That’s the sentence that many people are saying in the Mid Atlantic area because the National Weather Service has already posted a winter storm watch for the DC Metro area that is effective starting Tuesday morning through Wednesday afternoon.  So far, the forecast shows that some cities could get 5 inches of snow but that could rapidly change is the storm system tracks south rather than north and instead of getting 5 inches, cities like Arlington VA, could get close to 10 inches.  This winter season has been one that residents in the Northeast would not forget… Can you believe that Washington, D.C. has received more snow than Minneapolis, MN? And not only by 3 inches, the difference is 10 inches of snow so far! Oh… and if Punxsutawney Phil is right, there is still more winter to come.

This picture was taken in Bethesda, MD

Almost 2.5 feet of snow!

Thanks to MidAtlantic WX!

Now, here is the forecast for Tuesday night….

More snow for NorthEast

We continue to see a very active weather pattern for the entire nation and even the Midwest will be getting some heavy snow by the beginning of the work week some areas will be picking up close to a foot of snow and by Tuesday another storm will impact the Southwest meaning more rain for the areas prone to flooding and mudslides in California.  Could this be a record setting February for the USA? For now, it is looking like it but we still have two more weeks to go.

For those football lovers, if you were able to fly down south to Miami life is just beautiful.  Plenty of sunshine, low humidity, temperatures in the upper 60s… just perfect weather for football if you ask me! So tonight, is the big game and if you weren’t able to fly or drive down to sexy Miami I guess we will just have to watch it on TV.  Enjoy your Superbowl Sunday party and make sure to check back for more weather information tomorrow! Colts vs. Saints… oh my!

Take care, stay warm and brace yourself for more weather coming your way.

Denise Isaac

WeatherNation LLC Meteorologist

Feb 6, 2010: Walking Blue the Alaskan Malamute in Baltimore, MD.

It’s official; this massive winter storm is going down in the record books. Hundreds of records are being broken as we speak and this winter storm is making it into many “top 5″ lists in the Northeast/Mid Atlantic. Philadelphia received over 26″ of snow, making this the 2nd greatest snowstorm since records have been kept. It’s tough to beat the February ‘96 superstorm that managed to crank out an impressive 30.7″. Pittsburgh came in at 21.1″, which has made this the 4th greatest recorded snowfall behind the storm of ‘93 which produced over 25″. Let’s not forget that just 6 weeks ago, similar areas were impacted with a tremendous amounts of snow as a massive storm slammed into the Mid Atlantic. To see an event of this magnitude occur twice in less than 2 months in a single season is rare. Washington has only received more than a foot of snow 13 times since 1870… so if you think about that, it’s pretty amazing that this is the 2nd time this season they’ve seen over 12″! In Baltimore, this storm marks the greatest snowstorm since records have been kept and the 2nd snowiest season already–and we’re not done with winter yet. There have been many impassable roads and canceled flights so far today. Over 200,000 people are without power… needless to say, I’m sure a lot of folks are rather frantic considering the Super Bowl is tomorrow! Yikes.

Ready to be even more impressed? Just look at these numbers:

Smith Crossroads, WV: 33″
Howellsville, VA: 32″
BWI, MD: 26.5″
Newark, DE: 21″
El Dora, NJ: 26″

And the snow is not quite over yet. With snowfall rates of 2″ to 3″ and hour, we will indeed be seeing a few more inches adding on to these totals as we head into the evening.

4 PM Radar: Snow continues to pile up

While we’re on our final chapter snow-wise, this storm will be making way for blustery weather after the snow ends. Winds up to 35 mph will continue into the evening, reducing visibilities as it blows the snow around. Fortunately, however, we’re expecting much better weather tomorrow as that system exits the area… giving the Mid Atlantic and Northeast at least one full day of recovery, though it may be ruining a lot of Super Bowl plans (especially emergency crews and officials who are continuing to work their butts off!). Hopefully power will be restored in time for the big game, but I have a hunch that many folks will have to adjust their game plans. It will take a while to get back to normal!

I hate to say it, but the models are indicating that another potential storm could impact the same areas with even MORE winter weather. It’s too early to tell how intense this system will become. The timing of this system would bring rain/snow to the Mid Atlantic by Tuesday switching over all snow on Wednesday. Take a gander at the GFS model… it’s not pretty looking, but looking at the blobs of precipitation on the map gives you a good idea of what’s going on:

GFS Model showing another Mid Atlantic storm

GFS Model: A possible Nor'easter?

We’ll be watching! Stay safe.

