People don't seem to appreciate this winter

[ORH_wxman]

 

Tough to decide among the two winters... this winter was about half a degree colder and had similar snowfall and snow on the ground... March of 2011 had normal temps and no snow until 3 in. fell late in the month so if this month can deliver then this winter gets my vote... either way, great winter.

I forgot 2010-2011 in my list above...that is an interesting case. It has both the cold and snow. It lacks the longevity though. The winter struggled after late January. The snow totals though cannot be ignored.

[forkyfork]

lol @ grading a season

[Dsnowx53]

Just based on climo, I would rate this winter a A/A- for NYC if I lived there. The snow was top 5 and the cold had impressive longevity. It was a top 20 cold winter in the past 70 years. I do think a lack of "the Big One" keeps it from being in that A+ territory.

HECS are rare...so are A+ graded winters. I'd probably reserve those for like '60-'61, '47-'48, '77-'78, and '95-'96. 2002-2003 was close...maybe not quite up to par with that elite group.

 

 

Agreed. I also always love having something to track. It makes being a meteorologist/weather enthusiast more fun.

[White Gorilla]

Very satisfied from a snow perspective up here in the MHV despite getting shafted numerous times. The Feb 13 storm made up for the shafts big time with 2 feet of snow on top of a foot on the ground prior. We were in the sweet spot! That was awesome. Since then a solid snowpack has lasted despite a thaw. The cold has been relentless though and Im getting tired of it. All in all, a solid B+/ A- winter season. One more big snow and this would become a solid A season.

[EasternLI]

this year is one of a handfull of winters with 50" of snow and 30 days with a max 32 or lower...(which helps keep the snow pack longer)...the others were...1947-48, 1977-78, 1993-94, 1995-96...that's great company...

 

I did some composites of Jan. and Feb. for these years, this is what it looks like

And this year

[codfishsnowman]

the whole area is 175 to 300 pct of climo!!!!! its been very cold....its one for the ages nyc metro!!

[Morris]

Some people don't like being nickled and dimed. They want big storms.

[codfishsnowman]

huh? there werent two storms of ten inches or better for most of the metro area?

[Stormlover74]

huh? there werent two storms of ten inches or better for most of the metro area?

Lol 4 storms of 6"+ in 1 winter...1 fewer than the entire 1980s

[lindywx]

In my lifetime ( I'm 55) this winter ties with 2002-03 as the 3rd best winter, only surpassed by 1977-78 and 1995-96. 60+ inches of snow and 30+ days with sub 32F highs is borderline Historic

[doncat]

In my lifetime ( I'm 55) this winter ties with 2002-03 as the 3rd best winter, only surpassed by 1977-78 and 1995-96. 60+ inches of snow and 30+ days with sub 32F highs is borderline Historic

I'm your age and I agree with your assessment.

[green tube]

this is the snowiest 5 year period in the last 100 years.

 

these are the good ol' days.  so good, no one alive even remembers the last time we had this much snow.

[Juliancolton]

this is the snowiest 5 year period in the last 100 years.

 

these are the good ol' days.  so good, no one alive even remembers the last time we had this much snow.

Hopefully this is the 'new normal'. Maybe we've reached the point where climate change has already begun to manifest itself in more extreme weather, but not yet where we've warmed beyond a snowy climate.

[Stormlover74]

Hopefully this is the 'new normal'. Maybe we've reached the point where climate change has already begun to manifest itself in more extreme weather, but not yet where we've warmed beyond a snowy climate.

I'm thinking the same thing. If this is the case I think we'll see something crazy like a blizzard of 1888 or another 78/96 in the next 5 years. We've already had so many extremes..snow..heat.. Rain etc so we're due for a huge KU event

[weatherpruf]

I gotta laugh. Mental health experts are reporting patients are tired of winter and there is even a report online about how miserable most people are due to the harsh winter, which most people agree hands down is one of the worst on record. Only us weenies would complain there was no big storm. in fact it appears people deal better with a big storm than these repeated smaller ones, as they have experienced more cancelations and disruptions this year than in the past. It is  hard for us to believe it, but there are people saying they hope never to see snow again. That's how much they hate it. We live in an alternate reality here.

