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Your TOP 3 favorite snowstorms.

Heisy

By Heisy,
in Philadelphia Region

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ezweather

ezweather

Posted
Posted

Super topic started. Oh the memories.. 

 

My favorite 3 Winter Storms

 

1. Blizzard of 1983 that hit the Philly area.  Out over here in South Jersey.  I remember how frustrating that season was.  Week after week, missing one system after another.  That was the year we had a very strong El Nino.  I remember the Poconos getting hit pretty hard.  But the system before this one, opened the door for something very special.  I think it was a week before.  Temperatures crashed and it snowed hard for several hours.  I remember the day after that first storm, how crunchy the snow was. Probably had sleet mixed in. Now, this is a time period, no internet. All I had was 3, 6 and 10.  I was intensely watching, I think it was Herb Clarke..or even Robert Jennings over at Channel 6.  He would do the weather.  But the day before the blizzard hit the area, I remember being over one of my neighbor's house that they told me heavy snow was going on down in Virginia.  I knew something was up.  But seeing this storm unfold. How hard it snowed.  It must have snowed for 2 to 3 inches an hour.  I think the snow ended just after midnight. The next day was so bright and sunny out.  The mountains of snow.  The one thing I did remember was that at McDonalds, they were selling cheese burgers for something like 25 cents.. Great storm and memories for that one...

 

2. 1987 Winter Storm.. The one that hit the end of January.  This one was the infamous storm that was suppose to be rain.  Forecasts were calling for a changeover to heavy rain in the afternoon.  This was a winter that started off mild and wet, but man the bottom fell out.  I remember seeing on the Weather Channel. What was it.. Their 5 day planner or Week Ahead.  I remember seeing the maps showing this major change. The jet stream buckling and arctic air coming south.  Boy did it ever and the storm track became ripe for big snows.  This storm was awesome.  I remember Cantore's first debut that time.  He was so pumped up talking about this storm.  I had to go to school that day.  So, the snow started to fall.  Then it got heavier and heavier.  Now, about 11am, I'm wondering.. Hasn't changed over yet.  Then it snowed harder and bam.., heard thunder early afternoon. I couldn't even concentrate in class. Thankfully, I can look out the window.  I was so glued to what was happening.  Finally, they let us home.  Getting home by bus was fun.  We actually got stuck.  But got home.  The heavy snow just about ended, but wow, what a site.  Even checking my home barometer, I was shocked how low it was.  Great storm, but the awesome part was it was a surprise event.  

 

3.  How can I forget the Winter of 2009 - 2010.  It was December 19-20, 2009.  You couldn't have had a such a better setup than this winter. I remember how cold it was.  The computer models were really impressive.  I think it was obvious, we were going to get buried. Key briefings by Mount Holly.  I had to tell some of my family members.. Don't mess around with this storm.  We are getting buried. Boy did we ever. I made sure to get myself ready to tape outdoor shots.  Well, worth it.  Actually captured the sound of thunder during the early afternoon.  The one thing I remember about the storm was how cold it was.  The snow was so powdery.  I think the timing of this event was perfect, especially approaching the shortest day of the year.  Just an ideal setup.  Plus, it was right before Christmas. Definitely my favorite.

 

So, thats my favorite three.  Of course, there are many I really savor.  

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Redmorninglight

Redmorninglight

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3-

Blizz of 1983- S. Morris Co. NJ

  I was 10 and could not believe how hard it snowed. My poor dad drove all night to get home from work 20 miles away.  Quick hitter as it was incredibly bright next day as we all shoveled out.

 

2-

Blizz of 1996- S. Morris Co. NJ

  Was living in Cape May but happened to be visiting family with fiance that week.  Great timing.  2'+ snow winds and drifts as tall a me.

 

1-

Cape May NJ

2010 (Jan to Dec)  What a year for the Mid-Atlantic!- Feb 5-6 was tops, but destructive.  Our fire companies ran alarms and rescues for days.  Pretty exhausting.  I enjoyed the 8" of fluff that fell in 16F air on 1/31, even though it was supposed to be 1".  I enjoyed the Feb 17 blizzard, but we saw less snow and more wind and even rain.  I have to say that Boxing Day 2010 was up there too as 2' of snow fell and then drifted into unmeasurable drifts all across our county.

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JCT777

JCT777

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Super topic started. Oh the memories.. 

 

1. Blizzard of 1983 that hit the Philly area.  Out over here in South Jersey.  I remember how frustrating that season was.  Week after week, missing one system after another.  That was the year we had a very strong El Nino.  I remember the Poconos getting hit pretty hard.  But the system before this one, opened the door for something very special.  I think it was a week before.  Temperatures crashed and it snowed hard for several hours.  I remember the day after that first storm, how crunchy the snow was. Probably had sleet mixed in. Now, this is a time period, no internet. All I had was 3, 6 and 10.  I was intensely watching, I think it was Herb Clarke..or even Robert Jennings over at Channel 6.  He would do the weather.   

