Northeast Ice Storm

Losses, 2024 dollars

$2.7 billion

Losses at the time

$1.4 billion

Deaths

16

The losses and deaths are NCEI’s, counting everything the disaster did. The episodes below are only what the Weather Service filed in its Storm Events record, which counts damage differently and often not at all, so the two never add up and are shown apart.

• Winter Storm in California, January 3 to 4, 19981 event12 hour snow fall at ski areas: Alpine Meadows 10-14 inches, Northstar at Tahoe 12 inches, Kirkwood 15-24 inches, and Heavenly Valley 12-18 inches.
• Winter Storm in California, January 3 to 4, 19988 eventsA Pacific winter storm brought more than 2 feet of snow to higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada. Snow fell as low as 1500 feet in the Sierra Nevada and Shasta-Cascades Ranges. Winds in higher elevations created zero-visibility conditions.
• Blizzard in Alaska, January 4, 19981 eventBlizzard Conditions were experienced for one hour at Prudhoe Bay, otherwise Barter Island experienced the heaviest weather.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, January 4, 199829 eventsA strong cold front moved south across Michigan's Lower Peninsula during the early morning hours of Sunday, January 4th.
• Winter Storm in California, January 3 to 4, 19981 event12 hour snow fall: Tahoe City (near South Lake Tahoe) 10 inches.
• Winter Storm in California, January 3 to 4, 19981 event12 hour snow fall: Westwood (Lassen county) 10-12 inches, Portola (Plumas county) 9-10 inches and Sattley (Plumas county) 14 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Washington, January 3 to 4, 19981 eventAround 5 inches of snow fell in the Hoodsport area overnight. The next morning Bellingham got 3 inches of new snow.
• Ice Storm in Texas, January 4, 19986 eventsA disturbance in the upper atmosphere over the Texas South Plains moving slowly northeast and a moist flow at the surface behind a cold front combined to produce light to moderate freezing rain across the northern and northeastern Texas Panhandle during the morning hours.
• Ice Storm in Oklahoma, January 4, 19982 eventsA disturbance in the upper atmosphere over the South Plains of Texas moving slowly northeast and a moist flow at the surface behind a cold front combined to produce light to moderate freezing rain across the central and eastern Oklahoma Panhandle.
• Winter Storm in California, January 3 to 4, 19981 event12 hour snow fall: Yuba Pass (Plumas county on Hwy 49) 12 inches.
• Winter Storm in Oregon, January 4, 19981 death · 1 injured · 1 eventA 49 year old man was killed around 4 pm Sunday near Shaniko. The car he was driving was hit by a pickup that lost control on the the icy road. The man's 10 year old daughter was taken to a hospital with facial injuries. The driver of the pickup was not injured.
• Ice Storm in Kansas, January 4, 19981 death · 2 injured · $40,000 · 19 eventsA mixture of sleet and freezing rain, accompanied by scattered thunderstorms produced rapid accumulations of ice. The heaviest precipitation fell as sleet with local accumulations of 1 to 2 inches.
• Ice Storm in Oklahoma, January 4, 19987 eventsFreezing rain fell across portions of northwest and north-central Oklahoma, leaving accumulations of ice up to 1/2 inch on trees and power lines. Widespread tree damage, including large branches that were snapped from trees, occured over much of northern Oklahoma.
• Ice Storm in Missouri, January 4, 199828 eventsAn icy rain fell during the morning hours of January 4th resulting in an eighth to a quarter inch of ice accumulation and slippery roadways.
• Ice Storm in Kansas, January 4, 19987 eventsAn icy rain on the morning of January 4th resulted in about an eighth of an inch of ice build up and slippery roads. Several non-injury traffic mishaps were reported as well as several minor injuries resulting from pedestrians falling on icy walkways.
• Ice Storm in Iowa, January 4, 1998$1.0 million · 51 eventsIowa was caught in the battle zone between very warm and moist air to the southeast and shallow Arctic air to the north. An Arctic cold front slipped south across the state the previous day.
