Quote:
Originally Posted by MV1
I was working in Plattsburgh N.Y. during the great 98 ice storm. Every time we get ice predicted I think of what happened up there. That was supposed to be just a "rain" event.
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I remember seeing a news story a couple years later that said the NWS added an altitude level to the computer models' scheduled output as a result of that ice storm. My memory is hazy but I think they said it was the 700 mb level. Whatever it was, they said its absence had proven itself a 'fatal blind spot' when forecasting that storm. All automated measurements were showing "rain" and couldn't detect that it was freezing on impact.
Also, there were issues that the NWS had with its volunteer spotter network. Their spotter newsletter (from NWS-Gray) said the ice was happening on a widespread scale long before they knew about it because so many spotters had thought their training had expired and didn't call in. The NWS re-emphasized the importance of calling in when stuff like that is happening, and also made some publicity about the importance of spotters.
Ice and sleet are now coming down steadily at Black Cat, and the wind is now gusting to 46 mph from the ESE.