December 6, 2024

Forest Service Cam offline since 6/24/21

Dec 6(Fri)

Mainly cloudy, areas east some sun. Light fluffy snow through most of the day. Moderate + pockets occured

Bittinger 2NW Valley

precip .04

SF 1.5

SD 6

Snowfall Month to Date 6.7

Season to Date 23.3

Dyacon Data Below

Garrett County Airport

Top of Wisp

• OPENING DAY

Canaan Heights/Davis 3SE

Climate Reference Network Canaan

Cabin Mt at Bald Knob

Cabin Mt-Western Sods

Bear Rocks-Dolly Sods

Spruce Knob

Canaan Valley Refuge

Mt.Davis

• No data due to mid October bear attack on the station

Snowshoe

Petersburg Grant County Airport

Elkins Airport

• Site Comparison

Dy007-Canaan Valley Refuge 3150′, Dy008-Bittinger 2nw Valley 2600′, Dy002-Cabin Mt at Bald Knob 4350′, Dy003-Cabin Mt-Western Sods 4035′, Dy004-Spruce Knob 4820′, Cvpw2-Climate Reference Network Canaan 3380′, KW99-Petersburg Grant County Airport 961, K2G4 Garrett County Airport 2933′, KCBE Cumberland Airport 774′, KEKN Elkins Airport 1985′, KMGW Morgantown Airport 1227′, PMN16-Mt.Davis 3038′, KDCA-Reagan National 15′, G1472 Snowshoe 4500′, F0183 Burkes Garden 3050′, DY025-Bear Rocks 4052′

The Valley vs Cabin Mt

Bittinger 2NW Valley vs Garrett County Airport

Canaan area temps

Sods Plateau

Up High and Down Low

Up High, High Valley, Low Valley

The Valleys

Wv High Ground Cold Spots vs DCA

RTMA

Radar

Satellite

Flow

Current Surface Features and 500mb Height Anomalies and Flow

Cranesville

Swallow Falls area

The Yough at Sang Run

Grantsville to Savage Mt

• Afternoon

Frostburg

Lavale to Cumberland

Martins Mt

Town Hill

33 East of Harman at The Divide

December 5, 2024

Forest Service Cam offline since 6/24/21

Dec 5(Thurs)

Last nights heavy period of snow that featured some thundersnow, and strong winds saw the heavy precip shield moving away at daylight. Some lingering flakes and pockets of snowshowers today and intervals with sun, and extremely windy.

Bittinger 2NW Valley

precip +

snowfall 4.5

snowdepth 6

month to date 5.2″

season to date 21.8″

Dyacon Data below

Garrett County Airport

Top of Wisp

Canaan Heights/Davis 3SE

Climate Reference Network Canaan

Cabin Mt at Bald Knob

Cabin Mt-Western Sods

Bear Rocks-Dolly Sods

Spruce Knob

Canaan Valley Refuge

Mt.Davis

• No data due to mid October bear attack on the station

Snowshoe

• Opening Day

Petersburg Grant County Airport

Elkins Airport

• Site Comparison

Dy007-Canaan Valley Refuge 3150′, Dy008-Bittinger 2nw Valley 2600′, Dy002-Cabin Mt at Bald Knob 4350′, Dy003-Cabin Mt-Western Sods 4035′, Dy004-Spruce Knob 4820′, Cvpw2-Climate Reference Network Canaan 3380′, KW99-Petersburg Grant County Airport 961, K2G4 Garrett County Airport 2933′, KCBE Cumberland Airport 774′, KEKN Elkins Airport 1985′, KMGW Morgantown Airport 1227′, PMN16-Mt.Davis 3038′, KDCA-Reagan National 15′, G1472 Snowshoe 4500′, F0183 Burkes Garden 3050′, DY025-Bear Rocks 4052′

The Valley vs Cabin Mt

Bittinger 2NW Valley vs Garrett County Airport

Canaan area temps

Sods Plateau

High Ground Comparison

Up High and Down Low

Up High, High Valley, Low Valley

The Valleys

Wv High Ground Cold Spots vs DCA

RTMA

Radar

Satellite

Flow

Current Surface Features and 500mb Height Anomalies and Flow

Cranesville

Webcams

December 4, 2024

Forest Service Cam offline since 6/24/21

Dec 4(Wed)

A nice sunrise, early a.m sun and a rapid cloud cover spreading across. Late afternoon/evening snow/graupel shower . Milder 30s.

