The "McFarland Effect" possibility by 12/21

[Aslkahuna]

An even better example occurred this time in December of 1962 when a straight shot Jetstream ran from the North Pole (and actually probably from Siberia) to Florida on a 340 degree heading. The cold front entered the US in North Dakota at about 8AM one morning, passed through Central MO at 5 PM and 24 hours after entering the US was in southern FL. This was followed by one of the coldest Januaries of the 20th Century.

Steve

[Scorpion]

This is great! Hopefully it actually occurs! I would love to have highs in the low 50's and lows in the mid 30's! Snow as far south as Orlando??? Amazing.

[Anonymous]

The GFS/ECMWF BOTH show POTENTIAL snow event for the Carolinas, with the 12z GFS run today showing possible light snow snowers as FAR SOUTH as ORLANDO on Early Monday Morning, next week ...

The scenario painted by the 12z GFS is eerily similar to the Carolina Crusher in January 2000, where ... you guessed it, the Carolinas got crushed ...

SF

The NE Virginia region where I live got pasted with 12 inches from that same storm. I assume we are talking about January 25, 2000?

-ARCTIC JEB!!!! Bring It!! Bring It!!

[JenyEliza]

An even better example occurred this time in December of 1962 when a straight shot Jetstream ran from the North Pole (and actually probably from Siberia) to Florida on a 340 degree heading. The cold front entered the US in North Dakota at about 8AM one morning, passed through Central MO at 5 PM and 24 hours after entering the US was in southern FL. This was followed by one of the coldest Januaries of the 20th Century.

Steve

Do you have the date on that? My birthdate is during the last week of December, 1962. My mother has mentioned several times that I was born in a "blizzard". Wonder if this would be that "blizzard"?


Jeny

[JenyEliza]

The GFS/ECMWF BOTH show POTENTIAL snow event for the Carolinas, with the 12z GFS run today showing possible light snow snowers as FAR SOUTH as ORLANDO on Early Monday Morning, next week ...

The scenario painted by the 12z GFS is eerily similar to the Carolina Crusher in January 2000, where ... you guessed it, the Carolinas got crushed ...

SF

The NE Virginia region where I live got pasted with 12 inches from that same storm. I assume we are talking about January 25, 2000?

-ARCTIC JEB!!!! Bring It!! Bring It!!

NO!!! NO ICE.

The roof of our house was demolished by two 75ft pine trees whose tops got tired of being encrusted with ice and fell onto our OCCUPIED house at 3:00 am that day. We'd just celebrated my twins 5th birthday that night.

Took us months to get the insurance settled, select a contractor and rebuild.

NO ICE. Snow only, please.

Jeny

[PTrackerLA]

Yeah ice isn't my favorite either. We had an ice storm in January of 1997, lost power for a while and branches down all over the yard. Everyone was thinking "why couldn't it just snow?!"

[Stormsfury]

An even better example occurred this time in December of 1962 when a straight shot Jetstream ran from the North Pole (and actually probably from Siberia) to Florida on a 340 degree heading. The cold front entered the US in North Dakota at about 8AM one morning, passed through Central MO at 5 PM and 24 hours after entering the US was in southern FL. This was followed by one of the coldest Januaries of the 20th Century.

Steve

Do you have the date on that? My birthdate is during the last week of December, 1962. My mother has mentioned several times that I was born in a "blizzard". Wonder if this would be that "blizzard"?


Jeny

This MIGHT be what Aslkahuna was referring to ... there were reports of snow in Coastal South Carolina on the 8th, and on the 11th ... this 500mb map is a good indicator of how severe the NEG TILT trough was on December 10th, 1962 (at 00z) ...

