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Your All-time favorite winter storms list


jaster220

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I’ve lived in Mid Missouri for 22 years. I have experienced some good ones.

1) 11/30-12/1  2006 15.4” snow. Started as an ice storm then changed to snow with most snow falling within six to seven hours. 

2) GHD 2011 20+ inches

3) 3 storms in a row beginning in late February 2013 and the last one on Palm Sunday. All three involved thunder snow. Approx 33” in those three storms. Will never see anything like that again. The winter had sucked until then. 

5) January 2019 20.3” heavy wet snow that brought down trees 

* at least 3 or 4 others in the 9-12” range. Missouri will get big storms but we also suffer through some lean winters. 

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  • 2 months later...

I have experienced 6 winter storms of over 20" here in the Philly burbs.

1/7/1996 - 28.9" / 2/10/2010 - 26.8" (see pix below) / 1/23/2016 - 26.0" / 2/12/1983 - 22.4" / 2/18/2003 - 21.8" / 2/13/2014 - 20.0"

 

Blizzard210pix 008.jpg

Blizzard210pix 013.jpg

Blizzard210pix 017.jpg

Blizzard210pix 024.jpg

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All historical weather data analytics posted by me is specifically for the climate of Chester County PA.  We continually analyze the actual raw non-adjusted NWS certified Coop observed climate data for Chester County.  There have been no post observation adjustments to any of the detailed analytics. All data is sourced from trained NWS observers and spotters. The life blood of science is to challenge what is thought to be known. The concept that climate change etc. is somehow “settled science” describes a religion - a belief system that does not welcome challenges. We should all continue to challenge science!    Snow Totals 2023/24 = 24.5" -  11/28 (0.3") / 12/7 (0.8") / 12/11 (0.8") / 1/6 (2.0") / 1/16 (2.8") / 1/19 (4.5") / 2/13 (10.5") / 2/17 (2.8")

Average Chester County PA Snow at elevations over 660 FT ASL (1983-Present) = 35.9" Snow totals by season: 2022/23 (2.7") /2021/22 (20.5")  2020/21 snow  (52.2") /  2019/20 snow (5.8" )/ 2018/19 snow (35.1" )/ 2017/18 snow (58.5") / 2016/17 snow (24.0")/ 2015/16 snow (40.8")/ 2014/15 snow = (55.3") /2013/14 snow (80.0").

Check out the historical Western Chester County PA website at https://www.chescowx.com.  Follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/ChescoWx and join us on the #1 social media source for all things Chester County weather on the Chester County Weather Page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/chescowx

National Weather Service  SKYWARN® Trained Spotter CHPA-174

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  • 2 months later...

For my top 3 storms I'd say:

1.) Dec 14 2015 (Bountiful UT). We hadn't seen any snow so far that winter and then it snowed for 30 hours in a row. I ended up with 19" of depth (a lot of it was wet snow at the beginning). I remember looking out my window at about 5 am and seeing my wire on my weather station about to break in half from the snow weight on it. I ran outside barefoot to save it lol It kept snowing super heavy all day, finally letting up around midnight. 

2.) January 6-8 2004 (Portland OR). Ended up with about 6-7" of snow, 3-4" of sleet, and 1" of ZR. Cold air had moved in on the 4th. I remember on the 5th the high was about 24F or so with 50 mph winds. I woke up on the 6th to 15F with winds gusting 50-60 mph and about 6" of snow with large drifts. This was after years of seeing basically no snow so I was blown away. It ended up switching to sleet by mid morning and sleeted all day. At some point we got some ZR too. It was the defining storm of my growing up because nothing else compared to it. I got out of school for a week. I missed the big snows of Dec 2008 since I had moved away.

3.) Dec 1996: I think it was the 26th but we got 1-1.25" of freezing rain that shut the city down for 1-2 days. I remember as it warmed up hearing all the branches breaking in the forest behind our home and crashing on the roof. That was pretty scary but also memorable. We lost power for 24 hours or so.

Honorary mention: 13" on Christmas day 2017 in Bountiful UT. Another 13" storm March 2018, with 4" in one hour from a LE band. That was part of my biggest snow season with a 95" annual total at my house. 

