Your All-time favorite winter storms list

[Maxim_Ru]

19 hours ago, jaster220 said:

For snowfall amounts, did you mean centimeters (cm)??

About snowfall 3-4 February 2018 I showed in centimeters. For other moments I wrote in millimeters.

 

 

[jaster220]

6 hours ago, Maxim_Ru said:

About snowfall 3-4 February 2018 I showed in centimeters. For other moments I wrote in millimeters.

 

 

30 cm is a nice storm. 30 mm is very small. That's why I asked.

[Maxim_Ru]

17 hours ago, jaster220 said:

30 cm is a nice storm. 30 mm is very small. That's why I asked.

I've understood you.    

There are the data for those days(last two columns - precipitation and snow depth):

27612	Moscow	02.02.2018	-5.2			-9.1	-1.5	88	83	-13	-5	-5	1.9	2	4000 m	1012.9	1009.1	1016.9	992.7	989.3	996.4	10.0	8.3	0.4	0.9	1.3	36
27612	Moscow	03.02.2018	+0.3			-1.5	+0.9	95	91	-3	-1	-1	0.4	1	1000 m	1008.1	1005.7	1009.2	988.4	986.1	989.5	10.0	10.0	0.5	14	14.5	32
27612	Moscow	04.02.2018	-6.4			-11.6	+0.1	92	86	-16	-1	-1	1.4	3	1000 m	1003.2	999.5	1007.3	983.1	979.3	987.5	10.0	10.0	9	16	25.0	43
27612	Moscow	05.02.2018	-12.1			-13.1	-10.9	82	75	-19	-12	-12	2.0	10	4000 m	1007.7	1001.7	1013.5	987.1	981.3	992.8	10.0	5.8	6	2	8.0	55

 

Two cyclones increased snow depth from 36cm to 55cm. But because of the strong wind growth snow was less than total precipitation. 

 

 

[WinterSquall23]

Hello,

The storm I remember happened after Mt St Helens blew. It was Jan 1981.  From what my Dad told me a low pressure system set up and stalled in rhe columbia river gorge. It was close enough to bring in moisture from the pacific ocean and wrap around snd dump almost 2 feet of snow in our town. A friend of mine lived 1000 feet elevation and his family was litteraly snowed in after receiving 6 ft of snow.  I have a picture that I will attach to this story when I find it. 

It’s snowing so hard that the ridge behind the house is enveloped in it.  This is how I remember what a snow storm acted like. 

 

[gabel23]

Hands down the best winter and best winter storm came in 2009-2010. Two major blizzards one early in December and the next over X-mas. When things were all said and done my entire county had a 2 foot snow depth. The greatest in Hastings CWA at the time! My area seen a season's worth of snow in one month! 

 

 

[Niko]

For the Detroit Metro Area: I'd go for #3. That was a doozy. Kinda reminded me of a "Nor'Easter type storm. Also, #22 and #25. These last 2 numbers, were back to back snowstorms on the famous Winter of 2013-14. I had otg during that time (w these 2 storms combined) 21.7." Obviously, a lot more snow followed that Winter. At some point, here in SEMI, there was nearly 3ft of snow otg. Dang....who knows when we will see a Winter like that again.

https://www.weather.gov/dtx/dtwsnowstorm

[jaster220]

A day when walking to your neighbor's could be a deadly proposition.

If you like the format of TWC's "I survived a tornado" series, this documentary was done in a similar fashion. Looks to have been made for the 20th or even 25th anniversary but I just recently found it on youtube. Ohio really was the epicenter of the most dramatic and fierce change in conditions, even if their snow totals were less than Indiana and Michigan. It's also much more open down there a lot like the Plains so there was little to impede the record winds.

This is the kind of dynamic storm I'd like to witness again some day. Watch this when you have time in full screen mode. To see KTOL with these conditions is simply remarkable.