Reanalysis map for December 10th, 1962 - CLICK on this for MAP)

[Aslkahuna]

The 10 Dec 62 was the first of three major cold fronts to affect the US in December. The first one took dead aim at Florida and totally wiped out the Orange crop. The second came in about a week later and went down the east side of the Rockies and backdoored into AZ while at the same time some cold air seeped into CA which put the kibosh on the CA Oranges and the Texas and AZ Grapefruit. The third came in the wake of a storm that brought a Christmas snow to MO and I believe there was also a Gulf Coast snow situation afterwards with that cold shot. The actual front on the first shot began coming down before 10 December 1962-my burnt out memory cells seem to indicate somewhere around the 8th.

Steve

[Guest]

Hate to say this but i REALLY dont wanna see this set up AGAIN. Kinda screws alot of the Midwest/TN/OH valley's AGAIN as has been the case now for a number if winters especially in the midwest. And the same could be said here as well in the southern Great Lakes (Outside of the lake effect areas. Chicago/Detroit). Only places east of the apps due for a nice snowstorm would have to be the mid-atlantic from Baltimore, MD down to about Richmond, VA on over to the coast. Other then that the SC coast on over into GA/AL/MS/TX -(Dallas south and east to the gulfcoast)is over due.

And to be blunt honest i REALLY dont wanna hear of yet another Carolina snowstorm ESPECIALLY in the same areas that keep getting hit year after year for the last several winters. Lets spread it around to some others for a change who hasnt seen any.

[Stormsfury]

And to be blunt honest i REALLY dont wanna hear of yet another Carolina snowstorm ESPECIALLY in the same areas that keep getting hit year after year for the last several winters. Lets spread it around to some others for a change who hasnt seen any.

um, I've been kinda screwed out of last few years after the Carolina crusher in 2000 ... and a total of 5" .. since then ... a laughable 1.0" in separate events in which areas just north received 6"> ...

I hope you get some good LES this season ...

SF

[Guest]

And to be blunt honest i REALLY dont wanna hear of yet another Carolina snowstorm ESPECIALLY in the same areas that keep getting hit year after year for the last several winters. Lets spread it around to some others for a change who hasnt seen any.

um, I've been kinda screwed out of last few years after the Carolina crusher in 2000 ... and a total of 5" .. since then ... a laughable 1.0" in separate events in which areas just north received 6"> ...

I hope you get some good LES this season ...

SF

Exactly what i was saying. Unless you have moved you are still on the SC coast correct? So like i said time to spread it around so hopefully you and a few others who hasnt seen any can get something nice.

Thanks btw.

[AggieSpirit]

Didn't Myrtle Beach get 21 inches of snow on Christmas 1989?

I don't want to hear any comlpaining about a lack of snow from coastal Carolina! (j/k guys) I actualyl was up at liek 2am one morening and saw a PBS documentary about the freak storm in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. Same year as Hugo too.

The most snow I ever saw in my life in one 24 hr period in Arlington, TX was the 6 inches I measured on my car (5 on the ground) on Valentine's day this past February. And by afternoon, much of it was gone!

My 86 year old grandfather grew up in Mt. Pleasant in East Texas as a child and in Oak Cliff part of Dallas as a teenager. He tells me that snow occurrences used to be much more frequent with higher volumes. He can remember several 4 inch + snowfalls, including a few instances of 8 inches + of snow being on the ground for a week sometime in the 20's in East Texas. Lakes freezing over in the region was not that infrequent either. It is a rare event to see a Northeast/North Central lake frozen over now days. I remember in 1989 that happened. In 1983 it did too.

He keeps telling me that sometime in my lifetime, I will witness a storm that will dump a foot of snow. He is a big believer in the farmers almanac, so his meteorology is not exactly scientific. He was the one that told me about the Houston blizzard in the late 1800's that my great-grandfather survived (literally it was a survival situation as the people of the area were ill equipped to clear snow from rail and road to get supplies and the severe cold killed many animals and people in Southeast Texas).

