Chester County Dreams of Wet Christmas

Christmas 2015 was one for the ages as old man spring reared his ugly head and blasted the region with mild temperatures and warm rain.

While the warm temperature was a blessing for many in the region who have lost weight reading the Insider Inc.'s health blog, "Newtritarian", it created some problems for Santa as he moved through the region.

Just south of the Poconos, our Weather Insider Santa Tracker picked up this troubled Santa at dawn.  However, within a short time some friendly elves in the Warm Weather Troubleshooting Division airlifted in a solution, and in a flash Santa was on his way again.

Santa was able to make his remaining stops in Chester County using this 2 wheleled sleigh, before ditching it when it ran out of gas as he crossed into Jersey.

This unusual Subtropic blast, referred to in serious weather circles as "La Piñata" gets its name from the warm temperatures associated with Cinco de Mayo and the way water dumps from the sky as if a giant Piñata has been bashed over our region.

Santa was able to deal with the warm weather and unusual amounts of water in style - here he is finishing up deliveries along the Black Horse Pike in nearby NJ, humming the beach boy classic "Little St. Nick" and making the most of this year's unusual circumstances.

We at the Insider would encourage you to be safe this holiday season. Check in on elderly neighbors and relatives to make sure none are in danger of heat stroke, and make sure they are staying hydrated.

La Piñata is expected to influence the region for at least a few more weeks.  We will have more updates when our weather models have new information.

Our current model seems to really have no idea what to expect.

Fall Storm Arnold Ravages Chesco!!!

Fall Storm Arnold Ravages ChesCo!

October 18 was a day to be remembered in the annals of weather lore.  Fall Storm Arnold sprung up out of nowhere and sprinkled water, wind, rain and chilly air on unsuspecting victims from Downingtown to Landenberg.

SCC Correspondent Kathleen Anderson reported back on her experience this afternoon.  "It was cold.  Much colder than yesterday.  And the leaves were being blown right off the trees.  Old Man Fall was really rearing his ugly head today."

Weather watchers reported a hail storm in Downingtown that showered baby pea sized hail down on them for minutes on end.  In the Southwestern portion of the county cold driving rain was observed by Insider staff.  It was a day better spent indoors.  "It snowed on my friend's horse," said an exasperated Sarah Renz.  "This is NOT what I asked for on my birthday."

At this point ALL CHESTER COUNTY SCHOOLS remain OPEN.  Despite the sub 40 degree temps, schools are braving the weather to go on with business as usual.

Winter Storm Thor Roars Through Early March

Winter Storm Thor is being called the "Winter Lion of March©."  By me.  And now by you.

The storm has already created the largest snow-nut of the season, and it's not done yet.

We all saw this one coming, so there was no reason to hype any forecasts or predictions.  What we couldn't predict was just what kind of impact The Winter Lion © would have.

We at the Weather Insider were forced to do the unimaginable.

Yes, the sheer volume of snow forced us to sleep late and put off reporting for several hours.

The deep snow almost overwhelmed local electric power shovels.  However, persistent efforts eventually allowed snow throwers and the human spirit to prevail.

Perhaps most impressive was the fact that school closings in the area were almost unanimously agreed upon as appropriate. 

 

Jeb Pyle, long time West Grove resident commented, "Now THIS is what I call snow.  All year long they've talked a good game, but finally they had a reason to close school. A flake here, a flake there, 2 hour delays... Gimme a break ... In MY day that would have been a joke. We had no problem getting to school with our sleighs and snow shoes. This generation is soft.  And school taxes are too high, too."

Local citizens are not the only ones thrilled to have a true weather event to talk about.  Meteorologists are thrilled too.  "It's great!  Finally we got it right!  I would say out low point was when the national discussion turned from storm totals and real feel temperatures to llamas and dress colors.  It's good to be back to talking about the weather," shared a local meteorologist who wanted to remain anonymous for reasons we have yet to figure out.

We have almost doubled seasonal snowfall totals at this point, and according to gr8 4caster™ there is more to come for the next 4-5 hours.  As satellite images show, very little progress has been made, as the storm crawls from west to east.  

