Snow Woe!

[yellow]

Thundersnow! Wow! That sounds very cool (no pun intended) and entertaining. Is it a warmish storm that cools down just a tad (so that it snows)? How does that work? Is there a meteorologist in the house?

Here on the shores of the Great Salt Lake (well, actually, we're up on a hill above and pretty far from the shore of the lake, but it's figurative), my independent and multiple samples indicate that we got 8" in about 20 hours. Now that's alot for us here in the Salt Lake Valley (mountains got quite a bit more, though surprisingly not a lot more). I think there were something like 450 accidents yesterday because of the snow, so snow-ineptitude is not limited to California (I can say this as I am a native Californian and have experienced it first hand). I don't think that the malls closed here, though! It got sunny today so it's melting, slowly (still pretty cold). Those hard core cyclists will be out tomorrow I bet. But they'll wait until it warms up to 35 or so. I'm with you Annie....I'm going XC skiing.

[Duck on Wheels]

Thundersnow! Wow! That sounds very cool (no pun intended) and entertaining. Is it a warmish storm that cools down just a tad (so that it snows)? How does that work? Is there a meteorologist in the house?

Well, I'm not a meteorologist, but got some basic theory in my second major (Geography) a third of a century ago. And there was something in the local paper two days back, but I can't seem to find it now. Lessee if I remember this ... A warm front pushes cold air back like a retreating wedge, but a cold front rolls in like a big wall. So if the cold front wall is really tall, and the warm air it meets is moist, then you've got warm wet air being pushed up high and fast, and that can lead to thunderclouds with condensation falling as hail and snow. I think. Anybody out there who can confirm or correct this?

Anyway, whatever the explanation, it's pretty exciting to watch. And hear. I'm right near some big antennas here, so the thunder was BIG and came right after each flash, which reflected off white snow. What a show!

[annie]

Crazy weather here, just crazy. Tuesday, 2/14, we have a record high temp of 58F. Saturday, 2/18, we have a record LOW temp of -18F. In between, we get hit with the snowstorm. Today was a high of 12F. Not too bad, compared to the below 0 stuff! I x-skied. Too cold to bike. Tomorrow, I'll hit the trainer. Still, Feb is almost over so spring is around the corner. I hope!! My bikes, too, are calling me, Denise. I am not listening.......

janetsplanet - best wishes on your healing! This is a better time of the year to be healing than is the warm weather, if that's any consolation to you.

annie