It’s Wednesday, December 17.  I’m forecasting a high of 69 degrees today.  And, yes, I can hear you grumbling, cold weather fans… 

After all, it was cold in November - snowed twice even!  But now, in mid-December, wintry chill has all but disappeared from Eastern North Carolina. 

Hey!  Don’t worry, cold weather fans…

Winter cold didn’t really disappear.  It just moved a little!  This week, in fact, most of the U.S. has plunged into the deep freeze with frigid temperatures, icy winds and/or heavy snows.  Here is just a sample of how the early season cold snap is lashing other parts of our country:

- Portland, Oregon is in the midst of what will likely be a week-long stretch of totally sub-freezing days.  If the city does indeed go six days without breaking 32 degrees, it will be the longest such December cold snap since 1983.

- On Tuesday, a foot of snow plastered Flagstaff, Arizona and the Grand Canyon’s North Rim received 17 inches.  More heavy snow is expected in northern Arizona today and tonight.

- Jamestown and Williston, North Dakota experienced (or endured) record lows of -22 and -25 degrees, respectively, Tuesday morning.  Many spots near the Canadian border have had sub-zero temperatures since the past weekend.

- Three inches of sleet fell atop one-quarter inch of slippery freezing rain in Independence, Arkansas between late Monday and Tuesday.  Counties from Virginia to Louisiana and Texas were under ice storm warnings at the time.

- Braintree, Vermont awoke to six inches of fresh snow this morning.  This latest New England winter storm comes on the heels of a crippling ice storm in that region (some towns still have no power from that one!).

No doubt, winter’s chill will again reach Eastern Carolina!  Just not today…

Thanks for checking out my blog!

This final entry for my North Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week blog series discusses two particularly dangerous forms of winter weather - freezing rain and sleet:

FREEZING RAIN OCCURS WHEN LIQUID PRECIPITATION,WHICH COULD BE RAIN OR MELTED SNOW, STRIKES A SURFACE THAT IS BELOW FREEZING. IN THIS SCENARIO TEMPERATURES AT THE SURFACE ARE BELOW FEEEZING WHILE AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE ATMOSPHERE IS ABOVE FREEZING. THE LIQUID PRECPITATION FREEZES UPON CONTACT WITH THE GROUND… TREES… POWER LINES AND ROADWAYS.

THE ABILITY OF FREEZING RAIN TO ACCUMULATE ON NEARLY EVERY SURFACE INCLUDING TREES… POWER LINES AND BRIDGES MAKES IT ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS FORMS OF WINTER WEATHER. AS LITTLE AS A QUARTER INCH OF FREEZING RAIN CAN CREATE WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES AS EXPERIENCED DURING THE DECEMBER ICE STORM OF 2002 WHEN NEARLY AN INCH OF FREEZING RAIN BROUGHT DOWN COUNTLESS TREES AND POWER LINES. OVER ONE AND HALF MILLION PEOPLE IN NORTH CAROLINA LOST POWER DURING A 2002 ICE STORM.

FREEZING RAIN CAN COVER PAVEMENT… ESPECIALLY BRIDGES… WITH A SOLID GLAZE OF ICE THAT MAKES DRIVING VERY DANGEROUS AND NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. OVER 85 PERCENT OF ICE STORM DEATHS ARE TRAFFIC RELATED. FREEZING RAIN WILL EVEN ACCUMULATE ON THE STEPS AND RAILINGS OF YOUR HOME MAKING GOING OUT THE DOOR HAZARDOUS. MANY INJURIES OCCUR EVERY YEAR WHEN PEOPLE SLIP ON ICE.

SLEET CAN ALSO BE DANGEROUS FOR MOTORISTS. SLEET FORMS WHEN A RAINDROP FALLS AND ENCOUNTERS FREEZING TEMPERATURES ABOVE THE EARTHS SURFACE AND FREEZES INTO AN ICE PELLET JUST BEFORE REACHING THE GROUND. SINCE SLEET IS A SMALL SOLID BALL OF ICE IT USUALLY ACCUMULATES MORE EFFICIENTLY THAN SNOW. THIS IS WHY SLEET CAN MAKE ROADWAYS AND WALKWAYS VERY DANGEROUS IN JUST A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

WHEN DRIVING… ICE CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE. THE ROADWAY MAY APPEAR TO BE WET WHEN IN REALITY WHAT APPEARS TO BE WATER MAY ACTUALLY BE ICE. IF THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE IS BELOW FREEZING… ICE CAN FORM ON THE ROADS… ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. WHEN ENCOUNTERING ICE DO NOT PANIC AND DO NOT STOMP ON YOUR BRAKES. STRIKING YOUR BRAKES WILL CAUSE YOUR CAR TO SLIDE INTO A SKID. IT IS SAFER TO SLOWLY DECELERATE TO A STOP. DRIVING SLOW AND DEFENSIVELY GOES A LONG WAY WHEN DRIVING ON ICE AND SNOW.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES WINTER STORM WATCHES AND WARNINGS WHEN A QUARTER INCH OR MORE OF FREEZING RAIN IS FORECAST. WINTER STROM WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE ALSO ISSUED WHEN A HALF OF AN INCH OR MORE OF SLEET IS EXPECTED. THESE WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE ISSUED TO HELP PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY AND TO ALLOW LOCAL COMMUNITIES TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE WINTER WEATHER. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE ISSUED WHEN LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF FREEZING RAIN OR SLEET LESS THAN A QUARTER OF AN INCH ARE EXPECTED TO CAUSE TRAVEL PROBLEMS AND HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. 

