Prolonged, Record Winter Storms across the USA and world

[Psalm 51:17]

Yeah, we got alot of rain and heavy wind this week - can't complain b/c it's been a warm and dry winter here in North Texas.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/26/17098892-deadly-storm-dumps-snow-in-north-heavy-rain-in-south?lite

2/26/13

Deadly storm dumps snow in North, heavy rain in South

A powerful winter storm continued to hit much of the country Tuesday, with heavy snow spreading from the Plains to the Great Lakes and severe thunderstorms possible in the South, forecasters warned.

The National Weather Service said the storm would “continue to bring a variety of hazards” to the affected areas. Winds have been gusting up to hurricane strength, with 84 mph recorded at El Paso, Texas.

The storm was blamed for at least two deaths on Monday: Heavy snow caused a roof of a house in Woodward, Okla., to collapse, killing one person inside, and in northwest Kansas, a 21-year-old man was killed when his SUV overturned on an icy patch of Interstate 70. A third death was reported on Tuesday, after a female passenger died in a pickup truck accident on an icy strip of road overnight. Three others were injured in the accident.

“We have roofs collapsing all over town,” Woodward Mayor Roscoe Hill, Jr., told Reuters. “We really have a mess on our hands.”

Authorities pleaded with people to stay off the roads because of what Weather Channel meteorologist Greg Postel described as a “really nasty blizzard.”

The NWS said that heavy snow would spread from the Plains to the Great Lakes, with “blizzard conditions possible through early Tuesday.”

“On the south side of the storm system, severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are possible across portions of the Gulf Coast and Southeast,” it added.

Severe thunderstorms and the threat of heavy rainfall remained possible over sections of the southeastern states and the Gulf Coast on Tuesday, the NWS said, as the south side of the storm system moved through the area.

In a storm summary message posted at 4 a.m. ET, the weather service said blizzard warnings were in effect for parts of central northern Oklahoma with storm watches and warnings in effect for some places from central Oklahoma into the southern Great Lakes.

In Chicago, the wintry mix could affect voter turnout in the special primary to replace former Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., in the Illinois 2nd District. As much as five inches of slushy snow was expected in the city’s southern suburbs, and a storm watch has been issued for the northern part of the state.

Storm watches and warnings were also in effect for portions of the Appalachians, mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states, while ice storm warnings and freezing rain advisories were in effect for parts of West Virginia.

The NWS warned of high winds in the Appalachians in Tennessee, North Carolina and southern Virginia.

In Texas, residents discovered that even their snowdrifts are bigger as they began to dig out from a whopping 19 inches of snow in Amarillo that stranded as many as 100 motorists in the Panhandle and caused Gov. Rick Perry called out military forces.

Farther south, there were flood and flash-flood warnings and watches for “much of the Gulf Coast and southeast U.S. from Louisiana to Georgia.”

Flood watches were also in effect for parts of the mid-Atlantic Region, the NWS notice added, as rain was expected throughout the greater Washington, D.C., area on Tuesday. The mix of rain and wind was expected to begin by noon, picking up through the later part of the day. Meteorologists warned people should expect more rain than sleet as temperatures were likely to remain above freezing. The rain should move out of the area by Wednesday morning, and might yield to sunny skies later in the afternoon.

Commuters in New York City and the tri-state area should also expect to see a late-afternoon cocktail of rain, sleet, and snow. The worst of the storm was likely to hit overnight, though morning commuters might also catch the tail of the storm on Wednesday, forecasters said. As much as six inches of snow could accumulate at higher elevations inland.

[Phord]

Yes we have been needing it very badly. i hope we get even more lol. Everything is high enough right now. we dont need food costs even higher also. people claim global warming! when this happens lol. my mom told me when she was a little girl that they use to same we were going to have "global cooling" meaning the earth would get cooler when honestly everything that happenss from year to year is natural for most part.
half the time they dont even know what there talking about. they even said that this snow wont help drout.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.nbcdfw.com/weather/stories/Winter-Storm-Shuts-Down-Panhandle-193015661.html

Winter Storm Shuts Down TX Panhandle

Dozens of motorists filled emergency shelters after their rescues from vehicles stalled in the worst blizzard of the season in the Texas Panhandle

Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013  |  Updated 8:31 AM CST

Lingering winter weather in the Texas Panhandle has left some roads and schools closed a day after a blizzard dumped a record 19.1 inches of snow in the Amarillo area.

National Weather Service meteorologist Krissy Scotten in Amarillo says the snowfall total Monday bested a record set Feb. 16, 1893, when 19 inches fell.

She says the city's snowfall was the second-most in a 24-hour period, just behind the 19.3 inches that fell March 25, 1934. The storm that moved across the Texas Panhandle also was the third all-time snow event. The most snow in one event was 20.6 inches that fell March 25 and 26, 1934.

Scotten says Amarillo normally receives 17.8 inches of snow for the winter.

Some Panhandle Roads Remain Closed

The Texas Department of Transportation said part of Interstate 40 east of Amarillo and near the border with Oklahoma remained closed Tuesday. Stretches of Highway 87 in the Dalhart and Dumas areas were also closed.

State officials said improving weather should mean reopening the roadways by early Tuesday afternoon. Temperatures in the Amarillo area are expected to reach the mid-30s.

City offices in Amarillo were closed Tuesday. A spokesman said Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport isn't operating flights until runways could be cleared by likely midday Tuesday.

The Amarillo Independent School District canceled classes Tuesday.

Road closures and blizzard conditions in the area lead to as many as 100 motorists stranded between Amarillo and Lubbock on Monday.

Trooper David Hawthorne of the Texas Department of Public Safety in Amarillo said National Guard troops are helping state troopers and local deputies and police find and help motorists stranded in whiteout conditions

Numerous major Texas Panhandle highways were closed for the night as subfreezing temperatures froze ice and compacted snow on the pavement.

The National Weather Service said as many as 100 motorists on Interstate 27 between Amarillo and Lubbock found themselves stalled in whiteout conditions in the worst of the storm Monday.

The American Red Cross set up two shelters for stranded motorists. Red Cross spokeswoman Martha Riddlesburger says about 50 stranded Interstate 27 motorists sought shelter at its shelter in Tulia, about 50 miles south of Amarillo. Red Cross spokesman Steven Pair says 45 motorists stranded on Interstate 40 sought refuge in a shelter in Groom, 45 miles east of Amarillo.

As of 7 p.m., the heaviest snowfall Texas was recorded in Amarillo with 19 inches of snow, 16 inches in Fritch, 15 inches in Pampa and 14 inches in Booker.  In Oklahoma, 15 inches was recorded in Woodward and 11 inches in Shattuck.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/27/17112788-winter-storm-drops-snow-from-missouri-to-maine-threatening-commute?lite=

2/27/13

Winter storm drops snow from Missouri to Maine, threatening commute

A winter storm coated a swath of the country from Missouri to Maine with snow Wednesday, and forecasters warned of difficult travel in heavily populated cities like Chicago and Detroit.

