The Polar Vortex

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OlympianHiawatha said:
Something called Weather Nation recently showed up on DirecTV. I've only watched a few minutes of it but they remind me of the early days of Weather Channel when it was hard weather and little else.
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Don't get used to it, Direct TV is using weathernation to leverage The Weather Channel. They are in access negotiations over the cost --- of course.
 
Any thoughts about how trains running through places that don't usually (or ever) get so dang cold might be affected by weather over the next few days?

We're looking at a forecast of minus 4 degrees here in NORTH CAROLINA on Monday night, with 35 mph winds. Yeah, we're in the mountains near the border--but the bordering state is Tennessee! Southern states don't usually get this kind of cold. Expect that I'll be putting firewood in the stove as fast as it can burn, and that getting our spring-fed water system through this without damage and/or days without water will be quite a challenge!
 
tricia said:
Any thoughts about how trains running through places that don't usually (or ever) get so dang cold might be affected by weather over the next few days?

We're looking at a forecast of minus 4 degrees here in NORTH CAROLINA on Monday night, with 35 mph winds. Yeah, we're in the mountains near the border--but the bordering state is Tennessee! Southern states don't usually get this kind of cold. Expect that I'll be putting firewood in the stove as fast as it can burn, and that getting our spring-fed water system through this without damage and/or days without water will be quite a challenge!
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We in DE are having near record temps ourselves.
 
I just can't get my head wrapped around this - a 40 degree swing on Monday?

winter_weather.png
 
The Polar Vortex........sounds like a Clive Cussler novel.

I'm breaking out the union suit and my flask, I'll be just fine.
 
RyanS said:
I just can't get my head wrapped around this - a 40 degree swing on Monday?

winter_weather.png
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Is 2 degrees a record low Ryan? My sister has lived in that area for almost 30 years and I do not recall ever hearing it being that cold.
 
Good question.

The record low for January 6 is +5 degrees, set in 1904. The weather station in DC is next to the river and near a bunch of pavement at DCA, so it's tough to set record lows. We've got a shot at breaking it at BWI and IAD, I'm not too hopeful of setting the record at DCA.

Sunday's record (which isn't in danger, since it's before the cold arrives) is +1, going all the way back to 1877.
 
Dang. You know it's serious when the Weather Service's official forecast starts like this.

Incredibly Cold and Possibly Record Breaking Temperatures, Heavy Snow and Ice Are Expected for the Eastern Two-Thirds of the Country Through Next Week.
Potentially record breaking cold temperatures will continue dropping through the northern-tier states today. As the airmass moves into the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, moderate to heavy snow will be possible on Sunday. With cold air already entrenched over much of the eastern U.S., freezing rain is possible from the Deep South, along the Appalachians into New England for the next couple of days.
Read More...
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They're even using exclamation! points!!

Wind chill warnings are in effect for many areas with wind chills on the order of -30 to -50 degrees expected! Afternoon highs on Monday for parts of the Midwest states and the Ohio Valley will fail to reach zero degrees!
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But...

The good news is that it will be a quick event, and moderating temperatures are expected to return by Wednesday.
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Much as I hate to say it, stay the heck off trains, and stay inside and warm, folks. Those of us on the mild west coast will be thinking about you.
 
The thing I remember about that time was that my mother was sitting in a restaurant in Tampa and questioned why people are setting off fireworks in the daytime. She saw the Shuttle explosion from the other side of Florida! :eek:

AmtrakBlue said:
I remember the Dec '83 cold snap. I left DE with highs around 10 to go the FL for Christams week. FL's highs were cold enough to need at least a sweatshirt, which we bought while down there. NYE at the Magic Kingdom I had on my full winter gear. But it was still warmer than DE. ;)
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You've been hanging around Penny too much! :giggle:
 
hessjm said:
When all Meijer lanes are clogged, you know everyone is panicking. You folks may get more snow than me, so you might lay in some extra supplies. Kzoo looks to be in the sweet zone for snowfall. I'm headed for cold - much colder than the -13 I recorded last week.
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Which is strange since you usually get hammered and we get a small amount. We'll see how it all pans out. :)
 
CHamilton said:
Dang. You know it's serious when the Weather Service's official forecast starts like this.

Incredibly Cold and Possibly Record Breaking Temperatures, Heavy Snow and Ice Are Expected for the Eastern Two-Thirds of the Country Through Next Week.

Potentially record breaking cold temperatures will continue dropping through the northern-tier states today. As the airmass moves into the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, moderate to heavy snow will be possible on Sunday. With cold air already entrenched over much of the eastern U.S., freezing rain is possible from the Deep South, along the Appalachians into New England for the next couple of days.

