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One thing not discussed here is the micro climates caused by elevation, uplift, "rain shadows", etc. The map tries to get some of that in by having the pink streams follow the mountain ridges, but even that is not the case. A town on one side of a hilly or mountain ridge, usually the east side, would not get rain or snow, while the west side and of course the ridges would get the moisture, with rain turning to snow based on elevation.
This is not even the high Rockies that have this effect - living in East TN against the Appalachians we would have 3 or 4 different weather forecasts for the region all in the same broadcast - one for the Cumberland Platue, one for the valley, one for the mountains to the east. Then you have moisture and cold uplifts and downdrafts running up against the hills and that makes it even more complex. But it snowed in NE TN, not alot, but more than the northeast except maybe Boston and north. In TN we have the benift of the sun being at such an angle in winter that it melts quicker however.
The Northeast has several things going for, or against it (however you consider it), in terms of snowfall - the rain shadow effect (minimal effect, but it's there) of the appalachian, the moderating effects of the gulf stream, and also the heat sink effect of big cities (and that's why NYC may not get snow but the suburbs do).
Most of the people in the mountain west, or in the great lakes snow belt region, were they measure snowfall by feet, would laugh at the NE winters. So it's all relative anyways.
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... (and that's why NYC may not get snow but the suburbs do).
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Yup. Common case.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dd714
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The Northeast has several things going for, or against it (however you consider it), in terms of snowfall - the rain shadow effect (minimal effect, but it's there) of the appalachian,.
Speaking of appalacians.. any clipper or system that comes across needs to be strong enough to reach the coast otherwise the mountains break it up. Add that to my list too why Winters are a joke around here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dd714
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Most of the people in the mountain west, or in the great lakes snow belt region, were they measure snowfall by feet, would laugh at the NE winters.
Yup. I laugh and I live here. LOL Waiting for right opp to move north...way north
I personally think winters in PA are long and cold, with 2012 being a rare exception. But i know a lot of you snow-lovers disagree, so here is your chance to discuss why you think winters in our area are pathetic. I will officially dedicate this thread to Patricius Maximus and Ilovemycomputer
It depends on what you're looking for in a winter.
If you want the massive 2-foot storm potential every season, the east coast is the only part of the country (if not world) where you can find it. However, do expect to go long periods of time without ANY snow.
If you're a fan of frequent light/moderate snows, then a Chicago/Detroit/Minneapolis/Toronto winter is for you. However, do expect to go long periods of time without any massive snowstorms.
NYC winters, for example, are great offering all kinds of cold for a cold lover for a decent amount of time.
if you think that NYC winters are a joke, what would you say of BA winters???
Because when i get extreme i even called BA winters a "joke" and BA winters are 100 times warmer than NYC winters, so.....we are left out of words to describe it then??
I would say that NYC winters are cold, not a joke. Only people from very very cold climates and extreme cold lovers could ever think NYC winters arent proper winters or cold enough. For the majority of the world NYC winter are COLD.
NYC winters, for example, are great offering all kinds of cold for a cold lover for a decent amount of time.
if you think that NYC winters are a joke, what would you say of BA winters???
Because when i get extreme i even called BA winters a "joke" and BA winters are 100 times warmer than NYC winters, so.....we are left out of words to describe it then??
I would say that NYC winters are cold, not a joke. Only people from very very cold climates and extreme cold lovers could ever think NYC winters arent proper winters or cold enough. For the majority of the world NYC winter are COLD.
To me, BA has no winter.
NYC winters are viewed as cold globally, for sure, but even to me, a person from a climate with mild winters, NYC winters just aren't very cold, they are barely colder than here, and they are definitely not cold enough to enable long lasting snow cover. Besides, NYC has an unfair reputation when it comes to its winter, before my sister visited NYC in December, my grandmother was telling her to take her big coats and wooly hats etc because she thinks NYC is some sort of arctic hellhole in the winter!! when in reality.. it's not that cold, and not that snowy.. and after visiting Toronto, during a particularly cold winter, my expectations are rather high.
I agree. Buenos Aires doesn't have a winter. It has a cool season, to be sure, maybe even a brief period of dormancy, but has about as much of a winter as Base Esperanza has a summer (i.e. none).
Being 32 degrees then 50 next day?
Snow everywhere except the coast?
Snow one day then melt the next?
Icicles hanging from gutter for 1 out of the 12 weeks?
Having cold temps & 5 snowstorms one year then mostly 70 degrees the next year?
Mostly Rain all winter at 40 degrees?
Having 15-30" of snow on average per winter?(1/4" per day)
Snow falling from sky that changes to rain because WAA?
Hearing Spring birds in the winter?
Blowing Leaves in December and Mowing lawns in March?
Being 32 degrees then 50 next day?
Snow everywhere except the coast?
Snow one day then melt the next?
Icicles hanging from gutter for 1 out of the 12 weeks?
Having cold temps & 5 snowstorms one year then mostly 70 degrees the next year?
Mostly Rain all winter at 40 degrees?
Having 15-30" of snow on average per winter?(1/4" per day)
Snow falling from sky that changes to rain because WAA?
Hearing Spring birds in the winter?
Blowing Leaves in December and Mowing lawns in March?
Last 10 apply to East Coast.
This somewhat misleading and inaccurate. For example, 70 degree days are very rare in winter, and are close to record highs. According to this site, NYC Central Park has not seen a 70+ degree day during Dec/Jan/Feb since 2007. http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ny5801
Having wet snow or snow changing to rain or snow melting quickly is all technically true but primarily because snow tends to fall on warmer days. Cold days are usually dry. It's not at all uncommon for NYC to not see temps go above freezing for several days in a row.
Also not seeing snow on the ground has at least as much to do the fact that most of the surfaces in NYC are quickly plowed/shoveled/scraped/salted/etc.
Last edited by MrMarbles; 04-25-2012 at 09:54 AM..
Also not seeing snow on the ground has at least as much to do the fact that most of the surfaces in NYC are quickly plowed/shoveled/scraped/salted/etc.
Then why don't we see snow cover on untreated areas all the time? And even if all the snow was cleared it would have to go somewhere, but we don't see huge snow piles there all the time. In response to your earlier point, New York doesn't have any cold days - temperatures below 20F are seldom seen, and subzero mornings are absent in almost every winter. Above-freezing mornings are commonplace, and those few subfreezing days you mention only highlight the fact that the vast majority of days are above-freezing at least in the afternoon, and thus it's the rule that moisture comes in the form of rain. And even in these subfreezing days temperatures usually stay above 20 at night. You are right that 70 degree days are rare, at least along the immediate coast, but 50 and 60 degree days are not; in fact they're reasonably common, certainly occurring more often than mornings that are significantly below 20F. The same maritime moderation that retards 70 degree days also prevents cold weather from occuring, thus leading to more consistent mild conditions.
By and large Cambium's list is an accurate depiction of the pathetic nature of Mid-Atlantic/NYC winters.
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