Thanks for checking into my blog series this week.  And, as always, stay with Storm Team 9 for accurate forecasts through the impending winter season!

Gannon Medwick
Storm Team 9 Meteorologist

Today’s topic for North Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week is… snow!  Always enjoy a snowstorm to the fullest, but be mindful of some of its adverse effects on our state.  Here is another message from the National Weather Service:

JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OF SNOW CAN ADVERSELY IMPACT NORTH CAROLINA IN VERY LITTLE TIME. ON AVERAGE THE COASTAL PLAIN RECEIVES 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW PER YEAR… WHILE OUR COAST RECEIVES AROUND 1 INCH. HOWEVER, THE LAST SEVERAL WINTERS HAVE GENERALLY LACKED SNOW. IN CASE THIS COMING WINTER IS DIFFERENT… IT IS BEST TO PLAN FOR SNOWSTORMS NOW!

BASED ON CLIMATOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF WHEN SNOW EVENTS OCCUR IN NORTH CAROLINA…MOST SNOW EVENTS OCCUR BETWEEN 5AM AND 2PM. THIS IS OF COURSE THE CRITICAL TIME FOR SCHOOLS BUSES AND COMMUTING MOTORISTS. THE TIMING OF SNOW AND ICE IS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN SINCE MOST WINTER STORM DEATHS ARE THE RESULT OF AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS.

HEAVY WET SNOW ACCUMULATIONS COMBINED WITH WIND CAN BRING DOWN AND TREES AND POWER LINES. IN RURAL AREAS…HEAVY SNOW CAN ISOLATE PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES FOR DAYS. DRIVING IN SNOW CAN BECOME VERY HAZARDOUS THE VERY MOMENT SNOW STARTS TO STICK TO THE ROAD. ABOUT SEVENTY PERCENT OF ALL WINTER RELATED DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES WHEN CARS SLIDE ON SLIPPERY ROADS CAUSING ACCIDENTS. WITH THIS IN MIND…WHEN SNOW FALLS AND ROADWAYS BECOME DANGEROUS YOU SHOULD ONLY TRAVEL WHEN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. STAYING OFF THE ROAD DURING SNOW AND ICE ALSO ALLOWS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORATION CREWS TIME TO CLEAR AND TREAT ROADS SURFACES.

PREPARING FOR THE NEXT WINTER STORM BEFORE IT HAPPENS IS BEST. WHEN SNOW IS IN THE FORECAST…MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ENOUGH FOOD AND MEDICINE AT YOUR HOUSE TO LAST SEVERAL DAYS. ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS ENOUGH FUEL FOR ALTERNATIVE HEAT SOURCES SUCH AS FIREPLACES (WOOD OR GAS) AND HEATERS. IT IS ALSO HELPFUL TO HAVE A FULL TANK OF GAS IN YOUR CAR. NOT ONLY WILL THIS KEEP YOU FROM HAVING TO GO THE GAS STATION DURING TIMES OF SNOW…IT PROVIDES MORE WEIGHT TO YOUR CAR AND CAN IMPROVE TRACTION IN SNOW.

BEING PREPARED ALSO MEANS HAVING THE NECESSARY INFORMATION TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS. MOST NORTH CAROLINA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES ISSUE WINTER STORM ADVISORIES WHEN 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED. WHEN 4 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW IS FORECAST WINTER STORM WATCHES AND WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED. THESE WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE ISSUED AS MUCH AS 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE SNOW TO ALLOW THE COMMUNITY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TIME TO PREPARE AND PLAN FOR WINTER STORMS.

Gannon Medwick
Storm Team 9 Meteorologist

North Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week continues this Thursday.  Today’s focus includes more potentially life-saving information:

COLD TEMPERATURES AND THE DANGERS OF FIRE AND IMPROPER HEATING

COLD TEMPERATURES ARE A FACT OF WINTER. WITH THESE COLD TEMPERATURES COMES AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HOUSE FIRES. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION… A HOUSE FIRE IS REPORTED TO A FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE UNITED STATES EVERY ONE AND A HALF MINUTES… AND SOMEONE DIES IN A HOUSE FIRE EVERY TWO AND A HALF HOURS. STRUCTURE FIRES CLAIMED NEARLY THREE THOUSAND LIVES IN 2007 NATIONWIDE. EIGHTY FOUR PERCENT OF THESE FIRE DEATHS OCCURRED IN THE HOME.

