NAO index values the day of major snows in PHL

[Rainshadow]

Yes there are pratfalls, its just an index number and sorry this representation leaves alot to be desired. If not for

anything else at least it will give you a list of big Philly snows since 1950.

The NAO has been negative since November 15th.

Dates......................Snow........ NAO Index on event date Index Comments

3/1/52.....................6.0............ -0.426.........................Falling

3/7/53.................... 7.1.............+0.592........................Rising

11/6-7/53.................8.8............ +0.315.......................Rising

1/10-11/54............10.0.............-0.336.........................Rising

3/18/56...................8.7.............-0.225.........................Falling.........................nina

12/3-4/57............... 7.0.............-0.543.........................Falling

2/15-16/58.............13.0............-0.215..........................Falling

3/19-20/58..............11.0........... -0.662.........................Falling

3/3/60......................8.2........... +0.249........................Rising; stg neg thru 3/1

12/11-12/60..........14.6.............-0.078..........................Rising

1/19-20/61............13.2.............+0.186.........................Falling

2/3-4/61.................10.3............-0.079..........................Steady

3/6/62.....................6.8.............-1.330..........................Rising

1/13/64...................7.2.............-1.180..........................Falling

1/10/65...................6.6.............-0.135..........................Falling.......................................nina

1/29-30/66..............8.7.............-1.333..........................Rising

12/24-25/66............12.7............+0.430.........................Steady

2/6-7/67.................9.9.............+0.155..........................Falling

2/8/74.....................6.0.............-0.518..........................Rising.....................................nina

1/19-20/78............13.2............+0.253............................Falling

2/5-7/78................14.1.............-0.865...........................Falling

3/3/78.....................6.5.............-0.070...........................Rising

2/7/79.....................7.6.............-1.037...........................Steady

2/19/79.................13.9............ +0.254...........................Rising, Neg 1/14 - 2/18

3/5/81....................8.8..............-1.244............................Falling

1/13-14/82............9.1...............+0.034............................Rising, Neg 12/23 - 1/12

12/12/82................6.8..............+0.657............................Rising Rapidly

2/11-12/83...........21.3.............-0.567..............................Rising

1/18-19/84 ............6.0..............+0.826............................Falling

3/8-9/84.................7.3..............+0.291............................Rising

1/22/87..................8.8...............-0.981............................Falling

2/22-23/87.............6.8..............-1.638.............................Falling

12/27-28/90...........6.4..............+0.502............................Steady

3/13-14/93............12.0.............+0.472............................Rising Rapidly neg 3/11

2/3-4/95..................8.8..............+0.437..........................Falling

1/7/96 ...................30.7..............-0.664..........................Rising, Neg since 12/3............................nina

2/16/96....................7.5.............+0.534..........................Rising.........................................................nina

1/25/00....................8.5.............-0.529...........................Steady........................................................nina

12/30/00..................9.0..............-0.537..........................Rising........................................................nina

2/22/01....................7.0.............+0.664..........................Falling........................................................nina

12/5/02......................7.0............-0.479..........................Steady

2/6-7/03....................7.1.............+1.310.........................Rising

2/16-17/03...............18.7............+0.836..........................Rising

1/22-23/05...............12.6...........+0.261...........................Rising

2/11-12/06...............12.0...........+0.341............................Rising, Neg thru 2/10

2/3-4/09.......................8.4..........-0.428............................Falling

3/1-2/09.......................9.0.........+1.006............................Rising

12/19 -20/09..............23.2....... -1.833............................Steady negative since 11/25

2/5-6/10......................28.5.......-0.766...........................Falling negative since 1/19

2/9-10/10...................15.8.........-1.136..........................Slowly Rising

[SnowGoose69]

The most amazing thing I take out of that list....no major snows in 93-94....and also I have never heard anyone in NYC b**ch about the 12/12/82 event...I never knew that NYC saw basically nothing that day and Philly 8 inches.

[Rainshadow]

The most amazing thing I take out of that list....no major snows in 93-94....

Ice ice ice for PHL, record snow for ABE.

[mitchnick]

Ice ice ice for PHL, record snow for ABE.

tough winter for PHL on south

very tough indeed

[uncle W]

Yes there are pratfalls, its just an index number and sorry this representation leaves alot to be desired. If not for

anything else at least it will give you a list of big Philly snows since 1950.

