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Detroit Winters of 2013-14 & 2014-15 Records List...Tons of Records smashed

michsnowfreak

By michsnowfreak,
in Lakes/Ohio Valley

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Whitelakeroy

Whitelakeroy

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Personal SE MI record has been broken.  My previous 101" from 04/05 has been easily surpassed as of today (only need a few inches).  Final number will be reported at the end of the season (looks like sometime in May the way this winter is going).

 

Note:  This is for my time in SE MI.  I went to MTU so my personal best is >300" which I know I will never see again unless I move back up to MTU or in the Mountains!!

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hm8

hm8

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Note:  This is for my time in SE MI.  I went to MTU so my personal best is >300" which I know I will never see again unless I move back up to MTU or in the Mountains!!

 

You don't know....SEMI could have a really really really really active April

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michsnowfreak

michsnowfreak

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MARCH 24h update: The original post was fully updated thru 3/24...the following updates since March 9th post

*NOTE: I also updated the daily records for Feb/Mar to include daily record snow depth (since 1906):

 

SNOWIEST WINTERS ON RECORD - since 1880

01.) 93.6" - 1880-81

02.) 90.7" - 2013-14 THRU Mar 24th

03.) 78.0" - 1925-26

 

Feb daily records

February 2- record snow depth of 12"

February 5- record snowfall of 7.6"

February 5- record snow depth of 19"

February 6- record snow depth of 19"

February 8- record snow depth of 17"

February 9- record snow depth of 18"
February 10- record snow depth of 18"

February 11- record snow depth of 17"

February 12- record snow depth of 16"
February 13- record snow depth of 16"
February 14- record snow depth of 16"

February 15- record snow depth of 15"
February 16- record snow depth of 15"

February 17- record snowfall of 3.5"

February 17- record snow depth of 16"

February 18- record snow depth of 20"

February 19- record snow depth of 18"

February 20- record snow depth of 16"
February 21- record snow depth of 14"

February 23- record snow depth of 12"
February 24- record snow depth of 12"

February 25- record snow depth of 12"
February 26- record snow depth of 12"

February 27- record snow depth of 12"
February 28- record snow depth of 12"

 

MARCH

daily records

March 1- record snow depth of 12"
March 2- record snow depth of 16"

March 3- record snow depth of 15"
March 4- record snow depth of 15"

March 5- record snow depth of 15"

March 6- record snow depth of 15"
March 7- record snow depth of 14"

March 8- record snow depth of 12"
March 9- record snow depth of 12"

March 10- record snow depth of 11"

March 11- record snow depth of 8"

March 12- record snowfall of 6.6"

March 13- record low of 3F

March 13- record snow depth of 11"
March 14- record snow depth of 10"
 

Winters with the most days with snowfall of 1.0”+ (calendar day) - since 1880

25 days (1929-30)

24 days (2013-14) thru MAR 24th

22 days (1880-81)

 

Winters with the  most days with snowfall of 3.0”+ (calendar day) - since 1880

11 days (2013-14) THRU Mar 24th

9 days (2007-08)

9 days (2010-11)

 

Winters with most days with snowfall of 5.0”+ (calendar day) - since 1880

5 days (1880-81)

5 days (1977-78)

5 days (1981-82)

5 days (2013-13) THRU Mar 24th

 

Winters with most days with snowfall of 6.0”+ (calendar day)

5 days (2013-14) THRU Mar 24th

4 days (1880-81)

4 days (1899-00)

 

Winters with most days with 1"+ snow on the ground - since 1906

93 days (2013-14) THRU Mar 24th

91 days (1977-78)

89 days (1947-48)

89 days (1981-82)

 

Winters with most days with 3”+ snow on the ground - since 1906

78 days (2013-14) THRU Mar 24th

78 days (1977-78)

69 days (2010-11)

 

Winters with most days with 5”+ snow on the ground - since 1906

75 days (2013-14) THRU Mar 24th

63 days (1977-78)

57 days (2010-11)

 

Winters with most days with 6”+ snow on the ground - since 1906

72 days (2013-14) THRU Mar 24th

42 days (1977-78)

39 days (1981-82)

 

Winters with most days with 10”+ snow on the ground - since 1906

52 days (2013-14) THRU Mar 24th

18 days (1998-99)

15 days (1907-08)

15 days (1981-82)

15 days (2008-09)

 

Winters with most days with 12”+ snow on the ground - since 1906

43 days (2013-14) THRU Mar 24th

17 days (1998-99)

14 days (1981-82)

 

Winters with the most CONSECUTIVE days of Trace+ Snowcover - since 1885

119 days (Nov 25, 1903 - Mar 22, 1904)

109 days (Dec 6, 1977 - Mar 25, 1978)

106 days (Dec 9, 2013 - present) - THRU Mar 24th

101 days (Nov 30, 1919 - Mar 9, 1920)

101 days (Dec 6, 1962 - Mar 16, 1963)

 

Winters with the most CONSECUTIVE days of 1"+ snowcover - since 1885

81 days (Dec 12, 1903 - Mar 1, 1904)

77 days (Dec 31, 2013 - Mar 17, 2014)

74 days (Jan 1, 1978 - Mar 15, 1978)

 

Winters with the most days with a high temperature at or below 32F - since 1874

86 days (1880-81)

85 days (1903-04)

79 days (2013-14) THRU Mar 23rd

78 days (1977-78)

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michsnowfreak

michsnowfreak

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A note on snow depth. I have daily records for snow depth since 1906 (I believe they started in the late 1880s or 1890s)....note that daily record snow depth (dating to 1906) was broken at Detroit 3 times this January, 23 days in feb, and 13 days in March. So not only did Detroit set 39 daily record snow depths this winter, but from February 5th thru March 14th....35 of the 38 days saw a new daily record snow depth established in 2014 lmaosmiley.gif

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Whitelakeroy

Whitelakeroy

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LOL ... I got over an 1" of snow yesterday but Flint only gets 0.3". Flint is now 0.3" away from the record.

