NYC/NNJ/CNJ/LI "MARCH" & "SPRING" Snowfall Data (1869-2018)

[donsutherland1]

On 4/2/2018 at 11:27 PM, ncforecaster89 said:

Don, Uncle, CP, or any others:

Was/am planning on gathering a list of top 10 "Spring" events and "April" storms for both Newark and Islip.  Before I do so, wanted to ask if anyone has already done this research?  If so, please consider posting it here, in the thread.  TIA

Sorry that I didn’t see this until now. I will check what I have this afternoon.

[doncat]

2 hours ago, uncle W said:

NYC recorded 0.8" before it changed to rain...I went to work that morning in snow...when I got there it already changed to rain...I lost the video of 1t...

Yeah I have down 0.5" for that 83 storm... long time ago.

[donsutherland1]

Largest April Snowfalls:

Islip:
1. 16.0", April 6, 1982
2. 8.5", April 9-10, 1996
3. 4.6", April 2, 2018
4. 3.0", April 7, 1990
5. 2.5", April 6-7, 1971
6. 2.0", April 1, 1997
7. 1.1", April 19-20, 1983 and April 8, 1996
9. 1.0", April 2, 1965
10. 0.2", April 16, 2014 and April 3, 2016

New York City:
1. 10.2", April 3-4, 1915
2. 10.0", April 13-14, 1875
3. 9.6", April 6, 1982
8.5", April 1, 1924
5. 6.5", April 8-9, 1917 and April 5, 1944
7. 6.4", April 6-7, 1938
8. 5.5", April 2, 2018
9. 5.0", April 9, 1907
10. 4.2", April 8, 1956

Newark:
1. 15.8", April 3, 1915
2. 12.8", April 6, 1982
3. 12.0", April 1, 1924
4. 7.0", April 8-9, 1916
5. 5.5", April 7, 1896
6. 5.2", April 6-7, 1938
7. 5.0", April 2, 2018
8. 4.5", April 9, 1907
9. 4.4", April 7, 2003
10. 4.1", April 19, 1983

 

[uncle W]

5 hours ago, gravitylover said:

My wife and I were talking about a big storm in April 1979 on the south shore of LI that we both remember having time off from school for. Does anyone have the details on that one?

I don't remember a storm in 1979 but there was a period of sleet one day in April 79 in southern Brooklyn...

[donsutherland1]

11 minutes ago, uncle W said:

I don't remember a storm in 1979 but there was a period of sleet one day in April 79 in southern Brooklyn...

I am wondering if he meant 1982.

[uncle W]

4 hours ago, doncat said:

Yeah I have down 0.5" for that 83 storm... long time ago.

I was 34 and single 35 years ago...since then I got married...had two kids and now a grandfather...that's scary...

[LIWeatherGuy29]

1 hour ago, donsutherland1 said:

I am wondering if he meant 1982.

Maybe he means the Presidents Day Snowstorm of 1979?

[gravitylover]

2 hours ago, uncle W said:

I don't remember a storm in 1979 but there was a period of sleet one day in April 79 in southern Brooklyn...

 

1 hour ago, donsutherland1 said:

I am wondering if he meant 1982.

No we both remember it as April 79. It is 35-40 years ago so it's possible we're both wrong

[donsutherland1]

21 minutes ago, gravitylover said:

 

No we both remember it as April 79. It is 35-40 years ago so it's possible we're both wrong

Perhaps it was a very localized event? Islip only recorded a trace of snow in April 1979, as did JFK.

[ncforecaster89]

7 hours ago, donsutherland1 said:

Largest April Snowfalls:

Islip:
1. 16.0", April 6, 1982
2. 8.5", April 9-10, 1996
3. 4.6", April 2, 2018
4. 3.0", April 7, 1990
5. 2.5", April 6-7, 1971
6. 2.0", April 1, 1997
7. 1.1", April 19-20, 1983 and April 8, 1996
9. 1.0", April 2, 1965
10. 0.2", April 16, 2014 and April 3, 2016

