Overview
A deep upper level trough swept across the southern US and turned northeastward offshore of the east coast from the morning of January 3 through the morning of January 4, 2018. The interaction between the cold upper trough and the relatively warmer Atlantic waters resulted in tremendous intensification of a surface low pressure system that tracked from around Miami, FL to just offshore of Cape Cod on January 3 and 4. A good deal of moisture wrapped into this system and was lifted across much of the east coast, resulting in a broad area of moderate to heavy snowfall. A heavy band of snow impacted portions of the Taconics, Berkshires, Litchfield Hills, and southern Green Mountains from the late morning through the afternoon hours of January 4, resulting in snowfall rates up to 3" per hour and total snowfall amounts mainly in the 7 to 15 inch range. To the west of the heavy snowband across the Hudson, Mohawk, and Schoharie Valleys, a widespread 3 to 7 inches of snowfall occurred. Gusty northerly winds occurred with this system as well, with gusts of 30-45 mph recorded. The winds and falling snow contributed to reduced visibility and blowing and drifting of snow. The snowfall tapered off in the evening of January 4.Snow/Wind Reports
Public Information Statement Spotter Reports National Weather Service Albany NY 1055 AM EST Fri Jan 05 2018 The following are unofficial observations taken during the past 30 hours for the storm that has been affecting our region. Appreciation is extended to highway departments, cooperative observers, Skywarn spotters and media for these reports. This summary also is available on our home page at weather.gov/albany ********************STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL******************** LOCATION STORM TOTAL TIME/DATE COMMENTS SNOWFALL OF /INCHES/ MEASUREMENT CONNECTICUT ...Litchfield County... Winsted 15.0 900 PM 1/04 Public 1 N Thomaston 14.0 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS 5 NNW Winsted 13.8 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Bakersville 13.3 600 PM 1/04 Co-Op Observer 3 SW New Hartford 13.3 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Harwinton 13.0 630 PM 1/04 Public Torrington 12.0 330 PM 1/04 Social Media 5 W Woodbury Center 11.0 215 PM 1/04 Trained Spotter Norfolk 11.0 800 AM 1/05 Co-Op Observer 4 SSW Cornwall Bridg 10.8 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Warren 10.5 545 AM 1/05 Twitter New Hartford 10.5 404 PM 1/04 Social Media 1 WNW Oakville 10.0 720 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Canaan 7.0 414 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 MASSACHUSETTS ...Berkshire County... 1 N Otis Wood Lanes 14.0 738 AM 1/05 Ski Area 5 NW Otis 12.2 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Sandisfield 12.0 600 PM 1/04 WTEN Otis 12.0 600 PM 1/04 WTEN Savoy 10.2 1019 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 2 E Hancock 10.0 727 AM 1/05 Ski Area Lenoxdale 10.0 600 PM 1/04 Co-Op Observer Tyringham 10.0 600 PM 1/04 WTEN Clarksburg 9.2 508 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 Becket 9.0 349 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Stockbridge 9.0 600 PM 1/04 WTEN North Adams 8.0 600 PM 1/04 WTEN Great Barrington 8.0 415 PM 1/04 Trained Spotter 2 SE Belcher Square 7.0 744 AM 1/05 Ski Area 3 NE Housatonic 6.0 600 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS NEW YORK ...Albany County... 3 N Selkirk 5.5 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS 1 W Albany 5.0 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS 1 NE Shakers 4.9 745 AM 1/05 ASOS Boght Corners 4.5 930 PM 1/04 NWS Employee Latham 4.2 420 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Cohoes 4.0 500 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 2 W Albany 4.0 630 PM 1/04 Retired NWS Emp. 2 WNW Guilderland 4.0 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Colonie 3.7 609 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Albany 3.6 700 PM 1/04 NWSFO Albany 2 S Colonie 3.6 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS 1 SSW Menands 3.1 415 PM 1/04 WNYT Studios Knox 3.0 722 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Preston Hollow 2.5 430 PM 1/04 Social Media ...Columbia County... Kinderhook 7.0 600 PM 1/04 WTEN Copake 7.0 521 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 North Chatham 6.8 413 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Taghkanic 6.2 636 