Potential New Year's blizzard to blanket New England mountains

[kevinmac]

Just came across this article:

http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/specials/ski/blog/


check out the ACCUWEATHER link in the article for more details

 

[Quietman]

Gee, are we going to have a thread about every snow event?
I was waiting for someone else to start it this time!

The models are not all in agreement, but the potential is there for a major storm. If it stays over the ocean and stalls, it could be a big one. The exact path, and where it bombs out will be very important.

 

[sardog1]

"There are in fact indications that the strong surface storm will retrograde from the New England coast inland as it occludes. It could result in several days of snow and epic powder and a nice payback for another rainy Christmas."

Sounds like a perfect occasion for retrograde knickers and wooden skis! Wish I still had mine.

 

[roadtripper]

It's going to drop 2 feet on Sunday River this weekend since i'll be there. I'm positive of this. No need to discuss any further.

 

[Quietman]

It's going to drop 2 feet on Sunday River this weekend since i'll be there. I'm positive of this. No need to discuss any further.

I hope that it's not like today at SR, all lifts except the novice quad closed due to high winds.

 

[Waumbek]

I hope that it's not like today at SR, all lifts except the novice quad closed due to high winds.

Cars off I-93 today--don't know whether they slid off or were blown off. Those isobars are really packed.

 

[Mattl]

I was actually going to start this, but there is so much uncertainty that I was going to wait. This storm bears watching, really. Some of the models are stalling the storm as it bombs into the Gulf of Maine and actually retrograding it back into New England! That means, snow starts Thursday night and doesn't come to an end till Sunday night in places. It is an odd storm, since it is rare for them to do that, but it means more and more snow. It is far too early to forecast snow amounts, but if some of the models hold true, it could rival December 2003, if anyone remembers that. (They closed Wildcat because of too much snow). It is a similar acting storm.

However, I am not forecasting that because it is up in the air, and until tomorrow night, we will not know. This could be crippling for parts of Maine too. It will snow, that is going to happen, but how much will not be able to be determined until this time tomorrow.

-Mattl

 

[mirabela]

<fingers crossed, hopping up and down>

Pretty please?!

I got out into the puckerbrush for a couple hours today with my new toys to eke what joy I could out of our fresh five inches, but a big whopper dump would be very welcome ...

 

[MichaelJ]

Pretty please, tons of snow but well-plowed clear roads to get to the ski areas!!!

 

[MarkL]

Snowfall accumulation forecast for Millinocket

This is the first snowfall forecast I've seen relevant to Baxter State Park, though I did see a map yesterday showing 12-18" possible.

http://www.accuweather.com/us/me/mi...t.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=1&metric=0

Note what it says for 12/31 - 1/3 in the "Weather Alarm" section just below the date!

If 34.5" or even less comes to pass, one other guy and I are not going to be able to break the trail to North Brother on Jan. 4th! I may not even be able to drive into the region.

 

[Jimmy Legs and Little D]

Heated Driveway

I hope it dumps a foot on the hills/trails -- but it needs to leave a completely clear swath for my driveway and walkways.

That's all that I ask -- that it snow exactly, precisely where I want it to.

There was a thread a couple of years ago where a VFTT member had a heated driveway installed at his house. Just wondering how it was working out these past/present winters?

Mike

 

[Mattl]

New models have shifted, I have much lower confidence of as big of a storm. They are trying to separate into two long duration light to moderate snow events that could still drop over a foot in places.

 

[dentonfabrics]

Cars off I-93 today--don't know whether they slid off or were blown off. Those isobars are really packed.

They might have been blown off - the winds were that strong! It was a slow drive up north yesterday but worth the effort. All of the traffic on the Kanc pulled into Loon (which looked packed) and left the rest of the road almost vacant. There was one car parked at the Pine Brook TH, another at Oliverian, and that was just about it.

Yesterday was my "Last Waltz" for hiking before I get my hip replaced next week. I wasn't about to be put off by a little wind and cold!

 

[Waumbek]

They might have been blown off - the winds were that strong! It was a slow drive up north yesterday but worth the effort. All of the traffic on the Kanc pulled into Loon (which looked packed) and left the rest of the road almost vacant. There was one car parked at the Pine Brook TH, another at Oliverian, and that was just about it.

Yesterday was my "Last Waltz" for hiking before I get my hip replaced next week. I wasn't about to be put off by a little wind and cold!

Yes, I read in the UL this morning that the car I saw off the road near Exit 30 around 3 p.m. was blown off. (That's a known wind tunnel area for those who drive I93 a lot.) I don't think I've ever seen that before. Driver, still in the car, was unhurt, but needed a tow truck to get back on the road.

Good luck with the THR. Don't worry if your experience does not match all the instant recovery stories one tends to hear, the how-I-was-back-to-hiking-4Ks-in-two-weeks tales. Responders tend to self-select. Everyone's recovery rate is different, but this is a procedure with an extremely high success rate, so you will get there. And you have youth on your side.

Please PM me when you're through surgery. Lots of hospitals have wi-fi now in patient rooms, by the way. Since it's hard to sleep in those places, it helps pass the hospital time, all 2-3 days of it.

 

[The Hikers]

Sounds like a perfect occasion for retrograde knickers and wooden skis! Wish I still had mine.

Looked for the knickers without luck, but have plenty of old wooden skis here.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Yesterday was my "Last Waltz" for hiking before I get my hip replaced next week. I wasn't about to be put off by a little wind and cold!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, DF!

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

Yesterday was my "Last Waltz" for hiking before I get my hip replaced next week. I wasn't about to be put off by a little wind and cold!

Best wishes, hope you come through as well as I did.

 

[Waumbek]

New models have shifted, I have much lower confidence of as big of a storm. They are trying to separate into two long duration light to moderate snow events that could still drop over a foot in places.

This evening, Accuweather is still putting us (Whites) in the 12-18" belt. But I'm skeptical too.....I don't know what Accuweather bases this on--NWS?

http://www.accuweather.com/news-story.asp?article=2

 

[dentonfabrics]

Thanks for the well wishes and positive vibes, guys. I'm sure I'll be back on my feet before long.


Bob

 

[Mongoose]

I was planning a trip Fri-Sun somewhere in the Presi's this weekend. Most of the reports say high winds though, so it's probably a bad idea to go above treeline. If I drive up early Sat and home Sun it looks like I'll miss most of the storm.

This is the year is *really* start hiking more and I refuse to let a snowstorm stop me!