HOUSE FIRES FROM HEATING MATERIAL WITHIN THE HOME RANKS SECOND FOR THE MOST DEATHS AND PROPERTY LOSS FALLING BEHIND IMPROPERLY DICARDED SMOKING MATERIAL. CHIMNEY FIRES ARE THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF HOME HEATING FIRES AND ARE TYPICALLY THE RESULT OF A POORLY MAINTAINED CHIMNEY WHERE CREOSOTE IS ALLOWED TO BUILD UP. PORTABLE AND FIXED SPACE HEATERS… INCLUDING WOOD STOVES… ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR A DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF THE HOME HEATING FIRE DEATHS. SPACE HEATERS ARE TYPICALLY INVOLVED IN 25 PERCENT OF HOME HEATING FIRES BUT ACCOUNT FOR 74 PERCENT OF THE DEATHS.

THE AMERICAN RED CROSS RESPONDS TO MORE THAN 68,000 DISASTERS EACH YEAR… THE MAJORITY OF WHICH ARE SINGLE-FAMILY FIRES. AT LEAST TWO OF EVERY THREE DEADLY HOME HEATING FIRES IN THE U.S. ARE ATTRIBUTED TO SPACE HEATING EQUIPMENT. ALL TYPES OF COMMON SPACE HEATING EQUIPMENT ARE INVOLVED IN THESE HOME FIRES… ELECTRIC HEATERS… KEROSENE HEATERS… WOOD STOVES… FIREPLACES… AND GAS HEATERS. COMMON CAUSES OF SPACE HEATING HOME FIRES ARE PLACING SPACE HEATERS TOO CLOSE TO COMBUSTIBLES… AND FUELING ERRORS INVOLVING LIQUID OR GAS FUELED HEATING EQUIPMENT.

THE RED CROSS RECOMMENDS TAKING THE FOLLOWING PREVENTIVE MEASURES TO HELP MINIMIZE THE CHANCE AND IMPACT OF FIRE:

1) BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WITH CANDLES. COLDER TEMPERATURES USUALLY RESULT IN MORE BURNING OF CANDLES DURING THE WINTER SEASON THAN ANY OTHER TIME OF YEAR. WINTER STORMS AND POWER OUTAGES FURTHER INCREASES THE USE OF CANDLES AND OIL LAMPS IN THE HOME. KEEP CANDLES AWAY FROM COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS. NEVER LEAVE CHILDREN UNATTENDED IN A ROOM WITH LIT
CANDLES. KEEP CANDLES…MATCHES AND LIGHTERS OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.

2) INSPECT FIREPLACES AND WOOD STOVES. HAVE YOUR CHIMNEY CONNECTIONS AND FLUES INSPECTED BY A PROFESSIONAL AND CLEANED IF NECESSARY PRIOR TO THE START OF EVERY HEATING SEASON.

3) USE A STURDY SCREEN OR DOOR IN FRONT OF YOUR FIREPLACE WHEN BURNING FIRES.

4) BURN ONLY WOOD, NEVER BURN PAPER… INCLUDING DISCARDED GIFT WRAP… OR PINE BOUGHS.

5) DO NOT HANG HOLIDAY DECORATIONS FROM OR ON YOUR FIREPLACE IF YOU PLAN TO USE IT AS A HEAT SOURCE.

6) CHECK SMOKE DETECTORS. MAKE SURE DETECTORS ARE WORKING PROPERLY AND THAT NEW BATTERIES ARE INSTALLED.

7) BE AWARE OF OVERUSE OF ELECTRICAL OUTLETS. DON’T OVERLOAD YOUR ELECTRICAL OUTLETS AND BE CAREFUL OF EXTENSION CORDS THAT PRESENT HAZARDOUS WALKWAYS.

8) HAVE ONE OR MORE WORKING FIRE EXTINGUISHERS IN YOUR HOME. MOST FIRE DEPARTMENTS WILL PROVIDE TRAINING ON HOW TO USE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. MANY PEOPLE FALL VICTIM TO FIRES IN THEIR HOMES DURING THE WINTER. THIS FACT MEANS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. MAKE YOUR FIRE EXTINGUISHER IS FULLY CHARGED. ALSO BE SURE TO TEST SMOKE DETECTORS AND REPLACE ANY BROKEN DETECTORS AND DEAD BATTERIES.

Gannon Medwick
Storm Team 9 Meteorologist

North Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week continues this Wednesday.  Today’s focus is:

SAFE WINTER TRAVEL

WE ALL KNOW HOW HAZARDOUS DRIVING CAN BE WHEN ICE AND SNOW ARE ON THE GROUND. SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF ALL WINTER WEATHER RELATED DEATHS OCCUR ON THE ROAD… EITHER IN ACCIDENTS OR BY PEOPLE BECOMING STRANDED. OBVIOUSLY…WHEN THE WEATHER IS BAD AND DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE POOR…THE BEST BET IS TO STAY AT HOME. HOWEVER… IF YOUR MUST VENTURE OUT… THE FOLLOWING TIPS COULD MAKE FOR A SAFER JOURNEY.

