Lord, the wind has been howling for almost three days, and

[Skidmore]

I can't tell if it is snowing or if what is in the air is just ground snow being blown upward. This system has been just sitting here and grinding around and we've been in the center of it. Alabama and Georgia have been on the outer edges of it, and it's been equally disasterous here. Electricity still has to be hooked up to small towns and in rural areas. Shelters are still open every where. I can't imagine what it must be like out on those bucket trucks trying to get those wires strung.

We're all getting cabin fever.

[MADem]

1. Where are you? NT

[Skidmore]

5. SE Iowa.

This front has been vicious. We've had winds at 50 mi/hr for almost 3 days now.

[MADem]

13. I'm in the midst of a good old fashioned 'wintry mix' in MA

that could turn into an ugly slippery mess pretty soon, but nothing like what you are dealing with I guess.

[Aviation Pro]

2. I'm guessing east of the Rockies....

...an area currently dominated by that old demon high pressure system in the Great Basin.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. In ChiTown, the high 40s made slush,

which froze rapidly overnight. Now, steady 30 MPH winds with gusts 45 or higher.
and cold. and snow ontop of that frozen solid water. slippery is one word for it.

[Aviation Pro]

6. Here are a couple of reasons why the wind is blowing.....

...first, here's the overall surface temperatures. The deep blue to purple represents continental polar (cP) air:



...the second is the position of the Polar Jet Stream (about 33,000'), which is the main weather driver. Note the upper level low which is compressing air vertically and horizontally and causing convergence and divergence around it, this is what causes, along with Coriolis Force, the air to whip around, much like a venturi (please don't make me do the physics). This allows the denser cold air to filter into the US:

http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/fax/QHUA15.TIF

(Note: the graphic will appear upside down if opened in QuickTime. Save it to the desktop and use the controls of Picture Manager to rotate it).

...and finally, the reason we have such violent weather in the Southeast, the position of the Sub-tropical Jet Stream (about 39,000'), which is positioned far more north than usual for this time of year. This is bringing the moisture in and also causing upper level shear and rotation in the columns of air (this is what causes the tornadoes for the most part). Note the windspeeds over western Texas are between 195 and 199 knots or about 215 MPH:

http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/fax/QHUA17.TIF

As a final note, this years freakish weather is a result of an El Nino event that will abate in May. (Gratuitous snarky comment: and the right thinks that progressives don't know science).

[BuelahWitch]

12. Florida looks like a big, red penis on that map

:shrug: Just sayin'

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. you mean it is not a test from god?

ah gee, I was ready to convert (NOT).

[BeHereNow]

22. ChiTown...Chicago?

Just wondering- my kid goes to school there.
She wants to get an apartment in Pilsen?
Know it?
What say you about it?
Safe hood and all?
Thanks-
BHN

[izzie]

4. I grew up right on the coast of Maine and I thought snow always

came in sideways. If their was a tree around it usually only had growth on one side. It was fun walking to school in the morning on days like that. Our school did not have a bus so every one walked. It was a dream when we could get out the bikes.

[Kindigger]

7. SE Iowa

Electricity went out Sunday. My brother's house is still without electricity!

[lonestarnot]

8. Be safe Skidmore.

[Skidmore]

9. Thanks, lonestar...

I've been sticking close to home till this dies down. The cupboards are well stocked, and the weekend will make the need to go out less crucial.

[lonestarnot]

21. that's with a not, I'm not a lonestar, as you are also a star, meaning

I'm a lonestarnot. Did you fair ok throughout the day?

[Ganja Ninja]

10. It's been incredibly warm here in Florida for the past few days.

We've been having something like a steady 30 mph breeze out of the southwest for the last three days that feels humid and tropical.

[MuseRider]

11. Stay safe and warm.

That system thankfully blew right over us so quickly that it caused only minor damage. You all have been getting pounded all winter. As happy as I am to see spring coming I can't imagine how happy you will be.

Funny thing that we never hear about your weather, rarely about ours either. It is like most of the middle doesn't exist except to provide warning to others what is coming. If it were not for you I would not know anything happening to your state. Hang tight, it won't be too long until spring.

[Skidmore]

15. *sigh* It's still snowing...and blowing...and

the roads are slick. Our satellite comes and goes. The wind is still howling. The drifts have drifts. I think drinking is in order.

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Well, it just blew into town (Maine) this morning. Was a quiet snow storm until

late afternoon when the wind picked up and the hail got started.

[Skidmore]

17. We never got hail. We started out with freezing rain and sleet.

This is a slow moving storm and its just been grinding away. The wind is just brutal.

Stock up and prepare to sit tight. I hope it starts losing strength before the weekend is over.

[GreenPartyVoter]

18. Well school was cancelled today, and peewee b-ball tomorrow, and I

think I will cancel cheering practice as well.

[Skidmore]

19. Kids in this area have used so many snow days that school will not

get out now until mid June. Everything has been closed at least for a day or two this last week. Many of the closures were due to the loss of power from the ice storm. They are still putting up electric poles and lines. There were over 1,000 miles of line down in this section of the state.

[GreenPartyVoter]

20. We always go through mid-to late June. I don't think we've used up all our snow days yet, but

who knows. For now, June 21st is P/T conferences for us.