New York City:
1. 10.2", April 3-4, 1915
2. 10.0", April 13-14, 1875
3. 9.6", April 6, 1982
8.5", April 1, 1924
5. 6.5", April 8-9, 1917 and April 5, 1944
7. 6.4", April 6-7, 1938
8. 5.5", April 2, 2018
9. 5.0", April 9, 1907
10. 4.2", April 8, 1956

Newark:
1. 15.8", April 3, 1915
2. 12.8", April 6, 1982
3. 12.0", April 1, 1924
4. 7.0", April 8-9, 1916
5. 5.5", April 7, 1896
6. 5.2", April 6-7, 1938
7. 5.0", April 2, 2018
8. 4.5", April 9, 1907
9. 4.4", April 7, 2003
10. 4.1", April 19, 1983

 

Awesome!  Thanks, Don!! I can only find snowfall data back to 1931 for Newark.  May I ask where you were able to get it further back? 

[donsutherland1]

22 minutes ago, ncforecaster89 said:

Awesome!  Thanks, Don!! I can only find snowfall data back to 1931 for Newark.  May I ask where you were able to get it further back? 

You can get the earlier data here: http://climod2.nrcc.cornell.edu/

Search for "Newark, NJ" and then select "Newark" at the top of the station list. That contains records that go back to 1893.

 

[ncforecaster89]

5 minutes ago, donsutherland1 said:

You can get the earlier data here: http://climod2.nrcc.cornell.edu/

Search for "Newark, NJ" and then select "Newark" at the top of the list. That contains records that go back to 1893.

 

Thanks so much!  Saw you posted the top 10 April snow storms for Baltimore in another thread from the 5th, onward.   Can you please post the top 10 for that city for the entire month, in the mid-atlantic climatilogical thread, if not too much trouble?  

[donsutherland1]

35 minutes ago, ncforecaster89 said:

Thanks so much!  Saw you posted the top 10 April snow storms for Baltimore in another thread from the 5th, onward.   Can you please post the top 10 for that city for the entire month, if not too much trouble?  

It's not a problem, as I have the list:

Biggest April Snowstorms:

Baltimore:
1. 9.4", April 1, 1924
2. 5.0", April 10-11, 1894 and April 8-9, 1916
4. 4.5", April 3, 1915
5. 0.7", April 9, 1985
6. 0.4", April 13, 1957, April 12, 1959, and April 1, 1964
9. 0.3", April 7-8, 1972
10. 0.2", April 9, 2000 and April 7, 2007

Washington, DC:
1. 5.5", April 1, 1924
2. 4.0", April 6, 1889
3. 3.5", April 3, 1915
4. 3.0", April 11-12, 1918
5. 2.0", April 11, 1894
6. 1.8", April 8-9, 1916
7. 1.5", April 9, 1917
8. 1.0", April 1-2, 1887
9. 0.8", April 6-7, 1907
10. 0.6", April 9, 1907 and April 7, 1972

[CPcantmeasuresnow]

Here's a difficult one I've been contemplating but I would need daily records to do it that I don't have.

So far NYC has received 13.9 inches of snow this spring, 8.4 inches on March 21 the first day of spring and 5.5 on April 2nd. Where does NYC rank right now as far as snowiest Springs of all time. I would think as of right now they would be in the Top 10 but I'm not sure.

Don, Uncle, NC, Bluewave? Does anyone have that list. The other difficulty here of course is knowing what day each year 20th, 21st or 22nd was the first day of spring each year. Would love to see that top 10 list if anyone has it.

[Paragon]

19 hours ago, bluewave said:

I believe that was the latest 15" max snowfall event around the region.

https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/20/nyregion/spring-snowstorm-disrupts-schools-and-traffic.html

Apr 20, 1983 ... WAYNE, N.J., April 19 - Drifts of snow, chilling sleet and heavy rain hit northern New Jersey today, dumping 15 inches of snow at Budd Lake in Morris County and 10 inches in Hackettstown in Warren County. Six inches of snow fell at Gladstone in Somerset County and four inches in Newton in Sussex ...

Any records from NE PA (Mt Pocono region), Chris?  That was 2 years before we got our house in NE PA and I'm curious to see how well that region did in both the April 1982 blizzard and the April 1983 event.  I actually have maps of the Feb 1983 blizzard and it looks like they got 2 ft of snow there in that one because it's just one county north of Allentown which had a local jackpot of 26" (it was their biggest snowstorm before the Jan 2016 blizzard got them nearly 3 ft of snow.)

