Denver's record snow

Here is a great map from the Boulder office of the National Weather Service ... showing the record February snowstorm.

The first map is a wide view, the second a close up.

Storm breaks records in Denver

The slow moving 36+ hour February snow event produced 15 inches of snow at Denver's official weather station (as of 5 AM Saturday) ... that broke the previous "biggest February storm" record of 14.1 inches, dating back to 1912.

It also places the city just 2.5 inches shy of making it into the top 5 snowiest February's on record, and just over 7 inches shy of being the snowiest.

Widespread totals of 1 to 2 feet were common up and down the I-25 urban corridor and on the adjacent plains/Palmer Divide region.

In the foothills west of town, most locations saw 2 to 3 feet, with some isolated pockets in excess of 4 feet near Boulder.

One of the biggest totals was recorded in Coal Creek Canyon near the town of Pinecliffe; at last check, they were sitting at 50.5 inches and climbing!

Slammed by a Colorado Hooker

I know this title got your attention!

As I type, eastern Colorado (including here in Denver) is being slammed with an unusually strong February winter storm.

Typically, we see light and fluffy snowfalls during the month of February with just a few inches here and there. The average for the month is about 6 inches.

But as we all have experienced, the weather patterns this winter have been anything BUT typical. The storm hitting Colorado right now is more like something we'd see in mid to late March or early April.

So back to the hooker thing...

This type of storm is called a Colorado Hooker, or a Panhandle Hooker, because it forms east of the Rockies across southern Colorado, northern New Mexico or the Texas panhandle ... and hooks north and east toward the Great Lakes --- all the while, drawing in plenty of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, slinging it back into Colorado's Front Range.

The result, a big snow!

Alert level raised around Alaskan volcano

Here is the latest about the Cleveland volcano that threaten to erupt and potentially disrupt air travel.

Alaska volcano alert

Stormy weather brewin' for the weekend

It looks like February will get off to an active start, especially in the middle of the country.

A storm currently moving into the Pacific Northwest will move into the central Rockies and gain strength once on the east side of the Rockies.

Eastern Colorado could be looking at a pretty big snow and wind event, with severe weather out ahead of it in the southern plains states.

Bitter cold in Alaska

Wow ... check out these temperatures across portions of central and north-central Alaska.  Extreme cold!!

INTERIOR
PARC Arctic Village  No Report         MM 100   Calm      29.46     0   3/4
PABT Bettles         BCFG             -50  MM   NW5       29.74   -68    10
PATW Cantwell        Not Available
PABI Delta Junction  MostlyClear      -41  MM   SE3       29.56   -55     9
PAIN Denali Park     Clear            -45  57   Calm      29.41   -45    10
PAEG Eagle           No Report         MM 100   MMMM      29.75    MM    MM
PAEI Eielson AFB     Freezing Fog     -51  MM   Calm      29.67   -51   1/2
PFYU Fort Yukon      MostlyClear      -60  MM   Calm      29.82   -60     4
PAFA Fairbanks       Freezing Fog     -51  MM   Calm      29.69   -51   1/4
PAFB Ft. Wainwright  Not Available
PAGA Galena          Fog              -56  MM   Calm      29.80   -56  21/2
PAHV Healy           Not Available
PAHL Huslia          Clear            -58  MM   Calm      29.77   -58  11/4
PAKV Kaltag          Haze             -53  MM   Calm      29.80   -53     6
PAMH Lake Minchumina Clear            -49  MM   Calm      29.61   -49     4
PAML Manley          Not Available
PAMC McGrath         MostlyClear      -40  MM   Calm      29.64   -40    10
PABN Nabesna         Not Available
PANN Nenana          Fog              -52  MM   Calm      29.68   -52  21/2
PAOR Northway        BRBCFG           -45  MM   Calm      29.58   -45     4
PADT Slana           Not Available
PATA Tanana          Clear            -56  MM   Calm      29.78   -56    10

Check out this public information statement by the NWS office in Fairbanks.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
434 AM AKST SUN JAN 29 2012

...THE DEEP COLD CONTINUES...
...2ND 50 BELOW AT FAIRBANKS...
...POTENTIALLY ONE OF THE TOP TEN COLDEST WINTER MONTHS ON RECORD...

SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT THIS MORNING THE TEMPERATURE AT THE
FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DROPPED TO 51 BELOW. THIS IS THE
2ND DAY IN A ROW WITH A TEMPERATURE OF 50 BELOW OR LOWER AT THE
AIRPORT.

YESTERDAY (SATURDAY) THE LOW OF 50 BELOW WAS THE FIRST TIME THE
TEMPERATURE HAD DROPPED TO 50 BELOW AT THE AIRPORT SINCE JANUARY
27, 2006. THE HIGH YESTERDAY WAS ONLY 42 BELOW. THIS WAS THE
COLDEST HIGH TEMPERATURE AT THE AIRPORT SINCE JANUARY 2, 2000.

THE LAST TIME THERE WERE BACK TO BACK 50 BELOW DAYS AT THE AIRPORT
WAS ON DECEMBER 30-31, 1999.

SO FAR THIS JANUARY THERE HAVE BEEN 15 DAYS WITH A LOW
TEMPERATURE OF 40 BELOW OR COLDER. THIS TIES WITH 1972 FOR THE
MOST 40 BELOW DAYS IN JANUARY IN THE LAST 40 YEARS. THE ALL-TIME
RECORD OF 21 SET BACK IN 1971 WILL REMAIN SAFE AS THERE ARE ONLY
TWO MORE DAYS IN THE MONTH (AFTER TODAY...WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN
ACCOUNTED FOR IN THIS STATEMENT).

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE SO FAR THIS MONTH OF -25.8 DEGREES IS 18.5
DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. WE ARE ON PACE FOR THE COLDEST JANUARY SINCE
1971...AND EASILY ONE OF THE TOP TEN COLDEST ON RECORD.
1906...1934...AND 1971 ALL HAD AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE
MONTH OF 30 BELOW OR COLDER AND WILL NOT BE TOPPED THIS MONTH.
THE COLDEST JANUARY ON RECORD WAS 1906 WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
OF -36.4...HOWEVER...IN 1906 TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE TAKEN AT THE
DOWNTOWN EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND HOURLY TEMPERATURE RECORD WERE NOT
TAKEN. HAD HOURLY TEMPERATURE RECORDS BEEN TAKEN IT IS POSSIBLE
THAT THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WOULD HAVE BEEN
SOMEWHAT WARMER.

ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT THIS WILL END UP AS ONE OF THE COLDEST WINTER
MONTHS ON RECORD AT FAIRBANKS. ONLY 4 TIMES DID THE MONTH OF
DECEMBER (1917...1933...1956 AND 1964) HAVE AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
THAT WAS COLDER THAN THIS JANUARY (MONTH TO DATE). ONLY 6 TIMES IN
JANUARY (1906...1909...1934...1966...1969...1971) WAS THE MONTHLY
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE ANY COLDER THAN THIS JANUARY. NEVER HAS THE
MONTH OF FEBRUARY HAD AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE THAT WAS COLDER THAN
JANUARY 2012. THERE IS THE CHANCE THAT THIS JANUARY WILL END JUST
WITHIN THE TOP TEN COLDEST MONTHS EVER ON RECORD AT FAIRBANKS.

$$

Severe cold across portions of Alaska

Yes, we know Alaska can get cold this time of the year, but on the North Slope right now, it's pretty extreme. Check out these recent temps!

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK


700 PM AKST TUE JAN 24 2012



...SEVERE COLD CONTINUES OVER THE NORTH SLOPE OF ALASKA...



A VERY COLD AIR MASS CONTINUES OVER THE NORTH SLOPE...COMBINED

WITH WINDS IN SOME AREAS. HERE ARE SOME LOW TEMPERATURES RECORDED

SO FAR TODAY ACROSS THE NORTH SLOPE OF ALASKA.



NUIQSUT.................62 BELOW

UMIAT...................59 BELOW

INIGOK..................54 BELOW

ALPINE..................53 BELOW

ATQASUK.................48 BELOW

DEADHORSE...............47 BELOW

WAINRIGHT...............44 BELOW

KAKTOVIK................40 BELOW

BARROW..................39 BELOW



TEMPERATURES OVER THE NORTH SLOPE WILL REMAIN IN THE 40S AND 50S

BELOW WITH POCKETS NEAR 60 BELOW FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS...AND POTENTIALLY

INTO THE WEEKEND.

