Best Mid-Atlantic winter storm of the last 40 years

[AvantHiatus]

ummm.... it was supposed to be within the last 40 years lol

Apologies, however if a tree falls in a forest does anyone hear it? 

[PrinceFrederickWx]

Bumpity bumpity bump. I'm bored. This weather is nice but boring. Let's talk snowstorms. Its still a tie between Snowmageddon 1 and the Blizzard of '96. We need at least 200 votes- let's do it. Will we get an event worthy of this list this winter? Maybe. I'd say its a 50/50 shot.

[Amped]

Blizzard of 96 left the most snow over the area according to every map I can find.

2/5/2010 would have been much better if it were 3 degrees colder, and I didn't like the white rain and the paste at the beginning of that storm and that's why I don't rate it as good as 1996.

[Ger]

To be below 40 BWI sure does have one mighty impressive Top 10 list. #10 is an 18 incher?? Take that Midwest and Great Plains. Plus a couple events were under measured at BWI namely Feb 5,6... Jan '96...

[Ger]

December 2009 was nice. Cold, wall to wall snow. No frills, no anxiously monitoring the ra/ip/sn line or the pivot. Perfect time of year. I'll always recall January '00 fondly because of the surprise factor and because my location, Upper Marlboro did extremely well, easily 15-17 inches.

Feb 5,6 is the one I voted for tho. Didn't get the truly epic totals they had to west and in central Maryland, but the 8p to 12a period was amazing. But I was watching the dry slot after that and became upset when it seemed like it was going to get to DC. So I went to bed and woke up to about 24" in NE DC.

EDIT: DOB: 1985

[mattskiva]

Snowmageddon 1 without a doubt.  Living in Loudoun County, we got a foot more snow out of that one than '96.

 

I do remember '96 fondly, though.  The negative for me in that one was that there was a lot more mixing which kept totals down a bit.  My parents lived in Carroll County, MD and got crazy amounts in '96.

[Huffwx]

The answer is 96 and it's not that close. Other storms may of had bigger impacts, but in smaller regions. 96 had 18 + from VA/NC border NE to NYC. It was the largest coverage of the largest totals.

 

79..DC to Philly focused

 

83-83 Maybe second considering all things and the 18 spot in Richmond.

 

86-87 impressive back to back totals but that's not ONE event.

 

02-03, not much snow south of DC. sleet city.

 

Dec 09 was close but you lose Richmond and the Beach areas which had 6-12 or more in 96.

 

Feb 10 such a broad area of 6-12 ish in Southern VA, lesser amounts into PA and parts of NJ

[WEATHER53]

Snowmagehidrageddon

[EastCoast NPZ]

This again?  Jan '96 eats Feb. 5, 2010, and defecates snowmageddon.

 

Feb. '83 had the greatest rates I've ever seen:  32" in about 16 hours, including thunder-snow and low teens temps.  Rates 5" per hour for a time.

 

Dec. '09 for the time of year it occurred, and since it had been so long since we'd had a good snow storm, much less a good winter.

 

Feb. '03 for the cold.  Temps fell to 0F during the afternoon that Saturday and stayed in the single digits until after the storm.

 

Oct. '79, well, because it was pure insanity.  

[PrinceFrederickWx]

This again?  

 

Indeed. And after the 12z suite for Joaquin today, this will probably be the most exciting thread left on the main page. 

[EastCoast NPZ]

Indeed. And after the 12z suite for Joaquin today, this will probably be the most exciting thread left on the main page. 

 

Good.  This is the time of year I like boring weather.  The drought is busted; let the leaves do their thing, and get outside and enjoy the season.  Hopefully, in two months it gets very exciting.

[PrinceFrederickWx]

Good.  This is the time of year I like boring weather.  The drought is busted; let the leaves do their thing, and get outside and enjoy the season.  Hopefully, in two months it gets very exciting.

 

Me too, Sept/Oct is my favorite time of year other than April/May... I want sunny days (or even cloudy days) in the 60's and cool, clear nights.

[cheapdad00]

Overall for the entire Mid-Atlantic I would go 1/96.

 

As for the area I live in now I would go 2/9-10/2010

 

I think 2/83 should be given more consideration. It wasn't a long duration event like most of the others which meant it was sustained 2 inch per hour rates for many consecutive hours. Lightning and thunder with some areas reporting 3-4 inch per hour rates. Most of the region received 2 feet of snow in roughly 14-16 hour period.

 

2/83 was my vote, first time I ever saw thundersnow.  Crazy snow rates.  Ended up with 2 ft in Annapolis.

[cheapdad00]

I went with January 25, 2000 because it was a total surprise up until 9 or 10pm that evening. I remember watching my local forecast on TWC and when I saw the radar the precip looked like it was moving due north. I kept checking and checking and thinking, this is coming due north, I thought it was supposed to miss us. Sure enough at about 9 pm the red winter storm bulletin with that loud annoying siren noise came on TWC. I went from 4-8, then a couple hours later 8-12 then finally 12-16. My brothers and I were jumping for joy at around midnight that evening lol. It wasn't the most snow but it put me in the bullseye along the western part of the bay.

 

This was 2nd on my list because I was in Chapel Hill at the time.  We were told we might get a couple of inches, started out as rain around 10PM, woke up with 20" on the ground at 10AM.  Crazy rates, a shame it didnt happen during the day.  The whole area turned into a solid sheet of ice as temps dropped close to zero at night as if North Carolina was Siberia.

[Wonderdog]

It's Snowmageddon 1 for me but the time between that and Snowmageddon 2 was the most exciting because there was the feeling that it would be impossible to have a 2nd major storm so close together.

