I Guess Tumbleweeds Are The Latest Winter Driving Hazard

Workers dig cars out from a tangle of tumbleweeds on
New Year's Day in Washington State. 

It sucks to be a motorist in much of the nation, and the Northern Hemisphere, for that matter, during the winter.

There's always the risk of snow, sleet, freezing rain, high winds, flooding, intense cold or other problems to prevent you from getting from here to there.

Add tumbleweeds to this hazard list.  No, us Vermonters need not worry about that during this or any winter. However, motorists up in Washington State had to deal with this, big time.

As NBC reports:

"A few people in Washington state spent part of their New Year's Eve trapped in their cars after winds blew a massive amount of tumbleweeds onto a highway.

The incident happened on Highway 240 in Benton County near Yakima, a city about 150 miles southeast of Tacoma. Washington State Patro Trooper Chris Thorson told NBC News that 911 calls started to come in around 6:30 p.m about people trapped in their vehicles.

He said winds that night were between 40 to 50 mph and it took about 30 minutes for the tumbleweeds to fully encase five cars and partially trap a semi-truck. The highway in both directions was closed for more than 10 hours in order for the tumbleweeds to be removed."

Thorson told the Seattle Times that occupants of the cars trapped in tumbleweeds "were not as amused as the rest of the people watching. Some of them had to ring in their New Year fully encased in tumbleweeds."

People think of Washington State as wet, and not prone to arid location hazards like tumbleweeds. But eastern Washington where the tumbleweed attack took place is dry because the Cascade Mountains to the west of this location block so much of that moisture coming in from the Pacific Ocean.

Yakima, Washinton, near where this took place, only averages about nine inches of rain per year, compared to the roughly 37 inches wet Seattle, Washington on the Pacific coast gets.

Here's a clip of people trying to rescue vehicles and clear the tumbleweeds:

New Year's Eve Road Alert, And New England's Weirdest Winter Storm

National Weather Service map from Monday afternoon shows a bizarre
combinayion of a ice storm warnings (in purple) and a severe thunderstorm
warning (in orange).  Usually these two warnings are in different
seasons, not together on the same day/

Hi, I'm back after a one day hiatus in which I was traveling from the blizzardy snows of South Dakota toward the very weird storminess over New England on Monday.

And what a strange storm it was!  I don't see anything the record books in which a nasty winter storm of snow, freezing rain, sleet and wind combined simultaneously with severe thunderstorms with damaging hail.

That was the situation in New England yesterday, folks!  There's a couple videos at the bottom of this post.

I'll get into more of that in a minute, but first, we're not even quite done with the storm yet.

This thing was a sprawling mess which kept sprouting new centers and new bouts of rough weather from California to Maine.

The last of these storms is near Downeast Maine, and is dumping heavy snow on the northern and western parts of that state.

It's a remnant piece of a previous part of this storm that we Vermonters have to worry about today and tonight.  In case you haven't noticed, it's pretty mild out there this New Year's Eve.

In many, but not all Vermont valley locations, yesterday's ice is melting off the trees. That's a good thing, as you don't want to have the branches weighed down by the ice and risk more tree and power line damage.

One reason it's mild out is there is a cold front of sorts attached to that remnant piece of the storm near the eastern Great Lakes.

This sort of cold front has a lot of energy with it.  There was even more lightning to report this morning in Ohio.  This front will generate some heavy snow showers as it approaches tonight.

The National Weather Service in South Burlington says the timing suggests that the heavier snow showers will come through northern New York between 4 and 8 p.m. today. They'll get into the Champlain Valley between about 7 and 10 p.m. and into the eastern half of Vermont between 9 p.m. and midnight.

This obviously means trouble for people out partying for New Year's Eve. A quick one to three inches of snow, combined with some wind, will sharply reduce the visibility on the roads, and get them slippery fast.

Probably more important is the temperature. When temperatures are near the freezing mark in this snow squally situation, it's a lot worse on the roads than if readings were far below 32 degrees. In very cold weather, a lot of the snow just blows off the roads. It does compact into some ice, but it's not too, too bad when it's super cold.

