December 2014 Banter Thread

[Bob Chill]

I don't think my gf would like that...

But you're only out playing nickel dime poker with a couple of old friends and you'll be home late so don't wait up. This is 101 stuff man

[Ian]

Twitter tonight:

 

[jnis]

I moved away from 92-99 so I missed the 96 storm. My best friend was living in Rockville at the time and took a bunch of pics during and after the event. Amazing storm.

I adored snow as a boy in the 70s. There wasn't much to do in winters back then other than skate on ponds and pray for enough snow to sled on. Pre-video game world was tuff man. Feb 79 was a life changing event for me. That storm had a profound affect on me.

77-78 through 82-83 was great run of winters in our area. I assumed it was normal and 5+ snow days off school every year was normal. Lol. Then we got some stinkers...

Then Jan of 87 came along. I had a 4x4 then and me and my delinquent teenage friends bumper skied through the neighborhood for days. Night sledding at strathmore with a fire in a 55 gallon drum and drinking our parents' beer that we stole. Moco police didn't even care. Told us to make sure the fire was totally out before we left. Oh the memories....and how times have changed

Those are some nice memories from the 77 -78 winters.... My favorite memories from those times were coming home from school and going to my neighbor's pond to play hockey. I can remember shoveling the snow off the ice so we could have a game. Like you, I grew up thinking ice skating on ponds was a normal winter activity for this area. My friend and I created a sled track that lasted at least a month. It had bank walls that got bigger with each new snow. 

[Ellinwood]

A trending hashtag with two of my favorite things mashed together? Best day on Twitter ever.

[87storms]

And I, being in the next town over (Potomac), was much more impressed by 2/5-6/10 than several of you are. It clearly beat 1/96 in total snowfall and had gusts just as strong, plus we lost power for the second longest stretch ever but were stuck (unlike Isabel where we could just drive away), making it the most impactful storm I've experienced. Only thing less than 1/96 was the drifting-- I don't see a point to personally choose between them anymore.

Anyway, of course it all just comes down what you consider more important and what town you were in. The far northern MD tier was not the bullseye for 2/5-6/10 like they usually are, so I can understand it placing lower in their rankings.

 

yea i don't know what it is, maybe i was in some kind of a weird micro crap part of 2/10 for a little bit or maybe it was just me.  the local snow reports, when i last checked, did seem to show lower totals in downtown bethesda for whatever reason.  i remember walking out in the middle of the night and it almost felt like it was raining.  it was a wet snow for a time.  note, i'm being very picky to just draw comparisons.  10 was still a great storm and top 3 for me.  for 03, i was in germantown and it was just a ridiculous dumping of snow.  easily 2 feet with temps in the low 20s, snowed all day, switched to sleet later on, but by that time it was so much snow i didn't even care.  if using just snow totals, 03 might have been the most impressive storm i've seen.

 

either way, i'll take any of 'em.

[Ian]

A trending hashtag with two of my favorite things mashed together? Best day on Twitter ever.

lol

 

I'm not even going to try.

[87storms]

I moved away from 92-99 so I missed the 96 storm. My best friend was living in Rockville at the time and took a bunch of pics during and after the event. Amazing storm.

I adored snow as a boy in the 70s. There wasn't much to do in winters back then other than skate on ponds and pray for enough snow to sled on. Pre-video game world was tuff man. Feb 79 was a life changing event for me. That storm had a profound affect on me.

77-78 through 82-83 was great run of winters in our area. I assumed it was normal and 5+ snow days off school every year was normal. Lol. Then we got some stinkers...