 

[Paragon]

13 hours ago, donsutherland1 said:

Largest April Snowfalls:

Islip:
1. 16.0", April 6, 1982
2. 8.5", April 9-10, 1996
3. 4.6", April 2, 2018
4. 3.0", April 7, 1990
5. 2.5", April 6-7, 1971
6. 2.0", April 1, 1997
7. 1.1", April 19-20, 1983 and April 8, 1996
9. 1.0", April 2, 1965
10. 0.2", April 16, 2014 and April 3, 2016

New York City:
1. 10.2", April 3-4, 1915
2. 10.0", April 13-14, 1875
3. 9.6", April 6, 1982
8.5", April 1, 1924
5. 6.5", April 8-9, 1917 and April 5, 1944
7. 6.4", April 6-7, 1938
8. 5.5", April 2, 2018
9. 5.0", April 9, 1907
10. 4.2", April 8, 1956

Newark:
1. 15.8", April 3, 1915
2. 12.8", April 6, 1982
3. 12.0", April 1, 1924
4. 7.0", April 8-9, 1916
5. 5.5", April 7, 1896
6. 5.2", April 6-7, 1938
7. 5.0", April 2, 2018
8. 4.5", April 9, 1907
9. 4.4", April 7, 2003
10. 4.1", April 19, 1983

 

Thanks so much, Don, do you have these lists for JFK and LGA too?

 

I just noticed that Islip had accumulating snowfall of 1" or more on three straight days in April 1996, wow!

 

[Paragon]

19 hours ago, CPcantmeasuresnow said:

With one or maybe two more threats still viable this month I'd like to at least get in the top 4 for April.

Top 10 Snowiest Aprils NYC
1....1875....13.5
2....1915....10.2
3....1982......9.6
4....1924......8.5
5.....1917.....6.5
6.....1944.....6.5
7.....1938.....6.4
8.....1907.....5.8
9....2018....5.5
10....1887....5.0

I'd like to get into double digits for April, that would be historic.

[donsutherland1]

4 hours ago, Paragon said:

Thanks so much, Don, do you have these lists for JFK and LGA too?

 

I just noticed that Islip had accumulating snowfall of 1" or more on three straight days in April 1996, wow!

 

They are as follows:

JFK:
1. 8.0”, April 6, 1982
2. 5.4”, April 7, 2003
3. 4.0”, April 9-10, 1996
4. 3.7”, April 2, 2018
5. 3.2”, April 6, 1971
6. 1.5”, April 19, 1983, April 1, 1997, and April 9, 2000
9. 1.4”, April 2, 1965
10. 1.0”, April 5, 2006

LGA:
1. 8.2”, April 6, 1982
2. 6.4”, April 8, 1956
3. 5.6”, April 7, 2003
4. 5.5”, April 2, 2018
5. 5.4”, April 4, 1957
6. 3.8”, April 5, 1944
7. 1.3”, April 12, 1959 and April 9, 2000
9. 1.2”, April 12-13, 1940
10. 1.0”, April 6, 1971

 

[bluewave]

10 hours ago, CPcantmeasuresnow said:

Here's a difficult one I've been contemplating but I would need daily records to do it that I don't have.

So far NYC has received 13.9 inches of snow this spring, 8.4 inches on March 21 the first day of spring and 5.5 on April 2nd. Where does NYC rank right now as far as snowiest Springs of all time. I would think as of right now they would be in the Top 10 but I'm not sure.

Don, Uncle, NC, Bluewave? Does anyone have that list. The other difficulty here of course is knowing what day each year 20th, 21st or 22nd was the first day of spring each year. Would love to see that top 10 list if anyone has it.

I used March 20th and later.