1) MAKE SURE YOUR CAR IS IN GOOD RUNNING CONDITION. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR BATTERY… ANTIFREEZE… WINDSHIELD WIPERS… IGNITION AND THERMOSTAT ARE ALL IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. BE SURE YOUR TIRES ENOUGH TREAD. REPLACE ANY OF THESE ITEMS IF NECESSARY.
2) IF YOU MUST GO OUT WHEN SNOW AND ICE ARE ON THE GROUND…LET SOMEONE KNOW YOURDESTINATION AND WHEN YOU PLAN TO ARRIVE.
3) CLEAN SNOW AND ICE OFF ALL PARTS OF YOUR CAR BEFORE YOU DRIVE AWAY.
4) KEEP YOUR GAS TANK AS FULL AS POSSIBLE. THIS WILL NOT ONLY GIVEYOU ADDED PEACE OF MIND…IT ALSO INCREASES THE WEIGHT OF YOUR CARAND THIS WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TRACKING.
5) KEEP THE FOLLOWING BASIC ITEMS IN YOUR CAR: WINDSHIELD SCRAPER AND BRUSH… BOOSTER/JUMPER CABLES… A TOW CHAIN OR ROPE… BAG OF SAND OR SALT… BLANKETS… FLASHLIGHT… FIRST AID KIT AND ROAD MAP.
6) OVERALL… DRIVE SLOW. DRIVING AT EVEN POSTED SPEEDS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN SNOW AND ICE ARE ON THE ROAD. MANY VEHICLES WILL LOSE TRACTION ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER SPPEDS RESUTING IN SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND VERHILE ROLL OVERS.
7) STEER YOU CAR INTO A SKID. IF YOUR VEHICLE LOSES TRACTION AND BEGINS TO SKID… STEER THE FRONT TIRES INTO THE DIRECTION OF THE SKID. NEVER HIT YOUR BRAKES AS THIS WILL RESULT IN A MORE SERIOUS SKID AND SPINNING OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN YOUR VEHICLE SKIDS KEEP YOUR COOL AND REMAIN CALM. AGAIN… DRIVING AT SLOWER SPEEDS WILL HELP YOU RECOVER FROM A SKID.

IF YOU GET STRANDED ON THE ROAD…

1) STAY IN YOUR CAR. DO NOT SEEK ALTERNATE SHELTER OR A TELEPHONE UNLESS THEY ARE CLOSE BY OR ALREADY VISIBLE. YOU CAN EASILY BECOME DISORIENTED IN HEAVY SNOW AND COLD TEMPERATURES. CARRY A CELL PHONE WITH YOU WHEN YOU TRAVEL IF POSSIBLE.
2) PERIODICALLY TURN ON THE CAR ENGINE FOR BRIEF PERIODS. THIS WILL HELP PROVIDE HEAT TO THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. HOWEVER, TO AVOID CARBON MONOXIDE GAS BUILDUP, CLEAR THE EXHAUST PIPE OF SNOW AND LEAVE A DOWNWIND WINDOW SLIGHTLY OPEN FOR VENTILATION.
3) MAKE YOURSELF VISIBLE BY TYING A COLORED CLOTH TO YOUR ANTENNA OR DOOR, OR BY TURNING ON YOUR DOME LIGHT WHEN RUNNING THE ENGINE.

BEING PREPARED FOR WINTER WEATHER MEANS HAVING THE NECESSARY INFORMATION TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS. WEATHER FORECASTS PLAY A LARGE ROLE IN THIS DECISION MAKING PROCESS. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RECOMMENDS THAT YOU REGULARLY TUNE INTO NOAA WEATHER RADIO… LOCAL TELEVISION AND LOCAL RADIO IN ORDER TO KEEP ABREAST OF WEATHER FORECASTS.

Thanks for checking out my blog!

Gannon Medwick
Storm Team 9 Meteorologist

North Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week Continues this Tuesday.  Today’s focus is:

IS YOUR HOME PREPARED FOR WINTER?

WE THINK OF OUR HOMES AS THE PLACE WE WANT TO BE WHEN THE WEATHER TURNS COLD AND BLUSTERY. HOWEVER…IF CERTAIN PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN BEFORE A WINTER STORM STRIKES…LIFE AT HOME CAN BE JUST AS MISERABLE AS THE WEATHER OUTSIDE.

SEVERE WINTER STORMS PRODUCE CONDITIONS WHICH CAN ISOLATE YOU IN YOUR HOME FOR SEVERAL DAYS. PROLONGED LOSS OF POWER AND TELEPHONE SERVICES CAN SEVERELY LIMIT YOUR ABILITY TO HEAT YOUR HOME AND CALL FOR HELP. IN SEVERE WINTER STORMS…OBTAINING SUPPLIES OF FOOD AND OTHER NECESSITIES CAN BE HAMPERED OR PREVENTED BY POOR ROAD CONDITIONS. THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME HELPFUL HINTS TO MAKE YOUR HOME A SAFE HAVEN DURING WINTER WEATHER.