[weatherpruf]

this is the snowiest 5 year period in the last 100 years.

 

these are the good ol' days.  so good, no one alive even remembers the last time we had this much snow.

I was very much alive in 93-94.....and 96 and 2010-11...correct me if I'm wrong, but10-11 still had more total inches of snow for most of the area. It's just that winter ended in Jan that year.

[weatherpruf]

I'm thinking the same thing. If this is the case I think we'll see something crazy like a blizzard of 1888 or another 78/96 in the next 5 years. We've already had so many extremes..snow..heat.. Rain etc so we're due for a huge KU event

The feeling is we would have less snowy winters with the occasional knockout punch. Climate change ain't a good thing for the species. Let's hope the 99.9% of the scientific community ( which does not include Joe Bastardi ) is somehow wrong.....

[LongBeachSurfFreak]

Hopefully this is the 'new normal'. Maybe we've reached the point where climate change has already begun to manifest itself in more extreme weather, but not yet where we've warmed beyond a snowy climate.

That's been my feeling. We just haven't gotten to the other end of the extreme consistently yet. There will be a day were 11/12 is more common then 13/14. It's definitly been a time that has bread many weather enthusiasts in this area. If you go back to pre 1880s it was just damn cold. With major storms being much less common considering the higher odds with cold air more prevelant.

[Rjay]

The feeling is we would have less snowy winters with the occasional knockout punch. Climate change ain't a good thing for the species. Let's hope the 99.9% of the scientific community ( which does not include Joe Bastardi ) is somehow wrong.....

From what I heard that even though the planet is warming, climate change could make storms more extreme and more frequent. I could see this leading to more extreme swings between "good" and "bad" winters.

[Sickman]

I guess the best analogy for this winter, to use a baseball perspective, is that this was a Tony Gwynn winter with bushels of small to medium events, rather than a Dave Kingman winter with lots of busts but one or two mammoth historical events.  Personally, given the choice, I'd opt for the Dave Kingman winter, but I also appreciate the season that we had, for the prolonged cold and snowcover.

 

It will certainly be a winter I'll never forget, if for no other reason than the aching I'll feel whenever the weather changes.

 

If we only had a little more blocking.  But alas, they can't all be Miguel Cabrera winters.

[Bobby]

As a homeowner on Long Island and a user of Oil to heat my home all I can say is those of you "Cheering" this winter on either have a TON of money to pea away on Oil/Gas or don't have to worry about paying that bill Lol. That being said as a weather fan it has been VERY impressive and I would put this also 3rd on my list only falling short of 77/78 and 95/96. At this point I can honestly say "Bring on Spring!". And for those "Hugging" the models at 10-12 days out wishing/hoping for another storm I say "Good Luck". if you take the time to look around and notice the changes they are there. And they are starting to shift the balance. Maybe 1 more 4-6" snowstorm but I think this winter is coming to an end......FINALLY lol.

[Guest Pamela]

I moved to Plainview in Nassau County in Oct 1971 and Port Jeff in Dec 1994. The only memorable winter in Plainview was 1977-78. 1993-94 was an icy mess and I measured just 47 inches of snow. I've always regretted moving to Port Jeff one winter too late as I've been told by the locals that 1993-94 had 5 feet around here.

In 20 winters out here...I can cite 10 that were better than anything Plainview offered during those 23 (save for '78).

The best was 1995-96...hands down...The Dec 1995 storm was 11 inches...the January blizzard and then two April events bringing 15 additional inches.

2004-05 would be second best with snowfall in the 70 inch range and 5 snowstorms from mid Feb to mid March.

I'd move this one into the #3 spot pending how the rest of the year plays out.

2002-03 would be 4th...great February & April.

