Showing posts with label Winter weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Winter weather. Show all posts

Monday, March 25, 2013

Snowbound Sunday in Springfield: All-Time Daily Snowfall Record;
St. Louis Also Sets March Record



The National Weather Service reports that Springfield, Illinois set a daily snowfall record on March 24:
A RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL OF 17 INCHES WAS SET AT SPRINGFIELD IL ON   
SUNDAY MARCH 24TH. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 2.4 INCHES SET IN 1947.  
According to NWS data, this would also be an all-time daily snowfall record at Springfield:

MOST SNOW IN 24 HOURS
Rank Amount Date
1 15.0 inches Feb. 28, 1900
2 13.3 inches Jan. 1-2, 1999
3 12.6 inches Jan. 30-31, 1914
4 11.3 inches Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2008
5 11.2 inches Feb. 12-13, 2007
6 10.9 inches Dec. 19, 1973
7 10.7 inches Feb. 12, 1894
8 10.5 inches Dec. 24, 1915
9 10.3 inches Feb. 23-24, 1965
10 9.4 inches March 19-20, 1906

A daily snowfall record was also set at Peoria and Lincoln:
A RECORD SNOWFALL OF 7 INCHES WAS SET AT PEORIA IL ON SUNDAY   
MARCH 24TH. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 3.7 INCHES SET IN 1933.  

A DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL OF 10.8 INCHES WAS SET AT LINCOLN IL ON  
SUNDAY MARCH 24TH. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 4 INCHES SET IN   
1947.    
According to NWS records, this is also an all-time March daily record for Lincoln, exceeding the 7.5" on March 16, 1960.

The axis of heaviest snow also extended westward to St. Louis, where it was the heaviest daily snowfall for March and the second heaviest for any calendar day. From the NWS:
THE LATE SEASON WINTER STORM WHICH BROUGHT VERY HEAVY SNOW TO THE
REGION YESTERDAY WILL GO DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS THE HIGHEST
CALENDAR DAY MARCH SNOWFALL. THIS WAS ALSO THE SECOND HIGHEST
CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL EVER...AND THE SIXTH GREATEST SNOWFALL EVENT
FOR ST LOUIS.

HERE ARE THE TOP TEN LISTS (PLEASE NOTE THAT OFFICIAL SNOWFALL
RECORDS FOR ST LOUIS GO BACK TO 1891)...

TOP TEN MARCH CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL
(MIDNIGHT TO MIDNIGHT)

1. *12.4 INCHES  3/24/2013
2.  12.1 INCHES  3/24/1912
3.  10.0 INCHES  3/4/2008...3/6/1989...3/9/1958
6.   9.1 INCHES  3/19/1906
7.   8.6 INCHES  3/20/1924
8.   8.3 INCHES  3/26/1913
9.   7.8 INCHES  3/2/1912
10.  7.3 INCHES  3/23/1974

TOP TEN SNOWFALL CALENDAR DAYS
(MIDNIGHT TO MIDNIGHT)

1.  12.8 INCHES  2/26/1906
2.  *12.4 INCHES 3/24/2013
3.  12.1 INCHES  3/24/1912
4.  12.0 INCHES  12/19/1973
5.  11.7 INCHES  2/13/1914
6.  11.3 INCHES  2/16/1910
7.  11.2 INCHES  1/31/1958
8.  11.0 INCHES  1/11/1909
9.  10.9 INCHES  1/16/1978
10  10.5 INCHES  12/30/1973

TOP TEN SNOWFALL EVENTS
(ANY 24 HOUR PERIOD...POSSIBLY SPANNING CALENDAR DAYS)

1.  15.6 INCHES  2/20-21/1912
2.  13.9 INCHES  1/30-31/1982
3.  13.3 INCHES  2/16-17/1910
4.  13.0 INCHES  2/12-13/1914
5.  12.8 INCHES  2/26/1906
6.  *12.6 INCHES 3/24-25/2013  (7AM-7AM CDT)
7.  12.5 INCHES  1/16-17/1978
8.  12.1 INCHES  3/24/1912
9.  12.0 INCHES  12/19/1973
10. 12.0 INCHES  1/11-12/1909  

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Washington March Snow: Rare Event Becoming Rarer?



The climatological average for March snowfall in Washington is just 1.3", so significant snowfalls in the first month of meteorological spring are rare. With the bust of the current "Snowquester", it's likely that 2013 will add to a string of nearly snowless Marches extending back to 2009, when a total of 5.5" was recorded.

In the early days of official snowfall records, which began in Washington in 1888, March snow was relatively common. In fact, the first 6 years in the climate record had measurable March snow; 3 of those were over 10".

The chart shows on the horizontal axis all of the years with 4" or more of total snowfall in March. The vertical axis is the number of years since the previous occurrence of 4"+. For example, if 4" occurred in consecutive years, the interval would be shown as 1. For the first several decades, the interval between significant March snows never exceeded 4 years, but in 1923 it reached 9. The interval reached double digits for the first time in 1956, when it was 13. It was 13 again in 1993, and 10 in 2009, which ended a March snow dry spell that began after 1999.

Unless this month has a miraculous snowfall recovery, the current March snow drought will be 4 years and counting.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Blizzard Threatens Texas All-Time Snowfall Records




8 PM CST February 26 Update: Map updated with final totals.

8 PM CST Update: The Amarillo snow total of 19" is the third heaviest for any storm on record:

4 PM CST Update: Here are some unofficial snowfall reports from the National Weather Service for the Texas panhandle:
Location              Snowfall  Source
7 ENE Amarillo  TX      17      nws office
Fritch          TX      16      trained spotter
Pampa           TX      15      co-op observer
6 SE Booker     TX      14      trained spotter
Fritch          TX      14      trained spotter
White Deer      TX      14      public
Booker          TX      14      emergency mngr
Fritch          TX      13      public
3 S Darrouzett  TX      12.5    trained spotter
Dumas           TX      12      law enforcement
Bushland        TX      12      public
6 SW Amarillo   TX      12      trained spotter 
Original Post:
The ongoing blizzard in the Texas panhandle is threatening to break some all-time Texas snowfall records. These are the current snowfall records at Amarillo, from the National Weather Service:

Max for 24 hours: 20.6 inches on March 25-26, 1934
Max for a single storm: 20.6 inches on March 25-26, 1934
Max for one month: 28.7 inches in February 1903
Max measured snow depth: 17.0 inches on February 26, 1903
Max for a season: 50.9 inches in 1918-19

The NWS at Amarillo reports:
GOING FORECAST STILL ON TRACK. THE NWS OFFICE NOW HAS OVER 13 INCHES
ON THE GROUND WITH 3-4 FOOT DRIFTS AND A MAX GUST TO 58 MPH. THE SE
TX PANHANDLE HAS BEEN SLOW TO FILL IN WITH SNOW AFTER THE
THUNDERSTORMS THAT DROPPED HEAVY RAIN LAST NIGHT AND THESE AREAS
MIGHT END UP WITH AMOUNTS CLOSER TO THE 8 INCH SIDE THAN THE 14 INCH
SIDE OF THEIR RANGE. AT THE END OF THE DAY...THE HEAVIEST TOTALS
WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE ALONG A PALO DURO CANYON TO AMARILLO TO
STINNETT TO PERRYTON LINE.

SOME RECORDS SEEM TO BE IN A PRECARIOUS POSITION TODAY. THE FIRST IS
AN ALL-TIME 24 HOUR SNOWFALL RECORD AT AMARILLO OF 20.6 INCHES FROM
MARCH 25-26 1934. WE WILL LIKELY GET VERY CLOSE OR SURPASS THIS
NUMBER BY THIS AFTERNOON.

THE OTHER IS THE ALL-TIME STATE OF TEXAS 24 HOUR SNOWFALL RECORD OF
25 INCHES IN FOLLETT SET MARCH 28 2009. SOMEWHERE IN THE
PERRYTON/STINNETT/BORGER/AMARILLO AREA COULD APPROACH THIS VALUE BY
THIS AFTERNOON.  

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Next Storm Threatens Wichita All-Time Monthly Snow Record [Update: Record Broken]


February 26, 9 AM CST Update: The Wichita daily record snowfall of 4.8" yesterday, plus 2" so far today, brings the monthly total to 21", which breaks the record.

