Meteorological images of the blizzard
The recent epic blizzard in the northeast U.S. and modern weather technology produced vivid meteorological images which I've compiled into a storm-specific version of my monthly/annual series.
While these images are captivating to look at, they also represent interesting meteorological things about the storm, one which produced very significant impacts and, tragically, loss of life even though the blizzard was well forecast. Every event is unique, has its own challenges, and is a learning experience from which to hopefully help us continue to improve our understanding of the weather and apply to future predictions and communication.
[I have also posted a slide show on weather.com of 10 of the satellite/radar images; this contains extra geeky stuff. :) )
TWO SYSTEMS MERGING INTO ONE
In this satellite image of "Bands 3-6-7," a combination of visible and shortwave infrared, the two separate systems which came together to create the historic storm are beginning the process of merging into one.
Image credit: NASA/GSFC MODIS Rapid Response
NEW JERSEY GAP
A distinct gap between zones of snow associated with the two merging systems represents a combination of being both clear-cut and narrow to a degree that I can't remember seeing before. Shortly afterward the gap filled in, and moderate to heavy snow fell across northern New Jersey.
Image credit: Gibson Ridge
SREF SNOW QPF PLUMES
As for how much snow would fall in any given spot and the uncertainty therein, newfangled tools such as this are now available. It, like any other model product, must be used with care, yet is another significant advancement in what's available for forecasting and communication compared to when I started my career. The graph shows the individual ensemble member predictions and the mean for La Guardia. That NJ gap was one factor which made the New York City metro area a particularly tricky location for which to forecast snow amounts, and there was a wide range of outcomes from 6.4" to 15". LGA ended up with 12.1".
Image credit: NOAA/SPC
A COMBUSTIBLE COMBINATION
The two systems in the first images above interacted to produce a meteorological bomb (formally defined as a non-tropical cyclone having a central pressure which falls at least 24 millibars in 24 hours), and at its peak was this spectacular satellite image. When I posted it that night on my TWC Facebook page, I thought about what to put as a caption. "A picture is worth a thousand words"? "No words necessary"? I ended up simply saying, "Wow."
Image credit: The Weather Channel
973.5 MILLIBARS
That's how low the measured pressure dropped at a buoy southeast of Nantucket as the center of the storm passed very close. Absent other such observations or aircraft recon like with hurricanes, we'll not ever know exactly what the central pressure of the cyclone was at its lowest point, but it was probably within a couple millibars either side of 970, exceptionally low even by strong nor'easter standards.
Image credit: NOAA/NDBC
CAN YOU SAY, "FRONTOGENETIC FORCING"?
Surface frontogenesis analysis at 7 p.m. EST Friday February 8.
Image credit: NOAA/SPC
CONNECTICUT RADAR
Unusually high radar "reflectivity" levels for snow show up here. Meteorologists have debated whether that was due totally to intense snowfall rates or whether there was a contribution from "bright-banding" in which there's some melting and a film of water forms on snowflakes, enhancing the appearance on radar. The latter may have played a role, but there were reports of thundersnow in Connecticut around the time of this radar image, and if ever there was a storm in which snow could look like this on radar, this one was it.
Image credit: Gibson Ridge
SNOWBAND
I've seen plenty of mesoscale banding in snowstorms, but one from Long Island all the way to the Canadian border?
Image credit: WeatherTAP.com
WATER VAPOR
An interesting pattern on water vapor satellite imagery with the two yellow streams of drier air, one of which becomes very bright as it approaches the center of the storm.
Image credit: UW-Madison SSEC/CIMSS
NIGHTTIME SATELLITE
An eerie nighttime "thermal" satellite image of the cyclone. The seam is between different passes of the polar-orbiting satellite.
Image credit: NASA/GSFC MODIS Rapid Response
PSYCHEDELIC PRESSURE
Surface pressure analysis at 7 a.m. EST Saturday February 9, showing the intense cyclone and the adjacent banana-ish anticyclone which supplied cold air and contributed to the tight pressure gradient, strong winds, high waves and storm surge.
Image credit: Plymouth State University
TRIPLED(?) JET
Not only was the classic Uccellini-Kocin coupled jet structure present for this cyclogenesis, there was a third jet nosing in!