Local weather watcher Santi Pizzini found this out the hard way - she was hoping spring was around the corner, but woke to this message on her computer screen:

Meanwhile, our crack team of meteorologists have been scouring maps trying to puzzle out when relief will be in sight.

While the picture is clearing up in the west, the east is still a big muddled mystery.   We will have more as things clear up!  Stay warm and happy weather watching!

Is THIS Snow White or Blue?

Thursday night, Chester County and surrounding areas were hit hard by a sneak attack of snow. Just 24 hours after a predicted snow did NOT develop into anything, this one came out of nowhere.

In addition to the surprise snow, THIS snow packed an additional surprise.  Some people actually saw the snow as blue.

That's right. We asked a British scientist what he thought (notice his spelling of color).  "It's likely due to some kind of colour constancy illusion, where some people are perceiving the context to be something like "lit by blueish daylight" and others are perceiving it to be something like "under yellow department store lights." In the former case, your brain will try and get the objective (if such a thing can be said) colour by subtracting out the blue as a shadow.  This is a common illusion in psychology but it's not seen that often 'in the wild,' even though your brain does this constantly."

So based on this theory, we at Chester County Weather Insider conclude all snow is actually blue but because we view it in daylight, and not in department stores we see it as white.

So what happened Thursday that allowed some of us to see the snow as blue?  The angle of the sun passing through the clouds perfectly replicated the poor yellow lighting of a typical department store, so those who do not spend hours shopping saw the snow as blue.  Those of you who are shopaholics, your eyes went into autopilot and compensated making the snow appear white as it normally does.

Above we have enhanced the original photo so everyone can see the extreme manner in which this may be perceived. Do your eyes perceive it as it actually IS in the original photo, or did your eyes played tricks on you and allow the snow to look mainly white with only a hint of blue?

Stay warm, and happy weather watching from the Insider!

Snowmeggadon 5.0 Wreaks Havoc in the Area!

Winter Storm Pandora swept through the mid Atlantic this weekend unleashing a box full of fury.  The snow depths of over three inches makes this officially Snowmegaddon 5.0.

We at the Insider were blessed to not bear the brunt of this wintery assault, yet thanks to our network of snow spotters and crack reporters, we have all the details you need.

While snow spotters have Snowmegaddon 5.0 depths in the 3-4 inch range the Insider Real Feel Snow Depths (tm) were reported at "Holy Cow, that's a lot of snow!"

This is a new index, similar to the wind chill matrix that allows us to indicated what it realllllly feeeeels like out there after major snow events.  The Real Feel Snow Depth (tm) will be accompanied by a picture indicating how you should most appropriately react when looking out at the devastation, or being interviewed by reporters braving the storm.

Staff photographer Felicia Renz sent me a picture of this Snownut late yesterday, which became an ice Glazed Snownut overnight.

Here you can see snow depths significantly deeper than the treads on tires of the clean up vehicles - the first time all year they have had to deal with such conditions.

We at the Insider hope you are all safe, as we will be returning from the heartland early this week! Happy Weather Watching!

Savant Predicts Biggest Snow Fall Totals Yet!

Last week we began tracking this storm, and our models were pretty sure a significant event was in store.  As the week went on our models have not yet reached consensus, but now 8 of 10 feel we will get snow - up from 7 of 10 a week ago.

Meanwhile, we have heard of a child weather savant in Toughkennamon who has accurately predicted all the storms this year within 2 inches.

When staffers at Tommy Tinker's Day Care turned there back, they found this little rascal working out details on this week's storm.  "He was muttering nonsense words like millibars and barometric, and we told him to use his 'big boy' words."

Frustrated, the child (who's name is not being released due to weather privacy legislation - WiPL) grabbed a crumpled up U.S. Map and a red crayon and proceeded to point and say "SNOW! Snow is coming TONIGHT!"

The National Weather Service has issued and Advisory for our area, with an 80% chance of snow, but they have issued a warning for neighboring Newark DE, and Elkton MD.

