New England snowstorm memories.

[The 4 Seasons]

Just now, Hoth said:

I believe that was the storm where I first became aware of Eastern and of weather discussion boards in general. It was a glorious discovery to find that others shared my enthusiasm. The storm itself was fun, although I recall agonizing a bit as that epic deform band stalled just east of my location and pummeled southeast CT. 

i felt exactly the same. it was early morning around 5-7am 

[Ginx snewx]

All the reanalysis you ever wanted

https://weather.us/reanalysis/ecmwf-era5/americas/geopotential-height-500hpa/19970401-0600z.html

[Hoth]

2 hours ago, The 4 Seasons said:

 

Worst storm ever. One of several awful busts that month. No way I got close to 5". More like 2.5 or 3 that washed away while Ray was doing naked cartwheels in 30" of pow. May it live in infamy with Boxing Day.

[Hoth]

Just now, The 4 Seasons said:

i felt exactly the same. it was early morning around 5-7am 

Yup. Back in the days when I would pull all-nighters for big storms. Did the same in Jan '11. 

[The 4 Seasons]

1 minute ago, Hoth said:

Worst storm ever. One of several awful busts that month. No way I got close to 5". More like 2.5 or 3 that washed away while Ray was doing naked cartwheels in 30" of pow. May it live in infamy with Boxing Day.

Def not the worst. 7 days later came an even worse bust. lets all remember.

[Hoth]

Just now, The 4 Seasons said:

Def not the worst. 7 days later came an even worse bust. lets all remember.

Yeah, that one hurt too. Spots due south of us on LI got like two feet. I seem to remember some miffed viewer of Ryan's forecast threatened to sue him for that bust lol. 

[The 4 Seasons]

The 4 monster nor'easters of March 2018. Something ill never forget, just for the fact we had 4, each a week a part. 

[The 4 Seasons]

This was a fun one for the hill towns, envied Norfolk at the time.

[Hoth]

3 minutes ago, The 4 Seasons said:

The 4 monster nor'easters of March 2018. Something ill never forget, just for the fact we had 4, each a week a part. 

Funny, the frustration of the other three was so strong, I don't even remember the event on March 7th. 

[The 4 Seasons]

Just now, Hoth said:

Funny, the frustration of the other three was so strong, I don't even remember the event on March 7th. 

how could you forget rates of 2-4"/hr and epic thundersnow. i remember being outside using the blower and i was looking down and it got so bright so fast, i thought it was flood lights coming on or something then a huge clap, like a summertime thunderstorm. It wasnt just some rumbling in the distant, it was loud af. Probably CG lightning within a mile from me. Then a few more of these before it ended.

[Hoth]

1 minute ago, The 4 Seasons said:

how could you forget rates of 2-4"/hr and epic thundersnow. i remember being outside using the blower and i was looking down and it got so bright so fast, i thought it was flood lights coming on or something then a huge clap, like a summertime thunderstorm. It wasnt just some rumbling in the distant, it was loud af. Probably CG lightning within a mile from me. Then a few more of these before it ended.

Oh that one! I do remember. Had a couple almost instantaneous flash/bangs. Paste job with some power issues too, right? That was a good storm. 

[The 4 Seasons]

6 minutes ago, Hoth said:

Oh that one! I do remember. Had a couple almost instantaneous flash/bangs. Paste job with some power issues too, right? That was a good storm. 

That season was pretty good as a whole, i think i got about 60" which is almost double my avg

17-18 was the season of the Jan "Snow Bomb" that dropped 7-14 statewide. A nice Dec low end warning event. a Feb low end warning event and those march storms. 

And the Jan 30th surprise snow storm.

[Hoth]

Just now, The 4 Seasons said:

That season was pretty good as a whole, i think i got about 60" which is almost double my avg

17-18 was the season of the Jan "Snow Bomb" that dropped 7-14 statewide. A nice Dec low end warning event. a Feb low end warning event and those march storms. 

The January storm was a lot of fun, if only for the exotic intensity of the storm itself. I think that thing bottomed at like 950mb, give or take. Was initially modeled off shore, but kept gradually ticking further and further west up until go time.

[The 4 Seasons]

Just now, Hoth said:

The January storm was a lot of fun, if only for the exotic intensity of the storm itself. I think that thing bottomed at like 950mb, give or take. Was initially modeled off shore, but kept gradually ticking further and further west up until go time.

 

[tamarack]

17 minutes ago, The 4 Seasons said:

That season was pretty good as a whole, i think i got about 60" which is almost double my avg

17-18 was the season of the Jan "Snow Bomb" that dropped 7-14 statewide. A nice Dec low end warning event. a Feb low end warning event and those march storms. 