The NAO has been negative since November 15th.

Dates......................Snow........ NAO Index on event date Index Comments

3/1/52.....................6.0............ -0.426.........................Falling

3/7/53.................... 7.1.............+0.592........................Rising

11/6-7/53.................8.8............ +0.315.......................Rising

1/10-11/54............10.0.............-0.336.........................Rising

3/18/56...................8.7.............-0.225.........................Falling.........................nina

12/3-4/57............... 7.0.............-0.543.........................Falling

2/15-16/58.............13.0............-0.215..........................Falling

3/19-20/58..............11.0........... -0.662.........................Falling

3/3/60......................8.2........... +0.249........................Rising; stg neg thru 3/1

12/11-12/60..........14.6.............-0.078..........................Rising

1/19-20/61............13.2.............+0.186.........................Falling

2/3-4/61.................10.3............-0.079..........................Steady

3/6/62.....................6.8.............-1.330..........................Rising

1/13/64...................7.2.............-1.180..........................Falling

1/10/65...................6.6.............-0.135..........................Falling.......................................nina

1/29-30/66..............8.7.............-1.333..........................Rising

12/24-25/66............12.7............+0.430.........................Steady

2/6-7/67.................9.9.............+0.155..........................Falling

2/8/74.....................6.0.............-0.518..........................Rising.....................................nina

1/19-20/78............13.2............+0.253............................Falling

2/5-7/78................14.1.............-0.865...........................Falling

3/3/78.....................6.5.............-0.070...........................Rising

2/7/79.....................7.6.............-1.037...........................Steady

2/19/79.................13.9............ +0.254...........................Rising, Neg 1/14 - 2/18

3/5/81....................8.8..............-1.244............................Falling

1/13-14/82............9.1...............+0.034............................Rising, Neg 12/23 - 1/12

12/12/82................6.8..............+0.657............................Rising Rapidly

2/11-12/83...........21.3.............-0.567..............................Rising

1/18-19/84 ............6.0..............+0.826............................Falling

3/8-9/84.................7.3..............+0.291............................Rising

1/22/87..................8.8...............-0.981............................Falling

2/22-23/87.............6.8..............-1.638.............................Falling

12/27-28/90...........6.4..............+0.502............................Steady

3/13-14/93............12.0.............+0.472............................Rising Rapidly neg 3/11

2/3-4/95..................8.8..............+0.437..........................Falling

1/7/96 ...................30.7..............-0.664..........................Rising, Neg since 12/3............................nina

2/16/96....................7.5.............+0.534..........................Rising.........................................................nina

1/25/00....................8.5.............-0.529...........................Steady........................................................nina

12/30/00..................9.0..............-0.537..........................Rising........................................................nina

2/22/01....................7.0.............+0.664..........................Falling........................................................nina

12/5/02......................7.0............-0.479..........................Steady

2/6-7/03....................7.1.............+1.310.........................Rising

2/16-17/03...............18.7............+0.836..........................Rising

1/22-23/05...............12.6...........+0.261...........................Rising

2/11-12/06...............12.0...........+0.341............................Rising, Neg thru 2/10

2/3-4/09.......................8.4..........-0.428............................Falling

3/1-2/09.......................9.0.........+1.006............................Rising

12/19 -20/09..............23.2....... -1.833............................Steady negative since 11/25

2/5-6/10......................28.5.......-0.766...........................Falling negative since 1/19

2/9-10/10...................15.8.........-1.136..........................Slowly Rising

great post Tony...Philadelphia gets less snow on average than NYC but their biggest storms are bigger...

[A-L-E-X]

great post Tony...Philadelphia gets less snow on average than NYC but their biggest storms are bigger...

How many 20" + storms have they had compared to us?  I know JFK has had a few that werent such in NYC (like Feb 61, Feb 69, Feb 83, Feb 03), but this can also be the result of inaccurate measurement.

[Stormlover74]

Yeah very strange winter. First year at State College and we had 112" of snow and pretty much anywhere north of Philly/Trenton had a pretty good Jan-March period of snow and ice, south of the Mason Dixon was totally different story

The most amazing thing I take out of that list....no major snows in 93-94....and also I have never heard anyone in NYC b**ch about the 12/12/82 event...I never knew that NYC saw basically nothing that day and Philly 8 inches.