However, when the temperature is warmish, like today and this evening, water on the road freezes as the temperatures fall during the onset of the snow.  The snow will be relatively wet. Wet snow compacts into thick layers of slippery ice beneath car tires. There will still be a little water on top of all this mess, which makes things even more slick.

Arrived home from a trip to find the trees in my St. Albans, Vermont\
yard were mercifully not too weighed down by ice from Monday's storm.

Combine this with drunk drivers on New Year's Eve and you have a real mess on your hand. I get it that I'm being a New Year's Eve Debbie Downer with this news. But it's all in an effort to help you plan ahead.  

Or stay home. That's what me and my husband Jeff do every New Year's Eve.  Tonight is amateur hour. It's more fun to sip Champagne at home.

In any event, this snow tonight is good news for the ski areas. It'll be kinda powdery up there. Groomers can mix this in with the slop from yesterday, leaving the slopes in pretty good shape for welcoming 2020 with some skiing and riding

MONDAY'S WEIRDNESS

Monday wasn't the first time there's been lightning and thunder during a New England ice storm.  But these were definitely the strongest storms I and anyone else has seen with an ice storm.   For those of you in northern and central Vermont who wonder what I'm talking about, the thundersleet storms passed well south of you.

A New England ice storm is often a recipe for some thunder.  Usually, an ice storm features a very strong punch of very warm air from the south coming into New England several thousand feet overhead.

Meanwhile, low level cold air drains in from Quebec. Rain from the overhead warm air freezes on the way down to form sleet, or freezes on contact with the ground to accumulate some dangerous ice. This is exactly the situation New England faced on Monday.

This warm air above can be quite unstable and create elevated thunderstorms that form above the temperature inversion that is keeping the cold air locked in at the surface. For instance, there were thunderstorms in Vermont during the Great Ice Storm of 1998.

On Monday, the storms turned out to be quite strong, and formed into a system we normally and often see during severe thunderstorm outbreaks in the summer.

One thunderstorm formed ahead of the main line of storms and went through western and central Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut.  This storm very much resembled a supercell thunderstorms, the kind that can produce large hail and even tornadoes.

Supercells usually form ahead of the main band of storms that form along a squall line or ahead of a cold front. That's how Monday's initial storm behaved. It probably was technically a supercell, since it was rotating and had a radar presentation that resembled a supercell.

Because the storm was elevated above the cold layer near the surface, it would have never been able to spin down a tornado toward the ground. (The rotation with this storm was insufficient to produce a tornado even if that low level cold air wasn't around.)

However, supercells and that type of storm that formed Monday in central New England can produce large hail and this one certainly did. Rising and falling air currents in the storm grabbed raindrops and sleet pellets and formed large hail stones.

Some of the hail stones were an inch or more in diameter, as big or bigger than quarters and enough to dent vehicles. Certainly, these were the biggest hailstones on record for December in New England.

The main line of thunderstorms came through later, dumping more hail, and triggering more lightning and thunder across much of southern and central New England. Some of storms extended into southern Vermont.

On top of all this, the freezing rain was bringing down trees and power lines in the Adirondacks, southern Vermont and New Hampshire and much of Massachusetts.

Most, but not all of the power is back on in New England and New York as of early this afternoon.

Videos:

Security cameras caught the noisy thundersleet and large hail in Westfield, Massachusettts. And also the reaction from a stunned occupant of the building:



The freezing rain affected Ontario, Canada, too, as this enthusiastic motorist tells and shows us:

New Year's Eve Update: Still Looks Messy, Could Be Worse

National Weather Service forecast mapfor snow tonight.
Not much: Rangingfrom nothing in parts of the
ChamplainValley to four inches in eastern Vermont. 

People probably want an update to the weather forecast for their New Year's Eve plans, so here goes, fellow Vermonters.

It still doesn't look like a particularly pleasant night to be out for the festivities. You'll especially want to be careful on the roads.

A winter weather advisory is still in effect for tonight in Vermont from the Green Mountains eastward, most of northern New York outside the Champlain Valley, most of New Hampshire, parts of northern Massachusetts and parts of Maine.

Those areas can expect a mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain overnight and into Tuesday morning. Needless to say the road conditions won't be great. No drinking and driving, please.

