainstream media would have a field day telling us we would all freeze to death in a decade or two and that our children would not know water melt-water is and the only colour they need to recognise is white and the only animals alive would be seals and polar bears.
Here’s a beautiful example of cognitive dissonance, a True Believer who is just beginning to notice that the world didn’t end when his Prophet said it would end:
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/jan/11/heavy-snow-fall-tonight-wednesday/?comments#c243210
Note the special shrillness of his characterization of infidels….. always a good indicator of CD.
There is a reason why we live in Florida.
Look at the maps above.
That’s why we live in Florida.
Spock: Status Report.
“In Search of Revists the Coming Ice Age. I thought I was wrong, but it turns out I was right in the 1st place”.
Rob Potter @January 12, 2011 at 6:01 am
“why can’t you bloody Yanks give us our snow back?”
As someone in New England who currently has a surfeit of snow, I hereby invite you to come to my house and take as much of it as you’d like. Preferably this morning.
David L says:
How many times do we need to go through this guys? As we’ve seen over and over for the past couple decades, heavy, extensive snowfallls and bitter cold are the direct and unequivical results of a warming planet! …
Isn’t it clear to everyone by now that we need to stop emitting CO2, reverse the warming trend, and get back to a warmer climate? /sarc off (in case you couldn’t tell!)
Sometimes, it seems rather difficult to tell…
I am sure that all here sympathise with the people in Queensland and wish that the peak passes with as little further inundation as possible.
It is however ironic that the desalination plants, constructed to ameliorate the intense droughts forecast to result from a warming planet, are now being fired up to provide drinking water for the populace whose reservoirs and treatment plants have been polluted by the floods.
The top map is not correct in Illinois. Quincy,IL (western border of IL) had much more than 0.39 inches of snow. NWS listed it as 5 inches. Surrounding area likwise.
Help me put this in perspective…does 70% snow coverage of the Lower 48 represent typical winter maxima, or is it bordering on a record of sorts?
Is your naximum depth of snow 897.2 inches(74’11.4″) a typo, if not where did it fall?
LarryT says: “With the solar minimum well under way, eaxpect that 99.9% in July!”
Where I am in Northwestern Alberta we have had snow in every month of the year, including June, July and August. On occassion it is cold enough that we have some accumulation on the ground for a day or so when this happens. The first traditional camping weekend here is the end of May and 99.9% of the time it snows. Last year I was planting out seeds in my garden during a snowstorm, but it was the first weekend of June so it was getting late in the year and it had to get done.
I honestly think most people in this area are sceptical of climate change because we are still used to “weather.” It seems like people have forgotten what weather is.
Is the maximum depth 897.2 in (74′ 11.4″) a typo, if not can one know where and when it fell?
Funny how all this fits into the commonly held 30 year rule by to hose of us live in rural subrural/suburbia area. This remind me of 30 year ago living in southern Alabama playing in two feet of snow in a once in a generation/lifetime event.
Another thing, this one for the GW nuts. Notice how the map looks like the freeze coverage from the end of “The Day After Tomorrow”.
Honestly, I wish global warming were a reality. I’ve scheduled a mid-January vacation to the Bahamas, but temperatures there have been running well below the 77-degree average. I may have to pack a sweater instead of a bathing suit!