Daily Archives: March 27, 2009

How do you measure snowfall in a blizzard?

March 27, 20091:28 p.m.

I couldn’t help but ask myself that question as I reflected on the forecasts of a foot of snow or more in spots, with blizzard conditions dropping visibility to zero.

National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Johnson chuckled when I asked him that question.

“Very carefully,” he said with just a touch of sarcasm.

But there’s more truth to that than humor. It’s not easy to measure the snowfall totals in a blizzard, because it’s so difficult to find places that haven’t been affected by blowing or drifting. Yet that’s what it takes to get authentic readings on how much snow actually fell.

It’ll be very interesting to see what kinds of totals emerge from this memorable winter storm.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Snow | Comments Off

Thunder snow could send snowfall totals soaring in Wichita area

March 27, 20097:18 a.m.

Meteorologists are detecting lightning in snow bands now located in northern Oklahoma. That’s a bad sign for those hoping Wichita somehow avoids a heavy snow later today.

Thunder snow is a thunderstorm that is producing snow instead of rain, and it produces heavy snowfall rates – 2 to 3 inches an hour. A few hours of that, combined with more snow overnight, and it’s no wonder some meteorologists are saying the record snow storm total for Wichita is under threat.

Snow drifts of two feet were already being reported in northwest Kansas Thursday night, and large drifts can be expected in the Wichita area as well.

By Stan Finger | Filed under Snow | Comments Off