Valley residents may be saying goodbye to 2010 with rain and even snow! A massive winter storm will move in Wedneday bringing rain, snow and a huge blast of cold air to Arizona. Snow levels will start out around 5000 feet on Wednesday before dropping to 2000 feet by Thursday after the cold front arrives. That means some spots in the foothills surrounding the Valley could see snow including places like Cave Creek, Carefree and New River. Globe could even pick up as much as 6" of snow.
Up north, Winter Storm Watches are now in effect from 7 a.m. Wednesday through 12 noon Thursday above 5000 feet. Right now, we are expecting anywhere from 8-16" of snow above 6000 feet and about 4-10" from 5000 to 6000 feet. That cold front will be bringing some very strong winds (gusts near 40 mph) to Northern Arizona too. So, blowing/drifting snow will make travel in the high country very difficult Wednesday and Thursday. As our skies clear out late Thursday, temperatures will plummet!
Storms
The great blizzard of December 2010 is winding down today (Dec. 27), and a new satellite image shows the powerful storm from space. On Monday, Dec. 27 at 12:31 p.m. ET, the GOES-13 satellite captured this visible image of the powerful low pressure system that brought a blizzard to the Northeast and snow from Georgia to Maine. Some of the snowfall can be seen over South and North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and southeastern New York. The clouds of the low obscure New England in the image.
The powerful low-pressure system brought blizzard conditions from northern New Jersey to Maine over Christmas weekend. The GOES-13 satellite captured an image of the storm's center off the Massachusetts coast and also shows the snowfall left behind.
As of 1:30 p.m. EST, all blizzard warnings were canceled as the low has pulled much of its snow and rain away from land areas and into the North Atlantic Ocean, according to NASA. Winds behind the system are now causing more problems for residents along the U.S. East coast. Gusts were recorded as high as 80 mph.
© NOAA/NASA GOES Project
As of 1:30 p.m. EST, all blizzard warnings were canceled as the low has pulled much of its snow and rain away from land areas and into the North Atlantic Ocean, according to NASA. Winds behind the system are now causing more problems for residents along the U.S. East coast. Gusts were recorded as high as 80 mph.
Got a telescope for Christmas? Point it at Saturn. A giant storm even brighter than Saturn's rings is raging through the planet's cloudtops. "I've never seen anything like this," says veteran planetary photographer Anthony Wesley. "It's possible that this is the biggest storm on Saturn in many decades." Here it is recorded by Wesley's 16-inch telescope on Dec. 22nd:
Instruments on NASA's Cassini spacecraft are picking up strong bursts of radio static. Apparently, lightning is being generated in multiple cells across the storm front. Cassini's cameras are also beaming back fantastic images of the tempest.
"At it's current size and brightness, the storm should be visible to anyone with a mid-size scope under steady seeing," continues Wesley. "This is a great time to be a planetary photographer." [Sky maps: Dec. 29, 30, 31]
© Anthony Wesley
"At it's current size and brightness, the storm should be visible to anyone with a mid-size scope under steady seeing," continues Wesley. "This is a great time to be a planetary photographer." [Sky maps: Dec. 29, 30, 31]
Thousands of travelers trying to get home after the holiday weekend sat bored and bleary-eyed in airports and shivered aboard stuck buses and subway trains Monday, stranded by a blizzard that slammed the Northeast with more than 2 feet of show.
Snowfall totals included a foot in Tidewater, Va., and Philadelphia, 29 inches in parts of northern New Jersey, 2 feet north of New York City, and more than 18 inches in Boston.
The storm closed all three of the New York metropolitan area's airports and stymied most other means of transportation. Buses sputtered to a halt in snow drifts. Trains stopped in their tracks. Taxi drivers abandoned their cabs in the middle of New York's snow-clogged streets. Even the New York City subway system - usually dependable during a snowstorm - broke down in spots, trapping riders for hours.
Snowfall totals included a foot in Tidewater, Va., and Philadelphia, 29 inches in parts of northern New Jersey, 2 feet north of New York City, and more than 18 inches in Boston.
The storm closed all three of the New York metropolitan area's airports and stymied most other means of transportation. Buses sputtered to a halt in snow drifts. Trains stopped in their tracks. Taxi drivers abandoned their cabs in the middle of New York's snow-clogged streets. Even the New York City subway system - usually dependable during a snowstorm - broke down in spots, trapping riders for hours.
