Rating the Winter of 2014-2015

[Deck Pic]

Great stuff.  This winter was not extremely overall cold but it did have an extreme 3 week period. I would think it would not be outside of the top 5 for ground truth and impact cold wise.

 

yes...I think when you combine snow and cold it comes in around 10th imo.  Being that we love both.  For me going back 50 years, there are 9 winters (below) I would take in a split second over this one.  77-78 and 81-82 are tougher choices.  I'd have to think about those.  

 

65-66

66-67

78-79

82-83

86-87

95-96

02-03

09-10

13-14

[DDweatherman]

Yeah mapgirl had a meh winter, I got more snow in Dundalk.

[WinterWxLuvr]

If you make the winter rating the mean of its monthly ratings......

 

Dec - 0  (tempted to give this a negative rating)

Jan - 7  (and that is being generous)

Feb - 10  (great month)

 

I'll round up and even give a 1 point bonus based off yesterday and today.

 

Avg - 7  

If you made the winter rating the mean...........................you would have a 5.67

[NinjaWarrior2]

Yeah mapgirl had a meh winter, I got more snow in Dundalk.

You probably have the most out of anyone in Baltimore/Harford County (maybe except for Hampstead around MD 88). I don't get all the low rankings for this winter. Seems like everyone is satisfied with not getting snow. I can deal with rain, but not 33-34 and Heavy Rain at night where we all say, "if this was January/February". Not worth tracking unless we line it up perfect and get a dump at night with a progressive storm/Clipper or get a 985mb Miller A with 1045mb High overhead also mainly at night.

[EastCoast NPZ]

If you made the winter rating the mean...........................you would have a 5.67

 

I rounded up (to 6) and gave it a 1 point bonus for Mar. 5-6.  The 3 week period just ended makes it better than a 5.67.

[WEATHER53]

yes...I think when you combine snow and cold it comes in around 10th imo.  Being that we love both.  For me going back 50 years, there are 9 winters (below) I would take in a split second over this one.  77-78 and 81-82 are tougher choices.  I'd have to think about those.  

 

65-66

66-67

78-79

82-83

86-87

95-96

02-03

09-10

13-14

82-83 had the one big snow but was otherwise not much, 81-82 had some cold very comparable to this year, 76-77 not much snow but probably the grandaddy of a cold winter/month+. Do your top 5 "coldies"

[Ian]

More snow and less cold would have been preferable. 

[mappy]

Yeah mapgirl had a meh winter, I got more snow in Dundalk.

 

lots of people got more snow than me. so, congrats?

[Harv_poor]

82-83 had the one big snow but was otherwise not much, 81-82 had some cold very comparable to this year, 76-77 not much snow but probably the grandaddy of a cold winter/month+. Do your top 5 "coldies"

Did 82-83 have much other snow? I thought the FRiday of the big  snow storm was the only day that winter that DCA had a high temparture of less than 32?

[WxUSAF]

lots of people got more snow than me. so, congrats?

I don't think anyone got substantially more than you though, right?  Did anyone outside of jonjon get 40"+?  I imagine your map is going to look fairly uniform north of the fall line with the 30-40" range.  I think last year had much more of a gradient across the region.  

[WinterWxLuvr]

I don't think anyone got substantially more than you though, right? Did anyone outside of jonjon get 40"+? I imagine your map is going to look fairly uniform north of the fall line with the 30-40" range. I think last year had much more of a gradient across the region.

I almost wish she would have a map contour of 10-50" just to piss off some of the owners of the more dubious totals.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

I think this winter had some very unusual aspects that others may have already touched on at some point.  The biggest thing is that this year defied everything in terms of unfavorable indices (well, except for the -EPO/+PNA that was persistent), yet we managed good snows in the end.  In that regard, it's kind of similar to last year, though I believe the AO/NAO was even more hostile this season.  Here's 3 examples of "how in the hell did this winter do that?", off the top of my head:

 

Feb. 21:  Very cold air mass in place, single digits and teens, with southwest moist flow at the surface and mid-levels.  We get hours of snow and many areas get several inches before the surface/mid-levels warmed enough for ice and then some light rain near the end.  In an ordinary set-up, we'd probably get an hour of snow/sleet and then nothing but rain.

 

Mar. 1:  A pretty significant ice storm.  At the beginning of March.  And much of it during the daylight hours!