February 25, 8 PM CST Update: The heaviest snow appears to be passing south of Wichita. The National Weather Service reports just 1.9" so far today.

4 PM CST Update: The latest National Weather Service updated forecast calls for over 14" of snow at Wichita. This could exceed the old monthly record by an incredible 8":



Original Post:
It's still getting itself organized over the Rockies, but the next Midwest storm is threatening to bring heavy snow to Kansas for the second time within a week. The current forecast is calling for 6-12" of new snow for Wichita. If this verifies even slightly above the low end of the range, it could push the current monthly total of 14.2" above the all-time monthly record of 20.5" set exactly 100 years ago.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Second Biggest Snowstorm on Record at Wichita

8 PM CST Update: Unofficial reports of 12" or more of snow in Kansas have been added below.

Original post:
The latest National Weather Service storm total report from Wichita, Kansas indicates that the 14.2" so far is the second biggest snowstorm since records began in 1888. According to the latest hourly report, snow has now ended. Elsewhere in Kansas, unofficial reports were as high as 18". From the NWS:
.TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON   
.DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.    
            ..REMARKS..  
  
0440 PM     HEAVY SNOW       WICHITA MID CONTINENT A 37.66N 97.44W   
02/21/2013  M14.2 INCH       SEDGWICK           KS   OFFICIAL NWS OBS  
  
            OFFICIAL STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR WICHITA THROUGH 440 PM.  

0448 PM     HEAVY SNOW       NASHVILLE               37.44N 98.42W   
02/21/2013  M18.0 INCH       KINGMAN            KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT   
  
0448 PM     HEAVY SNOW       SPIVEY                  37.45N 98.17W   
02/21/2013  M14.0 INCH       KINGMAN            KS   TRAINED SPOTTER   
  
0448 PM     HEAVY SNOW       KINGMAN                 37.65N 98.11W   
02/21/2013  M14.0 INCH       KINGMAN            KS   EMERGENCY MNGR   
The NWS chart shows the previous top 20 snowstorms at Wichita:



This storm will also make February 2013 a top-20 snowiest month and the 5th snowiest February at Wichita:



[Update] Here are some unofficial reports of 12" or more:
THE TOTALS BELOW ARE SEPARATED INTO SNOW...AND ICE AND SLEET  
CATEGORIES...THEN BY AMOUNT...AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE  
FINAL AMOUNT FOR EACH LOCATION.  
  
SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT  
  
 INCHES  LOCATION                 ST  COUNTY           TIME  
 ------  -----------------------  --  --------------   -------  
 18.00   NASHVILLE                KS  KINGMAN          0448 PM  
 14.20   WICHITA MID CONTINENT A  KS  SEDGWICK         0440 PM  
                 OFFICIAL STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR WICHITA  
                 THROUGH 440 PM.  
 14.00   NORWICH                  KS  KINGMAN          0503 PM  
                 7 INCHES OF NEW SNOWFALL SINCE EARLY THIS  
                 MORNING WITH TOTAL OF 14 INCHES ON GROUND.  
 14.00   SPIVEY                   KS  KINGMAN          0448 PM  
 14.00   KINGMAN                  KS  KINGMAN          0448 PM  
 14.00   CLEARWATER               KS  SEDGWICK         0348 PM  
 14.00   WICHITA MID CONTINENT A  KS  SEDGWICK         0346 PM  
                 OFFICIAL STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR WICHITA.  
 14.00   CLEARWATER               KS  SEDGWICK         0245 PM  
 13.50   HUTCHINSON               KS  RENO             0554 PM  
                 STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL RANGED FROM 12 TO 15  
                 INCHES IN THE HUTCHINSON AREA.  
 13.10   HUTCHINSON               KS  RENO             1142 AM  
 13.00   8 E KINGMAN              KS  KINGMAN          0644 PM  
 13.00   ELLSWORTH                KS  ELLSWORTH        0429 PM  
                 STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL.  
 13.00   N LYONS                  KS  RICE             0404 PM  
                 SNOWFALL REPORTS ACROSS THE COUNTY RANGE FROM  
                 12 TO 14 INCHES.  
 13.00   MCPHERSON                KS  MCPHERSON        1203 PM  
 12.80   1 E HAYSVILLE            KS  SEDGWICK         0457 PM  
 12.50   WICHITA MID CONTINENT A  KS  SEDGWICK         0246 PM  
                 OFFICIAL STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL SO FAR FOR  
                 WICHITA.  
 12.00   4 ESE MARQUETTE          KS  MCPHERSON        0535 PM  
 12.00   MCPHERSON                KS  MCPHERSON        0534 PM  
                 STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL WAS 11.8 INCHES WITH  
                 DEPTH AT 11.0 INCHES.  
 12.00   SALINA                   KS  SALINE           0438 PM  
                 SNOW TOTAL WAS REPORTED TO BE 11.7 INCHES  
 12.00   LYONS                    KS  RICE             1016 AM  
                 DRIFTS OF UNSPECIFIED DEPTH ALSO REPORTED.  
 12.00   5 N EL DORADO            KS  BUTLER           0930 AM  
                 RURAL REPORTS OF 12 INCHES OF SNOW NORTH OF  
                 EL DORADO.  

Monday, February 18, 2013

SnowNoGettin': Washington on Track for Record Lowest 3-Year Total Snowfall, Largest 3-Year Decrease



As the massive snowfalls of the 2009-1010 season fade into the rear-view mirror, Washington DC is close to ending meteorological winter with a near-record low 3-year snow total. With the latest nor'easter bombing out well offshore, there is no Presidents' Day snowfall this year, and model indications are that there will be little, if any, snow in the next 10 days. That would end meteorological winter with a puny 1.5", the lowest since the 0.1" in November 1997 through February 1998. For the past 3 years, the winter total of 13.4" is likely to be the second lowest on record, ahead of the 14.1" in the 3-year interval ending in 2008-09. This means that two of the three lowest 3-year totals will be the periods immediately preceding and following the record season of 2009-2010.

For the entire season (including all months), assuming no more snow in February, the highly erratic month of March would have to contribute nearly 5" for the 3-year seasonal total to exceed the current record low for the period ending in 1998-99.

Comparing consecutive 3-year totals, the current amount of 13.6" is a massive 54.6" less than the 3-year total ending last year, which included the record high season. This is over 13" more than the 3-year decrease observed in 1901-02, the current record decrease.

Images (click to enlarge):
- Washington 3-year snow totals ending at season indicated
- Lowest Washington 3-year winter-only (November-February) snow totals
- Lowest Washington 3-year snow totals (2013 to date)
- Largest decreases in consecutive 3-year Washington snow totals (2013 to date)
CapitalClimate charts from National Weather Service data; background image © Kevin Ambrose

Saturday, February 9, 2013

New England Blizzard 2013 Update: Top 10 Snowfall Records Set, All-Time Highest at Portland


Image (click to enlarge): Top 10 snowfall totals for southern New England, from National Weather Service

February 10 Update: The Providence total has been corrected to 16.6", making this the 9th biggest snowstorm.

