tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2011:/inquirer/weather/18 2007-12-14T11:55:05Z A blog for the weatherwise and the otherwise. Movable Type 3.35 tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4746 2007-12-14T11:54:38Z 2007-12-14T11:55:05Z

To the chagrin of the region’s snow-lovers, that weekend storm is looking wetter and wetter. This morning, the computer models evidently are coming into agreement that the storm will take a path that will draw in warm air. Any snow...

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com To the chagrin of the region’s snow-lovers, that weekend storm is looking wetter and wetter. This morning, the computer models evidently are coming into agreement that the storm will take a path that will draw in warm air. Any snow or sleet in Philadelphia, the National Weather Service says, is going to quickly turn into a cold, cruel rain. Ken Reeves, the head of forecast operations at Accu-Weather, predicted that by Sunday morning the snow will have disappeared without a trace. Also, the models have backed off the cold foreseen for early next week. The forecast now calls for highs closer to 40 than 30. tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4745 2007-12-14T11:53:36Z 2007-12-14T11:54:27Z

As we learned this week, December stories can be messy, and that was the case on this date in 1951. A total of 5.3 inches was measured at Philadelphia International Airport on a day when the total precipitation was over...

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com As we learned this week, December stories can be messy, and that was the case on this date in 1951. A total of 5.3 inches was measured at Philadelphia International Airport on a day when the total precipitation was over an inch, meaning that only about half of it was in the form of snow. It also rained the next day. As it turned out, it was the heftiest snow accumulation of the meteorological winter – Dec. 1 to Feb. 28 – but 6 inches did fall on March 1. The early 1950s represented an amazingly snow-less period. tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4744 2007-12-14T11:52:46Z 2007-12-14T11:53:22Z

North and west of the city temperatures are below freezing this morning, and fog is frozen on car windows. Also, watch out for the dreaded “black ice” from the frozen remnants of yesterday’s mess....

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com North and west of the city temperatures are below freezing this morning, and fog is frozen on car windows. Also, watch out for the dreaded “black ice” from the frozen remnants of yesterday’s mess. tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4729 2007-12-13T16:20:48Z 2007-12-13T16:23:27Z

As expected, the National Weather Service is bumping down its snow forecast, but it is upping the ice. Temperatures have inched above freezing at Philadelphia International Airport, and were right at freezing to the north and west. Light rain was...

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com radar image. ]]> tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4724 2007-12-13T15:29:02Z 2007-12-13T15:39:01Z

Ice is starting to accumulate on trees and colder surfaces north and west of Philadelphia, with a combination of sleet and freezing rain and temperatures near freezing. The temperature has nudged above 32 at International airport, and liquid rain was...

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com radar image shows a so-called "dry slot" moving eastward, suggesting that the precipitation could stop for awhile, but it is expected to pick up again. The early returns indicate that the snow-sleet accumulation estimates are overdone, but the freezing-rain threat might have been underestimated. Weather enthusiasts in the Midatlantic region are posting their observations here. For the latest, go to the last page. ]]> tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4722 2007-12-13T13:40:51Z 2007-12-13T13:43:28Z

Rain has overspread Philadelphia and most of Chester and Delaware Counties, with some sleet to the north of a line through northern Chester County. Here is the latest radar image, which shows a pulse of frozen stuff moving west to...

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com radar image, which shows a pulse of frozen stuff moving west to east. The snow is well to the north, above Reading. Given that the precipitation was expected to start in frozen form before changing to rain, odds are that areas from Philadelphia south and east aren’t going to see much in the way of accumulation. And don’t be surprised if the 1-3 estimates to the north and west also get adjusted downward before lunchtime. Temperatures are falling as the precipitation starts. It was 32 at Pottstown, and at Philadelphia International Airport, it’s down to 33; at 6 a.m., it was 36. http://www.intellicast.com/National/Radar/Current.aspx?location=USDC0001&animate=true&enlarge=true For most of the region’s snow-lovers, it looks like a good day to scroll ahead to the weekend. ]]> tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4719 2007-12-13T11:56:29Z 2007-12-13T12:00:02Z

Winter is still better than a week away but we are about to experience the most-eventful winter weather since March with storms today and perhaps a bigger one on the weekend. A storm from the Southwest is colliding with a...

