Weather Pulse Blog

Meteorologist Samantha Davies

The Midwest has been seeing their fair share of snow this year. Several cities are in the midst of their snowiest winter on record. This region of the country has cold air in locked place and has had several weather systems pass through. These weather systems have interacted with an abundance of moisture from the south. The result…SNOW!

Here are some of the snowfall totals:

- Chicago so far this season has had 51.4” of snow. Looking back at climatology, normally Chicago sees about 30” of snow by the end of February. Chicago’s record snowfall for the season is 89.7”.

- Rockford’s record snowfall is 74.5”; so far 65.4” has fallen. Last year at this time Rockford had 33.3”.

- Madison has set its all time seasonal snowfall record; 89.8” of snow has fallen so far this season. Last year at the end of February there was 45.8” of snow on the ground. In a normal year Madison see around 39” of snow.

- Milwaukee is in one of their top 10 snowiest seasons. The record snowfall stands at 109.8 inches of snow. This season there has been 77.8 inches of snow. A typical season in Milwaukee usually gets about 42 inches of snow.

- St. Louis has seen 20.1” of snow this season, which is a little bit above normal. The normal snowfall total is 18.6”. Last year St. Louis saw just over 12” of snow at the end of February.

A season is considered as the amount of snow from July 1st through June 30th of the next year. The season is measure that way to include all of the cold and snowy days, not just those that occur in the winter months.

Posted by Wendy Van Tilburg at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Britta Merwin

It has been months since my last installment of “Why Colorado is so Great” and my most recent trip back home gave me the perfect opportunity to talk about one of my favorite subjects besides severe weather… Colorado!

If you ask someone what he or she thinks of when it comes to Colorado most would say something about snow or skiing. This season has been one of the best ski seasons in Colorado due to the massive amount of snow that has been brought in by successive Pacific storms. Most of the state is about 130% above the average snow pack with the most impressive snow depths being in the southern mountains. Ski resorts and towns have been reaping the benefits of the snow and skiers are enjoying the amazing conditions. I even hit the slopes of one of my favorite resorts, Breckenridge, in January. It is wonderful to say that the worst conditions on the mountain were a few trails that had packed powder!

A cool fact about Breckenridge is that it is the home of the highest chairlift in North America! The Imperial Express Superchair takes you to the top of Peak 8 reaching 12,840 feet above sea level. I will admit I have never been at the top of this lift as it exposes you to some of the most difficult terrain in the resort. Breckenridge along with all the other ski resorts in Colorado is enjoying one of the largest snow packs in over a decade!

The above average snowfall not only brings joy to skiers but it also brings a sense of relief to Coloradans. 80% of Colorado’s water comes from the melted snow pack and with such an impressive snowfall this season the upcoming summer looks greener already!

A great thing to do after a Colorado ski trip is to get Colorado pizza! That’s right Chicago and New York are not the only locations known for their pizza. In Colorado we love our mountain pies from Beau Jos and let me just say a picture says it all.

This pizza will satisfy any hungry skier but the best part is that dessert is included; you eat the crust last with honey!

Well a perfect trip to Colorado will make anyone want to preserve it for years to come and a great way to do that is to follow the “Go Green” movement rushing through our Nation and NBC Universal. One way Colorado is going green is by adapting a Denver tradition called Zoo Lights held at the Denver Zoo every holiday season. Under the clear and chilly winter stars visitors walk through a beautiful light display and visit some of the Zoo’s furry and not so furry friends. This year all the lights were LCD lights using less energy bringing a beautiful sight to Denver in an environmental friendly way.

Of course all these things plus more are why Colorado is so great!

Posted by Britta Merwin at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri

While the calendar as we all know it reads winter right now, there is another season that creeps up on us each year that can bring the chills to some, but mostly headaches! You probably know where I'm going with this... it's TAX SEASON! It may only last for about two months but it can set in just like winter, hard and fast.

As I was preparing my taxes recently with my accountant (luckily, my mom), we like anyone else look for deductions. As we flipped through items on the federal return, one of the deductions caught my weather eye. While it's not one that impacted my return, it could benefit many of you in the West. After our firestorm in California this past Fall, the IRS is offering relief to taxpayers. If you are in a area that was impacted by the California firestorm, you could be eligible for tax help. I'm certainly not an accountant but it looks as if this may also apply to people who have lost large amounts in other natural disasters.

Scenes like this played out all across California in 2007. Courtesy of AP.