I keep telling myself, at some point, Dallas will experience this in my lifetime. During my lifetime, San Antonio had it's 12+ snowfall. That far south getting that much snowfall, compared with the precident of Houston and Lafayette getting blasted about twice every 100 years, leads me to believe that the DFW area is long overdue for a paralyzing SNOW storm. Notice I did not mention 'paralyzing ICE storm. We are ALL TOO FAMILIAR with that. Measurable Ice is somewhat frequent. Measurable snow has become pretty infrequent.

Although I was able 2 years ago to do something incredble -- I ice skated up and down my street after 2 days of sleet followed by a night of freezing rain. Made 2 laps around the block with my stick and puck too. People in the subdivision got a real kick out of it too.

I know -removed- is not encouraged, but I have a 2 year old and a 3 month old. I hope that during their childhood, the FREAK super-snowstorm happens in our area.

One good thing about living in this area is that the rarity of snow makes you recognize just how beautiful it really is. For me, it is a cleansing thing to see a beauftiful cover of white on the ground and on rooftops. It brings a crispness to the air. I know that up north they get sick of it. I hope to NEVER get sick of snow, and keep that childhood love of the fluffy white stuff that got me out of school occaisionally!

[aggiecutter]

Aggie, I live in Texarkana, and we have been very fortunate the last 5 years as far as winter events go. Since and including December of 2000, Texarkana has had 4 snow events of 7 inches or greater. The greatest being 9" inches in January of 2002. We've also had several ice and or sleet storms. The worst being the devasting ice storm in december of 2000. I was without power for nearly a week. Here's a couple pics courtesy of the National Weather Service in Shreveport.

http://www.srh.weather.gov/shv/ChristmasIceStorm.htm

http://www.srh.weather.gov/shv/2_5_2002_Snow.htm

http://www.srh.weather.gov/shv/Winter_Storm_2_14_04.htm

[AggieSpirit]

aggiecutter ---- a big WHOOP to you! I have seen those pics before!

I always see the NWS station in Shreveport on my way to New Orleans a few times a year.

BeAt tHe HeLL oUTTa the real U.T.! COTTON BABY!

[Stormsfury]

Exactly what i was saying. Unless you have moved you are still on the SC coast correct? So like i said time to spread it around so hopefully you and a few others who hasnt seen any can get something nice.

Thanks btw.

Yep .. same place (about 20-25 miles NW of the immediate coast) ... last 3 winters, I've seen no less than 8 situations that put me in 33º and RAIN ...

[Stormsfury]

Didn't Myrtle Beach get 21 inches of snow on Christmas 1989?

I don't want to hear any comlpaining about a lack of snow from coastal Carolina! (j/k guys) I actualyl was up at liek 2am one morening and saw a PBS documentary about the freak storm in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. Same year as Hugo too.

The most snow I ever saw in my life in one 24 hr period in Arlington, TX was the 6 inches I measured on my car (5 on the ground) on Valentine's day this past February. And by afternoon, much of it was gone!

My 86 year old grandfather grew up in Mt. Pleasant in East Texas as a child and in Oak Cliff part of Dallas as a teenager. He tells me that snow occurrences used to be much more frequent with higher volumes. He can remember several 4 inch + snowfalls, including a few instances of 8 inches + of snow being on the ground for a week sometime in the 20's in East Texas. Lakes freezing over in the region was not that infrequent either. It is a rare event to see a Northeast/North Central lake frozen over now days. I remember in 1989 that happened. In 1983 it did too.

He keeps telling me that sometime in my lifetime, I will witness a storm that will dump a foot of snow. He is a big believer in the farmers almanac, so his meteorology is not exactly scientific. He was the one that told me about the Houston blizzard in the late 1800's that my great-grandfather survived (literally it was a survival situation as the people of the area were ill equipped to clear snow from rail and road to get supplies and the severe cold killed many animals and people in Southeast Texas).

