WINTER OF 2014-15 IN PICTURES - SE MICHIGAN

[michsnowfreak]

This is my annual pictoral recap for SE MIs winter that has just  past. I have actually done one every year on the weather boards since 2007, and even though we have a seperate picture thread...of course I figured Id do my chronological recap . The winter was another harsh winter, and probably would have felt even more severe had not the memory of last years historic winter been fresh in everyones minds. But this winter was more severe for the brutal cold 2nd half. For the outdoor winter enthusiast, it was another winter full of plenty of outdoor snow and ice play. For the photographer, it was a very scenic, picturesque winter with the tundra-like landscape. But for the weather enthusiast, it was mostly a boring winter with lots of nickel and dime snows, though it did feature the long-awaited massive snowstorm. This storm completes Detroits snow record bonanza the last decade. Record monthly snowfall, seasonal snowfall, snow depth, number of 6"+ storms, just about every snow record you could think of has been broken or smashed at Detroit, we just couldnt get that big snowstorm (they always seemed to stop in the 10-12" range).

 

Last years pictoral recap: http://www.americanw...es-se-michigan/

 

OCTOBER 2014 - T

The seasons first snowflakes fell on Halloween Night as rain mixed with snow

 

NOVEMBER 2014 - 4.1"

The middle of November saw an unexpected rush into mid-winter. The ground was covered in snow for a solid week (16th-22nd) along with January-like temps & a record low on the 18th. It was the 13th coldest November on record.

 

 

11-13-14...the first measurable snow of the season comes from lake squalls, dropping 0.1"

 

11-17-14...A 1.2" snowfall made for unique scenes with the late-dropping bradford pears still in full color

 

11-19-14...a 2.2" snowfall, largest of the month, was pure mid-winter powder

 

11-20-14...cold wintry early morning

 

11-21-14...frigid but bright November day

 

11-22-14...slippery morning as freezing rain glazed everything

 

DECEMBER 2014 - 0.1"

The month was a disaster. Typical gray skies, but very little precip. Temps were mild, not outrageously so, but it was more Novembery than November was! Only a few trace amounts of snow fell until a New Years Eve dusting.

 

12-31-14...the light dusting was the only snow that stuck all of December

 

JANUARY 2015 - 14.5"

Winter settled in. After Decembers hiatus, the dominate pattern of the last 2 years returned with below normal temps. Snowfall was a little above normal, but the month saw no big storms, just many light snowfalls. The largest snowfall of the month was 3.6". The ground was covered in snow all month with the exception of the first 3.5 days.

 

1-4-15...An 0.8" snowfall was the start of what would be continuous snowcover through mid-March

 

1-6-15...classic winter scene as just under 2" of powder-sugar-type snow lay on the ground

 

[michsnowfreak]

1-9-15...Fast-moving clipper dropped 3.4" of wind-driven snow, with drifting continuing through the day

 

1-12-15...Another snowfall, 2.4", has brought the snow depth up to 6". Slow and steady is the motto this Jan.

 

1-13-15...bitter cold day, just before sunset

 

 

1-14-15...0.4" of fluff overnight left for lots of sparkles

 

1-16-15...gray winter day

 

1-21-15...a quick 3.6" snowfall would end up being the largest single fall of Jan & 2nd largest of the season

 

 

 

1-29-15...some fresh snow to end the day

[michsnowfreak]

FEBRUARY 2015 - 26.8"

Brutal winter month. Started with Detroits largest February & 3rd largest all-time snowstorm, dropping 16.5" here & 16.7" at DTW. The month then continued on with lighter snowfalls and record cold. Six record low temp records were set the 2nd half of the month, and a 2nd consecutive February had double-digit snow depth from start to finish, something never seen on record prior to 2014.

 

2-1-15...Snowstorm slams metro-Detroit all day, especially heavy during afternoon. Storm drops 16.5"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2-2-15...digging out of 16.5" powder snowstorm, largest single storm of my lifetime

 

 

[michsnowfreak]

2-2-15 cont...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2-4-15...A 2.4" snowfall kept the deep snowpack very fresh

 

2-5-15...frigid February sunset

 

[michsnowfreak]

2-9-15...another sunset

 

2-10-15...stretch of winter sunsets this Feb

 

2-14-15...a 3.4" snowfall was followed by howling winds, lots of blowing snow, and record low temps

 

 

 

2-21-15...1.3" of sugar snow fell, very tiny flakes

 

 

2-22-15...another night of below-zero cold

 

2-23-15...bitterly cold but clear day

 

[michsnowfreak]

2-23-15 bitterly cold but bright

 

2-26-15...0.8" of snow fell, and brightened up the snowpack to make a nice contrast to the gray sky

 

2-28-15...fitting that the coldest Feb in 140 years ends with another record low

 

 

MARCH 2015 - 3.0"

March was a very dry, boring month weather-wise, all measurable snow confined to the first 3 days. However the sights following the snow & ice storm on the 3rd were amazing, surreal, gorgeous, you name it. It was yet another colder than normal month, and a record low was set on the 5th.

