Best Mid-Atlantic winter storm of the last 40 years

[StudentOfClimatology]

Snowmageddon number one..such an underrated storm. More QPF than 1995-96 and it was followed by another 1-2 feet a few days later.

That's a once/twice in a lifetime type occurrence.

[nw baltimore wx]

If everyone taking this poll was alive and had a good memory of PD 1 there would be no need for a poll. It's not even close.

 

Yep.

[EastCoast NPZ]

Jan '96.

 

/ drops the mic and walks off stage

[snowfan]

For the VA/WV/MD/PA areas, 96 likely covered more ground with 2-3'+ totals than any of those other storms. Temps with 96 were also impressive. And the drifts were insane. 

 

This is a good read if you're into how that storm came to be, totals, etc. 

 

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/assessments/pdfs/bz-mrg.pdf

[kurtstack]

Yep, 1996, despite a very short period of sleet.  The wind drifts and accumulations across the area were best I've ever seen.  Was living in Springfield VA at the time.  I remember they couldn't keep the highways clear because of the blowing and drifting.  The blowing and drifting really gave it the edge over the 2009-2010 storms. 

[Huffwx]

Jan '96.

 

/ drops the mic and walks off stage

 

This.

 

People can say what was best for THEIR house, but largest coverage of over 20 inches is Jan 1996

[BlizzardNole]

I voted for PD1 - 1979.  I was in northern Calvert, which was the bullseye for that storm.  I don't know what the actual accum was with the extreme drifting, but DCA I think was 19" and the amounts were much heavier by the Bay so say 30-35".  The wind was UNBELIEVABLE, like 40 mph with gusts to 60.  It was like a hurricane of snow with howling winds and such whiteout that the woods just 75 feet behind the house were completely obscured at times.  One observer in the area later reported 6" in one hour that morning.

 

My mother and her friend who was stuck with us tried to walk the 100 feet to where the cars were and actually got disoriented.  They were legit scared when they got back saying that they almost got literally lost in the front damn yard!  My mom said it was hard to breathe with the snow and winds so extreme.

 

When it was over, cars were only lumps in the snow and we had 6-7 foot drifts.  One funny story is when my dad finally got his '74 Charger dug out, it would not start.  He opened the hood and found the whole engine compartment completely packed tight with snow.

 

I have of course seen some great storms in Germantown since 1995, but NOTHING for me can top the Great White Hurricane of 1979.

[Bob Chill]

PD1 was the most influential so it takes my vote. 10 years old and blew my mind. Always loved snow but that one was the first hit to a lifetime addiction.

Wasn't living here during Jan 96 so as great as it sounds I missed the experience.

Jan 2000 will never happen again. Models are far more skilled. That kind of short range reverse bust is off the table. Maybe a small and localized bust is possible but nothing like that.

09-10 was mind blowing but after my years in the Rockies and older age, it can't top the wow factor of pd1

[AlexD]

2/5-6/2010....too young to remember 96,PDII was only about a foot, but snowpocalypse was just truly amazing, I can't even remember the exact total I got anymore but I know it was over 20"...the only time I can remember the NWS snowfall maps go up, and up and up, until the actually ran out of colors for the key and had to shift the entire color scale to make it fit. I work at a grocery store and I have never seen barren shelves like I did before that storm and the second one that followed. I lived in an apartment less than 1/4 mi from my parents house at the time(right behind my store which was just across the road from their house) and I can still remember having to suit up like a Arctic expedition just to go over there....I have lived here my whole life, know these roads and streets like the back of my hand, you could drop me blindfolded and drunk and I would know my way around... But walking from my apartment to their house, what is normally a 5minute walk took 25-30 minutes, half of the because I actually got lost and severely disoriented and began to actually see stars in my field of vision(I have read this is a beginning sign of snow blindness?) I actually had to stop in the middle of the street (not that it mattered there were no vehicles at all and no plows whatsoever) and regain my bearings and catch my breath before I continued. The snow was so deep and totally unplowed that you couldn't tell where a road or street ended or where the curb was. Just truly a epic storm I wonder if I'll ever see again.

[PrinceFrederickWx]

Every storms got at least one vote now. Snowmageddon 1 and Blizzard of '96 are neck-and-neck. 

 

I like reading everyone's storm stories, especially for 1979... seems like everyone I've ever talked to who's been through that storm tells me nothing compares. I would've loved to see that one as well as Palm Sunday 1942 (my grandmother still tells me stories about that one).

