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Misc General Banter Thread

N. Harnett NC checking in with just over 2 inches of snow. This storm was nothing spectacular for us and are left with "what could've been" as just a few miles away 6+ inches were reported. Congrats to all the snow winners!
 
January 10-11, 2011 was another one...a legendary Southern Slider for most of the region. Just a sad hour of flurries and then some freezing drizzle for Raleigh.

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I was in Raleigh for that one, that was a catastrophe. I couldn't believe how the models were just killing the storm as it moved eastwards, and then it did. At least the Christmas / Boxing Day Storm was only a couple weeks beforehand.
 
The data is surprising sometimes. I just saw where the 10.3” was Greensboro’s 6th snowiest day ever. Only recorded a foot on 3 occasions.
Well on the other hand…Raleigh has had 7 6” events in 30 years which isn’t bad. But it’s been 8 since the last one and over that 8 years has been brutal. Seems insurmountable we ever see another 6” event.
 
The data is surprising sometimes. I just saw where the 10.3” was Greensboro’s 6th snowiest day ever. Only recorded a foot on 3 occasions.
I recall seeing a map sometime ago where Raleigh actually had a somewhat higher incidence of 8"+ snowfalls. Not sure if that's true anymore given recent history, but I can see it making sense given Raleigh is closer to the coast and thus can benefit more from bombing coastals, whereas Greensboro gets snow more often, but is sometimes too far from the coast to benefit from coastal enhancement. A good example of this is Christmas / Boxing Day 2010.

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We’ve rented a cabin and are going skiing this weekend in banner elk. Does anyone know which of the two resorts does better with northwest flow snow? Looks like it’s gonna rip up there Friday afternoon, I’d rather go ski at the place with more snow.
 
Id just like to be the winner in a snow event once even if it's just a 1-3 it has to be a good feeling
I don’t think there’s ever been an event where my specific area was ground zero for a storm jackpot. Just doesn’t happen that way. So I get to ride Charlotte’s coattail and scrape together what I can during their run at history. It’s not so bad. It takes the pressure off
 
Backpack leaf blower is the perfect tool for removing this snow
It worked pretty good...but still had to sweep a couple of areas. But I only had 2" to clear...places that had 10" they going to have to shuffle or wait it out for the sun to do it's job this week.
 
Well on the other hand…Raleigh has had 7 6” events in 30 years which isn’t bad. But it’s been 8 since the last one and over that 8 years has been brutal. Seems insurmountable we ever see another 6” event.

21 RDU 6”+ snowstorms since 1950: one every 3.6 years

1/19/1955 Niña neut PNA (+0.1), neut AO, moderate -NAO

12/11/1958 mod +PNA, neut AO and NAO

3/2-3/1960 mod -PNA (-0.8), neut AO and NAO

3/9/1960 weak -PNA (-0.5), strong -AO, neutral NAO

2/26/1963 -neut strong +PNA, mod +AO, neutral NAO

1/26/1966 neut PNA (+0.2), strong -AO and -NAO

2/9/1967 -neutral mod +PNA, weak +AO, moderate +NAO

3/1/1969 strong +PNA/-AO, moderate -NAO

1/7-8/1973 weak +PNA, neut AO, strong -NAO

2/18-9/1979 neut PNA (-0.1)/AO/NAO/weak 3 10.3”

3/1-2/1980 neut PNA (+0.2)/AO, moderate +NAO/weak 3-2 2.1” 9”

3/24/1983 mod +PNA/-AO, neutral NAO/weak 8 7.3”

2/6/1984 -neutral mod +PNA/+AO, strong +NAO/mod 3 6.9”

1/7/1988 mod +PNA, neut AO, weak +NAO/weak 8 7.1”

2/17-8/1989 Niña neut PNA (0.0), strong +AO/+NAO/weak 1 5.8”

1/24-5/2000 Niña mod +PNA, neut AO, moderate -NAO/weak 8-1 2.4” 17.9”

1/2-3/2002 -neutral strong +PNA, neut AO, moderate -NAO/mod 7 10.8”

2/26-7/2004 neut PNA (-0.1), strong -AO, weak -NAO/wk to mod 5 6.5”

12/26/2010 Niña weak -PNA (-0.3), strong -AO, moderate -NAO/mod 5 6.7”

1/17/2018 Niña neut PNA (-0.1), weak +AO, strong +NAO/strong 4 5.9”

12/9-10/2018 mod +PNA, neut AO, moderate +NAO/mod 3 8.9”
 
I have no clue why the UK gets so much love…this is Thursday 12z run. 48 hours out. 🤦‍♂️

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The UKMet has always struck me as overrated in these parts. It was awful with the CAD storm, too. I think its global 500mb verification scores are great, but it's never struck me as great at analyzing our particular style of winter storms in the Southeast, at least at the surface. I'd personally take the GFS over it.
 
