Thursday, November 1, 2012

Nor'easter May Follow in Footsteps of Superstorm Sandy

Preword: The title phrase '...Follow in the footsteps of Superstorm Sandy' only refers to how the superstorm evolved, not how it was a hurricane, etc.

On the heels of Sandy, a powerful Nor'easter is expected to brew in the days following the election- and this one will evolve the way Superstorm Sandy did.

This is the 6 day forecast of 850mb temperatures and MSLP (pressure) lines across the United States. Note there are two factors in this situation: an already-developing coastal system, and a fairly 'good' Canadian storm system. The coastal storm is moving to the northeast, hugging the coast, while the Canadian system appears to be wanting to move southeast.

This is where things get interesting.

A mere 24 hours later, a strong storm system has formed immediately inland of the same cities that were most devastated by Superstorm Sandy, with cold air behind it and warm air in front. If you can't already tell, this is, in some ways, a Superstorm Sandy replica, and here's how.

•Both Sandy and this Nor'easter did/will develop by phasing (merging) of two storm systems.
•A cold Canadian air mass will be sucked into the new strong coastal storm, much like Superstorm Sandy.
•This sets the stage for heavy precipitation in many of the same areas as Sandy, with a possible snow event ongoing in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The only thing that will not be the same is the strength, a key difference. Sandy was a hurricane up until landfall. This system will be just a regular Nor'easter. That said, winds will be dramatically lower, and precipitation will likely not be training (precipitation moving over one area over and over again, like a train on one spot of track) as much as we saw with Sandy.

This will, however, continue to hamper residents of the Northeast whose lives have been forever changed by Sandy. I will follow this storm daily to keep you up to date on what could happen.

Andrew

**If you want to help recovery efforts from Sandy, text 'REDCROSS' to 90999 to make a $10 donation to the Red Cross.**

3 comments:

ERN WX said...

I must say I am thankful to be alive after Sandy. Winds probably gusted past 70mph and many trees are down. Great coverage, Andrew. Thanks.

ERN WX said...

I am also furious that politicians are using this disaster to promote the hypothesis of climate change. This is no time to play petty politics. Many are still hurting from this storm. This region is a complete disaster. Pressure sank to 950mb in my region. And folks, winter is looking interesting... ECMWF thanks for saving lives. SREF, you did well too. Snow would actually be comforting. May GOD help us in this time of need.

mike paulocsak said...

Hello ERNWX!!!!!!!! Thank god your okay.I was really worried about your safety.I know you live over along the east coast.Hopefully you and everyone else get back to normal soon.Many thoughts and prayers for all ofyou guys over there.Take care buddy!!!!!!!!