• Heavy Snow in Arizona, January 4, 19981 eventHeavy snow fell over the highest elevations in northern Arizona. The San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff received 10-14 inches of snow accumulation above 8000 feet.
• Winter Storm in California, January 4 to 5, 19981 event24 hour snow fall: Squaw Valley Ski Are 12-24 inches between 7000 feet and 9000 feet elevation.
• Heavy Snow in Nevada, January 4 to 5, 19981 eventA localized heavy snow storm dropped heavy snow over the Toiyabe Mountains of southern Lander county. A 24 hour snowfall total of 7 inches was reported at Austin.
• Ice Storm in Iowa, January 4, 19981 injured · $20,000 · 8 eventsA glaze of ice 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch thick coated northeast Iowa, causing slick roads and numerous accidents. Only minor injuries were reported and since winds were light, only a few power outages occurred due to falling tree limbs.
• Ice Storm in Wisconsin, January 4 to 5, 199814 injured · $67,000 · 12 eventsIce accumulations of 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch resulted in numerous accidents, but no serious injuries were reported. Only localized power outages occurred since light winds accompanied the storm.
• Ice Storm in Minnesota, January 4 to 5, 199812 eventsFreezing rain produced ice accumulations ranging from one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch. Numerous car accidents were reported, one of which resulted in a fatality near Fairmont in Martin County.
• Ice Storm in Minnesota, January 4, 19981 injured · $32,000 · 7 eventsWidespread ice accumulations of 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch caused several accidents. However, no serious injuries were reported and only a few power outages occurred.
• Ice Storm in Wisconsin, January 4 to 5, 19983 eventsAn ice storm hit westcentral through northeast Wisconsin, just brushing three southcentral counties. The responsible low pressure tracked along a line from Dubuque, IA northeast through Fond du Lac county.
• Winter Storm in Michigan, January 4 to 5, 19982 eventsA mix of snow...sleet and freezing rain developed across Eastern Upper Michigan to the north of a low and warm front lifting into the lower Great Lakes region. Ice accumulations ranged from 1/4-1/2 inch in many areas while sleet accumulated up to 1 inch deep.
• Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Wisconsin, January 4 to 5, 199813 eventsNearly 12 hours of freezing rain and drizzle coated streets and sidewalks across central and northeast Wisconsin. Even though ice accumulations were near one-half inch in the hardest hit areas, little damage was reported, probably due to light winds.
• Ice Storm in Wisconsin, January 4 to 5, 19987 eventsFreezing rain produced ice accumulations ranging from one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch. Numerous car accidents were reported, and some roads were closed for a time.
• Winter Weather in Vermont, January 4 to 6, 1998$150,000 · 3 eventsA cold front moved south out of Canada Sunday (January 4) and Monday (January 5). This front resulted in a low level flow of cold air across northern Vermont.
• Winter Weather in New York, January 4 to 6, 1998$125,000 · 3 eventsA cold front moved south out of Canada Sunday (January 4) and Monday (January 5). This front resulted in a low level flow of cold air across extreme northern New York.
• Ice Storm in Michigan, January 4 to 5, 19984 eventsA band of freezing rain affecting south central and eastern Upper Michigan left a half inch layer of ice on most objects and the ground. The ice cause minor power outages near Menominee.
• Ice Storm in Wisconsin, January 4 to 5, 19982 eventsUp to a half inch of ice was deposited by freezing rain. No accidents or power outages were reported, although travel was very hazardous.
• Winter Storm in Utah, January 4 to 5, 19986 injured · $30,000 · 19 eventsA strong pacific coast trough moved through the state. Gusty northwest-north winds 40-50 mph developed behind the cold front. The highest reported gust was in American Fork at 50 mph (43 kts).
• Heavy Snow in Oregon, January 4 to 5, 19981 eventEleven inches of new snow were reported at Mt. Hood Meadows and nearby Bennett Pass.
• Ice Storm and Heavy Snow in Maine, January 5 to 10, 19981 death · $311 million · 29 eventsA severe ICE STORM hit sections of central and southern Maine from January 5 through January 9.