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 Austerlitz 6.0 923 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Ancramdale 5.6 456 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 Germantown 4.0 421 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Livingston 3.0 958 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 ...Dutchess County... Poughquag 10.5 405 PM 1/04 1050 feet 6 ESE Pleasant Valle 8.3 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS 6 NNW Poughquag 8.3 700 PM 1/04 Public 2 SSE Hopewell Junct 6.7 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Hopewell Junction 6.5 530 PM 1/04 CoCoRaHS Red Hook 5.8 411 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 2 SW Elizaville 5.0 330 PM 1/04 Trained Spotter Rhinebeck 4.4 245 PM 1/04 Public Poughkeepsie 4.0 700 AM 1/05 Co-Op Observer Fairview 4.0 500 PM 1/04 Trained Spotter 1 NE Red Hook 3.3 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS 2 SSE Poughkeepsie 2.8 1019 PM 1/04 Trained Spotter 1 WSW Red Oaks Mill 2.8 500 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS ...Fulton County... Broadalbin 4.0 600 PM 1/04 WTEN 7 NW GLOVERSVILLE 2.8 800 AM 1/05 Co-Op Observer Fishhouse 2.0 405 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Northville 2.0 344 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Perth 2.0 1006 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 ...Greene County... Cairo 5.0 419 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Halcott Center 5.0 413 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 East Jewett 4.7 700 AM 1/05 Co-Op Observer 7 SSE Westerlo 4.5 500 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Greenville Center 4.5 539 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Catskill 4.0 414 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Kiskatom 4.0 457 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 ...Hamilton County... 2 SW Indian Lake 1.0 815 AM 1/05 Co-Op Observer Wells 1.0 423 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Long Lake 0.5 600 PM 1/04 WTEN ...Herkimer County... Ilion 0.9 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS ...Montgomery County... Amsterdam 3.5 419 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 5 NW Charleston Four 3.5 345 PM 1/04 Social Media Fonda 3.1 403 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Fultonville 3.0 600 PM 1/04 WTEN Glen 2.5 844 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Palatine Bridge 2.0 349 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Fort Plain 1.0 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS ...Rensselaer County... 6 E Poestenkill 13.0 733 AM 1/05 Ski Area Averill Park 8.4 800 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS 1 WNW Averill Park 8.4 1044 PM 1/04 Meteorologist 5 E Waterford 7.5 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Center Brunswick 7.3 957 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Poestenkill 7.0 830 PM 1/04 Social Media East Schodack 6.5 600 PM 1/04 Trained Spotter East Greenbush 6.0 725 PM 1/04 Trained Spotter 1 N Sycaway 5.5 1000 PM 1/04 NWS Employee 2 NE Troy 5.5 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS West Sand Lake 5.0 900 PM 1/04 Trained Spotter Speigletown 3.5 351 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 2 WSW Eagle Bridge 3.0 400 PM 1/04 Co-Op Observer ...Saratoga County... Lake Desolation 4.2 452 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 Malta 4.0 915 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 2 SE Clifton Park 4.0 600 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Ballston Lake 4.0 550 PM 1/04 Social Media 2 S Clifton Park Cen 3.6 1047 PM 1/04 Retired NWS Emp. Ballston Spa 3.2 359 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 2 ESE Ballston Spa 3.0 810 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS 3 S Saratoga Lake 3.0 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Saratoga Springs 2.8 600 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Charlton 2.5 421 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 1 SSE Porter Corners 1.5 815 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Edinburg 1.5 426 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 1 W Gansevoort 1.4 600 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS ...Schenectady County... Delanson 4.0 728 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 Schenectady 3.6 939 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Schenectady-GE