Because of our proximity to these areas we at CCWI are a issuing a Winter State of Panic.  We are officially calling this Snowmeggadon 4.0 and predicting a snow day for local schools in our area tomorrow.

Idaho Meteorologist Predicts Frigid Conditions After Forgetting Valentine's Day

While the Northeast is blasted by another polar vortex, most of the Northwest is seeing extremely mild conditions.  However a Meteorologist in Boise Idaho feels that trend will end, locally.

Lionel Myers, A meteorologist at KTVB 7 in Boise experienced a severe drop in temperature that began Saturday morning and continued into the evening.  

Myers explains, "While all weather models indicated a mild weekend, things dipped very quickly beginning Saturday morning.  My wife of 6 months, greeted me with breakfast in bed, and I thanked her, as any good husband would.  I then proceeded with my daily routine as normal.  I read some weather blogs, looked for changes in air mass, and even tweeted out some predictions for the next 5 and 10 day forecasts."  By mid afternoon, as he continued, he noticed the outside temperature rising as the sun moved across the clear blue skies, but inside it was cold and gloomy.

"Finally, around 7pm, Kristen asked me if I had made any dinner reservations.  I gently reminded her that it was the 2nd Saturday of the month, and that means D&D night.  I went over to my buddy Kevin's house...well technically it is his parent's place... he lives in the basement.   I was expecting a great night of slaying ogres.  Kevin looked stunned.  He said he just assumed since it was Valentine's Day I would not be around.   My face was ashen.  It was like I was caught in the midst of a dangerous winter squall."  Myers went into a state of emergency.

"I rushed to the grocery store and grabbed one of the last cards they had,"

After getting the card, he headed over to the flower department.  No staff was on hand, but they did have some flowers leftover, and they came with a vase.

"I texted my wife a Valentine's wish and message to let her know I was on my way home and had planned a dinner for us to enjoy together on our first Valentine's Day as a married couple."  When Myers got home, his wife was apparently locked in the bedroom and said she did not feel good and did not want to come out.  After pleading, and coaxing her out with a promise of a pasta dinner made especially for her, she begrudgingly opened the door.

With dinner prepared and plated especially for the occasion, Myers was sure the arctic blast would move out quickly.  He even opened a bottle of libations he had picked up from the grocery store's meager stock.

"Once dinner was on the table, I unscrewed the wine and said something like, look, red for Valentine's. Dinner went as well as could be expected, but despite some casual chit chat, things never really warmed up."  

Myers ended up watching Sanford and Son reruns, and polishing off the wine since his wife retired early, still "not feeling quite right".  Finally at 11:30 he tweeted out @MyersWeatherGuy: #mildconditions end locally #arcticblast hitting hard #frigiddays ahead

Dangerous Snow Squall Hampers Weather Insider Team

This evening, the back end of The Valentine's Day Storm of 2015 packed a real wallop.  On our way back, weather watcher Felicia Renz received an alert on her mobile weather device

Shortly after, we ran smack dab into it.  It was a sight to behold.  I grabbed the wheel with both hands and I used my knee a little, too.  I didn't know how long this dangerous squall would last so I urged my staff photographer to get a pic.  

The original pic didn't really do it justice, so I used Art Studio Lite to show you what it really looked like.

Reports and images of the Dangerous Snow Squall have been flooding into CCWI headquarters all evening.

Some weather watchers resorted to driving on rumble strips for added traction!

The most disturbing came from a weather watcher in Oxford Pa.

This image was sent to us by Josiah King, along with the message "I seen the Dangerous Snow Squall an she was terrifying."  

This image was so inconsistent with the others we sent our fraud department out to investigate. It was later determined the image was simply a misunderstanding - Josiah saw the dangerous squaw on the arm of Big Judy - long time bartender at the Octorara Hotel.

Tune into the Insider for Winter News as it breaks!!!

Tracking the Valentine's Day Storm of 2015!

The Chester County Weather Insider was up early on Valentine's Day, preparing for the 1-2 punch of the Valentine's Day Storm of 2015.