 

 

 

 

[OttumwaSnomow]

My favorite  snowstorm of all time will probably  always be the "megaopolis" storm of Feb 11, 1983 in North  Central Maryland.  I lived on my grandparents  dairy  farm.  The forecast at 6 pm on Feb 10 was for  4 to 7 inches. Snow began about 5 am the next day. Was moderate much of morning.  Heavy by noon,  becoming the most  intense  snow of my life to date.  From 1 pm to sunset visibility  was nill!  I still remember  repeated rounds of thundersnow.  Rates of 4 to 5 inches per hour much of that afternoon.  It ended about 7 pm..  a shocking  36" on our farm of about 1100 feet elevation. All in less than 17 hours!  1000s of cars were stranded on interstates.  That complete area totally  paralyzed.  Schools were closed for 5 to 7 days. The 1993 "superstorm" was also quite intense although  only 22" of snow due to hours of sleet, the low pressure and intense  wind and 10 foot drifts were crazy!  I also happen to be in Maryland  for the January 24, 2016 storm. In that Baltimore  set its all time record of 32" and on My grandparents  farm a hour west they  easily  had over 40".

In the midewest the groundhog  day 2011  takes the cake. 17" and  8 foot drifts.

[Stormy]

5 hours ago, OttumwaSnomow said:

My favorite  snowstorm of all time will probably  always be the "megaopolis" storm of Feb 11, 1983 in North  Central Maryland.  I lived on my grandparents  dairy  farm.  The forecast at 6 pm on Feb 10 was for  4 to 7 inches. Snow began about 5 am the next day. Was moderate much of morning.  Heavy by noon,  becoming the most  intense  snow of my life to date.  From 1 pm to sunset visibility  was nill!  I still remember  repeated rounds of thundersnow.  Rates of 4 to 5 inches per hour much of that afternoon.  It ended about 7 pm..  a shocking  36" on our farm of about 1100 feet elevation. All in less than 17 hours!  1000s of cars were stranded on interstates.  That complete area totally  paralyzed.  Schools were closed for 5 to 7 days. The 1993 "superstorm" was also quite intense although  only 22" of snow due to hours of sleet, the low pressure and intense  wind and 10 foot drifts were crazy!  I also happen to be in Maryland  for the January 24, 2016 storm. In that Baltimore  set its all time record of 32" and on My grandparents  farm a hour west they  easily  had over 40".

In the midewest the groundhog  day 2011  takes the cake. 17" and  8 foot drifts.

That first storm you mentioned would be insane and plain amazing! 

[snowstorm83]

After a couple more years in Neb, my list looks a bit different.

1. Jan 25 2021: No explanation needed. Accumulating snow from before sunrise to past sunset. 12-16" in the Lincoln area.

2. Feb 23 2019: Blizzard conditions w/ snow already on the ground, 8" of new snow. 

3. Feb 6 and 7 Clippers, 2021: 2 back to back clippers producing a total of 8-10", super rare here plus saved a dying snowpack. Not to mention the low singles and sub zero temps during these snows.

4. Mid Feb 2019: Not super notable, but a train of snow events which buried the area and prepared us for the blizzard. 

5. Mar 7 2019: Kind of a random one to throw in here since there was only 4-5", but it's one of those that I remember fondly. Don't beleive much was expected, but it was kind of a last hurrah of the winter with 4" in just a few hours.

 

Honorable mentions:

Oct 14 2018: Surpise 4" of snow early in the season, loved it

Apr 16 2020: 4.5" of spring snow following a GARBAGE season, was a nice way to end things for the year. 

Jan 2019: 2 different snow storms of 4-6" this month, I believe both overperformed as we were on the northern edge. 

