Windy City falls under blizzard watch as winter storm revs up - One for the record books

[Dover]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- Chicago is bracing for a snow storm of historic proportions that was expected to coat the Windy City and large sections of the country's midsection in a thick blanket of snow.

Forecasters have issued a blizzard watch.

"Combined snow totals from the Monday afternoon through Wednesday may exceed a foot and a half across much of northern Illinois and far northwest Indiana," the National Weather Service said. "Snowfall rates up to 3 inches per hour will be probable at the height of the storm Tuesday night."

Some of the coldest air of the season will plummet southward and combine with another storm developing over the southern Plains, according to CNN meteorologist Sean Morris, before moving toward the northeast.

An intense surface low will develop over north Texas and pull abundant warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico into the frigid Arctic air diving southward into the Plains. In addition to blizzard conditions, the storm system is expected to spin off heavy snow, ice storms and tornadoes.

This storm appears to be one for the record books.

cont'd



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/31/winter.storm/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

---

The Perfect Storm - GET READY NOW

Related Thread -

THE BIG CHILL
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x307616

[pearl]

1. OMG

I've already canceled tomorrow afternoon and evening plans. Help me.

[madrchsod]

4. my friend was living at the corner of wells and pipers alley in 68...

the first people out were junkies and narco cops.....

[trumad]

2. Wow!

74 in Orlando today.

[greiner3]

8. Yes, but;

It's Florida. 'Nuff said.

[elocs]

13. Be sure to remind us of that during hurricance season. n/t

[trumad]

23. Agree---but today I'll except Teh crazy over what Chi-Town is getting.

[MineralMan]

20. -100. We'll describe our nice weather when you're under a hurricane

watch. See how you feel about it then. Try a little empathy, OK? Weather humor isn't funny for those about to get slammed with really bad weather.

[titaniumsalute]

43. Come on...a little strong response huh?

I spent 20 years in cleveland...blizzards, snow storms, ice storms, etc. As bad as it was in the winter doesn't compare to to wrath of a hurricane (I now live in S Florida.) I would take some winter weather over the frigging hurricane season any day.

[Skittles]

42. I would take ice over f***ing Florida any day

and I live in f***ing TEXAS

[madrchsod]

3. no big deal...99% of the people here are used to it

the problem is 1% of the people act surprised that it has actually snows in the midwest. i`ve lived through at least 2 "historic proportions" so far and this one looks like it will not measure up to those two.

[sandyj999]

5. No surprise here. It is winter.

At least we know in advance and can get the snow blower ready.

[HereSince1628]

6. The watch also includes Milwaukee

This time of year is usually pretty precip free because the air is so dry, but it's not winter as usual tomorrow.

It's already snowing in the western parts of WI. On track for Milwaukee by noon.

Blizzards are as much about wind as snow, unlike western Iowa, Milwaukee has lots of things that prevent the snow from really blowing after it's down. So the white out at ground level that comes with a blizzard is pretty unlikely in town.

It's time to get gas for the snow-thrower.

[hedgehog]

33. On the contrary - I'd say blizzards are more about the wind than the snow -

in fact, you can have a blizzard without any new snow falling. A blizzard is a combination of temperature plus loss of visibility. If you can't see anything because the wind is blowing old snow around, it's still a blizzard if the temperatures are low enough. You could have snow falling at an inch an hour, but unless there's wind, you have a snow storm, not a blizzard. A heavy snow fall can present some hazard, but a blizzard is in an entirely different ballpark.

[HereSince1628]

34. Yes, the blowing snow and loose snow lifted by it.

and THAT is not going to happen in a metropolitan area because of things that obstruct the low level wind.

If I said it was due to the snow I think your "contrary' remark would have some merit. But that isn't what I said.

I said, in the open agriculture lands of Iowa, wind is going to blow newly fallen snow.

In the wooded and savannah like suburban and urban regions of SE Wisconsin it won't happen.

[hedgehog]

36. Sorry, I meant to emphasize that the wind is the problem more than the snow.

A lot of snow is a problem. High winds and low temps are a serious hazard. To push the point home - the people stuck on the NYS Thruway overnight in the Buffalo area a month back were inconvenienced but not in any serious danger. If the temperatures had been 20 degrees lower, they would have been in danger.