DO STOCK AN EMERGENCY SUPPLY OF FOOD AND WATER PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF A WINTER STORM. INCLUDE FOOD ITEMS WHICH REQUIRE NO COOKING SUCH AS CANNED MEATS…PEANUT BUTTER AND OTHER NON PERISHABLES. ALSO DO NOT FORGET TO HAVE NECESSARY MEDICINES AND BABY ITEMS ON HAND. A THREE TO FIVE DAY SUPPLY OF FOOD AND MEDICINE IS GENERALLY SUFFICIENT. ALSO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A MANUAL CAN OPENER.

DO KEEP AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF HEATING FUEL (FIREWOOD…KEROSENE…ETC.) AT YOUR HOME. USE YOUR FUEL SPARINGLY AS SUPPLIES MAY BE IN SHORT ORDER DURING WINTER STORMS. USE HEATERS AND FUELS PROPERLY AND SAFELY IN ORDER TO AVOID DEADLY FIRES AND CARBON MONOXIDE.

DO KEEP ON HAND A FLASH LIGHT…BATTERY POWERED RADIO…EXTRA BATTERIES AND A FIRST AID KIT.

DO PREVENT WATER PIPES FROM FREEZING BY WRAPPING THEM WITH INSULATION OR NEWSPAPER COVERED WITH PLASTIC. IN REALLY COLD WEATHER…LET YOUR FAUCETS DRIP SLIGHTLY TO HELP AVOID FREEZING. IF YOUR PIPES DO FREEZE…REMOVE THE INSULATION AND WARP THE PIPES IN RAGS. OPEN EVERY FAUCET IN THE HOUSE AND POUR HOT WATER OVER THE RAG WRAPPED PIPES. ALSO KNOW HOW TO SHUT OFF YOUR HOMES WATER SUPPLY SHOULD WATER LINES BREAK.

DO KEEP GENERATORS WELL AWAY FROM THE HOME. NEVER RUN A GENERATOR IN YOUR GARAGE OF ANY OTHER ENCLOSED AREA. CARBON MONOXIDE FROM THE EXHAUST OF THE GENERATOR CAN BE A SILENT KILLER. ALSO MAKE SURE YOUR GENERATOR IS PROPERLY WIRED TO YOUR HOME.

DO PRACTICE CARBON MONOXIDE AND FIRE SAFETY IN HOME HEATING. NEVER HEAT YOUR HOME USING A CHARCOAL GRILL…GAS GRILL OR CAMP STOVE. GRILLS AND CAMP STOVES CREATE DEADLY CARBON MONOXIDE FUMES THAT WILL BUILD UP WHEN USED IN YOUR HOME. ALWAYS USE GRILLS OUTSIDE. STRUCTURE FIRES CLAIMED NEARLY THREE THOUSAND LIVES IN 2007 NATIONWIDE. EIGHTY FOUR PERCENT OF THESE FIRE DEATHS OCCURRED IN THE HOME. FIRE IS A REAL DANGER SO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY FAMILY MEMBER KNOWS HOW TO EVACUATE THE HOUSE IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE. MAKE SURE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY DESIGNATE AN OUTDOOR MEETING PLACE IF YOU DO HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR HOME QUICKLY BECAUSE OF A FIRE. BEING PREPARED FOR WINTER WEATHER MEANS HAVING THE NECESSARY INFORMATION TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS. WEATHER FORECASTS PLAY A LARGE ROLE IN THIS DECISION MAKING PROCESS. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RECOMMENDS THAT YOU REGULARLY TUNE INTO NOAA WEATHER RADIO… LOCAL TELEVISION AND LOCAL RADIO IN ORDER TO KEEP ABREAST OF WEATHER CONDITIONS AND FORECASTS THIS WINTER.

Thanks for keeping up with my blog series on winter preparedness this week!  More topics will follow in the coming days.

Gannon Medwick
Storm Team 9 Meteorologist

North Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week continues this Monday.  Today’s focus is:

THE ANATOMY OF WINTER STORMS

WINTER WEATHER IS THE MOST COMPLEX WEATHER PHENOMENA FORECASTERS FACE IN NORTH CAROLINA. WINTER STORMS OFTEN SEEM TO TAKE ON A CHAOTIC NATURE AS RAIN TURNS INTO SLEET…THEN TO SNOW…AND BACK TO SLEET BEFORE ENDING AS FREEZING RAIN. IT IS THIS HODGE PODGE MIXTURE THAT FORECASTERS CONTEND WITH MANY TIMES DURING THE WINTER SEASON…AS THEY WORK TO KEEP THE FORECAST ON TRACK AND YOU PREPARED.