Texas super soaker

After watching Texas burn up right before or eyes on television this past summer, now ... the Lone Star State is getting too much of a good thing.

A slow moving area of low pressure is dropping very heavy rain and causing widespread issues with flash flooding.

There have been numerous high water rescues this morning, including in the Dallas area.

Austin reported a new record for the date with 5.66 inches of rain. Other areas including San Antonio picked up around 3 inches.

3 to 6 inches has also fallen on the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

On the far east side of the storm, there is a threat for tornadoes in the Houston area along with the heavy rain.

Strong solar storm affecting Earth

Apparently there is a strong solar storm affecting the Earth right now. Click the link below to read more.

More about solar storm

Severe weather outbreak likely

Severe storms are likely to develop later today across the mid-Mississippi River valley. Areas outlined in red on the map below have the highest risk.

There are two things that will make this event especially dangerous.

1. It's still early in the year and many people just aren't in severe weather mode yet, so they tend to be caught off guard. The dynamics with this weather system are pretty good for this early in the season and we could see pretty strong storms ... maybe even some long-track tornadoes.


2. The event will start later on Sunday and run into the early morning hours on Monday. No matter what time of the year, nighttime storms pose additional hazards since many are sleeping and unaware of warnings.

Battle of the air masses

Today's weather map is just a hint that spring isn't too far away, and as we move into February and especially March, severe weather will become more and more common.

For the second time this year, tornado watches have been issued across portions of the south as severe storms are possible. And while the tornado threat isn't as widespread as some instances we saw last year, it does exist, hence the watches being issued.

Residents in these areas should not be fooled that it's January.

Past years have definitely created killer January tornadoes ... not so much because they are monster, long-track EF5's, but because people don't expect to see tornadoes so early in the year.

Areas to the north and northeast of the severe weather are getting a dose of winter with chilly winds, ice and snow.

Meanwhile a huge surge of moisture off the Pacific continues to slam the mountains of the central and northern Rockies, the Cascades and the Sierras. It's the same flow of moisture that hit Seattle so hard with wintry weather earlier this week.

Seattle has warmed up and is now receiving rain on top of all that snow and ice. All that water is causing some flooding issues, overwhelming street drains and making for slow travel.

Winter for some

It's cold and wintry along the US/Canadian border, from Washington state all the way through to the Great Lakes. Portions of the Ohio River Valley are seeing some snow and icy conditions today.

Here in Denver, it's warm thanks to westerly winds coming off the Rockies. Another day near 60 degrees ... those winds this time of the year are called "snow-eaters" because the snowpack rapidly disappears due to sublimation.

Potential winter storm for Seattle

A winter storm watch has been issued for the low lands of western Washington and the valley floors of western Oregon, including Seattle and Portland.

There is potential for a major snow event with several inches of accumulation starting late Tuesday and into the day on Wednesday.

Warmer air will work into the region and change things back to rain across the lower elevations by the weekend.

If you have travel plans to the Pacific Northwest over the next two weeks, pack for wet weather. One forecast model is giving Seattle 6 inches of water, with either rain or snow falling just about each day between now and the end of the month.

Weather pattern becoming more active

There are some signs that the weather pattern across the lower 48 states will turn more active over the next 3 to 7 days, helping break down a large ridge of high pressure that has been keeping much of the nation warm and dry.

Below is the forecast for accumulated liquid (equiv) precipitation over the next 5 days.

Still watching the cold air over Alaska, where it's currently 45 below zero with freezing fog in Fairbanks, AK.  Numerous locations across central AK are 40 to 55 below zero.  It's even below zero in Anchorage.

Weather Roundup for Alaska
National Weather Service, Anchorage AK
0600 AM AKST Sun Jan 15 2012
                                                                 Wind
ID   City            Weather         Temp  Rh   Wind      Press  Chill  Vis

N.SLOPE/NORTHWEST
PAKP Anaktuvuk       No Report        -29  MM   S7        30.67   -48    10
PABR Barrow          Clear            -29  84   SW6       30.93   -46    10
PABA Barter Island   Clear            -19  77   NW14      30.99   -43    10
PASC Deadhorse       Clear            -33  MM   SW9       30.98   -56    10
PAGM Gambell         Cloudy            16  92   MMMM      30.86    MM     3
PAVL Kivalina        Cloudy            -6  78   S13       30.92   -25     8
PAOT Kotzebue        Snow             -13  74   E22       30.96   -40     3
PAOM Nome            Snow/Fog           3  83   E13       30.94   -14     2
PAQT Nuiqsut         Clear            -37  MM   S5        30.99   -53    10
PAPO Point Hope      Cloudy            -8  48   SE18      30.88   -32     3
PPIZ Point Lay       Clear            -28  68   Calm      30.92   -28    10
PADG Red Dog Mine    Not Available
PASA Savoonga        Cloudy            18 100   Calm      30.88    18     6
PASK Selawik         Cloudy           -22  MM   NE18      31.03   -50     7
PASH Shishmaref      Cloudy             1  71   Calm      30.93     1    10
PATC Tin City        No Report          5  96   S13       30.88   -12     7
PAUN Unalakleet      MostlyCldy         1  45   E14       30.97   -17    10
PAWI Wainwright      Clear            -26  71   Calm      30.91   -26    10
PAGL Golovin         Cloudy            -6  MM   NW7       31.03   -20    10
PAKK Koyuk           Cloudy            -2  28   Calm      30.94    -2     2
PAIW Wales           Snow/Fog           7  87   S29       30.89   -16     6
PATE Teller          Snow               9 100   S9        30.89    -4     9
PAIK Kiana           Snow             -23  72   E7        31.01   -41     9
PAFM Ambler          Cloudy           -26  MM   Calm      31.01   -26    10
PABL Buckland        Cloudy            -8  32   Calm      30.97    -8    10
PADE Deering         Snow               3  79   NE7       30.88    -9  21/2
PFNO Noorvik         Snow             -17  73   E20       30.98   -44     5
PAWN Noatak          Cloudy           -15  69   Calm      31.00   -15     3
PAGH Shungnak        Cloudy           -26  71   E21G30    31.04   -57    10

INTERIOR
PARC Arctic Village  Clear            -51  MM   Calm      30.63   -51  21/2
PABT Bettles         BCFG             -51  MM   Calm      31.04   -51    10
PATW Cantwell        Not Available
PABI Delta Junction  BCFG             -43  MM   S5        30.93   -60     8
PAIN Denali Park     Clear            -42  72   Calm      30.84   -42    10
PAEG Eagle           Fog              -50  MM   Calm      30.98   -50     3
PAEI Eielson AFB     Drizzle          -45  MM   Calm      31.05   -45     2
PFYU Fort Yukon      Clear            -47  MM   Calm      30.96   -47     4
PAFA Fairbanks       Freezing Fog     -45  MM   Calm      31.07   -45   1/4
PAFB Ft. Wainwright  Not Available
PAGA Galena          Cloudy           -34  MM   Calm      31.09   -34    10
PAHV Healy           Not Available
PAHL Huslia          Cloudy           -38  MM   Calm      31.07   -38    10
PAKV Kaltag          Cloudy           -30  MM   Calm      31.09   -30    10
PAMH Lake Minchumina PartlyCldy       -40  MM   Calm      31.01   -40     6
PAML Manley          Not Available
PAMC McGrath         Clear            -36  MM   Calm      31.06   -36    10
PABN Nabesna         Not Available
PANN Nenana          Fog              -48  MM   Calm      31.05   -48  21/2
PAOR Northway        Clear            -45  MM   Calm      30.84   -45    10
PADT Slana           Not Available
PATA Tanana          Fog              -50  MM   Calm      31.14   -50     2