Here is a link from the tax preparation program TURBO TAX which has links to the Federal Government and detailed info on applying for relief.

http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/wildfire-tax-tips/tax-article

Remember, this is just a heads up on a deduction I stumbled on and NOT TAX ADVICE. Good luck this season... before you know it, summer will be here and both seasons will be a fading memory.

Talk with you soon

-Jeff

Posted by Jeff Ranieri at 07:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Raphael Miranda

My Friday got off to a great start. Waking up to the sound of muffled traffic could only mean one thing….lots of snow! Looking out my window at 7am I was pleasantly surprised to see about 4 inches of snow already covering all the cars and sidewalks. I wasn’t expecting to see so much so soon, and I couldn’t have been happier. It ended up being a record snowfall day across the New York City Metropolitan area.

Here are some new records for Feb. 22:

Central Park- 6.0”
LaGuardia Airport- 6.4”
JFK- 6.9”
Newark- 6.8”

In my hometown of Jersey City we picked up 6.5 inches by the time the snow started to mix with and change to some sleet. This is what it looked like in Hamilton Park:

It was a great scene with plenty of children sledding and even the parents seemed to be joining the fun. Plenty of smiles were exchanged and everyone seemed to be enjoying Mother Nature’s winter gift. Maybe it’s just me, but everyone seems a bit happier when it snows.

I know the totals weren’t very impressive, but I certainly got my snow fix. Now I turn my attention to early next week, but this next storm looks like a warmer event with mostly rain for the big cities of the Northeast. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

Posted by Wendy Van Tilburg at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Raphael Miranda

Keep your fingers crossed New York -- another chance for snow! As we prepare for this latest winter storm, I can hardly contain my excitement. I hope to see the parking lot covered in a white blanket by the time I have to drive home. I am hopeful, but cautious.

It has been a bitter winter for snow lovers in New York City, not bitter cold, just bitter. It didn't start out that way. I had high hopes this year. A few days after Thanksgiving I decided to let go of the painful memories of winter 06-07. I chose to forget the balmy December, the great sleet storms, and the paltry snow totals. My high hopes have already been dashed. As of February 21, in Central Park we have received just under 6" of snow since October. Pitiful! In case you were wondering, I am one of the unfortunate snow lovers. The optimist in me tries to remember that it is only February and March can bring some monster storms.

I am tired of feeling jealous towards my friends in Chicago, Milwaukee, and even Boston. How I envy Milwaukee with their decadent snow totals over 75"!

Did I mention I am a snow lover? Boston, I feel your pain, a great start in December with over two feet of white bliss, but January and February have not delivered impressive amounts.

Today's storm has all the drama that gets snow lovers crazy; cold air in place, warm air dangerously close and abundant moisture. Time now to watch it unfold!

Posted by Wendy Van Tilburg at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I just wanted to say for the record... I REALLY HATE BLACK ICE!!!

Why?

Here's the story. I'm headed to work one lovely Sunday morning, driving towards the entry to the New Jersey Turnpike. And while it had rained the night before, the roads looked clear and the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon.

Unfortunately, this was the calm before the storm. About 500 feet away from the turnpike entry, I suddenly lost control of my Honda Civic. The car spun twice before it eventually hit the side of the road, knocking off my front bumper, denting my car door and breaking the right headlight. As I came to a stop, I noticed at least 5 other cars that reached the same fate. Luckily, I was able to come out of the crash without a scratch.

Ironically, about 5 minutes after crashing the car, a salt truck drives by, spraying the road with sand and salt.

When the authorities arrived, the first words out of his mouth were, "black ice?" Yep.

Just because you can't see black ice doesn't mean it's not there.

If you've never experienced black ice before let me be the first to warn you that it's not a fun experience. You literally do not see that the road is icy. And when you finally realize what's going on, it's already too late.

So here are a few black ice driving tips that will help you avoid crashing:

• As soon as your car begins to slide on black ice, take your foot off the gas pedal. In fact, the last thing you want to do is give your car more gas. It is very important to slow down when you are driving on black ice or in any other winter road conditions.
• Don't slam the brakes. While it may be a natural instinct to slam on your brakes, this will only cause your car to lose control and slide even more. Tap the brake pedal lightly instead of pushing down hard on it.
• Look for trouble spots ahead. If you have an idea that there may be black ice ahead (if you see cars ahead of you sliding, for example), downshift to a lower gear before you come onto the black ice. The lower gear will force you to drive more slowly and it will give you better control of your car.
• If your car does begin to skid on the ice, turn the wheel in the direction of the skid. This should help to steer your car back on the right track.

