Out of the last 20 winters (94-95 - present), how does 13-14 rank qualitatively for you, SO FAR?

[Deck Pic]

I think this winter for a few people in the 65-80" range in N MD is crazy, and can be in the argument with the big 3. Over 4 feet on the winter here in Dundalk which is remarkable. Received 34" in PD2 though which is ridiculous to think about. Not to mention 20/21/31 in the big 3 of 09/10 plus a 5 and a 6.

 

Some say it wasn't spread out but to think we received top storms for 2 respective months is awesome. Not to mention S MD was greeted with a low end KU in 1/30/2010 where we received the surprise aspects up around Baltimore in the CRAS storm. That period alone etched memories I'll never shake. 

 

Events this year of 3.5, 6, 7.7, 7.9, and 14 are a really great way to roll towards a memorable winter. The surprise aspect comes in how great the winter has been and how storms like 1/21 and 3/17 played out not to mention the 2/13 totals with incredible rates. Theres something in it for everyone, with the insano-band of 12/8 for the N MD folks that pushed them ahead. Our biggest bust of the year was 12/10, which I kinda saw coming. Imagine if the heavy rain event of February that changed to snow around HGR would've had colder temps, it would've been another 6+. Nevertheless, we've overperformed far more than under this winter. Cold-snows a plenty. 

lol

[Fozz]

lol

 

Yeah I always thought those 30"+ totals in NE Maryland were fishy.

[Bob Chill]

I was living in Germantown and both waves were mostly if not all snow. Low to mid 20" range total for the event iirc.

This is is a bit unique because enso was neutral/cold neutral and the nao was basically positive door to door. We maximized a less than perfect pattern. A testament to temps. Ample cold air made the difference overall. Not sure when we'll see a similar long wave pattern that produces so much snow from basically Alabama to Maine. It will be a good analog some year in the future except it will be tough to repeat the firing on all cylinders like this one

[Ian]

I'd enjoy this winter more if it would end so I could reminisce.

[DDweatherman]

lol

For reference that total wasn't measured by me but rather my dad. Not sure if its believable or not. Did read there were some big totals in this area during that one NE in Parkville/Carney area. 

 

BWI did measure 28.2" in that one Matt. 

[ennepe68]

Top-3 winter. Not #1, since it's behind '09-'10, which were awesome. But this winter has made up for everything in the sheer number of events (which were very few in 09-10) and with so much happening on a regular basis. And our friendly visitors from the north too. 

 

Now, if next week verifies, I may have to revisit this vote ....

[Yeoman]

I prefer multiple low to moderate events to a couple larger ones.. the only issue I have with this year is that most events happened late in the season.. I prefer events in Dec/Jan to make use of lower sun angle and cold air to ensure maximum snowcover longevity 

[evaporativecooler]

This winter blows away anything outside of maybe 2002-2003. No offense to 2009-10 but that winter wasn't all that impressive outside of the three main events. I judge winters by three main criteria: snowcover days, minimum temperature, and pond ice coverage. Large events are a nice bonus but don't contribute much to the wintery atmosphere. Going by those three, this year has been unbelievably epic. I never thought I'd ever experience -3 degree temps imby, or walk on lake ice in March. I'm kind of glad that we had a crappy December since otherwise there'd be no hope of ever getting something better.

[mattie g]

I was at college in Central PA for 93-94 and 95-96, which both ended with about 80" over a long season.  They blow out of the water pretty much any winter I've had down here, although 09-10 may have them beat.  I had upwards of 70" that year (I didn't keep detailed measurements then), and I much prefer getting big snows punctuated by milder periods, which that year gave us.  That winter also died early, which was a great way to end it, as I see no point in dragging out cold dreariness into a time of year when things should be alive and growing.

 

As for where this one stands for winters down here, it's either second or third.  I honestly don't really remember 02-03, so it's hard to compare.  But I guess the way this winter is dragging on would bump it down a notch, so I'll say it's third.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Kind of a tough call, always subjective with such a thing.  Also, I wasn't paying nearly as much attention to the data/stats until fairly recently (last few to several winters), so having to go by memory.  My experience goes back "only" to the 2001-02 awful winter (moved here to the DC metro area summer 2001).  But still a significant number of years to go with.

 

That all said, I'd have to rate this year, 2013-14, as either a very close 3rd or perhaps tied with 2002-03 for #2.  Really a tough call to make.  I cannot put anything ahead of the incredible 2009-10 season (as #1), just in terms of sheer snow amounts, even though that winter was not as cold as this one (or 2002-03), and even though that winter essentially ended right after Feb. 10.  2013-14 lacked the same level of HECS as the PD-II storm in Feb. 2003, but we had more events this year and it was at least as cold overall I believe as 2002-03.  Were it not for the torch just before and around Christmas, this past December may well have ended up below normal; we still had a well below/colder than normal DJF period overall, and March is looking to be that way also by the time it's over.  This winter also was nearly non-stop from December through March.

[Xtrain21]

Top 3. The gift that just keeps giving. Biggest snow of the season, at DCA anyway, on St Patty's day which was the day before my birthday? Hard to top that. Plus who says this won't be a Big 3 when it's all said and done anyway...