About 100 flights into and out of Chicago’s O’Hare airport were canceled by midday, according to FlightAware.com, on top of more than 500 the day before.

Chicago had almost 5 inches of snow Tuesday, bringing its total for February to 14.9 inches and ranking it among the 20 snowiest months on record, according to NBCChicago.com.

As the storm moves east, it is expected to dump 6 to 10 inches of snow Wednesday and Thursday from the Allegheny Mountains of western Pennsylvania through the Adirondacks of upstate New York and into interior New England.

more

[Psalm 51:17]

http://news.yahoo.com/storm-brings-deaths-travel-problems-power-losses-004952669.html

2/27/13 Storm brings deaths, travel problems, power losses

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Midwest snowstorm packing heavy snow and strong winds left six people dead in Kansas, hundreds of vehicles crashed or stranded in Wisconsin, and tens of thousands of utility customers without power in Michigan.
 
"It's the heaviest snow we've received all winter long, as far as the largest quantity and it's wet," said Mark Rupnik, a sheriff's lieutenant in Sheboygan County, Wis., where residents were hit with 15 inches of wet snow over two days — Tuesday and Wednesday. "This is our big storm for the year, I hope."
 
The storm hit a wide swath of the U.S. with wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph and wet snow. It started in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Missouri on Monday night and headed through Colorado, Iowa, northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan on Tuesday into Wednesday, according to Bob McMahon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wisconsin.
 
Kansas has been particularly pummeled with snow lately, receiving more than 2 feet of snow in some places over the last week or so. As of Wednesday morning, about 10,000 Kansas customers in mostly eastern counties were still without power, though company officials expected all service to be restored by the end of the day.

more

[Psalm 51:17]

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/04/17176645-storms-dumps-snow-from-minnesota-to-tennessee?lite

3/4/13
Storms dumps snow from Minnesota to Tennessee

A winter storm dropped heavy snow Monday and churned up sharp gusts of wind across a swath of the Northern Plains and Upper Mississippi Valley before it was expected to push east.

The storm slammed parts of Montana, North Dakota and Iowa and much of Minnesota, leaving a long arm of snow across the Upper Midwest and as far south as Tennessee, The Weather Channel reported.

Parts of Iowa and North Dakota could see as much as 15 inches of snow by Monday evening. Reduced visibility across the Great Plains will probably jam the major interstates, turning morning and evening commutes into a slog.

The winter storm is expected to move out of the Plains and push into the Great Lakes by late Monday and Tuesday, with the thickest snowfall expected in Wisconsin, northern Illinois and northern Indiana.

more

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/winter-storm-saturn-east-midwest-west

3/6/13
Winter Storm Saturn will turn its emphasis on the East.  Let's lay out the "who, what and how much" bullet points Wednesday:

•Snow:  Ends in Ohio Valley, continues in Mid-Atlantic States, with rain gradually changing over to snow northeast toward Lower Hudson Valley.  Precipitation (mainly snow) spreads into southern New England late afternoon/evening, continuing along I-95 corridor to Washington, D.C. through the night.  (INTERACTIVE:  Radar | Driving Difficulty Index)
•Heaviest additional snow:  Eastern W.V., western Va., western Md.
•Winds:  High winds and weight of heavy, wet snow will trigger power outages in Mid-Atlantic States.  Some power outages also possible later in the day as winds pick up in eastern Long Island, coastal southeast New England.
•Coastal flooding:  Read breakout article on this threat
•Commute Impacts:  Columbus | Cincinnati | Pittsburgh | Washington, D.C. | Philly (mainly P.M.) | NYC (mainly P.M.)
•Airport Impacts:  Washington-Dulles & Reagan National (cancellations/delays) | Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (delays possible) | Baltimore-Washington, Philly, the NYC airports, and Boston (delays will build)
•Interstate impacts:  I-70 (Ohio to Md.) | I-81 (Pa. to Va.) | I-95 (NYC to Washington)
•MAPS:  Interstate Impact

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/06/usa-weather-idUSL1N0BX3ZJ20130306?feedType=RSS&feedName=utilitiesSector&rpc=43

3/6/13
Washington shuts down as fierce snowstorm slams Midwest

By Ian Simpson

WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. government shut
down on Wednesday ahead of a fierce snowstorm packing heavy, wet
snow that had blanketed the Midwest, leaving thousands without
power and forcing hundreds of flights to be canceled.

Washington could get slammed by its biggest snowfall in as
much as two years, with 6 inches to 12 inches (15 cm to 30 cm)
expected after the storm moved eastward into the mid-Atlantic
states, the National Weather Service said.

The government, already hit by $85 billion in overall budget
cuts that took effect last Friday, ordered  375,000 federal
workers in the Washington area to stay home.

Major school districts in the area also shut down ahead of
the storm, which is packing winds of up to 35 miles per hour (56
km per hour).

Airlines canceled about 1,500 flights, including about 700
at Washington's Reagan, Dulles and Baltimore/Washington
airports. About 1,700 flights were called off on Tuesday as the
storm moved across the north central United States.

The heavy, wet snow was expected to bring down power lines
and tree limbs. About 54,000 Dominion Resources Inc
customers were without power in Virginia, and American Electric
Power Co Inc and FirstEnergy Corp reported 5,000
customers in West Virginia were in the dark.

more

[Psalm 51:17]

http://local.msn.com/disruptive-snowstorm-to-head-northwest-to-northeast-2
Updated: 3/14/2013
Disruptive snowstorm to head northwest to northeast

A storm forecast to roll ashore in the Pacific Northwest Saturday will spread a swath of snow, rain, thunderstorms and wind across a large part of the nation next week.

As the caboose of Alberta Clipper storms exits the East later this weekend, the new cross-country storm will already be putting down heavy snow over part of the northern Rockies and northern Plains.

As the caboose of Alberta Clipper storms exits the East later this weekend, the new cross-country storm will already be putting down heavy snow over part of the northern Rockies and northern Plains.

Sunday night and Monday, the storm will begin to focus over the Midwest. Windblown snow is possible over portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Meanwhile, rain and thunderstorms will be gathering farther south over the Ohio and lower Mississippi valleys.

The snow can be intense in some areas across the north, while the storms and downpours can be quite heavy farther south. The snow across the north could result in significant travel issues; the rain in the south could be heavy enough to cause incidents of flooding.

The track of the storm will determine whether or not heavy snow swings as far south as Chicago and Detroit. Minneapolis appears to be in line for a heavy snowfall.

After the storm reaches the Midwest, it may split into two parts Monday night and Tuesday with one center swinging toward the eastern Great Lakes and a new center developing near or east of the central Appalachians.

more

[Psalm 51:17]

For now, this doesn't seem to want to go away. Surprising it's continuing well into March...