Some areas that would like to see some fresh snow cover are actually going to get it out of this storm system. Northeastern Vermont will get a coating of probably two to five inches of wet snow out of this.

The big winners will be northern and western Maine and tbe northern tip of New Hampshire. They are  is under a winter storm warning, where four to 10 inches of snow, mixed with some sleet and freezing rain, is anticipated overnight and Tuesday morning.

Where the snow is heaviest in far eastern Vermont and in the winter storm warning zone, there might be a few power failures due to the wet nature of the snow.

Precipitation looks like it will move in this evening and keep going most of the night. The Champlain Valley looks like it will have a mix of rain and wet snow with this, with little accumulation, if any. Up in the northern Champlain Valley, near St. Albans, they could eek out an inch or two of slush.

Up in Montreal, Sherbrooke and Ottawa, things look nasty for tonight. The cities and surrounding areas are under a freezing rain warning for tonight, with very slick roads, sidewalks and everything else expected.

The roller coaster ride of temperatures will continue. We've had several days in the past couple of weeks when the high temperatures for the day was in the early morning, when it's supposed to be coldest. Then temperatures would fall during the day.

That will be the state of affairs on New Year's Day. The few early risers on Tuesday morning will see temperatures in the 30s and low 40s. Temperatures will crash downward, falling through the 20s during the afternoon. Any water left on roads and sidewalks will freeze, so watch out for that.

It'll get into the single numbers Tuesday night, and not get out of the teens Wednesday afternoon. The late week looks like it will feature near normal temperatures for January.

If you're complaining about the inclement weather we have in store here in Vermont for New Year's Eve, it could be worse. There's always places that are worse.

My pick for the place you don't want to be to celebrate New Year's Eve is eastern North Dakota, along the Red River Valley.

Nothing against North Dakota, but the weather is going to be atrocious there today and tonight. There's a blizzard warning up because of widespread blowing snow. Wind chill alerts are up, too.

Early this morning, it was 8 below in Grand Forks, North Dakota, with extensive blowing snow. The wind was from the north at 31 gusting to 41 mph, with a wind chill of 37 below.

The cold is actually forecast to get a little more intense there as the day wears on. Unless perhaps you are such a fan of the movie "Fargo" that you want to re-enact scenes from the film, I'd stay away from the city of Fargo, North Dakota and vicinity for New Year's Eve.

Messy Weather For Vermont, Northeast New Year's Eve

Slick roads in Burlington, Vermont last winter. Road conditions
look like they will be icy again this New Year's Eve in
Vermont, so factor that into your plans. 

Jeff and I usually stay home New Year's Eve. We get a bottle of Champagne, have a nice dinner, and watch the festivities on TV.

It's amateur night out there, and we don't want to get caught up in the crowds, the cold weather, the drunk driving, the can-we-stay-awake-as-we-drive home moments.

This year, we have an extra reason to stay home. The weather is going to be messy, to say the least, New Year's Eve.

Another wet, mixed precipitation storm is on its way, just in time for New Year's celebrations.

Forecasting exactly what will come out of the sky with this storm is even trickier than the last couple of storms. Temperatures will be marginal, and there will be complex layers of warm and cold air in the atmosphere above us. These layers will be rapidly changing and moving, which adds drama and challenge to the forecast.

The current thinking is this will start as a burst of wet snow tomorrow evening, and then go over to a mix pretty quickly. There's a chance the warm air aloft won't really get into the northeastern third of Vermont. If that happens, they'll get mostly snow, perhaps three to six inches of it.

The southern and central Champlain Valley might, might get lucky and have a brief period of mixed precipitation before things go over to rain. Of course, as usual, the ground will be cold, so even if the temperature sneaks a bit above freezing, rain could still freeze on impact.

Most of the rest of the North Country can expect any type of mixed precipitation during New Year's Eve.

The amount of ice and snow we'll get won't be enough to cut power to us. But it will slicken up the roads, for sure. Combined with the usual tired and drunk drivers we usually encounter on New Year's Eve, you can see why we'd want to stay in.

The precipitation dwindles down on New Year's Day, and it will get cold again that night.

