Big Story Weather – March 6, 2013

Daily weather forecast and wrap-up provided by redOrbit meteorologist Joshua Kelly.

redOrbit Meteorologist Joshua Kelly

Big Story Weather from March 5: The strong storm made its way through the Great Lakes bringing very heavy snowfall to places like Chicago. High pressure over the Rockies brought a nice day to the region, while another area of low pressure made its way towards the West Coast.

Weather Outlook for March 6: The storm everyone has been waiting for is finally pulling into the Mid-Atlantic region and has begun to impact cities like Baltimore and Washington DC with heavy rain, sleet and snow with accumulations likely for both cities. High pressure will slide into the Southern Plains bringing partly cloudy skies to the region. A new frontal boundary will begin to work its way on shore over the Pacific Northwest. Below is the weather for a few select cities this afternoon.

Boston MA: Partly Cloudy with a high near: 37F

Gulfport MS: Partly Cloudy with a high near: 56F

Fargo ND: Partly Cloudy with a high near: 22F

Phoenix AZ: Partly Cloudy with a high near: 65F

Seattle WA: Mostly Cloudy with Showers and a high near: 41F

Weather Outlook for March 7: Low pressure will move off the East Coast but will still bring some lingering snow to the Mid-Atlantic region and strong winds to the area extending northward. High pressure will settle in over the South and bring nice weather to the region. Low pressure over the West will start to push into the Southwest.

March 6, 2013 Storm Tracker Update:

Atlantic Basin: A strong area of low pressure is moving towards Western Russia which will bring snow to the region. Another area of low pressure is moving towards England and will bring showers to the region later this week. Another area of low pressure is about to push off the Mid-Atlantic region of the US, however it is bringing large impacts to the area today.

Eastern Pacific: An area of low pressure is moving towards the Baja and will bring some showers to the area today. These showers will spread into Southern California as well. Another area of low pressure is moving towards the Pacific Northwest and will bring coastal rains and higher elevation snows to the region. A third area of low pressure is moving away from Hawaii and will push eastward today. Lastly, another area of low pressure is moving through the Gulf of Alaska.

Western Pacific: Low pressure moving towards Central China will bring snow to the region. Another area of low pressure is moving towards the Koreas and will bring rain and snow to the region. A third area of low pressure is moving away from Japan and out towards the open North Pacific. Two areas of low pressure are also persisting in the Tropics southeast and southwest of Guam.

Indian Ocean: An area of convection to the East of Madagascar will continue moving eastward. The remainder of the region is quiet.

Southern Hemisphere: An area of low pressure near the Fiji Islands will bring some showers to the area. A second area of low pressure southeast of South America has a trailing cold front extending back towards Argentina. Another area of low pressure is moving towards Southern Australia.

Five-Day Storm Index Outlook for March 6-10:

Boston MA: Over the next three days the region will see slight impacts from the snow storm. There is the potential over the next three days of seeing accumulating snow which will slow things down. The period will end with no impacts for the 9th and 10th.

Gulfport MS: The period will start with no impacts forecasted as high pressure moves through the area, then on the 10th a slight impact will be possible as some isolated thunderstorms build into the region.

Fargo ND: The region will start out impact free, however, by the 9th there is a chance of seeing moderate impacts as some heavier snow moves back into the region.

Phoenix AZ: The 6th and 7th will be impact free for the area, but by the 8th and 9th a few showers will bring a slight impact to the region.

Seattle WA: The region will have some slight impacts today and tomorrow as a frontal boundary moves through the region bringing some coastal rains and mountain snows to the area.

Climate Watch for March 1-5:

Boston MA: The past five days have provided the area with temps at or just below average by 1 degree.

Gulfport MS: The period saw temps around 5-19 degrees below normal.

Fargo ND: The period started with temps around 3-4 degrees below normal then warmed up to around 3 degrees above normal on the 3rd, followed by another cool down with temps again 1-5 degrees below normal to finish the period.

Phoenix AZ: The entire period saw temps around 3-11 degrees above normal.

Seattle WA: The 1st through the 4th temps in the region where about 1-7 degrees above normal and then on the 5th temps fell to around 3 degrees below normal.

Major Weather Impacts Discussion for March 6, 2013:

Day 1-3: The strong low pressure area will be pushing into the Mid-Atlantic region today bringing heavy rains and snow to the region. Many places such as Baltimore and DC could see up to six inches or more of snowfall today and the Appalachians to the west will see over one foot in places. High pressure over the Southern Plains will bring a nice day to the Plains and into the Gulf Coast region, while a storm system begins to impact Southern California with showers and another storm will be impacting the Pacific Northwest with showers and higher elevation snows. The strong storm system will push up towards the Northeast United States and bring rain, wind and some snow to the region. High pressure will slide into the Great Lakes and extend southward towards the Gulf Coast. Another storm system will be organizing over the Southwest during this time as well. The period will finish with high pressure over the East Coast and the new low pressure area over the Rockies slowly pushing northeastward bringing some heavy mountain snows to Colorado and Arizona. High pressure will try to push back in over the West Coast.

Day 4-7: High pressure will be along the East Coast to start the period, while the next big storm system moves into the Northern Plains bringing plenty of snow and heavy rain to the region. There could be more blizzard like conditions over the Northern Plains. High pressure will settle in over the West Coast keeping the region dry. By day five we could be looking at some severe weather along the Gulf Coast region and more snow over the Great Lakes as a new low develops and pushes along the Southeast. High pressure will be along both coasts. Day six will have another storm system moving up the East Coast, however, most of the precipitation will be in the form of rain showers, while the lakes will see snow. High pressure will settle in over the Southern Plains and another clipper system moves into the Northern Rockies. The period will end with some snow and the back side of the cold front over Maine, while high pressure slides into the Great Lakes and the Gulf Coast region. The clipper system begins to impact the Northern Plains with more snowfall.

Day 8-12: The period will start with high pressure moving into the East Coast as the weak clipper system slides across the Northern Plains. High pressure will continue to provide dry weather to the west. High pressure will settle in over the Mid-Atlantic, while the clipper system moves across the Great Lakes and brings more snow to the region. High pressure will dominate the majority of the Plains westward to the West Coast. High pressure over the Great Lakes by day ten as another low pressure area starts to develop over the West. The period will end with high pressure over Florida which will keep the East Coast nice for the day. The next storm system will be pushing into the Northern Rockies and Plains bringing more rain and snow to the region.

Day 13-15: The period will start with high pressure over the East Coast and a very powerful storm system moving into the Plains. This storm system will have heavy snow on the north side, while also the potential for severe weather in the Southern Plains and Gulf Coast. The middle of the period will become very active with a strong storm system over the Plains. This could be the kickoff of the Severe Weather Season. The period is expected to finish very active.

Today’s Spotlight Forecast is for Baltimore MD:

Wednesday: Cloudy with periods of heavy snow and also some sleet. Total snowfall accumulations could be around 5-8 inches for the area. High temps will be around 35F, while low temps fall to 27F. The winds will be strong out of the Northeast at 20-25mph.

Thursday: Partly Cloudy skies and colder with a high near 34F, winds from the Northwest at 10-15mph as overnight lows fall to around 27F.

Friday: Partly Cloudy and warmer with a high near 41F, winds from the Northwest 10-15mph as overnight lows fall to around 29F.

Saturday: Partly Cloudy and warm with a high near 48F, winds from the Southwest 2-7mph as overnight lows drop to around 33F.

Sunday: Partly Cloudy and nice with a high near 50F, winds from the Southeast 8-13mph as overnight lows fall to around 37F.

Ask The Weatherman for March 6, 2013:

Question: What are some conditions that help fog to form?

Answer: Fog is probably one of the hardest weather elements to forecast and that is because of the conditions that are needed for it. First, fog needs to have very light winds settle in over the region. Secondly, rainfall during the day would help set the stage for Advection Fog, while clear skies at night helps set the stage for Radiation Fog, and the warmer air just above the ground when an approaching warm front is about to pass can also lead to a Frontal Fog. So there are multiple types of fog and certain conditions for each one.

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Green Energy Weather Report for March 6, 2013:

Wave Energy: The powerful storm system will begin to impact the Mid-Atlantic region today bringing some moderate wave energy to the region. A second area of wave energy today will be found along the Baja region ahead of another storm system. A third region will be along the frontal boundary over the Pacific Northwest.

Solar Energy: The best places today for solar energy will be through the Plains region and along the Gulf Coast and then back into the Rockies and Southwest.

Wind Energy: The biggest push for wind energy today will occur behind the frontal boundary over the Ohio River Valley.

Hydro-Energy: The Mid-Atlantic region will see a large increase in snowfall and also rain which will create some good short term and long term hydro energy benefits. The Southern part of California will also see some rainfall today which will help the short term energy. The Pacific Northwest will see a combination of rain and snow which will lead to both short and long term hydro energy.

March 6 Weather and Your Wallet (Houston TX):

Dining: A nice day to get out and enjoy lunch in the park with friends.

Transportation: There should be no weather-related issues with the roads today as it will be sunny.

Shopping: Today will be a great day to head out and enjoy the outdoor malls, with a light jacket of course.

Electricity: There will be the need for some heating during the overnight hours with the total around 9.5HDD’s for the day.

Yard Work: The weather will support a small window of GDD’s today between Noon and 5pm; make sure to get the flowers out so they can enjoy the sun.

Construction: Today will be a good day to start those outdoor projects as there will be plenty of sunshine in the area and no weather impacts.

Outdoor Venues: A nice day to take a walk in the park. A touch of spring will be in the air today.

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