Then Jan of 87 came along. I had a 4x4 then and me and my delinquent teenage friends bumper skied through the neighborhood for days. Night sledding at strathmore with a fire in a 55 gallon drum and drinking our parents' beer that we stole. Moco police didn't even care. Told us to make sure the fire was totally out before we left. Oh the memories....and how times have changed

 

87 was a force and so was that feb 87 storm that dropped about a foot or more.  they were calling for like 1-3" that night and we got pounded.  huge flakes and crazy rates overnight.  school was out for a few days, maybe the week if i remember correctly.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

yea i don't know what it is, maybe i was in some kind of a weird micro crap part of 2/10 or maybe it was just me.  the local snow reports, when i last checked, did seem to show lower totals in downtown bethesda for whatever reason.  i remember walking out in the middle of the night and it almost felt like it was raining.  it was a wet snow for a time.  so maybe i just prefer pure powder.  96 and 03, even with the period of sleet was cold powder.  i was in germantown at the time for 03 and it was just a ridiculous dumping of snow.  easily 2 feet with temps in the low 20s, snowed all day, switched to sleet later on, but by the time it was so much snow i didn't even care.  if using just snow totals, 03 might have been the most impressive storm i've seen.

 

either way, i'll take any of 'em.

 

I agree overall.  To be honest, in my time here, Feb. 5-6, 2010 is sort of the "winner" in terms of sheer amount of snow.  But as you said, it had a "wet" feel to it for awhile the night of the 5th, and I was in Silver Spring at the time.  Still got 23.5" from that, we missed the "jackpot" amounts I saw from areas not too far from me, but didn't much care because it was incredible all the same.  I would almost be tempted to say December 18-19, 2009 was a better storm from start to finish, it was colder, more powdery, and the first "real" storm we had here in many years (for the record, I got 20.0" from that).  PD-II in 2003 was amazing from the standpoint of it pouring snow into 20 degree temperatures for hours on end, and as you said, even with the sleet it was still awesome!  I recall that one starting right up with heavy snow at like 2 or 3 in the morning.  No lead in, just...boom!

 

(ETA:  Hard to believe we're four days from the 5th anniversary of Dec. 18-19, 2009!!)

[Fozz]

I'm going to Parkton on Christmas Eve.... I'd love to see a storm on that date.

[North Balti Zen]

Bored, wandered into nyc banter thread. Raises eyebrows and mutters wtf and quietly slips back out.

[wxdude64]

I agree overall.  To be honest, in my time here, Feb. 5-6, 2010 is sort of the "winner" in terms of sheer amount of snow.  But as you said, it had a "wet" feel to it for awhile the night of the 5th, and I was in Silver Spring at the time.  Still got 23.5" from that, we missed the "jackpot" amounts I saw from areas not too far from me, but didn't much care because it was incredible all the same.  I would almost be tempted to say December 18-19, 2009 was a better storm from start to finish, it was colder, more powdery, and the first "real" storm we had here in many years (for the record, I got 20.0" from that).  PD-II in 2003 was amazing from the standpoint of it pouring snow into 20 degree temperatures for hours on end, and as you said, even with the sleet it was still awesome!  I recall that one starting right up with heavy snow at like 2 or 3 in the morning.  No lead in, just...boom!

 

(ETA:  Hard to believe we're four days from the 5th anniversary of Dec. 18-19, 2009!!)

Jan of 87 was awesome, well the whole winter of 86-87 wasn't bad except the warm Dec, with 2 16 inch snows between 1-22 and 1-26 and ending the year close to 70". Then Dec 09 with the 23.6 was not bad either, again, close to 70" for a final total for that winter. I do agree with Bob though, maybe it was because of my age, but winters in late 70's were just epic, especially cold wise. We didn't have a barrel, but you could always find a few old tires to burn and siphon a bit of gas for starting purposes. Ride until you just couldn't stand anymore. Do kids still do that stuff? I know they still drink and whatnot...haha! I remember the Jan 78 blizzard because we got sent home early from school with the sun shining in am and warm temps....by the time we got off the bus it was pouring snow and around freezing and wind was howling! But after about an inch of snow it stopped, but boy did it get cold!

[BxEngine]

Im gonna hang out here with you guys until my subforum finishes off with the hara kiri.

[Ellinwood]

Im gonna hang out here with you guys until my subforum finishes off with the hara kiri.