WESTERN/ALEUTIANS
PANI Aniak           Clear            -24  MM   E3        31.03   -35    10
PANV Anvik           Clear            -26  MM   NE5       31.01   -40    10
PABE Bethel          MostlyCldy       -13  74   N8        30.98   -30    10
PACZ Cape Romanzof   Cloudy            26  81   SE18      30.84    13    10
PACD Cold Bay        Clear             27  85   SE8       30.78    19    10
PADL Dillingham      Not Available
PADU Dutch Harbor    Cloudy            37  72   SE17G26   30.63    27    10
PAHP Hooper Bay      Not Available
PAIL Iliamna         Clear             -9  57   N9        30.91   -26    10
PAKN King Salmon     PartlyCldy       -18  73   N5        30.89   -31    10
PAMY Mekoryuk        Cloudy            16  85   S21       30.87    -1     9
PASM Saint Marys     Clear             -2  59   SE10      30.96   -19    10
PASN Saint Paul      MostlyClear       34  96   SE15      30.69    24    10
PASD Sand Point      Clear             25 100   Calm      30.83    25    10
PASL Sleetmute       Clear            -33  MM   Calm      31.08   -33    10
PATG Togiak          Clear             -8  32   N8        30.93   -24    10
PAEM Emmonak         MostlyCldy         1  71   S15       30.91   -18    10

SOUTHCENTRAL
PANC Anchorage       Freezing Fog      -7  79   S3        30.79   -16   1/4
PABV Birchwood       MostlyCldy        MM 100   Calm      30.80     0    10
PAED Elmendorf AFB   Cloudy           -14  74   Calm      30.78   -14    10
PAGK Glennallen      Clear            -37  MM   NW3       30.80   -50    10
PAHO Homer           Clear             -0  83   NE5       30.77   -10    10
PAEN Kenai           Clear            -18  77   Calm      30.81   -18    10
PADQ Kodiak          MostlyClear       23  45   NW7       30.70    15    10
PALH Lake Hood       Cloudy            -3  74   Calm      30.81    -3    10
PAMR Merrill Field   MostlyClear      -13  82   Calm      30.79   -13    10
PAMD Middleton Isl.  Clear             27  50   N10       30.55    17    10
PASO Seldovia        Clear              9  91   Calm      30.75     9    10
PAWD Seward          Clear             10  49   N26G39    30.66   -11    10
PASX Soldotna        Clear            -18  68   E6        30.80   -33     8
PATK Talkeetna       Clear            -20  73   Calm      30.76   -20    10
PAWS Wasilla         Clear             MM 100   Calm      30.75     0    10
PAWR Whittier        Snow              15  41   SW46      30.59    -9     2
PAVD Valdez          MostlyClear       16  34   E26G34    30.61    -3    10

SOUTHEAST
PACV Cordova         Clear             -5  79   MM3       30.55   -14    10
PAJN Juneau          Clear             13  55   E5        30.57     5    10
PAKT Ketchikan       Clear             22  77   NW10G18   30.25    11    10
PAMM Metlakatla      Clear             28  68   N17       30.26    16    10
PAPG Petersburg      Clear             18  79   S5        30.35    11    10
KSEA Seattle         Cloudy            32  85   S7        29.98    26    10
PASI Sitka           Clear             19  56   E6        30.38    11    10
PAGY Skagway         Clear              9  37   NE16G36   30.77    -8    10
PAYA Yakutat         Clear              3  83   Calm      30.50     3    10

CANADA - YUKON AND NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
CYDB Burwash Landing No Report        -26  74   NW9       30.62   -47    30
CYDA Dawson City     No Report        -47  MM   Calm      30.94   -47    20
CYYE Fort Nelson     Snow             -11  57   NW3       30.58   -20     8
CYEV Inuvik          Snow/BlwngSnow   -15  47   NW20G25   30.83   -41     3
CYMA Mayo            PRFG             -45  MM   Calm      30.79   -45    15
CYQH Watson Lake     No Report        -27  44   NW6       30.43   -44    20
CYXY Whitehorse      No Report        -33  60   Calm      30.63   -33    40

RUSSIA - FAR EAST
UHMM Magadan         Cloudy            12  51   N5           MM     4     6

Bitter bubble building over Alaska

Well as we see about this time almost every winter, Alaska is nearing the peak of their cold season.  A bitterly cold bubble of air is building up there with much of interior and northern parts of the state 30 to 50 below zero.

This will be something to watch!  Often times it will sit up there for about 7 to 10 days or more, then a piece will break off and slide down the spine of the Rocky Mountains, bringing a wintry blast to much of the lower 48.

Here in Denver, it seems like almost every year we see a few days at or below zero, often around the end of January or the first of February.

Will this year be the same?  Time will tell!