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com discussion. The official forecast calls for 1 to 3 inches in the Pennsylvania suburbs. The Accu-Weather map has the 1 to 3 line drawn just north of Philadelphia. Elsewhere, it looks like a cold and heavy rain will dominate. As for the weekend, the models have been consistent in blowing up a storm off the East Coast. Once again, the I-95 corridor will be in the battleground zone between warmer and colder air, and some mixing and possibly a complete changeover is possible in Philadelphia. Reading between the lines, the total precipitation amount from that storm is expected to be about an inch. That’s the water equivalent of about a foot of snow, but mixing would suppress the accumulations. If the computer models are accurate, this one would be a nasty nor’easter, with powerful onshore winds stirring beach-eroding waves and heavy snows in the interior Northeast. You can track the latest thinking and rumors among the professionals and snow enthusiasts here. ]]> tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4720 2007-12-13T11:50:15Z 2007-12-13T12:01:33Z

With the entire region encased in a heavy snow cover and schools still closed from the storm of Dec. 11-12, on this date in 1960 the Philadelphia temperature fell to a record low of 8. Over 14 inches of snow...

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com With the entire region encased in a heavy snow cover and schools still closed from the storm of Dec. 11-12, on this date in 1960 the Philadelphia temperature fell to a record low of 8. Over 14 inches of snow had fallen, and the whiteness clearly had an effect on temperature. Snow repels sunlight during the day and radiates heat back into space at night when the skies are clear and winds are light. On the 13th and 14th, the lows were 10 and 7, respectively. tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4714 2007-12-12T23:14:31Z 2007-12-12T23:18:09Z

It continues to look almost certain that some ice and snow will fall in the region tomorrow. And as usual, the questions you really care about – how much, and when will it start – have not yet been answered....

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com discussion covering both storms. Naturally, the Eastern weather chat board is abuzz with the possibilities. ]]> tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4707 2007-12-12T15:35:30Z 2007-12-12T15:36:47Z

As expected, the details remain elusive, but it’s now all but certain that a significant winter mess is coming to a neighborhood near you tomorrow. The timing remains uncertain, however the best guess is that whatever shows up will hold...

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com discussion. ]]> tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4704 2007-12-12T12:07:00Z 2007-12-12T12:07:18Z

As we mentioned (see “White Christmas” below), we are still well shy of the peak snow season in the Midatlantic, but December has produced some memorable snows. On this date 25 years ago, a surprise snowstorm left 6.8 inches officially...

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com As we mentioned (see “White Christmas” below), we are still well shy of the peak snow season in the Midatlantic, but December has produced some memorable snows. On this date 25 years ago, a surprise snowstorm left 6.8 inches officially at Philadelphia International Airport. The snow began Saturday night as a fine fall, and then built to a steady, heavy snow that continued through Sunday morning. It remains to be seen whether a similar storm is in the offing for the weekend. tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4693 2007-12-11T21:03:42Z 2007-12-11T22:37:19Z

The overwhelming consensus is that the winter ahead will be a gentle one, however the next several days may be adventurous in the Midatlantic and Northeast, climaxing with a major nor'easter. We will get the inconsequential leftovers of the Midwest...

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com chat board. ]]> tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4692 2007-12-11T20:47:07Z 2007-12-11T20:49:50Z

The Midwest ice storms that began during the weekend are being blamed for at least 23 deaths and zapping power to a million homes and businesses. A state of emergency has been declared in Oklahoma, and today the ice is...

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com storm roundup from the Associated Press. In addition, Reuters reports that ice has shut down operations at a key Oklahoma oil-delivery hub and that oil prices have jumped 2.6 percent to over $90 a barrel. Here is that article. By the time the storm gets here, its effects should be benign. In fact it is forecast to take a path to our north and west, meaning we’ll be on the warm side and should get by with just some liquid rain. Then things get interesting. ]]> tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4689 2007-12-11T20:03:13Z 2007-12-11T20:10:21Z

This one won’t leave much of a legacy, but the 15th named storm of the 2007 hurricane season has made landfall in the Dominican Republic. The track forecast calls for Olga to follow the well-worn path of predecessors and proceed...

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com track forecast calls for Olga to follow the well-worn path of predecessors and proceed to the far-western Caribbean before making a second landfall, perhaps near Belize. Here is the latest discussion from the National Hurricane Center. Winds are topping out at 45 m.p.h. – just 6 m.p.h. above the minimum requirement for getting a name – and it is expected to weaken. While named storms are unusual after Nov. 30, the official end of the hurricane season, they are by no means unprecedented. ]]> tag:blogs.phillynews.com,2007:/inquirer/weather//18.4688 2007-12-11T19:44:22Z 2007-12-11T19:45:47Z

Consider it a gift if it happens, because the climatological odds are against any measureable snow being around Philadelphia on Christmas Day. It has happened, just not very often. In 1966, over a foot fell on Christmas Eve, and snow...

Anthony R. Wood http://www.philly.com Christmas snow list for the period in which official measurements have been taken at Philadelphia International Airport. ]]>