WINTER STORMS NEARLY ALWAYS BRING SIGNIFICANT AND SOMETIMES RAPID CHANGES IN THE WEATHER WHICH CAN GREATLY AFFECT OUR LIVES AND SAFETY. WINTER STORMS CAN DEVELOP AND LAST FOR JUST A FEW HOURS OR LINGER FOR DAYS. SOME OF THE WORST WINTER STORMS IN NORTH CAROLINA PRODCING HEAVY SNOW AND ICE HAVE TRAPPED PEOPLE IN THEIR CARS…OR ISOLATED THEM IN THEIR HOMES WITHOUT UTILITIES OR OTHER SERVICES FOR DAYS AND SOMETIMES OVER A WEEK. EVEN SMALL AMOUNTS OF SNOW AND ICE CAN CREATE HAVOC AS RESIDENTS OF RALEIGH LEARNED ON THE AFTERNOON OF JANUARY 19, 2005 WHEN JUST A HALF INCH OF SNOW FROZE ONTO MAJOR HIGHWAYS. THE FREEZING OF THE SNOW ONTO THE ROAD SURFACES RESULTED IN HOURS OF GRIDLOCK STRANDING MANY MOTORISTS AND SCHOOL BUSES LOADED WITH CHILDREN FOR HOURS. JUST A LITTLE BIT OF SNOW IN COMBINATION VERY COLD TEMPERATURES AND THE TIME OF DAY CAN CREATE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS CRIPPLING MAJOR CITIES.

WINTER STORMS RESULT FROM A VARIETY OF WEATHER PATTERNS. NORTH CAROLINA SITS IN THE BATTLEGROUND BETWEEN COLD AIR FROM THE NORTH AND WARM MOIST AIR FROM THE SOUTH. THE TIMING OF THE COLD AIR COLLIDING WITH MOISTURE STREAMING IN FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO AND ATLANTIC OCEAN TYPICALLY DICTATES THE TYPE OF PRECIPITATION YOU SEE FALLING IN YOUR BACKYARD. GEOGRAPHY ALSO PLAYS A LARGE ROLE IN OUR WEATHER. THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS OUR WEST AND THE WARM WATERS OF THE GULF STREAM JUST OFF THE COAST BOTH PLAY VITAL ROLES IN WITNER STORM DEVELOPMENT. THE MOUNTAINS ACT TO PILE UP COLD AIR OVER THE STATE WHILE THE WARM WATERS OF THE GULF STREAM PROVIDE MOISTURE AND LOTS OF ENERGY TO WINTER STORMS.

TWO MOST COMMON AND DANGEROUS WEATHER FEATURES WHICH SUPPORT WINTER STORMS ARE COASTAL LOWS…KNOWN AS NOREASTERS…AND COLD AIR DAMMING.

NOREASTERS ARE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS WHICH DEVELOP OVER THE OCEAN AND TRACK NORTHEAST ALONG THE COAST. THE REASON NORTH CAROLINA WATERS ARE SO FAVORABLE FOR NOREASTER DEVELOPMENT IS DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE GULF STREAM. WHEN COLD AIR RUSHES OUT OVER THE OCEAN AND THE GULF STREAM A VERY UNSTABLE AND VOLATILE SITUATION IS CREATED. WHEN THIS INSTABILITY COMBINES WITH THE JET STREAM IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE…A MASSIVE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM KNOWN AS A NOREASTER CAN DEVELOP. THIS WAS THE CASE IN JANUARY OF 2000 WHEN RALEIGH RECEIVED 18 TO 24 INCHES OF SNOW IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS.

COLD AIR DAMMING TYPICALLY IMPACTS THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE. THIS OCCURS WHEN COLD HIGH PRESSURE PASSES TO THE NORTH AND COLD NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS DEVELOP. THIS COLD AIR IS HEAVY AND PILES UP AGAINST THE MOUNTAINS AS IT RUSHES SOUTH. THE MOUNTAINS ACT AS A DAM CAUSING THE COLD AIR TO DEEPEN ACROSS THE PIEDMONT AND SOMETIMES AS FAR EAST AS THE COASTAL PLAIN. WHEN LIGHTER…WARM MOIST AIR COMING UP FROM THE SOUTH OVERRUNS THE COLD AIR AT THE SURFACE FREEZING RAIN…SLEET AND SNOW CAN BE THE RESULT. THIS WAS THE SCENARIO WHICH CRIPPLED CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA WITH AN INCH OF FREEZING RAIN IN DECEMBER 2002.

WINTER STORMS SUCH AS THESE CAN MAKE DRIVING AND WALKING EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THE AFTERMATH OF A MAJOR WINTER STORM CAN HAVE A DEVASTATING IMPACT ON A COMMUNITY OR AN ENTIRE REGION FOR DAYS…WEEKS…OR EVEN MONTHS. WINTER STORMS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE DECEPTIVE KILLERS BECAUSE MOST DEATHS ARE INDIRECTLY RELATED TO THE STORM. PEOPLE DIE IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ON ICY ROADS…HAVE HEART ATTACKS WHILE SHOVELING SNOW OR SUCCUMB TO FIRES OR CARBON MONOXIDE WHILE TRYING THE HEAT THEIR HOME IMPROPERLY.

