Autoposy of A Raleigh Ice Storm January 2005 & Forecast for January 26, 2013

Current Satellite Loop... watch it and let's see how well this week's forecast plays out while looking back at another forecast from January of 2005 which did not pan out so well.




This afternoon's blog is a look back at an event here in Raleigh that everyone talks about as one of the worst Ice Events in recent history, mostly because of how unprepared the locals were for the severe driving conditions they encountered as the Ice Storm evolved. It's worth noting here as well that when I interview people about Hurricane Fran... I get the same response "they didn't expect to have such a bad storm."

There is something about this region that sits at the crossroads between cold, winter weather and the warmer winters often expected in more southern regions of Dixie. And, to be honest no two winters here are the same...  some are rugged, cold and treacherous while others are mild and have only a few snow flurries to show for the label the "Winter of ____"  Hurricanes also tend to hook left and go out to sea just after brushing Kill Devil Hills with a lot of wind and photo ops for the guys from TWC. And, then ...sometimes they slam into Wilmington being shoved inland by a strong offshore High Pressure area. Sometimes.... we get more snow or we get frozen rain falling on a frozen ground with winter temperatures well below freezing.

It's a complicated place weather wise... don't believe those Chamber of Commerce brochures on how we rarely get winter weather. If you want to go somewhere that you won't get Ice or Snow.. keep driving south on I-95 until you get to Jacksonville, Florida and don't look back.

The temps here today are cold... seemingly colder than the degrees shown on the website I check nonstop as I sit here listening to the hearings on Capitol Hill.

Apparently, I didn't realize it being a Miami girl...that the vase outside froze over night and stayed frozen ALL day even though the temperature was above freezing when this picture was taken. Let's say it the temperature outside was about 39 degrees in the sunshine. Note... the pretty little vase is broken... I guess I should have known that could happen ....however it never happened back home and rarely do I leave vases out overnight..  it's a long story. There was this lilly, that was pretty... but way too heavily scented so it's been out there for the last week or two... until last night... when it was really, really cold.

Weather for Raleigh, NC

41°F | °C

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Mostly Cloudy

Wind: SW at 13 mph

Humidity: 32%

41°

27°

39°

21°

34°

28°

45°

21°

Note...it's still frozen solid though the ice had melted a bit, but will soon refreeze as it is forecast to be 27 degrees tonight and not as warm tomorrow.


I want to preface this with the thought that I am only looking back to try and understand what happened back in January of 2005 when it took commuters over 8 hours to slid and slide their way home back to Raleigh from jobs in various places like "the Triangle" and job which in those days was considered to be about 20 minutes. Note..today as the whole Raleigh-Durham area has grown that commute is closer to 35 to 45 minutes for most.. unless there is an accident somewhere.

Why? Because we have all of this discussion on an upcoming possible...though not probable...Winter Weather Event in the area that could bring the Raleigh-Durham area a similar icy commute. And, as always two days out we aren't sure.

But the Ghost of 2005 haunts every old timer, and an old timer in Raleigh is someone who has lived here more than 10 years.. Everyone here is from somewhere else and I'm not sure where the locals have gone...though many go to Charlotte, Atlanta and places closer to the Ocean or closer to the mountains. There are so many people in Raleigh from Pittsburgh you'd think this is a suburb and we should get discounts on Steelers tickets. Same goes for Maryland & the DC... where many have moved away from the traffic and found other good government jobs in the Raleigh area. Of course, some people move up here from Florida hoping for "winter weather" and you can tell where someone is while out at Kroger buying milk and bread before a possible storm because the ones from up north are cursing and the ones from Florida are cheering..

It's hard to understand how so little precipitation of any kind crippled this city back in 2005,  but it did. Hopefully, we have learned and this won't happen again. The quotes below are from an excellent, long discussion on the January 19, 2005 Raleigh Ice/Snow Storm. Please read the report in it's entirety as I picked out the salient paragraphs.






