New storm polls: Tell us how much and name it...

first

Snotal Recall.

Gotta be SNOWVECHKIN -- our snow storm hat trick.

The snowfecta kind of implies that we'll only get 3 nast storms this winter.

To be really pessimistic, I'm going to suggest we call this storm the Third Snowman of the Snowpocalypse. I wonder when the 4th appears?

No sequels permitted.

My venture (since Mor'easter didn't work): Snow More! [The "S" is silent]

Snowvechkin - agreed.

Yes!!! Bring it on! Just loaded up at the grocery store for the second round. I don't eat McDonald's but I'm Lovin It.

Snowmageddon Jr.

"Sno mas!"

Snowvechkin! All the names above are bad.

SNOver It!!

I voted for Snowfecta. I can't remember who on here mentioned it first, but it's a great name.

As for the accumulation forecast at DCA, I chose the 5"-10" range. I might have selected the 10"-15" projection, but seeing how the always manage to measure below the surrounding levels, I believe that 5"-10" is a safe bet.

I think that it's a safe bet as well that Reston, VA will very likely see 10". We're right on that line between the heavier and moderate accumulation, so I'm counting on and preparing for the heavier.

Snow Rest for the Weary

How is S'now Joke not one of the poll options? It is perfect for this storm.

At least for those knowledgeable about hockey:

HAT-TRICK

Clearly your poll needs to be changed to include snowdiculous!

Hey guys -- I'd appreciate any insight into timing/impacts up towards Baltimore. I am trying to fly out of BWI; I am scheduled to go Thursday 5:30 PM, which normally wouldn't be a problem, except the airport hasn't even recovered from this past weekend yet, and I'm worried that another foot or two may put it completely out of commission for a couple more days. So I'm thinking of trying to beat the storm out -- but my only option there would be 5:30 tomorrow, and I'm worried that will be into the teeth of the storm. Any ideas what might give me the best chance? Thanks.

another vote for Snowvechkin. start throwing your snow hats!

Federal Government Closed for Tuesday..

Can't get through to OPM's website. I assume it's too busy. Any word on the federal government's status tomorrow?

Someone please... I can't take the suspense. I need a second source... Feds off on Tuesday?

SnowEndInSight

saiti34: What's your first source?

This site says FEDS CLOSED TUESDAY.

http://www.data.gov/opm_status.html

Doh! Never mind, I just saw jrodfoo's post.

Yes, feds are off on Tuesday. I kept refreshing the OPM status page til it showed up.

WTOP says Fed Govt closed Tues....
http://wtop.com/?nid=228&a=1#4-govt

A poll, LOL. Could care less what ill informed people think, nor right guesses. Go to the gov't NOAA site and you will get information you can take to the bank.

I hit it right at 6:59, and it came right up.. Had to look twice and made sure it said Tuesday haha... Here we go again!

I vote for "SNOMG!"

NWS updated forecasts about 30 minutes ago. 12-16 for DC proper. Sounds reasonable.

I like "Snowvechkin" or "Hat Trick" ...with "Snowfecta" running a close 3rd.

Snowvechkin! There shouldn't be any other option.

18-24 Northern B-More seems to be the jackpot

Snowvechkin, or maybe SnowNuffAlready!

Got thru to the OPM site...said they are off Tuesday!

Silly question-still learning the maps/radars etc so be nice. If there is a lot of moisture in the air ( think I read something about inches of moisture) can it actually get too cold to produce snow? If 2 pressure systems converge and there is moisture is it possible to be too cold?

Also has any of the CWG ever been able to fly in the planes that fly into the Hurricanes?

Thanks for the telling everyone to chillax...thought we were going to have to dish out time outs!

Got the fire pit going, have to check on a few elderly and hopefully will get to join hubby and kid in the igloo!

Snowfecta is LOL.

Snowvechkin, absolutely, and if the rest of the world doesn't get it, that's their problem.

how bout "SNOtorious" for the name for this whole winter? It looks very likely that this will be greatest snowfall in a season in DC's history.

Hah Snoverkill is the best. I am also quite amused by Snovechkin given the hat-trickiness of these storms. Tough call...

Logon and post your guesses at http://www.snowfecta.com

iSnō 2.0

Seems like twitter has already spoken - snowdiculous. Without the perversion of some of the hashtags preceding the last storm, seems like this one should stick.

Snowgasm

Third Snowman of the Snowpocalypse is pretty awesome.

