"Winter Storm Ulmer" is expected to be the strongest low-pressure system to ever develop in Kansas and will bring blizzard conditions to much of the central and northern Plains Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
The first "real" warm up of the year will be felt across the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region this week, with highs reaching into the 60s for many, and even into the lower 70s for portions of Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio on Wednesday and Thursday.
This is thanks to upper level ridging pumping in warmer air from the south and supported by the warm sector of an approaching low-pressure system from the west.
This low-pressure system will soon be called "Winter Storm Ulmer" by The Weather Channel, though winter storms are not officially named. Ulmer is expected to be the strongest low-pressure system to ever develop in Kansas and will bring blizzard conditions to much of the central and northern Plains Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
Lighter snowfall is expected across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Thursday. Additionally, Ulmer is likely to generate some severe weather ahead of the snowfall across the Mississippi Valley and potentially into the Ohio Valley on Wednesday and Thursday.
Although much above normal temperatures will be in place mid-week across the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions, winter is not over yet. For around a week now, long-range model data has been suggesting a return to below-normal temperatures for the last half of March.
This period also looks to remain active, but accumulating snowfall will be more limited to overnight timing due to the strengthening sun rays and warmer average temperatures, unless snowfall rates are high, or you're in the Upper Midwest.
Beth Carpenter is a co-founder and meteorologist at Thermodynamic Solutions, based in Indianapolis. You can reach Beth at info@tdsweather.com.
Western Debuts Pile Drivers
New 8- and 10-foot containment plows feature a steel trip-edge, interchangeable attachment plates and high-quality paint.
The new Pile Driver trip-edge design gives operators a clean, down-to-pavement scrape by allowing the cutting edge to move over contours and obstacles.Western Products unveiled two new Pile Driver pusher plow models at the 2019 NTEA Work Truck Show. The new 8- and 10-foot containment plows feature a steel trip-edge, interchangeable attachment plates and high-quality paint.
Customer feedback indicated a steel trip-edge was among the most desired features in a pusher plow application. The new Pile Driver trip-edge design gives operators a clean, down-to-pavement scrape by allowing the cutting edge to move over contours and obstacles. The steel trip-edge is constructed with four extension springs and reinforced with two double ribs at the trip springs to handle heavy loads and stresses. Six vertical support ribs and robust side support posts provide strength and protection for heavy-duty performance on large accounts.
New bolt-on attachment plates offer flexibility for quick and easy configuration for skid-steers, tractors, backhoes and wheel loaders. Whereas in the past plates were welded to the pusher moldboard requiring different pusher plow models for each machine, the new plates are bolted to the moldboard, providing the flexibility to attach the pushers to various types of equipment within a fleet.
"Pusher plow applications are the toughest plowing jobs out there, and we've raised the performance bar with these new plows," said Doug Clark, Western product manager. "By adding a steel trip-edge, our customers can tackle those jobs with more confidence than ever."
The new Pile Driver pusher plows are 32.5 inches tall with a 63-degree attack angle, and they feature new, high-quality enamel paint that resists salt and UV rays for improved longevity and corrosion resistance. A top-mounted, rubber back drag edge is available as an accessory and allows operators to pull snow away from loading docks, doors and other tight spaces.
More information on the new Pile Driver pusher plows will be available on WesternPlows.com in May.
Meyer Introduces Super-V3 Plow
With innovative engineering, the next-gen V-Plow features a bottom centered urethane cutting edge and a pistol grip controller.
The all-new Meyer Super-V3 Plow and its industry-leading ground clearance allows snow fighter to never have to worry about bottoming out. The wings can be controlled independently giving driver's the ultimate configuration control, while Meyer's Nite Saber LED lights offer safer nighttime plowing with less draw on your electrical system.
Meyer's innovative engineering unleashes the next generation of V-Plows and features the following industry exclusives:
A bottom centered urethane cutting edge eliminates snow trails
A pistol grip controller with self-diagnostics reduces downtime
An industry-leading 5-year warranty
Other features include:
Standard Nite Saber LED lights for better sight
Industry-leading ground clearance means less chance of bottoming-out and allows higher stacking capability
Dual-acting locking cylinders provide ultimate control, locking the blade position whether you’re plowing forward or backward
Trip-edge moldboards absorb and dissipate the shock so you don’t lose the entire load, or subject your truck, your plow and yourself to the full impact
Fleet friendly capability, allowing you to easily switch out your V3 plow with a Meyer straight blade
The Super-V3's Standard Operating System has a streamlined appearance with an encased power unit and patented cable management system for reliable service. The hydraulic system also features an adjustable drop speed to handle various plowing conditions and meet operator preferences.
Contractors can attach and detach the Super-V3 in minutes with a simple 2-plug electrical attachment, and Meyer’s free-standing jack stand allows users to adjust the V3’s height on uneven or shifting surfaces, making on/off easy in any condition.
In Like A Lion
Picking up where February left off, it's winter business as usual. Meteorologist Beth Carpenter outlines why it's so difficult to predict in March.
Snowfall accumulations from Winter Storm Scott, provided byNOHRSC. Note the snowfall across the Great Lakes region was from a separate system on Friday.A strengthening low-pressure system, eventually named Winter Storm Scott, brought accumulating snowfall to Colorado and the central Plains Saturday. The storm produced several feet of mountain snowfall, as well as up to 5-8 inches at lower elevations in Colorado and into Nebraska and Kansas. The system pushed eastward into The Ohio Valley on Sunday and brought a widespread swath of 1-3 inches of snowfall to the region.