 

Also noticed for the 2nd time in the past couple weeks that had this very quick spike to 33F.  I am south of them and my temp at was in the upper 20s on both those days.  UHI affect UHI affect!!!! If they go above freezing today then they will likely fall 1 day short of the freezing and below record. 

 

I am not disagreeing with these measurements. It is just frustrating how hard it has been to get these records these past few weeks.  Not that they will really matter in the end as I find it amazing to even approach the Freezing and below record with all the urban development in the area of these measurements!!!

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michsnowfreak

michsnowfreak

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MARCH 30th UPDATE...added to first post

 

New addition...days with measurable snow

 

Winters with the most days with snowfall of 0.1”+ (calendar day) - since 1880

62 days (1925-26)

61 days (1884-85)

54 days (2013-14) THRU Mar 30th

52 days (1880-81)

52 days (1892-93)

52 days (1903-04)

52 days (1911-12)

52 days (1985-86)

51 days (1959-60)

51 days (2000-01)

 

UPDATES SINCE MARCH 24th POST

 

SNOWIEST WINTERS ON RECORD - since 1880

01.) 93.6" - 1880-81

02.) 91.7" - 2013-14 THRU Mar 30th

03.) 78.0" - 1925-26

 

MARCH

daily records

March 26- record low of 11F
 

Winters with the most days with snowfall of 1.0”+ (calendar day) - since 1880

25 days (1929-30)

25 days (2013-14) thru MAR 30th

22 days (1880-81)

 

Winters with most days with 1"+ snow on the ground - since 1906

94 days (2013-14) THRU Mar 30th

91 days (1977-78)

89 days (1947-48)

89 days (1981-82)

 

Winters with the most CONSECUTIVE days of 1"+ snowcover - since 1885

81 days (Dec 12, 1903 - Mar 1, 1904)

77 days (Dec 31, 2013 - Mar 17, 2014)

74 days (Jan 1, 1978 - Mar 15, 1978)

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michsnowfreak

michsnowfreak

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SO...a SUMMARY through MARCH 30th on the WINTER OF 2013-14...

 

*While only 1.9" away from the all-time snowiest winter on record....set 134 years ago....Detroit has already surpassed the previous 2nd snowiest winter by 13.7". To put this into perspective...had Detroits records not started until 1885 like most other climate sites, This would already be the snowiest winter on record by 13.7". Dont get me wrong, Im glad our records go farther back....just wanted to put that into perspective for the oft-heard phrase "...on record"

 

*Snowcover has probably been one of the most underrated features of this winter. The media is always talking about the cold and snowfall. But look at the snowcover. Not only is the 94 days with 1"+ snow on the ground the most on record (beating 91 days in 1977-78 and approx 91-92 days in 1903-04)...as 1"+ is the threshold we use usually for snowcover.....but we also endured the 2nd longest streak of consecutive 1"+ snowcover days (77), only 4 days behind the 1903-04 record. Just as impressive (perhaps even moreso), is that a T+ snowcover was on the ground for 110 consecutive days!!!!! Only once, again in 1903-04, had a longer streak been set.

 

*Snow depth, however....has been the most impressive feat of all. Detroit absolutely obliterated the previous record for totals days of depth for every threshold of snow depth up to 17". Its actually ridiculous to think that this winter had 34 MORE days with 10"+ snow depth than the previous record holder!!!!!!!!! Using the daily records to 1906, this winter saw 39 days set a daily record snow depth...including a stretch of 33 out of 35 days from Feb 8th to Mar 14th!!!!

 

*Cant forget the cold of course.....79 days this winter the high temp didnt crack 32F. Only 2 seasons had more. Likewise...with 17 days with a low of 0F or below, only 3 seasons had more.

 

*Snowstorms....while no massive storm occurred....SIX times this winter has a storm exceeded 6"+ in 24 hours. I still have some digging to do to make it official, but I believe the previous record was 5 such occurrances (still have to double check on 1880-1910 data though).

 

*Calendar day snowfall....while the all-time record for days with measurable snow appears safe, the bigger, more impressive numbers fell victim to 2013-14 as well. 11 calendar days saw over 3" of snowfall this season...which is 2 more than the previous record holder. Also...at 5 days of over 6" snowfall...that too is the record holder (beating the record of 5 days). At a whopping 25 calendar days with 1.0"+ snowfall this season, we are now tied with 1929-30 for the number one spot.

 

Mother Nature may or may not have some more wintry surprises on the way...so stay tuned!

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michsnowfreak

michsnowfreak

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APRIL 15th UPDATE....I updated the orginal post to its perhaps completion. This winter has been amazing from a records standpoint, and the 3.2" of snow that fell April 14-15th help us nab yet a few more records, including the biggest of them all:

 

Here are new additions/updates from April 15:

 

SNOWIEST WINTERS ON RECORD - since 1880

01.) 94.9" - 2013-14

02.) 93.6" - 1880-81

 

APRIL

daily records

April 15- record low maximum of 33F

April 15- record snowfall of 2.6"

April 15- record snow depth of 3"

 

******WINTER******

8th coldest winter on record

#1 snowiest MET winter on record

#1 snowiest SEASON on record

4th coldest COLD SEASON (Nov-Mar) on record

 

Winters with the most days with snowfall of 0.1”+ (calendar day) - since 1880

62 days (1925-26)

61 days (1884-85)

56 days (2013-14)

 

Winters with the most days with snowfall of 1.0”+ (calendar day) - since 1880

26 days (2013-14)

25 days (1929-30)

 

Winters with most days with 1"+ snow on the ground - since 1906

96 days (2013-14)

91 days (1977-78)

 

Winters with most days with 3”+ snow on the ground - since 1906

79 days (2013-14) 

78 days (1977-78)

 

************************************************************************************

 

With the uniqueness of this past winter season and record after record falling, the "traditional" records (record high/low/precip/snow) are listed but are easy to get lost in the epic scroll that is the first post. So here is a chronological summary of the daily record temps/precip/snow (I excluded snow depth for this summary, as its not usually a daily record that holds near the weight of the others, yet still it has been the record that has been broken the most this winter)

