| Weather pictures & report of January 14-15 2013 |
| Snow related to an occlusion |
| Synopsis: at 500 hPa a sharpening trough / cold pool near the Benelux area moving E-SE-wards. Related surface depression moved slowly SE-wards via SW Belgium from the evening of January 14 onwards, with wrapped around occlusion moving up to mid Holland. Its wintry precipitation belt affected our area during a period of 24 hours, but only the first hours were in most places of significance leading an accumulation of 5-10 cm. Pictures taken at Kampenhout. Hours in local time (CET). It was the start of a two week cold wave with five days later again some snow: see weather report of January 20 2013. |
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Surface analysis of January 15 2013 at 0100 CET. Low over the Channel
occluded front moving ESE-wards. (Source chart: Belgocontrol)
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Loop of 15 surface analyses of each hour of January 14-15 2013 from
1900 CET onwards with the weather plots showing the slow movement of the
depression with snow falling with negative temperatures over the Low
Countries, except at the end of the period along the coast. (Source:
meteocentre.com)
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Upper air analysis 500 hPa of January 15 2013 at 0100 CET. A large cold
pool covering the North Sea and Low Countries which moved E-wards.
(Source chart: DWD via wetter3)
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Upper air analysis 850 hPa of January 15 2013 at 0100 CET. Depression
recognizable over the Channel which moved slowly E-wards. Isotherm of
-9°C was initially overhead. (Source chart: DWD via wetter3
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Upper air analysis Theta W 850 hPa of January 15 2013 at 0100 CET. Cold
air with negative values is replaced by somewhat milder air after the
depression. (Source chart: Meteocentre.com)
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Loop of forecasted soundings for Brussels of January 15 2013 between
0830-1900 CET. At all levels the temperature remained negative and well
saturated below 700-850 hPa. (Source: RASP)
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Observed sounding for Beauvechain of January 15 2013 around 0100 CET.
Negative temperatures at all levels with a frontal inversion in the
lower levels and furthermore well saturated till the tropopauze.
(Source: http://weather.uwyo.edu/upperair/europe.html)
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Forecasted vertical profile and surface temperature for Brussels of
January 14 2013 from 0900 UTC (=1000 CET) and the following 48 hours in
steps of 1 hour. Legend of upper map: green-brown-white is humidity in
steps of 10% with darkest green being 90% or more, wind in kt,
temperatures each 5°C. Late evening of January 14, the front arrived,
only clearing 24 hours later. Temperature remained just negative.
(Source: Belgocontrol)
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Corresponding precipitation and surface winds. Most intense snow around
midnight of January 14-15. (Source: Belgocontrol)
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| 15/01/2013 0230 CET. Satellite picture
(infra-red) with frontal cloudiness over the Channel and Low Countries.
(Source: http://www.sat.dundee.ac.uk)
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| Radar loop (reflectivity in dBZ) from
January 14 2013 1600 CET onwards. Green colors represents moderate snow,
blue colors is light snow. (Source radar picture: Belgocontrol).
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Metars (hours in UTC) of Belgian airport EBBR. Translation: copy paste each obs via
metar-decoder EBBR
141820Z 17007KT 9999 SCT046 M01/M05 Q1009 NOSIG= |
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Snow height in cm taken from the synop of 0600 UTC of January 16 2013.
Top: Florennes with 13 cm (but was accumulated on 5 cm present earlier),
followed by Semmerzake with 11 cm. At the coast during the evening of
January 14 briefly 10 cm was measured, but this was cut into half a
couple of hours later due to temporary thaw (wind from sea).
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14-15/01/2013. Temperature histogram in degrees Celcius in local time (CET)
over 24 hrs taken from an automatic station at Kampenhout.
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14-15/01/2013. Temperature histogram in degrees Celcius in local time (CET)
over 12 hrs taken from an automatic station at Kampenhout with a minimal value of -0,7°C
around 2230 CET, then moderates falls of snow led to a drop of 1,6
degrees.
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14-20/01/2013. Accumulation of precipitation during the cold wave.
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16/01/2013. The next day this satellite picture in the visual channel shows over
almost the entire Low Countries a snow cover. (Source satpicture: NOAA
and University of Bern)
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16/01/2013. A zoom over the Low Countries. A lot of stratiform cloudiness over the
east over Benelux, some Cumuliform clouds over the west, but otherwise a
nice view on the snow cover with clearly the least over North Holland. (Source: Image courtesy of MODIS Rapid Response Project at
NASA/GSFC)
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15/01/2013. Snow height in cm in the Netherlands taken at 0800 UTC.
Rotterdam area on top with 16
cm.
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Night of January 15-16 2013 gave one of the coldest temperatures with
the lowest value at Retie.
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15-16/01/2013. Temperature histogram in degrees Celcius in local time (CET)
over 12 hrs taken from an automatic station at Kampenhout with a minimal value of -11,1°C
at 0858 CET.
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15/01/2013 0808. Proof of the date.
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15/01/2013 1016. At Steenokkerzeel, light falls of snow captured in a
furthermore very boring grey day.
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16/01/2013 1118. Following day, the sun came out. Here proof of 6 cm of
snow on the gardens table.
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16/01/2013 1118. View into the garden with already some foot prints in
(not mine !).
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16/01/2013 1309. Small sight seeing tour in my village.
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16/01/2013 1322.
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16/01/2013 1327.
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16/01/2013 1329.
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16/01/2013 1335.
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16/01/2013 1335.
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16/01/2013 1336.
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16/01/2013 1338.
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