By the way, final damage on my car: $4,500. I REALLY hate black ice.

Posted by Keith Davis at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Samantha Davies

If you look up towards the sky on Wednesday night (February 20, 2008), you will see a total eclipse of the moon. The eclipse will be visible in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Western Asia. It will be an amazing sight! During a total eclipse, the moon will appear to change colors. It will appear to take on a bright orange color, to blood red, to dark brown, and eventually a dark gray. The eclipse will begin at 8:43 PM EST.

An eclipse of the moon only takes place when there is a full moon. As seen in the graphic below there are 2 parts of the earth’s shadow, the penumbra and the umbra. The penumbra is a zone where the earth blocks SOME of the sun’s rays, where as the umbra is a zone where the earth blocks ALL of the sun’s rays. On Wednesday night, the moon will pass through both the penumbra and the umbra that is why we will see a total eclipse.

Who will have the best sky conditions for viewing the eclipse? Clear or partly cloudy skies are in the forecast for residents in West Texas, Florida, Montana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Enjoy!

Posted by Samantha Davies at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bill Karins, Meteorologist

Today's big storm breakdown is focused on a three day weather event across the middle of the country. A mini tornado outbreak is likely along with a lot of heavy rain and flooding concerns. For a winter storm, this system will only produce a narrow region of heavy snow from Kansas City to Milwaukee on Sunday. After the storm heads into Canada, a cold shot of arctic air will rush through the Plains and Great Lakes on President's Day.

Saturday

Our storm rapidly intensifies over North Texas Saturday. We will wake up to a line of thunderstorms over West-Central Texas and this line will intensify as it moves east during the day. As expected, a moderate risk of severe weather has been issued by the storm prediction center for the potential of tornadoes and widespread wind damage over much of East Texas. The area of concern is the triangle between Dallas, San Antonio and Houston. There is still a question as to how many supercell thunderstorms will be able to form out ahead of main squall line along the cold front. The storms along the cold front will produce hail and wind damage but not many tornadoes. It's any supercells that form out ahead of the cold front Saturday afternoon and evening that will have the greatest potential of producing a strong tornado. The tornado threat will slowly diminish overnight as the storms head for Louisiana. Another weather problem on Saturday will be icy weather in North Texas and Western Oklahoma. A light coating of freezing rain and snow will make roads very slick. We also have to watch for isolated flash flooding but I'm not expecting it to be too bad over Northeast Texas and Eastern Oklahoma.

Sunday

Our big storm will be just that on Sunday. It will gain considerable strength as it heads into the Great Lakes region and turn into a big wind machine. Severe weather is expected to head through the Southeast with a strong line of storms along the cold front. The concern will be wind damage along the squall line. Isolated tornadoes will also be possible but an outbreak is not expected. Most of the weather problems on Sunday will be found in and around Chicago. Heavy rain will fall south and east of Chicago, while heavy snow will fall Northwest of the city. Of course this also leaves Chicago in a wintry mess of freezing rain, sleet and snow. The heavy snow will fall in a narrow band from Northern Missouri up through Eastern Iowa, Western Illinois and through Southern Wisconsin. This area has been hit repeatedly by heavy snow this winter and once again they will see 6-12". Earlier this week Madison, WI broke their all-time single season snowfall record with 80.2" inches. They will add another 6" at least with this storm. Milwaukee should also get another 6". Chicago will be most likely see a messy 3" of snow and sleet but it won't be pretty. After just reading the Chicago hydrology discussion, I need to bring up the possibility of significant river flooding. Many rivers are already at flood stage and are expected to rise further after this storm passes.

Monday

At this point our Big Storm will be a full blown mature cyclone heading into Canada. Heavy rain out ahead of the cold front will sweep east off the Southeast coast in the morning. The weather headline on President's Day will be found in the Great Lakes and Northern Plains where arctic air will blast in on gusty northwest winds. Snow squalls will fly off the lakes with wind chills easily into the negative numbers. It will not be a fun morning of shoveling in Wisconsin and Illinois.

Check back for updates over the next two days. I will fine tune as the storm approaches. -BK

Posted by Wendy Van Tilburg at 04:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Assignment Producer Dell Alann

Whether you’re single or with someone special this Hallmark holiday you know it is VALENTINE’S DAY. A lot of people either dread the day because you’ll have to spend money or you curse Cupid because he’s been sleeping on the job. Or, you’re bubbling over thinking about being with your loved one on the big night. Regardless, there’s a bright side to it all.