 

3-1-15...Another grinder of sugar snow, 1.1" freshening up the deep snowpack

 

 

 

3-3-15...a heavy burst of snow quickly dropped 1.9", then turned to a glazing freezing rain

 

 

3-4-15...glassy wonderland

[michsnowfreak]

3-5-15...another record low, and the glassy snowpack seemed to get even shinier in the arctic air

 

 

 

 

3-6-15...more glassy scenes

 

 

 

 

3-9-15...snow is slowly but steadily melting

 

3-11-15...snowmelt continues, and would be complete a few days later.

 

No snow has fallen in April, and the forecast doesn't call for any. So if it changes, this thread will be updated, if not that should wrap up the winter of 2014-15.

 

Since 2002 imby...

2014-15: 48.5" - 74 days w/ 1"+ snowcover

2013-14: 96.2" - 95 days w/ 1"+ snowcover

2012-13: 47.9" - 52 days w/ 1"+ snowcover

2011-12: 25.5" - 20 days w/ 1"+ snowcover
2010-11: 69.4" - 81 days w/ 1"+ snowcover
2009-10: 46.1" - 58 days w/ 1"+ snowcover
2008-09: 64.8" - 62 days w/ 1"+ snowcover
2007-08: 78.2" - 69 days w/ 1"+ snowcover
2006-07: 36.3" - 49 days w/ 1"+ snowcover
2005-06: 41.9" - 46 days w/ 1"+ snowcover
2004-05: 80.7" - 65 days w/ 1"+ snowcover
2003-04: 38.0" - 60 days w/ 1"+ snowcover
2002-03: 69.0" - 67 days w/ 1"+ snowcover

[donsutherland1]

Wonderful series of photos.

[Isotherm]

Great collection of photos. I look forward to your recap every year. Truly awesome stretch of winters we've been getting in the Lakes and Northeast. Hopefully it continues.

[michsnowfreak]

Thanks guys. I am a sort of amateur nature photographer, so I always like to recap the winter in the end and match it with the stats. For others to see, but also for myself because I take so many pics lol.

 

And I agree...let these winters continue! Its to the point anymore than reverting to what used to be "normal" would be a disappointment.

 

Whats interesting is that the winter of 2014-15 was far less stormy than most winters of the past decade locally (it did have Detroits biggest snowstorm since 1974, but that was the only heavy storm). But what we lacked in storminess we far made up for it in cold, leaving an unusually long-lasting deep snowpack (not nearly as extreme as winter 2013-14 but far more extreme than usual) and a landscape that often resembled the tundra. For a winter-lover like me who is more about WINTER than specific storms, it was pure heaven, and if this is mother natures idea of giving us an "off year", then Ill take it and let us revert back to our 20-30"+ above normal seasons in '15-16 . This winter was only 5" above normal.

 

We all know how difficult it is to get the hardcore, dillusional old-timers to quit with the fictional "when I was a kid winters were..." stories, well last year I heard the old folks saying they never saw snow like that before, and this year theyve never seen cold last like this before. That speaks as loudly as any actual weather stat

 

One more pic...I took this on the way to work Feb 20th. This was in a rural area just south of DTW airport. Rural, but still inside a non-mountainous major metropolitan area

 

[Voyager]

Not a fan of winter, but these are simply stunning...nice photos!

[michsnowfreak]

Thanks! I find winter and fall are my favorite seasons to photograph.

[Quakertown needs snow]

good stuff.

 

i miss the days when this forum was non stop photos

[michsnowfreak]

good stuff.

 

i miss the days when this forum was non stop photos

 Thanks. I take a ton of pics in all season, but Fall and winter are my favorite. Living in a place with 4 distinct seasons and a hobby for nature photography means I have stumbled upon some great shots at times (some friends and family insist I should sell some of the pics lol). And I can vouch that we have a few excellent photographers in the Lakes subforum that could pass as professional, and Im sure all the other subforums do as well. If I had to guess, I would say that the reason this forum doesn't get as much action is because people for whatever reason stick to their subforum. But its a shame because pics get lost in threads much more quickly than when in this subforum.

 

Maybe I will start doing a thread for every season, kind of like the cloud thread.

[bowtie`]

..., kind of like the cloud thread.

Yea, who is that person and what do they think they are doing.    

[icebreaker5221]

Went through the gallery one-by-one.  Great pics, and nice thorough commentary! 

[michsnowfreak]

Went through the gallery one-by-one.  Great pics, and nice thorough commentary! 

Thanks! Its been a tradition of mine on the weather boards since 2007. The photography section isnt as big as it used to be (especially since the forum has been broken up into regions) but i do the summary every year, for my own collection as well as whoever else wants to enjoy them.