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/17/17347008-late-winter-storms-could-bring-more-snow-to-northeast?lite=
3/17/13
Late-winter storms could bring more snow to Northeast

A pair of storm systems that were moving across the country on Sunday could join forces to bring snow to the Northeast — even as the official start of spring approaches next week.

One storm was spreading snow showers from the Cascades and northern Rockies into the northern Plains and was expected to bring snow to the Dakotas, Minnesota and western Wisconsin tonight, the Weather Channel said.




There was also a chance of snow in West Virgina, southwest Pennsylvania and northwestern Virginia Sunday night, according to meteorologists.

Another storm system was moving over the Ohio Valley Sunday and was expected to continue moving east, joining the northern system to produce a "fairly potent storm off the New England coast Tuesday," the Weather Channel said.

In addition, severe thunderstorms were in Monday's forecast from southern Ohio down into Kentucky, Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and northeast Texas.

Snow was expected to close in on parts of the Northeast as the work week gets underway. The Weather Channel said the best chance for accumulating snow and freezing rain was in New England and other interior sections of the Northeast.

Snow is also possible on the I-95 corridor from Washington to Philadelphia Sunday night and from New York to Boston Monday night.

The National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration called for a chance of rain in New York City Monday, with showers also forecast for Tuesday. NOAA also forecasted snow early Tuesday morning in Boston, but little accumulation is expected as the precipitation turns to sleet and rain during the day.

Wednesday marks the first official day of spring.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://news.yahoo.com/winter-snow-snarls-traffic-shuts-schools-northeastern-u-154258876.html
3/19/13
Late winter snow snarls traffic, shuts schools in northeastern U.S.

BOSTON/CONWAY, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Snow, sleet and rain hit the northeastern United States on Tuesday, the last full day of winter, slowing traffic, closing schools and annoying people tired of the wet and cold weather.
 
In New England, about 6 inches of snow fell on Boston, with as much as 10 inches recorded in the city's northern suburbs and southern New Hampshire and Vermont.
 
New England has seen a steady stream of heavy snowfalls this winter, including a February blizzard that dropped more than 3 feet of snow in parts of the region.
 
Massachusetts state officials postponed a statewide test of grammar school students. Many school districts, including Boston, canceled classes on Tuesday, the last day of winter before the Spring Equinox, which falls on Wednesday.
 
"We've had more than enough and I could really do with a break," said Paul Nulsen, 59, a researcher at an astronomical observatory, as he shoveled a sidewalk outside his house in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
 
Snow was expected to change to sleet and later to rain in Boston, with the heaviest snow expected north of New England's largest city, said Alan Dunham, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton, Massachusetts.
 
The region was not the only one in the United States to be inconvenienced by inclement weather. In the southeast, windstorms left more than 130,000 homes and businesses without power on Tuesday morning, the day after high winds shook Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.
 
Two tornadoes touched down in Tennessee, blowing down trees and damaging some small buildings, according to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service.
 
SPEED LIMITS
 
The Massachusetts State Police ordered the speed limit on the state's main highway reduced to 40 miles per hour.
 
Police reported a larger than normal number of traffic accidents, including one in Marlborough that involved a bus carrying the Harlem Globetrotters exhibition basketball team and a passenger car.
 
"That definitely appears to be weather-related, the two vehicles were spinning on the road and made contact with each other," said State Police spokesman David Procopio. No injuries were reported in either vehicle, he said.
 
Some 481 flights had been canceled, according to the Web site FlightAware.com, with the most cancellations at Boston Logan International Airport and New York's LaGuardia Airport.
 
In the Boston area, snow blowers roared on normally quiet residential streets and cars drove slowly along slushy avenues as snow and sleet fell. Snow blanketed trees and parked cars.
 
In the Western Massachusetts hill town of Conway, Claudia Rutherford, a 46-year-old psychologist, said she was tiring of school cancellations for her two boys.
 
"I have to cancel clients when it's like this," Rutherford said. "Every time this happens, I go into my calendar and extend the school year by a day."
 
For many families, the novelty of going out sledding or building snowmen after a storm has worn off.
 
"We've had so many of these that the kids don't necessarily even want to go out and play in the snow any more," Rutherford said. "I've reached a point where I make them, or I put them to work helping us with shoveling."
 
(Additional reporting by Scott DiSavino in New York, writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Grant McCool)

[Kilika]

Seasonal storms. In other news...

[Psalm 51:17]

Seasonal storms. In other news...

Not this one - this particular one with recurring snowstorms across the country has been very unusual, b/c it's been going on every week since late February, to the point where they had to cancel schools et al even in the Northern states b/c of the high levels.(hence the thread "Prolonged, Record Winter Storms across the USA")

There's also been a mixture of rain storms, tornados, etc during this time as well. Who knows, but I think HAARP has gone overboard now.

[Psalm 51:17]

Looks like HAARP is really out of control now.

http://local.msn.com/WeatherArticle.aspx?cp-documentid=256838457
Updated: 3/22/2013.

Major Storm Potential Palm Sunday Weekend

Another major storm has begun to cross the nation with areas of heavy snow, flooding rain and severe thunderstorms. The worst conditions with the storm may center over the Palm Sunday weekend.

Like many storms during the second half of the winter, this first major storm of the spring could threaten lives and property, bring significant travel disruptions and foil outdoor plans.

The storm will drive cold air southward over the Rockies and part of the Great Basin.

After bringing drenching rain and heavy mountain snow to the Northwest and part of the Rockies late this week, a storm from the Pacific will reorganize over the Central states this weekend.

The exact track of the main storm as it heads from the Rockies to the Atlantic coast will determine the portions of states along the way that will be on the receiving end of heavy snow versus drenching rain.

The storm will move eastward along a strong temperature contrast from south to north. Almost midwinter cold will linger in the northern tier states, while warmth and humidity build over the Deep South. This temperature contrast will likely be compressed in the middle with a distance of a couple hundred miles or less potentially separating temperatures in the 80s from the 20s and low 30s.

The temperature contrast will make for very challenging forecasts when determining which areas near the storm track will get snow versus rain. However, this stored energy can yield very dramatic results ranging from a foot or more of snow in some areas to a half a foot of rain with flooding and a severe weather outbreak.

Snow

The storm will gather enough cold air to begin producing a swath of heavy snow over parts of the central and southern Plains later Saturday and Saturday night. Parts of Kansas and Missouri appear to be in the middle of several different potential tracks at this time.

During Sunday, the band of heavy snow will nose eastward, most likely impacting some of the Ohio Valley states. A small shift in the storm track could mean the difference between heavy snow in Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Dayton versus Omaha, Chicago and Cleveland.

By Monday, the zone of heavy snow will be impacting part of the central and southern Appalachians and could be aiming all the way to part of the mid-Atlantic coast and the I-95 corridor. Not only will the same challenges remain in the north-south orientation of the storm, but warm air from the Atlantic Ocean may play a role.