[JW21]

I voted for Feb 1983 because it was truly epic for me. I grew up on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley, and it was my junior year of high school. We got somewhere in the range of 30" to 36" of snow. We had a tractor with a snowplow, and had walls of snow over 5 feet high after we plowed our gravel road. Don't think we went to school the rest of that month. The drawback was going to school on Saturdays in April and May to make up for all the snow days.

[WVclimo]

I was 16 for the Feb '79 storm, but living in western Md. where we had around a foot. No insane winds since we didn't get into the wraparound like DC and east. Just another run of the mill storm after the three 18"+ storms of the previous winter. Think I was Boston strong by that point, lol.

1996 was a great storm regionally, with over 30" here, but I was in College Park at <300' elev and sleet cut accumulations in my yard to 19". PD2 was 20"+ for me in Bethesda, but never got crazy rates and when the meat of the storm came at dusk on Sunday it was heavy sleet. The first Feb storm in 2010 was the heaviest I have personally measured at 28.5" and a great storm here.

But the one that will always stand out for me was the 2/83 storm. Living in the Jessup area I measured 26" of pure powder; true whiteout conditions in thundersnow and 3-4" an hour. I worked night shift then, and the storm started with wind whipped snow as I was beginning my shift. Temperatures were frigid leading in. By the time I left work in the a.m. there were several inches banked up against the wheels and doors of the car, but the top of the car was dry. Then the daylight hours raged. True Zero visibility at times. Deep drifts on my northeast facing yard. Another 30+ storm in this area that I hope to get to experience again here in WV.

[TJ3]

PD1 was the most influential so it takes my vote. 10 years old and blew my mind. Always loved snow but that one was the first hit to a lifetime addiction.

Wasn't living here during Jan 96 so as great as it sounds I missed the experience.

Jan 2000 will never happen again. Models are far more skilled. That kind of short range reverse bust is off the table. Maybe a small and localized bust is possible but nothing like that.

09-10 was mind blowing but after my years in the Rockies and older age, it can't top the wow factor of pd1

Why PD1 was so special were the rates at dawn that Monday morning. Have never seen anything approaching that since.

[EastCoast NPZ]

I voted for Feb 1983 because it was truly epic for me. I grew up on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley, and it was my junior year of high school. We got somewhere in the range of 30" to 36" of snow. We had a tractor with a snowplow, and had walls of snow over 5 feet high after we plowed our gravel road. Don't think we went to school the rest of that month. The drawback was going to school on Saturdays in April and May to make up for all the snow days.

 

 

I was 16 for the Feb '79 storm, but living in western Md. where we had around a foot. No insane winds since we didn't get into the wraparound like DC and east. Just another run of the mill storm after the three 18"+ storms of the previous winter. Think I was Boston strong by that point, lol.

1996 was a great storm regionally, with over 30" here, but I was in College Park at <300' elev and sleet cut accumulations in my yard to 19". PD2 was 20"+ for me in Bethesda, but never got crazy rates and when the meat of the storm came at dusk on Sunday it was heavy sleet. The first Feb storm in 2010 was the heaviest I have personally measured at 28.5" and a great storm here.

But the one that will always stand out for me was the 2/83 storm. Living in the Jessup area I measured 26" of pure powder; true whiteout conditions in thundersnow and 3-4" an hour. I worked night shift then, and the storm started with wind whipped snow as I was beginning my shift. Temperatures were frigid leading in. By the time I left work in the a.m. there were several inches banked up against the wheels and doors of the car, but the top of the car was dry. Then the daylight hours raged. True Zero visibility at times. Deep drifts on my northeast facing yard. Another 30+ storm in this area that I hope to get to experience again here in WV.

 

Nothing will ever compare to the depth, duration, and temps afterward of Jan. '96.  But #3 on my list is certainly Feb '83.  Temp was in the low teens during the entirety of the storm and the rates of that storm will probably never be seen again.  We got 32" in Warren County, just outside Front Royal, in around 15 hours.  It was only the second time in my life (to that point) that I'd experienced thunder snow.  Remember being outside playing and the snow pouring from the sky and then, BOOM.  I swear, you could see the snow piling up.  I remember Bob Ryan talking about snow rates of 4 -5 inches per hour, and I believe it.  The intensity of that storm is unmatched.  Had it been a slower mover; it would  surely have been the storm of the ages.  Unfortunately, there was little cold air behind the storm... and it was mid-Feb at that point, so the sun quickly did its damage too.   Another reason why Jan '96 and Dec '09 are #1 and #2 on my list.