 

January 5- Record snowfall 10.2”

January 6- Record low –14F

January 7- Record low –14F

January 7- Record low maximum –1F

January 7- Record low mean temp –8F

January 28- Record low –10F

January 28- Record low maximum 6F

January 28- Record low mean temp –2F

 

February 5- record snowfall of 7.6"

February 17- record snowfall of 3.5"

 

March 12- record snowfall of 6.6"

March 13- record low of 3F

March 26- record low of 11F

 

April 15- record low maximum of 33F

April 15- record snowfall of 2.6"

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michsnowfreak

michsnowfreak

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Every year, for my own personal records, I type up a summary of the winter, really its just a chronological timeline of the season. Its pretty mby/DTW focused, as its purpose has soley been for personal use rather than online posting (in fact Ive never posted the summary online), but I figured this past historic winter it was worth posting. Its a long read (by far the longest of my summaries, no surprise), and nothing fancy, since it's more a timeline than a story. It only took me until mid-July to finish it this year LOL.

 

 

October 2013

            The first half of October was mild and quite sunny, while it turned much colder the 2nd half. Scattered light frosts began on the 19th, the first official freeze on the 22nd, and then the seasons first snowflakes on the 23rd, as scattered sprinkles, snow flurries, and snow pellets floated down on a chilly autumn day. The chilly air continued until the 30th, and then Halloween was a mild but gray day with an all-day soaking rain of 1.86” in Wyandotte and 1.59” at DTW. The trees were still in their full color glory as the month closed, so the peak was a bit later than normal.

 

November 2013

            The month started cool and crisp, with sunshine making for a nice show for the end of the fall color season. The first real taste of winter came on the 11th, as afternoon rain turned to a 3-hour period of snow in the evening, pasting a slushy 0.4” in Wyandotte & 0.5” at DTW, the first measurable snow of the would-be historic season.

Traces of snow stayed on the ground for 3 days until a very brief bout of Indian Summer saw temps soar to 64F on the 17th, along with heavy rain (1.11” in Wyandotte & 0.99” at DTW) although we avoided what was a deadly tornado outbreak in Indiana (which was threatened to make it up here).

            Sharply colder air quickly came in thereafter, and following snow showers on the 22nd, the next day saw a low of 14F & a frigid high temp of just 26F, despite November sunshine. Scattered flurries then fell off and on from the 25th-27th, until a steady light snow on Thanksgiving morning, the 28th, left a very festive scene for Detroits Thanksgiving parade. The snow fell from 7-10am and dropped 0.6” of powder in Wyandotte & 0.5” at DTW, as high temps only made it into the upper 20s.

            Although November finished a solid 4 degrees below normal, the snowfall total of 1.2” at DTW and 1.1” in Wyandotte was a bit below normal, and left no indication of what lay ahead.

 

December 2013

            December started seasonably mild, with two especially warm days on the 4th and 5th, with 59F registered on the 5th. Then on the afternoon of the 8th, a mix of light snow and freezing rain brought an icy white covering of snow to the ground, dropping 0.7” at Wyandotte & 0.9” at DTW by early the 9th, and this would start a winter-long streak of snowcover. The weather turned sharply colder the next several days, ahead of winters first major storm.

            An all-day snowstorm hit on the 14th, complete with blowing and drifting powder, and by the end of the day, 8.4” had fallen in Wyandotte, with 7.7” at DTW, and up to 9” near Monroe. Another inch of snow fell on the 15th, and was followed by a bitter cold night, the temp falling to 5F. Then a 1.6” fall came the night of the 16th, so a very nice, thick blanket of snow was on the ground as Christmas loomed just a week away.

            Despite typical December gray skies, the 8-inch blanket of snow began melting on the 19th as temps hit 40F. Then on the 20th, a long, icy cold rainstorm began. Rain fall all day on the 20th, with a brief break overnight, until rain resumed at 9am on the 21st, a soaking, cold rain with temps hovering between 33-35F. Though some snow remained on the ground, it certainly wasn’t a fitting way to usher in the Winter Solstice. The snow slowly continue to wash away, and by the time the rain ended on the 22nd (3-day total of 1.79” in Wyandotte & 1.47” at DTW), with temps & dewpoints inching to the upper 30s, the snowcover had gone down to a trace, as just patches and piles of snow remained.

            A cold front the evening of the 23rd brought sharply colder weather in time for Christmas. Christmas Eve & Christmas Day each brought with them cold temps (low in the teens, highs in the 20s), gray skies and a fresh dusting of snow (0.2” each day), so while there remained a trace of snow on the ground, along with old snowbanks and patches, it wasn’t the traditional “White Christmas”. Though unknown at the time, this would go down as quite ironic when the winter was over, in that from early December until late March, the only period of mangy snowcover was Christmas week!

            A Christmas night snowfall moved in, and by midday the 26th, a fresh 1.2” had fallen at Wyandotte with 1.6” at DTW, so the ground was freshly re-blanketed. This was short-lived however as some rare December sunshine and temps soaring into the 40s on the 28th once again brought snowcover back down to a trace.

            Another cold front moved in late on 5the 29th, and although just bringing flurries and a touch of freezing drizzle, it did bring a sharp temp drop. Gray skies, highs in the low 20s, and flurries on the 30th were the calm before the long storm. Light snow moved in early New Years Eve, and by midday 1.4” had fallen in Wyandotte & 1.2” at DTW. The 7am snow depth was 1”, and this would begin a continuous stretch of measurable snowcover that would last to late March. (Note…from Dec 9 to Mar 17, the only days of T snow depth were Dec 23-25 & Dec 28-30).

The snow tapered to flurries for the afternoon, but snow redeveloped in the- evening and this would be the beginning of a very long duration snowstorm. An additional 0.3” had fallen by midnight, with the storm just beginning.