Severe Weather

There is the potential for severe weather to develop in portions of the Deep South from Texas and Louisiana to Mississippi, Alabama, southern Georgia and northern Florida with the storm system this weekend.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://news.yahoo.com/storm-could-dump-8-inches-snow-midwest-214020436.html
Storm could dump up to 8 inches of snow in Midwest
3/22/13

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A major weekend storm could give new meaning to March Madness for the thousands of fans in Kansas City for the men's college basketball tournament, blanketing northern areas of the nation's heartland in up to a foot of snow and bringing downpours and possibly, tornadoes, to parts of the South.

Forecasters said Friday that the storm expected to come down from the Rocky Mountains could dump 8 or more inches of snow on Kansas City and could also blanket Indianapolis, Omaha, Neb., and Springfield, Ill. More snow is expected to hit parts of the Northeast early next week, and the cold air may stick around for even longer.

"Baseball season's about to start. Let's hope this is it," said John Hart, a meteorologist with Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla.

Farther south, tornadoes are possible in Louisiana and Mississippi as the storm system moves east, while strong winds and low humidity levels could lead to forest fires and wildfires in parts of New Mexico and west Texas.

The new system could pose headaches in winter-weary Kansas City over the Palm Sunday weekend because of the thousands of people in town for the college basketball tournament at the Sprint Center. But a spokesman for Kansas City's public works department said it has more than enough resources to handle whatever the new storm brings.

"We are ahead of the game," spokesman Sean Demory said. "We have more than $1 million left in our snow budget, 17,000 tons of salt, and our crews are set for 24-hour activity on arterials and at least 12 hours a day on residential streets."

After two mild winters, this will be the third major snowstorm in about a month for the Midwest. Weather Service meteorologist Chris Bowman in Pleasant Hill, Mo., said this weekend's storm will be similar to one in late February that brought white-out conditions, dumped more than a foot of snow in some areas, and forced the cancellation of several flights in and out of Kansas City International Airport.

"We're going to have a pretty major late winter-early spring snowstorm," Bowman said. "Right now, with the models trickling in, my preliminary thinking is a good swath of 8 to 12 inches of snow will fall along the I-70 corridor."

He said Kansas City will get rain Saturday afternoon, then snow in the early evening that will likely continue until around noon on Sunday.

Only last week, some areas enjoyed record high temperatures in the 80s for a March 15 that seemed to signal the end of a winter that saved its worst for last, with two major snowstorms in late February.

"It's fairly rare to get this powerful of a system this late in the year with the potential to drop that much snowfall," Bowman said.

Weather Service meteorologist Vanessa Pearce in Wichita, Kan., said the storm system will start moving into northwest Kansas on Friday night and march eastward on Saturday. The state's highest predicted snowfall is expected along the Colorado border, where a foot or more could fall.

Goodland is expected to get 12 inches of snow in northwest Kansas, while Wichita was expecting 2 to 5 inches and Topeka was forecast to get about 6 inches, she said.

The storm will start with rain before turning entirely to snow, accompanied by strong winds that could hamper visibility and create some drifting, Pearce said.

"A rain or snow mix could create a little bit of a challenge and hazardous driving potential," she said. "But for the most part, it's going to be just snow once major precipitation gets to some of those areas."

Pearce said Wichita has had 24.5 inches of snow since Jan. 1, more than 10 inches above normal, while Topeka has seen about 7 inches more than normal. In northwest Kansas, the nearly 28 inches so far this winter is about normal, but the additional foot expected on Saturday will push that well above average, she said.

___

Associated Press reporter Jeannie Nuss in Little Rock, Ark., contributed to this report.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/uk-braced-for-horrendous-weather-29147418.html
UK braced for horrendous weather
3/22/13

Britain is bracing itself for more horrendous weather conditions which are believed to have claimed a first victim, closed hundreds of schools and brought travel chaos.

A landslide and floodwater in Cornwall, thought to have been triggered by torrential rain, smashed through a block of flats partially collapsing the building. Emergency crews and specialist investigators found a woman's body after picking through debris at the Veronica flats in Looe.

The body is believed to be that of Susan Norman, who is in her 60s and police said was unaccounted for, having not been heard from since returning to the flats on Thursday night. More than a dozen residents in Sandplace Road were evacuated after most of the building's front-facing wall crumbled away, with debris and mud crashing on to the back of the property from the road behind it.

More flooding is expected in the South West as heavy rain continued while residents mopped up. Further north, snow blanketed many areas and closed several hundred schools. As forecasters warned this month could be the coldest March in 50 years, officials issued weather and travel warnings dashing any hopes of spring. Thousands of youngsters got a day off school as several hundred shut their doors.

Up to 8in (20.3cm) of snow is expected to hit the worst-affected parts of north west England, North Wales and south west Scotland. Higher areas could even see up to 16in (40.6cm), while bitterly cold gale-force winds create blizzard-like conditions and plunge temperatures down to well below freezing.

John Lee, forecaster with MeteoGroup, said it could be the coldest March in 50 years. He said the average temperature expected for central England at this time of year is 6C (42.8F), but so far this month the average is 2.2 degrees below that - at 3.8C (38.8F). That is significantly colder than last March, when averages were 8.3C (46.9F) - 2.3 degrees above the expected average.

"Comparing it to similar winters, it's provisionally going to be the coldest March in 50 years, although that can't be confirmed until we reach the end of the month," Mr Lee said. He referred to 1962 - when average temperatures were even colder, at 2.8C (37F), adding: "That will take some beating. But the way we are going it looks like we are heading towards being the coldest March since then."

[Psalm 51:17]

http://news.yahoo.com/snowstorm-takes-aim-plains-midwest-171700123.html
3/23/13
Snowstorm takes aim at Plains, Midwest

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — An early spring snowstorm forced the cancellation of more than 100 flights at Denver International Airport and closed several roads Saturday as it moved eastward, dumping more than a foot of snow in some places.

The snow started falling around midnight in northeast Colorado and then moved into northwest Kansas and southwest Nebraska.

Ten to 15 inches of snowfall had fallen by late Saturday morning north of Interstate 70 in northwest Kansas and northeast Colorado, with an additional 3 inches expected in the area, said Jerry Killingsworth, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. The interstate had been shut down Saturday from Denver to Colby, Kan., because of poor visibility. The northbound lanes of Interstate 25 also were closed south of Fort Collins, Colo., because of multiple accidents.

"It's a mess here," said Killingsworth, who is based in Goodland, Kan., which had received 14 inches. "Heavy, wet snow, tree limbs down."

As the system moved eastward, it threatened to inconvenience fans attending the NCAA men's college basketball tournament in Kansas City.

Pamela Murray, a meteorologist in Pleasant Hill, Mo., said Kansas City and western Missouri would see light showers and drizzle before the precipitation switched over to snow Saturday afternoon. The heaviest snowfall was expected overnight.