Link: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/20050119/

"A disturbance in the upper atmosphere moved southeastward across the Appalachians into North Carolina and Virginia on Wednesday, January 19, 2005. Typically, weather disturbances in a northwest flow aloft weaken and lose their limited moisture as they cross the mountains, resulting in little or no accumulating snow east of the mountains. Indeed in the Triad area, only a trace to a dusting of snow was reported. As the system neared the Triangle area, the area of snow briefly expanded in aerial coverage as well as intensified. Nearly an inch of snow accumulated in the city of Raleigh, while a few counties north and east of the city received two inches.... 

 On the 18th, disturbances in the upper atmosphere were noted to be moving southeastward into the Ohio Valley. Despite weather radars showing widespread light snow, little snow had reached the ground in Kentucky during the early predawn hours of the 19th. The snow had been evaporating in the very dry air below the cloud bases..... 

Meanwhile due to dry air in place, the anticipation of the weather system weakening as it crossed the mountains, and the limited moisture available to the system, forecasters in Central North Carolina were anticipating only enough light snow to produce no more than a “dusting”. Indeed, the system did weaken as it crossed the mountains, as indicated by the diminishing radar returns at 9 am (14Z). As forecast, most counties west of Raleigh reported only a trace of snow as the light precipitation continued to move eastward. ....

but....

As the precipitation neared the Raleigh area at noon (17Z), much of the snow was still not reaching the ground. Accumulating snow was light and generally confined to a narrow band of stronger radar returns indicated by the green shaded radar returns. This band was moving so fast that snow accumulations were well less than an inch. But by 1 PM (18Z), there had been a significant increase in both the intensity and the aerial coverage of the radar returns..... 

 These factors include: the potential for snow mixing with or changing to other wintry precipitation types (a frequent occurrence in Central North Carolina), the rate of snowfall, the impact of ground and road surface temperatures on snowfall accumulation, and the ratio of liquid precipitation to snow amount.....

The snow to liquid equivalent ratio is generally a function of the temperature in the lower portion of the atmosphere (surface – 5000 feet), the amount of moisture in this layer, and the structure of the snow crystal present. Climatological studies for Greensboro, NC indicate that the average ratio there is 10:1, or 10 inches of snow to 1 inch of liquid equivalent. The most frequently observed ratio at Greensboro is 8:1, while 75% of all snow events showed a ratio less than 12:1....

Due to the proximity of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, it is more common for plentiful moisture to be found in snowfall events in central North Carolina. The higher moisture content results in a more compact, dense snow and hence lower ratios of snow to liquid equivalent. This is not typically the case for some other regions of the country (e.g., northern plains states) where moisture content is typically more limited and hence snow ratios are higher due to less compaction... 

High ratios of snow to liquid equivalent in Central North Carolina are typically associated with disturbances moving into Central North Carolina from the northwest as was the case on January 19th. The snow ratios measured during the January 19, 2005 event are shown in the table below. The liquid equivalents ranged from 0.04" to 0.09" with snow accumulations of 0.7 to 2.0 inches. The resulting snow ratios ranged from around 16:1 to 22:1. Note that the measured snow ratio is inherently higher in lighter snow events, since compaction and settling of the accumulated snow is minimal. ....

The 60 hours preceding the 19 January snowfall were unusually cold. Temperatures remained near or below freezing during the entire period. High temperatures on Monday, January 17 were only in the 30s while the low temperatures on Monday night were in the teens.High temperatures on Tuesday, January 18 were in the mid 20s to mid 30s with overnight lows on Tuesday night between 8 and 15 degrees."

(Note from BobbiStorm...this was much colder...by ten degrees than our current 2013 weather)

Blame it on being Southern???