• Important note. Dyacon, the station provider to many of the daily stations listed here, having service provider cellular issues of some sort with all the stations dropping offline. Fingers crossed this is a brief issue.

Bittinger 2NW Valley

precip .02

SF .2

SD 2.0

Snowfall Month To Date .7

Snowfall Season to Date 17.3

Dyacon Data Below

The Glades

• A throwback picture to 2017 on this date

Garrett County Airport

Top of Wisp

Canaan Heights/Davis 3SE

Climate Reference Network Canaan

Cabin Mt at Bald Knob

Cabin Mt-Western Sods

• A throwback on a beautiful early winter day 9 years ago today below.

Bear Rocks-Dolly Sods

Spruce Knob

Canaan Valley Refuge

Mt.Davis

• No data due to mid October bear attack on the station

Snowshoe

Petersburg Grant County Airport

Elkins Airport

• Site Comparison

Dy007-Canaan Valley Refuge 3150′, Dy008-Bittinger 2nw Valley 2600′, Dy002-Cabin Mt at Bald Knob 4350′, Dy003-Cabin Mt-Western Sods 4035′, Dy004-Spruce Knob 4820′, Cvpw2-Climate Reference Network Canaan 3380′, KW99-Petersburg Grant County Airport 961, K2G4 Garrett County Airport 2933′, KCBE Cumberland Airport 774′, KEKN Elkins Airport 1985′, KMGW Morgantown Airport 1227′, PMN16-Mt.Davis 3038′, KDCA-Reagan National 15′, G1472 Snowshoe 4500′, F0183 Burkes Garden 3050′, DY025-Bear Rocks 4052′

The Valley vs Cabin Mt

Bittinger 2NW Valley vs Garrett County Airport

Canaan area temps

Sods Plateau

High Ground Comparison

Up High and Down Low

Up High, High Valley, Low Valley

The Valleys

Wv High Ground Comparison vs DCA

RTMA

Radar

Satellite

Flow

Current Surface Features and 500mb Height Anomalies and Flow

Oakland

7Springs

SNOW/WIND MEETING BLIZZARD WARNING CRITERIA

December 4, 2024

Before we hop to the incoming event, let’s start with this morning. A beautiful sunrise near Bittinger below

• Those early morning temps ranging from the single digits in those southern Allegheny Mountain valleys that went clear and calm overnight. You’ll see in the images below, to many areas of teens and some low 20s elsewhere.

• Under SW winds today we mild up a bit ahead of the incoming cold front in to the 30s.

Now, for the Blizzard Warnings in place

What is a blizzard warning. Thoughts may go to the Blizzard of 93′, January 96′, Sandy, or even a few weeks ago. The actual criteria for a blizzard warning does not require an extreme event such as those. While Blizzard Warnings have been infrequently used in the past, by definition they could have been used much more in our recent past. So do not become confused with it being issued more frequently now based off the criteria. In reality, that criteria alone could have lead to a hundred blizzard warnings since the turn of the century and we’ve only had a handful. It really wasn’t used to the the actual definition of the criteria needed. Now it is. Thats a change. Not that blizzards are increasing.

by definition:

So this event should meet the criteria needed. It’s not the blizzard of 93 or an event keeping you housebound for a week. Actually by next week this time, very few remains may be seen.

The areas in the warning below:

THE NWS EXPECTED AMOUNTS:

Personally I still like the 3-6″ tonight in to daylight Thursday. The brunt of that occuring between midnight and 8am. Some does occur prior and after that period. Through Friday an additional 1-3″. So my thoughts are slightly lower, but overall in the general ballpark.

Modeling doesn’t put out an abundance of liquid(which will be snow, all snow)

• The 6GFS through 8am Thursday. .25 to .45. Ratios initially start 9-12 to 1 and increase .

• Precip totals off the 6z GFS through Friday pm. Another .1 to .2. Given ratios another 2-4″ potentially off the GFS with ratios around 20+ to 1.

• The 6z EURO, similarities to the GFS.