Dan Gavitt, vice president of the NCAA men's basketball championships, said teams and officials already are onsite and that no game delays are anticipated.

"This region routinely has winter snow and has the appropriate equipment and procedures to manage these winter conditions," Gavitt said in written statement. "We encourage fans planning to attend games to pay attention to the weather, use good judgment and follow any directions from local authorities regarding travel and weather."

North Carolina coach Roy Williams was nonplussed.

"It's no distraction, unless the roof goes off, we'll still be able to play and the whole bit like that," Williams said.

Elsewhere, some churches and other organizations were calling off events. Among them, the final game of the Emporia State baseball series with Southwest Baptist was canceled.

Denver International Airport spokesman Heath Montgomery Heath Montgomery said about 106 flights have been canceled, many of which involved commuter jets headed to nearby destinations or to mountain towns.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center said up to a foot of new snow in the mountains could create dangerous avalanche conditions.

Colorado State Patrol troopers also spent part of Saturday working a crash near Johnstown involving a tractor-trailer that burst into flames. An estimated 20 to 50 vehicles, including four tractor-trailers, crashed or slid off the roadway in the area. The patrol said several people were hospitalized, but no fatalities have been reported.

The system will move into Illinois and Indiana overnight and into Sunday.

Meteorologist Dan Smith with the National Weather Service in Lincoln, Ill., said snowstorms aren't uncommon in early spring. The latest the area has seen snow, he said, was April 23, in 1910.

"One good thing about them is it doesn't matter how much you get, it usually doesn't stick around too long because temperatures start to warm up pretty good," he said.

Farther south, tornadoes were possible in Louisiana and Mississippi, while strong winds and low humidity could lead to forest fires and wildfires in parts of New Mexico and west Texas.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://news.yahoo.com/severe-u-storm-bring-heavy-snow-possible-tornadoes-164536444.html
3/23/13
Severe U.S. storm brings heavy snow, baseball-sized hail

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A major early spring storm brought heavy snow, severe thunderstorms and floods as it moved east across the United States on Saturday, closing highways and causing a pileup involving dozens of vehicles.

Baseball-sized hail was reported in northern Florida, along with possible tornadoes, while heavy snow in Colorado and Kansas delayed flights and shut down part of Interstate-70.

A crash involving up to 50 vehicles closed part of Interstate-25 near Loveland, Colorado, north of Denver. There did not appear to be major injuries, but many cars needed to be moved off the road, said Mindy Crane, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation.

More than 200 miles of I-70 were closed in both directions from near Denver to Colby, Kansas, due to poor visibility.

"All in all, this is a pretty nasty storm," said AccuWeather.com senior meteorologist Tom Kines.

Crane said there was no estimate for the reopening of the I-25. "We're seeing 40-miles-per-hour gusts."

The snow in the Loveland area was reported to be at least 10 to 12 inches deep, she said.

Snow delayed arriving flights at Denver International Airport, said spokesman Heath Montgomery.

The snow was expected to move east to Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio, over the next 24 hours, before moving into the mid-Atlantic states, Kines said.

Rough weather also was forecast in the Gulf Coast region from Florida to eastern Texas throughout Saturday, with large hail, damaging winds and possible tornadoes, Kines said.

In northern Florida, the National Weather Service in Jacksonville had reports of high winds and possible tornado touchdowns, though no twisters have been confirmed, according to meteorologist Phil Peterson.

Peterson said the weather service also had reports of baseball-sized hail west of Lawtey, Florida, early in the afternoon. Lake City received two inches of heavy rain in 30 minutes, he said.

[Psalm 51:17]

Winter Storm Virgil Targets Midwest, East with Snow
3/24/13
http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/winter-storm-virgil-20130321

Spring has arrived, but Winter Storm Virgil will make it feel like we are in the heart of winter for millions from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic through this weekend and into Monday.

Virgil delivered nearly a foot of snow to Denver and 15 inches of snow to Goodland, Kan. on Saturday.

Snow will gradually wind down Sunday morning across eastern Kansas, southeast Nebraska and northeast Oklahoma.

Meanwhile, the swath of significant snowfall will continue Sunday from Missouri and southern Iowa into Illinois and Indiana, expanding east into Ohio Sunday afternoon. The snow is taking the form of a one-two punch, with an eastern lobe of snow being followed by a second zone of accumulating snow farther west, both tracking east across mostly the same areas.

The heaviest snow will wind down across Missouri late Sunday afternoon into Sunday evening, and the Ohio Valley later Sunday night. However, lighter snows will linger into Monday across most of this region even as Virgil focuses its heavier impacts on the Mid-Atlantic.

Snow accumulations of 4 to 10 inches are likely near and either side of the I-70 corridor as shown on our snowfall forecast graphic. This includes cities such as Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Ill., Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio.

At this time, it appears the heaviest snow will stay south of Chicago, although some minor slushy accumulations are possible there.

Locations where snow falls at night and where snowfall rates are heaviest in the daytime will have the greatest chance at seeing snow-covered roads and poor travel conditions even with the higher sun angle in late March.

In Virgil's warm sector, we'll be watching parts of the South for a threat of severe thunderstorms, possibly including tornadoes, on Sunday. For more information on this threat, click here.

Virgil will continue to spread east into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Sunday into Monday. Find out what impacts to expect as we head toward the new workweek.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://local.msn.com/weatherarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=256942478
3/25/13
Midwest, Northeast to Endure More Cold Well into April

While April will not be as cold as March, thanks to the strengthening sun, pockets of cold air will continue their invasion from the northern Plains to the Midwest and Northeast into the first half of the month.

As we progress through spring, warmth is highly dependent on sunshine. Through the first half of April, most of the northern tier states should bag more sunny days, compared to the first four weeks or so of March.

However, the overall weather pattern into the first part of April will continue to run about a month or so behind schedule. March behaved a lot like a typical February, and it appears the first half of April will be what March should have been like.



The current batch of cold air will reach its peak during the middle of this week but will back off briefly over part of the Easter Weekend, ahead of another push of cold air from the Midwest to the Northeast.

According to Expert Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson, "The pattern into the first half of April or so still favors blocking to some extent."

Anderson is referring to the configuration of strong winds high in the atmosphere, known as the jet stream. The blocking limits the general west to east movement of weather systems.

"The jet stream appears as though it will continue its antics of large southward dips, known as troughs, and northward bulges, known as ridges, "Anderson stated, "Occasionally these dips will break off from the main jet stream forming closed-off lows."



The March lion is not in a hurry to leave. It appears it is April that will be in like a lion and out like a lamb.

These closed-off lows represent a large puddle of cold air high in the atmosphere. The weather produced can range from strings of chilly, unsettled days with clouds and showers or days where it starts off sunny but yields to towering clouds and thundershowers with hail.

