Nor'Easter, 12/16 - 17

CanisLupusArctos · 12-16-2007, 10:20 AM

The snow is flying sideways this morning. It began last night at 11:30 p.m. as intermittent light snow but didn't become meaningful until just after 4 a.m. It accumulated an inch by 5 a.m. At 10 a.m. the tally is up to 4.3 inches.

The winds are really picking up out of the ENE, 19 gusting to 30 mph and rising. This is causing a lot of blowing and drifting. A couple of hours ago we had moderate snow with temp of 7 and dewpoint of 1. I can't remember the last time I saw those numbers so low with steady precip falling.

In the WeatherCam this morning you may notice that the snow isn't melting in the lake. It is forming white icebergs that have been drifting by all morning. Details are auto-updated (as long as the power stays on) at www.blackcatnh.com/weather.

UPDATE: 11:15 a.m. The precip has changed over to sleet with some light snow mixed in. Snow total is 4.8 inches. Temp 15 degrees and winds still averaging northeast but coming around to the east.

Old Hubbard Rd · 12-16-2007, 12:08 PM

Good Job reporting the weather. It's nice for us out of towners who are wondering how much snow Meredith is receiving. Thanks for the updates!!

secondcurve · 12-16-2007, 05:12 PM

What was the final snow total? I thought the storm was supposed to stay all snow in the Lakes Region. Thanks!

NHKathy · 12-16-2007, 05:41 PM

So... whats the scoop up there? How much? Snow or Mix?
just curious...
- we got a bog sloppy mess down here in RI, snowed overnight, sleeted most of the morning and its been raining since about noon - what a MESS!!!

Ropetow · 12-16-2007, 08:18 PM

Thanks so much for the Black Cat weather updates and site. Here in Rochester the storm was about a Y1 and a head/neck...about 12 inches. Was in Alton Bay yesterday and it looked like the ice (thin) was past Sandy Point.

CanisLupusArctos · 12-16-2007, 08:45 PM

Today's storm was one of the more unusual storms I've ever seen. The first thing I noticed were the low temps. It was moderate snow at 7 degrees (usually when we get weather that cold, it's arctic-clear). When the changeover to sleet occurred late this morning, it was 15 degrees. I've been in touch with a weather-observer friend in the Lebanon area all day who says he also got sleet today.

What really killed accumulations in his area and this area today was the enormous "dry slot" that formed and stayed over us for most of the day. For those asking, 'what's a dry slot?' imagine a well-formed winter storm as having a comma shape (as opposed to a hurricane's pinwheel shape.) In a giant comma there's going to be a narrow space in between the comma's round center and the tail that wraps outward from it. This is a normal part of any winter storm and is really hard to predict.

Today we got a 'dry slot' that was much bigger than I've seen in a long time.

Between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. nothing really fell at all. We did have a lot of blowing and drifting snow as winds gusted to 44 mph just after noontime, from the east.

Just after 6 p.m. the parent storm over western NY state finished transferring all its juice to the new coastal storm over the mid-Atlantic. When that happened, the former dry slot rapidly filled in... and by 6:30 we were back to moderate snow and sleet. At 7 p.m. we went to moderate snow, which is what it still is.

The wind has turned from East over to the Northwest, which means we're now getting the backside of the storm (it spins counterclockwise). This is also helping to bring in the arctic cold air that has been waiting patiently to the NW of here.

At 6 p.m. we had a total of 5.8 inches for Black Cat/Center Harbor... but more snow is falling now.

As always, the data is updated every 5 minutes at www.blackcatnh.com/weather.

Here's a pic of Rt. 25 in Moultonborough I took around 4 p.m.

fatlazyless · 12-17-2007, 07:23 AM

Last night at 8pm the temp got up to 25 here in Waterville Valley, altitude 1540', and some sleet was hitting the windows, plus the clouds lifted enough so the groomer lights two miles away up on the ski area at about 3000' could be seen.

This morning it's a hazy 8 degrees. Not much left-over snow on the trees, as the wind blew it away. For the morning after, it's pretty wicked outside, all things considered, 8 degrees with windy sideways snow coming down and still blow-n around out there.

Ready, set, go....time to get that sno-blower and shovel all powered up....oh my achy back!!

Weirs guy · 12-17-2007, 12:43 PM

We got anywhere between 0" - 48" depending on which side of my driveway drifts you stand on!

It was something, one minute sleeting sideways and the next snowing upward, downward, and everyotherward. I didn't truly appreciate how much snow we had till I got to Gilford this morning (away from the lake) and saw the size of the snow piles.

CanisLupusArctos · 12-17-2007, 02:00 PM

Today finds the lake churning like crazy, splashing and freezing on everything within a couple feet of its reach. The temperature, as predicted, has remained in the teens all day. Currently we're 17 degrees and winds are out of the northwest, howling at 20 gusting to 38 mph.

Yesterday's snow sure seemed like more than the ruler said. The total at this station was 6.8 inches. Drifts were much higher as Weirs Guy said, and some places were blown clear.

Winter nature sounds have now been added to the WeatherCam page and will continue to be added through the winter. Scroll down and see the "Listen to Lake Sounds" button. Thanks to the positive feedback many of you gave my "Lake In Winter" video last winter, I posted that video again.