[madokie]

7. The weather man is telling me this morning that this storm will hit our area

today about 6 pm. Freezing rain sucks, snow I can deal with but with freezing rain comes power outages. I have a welder/generator for us and a generator for our kids but many of the people I know don't have anything to fall back on.

our area is northeast Oklahoma :-) god and inhofe country

[greiner3]

9. Wave to my bro in Broken Arrow;

A fundy 100% in all areas.

[madokie]

17. sorry to hear that

not all of us Okies are fundies so I hope you're not inferring that.
He got the wave though as I'm bi partisan, non religious :hi:

[KatyaR]

10. It was in the mid-70s both Friday and Saturday in OKC,

now we're under this same storm warning. The weathermen say this one could rival the Christmas Eve blizzard in 2009, where we had almost 14 inches of snow in less than 12 hours. :scared:

[MineralMan]

21. Batten down the hatches, OK?

These big storms really pack a punch, so be careful and be prepared.

[tpsbmam]

11. I lived in Chicago for a few years. I've always lived in cold climates

and was used to cold and snow. The first 2 winters I was there I decided Chicagoans were total wimps -- it just wasn't that cold. I'd heard horror stories! Sheesh.


And then it got Chicago reputation cold one week. Holy shit! I'd never felt cold like that in my life. My humble apologies to Chicagoans for my haughty sneers. All I have to say is HOLY SHIT! When it gets bitter cold in Chicago, it gets BITTER cold! Hope everyone has a warm place to be for the storm.

:blush: :hi:

[Tatiana]

37. It's the wind chill. Be very careful. Try not to be outside for too long in extreme temps.

Many many years ago, I stood waiting for a CTA bus on Belmont and even with hat, gloves, scarf, dressing in layers, etc... still got a frostbitten pinky finger. It was THAT cold.

Now I make sure to duck into an establishment to keep warm if I am taking a bus instead of the subway or I will just drive if I know it will be colder than -20.

[bigmonkey]

44. A brilliant comment a colleage made two years ago when it got to be 20 below Fahrenheit.

That's cold. I used to live in Vermont (now Chicago for the second time) and even in Vermont 20 below is cold. But my colleague contextualized it nicely when she said: "It's so cold today that if it were 100 degrees warmer, it would just be a nice day."

Mild and frighteningly bitter winter weather alternates here in Chicago.

[mopinko]

48. yeah but

we don't have giant bugs and poisonous snakes. that's my winter mantra.

i think we are pretty geared up, tho. the grocery stores and gas stations were packed last night.

[Vinca]

12. Please tell me this isn't headed for NH. We're buried!

[karynnj]

14. Chicago getting a foot and a half of snow IS a big storm, but not record breaking

I think CNN likes to use superlatives too much. (NYC, which usually gets less snow than Chicago got 22 inches in the December 27th snow ( http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/27/national/main7188346.shtml ) and 15 inches last week. )

I remember the 1967 (might be off a year) snow storm where Chicago got 27 inches. I was a teen living in the Indiana suburbs. It was the only time I remember when a storm in the area was not pretty cleaned up the next day.

[Dover]

I think "one for the records" was in reference to the overall impact of this storm

on the whole region (not just Chicago). The Windy city has seen some really bad storms in memory and I doubt this one will win any prizes for 'worst'. But other parts of the country that will be hit with this storm aren't so winter hardy...

[Dover]

15. dupe/delete

[Jokerman]

16. They're predicting 1" of ICE for those of us on the south end of the storm.

That would be a disaster for the network I manage. We have several miles of fiber strung between polls.

I'd rather have the foot-and-a-half of snow.

[Sienna86]

19. The ice will not be good

It may also mean power outages and the storm will be followed by very low temps.

[susanr516]

32. Ice is always the worst

I hate ice storms. Trees, power lines, everything comes crashing down.

[cate94]

18. great

I'm supposed to fly into Chicago at around 7 tonight. Maybe.

:scared:

[Sienna86]

28. You should be okay tonight

Big snow and wind should start Tuesday afternoon.