I hope you brought beer and pizza...

[EastCoast NPZ]

Feb 6, 2010 could have been much, much better.  The first 8 hours of light / mod snow here melted on contact, and the first 10 inches or so was wet concrete.  Great storm, but it didn't achieve its full potential.  Jan 96 squeezed every drop of it out it here.  Temps were low 20s from start to finish and it snowed continuously for 36+ hours.  I measured 37" in the town of Front Royal (goodness knows how much fell in the higher elevations outside of town), while Feb 6, 2010 was 26".  Great storm, but the lack of real cold air at the start (and afterwards) hurt it.  The 2010 storm also didn't affect nearly the geographic area as 1996.  We'll likely see another 2010, but I'm very confident in saying I'll never see another 1996 in my lifetime.  Never.

[wxdude64]

Feb 6, 2010 could have been much, much better.  The first 8 hours of light / mod snow here melted on contact, and the first 10 inches or so was wet concrete.  Great storm, but it didn't achieve its full potential.  Jan 96 squeezed every drop of it out it here.  Temps were low 20s from start to finish and it snowed continuously for 36+ hours.  I measured 37" in the town of Front Royal (goodness knows how much fell in the higher elevations outside of town), while Feb 6, 2010 was 26".  Great storm, but the lack of real cold air at the start (and afterwards) hurt it.  The 2010 storm also didn't affect nearly the geographic area as 1996.  We'll likely see another 2010, but I'm very confident in saying I'll never see another 1996 in my lifetime.  Never.

You are likely right. 33 inches in 96 where I was, sweet storm that went on forever it seemed. 

[EastCoast NPZ]

Those are some nice memories from the 77 -78 winters.... My favorite memories from those times were coming home from school and going to my neighbor's pond to play hockey. I can remember shoveling the snow off the ice so we could have a game. Like you, I grew up thinking ice skating on ponds was a normal winter activity for this area. My friend and I created a sled track that lasted at least a month. It had bank walls that got bigger with each new snow. 

 

Loved that recollection.  Similar to some of my earliest childhood memories.  I can't imagine it ever being cold enough again to allow for (safe) skating and ice hockey.

[WinterWxLuvr]

No Storm will ever surpass the Superstorm. I know personal favorites are dependent upon location, but just from a weather standpoint, that one is alone.

[Ellinwood]

No Storm will ever surpass the Superstorm. I know personal favorites are dependent upon location, but just from a weather standpoint, that one is alone.

I am glad that you know the entire history of weather and can determine that there will never be a bigger storm ever.

[mattie g]

Im gonna hang out here with you guys until my subforum finishes off with the hara kiri.

Thanks for not calling it "harry carey."

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Jan of 87 was awesome, well the whole winter of 86-87 wasn't bad except the warm Dec, with 2 16 inch snows between 1-22 and 1-26 and ending the year close to 70". Then Dec 09 with the 23.6 was not bad either, again, close to 70" for a final total for that winter. I do agree with Bob though, maybe it was because of my age, but winters in late 70's were just epic, especially cold wise. We didn't have a barrel, but you could always find a few old tires to burn and siphon a bit of gas for starting purposes. Ride until you just couldn't stand anymore. Do kids still do that stuff? I know they still drink and whatnot...haha! I remember the Jan 78 blizzard because we got sent home early from school with the sun shining in am and warm temps....by the time we got off the bus it was pouring snow and around freezing and wind was howling! But after about an inch of snow it stopped, but boy did it get cold!

 

Oh, I completely agree concerning the winters of the mid to late 1970s, especially in terms of the cold.  I was mostly referring to events I experienced here in the DC area since I moved here (in 2001) in that one post.  I was only in 5th and 6th grade during the '76-77 and '77-78 winters in Ohio, so cannot attest to the drinking part you mention, hahaha!!  But I distinctly remember in January 1977 it was cold enough that salt on the roads was ineffective.  On many side streets, they gave up and put down sand and charcoal just so you could get traction.  I also remember walking to and from school, and a few of those times we were sent home early due to "severe" winter conditions (and if you didn't have a ride, well, a pleasant walk home for you!).