12-16-2007, 10:20 AM	#1
CanisLupusArctos Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,049 Thanks: 15 Thanked 472 Times in 107 Posts	Nor'Easter, 12/16 - 17 The snow is flying sideways this morning. It began last night at 11:30 p.m. as intermittent light snow but didn't become meaningful until just after 4 a.m. It accumulated an inch by 5 a.m. At 10 a.m. the tally is up to 4.3 inches. The winds are really picking up out of the ENE, 19 gusting to 30 mph and rising. This is causing a lot of blowing and drifting. A couple of hours ago we had moderate snow with temp of 7 and dewpoint of 1. I can't remember the last time I saw those numbers so low with steady precip falling. In the WeatherCam this morning you may notice that the snow isn't melting in the lake. It is forming white icebergs that have been drifting by all morning. Details are auto-updated (as long as the power stays on) at www.blackcatnh.com/weather. UPDATE: 11:15 a.m. The precip has changed over to sleet with some light snow mixed in. Snow total is 4.8 inches. Temp 15 degrees and winds still averaging northeast but coming around to the east. Last edited by CanisLupusArctos; 12-16-2007 at 11:18 AM.

12-16-2007, 12:08 PM	#2
Old Hubbard Rd Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 462 Thanks: 141 Thanked 54 Times in 33 Posts	Good Job!! Good Job reporting the weather. It's nice for us out of towners who are wondering how much snow Meredith is receiving. Thanks for the updates!!

12-16-2007, 08:45 PM	#6
CanisLupusArctos Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,049 Thanks: 15 Thanked 472 Times in 107 Posts	Less than predicted, but still coming down Today's storm was one of the more unusual storms I've ever seen. The first thing I noticed were the low temps. It was moderate snow at 7 degrees (usually when we get weather that cold, it's arctic-clear). When the changeover to sleet occurred late this morning, it was 15 degrees. I've been in touch with a weather-observer friend in the Lebanon area all day who says he also got sleet today. What really killed accumulations in his area and this area today was the enormous "dry slot" that formed and stayed over us for most of the day. For those asking, 'what's a dry slot?' imagine a well-formed winter storm as having a comma shape (as opposed to a hurricane's pinwheel shape.) In a giant comma there's going to be a narrow space in between the comma's round center and the tail that wraps outward from it. This is a normal part of any winter storm and is really hard to predict. Today we got a 'dry slot' that was much bigger than I've seen in a long time. Between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. nothing really fell at all. We did have a lot of blowing and drifting snow as winds gusted to 44 mph just after noontime, from the east. Just after 6 p.m. the parent storm over western NY state finished transferring all its juice to the new coastal storm over the mid-Atlantic. When that happened, the former dry slot rapidly filled in... and by 6:30 we were back to moderate snow and sleet. At 7 p.m. we went to moderate snow, which is what it still is. The wind has turned from East over to the Northwest, which means we're now getting the backside of the storm (it spins counterclockwise). This is also helping to bring in the arctic cold air that has been waiting patiently to the NW of here. At 6 p.m. we had a total of 5.8 inches for Black Cat/Center Harbor... but more snow is falling now. As always, the data is updated every 5 minutes at www.blackcatnh.com/weather. Here's a pic of Rt. 25 in Moultonborough I took around 4 p.m. Attached Images

12-17-2007, 07:23 AM	#7
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,525 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 295 Thanked 957 Times in 698 Posts	Last night at 8pm the temp got up to 25 here in Waterville Valley, altitude 1540', and some sleet was hitting the windows, plus the clouds lifted enough so the groomer lights two miles away up on the ski area at about 3000' could be seen. This morning it's a hazy 8 degrees. Not much left-over snow on the trees, as the wind blew it away. For the morning after, it's pretty wicked outside, all things considered, 8 degrees with windy sideways snow coming down and still blow-n around out there. Ready, set, go....time to get that sno-blower and shovel all powered up....oh my achy back!! __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake! Last edited by fatlazyless; 12-17-2007 at 08:17 AM.

12-17-2007, 12:43 PM	#8
Weirs guy Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Weirs Beach, NH Posts: 1,067 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	We got anywhere between 0" - 48" depending on which side of my driveway drifts you stand on! It was something, one minute sleeting sideways and the next snowing upward, downward, and everyotherward. I didn't truly appreciate how much snow we had till I got to Gilford this morning (away from the lake) and saw the size of the snow piles. __________________ Is it bikeweek yet? Now?

12-16-2007, 05:12 PM	#3
secondcurve Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,084 Thanks: 1,267 Thanked 557 Times in 286 Posts	What was the final snow total? I thought the storm was supposed to stay all snow in the Lakes Region. Thanks!

12-16-2007, 05:41 PM	#4
NHKathy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moultonborough when I can / RI Posts: 699 Thanks: 180 Thanked 38 Times in 22 Posts	So... whats the scoop up there? How much? Snow or Mix? just curious... - we got a bog sloppy mess down here in RI, snowed overnight, sleeted most of the morning and its been raining since about noon - what a MESS!!!

12-16-2007, 08:18 PM	#5
Ropetow Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Rochester, NH / Bartlett, NH Posts: 322 Thanks: 228 Thanked 33 Times in 13 Posts	Thanks so much for the Black Cat weather updates and site. Here in Rochester the storm was about a Y1 and a head/neck...about 12 inches. Was in Alton Bay yesterday and it looked like the ice (thin) was past Sandy Point.

12-17-2007, 02:00 PM	#9
CanisLupusArctos Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,049 Thanks: 15 Thanked 472 Times in 107 Posts	Sure seemed like more... Today finds the lake churning like crazy, splashing and freezing on everything within a couple feet of its reach. The temperature, as predicted, has remained in the teens all day. Currently we're 17 degrees and winds are out of the northwest, howling at 20 gusting to 38 mph. Yesterday's snow sure seemed like more than the ruler said. The total at this station was 6.8 inches. Drifts were much higher as Weirs Guy said, and some places were blown clear. Winter nature sounds have now been added to the WeatherCam page and will continue to be added through the winter. Scroll down and see the "Listen to Lake Sounds" button. Thanks to the positive feedback many of you gave my "Lake In Winter" video last winter, I posted that video again.