Most underrated snowstorms

[Ginx snewx]

Feb 2001 probably had the best looking commahead and CCB I've seen on a storm to date. It was both large and very intense.

Made this

[Ginx snewx]

Radar 2/5/.01 That band in Newry Maine produced 11 per hour while I was there.

[wxmanmitch]

Underrated:

2/25/90...this was a good one from my childhood in SW CT. It was basically a Norlun trough type thingy that produced a surprise 12-15" of powder in my old stomping grounds. I remember waking up to 2-3" per hour fluff dendrites that morning. It was a nice event in an otherwise terrible stretch of winters. These type of events are also very unusual outside of ME and NH.

3/19/92 and 3/22-23/92...both were SW CT specials. The former produced 7-10" while the second produced a quick 3-5". A plane slid off the runway at JFK in the latter event. Late March '92 had an impressive cold pattern after a torch winter.

2/4/95...a nice nor'easter that was supposed to quickly turn to rain along coastal SW CT after a quick 2-4" of snow. We wound up getting a quick 12-14" of snow that ended as a period of light mix and gave it a nice crust.

12/19-22/95...a rather strange event in that it was very prolonged. We had about 9-10" of snow overnight on the 19th into the 20th. However, a strong ULL captured the surface low and slowed it down as it occluded. This led to several days of vort maxes rotating around the low producing persistent snow showers that would drop another 1-2" as they passed through. Meteorologically, this was a neat setup.

12/31/00...I like to call this one the Yankees snow weenie storm as it pounded NYC and the suburbs while it brought rain to BOS. I had 14-15" in SW CT while parts of N NJ had 24-30". While on that subject, I guess 2/25/10 could fall into that category too.

Overrated:

3/13/93...this is only overrated from an IMBY perspective. Meteorologically, it was probably a once in a lifetime event. Anyway, I had about 12-13" of snow in SW CT before it changed to heavy sleet by 2:30 PM. We had hours and hours of the biggest sleet fest I've ever seen before we dry slotted and went to light rain. We probably had about 1.5-2" of LE as ice pellets. I remember walking on top of the snow and not breaking the crust after the event. You literally had to stomp on it to fall through.

1/7-8/96...I "only" had about 18" from that event in SW CT. The heaviest snow was in NJ and E PA. I was a bit too far north to be involved in the best of the snowfall rates. Regardless, I had close to a 30" depth after the end of the storm since we had nearly a foot OTG already.

12/26/10...we all know what happened with this one. Massive dry slot screwed much of SNE while NYC and NJ got meso banded. I actually walked away with 17" from the event here in Lenox as we got in on the meso banding for a time. Still, it was a bit of an underachiever and I remember the heartache on here.

[Damage In Tolland]

There were a couple of events in my areas that I think are underated. There was a storm in early Dec. 1992 that left 6-8" of snow across NE CT but there was a sharp cutoff to the NW. I remember having a good snow base while just about everyone else to my west was bare - the Dec. '92 Blizzard took care of that though.

I don't recall the dates of the other one because I can't see a comment on it but there was an event (it might have been 92 or 93) that dumped a narrow band over 12" of snow at my place by there was next to nothing in the valley at the same time. If I recall correctly, some places south of me (Tolland, Bolton, Colchester) had 17" and most of it fell in 2-3 hours. I was in Sturbridge at the time and there was very little there so it was narrow band and my Dad told me that it was the heaviest snow that he had ever seen. I wish I could remember the dates but I'm sure someone on here will remember some more details.

Update - I think it was March 5th, 1993 according to this article - I think this is the event that I recalled - http://articles.courant.com/1993-03-06/news/0000105041_1_winter-storm-snow-removal-storm-center

I remember that Dec 92 event vividly. I was in my first year at a comm college before I transferred to Central. I had just started dating my wife late in 91 and she was at Central in New Britain. I lived on Vernon at the time. I happened to be visiting her that evening at school and it was a slushy rain/ snow mix there. Rds just were slushy. As I drove back home that nightt I hit heavy snow in East Hartford, and by the time I got to Vernon it was a whiteout and we picked up 5-6 inches of paste. There was quite a bit of limb and tree damage from that as I recall hearing things snap in the woods behind our house. The other distinct thing I remember is seeing on the news that night that the moon was out in Danbury and that they had gotten no snow while we were still getting Hvy Hvy snow. It must have been some type of norlun .