[stormtracker]

No Storm will ever surpass the Superstorm. I know personal favorites are dependent upon location, but just from a weather standpoint, that one is alone.

Oh yeah? Got tonight's lottery numbers? Swear I'll give you a cut.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

I am glad that you know the entire history of weather and can determine that there will never be a bigger storm ever.

 

Yeah, some people in 1888 might beg to differ on what storm is bigger!!    Though to be fair, every generation has a "storm of the century" type of event I suppose.  Deciding which is worse is kind of subjective, they all were devastating.

[87storms]

I agree overall. To be honest, in my time here, Feb. 5-6, 2010 is sort of the "winner" in terms of sheer amount of snow. But as you said, it had a "wet" feel to it for awhile the night of the 5th, and I was in Silver Spring at the time. Still got 23.5" from that, we missed the "jackpot" amounts I saw from areas not too far from me, but didn't much care because it was incredible all the same. I would almost be tempted to say December 18-19, 2009 was a better storm from start to finish, it was colder, more powdery, and the first "real" storm we had here in many years (for the record, I got 20.0" from that). PD-II in 2003 was amazing from the standpoint of it pouring snow into 20 degree temperatures for hours on end, and as you said, even with the sleet it was still awesome! I recall that one starting right up with heavy snow at like 2 or 3 in the morning. No lead in, just...boom!

(ETA: Hard to believe we're four days from the 5th anniversary of Dec. 18-19, 2009!!)

True. 09 gets lost in the memories and funny enough I was digging thru my albums and I realized I named that winter 2010-11. Oops. But yea 09 was a great storm and it was coming down good that morning once the coastal got going. Cold powder. With 03 it came in like a hoss. I remember waking up at 7am and there was already about 8" on the ground. That storm was a monster. Wish I had taken pics of it.

[RDM]

Same here, I think my memories and love of snow was shaped in the mid-late '70s.  Or that's when it became a veritable illness with me at least, hahaha!  In my case it was growing up in northeast Ohio.  The winters of 1976-77 and 1977-78 will always stand in my mind as the two benchmarks against which any winter is measured.  I know that's not right technically, and there have been some brutal/snowy years since then (both here and in Cleveland where I grew up).  Somehow there are winters like that when you're young that just stick with you, and they almost become larger than life as the time grows distant.  In this case, those two years were record-breaking and in many ways still stand as such in Ohio at least.  (January 1977 is the coldest month ever in Cleveland...lookng at the records I saved, the entire month was below freezing, mean temperature for the month was 11 degrees with 18 days having below zero readings.)

 

I recall having very many days off school in January 1977...we didn't get an excessive amount of snow (though a good share!), it was mostly because it was dangerously cold to even go outside!  Similarly in 1978, it was almost as cold but with more snow.  The blizzard of Jan. 26-27, 1978 still is "the" all-time top of the list for winter storms in my experience.  No, it didn't compare in terms of other big snowfalls that we got there in Ohio, and not even close to PD-II and the February 2010 events since I've been here.  I think KCLE officially measured 7" (atop a foot or more of old snow) from that storm.  But it was a monster blizzard, a 957-mb bomb that went right through the state of Ohio with 50+ MPH sustained winds and near 100 MPH gusts near the Lake Erie shore, along with temperatures that plummeted into the single digits.  The day before, it was in the 40s with some drizzle and on the news the evening before, they were talking about blizzard warnings, which seemed odd given the conditions.  Well, the temperature dropped some 30 degrees between 4AM and 6AM the next day and that was ushered in with a blast of wind.  Now *that* is brutally dangerous!  I've got newspaper articles and other stuff from that event.  The entire area was shut down for days.

 

It almost seems like another dimension of time at this point!

