Public Safety - Shrewsbury Emergency Management Agency

April 9, 2008 NEWS RELEASE

FLOOD TASK FORCE OFFERS TIPS TO TAKE BEFORE THE FLOOD
Remaining Snowpack and Warmer Spring Temperatures Pose Flood Danger

Flood Task Force News Release

From left: Art Cleaves, Director, FEMA Region I; Robert Thompson, Meteorologist in Charge, NWS Taunton, MA; James Arnold, Shrewsbury Deputy EMA Director: Michael Filiere, Shrewsbury EMA Director; NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist Glenn Field; NWS Forecaster Hayden Frank; John I. Lebeaux, Chairman of Board of Selectmen; Thomas A. Fiore, Vice Chairman of Board of Selectmen; Peter Judge, Public Information Officer, MEMA; Maurice M. DePalo, Selectman.

Winter weather preparedness, part one of five, from the National Weather Service office in Taunton, Massachusetts

This is part one of a five part daily issuance of winter weather preparedness information for the forecast area covered by the Taunton NWS office.

Parts two through five will be distributed daily at about this time through the remainder of this week. If you have any questions please contact Glenn Field at 508-823-1900.

As this 2006-07 cool season develops, a weak to moderate El Nino winter is underway for the United States as determined by tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures. The impact of this particular jet stream pattern favors warmer than normal temperatures across the northern tier of the United States, including New England. The storm track should lie across the southern United States.

These patterns however are modulated by other factors, some as yet probably unknown. The most confident relationship between El Nino and winter impacts is found in parts of the western United States.

For our area this leaves the door open to other influences including the jet stream pattern across the North Atlantic.

In essence, even if we were to have a "warmer than normal" winter, "warmer than normal" does not necessarily mean less snowfall.

It only takes one huge storm to make a memorable experience and
contribute greatly to our seasonal norms.

For blockbuster snowstorms, many of us probably remember the 21.9 inches of fluffy snow that fell just before Valentines day of this year, an all time record storm total of 21.9 inches for February 12 2006.

At Worcester... a recent 2 foot snowstorm was the January 23-24 2005 event where the 24.1 inches was the fifth largest on record.

That storm delivered blizzard conditions to parts of the southeast New England coast. Boston recorded its fifth heaviest snowfall on record, 22.5 inches and Providence its second heaviest 23.4 inches.

Details of what to do when a huge snowstorm is predicted can be found in the NWS brochure website:

Summarizing: Plan ahead to mitigate the adverse impact of a huge storm by altering your plans and checking your winter weather preparedness kit. Be careful of overexerting in snow removal.

Winter weather preparedness, part two of five, from the National Weather Service office in Taunton, Massachusetts

Warning and preparedness activities are part of the national weather service mission.

As part of our winter weather preparedness activities the following discussion highlights the numerous methods of self informing to assist in your mitigating the potential adverse impact of nasty winter weather.

The forecast office process begins in a broad fashion 7 days in advance and proceeds with more detail and generally increased confidence as we move toward the first day of the forecast.

There are a number of national weather service products that you can use to gain a greater perspective regarding our expectations.

1) The hazardous weather outlook /hwo/ is a plain language summary of expected headline hazards...At times with probabilistic spread to allow for other solutions in the developing event. www.Erh.Noaa.Gov/box/productdisplay.Php?Product=boshwobox

2) The area forecast discussion /afd/ is a detailed meteorological discussion that may contain terms not necessarily familiar to the non-meteorologist. It serves as a vehicle of communication regarding scientific basis of our forecast. www.Erh.Noaa.Gov/box/products/bosafdbox

These and all our alphanumeric products post to our homepage on the web and in some cases to our noaa weather radio within 1 minute or two of release. Our website link is www.Weather.Gov/boston

3) When you call up any NWS homepage...The posted map can be used to obtain a point specific forecast within 5 km of your clicked location. This information is formatted from the gridded forecast database that local forecasters develop in collaboration with national centers and adjacent offices. The day 4 through 7 portions is generally updated once or twice per day... Certainly at 4 pm and sometimes at 4 am.

Some viewers may appreciate seeing all weather elements including /temperature/humidity/probability of precipitation/snowfall in an hourly weather graph or tabular format...All easily available from the point and click menu of our map.