 

January 2014

            This historic month began with snow falling in earnest. The New Year was rung in with a temp of 16F and snow falling. The snow fell unabated all of New Years Day until the afternoon of the 2nd. The 45-hour, continuous snowfall from the evening of the 31st to the afternoon of the 2nd totaled an impressive 11.6” at Wyandotte & 11.1” at DTW. The 3-day total snowfall was 13.2” at Wyandotte & 12.3” at DTW. With the settling of the fluffy powder, snow depth at the conclusion of the storm was 10” on the level, though there were quite a few big drifts. The heart of Wayne county and south to the OH border was the jackpot for this storm.

            In the wake of the storm, temps plummeted under the deep, fresh snowcover, all the way to –5F on the 3rd. Despite full sun, the day only warmed to 12F. The quiet weather was very short lived as a another major winter storm was en route.

The morning of the 5th saw fairly mild temps, with a steady, wet snow falling. While a little over an inch slowly accumulated here, a stripe of heavier snow in the northern suburbs dropped as much as 4-6”. This was a band of snow along a stationary front ahead of the main storm.

As evening drew near, the light snow quickly became very heavy, falling at a rate of well over an inch an hour along with near zero visibility. As the heavy snow fell, temps began to plummet, and the wet snow became fluffy. Temps plunged from the upper 20s through the teens, and when the snow stopped early on the 6th, the temp continued to plummet. Storm total snowfall was 10.3” in Wyandotte & 11.0” at DTW. While much of SE Michigan saw 9-12”, the northern suburbs saw a stripe of 12-17” due to the earlier band of snow.

As the storm cleared, snow depth on the level was 17” in Wyandotte & 16” at DTW, along with tons of blowing and drifting snow. Many roads flash froze as the earlier wet snow was now frozen solid to the pavement as a sheet of ice. The temp tumbled from 14F at 8am to 3F at noon, to –2F at 4pm, to –12F at 8pm and –14F at 10pm. Sustained winds of 20-30 mph gusting to 35-45mph created life threatening wind chills of –30F to  –50F. The arctic sunset was a surreal sight, with the deep snow blowing around in the ferocious wind, and the air so cold that it was difficult to breathe and any exposed skin went numb in seconds. The cold air seemed to penetrate into peoples homes, along with frost developing inside the windows, despite well built and insolated homes.

The temp hovered at –14F all night with the wind continuing (the –14F smashed the record low for both the 6th and 7th). Under clear blue skies and blinding white snow, the high only reached –1F (also a record). The temp fell back to –7F the following night, and after 43 consecutive hours BELOW ZERO, DTW finally broke above zero at 11am on the 8th.

The 9th dawned with another below zero morning (–4F), but an evening burst of snow, which dropped 0.7”, ushered in a very strong warm front. Temps rose through the 20s then 30s on the 10th, and by evening temps were in the upper 30s with rain developing. The rain cleared out early on the 11th, after dropping 0.59” in Wyandotte & 0.58” at DTW, and the temp then rose into the 40s. The mild weather continued until the 14th, by which time the snowpack had shrunk from 14” on the 10th to 4” on the 14th. This of course was an average, as some spots were deeper, but also a few bare spots had developed.

The remaining snow, which was very water-laden, froze into a solid white brick by morning of the 15th as temps were once again well down into the 20s. A fresh 3.1-inch snowfall on the 16th whitened and freshened the icy old snow up, as did additional dustings on the 17th & 18th.

Howling winds on the 19th, gusting to 40-50mph, blew and drifted snow everywhere, despite no new snow falling. This was another oddity this month. The near constant wind meant that snow was constantly blowing and drifting over roads, shoveled sidewalks, etc, a sight usually reserved for immediately following a storm.

An evening snowfall on the 20th dropped another 1.5” of snow in Wyandotte & 1.4” at DTW. This snow was ahead of another arctic front, which caused the temp to plummet yet again. The next morning dawned at 0F, and the high only made it to 13F. At this time the average snow depth was listed at 6”, but never have I had such a hard time getting an average depth with the constant blowing and drifting snow. Snow in the yard ranged from 1 to 14” deep.

The 22nd dawned at a bitter –6F, and only rose to 11F, before another inch of arctic-like snow fell during the evening. The brutal cold continued on the 23rd, along with another dusting of snow (0.3”).

The 24th saw another below zero morning, –2F, before a howling wind roared in. Gusts, once again, frequently hit 40-50mph, under a gray overcast with the old snow blowing and drifting everywhere. Air temps barely in the teens caused the wind chills to get down to a brutal –25F, though I guess that’s nothing after what we saw on the 6th & 7th.

The wind was a precursor to yet another snowstorm moving in. Snow blew in, literally, during the evening of the 24th, and continued swirling around all night. The snow fell off and on on the 25th, and the storm total was a very difficult to measure 3.1” in Wyandotte & 2.7” at DTW. This snow brought DTW’s monthly total to 31.9”, which broke Detroits all-time snowiest January on record, which had been 29.6” in 1978…with still one week of the month to go! The wind continued to howl all day, until finally calming down at sunset after temps, which briefly hit the 20s, once again began to tumble into the single digits.

The relentless winter continued with almost no rest. Snow once again developed the morning of the 26th, dropping a fairly quick 2.7” of powder in Wyandotte & 2.6” at DTW, before moving out in the afternoon. Another arctic front was looming for the evening, and was expected to pass through with perhaps an additional dusting.

As the front neared a squall-line, more reminiscent of a summer severe outbreak, developed. As the front passed, blinding snow with zero visibility accompanied it, along with a train-like roar of wind. The front dropped a fresh 3.6” of snow, a complete unforecast shock to all, and during the fronts actual passage, over 2” fell in about 30 minutes. This snow, combined with what fell during the morning, meant that a total 24-hour fall of 6.3” in Wyandotte & 6.2” at DTW occurred, despite being from two separate fronts.

When the front had approached at midnight, the temp was 27F, but plummeted to 8F by sunrise, along with MORE howling winds, MORE gusts at 45 mph, and plenty MORE blowing and drifting snow. By now, the snow depth on the level is listed at 13”, but again, it’s a deep, drifty, uneven landscape of white. The temp fell to –4F by 11pm, and by sunrise of the 28th, we were down to –10F, another record low. The high only reached 6F, but the blue skies and deep, drifty white snow made for a pretty day.