[westMJim]

A blast From the Past

Over the years there have been some big snowstorms on or near St Patrick’s day. In 2014 parts of the mid-Atlantic got walloped. Washington, D.C., received 7.2 inches of snow and for Washington that was some storm.  As the 10th-largest March storm in Washington, D.C., it knocked the historic blizzard of 1993 off the list of 10 most prolific March snowfalls. Snow amounts from West Virginia to Maryland ranged from a few inches to more than a foot, with the heaviest amounts spanning West Virginia and northwestern Virginia.
Another big St Patrick’s day snowstorm was in1965 when portions of the Chicago area received over a foot of snow and with winds of up to 52 MPH knocked power out to thousands. Grand Rapids also got into the act with a reported 5.7” on the 17th and another 5.7” on the 18th and 2” more on the 19th for a 3-day total of 13.4” March 1965 was and still is the snowiest March in recorded history at Grand Rapids with 36” of snow fall. That year by March 24^th there was a total of 15” of snow on the ground at Grand Rapids and it took until April 9^th before all the snow melted.
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 (its 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 look 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

[Andie]

On 2/12/2021 at 12:51 AM, jaster220 said:

A day when walking to your neighbor's could be a deadly proposition.

If you like the format of TWC's "I survived a tornado" series, this documentary was done in a similar fashion. Looks to have been made for the 20th or even 25th anniversary but I just recently found it on youtube. Ohio really was the epicenter of the most dramatic and fierce change in conditions, even if their snow totals were less than Indiana and Michigan. It's also much more open down there a lot like the Plains so there was little to impede the record winds.

This is the kind of dynamic storm I'd like to witness again some day. Watch this when you have time in full screen mode. To see KTOL with these conditions is simply remarkable.

 

 

 

 

Yup. Lived through it in Aurora, I’ll. Just outside Chicago. 
once was enough for this Texan. Hauled arse as quickly as possible.  

Recent Sub freezing experience of 32 hrs in a 38* house alone while my husband kept emergency services fueled and operational was no piece of cake. No power at all. Heated water on grill outside.  I’ll take 108* summers, thanks. 

[sumweatherdude]

2011 Groundhog's day in Chicago. 21.2 inches.   I moved away from Chicago a couple of months later.  It was a great send off.  Couple of pics from our house and one from Lakeshore Drive.

 

 

 

 

[Tom]

46 minutes ago, someweatherdude said:

2011 Groundhog's day in Chicago. 21.2 inches.   I moved away from Chicago a couple of months later.  It was a great send off.  Couple of pics from our house and one from Lakeshore Drive.

 

 

 

 

Oh man, you just brought back some good memories!  This also has to be the best storm of my lifetime.  The winds, drifts, snow rates, synoptic snow plus heavy backside Lake Effect snow to top it off.  

[jaster220]

@OKwx2k4

Hey buddy, you mentioned some time ago that you/your fam remembered the big storm of '78 down in your neck of the woods as one of the historic events.

I was curious so I looked at that myself and was surprised to see that the January '77 OHV Big Dog seems to have been further SW with impacts than next Jan's in '78.

Is it possible you were actually remembering the '77 storm which seems to have dropped much more snow in NWAR and even in OK vs '78. Here's the 2 maps for comparison. Keeping in mind they are DEPTH, so more snow likely was measured along the southern fringes where it's borderline on temps.

1978:

1977:

Oh for a return to the glory days for OHV-Lwr Lakes winters of yore..

[Anti Marine Layer]

On 10/7/2021 at 9:20 AM, someweatherdude said:

2011 Groundhog's day in Chicago. 21.2 inches.   I moved away from Chicago a couple of months later.  It was a great send off.  Couple of pics from our house and one from Lakeshore Drive.

 

 

 

 

Guess who didn't see his shadow. 

[Niko]

Blizzard of "96" will always remain one of the best blizzards I have ever experienced in NYC. There were wind gusts of 50 mph and snow drifts up to 8 feet high. Just incredible. At that time, I lived in Queens, 15min away from the city and it was impossible to drive anywhere. Roads were impassable for days. No transportation as well. Everything was at a standstill for days and days. Visibility during this raging blizzard was zero for so many hours. I have never seen anything like it b4 in my lifetime. First pic is in Queens (Northern part).

