Jns2183

Although the Harrisburg WeatherStation smooth around some and it’s like from downtown Harrisburg over to the Middletown area I think the biggest issue which I do not have an idea of how big of an effect it would be would be the quality control of measurements and the method used. Aside from see below because it did not matter. After the 1960s those years owned 5 of top 10!snowiest winters and also #11 & #19 Hindsight being 20/20 I like to try to put myself in a position of what people would’ve thought back then and after the 1960s they had just experienced winters that ranked #1,2,3,7,10,11, & 19 to date. Going back another 3 years to include the winters of 57’-58’ & 59-60 you could include #24 & #25 on that list. So before the winter of 57’-58’ from the winter of 1889-1890 to through the winter of 1956-1957 years, there were 18 winters with at least 40” of snow. Basically 1 every 3.77 years. There were 5 winters over 50”, or 1 every 13.6 years. Over the next 13 years 8 winters had 40” or above to bring the total to 26 and the average down 17% to 1 every 3.12 years. Those 13 years also doubled the amount of winters over 50”, the total now being 10 and bringing the average down to 1 every 8 years. The average snowfall before 58’-59’ was 32.2”. The average after was 34.4”, a 6.8% jump in 13 years. . Pro

You certainly were right about June 1966. It was >=90. 14 days >=95. 6 days >=100. 1 day Average high 87.7 Average low 61.4 Mean 74.6 Departure 3.1 Having such a huge range in temperature daily, 26.3 vs average of 19 brings to mind dessert airmass and dry dry dry. Turns out we recorded only 0.07” for month. Driest June by 0.51” and3rd driest month ever . Pro

To add to that post, in the preceding 40 years MDT had only broken 40” 6 times, 50” 2 times, and not once over 51”. In the 40 years after MDT broke 40” 12 times 50” 8 times, 60” 5 times and 70” 4 times. I have a strong feeling when people talk about all the snow we “used “ to get they remember the winters of 1960-1961 through the winter of 1969-1970. That is easily the most insane 10 year stretch in all of the recorded weather data for snowfall at KMDT 1960 81.3” 1961. 51.6” 1962 50.5” 1963. 74.7” 1964 31.8” 1965 42.6” 1966 48.4” 1967 31.0” 1968 25.0” 1969 60.6” If you take the average seasonal snowfall to be 30.6” then 9/10 years were above normal. 6/10 were 150%+ of normal and 3/10 were almost 200% or above of normal. Hell, that decade averaged 49.75”, 163% of normal. What’s remarkable is there aren’t a lot of storms on the top 10, even top 20 list from that decade to what we might expect given our winters of the last 20 years and there penchant to either go big storm or torch. . Pro