We’ve rented a cabin and are going skiing this weekend in banner elk. Does anyone know which of the two resorts does better with northwest flow snow? Looks like it’s gonna rip up there Friday afternoon, I’d rather go ski at the place with more snow.
Honestly they’re about the same but beech does a little better
 
21 RDU 6”+ snowstorms since 1950: one every 3.6 years

1/19/1955 Niña neut PNA (+0.1), neut AO, moderate -NAO

12/11/1958 mod +PNA, neut AO and NAO

3/2-3/1960 mod -PNA (-0.8), neut AO and NAO

3/9/1960 weak -PNA (-0.5), strong -AO, neutral NAO

2/26/1963 -neut strong +PNA, mod +AO, neutral NAO

1/26/1966 neut PNA (+0.2), strong -AO and -NAO

2/9/1967 -neutral mod +PNA, weak +AO, moderate +NAO

3/1/1969 strong +PNA/-AO, moderate -NAO

1/7-8/1973 weak +PNA, neut AO, strong -NAO

2/18-9/1979 neut PNA (-0.1)/AO/NAO/weak 3 10.3”

3/1-2/1980 neut PNA (+0.2)/AO, moderate +NAO/weak 3-2 2.1” 9”

3/24/1983 mod +PNA/-AO, neutral NAO/weak 8 7.3”

2/6/1984 -neutral mod +PNA/+AO, strong +NAO/mod 3 6.9”

1/7/1988 mod +PNA, neut AO, weak +NAO/weak 8 7.1”

2/17-8/1989 Niña neut PNA (0.0), strong +AO/+NAO/weak 1 5.8”

1/24-5/2000 Niña mod +PNA, neut AO, moderate -NAO/weak 8-1 2.4” 17.9”

1/2-3/2002 -neutral strong +PNA, neut AO, moderate -NAO/mod 7 10.8”

2/26-7/2004 neut PNA (-0.1), strong -AO, weak -NAO/wk to mod 5 6.5”

12/26/2010 Niña weak -PNA (-0.3), strong -AO, moderate -NAO/mod 5 6.7”

1/17/2018 Niña neut PNA (-0.1), weak +AO, strong +NAO/strong 4 5.9”

12/9-10/2018 mod +PNA, neut AO, moderate +NAO/mod 3 8.9”
Thanks for sharping!

Longest stretch between was 89 to 2000. Right now it’s looking like this current streak will continue until next winter…so 9 years.
 
Thanks for sharping!

Longest stretch between was 89 to 2000. Right now it’s looking like this current streak will continue until next winter…so 9 years.
I wouldn't say that. Looking at that list above, 50% of those 6"+ storms were on or after February 1st, many in March. We'll see. Plenty of winter left to go! Indeed, even in this relative snow drought, arguably our two best storms (aside from this past one) were in late February (2020 and 2025).
 
I wouldn't say that. Looking at that list above, 50% of those 6"+ storms were on or after February 1st, many in March. We'll see. Plenty of winter left to go! Indeed, even in this relative snow drought, arguably our two best storms (aside from this past one) were in late February (2020 and 2025).
It does appear we are headed to a warmer pattern the second week of February. Still plenty of time after that, however. Late February-early March has occasionally produced big dogs, though these tend to be wetter low-ratio snows with marginal temps.
 
It does appear we are headed to a warmer pattern the second week of February. Still plenty of time after that, however. Late February-early March has occasionally produced big dogs, though these tend to be wetter low-ratio snows with marginal temps.
Yeah, that's what I really like about January snows. More time for the snow to stick around, more likely to stick to the roadways (I am well out of school age now, but it's still a lot more fun when it sticks to the roads to me...nostalgia or something). Late Feb and you're often battling BL, soil temps, sun angle, low snow ratios, etc. And when you do get snow, it often melts quite quickly as it can be like 60 a day or two after the storm in some cases. On the plus side, you typically have more moisture and big storms around at the end of winter, and so it increases the likelihood of those bigger storms if you can get it to line up with the cold (and there's still plenty of cold sloshing around in the north that can make its way down here, even in March, with the right pattern - it's just threading the needle more). There's a reason a lot of the bigger NC storms did happen in late February or March (1980, 2004, 2009, etc.).