The Feds will stay closed until at least Thursday. Can you imagine the commute on Wednesday?

is this going to be a dry or heavy snow?

Since we already had "Snowpocalypse" and then "Snowmaggedon", I guess the next time "snow" will be a four-letter word!

Snowtohellwithit. Or my friend Justin's idea: Dante's Infersnow.

Snowdomy?

NOAA is predicting 12-16" for DC proper. CWG, seems you guys are on the low end in terms of snow accumulation projections. Although you guys hit it on the head in terms of the last storm, so you've gained my trust.

I was trying to remember how long Metro was shut down for in the 1996 storm(s) and came across this:
http://www.weatherbook.com/1996.htm

It's a nice history of what happened then.

it's gotta be Snovechkin! i agree the names in the poll are just blah.

I vote for Chersnowbyl...

Snoverkill had me laughing out loud

That is the new name

I think it will snow much less than predicted so I did 5-10

Great link DCinVA

I second Chersnowbyl.

What about SnotAgain!

Someone on Facebook mentioned Clusterflake and that's what I vote for.

How can it not be Snowvechkin?

Caps have won 14 straight, dating almost all the way back to the 1st storm! They beat Atlanta with the snow coming down Friday night, and Ovechkin almost singlehandedly beat Pittsburgh with 2+ feet on the ground Sunday.

Hat trick of storms! Ovechkin had his only hat trick of the season yesterday! It's a sign!

I voted less than 5" because you asked what the final total at *DCA* will be, and we all know that DCA will bend us over and give it to us good as far as the snow totals go.

How much do we need for snowiest winter? 9.6? I bet DCA will come in at 9.5

Snoverdose

Snowmongus!!!

snovechkin is funny to think about but nobody really wants to name a snowstorm after a hockey player.

as for snowfecta, it doesnt work for several reasons:

1. not only does "snow" not rhyme with "tri," it doesnt even share the same sound or letters.

2. what does a snowstorm have to do with horse racing?

3. who says this next storm will be the last major one of the winter?

4. what does this snowstorm "complete," so to speak? a "trifecta" is hitting all three (win, place, show).

5. frankly, it just sounds kinda dumb.

i vote for s'now joke or snowverkill

I've been shoveling for three days. How about "sno' rest for the weary"?

haha MNWCSULT - i like your suggestion. Though I do have to say the Caps deserve some recognition perhaps? they are on such a streak! :)

Every estimate this season has been on the low side.

Whoever posted SNOMG wins my vote.

Snoverkill got my vote -- but Third Snowman of the Snowpocolypse made me LOL. God help us, I'm afraid to look at the fourth -- but we'd probably better leave room! It's just the first week of February, for crying out loud.

I can't believe you guys are that much lower than the other estimates, but I always believe you and you hardly ever let me down. My ingrate of a husband was saying the other day that you guys always underestimate, and I had to defend you. ;) To my mind, you've been pretty much dead on 24 hours out.

So I'm figuring on 6. North Arlington always seems to get less snow rather than more.

As one of seven homes in Montgomery County to not lose power with the last storm, what are my chances that this storm brings karma along with flakes? And if so, will I get to watch Lost before it cuts out?!?!

I like the 'snowquel'

When Snomageddon struck, it landed on Snobama in the Snoval office.
When the Snowpocalypse came, the gov't couln't Snopen for business.
When Snowverload hits, driving in DC will be a Snollercoaster.

Try not to eat too much while you're snowed in, or you might end up Snobese.

Ok, sorry- I'm just sno excited!

FYI: Tuesday Metro plans-
Metrorail service will operate as follows:

Red Line Limited Service: Medical Center to Union Station and Glenmont to Forest Glen
Blue Line Limited Service: Franconia-Springfield to Stadium-Armory
Green Line Full Service: Greenbelt to Branch Avenue
Orange Line Full Service: Vienna to New Carrollton
Yellow Line Full Service: Huntington to Fort Totten

@DCinVA, thanks for that 1996 link. There is one mistake, though: snow didn't change to sleet just east of the city. The changeover happened in my Glover Park/Burleith neighborhood as well. I was out there in it, the sleet stinging my face as I trudged home from the Safeway.

Most of the rest of the account is accurate. Certainly the attempt to reopen on Thurs. was a complete fiasco.

Look on the brightside, we can all for-go the gym and get our workouts shoveling!