2010-11 would be 5th...best January ever (40 inches of snow that month here and prolonged snow cover).

2003-04 would be 6th...near 60 inches out here and great December & January. Unbelievably cold January.

2009-10 would be 7th...3 great snowstorms (one in December and two in February).

2000-01 would be 8th...around 50 inches for the winter and the March storm more or less panned out around here with 13.5 inches.

2008-09 would be 9th...snowfall reached about 40 inches and the March event put down almost a foot here. Cold January.

2012-13 would be 10th...The February blizzard carries quite a bit of weight...being the greatest Long Island snowstorm probably since 1888...all the cars buried in their tracks in Suffolk County tells you that. March was decent and there were many very minor events.           

[Guest Pamela]

As a homeowner on Long Island and a user of Oil to heat my home all I can say is those of you "Cheering" this winter on either have a TON of money to pea away on Oil/Gas or don't have to worry about paying that bill Lol.

 

Couldn't agree more about this...my fuel bill is running about $800 every 28 days.

[LongBeachSurfFreak]

I moved to Plainview in Nassau County in Oct 1971 and Port Jeff in Dec 1994. The only memorable winter in Plainview was 1977-78. 1993-94 was an icy mess and I measured just 47 inches of snow. I've always regretted moving to Port Jeff one winter too late as I've been told by the locals that 1993-94 had 5 feet around here.

In 20 winters out here...I can cite 10 that were better than anything Plainview offered during those 23 (save for '78).

The best was 1995-96...hands down...The Dec 1995 storm was 11 inches...the January blizzard and then two April events bringing 15 additional inches.

2004-05 would be second best with snowfall in the 70 inch range and 5 snowstorms from mid Feb to mid March.

I'd move this one into the #3 spot pending how the rest of the year plays out.

2002-03 would be 4th...great February & April.

2010-11 would be 5th...best January ever (40 inches of snow that month here and prolonged snow cover).

2003-04 would be 6th...near 60 inches out here and great December & January. Unbelievably cold January.

2009-10 would be 7th...3 great snowstorms (one in December and two in February).

2000-01 would be 8th...around 50 inches for the winter and the March storm more or less panned out around here with 13.5 inches.

2008-09 would be 9th...snowfall reached about 40 inches and the March event put down almost a foot here. Cold January.

2012-13 would be 10th...The February blizzard carries quite a bit of weight...being the greatest Long Island snowstorm probably since 1888...all the cars buried in their tracks in Suffolk County tells you that. March was decent and there were many very minor events.

Interesting list. The only thing I would change is that last feb blizzard. Great for out there and the NE corner of Nassau. Sw of there was a near disaster until the last minute.

I like you're there though about the epic snows of the last 20. I'm not old enough to really having suffered through the total 80s (to young to know the difference) but I have to say even if port jeff is snowier then Plainview the long long term averages are probably similar.

One comment against this winter.

Cold was decent at times and overall good but never harsh enough to truly freeze coastal waters like in 94. Or from what my dad tells me having lived in a water front apt building in bayside during the late 70s.

It's hard to think how we could pull off freezing the western li sound ever again

[Guest Pamela]

 even if pj is snowier then PV the long long term averages are probably similar.

 

 

Port Jeff is probably 2 to 3 inches snowier in an average year than Plainview; so you make a fair comment.

[Guest Pamela]

I like you're there though about the epic snows of the last 20.

 

What do you mean?

[weatherpruf]

Interesting list. The only thing I would change is that last feb blizzard. Great for out there and the NE corner of Nassau. Sw of there was a near disaster until the last minute.

I like you're there though about the epic snows of the last 20. I'm not old enough to really having suffered through the total 80s (to young to know the difference) but I have to say even if port jeff is snowier then Plainview the long long term averages are probably similar.

One comment against this winter.

Cold was decent at times and overall good but never harsh enough to truly freeze coastal waters like in 94. Or from what my dad tells me having lived in a water front apt building in bayside during the late 70s.