I just moved to OK last winter. Our two shots of winter were memorable but not for accumulation. The cold front in Dec was the sharpest I've ever seen. It dropped from 41 to 21 5-6am, which was when I took off to work. It was moderate freezing rain and was crazy slick. But on top of that, as it dipped into the teens it was freezing to my window even with the defrost. Pretty wild ride for sure. It fell down to 1-2F by early afternoon. Then in February we had an inch of sleet with numerous claps of thunder. Fun to see and caused some difficulties getting around but nothing too wild. 

I am definitely hoping this winter can deliver a real winter storm of some kind. 

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Winter 23-24: Total Snow (3.2")    Total Ice (0.2")     Coldest Low: 1F     Coldest High: 5F

Snow Events: 0.1" Jan 5th, 0.2" Jan 9th, 1.6" Jan 14, 0.2" (ice) Jan 22, 1.3" Feb 12

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On 6/30/2023 at 4:49 PM, Black Hole said:

For my top 3 storms I'd say:

1.) Dec 14 2015 (Bountiful UT). We hadn't seen any snow so far that winter and then it snowed for 30 hours in a row. I ended up with 19" of depth (a lot of it was wet snow at the beginning). I remember looking out my window at about 5 am and seeing my wire on my weather station about to break in half from the snow weight on it. I ran outside barefoot to save it lol It kept snowing super heavy all day, finally letting up around midnight. 

2.) January 6-8 2004 (Portland OR). Ended up with about 6-7" of snow, 3-4" of sleet, and 1" of ZR. Cold air had moved in on the 4th. I remember on the 5th the high was about 24F or so with 50 mph winds. I woke up on the 6th to 15F with winds gusting 50-60 mph and about 6" of snow with large drifts. This was after years of seeing basically no snow so I was blown away. It ended up switching to sleet by mid morning and sleeted all day. At some point we got some ZR too. It was the defining storm of my growing up because nothing else compared to it. I got out of school for a week. I missed the big snows of Dec 2008 since I had moved away.

3.) Dec 1996: I think it was the 26th but we got 1-1.25" of freezing rain that shut the city down for 1-2 days. I remember as it warmed up hearing all the branches breaking in the forest behind our home and crashing on the roof. That was pretty scary but also memorable. We lost power for 24 hours or so.

Honorary mention: 13" on Christmas day 2017 in Bountiful UT. Another 13" storm March 2018, with 4" in one hour from a LE band. That was part of my biggest snow season with a 95" annual total at my house. 

I just moved to OK last winter. Our two shots of winter were memorable but not for accumulation. The cold front in Dec was the sharpest I've ever seen. It dropped from 41 to 21 5-6am, which was when I took off to work. It was moderate freezing rain and was crazy slick. But on top of that, as it dipped into the teens it was freezing to my window even with the defrost. Pretty wild ride for sure. It fell down to 1-2F by early afternoon. Then in February we had an inch of sleet with numerous claps of thunder. Fun to see and caused some difficulties getting around but nothing too wild. 

I am definitely hoping this winter can deliver a real winter storm of some kind. 

You covered one of the great highlights of Oklahoma winter weather and it not usually in the totals.

It's in the extreme ways our weather usually starts or how you can wake up here one morning with the sun shining in January at 60°F then 12 hours later, it's 14 degrees and snowing sideways with a -2°F wind-chill over a layer cake of precip modes resembling an ice sheet. Also, the lightning in a sleet storm is a different and beautiful color. It makes your heart race a bit. It's beautiful and severe all at one time. So yeah, a lot of my favorite snows or storms didn't set records in any way, it was HOW that 4 inches of winter precip got there that is wild. 

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  • 2 months later...