• Through Friday pm.. it’s a bit less rambunctious on additional amounts. .02 to .1. So .5 to 2.0″ additional.

• That translates to these snowfall maps off the models

-6z GFS

-6z Euro

• Again, snowfall output isn’t anything that’s going to wow. The intense period will make for poor travel tonight, and the wind plus snowfall will create poor visibility. When the brief period of intense snowfall passes by, wind and snowshowers will still create poor visibility at times and expect roadways, even some main roads to stay snowcovered Thursday with falling temps. Temps/wind combo will also create low windchills. As seen below off the Euro

-TEMPS

-Wind

-Windchills(grey = below 0)

Be prepared and stay tuned to your local NWS for updates and the Facebook page will be updated regularly.

December 3, 2024

Forest Service Cam offline since 6/24/21

Dec 3(Tues)

Mostly cloudy, a few glimpses of sun. At daybreak and sunset mostly. Some very light fluff.

Bittinger 2NW Valley

precip .01

precip Year to date 49.12

SF .1

SD 2″

Snowfall month to date .5″

snowfall season to date 17.1″

Garrett County Airport

Top of Wisp

• Pics all from the afternoon

Canaan Heights/Davis 3SE

Climate Reference Network Canaan

Cabin Mt at Bald Knob

Cabin Mt-Western Sods

Bear Rocks-Dolly Sods

Spruce Knob

Canaan Valley Refuge

Mt.Davis

• no data due to mid October bear attack on station

Snowshoe

Petersburg Grant County Airport

Elkins Airport

• Site Comparison

Dy007-Canaan Valley Refuge 3150′, Dy008-Bittinger 2nw Valley 2600′, Dy002-Cabin Mt at Bald Knob 4350′, Dy003-Cabin Mt-Western Sods 4035′, Dy004-Spruce Knob 4820′, Cvpw2-Climate Reference Network Canaan 3380′, KW99-Petersburg Grant County Airport 961, K2G4 Garrett County Airport 2933′, KCBE Cumberland Airport 774′, KEKN Elkins Airport 1985′, KMGW Morgantown Airport 1227′, PMN16-Mt.Davis 3038′, KDCA-Reagan National 15′, G1472 Snowshoe 4500′, F0183 Burkes Garden 3050′, DY025-Bear Rocks 4052′

The Valley vs Cabin Mt

Bittinger 2NW Valley vs Garrett County Airport

Canaan area temps

Sods Plateau

High Ground Comparison

Up High and Down Low

Up High, High Valley, Low Valley

The Valleys

Wv High Ground Cold Spots vs DCA

RTMA

Radar

Satellite

Flow

Current Surface Features and 500mb Height Anomalies and Flow

Oakland

Cold Front, Squall Line, Upslope, Wind

Tuesday December 3, 2024

Timing of the snow aspect of the event looks to occur near midnight tomorrow night and the brunt wrapped up around daylight or so Thursday. There will be a bit of snow prior to the time frame, and a bit occuring through Thursday afternoon in to Friday. That said, the 11pm Wednesday to 8am Thursday looks to be the window of the intense period beginning NW and sweeping across.

Personally I like 3-6″ totals for the event in the favored upslope zones with localized higher pops. The heavy aspect is not a long lived event. It’s a brief, but intense period of heavy snow. The brunt falls in that short window mentioned and from Thursday midday through Friday a.m an additional 1-3″ may occur at various rates.

Expect very poor travel in that window tomorrow night in to the day Thursday.

THE NWS WATCHES BELOW:

THE NWS EXPECTED AMOUNTS BELOW:

On the models

• GFS through 1pm Thursday

• GFS through 4pm Friday adding a bit of additional

• Euro through 1pm Thursday

• Euro through 4pm Friday with just a bit of additional

• Accompanying the event is strong gusty winds

Running the 18z Euro wind gust loop..often a bit overdone

• With temps like this below

• That accompanied by those strong winds, windchills will fall below 0 again across the high ground. Windchills below

To note, a all snow event across the high ground

Initially below 3000′- 3200′ surface temps may be just above freezing. With a steep lapse rate and lower levels that are not saturated, you’ll evaporative cooling to freezing at the surface very fast upon precip reaching the ground

• Next image, as lower level begin saturating, precip encroaching

• Next image, the window of the heaviest snow.bam, temps fall in to the upper 20s.

