michsnowfreak Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 This is my annual pictoral recap for SE MIs winter that has just past. I have actually done one every year on the weather boards since 2007, and even though we have a seperate picture thread...of course I figured Id do my chronological recap . It is obviously more pic heavy than other years, as this winter is miles above the rest. So if you like pics and a recap...you will like this thread...but if you arent about pics...lol...its not worth letting it load . Last years thread is here http://www.americanw...es-se-michigan/ OCTOBER 2013 - T The seasons first snowflakes fell on Oct 23rd as snow flurries and pellets fell throughout the day NOVEMBER 2013 - 1.1" Several bouts of flurries and light snow fell during the month, but no harbinger of what was to come. The largest snowfall was 0.6" on Thanksgiving. The month saw measurable snow fall on 3 days. 11-11-13...first measurable snow drops 0.4" 11-28-13...Im dreaming of a White Thanksgiving DECEMBER 2013 - 15.8" Once a light blanket of snow was laid down December 8th, we would not again see a "0" snow depth until March 29th!!! The months biggest snowstorm was 8.4" on the 14th, a nice deep blanket of snow was on the ground for much of the holiday season, but unfortunately heavy rain on the winter solstace brought the snow depth down to a T for a few days, so while there were patches of old snow and a fresh dusting, it wasnt an "official" White Christmas. Though December 14th was the only significant snow of the month, in true Great Lakes fashion, measurable snow fell on 16 days during the month. 12-9-13...the start of a snowcover streak that would last until late March 12-14-13...the seasons first big snowstorm drops 8.4" of powder 12-15-13...all dug out 12-18-13...blazing December sunset 12-25-13...the VERY brief retreat of solid snowpack unfortunately came from Dec 23-25. Still, there was a touch of snow to set the mood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michsnowfreak Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 JANUARY 2014 - 39.5" This was not only the snowiest January on record at Detroit (39.1"..breaking the old record by nearly 10"), but the snowiest of any month on record. Also, it was the 6th coldest January on record...so arguably the most severe calendar winter month on record for Detroit. The first week of the month featured 2 big snowstorms...the first being a very long drawn out 48-hour New Years storm. Slow and steady won though, as 11.6" of fresh snow was laid down by the time the snow abated the morning of the 2nd (this does not include a 1.6" snowfall New Years Eve morning). When you actually tally the Dec 31-Jan 2 weather, snow fell for nearly 60 hours straight (just a 4-hour break afternoon of Dec 31st) dropping 13.2" here! A much heavier, shorter snowstorm hit on the 5/6th, dropping another 10.3" here before record cold set in. The second half of the month featured no major storms, but very frequent falls of snow and wind. Measurable snow fell on 17 days this month and the low went below zero on 9 different days (3 of which were records, on the 6th, 7th, & 28th). 1-1-14...snow fell all day unabated 1-2-14...once the snow finally stopped, the wind picked up (a theme that would continue all winter) causing drifting 1-3-14...the first of many below zero days to come 1-5-14...though the heaviest snowfall totals were north of Detroit, we did see 5" of our 10.3" fall in less than 5 hours 1-6-14..temps crashed in the storms wake, causing roadways to become gridlocked in a flash freeze of ice and snow that even the best plows couldnt totally clear. With drifting, average depth on the level was 17", and temps plummeted to -14F with wind chills of -50F by evening. This is one of my favorite pics...and i felt I was going to get frostbite for the 30 seconds my hands were exposed while taking it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michsnowfreak Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 JANUARY CONT... 1-7-14...sun isnt warm when its -14F 1-8-14...deep winter...still below zero after 60 hours 1-10-14...thaw begins 1-12-14...we lost a foot in depth with the mini-January thaw...but snow still remained once the cold furiously returned 1-16-14...a wind-driven 3-inch snowfall 1-23-14...summers playground sleeps during the dead of winter 1-25-14...arctic front brings heavy burst of snow as heavy drifting occurred from the 24th through the 25th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michsnowfreak Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 JANUARY CONT... 1-26-14...another 3-inch snowfall 1-27-14...arctic front roars through just after midnight with a 4"/hr whiteout. When you combine this 3.5" with the 3" that fell the morning before, 6.5" fell in a 20-hour period. Also....the snow depth of 13" would start a streak of double-digit snowpack that would last into early-mid March 1-31-14..the brutal wind chills and drifting snow of January abated for a calm, gray end to the month FEBRUARY 2014 - 25.0" While its impressive to say it was the 9th snowiest & 15th coldest February on record...it was the month-long deep snowpack that was most impressive to me. 23 of the 28 days set daily snowdepth records at Detroit...the lowest depth of the entire month was 10" on the first, and we cracked the 20" depth barrier on two seperate occasions. With the very drifty snowpack, depth is a very general average, so many areas (even in suburban neighborhood) had 2 and 3 foot drifts everywhere. In the country drifts were reported as 6 to 7 feet deep. The months biggest snowstorm was 8.3" on the 5th, but the 4.9" snowstorm on the 17th/18th featured thundersnow & impressive rates. Thundersnow was also observed on the 20th as a warm front lifted through. Measurable snow fell on 13 days this month. 