kurtstack Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 One of my favorite snowstorms of all time. 1993, 1996, 2009-10, 2003. 93 is top on my list just because it was such a monster triple phase and had no problem with the March sun angle. Loved 96 because it was followed up by a solid clipper to freshen up the snowpack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WEATHER53 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Biggie for me also. I could see a dark edge of clouds to the far sw around 10am, very cold low 20's , 21". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastCoast NPZ Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Nice way to celebrate the anniversary of the true "Big Daddy" with a snowstorm today. Long live the King! May he even be approached again someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastCoast NPZ Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Cold temps, long duration, early Jan sun-angle, and cold temps for a week afterward. 37" of snow in (town) Front Royal that turned everything into a ghost-town for a week. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, has even come close since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huffwx Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 96 was the best storm that I had, having moved it to Lynchburg Virginia just after that and had missed every big storm up that way since then. Down here in Lynchburg, we will have a drought until 2009 of 10 inch storms. Since then we've had four but nothing like the 15 to 25 inch stormfrom DC to Philadelphia. The funny thing I remember about 1996 was there was an alumni game at my high school where I play basketball The Saturday the storm started. The most I ever scored in a varsity game was a 17 points and I was more along the lines of a four or five point game guy. I was so excited about the pending blizzard and 96 I scored like 22 points and everybody was about shocked about how well I played. It really was that I was just that fired up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighStakes Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 96 was the best storm that I had, having moved it to Lynchburg Virginia just after that and had missed every big storm up that way since then. Down here in Lynchburg, we will have a drought until 2009 of 10 inch storms. Since then we've had four but nothing like the 15 to 25 inch stormfrom DC to Philadelphia. The funny thing I remember about 1996 was there was an alumni game at my high school where I play basketball The Saturday the storm started. The most I ever scored in a varsity game was a 17 points and I was more along the lines of a four or five point game guy. I was so excited about the pending blizzard and 96 I scored like 22 points and everybody was about shocked about how well I played. It really was that I was just that fired up... I may have mentioned this before but I don't remember but that same Saturday, Maryland played North Carolina at Cole Field House. I think it was an eight o'clock tip. We entered the building about 7:15 but my attention was on the storm. I knew the expected start time of the snow was going to be while the game was going on. I was a huge fan back then so it took something like an impending blizzard to take my mind off the game. I was antsy the entire game. It was a very long and intense game and it went into overtime. I couldn't wait to see what was going on outside and it was so hot in the building. Those who ever went to Cole Field House when the place was sold out know how hot it could get in there. Finally the game ended on a last second tip in by Antawn Jamison. It was a heartbreaking loss ( one of many throughout the years to Duke or Carolina ) and I didn't even care. After almost 4 long hours at the game because it took another 15 minutes for the crowd to file out I finally made it outside. I expected everything to be snow covered when I got outside and it wasn't, but as I got closer to the streetlights I could see it was snowing very lightly so it must have just started. If I knew I wouldn't miss a flake I probably would have enjoyed the game a lot better. The snow holding off did make for an easier drive home. The 26 inches total from the storm made that horrible game and 4 hours on anticipation well worth it and it became one of my favorite Terps games of all time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pazzo83 Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Not sure I've ever looked at the NESIS map. I can say the red doesn't come far enough south in the Shenandoah Valley. We had well over 30", 36-38" at my house in Augusta County, which is well south of where they end the red in this map. Yea we had 3 ft in the western part of Staunton. I believed they measured 33" right on Beverley St in downtown Staunton ( a few hundred feet lower). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huffwx Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I may have mentioned this before but I don't remember but that same Saturday, Maryland played North Carolina at Cole Field House. I think it was an eight o'clock tip. We entered the building about 7:15 but my attention was on the storm. I knew the expected start time of the snow was going to be while the game was going on. I was a huge fan back then so it took something like an impending blizzard to take my mind off the game. I was antsy the entire game. It was a very long and intense game and it went into overtime. I couldn't wait to see what was going on outside and it was so hot in the building. Those who ever went to Cole Field House when the place was sold out know how hot it could get in there. Finally the game ended on a last second tip in by Antawn Jamison. It was a heartbreaking loss ( one of many throughout the years to Duke or Carolina ) and I didn't even care. After almost 4 long hours at the game because it took another 15 minutes for the crowd to file out I finally made it outside. I expected everything to be snow covered when I got outside and it wasn't, but as I got closer to the streetlights I could see it was snowing very