Been poring over snowfall maps and such the way I like to do this time of year. I remembered the big flip in Jan of '85 from the warmth of Christmas '84. The first significant snowfall was NYE 1985 and it was "just" north of mby (I was only 20 so it was my parent's backyard tbh) and we had a major ice storm. The next 6 or 7 weeks continued very wintry and no doubt qualifies as one of the snowiest periods of record in The Mitt. There were places not even in any LES region that saw incredible depths at the peak in mid-February of 30-40" such as Standish along Saginaw Bay, and Lowell east of Grand Rapids (38" OTG). I was busy playing in large drifts on my two snowmobiles and never bothered to venture to NMI during that time. Which in retrospect was an opportunity missed. The deepest snow I've personally seen is 50" during Feb 1979 in NWMI. Going to be very hard to top that unless I want to go to some remote parts of the Yooperland intentionally on a mission. Looking at the data on file (and hearing firsthand accounts later when I lived in NWMI) I missed a golden opportunity to witness one of the deepest snow depths no doubt in the LP of Michigan. Here is Kalkaska. Imagine you've got 48" OTG and then you get 2 feet in one day on top of that. Must have been insane, even by that region's standards. 

 

Kalkaska SN Feb 1985.jpg

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Winter 2023-24 Snow Total = 52.8" (89% Normal Season)  Largest Storm: 12" (1/12-13)   Oct: 0.1 Nov: 2.9 Dec: 7.5 Jan: 31.7 Feb: 6.0 Mar: 4.1 Apr: 0.0

Avg = 59.2"  (Harrison): 2023-24 = xx.x" 

Avg = 45.0"  (KDTW): 2022-23 = 33.5"   2021-22 = 35.6"    

Avg = 49.7"  (KRMY): 2020-21 = 36.2"   2019-20 = 48.0"   2018-19 = 56.1"   2017-18 = 68.3"    2016-17 = 52"    2015-16 = 57.4"    2014-15 = 55.3"    2013-14 = 100.6" (coldest & snowiest in the modern record!)  2012-13 = 47.2"    2011-12 = 43.7"

Legit Blizzards (high winds and dbl digit snows): Feb 2011, Dec 2009, Jan 2005, Dec 2000, Jan 1999, Mar 1998, Nov 1989, Jan 1982, Jan 1978, Jan 1977, Apr 1975, Mar 1973, Jan 1967, Feb 1965, Jan 1918

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just perusing back through some of my notes I kept dating back to 2008 (I keep an excel file of past snow storms).  Here was one from 2/5/2008.  Widespread 10-18" of snow, including 11.7"  in Cedar Rapids.  I lived in North Liberty then and an observer reported 12", which in my notes I estimated 11-12" at my house with this one.  

Here were the warnings issued by DVN for that one.  What a fun storm.  Must have been one of the biggest ones of my lifetime.  I know I've never seen more than 12" in the Iowa City area (1/20/96 in Guttenberg, IA when I was in high school we got 15").  The GHD blizzards in the years to follow probably were larger overall, but directly in my backyard this one is right at the top of the list.  

 

 

image.png.d5375abc1c0b88e0e6024afb5b17717d.png

 

Forecast from DVN

image.png.1ca629174c7282001da27cea3c314c64.png

18.5" Centralia          
18.0" Winslow, IL          
16.0" Peosta          
15.5" Kieler, WI          
15.5" Lowden (observers all-time record snowfall was on January 12-13, 1979 with 16.7")
14.5" 1 mi W Elmira          
14.1" W side of Norway        
14.0" Maquoketa          
14.0" Hazel Green, WI        
14.0" 2 mi NW Cuba City, WI        
14.0" Shellsburg          
13.5" Dubuque          
13.0" Stockton, IL          
13.0" Sinsinawa          
13.0" 1 mi SSW Belle Plaine        
13.0" 4 mi N Onslo          
13.0" Hiawatha          
12.7" 5 mi NW of Cedar Rapids        
12.5 NE side of Cedar Rapids        
12.5" 1 mi E Anamosa        
12.3" 3 mi SSW Center Junction      
12.0" Victor          
12.0" Tipton          
12.0" Ely            
12.0" E side of Iowa City        
12.0" North Liberty          
11.8" 3 mi NW Mount Vernon        
11.7" Cedar Rapids (Official)... The forecast was 8-12"  
11.7" E side of Solon          
11.5" Marion          
11.5" E side of Lisbon        
11.4" 4 mi S Galena, IL        
11.2" West Liberty          
11.2" Dubuque (Official)... The forecast was 8-12"    
11.0" 1 mi WSW Amana        
11.0" Fairview          
11.0" Rowley          
11.0" Iowa City (Official)... The forecast was 8-12"    
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Blizzard of 1996 in NYC was on my mind today..not sure why, maybe because we are heading into winter eventually I guess...but man, I wish I can turn back time and relive that storm. Such a massive blizzard!!! It began snowing Saturday morning at 7:00am and it just kept snowing very heavy w/ winds of 50-70mph continuously for 37 Hours straight.  In northern Queens where I lived at that time, I received near 30" and could not even see the cars on the street w/ drifts as high as 8Ft. Temps throughout the storm were frigid. Mainly in the low teens and at night they dropped in the single digits w severe blizzard conditions. The whole area was a standstill. I don't think I will ever see a storm of this magnitude ever again.