[PrinceFrederickWx]

I picked Snowmageddon 1 but I almost picked part 2... even though it was slightly less snow IMBY, the winds and rates with part 2 were crazy, and it was during the day mostly. I loved how both of them just had the DC/Baltimore metro areas as the bullseye. PDII was another one I almost picked- I have some funny stories about that storm that I should write about when I have time. '96 was good, but it occurred just a few weeks after my grandfather had died and I was kind of upset most of the time, so my memories of that one aren't too great even though I did like the storm obviously. That was the first time I ever saw that much snow. 

 

Funny thing about Jan. 2000- by the end of that month, everyone around here I knew thought we were in for a '95-'96 winter repeat (which ended up being wrong, obviously). When I was in high school I used to think El Ninos sucked and La Ninas gave us snow lol

 

I was only 10 years old, but '93 is actually the first real storm where I remember the date and the specifics, etc. It was very windy and I remember it being all over the TV and forecasters saying we would get 8-12 inches (I had never seen that much snow before).

 

Also I found this video of the Feb. 1994 ice storm which is kinda neat. Those ice storms were really bad, I remember them all.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1eNOXc_Dnk

[clskinsfan]

2003 by far. I had 3 feet.

 

 

Honorable mention to 1996:

 

[snowfan]

96 pawns 03 with coverage of totals aoa 2ft. Not even close.

[clskinsfan]

96 pawns 03 with coverage of totals aoa 2ft. Not even close.

 

Agreed. But when it comes to snow its all about MBY. 

[wxdude64]

96 was awesome and as said was a great 2'+ for many, many people. 2nd I'd have to go with the double barreled 87 storms.

[poolz1]

Closest thing to true blizzard conditions I have ever witnessed.  Snowmageddon part 2.

 

IMBY video

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwbKKgxN-PQ

[StudentOfClimatology]

Nothing will ever compare to the depth, duration, and temps afterward of Jan. '96. But #3 on my list is certainly Feb '83. Temp was in the low teens during the entirety of the storm and the rates of that storm will probably never be seen again. We got 32" in Warren County, just outside Front Royal, in around 15 hours. It was only the second time in my life (to that point) that I'd experienced thunder snow. Remember being outside playing and the snow pouring from the sky and then, BOOM. I swear, you could see the snow piling up. I remember Bob Ryan talking about snow rates of 4 -5 inches per hour, and I believe it. The intensity of that storm is unmatched. Had it been a slower mover; it would surely have been the storm of the ages. Unfortunately, there was little cold air behind the storm... and it was mid-Feb at that point, so the sun quickly did its damage too. Another reason why Jan '96 and Dec '09 are #1 and #2 on my list.

You're putting December 2009 over February 2010?

2010 blizzards 1995-96 out of the water here..I'm not sure if that's the case out west, though.

[midatlanticweather]

Coming from Richmond I was blown away by PDII - Biggest snow I had ever seen and I thought would ever see! Then we had Snowpacalypse and I was shocked to see almost the same amounts.. I was blown away. BUT NOTHING compared to the S+ hours of snow that I saw in Snowmaggeden I  - I saw lightning on and off all night long and just was in AWE! I shoveled every hour until 2am and was just blown away by what I was witnessing... I remember being outside and it was quiet out except the snow as it bounced off my jacket and thinking it was the most surreal thing I had ever seen... like another planet! I will unlikely see anything like that! I measured 33 inches of snow.. and I was in awe! Shoveled for another 8 hours to get all the snow away from stuff even though I had tried to make it less of a burden the night before. EPIC - Unbelievable.. makes me want a time machine to experience that again!

 

OH ya - THE PIVOT ON RADAR! That was unmatched in radar beauty! 

[EastCoast NPZ]

You're putting December 2009 over February 2010?

2010 blizzards 1995-96 out of the water here..I'm not sure if that's the case out west, though.

 

Yep, even though we got less snow than on Feb 6 2010 (26" vs. 21").  It was a much colder storm, gave us a White Christmas, and had much better longevity due to the sun-angle.  That's why I rated it higher.  I still am a bit salty that so much of that Feb storm was wasted.  We had about 7 hours of light and moderate snow completely melt on contact during the day that Friday, not to mention the sucky ratios for the first half of that storm; it could have been so much more.

 

Remember, that the 2nd part of snowmageddon was a complete dud out here, so I don't hold quite the same affection for the Feb 2010 period as a lot of you guys to the east.