The 29th dawned with the months tenth below zero day, at –3F, along with a foot of snow on the ground and clear skies. January had so far seen 38.3” of snow, and though the January record was already smashed, the all-time record for any month was now just a dusting away (38.4” in Feb 1908). Sure enough, at 7:30pm the 30th, a heavy snow squall line passed through, lasting not even an hour, but dropping 0.8” of snow, which brought Wyandotte’s monthly total to 39.5” with 39.1” at Detroit, a new all-time snow record for any month! This actually brought rising temps, ironic in that it was the 6th coldest January on record, and we hit 34F on the 31st, a quiet, gray day with little wind, and just a few harmless flurries. The deep snow, however, was still on the ground, and another severe winter month was knocking on the door.

 

February 2014

            February insisted on picking up right where January left off, with a new winter storm kicking off the new month. Snow developed during the mid-morning of the 1st, quickly becoming heavy, and after dropping over 3” of fairly wet snow, the snow turned to sleet and then an icy cold rain around 1pm. The pouring rain soaked into the dense snowpack, as temps rose into the low-mid 30s. Rain fell all afternoon until turning back to snow during the mid-evening, dropping about another half inch of wet snow and causing a flash freeze as temps dropped into the 20s. Streets that were clear of snow were now ice rinks, and sidewalks were so slippery that walking in the deep crunchy snow was the safer bet. The storm total in Wyandotte was 0.78” precip with 3.8” snow, and at DTW 0.75” precip with 4.1” snow. Snow depth prior to the storm was 10”, and after the storm it only increased to 12”, as the there was plenty of compacting of the deep snow with the rain, and the snow had an icy crust on top.

            After just a few quiet, cold days, which included a low of 7F on the 4th, yet another snowstorm moved in. Snow began during the late evening of the 4th, and fell lightly all night, slowly accumulating several inches, before the snow turned extremely heavy around sunrise. Blinding snow continued for several hours before the storm moved out, tapering to scattered snow showers and leaving scenes you just don’t see in Southeast Michigan. Downriver was hardest hit with this latest snowstorm, which dropped a total of 8.3” of powder in Wyandotte and 8.0” at DTW. Average snow depth on the level was now an incredible 20”, but that doesn’t even tell the tale with the massive snowbanks on every corner, and the deep 3+ foot drifts in nearly every yard, big or small.

            After the storm passed, temps once again plummeted overnight, dropping to 2F the morning of the 6th. Yet ANOTHER arctic front moved in, and though only a few flurries accompanied this one, temps took yet another tumble. The morning of the 7th dawned at –4F with wind chills below –20F, and a day of full sunshine and very deep snow only allowed the high to creep to 11F.

            Temps never got out of the teens on the 8th, although this day was overcast, as yet another snowstorm was moving in. Snow fell during the night, and by morning of the 9th, a fresh 3.1” had fallen in Wyandotte and 2.9” at DTW. The snow depth by now was a very settled 18” with over 3” of water content in it. While the depth settles, the continuous plowing of snow has meant the snowbanks just get bigger and bigger. Temps briefly warmed into the 20s during the afternoon before yet another cold front passed, dropping the low to 8F on the 11th. Also on the 11th, an unusual phenomenon occurred as a snow squall hugged the Detroit River, dropping 0.7” in my backyard and just a trace a quarter mile west. Nearly all of SE MI saw just a trace with the exception of the immediate Detroit River shoreline. The day was another one where temps never got out of the teens.

            The morning of the 12th saw another unusual phenomenon. Temps plummeted below zero ONCE AGAIN, dropping to –5F, but this time the clear skies overhead gave way to shallow, dense fog, which froze to everything, frosting every tree in solid white. It was quite a scene against the morning blue sky and deep snow.

            Valentines day saw a morning period of snow drop 0.5” in Wyandotte & 0.6” at DTW, just enough to freshen up the snowpack, which was now a very settled 16”. Then after a cold, quiet day, more light snow hit the area on the 16th, with a fresh, fluffy 1.8” in Wyandotte & 1.5” at DTW. Skies cleared after sunset, allowing temps to once again plunge, bottoming out at –1F on the 17th. The day was cloudy and calm, with another storm approaching.

            This time, a warm front was approaching the area, but it had a wall of heavy snow with it. As it moved in after 7pm, conditions went from calm with not a flurry to heavy snow and near zero visibility in minutes. The snow was over before sunrise of the 18th, after having dropped a fresh 4.9” in Wyandotte & 4.4” at DTW. There was plenty of drifting as well, with WSW winds gusting to 25mph and tons of snow around. Depth on the level was 21” in Wyandotte & 20” at DTW, with tons of spots much deeper due to the drifts. This would officially be the “deepest” day of the historic winter. Temps rose all day, with DTW hitting 41F during the afternoon with a bit of sun. The snow lost some of its fresh appearance, but was still a solid 18” deep by the morning of the 19th. This day would see plenty of sunshine and temps soaring into the mid-40s, and people outdoors as it felt like spring. Snow melted all day long, but was still 16” deep at sunset.

            The 20th was forecast to be the 3rd straight day in the 40s complete with heavy rain. With a temp around 34F at 11am, everyone was shocked as the expected rainstorm began as blinding heavy snow with thunder & lightning. The flakes were humongous, the visibility very low, and the thunder near continuous. A very heavy slushy 1.2” of snow fell in about an hour (with some 0.30” liquid content) before the snow turned over to rain. Whats amazing is that this slushy snow brought the season total snow at DTW to 78.5” (with 80.7” in Wyandotte), which means Detroit had already moved into 2nd place for all-time snowiest seasons…and it was only February 20th! The rain fell until the early evening, with temps staying in the 30s, but as the rain ended the temps rapidy rose into the 40s. The days total precipitation was 0.82” in Wyandotte & 0.90” at DTW. Temps stayed in the 40s all night, before dropping back into the 30s around sunrise of the 22nd, with howling SW winds gusting over 50mph. By now, snowpack had dropped to about 14” with a water content of 4”!