Snow Doze

The Army does physical training (PT) in this stuff at Ft. Drum, NY. Here we snivel and cancel work. Although the real reason we are afraid of driving here is we have clueless veil-wearing drivers poking along at 45 mph on the Beltway in perfectly normal weather, and distracted soccer moms talking incessently on their cell phones while shaving their legs driving.

For the fourth storm later this month or in early March: Snowquarter

Sno'freakingway

How about:
OBAMASTEALSTHENAMEOFTHESTORMFROMCWGANDGETSCREDITFORIT!

How about:
OBAMASTEALSTHENAMEOFTHESTORMFROMCWGANDGETSCREDITFORIT!
---------------------
Maybe we should call this one the PalinForPresigeddon so he won't steal it..

Uh, you'd have to be pretty dull-witted to not think that Snovetchkin isn't BY FAR the best name!!

It ties so many things together PERFECTLY.

Gimme a break. It's perfect.

Also...ummmm, some of you need to go back to Creative School. "Snowdiculous"?? That doesn't work on ANY level!

This storm is Snovetchkin.

A cool time lapse video of this past weekends storm:

http://www.theagitator.com/2010/02/08/snowlapse/

I thought of "Snow mas", but someone beat me to it. You are all on fire. Snowvechkin, Snowverkill, Snowverdose, SNOMG, Chersnowbyl... these are fantastic. I hope we get enough more storms to use them all! (Which means we've got to go with Snowvechkin for this one for the hat trick.)

Sno Mas.

This is unusual for this area. Yes, other areas may get more every year. But, the fact remains, WE don't. The area has trouble handlign what it does get normally. It is not prepared or equipped for this. All business and government offices need to stop playing games and just shut down for the rest of the week until things get dug out. Risking people's lives when the roads are a mess and people don't know how to drive when the roads are a mess is a bad idea.

Use the #snowyoudiint hashtag when telling stories of bad snow-related behavior like people parking in your dug-out spots or shoveling snow into cleared parking spots and walkways.

Lets look practically the impact such a second storm would have...
Where will the new snow "go"? Plows are only so high, and the places they would push it are already full of packed snow.
Each thing I think about makes it seem worse and worse. A 4-lane beltway (instead of 8), impassable drifts 4 feet high between packed snow, and maybe more power outages with people harder to get to. Honestly, given the target area of this, MD needs to consider mobilizing its National Guard. Is that too strong a statement?

Snowmageddon-and-on

When will we get a telethon to raise funds for the snow removal?

Snovechkin! HAT TRICK! LETS GO CAPITALS!

"Charlie Foxtrot" is this storm's inside codename.

This one should be called the Snowminator; because it will be back. Evidently again and again. 10-20 more inches doesn't paint a pretty picture for our flight Thursday AM!

LOL @ bmp246's "Telethon" comment. Bloody classic there.

Tricky! I failed to notice "DCA" before voting. I would have chosen one or two categories lower had I been paying attention.

25.5" in Beltsville from Fri/Sat storm. Gauge liquid equivalent was 2.14", core samples averaged 3.12". Both are reasonable ratios. What was the regional mean ratio for this super storm?

How large is a typical dry slot and how do they occur?

"There's No Business Like Snow Business"

No question... Snovechkin's hat trick!

When's this snow gonna start? Topper Shutt said it would be early- around 10 am tomorrow morning or so. Do you guys concur?

is Topper just trying to be funny?

@SubRosa2

We anticipate snow to break out from SW to NE between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. from southwest to northeast

Hi bryankellogg1, a dryslot can vary in size. Often they average half of our region.. let's say 25 miles wide or so. And thus you will see widely divergent snow totals on either side of said dryslot. But really they can vary--enough to change predictions over our region. Tricky to tell when and where they will form!

Snoverabundance.

Just went to read email and found the following headline on my Yahoo page:
"Seats at a premium on planes, trains out of DC (AP) "

I know it's likely just because all the traffic got so backed up over the weekend, but LOL - it's so easy to read it the other way (as straight escape)!

rootboy - I would give you the average liquid to snow ration as 1:12" for most storms in DC.

What time do you anticipate snow ending on Wednesday? I'm asking because I have a 10 a.m. flight on Thursday and want to figure out if I should try and switch...

I hope that this time tomorrow we're voting for "snoverhyped". Sadly I don't think it will prove to be the case. Sigh.