Here..are some incredible pics:

https://www.silive.com/resizer/8mSHLwQCCbGT_sZsUbiyf2oQz8k=/1280x0/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/advancelocal/3TSJLFNGQZH7LD26YA775AZ7YI.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Blizzard_of_96_Snow_Drifts.jpg/220px-Blizzard_of_96_Snow_Drifts.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/afTB09vIupY/maxresdefault.jpg

https://robafry.typepad.com/.a/6a0115711a3a77970b01b8d2cdd786970c-600wi

https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2017/01/14/346312c7-f8d4-4f76-815c-cfed4dd22df7/thumbnail/1200x630/8068be8bc63e53c87ec5182eb3d1a562/gettyimages-52027990.jpg?v=42bbcea0e3eaab3fb7d470f54c86b0bd

https://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/TWCNews/nyc_snow_buried_carsap483807351526jpg

https://mattweberphotos.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/blizzard-1996-copy1.jpg

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Snowfall for Winter 2023 -24 for Metro Detroit Area 

Oct 2023: 0.2" AN

Nov 2023: 2.2" AN

Dec 2023: 0.5" BN Insane!

Jan 2024: 17.0" AN

Feb 2024: 1.9"  BN

Mar 2024: 4.9" BN

April 2024:

Season So Far: 26.7"

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  • 1 month later...

Even though I have never experienced this storm that hit Metro Detroit, it was fascinating just reading it. Sounds like it was one heck of a storm. Snow did not last too long otg though as temps torched a few days later after the blizzard and it was all a memory. For April standards, that storm was very impressive. Too bad it did not happened in the heart of winter. Hopefully, we can all see something like this this winter.

https://cms9files.revize.com/rochesterhillsmi/Museum/LocalHistory/Blizzardof1886.pdf

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Snowfall for Winter 2023 -24 for Metro Detroit Area 

Oct 2023: 0.2" AN

Nov 2023: 2.2" AN

Dec 2023: 0.5" BN Insane!

Jan 2024: 17.0" AN

Feb 2024: 1.9"  BN

Mar 2024: 4.9" BN

April 2024:

Season So Far: 26.7"

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22 hours ago, Niko said:

Even though I have never experienced this storm that hit Metro Detroit, it was fascinating just reading it. Sounds like it was one heck of a storm. Snow did not last too long otg though as temps torched a few days later after the blizzard and it was all a memory. For April standards, that storm was very impressive. Too bad it did not happened in the heart of winter. Hopefully, we can all see something like this this winter.

https://cms9files.revize.com/rochesterhillsmi/Museum/LocalHistory/Blizzardof1886.pdf

LOL Really?? Gosh, I'm 99.999999999999% certain none of us were around 137.5 years ago. 😝

Aside from that, I'm really glad you posted this link I luv weather history. I was reading some other write-up (NWS??) and it said that there were 12 foot drifts in the city of Detroit proper which is really hard to fathom tbh. Back then all these burbs like Rochester, etc were remote farming centers, not even considered "Detroit". Almost as difficult to picture in my head, is the record (briefly) deepest snow in downtown Detroit of 28" OTG during early March 1900. Detroit proper has such a poor Big Dog climo. It is very telling that the #1 and 2 storms were outside traditional winter. Only #3 (GHD-2) was a DJFM inclusive storm. Almost as rare as Big Dogs here in far SEMI is the ever elusive Blizzard Warning. I mean, check out this map and you can see that clearly DTX far and away leads the nation in lack of BW's for such a northern latitude. (and this is now 2 years later so add another 730-ish days onto that ugly number)

