Top 5 Weather Moments of 2007

Wow, what a year it has been. The weather changes so much around here, it's hard to remember the major weather anomalies that occur during the year. Luckily, the meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Blacksburg have a computer-like memory.

Obviously, the drought was one of the main weather stories this year. We're starting 2008 with a deficit of 10 inches in Roanoke. Almost as bad in other areas. But that wasn't all that happened in the world of weather.

Below is the list of "Top Five Weather Events in 2007" as voted on by meteorologists at the National Weather Service office in Blacksburg. NOTE: These are LOCAL events, not national ones. Thanks guys/gals for compiling this list! --Brent

---------------------------------------------------------

1. DROUGHT. DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARRIVED IN MAY AND WORSENED TO D4...OR EXCEPTIONAL...INTENSITY IN NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. DANVILLE EXPERIENCED THE SECOND DRIEST MAY ON RECORD AND THE DRIEST AUGUST ON RECORD WAS NOTED IN DANVILLE AND BLUEFIELD. NOVEMBER WAS THE DRIEST MONTH ON RECORD IN
ROANOKE. ESTIMATED DAMAGE FROM THIS DROUGHT IN OUR FORECAST AREA IS ALREADY IN THE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

2. JANUARY 1ST FLOODING. THE FOURTH HIGHEST CREST ON RECORD FOR THE DAN RIVER OCCURRED IN DANVILLE AND 27 ROADS WERE CLOSED ACROSS PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY. ROADS WERE ALSO FLOODED IN HALIFAX AND HENRY COUNTIES.

3. RECORD HEAT. ROANOKE, BLUEFIELD, AND BLACKSBURG ALL SET RECORDS FOR THE WARMEST AUGUST ON RECORD IN 2007 WITH DANVILLE REACHING THE SECOND WARMEST AUGUST ON RECORD. SEPTEMBER 2007 WAS THE HOTTEST ON RECORD AT BLUEFIELD AND THE FIFTH HOTTEST AT
BLACKSBURG...THE SIXTH WARMEST AND ROANOKE AND THE NINTH WARMEST AT DANVILLE. ROANOKE...BLUEFIELD...DANVILLE AND BLACKSBURG ALL EXPERIENCED THEIR SECOND HOTTEST OCTOBER ON RECORD IN 2007 WITH LYNCHBURG EXPERIENCING THEIR NINTH WARMEST OCTOBER.

4. APRIL FREEZE. TWO TO FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF SUB FREEZING LOW TEMPERATURES WERE OBSERVED FROM APRIL 6TH THROUGH THE 9TH AFTER A PERIOD OF RELATIVELY MILD WEATHER IN LATE MARCH AND VERY EARLY APRIL. THIS RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT CROP DAMAGE WITH LOSSES
ESTIMATED IN THE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

TIE 5. FEBRUARY 13TH AND 14TH ICE STORM. ICE ACCRETIONS RANGED FROM ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH...WITH UP TO AN INCH AND A QUARTER OF ICE ON THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY IN FLOYD COUNTY. THE ICE BROUGHT TREE LIMBS DOWN AND SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES.

TIE 5. AUGUST 21ST SEVERE WEATHER EVENT. NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED ACROSS THE AREA. SOME OF THESE STORMS WERE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. THERE WERE 39 SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS OUTBREAK...WHICH WAS THE GREATEST NUMBER FOR ONE EVENT IN OUR FORECAST AREA IN 2007.

Source: National Weather Service - Blackburg Forecast Office

Chances of a White Christmas?

Rarely ever does it snow in southwest Virginia on Christmas Day, but we have had some years where snow was still on the ground for the big day.

The folks from the National Weather Service, Blacksburg have done some tabulating and found that, climatologically, there's a 17% chance Roanoke would have an inch of snow on the ground for Christmas. Here's their breakdown for other parts of the region.