And the Jan 30th surprise snow storm.

Batted .500 on the March quartet, only a trace (and wind) from#1 and nada from #4, but 36.4" total from 2&3.  We take - made for my 2nd snowiest March here, though 18" behind 2001.  Of course, the might-have-beens were strong; going 4-for-4 might have eclipsed Feb. '69 for snowiest month in the foothills - needed about 30" more.  The 2 March hits, the best 12/25 storm of my experience and the Aroostook cold either side of NYD - all great stuff.  (Less fun was 2 January days in hospital after a serious A-fib event, though things have gone okay since.)

[MegaMike]

I really like your graphics, The 4 Seasons! Are your interpolations done manually? Also, what program/software do you utilize to create your graphics?

Some recommendations/suggestions (in case you erased your inbox):

If you're looking for pre-1993 observations, try getting your data via the Global Historical Climatologist Network (GHCN). You can get snowfall totals (and what not) from 1973-today (for in-situ/surface stations). If you want snowfall totals for specific events, you'll have to sum daily snowfall accumulations for 't' # of days and for 'n' # of stations. Conveniently, the data is quality checked!

Here's the URL: ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ghcn/daily/

Personally, I like working with the yearly ('by_year') .csv files.

Last thing, if you're using crowd sourced data, I'd recommend processing the data through a spatial outlier test. The "Local Anselin Moran's" algorithm can be used to scientifically eliminate suspect/faulty observations. Michael Squires (created the Regional Snowfall Index scale =~ NESIS ) used this method for his research.

Algorithm details: https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/tool-reference/spatial-statistics/h-how-cluster-and-outlier-analysis-anselin-local-m.htm

If you're interested, I wrote script for Moran's algorithm utilizing Python.

[The 4 Seasons]

7 hours ago, MegaMike said:

I really like your graphics, The 4 Seasons! Are your interpolations done manually? Also, what program/software do you utilize to create your graphics?

Some recommendations/suggestions (in case you erased your inbox):

If you're looking for pre-1993 observations, try getting your data via the Global Historical Climatologist Network (GHCN). You can get snowfall totals (and what not) from 1973-today (for in-situ/surface stations). If you want snowfall totals for specific events, you'll have to sum daily snowfall accumulations for 't' # of days and for 'n' # of stations. Conveniently, the data is quality checked!

Here's the URL: ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ghcn/daily/

Personally, I like working with the yearly ('by_year') .csv files.

Last thing, if you're using crowd sourced data, I'd recommend processing the data through a spatial outlier test. The "Local Anselin Moran's" algorithm can be used to scientifically eliminate suspect/faulty observations. Michael Squires (created the Regional Snowfall Index scale =~ NESIS ) used this method for his research.

Algorithm details: https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/tool-reference/spatial-statistics/h-how-cluster-and-outlier-analysis-anselin-local-m.htm

If you're interested, I wrote script for Moran's algorithm utilizing Python.

Thank you for the kind words. I am going to answer your questions one by one.

I do all maps manually. I use local PNS statements from the 3 FOs that cover CT. I go through them by hand, trying my best to discount ones that have times when i know it was still snowing (accumulating snow) in that location, ones that seem off or ones that are from the DOT. I also use reports from AMWX and CoCoRaHs. As well as other sources if possible, local media/news.

I use Adobe Photoshop to do all my maps. I found a base image of CT online and created a template for forecast maps and totals maps. I had no idea how to use Photoshop when i first got into it in 2014 but i learned on my own through trial and error and watching youtube tutorial videos. It is NOT an easy program to work with it at all. It's not what you would call user-friendly or intuitive. PS definitely takes some time to get down the basics but over the years i feel i've become pretty good with it.

I'm not looking to create any pre 1993 maps, so i'm good on that thanks. The only map i've ever considering doing was 1888. Your post got me thinking so i just went ahead and did it. Posted below ...

[The 4 Seasons]

Feb 13: Greatest blizzard ever, take that CT!

Mar 1888: Hold my snow.

 

Data is very sparse on this. I tried searching the internet but the only thing that comes up with numbers is the K/U map that i also have in his book. The towns are not even listed so i just went by what that map looked like and put the numbers in the general area where they look to be. The ranges are pretty similar to the KU map except i did 15-30 instead of 10-20 and 20-30 ranges, simply because there was nothing under 15". Max for CT is 45" in New Haven i believe. Albany put up a 55 spot. 