See, Valentine’s Day comes every year in the dead of winter. So what’s so wonderful about the day of romance falling sometime between autumn and almost five weeks shy of spring? It’s boils down to temperature. Ok, see if this puts you in the mood.

First, a little refresher in science. The average body temperature is 98.3F degrees or 38.6C. Now lets say you live in Loveland, Colorado today. There’s a 100 percent chance of snow blowing around in seven different directions. The high won’t get over 30. Factor in the wind chill and it’s just going to be brutal. If you’re with someone… after the dinner and present exchange is over… this kind of weather is perfect for cuddling!

On the flip side, if there’s no special someone in your life, be thankful the weather isn’t great. You can stay in out of the cold and watch Lipstick Jungle on NBC or re-runs of Sex in the City. Just watch and get a warm, fuzzy feeling when you see three fabulous women struggle with love. Turn a cold shoulder to sadness!

The novel gods must be proud of all the reading I’ve been doing because I was graced with Candace Bushnell’s presence at work today. See, I took a picture:

Now, Loving, New Mexico will be 76 today with sunshine. You’ve got to embrace that in the middle of February. With conditions like that, you can take your sweetheart to lunch and sit outside basking in comfort. You can propose in the city park if you so choose without shivering from the chill... and if you’re sweating, don’t blame the heat for your nervousness.

To my single club members don’t be angry or grumpy. Take solace in knowing the person one cubical over from you who got that arrangement of red roses and ivy has to go straight to dinner after work. The flowers are going to wither in the warm car. While the flowers are fading, you can take advantage of the mild day by taking a jog, or roller blade to another single friend’s place and let them know how much you appreciate them. I would bet you wouldn’t want to do that if Valentine’s Day hit in the middle of July in south central New Mexico. It’d be too hot to think about anything other than loving the fact you have air condition.

So let’s recap:

• Cold weather encourages couples to cuddle more, kiss lots and have good times.


• Cold weather allows singles to watch more NBC TV or enjoy the misery of others, or embrace the power of independence!


• Mild weather encourages couples to go outside and enjoy nature and one another.


• Mild weather encourages singles to love yourself and spread some cheer with a close pal.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Posted by Dell Alann at 02:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Samantha Davies
The Pacific Northwest has been seeing their fair share of wet weather this season. An active jet stream over the area and continues to funnel in storm after storm. The region has seen days of wet and windy weather, and the higher elevations have some of the highest snowfall totals the region has seen in over a decade. The forecast for today is a bright one! Expect partly to mostly sunny skies for cities such as Seattle, Portland, and Medford. Winds will be light and temperatures will be in the upper 40s and low 50s.

The southeast will also see pleasant weather. Earlier this week the region saw periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms. Today, high pressure has built in and cleared skies. Expect plenty of sun for cities such as Atlanta, Jacksonville, Charlotte, and Birmingham. Temperatures will be seasonable with highs in the 50s.

Residents in the Ohio Valley will see no weather problems today. The weather will be calm and mostly sunny. Louisville, Indianapolis, Columbus, and Cincinnati will see a few passing clouds with highs in the 30s and 40s.

CITIES: Valentine, NE | Romance, AR

The weather may not be so loveable in the Northeast. Behind a strong weather system cold air is in place along with gusty winds. The winds are also creating unpleasant conditions in the Southwest and California. The Santa Ana winds have returned with gusts up to 50 mph. In Texas and New Mexico red flag warnings remain in effect, fire danger remains a threat. The Upper Midwest will see another blast of bitterly cold air and snow.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted by Samantha Davies at 09:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Samantha Davies

Gusty winds can be expected for the Southwest, and the West coast. Wednesday and Thursday is when the winds will be the strongest, with gusts up to 60 mph.

In Texas and Oklahoma: Southwest winds will increase as an area of Low pressure develops over Eastern Colorado and Eastern New Mexico. Winds will generally be around 20-30 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph. This region also has very dry conditions; the relative humidity is expected to be below 15%. The combination of gusty winds and low humidity levels will create dangerous fire spread conditions. Red Flag warnings are also in effect for this region.

In Western Arizona, Nevada, and California: Following a strong cold front, strong Northerly winds will be present. The strongest winds will be seen in the North/ South orientated valleys. As an area of high pressure builds in, the winds will become more northeasterly tonight. Winds will be around 40 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph. Winds this strong will create hazardous driving conditions, areas of blowing dust, and reduced visibility.