            The weekend of the 22nd & 23rd was seasonably mild, in the 30s, along with some sun, but after a week reprieve, the bitter cold was on its way back. The next arctic front brought a dusting of snow with it (0.4”) during the evening of the 25th, and the last 3 days of February would not see 20 degrees. All three days saw highs in the mid-teens with lows ranging from 7F on the 26th to 0F on the 28th, which just missed the record low of –1F. A record was forecast but didn’t happen, though some areas of northern MI set all-time records with lows in the mid-30s BELOW zero! This late month cold snap cemented February, which was also the 9th snowiest on record, as the 15th coldest on record. The snowpack was now frozen solid and still a foot deep despite the weeklong thawing, but it was a bit dirty and needed a refresher. It was also so hard that you could stand on top of a foot of snow without leaving any hint of a shoe impression. And as March began, the beat would go on.

           

March 2014

            Snow developed during the early evening of the 1st, and continued all night. By the time the snow ended around 8am of the 2nd, a fresh 4.4” of powder fell in Wyandotte, with 4.6” at DTW. The snow depth was brought back up to 16”, incredible for March. Only in 1900 did March see deeper snowpack. As was the theme all winter, following the storm, more bitter cold moved in. The temp actually briefly spiked to near 30F ahead of the snowstorm, but was down to 9F by sunrise as the snow was moving out. Temps recovered into the teens during the day before plunging to 0F overnight. With the deep snow and cold in place, the high on the 3rd was only 17F, despite lots of March sunshine, and once again plunged to 0F overnight.

            After a cold start to the day, temps soared into the 40s on the 7th, melting some snow. A light rain (0.18” in Wyandotte, 0.16” at DTW) fell early on the 8th as temps were in the mid-30s, which had brought down the snowpack to a foot. A cold front moved through and was quickly followed by a warm front, with the temp rising through the 30s and into the upper 40s on the 10th, with partly sunny skies and gusty southwest winds. Snow was melting quickly, and on the 11th, despite murky overcast skies, the temp soared to 53F. Not at all unusual for mid-March, after this brutally cold winter it felt very warm. The snow was melting in earnest, and a light rain fell late in the day, dropping 0.14”, as the temp slowly fell. By now, the snowpack was down to about 4-5” on average, which included many deeper spots, but also now some bare spots. But despite the balmy day, a “Winter Storm Watch” was in place, so everyone knew that the warmth was brief.

            The temp at midnight of the 12th was 37F, and would continue to fall all day. At 5am, it was down to 30F, and snow began, quickly becoming heavy. Heavy snow and northwest winds gusting to 35mph created blizzard conditions, and when the snow tapered off in the early afternoon, the temp was in the low 20s and falling fast, and the drifting snow was blowing like crazy in the harsh wind. The storm brought 6.8” to Wyandotte & 6.6” to DTW, so the drifty snowpack was once again up to nearly a foot, and the temp was plunging to another record low. Season snowfall was now sitting at 92.6” in Wyandotte & 90.7” at DTW by sunset of March 12th!

            The morning of the 13th dawned at 3F, which was a record low for the date, and the deep snow sparkled in the sunshine. This unseasonable cold was brief though, as temps soared into the low 50s on the 14th. The snow melted rapidly, and was down to an average of 2” by the time more unseasonable cold moved back in for the 16th. This of course included many bare spots, but also deeper drifts.

            By the 18th, the snow depth went down to a trace, as patches and drifts remained, not to mention tons of massive plow piles, but the ground was now more than half bare. The grass was brown and matted down with tons of snow-mold. We made another run at 50F on the 19th, along with a light rain (0.07” Wyandotte, 0.09” DTW) before very cold weather ushered in spring. Highs in the upper 20s to low 30s on the 23rd & 24th kept those patches of snow around, and occasional squalls on the 25th dropped 0.5” at Wyandotte & 1.0” at DTW, though not all of the snow fell at once. Yet another record low was set on the 26th, as DTW fell to 11F, before slightly milder air moved in. On March 29th, the morning snow depth was 0 for the first time since December 8th! The last day of March was seasonable, but the month still finished as the 11th coldest March on record.

 

April/May 2014

            April fools day saw the temp rise into the 60s for the first time since November. The next week would see temps slightly below normal, with morning frosts but nothing too out of the ordinary. Other than a few flurries on the 5th, there wasn’t so much a winter feel in the air as there was a gray, brown landscape showing remnants of the harsh winter. Then on the 10th we hit 70F for the first time since October, and on the 13th it soared to an almost summer-like 79F. Temps then stayed near 70F all night, mild even by summer standards, and the wind picked up big time during the morning of the 14th as temps slowly fell. History was about to be made.

            Despite a slow all-day temp fall, it was still 46F at 9pm. Then a few brief spits of light rain began, until the temp took a dive to 34F with a quick turn into moderate, driving sheets of snow at 11pm! So there was measurable snow and 71F in the same calendar day. The snow fell all night as the temp slowly fell into the upper 20s. Daylight of the 15th dawned a winter wonderland, the snow pasted to trees, the temp now down to 28F, and a 3-inch blanket of snow covering everything but the pavement (which did have icy spots). The snow totaled 3.0” in Wyandotte & 3.1” at DTW. It was very big news, the top story on the news in fact, as Detroit had now officially broken the record for the snowiest winter on record, a record which had stood since 1880-81! Many people, even snow-haters, were pleased the record was broken since they endured such a harsh winter. The snow didn’t budge at all until mid to late afternoon when some sunshine allowed the grass to soak some of it up. Off and on snow showers hit, depositing a final 0.1” of snow in the afternoon. This brought the season total snowfall to 96.2” in Wyandotte & 94.9” at DTW. The high of only 33F was a record cold high for the date, and there was still about an inch of snow on average left by sunset (bare spots but deeper spots, depending on the state of shade and the warmth of the ground), quite unusual for mid-April!

