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What system has dumped the most total snow east of the Rockies?


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If you add up all the totals from the stations from a single system(or two pieces that phased into one) which has dumped the most snow?...the top 5?

I don't mean the most snow dumped at certain locations rather then the cumulative amount at all stations

For example, The March 1993 event was huge for the east but didn't affect the middle of the country.....

On the other hand, This current system is nothing like that but 6-12 inches down in much of the plains, midwest and even deep south, add this onto the east coast totals and you have a ton of total snow dumped.

the sum of (inches * Sqaure miles)

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So you are advocating that somebody go to the effort to compute an index that could be called the USSIS- United States Storm Impact Scale (Not based on population density) (east of 105 west longitude)

Take a look at Kocin and Uccellini "A Snowfall Impact Scale Derived from Northeast Storm Snowfall Distributions" in BAMS in 2004.The authors list the size of the area covered by snow for many storms, in order to show their computation of the NESIS.

If there were a USSIS, I believe the Superstorm '93 would have the largest number because of a large region of 20-30 inches. If the population density of those areas were small, it would still rank the highest.

Other top contenders, regardless of population density, would be March 2-5, 1960, and January 6-8, 1996.

As for storms listed at "Interior" or "Moderate" Northeast snowstorms by Kocin and Uccellini,

- the largest area covered by 4" from an interior or moderate snowstorm was January 7-8, 1988, with 488,500 square miles.

-The largest 10" area from an interior or moderate was January 22-23, 1966 with 145,100 square miles.

-The largest 20" area was March 3-5, 1971 with 23,300 square miles, (Tied with February 14-15, 1960)

Here are some others worthy of consideration, based on my own guesses from snowfall maps. I was impressed by the Christmas 2009 storm snowfall distribution in the Midwest.

My personal favorite was January 1-3, 1999. My personal high snow total for a single storm was October 27-29 2009 in Colorado. This is not listed, as this did not affect many areas east of the Rockies. I personally measured a 29" depth in a somewhat flat area (a minor snowdrift) in 2006 in Colorado.

February 11-14, 1899

January 3-5, 1949

January 11-14 1964

January 10-12, 1975

January 26, 1978

January 13-14, 1979(Chicago)

January 1-3, 1999

December 24-25, 2002

President's Day II in 2003

January 21-23, 2005

February 13-16, 2007

March 6-9, 2008

February 3-8, 2008

December 17-20, 2008

December 6-9 2009

December 23-26, 2009

the Metrodome Blizzard, about a month ago.

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The Nov. 1950 Appalachian gale dumped some amazing totals on inland areas from the southern Apps through the eastern GL, but I don't know the areal extent.

I'd thought the April 1982 storm might be a contender (major event for CHI,NYC,CAR - only storm I know with that trifecta) but it has a relatively modest area of 10"+ compared to other biggies.

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good memory! There was indeed. you thinking of the feb 23-34 storm that year? lots of snow coverage with that storm, I believe, but not sure how large of an area was hit by amounts that were exceptionally high...That was such a complex messy storm for S New England. At one point it looked to be 6-12+ inches of snow but in the end only about 4 inches at my house and also warmer temps and some mixing involved at some point near the end. I think it ended up being more of an interior event.

Wasn't there a huge west to east storm in Feb. of 1994? I kinda remember there was a stream of moisture from California to NY. I could be wrong about the year, but I think it was 1994.

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good memory! There was indeed. you thinking of the feb 23-34 storm that year? lots of snow coverage with that storm, I believe, but not sure how large of an area was hit by amounts that were exceptionally high...That was such a complex messy storm for S New England. At one point it looked to be 6-12+ inches of snow but in the end only about 4 inches at my house and also warmer temps and some mixing involved at some point near the end. I think it ended up being more of an interior event.

Yea that's the one. If I remember correctly, parts of NJ got close to or over 20 inches. There was almost no wind, so it wasn't a blizzard per se, but snow wise it was a big event. Just heavy snow and calm winds for the most part.

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Yea that's the one. If I remember correctly, parts of NJ got close to or over 20 inches. There was almost no wind, so it wasn't a blizzard per se, but snow wise it was a big event. Just heavy snow and calm winds for the most part.

That was the winter where Allentown got the most snow theyve ever had-- I also remember there was a big west to east el nino kind of storm (except further north than a typical el nino storm) during the time of the big Northridge earthquake in Cali

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That was the winter where Allentown got the most snow theyve ever had-- I also remember there was a big west to east el nino kind of storm (except further north than a typical el nino storm) during the time of the big Northridge earthquake in Cali

I remember that day. It was warm enough to wear shorts that morning and snowing by noon, lol. Then around the time of the earthquake it changed to freezing rain. We didn't have school for over a week because it was too cold and they couldn't plow the hill going to the HS. It was a Monday if I remember correctly.

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