[CaradhrasAiguo]

Keeping in mind my location history, which is:

1995−Aug 2011: 22039

Sep 2011−present: 15213 most of the time, 20105 for winter+spring recess...

 

I don't heavily judge a winter by its snow unless I can expect at least a week of contiguous snow cover in most seasons. Of course that is almost never the case here. Basing off my memory which goes back to 1995−96, I say this past one, my third in Pittsburgh, is by far the best, as I actually was able to experience subzero temps on multiple days and had two separate two-week stretches of snow cover in late January and much of February. The big three winter of 2009−10? Not so much. Mild/seasonal in first half of Dec, and above normal, occasionally springlike, at DCA from the 14th to 27th. Except for the last three days of the month the cold each day of the winter was nothing extraordinary, and neither were anomalies.

 

Top three

1. 2013−14
2. 2010−11. Great Dec+Jan and early end to winter, too. Nvm the chill in Mar; didn't amount to much compared to this year and last year.
3. 2006−07. Strong cold in Feb

Bottom three

1. 2011−12
2. 2005−06
3. 2007−08. Lots of 70s and with the Midwest and northern New England/southern Quebec being hammered with snow it seems storms curved WAY north past 77W meridian.

[gymengineer]

I'm just wondering, with some distance from the last snowfall in 13/14, whether anybody has shifted at all in their ranking of the seasons. 

 

For me, I didn't change the rankings, but am even more convinced than before that 13/14 is a distant fourth to 02/03, 95/96, and 09/10. Cold is memorable to me- sure- but not nearly as much as deep snow cover days or even total 1" snow cover days. In the lower elevations, we only had 0-3 days where snow cover was over 10".

 

DCA had a pitiful 11 days of 1" snow cover across the 59 days (February and March) where the vast majority of the snow fell. The three extreme cold blasts were cool but were short-lived, and they have started to blend in together in my memories just like the multiple small snowfalls that melted in less than day. 

[Fozz]

I'm just wondering, with some distance from the last snowfall in 13/14, whether anybody has shifted at all in their ranking of the seasons.

For me, I didn't change the rankings, but am even more convinced than before that 13/14 is a distant fourth to 02/03, 95/96, and 09/10. Cold is memorable to me- sure- but not nearly as much as deep snow cover days or even total 1" snow cover days. In the lower elevations, we only had 0-3 days where snow cover was over 10".

DCA had a pitiful 11 days of 1" snow cover across the 59 days (February and March) where the vast majority of the snow fell. The three extreme cold blasts were cool but were short-lived, and they have started to blend in together in my memories just like the multiple small snowfalls that melted in less than day.

Now that some time has passed, I wouldn't be so quick to rank last year above 02-03. I think for northern MD, southern PA, and the colder western burbs of DC, both were roughly equal... in the coastal plain 02-03 was obviously better.

The one downside of last year wasn't the lack of a HECS for me as much as the fact that it was sunny and 45 with a mid-February sun angle on the day after our biggest storm of the season.

[Bob Chill]

I look at things a couple ways. From a tracking perspective and overall interesting weather, last year was my favorite. I was a weather channel weenie in 02-03 so I can't compare.

Obviously 09-10 is king of the totals and monster events but it ended early and only really had 5 events. The Feb storms melted really fast considering the magnitude. The Dec storm got rained away of Christmas. Kinda bummed me out. But the storms themselves were mind blowing

02-03 was so sweet from a duration and # of events standpoint.

I wasn't here in 95-96. If 02-03 had 2 huge storms it would have beat 09-10 with my grading system even if the totals were less.

[Deck Pic]

13-14 is 4th and it isn't close

[Deck Pic]

I'm just wondering, with some distance from the last snowfall in 13/14, whether anybody has shifted at all in their ranking of the seasons.

For me, I didn't change the rankings, but am even more convinced than before that 13/14 is a distant fourth to 02/03, 95/96, and 09/10. Cold is memorable to me- sure- but not nearly as much as deep snow cover days or even total 1" snow cover days. In the lower elevations, we only had 0-3 days where snow cover was over 10".

DCA had a pitiful 11 days of 1" snow cover across the 59 days (February and March) where the vast majority of the snow fell. The three extreme cold blasts were cool but were short-lived, and they have started to blend in together in my memories just like the multiple small snowfalls that melted in less than day.

2/12 sucking in the city makes it an easy decision

[usedtobe]

4th place and not even close to the others.

[WVclimo]

I had 59 days with at least a 1" snow cover last winter. That is a great winter here. Still has to be fourth place though, with the lack of a storm like 1/96, 2/03 or the 09-10 monsters.

[87storms]

Been here for all of our big winters except 07. Last winter was great for duration and moderate snow. If you like a consistent, long duration winter then last one is probably #1. If you like big storms then it's 10, 96, 03 in that order. As for individual storms it's 03, 96, 10, 09, 00, 14. I lived in northern moco for 03 and it was mostly snow there. If I had lived closer to dc I would probably have 96 ahead of it. Taking everything into account, I'd go 10, 96, 03, 14. If the feb storm in 14 was snow from start to finish that might have been enough to move it into 2nd or 3rd. I like the HECSs too much to put into the top 3 as-is.