Second pic was taken in downtown NYC, in the Village, near St. Marks St.

[Tom]

9 hours ago, Niko said:

Blizzard of "96" will always remain one of the best blizzards I have ever experienced in NYC. There were wind gusts of 50 mph and snow drifts up to 8 feet high. Just incredible. At that time, I lived in Queens, 15min away from the city and it was impossible to drive anywhere. Roads were impassable for days. No transportation as well. Everything was at a standstill for days and days. Visibility during this raging blizzard was zero for so many hours. I have never seen anything like it b4 in my lifetime. First pic is in Queens (Northern part).

Second pic was taken in downtown NYC, in the Village, near St. Marks St.

That’s an epic Blitz and reminds me of the stories my parents told me of storms in the late 70’s.  Hopefully we enter a decade of more storms like these…this could be the year!

[Niko]

5 hours ago, Tom said:

That’s an epic Blitz and reminds me of the stories my parents told me of storms in the late 70’s.  Hopefully we enter a decade of more storms like these…this could be the year!

Tbh, I have a very good feeling about this year. That GB will be our friend this upcoming Winter!

[jaster220]

5 hours ago, Tom said:

That’s an epic Blitz and reminds me of the stories my parents told me of storms in the late 70’s.  Hopefully we enter a decade of more storms like these…this could be the year!

25 minutes ago, Niko said:

Tbh, I have a very good feeling about this year. That GB will be our friend this upcoming Winter!

Since this was way before the web (in NMI anyways), I didn't have much firsthand knowledge of how bad this hit NY/East Coast. Personally, I was in the midst of what would end up being the longest and snowiest winter of my lifetime (think SEMI 2013-14 but add 2.5 months duration and DOUBLE the snow total). I do remember contacting a firm down in Cincinatti for business, and the guy answered and told me "we just had a massive snowstorm and there's really nobody able to get into the factory but me". That was well west in SOH and ofc the beast-mode storms just get more beastly when they grab Atlantic moisture along the coast. That 1st image is basically West Michigan in '77, 78, & 79. #awesomeness

[Niko]

4 hours ago, jaster220 said:

Since this was way before the web (in NMI anyways), I didn't have much firsthand knowledge of how bad this hit NY/East Coast. Personally, I was in the midst of what would end up being the longest and snowiest winter of my lifetime (think SEMI 2013-14 but add 2.5 months duration and DOUBLE the snow total). I do remember contacting a firm down in Cincinatti for business, and the guy answered and told me "we just had a massive snowstorm and there's really nobody able to get into the factory but me". That was well west in SOH and ofc the beast-mode storms just get more beastly when they grab Atlantic moisture along the coast. That 1st image is basically West Michigan in '77, 78, & 79. #awesomeness

I hope we can see another one of these in our lifetime again amigo.

[OKwx2k4]

On 11/7/2021 at 8:39 AM, jaster220 said:

@OKwx2k4

Hey buddy, you mentioned some time ago that you/your fam remembered the big storm of '78 down in your neck of the woods as one of the historic events.

I was curious so I looked at that myself and was surprised to see that the January '77 OHV Big Dog seems to have been further SW with impacts than next Jan's in '78.

Is it possible you were actually remembering the '77 storm which seems to have dropped much more snow in NWAR and even in OK vs '78. Here's the 2 maps for comparison. Keeping in mind they are DEPTH, so more snow likely was measured along the southern fringes where it's borderline on temps.

1978:

1977:

Oh for a return to the glory days for OHV-Lwr Lakes winters of yore..

I'm not 100 percent which was which offhand, but one had the greatness for consecutive length of a snowpack so far to the south and the other for sheer depth and power. Some of the shadows of that wouldn't be seen again really until late 1983-84.

[jaster220]

On 11/9/2021 at 9:23 AM, Tom said:

That’s an epic Blitz and reminds me of the stories my parents told me of storms in the late 70’s.  Hopefully we enter a decade of more storms like these…this could be the year!

Back when even Kansas and Ohio could be buried in deep snow cover! #snownation

[Clinton]

9 minutes ago, jaster220 said:

Back when even Kansas and Ohio could be buried in deep snow cover! #snownation

My dad still talks of those years. I was born in 78 and we had snow in mid April.

[jaster220]

1 hour ago, Clinton said:

My dad still talks of those years. I was born in 78 and we had snow in mid April.

You know what's insane (to me anyways, lol). The 11 year period of my "youth" in my native area of SEMI was so reliably snowy for a non-LES locale that out of 66 months when snow was possible, only (2) were a complete failure to see a measurable amount. An amazing 96.97% of those months there was measurable snowfall. That'd be like the snow-belts of the UP nowadays (SMH).

But there's more, look closely at the "Max" row of snowiest months. What's missing? The (3) winters with the most notoriety (77/78/79) didn't make that list! That's how snowy the 70's were for the Lwr Lakes when I was a kid. And I didn't have a clue (til the disappointing 80's) what a golden stretch of wintry years I got to experience. 

[Iceresistance]

1. February 2021 Extreme Cold & Snow: 10 & 8 inches of snow from 2 powerful storms, then it fell to -22°F at the house, which is an all-time record low for my place. And it was below freezing for 2 whole weeks.

2. 2011 Groundhog Day Blizzard: No need for much description, it was insane

3. 2020 October Ice Storm: up to 2 inches of Ice accreted on trees, earliest Ice Storm Warning ever done for NWS-Norman 

4. Christmas Day Blizzard of 2009, I was in Springfield, MO with my Great-Grandparents when the storm struck, took over 10 hours to get home on I-44, my house got 12 inches

5. March 4th, 2015 Snowstorm, biggest March snowstorm I've experienced, 4 inches

[jaster220]

Apparently Dec's bliz at KBUF triggered the production of this new vid on the historic OHV winters of lore. If you're from the GL's and OHV you will appreciate how in-depth this guy gets.

 

[WinterSquall23]

On 11/9/2021 at 3:01 PM, jaster220 said:

Since this was way before the web (in NMI anyways), I didn't have much firsthand knowledge of how bad this hit NY/East Coast. Personally, I was in the midst of what would end up being the longest and snowiest winter of my lifetime (think SEMI 2013-14 but add 2.5 months duration and DOUBLE the snow total). I do remember contacting a firm down in Cincinatti for business, and the guy answered and told me "we just had a massive snowstorm and there's really nobody able to get into the factory but me". That was well west in SOH and ofc the beast-mode storms just get more beastly when they grab Atlantic moisture along the coast. That 1st image is basically West Michigan in '77, 78, & 79. #awesomeness

I missed this one. We had family reporting that they shoveled over 80 inches that winter of 2013-14 in SEMI.  

[Stormy]

On 11/25/2021 at 8:25 PM, jaster220 said:

Back when even Kansas and Ohio could be buried in deep snow cover! #snownation

Where do you get these maps? Link? I always liked these maps that you post from years ago. Thanks in advance! 

[Hawkeye]

It's difficult to make a list of favorite winter storms because we rarely get storms big enough to stand out.  Regarding snow events, maybe the 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard.  We only got 10", but the drifting was the worst I can remember.  Ice-wise, the December 2007 ice storm was by far the worst.  I was just looking at photos a few days ago.

[gabel23]

4 hours ago, Sparky said:

Where do you get these maps? Link? I always liked these maps that you post from years ago. Thanks in advance! 

 

[ATW]

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. 

[Stormy]

7 hours ago, gabel23 said:

 

Hmmm. I didn't expect it to be from YT. Thanks

[chescowxman]

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"

 

[Black Hole]

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. 

[Jim Tezeta]

I spent pd2 in Boston. The snow was epic but with 4 guys in the hotel the air went a little stagnant. Luckily there was 25+ inches outside to freshen us up. 

[OKwx2k4]

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. 

[jaster220]

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 is 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.