Original Post:
As the snow has wound down over New England, the National Weather Service is reporting top 10 storm snowfall totals at its major climate reporting stations. The preliminary total of 31.9" at Portland was an all-time record, but official climate records at Portland extend back only to 1941.
Location      Amount Rank
Portland ME    31.9" 1st
Worcester MA   28.7" 3rd
Hartford CT    22.8" 2nd
Providence RI  16.6" 9th
Boston MA      24.9" 5th 
As of 4 PM today (Saturday), here are unofficial NWS reports of 2 feet or more:
********************STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL********************  
  
LOCATION          STORM TOTAL     TIME/DATE   COMMENTS                     
                     SNOWFALL           OF   
                     /INCHES/   MEASUREMENT  
  
CONNECTICUT  
   
..HARTFORD COUNTY  
  
   GLASTONBURY           33.5   326 PM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   MANCHESTER            32.0  1030 AM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   WEATOGUE              31.0  1012 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   FARMINGTON            29.0   918 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   GRANBY                29.0   938 AM  2/09  NWS EMPLOYEE              
   NEWINGTON             28.0  1240 PM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   BURLINGTON            27.5   902 AM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   2 SE ENFIELD          27.2   700 AM  2/09  COCORAHS                  
   1 WSW WETHERSFIELD    27.0   900 AM  2/09  COCORAHS                  
   HARTFORD              27.0   929 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   CANTON                26.0   956 AM  2/09  NONE                      
   NORTH GRANBY          25.0   610 AM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   AVON                  25.0   239 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   1 ENE NORTH GRANBY    25.0   900 AM  2/09  COCORAHS                  
   WEST HARTFORD         24.5   218 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   3 NNW WEST HARTFORD   24.3   730 AM  2/09  COCORAHS                  
   BRISTOL               24.0   908 AM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   SIMSBURY              24.0   618 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO     

..TOLLAND COUNTY  
  
   COVENTRY              32.5  1143 AM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   STAFFORDVILLE         31.4   100 PM  2/09  NWS COOP                  
   TOLLAND               30.5   914 AM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   STAFFORD SPRINGS      26.1  1237 PM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   SOMERS                25.5   646 AM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   VERNON                25.0   402 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   
..WINDHAM COUNTY  
  
   EAST KILLINGLY        26.0  1105 AM  2/09  NONE                      
   WOODSTOCK             26.0  1026 AM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   THOMPSON              25.5  1008 AM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   HAMPTON               25.0   829 AM  2/09  COOP OBSERVER             
   ASHFORD               24.0   828 AM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC        

MASSACHUSETTS  
   
..BRISTOL COUNTY  
  
   FALL RIVER            24.0  1122 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                

..ESSEX COUNTY  
  
   SAUGUS                28.2  1243 PM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   LYNN                  27.0  1152 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   SALEM                 25.0   405 PM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   MIDDLETON             25.0   258 PM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   METHUEN               24.5  1112 AM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   TOPSFIELD             24.0   243 PM  2/09  NONE                

..HAMPDEN COUNTY  
  
   SOUTHWICK             28.3   800 AM  2/09  NONE                      
   AGAWAM                24.0  1120 AM  2/09  TRAINRD SPOTTER           
   MONSON                24.0   653 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   BLANDFORD             24.0   446 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 

..HAMPSHIRE COUNTY  
  
   WESTHAMPTON           25.0   913 AM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   NORTHAMPTON           24.0   700 AM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER     

..MIDDLESEX COUNTY  
  
   FRAMINGHAM            30.5   910 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   WINCHESTER            30.2   319 PM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   WILMINGTON            29.0   323 PM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   SOMERVILLE            28.0   932 AM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   WAKEFIELD             27.5   100 PM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   ACTON                 27.0   128 PM  2/09  GENERAL  PUBLIC           
   BELMONT               27.0   732 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   LITTLETON             27.0   903 AM  2/09  NONE                      
   MELROSE               26.5   553 AM  2/09  NONE                      
   READING               26.2   210 PM  2/09  TRIAINED SPOTTER          
   CAMBRIDGE             26.0  1112 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   HUDSON                26.0   936 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   TYNGSBORO             26.0  1032 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   SHERBORN              25.8   716 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   NORTH WOBURN          25.5   352 PM  2/09  NONE                      
   1 SW ACTON            25.4   845 AM  2/09  COCORAHS                  
   TOWNSEND              25.1  1016 AM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   2 NNE NATICK          25.0   840 AM  2/09  COCORAHS                  
   WALTHAM               25.0   734 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   DRACUT                24.9   105 PM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   NATICK                24.0  1022 AM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   WESTFORD              24.0   725 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   MEDFORD               24.0   812 AM  2/09  NONE                      
   MAYNARD               24.0   937 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO         

..NORFOLK COUNTY  
  
   QUINCY                30.0   104 PM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   MILTON                28.0   143 PM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   1 NW WEYMOUTH         26.0   800 AM  2/09  COCORAHS                  
   WEYMOUTH              26.0   911 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   WRENTHAM              26.0   702 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   RANDOLPH              26.0   152 PM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   NORTH WEYMOUTH        25.8   400 PM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   BROOKLINE             25.5  1125 AM  2/09  NWS EMPLOYEE              
   NORWOOD               25.4  1233 PM  2/09  NWS EMPLOYEE              
   FOXBORO               24.5  1200 PM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   BRAINTREE             24.1   951 AM  2/09  MEDIA                     
   1 NW NORWOOD          24.0   700 AM  2/09  COCORAHS               

..SUFFOLK COUNTY  
  
   SOUTH BOSTON          28.0   328 PM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   JAMAICA PLAIN         25.5  1004 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   WEST ROXBURY          25.0   329 PM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   WINTHROP              24.9   100 PM  2/09  LOGAN AIRPORT             

..WORCESTER COUNTY  
  
   SPENCER               31.0  1030 AM  2/09  NONE                      
   FITCHBURG             30.2   304 PM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   NORTHBORO             29.5  1002 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   STERLING              28.0  1244 PM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   WORCESTER             28.0   747 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   MILFORD               28.0   843 AM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   SHREWSBURY            27.0   735 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   ATHOL                 27.0  1023 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   1 SSE NORTHBOROUGH    26.7   835 AM  2/09  COCORAHS                  
   LEICESTER             26.0  1110 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   MILBURY               26.0   754 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   SOUTHBORO             25.5   646 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   OXFORD                25.2   623 AM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   TEMPLETON             25.0   405 AM  2/09  NONE                      
   CLINTON               25.0   811 AM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   DOUGLAS               25.0   826 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   CHARLTON              24.5   224 PM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   GARDNER               24.0   758 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO          

NEW HAMPSHIRE  
   
..HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY  
  
   NEW BOSTON            30.4   959 AM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   MOUNT VERNON          30.0   313 PM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   GOFFSTOWN             28.0   802 AM  2/09  NONE                      
   NEW IPSWICH           25.0   354 AM  2/09  FIRE DEPT/RESCUE          
   HOLLIS                24.0   856 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   NASHUA                24.0   500 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   PELHAM                24.0   715 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   4 NNE AMHERST         24.0  1000 AM  2/09  COCORAHS       

..MERRIMACK COUNTY  
  
   CONCORD ASOS          24.0   104 PM  2/09                            
   
..ROCKINGHAM COUNTY  
  
   5 W SEABROOK          29.3   216 PM  2/09                            
   1 NNW SEABROOK        26.2   930 AM  2/09                            
   1 S EAST HAMPSTEAD    26.0  1004 AM  2/09    

..STRAFFORD COUNTY  
  
   2 SSE FARMINGTON      27.0   943 AM  2/09    

RHODE ISLAND 

..PROVIDENCE COUNTY  
  
   WEST GLOCESTER        27.6  1046 AM  2/09  TRAINED SPOTTER           
   NORTH FOSTER          26.3  1023 AM  2/09  NWS COOP                  
   WOONSOCKET            26.1   100 PM  2/09  MEDIA                     
   GLOCESTER             26.0  1237 PM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   BURRILLVILLE          26.0  1141 AM  2/09  GENERAL PUBLIC            
   3 SE WEST GLOCESTER   25.7   700 AM  2/09  COCORAHS                  
   1 ESE WOONSOCKET      24.4   700 AM  2/09  COCORAHS                  
   CUMBERLAND            24.1   635 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO                 
   NORTH SCITUATE        24.0  1018 AM  2/09  LAW ENFORCEMENT           
   SMITHFIELD            24.0   714 AM  2/09  HAM RADIO             

MAINE  
   
..ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY  
  
   2 E LEWISTON          25.5   159 PM  2/09                            
   4 S TURNER            24.0  1139 AM  2/09                            
                   
..CUMBERLAND COUNTY  
  
   GORHAM                35.5   234 PM  2/09                            
   PORTLAND JETPORT      31.9   100 PM  2/09                            
   WESTBROOK             30.0  1132 AM  2/09                            
   PORTLAND - N DEERING  26.5  1137 AM  2/09                            
   GRAY NWS OFFICE       26.4  1259 PM  2/09                            
   3 NNW PORTLAND        24.0   928 AM  2/09                            
   GRAY                  24.0  1112 AM  2/09        

..OXFORD COUNTY  
  
   1 W OTISFIELD         24.0  1122 AM 2/09                    
   
..SAGADAHOC COUNTY  
  
   RICHMOND              26.5   202 PM  2/09                            
                             
..YORK COUNTY  
  
   BERWICK               32.0  1221 PM  2/09                            
   2 NNW SACO            27.0  1053 AM  2/09                            
   HOLLIS                24.5   115 PM  2/09   

Friday, February 8, 2013

Blizzard Benchmark: Top 10 Daily Snowfalls

The current blizzard developing from New York northward through southeast New England is being widely touted as a potential record-breaking event. Here are the top 10 daily snowfall amounts (inches), from NOAA/National Weather Service data, for the major climate reporting locations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and southern Maine. The stations are Boston (BOS), Hartford (BDL), Providence (PVD), Worcester (ORH), and Portland (PWM).