 

Mar. 5:  Despite a +AO/NAO and the fact we were relying on moisture behind a strong Arctic front with a trailing wave, we in fact scored a solid moderate snow event area-wide.  It just worked out perfectly.  Oh, and it remained below freezing the following day despite mostly clear skies.

[WVclimo]

yes...I think when you combine snow and cold it comes in around 10th imo.  Being that we love both.  For me going back 50 years, there are 9 winters (below) I would take in a split second over this one.  77-78 and 81-82 are tougher choices.  I'd have to think about those.  

 

65-66

66-67

78-79

82-83

86-87

95-96

02-03

09-10

13-14

I would give the nod to 77-78 over this winter. I could be biased, since that was a 60"+ winter where I was, in Cumberland. But I think after '76-77, it's tied for the second-coldest winter of the past 50 years, with 02-03.

'1981-82 and '77-78 were both snowier out this way.

[WEATHER53]

Did 82-83 have much other snow? I thought the FRiday of the big  snow storm was the only day that winter that DCA had a high temparture of less than 32?

No. That one big snow which was huge but otherwise little snow and mild.

[WEATHER53]

I think this winter had some very unusual aspects that others may have already touched on at some point.  The biggest thing is that this year defied everything in terms of unfavorable indices (well, except for the -EPO/+PNA that was persistent), yet we managed good snows in the end.  In that regard, it's kind of similar to last year, though I believe the AO/NAO was even more hostile this season.  Here's 3 examples of "how in the hell did this winter do that?", off the top of my head:

 

Feb. 21:  Very cold air mass in place, single digits and teens, with southwest moist flow at the surface and mid-levels.  We get hours of snow and many areas get several inches before the surface/mid-levels warmed enough for ice and then some light rain near the end.  In an ordinary set-up, we'd probably get an hour of snow/sleet and then nothing but rain.

 

Mar. 1:  A pretty significant ice storm.  At the beginning of March.  And much of it during the daylight hours!

 

Mar. 5:  Despite a +AO/NAO and the fact we were relying on moisture behind a strong Arctic front with a trailing wave, we in fact scored a solid moderate snow event area-wide.  It just worked out perfectly.  Oh, and it remained below freezing the following day despite mostly clear skies.

I loved my forecasting on 2/21. Just stuck with the historic arctic high idea and it delivered. 30-60 minutes is what we would 98% of the time get.  A lot of index standards did not fall in line this winter.  We're all still learning.

[DDweatherman]

You probably have the most out of anyone in Baltimore/Harford County (maybe except for Hampstead around MD 88). I don't get all the low rankings for this winter. Seems like everyone is satisfied with not getting snow. I can deal with rain, but not 33-34 and Heavy Rain at night where we all say, "if this was January/February". Not worth tracking unless we line it up perfect and get a dump at night with a progressive storm/Clipper or get a 985mb Miller A with 1045mb High overhead also mainly at night.

The interesting thing here is that usually if I measure more than a local spotter who reports from dundalk, I'll lower my total or average our two. I've found that there have been minutia differences when measuring in different spots around town over the years. Dundalk isn't supposed to be a snow town by any means. Regardless my reports would be more reliable than the Baltimore city pimlico numbers which I have questioned in the past. Watch it be nw baltimore Wx though iirc he's in pikesville.

To me even for those who doubt my number its simple.

1/6: 3.0

1/21: 3.1

2/14: 2.5

2/17: 5.0

2/21: 9.0

2/26: 1.9

3/1: 1.0

3/5: 7.0

That there alone is a total of 32.5 and there are nickel and dimers like 11/26's .5 and 1/23's flakeage, 2/18 mini squall, let's not forget 1/26.

[Deck Pic]

Did 82-83 have much other snow? I thought the FRiday of the big  snow storm was the only day that winter that DCA had a high temparture of less than 32?

 

There were only 2 highs below freezing and only 3 snow events.  To me, the HECS makes it all worth it...I'd trade this winter in a second for a 20" event that cripples the city.  But that's just me

 

 

I don't think anyone got substantially more than you though, right?  Did anyone outside of jonjon get 40"+?  I imagine your map is going to look fairly uniform north of the fall line with the 30-40" range.  I think last year had much more of a gradient across the region.  

 

The Carroll County Complainers all cracked 40"...

