OT: Winter's coming to Iowa

[Morris Dovey]

We have snow. Photo of (3rd floor) window.

Guard is out rescuing folks caught on I-80 and I-35.

[Robatoy]

balcony we're looking at.

[Morris Dovey]

It is, of course. An hour later, the snow has accumulated nearly a foot higher. We've only had about 16" of snow, but the wind is piling it up in sheltered spots.

This is unusual weather for this area (and I recall that it was normal when I lived just 150 miles north of Des Moines), but the weather folks provided a full week of warning that we had moist gulf air, a low-pressure system from the left coast, and Saskatchewan cold scheduled to collide yesterday afternoon. The original forecast was only off by about two hours, and everyone had a chance to prepare.

In Des Moines, they plowed all night to maintain at least a one-lane passage on all streets for emergency vehicles. I suspect those drivers are pretty tired by now.

I understand that in rural areas they're expecting 8-12' drifts, and that they've recalled the plow trucks because of the unusually high winds.

It's a great day to stay indoors with a fire in the fireplace. :)

[Swingman]

Here's Accu-Weather's Chief Meteorologist Joe Bastardi yesterday on his European blog:

U.S. MODEL ENGULFING EUROPE IN SNOW NEXT 15 DAYS.

I have been telling people in the States now for a couple of weeks that a "December to remember" is on the way, and over here we have the best setup for a widespread white Christmas in many a year. Well, today I will try, on our free site at accuweather.com, to cut a video showing what is the most widespread snowcover I have ever seen a model forecast as fully all of Europe is forecasted to be covered in snow by the 23rd!

Now this is an extreme event, something out of the Victorian era, and we should take it with a grain of salt. In fact, it's a bit early for my liking, as I felt it would be during the middle and late parts of winter when we would see this, hence the big debate in the fall with Hadley over the warm winter that we didn't see for Europe, but up until recently, they were. In fact, the winter of 2002-2003 looks better to me as a base forecast, but that is just the base. It doesn't mean it can't be a bit colder. Here in the States, it is colder earlier also than that winter which had a rather mild December. This December will be no such thing.

In any case, the free site hit I will do as my vblog today will give a double shot of arctic love to my friends across the pond... though in a couple of weeks that shoreline may have a lot of snow on it.

Again, this is the kind of thing I expected to see this winter... winter "backing in" from the northeast, but I am a bit skeptical because it is early. Then again, if the theories on sunspot cycles are right, and by

2030 we are returning to the time of Dickens and Victoria, might as well start now. The sooner the better with the agenda-driven people meeting to decide the fate of the planet.

[notbob]

Been there, shoveled that.

nb ...CO at 8000ft

[dpb]

We just slid by on the south side out here, getting just a dusting of snow but most of the cold and a lot of the wind as the low passed east.

I'd have thought that would've been pretty normal when it snowed there as well--we never expect to get snow w/o wind out here; I know you get a fair amount less wind than we but still...

I recall a late spring snow in Lynchburg, VA and the Blue Ridge the year after moved there after getting out of school. About 2-ft of snow and the wind didn't blow at all!!! Gorgeous to look at and late enough roads pretty much melted on their own. The biggest recollection was it was first time I'd ever seen snow actually stay on trees, fenceposts, etc., etc., ... I never believed it was possible to get such pictures in reality; I had always thought the Christmas card scenes, etc., were fake... :)

Worst blowing/drifting in my memory here was spring '57 -- after it was over (3 days of snow w/ up to 70mph wind) we've picture of brother and myself head-level high w/ a 30-ft light pole in the yard that was in line w/ a row of trees and windcharger tower between the two houses. Buried our small one-story house entirely; we rode it out in grandparents 2-story which fortunately had hot-water gas heat.

--

[Morris Dovey]

There's a windy "belt" across the state extending about 30 miles below the Minnesota state line. Through most of the rest of the state we coil up the wind and save it to enjoy with hail in spring. ;)

That sounds a lot like the snowfall we enjoyed in Poughkeepsie (lower Hudson River Valley area in New York). 'Tis beautiful indeed!

I had one similar experience in Minnesota - I spent a good part of one day pushing snow off the roof so our 1850's "little house on the prairie" wouldn't collapse under the weight. (That was back in the days when it didn't bother me to put up seven cords every year and shovel a

600' driveway by hand.) Now, I'm enough older to be happy down here in sunny, tropical Iowa. :)

[Lew Hodgett]

That was SOP for my guy in Buffalo on at least a 3-4 times/winter basis.

BTW, here in crispy SoCal (57F) today, the lawn service people were busy mowing grass.

Lew

[jo4hn]

Having lived in sub-tropical Minnesota, you must know all the Iowa jokes?

Q:What do they call 100 tractors circling a McDonald's in Iowa? A: Prom night.

Iowa: We Do Amazing Things With Corn

Iowa: Just east of Omaha

Iowa: It's easy to spell

etc....

[Morris Dovey]

I heard a lot - but doubt I heard anywhere near all. I hadn't really thought much about it, but nearly all the Minnesota jokes I've heard were being told my Minnesotans (in Minnesota).