Read More...
Click to expand...
They're even using exclamation! points!!

Wind chill warnings are in effect for many areas with wind chills on the order of -30 to -50 degrees expected! Afternoon highs on Monday for parts of the Midwest states and the Ohio Valley will fail to reach zero degrees!
Click to expand...
But...

The good news is that it will be a quick event, and moderating temperatures are expected to return by Wednesday.
Click to expand...
Much as I hate to say it, stay the heck off trains, and stay inside and warm, folks. Those of us on the mild west coast will be thinking about you.
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What scared me about the NWS forecasts was about 2 days ago when they started using, not the exclamation points! but the phrases like "for once, all models agree" and "high confidence".

Looks like no snow coming to Minnesota, but when this mother of all cold fronts hits the warm moisture from the Great Lakes and Gulf and warm North Atlantic

Like the song says "Look out Cleveland!" - and all points East and Southeast from Chicago!

It was actually one degree above freezing here in Saint Paul at about 4 AM with no wind. Now it's 2F with wind chill -13F and expecting at least 15 degrees downward by morning. Then 3 days of really cold.

The NWS probably has records for 24-hour temperature drops around the country.

DO look at the NWS and your local emergency websites for advice if you are not familiar with snow and the unusual cold. Never try to heat your home with a cook stove or a charcoal grill. :excl: Official warning here

And do keep in touch with your neighbors.
 
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I'm just glad I'm leaving the Northeast before the extreme cold sets in. Boston wasn't too bad, but there's no way I was sticking around to find out. From what I was hearing, this week would have made me miss Minnesota temps
 
NOAA Weather Forecast for Marshfield, WI (located a little over an hour north of the Empire Builder stop at Tomah, Wisconsin).

Today: Mostly sunny and cold with a high near -4. Wind chill values between -25 and -30. North northwest wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

Tonight: A chance of flurries after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around -27. Wind chill values between -45 and -55. Northwest wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

Monday: A chance of flurries before 9 am. Mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near -17. Wind chill values between -45 and -55. West wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around -24. Wind chill values between -45 and -50. West wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near -6. West wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around -18.
 
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Well the Polar Vortex just arrived in Houston(actually Katy) and the temp dropped from 60's to 44 right now in just a few minutes and the wind is gusting to 31mph. Forecast is for 26 tonight and 19 tomorrow. They keep lowering it. I am bringing in what plants I can and covering the ones I really want to save. All outdoor faucets are covered now and tomorrow I will have to keep the water running and the pool pumps going. Rail service here in Texas is minimal, but I see yesterday's Eagle was delayed and No.1 is running late, but at 60mph. 22 still hasn't left San Antonio. The HF left on time and is running 79mph. No. 21 is running about 21 min late, which is not bad considering. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.
 
Despite the historic worsening cold the Heartland Flyer has been passing the house almost to the advertised the past few days. When I drove past the Norman station yesterday I didn't see thousands of people slung out on cots or the floor :)
 
AmtrakBlue said:
Penny, ready for a windchill of 24 on Tuesday?
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It is 68 degrees here now and expected to get to almost 80 this afternoon.... then down to 29 Monday night/Tuesday morning. The weather forecasters are talking about a 51 degree temperature drop - which is significant for us. I may need to wear so many layers on Tuesday that I may not fit into my little car. :lol: But.... I am not complaining (too much).
 
We're expecting the dreaded Polar Vortex here in S FL on Tuesday..high in the low 60s. Might actually have to turn off the a/c, if I can find the 'off' switch.
 
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Sitting in the thick of it in Northern Minnesota. -17 ground temp -22 windchill. Forecast for tomorrow morning; -30 ground temp, -57 windchill.

BNSF freight traffic is very busy here, the full taconite cars are steaming like crazy as they go by.
 
We have to remember that passenger aircraft fly in temps that are lower than minus 30F every day with NO issues at all. Everything is relative. I used to live up in Newfoundland and we had periodic temperatures of minus 30F throughout the winter (often with winds in excess of 40mph). The cars ran, the one train on the island ran, we worked our jobs and life went on. We just bundled up, plugged our cars in (or kept them in a garage) and still had time for fun in the snow (snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice fishing, etc...), even at those temps. I recall landing at St. johns airport in January with temps below minus 30F and other than the captain mentioning the temperature, none of the locals on the plane (a Boeing 737) showed any concern.

It's all a matter of what you are used to and prepared for..........
 
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