Overnight Sunday night into Monday morning, Winter Storm Scott continued through the Mid-Atlantic and into New England, dropping up to 12-17 inches of snowfall across portions of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. The storm was able to pull significant amounts of moisture from the Atlantic Ocean, which aided in the significant snowfall. This was the only Nor'easter of the season so far, and in some places doubled or even tripled the seasonal snowfall to date.
Preliminary broken or tied low temperature records. Behind this storm, record cold weather settled in once again. As of 9:30 am EST Monday morning, 105 locations across the central and northern United States had broken or tied their record low temperatures for today, some breaking the monthly records, as well. High pressure at the surface reinforced the cold air and will help keep it around for the next couple of days.
Unfortunately, Winter Storm Scott had a devastating impact across the Southeast, as well.
Along the warm front of this system -- which stretched across Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and eventually into South Carolina -- several severe thunderstorms developed in a very ripe and unstable environment. These thunderstorms strengthened into supercells and produced a preliminary count of 43 tornadoes, several of which were large and destructive.
In particular, a long-track, tornado in Lee County, Ala., was rated EF-4 strength by the National Weather Service Birmingham. This tornado was estimated to have 170 mph winds (comparable to the strength of a Category 5 hurricane) and was 1 mile wide. Tragically, at last count 23 fatalities were confirmed from this tornado, with search and rescue efforts ongoing. Statistically, it is the deadliest tornado in the last six years, potentially more.
While snow forecasting is one of the more difficult aspects of meteorology, it becomes increasingly so during the late-winter season, namely March. This is because weather models and the atmosphere are going through several "transition" phases and gearing up for more spring-like weather.
This is Luna, one of NOAA's newest supercomputers that runs American model data.One of the challenges of forecasting snowfall during this period is moisture. Models struggle with forecasting the amount of moisture that these systems will have with them, and they struggle by both under- and over-forecasting.
For example, with the recent minimal snowfall event Sunday, model data was very supportive of heavy snowfall for several days. However, as the event grew closer, it became evident that moisture was rapidly decreasing with each new run. This led to lesser snowfall amounts across southern portions of the Ohio Valley. On the other hand, warmer temperatures in March mean the air can hold more moisture, and sometimes these systems over-perform and bring higher snowfall amounts than anticipated due to a sudden influx of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.
What follows is a brief introduction to model data and how we get it. Weather models are developed by highly skilled scientists and programmers who use climatological averages along with currently observed data and plug this into many physics’ equations. This then allows the model to "forecast" these values at various time periods into the future.
The problem with climate data is that these are averages and are not always representative of the current weather patterns. This leads to model data being biased, especially the further out the data is from the initial time. Recently, model data has been too cold in the medium- to longer-range forecasts, and has suggested more snow storms than have actually occurred. While there are several different models using various physics packages developed around the world, these model biases can significantly skew the data that meteorologists use.
It's important that we then take what we know about these biases, the current weather pattern, recent model performance, etc., and adjust as necessary for more accurate results.
Lastly, even when there is snowfall that verifies, it may not "look" like it. March sunshine is much stronger than December, January, and February, and often warms the ground, and especially paved surfaces, above freezing so that snow does not always stick and accumulate.
As forecasters who work in the professional snow and ice management industry, we know this can be particularly frustrating when planning for plowing versus salting. Unless snowfall rates are high during this time, accumulations are more likely to remain on grassy and elevated surfaces, and less likely to impact roadways.
Beth Carpenter is a co-founder and meteorologist at Thermodynamic Solutions, based in Indianapolis. You can reach Beth at info@tdsweather.com.
Legislative Alert: Massachusetts
The commonwealth considers the association’s model legislation addresses hold-harmless agreements and indemnification clauses.
From Left: Mike Weiss, State Senator Bruce E. Tarr, and ASCA's Kevin Gilbride
The ASCA’s model legislation took an important first step toward becoming law in Massachusetts Monday when it was introduced into the state's general assembly.
The ASCA’s model legislation, which has already been signed into law in Illinois and Colorado, and is under consideration by the Connecticut legislature, prohibits clients from passing on their negligence through hold-harmless agreements and indemnification clauses. CLICK HERE to follow the legislation’s progress through the assembly.
Proposed S. 1116 was introduced on Monday by State Senator Bruce E. Tarr, representing the 1s Essex and Middlesex District, who assigned the legislation to the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. This committee considers all matters concerning discrimination with respect to employment, the labor laws, workers’ compensation and such other matters. CLICK HERE to reach out to the committee in support of the bill.
ASCA Executive Director Kevin Gilbride was excited and encouraged by the introduction of S. 1116 and says it was the hard work of the state’s professional snow and ice community, including Mike Weiss, owner and founder of Weiss Commercial Property Services, that the legislation is under consideration.
“This is exciting news to kick off the month of March,” Gilbride says. “Hopefully, this legislation will proceed without issue through the legislature and to the governor’s desk in time for the 2019-2020 snow season. In the meantime, we encourage other members of the Massachusetts snow and ice management community to reach out to their representatives and show their support for this bill.
“It’s important to educate elected officials that this bill not only keeps Massachusetts’ citizens safe, but it also caps skyrocketing insurance costs for the snow and ice management community,” Gilbride adds.
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