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WX CHALLENGE SNOW POOL OTHER POOLS PAST CONTESTS

2009-2010 Snow Pool:

Itemized monthly snowfall totals:

NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
total
total
total
total
total
total
0.0"
--
--
--
--
--
 
TOTAL
0.0"

last update: 20 November 2009

RULES:

  • WHAT, AND FOR WHERE AM I FORECASTING? Your challenge is to forecast (as many times as you would like) the total snowfall for Champaign-Urbana (in inches, TO THE NEAREST TENTH) during the 12Z 01 November 2009 - 12Z 15 April 2010 period.
    • The number of forecasts per person is UNLIMITED!
    • For a forecast template and instructions, click here (.doc) or here (.pdf).
    • Verification will be obtained from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, & Snow (CoCoRaHS) Daily Precipitation Reports. Daily averages (rounded to nearest tenth of an inch) of Champaign and Urbana "New Snow" reports will be computed whenever at least one 0.1" or greater "New Snow" report for either a Champaign or Urbana station exists. 'T' (i.e., trace) reports will be assumed 0.0", and 'NA' reports will be excluded from averaging. Only daily averages greater than or equal to 0.1" will be tabulated. The daily averages will then be summed to obtain the verification total.

  • WHAT ARE THE DEADLINES?

  • WHAT IS THE FEE, AND HOW CAN IT BE PAID?
    • $2 per forecast
    • Please make checks payable to "SCAMS."
    • Payment can be made either in person or by mail.
      • In Person: Please give payment to the SCAMS@UIUC Treasurer - Eric Meyers - or to any other memebers of the SCAMS@UIUC Fundraising Committee - Richard Maliawco, Amanda Jones, Justin Traiteur (President), or Dan Fisher (Vice President).
      • By Mail: Please send your payment to: Eric Meyers; Department of Atmospheric Sciences; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; 105 S. Gregory St., Room 217; Urbana, IL 61801
    • EMAIL SUBMISSIONS FOR WHICH PAYMENT IS NOT RECEIVED BY 00Z 07 NOVEMBER 2009 WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE POOL.

  • WHAT IS THE PRIZE, AND WHERE DOES THE REST OF THE MONEY GO? Three quarters of the proceeds from this Snow Pool will help fund activities and conference travel for SCAMS@UIUC. The remaining one quarter of the proceeds will be used to purchase a prize awarded to the person whose entry is closest to (above or below) the observed snowfall total. Ultimately, the monetary value of the prize will increase with the number of entries. In the case of a tie, the winners will receive equal prizes each with monetary value ~1/(# winners) of the one quarter of proceeds. The name(s) of the winner(s) will be emailed to all participants on tax day (’10), and he/she/they will be announced at the DAS spring picnic and posted on this website.

  • Please direct any questions regarding the Snow Pool to: SCAMSatUIUCSnowPool@gmail.com

 


 

2008-2009 Snow Pool Total Snowfall: 17.0" (ended 05Z 15 April 2009)

Winners: Andy Vanloocke and Dan Harnos (tie)

Thank You for a record high participation – 42 forecasts!

Itemized monthly snowfall totals:

NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
30
2.3"
01
1.3"
07
0.1"
03
1.1"
--
--
06
0.5"
02
0.2"
12
0.1"
14
0.3"
04
0.1"
13
0.1"
19
0.2"
06
0.3"
14
3.9"
07
0.1"
15
0.1"
17
1.0"
19
0.3"
25
0.1"
26
0.8"
28
4.1"
total
total
total
total
total
total
2.3"
3.0"
9.6"
1.6"
0.0"
0.5"
 
TOTAL
17.0"

Click *HERE* for daily itemization of the averages tabulated above. Note that only days for which at least one 0.1" or greater "New Snow" report for either a Champaign or Urbana station existed are included in the spreadsheet. Note also that only the daily averages (rounded to nearest tenth of an inch) that are greater than or equal to 0.1" are tabulated above.

last (final 2008-2009) update: 15 April 2009



 

2007-2008 Snow Pool Total Snowfall: 26.6"

Winner: Steve Nesbitt

Monthly Itemization of 2007-2008 Snowfall Totals (averaged from Boneyard Champaign and Urbana reporting stations):

NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
--
--
05
0.4"
02
0.2"
01
6.9"
05
1.4"
--
--
 
06
0.1"
22
0.3"
02
0.1"
 
07
2.0"
24
0.1"
11
0.2"
 
15
0.3"
30
0.1"
20
1.0"
 
16
6.2"
22
1.2"
 
23
3.7"
 
26
1.1"
 
27
0.2"
 
29
1.1"
 
total
total
total
total
total
total
 
0.0"
9.0"
0.7"
15.5"
1.4"
0.0"
 
 
TOTAL
 
26.6"

Average Annual Snowfall (1971-2000):

NOV
2.1"
DEC
6.1"
JAN
8.6"
FEB
5.5"
MAR
3.3"
APR
0.5"
TOTAL=
26.1"

 

WX-CHALLENGE:

Our department has a group of people forecasting in the national forecast contest, "The Weather Challenge." It follows the school year pretty well so you don't have to worry about forecasting during finals or over breaks, and forecasting begins Monday (September 28)! Undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, and alumni are eligible. Our manager is Wendi Kaufeld; send her an e-mail at: kaufeld2 at atmos.uiuc.edu BEFORE ~6pm Friday, September 25 (2009) if you're interested in joining. It's only $3/semester or $5/year.

 

Other Pools:

Other pools that have been run in the past have involved forecasting the number of hurricanes, tropical storms, and tropical depressions over the year.

 

 
     
© 2008 University of Illinois Atmospheric Sciences
Questions/Comments
Last Modified: Friday, 20-Nov-2009 5:23 PM