[ORH_wxman]

Underrated:

2/25/90...this was a good one from my childhood in SW CT. It was basically a Norlun trough type thingy that produced a surprise 12-15" of powder in my old stomping grounds. I remember waking up to 2-3" per hour fluff dendrites that morning. It was a nice event in an otherwise terrible stretch of winters. These type of events are also very unusual outside of ME and NH.

3/19/92 and 3/22-23/92...both were SW CT specials. The former produced 7-10" while the second produced a quick 3-5". A plane slid off the runway at JFK in the latter event. Late March '92 had an impressive cold pattern after a torch winter.

2/4/95...a nice nor'easter that was supposed to quickly turn to rain along coastal SW CT after a quick 2-4" of snow. We wound up getting a quick 12-14" of snow that ended as a period of light mix and gave it a nice crust.

12/19-22/95...a rather strange event in that it was very prolonged. We had about 9-10" of snow overnight on the 19th into the 20th. However, a strong ULL captured the surface low and slowed it down as it occluded. This led to several days of vort maxes rotating around the low producing persistent snow showers that would drop another 1-2" as they passed through. Meteorologically, this was a neat setup.

12/31/00...I like to call this one the Yankees snow weenie storm as it pounded NYC and the suburbs while it brought rain to BOS. I had 14-15" in SW CT while parts of N NJ had 24-30". While on that subject, I guess 2/25/10 could fall into that category too.

Overrated:

3/13/93...this is only overrated from an IMBY perspective. Meteorologically, it was probably a once in a lifetime event. Anyway, I had about 12-13" of snow in SW CT before it changed to heavy sleet by 2:30 PM. We had hours and hours of the biggest sleet fest I've ever seen before we dry slotted and went to light rain. We probably had about 1.5-2" of LE as ice pellets. I remember walking on top of the snow and not breaking the crust after the event. You literally had to stomp on it to fall through.

1/7-8/96...I "only" had about 18" from that event in SW CT. The heaviest snow was in NJ and E PA. I was a bit too far north to be involved in the best of the snowfall rates. Regardless, I had close to a 30" depth after the end of the storm since we had nearly a foot OTG already.

12/26/10...we all know what happened with this one. Massive dry slot screwed much of SNE while NYC and NJ got meso banded. I actually walked away with 17" from the event here in Lenox as we got in on the meso banding for a time. Still, it was a bit of an underachiever and I remember the heartache on here.

Nice list, though March 19-22, 1992 was a widespread snowfall in southern New England and not a SW CT special. It actually was two events very close together. First a synoptic snow, and then an inverted trough setup that became a very intense norlun in S ME that rotated down extreme E MA and absolutely smoked Cape Ann and Plymouth, MA...it only scraped BOS.

[CapturedNature]

I remember that Dec 92 event vividly. I was in my first year at a comm college before I transferred to Central. I had just started dating my wife late in 91 and she was at Central in New Britain. I lived on Vernon at the time. I happened to be visiting her that evening at school and it was a slushy rain/ snow mix there. Rds just were slushy. As I drove back home that nightt I hit heavy snow in East Hartford, and by the time I got to Vernon it was a whiteout and we picked up 5-6 inches of paste. There was quite a bit of limb and tree damage from that as I recall hearing things snap in the woods behind our house. The other distinct thing I remember is seeing on the news that night that the moon was out in Danbury and that they had gotten no snow while we were still getting Hvy Hvy snow. It must have been some type of norlun .

Do you recall that March 5, 1993 event? I had 13" from it that fell in about 2-2.5 hrs. I see Will had it in his list and that eastern areas had similar amounts, but that seems to have been over a longer period of time. When I heard that places due south of me had 16-17" I drove south and I remember that Rockville/Tolland seemed to have a little more than I did but I did not measure. I would have love to have seen 15" of snow fall in a couple of hours! The Courant story seems to capture how sudden and heavy the snow was east of the river.

It wa a neat event because East Longmeadow to my NW only had a few inches from that...as you drove south on Rte 83 it just became more and more.

That was two events that we made out well on that winter. I agree that it must have been some sort of Norlun.

[ORH_wxman]

Do you recall that March 5, 1993 event? I had 13" from it that fell in about 2-2.5 hrs. I see Will had it in his list and that eastern areas had similar amounts, but that seems to have been over a longer period of time. When I heard that places due south of me had 16-17" I drove south and I remember that Rockville/Tolland seemed to have a little more than I did but I did not measure. I would have love to have seen 15" of snow fall in a couple of hours! The Courant story seems to capture how sudden and heavy the snow was east of the river.

