CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066-
082>084-VTZ013>015-261200-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
800 AM EDT THU OCT 25 2011

...WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES...

OCTOBER 21 TO OCTOBER 27 IS WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK 
IN NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND. 

ONE OF OUR DEADLIEST WINTER WEATHER HAZARDS IS FLOODING. 

IN EASTERN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND ONE USUALLY ASSOCIATES 
SNOW...ICE...AND BITING COLD WITH WINTER. BUT SOMETIMES NATURE 
THROWS A CURVE AT US...WITH UNSEASONABLE WARMTH...AND WITH 
IT...RAIN. 

A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FACTORS WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE FLOODS IN 
WINTER. 

WHEN UNSEASONABLE WARMTH COMES TO THE REGION IT WILL OFTEN MELT 
MUCH OF THE SNOW ON THE GROUND THE MELTING SNOW WILL SATURATE THE 
GROUND AND ALSO BEGIN TO SWELL THE RIVERS.

OFTEN THE WARMER AIR WILL RISE OVER COLDER AIR TRAPPED IN THE 
REGION. AS THIS AIR RISES IT RESULTS IN CLOUDS AND RAIN...WHICH 
WILL COMBINE WITH THE MELTING SNOW TO INCREASE FLOWS IN THE 
RIVERS. MELTING SNOW AND HEAVY RAIN CAN PUT ENOUGH WATER INTO THE 
RIVERS TO SEND THEM OVER THEIR BANKS.

SOME OF OUR WORST WINTER FLOODS ARE CAUSED BY INTENSE CYCLONES 
THAT TRACK FROM THE OHIO VALLEY NORTHEAST UP THE SAINT LAWRENCE 
VALLEY INTO CANADA. THESE STORMS BRING A LOT OF WARM AND MOIST AIR 
INTO THE REGION OFF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. 

IN APRIL 2011...THE ADIRONDACKS SAW RECORD RIVER FLOWS AT SOME 
LOCATIONS DUE TO MELTING SNOW COMBINED WITH HEAVY RAIN. 

ANOTHER WINTER PROBLEM IN THIS AREA IS FLOODING CAUSED BY ICE JAMS 
IN THE RIVERS. OUR AREA IS PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO ICE JAM 
FLOODING. IN JANUARY 2010 AND MARCH 2011...COMMUNITIES ALONG THE 
MOHAWK RIVER EXPERIENCED SEVERE ICE JAM FLOODING.
 
SINCE ICE THAT COVERS THE RIVERS IS LIGHTER THAN WATER IT WILL 
TEND TO FLOAT. UNDER THE PRESSURE IT WILL OFTEN BREAK INTO HUGE 
SLABS. THESE SLABS WILL THEN MOVE DOWNSTREAM IN THE CURRENT UNTIL 
THEY RUN INTO AN OBSTRUCTION SUCH AS A BEND...ISLAND...OR WIDE 
SHALLOW AREA. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE ICE WILL OFTEN STOP AND PILE 
UP INTO A JAM. WHEN ICE BLOCKS THE FLOW OF THE RIVER...THE WATER 
CAN OVERFLOW THE BANKS IN LESS THAN AN HOUR AS IT TRIES TO GET 
AROUND THE ICE. ALSO...AS THE WATER RISES THE PRESSURE CAN BREAK 
THE JAM AND RELEASE A SUDDEN SURGE OF WATER AND ICE DOWN THE 
RIVER. 

WHILE ICE JAMS OFTEN FORM IN THE SAME SPOTS YEAR AFTER YEAR IT IS 
NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT EXACTLY WHEN OR WHERE A JAM WILL 
FORM...OR WHEN ONE WILL BREAK. SOMETIMES A JAM THAT FORMS IN EARLY 
WINTER WILL FREEZE IN PLACE FOR MOST OF THE WINTER. 

SEVERE FLOODING OF ROADS AND BUILT UP AREAS CAN ALSO OCCUR WHEN 
MOUNDS OF PLOWED SNOW AND ICE BLOCK AND PLUG UP THE STORM 
DRAINS...SO THE WATER FROM THE PAVEMENT HAS NO WHERE TO GO. THIS 
STANDING WATER CAN CAUSE DANGEROUS BLACK ICE IF IT FREEZES. 

FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH INTERNET ACCESS...ALL OF OUR WEATHER AND 
HYDROLOGIC INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ONLINE. SIMPLY GO TO 
WWW.WEATHER.GOV AND THEN CLICK ON EASTERN NEW YORK OR WESTERN NEW 
ENGLAND. THIS WILL TAKE YOU TO THE MAIN WEBPAGE OF THE NATIONAL 
WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY NEW YORK.  

$$

DIRIENZO