It's hard to think how we could pull off freezing the western li sound ever again

Shows the differences in the metro area. Central NJ was epic in 93-94 following a decade of mild winters; 04-5 not so much as the big Jan blizzard was "only" 15 inches or so, and most of the storms were 3-6 events after. 96 still takes the cake and we are still way behind 09-10 in the mid atlantic with their 80= inches, which I don't see us getting ever. S Jersey is the mid atlantic and that year was beyond epic for them, but only  very good for areas north of the Driscoll Bridge, about 47inches. Far north Jersey did well with the late feb "snowicaine: which gave only 8 inches in Woodbridge, another coulda woulda shoulda storm in a just miss kinda winter for us, even with 47 inches, most every storm underperformed in my area that year. We got nailed by Boxing Day and the late jan storm the next year tho, right in the crosshairs of both.

[NorthShoreWx]

As a homeowner on Long Island and a user of Oil to heat my home all I can say is those of you "Cheering" this winter on either have a TON of money to pea away on Oil/Gas or don't have to worry about paying that bill Lol. That being said as a weather fan it has been VERY impressive and I would put this also 3rd on my list only falling short of 77/78 and 95/96. At this point I can honestly say "Bring on Spring!". And for those "Hugging" the models at 10-12 days out wishing/hoping for another storm I say "Good Luck". if you take the time to look around and notice the changes they are there. And they are starting to shift the balance. Maybe 1 more 4-6" snowstorm but I think this winter is coming to an end......FINALLY lol.

 

I have been cheering it along, but I give you my word I have not lifted a finger to change the outcome.

 

I am sick of the $700 - $800 heating bills, but in a warm winter they are only about $50 - $100 less.

[NorthShoreWx]

I moved to Plainview in Nassau County in Oct 1971 and Port Jeff in Dec 1994. The only memorable winter in Plainview was 1977-78. 1993-94 was an icy mess and I measured just 47 inches of snow. I've always regretted moving to Port Jeff one winter too late as I've been told by the locals that 1993-94 had 5 feet around here.

In 20 winters out here...I can cite 10 that were better than anything Plainview offered during those 23 (save for '78).

The best was 1995-96...hands down...The Dec 1995 storm was 11 inches...the January blizzard and then two April events bringing 15 additional inches.

2004-05 would be second best with snowfall in the 70 inch range and 5 snowstorms from mid Feb to mid March.

I'd move this one into the #3 spot pending how the rest of the year plays out.

2002-03 would be 4th...great February & April.

2010-11 would be 5th...best January ever (40 inches of snow that month here and prolonged snow cover).

2003-04 would be 6th...near 60 inches out here and great December & January. Unbelievably cold January.

2009-10 would be 7th...3 great snowstorms (one in December and two in February).

2000-01 would be 8th...around 50 inches for the winter and the March storm more or less panned out around here with 13.5 inches.

2008-09 would be 9th...snowfall reached about 40 inches and the March event put down almost a foot here. Cold January.

2012-13 would be 10th...The February blizzard carries quite a bit of weight...being the greatest Long Island snowstorm probably since 1888...all the cars buried in their tracks in Suffolk County tells you that. March was decent and there were many very minor events.           

 

I don't remember if you measured in Plainview in 77-78.  I had 71" in Syosset that winter, which was quite possibly a record there (until 95-96).

[Guest Pamela]

I don't remember if you measured in Plainview in 77-78.  I had 71" in Syosset that winter, which was quite possibly a record there (until 95-96).

 

Stuck the ruler in from time to time...but didn't write anything down for posterity...as for 2/7/78...snow was about up to my belt. 

 

IDK if we over romanticize that year...18 inches on 1/21/78 and about 26 inches on 2/7/78 is certainly great...but December was nothing special...there were two rainstorms and then The Icestorm before the January blizzard...then a big thaw with the Ohio Valley Blizzard (rain here)...then the Big One...then dry for 30 days...then a couple of March events...then that was it...'96 definitely ranks ahead of it, IMO.