For more winter weather information, please continue to check my blog through this week!

Gannon Medwick
Storm Team 9 Meteorologist

Though snowflakes flew across Eastern Carolina in November, the heart of the winter season is still weeks away.  This week is “Winter Weather Preparedness Week” in North Carolina, and the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Raleigh has prepared this information-rich message to start the week off:

OUTLOOK FOR THIS WINTER

CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA HAS BEEN SPARED THE IMPACT OF SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. IN FACT THE LAST WINTER STORMS TO STRIKE THE AREA OCCURRED BACK DURING THE WINTER OF 2004 AND 2005. THE LACK OF WINTER WEATHER IN 2007 AND EARLY 2008 WAS IN PART DUE TO LA NINA, DEFINED AS COOLER THAN NORMAL SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN THE EQUITORIAL PACIFIC OCEAN. LA NINA CREATED A SHIFT IN THE WEATHER PATTERNS RESULTING IN BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION. HOWEVER LA NINA HAS LOST ITS GRIP AND WEATHER PATTERNS ARE RETURNING TO NEAR NORMAL. COULD THIS MEAN A RETURN TO A MORE NORMAL WINTER WITH MORE SNOW, ICE AND WINTER STORM ACTIVITY? IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO PREDICT HOW MANY IF ANY WINTER STORMS WILL IMPACT NORTH CAROLINA THIS UPCOMING WINTER, BUT A RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES AS WELL AS NEAR NORMAL PRCIPITATION AND SOME OF THIS PRECIPITATION COULD FALL IN THE FORM OF SNOW, SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN. PREPARATION FOR WINTER STORMS IS OF MORE IMPORTANCE THIS YEAR SINCE IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL YEARS SINCE A MAJOR WINTER STORM HAS AFFECTED CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. EVERYONE SHOULD USE THIS WEEK TO LOOK AHEAD TO THE UPCOMING WINTER MONTHS AND PREPARE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF WINTER STORMS. BELOW ARE SOME DEFINITIONS OF VARIOUS WINTER PRECIPITATION TYPES…AS WELL AS INFORMATION ON NWS WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES.

WINTER PRECIPITATION TERMS

FREEZING RAIN IS RAIN THAT FALLS AND FREEZES TO A COLD SURFACE SUCH AS A ROAD OR TREE, CAUSING A GLAZE OF ICE TO FORM. FREEZING RAIN FORMS WHEN SNOW FALLS THROUGH A WARM LAYER ABOVE THE GROUND, MELTS TO RAIN, THEN RE-FREEZES UPON REACHING THE GROUND, WHERE THE AIR AND GROUND-LEVEL OBJECTS ARE BELOW FREEZING. FREEZING RAIN OR “ICE STORMS” CAN BRING DOWN TREES AND POWER LINES, AND SEVERELY HAMPER TRAVEL. THE ICE STORM IN DECEMBER OF 2002 CRIPPLED CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA LEAVING SOME AREAS WITHOUT POWER FOR A WEEK.

SLEET IS RAIN THAT HAS RE-FROZEN INTO ICE PELLETS PRIOR TO REACHING THE GROUND. SLEET FORMS IN A SIMILAR MANNER TO FREEZING RAIN. HOWEVER, THE LAYER OF COLD AIR NEAR THE GROUND IS THICK ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE RAIN DROPS TO RE-FREEZE BEFORE REACHING THE GROUND. SLEET WILL BOUNCE WHEN IT STRIKES A HARD SURFACE. SLEET CAN ACCUMULATE LIKE SNOW AND MAKE A ROAD SLICK, BUT IT IS NOT AS HAZARDOUS AS FREEZING RAIN.

A BLIZZARD OCCURS WHEN WINDS 35 MPH OR GREATER COMBINE WITH FALLING OR BLOWING SNOW TO REDUCE VISIBILITY TO OR BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE CAUSING WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS. PEOPLE OUT IN BLIZZARDS CAN QUICKLY BECOME DISORIENTED FROM THE COLD, SNOW AND WIND, AND LOSE THEIR WAY WHEN ONLY SEVERAL YARDS FROM THEIR HOME OR CAR.

THE TERM FLURRIES REFERS TO VERY LIGHT SNOW OR SNOW THAT OCCURS FOR A SHORT TIME PERIOD ONLY CAUSING A LIGHT DUSTING AT BEST.

WIND CHILL TEMPERATURE IS THE “FEEL-LIKE” TEMPERATURE DENOTING THE COMBINED EFFECT OF WIND AND TEMPERATURE ON PEOPLE AND ANIMALS. WIND CHILL IS BASED ON THE RATE OF HEAT LOSS FROM EXPOSED SKIN. WEARING LAYERS OF CLOTHING WILL HELP RETAIN YOUR BODY HEAT AND COMBAT WIND CHILL. ONCE WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES DROP BELOW -20 DEGREES F, EXPOSED FLESH CAN FREEZE IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS, CAUSING FROST BITE.