@bryankellogg1

In our region, we can get a dry slot when a storm inland transfers its energy to a storm off the coast. The region in between can get caught in the region of sinking air behind the coastal storm causing the precip to cutoff.

My vote is for "The TSNOWNAMI"

With the snow possibly starting at 10am, do you think Metro will still be running overground at noon? I'd like to check in on family in the District but still want to get back to Alexandria before the Yellow line shuts down.

Kaiser Snowday!

Similar situation as BrentwoodGuy.

I'm flying out of DCA at 8:30am on Thursday. What are my chances based on what you know right now?

Deja Vu All Snowver Again

So, are we going to be getting a week's worth of papers on Friday? LOL.

Winner: SnOvechkin's hat trick!

Schnee-ja vu

Hey folks, I just thought that you might find this interesting (It's a headline from across the Nation in California no less):

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/ap/current-season-is-snowiest-on-record-at-dulles-83822972.html

Snovechkin, of course, for the hat trick!

sNOwMore

Snowvetchkin. Nothing has been more consistent or record-breaking than my hometown's team and snowfall.

Please revise accordingly.

Yours truly,

Charlottesville

Some of these storm names are sooooo bad. See, it has to be SOME kind of PLAY on "snow" with a word that has an "O" sound.

Here's my impression of some of you:

"How about deja-snow?"
"Snopeat!"
"Snot again!"
"Snowbortion"
"The snever snending snory!"

Stop.

Snovechkin is the only great one in the bunch.

And if we get 8" officially?? Fuhgeddaboutit. It'll be the "Gr8 Snovechkin Hat Trick Storm."

Multiple snowgasms.

@terrenceevans

bravo.

OK...I wanted to name the last storm Hat Trick '10..counting what now seems to be the meager snow we got last Tuesday. However, I can deal with Snowfecta. C-A-P caps...CAps...CAPS!!

I think Snowmotion!

1. Snovechkin
2. Snowlapse
3. Snovey

It has to be Snowvechkin.

There is only one choice.

SNOVECHKIN.

Clusterflake

love it!

Post web site saying up to 16" possible - did CWG approve of that? Where are they getting their forecast?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local.html?hpid=artslot

The NWS in its forecast discussion from this afternoon and evening (and part of its justification for the 10-20 inch forecast) accounts for the dry slot:

BY 12Z WED...CSTL LOW BEGINS TO BOMB OUT E OF THE DELMARVA WHILE
DEEP UPR LOW ATTAINS NEG TILT AS IT SWEEPS ACRS CWFA. THE COMBO OF
THESE TWO PROCESSES INITIATES STRONG CAA. THE ADDED EFFECTS OF THE
DYNAMIC AND ADVECTIVE COOLING WUD SUPPORT STEEPENED LAPSE RATES...
WHICH WL ENHANCE ACCUM AMTS AND WIPE OUT ANY DRY SLOT. MDL SNDGS
DEPICT A DEEP SATD LYR W/ AMPLE LIFT W/IN SNOW GROWTH RGN WED. TO
THAT END FEEL POPS/ACCUMS NEED TO BE INCREASED. IN PARTICULAR...
PROFILES IN BALT-WASH METRO SUPPORT PDS OF HVY SNW WED MRNG...W/
BANDED STRUCTURES XPCTD. SNWFL RATES OF 1-2 INCHES/HR REALISTIC.
HV ADDED THESE FEATURES INTO THE DATABASE.

Do you just simply disagree with this analysis? If so, why?

Thanks.

Topper Shutt is a snowmonger. He is always overestimating totals to build more hype.

FWIW, channel 5 seems to have downgraded their totals as well.

Metro will be running, but apparently still 30 minutes between trains?

ok so I know everyone is focused on tomm and wed...but looking at the model runs...looks like their is another system possibly forming around the 15th/16th...grrr

panthersny - Snow Way!

Snowverdose? Snobliteration?

I think snoverkill is pretty good.

I want to join the write-in campaign for Snovechkin!

Recommendations are good, but the storms should be named for all those people who plowed this weekend and are about to enjoy a wintry wednesday... "Snow' money, snow' problems" . Cruise on dc area.

To erickoe:
I'm not with the gang, but worked in Sterling back in the '90s. We were just getting into "dendritic snow growth" rates when I left.

This storm looks a lot like the February 5-7 1978 blizzard that began just to our north and east, only the point of "crank" for this one should begin in DC or just to the northeast (the 1978 event began along a BWI-Annapolis-Cambridge line).