NYC

#1....14.5....1875

#2....13.9....2018....so far

EWR

#1...14.8....1958

#2...13.8....1982

#3...13.3....2018...so far

LGA

#1...15.1...2018...so far

#2...10.6...1958

JFK

#1...12.4...2018...so far

#2.....8.6...1967

ISP

#1...23.0...2018...so far

#2...19.0...1967

 

 

 

[Paragon]

3 hours ago, donsutherland1 said:

They are as follows:

JFK:
1. 8.0”, April 6, 1982
2. 5.4”, April 7, 2003
3. 4.0”, April 9-10, 1996
4. 3.7”, April 2, 2018
5. 3.2”, April 6, 1971
6. 1.5”, April 19, 1983, April 1, 1997, and April 9, 2000
9. 1.4”, April 2, 1965
10. 1.0”, April 5, 2006

LGA:
1. 8.2”, April 6, 1982
2. 6.4”, April 8, 1956
3. 5.6”, April 7, 2003
4. 5.5”, April 2, 2018
5. 5.4”, April 4, 1957
6. 3.8”, April 5, 1944
7. 1.3”, April 12, 1959 and April 9, 2000
9. 1.2”, April 12-13, 1940
10. 1.0”, April 6, 1971

 

It's interesting how that 1990 storm isn't on either list, it was memorable in that we were in the mid to upper 80s in mid March and then got 1-2 inches of snow in April lol.

[Paragon]

1 hour ago, bluewave said:

I used March 20th and later.

NYC

#1....14.5....1875

#2....13.9....2018....so far

EWR

#1...14.8....1958

#2...13.8....1982

#3...13.3....2018...so far

LGA

#1...15.1...2018...so far

#2...10.6...1958

JFK

#1...12.4...2018...so far

#2.....8.6...1967

ISP

#1...23.0...2018...so far

#2...19.0...1967

 

 

 

Wow, everyone else is already there, and NYC and EWR are all within 1-1.5 inches of having their snowiest springs!

 

 

[donsutherland1]

18 hours ago, Paragon said:

It's interesting how that 1990 storm isn't on either list, it was memorable in that we were in the mid to upper 80s in mid March and then got 1-2 inches of snow in April lol.

Accumulations from that storm were: JFK: 0.5" and LGA: 0.9"

[tamarack]

On ‎4‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 8:17 AM, bluewave said:

I believe that was the latest 15" max snowfall event around the region.

https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/20/nyregion/spring-snowstorm-disrupts-schools-and-traffic.html

Apr 20, 1983 ... WAYNE, N.J., April 19 - Drifts of snow, chilling sleet and heavy rain hit northern New Jersey today, dumping 15 inches of snow at Budd Lake in Morris County and 10 inches in Hackettstown in Warren County. Six inches of snow fell at Gladstone in Somerset County and four inches in Newton in Sussex ...

Was visiting a friend who then lived in Ogdensburg, Sussex County NJ, and measured 11" in her back yard.  That storm was unusual in that it brought accumulating snow through the middle of the day.  (So did the one a year earlier, of course, but I'd use "unique" for that one rather than "unusual.)  1983 was 3rd biggest I've experienced in NJ.  1st is 13", while visiting the same friend who then lived at about 1,200' in Blairstown, Warren County.  Cold rain switched to snow late on 4/22 and by the time it stopped mid-morn on the 23rd there was 13".  We wondered if the snow haters would ever let us back into the state.  2nd biggest, and the only double-digit April snow while I lived in-state, was 12" on 4/8/56, in Kinnelon, northern Morris County, the "sticky snow" that bent/broke a significant portion of smaller trees that had survived the Jan. 1953 ice storm.

The 3/20-21/58 storm has some odd numbers for NYC/EWR - I think the NYC data looks closer to the truth.

              NYC             EWR
3/20  0.90"  4.7"     1.75"  9.5"
3/21  0.71"  7.1"     0.49"  5.3"
The two sites are barely more than 10 miles apart, so it's not believable that EWR's snowfall came sufficiently earlier than at NYC to cause the discrepancies.  More like the folks at EWR forgot (while trying to keep the AP open) and took their measurement several hours after midnight but recorded it as the 20th.
That storm dumped 24" of paste at our place and 28" was recorded at Oak Ridge, 9 miles to the west.  That reservoir site undoubtedly did one-a-day measuring - 6-hour sweeps of 30-32° snow might've yielded over 30".