We set out and charted a course through the region - where conditions ranged from extreme flurries to dusting, and even a coating to the far north and west.

Not content to sit around and wait for the snow totals to come in, we set out to see FIRST HAND what the impact was throughout the Delaware Valley.

Radar showed storms in the area, and some models indicated 1 inch while others stated 2 inches of snow could pile up before this whole mess is over.

When we left, round one was finished, and there was already a dusting in place- with even MORE forecasted for this evening.  But we were not deterred.  We set off from West Grove to Warminster - to bring you a first hand look at the devastation.

Cats and other animals had to tiptoe through the frigid coating.

Though our app indicated it would take an hour and 16 minutes to reach our destination, it took ALMOST an hour and 20 minutes, hampered by wet roads and salt on our windshield.  At one point, traffic was at a complete standstill until a light turned green.

Roads here in the North, while mainly wet, showed signs of drifting as the coating encroached from the sidewalks.

Here at Heritage Creek, a 55 and older community, some creative and playful residents carved a head of cauliflower out of a large drift.  "It wasn't me," said resident Harold Riffkin.

Another local weather watcher, Jill Shapiro, reported in with this local update:  "It is going to be cold tonight."

We are glad to have so many of you contributing - it's what makes OUR blog a TRUE insider.  Just use common sense when tracking dangerous weather like we have seen this year.

Winter Storm Marcus Is Coming ... Or Not

After a quiet week, Mother Nature is once again rearing her ugly head and has set her sights squarely on New England. And JUST likes a few weeks back, we too could endure her wrath... Or not... We're really not sure.

Marcus will bring a mixed bag of snow, wintery mix, and rain to the eastern sea board, and we are predicting one of those things will hit Chester County during the day tomorrow.

Above was the scene early this evening - the red sky at night casting a warning across the serene countryside.  

While our models once again can't seem to agree on exactly WHAT will happen, weather watchers in the area have boldly predicted significant dampness from this system, which could hamper the morning commute and potentially worsen during the day... Or not.

When Weather Forecasters Attack!

It started out like any other Groundhog Day in Sun Prairie Wisconsin, but then things went terribly wrong.

Jimmy the Groundhog, inexplicably tried to take the mayor's ear off.  His handlers, Jerry and Maria Hahn, quickly pried the varmint's jaws apart, and pulled him off the mayor, as the mayor's head of security threw himself between Jimmy and the shaken politician.

After the commotion, even MORE hubbub ensued as the Mayor announced, despite a glorious day filled with sunshine, that Jimmy did NOT see his shadow.  Some feel the mayor was rattled and did not clearly hear Jimmy.  Other's feel perhaps Jimmy did in fact fail to see his shadow due to the Mayor's hat.   

A local, Jim Savage, of Sun Prairie noted, "well the mayor, he be rockin' that Abe Lincoln throw-back jaun, and you know, ain't no sun gettin' passed that."

Other's feel this was clearly a move by Mayor Jonathan Freund to add gravitas to a potential run for President.  Denied tickets to the Dallas Cowboys suite during the recent battle with local favorites, the Packers, Freund needed to find another route.  Perhaps claiming the groundhog did NOT see his shadow was  meant to show the world he was a leader ready to make bold statements akin to:

"My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I have signed legislation to outlaw Russia forever.  We begin bombing in 5 minutes."
"I am NOT a crook."
"No New taxes."
"Yes, but I did not inhale."
"I did NOT have sexual relations with that woman."
"Mission Accomplished."

An article on Channel3000.com said nothing one way or the other about the possibility of a rabid prognosticator, but did say that "either way, children and parents were all smiles as they met Jimmy in person."

Link to video and detailed account of the incident.

Linus is Coming!

Winter storm Linus is approaching, and it could be a major winter event.

Yes, while no one seems to be taking it seriously, and it sneaks in under the radar  due to the public's Super Bowl distraction, some, like meteorologist Linus Van Pelt feel a MAJOR WINTER EVENT could rise up out of this storm that is only warranting an Advisory.