The overall weather pattern over North America is fast moving, complex and rapidly changing, so for now, don't rely on forecasts past a two or three days at the most. It's too weird and fast to keep track of, and forecasters really don't have a good handle on what will happen a few days out.

Just expect surprises, I guess.

"Consolation Prize" Snow Due In Vermont Tonight

A little more snow is due tonight,
especially away from Lake Champlain. 

Vermont snow lovers no doubt felt cheated this week when the anticipated winter storm turned out to be less dramatic than originally advertised.

Oh sure, the ski resorts and cross country trails got a decent thump, but nothing spectacular. People who like that sort of thing felt let down.

Maybe Mother Nature felt bad for this crowd, so it looks as if some "consolation prize" snow is coming tonight.

I mentioned over the past few days that a weak storm system will zip through on New Year's Eve and that's still true.

It appears now that this weakling will have a bit more oomph than people thought earlier.

This will by no means be a blockbuster. Still, a few more inches of snow will arrive.

The Champlain Valley will get no more than one or two inches of snow. Maybe one or two lucky spots could end up with three inches.

Away from the lake, especially in the Adirondacks of New York, the Green Mountains and the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, there could be three to five inches of new fluff by the time this ends early tomorrow morning.

Like I said, no biggie, but a nice freshener for the slopes.

Of course, this is hitting on New Year's Eve,  as mentioned yesterday, I don't know if slick, snow covered roads and drunken drivers is the ideal combination, so there's that.

People braving the elements for First Night activities can take heart that although it will be snowing it won't be one of those bitter subzero nights that seem to come on many New Year's Eves.  Expect temperatures tonight in the 20s to near 30.

Still, in the Champlain Valleys, winds gusting to 30 mph tonight will add a bite to the otherwise mild weather

There also remains bad news on the horizon for snow lovers. Freezing rain, then a good slug of rain is coming in from a new storm Monday night and Tuesday.

It won't melt all the snow, but it'll ruin the powder.

Then it turns colder later in the week, so there will be chances of additional powder beyond that. We'll wait and see.

Par For The Course: A Very Nippy Vermont New Year's Eve

It seemed like through the 1980s, 1990s, and early part of the 2000s, one of the nippiest cold waves of each winter would hit on New Year's Eve, putting a chill on the festivities.

Bundle up if you're going to First Night
It's going to be a cold one.  

Or, failing that, we'd get some freezing rain, making the walk home particularly challenging for those who imbibed in the Champagne.

However, the past four New Year's Eve celebrations brought relatively mild, calm weather to Vermont, so maybe the frigid end of the year pattern changed?

Nope.

It's going to be a cold one for anyone venturing out to First Night in Burlington, or to other celebrations across the North Country this evening.

New Year's Eve is dawning cold, with temperatures across most of northern New York and northern New England within a few degrees of zero.

It'll only make it into the teens today, and a few snow showers will dust the ground. The snow won't amount to much--less than an inch pretty much everywhere.

As the parties really get cranking this evening, temperatures will dip back down into the single numbers. A stiff northwest breeze will make it feel like it's in the single numbers or teens below zero.

Not to be a killjoy, but don't rely on the booze to keep you warm. Alcohol might give you a warm feeling, but it actually makes it easier for you to get cold if you've got it in your system.

Hot chocolate, anyone?

For those ambitious enough to participate in Burlington's First Run 5K race on New Year's Day, or even worse, the frigid New Year's Day dip into Lake Willoughby in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, be prepared for the chill.

It's not going to get even as high as 10 degrees as we welcome 2014.

So far, it's been a tougher winter this year than we've grown accustomed to in recent years, and I don't see any signs that's going to change soon.

Forecasters have backed off on the possibility of a snowstorm on Thursday and Friday. The storm will go more to the south and east than first forecast, so we'll only get some light snow at the end of the week.

It'll stay cold through Saturday, with highs not clearing 10 degrees and nighttime lows below zero.

It might warm up somewhat Sunday and Monday as some more snow arrives (It's not clear yet how much snow will come then)

After that, another subzero cold snap looks like it wants to come in.

Anyone waiting for a January thaw will just have to keep waiting.