 

 

 

I grew up in Ohio too - just North of Dayton.  Recall the blizzard of 78 very well.  Was working with my dad in our airplane hanger the evening before it hit and the rain was coming down in sheets as the barometer dropped like a bomb.  There were times when I could adjust the altimeter every 5 minutes; it was dropping so fast (set altimeter to known altitude to get pressure).  My dad said there was something special going on weather-wise for that to be happening. 

 

Around 2 am it switched over to snow with a sudden drop in temps with a flash freeze of all the water from the rain and wind, wow the wind was amazing.  By 3 am winds were over 70mph sustained.  Power outages started happening all over the place so my dad (a paramedic - one of the first in Ohio) and others gathered at our town's fire station with the police, sheriff and others to generate a plan.  They called in a local Case implement dealer who volunteered a brand new big articulating front end loader (FEL) with a 14' plow to help get to people in need.  The police contacted people who were known to have snowmobiles and a caravan headed out with snowmobiles acting as scouts, the FEL clearning a path for 4wd vehicles including our city ambulance and 6wd rescue truck.  They went out for about 6 hours rescuing people who'd lost power, had medical issues etc, and along the way my dad delivered a baby.  The governor declared a state of emergency, called out the National Guard and contemplated declaring martial law, but the latter did not happen.  

 

  The caravan came back loaded to the hilt with people and we hosted a family of 5 and an area farmer for days at our house.  As soon as they gassed up the caravan, they went out again.  This time I got to ride along as I was an experienced snowmobiler.  Even though it was afternoon, light was marginal at best and nearly dark because of the wind, snow and poor lighting.  Drove right over a car buried in a snow bank w/o even seeing it.  The FEL "found it" a moment later.  After about 4-5 hours, the caravan was loaded again with people needing shelter so we headed back.  The blinding whiteout conditions were extreme and exhausting.  Only experienced one other case of true whiteout in my life and that was skiing in Austria on a glacier when a freak storm came in (in the Summer time too) with total whiteout conditions.  Could not even see the tips of my skis and did not realize I had vertigo and was falling till my head hit the snow (and I'm a very experienced skier).  Same conditions in 78.  There were times when you could literally not see the tips of the snowmobile skis.  The caravan came to a stop until there was a lull and then we'd proceed another 100 or 200 yards till the next whiteout.  An amazing experience to be in, let along as an impressionable high school student.  It certainly gave a sense of community service, helping out others in time of need and in general "taking care of business".

 

  The caravan came back around 9pm and we passed on the duties to the next group and got some rest.  By then the firehouse was a mad house of activity as the community response center.  Schools were closed for at least a week and some roads were not opened until they brought out the snowblowers from Wright Patterson AFB and Dayton airport.  We received about 12" in our area, but it was the wind, sudden temp drop and cold that really left a memory.  While they'd been saying something was going to happen, nobody expected something like that.  We'd been SOL without that Case FEL leading the way and it even got stuck several times.  The flash freeze of the rain created an underlying layer of ice that just compounded everything.  Fortunately, folks back then were more prepared and resilient in dealing with hardships.  Likewise, everyone just joined in and helped and did what needed to be done.  A bit more complicated these days with more rules for first responders etc. 

 

  I was overseas when the super-storm hit the east coast, but can imagine what it was like around here and heard from friends (plus reading here of course).  2009/2010 was a lot of snow, a lot of fun, and a great celebration of our return from a posting in Thailand (not much snow there). However, I'd not necessarily characterize Feb 2010 it as a true "blizzard" in the truest sense because the winds and visibility were nothing like in 78.  Realize it met the criteria for a blizzard, but it's all relative.  With all the recent commentary on things looking up starting in a week or so, the anticipation of something memorable happening is encouraging.  I've been an avid reader of this forum and the one that preceded it for well over a decade and appreciate the continued mentoring provided by the mainstream contributors. 

   

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

True. 09 gets lost in the memories and funny enough I was digging thru my albums and I realized I named that winter 2010-11. Oops. But yea 09 was a great storm and it was coming down good that morning once the coastal got going. Cold powder. With 03 it came in like a hoss. I remember waking up at 7am and there was already about 8" on the ground. That storm was a monster. Wish I had taken pics of it.