Once in a while, these lows can bring heavy wet snow to a small area from the Plains to the East Coast and continue to produce bouts of lake-effect snow around the Great Lakes to the central Appalachians.

So while the weather moving through the first half of April will bring some warm, sunny days, these could still be outnumbered by days with clouds, showers and chilly conditions.

Even in parts of the South, a few outbreaks of chilly air are possible.

In short, spring will continue to evolve slowly. In some cases, it could be six to eight weeks behind what it was last year at this time.

Spring is often a chaotic time of the year in terms of weather, but with the pattern remaining around this year there is the potential for very dramatic weather changes from day to day.

Even in an average spring, the challenge of hitting temperatures on the mark a few days in advance can be challenging. This spring will be especially challenging. One thing to keep in mind is that normal temperatures trend upward markedly. What may be a mild day now may be considered chilly a couple of weeks from now in the realm of normal average temperatures.

During the second half of April, AccuWeather.com long-range meteorologists expect the atmosphere to start to behave more like the calendar from the northern Plains to the Northeast.

According to Long Range Weather Expert Paul Pastelok, "The number of episodes of cold air should gradually fade away during week three and four of April with temperatures and the weather pattern finally trending toward normal."

Flooding Concerns Addressed

The combination of the frequent chilly outbreaks, combined with strengthening sunshine will generally work against major flooding events in most areas. The pattern will allow a gradual thaw by day and a freeze-up at night.

However, because the snow cover will not rapidly dissipate on its own, such as over the northern Plains, Upper Midwest and in northern New England, there is some risk of flooding, providing a storm with heavy rain rolls in.

The geographical setup of the Red River (over the northern Plains/Upper Midwest) is a perennial trouble spot. It flows northward from warmer to colder climate zones.

AccuWeather.com meteorologists and National Weather Service hydrologists will be keeping an eye on the potential for this well into the spring.

AccuWeather.com will be releasing more information on the outlook for flooding this spring during this week.

[Psalm 51:17]

Winter refuses to loosen grip on much of U.S.

March 25, 2013 12:10 am

Winter-weary residents of southwestern Pennsylvania braced for yet another round of snow and ice -- seriously, Mother Nature, again? -- Sunday as a massive storm system swept in from the Midwest, dampening hopes that springlike weather might finally be near.

By Sunday night, the storm covered much of the eastern half of the country, from Iowa to the eastern seaboard and as far north and south as Michigan and Tennessee. Along its path across the upper Rockies and Midwest, the storm left as much as a foot of snow over the weekend, with wind gusts creating drifts of 2 to 3 feet in some states.

Just 3 to 5 inches of snow was expected to accumulate across much of southwestern Pennsylvania overnight, with another 1 to 2 falling this morning, according to the National Weather Service in Moon.

Still, local road crews were leaving nothing to chance, said PennDOT spokesman Jim Struzzi in Pittsburgh.

Crews spent Sunday evening pretreating roads with brine and mounting plows back onto trucks. By midnight, when the heaviest accumulation was expected to begin as the main body of the storm moved in from the southwest, the highway department planned to have 70 to 80 trucks out across Allegheny County, Mr. Struzzi said.

"It will be our full fleet," he said. "We're ready for battle."

Heavy snow was expected to continue through the pre-dawn hours, then lessen as the day progresses. The winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service expires at 11 a.m. today.

"The snowfall is going to be lighter, plus with the late March sun coming through the clouds and warming the ground, not much will accumulate after morning even if the snow lingers into the evening," said Brad Rehak, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Moon.

Over the weekend, however, residents across much of the Midwest saw heavy snowfall and damaging winds that made the season seem like springtime in name only.

The National Weather Service said parts of Colorado and northwest Kansas saw 10 to 15 inches of snow Saturday, and southwestern Nebraska had up to 7 inches. Winds gusting at speeds of up to 45 mph created snowdrifts of 2 to 3 feet in the three states, said Ryan Husted, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Goodland, Kan.

The storm dumped 7 to 9 inches of snow from eastern Kansas into central Missouri before tapering off there Sunday morning, said Dan Hawblitzel, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in suburban Kansas City. In the mid-Missouri town of Columbia, TV station KOMU was briefly evacuated Sunday morning because of high winds and a heavy buildup of snow on the broadcast tower next to the building.

Snow began to fall in earnest in St. Louis and western Illinois on Sunday morning. Parts of St. Louis saw nearly 9 inches, while a record snowfall of 9.6 inches was set at Columbia Regional Airport, breaking the old record of 6.1 inches set in 1912.

The storm arrived in Indiana late Sunday afternoon and left 5.5 inches in Hancock County, east of Indianapolis, according to the weather service. Ohio was expected to see 5 to 9 inches Sunday night.

Before it exits off the coast of New Jersey on Monday night, the storm could leave 1 to 3 inches in southern New York and New Jersey.

"It's definitely a wide-hitting system," Mr. Hawblitzel said.

And don't put away the snow shovels, rock salt and wool mittens just yet, because it might not be the last snow of the season, said Mr. Rehak, the meteorologist in Moon.

Four storms, he said, left more than six inches of snow in the Pittsburgh region later in the season than this: 12.7 inches April 3, 1901; 11.2 inches April 8, 1902; 8 inches March 30, 1883; and 7.7 inches April 3 and 4, 1987.

"It's rare, but not impossible," he said.


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/weather/winter-refuses-to-loosen-grip-on-much-of-us-680760/#ixzz2OaUuYM16

[Psalm 51:17]

http://news.yahoo.com/spring-image-snow-nearly-half-us-214343457.html
3/26/13
Spring Image: Snow in Nearly Half of US

Springtime: the time for flowers, newborn animals … and snow. Nearly half of the United States is currently covered in snow, including most of Canada, as can be seen in this image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

That's the largest extent of snow cover at this point in the season in at least 10 years, according to NOAA. Much of the snow came from a massive spring blizzard that dropped snow throughout the Midwest and East Coast, breaking records in many cities.

The town of Lincoln, Ill., broke its daily snow total of 4 inches (10 centimeters), which was set in 1947, with 10.8 inches (27 cm) of snow on Sunday (March 24), according to AccuWeather. The weather system also dropped 2.9 inches (7.4 cm) of snow in Columbus, Ohio, breaking the old record of 1.8 inches (4.6 cm) set in 1965.

Currently, 44 of 50 states have some snow on the ground. The only states without any of the fluffy stuff are Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi and Rhode Island.

So far in March, more than 1,741 daily snowfall records have been set or tied compared to only 616 at this time last year, according to the Capitol Weather Gang.

The image of U.S. snow cover was created from data gathered by NOAA's Interactive Multisensor Snow and Ice Mapping System, which uses satellites to measure snowfall based on the amount of light reflected from the Earth's surface (snow reflects more light than bare earth).

