Only a hopeless weather fanatic who did not have to travel Christmas Day could appreciate the immensity of the winter system that gripped the lower 48 states.
It was truly a monster, as this NASA GOES satellite image illustrates. As Houston-based meteorologist Larry Cosgrove described it, the system "brought every conceivable type of inclement weather to multiple regions of the country and in Canada. The stretch of blizzard conditions alone ranges from Texas to the south and Ontario on the north, with every one of the lower 48 states influenced by the gyre!"
As the big system drifted eastwards, still much of the country is caught in its enormous reach. Snow and wind continued over the northern tier of the country from the HIgh Plains to the Great Lakes, and heavy rains and thunderstorms threatened the the big population centers around New York City and Philadelphia. Icy conditions pose risks to travelers across the Northeast and lake-effect snows are expected from MInnesota to western New York.
This more current water-vapor image, courtesy of NOAA, captures the deep ridging and the moisture flows of the system as it drifted eastward this weekend.
Tags: Meteorology, Winter
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