            The high only reached 41F on the 16th, so a few spotty remnants of snow still remained by nightfall. Thereafter, no more snow would be seen the rest of spring, although there were some parking lot piles that made it to the end of the month. May opened with green grass but bare trees, and though the month only saw a few light frosts, the spring greenup was late, as it took until temps soared into the 80s on May 8th to cause an explosion of green. The historic winter of 2013-14 was over, but will not be forgotten by most, whether that’s a good or bad thing!

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michsnowfreak

michsnowfreak

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Thanks for the write up!

Its quite eerie reading/recalling the October/November section; no one knew the U.P.-like winter wonderland that lay before them at that point.. So can we do it again next year? :)

Thanks!

I highly doubt we will ever see a winter like 2013-14 again. If anything its as if the stats dont tell the tale ENOUGH lol. My coworker was born and raised in the Soo....like any yooper, she has playfully mocked our winters here (even 2010-11)...I believe shes been here 8 years....well she said repeatedly that this winter was just like growing up in the UP. AND...she went from being a snowlover to very sick of it by Feb.

 

That said...this weather blogger at MLive had an interesting take on next winter...

http://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2014/07/michigans_upcoming_winter_may.html

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Centriptic

Centriptic

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I believe shes been here 8 years....well she said repeatedly that this winter was just like growing up in the UP. AND...she went from being a snowlover to very sick of it by Feb.

That said...this weather blogger at MLive had an interesting take on next winter...

http://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2014/07/michigans_upcoming_winter_may.html

I couldn't agree more with her. I spent the the 2011-13 winters in the Keweenaw and never pictured having that environment in our own backyards... As great as it was, I could totally feel the seasonal depreasion coming in at the end of it

Ill have to check out mlive link when I got a few minutes. I'm almost scared to take a look... but then again; who gets the forecast right 4 months out!

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michsnowfreak

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Bump.

Since this thread has been posted in...

 

Detroit saw the
8th coldest July on record (since 1874)

9th wettest August on record (since 1874)

13th wettest September on record (since 1874)

13th coldest November on record (since 1874)

2nd least snowy December on record (since 1880)

 

*********************

2014 CALENDAR YEAR

20th coldest on record (since 1874)....with a mean temp of 47.6F

*coldest year since 1980

*6th coldest year since 1927

 

20th wettest on record (since 1874)....with a total precipitation of 37.57"

 

2nd snowiest calendar year on record (since 1881)...with a total snowfall of 82.3"

*only 0.3" away from the #1, which was just set in 2008

 

Snow Depth records smashed.....

Most snowcover days on record (since 1906)

1”+ - 86 days = #1 (tie w/ 1978)

2”+ - 79 days = #1

3”+ - 74 days = #1

4”+ - 69 days = #1

5”+ - 69 days = #1

6”+ - 60 days = #1

7”+ - 60 days = #1

8”+ - 52 days = #1

9”+ - 52 days = #1

10”+ - 46 days = #1

11”+ - 46 days = #1

12”+ - 30 days = #1

13”+ - 30 days = #1

14”+ - 27 days = #1

15”+ - 24 days = #1

16”+ - 17 days = #1

17”+ - 6 days = #2 (1st place 1999 with 10)

18”+ - 6 days = #1 (tie w/ 1999)

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mississaugasnow

mississaugasnow

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Thanks!

I highly doubt we will ever see a winter like 2013-14 again. If anything its as if the stats dont tell the tale ENOUGH lol. My coworker was born and raised in the Soo....like any yooper, she has playfully mocked our winters here (even 2010-11)...I believe shes been here 8 years....well she said repeatedly that this winter was just like growing up in the UP. AND...she went from being a snowlover to very sick of it by Feb.

 

That said...this weather blogger at MLive had an interesting take on next winter...

http://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2014/07/michigans_upcoming_winter_may.html

That article didn't realize how correct it was about to become. "And since the polar vortex and cold pocket of air are still alive and well, we have to wonder if the polar vortex will again bring us a wicked winter." 

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michsnowfreak

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mississaugasnow- Thank you for bumping that...i forgot!!!

 

Anyway....

 

UPDATE- Due to a 2nd consecutive winter where a tons of records are being set, I am updating this thread to include the winter of 2014-15.

 

The first post in this original thread will contain a summarized total of both Winter 2013-14 & 2014-14 Records.

 

NOVEMBER

13th coldest Nov on record with 35.8F

 

daily records

November 18- Record low 11F

 

other

aguably 2nd worst Nov cold snap on record (Nov 13-21) behind 1880

 

DECEMBER

2nd least snowy Dec on record with 0.1”

 

2014 CALENDAR YEAR

20th coldest on record with 47.2F

2nd snowiest on record with 82.3”

most days of 1”+ snowcover (tie w/ 1978) with 86 days

 

JANUARY

no records set

 

FEBRUARY

2nd coldest Feb on record with

5th coldest month on record with

3rd largest snowstorm on record with 16.7” on Feb 1-2

7th snowiest Feb on record with 26.4”

14th snowiest month on record

 

other

6 of the top 10 snowiest Februaries have been since 2008!!!

Back-to-back years with double-digit snowcover entire month. Never before seen

 

daily records

February 1- Record snowfall 13.7”

February 2- Record snow depth 18”

February 3- Record snow depth 17”

February 16- Record low –9F

February 19- Record low –5F

February 19- Record low max temp 7F

February 19- Record low mean temp 1F

February 20- Record low –13F

February 20- Record low mean temp 1F

February 23- Record snow depth 12”

February 24- Record snow depth 12”

February 27- Record low –4F

February 28- Record low –2F

 

Most subzero (-1F or colder) days in any February

1.) 14 days – Feb 1875

2.) 10 days – Feb 1936

2.) 10 days – Feb 1885

2.) 10 days – Feb 2015

5.) 7 days – Feb 1934

5.) 7 days – Feb 1979

5.) 7 days – Feb 1982

5.) 7 days – Feb 1985

 