[cate94]

46. Sorry it took so long to respond

Traveling always takes so much time.

I did make it home okay. I thought it was starting yesterday. It didn't really. A little ice and snow. Exactly as you said.

[prolesunited]

31. You'll get in OK

but when did you expect to get out? Tuesday night and Wednesday's definitely out, especially at O'Hare which seems to shut down sooner than Midway, and Thursday they'll be trying to catch up all day. You might be OK leaving around Friday.

[cate94]

47. Yes, I got in.

This is my home. I guess I'll be shoveling.

I'd rather be going back where it is warm and sunny.

Friday sounds good. ;)

[nebenaube]

22. Good grief!

A few more inches around here and the igloo I'm building around the hot tub will be complete!

[trumad]

24. He He

[nebenaube]

26. Wow, not too bright there.

[AngryOldDem]

25. National Weather Service site is **extremely** slow.

Gives you some idea of the interest in this storm.

Here in Indianapolis they are predicting **at least** 1 inch of ice by Wednesday, with "prolonged" power outages likely. They are also saying this storm could result in "devastating conditions." The NWS office here, I've found, is extremely conservative most of the time with its predictions and forecast discussions, so this is a sign to take this storm seriously.

We're pretty much prepared with lanterns, wood (for a fireplace that we have not used), various foodstuffs, and plans should the power go out here. What I am not looking forward to are the psychological impacts of having no power -- the utter eerie feeling and deadness that accompany it.

The track is still uncertain but right now they have the low going right over Central Indiana. Which means, at the very least, we will see high winds on top of everything else.

Fasten your seatbelts, gang.

[okieinpain]

27. see proof there is no global warming. lol. n/t.

[AngryOldDem]

29. Coming ice storm in Midwest compared to 2009 storm in Kentucky

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=pah&storyid=21421&source=2


Photos are stunning. I know I have never been through something like that before.

[bongbong]

30. Winter

I lived in Michigan for 15 years. Nuff said.

The worst I remember was 1981 or so. There was so much snow it went to the hood of my old mega-full-size Chevy Impala, with no drifting needed to make that depth. Must've been 2 feet+ of snow. No regular snowplows, even big ones, could run. The city used giant construction road graders (the type with the blade in the middle) with all 6 wheels chugging away to clear the streets.

[GeorgeGist]

35. In tomorrow's news ...

Pat Robertson says 'God is punishing Chicago for Obama.'

[Kingofalldems]

38. Looks like DC getting off easy

[MnFats]

39. about two thirds of the country under severe watch/warning...

check weatherunderground.com (my other fave 'underground' site
it's pretty spooky....Dallas to Portland (Me) Billings to Jackson Miss....
everybody's gonna get it.

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[24601]

Yes - our daughter is in school in northern Indiana. This storm

will probably dump about 20" on her, include wind gusts to 40 MPH and Thursday night should be about minus 5 (F). I told her that all the models predicted that her mother and I would be staying in Tampa, where it was sunny and 70 today.

Ah, to be young and shivering....

[24601]

41. Yes - our daughter is in school in northern Indiana. This storm

will probably dump about 20" on her, include wind gusts to 40 MPH and Thursday night should be about minus 5 (F). I told her that all the models predicted that her mother and I would be staying in Tampa, where it was sunny and 70 today.

Ah, to be young and shivering....

[rainbow4321]

45. Good luck to the people flying into Dallas in the next day or two

This could get interesting in an ugly kind of way
Keep in mind that the area is in a Super Bowel hype tizzy...and the one thing that is currently OUT of everyone's control: the ice/snow heading our way in the next 24 hours. And the predicted number of people arriving into town this week: Hundreds of thousands.

The list of school and business closings is already a mile long on local news websites and the bad stuff is not even here yet...it is all over the anticipation of the weather forecast.
There was a sea of taxi cabs heading to the Dallas airports today, so many that they became part of the traffic warnings/reports.

There will be a LOT of people saying "thank goodness we flew in Monday" cuz come tomorrow, the DFW area is pretty much shutting down for a few days.

I'm sure any people arriving from Green Bay or Pittsburgh will be a little bewildered by Dallas being paralyzed by a few inches of ice/snow.