After some moderate to heavy rain on the night of the 17th, cold air quickly came in and freezed the remaining rain drops on cars parked along North 29th Street.
December 18, 2013: Flash Freeze
Monthly Archives: December 2013
December 10, 2013: Observations
No report. No snowfall was reported or seen in the immediate vicinity.
December 10, 2013: Forecast for Rain to Snow
It looks like another small system will being pushing through Central Virginia tomorrow morning into the early afternoon hours. The NWS has the following information:
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM TUESDAY MORNING/... QUICK UPDATE TO ACCOUNT FOR SHRAS ALONG THE FRONTAL BAND, WHICH HAVE GENERALLY DIMINISHED...LEAVING ONLY SOME PATCHY LIGHT RAIN/DZ ACROSS SE TIER OF COUNTIES. MEANWHILE, SOME MID/UPPER DRYING HAS ENTERED EASTERN WV/WESTERN VA HAS ALLOWED FOR SOME AREAS OF FOG OVER THE PIEDMONT...PRIMARILY WHERE CAD WEDGE WAS STRONGEST OVER THE WEEKEND. DID SLOW ONSET OF POP SLIGHTLY ACROSS OUR MD ZONES. OVERALL, MUCH OF PREVIOUS FORECAST REMAINS UNCHANGED. LATER TONIGHT...A VIGOROUS TROUGH (PRESENTLY DIVING SE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS) WILL REACH THE MIDWEST. THIS WILL ALLOW -RA TO RE-DEVELOP ALONG THE MOIST FRONTAL BAND AS IT LIFTS BACK NORTHWARD. ACCORDINGLY, WL SHOW INCREASE IN POP LATE ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA (ASIDE FROM THE LOWER MD EASTERN SHORE) LATER TONIGHT. TEMPERATURES SHOULD REMAIN STEADY IN THE MID/UPPER 40S SE OVERNIGHT...WHILE LOWS SHOULD REACH THE LOW/MID 30S NW WITH SHORT LIVED CLEARING. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY/... THE AFOREMENTIONED TROUGH GENERATES A POWERFUL 180KT (GEOSTROPHIC WIND) 300MB JET...THAT RACES ENE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY TUESDAY MORNING. THIS INDUCES A BAND OF STRONG FRONTOGENESIS ACROSS THE MID ATLANTIC TUESDAY MORNING ALONG WITH ROBUST UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION. ADDITIONALLY...THERE IS DECENT MOISTURE ADVECTION AHEAD OF THE TROUGH. MODEL CROSS-SECTIONS (NAM/GFS) INDICATE A RATHER CLASSIC SLOPING FRONTAL ZONE WITH STRONG FRONTOGENESIS FROM THE SURFACE TO AROUND 600MB. IN ADDITION...MODESTLY NEGATIVE EPV VALUES AND NEUTRAL THETA-E LAPSE RATES INDICATE A POTENTIAL FOR SYMMETRIC INSTABILITY. ALL THIS COMBINED SUPPORTS THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY BANDED PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. AT THIS TIME...THE STRONGEST BAND APPEARS TO SET-UP NEAR THE FAR NORTHERN PORTION OF THE AKQ CWA. GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF THE SYSTEM...THERE SHOULD BE LITTLE DIFFICULTY CHANGING THE PRECIP OVER TO SNOW (DRIVING SURFACE TEMPS DOWN TO THE WET-BULB...WHICH WL BE ~ 30-32F)...BUT THERE COULD BE A MIX WITH SLEET EARLY DUE TO RESIDUAL MID-LEVEL WARM AIR. SNOW AMOUNTS SHOULD RANGE FROM 1-3IN ACROSS THE FAR N (LOCALIZED AMOUNTS AROUND 4 ARE POSSIBLE)...AND TAPERING TO AN INCH OR LESS IN VICINITY OF A LINE FROM FVX-RIC- WAL. AN ADVISORY HAS BEEN RAISED FOR THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA. DRIER AIR QUICKLY COMES IN FROM THE WEST DURING THE AFTERNOON AND THIS SHOULD BRING A QUICK END TO PRECIPITATION. HIGH PRESSURE FINALLY BUILDS IN FROM THE NW TUESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY BRINGING DRIER BUT VERY COLD CONDITIONS. LOWS TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY NIGHT SHOULD RANGE FROM THE UPPER TEENS TO LOW 20S NW...TO THE LOW 30S NC COAST...WITH HIGHS WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY ONLY IN THE UPPER 30S TO LOWER 40S FOR MOST AREAS.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA 350 PM EST MON DEC 9 2013 VAZ060-061-067>071-078-082-083-085-099-102100- PRINCE EDWARD-CUMBERLAND-NOTTOWAY-AMELIA-POWHATAN-CHESTERFIELD- HENRICO-LANCASTER-CHARLES CITY-NEW KENT-MIDDLESEX-ACCOMACK- 350 PM EST MON DEC 9 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL VIRGINIA...EAST CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...THE EASTERN SHORE OF VIRGINIA...THE MIDDLE PENINSULA OF VIRGINIA...THE NORTHERN NECK OF VIRGINIA AND THE PIEDMONT OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. RAIN WILL TRANSITION TO A MIX OF SNOW AND SLEET LATER TUESDAY MORNING...BEFORE BECOMING ALL SNOW EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON. AN INCH OR LESS OF SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED...MAINLY ON ELEVATED AND NON-PAVED SURFACES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
December 8, 2013: Observations
Storm Report (Church Hill):
* Place – Time: Church Hill, 12:00 PM (12/9/2013) *After the Event Update*
* Temperature: 32-34, During Event
* Dewpoint: 31-34, During Event
* Relative Humidity: N/A%
* Pressure: N/A
* Trends: N/A
*Winter Weather Watch/Warning/Advisory: Advisory
* Road Conditions: All roads remained passable, no accumulation of ice on roadways.
