Rain. We needed it. It has rained here since Monday. A persistant win off the ocean has banked moisture against these beuatiful mountains, and produced excessive rainfall amounts. A good example of how much the mountains affect the rain is this.
In my hometown, the Fancy Gap/ Woodlawn/ Pipers Gap area of Carroll County we have had roughly 10 inches of rain since monday. With the elevation of the mountains being 3000ft + easternaly moisture banked up against the mountains easily provided lift to enhance rainfall.
In my mom's friends hometown, in Grayson County, ( the border county to the west of us) they only recieved roughly 5 inches of rain since monday. They are the same elevation, and same mountain range, so why the difference? The heavy moisture get's squezed out in Carroll, where the eastern enscrapment is( the front range of the mountains). In Grayson, there is no eastern ensrapment. There is, though, a western enscrapement. Which leads to my next point.
Often in the winter, the wind blows in a cold wind from the northwest, off the Great Lakes. This runs up the Western Enscrapement in Grayson, and often produces light to moderate amounts of snow. ( in the western enscrapemtn area). To the east, (Carroll County) we are left with just flurries to a dusting. Occasionally, the winds will hit the mountains just right, to allow the heavier stuff to "jump" the western edge, but not often. I will try to post diagrams.
In my hometown, the Fancy Gap/ Woodlawn/ Pipers Gap area of Carroll County we have had roughly 10 inches of rain since monday. With the elevation of the mountains being 3000ft + easternaly moisture banked up against the mountains easily provided lift to enhance rainfall.
In my mom's friends hometown, in Grayson County, ( the border county to the west of us) they only recieved roughly 5 inches of rain since monday. They are the same elevation, and same mountain range, so why the difference? The heavy moisture get's squezed out in Carroll, where the eastern enscrapment is( the front range of the mountains). In Grayson, there is no eastern ensrapment. There is, though, a western enscrapement. Which leads to my next point.
Often in the winter, the wind blows in a cold wind from the northwest, off the Great Lakes. This runs up the Western Enscrapement in Grayson, and often produces light to moderate amounts of snow. ( in the western enscrapemtn area). To the east, (Carroll County) we are left with just flurries to a dusting. Occasionally, the winds will hit the mountains just right, to allow the heavier stuff to "jump" the western edge, but not often. I will try to post diagrams.