I wrote this up while in the waiting room of the ER this evening so please forgive any small errors in calculation or typos but I think I got it right for the most part. The winter of 1960-1961 was truly insane in scope. An outlier in so many ways. Let me compare it to another insane outlier to give it a reference. From the start of records in 1889 through 2010 the greatest yearly precipitation total recorded was in 1972 of 59.27”. 2011 comes along and absolutely obliterates that record recorded 73.73”, 24.4% greater then 1972. Up until that winter the snowiest winter recorded was 1917-1918 55.3” (by the way, that winter now ranks #10. The 1960’s have #1 & #4, 1970’s have #5 & #6, 1980’s have #7, 1990’s have #2 & #3, the 2000’s have #8 & #9). The winter of 1960-1961 comes along with 81.7”, 47.7% greater then the previous record. So Think back to 2011 and imagine that instead of 73.73” of rain we got 87.57”. Also image 28 days straight of 10” of snow on the ground and a winter of 32 snow events > a trace. Below is an outline of that crazy winter. Enjoy. Winter of 1960-1961 (70 days of bliss) Month (Total Events, # of T, # >T, Total Amt “) October (1,0,0,0”) November (0,0,0,0”) December (11,4,7,22.1”) January (15,6,9,34”) February (11,4,7,18.7” March (9,3,6,4”) April (4,1,3,2.5”) Season 10/24/1960 - 4/18/1961 (176 days) Total events 52 Trace events 20 > Trace Events 32 Total snow 81.7” First trace of snow was recorded 10/24/1960. Another trace would not be recorded for 38 days, on 12/1/1960; while first snowfall greater then a trace wouldn’t happen for another 48 days. Average was At least a trace of snow every 3.38 days > Trace 5.5 days From 12/11/1960 - 4/18/1960 (128 days) Total events 49 Trace events 17 > Trace Events 32 Total snow 81.7” (2.55” per >T event) Average was At least a trace of snow every 2.61 days > Trace 4 days December - February (90 days of madness) Total Events: 35 (2.57 days) Trace Events: 14 > Trace Events 21 (4.28 days) Total snowfall 74.8” (3.51” per >T event) DECEMBER Since they measure snow depth 1st day of snow on the ground was recorded on 12/12/1960 - 9” (how 9”? The storm on 12/11 - 12/12 dropped 6.9” on 12/11 and 4.1” on 12/12) The average snow depth for the month was 4.5”, but remember the first 11 days there was no snow on the ground so the first time there was measurable snow on the ground to the end of December the average snow depth was 6.98” with a max of 11” on 12/21 and a min of 4” on 12/17-12/20 (it snowed twice totaling 1.6” during that 4 day stretch) Temperature (Actual, Avg, departure) Max (35.8, 41.3, -5.5) Min (15.4, 26.6, -11.2) Avg (25.6, 33.9, -8.3) Snowfall (22.1”, 5.1”) JANUARY Snow was on the ground for every day in January, with a trace being recorded only 1 day. Later that same day they would receive 7.2” of snow. The average snow depth for the month was 7.2” with the max of 20” on 1/20/1961 and a min of a T on 1/15/1961. From 1/15/1961 to 1/20/1961 it snowed on 4/6 days for 26.2”. Temperature (Actual, Avg, departure) Max (33.3, 37, -3.7) Min (16.8, 22.8, - 6) Avg (25.1, 29.9, -4.8) Snowfall (34.0”, 8.8”) Precipitation (3.46”, 2.88”) There was recorded precipitation greater than a trace on 9 days. On every single one of those 9 days measurable snowfall was recorded. Now it wasn’t totally perfect on New Year’s Day the temperature spiked to 41 and we received 0.86” of precipitation, only 0.8” was snow; but still technically 9/9 in chances. FEBRUARY The max snow depth was recorded on 2/4 of 20”. 6.1” and 6.3” had fallen on 2/3 and 2/4. The average snow depth for the month was a staggering 8.7” On 2/20/1961 only a T was recorded on the ground. For 34 consecutive days >T of snow was recorded on the ground. 2/27/1961 brought the first day since the morning of 12/11/1960 that 0” was recorded on the ground. 70 consecutive days of bliss. During that 70 days of magic (12/12/1960 - 2/19/1960) the average snowfall on the ground was 6.89”. From 1/15/1961 till 2/12/1961 was 29 days of pure snow insanity. It snowed 13 days and 49.4”. From 1/15/1961 till 2/4/1961, 21 days, it snowed 14 days, >T 10 days for 44.2”. From 1/19/1961 - 2/4/1961, 17 days it snowed at least a trace on 12 days, >T on 8 days for 37.2” (4.65” per event). Average seasonal snowfall then was 30.6”. FROM 1/19/1961 through 2/15/1961 (28 days) MDT recorded at least 10” on the ground with an average of 13.3” and a max of 20” on 1/20/1961 & 2/4/1961. On 1/19/1961 a max of 33 was recorded. The temperature would not get above freezing again until 2/4/1961 when a max of 36 was recorded. 15 days in between. Days with >10” on ground December 1 January 12 February 15 Total 28 Days with >6” on ground December 14 January 17 February 18 Total 49 Temperature (Actual, Avg, departure) Max (41.3, 40.7, 0.6) Min (25.8, 25.1, 0.7) Avg (33.6, 32.9, 0.7) Snowfall (18.7”, 10.5”) Precipitation (3.07”, 2.39”) 0.1”- 2”: 12, 7.8” 2”-4”: 1, 2.4” 4”-6”: 3, 14.4” 6”-8”: 5, 33.3” 8”-10”: 0,0” 10”-12”: 0,0” 12”+: 1, 13.1” SEASON 0.1”- 2”: 21, 14.3” 2”-4”: 1, 2.4” 4”-6”: 3, 14.4” 6”-8”: 5, 33.3” 8”-10”: 0,0” 10”-12”: 0,0” 12”+: 1, 13.1” . Pro