It wa a neat event because East Longmeadow to my NW only had a few inches from that...as you drove south on Rte 83 it just became more and more.

That was two events that we made out well on that winter. I agree that it must have been some sort of Norlun.

Mar 4-5, 1993 was a huge WCB burst of snow...the R/S line was over CT...so in northern CT you probably were just getting the snow while southern areas were rain.

I'm pretty sure it was nor a norlun at all.

[Damage In Tolland]

Mar 4-5, 1993 was a huge WCB burst of snow...the R/S line was over CT...so in northern CT you probably were just getting the snow while southern areas were rain.

I'm pretty sure it was nor a norlun at all.

Do you recall what that early Dec 1992 event was?

[Damage In Tolland]

Do you recall that March 5, 1993 event? I had 13" from it that fell in about 2-2.5 hrs. I see Will had it in his list and that eastern areas had similar amounts, but that seems to have been over a longer period of time. When I heard that places due south of me had 16-17" I drove south and I remember that Rockville/Tolland seemed to have a little more than I did but I did not measure. I would have love to have seen 15" of snow fall in a couple of hours! The Courant story seems to capture how sudden and heavy the snow was east of the river.

It wa a neat event because East Longmeadow to my NW only had a few inches from that...as you drove south on Rte 83 it just became more and more.

That was two events that we made out well on that winter. I agree that it must have been some sort of Norlun.

For some reason I cannot recall that one

[ORH_wxman]

Do you recall what that early Dec 1992 event was?

I remember some snow on Dec 3, 1992 I think it was. We didn't get much...maybe 2 or 3 inches. It was mostly melted by the time the big storm happened on Dec 11-12...we still had some patches left from it.

[Damage In Tolland]

I remember some snow on Dec 3, 1992 I think it was. We didn't get much...maybe 2 or 3 inches. It was mostly melted by the time the big storm happened on Dec 11-12...we still had some patches left from it.

I just thought you might have some info on what type of storm it was or an image or something. I've always wondered about that one..Clear skies in DXR and hvy snow HFD east

[ORH_wxman]

I just thought you might have some info on what type of storm it was or an image or something. I've always wondered about that one..Clear skies in DXR and hvy snow HFD east

I looks like it was an inverted trough setup...so I can def see why only places to the east got snow. I don't know what exact amounts were all over MA/RI, but I don't remember a lot here, maybe 3" tops. The inverted trough looks slightly better to the south in that particular setup so I'm not surprised CT/RI may have done better.

[wxmanmitch]

Nice list, though March 19-22, 1992 was a widespread snowfall in southern New England and not a SW CT special. It actually was two events very close together. First a synoptic snow, and then an inverted trough setup that became a very intense norlun in S ME that rotated down extreme E MA and absolutely smoked Cape Ann and Plymouth, MA...it only scraped BOS.

I didn't realize the 3/19/92 one made it that far north. I remember talking to relatives on the phone who lived here in the Berkshires and they missed out.

Do you recall what that early Dec 1992 event was?

I remember some snow on Dec 3, 1992 I think it was. We didn't get much...maybe 2 or 3 inches. It was mostly melted by the time the big storm happened on Dec 11-12...we still had some patches left from it.

I do vaguely remember a rain to ice/snow event in early December that year. It was mostly rain in SW CT, but it ended as a bit of an icy mix.

The nor'easter that came about a week later was an incredible event both in terms of impacts and meteorology. Some of the east slope communities here in the Berkshires had about 40-50" from that event. West Chesterfield probably had close to 4' of snow then. I don't where Pete was at the time.

I don't know what Lenox had since I didn't live here at the time, but I would fathom that there was about 30-35". Pittsfield reported 30" and Adams had 36". Peru and Savoy each had 48" and Sandisfield 40". The amazing thing about this event was the downslope effects in the Hudson and Connecticut River Valleys. I don't think there's ever been an event where the shadowing effects were that extreme.

The typical mid-level processes that produce upward motion and precipitation that are independent of topography (i.e. meso bands) were largely absent during the first day of this event. I can't really recall any other event like this since most storms usually have some type of banding features that are not effected by terrain. The easterly flow upsloping over the Worcester Hills, Berkshires, and Catskills provided the lift needed to really wring out the moisture. As the low redeveloped and elongated south of CC during the second day, the winds went more northerly, allowing the valleys to get in on 4-8" of snow since the downslope impacts were now negated.