2-1-14...picking up where January left off with a snowstorm. 3.8" new snow fell, but turned to heavy rain, leaving a very dense, water-laden snowpack 2-2-14...ice skating anyone? The foot-deep snowpack froze in place as cold air rushed in, and sidewalks remained ice rinks from yesterdays snow & rain storm 2-5-14...the deformation band hit downriver unexpectedly hard...and the 8.3" brought my depth to 20" with higher drifts. Driveway snowbanks 6 feet high Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michsnowfreak Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 FEBRUARY CONT... 2-6-14 level depth in a non-drifty area 2-7-14...DEEP winter 2-7-14...the brutal cold actually seemed to cause an unusual amount of blue skies, at least by MI standards, this winter 2-9-14...another 3-inch snow...the snowbanks & drifts keep getting more and more impressive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michsnowfreak Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 FEBRUARY CONT... 2-9-14 2-12-14...a rare treat of hoar frost 2-15-14...deep winter continues... 2-17-14...this 4.9" snowstorm came in as a wall of white, with thundersnow reported throughout downriver 2-18-14...morning snow depth on the level...21"...peak of the winter...drifts and snowbanks insane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michsnowfreak Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 FEBRUARY CONT... 2-19-14..temps well into the 40s put a huge dent into the snowpack...as we settled down to a foot before brutal cold once again returned 2-26-14..Feb ends frigid but calm...the remaining snowpack frozen in place like a glacier MARCH 2014 - 11.7" The first 2 weeks of March featured a snowpack unprecedented for the time of year. The month was characterized by two main snowstorms...4.4" on the 1st/2nd and 6.8" in the 12th. Also, chalk up two more record lows for the month (on the 13th & 26th), and this was the 11th coldest March on record, to follow our 15th coldest Feb and 6th coldest January. Once the snowpack went down to a T of patches and drifts on the 18th...Detroit had logged 77 consecutive days of 1"+ snowcover....and once the depth finally went down to 0 on the 29th, that ended a streak of 110 consecutive days of a T+ snowcover. Both of those streaks were 2nd all-time, but the 94 days of 1"+ snowcover is the most on record for Detroit (pending verification of 1903-04 which was close). The modern day record had been 91 days in 1977-78. Just 4 days this month saw measurable snow fall, however. At the close of March...season snowfall was at 93.1" in my backyard, and 91.7" at DTW. It is the 2nd snowiest winter on record (93.6" in 1880-81 is the record). However...we already have beaten the previous 2nd place by 13.7"....and I like to point out...had Detroits records started in 1885 like most other places, it would already be the "snowiest winter on record", as it is in nearby Toledo, OH. 3-1-14...yet another snowstorm...this one seen from atop a parking garage in Detroit 3-2-14..the depth of snow we started March with has not been seen here (in March) since 1900! 3-3-14...this is MARCH!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michsnowfreak Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 MARCH CONT... 3-3-14 3-7-14...thaw begins 3-12-14...after a thaw...winters last(?) snowstorm blasts us with 6.8". This is the SIXTH time this season over 6" has fallen in less than a 24-hour period. 3-13-14..went for a walk in record cold morning temps but sunshine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michsnowfreak Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 MARCH CONT... 3-15-14...the retreat of a historic winter 3-16-18...this shot compares snow depth on March 16th to depth on February 18th 3-26-14...roads sheened in ice following snow squalls. To date, this is the last measurable snow of the winter. APRIL 2014 - T (as of April 8th) A few light snow showers fell in the early morning hours of the 5th, the only snow to-date in April. The month began with many parking lot snowbanks, but those are quickly dwindling (save for the most massive ones, usually found in the mall lots). 4-7-14..the amount of ice in the Detroit River is shocking for April Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzucker Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Very impressive series...beautiful shots of the sunsets in the frigid February. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isotherm Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Great series. Was looking forward to your picture recap this year seeing how snowy it's been in Detroit. What's most impressive to me about this winter is the seasonal totals given the lack of MECS/HECS events. Your largest storm was 13" and change, absolutely amazing for a total in the 90s. Similar here where my greatest snowstorm was 13-14", with a total in the 60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quakertown needs snow Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 cool. thanks for sharing. most in my yard at one point was 27" back on Feb.16th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michsnowfreak Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 Very impressive series...beautiful shots of the sunsets in the frigid February. Thanks...I find that winter sunsets can be as beautiful as summer ones, especially on those frigid days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michsnowfreak Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 Great series. Was looking forward to your picture recap this year seeing how snowy it's been in Detroit. What's most impressive to me about this winter is the seasonal totals given the lack of MECS/HECS events. Your largest storm was 13" and change, absolutely amazing for a total in the 90s. Similar here where my greatest snowstorm was 13-14", with a total in the 60s. My "top 10" storms this season... 13.2" or 11.6" - Dec 31-Jan 2, 2013/14* 10.3" - Jan 4/5 8.4" - Dec 14 8.3" - Feb 4/5 6.8" - Mar 12 6.5" - Jan 26/27 4.9" - Feb 17/18 4.4" - Mar 1/2 3.8" - Feb 1 3.4" - Jan 16/17 *The Dec 31-Jan 2 event was technically 2 Ls, 1.6+11.6...but seeing as though it was only separated with a 4-hour break, the "storm total" can be debatable. This area does 6-12" snowstorms like a boss but the 12"+ storms are rare....its why a pure storm enthusiast would have better luck on the east coast, while a winter sports enthusiast would rather gamble here. I once (before this winter ) asked an aquaintence who moved here from Massachusetts to compare our winters and their winters (has no knowledge of weather stats) and he said winters here seem colder, snow falls more, and snow stays on the ground longer...but we never get the monster noreasters he grew up with. And the stats seem to back up the claim perfectly. This winter was the almost unthinkable combination of cold+snow+wind. A winter this cold should not have been nearly this snowy, and a winter this snowy shouldnt have been nearly this cold. On the rare quiet days snow always seemed to be blowing and drifting around (not an easy task for us weather observers...making sure observing sites were clear at all times). Its severity has not been matched since 1880-81 (the same year Laura Ingalls Wilders book "The Long Winter"). It truly is a winter that even the most full-of-sh*t old-timer couldnt degrade...and the constant deep powder made you forget the biggest storm was only around a foot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michsnowfreak Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 cool. thanks for sharing. most in my yard at one point was 27" back on Feb.16th Impressive! In 17 years of recording weather data, this was the hardest I have ever had for doing daily snow depth. It was so ridiculously variable from daily drifting and snow on snow on snow on snow that it was truly a best guess. I tried to leave my snow as undisturbed as possible for beauty purposes lol, but there were a few times I ventured into more open and hilly areas in parks and went off trail, and hit snow up to my waist in spots. Its truly a struggle (especially when your talking a condensed snowpack) to walk in, but I had to do it for the experience. That is NOT your typical winter in Detroit and its probably the closest I will ever have to an Upper Peninsula winter here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michsnowfreak Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 UPDATE.... APRIL 2014 - 3.1" (as of April 15th) The month began with many parking lot snowbanks (& a few scant flurries on the 5th), but those snowbanks quickly dwindled as springlike temps finally appeared, in fact the 2nd week of the month was the first warmer than normal week seemingly since early Fall. Then, a late season snowstorm hit on the 14/15th, leaving just over 3" of snow, enough to cement this as the SNOWIEST WINTER ON RECORD for Detroit! 4-7-14..the amount of ice in the Detroit River is shocking for April 4-15-14...the record breaker was a very scenic 3-inch snowfall that transformed mid-April back into winter Since 2002 imby... 2013-14: 96.2" - 95 days w/ 1"+ snowcover 2012-13: 47.9" - 52 days w/ 1"+ snowcover 2011-12: 25.5" - 20 days w/ 1"+ snowcover2010-11: 69.4" - 81 days w/ 1"+ snowcover2009-10: 46.1" - 58 days w/ 1"+ snowcover2008-09: 64.8" - 62 days w/ 1"+ snowcover2007-08: 78.2" - 69 days w/ 1"+ snowcover2006-07: 36.3" - 49 days w/ 1"+ snowcover2005-06: 41.9" - 46 days w/ 1"+ snowcover2004-05: 80.7" - 65 days w/ 1"+ snowcover2003-04: 38.0" - 60 days w/ 1"+ snowcover2002-03: 69.0" - 67 days w/ 1"+ snowcover Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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