Anecdotally, it does seem like the most likely time of all of winter for big dogs for NC might be the last week of February / first week of March. Seems like a lot of historical big dogs in that time period.
 
It does appear we are headed to a warmer pattern the second week of February. Still plenty of time after that, however. Late February-early March has occasionally produced big dogs, though these tend to be wetter low-ratio snows with marginal temps.

Indeed, it’s quite interesting that the mere 6-7 day period Feb 26th-Mar 3rd had 5, which is nearly 1/4 of all of the 21 big snowstorms (1960, 63, 69, 80, and 2004). That is the most of any 6-7 day period with the next most being only 3 storms during Jan 2-8. Dare I say RDU is overdue for another one?
 
Yea I always laugh when other areas talk about getting screwed.
Thinking you have the same snow climatology as somewhere else is a big part of the problem, especially the further south you go.

It’ll be 100 years and RDU won’t have another 20” storm, but that's not what’s being talked about here.
 
There's a part of Guilford County, the part where I grew up and my parents live, that hasn't recorded a foot of snow since 1969, for example. My parents supposedly measured 11" in the driveway yesterday, so I wonder if they could have gotten a foot on grassy surfaces. Their driveway is more or less fully shaded this time of year, though, and the temperatures were very cold, so the driveway measurement may have not had any melting like it usually would've.

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Fascinating map. Crazy that area you mention last 12'' was 1969 in that part of Guilford. I grew up around there and vividly remember Jan 96 was soooo close. 10'' total around PTI but got some sleet mix during the height which robbed us of a foot.

Feb 2004 was really close there too.
 
It is funny how bummed you can feel when you’re the one who misses out on a storm in the south. I am sure northerners would find it comical lol.
You arent alone. Normal folks just dont understand. We dont have many chances and if you blow a good setup who knows when the next chance is..its like when your team misses the playoffs or loses in them. Northerners are the patriots and chiefs...we are the falcons or Panthers.

Otoh, A lot of my family hated snow or is indifferent to it and i swear I dont understand how they can't appreciate the beauty of it and the transformation of the landscape.
Bright sun and temps above freezing beautiful snow saying bye bye.
Its depressing. It wouldn't bother me so much if we didn't have to wait so long between winter storms but knowing something like this, if history serves, won't happen again for years...well it sucks.
 
What’s the point of long range ensembles? Why do we spend money on them? An old country guy sitting on his porch could be just as accurate. Country man…“Looks like it’s gonna be cold middle of the month” he would be just as accurate cause the models did that. It’s like they are flipping a coin every day on the pattern 10+ days.
 
We’ve rented a cabin and are going skiing this weekend in banner elk. Does anyone know which of the two resorts does better with northwest flow snow? Looks like it’s gonna rip up there Friday afternoon, I’d rather go ski at the place with more snow.
Personally I like Beech better; but Sugar is probably better for beginners/lower skilled. Beech is a little higher elevation. They both should still have plenty of snow; but they're both forecast to get some rain as the front comes through Tuesday night. I was up at Beech a few weeks ago when they had ~5 inches and they had the snow makers grinding full blast and everyone was having a great time. But that rain may leave an icy layer. There's a few good restaurants in Banner Elk and they do a great job keeping the streets plowed. You'll have a blast one way or the other.
 
I agree a short warm-up will be nice, but I'd like to have one last chance at an event in mid-late February. Winter storms that late are often followed by temperatures in the 60s just a few days later:

  • On February 29, 2004, it got to 67 at RDU just two days after the winter storm, with 80s a few days after that!
  • On February 22, 2020, it got to 63 three days after a winter storm.
  • In 2025, temperatures reached the 60s and 70s just 5-7 days after the winter storm.
I don't think RDU will be able to end its drought for major snowfalls, but I hope we can at least get another small to medium event to get us to our 1991-2020 average. We haven't even reached this average since 2018-19.
 
Stuff melting fast, Already seeing lots of Ground and 37° here. I'd say Tues it will be gone except some shady areas
34 here. Its amazing how fast it goes...it makes me not want to make prints in the yard because it will cause melting.

You would think it would be colder when its 48 at 2:15 in the afternoon in Miami! And its only 54 at Nassau in the Bahamas. Crazy cold down there.
 
34 here. Its amazing how fast it goes...it makes me not want to make prints in the yard because it will cause melting.

You would think it would be colder when its 48 at 2:15 in the afternoon in Miami! And its only 54 at Nassau in the Bahamas. Crazy cold down there.
Yeah mid 50s this weekend around here gonna feel like a heat wave
 
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