© weather.com
This is Atlanta's first white Christmas since the Chester Arthur administration. Still believe in Global Warming?
© AccuWeather.com Facebook fan Scott M.
It's like a storm surge only with snow in Bradley Beach, NJ courtesy of "Snowicane II." Mon. Dec., 27, 2010.
It's like a storm surge only with snow in Bradley Beach, NJ courtesy of "Snowicane II." Mon. Dec., 27, 2010.
The storm unleashed around a foot of snow and howling winds in cities and towns from Philadelphia through New York City to Boston as it advanced northward offshore Sunday and Sunday night.
So far New Jersey has been hit with the heaviest snow. As of the storm's conclusion, 31.0 inches of snow buried Jackson, and 31.8 inches of snow have fallen in Elizabeth. Unofficial snowfall measurements of 34 and 35 inches at Brick in the morning would be a New Jersey state record.
Weather Matrix founder Jesse Ferrell has the latest on the amazing storm totals in his blog.
A reader of SOTT.net sent us these photos of the aftermath of the recent blizzard in New York City. With records being broken all across the northern hemisphere, particularly in Europe and the US, it looks like SOTT's prediction that we are entering an Ice Age is coming true. Of course, the denialists will tell us that we have confused weather for climate, but when these same people confuse the War on Terror for the War Against the People, it is clear just who is really confused.
© Sott.net
A blizzard pummeled the northeastern United States on Monday, dumping up to 29 inches (74 cm) of snow, disrupting air, rail and bus travel and forcing motorists to deal with blowing snow and icy roads at the end of the busy Christmas weekend.
New York City, eastern New Jersey and western Long Island were the hardest hit by the storm, which blew up the Atlantic Coast on Sunday night and continued up to the Monday morning commute, unleashing powerful winds and grounding cities to a halt.
Trade on the New York Stock Exchange was expected to take place as normal. "Everything is business as usual," an NYSE spokeswoman said.
New York's three major airports were shut overnight after at least 2,000 flights were canceled on Sunday, and not due to reopen until 4 p.m. (2100 GMT).
Thousands were stranded in the airports. At Philadelphia International Airport, some 1,200 stuck passengers were given pillows, blankets, water, juice and diapers from the airport's assistance program, a spokeswoman said.
New York City, eastern New Jersey and western Long Island were the hardest hit by the storm, which blew up the Atlantic Coast on Sunday night and continued up to the Monday morning commute, unleashing powerful winds and grounding cities to a halt.
Trade on the New York Stock Exchange was expected to take place as normal. "Everything is business as usual," an NYSE spokeswoman said.
New York's three major airports were shut overnight after at least 2,000 flights were canceled on Sunday, and not due to reopen until 4 p.m. (2100 GMT).
Thousands were stranded in the airports. At Philadelphia International Airport, some 1,200 stuck passengers were given pillows, blankets, water, juice and diapers from the airport's assistance program, a spokeswoman said.
© Reuters
Air France planes parked on the snow-covered tarmac at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
Air France planes parked on the snow-covered tarmac at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
Passengers at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris were evacuated from one of its terminals today amid fears for their safety because of an accumulation of snow on the roof.
Bernard Cathelain, the deputy director of the Paris airport authority ADP, said the terminal was still operating but passengers had been asked to move.
Le Monde reported that about 60cm of snow had built up on the roof of the terminal and about 2,000 people had been evacuated. Firefighters have been sent in to clear the snow.
The problem added to the woes at Charles de Gaulle, where freezing conditions and a strike at the main French factory producing de-icing fluid forced the cancellation of half - about 400 - of the flights scheduled for this morning. A supply of de-icing fluid (glycol) has been flown in from the US but many passengers already face missing Christmas dinner, which is traditionally served tonight in France.
Polar bear on O'Connell Street, Dublin - This has officially been the coldest December on record
Last Monday County Mayo recorded low temperatures of -17.2C (1F).
The latest snap is expected to last beyond Christmas Day and a thaw is expected to set in slowly on St.Stephen's Day December 26th.
Even then there will be heavy rains and high winds, and driving conditions will be even more risky say the experts.
Dublin Airport was closed again yesterday for most of the day when an unexpected snow storm hit.
The weather continued to play havoc with effort to get home for Christmas by thousands coming from America, Australia and many other destinations.
In New York and Boston and Chicago Aer Lingus were warning passengers to check with the airline before departing for the airport as yesterday's unexpected storm had again thrown schedules up in the air.