 

Jim O'Brien was actually doing the weather on WPVI 6 (he died in September 1983 when his parachute failed while skydiving).  That foecast he gave the night before the storm is my all-time favorite memory of him.

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jrodd321

jrodd321

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1. December 19 2009 just cause of how epic that day before it was when DC looked to get 2 feet and Philly nothing then that legendary 12z euro run that came in and wrecked the entire east coast dc to boston. Then the 18z nam that put out over 4" of qpf for Philly. Add all this being 6 days before Christmas just made life perfect.

2. Feb 5/6 2010 heaviest snow of my life. Just a long duration heavy heavy snow event. Absolutely beautiful.

3. Presidents' Day 2003 another just epic storm.

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Eskimo Joe

Eskimo Joe

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1. December 19 2009 just cause of how epic that day before it was when DC looked to get 2 feet and Philly nothing then that legendary 12z euro run that came in and wrecked the entire east coast dc to boston. Then the 18z nam that put out over 4" of qpf for Philly. Add all this being 6 days before Christmas just made life perfect. 2. Feb 5/6 2010 heaviest snow of my life. Just a long duration heavy heavy snow event. Absolutely beautiful. 3. Presidents' Day 2003 another just epic storm.

Agreed 12/19/09 was fantastic.  Lancaster went from a 4" - 8" storm to 12" - 16" overnight.  

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Birdbean

Birdbean

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I had written this on this boad in 2007 just thought I would copy and paste.

I was a senior in high school I remember they were predicting a pretty big storm, mostly remember Elliot Abrams back then. The initial call was for around a foot which was upped as the storm got closer. Snow started around dawn and really picked up in intensity by later in the afternoon. We had a big driveway then and I did a lot of the plowing with my dads tractor as I loved being out in the snow. I remember it took me generally about 45 minutes to plow the whole thing once. Well I went out later in the afternoon to plow with already several inches on the ground and when I was finished I went back to where I had started and their was another 2 inches their at the beggining.

I dont remember the exact temp during the storm but the snow was very powdery and easy to push around with the tractor so Im sure it was very cold. When night had set in it was really coming down like crazy at the rate of 3 to even 4 inches and hour. Once in awhile I would go out on our back deck and clear a spot off and measure it after an hour thats how I know what the snowfall rates were. Before it stopped around 3 or 4 in the A.M. I remember getting up around midnight and seeing the heaviest snow falling in my entire life. Big monster flakes were falling along with smaller flakes, Just incredibly heavy snow. Usually when the temp is very cold the flakes are not that big, but not this storm very big flakes and small flakes falling at the same time.

Next morning I went to plow but the snowfall was too deep, even after I had plowed 2 or 3 times the previous afternoon and evening, so I had to do some hand shoveling just so the tractor would even move.

We lived near the turnpike exit and another fond memory was the trucks just strewn all over the place just off the exit. It looked like a war zone trucks would go as far as they could and just sit wherever they ended up or as far as they could go. The plows would have to go around them and as we drove past all these trucks it was like a maze weaving in and out of stranded tracktor trailers.

I did a measurment after the snow was over but dont remember the exact total but do remember it was over 30'. Must of been a very heavy swath from central MD up through my neck of the woods, as the southern part of my county borders MD.

I still consider this to be the best pure snow event I have ever witnessed, not as much wind or drifting as 93 or 96 but for flat out snowfall intensity rates for several hours this storm cant be beat, we ended p with somewhere around 30".

On a final note, after the storm there must have been a pattern change becasue it had gotten warmer and we actually had a rainstorm 4 days or so later. Many roofs had collapsed with the weight of the snow and rain on top of that.

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Voyager

Voyager

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BTW, its these sorts of things that make me dislike Elko weather.  Not because it never snows (it does, more than back home in fact), but these sorts of big storms are essentially unheard of. At least in town.

 

I think I'd rather have three 12" snowstorms than twelve 3" snowstorms. The end result is the same 36" for the season, but it's more fun to track and watch a heavy snow event than a light "run of the mill" event.

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WebBreaker63

WebBreaker63

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Short and Simple:

 

1) Blizzard of '96 (Wife was 9 months pregnant with child #4 - fun times)

2) Presidents Day Storm (Out in Vegas with the wife and left the kids with a baby sitter in NJ - digging car out of ACY parking lot took 3 hours and $20 to the back hoe driver to plow me a path to get out, it was forcast at 6" at time of departure!)

3) Feb 5/6 2010 (Never saw it snow so hard and so fast)

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RedSky

RedSky

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January 1996 - Still the top snowfall for mby at 25" 

 

Presidents Day storm 2 - 22"

 

Three way tie for #3  Feb 83 , Presidents Day #1,and Feb 78- Very similar storms with snow totals in high teens and drifting, same excitement level

 

 

Failed to top 16" in any of the 2010,11 storms

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