WINTER STORM WATCHES AND WARNINGS

WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS. IN WINTER, WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE ISSUED FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW AND/OR ICE STORMS. BELOW ARE A LIST OF WINTER WEATHER WATCHES AND WARNINGS.

WINTER STORM WATCH: A WINTER STORM WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN THE FOLLOWING WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN 24 TO 48 HOURS: AT LEAST 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW AND/OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF 1/4 INCH OR MORE…IN A 12 TO 24 HOUR PERIOD.

WINTER STORM WARNING: A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN THE WATCH CONDITIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE ARE EITHER IMMINENT OR LIKELY WITHIN 24 HOURS.

BLIZZARD WARNING: A BLIZZARD WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN STRONG WINDS COMBINE WITH FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW TO REDUCE VISIBILITY TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS. DEEP SNOW DRIFTS AND DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILLS OFTEN ACCOMPANY BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

WIND CHILL WARNING: A WIND CHILL WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO REACH 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO OR COLDER.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY: A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN A COMBINATION OF SNOW, SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN PRECIPITATION WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INCONVENIENCE AND HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE ISSUED FOR HAZARDOUS…BUT NOT NECESSARILY LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS. WINTER STORMS ARE DECEPTIVE KILLERS BECAUSE MOST DEATHS ARE INDIRECTLY RELATED TO THE STORM. EXAMPLES ARE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS DUE TO ICY ROADS…HEART ATTACKS WHILE SHOVELING SNOW…OR DEATHS DUE TO PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO THE COLD.

THE ADVISORIES, WATCHES AND WARNINGS LISTED ABOVE ARE ISSUED TO HELP YOU PREPARE FOR UPCOMING WINTER WEATHER AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR PROPERTY.

Thanks for checking out my weather blog!

Gannon Medwick
Storm Team 9 Meteorologist

The temperature in the “back yard” of the WNCT Channel 9 Studios in Greenville fell to 32 this morning (Thursday, November 20), making today the fourth consecutive day to feature a temperature of 32 or below.  Here is a list of low temperatures for recent calendar days:

32

32

27

32

What’s more: this impressive streak of November chill could continue!  Here are my forecast low temperatures for the next few mornings:

31

24

26

32

Now, if I miss the Friday morning’s forecast by a little bit, the streak of 32-or-less degree days may end at four.  But, if our “back yard” does indeed fall to 32 or lower, then the likelihood that we’ll go on to have seven or eight consecutive 32-degree days is quite high.

Looking back through the temperature records we keep here at Channel 9, I discovered that eight-day stretches of freezing weather are quite rare.  The last time we had one was January of 2005.  To be in the running for a streak like this in mid-November is a loud testiment to the unusual nature of the cold spell we’ve been having!

You can check past weather data with the Storm Team 9 Almanac.  Thanks for checking into my blog!

November 11, 2008

Of this list of cities (heavily-weighted on North Carolina), check out how many days have featured sub-freezing temperatures so far in autumn 2008:

Asheville: 9
Charlotte: 5
Greenville (PGV): 3
Raleigh-Durham: 2
Greenville (WNCT): 1
Tallahassee, FL: 1
Morehead City: 0
Hatteras: 0
Atlanta, GA: 0
Philadelphia, PA: 0
New York City, NY: 0

It may surprise you to learn that, of the non-North Carolina cities listed, Tallahassee has had a freeze and cities farther north like Atlanta, Philadelphia and New York have not.  The “urban heat island” effect is the most likely reason for the seemingly odd statistic.  Like islands of concrete and asphalt, urban areas usually retain daytime heat well into the nighttime.  Large eastern U.S. cities exhibit strong nighttime heat islands and can stay above freezing on nights when the air in smaller cities and rural areas falls to 32 degrees or below.

The urban heat island effect can even be noticeable - on a smaller scale - within Eastern North Carolina.  So far this autumn, the Greenville’s Pitt-Greenville Airport (PGV) has recorded temperatures of 32 degrees or less on three days, but here at WNCT, the temperature has fallen to 32 on just one occasion.  Urban heat island effects may be used to at least partly explain this statistic.  Greenville’s airport is surrounded by fields and swamps (open space) near the banks of the Tar River, but the WNCT studios are located just off Evans Street and Greenville Boulevard (heavily residential and commercial).

Urban heat islands aside, it’s typical that neither Morehead City or Hatteras has experienced its first autumn freeze yet.  These places are near to a heat source more vast than any urban area on earth: the Atlantic ocean.  Water temperatures of these bodies usually stay elevated well into the fall season.  The warmer water positively influences the temperature of the nearby air.  It may be late November or December until a strong enough blast of cold air reaches Eastern Carolina to produce freezing air temperatures right to the coast.

Thanks for checking into my blog!