The upper system has been tracking ever so slightly south with each run through late morning, and peak convergence in the formative region for heaviest snow occurs in the DC/Balt corridor, sometime late Tue night into early Wed morning.

Those "2 to 3 inch per hour" rates WILL occur somewhere in MD and perhaps the immediate VA suburbs for at least 2 and as long as 4 hours. That gives 6 to 12 inches...boom! Add the overrunning amounts Tue afternoon/evening (probably 4 to 8) and some residual dustings after and the 10-20" is not a stretch at all.

The next model runs are coming very soon. Note that unlike in '78, there's plenty of juice all the way south to the TX/LA border where some severe storms have broken out this evening.

Good luck to everyone and stay safe!

As for my pick: Snowfecta. Personally love "Snovechkin" since the event would occur right after the 'trick.

fleeciewool: Up to 16 inches is possible according to our map, but that is for areas to the N/NE of DC. It's not a problem that the Post took that from here, since it is our upper estimate for some spots of the metro area.

Can't believe no one has suggested

"Snow-bama!"

How about AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! That name is appropriate.

Either:
"Fourth horseman" (of the Snowpocalypse) or
"Last straw" or
"Coup de grace".
If we're sticking with the "snow" prefix, it's clearly "snowverkill" ...

Snowthehumanity

Yeah, Holeymoley, we're all a bunch of wusses. Except that I'm from a quite snowy area, and drive a car that can handle some pretty bad conditions, and I didn't venture out until this evening. And even then, I wouldn't recommend it for someone who doesn't have significant experience driving in winter conditions. There was lots of ice, snow banks from plowing, and numerous unplowed areas. What does someone who had never lived north of the Mason-Dixon line know about plowing through an embankment or traversing a slippery hill? DC is not equipped to handle this type of snow because we rarely get it, and the drivers, from all over the country, not just areas that get this kind of snowfall regularly, are even less equipped to handle it. I would rather they go 45 on the highway than push the limits of the road conditions. I know that's what I'll be doing, given the rather poor road surfaces, and I should make it wherever I'm going safely.

SNOWJA VU

@wxdancer -- thanks so much for your insightful comments. Fascinating and instructive stuff, especially for those of us who are weather novices, impatiently hitting refresh for the next update!

sno-kidding

what is the new GFS showing?

definately snovechkin's hat trick.

GFS looks real good for this area

please explain snowvechkin and the hat trick

Looks like the GFS model has DC, NoVa in the 1.25" - 1.5" liquid range....
http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwprod/analysis/namer/gfs/00/images/gfs_p36_042l.gif

Am I reading the NAM wrong or does it show this event lasting into Thurs a.m.?
http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwprod/analysis/namer/nam/00/images/nam_p24_060l.gif

60 hours from 0z tonight puts it at about 7 a.m. Thurs, no?

Looking forward to that 11pm update, CWG!

GFS! GFS! GFS! :) Should be interesting to see how the local mets update their 11pm maps.

Sue Palka has given 8-10" for the Washington area. Her manner was rather flustered, however.

Sue Palka and Bob Ryan have always been snow haters. Their #s are always lower than the rest. Of course Bob Ryan relies on the weather channel, which is often wrong.

Sue Palka thinks the larger amounts will be to the North of DC, but did concide that might drop to include the beltway.

Otherwise 6-10" for South of DC to Fredericksburg.

Also, she says the snow will start by 1:00PM Tuesday through Wednesday evening. She believes the next system will miss us to the South.

I like Sue Palka. No nonsense, usually tells it like it is.

We have been planning a trip to see our son and his family in Florida since before Christmas, and were planning to leave Wednesday. Now with the weather forecast, we are thinking of leaving tomorrow morning about 10:00 and heading south on I-95. I've been looking at the VDOT and 511 sites, but still can't get a good feel for the condition of I-95 between here and Richmond. Has anyone been on I-95 today, and if so, could you please tell me the condition of the interstate? We figure if we could get to a point 50 miles or so south of Richmond by 1:00 or 2:00, we'd be at the line where it becomes all rain, but we just can't get a reliable report about I-95, so please, can anyone tell us for sure? Thanks!

Palka just mentioned the new models and they didn't seem to impress her much enough to change her totals from 8-10" for DC. She's holding steady to those numbers for DC and South.