[uncle W]

9 hours ago, tamarack said:

Was visiting a friend who then lived in Ogdensburg, Sussex County NJ, and measured 11" in her back yard.  That storm was unusual in that it brought accumulating snow through the middle of the day.  (So did the one a year earlier, of course, but I'd use "unique" for that one rather than "unusual.)  1983 was 3rd biggest I've experienced in NJ.  1st is 13", while visiting the same friend who then lived at about 1,200' in Blairstown, Warren County.  Cold rain switched to snow late on 4/22 and by the time it stopped mid-morn on the 23rd there was 13".  We wondered if the snow haters would ever let us back into the state.  2nd biggest, and the only double-digit April snow while I lived in-state, was 12" on 4/8/56, in Kinnelon, northern Morris County, the "sticky snow" that bent/broke a significant portion of smaller trees that had survived the Jan. 1953 ice storm.

The 3/20-21/58 storm has some odd numbers for NYC/EWR - I think the NYC data looks closer to the truth.

              NYC             EWR
3/20  0.90"  4.7"     1.75"  9.5"
3/21  0.71"  7.1"     0.49"  5.3"
The two sites are barely more than 10 miles apart, so it's not believable that EWR's snowfall came sufficiently earlier than at NYC to cause the discrepancies.  More like the folks at EWR forgot (while trying to keep the AP open) and took their measurement several hours after midnight but recorded it as the 20th.
That storm dumped 24" of paste at our place and 28" was recorded at Oak Ridge, 9 miles to the west.  That reservoir site undoubtedly did one-a-day measuring - 6-hour sweeps of 30-32° snow might've yielded over 30".

I have Battery Park, Bensonhurst Brooklyn, and Westerleigh Staten Island...

day.....The Battery.....Brooklyn.....Staten Island

19th...0.13...trace.....0.10...trace....0.25.....0.5

20th...1.34....2.3......1.34.....3.0......1.57.....7.5....

21st....0.45....4.5......0.55.....5.2......0.33.....3.5

total,,,,1.92....6.8...,..1.99.....8.2......2.15...11.5

[uncle W]

On 4/5/2018 at 11:59 AM, Paragon said:

It's interesting how that 1990 storm isn't on either list, it was memorable in that we were in the mid to upper 80s in mid March and then got 1-2 inches of snow in April lol.

I have a video of that one...

 

[tamarack]

10 hours ago, uncle W said:

I have Battery Park, Bensonhurst Brooklyn, and Westerleigh Staten Island...

day.....The Battery.....Brooklyn.....Staten Island

19th...0.13...trace.....0.10...trace....0.25.....0.5

20th...1.34....2.3......1.34.....3.0......1.57.....7.5....

21st....0.45....4.5......0.55.....5.2......0.33.....3.5

total,,,,1.92....6.8...,..1.99.....8.2......2.15...11.5

If those numbers (and NYC/EWR), and measurement times, are all correct, then all I can think of is an intense but slow moving band gradually shifting to the NE just before/after midnight.

Unc - Do you know where I could get Battery data back into the 19th century?  The UCC site had only 1948-60 last time I looked there; have not tried Climod recently.

[uncle W]

47 minutes ago, tamarack said:

If those numbers (and NYC/EWR), and measurement times, are all correct, then all I can think of is an intense but slow moving band gradually shifting to the NE just before/after midnight.

Unc - Do you know where I could get Battery data back into the 19th century?  The UCC site had only 1948-60 last time I looked there; have not tried Climod recently.

it goes back to 1920 from this site...

https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/IPS/lcd/lcd.html?_page=1&state=NY&stationID=94706&_target2=Next+>

[NorthShoreWx]

April 7, 1990 in West Babylon:

 

[Paragon]

On 4/5/2018 at 12:03 PM, Paragon said:

Wow, everyone else is already there, and NYC and EWR are all within 1-1.5 inches of having their snowiest springs!

 

 

Well looks like that's where we will stay although there are some some serious questions about the totals from the two spring storms at NYC (as well as other storms this season).  In reality, all of us probably did have the snowiest spring on record.

[NorthShoreWx]

Entering this little snippet into the record in case I haven't already done so: