Winter 2004 to resemble 1989?

We experienced a very mild summer this year. It is my belief that winter 2004 will be a very cold and snowy one. I think this winter may rival the winter of 1989. Some of you may remember how severe that winter was. It brought a historic white Christmas to parts of Florida. That year an incredible snowstorm hit Indiana. It dumped nearly 10 inches of snow in an area that has received no more than a trace of snow in the past 10 years. The snowfall average for October in Indianapolis, IN is in all honestly worthless because of that single storm. It actually gives the idea that on average the city receives a little measureable snow each October. That simply isn't the case. Here is where 2004 is starting to look like 1989. In the 2nd half of the 16 day forecast the city is expected to get some 4 inches of snow. Might not sound like much but if this holds up it will be the 2nd greatest October snow in history.

www.climatepatrol.com...

Its ironic that the snow is forecasted for October 19th, 2004.... exactly 15 years to the date from the last (and probably only other) October snow storm.

But how are things setting up on a larger scale? Here is 10 days out for North America.

www.climatepatrol.com...

This is an impressive pattern for so early in the season. This system is pulling very cool/cold air deep into the south. How long this pattern holds up remains to be seen. In 1989 it held up until about the first of the year. Keep in mind also that patterns like this that get too strong too early can drain the pool of cold air in the arctic causing a warm spell later in the year. If too much gets drained too early it can take weeks for it to recharge.

Key thing to watch out for is snow cover. A solid early snowcover is the key to a long and cold winter.

Additional note: With the extremely high energy costs the worst thing that could possibly happen is a bad winter. This will put a huge strain on supply and drive up oil prices even higher than they already are. We need a mild winter. Personally I'm not ready for $150 and $200 a month gas bills.

HELL YA!!!!! that means one good ski season

Originally posted by Indy
Additional note: With the extremely high energy costs the worst thing that could possibly happen is a bad winter. This will put a huge strain on supply and drive up oil prices even higher than they already are. We need a mild winter. Personally I'm not ready for $150 and $200 a month gas bills.

$150-$200!?! I had three months of $350 gas bills last winter!!!

I kind of agree with your prediction. Only I'm going with 1988 here in Oklahoma. In the summer of 1987 we had rain all summer and then had the biggest snowfall that has ever happened in my lifetime here. Well, looks like I better get golashes!

Originally posted by Indy
That year an incredible snowstorm hit Indiana. It dumped nearly 10 inches of snow in an area that has received no more than a trace of snow in the past 10 years. The snowfall average for October in Indianapolis, IN is in all honestly worthless because of that single storm. It actually gives the idea that on average the city receives a little measureable snow each October.

Thanks for the great news Talk about luck (if this does happen), because I just moved to Indy this summer. I truely hope your assumption does not come true.

Well, at least here in Finland where I live we had first snowfall on saturday.
And if weather continues what it has done whole summer, winter is going to be pain in the neck... or continuous rain.



And for those who don't know why snowcover is important factor, it reflects most of sun's energy back unlike ground which absorbs most of that energy.

Don't use gas, use coal. My dad buys like 200 pound of the stuff and were set for the next 3 years. We have a coal stove that heats the entire house effectively.

Good informative post. It's true the worlds weather systems are becoming more and more intense. You just have to look at the last year of flooding, huge forest fires, record heat and cold etc. The human race needs to change the way it treats the world....mother nature is beginning to stir.

I think we here in Chicago are in for a bad Winter. It is still in the low 70's for the high and its the middle of October. We are going to see alot of snow and freezing rain.

Bring on the snow! Winter is my favorite season. I love it when the power goes out and there's nothing to do but sit around talking, things you don't get to do when the tv is on the radio is on and the computer is on.

I actually love winter and the cold but since I don't have more than a cord of wood right now and we use a woodstove for heat (haven't had a working furnace for 2 years) I think I will have to call for a cord or two to be delivered so we will have time to split some more.

At least this year I have hot water - electric and expensive--but a year of no hot water other than what was heated on the stove got old quick. Hot showers rock

I think it was 1989 that we had a big snowstorm on Thanksgiving if I remember correctly.

Personally we would love just cold and no snow so we could use our ice boat more.

jm

Geez Val. What state do you live in (and no... confusion doesn't count)

Well luckily for our trees the snow forecast in the long range has backed up. So as of now no major snow in the next two weeks. Heavy snow + trees with leaves = Bad news.

E_T... Thanks for filling in on the snow cover reason. I get ahead of myself sometimes and forget to fill in some important information. I believe nws.noaa.gov has snowcover reports. At least they used to. May be too early in the season for those.

Anyone here live in the New England states that can share some info about the last couple of winters and how bad electric bills were? Or gas bills?

Void... my dad has a stove in his place. Its a new house but he had a stove put in because of how well it would heat the main area of his house. He uses wood instead of coal but a couple of logs does a much better job than his old fireplace.

Snow??? HOT DOG! In 1989 it actually snowed in New Orleans. Well, you yankees wouldn't call it "snow" but it shut the city down! That was the only time I've seen "snow". Can't wait!!!

I lived in Melbourne, FL in 1989. Me and a friend of mine hit the road (either dec 23rd or 24th) and drove to Jacksonville to see snow. We hit a ton of freezing rain south of the city. We eventually stopped at a Denny's on the south side of Jacksonville. The cars were heavily covered in ice. We stopped in long enough to grab some coffee and a muffin and then headed back out of town. Shortly after we left we heard the bridges had been closed because of icing. Ah to be young and have too much free time. lol

I agree....We had a very mild summer here and yes....the last time it did this our winter was awesome! I absolutely abhor hot weather and love cold weather.......

Down under things are looking different...

We've had a really really mild winter here in sydney... and its only october and its already so damned hot its not funny... we're gonna have a scorching summer... add tha to the drought we're having, and we may be bathing in dirt soon.

Well, they're forecasting cold weather for next week in here.
Sun warms still little but it rises only ~20 degrees above horizon... and it warms only three-four hours.

Supercooled rain is really nice:
What's this?


So you think snow is fun?
Whoever wants it can get it from here and I wouldn't mind if you would take some of that cold with you... stargazing isn't fun when temperature is -20 C and under.

Althought cold weather makes trees look nice.
Nicely freezed tree
Some freezed trees more
koti.mbnet.fi...
koti.mbnet.fi...

These show well effect of snow, those freezed trees are from around last christmas which is darkest time of year/sun gives least amount of energy but still there isn't so much snow. Couple month later sun shines much more but there's much more snow now because ground is completely covered by it so it takes much more sunshine for "ground" to absorb same amount of heat.

around new year
couple months later
Compare how those brushes show.

Originally posted by E_T
around new year
couple months later
Compare how those brushes show.

Looks just like home E_T.

We'll probably start seeing snow in a couple of weeks.

Yes, the U.S. has had one of the mildest Summers ever, and has one of the coldest Winters ever to look forward to as well. Whatever happened to global warming?

As Jim's father in American Pie would say... this is just a perfectly natural, normal thing. It wasn't some 25 to 30 years ago that the scare was global cooling and an ice age. It was about the same time before that when the us was in the dust bowl era. And 20 to 30 years from now we'll probably be in another phase of some sort.