Most subzero (-1F or colder) days in any month

1.) 14 days – Feb 1875

2.) 12 days – Jan 1977

3.) 10 days – Jan 2014

3.) 10 days – Feb 2015

5.) 9 days – Feb 1936

5.) 9 days – Jan 1970

 

Most subzero (-1F or colder) days in any WINTER SEASON

01.) 21 days – 1884-85

02.) 20 days – 1874-75

03.) 19 days – 1976-77

04.) 15 days – 1983-84

05.) 14 days – 1917-18

05.) 14 days – 1935-36

07.) 13 days – 1975-76

07.) 13 days – 1978-79

07.) 13 days – 2013-14

10.) 12 days – 1969-70

10.) 12 days – 1981-82

10.) 12 days – 1993-94

10.) 12 days – 2014-15 THRU Feb 28th

 

Most days 0F or colder in any WINTER SEASON

01.) 25 days – 1884-85

02.) 23 days – 1874-75

03.) 19 days – 1976-77

04.) 17 days – 1983-84

04.) 17 days – 2013-14

06.) 16 days – 1935-36

07.) 15 days – 1917-18

07.) 15 days – 1978-79

09.) 14 days – 1911-12

09.) 14 days – 1981-82

11.) 13 days – 1975-76

11.) 13 days – 1993-94

13.) 12 days – 1969-70

13.) 12 days – 1980-81

13.) 12 days – 2014-15 THRU Feb 28th

 

Winters with the most days with 10”+ snow on the ground – since 1906

52 days (2013-14)

27 days (2014-15) THRU Feb 28th

18 days (1998-99)

15 days (1907-08)

15 days (1981-82)

15 days (2008-09)

 

Winters with the most days with 12”+ snow on the ground – since 1906

43 days (2013-14)

18 days (2014-15) THRU Feb 28th

17 days (1998-99)

14 days (1981-82)

10 days (1907-08)

 

Winters with the most days with 15”+ snow on the ground – since 1906

24 days (2013-14)

10 days (1981-82)

10 days (1998-99)

6 days (2014-15) THRU Feb 28

2 days (1907-08)

2 days (1974-75)

2 days (1977-78)

2 days (2010-11)

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michsnowfreak

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March 14th update:

 

Clearly 2013-14 was more impressive than 2014-15, but its crazy how the snow depth numbers stack up for the last two winters wrt deep snowpack. Snowcover alone is very impressive when you look at how last winter had a record 96 days with 1"+ snowcover, and this year already has 75 days...when NORMAL for a winter is 48!!!! But its the long-lasting deepness of the snow thats been more impressive.

 

As always, first post updated

 

NEW ADDITIONS

 

******WINTER******

20th coldest winter on record

 

MARCH

daily records

March 1- Record snow depth 12"

March 6- Record low 0F

March 8- Record snow depth 12"

 

Winters with the most CONSECUTIVE days of 1"+ snowcover - since 1885

81 days (Dec 12, 1903 - Mar 1, 1904)

77 days (Dec 31, 2013 - Mar 17, 2014)

74 days (Jan 1, 1978 - Mar 15, 1978)

73 days (Dec 11, 1944 - Feb 21, 1945)

72 days (Jan 8, 1912 - Mar 19, 1912)

69 days (Dec 25, 1909 - Mar 3, 1910)

69 days (Dec 10, 1947 - Feb 17, 1948)

68 days (Jan 5, 2015 - Mar 13, 2015)

67 days (Jan 2, 1905 - Mar 9, 1905)

 

Winters with most days with 1"+ snow on the ground - since 1906

96 days (2013-14)

91 days (1977-78)

89 days (1947-48)

89 days (1981-82)

86 days (1966-67)

85 days (1911-12)

84 days (1909-10)

82 days (1958-59)

81 days (1962-63)

80 days (2010-11)

79 days (1929-30)

76 days (1964-65)

75 days (2014-15) 

 

Winters with most days with 3”+ snow on the ground - since 1906

79 days (2013-14) 

78 days (1977-78)

69 days (2010-11)

67 days (1911-12)

66 days (1981-82)

59 days (2014-15)

 

Winters with most days with 5”+ snow on the ground - since 1906

75 days (2013-14) 

63 days (1977-78)

57 days (2010-11)

46 days (1981-82)

45 days (1911-12)

45 days (2014-15)

 

Winters with most days with 6”+ snow on the ground - since 1906

72 days (2013-14) 

42 days (1977-78)

40 days (2014-15)

39 days (1981-82)

36 days (2008-09)

34 days (2010-11)

 

UPDATES TO PREVIOUS POST

 

Winters with the most days with 10”+ snow on the ground – since 1906

52 days (2013-14)

36 days (2014-15)

18 days (1998-99)

15 days (1907-08)

15 days (1981-82)

15 days (2008-09)

 

Winters with the most days with 12”+ snow on the ground – since 1906

43 days (2013-14)

26 days (2014-15)

17 days (1998-99)

14 days (1981-82)

10 days (1907-08)

 

Most days 0F or colder in any WINTER SEASON

01.) 25 days – 1884-85

02.) 23 days – 1874-75

03.) 19 days – 1976-77

04.) 17 days – 1983-84

04.) 17 days – 2013-14

06.) 16 days – 1935-36

07.) 15 days – 1917-18

07.) 15 days – 1978-79

09.) 14 days – 1911-12

09.) 14 days – 1981-82

11.) 13 days – 1975-76

11.) 13 days – 1993-94

11.) 13 days – 2014-15

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michsnowfreak

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April 1st update:  As always, 1st post fully updated.

 

March 2015:

8th driest Mar on record

3rd longest March stretch with no measurable precip (21 consecutive days, Mar 4-24)

 

Cold Season

~15th coldest Nov-Mar period on record (2013-14 was the 4th coldest, and coldest since 1911-12).

~8th coldest Jan-Mar period on record (2013-14 was the 3rd coldest, behind only 1874-75 & 1911-12).

~3rd driest (tie) Jan-Mar on record (despite this, Jan snowfall was 14" above normal in Jan-Mar).

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