000 NOUS42 KMLB 040118 RRA PNSMLB PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 815 PM EST THU JAN 3 2008 ...A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THIS MORNING'S OCEAN EFFECT SNOW EVENT... DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF THURSDAY...WEATHER CONDITIONS SET UP IN MANNER VERY SIMILAR TO JANUARY 24, 2003...THE LAST TIME THAT OCEAN EFFECT SNOW HAD BEEN OBSERVED IN EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA. WHILE THE MECHANISM FOR PRODUCTION OF OCEAN EFFECT SNOW IS RATHER COMPLEX...THE BASIC "INGREDIENTS" FOR A WINTER TIME OCEAN EFFECT SNOW EVENT ARE LISTED BELOW... 1) A VERY COLD AIR MASS OVER CENTRAL FLORIDA THAT PRODUCES TEMPERATURES NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING. IN ADDITION TO "SETTING THE STAGE" OVER LAND...THIS COLD AIR WILL ALSO RESULT IN GENERATION OF A LARGE MARINE STRATOCUMULUS FIELD OVER THE COMPARATIVELY WARM WATERS OF THE ADJACENT ATLANTIC. 2) WINDS FROM THE NORTHWEST TO NORTH-NORTHWEST AT THE SURFACE... NEEDED TO KEEP THE COLD AIR IN PLACE. 3) WINDS FROM THE NORTH TO NORTH-NORTHEAST FROM JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE (FOR EXAMPLE 1,500 TO 2,000 FEET) UP TO CLOUD LEVEL...USUALLY ABOUT 3,000 TO 5,000 FEET. THIS WILL ALLOW THE MARINE CLOUD DECK TO PUSH ONSHORE THE EAST COAST. THE COLD AIR...WARMED AND MOISTENED FROM THE OCEAN BELOW...RISES AND ALLOWS MOISTURE TO CONDENSE OUT OF IT IN THE FORM OF SNOW CRYSTALS ...OR OFTEN TIMES A MIXTURE OF DRIZZLE...SNOW...SLEET OR GRAUPEL (ALSO KNOWN SNOW PELLETS). WHEN ALL OF THESE FACTORS ALL COME TOGETHER AT THE PREFERRED TIME (GENERALLY FROM THE OVERNIGHT UNTIL A FEW HOURS AFTER SUNRISE)... FROZEN PRECIPITATION CAN FALL FROM THE CLOUDS. SUCH AN OCCURRENCE IS RELATIVELY RARE IN THIS AREA...SINCE ALL THE "INGREDIENTS" NEEDED TO PRODUCE "OCEAN EFFECT" SNOW NEED TO COME TOGETHER AT THE RIGHT TIME. BASED ON REPORTS FROM SPOTTERS...LAW ENFORCEMENT...NEWS MEDIA...AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC...IT APPEARS THAT THE NORTHERN EXTENT OF FROZEN PRECIPITATION WAS FLAGLER COUNTY...WHERE REPORTS CAME IN FROM BUNNELL AND PALM COAST. THE SOUTHERNMOST RELIABLE REPORT CAME IN FROM THE FELLSMERE-SEBASTIAN AREA IF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY. PICTURES FROM VOLUSIA COUNTY INDICATE THAT MUCH OF THE FROZEN PRECIPITATION IN THAT AREA FELL IN THE FORM OF GRAUPEL...OR SNOW PELLETS. GRAUPEL FORMS WHEN SUPERCOOLED WATER DROPLETS CONDENSE ON THE OUTSIDE OF A PRE-EXISTING SNOW PELLETS. PELLETS OF GRAUPEL ARE OPAQUE (WHITE COLORED)...WHEN COMPARED TO SLEET (ICE PELLETS)... WHICH IS MORE TRANSLUCENT (CLEAR). OTHER REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE FROZEN PRECIPITATION ALSO FELL IN THE FORM OF SNOWFLAKES...AND WAS OFTEN MIXED WITH DRIZZLE AND SPRINKLES OF LIGHT RAIN. THUS FAR...REPORTS OF SNOW HAVE COME FROM THE FOLLOWING COMMUNITIES NEAR AND JUST NORTH OF THE MELBOURNE COUNTY WARNING AREA... FLAGLER COUNTY... BUNNELL PALM COAST VOLUSIA COUNTY... ORMOND BEACH DAYTONA BEACH HOLLY HILL PORT ORANGE EDGEWATER BREVARD COUNTY... SCOTTSMOOR SHARPES ROCKLEDGE MELBOURNE PALM BAY SATELLITE BEACH INDIAN RIVER COUNTY... FELLSMERE/SEBASTIAN TEMPERATURES QUICKLY WARMED INTO THE 40S AND 50S DURING THE MID MORNING...CHANGING THE PRECIPITATION ENTIRELY OVER TO LIQUID AND BRINGING THE EVENT TO AN END. $$ CRISTALDI