Last Year a Snowstorm, This Year a Hurricane? Really?

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The discussion centers on the unusual weather patterns experienced around Halloween, with participants reflecting on last year's October snowstorm and the current threat of Hurricane Sandy, which is expected to transition into a Nor'easter. Concerns about safety and preparedness are prevalent, with individuals sharing personal experiences and advice on how to prepare for severe weather, including stocking up on supplies and securing homes against potential flooding and power outages. The conversation highlights the confusion surrounding the storm's classification as it shifts from a tropical cyclone to a winter storm, referred to as "Frankenstorm." Participants express anxiety about the storm's impact, particularly in urban areas like New York City, and discuss the unpredictability of weather patterns, emphasizing the importance of taking such threats seriously. The discussion also touches on the historical context of late-season hurricanes and the challenges of emergency preparedness in densely populated regions.
  • #61
Jimmy Snyder said:
My wife works in Plymouth Meeting too. She is staying home today.
But you live in Jersey, right? I wouldn't want to be driving east this afternoon either. Most of our Jersey staff didn't come in.
 
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  • #62
russ_watters said:
But you live in Jersey, right? I wouldn't want to be driving east this afternoon either. Most of our Jersey staff didn't come in.
Yes, she takes the PA turnpike from NJ. Going home it would almost due east into the storm. The distinction isn't that strong though since the winds will be from the north.
 
  • #63
Two headlines this morning in the NYTimes

The real story:

Panicked Evacuations Mix With Nonchalance in Hurricane Sandy's Path
By CARA BUCKLEY
In New York City, with memories of last year's less-than-ferocious Hurricane Irene still fresh, some skeptical residents simply would not move.

Irene was pretty bad for our area. Some who didn't take it seriously had to be rescued, or otherwise paid the consequences.

and the Sideshow (or the surreal story):

In Middle of a Messy Election, a Nightmare Makes Landfall
By PETER BAKER
Recounts, contested ballots, an Electoral College at odds with the popular vote: now adding to the campaigns' potential horrors, a freakish storm may warp an election two years in the making.


We now have continuous breezes.
 
  • #64
The cold front that is one of the other ingredients of "Frankenstorm" is moving into the Carolinas. It's sunny but chilly here in SC this morning. To the north of us, there is a winter storm warning for tonight in the mountains north of Asheville NC. Several inches of heavy wet snow are expected. High winds have brought down trees in the area to the south of Asheville.
 
  • #65
Sandy has made a small, but measurable move to the west as it starts to draw its own initial across the northeast. The wind is steady at about 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph. and the rain continues light.
 
  • #66
Apparently the maximum sustained winds have increased from 75 to 85 mph, which is unusual. It seems to be related to the hurricane enountering the other systems.

We're supposed to get high winds this afternoon.
 
  • #67
Astronuc said:
Apparently the maximum sustained winds have increased from 75 to 85 mph, which is unusual. It seems to be related to the hurricane enountering the other systems.

That unusual strengthening has been expected. From this morning's 5AM discussion (Hurricane Sandy Discussion #28) sent out by the National Hurricane Center, http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT3+shtml/230256.shtml:

Since the hurricane will traverse the Gulf Stream this morning...and the shear is not too strong at this time...some more strengthening as a tropical cyclone is possible in the next few hours. However...the main mechanism for intensification later today should be baroclinic forcing.

Surface data indicate that a well-marked warm and cold front lie not far to the north and west of the center of Sandy. As the circulation interacts with these fronts...the cyclone should become extratropical later today. Extratropical transition is expected to be complete before the center crosses the coast. However...this transformation will not diminish the overall impacts from winds to hurricane strength...life-threatening storm surge...and flooding rains associated with this dangerous weather system.
​
Note: Those ellipses are not mine.
 
  • #70
I should have pointed out earlier that we had folks calling 911 during the height of the storm. They wanted to be rescued. They were told to sit and wait, because emergency personnel were not going out in the high winds and floods. In some cases, emergency services could not get through because of the flooding.

This is why one takes these storms seriously, and don't go out in the storm -

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-08-29/news/30111251_1_death-toll-separate-deaths-bronx-man
 
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  • #72
I moved from PA to Florida a few years ago. Here it's in the 50s, and up there they are getting hit with Sandy. So ironic...

Stay safe everyone. May the forces NOT be with you on this particular occasion...
 
  • #73
Mid 50s outside with light gusty winds from the East and steady (though not drenching) rain.
 
  • #74
If you have hatches, is is recommended that you batten them.
 