It's amazing how much better Joe Bastardi is than the rest. He's been calling for this storm for over a week and has said all along Northern Jersey, Allentown, and NYC would get the worst of this. New guidance is trending that way! Maybe just 6-12 for the DC area; which would be significant any other year.

I think Sue Palka's map was 8-10" for DC and NoVA with 10-16" north of DC. She mentioned giving an update during the News Edge at 11 after examining the newest models.

I think Lou Scally (NBC25) just called for 6-12" for the 4 state region, with 18-24" possible NE of DC.

I journeyed to Front Royal today to resupply. VA55 was clear until getting into the town (end state maintenance) where it was snow/ice/slush covered. Martin's was fairly well stocked.

Yes, so far Bastardi has been on a roll with these storms, calling them fairly accurately well in advance.

Do any stores still have shovels?

Where's that new forecast???

It's past 11.

Foot's Forecast (7:30 PM Monday 2.8.2010) says:

"By 7 PM Wednesday, the Forecast Team expects snowfall to reach or exceed 12 inches across central Maryland AND the I-95 corridor from Baltimore to Philadelphia into southeastern PA. We expect many areas could top 20 inches."

Foot's Forecast is predicting for the immediate Baltimore Metro area, not DC, but they are pretty reliable (more-so than the USWS on a long-term basis). A large portion of the Baltimore Metro area overlaps or abuts the DC Metro area (HoCo, Laurel, Annapolis, etc.), so their forecasts also reflect the DC area weather pretty good.

http://www.footsforecast.org/

@aveimperator

I think he's missed one out of five; not too bad given how far out he's been calling these. More importantly, he's nailed all three of the big ones!

Come on, guys! There's only one name for a winter hat-trick in D.C.: SNOVECHKIN

re: rhyming with "snow":

Schnee is German for snow. It's pronounced shnay. Hence: Schnee-ja vu.
It rhymes--"snow-ja vu" doesn't. ;)

Re: Joe Bastardi

Actually, Joe has always been a fan of the "big one" (hurricanes included) so there are a number of times when he has missed - cases where there was a lot of uncertainty in the atmospheric "big picture" and model solutions. That is not the case for this event.

That said, Mr. Bastardi IS very good at long term seasonal climate analysis. Once the crazy AO and generally negative NAO got together with a persistently high-end moderate El Nino, it was only a matter of time before the east coast got additional slams this winter. I'm sure somewhere on Joe's blog you can find these forecast trends, and that's a great read.

The consequence of the highly negative AO with a moderating influence of the less negative NAO has left a periodic Pacific-North American pattern, featuring west coast US ridges and general troughs in the east. Note, however, that true ARCTIC air diving into the mid Atlantic and Ohio Valley has NOT been the case in 2009/2010; rather, just enough southern-central Canadian air has made it just cold enough for ample snow rather than mix/rain events.

The "feel" to these events reminds me of Jan/Feb 1996, even though the Jan 1996 24 incher fell with temperatures largely in the teens, like the mini-event a couple weekends ago.

Since no two years are quite the same, there will be plenty of research on the outcome of what could be a 75+ inch snow season for most in the DC/Balt metro. That is quite a feat.

Whatever name is selected, it should end with "The Curse of Tai Shan." He goes to China, we get clobbered. There is no fury like a panda scorned.

"Snobal warming" works for me.

@ WxDancer, you make a great point in regard to the Arctic air-masses heading southward over us. Typically, when extreme cold hits us from the Polar Arctic, Alaska and other regions up North see a relative thaw in their deep freeze (That is, instead of being -40 Deg. F. in Fairbanks, AK in Mid-January, it might instead be "only" -10, or 0 Deg. F.). However, during some of our most recent cold spells, Central Alaska has maintained its icy grip in the -20 to -40 Deg. F. range. This in turn, could very well point towards the lower longitudinal Sub-Arctic (ie, Lower/Central Canadian) air masses being the culprit for our ample supply of sub-freezing temperatures as of late. Nice analysis there ;-)

This storm should be called Republican Killer. The more the better. May they all perish.

@ PanthersNY, another storm on the 15th/16th? Hey, that's cool with me, so long as this weekend stays Sunny. I want to finally hit up the ski slopes with the massive amounts of fresh snowfall! By that time hopefully as well, some other members of my family will finally have their snowshoes, and we will finally have a washing machine delivered to us (Bunch of bums won't even deliver one to a neighbor who ordered one over a week ago, despite the fact that Reston Pkwy. is mostly clear, and my street is navigable during the daytime if you know how to drive in this weather).