lightly so it must have just started. If I knew I wouldn't miss a flake I probably would have enjoyed the game a lot better. The snow holding off did make for an easier drive home. The 26 inches total from the storm made that horrible game and 4 hours on anticipation well worth it and it became one of my favorite Terps games of all time. I remember playing in a few games where snow was supposed to start and being distracted. That is a lousy teammate :-). Even worse, is thinking of the times where snow was supposed to start during church. My church didn't have any windows where you could see outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midatlanticweather Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Did not sleep for almost 40 hours. Was a sweet storm. Dug out and went to IHOP. Staff was so bored they all waited on us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I described in the Out of Town thread how I was tragically stuck in the Miami airport during the storm. On the upside, there was still plenty of snow when we got back. Found pics! This is friends' place a couple miles N of the MD line near Emmitsburg, MD. It had to be ~ 30" I'm thinking? but I'm not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Great storm agree but respectively disagree about drifting. It didn't hold a candle to 93 around here and probably anywhere west of Westminster MD , Frederick, York,pa, . 96 created 7-9 foot drifts here while 93 ( with less snow mind you) had drifts to 15+ feet locally I wasn't living there but northern hilly parts of Harford took a beating in 93 too. Roads fully drifted over and such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87storms Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 this last week's clipper made me remember what i loved about the blizzard of 96 and also feb 03...the powder! i love seeing the snow accumulate on every surface. if it's gonna snow let's do it right! that's what made 96 and 03 so special. it was as cold of a snow from a big storm as you'll get around here. dec 09 and the 2nd feb 10 storm stand out as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winter_warlock Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 this last week's clipper made me remember what i loved about the blizzard of 96 and also feb 03...the powder! i love seeing the snow accumulate on every surface. if it's gonna snow let's do it right! that's what made 96 and 03 so special. it was as cold of a snow from a big storm as you'll get around here. dec 09 and the 2nd feb 10 storm stand out as well. those were great storms, just perfect. nice blowing and huge drifts, feb 11, 1983 was an awesome storm too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87storms Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 i definitely remember there being extreme piles of snow on the sidestreets. i also remember them calling for like 3-6" or so a couple days before and then it just blew up into a HECS. classic example of a great combo of qpf, cold, and duration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dino Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 The Blizzard of 96 is the reason I follow winter weather and the reason I am here right this moment. (I was 9yo at the time) There were storms in past years where overnight the Mets would call for snow and we would all wake up to nothing. Bone dry. But when they forecasted 2 feet i couldn't believe it. The next morning I wake up and go to the living room where the entire family is just staring in awe out the window. I get up close to the window and can't believe my eyes, the snow was at least 18" at that point and the drifts were 5 feet high. I was a little kid so the impact of all that snow was just insane to me. I'll NEVER forget the blizzard of 96. (Annapolis, MD) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooralph Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dailylurker Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 One of the all time greats. I had sleet for a few hours, but quickly changed back to snow. Other then that. It was a sweet storm. February 2010 was my favorite, tho. I got more snow in 2010. That was pure unadulterated snow porn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gymengineer Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Any way to merge this thread with hooralph's? Great discussion in this thread comparing 1/96 with 2/10 across the region. For my back yard (Potomac, MD), it's still the highest drifting storm in my lifetime. And, it was the most crippling single storm in my lifetime in terms of being absolutely stuck for days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
09-10 analogy Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 The little bit of sleet mixing in Sunday pm is the only thing that diminishes 96 from 2/5-6/10. It,s real close, which one to choose. 2010 had the volume, but 1996 had the style. Sunday night, when the ULL went by, was more intense than anything during snowmaggedeon. A good bit of thunder and lightning, 40+ mph winds (higher than anything in the first 2010 storm and comparable to the second), a real blizzard. Ended up with 23" in Takoma Park, then got another 9" in two events later in the week. If February 2010 was Ali, January 1996 was Frazier -- locally. And 1996 was definitely the greater storm overall. I believe it's second to the superstorm in the NESIS ratings, but I personally think it was the greater SNOWstorm. In terms of high impact over the greatest extent of the MA and NE -- and even parts of the SE -- it has no peer. Just about everyone got well on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Druff Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 38" of snow... in one weekend... *sigh* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastCoast NPZ Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 #1 storm here, and probably always will be. Perfect. Cold before, throughout, and a full week afterwards. Snowed for 36 straight hours. i measured 37" in the town of Front Royal. Typical high spots in Warren county must've easily had 