Plot 3.3 715 PM 1/04 NWS Employee Glenville 3.0 413 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Duanesburg 3.0 418 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Niskayuna 3.0 700 AM 1/05 Co-Op Observer 1 SSW Aqueduct 2.8 730 PM 1/04 NWS Employee 1 NNE Hawthorne Hill 2.7 900 PM 1/04 NWS Employee ...Schoharie County... Gilboa 5.0 343 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Jefferson 4.0 719 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 Charlotteville 3.8 440 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Richmondville 3.8 404 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Esperance 3.5 630 PM 1/04 Social Media Schoharie 3.5 735 AM 1/05 Co-Op Observer Seward 2.0 322 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 7 N North Blenheim 2.0 800 AM 1/05 Co-Op Observer 2 ESE Cobleskill 1.8 735 AM 1/05 Co-Op Observer ...Ulster County... Wallkill 6.1 430 PM 1/04 Trained Spotter Esopus 5.5 338 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 1 WNW Rosendale Vill 4.5 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Phoenicia 4.5 456 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 Kingston 3.2 300 PM 1/04 Public 3 ENE Kerhonkson 3.0 225 PM 1/04 Social Media West Shokan 2.0 422 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 Highmount 2.0 634 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 West Hurley 1.0 730 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS ...Warren County... Warrensburg 2.5 515 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 Lake Luzerne 2.0 600 AM 1/05 Co-Op Observer 5 SE North Creek 2.0 700 AM 1/05 Co-Op Observer Queensbury 1.8 443 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 2 WNW Warrensburg 1.7 800 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS ...Washington County... 5 SW NORTH HEBRON 5.0 700 AM 1/05 Co-Op Observer Hebron 5.0 523 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 Cambridge 3.0 600 PM 1/04 Social Media Fort Edward 2.0 600 PM 1/04 WTEN Whitehall 2.0 800 AM 1/05 Co-Op Observer Hudson Falls 1.2 515 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 VERMONT ...Bennington County... Woodford 14.0 617 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 1 NNE Bromley Villag 9.0 645 AM 1/05 Ski Area Pownal 8.5 519 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 West Arlington 8.5 443 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 1 E Manchester Cente 8.3 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS Landgrove 8.2 640 AM 1/05 WeatherNet6 ...Windham County... Brattleboro 9.0 530 PM 1/04 Social Media 3 E Somerset 9.0 634 AM 1/05 Ski Area 3 SSW Putney 7.1 700 PM 1/04 Trained Spotter Vernon 7.0 747 PM 1/04 Social Media 2 SSW Stratton Mount 7.0 726 AM 1/05 Ski Area Wilmington 6.0 354 PM 1/04 WeatherNet6 Marlboro 5.9 900 AM 1/05 Co-Op Observer 3 WSW Charlestown 5.3 700 AM 1/05 CoCoRaHS
Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Albany NY
826 PM EST Thu Jan 4 2018
...Wind Reports...
Location Speed Time/Date Elevation (ft.)
...Connecticut...
...Litchfield County...
3 SW Torrington 42 MPH 0455 PM 01/04 1220
1 SSW Oakville 37 MPH 0653 PM 01/04 730
2 ESE Torrington 37 MPH 0718 PM 01/04 967
2 WSW New Hartford 36 MPH 0814 PM 01/04 1043
2 NW Terryville 33 MPH 0658 PM 01/04 865
Litchfield 26 MPH 0305 PM 01/04 981
1 WNW Woodbury Center 23 MPH 0725 PM 01/04 472
3 ENE Torrington 21 MPH 0651 PM 01/04 912
Norfolk 21 MPH 0730 PM 01/04 956
2 ENE New Hartford 20 MPH 0805 PM 01/04 862
...Massachusetts...
...Berkshire County...
2 SE Adams 51 MPH 0710 PM 01/04 1555
2 NNW Sheffield 42 MPH 0725 PM 01/04 662
2 WSW East Windsor 40 MPH 0545 PM 01/04 1894
Harriman-and-west Airport 37 MPH 0554 PM 01/04 653
3 SW Williamstown 29 MPH 0516 PM 01/04 997
Great Barrington 25 MPH 0540 PM 01/04 708
3 NNE Pittsfield 25 MPH 0628 PM 01/04 1123
3 SW Williamstown 22 MPH 0749 PM 01/04 918
1 NE Great Barrington 21 MPH 0747 PM 01/04 698
...New York...
...Albany County...
2 W Voorheesville 37 MPH 0635 PM 01/04 377
2 NE Preston Hollow 36 MPH 0725 PM 01/04 1247
1 W Knox 34 MPH 0724 PM 01/04 1292
2 SW Voorheesville 33 MPH 0537 PM 01/04 456
Albany Intl Ap 32 MPH 0734 PM 01/04 275
2 SSE Delmar 32 MPH 0641 PM 01/04 160
...Columbia County...
1 NW Kinderhook 36 MPH 0725 PM 01/04 238
2 NE Copake 31 MPH 0705 PM 01/04 685
2 E Claverack 25 MPH 0806 PM 01/04 541
3 ESE Catskill 25 MPH 0735 PM 01/04 185
Chatham 25 MPH 0729 PM 01/04 436
1 N Niverville 22 MPH 0750 PM 01/04 332
...Dutchess County...