This storm also produced a lot of wind damage and severe coastal flooding near the coast. This storm should definitely go in the underrated category as it was overshadowed by the event 3 months later.

[ORH_wxman]

I didn't realize the 3/19/92 one made it that far north. I remember talking to relatives on the phone who lived here in the Berkshires and they missed out.

I do vaguely remember a rain to ice/snow event in early December that year. It was mostly rain in SW CT, but it ended as a bit of an icy mix.

The nor'easter that came about a week later was an incredible event both in terms of impacts and meteorology. Some of the east slope communities here in the Berkshires had about 40-50" from that event. West Chesterfield probably had close to 4' of snow then. I don't where Pete was at the time.

I don't know what Lenox had since I didn't live here at the time, but I would fathom that there was about 30-35". Pittsfield reported 30" and Adams had 36". Peru and Savoy each had 48" and Sandisfield 40". The amazing thing about this event was the downslope effects in the Hudson and Connecticut River Valleys. I don't think there's ever been an event where the shadowing effects were that extreme.

The typical mid-level processes that produce upward motion and precipitation that are independent of topography (i.e. meso bands) were largely absent during the first day of this event. I can't really recall any other event like this since most storms usually have some type of banding features that are not effected by terrain. The easterly flow upsloping over the Worcester Hills, Berkshires, and Catskills provided the lift needed to really wring out the moisture. As the low redeveloped and elongated south of CC during the second day, the winds went more northerly, allowing the valleys to get in on 4-8" of snow since the downslope impacts were now negated.

This storm also produced a lot of wind damage and severe coastal flooding near the coast. This storm should definitely go in the underrated category as it was overshadowed by the event 3 months later.

3/19/92 was probably one of those events that had a SE/NW gradient...so perhaps ORH/BOS both got the snow along with CT while the Bekrshires mostly missed it. Though I'm not 100% sure.

As for 12/92, I don't think the storm is very underrated by most of us on this board (esp in our region), but I definitely agree that it is underrated overall to both the public and a lot of the met community outside of our region for the exact reason you stated....it was overshadowed by March '93 just a few months later. At the time when Dec 1992 happened, it was national news and people were in awe....but then it was quickly forgotton when March '93 occurred.

It produced flooding in E MA on levels similar to Feb '78 and Oct '91...and around a lot of areas in NNJ and parts of LI sound, Dec 1992 remains the highest storm surge on record. The snow aspect was only one amazing part of it.

The only event that recently seemed to mimick Dec 1992 in the precip pattern was the March 14-15, 2010 rainstorm...the first half of it. If you recall, there was almost no rain in the valleys during the first part of that storm and it was muted in a lot of even the 2nd half. BDL received just over an inch of QPF while ORH had close to 4". Too bad it was about half a degree too warm aloft for snow.

[40/70 Benchmark]

3/19/92 was probably one of those events that had a SE/NW gradient...so perhaps ORH/BOS both got the snow along with CT while the Bekrshires mostly missed it. Though I'm not 100% sure.

As for 12/92, I don't think the storm is very underrated by most of us on this board (esp in our region), but I definitely agree that it is underrated overall to both the public and a lot of the met community outside of our region for the exact reason you stated....it was overshadowed by March '93 just a few months later. At the time when Dec 1992 happened, it was national news and people were in awe....but then it was quickly forgotton when March '93 occurred.

It produced flooding in E MA on levels similar to Feb '78 and Oct '91...and around a lot of areas in NNJ and parts of LI sound, Dec 1992 remains the highest storm surge on record. The snow aspect was only one amazing part of it.

The only event that recently seemed to mimick Dec 1992 in the precip pattern was the March 14-15, 2010 rainstorm...the first half of it. If you recall, there was almost no rain in the valleys during the first part of that storm and it was muted in a lot of even the 2nd half. BDL received just over an inch of QPF while ORH had close to 4". Too bad it was about half a degree too warm aloft for snow.

You'll never be the same.

[Baroclinic Zone]

Terrible.

Why is your map different than BOXs?

No answer?

[ORH_wxman]

No answer?

They have the date wrong on the bottom of the map I posted. Its supposed to be March 2, 2006. If you click on that storm in their archive, you'll see that's the map.

I suspect they just forgot to change the date at the bottom when they plotted the new map since the previous event had been Feb 25-26, 2006.

[free_man]

Overrated/Underrated for the location we were in? Or as a whole?

[free_man]

Most underrated, by far, was an event in the early 9 0s. It was late Feb or Early March, and there were wwa (or equiv) issued for 2-4". We ended up with 11-12" in North Attleboro, and 6-13" were widespread in the southern half of SNE. That's my recollection anyway.