[RUNNAWAYICEBERG]

So angry I missed Feb 13, still, and everytime I think of busted big events...i begin to hate snowstorm tracking. 

[tamarack]

8 hours ago, The 4 Seasons said:

Feb 13: Greatest blizzard ever, take that CT!

Mar 1888: Hold my snow.

 

Data is very sparse on this. I tried searching the internet but the only thing that comes up with numbers is the K/U map that i also have in his book. The towns are not even listed so i just went by what that map looked like and put the numbers in the general area where they look to be. The ranges are pretty similar to the KU map except i did 15-30 instead of 10-20 and 20-30 ranges, simply because there was nothing under 15". Max for CT is 45" in New Haven i believe. Albany put up a 55 spot. 

I think that 55 was across the river in Troy though ALB must have been similar, and Saratoga was in the same general range.  Hudson and lower CT River valleys took the brunt.  IMO, that storm's combo of snow, wind and cold is unmatched in records for the Northeast.  Have you seen "Blizzard! The great storm of '88" by Judd Caplovich?  Lots of info, maps drawn by Kocin, scads of old pics.  Only Maine data I've found is for Gardiner, 6 miles south of Augusta, which recorded 8": of paste on a day with a low of 32 - they were too far east for the good stuff.  ASH isn't all that far away and they got about 30".

[The 4 Seasons]

1 hour ago, WxWatcher007 said:

I was living in DC at the time and decided to chase the low as it was going nuclear in Ocean City, MD. One of the best decisions I’ve made. 
 

 

Thanks for the map. I could go for another one of those lol. I think the Big Four for CT are the following: 

1. Great Blizzard of 1888 

2. Blizzard of 1978

3. October Storm of 2011

4. Great Blizzard of 2013

I’d put 2011 over ‘13 because of the extraordinary damage wrought. It was a true natural disaster IMO. 

I will consider doing 2011 and 2013 but probably not 78. I would also like to do Jan 11th 2011 when we got 30" of snow.

If you guys like the maps or find some interest/use in them, i'll keep doing them for past events.

 

[Hoth]

2 hours ago, WxWatcher007 said:

I was living in DC at the time and decided to chase the low as it was going nuclear in Ocean City, MD. One of the best decisions I’ve made. 
 

 

Thanks for the map. I could go for another one of those lol. I think the Big Four for CT are the following: 

1. Great Blizzard of 1888

2. Blizzard of 1978

3. October Storm of 2011

4. Great Blizzard of 2013

I’d put 2011 over ‘13 because of the extraordinary damage wrought. It was a true natural disaster IMO. 

Awesome footage. And I believe the week before the blizzard was one of the coldest in NE history, too.

[The 4 Seasons]

As per request, a fan favorite. Feb 7-8th 2013 blizzard.

 

 

[Ginx snewx]

Jan 11 would be great. 

[The 4 Seasons]

which one? Jan 11th 2011? That was the big one for CT. 26th-27th was smaller.

9 minutes ago, Ginx snewx said:

Jan 11 would be great. 

 

[Ginx snewx]

6 hours ago, The 4 Seasons said:

which one? Jan 11th 2011? That was the big one for CT. 26th-27th was smaller.

 

Big dog

[Hoth]

9 minutes ago, Ginx snewx said:

Big dog

I stayed up all night for that one. Still remember watching the radar in NJ explode and knowing we were gonna get smoked. We caught the edge of the dry slot for an hour and still picked up 27". Great, great storm.

 

[CoastalWx]

 

 

 

Here is the thread I had about previous storms. 

[Hoth]

Since we're getting to the bitter end of the '10s, it seems fitting to reflect upon what has been a great decade for NE winter storm lovers. No reversion to the mean this decade. Strictly from an IMBY perspective (Hamden, CT/Boston, MA), the '10s have crowded my greatest hits list. We had the two greatest months of winter of my life to date: Feb '15 and Jan '11. If one includes the dying week of Jan in with Feb '15, it was the greatest winter period I'll ever experience: bitter cold, ferocious storms of all stripes (Manitoba Maulers, mid-level magic, SWFE on roids, super long duration), seemingly endless light ocean effect and 90" give or take that ground the Boston area to a virtual halt. Jan '11 was likewise very special, and had Boxing Day '10 not been a fiasco in southern CT, could have been up there with '15. But let's not quibble, for that month featured my first true NORLUN, a fluffy 9", followed hard upon by the 27" of the great Blizzard of '11, topped off by 15" of epic rates and thundersnow on the 27th. 2011 marked my first experience with roof rakes, ice dams, frozen pipes and a blown out furnace. Anyway, here's a tabulation of the best events I remember. The decade was so productive on the whole, there may well be events that have fallen through the cracks.