[Kilika]

They say Hawaii has no snow on the ground, but I HIGHLY doubt that. The twin towers, Moana Loa and Moana Kea, both are over 13,000 feet tall, and both get snow every year.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/midwest-northeast-to-endure-mo/8833275
Midwest, Northeast to Endure Cold Waves Well into April
3/27/13

While April will not be as cold as March, thanks to the strengthening sun, pockets of cold air will continue their invasion from the northern Plains to the Midwest and Northeast into the first half of the month.

As we progress through spring, warmth is highly dependent on sunshine. Through the first half of April, most of the northern tier states should bag more sunny days, compared to the first four weeks or so of March.

However, the overall weather pattern into the first part of April will continue to run about a month or so behind schedule. March behaved a lot like a typical February, and it appears the first half of April will be what March should have been like.



According to Expert Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson, "The pattern into the first half of April or so still favors blocking to some extent."

Anderson is referring to the configuration of strong winds high in the atmosphere, known as the jet stream. The blocking limits the general west to east movement of weather systems.

"The jet stream appears as though it will continue its antics of large southward dips, known as troughs, and northward bulges, known as ridges, "Anderson stated, "Occasionally these dips will break off from the main jet stream forming closed-off lows."



These closed-off lows represent a large puddle of cold air high in the atmosphere. The weather produced can range from strings of chilly, unsettled days with clouds and showers or days where it starts off sunny but yields to towering clouds and thundershowers with hail.

Once in a while, these lows can bring heavy wet snow to a small area from the Plains to the East Coast and continue to produce bouts of lake-effect snow around the Great Lakes to the central Appalachians.

So while the weather moving through the first half of April will bring some warm, sunny days, these could still be outnumbered by days with clouds, showers and chilly conditions.

Even in parts of the South, a few outbreaks of chilly air are possible.

In short, spring will continue to evolve slowly. In some cases, it could be six to eight weeks behind what it was last year at this time.

Spring is often a chaotic time of the year in terms of weather, but with the pattern remaining around this year there is the potential for very dramatic weather changes from day to day.

Even in an average spring, the challenge of hitting temperatures on the mark a few days in advance can be challenging. This spring will be especially challenging. One thing to keep in mind is that normal temperatures trend upward markedly. What may be a mild day now may be considered chilly a couple of weeks from now in the realm of normal average temperatures.

During the second half of April, AccuWeather.com long-range meteorologists expect the atmosphere to start to behave more like the calendar from the northern Plains to the Northeast.

According to Long Range Weather Expert Paul Pastelok, "The number of episodes of cold air should gradually fade away during week three and four of April with temperatures and the weather pattern finally trending toward normal."

As a consolation, a brief wedge of warmer air (relatively speaking) will build over the central states and shift eastward over the Easter weekend, prior to a wave of cold air with wind.



Flooding Concerns Addressed

The combination of the frequent chilly outbreaks, combined with strengthening sunshine will generally work against major flooding events in most areas. The pattern will allow a gradual thaw by day and a freeze-up at night.

However, because the snow cover will not rapidly dissipate on its own, such as over the northern Plains, Upper Midwest and in northern New England, there is some risk of flooding, providing a storm with heavy rain rolls in.

The geographical setup of the Red River (over the northern Plains/Upper Midwest) is a perennial trouble spot. It flows northward from warmer to colder climate zones.

AccuWeather.com meteorologists and National Weather Service hydrologists will be keeping an eye on the potential for this well into the spring.

AccuWeather.com will be releasing more information on the outlook for flooding this spring during this week.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/09/17667125-temperature-suddenly-plunges-55-degrees-in-colorado-its-just-brutal?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=1
4/9/13
Temperature suddenly plunges 55 degrees in Colorado: 'It's just brutal'

Blizzard warnings were in effect Tuesday in Colorado, where the temperature plunged more than 50 degrees in less than 24 hours and the wind chill approached zero. Wyoming got more than a foot of snow, and forecasters said hurricane-force blasts of frigid air were possible in Utah.

The culprit is a deep dip in the jet stream that swung west and pulled arctic air far into the country. As it collides with warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, strong storms and tornadoes are possible in the Great Plains and Texas.

“It’s just brutal to be outside,” said Eric Fisher, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel.

In Denver, the temperature plummeted from 71 degrees at 2 p.m. Monday to 16 degrees at 7 a.m. Tuesday, with a wind chill of 1. More than 250 flights were canceled into and out of Denver on Tuesday alone.

In Wyoming, authorities closed two stretches of interstate more than 100 miles long — I-25 between Cheyenne and Douglas and I-80 between Laramie and Rawlins. More than a foot of snow fell by midmorning in the city of Lander, and one town near the Nebraska state line reported 2-foot snow drifts.

Snow was also falling at midday in Colorado, Utah, the Dakotas and Minnesota. Forecasters said Denver could get as much as 11 inches and South Dakota more than a foot. In Utah, wind gusts of 75 mph were possible, The Weather Channel reported. Colorado Springs reported a gust of 60 mph.

The calendar may say spring, but April is the second-snowiest month of the year in Denver. The city has averaged 9 inches in April since 1882, second only to the 11.5 inches it gets in an average March, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather pattern threatened to bring damaging wind, large hail and perhaps tornadoes to parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa, and weaker storms later in the day in the Ohio Valley.

“We’re looking at the gamut today for severe weather,” Weather Channel meteorologist Kevin Roth said.

As the system moves east, severe storms are possible Wednesday across a boomerang-shaped swath of the country from the Texas Gulf Coast north through Indiana and into western Pennsylvania.

Severe storms could move into Georgia, West Virginia and the Carolinas on Thursday.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2013/04/13/springs-storms-wreak-havoc-in-u-s-south-and-midwest-3-dead/
4/13/13
Springs storms wreak havoc in U.S. South and Midwest: 3 dead

April 13, 2013 – JACKSON, Miss. — A powerful spring storm unleashed tornadoes and winds strong enough to peel the roofs from homes in the Deep South and heaped snow and ice on the Midwest, killing three people and leaving thousands without power. The Meridan Star, Paula Merritt Emergency personnel carry away the body of a person killed by a tornado Thursday, April 11, 2013, in Kemper County, Miss. The victim was working inside a structure that is part of the Mississppi Power Lignite Coal Plant when the tornado ripped through the community. A strong spring storm that socked the Midwest with ice and heavy, wet snow made its way east, raking the South with tornadoes Thursday, with three deaths blamed on the rough weather and thousands of people without power.  The National Weather Service confirmed Friday that the storm system spawned 12 tornadoes in six states in recent days. Forecasters said they had confirmed three tornadoes each in Missouri, Arkansas and Alabama; and one each in Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia. Emergency officials said one person was killed by a tornado in Mississippi on Thursday. In Missouri, a utility worker repairing power lines was electrocuted, and a woman in Nebraska died when she tried to trudge through a blinding snowstorm from her broken-down car to her house a mile away. Golf-ball and baseball-sized hail pelted parts of Georgia and the Carolinas late Thursday and early Friday. The second day of play at the Masters at Augusta National in eastern Georgia began as scheduled Friday morning, though, and skies had cleared by the afternoon. The course was a bit wet but otherwise undamaged. High winds knocked down trees and power lines across the Southeast. Sleet and freezing rain made driving treacherous in northern New York, where several schools closed Friday and scores of others delayed the start of classes. and more wintry weather was on the way for the nation’s northern tier. The weather service was predicting that another storm system would hit the north-central U.S. starting Saturday afternoon, potentially bringing 6 to 12 inches of snow to parts of eastern Montana, much of North Dakota, northern South Dakota and northern Minnesota. In Mississippi, Emergency Management Agency spokesman Greg Flynn said that one person died and 10 people were injured after a tornado struck Kemper County in the far-eastern part of the state on Thursday. Authorities said the man was killed when the tornado ripped apart a business. The National Weather Service said Friday that that tornado was a category EF-3 storm, with winds of 145 mph. 

