Stephenph

GM Nostr!!! The temps are finally starting to get above freezing allowing the ice to soften enough to dig out. I was actually able to get to the store yesterday after 8 days locked into my house. Still took some tractor work, but have a path from my house to the truck and even a bit of space to turn around We are coming up on 24 hours of above freezing, even including a bit of rain to help. Yay!!

Below is an AI analysis of the storm temps from my backyard weather sensor in Rhoadesville VA. The sensor is next to the house and is on the east wall so might be influenced slightly warmer by 1 or 2 degrees particularly around 7-8 am Overall Statistics (Jan 23–26) Minimum Temperature: 11.1°F (Jan 24, 7:03:20 AM) – This was likely the coldest point during the storm's onset. Maximum Temperature: 50.5°F (Jan 23, 2:00:12 PM) – Pre-storm warmth. Average Temperature: 24.3°F across ~65 readings. Median Temperature: 21.1°F. Temperature Range: 39.4°F (from min to max). Standard Deviation: 9.8°F – Indicates significant variability due to the storm's progression. Trends and Analysis The data captures the full arc of the weekend winter storm in central Virginia, which reports describe as one of the largest in years, bringing heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain starting Saturday evening (Jan 24) and continuing through Sunday (Jan 25).819111469a5dc9fa42 Pre-Storm (Jan 23 Afternoon–Evening): Temperatures started mild in the upper 40s–50s°F, typical for a January day in Virginia.124165 They dropped rapidly overnight (~2–3°F per hour) as cold air advection ahead of the storm arrived, reaching the mid-20s°F by midnight. Storm Onset and Peak Cold (Jan 24): A sharp plunge continued into early morning, hitting the dataset's low of 11.1°F around dawn – consistent with Arctic air behind the front.8f6500 Daytime saw a brief rebound to 26.2°F mid-afternoon, possibly during lighter precipitation, before cooling again to teens°F overnight. This aligns with reports of the storm transitioning to sleet and heavy ice accumulation overnight.28612f Storm Core and Recovery (Jan 25): Overnight lows dipped to 16.4°F (matching your earlier "worst" phase focus), with gradual warming through the day to 26.8°F by evening. The stable mid-20s°F overnight into Jan 26 suggests lingering cold but tapering precipitation. Overall, temperatures dropped ~40°F from Jan 23 highs to Jan 24 lows over ~17 hours, a hallmark of this storm's intensity.84e3e7 No major anomalies in your sensor data; readings are consistent and align with regional forecasts (e.g., lows in the teens°F, highs in the 20s°F).400e06 Snow Accumulation Context Your measurement of approximately 5 inches of dry, granular snow with a 1-inch crust is spot-on for Rhoadesville's location in central VA. Reports indicate 4–6 inches commonly, with some spots up to 10–14 inches from sleet/freezing rain adding density and crust.efd59f07c3967c110a The "crust" likely formed from freezing rain glazing over the snow, creating hazardous icy layers – a key warning in this event.6dced7457cac Nearby areas like Richmond saw 12–16 inches, so your 5 inches suggests lighter totals locally, perhaps due to elevation or storm track variations.

Attached is a graph for the temps I saw here in central VA (Rhoadesville). Looks like the low was 11.1f on the 24th @ 7:03 while the high was 26.8 on the 25th @ 9:01 The temp was mainly hovering around 16-19f late Saturday and Sunday Currently on the ground is about 5 inches of hard icy/dry snow with a crust about an inch thick (just enough to almost walk on without breaking through)