From the winter of 1889-1900 till 1959-1960 they had recorded only 3 winters with 50”+ with the largest of 55.3” in 1917-1918. Then comes the winter of 1960-1961, 81.3”. The next 2 years had winters of 51.6”, 50.5”, 74.7” There you go 4 winters in a row of 50”+ where there had been only 3 in the previous 60 years. Can you imagine the humbling experience it must have been to those that default to climo then? Your top 2 snowiest winters to date then crushing all previous winters easily. I’d say the beginning of the 1960’s was quite traumatic for meteorologists in this area. . Pro

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The 1900-1960 was horrible for snow in this area. The 60’s was just some anomaly. Just like in the last 20 years having so so many 12”+ events. . Pro

If anyone can pull charts or other data about the pattern that decade then do so and study it because it truly was like no decade in the 50 years before or after . Pro

What’s amazing to me is some of the winters in the 60’s. Biggest storm in some of them was 12” but that decade had season snowfalls of 81.7”, 74.7”, 60.6”, 51.6”, 50.5”, 48.4”, 42.6”, 31.8”, 25”. Those huge snowfall totals came from having 6-10 storms that were 6-12”. Some of those winters had snow on the ground from early December through beginning of March straight though. If that happened today people in this area would think we were in the artic . Pro

11.4” From 1989-1990 season to 2018-2019 season MDT recorded 10”- 20” 9 years 20”-30” 7 years” 30”-40” 4 years 40”-50” 3 years 50”-60” 2 years 60”-70” 0 years 70-80” 2 years . Pro

1993-1994 75.9” 1994-1995 9” 1995-1996 77.6” Basically the least snowiest winter ever sandwiched by 2 of top 5 snowiest winters ever . Pro

1994-1995 MDT had 9” for the season . Pro

Oct 5.5” Nov 0” Dec 0.1” Jan. 4.5” Feb 2.4” March 0” Total 12.5” . Pro

Which means mid March till the last week in April will be nothing but highs in 30’s and 40’s then we go directly to the 80’s from May on. 1 week spring here we come. . Pro

Standing outside it sounds and feels like a late October tropical system that’s booking North at 50mph. The canopy of the trees sound like a jet engine . Pro

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That’s an ugly ice storm for cashtown and that whole area . Pro

I’ll look into it later this afternoon . Pro

High Wind watch. Lately this area absolutely goes bonkers for any kind of wind event, which means candetsons wind gauge will top 60 multiple times and you might as well shut down front st now, cause it’s going to be nothing but downed trees by Sunday morning. . Pro

October 1892 - 0.15” 1930 - 0.11” 1963 - 0.04” 1924 - 0.02” . Pro

Looking back historically there have been several times where September/October combined rain totals were less than 1.00”. We just went through probably the wettest 2 year period in recorded observations at KMDT. We have had I believe on 1 year in the last 15 where we were >1” below normal for the year. So we are either going to have to get some dry years soon or turn into a rain forest. . Pro

This mid to upper 80’s, no rain from now till October is disgusting . Pro

Out near Hamburg on 78 and storms are blowing out up every where. Looks like someone’s town is about to get whacked. . Pro

Well...,this storm certainly made up for the lack of rain last night in Downtown Harrisburg . Pro

Any hail? . Pro