December 22, 2004 Ice/Snow Event West TN

[Curt]

More video from my cousin from the White Christmas we had in 2004. This was a memorable event in which rain changed to freezing rain as an artic cold front moved in much earlier than had been expected (its tough to hold down those shallow air masses sliding down through the MS Delta!). Another low pressure in TX moved through with unbelievable amounts of sleet in the Memphis area, and equally impressive amounts of snow just to our north in the lower OH Valley (ie Paducah, Evansville). This ice stayed on the ground for almost a week, followed by temps in the 70's and a winter that produced zilch afterwards. However, it made for a memorable holiday period and will go down as one of my favorite Christmas seasons. (Hopefully the audio swap is loaded now!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOfGeVw8hWI

[tennessee storm09]

many memories of that storm. jackson got pounded with 5 and a half inches of sleet.. also i had my bad wreck in that storm also. just to our north in paducah. my grandmother got over a foot of snow.

[StormNine]

  I wish I had the idea of taking pictures of this storm.  This was a wonderful Winter Storm for West KY, West TN, and even NW Mid TN. 

Up to 24 inches of snow was reported in Henderson KY.  And Paducah set all time 24 hour snow records.  I got 3-4 inches of snow and 2 inches of sleet down in Hopkinsville from this system.   There was icing issues as well into Mid TN I believe as well.

[Extremewxlover]

HOW DOES SLEET ACCUMULATE?
WHAT ARE SLEET TO RAIN RATIOS?
WHAT ABOUT FREEZING RAIN TO RAIN RATIOS

[Thundersnow]

HOW DOES SLEET ACCUMULATE?

If the surface is cold enough, it just stays right where it hits, and each pellet falls on top of each other, pellet and by pellet, until it accumulates.  

WHAT ARE SLEET TO RAIN RATIOS?

Good question... I'm not sure if there's a standard answer to that or not.  I would get it would be something less than the standard 10:1 ratio for snow.  Maybe 5:1 or less?  Perhaps, someone else has an answer.

WHAT ABOUT FREEZING RAIN TO RAIN RATIOS

1:1, pretty much.  Rain falls and freezes on contact, and it builds up.  It isn't "puffed up" like snow and sleet accumulations would be.

[bugalou]

HOW DOES SLEET ACCUMULATE?
WHAT ARE SLEET TO RAIN RATIOS?
WHAT ABOUT FREEZING RAIN TO RAIN RATIOS

Sleet ratios are very small.  1:2 - 1:3 AFAIK.

[Kevin]

Nice video Curt. Dec 22, 2004 is actually one the few events I did some taping for off the local newscasts...so some of those images looked familiar! I've got some local coverage of a few winter weather and severe weather events on tape...though they're all pretty recent events so it wouldn't be as much of going into the time machine as some of yours! One of these days I may convert them over...who knows...

[Curt]

Nice video Curt. Dec 22, 2004 is actually one the few events I did some taping for off the local newscasts...so some of those images looked familiar! I've got some local coverage of a few winter weather and severe weather events on tape...though they're all pretty recent events so it wouldn't be as much of going into the time machine as some of yours! One of these days I may convert them over...who knows...

C'mon man do it, you can be a loser like me.

[Mathman]

.

1:1, pretty much.  Rain falls and freezes on contact, and it builds up.  It isn't "puffed up" like snow and sleet accumulations would be.

I don't think that is quite true... water expands considerably when it freezes.  (Hence the grim fate of my last raingauge)

I suspect the ratio is more than 1:1 but less than 1:2.