* Precipitation Description: Light rain and snow showers persisted on and off during the afternoon hours.
* Total Precipitation: Trace of sleet. Freezing rain measured at approximately 0.05”. Liquid equivalent of 1.05” fell during the event.
* Comments: A mix of sleet and freezing rain started shortly after 6:30 AM. The sleet lasted for about 20-30 minutes. Freezing rain lasted until 11 AM as temperatures crept above 32 degrees. Precipitation was intermittent throughout the day with different periods of light to heavy rain in the afternoon. Light accumulation of ice was seen on trees, power lines and exposed elevated surfaces, even into the afternoon and evening. Melting of ice started overnight Sunday into Monday. No observed power outages were seen in the neighborhood.
NWS Advisory issued during event:
Winter Weather Advisory
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
430 AM EST SUN DEC 8 2013
VAZ065>068-070-071-081730-
/O.CAN.KAKQ.WW.Y.0011.000000T0000Z-131209T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KAKQ.WW.Y.0012.131208T1200Z-131209T0000Z/
MECKLENBURG-LUNENBURG-NOTTOWAY-AMELIA-CHESTERFIELD-HENRICO-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…SOUTH HILL…CREWE…COLONIAL HEIGHTS…
RICHMOND
430 AM EST SUN DEC 8 2013
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS
EVENING…
* AREAS AFFECTED: INCLUDE MECKLENBURG…LUNENBURG AND NOTTOWAY.
* ACCUMULATIONS: A TENTH OF AN INCH OF ICE IS EXPECTED ALONG
WITH A LIGHT ACCUMULATION SLEET.
* TIMING: A MIX OF SLEET…AND FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN
AFTER SUNRISE…THEN CHANGE TO ALL FREEZING RAIN LATE IN THE
MORNING. FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE OVER TO RAIN LATE
THIS AFTERNOON.
* TEMPERATURES: 30 TO 33 DEGREES.
* IMPACTS: TRAVEL CONDITIONS COULD BECOME HAZARDOUS SUNDAY
MORNING AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON DUE TO ICY CONDITIONS ON ROADWAYS
AND SIDEWALKS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SLEET AND
FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE SOME TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED
FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
Photos from Church Hill:
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT SPOTTER REPORTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA 515 PM EST SUN DEC 08 2013 THE FOLLOWING ARE UNOFFICIAL OBSERVATIONS TAKEN DURING THE PAST 24 HOURS FOR THE STORM THAT HAS BEEN AFFECTING OUR REGION. APPRECIATION IS EXTENDED TO HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS...COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS...SKYWARN SPOTTERS AND MEDIA FOR THESE REPORTS. THIS SUMMARY IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR HOME PAGE AT WEATHER.GOV/WAKEFIELD ***********************STORM TOTAL ICE*********************** LOCATION STORM TOTAL TIME/DATE COMMENTS ICE OF /INCHES/ MEASUREMENT MARYLAND ...DORCHESTER COUNTY... CAMBRIDGE 0.20 440 PM 12/08 911 CALL CENTER VIRGINIA ...CAROLINE COUNTY... BOWLING GREEN 0.10 838 AM 12/08 PUBLIC ...CHESTERFIELD COUNTY... MIDLOTHIAN 0.10 834 AM 12/08 PUBLIC ...CUMBERLAND COUNTY... CUMBERLAND 0.50 325 PM 12/08 911 CALL CENTER ...FLUVANNA COUNTY... PALMYRA 0.25 345 PM 12/08 911 CALL CENTER ...HANOVER COUNTY... ASHLAND 0.10 1229 PM 12/08 TRAINED SPOTTER ...HENRICO COUNTY... LAKESIDE 0.10 800 AM 12/08 TRAINED SPOTTER 1 NNE BRIDLEWOOD 0.10 1210 PM 12/08 TRAINED SPOTTER ...LOUISA COUNTY... LOUISA 0.10 843 AM 12/08 PUBLIC ...LUNENBURG COUNTY... VICTORIA 0.10 320 PM 12/08 911 CALL CENTER ...NOTTOWAY COUNTY... CREWE 0.10 839 AM 12/08 PUBLIC ...PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY... FARMVILLE 0.25 300 PM 12/08 911 CALL CENTER $$ LALEXAND
December 8, 2013: Ice Storm? (Freezing Rain & Sleet)
A complex storm system is shaping up for the day on Sunday across Central Virginia. An arctic front is sweeping across the region on Saturday which will set the stage for cold air damning to set up on the day Sunday. The arctic front will stall across the Carolinas on Sunday while two separate pulses of energy will overspread precipitation on Sunday morning. Initial NWS forecast calls for sleet and freezing rain in the morning, followed by freezing rain changing to rain in the afternoon. Temperatures will likely be marginal at best for ice accumulation in Metro Richmond, but will be worth watching to see how much actually accumulates during the day Sunday.
November 26-27, 2013: Observations
No initial sleet on 11/26 or snow (on 11/27) was seen in either Church Hill or the Chesterfield Courthouse.