LYNCHBURG 13%
NORFOLK 3%
RICHMOND 7%
ROANOKE 17%
VIRGINIA BEACH 0%

How about the snowiest Christmases?
Roanoke (1948-2006): 1) 14.6 inches in 1969
Lynchburg (1893-2006)1) 9.9 inches in 1969
Danville (1948-2006)1) 1.0 inch in 1976
Blacksburg (1952-2006)1) 6.0 inches in 1962

If you'd like to assure yourself a white Christmas, you could build a homemade snow machine like the ski resorts use. Or, you could hire a company to do it for you. Get this...

The folks at Magic Snow can make "Dreaming of a White Christmas" a reality. MagicSnow creates the illusion of a realistic snowfall, indoors or out.

The company calls it the "self-cleaning" snow that vanishes upon contact. Snow falls on cue and disappears like magic.
(Photo Left: MagicSnow falling at Dolphin Mall in Miami)

It's amazing the lengths people would go to to have snow on Christmas Day.

I know someone (I won't mention any names...Leo Hirsbrunner) who was going to buy their own snow-maker to cover the ground in white. Wouldn't that puzzle the neighbors. It only snowed at Leo's house.

Now that would be a great Christmas present!

Happy Holiday, --Brent

Winter Weather Preparedness Week

While we don't get hit with frequent winter storms like some parts of the country, it only takes one major storm to cause an inconvenience, even death.

This is Winter Weather Preparedness Week in the state of Virginia. With a clipper system headed our way Wednesday, I thought I'd share some information the National Weather Service sent out about the topic.

THE ALBERTA CLIPPER.

DURING MOST WINTERS...A LARGE POLAR VORTEX ESTABLISHES ITSELF OVER
HUDSON BAY CANADA...AND EXTENDS ITS INFLUENCE SOUTHWARD INTO THE
CENTRAL AND EASTERN PARTS OF THE U.S.. SMALLER SCALE LOW PRESSURE
AREAS BECOME EMBEDDED IN THE LARGE CIRCULATION AROUND THE POLAR
VORTEX AND DROP SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE U.S. FROM THE CANADIAN
PRAIRIE PROVINCES OF ALBERTA AND SASKATCHEWAN.

APPROPRIATELY TERMED "ALBERTA CLIPPERS"...THESE FAST MOVING STORM
SYSTEMS USUALLY PRECEDE A SURGE OF COLD POLAR OR ARCTIC AIR...AND
CAN PRODUCE BURSTS OF SIGNIFICANT SNOW ALONG WITH STRONG WINDS. IN
MOST INSTANCES...ALBERTA CLIPPERS PRODUCE LIMITED PRECIPITATION IN
OUR AREA DUE TO THEIR FAST MOVEMENT AND INABILITY TO TAP
MOISTURE FROM EITHER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN OR GULF OF MEXICO.

WHEN SNOW OCCURS WITH AN ALBERTA CLIPPER...IT IS USUALLY ON THE ORDER OF
A DUSTING TO FOUR INCHES...OR A "NUISANCE" SNOW. HOWEVER...IF THE POLAR
VORTEX IS STRONG ENOUGH...AND ITS INFLUENCE EXTENDS SOUTHWARD INTO THE
DEEP SOUTH...STRONG ALBERTA CLIPPERS CAN BECOME MAJOR WEATHER EVENTS
FOR OUR AREA.

IN THESE SITUATIONS...THE ALBERTA CLIPPER TAPS THE AVAILABLE MOISTURE
SOURCES FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND GULF OF MEXICO. THE SURFACE LOW
REDEVELOPS AND INTENSIFIES NEAR THE MID OR SOUTH ATLANTIC COAST...AND
BECOMES A FULL BLOWN NOR'EASTER. THE ENSUING NOR'EASTER SPREADS SNOW...
SOMETIMES RAIN NEAR THE COAST...AND STRONG WINDS UP THE EAST COAST...
PRODUCING MAJOR TRAVEL PROBLEMS

UP TO DATE WEATHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT:
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BLACKSBURG

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS HOME PAGE IS FOUND
HERE: WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/WINTER/INDEX.SHTML