[Bari]

Duration, accumulation, winds

Pick two

[caviman2201]

As much as I'd like to vote for '83 since I supposedly began life during that storm (Born in Nov '83  )... Its hard to say between '96 and Snowmageddon 1... '96 was absolutely epic where I lived at the time in western HoCo right on Parr's Ridge... I think we measured around 32", but it was hard because the drifts were everywhere.  There were several 5-6' drifts in my front yard.

I LOVED Snowmageddon 1 because it dropped an obscene amount of snow, but also because it was an MA Special... SNE and NE were completely left out 

[EastCoast NPZ]

Coming from Richmond I was blown away by PDII - Biggest snow I had ever seen and I thought would ever see! Then we had Snowpacalypse and I was shocked to see almost the same amounts.. I was blown away. BUT NOTHING compared to the S+ hours of snow that I saw in Snowmaggeden I  - I saw lightning on and off all night long and just was in AWE! I shoveled every hour until 2am and was just blown away by what I was witnessing... I remember being outside and it was quiet out except the snow as it bounced off my jacket and thinking it was the most surreal thing I had ever seen... like another planet! I will unlikely see anything like that! I measured 33 inches of snow.. and I was in awe! Shoveled for another 8 hours to get all the snow away from stuff even though I had tried to make it less of a burden the night before. EPIC - Unbelievable.. makes me want a time machine to experience that again!

 

OH ya - THE PIVOT ON RADAR! That was unmatched in radar beauty! 

 

It's funny the things you remember.  I have that nearly exact memory from the Dec. 2009 storm.  My GF (wife now) and I went downtown to Main St. in Front Royal that Saturday evening - just as the sun was setting and the storm was about to taper off - and walked around, admiring the Christmas decorations in a blanket of sparkling white.  Very few people out, and almost all were pedestrians.  It was so quiet and peaceful, with - as you said - only the sound of the snow hitting my jacket and hood.  It's one of the most vivid memories I have.  We got to the gazeebo area and there was Christmas music playing.  We were the only people there.  We ran, played, and wrestled like children in undisturbed knee-deep snow.  It was the storm I had waited my entire life to see, a true Christmas storm.  The only way that storm could ever be topped is had it happened 5 days later; aside from my kids and Super Bowl XXVII, it was as close to perfect as anything I have ever known.

 

Here is a view of Main St. that night:

 

Warren County Courthouse.  I've watched that same manger display on the front lawn every year for at least 30 years; it never looked so good as it did that night.

 

Here is the gazeebo. I still remember looking at this and the only sounds were the snow falling on my jacket and the Christmas music in the background.

 

 It was like I stepped into a Norman Rockwell painting.  With the complete absence of car traffic and the typical hustle and bustle of everyday life, it was like I stepped out of a time machine.  It felt like I was 12 years old again.  I've walked that street a million times in my life, seen it nearly everyday of my life; I've never seen it more beautiful than that night.  For me, it was truly magical.  That storm will always be very dear to me.

[MacintoshPro]

Snowmageddon I. No question. Measured 25" in N. Arlington, and just watching the rates overnight was maybe one of the best weather events I have experienced. Plus the blizzard right after itl.

[WinterWxLuvr]

Superstorm..........no doubt.

[Heisy]

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.

 

I have an eerily similar story here in Philadelphia, which is why Jan 25 2000 will always have a special place in my heart. The morning of I remember the news saying maybe an inch or so. I was in the infant stages of my weather obsession. That day I stayed home from school I believe. Not sure if it was a weekend or what, either way....My family got tickets to the 76ers Trailblazers game that night. That was in the prime A.I days so a 76ers Blazers game was a hot ticket. The Blazers were also amazing back then....Right before we left for the game I remember Paul Kocin came on the TV and said new data coming in was looking interesting...I could also see the beginning stages of the radar out in the Atlantic making a bee-line for our area. I had that giddy feeling you get before a storm before my family and I left for the game. Pretty sure the 76ers won, on my way home I just had that feeling that something was in the air. When we got inside I rushed to the TV and put the Weather Channel on. I see at the bottom of the screen the epic red bar that said Winter Storm Warning for what I believe was 8-14" of snow. I was in absolute heaven. I laid in bed glued to the weather channel until like 5am when I passed out....I woke up around 7 am to a pure whiteout with 6-8" of snow on the ground. It snowed like that for another hour before we dry slotted. We got some snow on the back end, but finished with like 9-11", nothing "epic", but I'll never forget that storm because of the surprise factor. 

[Heisy]

I've always read about PDI on these forums, but can you guys explain to me what made that storm so epic. I think I read that it was also a surprise storm, which obviously makes sense since it took plce in the late 70s