Contest # 5 - Call for Forecasts

At this late date...it/s hard to believe there/s one more snowstorm still in the chamber! Winter took its good ol’ time getting here this year and by all appearances…it/s of no mind to leave.

Given this storm is about 48 hours away from affecting the first forecast station and today/s NWP solutions suggest most stations will have relatively short duration snows…there/s a possibility this event will not be a good candidate for a forecast contest. Wednesday/s 12z model runs may force the cancellation of Contest # 5.

Entry Deadline: Wednesday...11 April 2007 @ 10:30 PM EDT.

Verification begins 12:01 AM EDT Thursday...12 April 2007 and ends 11:59 PM EDT Saturday...14 April 2007.

Your forecast must be entered via the Contest/s web site. Follow the link to ‘Enter Storm Forecast.’

Forecasters will need to register once before entering...even if they were registered last year. Registration is simple...requiring only a user name and password. If you provide a valid e-mail address...a copy of your forecast will be sent to you immediately after your entry is submitted. Please ensure your browser is enabled to accept first-party cookies.

All forecasts will be posted to the NE_Wx Google Group by the Contest Administrator before 11 PM EDT Wednesday...11 April 2007 and to the Contest web site by Thursday evening.

Contest updates are posted on the Contest/s web log.

The NE.Wx Snowfall Forecast Contest (NEWxSFC) is a multi-month event that continues into late March or early April. In general...contests are held whenever a decent... synoptic-scale storm rears its head and threatens at least a half-dozen forecast stations with more than nuisance snowfall amounts. Forecasters are called to post their 'storm total' snowfall predictions...on deadline...for 27 NWS / FAA observing stations scattered about New England and the Mid-Atlantic regions.

You can find the Contest Rules and additional information about Error Scoring... current monthly snowfall climatology from NCDC...daily CPC teleconnection indices... daily NESDIS N-Hemi snow cover...and NWS Daily Climate Bulletins (CDUS41) at the contest/s web site.