I keep telling myself, at some point, Dallas will experience this in my lifetime. During my lifetime, San Antonio had it's 12+ snowfall. That far south getting that much snowfall, compared with the precident of Houston and Lafayette getting blasted about twice every 100 years, leads me to believe that the DFW area is long overdue for a paralyzing SNOW storm. Notice I did not mention 'paralyzing ICE storm. We are ALL TOO FAMILIAR with that. Measurable Ice is somewhat frequent. Measurable snow has become pretty infrequent.

Although I was able 2 years ago to do something incredble -- I ice skated up and down my street after 2 days of sleet followed by a night of freezing rain. Made 2 laps around the block with my stick and puck too. People in the subdivision got a real kick out of it too.

I know -removed- is not encouraged, but I have a 2 year old and a 3 month old. I hope that during their childhood, the FREAK super-snowstorm happens in our area.

One good thing about living in this area is that the rarity of snow makes you recognize just how beautiful it really is. For me, it is a cleansing thing to see a beauftiful cover of white on the ground and on rooftops. It brings a crispness to the air. I know that up north they get sick of it. I hope to NEVER get sick of snow, and keep that childhood love of the fluffy white stuff that got me out of school occaisionally!

Myrtle Beach got 14" in 1989 ...

December 22nd, 1989 - The Christmas snowstorm begins for Coastal areas from Northeastern Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia, giving many areas their first "White Christmas" on record. At the end of the storm on the 24th - Jacksonville, Fl recorded 3" of snow, while Charleston, SC recorded 6.9" (24 hour period) - 8.0" total. Myrtle Beach had 14" of snow. Record snows at Wilmington, NC - 15", and at Cape Hatteras - 13.3" (more impressive because 8" fell, then changed to rain for a period and warmed to 36, then the low went by dropping the temps down again, and back to snow.) Other snowfall totals: Live Oak, FL reported 3", Loris, SC received 14.5", and 19.5" at Longwood, NC. Some SC/NC drifts were as high as 8 feet.

[AggieSpirit]

Thanks for the correction. 14 inches or 21 inches -- I aint never seen nuthin like that in my part of the woods, and I don't live in an area with a warm coastal breeze!

[CaptinCrunch]

Significant North Texas Snow Events - Since 1895

February 14, 2004 Between 2-5 inches of snow were widespread over the northern half of north Texas. The event began during the early morning hours, and generally ended by midday over the metroplex.

February 24-27, 2003 This was a widespread freezing rain, sleet and snow event, with ice to the south and snow to the north. Accumulations were generally 3-5 inches over the northern third of the area, and 1-3 inches over the middle third. Over south central and parts of southeast Texas, ice accumulated to between ¼-½ inch.

February 5-6, 2002 Snow fell over the northern sections of north Texas from the late morning of the 5th to the early morning hours of the 6th. Between 4-5 inches accumulation were reported from Gainesville to Paris, and from McKinney to Greenville to Cooper. Elsewhere, 1-3 inches were the rule.

December 31, 2000 Snow fell across much of north Texas during the day, with scattered 1-3 inch accumulations.

December 25-27, 2000 Freezing rain affected most of the area north of Interstate 20 on the 25th-26th. Up to four inches of ice was reported from Montague county east to Lamar county (as well as much of northeast Texas, southeast Oklahoma, and western Arkansas). Sleet and snow occurred over much of north Texas the night of the 27th. A small area of 4-8 inches fell over northern Hamilton, northwest Bosque, all of Erath, eastern Eastland, and western Palo Pinto counties. A foot of snow closed Ranger Hill for three days. Another band of 3-6 inches fell from northern Hill county into southern Dallas county, with seven inches at Itasca.

December 12-13, 2000 Freezing rain and sleet fell from the afternoon of the 12th through midday on the 13th. Up to an inch accumulation was reported over the northern counties.

January 25-28, 2000 Up to an inch of sleet and snow fell at Paris on the 25th. Freezing rain, sleet and snow were more widespread the 26th-27th, affecting most of north Texas, but more over the northern half. Accumulations ranged from two inches in the northwest, to five inches in the northeast. Between 3-5 inches accumulated over the northeast counties as part of an general ice storm over much of north Texas.