"Sociological Factors Leading to a High Impact Event 

In a “tongue and cheek” fashion, it has been reported in the local media that “it is the duty of southerners at the first mention of snow to rush to the grocery stores for bread and milk and to test their driving skills once the snow begins to fall.” While an exaggeration, there is never the less a "knee jerk" response to snow that is indeed engrained in southern culture. This response may well be founded upon the relatively infrequency of snow in the South. Relative to the “snow belt” locations in the north, there is certainly less experience in dealing with snow, and less equipment and resources for coping with snow. In the South, snow certainly draws more attention and that in itself results in more of a disruption of daily routines. There are also relatively infrequent heavy snows in the South (e.g., 22.5 inches in Raleigh on January 24-25, 2000) that are etched into the memories of those who experienced them and the anticipation of their reoccurrence. ....

.....Perhaps then, it should come with no surprise that there were so many early releases of schools and businesses during the early afternoon of Wednesday on January 19th. What was a surprise is how quickly and efficiently a light coating of snow on roads became so icy and slick. The mass exodus of many vehicles at nearly the same time clogged the primary roads. Road surface temperatures were too cold to promote melting. Instead, the snail paced traffic compressed the light snow while the heat from vehicular exhausts produce a slight melting effect. The combination of compression and slight melting changed the snow to an icy composition which the cold air temperatures maintained. Numerous accidents on the now slick roads prevented highway crews from spreading salt and sand on the gridlock primary roads. Many school buses were unable to make their rounds, while parents stuck in traffic were unable to get to the schools. What is normally a commuting trip consisting of just tens of minutes turned into an eight hour ordeal. "

Images from earlier in the forecast period: 

and another...

330 AM EST TUE JAN 18 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL CROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA 

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...AND TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE LOWER TO 

MIDDLE 30S. SOME SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE...MAINLY BETWEEN NOON AND 5 

PM. ANY SNOW THAT FALLS WILL BE LIGHT AND A DUSTING WILL BE POSSIBLE 

ON GRASSY OR ELEVATED SURFACES.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
554 AM EST MON JAN 17 2005

NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-181053-
ALAMANCE NC-ANSON NC-CHATHAM NC-CUMBERLAND NC-DAVIDSON NC-DURHAM NC-
EDGECOMBE NC-FORSYTH NC-FRANKLIN NC-GRANVILLE NC-GUILFORD NC-
HALIFAX NC-HARNETT NC-HOKE NC-JOHNSTON NC-LEE NC-MONTGOMERY NC-
MOORE NC-NASH NC-ORANGE NC-PERSON NC-RANDOLPH NC-RICHMOND NC-
SAMPSON NC-SCOTLAND NC-STANLY NC-VANCE NC-WAKE NC-WARREN NC-WAYNE NC-
WILSON NC-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALBEMARLE...ASHEBORO...BELEWS CREEK...
BURLINGTON...CHAPEL HILL...CLINTON...DURHAM...FAYETTEVILLE...
GOLDSBORO...GREENSBORO...HENDERSON...LAURINBURG...LEXINGTON...
LILLINGTON...LOUISBURG...MOUNT OLIVE...NASHVILLE...OXFORD...
PITTSBORO...RAEFORD...RALEIGH...ROANOKE RAPIDS...ROCKINGHAM...
ROCKY MOUNT...ROXBORO...SANFORD...SMITHFIELD...SOUTHERN PINES...
TARBORO...TROY...WADESBORO...WARRENTON...WILSON AND WINSTON-SALEM
554 AM EST MON JAN 17 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

So in retrospect.......................

Seems like these events cannot really be predicted as they evolve in real time and sometimes the evolution itself changes the forecast. 

There are some commonalities....  a cold ground, cold temperatures for days before the event and an abundance of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico far to the SW which can sometimes over come the dryness in the various levels of the atmosphere and stray squalls of snow that are hard to predict where they will fall exactly. 

Today we have better radar forecasts further out.

I note that this report doesn't show the wind speed or how if at all the wind affected the forecast. I do note they mention "blowing snow" so I imagine the wind was a factor.

AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL CROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA 
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...AND TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE LOWER TO 
MIDDLE 30S. SOME SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE...MAINLY BETWEEN NOON AND 5 
PM. ANY SNOW THAT FALLS WILL BE LIGHT AND A DUSTING WILL BE POSSIBLE 
ON GRASSY OR ELEVATED SURFACES.   

ON SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... THE COMBINATION OF COLD AIR AND AN 
APPROACHING STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE COULD LEAD TO WINTERY 
WEATHER ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. THE BEST CHANCES OF SNOW AT 
THIS TIME APPEAR TO BE ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING. 
RESIDENTS AND OFFICIALS ARE ENCOURAGED TO KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST 
FORECASTS AS THE WEEKEND APPROACHES. 

But, looking back it seems they really had no clue that this could *evolve* in the way that it did and I like to believe they have learned much from if nothing else an over abundance of caution.

That was then this is now...

Personally want to say here that... the ground is not as cold, the temperatures while cold are not as cold as 2005 and we have better models and data to see into the future to see how severe an event might become...as it evolves... 

Today 3 PM two days away from the possible Precipitation Event:

Snow and sleet likely before 3pm, then snow and freezing rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 34. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Friday NightSnow and freezing rain likely before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Southwest wind around 7 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

And.. so we look forward to the coming event which is still two days away...

This will be updated and played with and tweaked and everyone here remembers those other busted forecasts so the local meteorologists have the burden of old busted forecasts on their back...   Not an easy job to have in an area which often is the demarcation line between cold and warm, snow and rain and at the exact spot where the fronts and the Jet Stream take their "dip" before moving East out to sea or NE up the Atlantic Coast.

Current link to the NWS Raleigh:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Raleigh&state=NC&site=RAH&lat=35.822&lon=-78.6588

Below discussion is from their "forecast discussion"

"HOWEVER...THERE COULD BE ENOUGH LIFT THIS FAR
SOUTH TO GENERATE SOME PRECIP ALONG THE BACKDOOR FRONT...ESPECIALLY
AS THE LOW LEVEL FORCING INCREASES (IN THE FORM OF FRONTOGENESIS)
DURING THE 09-15Z TIME FRAME. THIS IS SUPPORTED BY MANY OF THE HI
RES SIMULATED REFLECTIVITY MODELS...WHICH SHOWS SOME PRECIP MOVING
ACROSS THE AREA (MAINLY THE NORTH) EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.
HOWEVER...MOISTURE WILL BE LIMITED AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A
RATHER DRY SUB CLOUD LAYER THAT ANY PRECIP THAT DOES DEVELOP WILL
HAVE TO OVERCOME. NEVERTHELESS...A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW FLURRIES
STILL LOOKS TO BE POSSIBLE...PRIMARILY NORTH OF HWY 64.

THURSDAY/THURSDAY NIGHT...BEHIND THE DEPARTING FRONT...STRONG COLD
AIR ADVECTION WILL DEVELOP AS ANOTHER SURGE OF STRONG ARCTIC HIGH
PRESSURE BEGINS TO BUILD INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH. WINDS WILL
BECOME NORTHERLY AND INCREASE TO 15-20 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WITH
DECREASING LOW LEVEL THICKNESS VALUES AND STRONG CAA PERSISTING
THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY...TEMPS WILL STRUGGLE TO CLIMB MUCH DURING
THE DAY. THEREFORE...HIGHS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM THE LOW/MID
30S ACROSS THE NORTH TO UPPER 30S/LOWER 40S FURTHER SOUTH. DESPITE
VERY DRY AIR ACROSS THE REGION THURSDAY NIGHT (DEWPOINTS IN THE LOW
TEENS TO SINGLE DIGITS)...INCREASING CLOUDS AND A STEADY BREEZE
AHEAD OF OUR NEXT SYSTEM WILL KEEP OVERNIGHT LOWS FROM FALLING TOO
MUCH. THEREFORE...AM EXPECTING LOWS GENERALLY IN THE LOW/MID 20S...
ALTHOUGH SOME UPPER TEENS WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE
EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA WHERE CLOUD COVER WILL BE LAST TO
MOVE IN.


.SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 250 PM WEDNESDAY...

...WINTRY MIX FRIDAY AND FRIDAY EVENING...

OVERVIEW:
A VERY COMPLEX SYNOPTIC PATTERN IS FORECAST BY THE MODELS
WITH WEAK SECONDARY SFC CYCLOGENESIS INVOF THE LOWER MS VALLEY
THURSDAY NIGHT/EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...IN RESPONSE TO DIGGING
PACIFIC NW ENERGY INTO THE CENTRAL US. THIS SECONDARY LOW WILL LIE
ON THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE PRIMARY NORTHERN STREAM LOW AND
COLD FRONT OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES REGION. THE WAVY
FRONTAL ZONE IS THEN FORECAST TO PROGRESS EAST THROUGH THE
MID-ATLANTIC REGION DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY...CONSOLIDATING/MERGING
ALONG THE WAY BEFORE A CENTRALIZED LOW EMERGES OFF THE MID-ATLANTIC
COAST FRIDAY NIGHT.

MODEL TRENDS:
MODELS HAVE TRENDED WEAKER WITH THE WAVE(S)OF LOW PRESSURE ALONG THE
FRONT AS IT TRACKS EAST ACROSS THE AREA...AND HAVE ACCORDINGLY
BACKED OFF WITH LIQUID PRECIP AMOUNTS OVER THE AREA...WITH A
MODEL AVERAGE OF A TENTH TO ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH. MORE
IMPORTANTLY...AN INCREASING NUMBER OF BOTH DETERMINISTIC MODELS AND
INDIVIDUAL ENSEMBLE MEMBERS ARE SHOWING FAIRLY SHALLOW
SATURATION...DOMINATED BY LOW-LEVEL WARM ADVECTION PROCESSES FEED BY
A H8 40 TO 50KT SWLY LLJ. THIS WOULD SUPPORT MORE IN THE WAY OF
SHOWERY/CONVECTIVE LIKE PRECIP PRECIP AS OPPOSED TO A WIDESPREAD
STRATIFORM RAIN. FURTHERMORE...THE LIKELIHOOD OF CLOUDS BEING
ENTIRELY COMPOSED OF ICE CRYSTALS IS LOW AND/OR VERY BRIEF(2 TO 3
HOUR WINDOW)...WITH FORECAST  SOUNDINGS... PARTICULARLY THE GFS AND
EC...QUICKLY DRYING OUT THE ICE NUCLEATION LAYER...STRONGLY
SUGGESTING THAT CLOUDS WOULD BE COMPOSED OF MOSTLY SUPERCOOLED
DROPLETS THROUGH MUCH OF THE EVENT. THIS WOULD LIMIT THE AMOUNTS AND
DURATION IN WHICH WE WOULD SEE ACCUMULATING SNOW/SLEET ...WITH
PERHAPS MORE IN THE WAY OF ICE ACCRUAL AS PRECIP TYPE QUICKLY
CHANGES OVER TO FREEZING RAIN...AND THEN FREEZING DRIZZLE BEFORE
TAPERING BETWEEN 00 TO 06Z FRIDAY EVENING.

PRECIP TYPE AND TEMPERATURES:
ONSET OF PRECIP REMAINS IN QUESTION...WITH A PREFERENCE TOWARDS THE
SLOWER TIMING OF THE EC AND GFS AS IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO
OVERCOME THE ANTECEDENT DRY ARCTIC BOUNDARY LAYER CONDITIONS(SFC
DEWPOINTS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TO TEENS). WHILE EARLIER ARRIVAL OF
PRECIP WILL KEEP THE FAVOR WESTERN PIEDMONT DAMMING REGION BELOW
FREEZING...THE SLOWER TIMING COULD POSSIBLY ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO
RISE ABOVE FREEZING INTO THE 34 TO 39 BY NOON TIME ALONG AND EAST OF
THE TRIANGLE...BEFORE TEMPERATURES WETBULBING BACK DOWN INTO THE
LOWER TO MID 30S(32 TO 35)AS PRECIPITATION BEGINS TO REACH THE
SURFACE.

MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH RETREATING THE FREEZING SFC
WET-BULB ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM WADESBORO TO FAYETTEVILLE TO
GOLDSBORO FROM AFOREMENTIONED WARMING PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF PRECIP.
AS SUCH THERE IS FAIRLY DECENT CONFIDENCE THAT AREAS MOST LIKELY TO
SEE ANY ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL BE NORTH OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED
LINE...OR ROUGHLY ALONG AND TO THE NORTH OF THE US HIGHWAY 64.
DESPITE THE LOW LIQUID AMOUNTS OF A TENTH TO ONE QUARTER OF AN
INCH...THE ARCTIC AIRMASS WILL RESULT IN HIGH...20:1 SNOW TO LIQUID
RATIO....WHICH COULD SUPPORT A QUICK 1 TO 2 INCH OF SNOW
ACCUMULATION WITH HIGHEST AMOUNTS ALONG THE ADJACENT VIRGINA BORDER
COUNTIES. IT ALSO SERVES TO MENTION THAT WHILE PRECIP COULD BEGIN AS
SNOW EVEN ACROSS THE SANDHILLS AND SOUTHERN COASTAL PLAIN...ABOVE
FREEZING TEMPERATURES WILL PROHIBIT ACCUMULATIONS.

ALONG AND SOUTH OF THIS SNOW ACCUMULATION LINE...THERE WILL  BE A
POTENTIAL FOR A CORRIDOR OF ICE ACCRUAL FROM FREEZING RAIN/DRIZZLE
...WITH AS MUCH AS A TENTH TO TWO-TENTHS OF AN INCH
OF POSSIBLE. THIS WILL LIKELY PROVE TO BE THE MOST DIFFICULT ASPECT
OF THIS EVENT AND THUS WILL NEED TO BE GENEROUS IN THE ATTEMPT TO
PREDICT THIS EXACT SWATH. ADDITIONALLY...AREAS OVER THE
WESTERN/NORTHERN PIEDMONT AND COASTAL PLAIN COUNTIES TO THE NORTH
THAT COULD ALSO SEE A LIGHT ICE GLAZE ON TOP OF THE 1 TO 2 INCH
SNOWFALL. WHILE PRECIP SHOULD BE OVER AT OR SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT...
ROAD CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY REMAIN TREACHEROUS THROUGH FRIDAY
NIGHT/SATURDAY MORNING WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE LOWER 20S NW TO
MID/UPPER 20S SOUTHEAST.

DO NOT PLAN ANY TO GO WITH ANY WINTER STORM ADVISORIES AT THIS
TIME...WITH PREFERENCE TO WAIT AND SEE ANOTHER MODEL ITERATION TO
INTERROGATE CRITICAL LIQUID PRECIP AMOUNTS."


Current graphic which changes in real time:



http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/map/


link to ground temperatures, thanks to 
for finding me the link while I was writing, so detailed... really love it.


Check it out for yourself: 


http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/map/








Thanks! https://www.facebook.com/severeweather.easternnc




It's easier to predict if it will snow for Maine than it is for North Carolina it seems.............

Be aware that this current "event" might affect the whole swath of the area from Atlanta to Charlotte to Raleigh and below depending on the timing and actual path of the precipitation event.

Current 7 day loop:

http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/day0-7loop.html

Link to the OLD news story from 2005:

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1090769/

Another famous Ice Storm that affected a larger region is listed below..... 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Ice_Storm_of_1998

Besos Bobbi... happy reading...