 

Same here, I was surprised at how much was already on the ground in the early morning during the PD-II storm.  I think the forecasts had originally called for it to not really get going until sometime during the morning, and it began much earlier.  I have some photos, taken with film (yes, *film!*), but only a few unfortunately.  Since going digital, I take a whole lot more during good events now!

[Fozz]

True. 09 gets lost in the memories and funny enough I was digging thru my albums and I realized I named that winter 2010-11. Oops. But yea 09 was a great storm and it was coming down good that morning once the coastal got going. Cold powder. With 03 it came in like a hoss. I remember waking up at 7am and there was already about 8" on the ground. That storm was a monster. Wish I had taken pics of it.

 

 

Same here, I was surprised at how much was already on the ground in the early morning during the PD-II storm.  I think the forecasts had originally called for it to not really get going until sometime during the morning, and it began much earlier.  I have some photos, taken with film (yes, *film!*), but only a few unfortunately.  Since going digital, I take a whole lot more during good events now!

 

Same with me too. Amazing storm for a 12 year old kid like I was, and it was the first HECS that I remember well, so it meant a lot to me. It was right around 7am when I woke up. I looked outside the window and it was foggier than I expected, so I turned on the outside lights to see what was going on and it was pouring snow, probably some of the heaviest rates I'd seen yet that winter. Looked like 7-8" already in the span of maybe 4-5 hours.

 

I also remember not expecting the snow to start until later in the day, but it was from that moment when I figured that it would rival the Blizzard of '96. WOOF. I also recall watching Paul Kocin's analysis on TWC and showing radar right over Maryland, talking about thundersnow, and saying that by noon we'd have a foot. I was just amazed beyond belief by what I was seeing.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

 

 

I grew up in Ohio too - just North of Dayton.  Recall the blizzard of 78 very well.  Was working with my dad in our airplane hanger the evening before it hit and the rain was coming down in sheets as the barometer dropped like a bomb.  There were times when I could adjust the altimeter every 5 minutes; it was dropping so fast (set altimeter to known altitude to get pressure).  My dad said there was something special going on weather-wise for that to be happening. 

 

Around 2 am it switched over to snow with a sudden drop in temps with a flash freeze of all the water from the rain and wind, wow the wind was amazing.  By 3 am winds were over 70mph sustained.  Power outages started happening all over the place so my dad (a paramedic - one of the first in Ohio) and others gathered at our town's fire station with the police, sheriff and others to generate a plan.  They called in a local Case implement dealer who volunteered a brand new big articulating front end loader (FEL) with a 14' plow to help get to people in need.  The police contacted people who were known to have snowmobiles and a caravan headed out with snowmobiles acting as scouts, the FEL clearning a path for 4wd vehicles including our city ambulance and 6wd rescue truck.  They went out for about 6 hours rescuing people who'd lost power, had medical issues etc, and along the way my dad delivered a baby.  The governor declared a state of emergency, called out the National Guard and contemplated declaring martial law, but the latter did not happen.  

 

  The caravan came back loaded to the hilt with people and we hosted a family of 5 and an area farmer for days at our house.  As soon as they gassed up the caravan, they went out again.  This time I got to ride along as I was an experienced snowmobiler.  Even though it was afternoon, light was marginal at best and nearly dark because of the wind, snow and poor lighting.  Drove right over a car buried in a snow bank w/o even seeing it.  The FEL "found it" a moment later.  After about 4-5 hours, the caravan was loaded again with people needing shelter so we headed back.  The blinding whiteout conditions were extreme and exhausting.  Only experienced one other case of true whiteout in my life and that was skiing in Austria on a glacier when a freak storm came in (in the Summer time too) with total whiteout conditions.  Could not even see the tips of my skis and did not realize I had vertigo and was falling till my head hit the snow (and I'm a very experienced skier).  Same conditions in 78.  There were times when you could literally not see the tips of the snowmobile skis.  The caravan came to a stop until there was a lull and then we'd proceed another 100 or 200 yards till the next whiteout.  An amazing experience to be in, let along as an impressionable high school student.  It certainly gave a sense of community service, helping out others in time of need and in general "taking care of business".