The graphic below shows the wind advisories in light blue. Cities included are, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Sacramento. They are also present in parts of the southeast for cities such as Atlanta, and Jacksonville. The areas highlighted in pink are those at greatest risk of fire danger. Cities at risk include Lubbock, Midland and Wichita Falls.

Posted by Samantha Davies at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri

While the weekend can be filled with chores, it's always nice when you get a chance to just relax.... I was home on Sunday afternoon and getting ready to head over to a friends place for the evening, in the process of heading from by bedroom to the living room a snow squall blew through NYC. It was gorgeous from the warm and picturesque view in my apartment, as people on the streets were enjoying the fluffy flakes. I opened the window and it was like a scene from a movie, dozens of people on my street were also watching from the window or poking out to get a first hand experience. While it may not seem like a big deal to get snow in the Northeast, we have had little to none this year near the coastline. It was Quick and powerful with wind driving the flakes and suspending them in the air in almost a symphony of swirls. It didn't take long and the meteorologist in me took over, I reached for the camera and snapped a few pics.

While I was enjoying the snow along with my neighbors, others were dealing with instantly dangerous conditions. The snow squall reduced visibility in just minutes to a .25 mile and less as the snow lasted for about 20-25 minutes. While not much stuck to the ground it was enough to create a mini "snow storm". It's a good reminder that when you add wind to snow it can create blinding conditions. In fact, when some blizzard warnings are issued only inches of snow may be expected, it's the wind that can many times ramp the storm into a blizzard.

The good news... Since the snow didn't last long I must say it gave me some weather satisfaction of NYC snow without the hassle of shoveling!

Ok, back to work I go! I almost lost myself in that relaxing time warp blog - Jeff

Posted by Wendy Van Tilburg at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Todd Santos

It is early February and as World Cup skier Bodie Miller drives the front of the pack in the FIS standings I am looking to his ability to achieve such results following multiple knee injuries along previous seasons for a bit of encouragement. While my own season on the snow has been cut a bit short the good news is that I am back to walking the legendary dog Zelda and am generally up to business as usual.

Those who have grown accustomed to my barely contained excitement while forecasting snowfall can rest assured that I am still looking forward to a strong finish to the winter season. For those of you who cringe at the thought of a snowstorm and what it means for your commute...might I suggest a move to Key West, Florida.

Okay so a move may be a bit extreme, though either way we have you covered with the foresight to be solidly prepared for whatever mother nature has in store.

It is great to be back...

Posted by at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Samantha Davies

Tuesday brought one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks with in the past 10 years. As of Wednesday morning the death toll stands at 44 and could go even higher. On Tuesday over 50 tornadoes were reported in 7 states. Residents in parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, and Indiana woke up to widespread damage and destruction.

This morning on Weather Plus we looked at some of the damage and talked to some of the reporters on the scene. We went live this morning from Union University in Jackson, TN where several students were taken to the hospital after their dormitories were destroyed. We’ll have more updates similar to that throughout the day. Be sure to watch!

Round two of severe is expected today. From the Delmarva Peninsula to the Gulf coast is where the risk is the highest. Residents in the east can expect damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph, large hail, and tornadoes. The set-up is the same as yesterday; it’s the clash of the 2 air masses. Ahead of a strong cold front is “spring like air”. Parts of the Northeast will see highs in the 60’s, with 70’s expected in the Carolinas. There is also a plume of moisture surging northward from the Gulf of Mexico, which will help fuel strong storms. Behind the front is much cooler and drier air. Chicago’s high today will be near 30 degrees. The biggest threats today are the potential for hail, damaging wind gusts, and tornadoes.

In some of these strong storms heavy rain is likely. Flood watches are in place for the Northeast and Ohio Valley. The heavy rain in a short amount of time will cause water to pond up on roadways. Use extra caution on the highways if you must travel.

The weather will be much calmer on Thursday. That nasty cold front will have passed and skies will clear.

Posted by Jeff Ranieri at 03:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri

It will be a night that remains imbedded in my world of weather forever and remain in the hearts of family members for a lifetime. The WeatherPlus.com.com team tracked the deadly tornados from the early afternoon Tuesday right into Wednesday morning with no let up from mother nature. All of the ingredients needed for an outbreak were in place with warm moist air from the South, and incredible uplift and twisting in the atmosphere.