• Heavy Snow in Colorado, January 5 to 6, 19987 eventsA Pacific trough produced widespread snow throughout western Colorado. Heavy snow was concentrated in some central and southern mountain areas where storm totals generally ranged from 6 to 12 inches.
• Heavy Snow and Cold in Washington, January 5 to 23, 19981 death · 7 injured · $100,000 · 12 events8.5 inches new snow at Cashmere
• Heavy Snow in Colorado, January 5 to 6, 19988 eventsA storm system moved across Colorado on the 5th and 6th, bringing snow to the southern mountains. Four to 10 inches of snow fell in the eastern San Juan Mountains. Wolf Creek Pass picked up around 8 inches, with the Creede area in Mineral county logging around 4 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Minnesota, January 5, 19986 eventsSnowfall amounts of 6 to 7 inches fell over northwest Minnesota.
• Heavy Snow in Montana, January 5 to 6, 19981 eventTen inches of snow was reported at the summit of Big Mountain Ski Resort, with 6 inches at the base.
• Winter Storm in Colorado, January 5 to 6, 19984 eventsHeavy snow blanketed portions of the North Central Mountains and Front Range Foothills.
• Ice Storm in Kansas, January 6 to 7, 1998$45,000 · 1 event
• Cold in Alaska, January 6, 19981 eventStrong High pressure built over the eastern Interior of Alaska causing windy conditions along the Tanana River with little change in an already cold airmass. Wind chill values ranged from 70 to near 80 below at Delta Junction.
• Heavy Snow in Montana, January 6, 19981 eventTwelve inches of new snow was reported at Lookout Pass Ski Area.
• Heavy Snow in Oregon, January 6 to 7, 19981 eventNew snow accumulations of 10 inches at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, 9 inches at Santiam Pass, and 8 inches at Mt. Hood Meadows were reported.
• Heavy Snow in California, January 6, 19983 eventsFour to eight inches of snow fell above 2500 feet.
• Ice Storm in New York, January 6 to 9, 19981 death · $11 million · 5 eventsA storm system moved from the Tennessee Valley on Wednesday (January 7) and Thursday (January 8) into New England thereafter.
• Ice Storm in Vermont, January 6 to 9, 19981 injured · $5.8 million · 4 eventsA storm system moved from the Tennessee Valley on Wednesday (January 7) and Thursday (January 8) into New England thereafter.
• Ice Storm in Vermont, January 6 to 9, 1998$480,000 · 6 eventsA storm system moved from the Tennessee Valley on Wednesday (January 7) and Thursday (January 8) into New England thereafter.
• Winter Weather in New York, January 6 to 9, 1998$240,000 · 3 eventsA storm system moved from the Tennessee Valley on Wednesday (January 7) and Thursday (January 8) into New England thereafter.
• Winter Weather in Vermont, January 6 to 9, 1998$50,000 · 2 eventsA storm system moved from the Tennessee Valley on Wednesday (January 7) and Thursday (January 8) into New England thereafter.
• Heavy Snow in Montana, January 7 to 9, 19983 eventsHeavy snow was reported at ski areas, 9 inches at Big Mountain in Flathead County, and 10 inches at Discovery Area in Granite County.
• Ice Storm in New Hampshire, January 7 to 9, 19981 injured · $27 million · 10 eventsA severe ICE STORM hit sections of New Hampshire from January 7 through January 9. The hardest hit areas in northern and central New Hampshire were generally between about 1000 and 2000 ft above sea level.
• Ice Storm in New Hampshire, January 7 to 10, 1998$1.0 million · 2 eventsMAJOR ICE STORM...AND PRESIDENTIAL DISASTER DECLARATION. A large low pressure system located in the Tennessee Valley, with its warm front extending northeast to Long Island, New York, set the stage for a prolonged period of freezing rain in northern New England.
• Winter Storm in Michigan, January 7 to 8, 199824 eventsA winter storm which tracked from the Gulf coast of Louisiana north across the Ohio River Valley region, then north across Michigan's Lower Peninsula, produced a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the mentioned counties.