@ MsD2, Some Northerners are amazing Winter weather drivers. My Old Man for instance is from NY/NJ, and he attended school in Hanover, NH. He's a great driver in all weather conditions, and I've even witnessed him firsthand while he fully recovered from an oil-slick induced 360 Deg. spinout on the NJ Turnpike once (In his brand new 300ZX, 1987). We were little kids, and we all raised our arms and said "COOL, can we do it again!?" lol. However, even he once crashed into a telephone pole in NH back in the 1950's, when he hit a patch of ice on the roadway. No doubt though, he is an example of the type of driver I learned from, and in turn, even though I am a D.C. Native (For 25 years), I am an excellent Winter driver. I have driven through everything from Ice storms, to Blizzards, and Tropical Storms in Florida, you name it. The bottom line is that I take my time, I don't make irrational decisions, and if some nutjob wants to race by me in the snow at full bore, let him, because it'll be his rear that I have to rescue a few miles down the road. Anyone who has lived here as long as I have should definitely know how to drive in Snow/Ice regardless, because since 1985, we have had some seriously brutal Winters.

@HolyMoley, on the other hand, some Northerners are the absolute worst drivers in this weather, and you exhibit the very reason why: They're overly cocky. I have a close friend in Minnesota, and we were discussing Winter weather up there, and I said: "Hey, I bet the drivers up there are really good in this stuff". He laughed, and then said: "No, the drivers in VA are better than them. Up here they like to swerve, tailgate, and speed through the snow, and they always end up in crashes like a bunch of idiots". Granted, I FULLY agree with you about distracted drivers here, it is a MAJOR issue. Just don't place folks here on some lesser pedestal than those in other portions of the Nation though. This is a Major snowstorm by anyones account, I don't care where you're from. Even in Valdez, AK (Where they average 360" of snowfall accumulation a year), it took four days for them to accumulate a record breaking 5 Ft. of snowfall from one storm. WE on the other hand, received nearly (In fact over in some areas) 3 Ft. of accumulation in less than 36 Hours! If that doesn't put it into perspective, then I don't know what does.

Snowmega -- this better be the last one.

SNOBLITERATION!

I vote to call it SNOWTORIOUS D-I-G!!!

Call it Snovechkin, the Hat Trick. He just got one to show Cindy Crosby who's the best player in the NHL.

And mother nature's going to deliver another big storm to complete its hat trick. First the December one, then the one over the weekend, and now this.

I second the vote for "TSNOWNAMI". That sounds about right.

Snowmaggedon, Snoverkill... despite the inclimate weather, Washington DC's denizens shall never fail to coin new and ever more amusing and mystifying nonce words.

I like Third Snowman of the Snowpocalypse.

"Snowmageddon 3: The Search for Kierein."

If the first one was the Snow-pocalypse, and the second Snow-mageddon, how about Snow-tastrophe?

This is shaping up to be a month long event. I propose the name: SNOWUARY 2010.

SNOVERDOSE!!!

SNOVERKILL

How about SNOVERLOAD.

"Snow you think you can drive"

There were some suggestions for SNOMG for the last storm, so how about SNOWTF for this one?

These last few days, a repeated dream. In that dream, we wake up in Snoshington DC. Ever faithful to the best of the press, we head out bracing the weather. Where is our Snoshington Post? Damn, it's snowhere. Someone screams "Oh sno, again!", but we cannot wake up ...

Snowtorious B.I.G.

Snowmageddon. Lovin it, even got the official t-shirt!

http://www.zazzle.com/snowmageddon_2010_tshirt-235616099468926888

Too funny.

Sir,

when we lived in Upstate PA and NY, this was fairly common occurence. I remember, we had no Power for 3 days and had to live on wood heat and melted Ice. Now, the ice storms are considered monstorous. People followed the emergency laws with few complaining.

This sort of thing should be considered equivalent to terror attack, only difference, Nature induced. Just kidding, Is this global warming or change. None of the scientists are one side or the other.Or should we call it Obamablizzard, calucalated plan. No, these things happen in a cyclical way, may once in 20-30 years. Obviously we are not adequately prepared, just like in a terror attack- we just recently were lucky to escape a major airline attack. People in general have forgotten these episodes- wake up, it is not too late,join hands, this is our land.
No complacency