2021-12-06LastBlizWarningbyCWA.thumb.jpg.b7ec7a744f64f39b52875db629690a26.jpg  

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Winter 2023-24 Snow Total = 52.8" (89% Normal Season)  Largest Storm: 12" (1/12-13)   Oct: 0.1 Nov: 2.9 Dec: 7.5 Jan: 31.7 Feb: 6.0 Mar: 4.1 Apr: 0.0

Avg = 59.2"  (Harrison): 2023-24 = xx.x" 

Avg = 45.0"  (KDTW): 2022-23 = 33.5"   2021-22 = 35.6"    

Avg = 49.7"  (KRMY): 2020-21 = 36.2"   2019-20 = 48.0"   2018-19 = 56.1"   2017-18 = 68.3"    2016-17 = 52"    2015-16 = 57.4"    2014-15 = 55.3"    2013-14 = 100.6" (coldest & snowiest in the modern record!)  2012-13 = 47.2"    2011-12 = 43.7"

Legit Blizzards (high winds and dbl digit snows): Feb 2011, Dec 2009, Jan 2005, Dec 2000, Jan 1999, Mar 1998, Nov 1989, Jan 1982, Jan 1978, Jan 1977, Apr 1975, Mar 1973, Jan 1967, Feb 1965, Jan 1918

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  • 3 months later...

While yesterday was a record snowfall for Grand Rapids it more likely than not will be remember by most people. That was not the case on St Patrick’s day 1973 in the Bay City area.

Every now and then there is a storm that stays burned into your mind and you can remember the day and events for the rest of your life. For many here in the NW area of Grand Rapids it might be the May 1998 derecho (it’s one of mine) some of my other lifetime weather events are September 1st 1960 derecho in Bay City. The blizzards of 1967 and 1978 the 1976 ice storm and.
THE BLIZZARD AND FLOOD OF 1973. The March 17th storm started in the pre-dawn hours of March of 17th That March saw March have some very nice and mild late winter early spring weather with days in the 50’s and 60’s So when the storm started there was no snow on the ground and the water in Saginaw Bay was ice free.
My wife who I was dating at the time lived on Killarney Beach Road and I lived in the city of Bay City at that time. We went out of the night of the 16th and I took her home around 1 AM and it was not snowing at that time but it was windy with a strong NE wind. I went home and went to bed. It was just getting light out when I was awoken by the sound of thunder and lightning (a lot of thunder and lightning) and the sound of the wind. I looked out the window and all you could see was snow. During that thunder snow, thunderstorm visibilities were less than two hundred feet at best. Around 9 am my current wife called me and said that they were evacuating people down the road closer to the bay. (Killarney Beach Road runs right along the bay and there are beach front houses out there) and that there was water coming in from the bay and the waves where crashing into the houses there. My wife lived in from the Bay about a half mile and closer to the Bay City State Park. And was told by the sheriff department that their house should be ok. She asked me if I thought I could make it over to her house at the time I did not know. I turned on the TV and the radio. And to my surprise the water was not only hitting the houses by the bay but the water was being pushed up the Saginaw river and there was flooding going on right in the city of Bay City. The water did not get to where I lived but the snow sure did. In fact, Bay City had over 22” of snow and drifts up to 4 feet. Here is a short story on the events and the front page of the Bay City Times.

http://www.mybaycity.com/scripts/p3_v2/P3V3-0200.cfm?P3_ArticleID=8917
The water did not get to where my wife was living at that time and while I was not able to get to her house that day the next day (Sunday) I was able to get close enough to walk to her house. There was snow and water everywhere! It was the only time in my lifetime when I seen a blizzard and flood at the same time. That storm was a big east side of the state storm with Saginaw getting 21.3” Jackson getting 19” Flint getting 13.7” Here in Grand Rapids that storm in 1973 only dropped 8.5” so while a big late season storm not the event places on the east side of the state got.
Here is a more on the storm in Jackson
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2015/03/peek_through_time_who_remember.html

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