Late Winter Storms

[azskyman]

Some of the wildest winter weather I observed over the years back in Illinois occurred during the waning days of February and all the way through March. In fact, I believe that several of the heaviest snowstorms on record took place during that time.

The moisture source from the south begins to tap deeper and deeper into the Gulf waters, while at the same time the abundance of cold air in Canada just does not want to give up.

The results are a battle for territory, and it can leave you blanketed in snow, chipping away at ice, or on the balmy side of the warmfront with springlike thunderstorms followed a day later by blowing snow and cold.

So...for those who feel that you've been cheated by winter thus far, be on the lookout for those wintertime storm surprises that can blow up and surprise you (and the forecasters) in unique and powerful ways.

[Stephanie]

You are SO RIGHT as usual Steve! I know we've been lulled into a false sense of security many times and then all of a sudden BAM!!! The Superstorm of 1993 is just one example. We've had several President's Day snowstorms in recent years when it seemed that the winter wasn't going to produce.

I think that we have another shot of winter coming for us - as a matter of fact, on the way home I was driving through a few snow squalls. The cold front passed through last night and there's a noticable change in the temps from the mid 50's yesterday to the 30's today.

[Miss Mary]

I'm thinking about getting the lawnmower serviced, since I'm between two neighbors that are chomping at the bit, anticipating when they can cut the lawn. Yup. Think that will do it Steve - get the lawnmower tuned up/oil changed, and then I'll get hit with a big snowstorm?

I'm calling tomorrow!

Seriously, I recall several snowy March's. Only difference is, a snowstorm then means it will melt quickly. At least here in the Ohio Valley. Up north, perhaps it would stick around for a while. If it does snow again, we will make good use of it - build that final snowman, go sledding, etc.

Mary

[therock1811]

I'm thinking about getting the lawnmower serviced, since I'm between two neighbors that are chomping at the bit, anticipating when they can cut the lawn. Yup. Think that will do it Steve - get the lawnmower tuned up/oil changed, and then I'll get hit with a big snowstorm?

I'm calling tomorrow!

Seriously, I recall several snowy March's. Only difference is, a snowstorm then means it will melt quickly. At least here in the Ohio Valley. Up north, perhaps it would stick around for a while. If it does snow again, we will make good use of it - build that final snowman, go sledding, etc.

Mary

Well I think someone must have done that somewhere around town, because look what happened this morning!

[frankthetank]

i've been on the wrong side of the front!

-3.6f this morning

[Miss Mary]

Jeremy - not enough for a good snowman but it was a surprise! And winter like for a while there. Now I don't even see a trace of it, over here in Ohio that is.

Mary

[azskyman]

Tuning up the lawnmower will definitely work. So will raking the yard of last fall's leaves. Washing the car helps.

I used to have the principal of a school call me in February and March of each year to ask me how soon the weather was going to break so he could let the kids go outside after lunch instead of play in the gym.

After a couple of winters he learned that just asking the question would bring the wind chill back to below zero again!

Since moving to Arizona, the two times of year most likely to bring snow levels down to 3,000' or lower have been in early November and early April. Otherwise, the snow we see is on the mountains to the north, not the ones here surrounding Phoenix.

I woke up to snow falling in our pool on Easter of 1998, I think it was!

[Patrick99]

Here in S. Florida, the window for "cool" weather is quickly closing, if it's not already shut. I too remember March, 1993, but down here that kind of thing is the rare exception, not the norm.

I remember more March installments with daytime temps in the mid-upper 80s than I do truly cool Marches.

[Persepone]

Tuning up the lawnmower definitely tends to bring big snow!

So does planning any sort of outdoor Easter Egg hunt... or anything outdoors that requires snowless ground...

(':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:')

[JenBayles]

"Tune up the lawnmower and change the oil"?! Dave is so lazy he refuses to do it. Just runs them till the won't run anymore and buys a new one every couple of years. I finally learned to just let it go....

[vbhoutex]

Tuning up the lawnmower definitely tends to bring big snow!

So does planning any sort of outdoor Easter Egg hunt... or anything outdoors that requires snowless ground...

(':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:') (':lol:')

If that were the case, we would have a constant blizzard down here in the Southe!!!! Our lawns never went totally brown yet so some have been getting cut through the whole winter and we cook out at least once or twice a month.

[krysof]

I like what accuweather says for my area about president's day snow, temps are 36 on monday instead of 43 which is what weather.com says.

[Miss Mary]

"Tune up the lawnmower and change the oil"?! Dave is so lazy he refuses to do it. Just runs them till the won't run anymore and buys a new one every couple of years. I finally learned to just let it go....

Jen - LOL Sounds like my guy too.....we just take it in to a shop. Usually I say just an oil change. But this time I think it needs a new spark plug, the blade sharpened, etc. We paid over $600 for it to begin with. $40 a year to maintain it isn't too much to ask. And oh I only put Shell gas in it. Almost ruined a previous lawnmower by putting cheap gas from a 7/11 store in it. The same shop drained the gas tank, gave it a tuneup and said don't ever buy cheap, watered down gas again! So this new baby only gets Shell....but these are all things ~I~ do......he he Jim's clueless about all of these outdoor things.....he's already in that condo-mindset. But we're nowhere near ready for that housing phase - we still have a yard to maintain, weeds to pull, mulch to put down, etc.

He does clear the driveway with the snowblower occasionally. We inherited an old one from my dad. If it needs shoveled, he practically waves money in front of Laura's face, hoping she'll jump at the chance to shovel!

Mary

[Scorpion]

In March, its far more likely to feel like summer here than winter. In one month, the average temp during the day can go from 65 to 90. I remember March 2003 it was in the 90's several days and lows in the high 70's. Pretty ironic that the last day of the month was in the 50's though .

[Aslkahuna]

The Easter snowstorm in AZ was on April 4,1999. The snow also caused a postponement of one round of a Golf Tournament in Scottsdale and I have video of the mini-blizzard down here in SV that day. The next morning we had a temperature of 23 degrees which destroyed virtually all of my fruit crop that year.

Steve