BOS BDL PVD ORH PWM
1 23.6 2/17/2003 24.0 1/12/2011 20.8 1/8/1996 21.1 1/12/2011 22.3 12/17/1970
2 22.4 4/1/1997 21.9 2/12/2006 18.3 2/4/1961 19.5 2/14/1962 21.0 12/28/1946
3 21.0 1/20/1978 17.7 12/29/1945 18.0 2/6/1978 18.8 2/17/2003 21.0 1/26/1888
4 19.3 2/16/1958 17.2 2/20/1934 16.4 1/23/2005 18.8 2/4/1961 20.4 1/24/1935
5 19.0 2/7/1978 16.7 12/19/1945 14.8 1/28/1943 18.4 1/20/1961 20.4 2/26/1934
6 17.5 2/12/2006 16.3 2/5/2001 14.7 2/17/2003 18.1 1/23/2005 19.8 3/13/1939
7 15.0 2/20/1934 16.2 2/4/1926 14.7 3/19/1956 18.0 11/27/1898 17.5 3/6/1887
8 14.7 1/28/1897 16.2 2/20/1921 14.4 2/8/1945 17.3 12/12/1992 17.1 2/23/1967
9 14.6 1/12/2011 16.0 2/14/1914 14.3 12/20/2009 16.9 2/12/2006 17.0 2/9/1969
10 14.4 2/4/1961 15.0 2/17/2003 14.2 2/24/1969 15.8 3/12/1959 16.9 3/13/1993

Friday, December 21, 2012

Chicago Ends Record Snowless Streak;
Other Streaks Continue

Image (click to enlarge): Chicago regional snowfall on December 20, 2012, from National Weather Service

The 0.2" of snow on Thursday (December 20) at Chicago ended the record longest streak without measurable snow. It was also the latest occurrence of a first measurable snow. Other streaks are continuing, including:

- 300th day without a high temperature below freezing (tied for 2nd longest)
- Latest first day of the season with high temperature below freezing (tied for 5th)
- 301st day without an inch or more of snow (8th longest)
- 299th day without an inch of snow on the ground (3rd longest)
- 344th day of the year without a high at or above freezing (tied for 8th)

The average temperature for 2012 to date is also well on the way to being the warmest on record at Chicago.

Here is the complete report from the National Weather Service:
THURSDAY`S STORM IN CHICAGO MANAGED TO MUSTER UP A COUPLE TENTHS
OF AN INCH OF ACCUMULATION WHICH OFFICIALLY ENDED CHICAGO`S SNOW
DROUGHT AND ESTABLISHED NEW RECORDS FOR LATEST FIRST MEASURABLE
SNOWFALL AND LONGEST STRETCH OF NO MEASURABLE SNOWFALL EVER IN
CHICAGO. HOWEVER...THURSDAY STORM HAS LEFT INTACT SOME OTHER
NOTABLE STREAKS FOR CHICAGO.

TEMPERATURES AT MIDNIGHT WERE STILL ABOVE FREEZING...SO THE STREAK
OF DAYS WITHOUT A SUB-FREEZING HIGH TEMPERATURE CONTINUES IN
CHICAGO. TODAY`S HIGH TEMPERATURE ABOVE FREEZING MAKES IT THE 300TH
CONSECUTIVE DAY WITHOUT A HIGH TEMPERATURE BELOW FREEZING...TYING
2004 FOR THE 2ND LONGEST STREAK. THE FORECAST SUGGESTS THIS STREAK
WILL CONTINUE THIS WEEKEND WHICH WOULD MAKE THIS YEAR THE LONGEST
STREAK WITHOUT A SUB-FREEZING HIGH TEMPERATURE SINCE 1878 WHEN
CHICAGO`S OFFICIAL OBSERVATION STATION WAS AT THE CHICAGO OPERA
HOUSE ON THE CORNER OF CLARK AND WASHINGTON IN THE LOOP. HERE ARE
THE TOP 5 LONGEST STREAKS OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITHOUT A HIGH
TEMPERATURE ABOVE FREEZING...

  # DAYS     END DATE
1)  308     12/15/1878
2)  300+    12/21/2012+
    300     12/12/2004
4)  290     12/09/2011
5)  289     12/24/1918

NOW THAT TODAYS HIGH TEMPERATURE IN CHICAGO WILL OFFICIALLY BE AT
LEAST 33F (THE READING AT MIDNIGHT)...THIS YEAR IN CHICAGO IS NOW
GUARANTEED TO MOVE INTO AT LEAST A TIE FOR 5TH PLACE FOR LATEST
FIRST DAY OF THE SEASON WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE BELOW FREEZING.
HERE ARE THE TOP 5 LATEST DATES FOR FIRST DAY WITH HIGHS BELOW
FREEZING...

1) JAN 1 1924
2) DEC 28 1971
3) DEC 25 1918
4) DEC 24 2011
5) DEC 22 1998
   ??? ?? 2012

THE LAST TIME CHICAGO HAS HAD A CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL OF ONE INCH
WAS BACK ON FEBRUARY 24TH...SO TODAY WILL BE THE 301ST CONSECUTIVE
DAY WITHOUT A 1 INCH SNOWFALL MAKING IT THE 8TH LONGEST STREAK
EVER IN CHICAGO. WITH SEVERAL MORE DAYS OF NO SNOW EXPECTED...THIS
YEAR IS BOUND TO MOVE UP IN THE RANKINGS. HERE ARE THE TOP TEN
LONGEST STREAKS WITHOUT A 1 INCH CALENDAR SNOWFALL...

  # DAYS     END DATE
1)  319     01/06/1940
2)  315     12/07/1958
3)  307     12/03/1921
4)  305     01/15/2002
5)  303     01/07/1944
6)  302     12/09/1988
    302     11/16/1927
8)  301+    12/21/2012+
9)  299     12/29/1990
10) 298     12/23/1918

CALENDAR SNOWFALL MAY BE SOMEWHAT DECEPTIVE SINCE THERE WERE LIKELY
EVENTS IN SOME OF THOSE YEARS WHERE A SNOWFALL MAY HAVE CROSSED
CALENDAR DAYS WITH A STORM TOTAL GREATER THAN 1 INCH...BUT EACH
CALENDAR DAY LESS THAN AN INCH RESPECTIVELY. TO REALLY PUT OUR SNOW
DROUGHT IN PERSPECTIVE...IT HAS BEEN 299 DAYS NOW SINCE CHICAGO HAS
OFFICIALLY HAD AN INCH OF SNOW ON THE GROUND. THIS IS THE 3RD
LONGEST STREAK OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITHOUT AN INCH OF SNOW ON THE
GROUND. HERE ARE THE TOP 5 LONGEST STREAKS...

  # DAYS     END DATE
1)  313     01/06/1940
2)  302     01/07/1944
3)  299+    12/21/2012+
4)  296     12/12/1988
    296     12/14/1946

ANOTHER INTERESTING STATISTIC IS THAT CHICAGO HAS HAD 344 DAYS WITH
HIGHS AT OR ABOVE FREEZING SO FAR THIS YEAR...WHICH ALREADY PLACES
US TIED FOR THE 8TH MOST NUMBER OF DAYS WITH HIGHS AT OR ABOVE
FREEZING IN A YEAR. WITH 10 MORE DAYS TO GO THIS YEAR AND MANY OF
THEM LIKELY ABOVE FREEZING 2012 IS LIKELY TO MOVE UP IN THE RANKING
HERE AS WELL. HERE ARE THE TOP 10 MOST NUMBER OF DAYS ABOVE FREEZING
IN A YEAR...