Image credit: Plymouth State University
EYE OF THE STORM
It's different from a hurricane eye, but a small eye-like hole shows up in the center of the swirling mass of clouds during the afternoon following the peak of the storm in New England.
Image credit: UW-Madison SSEC/CIMSS
SNOW COVER AND A TORNADO TRACK
Fresh, deep snow after the blizzard, in sharp contrast with the water of the ocean, sound, bays, and lakes. The straight east-west white line in south-central Massachusetts just north of and parallel to the Connecticut border is the path of the tornado which struck Springfield and other communities on June 1, 2011.
Image credit: NASA/GSFC MODIS Rapid Response
FEBRUARY DOES IT AGAIN
Another graph: The preliminary estimate for this storm is a NESIS category of 3, meaning it can be added to the list of those I cited in my recent blog entry on the proliferation of blockbuster Northeast snowstorms during February, particularly the early-mid part of the month. Here I've plotted what is represented by the table I included in that entry, showing more clearly what it is I was talking about. [See also Lee Grenci's post which further discusses the topic of February storms in the Northeast.]
Data source: NOAA NESIS page
STRATOCUMULUS TAPESTRY
Cold air ushered in by Nemo moving over warm water near the islands of the Bahamas (which can be seen in the lower left corner) created this beautiful tapestry of clouds.
Image credit: NASA/GSFC MODIS Rapid Response
REMNANT REGENERATION
Days later, the cyclone re-strengthened near Iceland and the UK.
Image credit: NASA/GSFC MODIS Rapid Response
FISH FACE
I know that there are people including within the Wunderground community who are not fans of The Weather Channel's naming of winter storms ... in this blog I've not referenced the name until now at the end ... "Nemo" was not chosen by TWC for this storm knowing it would be an extreme one, rather it was one of many names on a list for the 2012-13 winter season (the "N" storm) ... and it was not named after a fish. But in this map of the storm's snowfall, do you not see the face of an aquatic animal? :)
Image credit: NOAA/NWS
Reader Comments
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5:06 AM GMT on February 14, 2013
5:34 PM GMT on February 14, 2013
Jeff Masters
I agree with Dr. Masters! The first picture was beautiful! :D
6:06 PM GMT on March 02, 2013
Its one type of experience to go through such a storm which pushes one physically then via Stu's blog another extreme experience for the mind to take in such visually breathtaking readouts & images.
As to the naming Winter Storms, i've posted on my wxu blog a style of naming which can be tried, it follows ancient traditions, also on weather ch.'s facebook (as Gregorio O. de Mojeca). The good reason for naming storms is people tend to listen closer to names than just genetic weather titles i.e. Big storm, another storm. Nor' Easter. BTW iof the storms were named by the cloud formations we saw/imagined, i bet "Horsie" is on top of that list.
As to The Weather Channel, weird how things go in circles, in the early 1990s i sent TWCh over 3,000pgs + a 100s of pgs (hand written) dictionary defining my words & clues as to a science i call Galacsics and so one could understand the mumbo jumbo on the pgs. i'd send/ sent. And was hoping to show TWCh a device that back then i thought only influenced weather,. via the motion of the 0 declination M line (~Miss-Ga.).
Fast forward to when i signed up for wxu ~2000 or 2001 (some mrX/akamrx... name) then my hard drive was shorted, so i joined again as vis0 in 2002/3. Since i had other blogs did not really post here till a blog on the ml-d (ml-d diary) as i've turned on the ml-d 24/7 in 2010.
Everywhere the ml-d has been, sets several 100 yrs records. In Puerto Rico 2, 100 yr old (actually less as OFFICIAL record keeping not that old there) record months (actually Jan 2010 was a top 10 rainiest month and all top 30 rainiest months occurred due to a tropical storm(s), and Dec & Jan are Puerto Rico's dry months. Went back a few months later and caused 2 more month to fall into the rainiest records, broke an occluded fronts record.
In nyc have have 6, 100 yr weather events since 2010, i state its the ml-d, lets see if the ml-d is ever test or some scientist accidentally creates his/her own,peace
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