Those images modeled off the Euro for the Garrett County Airport at 2933′.

December 2, 2024

Forest Service Cam offline since 6/24/21

Dec 2(Mon)

Lots of clouds. Some visible sun at times. Some areas of very light fluffy flakes floating about.

Bittinger 2NW Valley

Precip T

SF – T

SD 2″

Season to date 17.0″

Dyacon Data Below

Garrett County Airport

Top of Wisp

Canaan Heights/Davis 3SE

Climate Reference Network Canaan

Cabin Mt at Bald Knob

Cabin Mt-Western Sods

Bear Rocks-Dolly Sods

Spruce Knob

Canaan Valley Refuge

Mt.Davis

no data due to mid October bear attack on station

Snowshoe

Petersburg Grant County Airport

Elkins Airport

• Site Comparison

Dy007-Canaan Valley Refuge 3150′, Dy008-Bittinger 2nw Valley 2600′, Dy002-Cabin Mt at Bald Knob 4350′, Dy003-Cabin Mt-Western Sods 4035′, Dy004-Spruce Knob 4820′, Cvpw2-Climate Reference Network Canaan 3380′, KW99-Petersburg Grant County Airport 961, K2G4 Garrett County Airport 2933′, KCBE Cumberland Airport 774′, KEKN Elkins Airport 1985′, KMGW Morgantown Airport 1227′, PMN16-Mt.Davis 3038′, KDCA-Reagan National 15′, G1472 Snowshoe 4500′, F0183 Burkes Garden 3050′, DY025-Bear Rocks 4052′

The Valley vs Cabin Mt

Bittinger 2NW Valley vs Garrett County Airport

Canaan area temps

Sods Plateau

High Ground Comparison

Up High and Down Low

Up High, High Valley, Low Valley

The Valleys

Wv High Ground Cold Spots vs DCA

RTMA

Radar

Satellite

Flow

Current Surface Features and 500mb Height Anomalies and Flow

Sideling Hill Creek at North craft

Town Hill

Polish Mt

Martins Mt

Cumberland to Lavale

Frostburg

Savage Mt to Grantsville

Oakland

33 East of Harman at the Divide

December 1, 2024

Forest Service Cam offline since 6/24/21

Dec 1(Sun)

Mostly cloudy, a bit of light snow. High ratio fluff. Breezy

Bittinger 2NW Valley

Daily snowfall .4

Month to date .4

Season to date 17.0″

Max Depth 2″

Dyacon Data Below

Garrett County Airport

Top of Wisp

Canaan Heights/Davis 3SE

Climate Reference Network Canaan

Cabin Mt at Bald Knob

Cabin Mt-Western Sods

Bear Rocks-Dolly Sods

Spruce Knob

Canaan Valley Refuge

Mt.Davis

• No data due to mid October bear attack on station

Snowshoe

Petersburg Grant County Airport

Elkins Airport

• Site Comparison

Dy007-Canaan Valley Refuge 3150′, Dy008-Bittinger 2nw Valley 2600′, Dy002-Cabin Mt at Bald Knob 4350′, Dy003-Cabin Mt-Western Sods 4035′, Dy004-Spruce Knob 4820′, Cvpw2-Climate Reference Network Canaan 3380′, KW99-Petersburg Grant County Airport 961, K2G4 Garrett County Airport 2933′, KCBE Cumberland Airport 774′, KEKN Elkins Airport 1985′, KMGW Morgantown Airport 1227′, PMN16-Mt.Davis 3038′, KDCA-Reagan National 15′, G1472 Snowshoe 4500′, F0183 Burkes Garden 3050′, DY025-Bear Rocks 4052′

The Valley vs Cabin Mt

Bittinger 2NW Valley vs Garrett County Airport

Canaan area temps

Sods Plateau

High Ground Comparison

Up High and Down Low

Up High, High Valley, Low Valley

The Valleys

Wv High Ground Cold Spots vs DCA

RTMA

Radar

Satellite

Flow

Current Surface Features and 500mb Height Anomalies and Flow

33 East of Harman at the divide