Amazing Groundhog Day Storm Stats, Maps
UPDATE NOON CENTRAL TIME: Temperatures in Texas now range from 0 F in the north to 68 in the south! Three inches of sleet has accumulated in Bellefontaine, Ohio. Hominy, Oklahoma has received 17 inches, close to the top to heaviest snowfalls in the state, and amounts in Missouri have surpassed a foot as well.
The Groundhog Day storm (i.e. the storm which will be over famous Punxsutawney Phil is looking very impressive on many AccuWeather.com maps this morning. The stats from the storm run the gamut from severe thunderstorms to blizzard conditions. Already today winds have gusted to 70 mph with a strong squall line in Texas, and Miami, Oklahoma has picked up over a foot of snow - while Moweaqua, Illinois has seen 3/4 of an inch of freezing rain and Mount Vernon, Missouri picked up 2 inches of sleet. AccuWeather.com Facebook Fans are uploading reports and pictures of the ice storm.
A look at the National Weather Service advisory map this morning (click to enlarge or zoom to Central US) shows something incredible, possibly historic. With the exception of the West Coast and Arizona, 43 states had advisories sparked by this storm system or the cold air behind it. Wind Chills have already fallen to -54 at Pumpkin Vine, Wyoming with actual temps reaching -41 F at Cow Creek. Nine states were under Blizzard Warnings this morning - the widest spread that I can recall.
Next, check out the MapSpace radar from early this morning with a 2-hour lightning strike overlay (download radar loop with Techsmith AVI Codec). Thunder with sleet or snow was reported by too many airport observations to count.
Texas is indeed the place for impressive storm stats today, with Winter Storm Warnings on one side and Severe Thunderstorm Warnings on the other. Last night, temperatures ranged from 7 at Amarillo to 71 at Nueva Laredo!
Julian Myers, another Facebook Fan, said: "Here's a photo of the 'Front' crossing Galveston Island, Texas into the Gulf of Mexico this morning. The temperature dropped 25 degrees in 30 minutes!"
But things are going to be indescribably ugly on Lake Michigan, check out this Storm Warning from the NWS:
And finally, the RadarPlus depiction of surface pressure, winds, satellite and radar, showing the true scope of the storm.