[87storms]

jan 2000 is probably in the hall of fame, but i can't put it in the top 5 winter storms here.  i guess i could see why it might be a "favorite" for some, but we've had bigger and better events. 

 

i was too young for 83, but from what i heard the rates were legendary.  feb 87 had pretty absurd rates too (heavy, wet snow) and was a surprise event on the scale of jan 2000.

[Huffwx]

jan 2000 is probably in the hall of fame, but i can't put it in the top 5 winter storms here.  i guess i could see why it might be a "favorite" for some, but we've had bigger and better events. 

 

i was too young for 83, but from what i heard the rates were legendary.  feb 87 had pretty absurd rates too (heavy, wet snow) and was a surprise event on the scale of jan 2000.

 

Jan 87 was not on par surprise with Jan 2000. We knew there'd be a nor' easter on Jan 22. We had Winter Storm Watches issued on Jan 21st in the morning package. They upgraded the areas NW of the big cites on the evening of the 21st and the 95 track was 1-2 inches, before changing to rain, but the Watch was up still. I was in Wilmington, Delaware and we were upgraded to a warning about 8pm Wednesday evening (Forecast at that time came from Sterling, not PHL) for 4 inches, then sleet and rain and then before the snow started Thursday am, 6-8 inches, possibly mixed with sleet. 

 

Night and day to me surprise wise.. 

 

Wes Junker tells a good story how the NGM had the colder profiles and was higher res...

[87storms]

Jan 87 was not on par surprise with Jan 2000. We knew there'd be a nor' easter on Jan 22. We had Winter Storm Watches issued on Jan 21st in the morning package. They upgraded the areas NW of the big cites on the evening of the 21st and the 95 track was 1-2 inches, before changing to rain, but the Watch was up still. I was in Wilmington, Delaware and we were upgraded to a warning about 8pm Wednesday evening (Forecast at that time came from Sterling, not PHL) for 4 inches, then sleet and rain and then before the snow started Thursday am, 6-8 inches, possibly mixed with sleet. 

 

Night and day to me surprise wise.. 

 

Wes Junker tells a good story how the NGM had the colder profiles and was higher res...

 

i said feb 87.

[Huffwx]

i said feb 87.

 

There was still a winter storm watch Sunday AM< upgraded to a warning for 4-8 where I was in Northen Delaware with the afternoon package. 

[EastCoast NPZ]

I don't recall when the watches for Feb. '87 were issued.  The first I heard of an impending storm was late Sunday afternoon.  We were playing basketball (outside, so that should tell you a major snowstorm commencing in less than 6 hours was a bit surprising) when someone mentioned it.  The rates that night were intense.

[87storms]

There was still a winter storm watch Sunday AM< upgraded to a warning for 4-8 where I was in Northen Delaware with the afternoon package.

Around the DC area it went from a 1-3" or 2-4" snow to about a foot or more and if I recall correctly we had the whole week off of school due to power lines down from the weight of the snow. It was definitely not expected to be such a big event at least here.

[87storms]

I don't recall when the watches for Feb. '87 were issued. The first I heard of an impending storm was late Sunday afternoon. We were playing basketball (outside, so that should tell you a major snowstorm commencing in less than 6 hours was a bit surprising) when someone mentioned it. The rates that night were intense.

I don't remember watches either. I think because it wasn't even expected to stick much. i could see the flakes falling at night. The flakes were epic. It was Jan 2011 on PEDs.

[PrinceFrederickWx]

Snowmageddon part 2 is making a surge

[Huffwx]

I don't recall when the watches for Feb. '87 were issued.  The first I heard of an impending storm was late Sunday afternoon.  We were playing basketball (outside, so that should tell you a major snowstorm commencing in less than 6 hours was a bit surprising) when someone mentioned it.  The rates that night were intense.

 

 

I raked leaves that afternoon. I remember calling the weatherline that RICH HITCHENS worked Sunday am after a sleepover over and was shocked there was a WsWatch Sunday AM.. Saturday PM had a chance of rain or snow Sunday night. 

 

Around the DC area it went from a 1-3" or 2-4" snow to about a foot or more and if I recall correctly we had the whole week off of school due to power lines down from the weight of the snow. It was definitely not expected to be such a big event at least here.

 

Gotcha. I guess the 00 storm to me was such a drastic shift from no storm out to see to BIG event in 6 hours. Now, Feb 22 87 was actually a triple phaser if I'm not misaken and it bottomed out 965 east of ACY?? So, I guess that was a big miss in that context but more lead time where I was in a lesser model era resonates with me.

[mappy]

for me personally:

 

Jan 2000

Dec 2009

Jan 96

Feb 2010 (both)

 

 

The Jan 2000 storm is what got me into weather, so I can't diss it. But do remember the 96 storm quite well and it was amazing. I will always be biased for Dec 2009, for obvious reasons.

[40/70 Benchmark]

From an outsider perspective, I vote to aggregate both of the snowmageddon events into the one voting option.

[mattie g]

My storm recollection is better than your storm recollection.

[40/70 Benchmark]

In fact, until Last February, I could say that I hadn't seen anything of that caliber up here for the entirety of my life.

I have now.

[mfastx]

In fact, until Last February, I could say that I hadn't seen anything of that caliber up here for the entirety of my life.

I have now.

 

Yea, that's probably the best winter I'll ever experience, lol. 

[40/70 Benchmark]

Yea, that's probably the best winter I'll ever experience, lol. 

Likewise with regard to last year for me.

The epic cold and snow combo was second to none.