Susie Martin
WeatherNation meteorologist

The Mid-Atlantic area is prepping for their second major winter storm of the season.  Computer models have been fairly consistent today with printing out 2.6″ of liquid from this storm over Washington D.C.  With a 10:1 liquid to snow ratio, that would amount to 26″ of snow!!  During the heaviest snowfall tonight, temperatures at the surface will be right around 34°F resulting in a liquid to snow ratio more like 15:1 thus bringing down the grand total to around 18″ or so.  Still a significant wet, heavy snow considering D.C. gets between 15-20″ in ONE season and not typically in one snow event.  This year, Washington D.C. has had more snow than both Milwaukee and Detroit.  Throw an addition 18″+ this weekend and we could have the second biggest winter season snowfall on record there.

The Northeast won’t be alone in this snow lover’s dream.  Potentially over 12″ could blanket east-central Indiana through Ohio.  Lighter snowfall amounts will be seen further northwest into the High Plains.  Snow will gradually taper to light snow/flurries across the Midwest tomorrow with a steadier snow filtering back in Sunday.  This second snowfall will be drier, therefore, amounts may be higher early next week from this next storm.

The same storm that will spread snow into the Central Plains and Midwest early next week  is currently dousing L.A with rain.  Flooding concerns mount along the coast and foothills, especially in the burn areas, where heavy rain and thunderstorms could dump over a half inch an hour in spots through tomorrow.

Weekend Outlook

Saturday

Sunday

Happy weekend and stay safe!

Kristin Clark

WeatherNation Meteorologist

Seriously, today is really the calm before the storm in Washington D.C.!  Beautiful blue sky overhead our nation’s capitol with sunny and dry conditions elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic.  The weather couldn’t be more tranquil.  What a difference a day will make, though.  Big snow is on the way for D.C. as well as Baltimore and Philadelphia.

This storm will be the second biggest of the season.  The first big snow event occurred December 19-20, 2009 and because of that snow many locations have a surplus of snow this winter season.  Baltimore’s snowfall is 10″ above normal with 35″  this winter season…and more is on the way Saturday.   By the weekend, Washington D.C. could get close to topping the second snowiest winter season on record.

Forecast Breakdown:

Friday Morning: Heavy rain will start to move up the Carolina Coast and interact with a shallow layer of cold air at the surface to produce a small area of ice in western North Carolina/Virginia and southern West Virginia.

Friday: As a direct channel of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico gets pulled northward from the secondary low off the coast, it will mix with much colder air over the rest of the Mid-Atlantic states to produce snow in the afternoon with the heaviest snow falling overnight Friday.

Saturday: As the storm begins to pull out to sea and merges with the primary low west of the Appalachian Mountains the snow will slowly taper Saturday afternoon.

Sunday: The snow event will be done as winds start to back north and drier air moves in.

Unlike the last major storm, this one will move quickly and dump a crippling snowfall is a smaller area.  A cool foot or more could fall over the Delmarva Peninsula west into northern Virginia and eastern West Virginia.

Friday

Saturday

Blizzard Warnings have already been posted for south Jersey with the potential for over 18″.  This storm is sure to bring another crippling snow for the Mid-Atlantic.  Flights will be delayed even canceled, schools are already closing and ground transportation will be halted.

Kristin Clark

WeatherNation Meteorologist

In the last two weeks, Yellowstone National Park has felt over 100 earthquakes making it the second largest cluster ever recorded.  This activity has certainly raised some eyebrows considering the recent earthquake disaster in Haiti.  Typically, the park receives about 2,000 small earthquakes a year but since January 17, over 1,800 earthquakes have been reported.  Curiosity among geologist is heightened because of the high earthquake concentration in such a short time span.

Yellowstone National Park

Much of Yellowstone National Park basically lies within a “super-volcano” and geologist have found that the park grounds have risen about two feet from 1923 to 1985.  This rise may signify magma building beneath the ground that could prelude a major volcanic event.  According to geological records, the last catastrophic volcanic eruption was 70,000 years ago making the park due for another massive explosion.  However, scientists believe that the recent rumblings are not caused by shifting magma below the earth’s surface but of slipping on already existing fault lines.  Therefore, the Volcanic Alert Level remains Normal.

Yellowstone National Park is outlined in yellow whereas the site of the “super-volcano” or the Caldera Rim is outlined here in red.  Courtesy of USGS.

Geologists always closely monitor every tremor because a massive eruption would negatively effect those from Los Angeles to New York City.  Below is a graphic depicting the extent of ash coverage across the U.S.  This ash would certainly effect agriculture here in the U.S by contaminating the soil, dimming sunlight and cooling the air temperature.  Geologists and meteorologist alike believe that a major volcanic eruption anywhere in the world could throw enough ash into the atmosphere to cause the earth’s climate to head into another mini ice age.

You can check out the latest earthquakes around the globe at the U.S Geological Survery Earthquake Hazards Program website.

Kristin Clark

WeatherNation Meteorologist