[Harv_poor]

There were only 2 highs below freezing and only 3 snow events.  To me, the HECS makes it all worth it...I'd trade this winter in a second for a 20" event that cripples the city.  But that's just me

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting. Based on my personal circumstances (where I was living, how long until plows came, kids, ice damming, etc.), since I moved to N. Va in late 79, I would rate that storm behind the two late Jan storms in 87, and the storms of 93, 94 (ice storm followed by deep freeze), 96, 2003, Feb 2007 snow/sleet and 2009-10. To stay on topic, 14-15 would be behind all those winters I listed and probably tied with 13-14 and 81-82.

[EastCoast NPZ]

Good thing today's absolute FAILURE happened outside the bounds of winter, else I'd be lowering my 7 rating.  I so wish everything had ended on Mar 5 leaving me with a good feeling about winter.

[MN Transplant]

7/10

Positives:

Good stretch of snowcover

Impressive cold in Feb

22" of snow, above median

Negatives:

Most of the winter was a dud.

Relative low snow totals in area (22" vs 20-21" average) vs others with + climo

 

Have to add a negative.  At no point during the entire winter did I record more than 6" of snow on the ground.  One benefit of the big storms is that nice, deep blanket of snow.  Didn't happen this time around.

[mattie g]

Have to add a negative. At no point during the entire winter did I record more than 6" of snow on the ground. One benefit of the big storms is that nice, deep blanket of snow. Didn't happen this time around.

Same here. That, plus I recorded less than many places in the District. That's sad. Really sad.

[das]

Have to add a negative.  At no point during the entire winter did I record more than 6" of snow on the ground.  One benefit of the big storms is that nice, deep blanket of snow.  Didn't happen this time around.

 

I'm a big weenie on microclimate stuff, find it really interesting.  What a difference a few miles (and elevation) makes.  I had days and days of 6+" snowcover up here.  

[MN Transplant]

I'm a big weenie on microclimate stuff, find it really interesting.  What a difference a few miles (and elevation) makes.  I had days and days of 6+" snowcover up here.  

 

Yeah, you are going to do better based on location and elevation almost regardless.  However, storm track played a big role this year.  I'm at 460', so plenty of elevation for being relatively close to 95/fall line but places just north of the Beltway in MD with similar or less elevation did far better than Mattie and I.  It was just persistent.  This is the first year where I would have had that complaint (different situation than "missing out" on Feb 10, 2010). 

[Huffwx]

There were only 2 highs below freezing and only 3 snow events.  To me, the HECS makes it all worth it...I'd trade this winter in a second for a 20" event that cripples the city.  But that's just me

 

 

 

The Carroll County Complainers all cracked 40"...

 

 

The Dec 82 storm was nice ..it was a surprise storm for back then.. I remember mixed snow and rain Saturday AM and my Dad telling me a storm was going to miss just to the east early Sunday. He woke me up 3 am or so with decent snow falling saying they had upgrade to 2-4 inches, and a 4-8 upgrade was likely. We managed 5-6 where I was near ILG. 

 

The storm the Sunday before Feb 83 MEGA event--- Interesting in that it changed to rain where I was in DE, and that was not forecasted. We had 3-6 and 6-10 on the table-- with 6-10 being AM forecast, downgraded at noon, upgraded to 6-10 with evening forecast and remember hearing sleet as i went to sleep around 10 PM-- woke up to a slushy mess. I think places just north of Philly got near double digits.

 

I had 18 from the big event, 4 the sunday before and 5 in december-- 27 inches. Great winter. Cold is fun, but snow is what matters to me. 

[Deck Pic]

The Dec 82 storm was nice ..it was a surprise storm for back then.. I remember mixed snow and rain Saturday AM and my Dad telling me a storm was going to miss just to the east early Sunday. He woke me up 3 am or so with decent snow falling saying they had upgrade to 2-4 inches, and a 4-8 upgrade was likely. We managed 5-6 where I was near ILG. 

 

The storm the Sunday before Feb 83 MEGA event--- Interesting in that it changed to rain where I was in DE, and that was not forecasted. We had 3-6 and 6-10 on the table-- with 6-10 being AM forecast, downgraded at noon, upgraded to 6-10 with evening forecast and remember hearing sleet as i went to sleep around 10 PM-- woke up to a slushy mess. I think places just north of Philly got near double digits.

 

I had 18 from the big event, 4 the sunday before and 5 in december-- 27 inches. Great winter. Cold is fun, but snow is what matters to me. 

 

That was the famous snowplow game