That could be a term used to describe most of Canada right now including our fair little town. Or it could also be used to describe the mass of cloud, wind, and rain/snow mustering in the Pacific. Check out the North Pacific pressure/satellite image below and you’ll see what I mean.

Even though EC is saying we’ll only get 5cm of snow tonight and 5 tomorrow morning plus 25mm of rain tomorrow afternoon, I’m going to put my money on the cold air sticking a little closer to home, giving us another relatively big dump.

Shovels READY!

I would highly recommend if you haven’t already to get out sometime today and shovel your walk, try to clear any buildup on your eavestroughs, and if you have a storm drain near you, clear that too… it’ll make a huge difference if we get a big downpour of rain.

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12 thoughts on “Great White Blob

  1. Ya My snow blower is just waiting for this next event~~ LOOKS Huge !! Bring it on and Enjoy Happy Shovelin
    We are good for 30 cm ~~~

  2. hey didnt know about this site until i saw you on chan..4..good to know be visiting often

  3. How weird this weather is this morning/afternoon. I see the smoke/steam flumes from the mill indicating a South wind, but your station as well as mine show a North wind. Its like its twirling around in a circle in the valley. And then out at the airport, it shows East, which is completely opposite of the trend here in town.

  4. Well, I played with WxSim a bit, but unless your a rocket scientist, its nothing but baffling.

    If one knows what they are doing, I’m sure its a powerful program.

  5. wind and rain I DON”T think so
    more lkie more snow and more snow” and more snow said with me people let snow let snow” ok iam over it”

  6. you sure called this one Chris. I am starting (starting?!?) to get the feeling that EnvCan’s forecast models just don’t work in Port Alberni…. 🙁

  7. Does anyone think the kids are going back to school tomorrow? I have no idea if I should chance the roads in the morning. How come the weather network on t.v. is different from the weather network on the computer? Weird eh.

  8. Just wandering Chris if your prediction is for more snow tonight?? You seem to be the only accurate weather man, and have heard that maybe there is a chance?? Need to get out of town tomorrow..cheers!

  9. Kat:

    I think ECs forecast models are fine… what EC lacks is LOCAL interpretation and forecasting.

    There was a time when Port Alberni and many other small cities/communities had their own EC person in town.

    The ability to gather timely, on-the-ground information is key to proper forecasting because computer models and satellite images can only provide you so much.

    Combine that timely information with local knowledge of weather history and local features and you get a much better ability to warn people, or at least adjust.

    I also think the warning limits they’ve set for Inland VI are too low. They are out of date. People really do get bent out of shape over 5-10cm of snow here just as much as they do in Nanaimo, so I don’t know why, from a safety perspective, EC does not make the criteria the same in our region.

    Shan: I’m certainly not any more accurate… but this time I was less wrong than EC. 🙂 Weather forecasting is a science, an art, and a crap shoot. The proportions of which depend on whether you’re right or wrong in the publics’ eyes.

    Don’t beat up on the EC folks too much, they have an incredibly hard job that millions depend on for survival, business, etc. and in the end they are by no means in control of what happens, so really, it’s a losing situation. 🙂

    Tonight looks like it will be pretty quiet. Probably some flurries or drizzle, but nothing like yesterday.

  10. Chris,

    I chuckled when you said that people panic over 5cm of snow. IF you think about it, that really isn’t all that much. Now if that were 50cm of snow in one short dumping, then yes, a panic attack might be warranted. But for 5cm, I don’t think so.

    As for the latest snow dump, we’re just watching the last bits of slush slowly melt away now.

    Cheers!

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