January 6, 1997 Between 4-6 inches fell over a narrow band from Hamilton to Cleburne and Hillsboro, and from Emory to Mount Vernon, including Sulphur Springs and Mineola.

January 12-13, 1985 While not a north Texas snow event, this one deserves mention. Snowfall above four inches fell over a large area of southwest and south central Texas, generally southwest of a line through Midland and Austin, and north of a line through Eagle Pass and Gonzales. Between 8-14 inches fell from the Hill country to San Antonio, and as far south as Eagle Pass.

December 15-16, 1983 A narrow band of 4-6 inches fell along a line from Weatherford to Denton to Greenville and Paris. Another band of 4-8 inches occurred from Wills Point to Tyler and Gilmer.

January 13, 1982 One of the great north Texas snowfalls in the 20th century. Between 6-10 inches fell in a band from Hamilton to Hillsboro to Tyler, with Clifton and Itasca reporting 15 inches for the event. At least four inches fell south of a line through Abilene-Dublin-Corsicana-Longview, and north of a line through San Angelo-San Saba-Marlin-Jacksonville. Only a trace fell in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Temple areas with this event.

February 17, 1978 The last in a series of five snow events that began in mid-January also had the greatest totals. Between 4-8 inches fell from Throckmorton to Gainesville, and north of a line through Dublin, Cleburne, Terrell, and Sulphur Springs.

January 30, 1977 Almost all of north Texas picked up at least two inches of snow with this event. Between 4-6 inches were reported south of the Red River, and north of a line through Eastland, Hillsboro, Fairfield, and Tyler.

November 13-14, 1976 Widespread 4-6 inch snow fell over much of the northern and western sections of north Texas. The area covered was north of a line through Coleman, Hamilton, Fort Worth, Bonham, and Clarksville. Lampasas also reported five inches of snow with this event.

January 15-16, 1964 Another of the biggest events for north Texas. Accumulations above four inches were reported from stations east of a Muenster-Eastland-Goldthwaite line, and west of a Burnett-Temple-Mexia-Canton-Clarksville line. Between 8-12 inches were reported in a broad band from Hamilton to Granbury to McKinney. This was one the Dallas/Fort Worth area's biggest snowfalls.

January 27-28, 1961 There was widespread 1-3 inch accumulation over much of north Texas with this event, but a small area of 4-6 inches was reported from Dublin to Mineral Wells to Bridgeport, and from Hico to Cleburne to Waxahachie to Kaufman.

January 17-18, 1956 Freezing rain and sleet gradually changed to snow in this event, with widespread 3-5 inch totals over much of the northern half of north Texas. Between 4-6 accumulations were reported east of a line from Sherman to Cleburne, and north of a line from Cleburne to Rockwall to Paris.

January 22, 1940 Almost all areas of north Texas saw at least two inches of snow with this event. Between 4-6 inches were reported in the counties along the Red River, and over a most of the area south of a line through Eastland, Dallas, and Sulphur Springs. The area north of a Lampasas, Cameron, Crockett line also reported at least four-inch accumulations.

November 22, 1937 Between 4-8 inches fell in bands over a large area of central north Texas. One band occurred from Eastland to Fort Worth, while another occurred from Hamilton to Hillsboro to Kaufman. A broad area of 4-8 inch accumulations occurred from Copperas Cove to Marlin to Palestine, including the Waco and Temple areas.

December 21, 1929 A snowfall event remarkable similar to the event in January 1982. Between 6-12 inches fell over a broad area over the southern half of north Texas, with 12-16 inches falling from Brady to Hillsboro to Longview. Amounts above four inches fell south of a line through Winters, Brownwood, Dublin, Waxahachie, Kaufman, and Atlanta. Only trace amounts fell north of this line, including the Dallas/Fort Worth areas.