[ORH_wxman]

Overrated/Underrated for the location we were in? Or as a whole?

I made my list as a whole for our region...though I jokingly threw in Dec 2003 as overrated because I got into a local snow hole in that one. But others have taken a more IMBY approach. On my serious list, Dec '03 is not overrated for SNE, it was a huge storm.

Whatever people feel like doing.

[ORH_wxman]

Most underrated, by far, was an event in the early or mid 90s. It was late Feb or Early March, and there were wwa (or equiv) issued for 2-4". We ended up with 11-12" in North Attleboro, and 6-13" were widespread in the southern half of SNE. That's my recollection anyway.

Probably Mar 2, 1996....that was a huge bust. A 1-3/2-4" forecast turned into a 10-12" jackpot for SE MA....I had about 7-8" back this way. Dartmouth, MA had the most I recall. It was a wet snow, and then the very next day we got a big cold front with squalls associated.

[ORH_wxman]

That 3/2/96 event is a good one actually...I would have included it if I thought of it at the time.

A really nice snowstorm for most of eastern SNE when very little was forecast. Another example of (in addition to my 1/3/96 storm) how that winter got to such high snow totals.

[free_man]

December 03 is probably underrated, most of the other major snowstorms in the past 20 years seem to be talked about more.

[free_man]

Probably Mar 2, 1996....that was a huge bust. A 1-3/2-4" forecast turned into a 10-12" jackpot for SE MA....I had about 7-8" back this way. Dartmouth, MA had the most I recall. It was a wet snow, and then the very next day we got a big cold front with squalls associated.

Interesting. The snowfall I am talking about was a fairly dry snow. The sun ate 80% the following day. If it helps, it was an overnight snowfall between 10pm and 6am.

[ORH_wxman]

Interesting. The snowfall I am talking about was a fairly dry snow. The sun ate 80% the following day. If it helps, it was an overnight snowfall between 10pm and 6am.

Ok, def not the same storm then...the 3/2/96 event was all during the day.

It was late Feb or early March?

I know that St. Pattys day 1994 had a pretty decent event...well it ended that morning and started the night before so it fits the overnight theme. Also fits that it was sunny that day and I remember the melting. Could have been that one if we can extend it to mid March.

It def wasn't 1995 since we basically got nothing after the Feb 4th storm that winter...and 1996 had the already mentioned Mar 2nd event, and then a big one on Mar 7-8, but it wasn't sunny/warm the following day or two...it was really cold.

It could have been 1993 or 1997 too if you include those years as possiblities.

[CapturedNature]

Mar 4-5, 1993 was a huge WCB burst of snow...the R/S line was over CT...so in northern CT you probably were just getting the snow while southern areas were rain.

I'm pretty sure it was nor a norlun at all.

It must have been another event because it was a cold night. It either snowed or it didn't and the line was pretty much N-S. I know there wasn't much in Springfield and Sturbridge but in-between there as 12-15". I'm tempted to say it was some kind of squall. I'm going to talk to a buddy of mine who has a better memory for dates than I do and see what he says.

[ORH_wxman]

It must have been another event because it was a cold night. It either snowed or it didn't and the line was pretty much N-S. I know there wasn't much in Springfield and Sturbridge but in-between there as 12-15". I'm tempted to say it was some kind of squall. I'm going to talk to a buddy of mine who has a better memory for dates than I do and see what he says.

12-15" is a really big total for it to be a localized mesoscale event around here. Its not unheard of obviously (like Jan 7-8, 2011 near DXR), but its very rare.

I'd be interested in knowing the exact date of the event so we can see what the setup was. Are you sure it was March 1993?

February 19, 1993 had a very intense norlun over the Cape where some areas reported 20"+...I wonder if a narrow finger extended back into CT and dropped a lot of snow. I don't recall reading about that when learning about that norlun event (there is a case study written on it), but it may have happened. I'm not sure.

[Ginx snewx]

Then off course there are always those so awesome windex events, my favorite Jan 6 1994. in fact Jan 94 was the windex king month.

http://www.weatheran...lic/NORLUN4.pdf

[Damage In Tolland]

Then off course there are always those so awesome windex events, my favorite Jan 6 1994. in fact Jan 94 was the windex king month.

http://www.weatheran...lic/NORLUN4.pdf

[Ginx snewx]

Yep, where were you in Jan 94?