AccuWeather.com

The WeatherMatrix Blog

22 Storms in NE: Winter 2009-2010 Radar Loop

Mar 29, 2010; 10:20 AM ET

Today what could be the last Nor'easter of the season is affecting the Northeastern U.S. It's interesting if you compare the heavy rain area for today's storm with the heavy snow area from this winter, they are very similar. Major storms are continuing to move up the East Coast as they have all season, it's just warmer now so we're seeing rain instead of snow.* These winter storms have dropped 30-40 inches of rain (and liquid snow) in the I-95 corridor, which would normally only receive 20-25 inches over the winter (below is a "departure from normal" precipitation map via NOAA).

Here's a 4-month radar animation from December 1, 2009 to yesterday, showing (what I count as) 22 major storms that doused the Northeast. You can download a high-res version here as a MP4 or MOV file. A slower version is available here.

* SIDEBAR: People will often say "Hey what if all this rain was snow?" but that isn't entirely accurate because the lack of cold air is sometimes what makes for huge rainfall amounts (example: hurricanes) so in most cases if more cold air were present, less precipitation would fall. In other words, you can't assume that this storm's 6 inches of rain would have been 60 inches of snow (using the approximate 10:1 ratio conversion) if it had taken place earlier in the season when temperatures were colder.

The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of AccuWeather, Inc. or AccuWeather.com

blogs Home >

Comments

Comments left here should adhere to the AccuWeather.com Community Guidelines. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.

J's Breaking Weather News

WeatherMatrix on Facebook

The J-Cams in HD

About The J-Cams

More Jesse Ferrell

A Record Early Hurricane Season?

May 23, 2012; 10:39 AM ET

Both the Atlantic and East Pacific tropical seasons got an early start; could Tropical Storm Bud become the earliest East Pacific major hurricane on record?

Eight Days and Weak: Blogitis, Silent Sirens, Other News

May 18, 2012; 12:50 PM ET

So I haven't blogged in over a week -- at least I had my nose in a book. Plus: What you missed it you're not following me on social media!

Strange Vertical Sunset Clouds in Pittsburgh

May 10, 2012; 12:37 PM ET

There were strange clouds sighted last night at sunset in Pittsburgh. The clouds looked like tornadoes, but I've had experience with these.

LRR and Tornado Eye: Interesting Weather Radar Images

May 8, 2012; 2:41 PM ET

I've got a story about a newly-discovered supercell thunderstorm component, and a radar image that may show the eye of a tornado.

500,000 Lightning Strikes Provide Awesome Photos

May 3, 2012; 12:59 PM ET

Already this week, over half a million lightning strikes have hit the Earth over the U.S., making for incredible lightning photographs across the nation.

Incredible Photos, Videos of a Tornado in France

Apr 30, 2012; 10:00 AM ET

Beautiful pictures of a tornado were captured in Southwest France Sunday. I show the photos and videos, as well as a radar image.

Maps: Tennessee MCS Shoves on through

Apr 26, 2012; 11:55 AM ET

A terrifying-looking Mesoscale Convective System moved through Kentucky and Tennessee and into North Carolina this morning, and I've captured its lifecycle on maps.

Which Storm Took Down Myer-Womble Observatory?

Apr 25, 2012; 12:41 PM ET

High winds at 14,000 feet took out the U.S.'s highest observatory this winter, but when did it happen? I investigate observations from nearby stations.

April Appalachian Snow Photos and Timelapse

Apr 23, 2012; 1:18 PM ET

The April Appalachian snow event is underway, and I've got photos and two awesome timelapse videos.

Models on Possible Bookend Northeast Snowstorm

Apr 20, 2012; 9:28 AM ET

The models are starting to agree on a possible "bookend" snowstorm in the Northeast in a few days, but first, the front with a possible squall line.

Behind the Scenes: NWS Spring Media Workshop

Apr 19, 2012; 1:37 PM ET

It was a pleasure to attend the NWS "Spring 2012 Media Workshop" today. We discussed River Forecasting / Drought Status, Forecasting PA Thunderstorms and Social Media.

Harrisburg, Columbia Flood Comparison Photos

Apr 17, 2012; 11:02 AM ET

The trick with getting flood photos to look impressive is to compare them to the same place when it's dry. Last week I revisited the 2011 Pennsylvania Flood areas to compare.

Don't Have A Cow: Simpsons Springfield Weather

Apr 11, 2012; 12:36 PM ET

The Simpsons live in Springfield, but what state? It would seem that Matt Groening has now set the record straight, but whither the weather featured in the show?

Pennsylvania Spring 2011 vs. Spring 2012, in Photos

Apr 11, 2012; 12:13 PM ET

Every spring, people say that flowers & trees are coming out earlier than last year. This year, they really are and I set out to prove it, by comparing photos I took in 2011 to 2012.

Before and After Images from Arlington Tornado

Apr 7, 2012; 7:51 AM ET

Our aerial comparison of the Texas tornado damage was interesting to see, but I zoomed in and got a street level view too.