If after reviewing NWS products and checking your other resources... You still have questions...Then we invite you to call us at 508-828-2672. We are staffed for your phone service from 8 am to 5 pm...7 Days per week 365 days per year.

Winter weather preparedness, part three of five, from the National Weather Service office in Taunton, Massachusetts

Automobile accidents are the leading cause of deaths and injuries during and after winter storms. While snow and ice contribute to slippery conditions, vehicle speed is a major factor in determining the likelihood of a death or serious injury from an automobile or truck accident. Under certain conditions, untreated surfaces can become extremely slippery from an inch or less of snow or just from freezing drizzle.

Black ice can interrupt normal dry surface travel and cause an accident. Black ice is unexpectedly iced over asphalt pavement found under clear sky nighttime conditions. It can be caused by daytime meltwater from roadside snow banks freezing after sunset or from frost developing on road surfaces as high relative humidity condenses on the below freezing surfaces. Since both of these conditions are not falling precipitation motorists may not be alert to the conditions. When the NWS becomes aware of a developing black ice situation statements are also issued.

Wind combined with ice or wet snow laden tree limbs can cause power outages and in some cases injury or property damage. If your car is not garaged and wind warnings are issued, it may of value to park your car where tree limbs cannot blow onto your vehicle.

A climatology review of non thunderstorm high wind events in southern New England shows the majority occur during the cool season from November through March. Our study found the primary damaging wind directions to be westerly and southerly. A secondary maximum is associated with northeast wind.

Southerly to westerly damaging winds can occur anywhere in southern New England. Nor'easter associated damaging wind tends to occur from Hartford to northern Rhode Island and then in much of the Massachusetts and southeast Rhode Island coastal plain.

Winter weather preparedness, part four of five, from the National Weather Service office in Taunton, Massachusetts

Cold conditions can cause a variety of difficulties including frostbite and hypothermia.

The last time temperatures dropped to 5 below zero or colder in Providence and Boston was January 2004...while the higher elevation location of Worcester and the countryside location of Windsor Locks have more frequent exposures to 5 below zero weather...most recently in January, 2005.

Frostbite is a condition in which the body tissue actually freezes. The most susceptible areas for frostbite include the fingers, toes, the nose and ear lobes.

Hypothermia develops when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. Warning signs start with shivering and then proceed to include memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. At this point immediate attention is necessary which includes warming the person properly.

Temperatures do not have to be below freezing for hypothermia to develop. It can develop in elderly people in a cool room with few, if any warning signs.

In a hypothermic person, cold blood is concentrated in the extremities. If these extremities are warmed too quickly the cold blood will be released into body's central core, possibly lowering the central core temperature to a fatal level. Use the following steps to raise the core temperature of a hypothermic person.

Winter weather preparedness, part five of five, from the National Weather Service office in Taunton, Massachusetts

Coastal flooding occurs if powerful nor�easters generate 20 foot or higher seas riding atop a higher than normal astronomical tide. The risk for this is primarily along the Massachusetts East Coast, but occasionally can occur with southerly gales along the South Coast and the rivers that empty into the south coastal waters.

Sometimes excessive snow depth can be reduced quickly by rapid melting during a substantial warmup. If heavy rainfall combines with the thawing snow and still frozen ground, the result can be widespread flooding of low lying areas.

Usually the NWS will have plenty of lead time on watches and warnings, although ice jams can develop suddenly with much less informative lead time for the affected communities.

In all instances, watches/warnings notwithstanding, you should follow the advice of local emergency management or law enforcement officials.

Before the winter begins in earnest, be sure that your vehicle is ready for winter conditions.

Check the antifreeze and battery to make sure they can withstand the cold, especially if you travel to the colder climate of the northern border states. Check your tires to be sure that you will have adequate traction.

The majority of winter weather snow and ice related fatalities are men over the age of 40 and about 70 percent of fatalities occur in automobiles.

75 percent of hypothermia related fatalities are men, with half of hypothermia related fatalities in people over 60 years of age and 20 percent inside the home.

Let�s not be a winter weather related statistic. Plan ahead, use multiple resources to assist in your planning, including your 24 by 7 ever-vigilant National Weather Service, at your service!

This is the last of these. Thank you very much for all your help. Our Emergency Management community is very appreciative.

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