"Every year, a great storm rises up out of a simple advisory.  And while every year I typically get it wrong, I am quite SURE that THIS year, the storm with my name sake, LINUS, will be THAT storm."

While the blue skies we saw today do not look terribly threatening, we DO realize mackerel skies and mares tails, make tall ships carry low tails - so we at CCWI are predicting big changes in the next 24 hours.

We feel significant rainfall is in the near future. 

Long underwear models we use to predict temperatures indicate the temperatures may not be cold enough for snow, but swimsuit models are not in agreement that it will be rain.

Therefore, with our battling models, we are predicting a chance of snow from Charlotte NC to Quebec.

Weather Will Impact Super Bowl XLIX

Temps in the low 70s and clear skies are just 2 of the things players will have to contend with at Super Bowl XLIX.  They will also have to contend with breezes upwards of 5 mph.

Both these teams are playing outside their element.  Seattle is used to cloudy skies and winter time temps of about 50.  The Temps will be equivalent to those of record highs, and the sunshine will be a strange challenge at kickoff.

Marshawn Lynch was asked by Sal Palantonio if it was true that he came to the media room to escape the hot Arizona sun, and he confirmed the reporters question, replying "You know why I'm here."  We can see that these weather conditions have already gotten into his head.

Speaking of heads, Tom Brady's is showing signs of the dry Arizona air.  These arid conditions are NOT the norm for this hearty New Englander.  Is sure to have his hands full with dry, comfortable conditions, and a small potential for NFL legally compliant footballs, though current models show that scenario as unlikely.

To get some insight into what awaits our foes this weekend, we went to CCWI Tucson Correspondent Marx "Scoops" Loeb:

"I think the Seahawks will be better prepared for the weather.  While they ARE used to rain, the intensely mild heat should not be as much a distraction to them.  If you are used to New England in February, and you come to Arizona?  Well that is just not something you can practice for.  I know.  I am from New England and am STILL not used to these mild winters. Back to you, Dave."

The bottom line is, it will simply come down to whichever team handles the extreme fair conditions best, will be the one to walk away with the trophy.

Some Weather Related Over/Under Prop Bets:

(Courtesy of Reno Rob, Fantasy and OC Golf Insider Staff Writer)

Temp at Kick-off :

72 degrees

Clouds visible in the sky at kick-off:

3

Head coaches wearing a golf shirt:

1

Number of times Al Michaels will mention the perfect weather conditions after kickoff:
3

Number of turnovers NOT induced by weather conditions:
3

Number of O/D  starters on both teams combined wearing long sleeve under armour:
3

Time remaining on Clock when the first passing Gatorade Shower occurs:
1:24

Winter Blast Rivals Blizzard Totals!

As we prepared our hard hitting fact filled investigation of how the Extreme Fair Weather projected to hit Arizona on Superbowl Sunday could impact play, breaking news interrupted our efforts.

Yet another Arctic Blast ripped through the area this evening, and although it came with less fanfare than The Snowmageddon series, it produced equally treacherous driving conditions.

West Chester Pa was as prepared as they could be, brining ahead of the storm.  But despite all the prep, roads still became wet with melted snow as the storm passed quickly through the area forcing those to ride it out for 90 minutes.

There were reports of a band of snow blowing across broad street this evening, but further investigation by weather watcher Nancy Ripley confirmed it was only a string band wrapping up New Years festivities.

Satellite images show we were once again spared the brunt of the storm as the mother load passed just north of us.

(Photo credit weather watcher Marybeth Jenkins)

While roads were just wet, elevated surfaces such as trash can lids and picnic tables remain slick with rapidly accumulating coatings... We recommend avoiding driving across such surfaces.  And under severe conditions as these, we advise not letting your Littlest Pet Shop Pets (tm) out for extended periods of time. 

Stay tuned for reports of Extreme Fair Weather expected in Arizona on Sunday, and how 2 foul weather teams plan on dealing with it.  Also, we gear up for what COULD be Snowmageddon 4.0, starting Sunday into Monday!