March 2018 New England BOMB CYCLONE Weather Expert Chris Landolfi (kinda) From 12z march 12 – 12z march 13

FUN FACTS The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island. The Basketball Hall of Fame is located in Springfield, Massachusetts which is where Dr. James Naismith invented the sport in 1891. Stamford, Connecticut is home to the corporate headquarters of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Connecticut and Rhode Island never ratified the 18th amendment (prohibition).

ONE WICKED STAHM

FORECAST CHALLENGES Timing of the storm: won’t be the worst of it but close to blizzard conditions. How far inland does the storm move? Would there be mixed precip associated with the system? How much cold air will be in place? Visibilities are going to get low: Fog? Blowing Snow?

CATEGORIES THAT DID NOT OCCUR LIGHTNING (THUS THUNDERSTORM, SEVERE THUNDERSTORM) HEAVY SNOW VERY HEAVY SNOW (SOME PEOPLE WERE A LITTLE TOO EXCITED) BLIZZARD (TIME RAN OUT) FREEZING RAIN OR ICE PELLETS BLOWING DUST SMOKE WIND CHILL, EXTREME CHILL FLASH, STREAM, RIVER FLOOD

IN CASE YOU DIDN’T BELIEVE ME ABOUT THE FROZEN PRECIP

SNOWFALL ANALYSIS

FLURRIES

SNOW SHOWERS (0.1” – 1”)

LIGHT SNOW (1.1” – 3.0”)

SNOWFALL ANALYSIS

MODERATE SNOW (3.1” – 6.0”)

SNOW SQUALL mp1.met.psu.edu/~fxg1/TEST/m416radar.mov

HIGH WINDS (GUSTS >= 30 KTS)

SEVERE WINDS ( >= 30KT OR G >= 50 KT)

BLOWING SNOW

FOG (1/2 MI VIS)

FROST (32 OR LESS FOR 3 HRS.) http://mp1.met.psu.edu/~fxg1/TEST/m416temps.mov

TEMPS >= 45 http://mp1.met.psu.edu/~fxg1/TEST/m416temps.mov

NUISANCE FLOOD

PRECIP >= 0.25”

MEASURABLE PRECIP BEFORE 6Z

Lessons Learned Keep track of the forecast timing! Not necessary for there to be a transitional area of ice pellets in a nor’easter. 3 hours is a long time to maintain blizzard conditions. New England actually has varying terrain which does affect its weather. In this case, it was more likely to see sustained winds of over 30 kts than gusts over 50 kts.

IN CASE YOU WERE CURIOUS