Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Looks like this is shaping up to be a real pain-in-the-*** for much of the country's midsection and Northeast. Chicago is now expected to see up to 2 feet of snow before this all blows eastward.
I am reminded of some articles I read back in 1999, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the "Mother of all Cold Waves". This was a cold blast for the ages which got its start in the northwestern continental US around the 2nd of February and by the 4th sent temperatures down into the -30 range in Washington and -35 to -40 in parts of Oregon's High Desert. Corvallis, OR, where I live saw -5 on the 4th and three days in a row of sub zero conditions.
The cold didn't limit itself to the Pacific Northwest. This arctic river swept throughout the entire country sending temperatures below 0 in at least one location in all 45 (then) of our continental states as well as Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico. That has never been seen before or since been duplicated during a single cold snap.
By the time the arctic blast had reached its full extent it was the 13th of the month and Mobile Bay had ice thick enough you could walk across it if you were careful. The Mississippi River sent ice floes well out into the Gulf of Mexico and New Orleans saw the mercury fall to 5 degrees. DeFuniak Springs (FL) fell to 0 on the 13th and Tallahassee dropped to -2 for Florida's only sub zero reading during the 19th thru 21st century (so far).
Meanwhile, on the left coast, California's infant winter agricultural economy was practically destroyed by prolonged freezing weather in the central valleys and L.A. Basin. It took years to recover. And in the mid-west, ranching had just crawled back from a particularly brutal winter just ten years previous only to be dealt this latest broadside. All time low temperature records - some still standing - were set from North Dakota clear down to the Rio Grande.
All the while there was prodigious snowfalls, ice storms and violent winds to entertain people from one end of the country to the other.
The two links below give a pretty good summary of that awesome event
And this one is a reprint from the Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association. Authored by Dr. Guy Hinsdale it gives a good writeup of the cold wave from one who actually went through it.
I mention all this because there were far fewer people to inconvenience in 1899 and those who were were likely to be far better conditioned to tolerate this kind of nonsense then we are today.
If this combo blizzard-icestorm-cold wave ends up attaining the same magnitude that super-blast of 1899 did (not likely), we could be staring down the gun barrel of a multibillion dollar economic hit and be dealing with anywhere up to several dozen fatalities.
Looks like this is shaping up to be a real pain-in-the-*** for much of the country's midsection and Northeast. Chicago is now expected to see up to 2 feet of snow before this all blows eastward.
I am reminded of some articles I read back in 1999, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the "Mother of all Cold Waves". This was a cold blast for the ages which got its start in the northwestern continental US around the 2nd of February and by the 4th sent temperatures down into the -30 range in Washington and -35 to -40 in parts of Oregon's High Desert. Corvallis, OR, where I live saw -5 on the 4th and three days in a row of sub zero conditions.
The cold didn't limit itself to the Pacific Northwest. This arctic river swept throughout the entire country sending temperatures below 0 in at least one location in all 45 (then) of our continental states as well as Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico. That has never been seen before or since been duplicated during a single cold snap.
By the time the arctic blast had reached its full extent it was the 13th of the month and Mobile Bay had ice thick enough you could walk across it if you were careful. The Mississippi River sent ice floes well out into the Gulf of Mexico and New Orleans saw the mercury fall to 5 degrees. DeFuniak Springs (FL) fell to 0 on the 13th and Tallahassee dropped to -2 for Florida's only sub zero reading during the 19th thru 21st century (so far).
Meanwhile, on the left coast, California's infant winter agricultural economy was practically destroyed by prolonged freezing weather in the central valleys and L.A. Basin. It took years to recover. And in the mid-west, ranching had just crawled back from a particularly brutal winter just ten years previous only to be dealt this latest broadside. All time low temperature records - some still standing - were set from North Dakota clear down to the Rio Grande.
All the while there was prodigious snowfalls, ice storms and violent winds to entertain people from one end of the country to the other.
The two links below give a pretty good summary of that awesome event
And this one is a reprint from the Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association. Authored by Dr. Guy Hinsdale it gives a good writeup of the cold wave from one who actually went through it.
I mention all this because there were far fewer people to inconvenience in 1899 and those who were were likely to be far better conditioned to tolerate this kind of nonsense then we are today.
If this combo blizzard-icestorm-cold wave ends up attaining the same magnitude that super-blast of 1899 did (not likely), we could be staring down the gun barrel of a multibillion dollar economic hit and be dealing with anywhere up to several dozen fatalities.
It is predicted to be a monster storm, ranking right up there with other record storms Chicago has had, talking 20+ inches of snow!
We're supposed to get a decent amount of snow here, too, but not as much as Milwaukee or Chicago.
The cold and the wind will be the issue, a foot of snow is doable, but not the blowing.
We're not under a blizzard warning but living close to the lake (blocks away), we will have increased snow compared to inland, say GB or Appleton.
The snow totals in this storm might be impressive here in NW New Jersey. As much as ten inches of snow with a quarter inch to half inch of ice afterwards. This is worst case scenario.
Here in S. Texas, we will be seeing some of the coldest weather in 7 years! While its in the upper 60s right now here around Corpus Christi, we will see temps down to near 30 tomorrow night, and in the upper 20s for the next 2 nights after that!! Very unusual! May even see a snow flake or two come Thursday night!!
Just FYI... our average high for the beginning of Feb. is in the upper 60s, with lows in the upper 40s. So, you can imagine how unprepared alot of folks will be in this part of the south. I can imagine alot of Citrus damage here in Deep S. Texas from this.
Half of Oklahoma is already set to close. All the government offices and schools and universities. They are telling people to stay home...road conditions will be very dangrous. They showed pictures of Walmart's food ilses and they are stripped bare. We don't expect temps over freezing until the weekend. Of course with a layer of ice on top of snow its could be very bad. States like this shut down from snow because we don't get enough of it to have a lot of snow equiptment on hand for general snow removal.
Tomorrow in Houston:
Windy...thunderstorms, some strong in the morning, becoming mostly sunny late. Storms could contain damaging winds. Morning high of 65F with temps falling to near 45F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
... and at night:
Windy with a few clouds from time to time. Cold. Low 24F. Winds NNW at 20 to 30 mph.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