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/april-becoming-snowiest-for-de/10211814
April Becoming Snowiest for Denver in Years
4/14/13

A new, long-duration snowstorm, may arrive early next week for the central Rockies, including Denver. The potential for a major snowfall may produce the snowiest April for Denver in years.

The battle lines between cold and warm air have been constantly redrawn across the United States this spring and this will be no different early next week. By early next week, the cold air will be entrenched from the Pacific Northwest to the northern Plains.

"Another right of spring coming up for Denver, in other words some of our best snow events come this time of year," said AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist and Western Expert Ken Clark.

"The potential exists for a major snow event depending on exactly where a surface storm moves out of the Rockies," added Clark. "Right now the potential for a major snow event is rather high though it may be too early to pin down exact accumulations," he said.

more

http://www.wunderground.com/news/winter-storm-xerxes-20130413
Winter Storm Xerxes: "X" Marks the Northern Plains
4/14/13

You may be hurriedly finishing up your income taxes this weekend.  Parts of the northern Plains will also be digging out from Winter Storm Xerxes (pronounced ZERK-sees).

On the heels of Winter Storm Walda's heavy snow and significant ice, we're tracking a significant snowstorm, by mid-April standards.  Let's lay out the timing, then hit on forecast amounts.

Sunday
•Heavy snow continues for much of North Dakota. and spreads into northern Minnesota. 
•Strong east to northeast winds will lead to areas of blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility, with blizzard conditions in parts of central North Dakota.
•Freezing drizzle, freezing rain, or sleet may spread into parts of northern Wisconsin and the U.P. of Michigan.  Freezing rain may either end or change to light rain before all precipitation ends from northeast S.D. to central and southeast Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin.

more

[Psalm 51:17]

http://local.msn.com/more-snow-from-denver-to-minneapolis-2
4/22/13
More Snow from Denver to Minneapolis

Yet another April snowstorm is reaching across parts of the Rockies, northern Plains and the Upper Midwest.

Snow was already clobbering much of South Dakota and Wyoming. As of daylight Monday, the Rapid City area of South Dakota had received a half a foot to a foot of snow from the latest storm with similar amounts falling on parts of northern and western Wyoming. Travel along stretches of I-90 in the area will be difficult Monday.

This map shows additional snowfall forward from daybreak Monday through the storm's conclusion.

Cities that will be impacted by the late-season snow include Minneapolis and Duluth, Minn., Sioux Falls, S.D., Cheyenne, Wyo., and Denver, Colo. The snow will impact portions of I-25, I-80 and I-94 in the region.

Snow will expand northeastward to the Upper Midwest and will drive southward over the central Rockies, as cold air pushes in from Canada into Tuesday.

High temperatures behind this front will struggle to reach the mid-30s on Monday, making places like Rapid City, S.D., feel more like late January than late April.

Temperatures will not rebound until the second half of the week.

The northern Plains have had their fair share of snow this spring. Many places, such as Duluth, Minn., have had their snowiest spring on record, with 42 inches.

On average, Minneapolis, Minn., receives just 2.8 inches of snow in the month of April. This April, the city has already received 14.1 inches of snow, which is the fourth snowiest April on record. After receiving another 3 to 6 inches late on Monday and Monday night, Minneapolis will close in on the all-time snowiest April, which occurred in 1983 when 21.8 inches fell.

Rapid City is likely to receive more snow this April than they typically pick up during an entire winter.

[Kilika]

Winter Storm Xerxes (pronounced ZERK-sees).

What is with them calling these winter storms after Greek false gods? 

Denver, snowiest April? Uh, we're talking almost May!

Whatever, averages have their extremes on the scale. To get an average, there will be wide swings over time in amounts. Some years almost none, other years the most ever.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://money.msn.com/now/post.aspx?post=d8b415e2-0985-432c-9bd0-a0a67209a20d
Record cold will mean costlier bread

It's known as winter wheat and is key to flour and exports, but freezing temperatures have added to drought to slash production figures.
4/24/13

Boy, was the groundhog wrong. It seems the winter weather currently gripping much of the Midwestern U.S. just won't let go. But this cold spell is more than just an annoyance -- it's creating some major problems for the nation's economically important wheat crop.  Record low temperatures, combined with the ongoing historic drought, are damaging winter wheat across the Great Plains states. And that will likely mean higher prices through much of the food chain. The U.S. is the world's largest exporter of wheat -- and industry analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg say American wheat farmers will most likely lose about 25% of their hard red winter wheat this season.

And hard red winter wheat is a big deal. It's the class of wheat used for many breads and in all-purpose flours, and it accounts for more than 40% of the overall U.S. wheat crop and half of U.S. wheat exports.  Bloomberg reports that Societe Generale estimates wheat futures prices will jump by 15%, to $8.50 a bushel, by the fourth quarter.

Winter wheat is sown in the autumn, goes dormant over the winter and starts growing in the spring. But this month in Kansas, the state with the largest wheat production, temperatures dropped to their lowest levels for the first half of April in more than a century. "I’m going to assume 75% of my wheat froze," Gary Millershaki, a farmer in southwestern Kansas, told Bloomberg about his 2,800 acres of hard red winter wheat. "It looks like someone sprayed a defoliant on it." Food Business News, quoting the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture weekly crop report, says overall growing conditions in the 18 major winter wheat states had 35% of the crop rated at good to excellent, compared to 63% during the same time period a year ago, with 32% of the current wheat crop rated fair and 33% at poor to very poor.

At the same time, U.S. government estimates say global wheat supplies will drop to a four-year low in 2013, with production also declining in other major wheat producing countries. There's one bit of silver lining, according to Food Business News. "Exceptional” drought conditions in some wheat-growing states, particularly Nebraska and North Dakota, are decreasing. And as of last week, moderate or worse drought conditions in the Lower 48 states fell to less than 50% for the first time since last June.