  • #75
Meanwhile seeing gust approaching 40 mph south of NYC

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/22026080/winds.jpg

But on the wind map the high pressure ridge north from Dallas up all the way looks very impressive. Unusual?
 
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  • #76
Andre said:
Meanwhile seeing gust approaching 40 mph south of NYC

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/22026080/winds.jpg

But on the wind map the high pressure ridge north from Dallas up all the way looks very impressive. Unusual?

Looks hairy to me.
 
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  • #77
My in-laws in Toronto should get a bit of a soaking. Here, in north, central British Columbia, it is -6 (21 F), and we have received at least 15 cm (6 inches) of snow over the last 36 hours.
 
  • #78
I'm watching this webcam, from Perkasie PA, not *too* far from where a lot of my family is:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/perkasiestormcam

Right now just looks like a kind of sinister calm rain...
 
  • #79
Pretty windy and wet right now, but the birds are still coming to our feeders.
 
  • #81
It looks like the worst of it will pass to the south of here. Also, the speed is picking up which turns out to be a very good thing. If current conditions prevail, it will hit land at 5 pm rather than 8 pm when it would have coincided with high tide.
 
  • #82
I'm far enough inland that I'm not worried about any direct wind damage, and the only tree within striking distance of my house fell on it last year, so I think I'm just going to have to wait out the rain and inevitable power outage.
 
  • #83
Jimmy Snyder said:
It looks like the worst of it will pass to the south of here.
It looks like the eye will pass just south of where you live. That's often the very worst place to be, the dirty side of the storm just outside the eye wall. Hopefully the thirty or so mile journey inland the storm will take before reaching you will have toned the storm down a bit. I wish you the very best of luck through this nasty mess.
 
  • #84
Just an update. Jimmy just called, and they are doing fine. Lots of power outages in NJ, but it seems like everything is fine there.
 
  • #85
Judging from google Earth and its radar maps eye just hit the land, but it is about 140 kilometers (which is how much? 85 miles?) South from Jimmy's place. And I think so far he was missed by the heaviest rain (but I am not watching the map all the time).
 
  • #86
It looks like the eye will along Delware Bay. Philadelphia will probably experience high winds. There will be heavy rains in Delaware and eastern Maryland, then central PA along the Susquehanna River. There is apparently substantial flooding along the southern shore of NJ.

Meanwhile - Crane dangles from NYC high-rise
http://news.yahoo.com/crane-dangles-nyc-high-rise-clearing-streets-192109191.html

We've only had slight tree damage, but the winds still haven't reached their expected maximum yet. We're experiencing intermittent voltage drops as the local distribution system reacts to trees contacting the power lines.

Down by the coast, it's worse than here.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sandy-power-outages-start-piling-up-2012-10-29/
Marketwatch said:
As of 3 p.m. Eastern, the Department of Energy reported at least 316,500 customers were without power, up sharply from just 36,400 five hours earlier.

Long Island Power Authority, which covers one of the service areas most vulnerable to Atlantic hurricanes, reported more than 148,000 customers were currently without power, while New York outages overall had risen to more than 105,000.

. . . .
 
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  • #87
Bit of windy here not sure if it's because of Sandy. And heard of a power outage down south of here. We might see whatever left of Sandy maybe few days from now.
 
  • #88
rootX said:
Bit of windy here not sure if it's because of Sandy. And heard of a power outage down south of here. We might see whatever left of Sandy maybe few days from now.
The center of the tropical depression should be near Ottawa/Montreal on Thursday afternoon, around Quebec City by Friday afternoon - according to current predictions, which could change.

It seems to be weakening relatively rapidly since making landfall.

On the other hand, a strong gust took down one of largest trees, part of which fell on the neighbor's garage.
 
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  • #89
Astronuc said:
The center of the tropical depression should be near Ottawa/Montreal on Thursday afternoon, around Quebec City by Friday afternoon - according to current predictions, which could change.

It seems to be weakening relatively rapidly since making landfall.

On the other hand, a strong gust took down one of largest trees, part of which fell on the neighbor's garage.
Yes, it won't be here until Wed/Thursday. But, many people are thinking that Sandy is here already even though it's just a light breeze outside and there's nothing in weather forecast. Roads are quite empty so it's just some sober people and all drunk people outside on the streets :smile:
 
  • #90
Yahoo News: Superstorm Sandy roars ashore; 3 million without power

but the line won't load. This happened during Irene when power went out over wide areas, and some websites were off-line for weeks.



Meanwhile - someone posted a pic about the high winds in NY harbor.

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/554216_457272247645495_1844776100_n.jpg
 
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