[PAblizzardlover]

So what are we to make of this data, there doesn't appear to be much correlation at all, except maybe for the biggest storms.

P.S. - I was in Allentown in 93-94> all I can say is WOW, it set records for 2, 3, 4, 6-inch storms, total season snow, length of snowcover, March snow depth, record, coldest day, coldest low, etc., etc. Schools shut for a whole week.

[RutgersWx92]

How many 20" + storms have they had compared to us? I know JFK has had a few that werent such in NYC (like Feb 61, Feb 69, Feb 83, Feb 03), but this can also be the result of inaccurate measurement.

Here's the list of NYC's 20+'' snowstorms:

1.) February 11-12, 2006: 26.9''

2.) December 26-27, 1947: 26.4''

3.) March 12-14, 1888: 21.0"

4.) February 25-26, 2010: 20.9"

5.) January 7-8, 1996: 20.2''

Compared to Philly's:

1.) January 7-8, 1996: 30.7''

2.) February 5-6, 2010: 28.5''

3.) December 19-20, 2010: 23.2''

4.) February 11-12, 1983: 21.3''

5.) December 25-26, 1909: 21.0''

Seems pretty similar.

[Rainshadow]

Here's the list of NYC's 20+'' snowstorms:

1.) February 11-12, 2006: 26.9''

2.) December 26-27, 1947: 26.4''

3.) March 12-14, 1888: 21.0"

4.) February 25-26, 2010: 20.9"

5.) January 7-8, 1996: 20.2''

Compared to Philly's:

1.) January 7-8, 1996: 30.7''

2.) February 5-6, 2010: 28.5''

3.) December 19-20, 2010: 23.2''

4.) February 11-12, 1983: 21.3''

5.) December 25-26, 1909: 21.0''

6.) February 15-18, 2003: 20.8''

You combined a weak clipper and PD II into one with #6 @ PHL. I know there is disagreement on this one, but there was at least a 12 hr gap in the snow.

[Chris L]

Here's the list of NYC's 20+'' snowstorms:

1.) February 11-12, 2006: 26.9''

2.) December 26-27, 1947: 26.4''

3.) March 12-14, 1888: 21.0"

4.) February 25-26, 2010: 20.9"

5.) January 7-8, 1996: 20.2''

Compared to Philly's:

1.) January 7-8, 1996: 30.7''

2.) February 5-6, 2010: 28.5''

3.) December 19-20, 2010: 23.2''

4.) February 11-12, 1983: 21.3''

5.) December 25-26, 1909: 21.0''

6.) February 15-18, 2003: 20.8''

NYC: 1996 should be #1....

[Stormlover74]

A little foreshadowing there?

Here's the list of NYC's 20+'' snowstorms:

1.) February 11-12, 2006: 26.9''

2.) December 26-27, 1947: 26.4''

3.) March 12-14, 1888: 21.0"

4.) February 25-26, 2010: 20.9"

5.) January 7-8, 1996: 20.2''

Compared to Philly's:

1.) January 7-8, 1996: 30.7''

2.) February 5-6, 2010: 28.5''

3.) December 19-20, 2010: 23.2''

4.) February 11-12, 1983: 21.3''

5.) December 25-26, 1909: 21.0''

6.) February 15-18, 2003: 20.8''

[RutgersWx92]

You combined a weak clipper and PD II into one with #6 @ PHL. I know there is disagreement on this one, but there was at least a 12 hr gap in the snow.

Oh, I didn't realize that. I was just getting that from my KU Northeast snowstorms book. Doesn't seem right to combine two separate systems.

[Rainshadow]

A little foreshadowing there?

Also 9.2" on December 19, 1945 (that was a moderate la nina).

[Rainshadow]

Oh, I didn't realize that. I was just getting that from my KU Northeast snowstorms book. Doesn't seem right to combine two separate systems.

There is still some debate going with that because the gap was much closer down in DC, but there was a little low that shot east along the warm front before the main show arrived the next day.

http://www.meteo.psu.edu/~gadomski/NARR/2003/us0215.php

[RUNNAWAYICEBERG]

i totally forgot 96 was a NINA with a rising NAO.

not sure the measurements in CPK for that storm, but last years storms (albeit measuring more snow for CPK) was no where near Jan96. i think the lack of true cold air last year kinda minimized the storms IMO.