• Ice Storm in Michigan, January 7 to 8, 19983 eventsLow pressure moved from Mississippi on the afternoon of the 7th, to Ohio by the evening of the 8th. This low spread a mixture of freezing rain, sleet and snow across parts of southeast lower Michigan including the Flint, Saginaw and Thumb regions.
• Heavy Snow and Cold in Idaho, January 7 to 14, 1998$50,000 · 4 events12 inches new snow in Kellogg...8 inches new snow in Wallace and Silverton...6 inches new snow in Osburn
• Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, January 7 to 8, 19987 eventsRain changed to snow across the eastern half of Oklahoma late the night of the 7th and ended during the morning of the 8th. The heaviest snow fell in a band from Vinita to Okmulgee to Madill.
• Heavy Snow in Idaho, January 7 to 8, 19981 eventDuring the night of January 7th, heavy snow fell over Shoshone County in the Idaho Panhandle. Six inches was reported at Osburn, 8 inches at Wallace and Silverton, with 12 inches at Silver Mountain Resort. Numerous traffic accidents occurred on area roads.
• Ice Storm in New York, January 8, 1998$12 million · 2 eventsA devastating ice storm paralyzed Jefferson and parts of Lewis counties. The freezing rain accumulated ice of an inch to an inch and a half thick. The ice coated trees, power lines, and poles and sent them crashing to the ground.
• Winter Storm in Oklahoma, January 8, 199818 eventsA winter storm on the morning of Jan. 8 dropped a band of 1 to 3 inches of snow accumulation across parts of eastcentral and southeast Oklahoma. Heavier accumulations of up to 6 inches occurred in parts of northeast Oklahoma between Okemah and Tulsa.
• Heavy Snow in Montana, January 8, 19981 eventArea of heavy snow western Glacier County with East glacier 14 in and St Mary 9 in
• Heavy Snow in Illinois, January 8, 199813 eventsRain across Central Illinois quickly changed over to snow northwest of a line from Springfield to Bloomington during the early morning hours. Heavy snow amounts occurred across these areas before ending by early evening.
• Heavy Snow in Illinois, January 8, 19989 eventsA band of heavy snow began falling over northwest Illinois the morning of the 8th. By that evening, a band of 4 to 8 inches of snow had fallen over much of north central Illinois and the extreme northeast corner of Illinois.
• Winter Storm in Michigan, January 8, 199823 eventsLow pressure tracking across the lower Great Lakes region spread an area of snow into Northern Lower Michigan during the morning of the 8th. The snow became locally heavy at times during the afternoon ...occasionally falling at the rate of 1-2 inches per hour.
• Winter Storm in Missouri, January 8, 19988 eventsA fast moving storm system dropped between 2 to 5 inches of snow across parts of Northeast and East Central Missouri. The heaviest snow fell just northwest of the St. Louis Metro area, mainly across Montgomery, Lincoln, Warren and Pike counties.
• Winter Storm in Illinois, January 8, 19986 eventsA fast moving storm system dropped from 2 to 5 inches of snow across parts of West Central and Southwest Illinois. Since temperatures hovered around the freezing mark, most roads became slushy around midday but remained passable. Most area schools and businesses remained open.
• Winter Storm in Illinois, January 8, 199813 eventsA winter storm over Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois produced widespread snow across the area. Accumulations were mainly in the 2 to 4 inch range, however a swath of heavier snow fell across Bureau, Henry and Putnam counties with amounts ranging from 6 to 11 inches .
• Winter Storm in Iowa, January 8, 19987 eventsA winter storm over Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois produced widespread snow across the area. Accumulations were mainly in the 2 to 4 inch range, however a swath of heavier snow with amounts of 6 to 11 inches fell across West Central Illinois.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, January 8 to 9, 199815 eventsThe first heavy snowfall of the season for many locations in northeast Wisconsin occurred on January 8-9. Six to nine inches of snow was reported, with the heaviest totals falling in Florence and northern Marinette counties.