Hudson Valley Regional Airpo 41 MPH 0228 PM 01/04 164
Red Hook 38 MPH 0745 PM 01/04 212
6 ESE Pleasant Valley 38 MPH 0341 PM 01/04 643
1 ENE Cornwall On Hudson 34 MPH 0618 PM 01/04 63
2 NE Beacon 31 MPH 0410 PM 01/04 295
1 NE Hopewell Junction 29 MPH 0749 PM 01/04 1483
1 NNW Wappingers Falls 29 MPH 0639 PM 01/04 308
Fairview 24 MPH 0504 PM 01/04 236
...Fulton County...
4 N Saint Johnsville 31 MPH 0710 PM 01/04 1181
2 ESE Johnstown 25 MPH 0804 PM 01/04 880
2 SSE Broadalbin 25 MPH 0750 PM 01/04 3051
...Greene County...
1 SE Hunter 30 MPH 0753 PM 01/04 1606
4 NE Fleischmanns 25 MPH 0445 PM 01/04 2254
...Hamilton County...
1 ESE Eagle Bay 18 MPH 0431 PM 01/04 1715
2 SE Indian Lake 17 MPH 0809 PM 01/04 1637
...Herkimer County...
1 WNW Herkimer 29 MPH 0500 PM 01/04 713
3 ENE Cold Brook 28 MPH 0505 PM 01/04 1421
3 S Dolgeville 25 MPH 0501 PM 01/04 1525
Dolgeville 22 MPH 0658 PM 01/04 845
...Montgomery County...
4 ENE East Springfield 37 MPH 0650 PM 01/04 1043
3 ESE Canajoharie 31 MPH 0740 PM 01/04 655
2 N Tribes Hill 25 MPH 0805 PM 01/04 745
...Rensselaer County...
2 WSW Hancock 31 MPH 0300 PM 01/04 950
3 ESE Castleton-on-Hudso 28 MPH 0735 PM 01/04 344
5 ESE Waterford 27 MPH 0600 PM 01/04 912
Averill Park 26 MPH 0741 PM 01/04 633
3 WSW Hoosick Falls 25 MPH 0250 PM 01/04 856
2 ENE Wyantskill 20 MPH 0722 PM 01/04 505
...Saratoga County...
1 W Edinburg 27 MPH 0730 PM 01/04 1065
4 ESE Niskayuna 21 MPH 0739 PM 01/04 214
...Schenectady County...
2 SW Mariaville 38 MPH 0715 PM 01/04 1368
East Glenville 30 MPH 0719 PM 01/04 377
1 N Schenectady 28 MPH 0811 PM 01/04 344
...Schoharie County...
1 W Cobleskill 28 MPH 0340 PM 01/04 1076
...Ulster County...
4 E Phoenicia 47 MPH 0751 PM 01/04 1072
1 NNE Wallkill 33 MPH 0715 PM 01/04 353
3 WSW Tillson 27 MPH 0625 PM 01/04 633
1 SSW New Paltz 27 MPH 0338 PM 01/04 339
3 WSW Hyde Park 25 MPH 0644 PM 01/04 344
3 N Kerhonkson 21 MPH 0654 PM 01/04 898
...Warren County...
Floyd Bennett Memorial Airpo 31 MPH 0707 PM 01/04 321
9 NW Bolton Landing 23 MPH 0705 PM 01/04 1089
...Washington County...
Granville 24 MPH 0700 PM 01/04 419
5 S Whitehall 23 MPH 0335 PM 01/04 119
...Vermont...
...Bennington County...
4 ESE Woodford State Park 41 MPH 0631 PM 01/04 2802
3 WSW Peru 39 MPH 0450 PM 01/04 1928
Bennington State Airport 32 MPH 0404 PM 01/04 826
3 WSW Woodford State Park 27 MPH 0611 PM 01/04 2395
1 NNE Old Bennington 26 MPH 0610 PM 01/04 657
...Windham County...
2 NW Vernon 42 MPH 0621 PM 01/04 632
Brattleboro 39 MPH 0730 PM 01/04 374
5 NNW Wilmington 39 MPH 0810 PM 01/04 2099
1 E Townshend 36 MPH 0647 PM 01/04 1677
2 SSW Putney 28 MPH 0659 PM 01/04 354
Wilmington 28 MPH 0634 PM 01/04 1492
4 N Townshend 23 MPH 0702 PM 01/04 1799
Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying
equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers
for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official.