  # DAYS    YEAR
1)  355     1931
2)  353     2006
3)  348     1990
4)  346     1987
5)  345     1878
    345     1992
    345     1998
8)  344     1954
9)  343+    2012 (THROUGH AND INCLUDING 12/21/2012)
10) 342     1882
    342     1911
    342     1921

FINALLY...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN CHICAGO SO FAR THIS YEAR HAS
BEEN 55.4 DEGREES WHICH PLACES 2012 WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF
BREAKING THE RECORD FOR THE WARMEST YEAR EVER IN CHICAGO. THE
PREVIOUS RECORD WARMEST YEAR WAS 1921 WHEN THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
WAS 54.5F. IN ORDER TO HAVE THIS YEAR AVERAGE 54.6F AND BREAK THE
RECORD THE LAST 11 DAYS OF THE YEAR NEED TO HAVE AN AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY 28.8F. IN ORDER FOR 2012 TO BE TIED FOR
THE WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD IN CHICAGO THE REMAINING 11 DAYS OF THE
YEAR WOULD NEED TO HAVE AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY
25.5F. 

Monday, March 5, 2012

Second Warmest Winter in 80 Years at Chicago, Warmest at Fargo, Top 10 Elsewhere in Midwest

The National Weather Service reported this morning that the winter of 2011-12 was the second warmest in 80 years at Chicago and tied for the 9th warmest overall. It was also the warmest in records dating back to 1881 at Fargo. As shown in the chart from the Midwest Regional Climate Center, temperatures ranged as much as 9° above normal in the upper Midwest.
CHICAGO...

THE WINTER HAD AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 32.8 DEGREES...WHICH WAS
6.4 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS TIES THE WINTER FOR THE 9TH WARMEST
IN THE PAST 140 YEARS (SINCE 1872)...AND WAS THE SECOND WARMEST
WINTER IN THE PAST 80 YEARS. THIS WAS THE WARMEST WINTER SINCE
1997-1998.

RANK WINTER AVERAGE WINTER TEMP
---------------------------------------
1. 1877-1878 37.2
2. 1931-1932 35.7
3. 1879-1880 35.2
1881-1882 35.2
5. 1889-1890 34.7
6. 1875-1876 33.6
7. 1997-1998 33.2
8. 1918-1919 33.1
9. 2011-2012 32.8
1920-1921 32.8



ROCKFORD...

THE WINTER HAD AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 30.2 DEGREES...WHICH WAS
6.0 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS RANKS THE WINTER AS THE 3RD WARMEST
ON RECORD IN THE PAST 106 YEARS (SINCE 1906). THIS WAS THE WARMEST
WINTER SINCE 2001-2002.

RANK WINTER AVERAGE WINTER TEMP
---------------------------------------
1. 1931-1932 32.0
2. 2001-2002 30.9
3. 2011-2012 30.2
4. 1997-1998 30.1
1920-1921 30.1
6. 1930-1931 29.9
7. 1982-1983 29.2
8. 1991-1992 29.0
9. 1908-1909 28.7
10. 1943-1944 28.5

CITY RANK
------------------------------
CHICAGO IL 9TH WARMEST
CLEVELAND OH 7TH WARMEST
FARGO ND WARMEST
GRAND RAPIDS MI 2ND WARMEST
GREEN BAY WI 2ND WARMEST
KANSAS CITY MO 7TH WARMEST
MILWAUKEE WI 4TH WARMEST
MINNEAPOLIS MN 4TH WARMEST
ROCKFORD IL 3RD WARMEST
ST LOUIS MO 6TH WARMEST

Indiana/Kentucky Tornado Areas Hit With 4-5" of Snow

Some of the same areas in Indiana and Kentucky hit with strong tornadoes on Friday got 4-5" of snow, with some higher amounts, Sunday night into Monday morning (maps from National Weather Service, click to enlarge):


Friday, February 17, 2012

Snowfall Scarce Following February 50s;
Washington Snow Rare Immediately After Warm Temperatures

The weather-wise are all a-Twitter over the prospect of snowfall in the Washington, DC region on Sunday, but the situation is giving forecasters fits. There's a good reason for that, since warm-February snows, while not impossible, are rare.

Since official records were kept at or near the current location at National Airport beginning in 1930, there have been only 8 instances in which 2" or more of snow fell in the calendar day following a day with temperatures of 50° or higher. With today's high of 54° and a similar reading expected tomorrow, there is a considerable climatological obstacle to overcome. In fact, there have been only 5 cases in which a 2"+ snowfall followed a day with a high above 53°.

The most recent instance of significant snow following 50°+ temperatures was on Feb. 22, 2001, when 2.8" of snow followed a previous day's high of 57°. That was preceded by a 3.6" snowfall on the same date in 1986, following a temperature of 56°.

The full list of February 2"+ snowfalls on the day after 50°+ temperatures is:

Date Snowfall Temperature
2/16/1937 5.6 52
2/14/1940 2.5 53
2/17/1945 2.6 60
2/11/1955 2.5 63
2/17/1967 5.7 63
2/8/1974 4.0 50
2/22/1986 3.6 56
2/22/2001 2.8 57
Image (click to enlarge) Washington, DC 2"+ snowfalls on the day following temperatures of 50° or higher, CapitalClimate chart from National Weather Service data, background image © Kevin Ambrose (www.weatherbook.com)

Thursday, February 9, 2012

SnowFail 2011-12 Update: Midwest Snow Running Nearly 40% Below Average

The Northeast and Mid Atlantic are not the only regions with significant snow deficits at the end of the third quarter of winter 2011-12. National Weather Service reports indicate that the Midwest is averaging 40% below the normal snowfall season-to-date. Of the 43 major reporting locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, and Kentucky, only Ft. Wayne, Indiana has had more snow than the climatological average, by a mere 2.2", or about 11%.

The largest deficit in absolute terms is at Sault Ste. Marie MI, where the current total of 55" is over 3 feet less than the normal amount to date of just over 91". The map of snow depth on the ground for central and northern Michigan as of February 4 shows deficits of 2 feet or more in the Upper Peninsula. Temperatures at Sault Ste. Marie have been well above normal for all 3 winter months (December +3.8°, January +6.0°, February to date +13.1°).

Percentage-wise, the less than 1" at Kansas City MO is 94% below average. The weighted average deficit across all reporting stations is 39%.

The stations shown in the charts are:
DLH Duluth MN
MSP Minneapolis MN
STC St. Cloud MN
RST Rochester MN
LSE La Crosse WI
EAU Eau Claire WI
MSN Madison WI
AUW Wausau WI
GRB Green Bay WI
ANJ Sault Ste. Marie MI
APN Alpena MI
HTL Houghton Lake MI
MQT Marquette MI
DTW Detroit MI
FNT Flint MI
GRR Grand Rapids MI
LAN Lansing MI
MKG Muskegon MI
ALO Waterloo IA
DSM Des Moines IA
MCW Mason City IA
SUX Sioux City IA
DBQ Dubuque IA
MLI Moline IL
ORD Chicago IL
RFD Rockford IL
PIA Peoria IL
IND Indianapolis IN
FWA Ft. Wayne IN
CMH Columbus OH
CAK Akron OH
MFD Mansfield OH
TOL Toledo OH
YNG Youngstown OH
DAY Dayton OH
CLE Cleveland OH
COU Columbia MO
STL St. Louis MO
MCI Kansas City MO
BWG Bowling Green KY
LEX Lexington KY
SDF Louisville KY
JKL Jackson KY
Images (click to enlarge): Total winter snowfall to date vs. average, snowfall deficit in inches, and snowfall percentage deficit; all data from December 1, 2011 through February 7, 2012 from National Weather Service, charts by CapitalClimate; Michigan snow depth on ground departure from average, February 4, 2012, from National Weather Service

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

2011-12 Northeast/Mid Atlantic Snow Drought: Deficit Near 60%

With 3 weeks left in February, the winter of 2011-12 enters its fourth quarter with a major snow deficit in much of the U.S. In sharp contrast with last season, Northeast and Mid Atlantic winter snowfall to date is averaging nearly 60% below the climatological mean.