December 24-26, 1926 North Texas's only white Christmas of the 20th century (Anecdotal evidence suggests at least two in the 19th century, however, in 1844 and 1879). Between 1-2 inches were common over north Texas south of a line from San Angelo to Eastland to Sherman, and north of a line from Lampasas to Hillsboro to Sulphur Springs. Six inches was reported at Dallas, McKinney, and Greenville.

January 23-24, 1926 Between 4-10 inches fell over much of the west and southern portions of north Texas. The event began January 21-22 with freezing rain, sleet, and snow, with the heavy snow event following the January 23-24. Totals above four inches occurred west of a line through Wichita Falls, Bowie, Fort Worth, Corsicana, Groesbeck, and Cameron. Between 8-10 inches fell from San Angelo to Goldthwaite to Hillsboro.

March 12-13, 1924 Between 4-8 inches of snow fell over the Red River area, and as far south as Dallas and Fort Worth. Between 8-10 inches were reported at Bowie, Bridgeport, Weatherford and Honey Grove.

January 20-21, 1918Amounts above four inches fell south of a line through Anson and Henrietta, and north of a line through Winters-Eastland-Fort Worth and Clarksville. Between 6-8 inches fell in a broad band from Putnam to Graham and Gainesville to Sherman.

January 14-15, 1917 One of the big north Texas snow events. Between 4-8 inches were widespread over the area north of a line through San Saba, Waxahachie, and Atlanta. The largest totals were eight inches at Weatherford and Fort Worth.

February 16-17, 1910 Sleet and snow produced widely varying accumulations across north Texas. Between 4-6 inches fell from Lampasas to Waco, Dallas to Tyler, Sherman to Paris, Sulphur Springs to Mount Pleasant. Elsewhere over north Texas, 1-3 inch totals were common.

January 4-5, 1910 Between 4-8 inches fell in a 40-mile wide band from Dublin to Fort Worth to Sherman. Between 1-2 inches fell from Dallas south to Corsicana, and northeast to Sulphur Springs and Clarksville.

February 15-16, 1903 Over two inches of snow accumulated over the area north of an Abilene-Dublin-Corsicana-Tyler-Atlanta line. Bands of 4-6 inches were reported along the Red River from Wichita Falls to Bowie to Sherman and Paris, and from Dallas to Greenville.

December 8-9, 1898 Widespread snow fell over the northern half of the state. Between 6-8 inches fell from Jacksboro to Haskell, and from Temple to Palestine. Between 4-6 inches was reported from the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.

February 12-15, 1895 Widespread snow over the state, even as far south as the lower Valley. North Texas received between 3-5 inches, but a band of 10-20 inches blanketed the upper Texas coast, including Houston and Beaumont/Port Arthur.

[vbhoutex]

Cap'n you didn't pick up on the 3 snow events we had in SE TX in Jan. and Feb. 1973. It snowed on Jan. 16 and Feb. 9 and 16. Amounts ranged up to 4" in these threee events. i do not know how localized they were. I do remember one time in the not too distant past that we had 2" of snow in League City(a SE suburb of Houston between here and Galveston)and we got nothing in the city.

[Janie34]

An even better example occurred this time in December of 1962 when a straight shot Jetstream ran from the North Pole (and actually probably from Siberia) to Florida on a 340 degree heading. The cold front entered the US in North Dakota at about 8AM one morning, passed through Central MO at 5 PM and 24 hours after entering the US was in southern FL. This was followed by one of the coldest Januaries of the 20th Century.

Steve

I've a personal anecdote here. I wasn't around in December 1962/January 1963 (I arrived in November of 1969.) However, I do have newspaper clippings that my grandmother kept from that December - January timeframe. She lived along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and there were at least 3 snow events at or around Gulfport during that time. When the snow flies that far south, and getting a few inches of it, you know it's bitterly cold.