Radar: (click to enlarge)
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| KENX (East Berne, NY) radar 1:15 am to 9:00 pm January 4, 2018 | Regional radar loop 9:45 pm January 3 to 7:00 pm January 4, 2018 |
Satellite: (click to enlarge)
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| GOES-16 mid-level water vapor loop 12:00 pm January 4 to 1:00 am January 5, 2018 | GOES-16 1-minute visible satellite imagery from mesoscale sector 12:20 pm to 1:30 pm January 4, 2018 |
Additional GOES-16 loops courtesy NOAA/NESDIS and C. Velden, Univ. of Wisconsin-SSEC:
Environment
The incredibly strong and rapidly strengthening 4 January 2018 cyclone was associated with a deep 500 mb trough that tracked through the southeastern US (Fig. 1) and became sharply negatively tilted as it ejected up the east coast. Unseasonably cold air was associated with this trough (Fig. 2), resulting in accumulating snowfall as far south as northern Florida and coastal portions of Georgia and the Carolinas. The surface low fed off the baroclinic instability associated with the sharp temperature gradient between the cold upper trough and warmer air over the Atlantic. A truly remarkable rate of deepening of 59 mb in 24 hours occurred with this cyclone as it went from 1010 mb at 15Z 3 Jan to 950 mb at 15Z 4 Jan (Figs 3-7)! To put this in perspective, this is over twice the deepening rate of a meteorological "bomb", defined as a cyclone that deepens 24 mb in 24 hours.
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| Figure 1: RAP 1-h forecast of 500 mb height (thick contours, m), temp (thin contours, C), and wind (barbs, kt) valid 0000 UTC 4 Jan. From SPC Mesoanalysis archive. | Figure 2: RAP 1-h forecast of 850 mb height (thick contours, m), temp (thin contours, C), dewpoint (fills, C) and wind (barbs, kt) valid 0000 UTC 4 Jan. From SPC Mesoanalysis archive. | Figure 3: WPC analysis valid 12Z 3 Jan. |
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| Figure 4: WPC analysis valid 00Z 4 Jan. | Figure 5: WPC analysis valid 12Z 4 Jan. | Figure 6: WPC analysis valid 18Z 4 Jan. |
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| Figure 7: WPC analysis valid 00Z 5 Jan. |
Ascent occurred over the local forecast area beneath the right entrance region of a strong 300 mb jet, resulting in light snowfall spreading across much of the forecast area during the morning hours of the 4th (Fig. 8). As the cyclone continued to approach, an area of strong frontogenesis in the 850-700 mb layer spread into southern New England within the confluence of easterly and northerly flow (Fig. 9). The resulting circulation allowed a band of heavy snowfall to pivot into western New England and far southeastern New York, with snowfall rates as high as 3" per hour observed over Litchfield County, CT. This band resided longest and pivoted over Litchfield County from the late morning into the early afternoon, resulting in the highest snowfall totals in the Albany forecast area of 10-15" over much of the county. The heavier frontogenetic bands did not make it much further west than the Taconics of New York, so the remainder of the forecast area saw mainly light to moderate snow. A period of Hudson-Mohawk convergence occurred in the evening over the Capital District (Fig. 10), resulting in locally enhanced snowfall totals. The strong pressure gradient with the cyclone resulted in gusty winds during and after the snowfall, especially over portions of the Mid-Hudson Valley, Taconics, and western New England where wind gusts exceeded 40 mph at times (Fig. 11)
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| Figure 8: RAP 1-h forecast of 300 mb height (black contours, m), divergence (color contours, s/-1), and wind (barbs, kt) valid 1700 UTC 4 Jan. From SPC Mesoanalysis archive. | Figure 9: RAP 1-h forecast of 850-700 mb mean Petterssen frontogenesis (purple contours, K/100 km/3h), height (black contours, m), and wind (barbs, kt) valid 1700 UTC 4 Jan. From SPC Mesoanalysis archive. | Figure 10: Gridded analysis of surface divergence (fills, 10^-5/s), 3h pressure change (contours), and winds (arrows) at 0000 UTC 5 Jan from New York State Mesonet data. Image courtesy Nick Bassill. |
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| Figure 11: Gridded analysis of peak wind gusts observed on 4 Jan from New York State Mesonet data. Image courtesy Nick Bassill. |
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