40"+. Everything completely shut-down for days afterwards; roads in the town and county were desolate. My Cowboys whipped the Eagles Sunday afternoon in the divisional round, and afterwards that evening I walked down one of the main avenues through town in over-knee deep snow. A group of friends and I went sled-pulling down Rt 522 S. every night from Monday to Saturday. That is normally a very busy road. The snow-banks on the sides were 5 - 6' tall. It was like being in a bobsled track. I can say that I rode a sled at 55 mph.... and lived to tell. Probably one of the most fun periods of my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nflwxman Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 blizzard-of-1996_296900399_o.jpg blizzard-of-1996_296901991_o.jpg blizzard-of-1996_296902123_o.jpg blizzard-of-1996_296903531_o.jpg blizzard-of-1996_296903693_o.jpg blizzard-of-1996_296903851_o.jpg blizzard-of-1996_296904037_o.jpg blizzard-of-1996_296904198_o.jpg blizzard-of-1996_296905708_o.jpg All of that looks quite familiar... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heisy Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Biggie for me also. I could see a dark edge of clouds to the far sw around 10am, very cold low 20's , 21". Really strange you said that. I had 2 friends sleep over the night before the blizzard started (Started in Philly area in wee hours of AM)....I was only 10 years old, but I'll never forget seeing those dark clouds roll in from the Southwest. I have a few vivid memories of the storm. 1) Dark clouds rolling in as the sun set. 2) My friends and I playing video games, around 11:30 my dad comes upstairs to my room to tell us to go to bed, but also saying that the news was saying 1 to 2 feet. (Common Dad how could you expect me to sleep after telling me that) 3) I kept staring out the window every 15 minutes to see if it would start. I don't think I went to bed that night until like 4am. 4) Shoveling snow outside with my mom during the height of the storm. A huge drift fell off the roof and landed on both of us practically knocking me down.... it was hilarious. 5) Building huge snow igloos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitchnick Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Speaking of clouds, I recall seeing the back edge of clouds from the blizzard in the east pulling away and the high cirrus from the next little buzz saw in the sw skies. To this day, I have never seen that again. That said, the storm has a bad taste in my mouth with the 5 hours, more or less, of unpredicted sleet. I would have had 28" easy without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GramaxRefugee Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Lived in town then and ran out of places to put snow. Came home from work each night and shoveled a bit. Built a jersey barrier of packed snow along the street because we lived on a snow emergency route...parking on one side only. Parked our cars behind it. The Laurel City plow drivers were kind enough to leave our barrier alone until it melted many weeks later. "Why isn't it melting? This is still PG County, right?" We were so used to big storms coming and then melting away. That was my biggest impression...the persistent cold. After several days, the Laurel DPW finally used loaders and dump trucks to completely clear Main Street over night; curb to curb, plus sidewalks. They built a snow mountain behind the police station which was across from my office in those days. I think it finally melted in early June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastCoast NPZ Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 The snow started here around 10 PM that Saturday night. It was about midnight when we had enough snow to go sledding, so a group of us grabbed our stuff and headed out to the best sledding hill in town in the wee hours of the AM. Had the world to ourselves as we enjoyed that hill as the powdery snow continued to pile up. The joy in knowing that this storm was still in its infancy was palpable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastCoast NPZ Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I remember, too, the front-end loaders having to pick up the gargantuan piles and dump-truck them out. Also the incredible icecicles hanging from houses. So many people had problems with roof leaks from ice-damming that contractors were simply going door-to-door selling their services. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heisy Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 The Philly poster/met. Famartin has an awesome website where he documents each winter event that impacted NJ since the 90s. I visit it every so often to feed my nostalgia diet.....I'm sure a lot of newer and older posters have never visited it. Even though it focuses on NJ, there are still maps that would interest everyone including; radar, 500mb, etc. Here is 96's page. I mean, just look at this. http://www.raymondcmartinjr.com/weather/1996/07-Jan-96.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Balti Zen Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I experienced that storm in western Ohio - Springfield, between Dayton and Columbus. We were not supposed to get anything - my memory was of them calling for an inch or two. We ended up with around a foot, and it snowed I think for around 36 hours. Plenty of wind. Hugely surprising (we were never under a watch and were only advisory for an inch or two when it started), the most favorite of any of the storms I experienced in my years in Ohio in large part due to how unexpected it was to get what we did out of it in that part of the state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Balti Zen Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 By the way, this is a great read on the overall event from NOAA (impacts, watches/warnings, maps, meteorological set-up etc.)- if you have never done so - well worth your time: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/assessments/pdfs/bz-mrg.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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