Even with plenty of advance warning of the event, dozens still remain dead as fast and furious thunderstorm cells spawned at least 50 tornados. The largest and deadliest impact came as the front produced long lived storm cells, called "supercells". These of course can be very dangerous as one individual storm cell can travel in excess of 50 mph and spawn dozens of tornados. Click this link to see a "supercell" from a storm I tracked in the Southeast last year. Notice the round shape and steadfast determination of the cell as it speeds forward.



Even with advance warning a storm cell can creep up in no time and put you in danger within moments. As I was covering the storms over the past 24 hours it also brought me back to a time almost one year ago when my family was in danger from supercell tornados in Florida. Febuary 2, 2007...

RELATED: What A Morning

Covering events like this always brings back mental images of storms I have covered in the field. As great as television is for telling the story, it only imparts a slice of the of the true heartache and despair that a storm outbreak like this produces. This will take months and even longer for some to recover. The saddest part of events like this, is while some were seeking the safest shelter last night, the storms remained to intense.

Posted by Jeff Ranieri at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri

*** SUPER TUESDAY UPDATE from the desk of Jeff Ranieri ***

While it was raining a bit this morning in the Northeast it didn't keep people from the polls at my election spot in NYC. I spoke with a few volunteers keeping things in order and they mentioned the turnout by 9am, was busier than they could remember from previous Super Tuesday's of past. The weather still may play more of a part today than candidates would like. Intense storms could develop and may be so severe that some may not be able to venture out and cast a vote... More on this below.

First, I definitely geeked out in an all American way this morning and took a few pictures! Here is some of the busy scene from this morning and me right after the vote.

Meanwhile, if you are planning to vote this afternoon you should use extreme caution from Tennessee to Northern Louisiana. Severe weather is expected to outbreak this afternoon with the potential for large tracked tornados, gusty winds & hail. More in our severe weather outlook @ :09 and :39 after the hour available on the national stream video section.

Talk with you soon - Jeff

Posted by Jeff Ranieri at 01:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri

Forecasting is no stranger to the political races, between predicting the winners and forecasting the weather there is plenty of educated guessers on the scene. Already this year we have forecasted storms that have delayed and even cancelled events. Will the weather stop even the most loyal citizens from taking a stand on Super Tuesday?

RELATED: Super Tuesday Forercast

Here are a few thoughts from my day at MSNBC as the network becomes all politics during election time:

After doing a weather hit on the network the political pundits actually weighed in about the forecast that I mentioned for Super Tuesday. It seems that some believe the rainy weather in the East for Tuesday could actually play a critical part in voter turnout for the Democrats. With Clinton and Obama running nearly neck & neck, every little thing seems to matter more and more to each campaign. According to MSNBC Political analyst Chuck Todd, the rain could actually keep the older Hillary base from venturing out in the slick conditions. Conversely, with the Obama camp, the rain may not slow a more eager and younger crowd from casting a vote.

I think what will be really interesting to do in the coming days is to compare the percentage of voters in the older demographics that turn out in sunny California vs. a rainy New York. How much will the weather make an impact on the older voter base in the East this time around? Will it matter in a election year that is facing so many firsts from race to gender? As we have learned already in the past two months, if weather is around it usually plays some part in the process. Remember the Iowa snow and ice or the South Carolina snow?

Candidates are probably glad for the latest warm punch of air. Can you imagine the paralyzing mess that snow could cause on the roadways? While Mother Nature is not giving us a total break, it could be a lot worse this time of year.

Will weather stop you from heading to the polls?

Posted by Jeff Ranieri at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meteorologist Samantha Davies

Periods of heavy snow and gusty winds can be expected in the 4 corners region (NM, AZ, CO, and UT). A pacific low will spread snow across the region, and at times the snow will be heavy. Winter Storm Warnings are in place for places such as Flagstaff, Tucson, Aspen, and Santa Fe. 6-10” of snow can be expected over 5,000 feet, over 9,000 feet as much as 3 feet of new snow is possible. Here are some of the snowfall totals as of Monday morning:

6.0” …. Cueva, NM

23.0” …. Chamba, NM

2.0” …. Santa Fe, NM

8-14” …. Flagstaff, AZ

14” …. Fort Valley, AZ

12” …..Grand Canyon North Rim

Not only will this region see heavy snow, winds will also be gusty. Wind advisories are in place for New Mexico. Winds will be southwesterly around 25-35 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph. These winds will create times of blowing and drifting snow in the higher elevations. Visibility will be reduced creating unsafe travel conditions. Here are some of the top wind gusts as of Monday morning:

Fort Stanton, NM… 69 mph

Las Vegas, NM… 61 mph

Posted by Samantha Davies at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)