February 8-9 Snow

Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day.  The roads had finally dried, yet snow was still prevalent on the yards and fields (except for a neighbor's yard, where nearly all their snow was used up in constructing a 10' snow monster!)  Clouds began to drift in from the west by evening, and overnight, light snow developed in our area and across Missouri.

The air temperature is 6° colder than during Friday's snow.  This has completely changed the structure of the snow that's falling, along with the snow-water ratio (which was 6.3 : 1) .  Today's snow is a very light, disc-like flake that acts like a million reflectors on the ground.

:: Feb. 8, 6:00 a.m. ::

New snow:  0.7"

SWE:  0.07"

Water Ratio:  10 : 1 

Storm Total:  0.7"

Total Snow:  2.5"

 

(new snow)

(total snow)

What a beautiful day it has been!  After this morning's observation, we got the call from school that we'd be staying home.  I headed into town to get a cup of coffee and enter the first part of today's entry.  On my way back home, I was treated with some sun dogs.  I typically see these on the other part of the sky, at evening (although, I usually drive to work before the sun comes up, too).  I just happened to have my camera with me:

 

The sun came out shortly after this picture was taken (roughly 7:30 a.m.), and we had partly sunny skies for a moment or two.  The snow didn't pick up again until around noon (giving us the chance to head to Columbia and hit Bass Pro *score!*).  Our temperatures hovered just above freezing for the majority of the day, so any snow that fell melted as soon as it hit the ground.  I feel that this greatly impacted our storm total amount.  It has been snowing at a steady rate since noon, and it is still snowing.

However...the accumulation didn't begin until late evening, when the temperature dropped below freezing once again.  Hence the long break between observations.  

:: Feb 8, 9:30 p.m. ::

New Snow:  1.2" (since 6 am observation)*

Storm Total:  1.9"

Total Snow:  3.9"

Observation:  The wind has just now picked up, as it has been calm all day.  It is gaining strength out of the WNW.  Light/Moderate snow is falling.

(new snow)

 

(total snow)

* - Much snow fell today that didn't accumulate.

Monster Snowman!

 

At least 10' tall

Final report tomorrow morning.  Measurement will be difficult as the strong NW winds will blow most of what falls tonight.  

:: Feb 9, 6:00 a.m. ::

The snow continued overnight until around 2 a.m. and the temperatures plummeted quickly!  When I went to bed, they were just beginning to drop, at 30°.  This morning, it is 4° with wind chills down to -6°.

Storm Totals

New Snow:  0.2"

Storm Total:  2.1"

Total Snow:  4.1"