National Weather Service reports through February 6 show that stations from northern Maine to central North Carolina have all seen snowfall amounts below normal. In absolute terms, the deficit amounts range from 2.8" at Caribou, Maine to over 41" at Syracuse, New York. Percentage-wise, Caribou is only 5.3% below normal, while the southern locations in Virginia and North Carolina are at 100%, with no measurable snow reported.

The 3 major reporting locations in the Washington, DC region are all over 80% below normal, with Baltimore's BWI at nearly 90%.

The stations shown in the charts are:
CAR Caribou ME 
BGR Bangor ME
BTV Burlington VT
PWM Portland ME
CON Concord NH
ALB Albany NY
BGM Binghamton NY
SYR Syracuse NY
BOS Boston MA
ORH Worcester MA
PVD Providence RI
BDL Hartford CT
BDR Bridgeport CT
NYC Central Park NY
EWR Newark NJ
AVP Scranton PA
ACY Atlantic City NJ
PHL Philadelphia PA
ABE Allentown PA
ILG Wilmington DE
BWI Baltimore MD
DCA Washington DC
IAD Dulles VA
RIC Richmond VA
ORF Norfolk VA
RDU Raleigh NC
Images (click to enlarge): Total winter snowfall to date vs. average, snowfall deficit in inches, and snowfall percentage deficit; all data from December 1, 2011 through February 6, 2012 from National Weather Service; charts by CapitalClimate

Monday, February 14, 2011

Shortest Ice Age on Record?
Whole Lotta Meltin' Goin' On

Here's an update on how that ice age is coming along:
Nano Ice Age Update: Records Roasted


With all the hoopla recently about record snowfalls, all-time record low temperatures, and so forth, here's a chart you're not likely to see on the ice-age monger sites. At midnight EST on February 14, the middle of February, the U.S. temperature map above (from Unisys, click to enlarge) shows that these are the only substantial areas in the contiguous 48 states with temperatures below 30°:
  • Central Rockies
  • Eastern Montana and extreme northeastern Wyoming
  • Extreme northern border of Minnesota
  • Northern Vermont and New Hampshire
  • Non-coastal Maine
The Weather Channel reported on-air this evening that the area of the U.S. with snow on the ground decreased by over 10 percentage points in the last 24 hours.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Snowfall Totals Range Up To 20" Over 2 Feet in Midwest Blizzard; New February Daily Record at Chicago


Midnight Update: The National Weather Service reports that this was the 3rd biggest snowstorm in Chicago history, and the biggest in the month of February:
1.  23.0 inches Jan 26-27, 1967
2. 21.6 inches Jan 1-3, 1999
3. 20.2 inches Feb 1-2, 2011
4. 19.2 inches Mar 25-26, 1930
5. 18.8 inches Jan 13-14, 1979
6. 16.2 inches Mar 7-8, 1931
7. 15.0 inches Dec 17-20, 1929
8. 14.9 inches Jan 30, 1939
9. 14.9 inches Jan 6-7, 1918
10. 14.3 inches Mar 25-26, 1970
It was also the 4th biggest in Rockford history:
1.  16.3 inches on January 6-7, 1918
2. 16.0 inches on March 30–31, 1926
3. 15.0 inches on March 21–22, 1932
4. 14.3 inches on February 1-2, 2011
5. 13.8 inches on March 1–2, 1948
6. 12.9 inches on December 11–13, 1909
7. 12.5 inches on February 10–11, 1944
8. 12.3 inches on January 11–14, 1979
9. 12.0 inches on January 17–19, 1943
10. 11.5 inches on January 14–15, 1943
In Milwaukee, the Weather Service reports:
- The total snow amount that fell on Wednesday, February 2nd was 9.1 inches, a new daily record for this day for Milwaukee.

- 16.0 inches fell between 6 pm on Tuesday, February 1st and noon on Wednesday, February 2nd. This total is tied for fourth for any 24 hour period.

- 19.6 inches fell between noon on Monday, January 31st and noon, Wednesday, February 2nd. This total is fourth for any 48 hour period.
6 PM Update: Today's 6.6" at Chicago O'Hare is a new record for the date. The preliminary storm total is 20.2", and the season to date is 47.5". The record February snowfall was 27.8" in 1896, and the record winter amount (December-February) was 80.6" in 1978-1979. This season now ranks 11th. Chicago snowfall records began in 1884.

5 PM Update: As the heavy snow winds down, the National Weather Service is reporting a peak snowfall amount of 27" near Antioch, Illinois, with another 2-foot-plus amount (24.3") north of Glen Ellyn. In southern Wisconsin, locations near Kenosha (24") and Racine (23.5") were also in the 2-foot range. Here are the 20"+ reports as of 4 pm:
...ILLINOIS...
ANTIOCH 2.1 ESE 27.0
GLEN ELLYN 2.3 N 24.3
ST. CHARLES 6.0 NW 22.7
BEACH PARK 1.4 W 21.7
GENEVA 0.9 N 21.5
MARSEILLES 5.6 WNW 21.5
OTTAWA 1.3 NW 21.5
WONDER LAKE 0.8 WNW 21.1
WOODSTOCK 5 NW 21.1
SPRING GROVE 2 N 20.8
WESTMONT 1.2 SSE 20.3
HOFFMAN ESTATES 4.6 W 20.2
ABINGDON 20.0
INVERNESS 1.7 S 20.0
NORTH AURORA 1.5 NE 20.0

...WISCONSIN...
KENOSHA 4.8 NNE 24.0
RACINE 2.3 WSW 23.5
WEST ALLIS 0.7 SSE 22.5

...MISSOURI...
GREEN RIDGE 3.3 SW 22.0
URBANA 2.7 NNE 22.0
JERICO SPRINGS 20.0

...OKLAHOMA...
MIAMI 20.0
Original post:
The massive storm system now moving through the Northeast has left snowfall amounts ranging up to 20" and ice amounts near 1" in some parts of the Midwest.

The snowfall on Tuesday, February 1, was a new all-time February calendar day record at Chicago, according to the National Weather Service:
A RECORD BREAKING 13.6 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT CHICAGO OHARE  
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT YESTERDAY. THIS NOT ONLY BREAKS THE PREVIOUS
RECORD OF 4.0 INCHES FOR THE DATE SET BACK ON FEBRUARY 1 1967...BUT
ALSO ESTABLISHES A NEW ALL TIME RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH
OF FEBRUARY FOR CHICAGO. THE PREVIOUS CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL RECORD
FOR CHICAGO FOR FEBRUARY WAS 11.5 INCHES SET BACK ON FEBRUARY 18
1908.
The main reason for the excessive snowfall was the record-setting liquid precipitation:
A DAILY RECORD PRECIPTATION OF 0.74 INCH(ES) WAS SET AT  
CHICAGO-OHARE IL YESTERDAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 0.67 SET
IN 1915.
As of this morning, here are some storm total ice and snowfall reports from the National Weather Service via the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (alphabetical by state):
...SELECTED STORM TOTAL FREEZING RAIN ICE AMOUNTS IN INCHES FROM
700 AM EST MON JAN 31 THROUGH 900 AM EST WED FEB 02...

...CONNECTICUT...
BRIDGEPORT 0.50
NEW HAVEN 0.40
CHESTER 0.20

...NEW JERSEY...
CLIFTON 0.60
WHITEHOUSE 0.50
HAWTHORNE 0.30
EWING 0.25
GLEN ROCK 0.20

...NEW YORK...
SHOREHAM 0.60
BRONX 0.50
LEVITTOWN 0.40
REGO PARK 0.30
SCARSDALE 0.20
WOODSTOCK 0.20

...PENNSYLVANIA...
HONEY BROOK 0.50
SPRING MOUNT 0.50
ERNEST 0.25
EXTON 0.25
HOMINY RIDGE 0.25

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES FROM 700 AM EST MON JAN
31 THROUGH 900 AM EST WED FEB 02...