 

  The caravan came back around 9pm and we passed on the duties to the next group and got some rest.  By then the firehouse was a mad house of activity as the community response center.  Schools were closed for at least a week and some roads were not opened until they brought out the snowblowers from Wright Patterson AFB and Dayton airport.  We received about 12" in our area, but it was the wind, sudden temp drop and cold that really left a memory.  While they'd been saying something was going to happen, nobody expected something like that.  We'd been SOL without that Case FEL leading the way and it even got stuck several times.  The flash freeze of the rain created an underlying layer of ice that just compounded everything.  Fortunately, folks back then were more prepared and resilient in dealing with hardships.  Likewise, everyone just joined in and helped and did what needed to be done.  A bit more complicated these days with more rules for first responders etc. 

 

  I was overseas when the super-storm hit the east coast, but can imagine what it was like around here and heard from friends (plus reading here of course).  2009/2010 was a lot of snow, a lot of fun, and a great celebration of our return from a posting in Thailand (not much snow there). However, I'd not necessarily characterize Feb 2010 it as a true "blizzard" in the truest sense because the winds and visibility were nothing like in 78.  Realize it met the criteria for a blizzard, but it's all relative.  With all the recent commentary on things looking up starting in a week or so, the anticipation of something memorable happening is encouraging.  I've been an avid reader of this forum and the one that preceded it for well over a decade and appreciate the continued mentoring provided by the mainstream contributors. 

   

 

That's a cool story, thanks for sharing!  Nice to hear from someone who also experienced that storm.  You guys in Dayton (and the western part of Ohio in general) got a lot more smoked with snow than us in the northeast.  But the wind, flash-freeze, and dangerous conditions were state-wide.  I do recall the Nat'l Guard being called in and Pres. Carter declared Ohio a state of emergency (actually, several Midwest states were similarly declared due to that storm).  I remember being awakened sometime before sunrise, like 4 or so in the morning, by the sound of the wind.  Looked outside and it was raining, and this street light visible from my room was waving back and forth.  Woke up a couple hours later, and saw nothing but white.  They were telling people to not go outside all day.  There's a story about a truck driver outside Cleveland, I think he was on I-90 or I-71, who got trapped in a huge snow drift.  He was stuck inside his truck for some 5 days before they found him, still alive, if shaken quite a bit.

 

(ETA:  Grrr, for some reason I couldn't do anything with the formatting, so what appears to be a quote by me above is supposed to be your entry in reply to mine!  I was attempting to just remove the part of my entry that you quoted.  Apologies for that confusion!)

[EastCoast NPZ]

2003 will always live in my memory.  not for the snow, which wasn't all that impressive imby (17" from part II, on top of 4" from part I), but for the temp.  We fell into the single digits Sat afternoon and were 3F when the snow commenced Sat night and stayed there for most of the event.  Like the totals from 1996, I'm very confident I will never again see another snow storm in my lifetime w/ temps that low.

 

Edit to add that this and the start of 1996 are among my most favorite memories.  Jan 6, 1996, the snow started about 9 or 10 PM, and we waited until there was enough on the ground to go sledding around midnight.  A few friends of mine went along, and I even allowed my 6 year-old son (who was so excited he couldn't sleep) to come with us.  Sledding in the middle of the night in that virtual winter wonderland with the snow falling ever-harder and the promise of much more to come was almost a surreal experience.  Fortunate to get another chance to nearly duplicate that awesome evening again that Sat night in Feb 2003.

[Ian]

Head --> desk.

[WinterWxLuvr]

I am glad that you know the entire history of weather and can determine that there will never be a bigger storm ever.

Feel better about yourself?