Boxing Day '10. A disappointment in the accumulation department, but the miraculous turnaround in the modeling on Christmas Day (including the NWS' initial rejection of some of the data) makes this one memorable. The wind was ferocious.

Jan '11 NORLUN. Worked its way through southern CT and dumped as much as 15" in a few hillier towns. If memory serves, a 9" fluff job in Hamden.

Jan '11 Blizzard. 27" in roughly 13 hours. North Haven put up a 30 spot, Berkshires and southern VT destroyed with 40".

Jan 27, 2011. A two part hit with a few inches of light wet snow in the morning, followed by a blitzkrieg at night. 4-5"/hr rates, thunder, 15". Capped off a great month.

October '11: Dud in Cambridge, but obviously warrants inclusion for sheer exotic rarity and disastrous impact in much of SNE.

March '12: Not a storm, but an epic epic torch, which was welcome after the horror show that was that winter. I recall the trees budding over Paul Revere's grave and choosing to walk home a few days in caressing 70s and low 80s. Girls in summer dresses on the Common.

Feb '13: Epic in its own right, perhaps made more so for the catharsis it brought after a wretched, tortured '12 and early '13 season. Scott melted hard in the lead up (a good contra indicator) and Kevin initially tossed the Euro's blizzard depiction hard and far. Perhaps the only time I have ever received a 2 foot snow storm, but felt gipped because back home pulled a 40 spot of man snow. 

March '13. The Fire hose storm. Wild system, which gave me fits professionally. I was tasked with giving an investor day presentation atop 60 State as the snow was dumping all around, and it was mightily distracting. Who, I ask you, can cogently conduct business while a long Atlantic fetch of moisture dumps gorgeous parachutes outside the floor to ceiling windows at 2"/hr? It was one of those late season storms where the difference between downtown and the suburbs was striking. Maybe 8-10" of slush downtown, tack on another 5" at home across the Charles, and 30" in the Blue Hills. RI with an epic screwgy. 

Winter of '14. I know there were some great events in here, including several blizz warnings, but dates and amounts elude me for whatever reason. At any rate, I recall snow storms with near zero temps and a great December. 

Jan '15 Manitoba Mauler. Another cathartic event as many here, self included, were preparing to cheer for the futility record. Ushered in most epic winter period of my life, as already tabulated above. 30" amounts widespread across eastern CT, RI, MA, NH. 

'15 Superbowl SWFE. Pats win and another foot plus in the bag. What more needs to be said?

'15 long duration storm. Felt like it snowed for days, tacked on another 2 feet. Scott pulled close to 3 with the ocean enhancement.

'15 mid-level magic. Models struggled, Ginx and Clinch were all over it. Epic rates, magical fluff and thunder pushed me to a lifetime record depth (see pic)

'16 Generally a dud winter, but we did manage to catch the northern fringe of the epic Mid-Atlantic blizzard. 8" or so. Still basking in the afterglow of '15, so wasn't much bothered by the crap season. VT struggled mightily.

'17. Back in CT. Awesome quick hitter in Jan (?) to the tune of 14 or 15", Miller A in March that had a lot of promise but got too tucked and wound up flipping after a quick 9" or so. Epic hit for the Albany region.

'18. Jan "super-bomb". One of the coldest weeks in NE history preceded this beast of a nor'easter. It was a beginning to occlude by the time we felt its effects, but it was still a solid foot+ locally, with some areas over 20. Bottomed out around 950mb. 

March '18. 4 impressive nor'easters, two horrible busts IMBY and one paste bomb with fantastic thundersnow (thanks to 4 Seasons for reminding me). If only we'd had seasonable thermals for the first event (apologies to Ray)

'19. A generally abysmal season, but bookended by a few nice events. Mid Novie traffic nightmare storm and the quick hitting foot in March. Damaging ice storm in January worth throwing in the mix too. Think there was a great squall somewhere in there. Had more inches of rain than snow at the end of February.

December '19. No go for the early December interior HECS, squeezed out a few inches here and there. Had a fun squall and a solid ice event with close to .5 accretion. Likely quiet through Christmas, but may get active again as we enter the '20s. 

All in all, I grade this decade an A. Below, a pic from Hampshire St in Cambridge the morning of ML Magic '15. The second, morning after Feb '13 at my parents' in Hamden. 

[CoastalWx]

Wait a minute..lol. I melted? I don't think I melted prior to Feb 13.