...CONNECTICUT...
ENFIELD 9.2
STAFFORD SPRINGS 8.7
SUFFIELD 8.4
SOUTH CANAAN 2 N 8.3
WEST HARTFORD 6.5
POMFRET 6.3
WATERBURY 5.0
MANSFIELD 4.0

...ILLINOIS...
SPRING GROVE 2N 20.8
MUNDELEIN 17.5
CHICAGO - OHARE AIRPORT 17.3
STREAMWOOD 16.5
DE KALB 15.7
ROMEOVILLE 14.4
YORKVILLE 12.0
BATAVIA 11.5
NAPERVILLE 10.6
KANAKEE 7.5

...INDIANA...
LITERS FORD 12.0
REMINGTON 10.4
NORTH WEBSTER 2 N 8.2
WARSAW 2 ENE 5.0
LIMA 4.5
MILLERSBURG 1 SW 4.0

...MASSACHUSETTS...
WEST SPRINGFIELD 13.5
SUDBURY 13.0
WARE 11.5
BOYLSTON 10.8
HEATH 10.5
METHUEN 9.8
RANDOLPH 9.8
BOSTON - LOGAN ARPT 9.7
BROCKTON 9.1
NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH 8.5

...MAINE...
CHERRYFIELD 4.0
NORWAY 1 ESE 3.8
LEWISTON 2 E 3.5
BRIDGTON 3.3
DURHAM 3.0
PORTLAND 3 WNW 2.6
DEER ISLE 3 N 2.0

...MICHIGAN...
CARO 10.7
FLUSHING 9.0
YALE 8.0
ORTONVILLE 7.5
NEW HAVEN 7.0

...NEW HAMPSHIRE...
WINCHESTER 8.5
HUDSON 7.3
NASHUA 7.0
EAST ALSTEAD 6.0
DERRY 3 E 5.5
GREENFIELD 5.0
GILFORD 3 S 4.0
SPRINGFIELD 1 NNW 4.0
EATON 3 SSW 3.0

...NEW JERSEY...
WANTAGE 5.0
GREEN POND 4.5
WEST MILFORD 4.0

...NEW YORK...
GREENVILLE 11.5
LATHAM 10.5
SCHENECTADY 9.6
CAROGA LAKE 9.5
KINDERHOOK 9.0
SARATOGA SPRINGS 8.0
MOUNT HOPE 7.8
WOODSTOCK 7.5
WELLS 5.5
ARMONK 3.8

...OHIO...
BEL MORE 4 NNE 6.5
VAN WERT 5.2

...PENNSYLVANIA...
SE STANFORDVILLE 5.5
POCONO SUMMIT 5.0
TOBYHANNA 4.4
MAHONING TWP 3.9

...RHODE ISLAND...
MANVILLE 7.7
WEST GLOCESTER 6.7
HARRISVILLE 6.3
SCITUATE 5.5
WARWICK 5.0

...VERMONT...
BENNINGTON 2 E 8.0
WOODFORD 7.0
GILFORD 5.2
SOUTH BURLINGTON 1 NE 4.9

...WISCONSIN...
KEWAUNEE 9.0
GERMANTOWN 6.9
PE LL LAKE 6.8
MOUNT HEREBY 6.2
HARTLAND 5.5
GREEN BAY 5.0
SATISFIED 4.5
DODGE VILLE 4.0
PALMYRA 4.0
WHITEWATER 4.0
MILWAUKEE 3.7

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL FREEZING RAIN IN INCHES WHERE THE EVENT
HAS ENDED...

...ARKANSAS...
WINSLOW 0.25

...ILLINOIS...
MOSQUE 2 S 0.75
ELLIS GROVE 0.50
FLORA 0.50
NASHVILLE 0.50
NEWTON 0.40
LANE 0.30
MOUNT ZION 0.30
MUTTON 0.30
ROBINSON 7 NW 0.30
CASEY 0.25
CHARLESTON 0.25
EFFINGHAM 0.25
DANVILLE 0.20

...INDIANA...
INDIANAPOLIS 0.61
GREENS FORK 0.50
LIBERTY 0.50
GREENWOOD 0.30
JAMESTOWN 1 E 0.30
TERRIE HATE 0.30
BATESVILLE 0.25
BROOKVILLE 1 W 0.25
CENTERVILLE 0.25

...MISSOURI...
FORD LAND 4 S 0.25 5
HIGHLAND 3 E 0.10
MACON 0.10

...OHIO...
COLUMBUS 0.90
UNION 0.80
COSHOCTON 0.60
DAYTON 0.60
WEST POINT 0.60
GREENVILLE 0.50
OXFORD 0.50
SALEM 0.50
CINCINNATI 5 NW 0.40

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES WHERE THE EVENT HAS
ENDED...

...ARKANSAS...
BENTONVILLE 5.0
BELLA VISTA 4.0

...IOWA...
EDGEWOOD 8.0
CORYDON 7.0
MECHANICSVILLE 6 E 5.9
CEDAR RAPIDS 3 NNW 4.5

...KANSAS...
S FORT SCOTT 18.0
ALTA MONT 13.0
ERIE 5 NW 13.0
PARSONS 1 W 13.0
FREDONIA 11.0
ARKANSAS CITY 10.0
CANEY 10.0
GREELEY 10.0
HOWARD 10.0
RICHMOND 10.0
YATES CENTER 10.0 ESTIMATED
GARNETT 9.5
OTTAWA 8.5
WINFIELD 7.5
EL DORADO 7.0
TOPEKA 6 WSW 6.0
WICHITA 7.1 ESE 5.0

...MINNESOTA...
MORGAN 11.0
MARSHALL 0.6 S 10.0
BIRD ISLAND 9.0 NNE 7.0
MONTEVIDEO 0.4 SSW 5.3
MINNEAPOLIS 4.7
LAKEVILLE 4.4
FOREST LAKE 3.3

...MISSOURI...
NEW BLOOMFIELD 19.0
JEFFERSON CITY 18.3
COLUMBIA 12 N 18.0
APPLETON CITY 17.0
MEXICO 17.0
FULTON 2 SSE 16.0
ST. MARTINS 15.0
STOCKTON 15.0
MEADVILLE 14.0
NEMO 14.0
ASHLAND 7 NE 13.0
BROOKFIELD 13.0
CHILLICOTHE 12.5

...NEW MEXICO...
CLOUDCROFT 4.9 NE 5.2
ALBUQUERQUE 8.4 ENE 5.0

...OKLAHOMA...
MIAMI 20.0
OWASSO 1 W 19.0
AFTON 18.0
PAHASKA 2 S 17.0
TULSA 9 SE 15.0
VINITA 12.0
GLEN POOL 11.0
HENRYETTA 11.0
HOMINY 11.0
KANSAS 4 E 11.0
NOWATA 10.0
PRYOR 10.0
WAGONER 10.0
CLAREMORE 9.5
NORMAN 7 E 7.0
OKLAHOMA CITY 7.0

...TEXAS...
ABILENE 6.0
ROBY 6.0
ALBANY 5.0
BOONS VILLE 3 E 5.0
JACKBOOT 5.0
GRAFORD 8.1 ENE 4.5
DECATUR 4.0
FRIONA 4.0

Monday, January 31, 2011

Mid-Winter Snowfall Review: East Coast 80% Above Average

As of January 29 (Saturday), meteorological winter was 2/3 over (30 days remaining until March 1). The seasonal snowfall amounts to date from the major East Coast National Weather Service reporting locations show that overall snowfall has been 83% above average across the region.

The top chart shows the total snowfall this season through January 29 (blue bars) compared to the climatological normal (green bars) for 26 stations from Caribou, Maine through Raleigh, North Carolina. The stations are arranged roughly from north to south. With the exception of the lake-effect snowfall at Syracuse (SYR), the greatest amounts relative to normal have been at near-coastal locations from southern New England through the Mid Atlantic. In fact, Caribou, Maine (CAR), the most northerly location, has a deficit of over 20" (second chart). The area with the most excess of snow ranges from Boston (BOS) to Philadelphia (PHL). Note that the interior location of Scranton (AVP) is the only other one besides Caribou with below-average snowfall.

Here's the full list of stations and snowfall amounts (inches) to date, compiled from individual National Weather Service daily climate reports:
                    Through 1-29
YTD Normal
CAR Caribou ME 40.1 63.5
BGR Bangor ME 57.0 35.0
BTV Burlington VT 54.6 44.7
PWM Portland ME 42.3 36.2
CON Concord NH 45.4 35.9
ALB Albany NY 47.1 35.1
BGM Binghamton NY 56.9 44.8
SYR Syracuse NY 115.1 67.0
BOS Boston MA 60.3 20.8
ORH Worcester MA 61.6 30.7
PVD Providence RI 41.0 17.3
BDL Hartford CT 71.2 24.8
BDR Bridgeport CT 54.4 12.2
NYC Central Park NY 56.1 10.5
EWR Newark NJ 61.8 11.6
AVP Scranton PA 22.6 24.4
ACY Atlantic City NJ 34.1 6.0
PHL Philadelphia PA 37.9 8.3
ABE Allentown PA 30.6 15.6
ILG Wilmington DE 22.0 9.5
BWI Baltimore MD 12.1 8.7
DCA Washington DC 9.4 8.0
IAD Dulles VA 11.8 10.6
RIC Richmond VA 10.7 5.9
ORF Norfolk VA 18.0 2.5
RDU Raleigh NC 8.6 2.8

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Hartford Monthly Snowfall Update: Record Blown Away

As of 7 am today, the 12" of new snow at Bradley (Windsor Locks) Airport pushed the monthly total for January to 56.9", blowing away the previous all-time monthly record (see previous post).

Thank you, Pepco (you still suck), for a 15-hour outage, Comcrap for an 18-hour outage and counting, and Verizon for your lightning-fast 31.2K connection for making this post possible. NOT!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Hartford Sets Monthly Snowfall Record

The 1.9" of snow which fell at Hartford's Bradley Airport yesterday (January 25) was far short of the record 13.6" for the date in 1905. However, the National Weather Service reports that the monthly snowfall total to date of 44.9" is now the record highest amount for January since observations began at Hartford in 1905. This exceeds the previous record of 43.1" in 1996.

This month's total is now the second highest for any calendar month at Hartford, surpassing the 43.3" in March 1956. With more snow on the way to southern New England, the all-time monthly record of 45.3" in December 1945 is well within sight. The latest forecast, issued at 2 pm EST today, calls for 6-10" of snow through tonight.

The seasonal total so far at Hartford is 59.1", vs. an average to date of 20.2". The average amount for January to date would be 11.8", so the current month is almost 400% of normal.

The January average monthly temperature at Hartford so far of 23.0° is 2.6° below the climatological mean. However, that is only the 20th coldest January out of 98 years of monthly temperature records.

Image (click to enlarge): Total snowfall forecast through 7 pm EST, January 27, from National Weather Service

Monday, January 24, 2011

Arctic Air Sets Records In New York, New England

January 26 Update: A tip of the wind vane to site visitor S.P. Gass, who points out that Wallops Island also tied the daily record set in 2005 with a low of 11°. It should be noted, however, that observations there date back less than a half century to 1963.

Some additional records set or tied include (old record in parentheses):
Worcester MA (KORH)    -9.0°F  (-3.0°F, 1963)
Boston MA (KBOS) -2.0°F (0.0°F, 1925)
Glens Falls NY (KGFL) -30.0°F (-25.0°F, 2005)
Syracuse NY (KSYR) -13.0°F (-9.0°F, 2005)
Bradford PA (KBFD) -21.0°F (tied 1963)
Scranton PA (KAVP) -8.0°F (-5.0°F, 1963)
Providence RI (KPVD) -2.0°F (tied 1961)
Montpelier VT (KMPV) -22.0°F (-15.0°F, 1961)
Original post:
The Arctic air mass which has moved eastward across the northern U.S. set a few daily low temperature records in New York and New England this morning, January 24.
  • The low of 4° at Islip, New York beat the old record from 2005 for the date by 1°. However, Islip climate records extend back only 25 years to 1986.
  • The low of 6° at Kennedy Airport tied the record set in 2005.
  • The low of 0° at Bridgeport, Connecticut broke the old record of 3° set in 1963. Bridgeport climate records extend back to 1948.
  • In Central Park, New York, where climate records began in 1869, the low of 6° was 12° above the old record set in 1882.
  • The low of -13° at Albany, New York missed the old record from 1948 by 4°.
Here are some other unofficial frigid low temperatures reported by the National Weather Service today:
LOCATION              MINIMUM     TIME/DATE   COMMENTS
TEMP OF
DEG F MEASUREMENT

CONNECTICUT

...LITCHFIELD COUNTY...
FALLS VILLAGE -14.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
NORFOLK -13.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
THOMASTON -11.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
BAKERSVILLE -9.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
1 WSW REYNOLDS BRIDG -9.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP

MASSACHUSETTS

...BERKSHIRE COUNTY...
NORTH ADAMS -20.0 743 AM 1/24 ASOS
WEST OTIS -17.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
SAVOY -15.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
1 WNW BRIGGSVILLE -14.0 525 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
PITTSFIELD -14.0 729 AM 1/24 ASOS
ALFORD -12.0 820 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6

NEW YORK

...ALBANY COUNTY...
COLONIE -21.0 630 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
ALCOVE -18.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
COHOES -14.0 521 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
1 NE SHAKERS -13.0 718 AM 1/24 ASOS ALBANY AIRPORT

...COLUMBIA COUNTY...
NORTH CHATHAM -19.0 530 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
TAGHKANIC -12.0 541 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
LIVINGSTON -10.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
COPAKE -8.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP

...DUTCHESS COUNTY...
RHINEBECK -20.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
1 WNW NEW HACKENSACK -14.0 734 AM 1/24 ASOS
RED HOOK -11.0 737 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
BEACON HILLS -10.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP

...FULTON COUNTY...
GLOVERSVILLE -22.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
BROADALBIN -19.0 545 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
JOHNSTOWN -15.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP

...GREENE COUNTY...
CAIRO -11.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
EAST JEWETT -11.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
GREENVILLE CENTER -11.0 541 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6

...HAMILTON COUNTY...
INDIAN LAKE -30.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
LAKE PLEASANT -22.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
PISECO -22.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
WELLS -20.0 813 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6

...HERKIMER COUNTY...
OLD FORGE -31.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
DOLGEVILLE -20.0 736 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6

...MONTGOMERY COUNTY...
FORT PLAIN -19.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
FONDA -16.0 852 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
PALATINE BRIDGE -15.0 702 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
AMSTERDAM -12.0 544 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
GLEN -11.0 612 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6

...RENSSELAER COUNTY...
BUSKIRK -24.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
STEPHENTOWN -22.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
TROY -14.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
BRUNSWICK -13.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP

...SARATOGA COUNTY...
MALTA -24.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
1 N THE SARATOGA BAT -22.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
SARATOGA SPRINGS -21.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
ROUND LAKE -19.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
CONKLINGVILLE -18.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP

...SCHENECTADY COUNTY...
DUANESBURG -15.0 641 AM 1/24 COOP
DELANSON -15.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
NISKAYUNA -9.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP

...SCHOHARIE COUNTY...
COBLESKILL -22.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
CHARLOTTEVILLE -20.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
SUMMIT -14.0 944 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
SHARON SPRINGS -14.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
JEFFERSON -10.0 630 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6

...ULSTER COUNTY...
SAUGERTIES -13.0 653 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
SLIDE MOUNTAIN -11.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
WEST SHOKAN -8.0 636 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
HIGHMOUNT -8.0 632 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
KINGSTON -4.0 607 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
PHOENICIA -3.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP

...WARREN COUNTY...
GLENS FALLS -30.0 733 AM 1/24 ASOS
NORTH CREEK -20.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
LAKE LUZERNE -18.0 643 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6

...WASHINGTON COUNTY...
WHITEHALL -25.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
1 N EAGLE BRIDGE -22.0 144 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
2 E BELCHER -21.0 613 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
KINGSBURY -18.0 845 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6
NORTH HEBRON -15.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
EASTON -14.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
HUDSON FALLS -13.0 541 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6

VERMONT

...BENNINGTON COUNTY...
BENNINGTON -22.0 748 AM 1/24 ASOS
SEARSBURG -19.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
POWNAL -18.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
SUNDERLAND -18.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
LANDGROVE TOWN CENTE -16.0 741 AM 1/24 WEATHERNET6

...WINDHAM COUNTY...
WEST WARDSBORO -17.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
GRAFTON -16.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
MARLBORO -15.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
BRATTLEBORO -15.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
SOMERSET -13.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP
TOWNSHEND -9.0 700 AM 1/24 COOP

Seasonal Outlook

Latest seasonal forecast: Click here.


Latest 3-month temperature outlook from Climate Prediction Center/NWS/NOAA.