• Cold in Alaska, January 8 to 9, 19981 eventCold temperatures over the Upper Yukon Valley combined with 20 to 25 mph winds produced wind chills of 70 to 80 below zero at Eagle. Conditions were also possible over stretches of the Yukon River farther downstream, but did not include Fort Yukon.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, January 8 to 9, 199812 eventsA major winter storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds to 40 mph to the eastern 1/3 of Wisconsin. The responsible low pressure moved north along the east shore of Lake Michigan.
• Heavy Snow in South Dakota, January 8 to 9, 19981 eventLocalized heavy snow fell in the higher elevations of the Southern Black Hills, just north of Custer. The maximum snowfall was 9 inches at Crazy Horse Memorial.
• Heavy Snow in Michigan, January 8 to 9, 19983 eventsA band of heavy snow moved north through central Upper Michigan starting during the evening of the 8th and continuing through noon on the 9th. The axis of heaviest snow extended through Iron Mountain and Marquette.
• Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, January 8 to 9, 19984 eventsHeavy snow fell across Wisconsin's Lake Superior snow belt. Some heavier amounts were 12.4 inches 6 miles north of Bayfield and 8 inches at Saxon and the Mouth of the Brule. The rest of the Bayfield peninsula received around 6 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Minnesota, January 8 to 9, 19982 eventsHeavy snow fell along Minnesota's north shore, with 6 inches reported at Two Harbors and the Gunflint trail.
• Ice Storm in Massachusetts, January 9, 1998$20,000 · 2 eventsSpotty areas of freezing rain fell in parts of northern Worcester County and extreme northwest Middlesex County. In a few places. there was severe icing. The icing was confined to specific elevations.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, January 9 to 10, 19982 eventsA disturbance aloft moved north over the western Lower Yukon Valley and eastern Seward Peninsula, producing 6 inches of snow at Kaltag (Zone 8) and Koyuk (Zone 6).
• Cold in Nebraska, January 9, 199812 eventsExtreme wind chills of 35 to 45 below zero were experienced over the area.
• Winter Weather in California, January 9 to 10, 199817 eventsA Pacific storm brought rain and snow to Central and Southern California. Rainfall totals were generally one to two inches...with up to four inches in the mountains. Minor urban and small stream flooding was reported.
• Heavy Snow in Arizona, January 9 to 10, 19984 eventsHeavy snow hit the higher elevations of northern and central Arizona during a storm that spanned two days. Snow accumulations by zone include: Kaibab Plateau........................ 12 in. in 24 hours Western Mogollon Rim............. 10 in.
• Heavy Snow in Michigan, January 9 to 11, 19983 eventsCold west winds blowing across the relatively warm waters of Lake Superior brought a weekend of heavy lake-effect snow to northwest Upper Michigan. The snow began during the evening of the 9 th and continued until the afternoon of the 11th.
• Heavy Snow in California, January 9 to 10, 19981 eventJanuary began a very wet time for the Central California area with January having 16 days of measureable precipitation at Fresno, CA. The subsequent month of February continued with 13 of the first 16 days having precipitation and resulted in widespread flooding problems.
• Heavy Snow in Idaho, January 9 to 11, 19986 eventsA moist pacific storm system swept over central and southern Idaho, beginning over the western zones on the night of January 9th and reaching the eastern zones on the 10th. Heavy snow was reported from numerous mountain locations.
• Winter Storm in Colorado, January 10 to 12, 19983 eventsA persistent west to northwest flow of moist air produced heavy snow in some northern and central mountain areas of western Colorado. Snowfall ranged from 8 to 13 inches below the 8000 foot level and 10 to 20 inches at higher elevations.
• Blizzard in Alaska, January 10, 19981 eventA disturbance aloft brough a period of fresh snow and increased winds, resulting in near blizzard condition at Point Lay - AWOS winds were between 25 and 30 kts and visibilities were 1/4 mile at times.
• Winter Storm in Wyoming, January 10 to 11, 19989 eventsWinter Storm northwestern part of state over two days, with the heaviest snow falling Saturday afternoon through Sunday.
• Heavy Snow in Utah, January 10 to 11, 1998$5,000 · 9 eventsThis was snow in the moist southwest flow out ahead of an approaching broad pacific trough. The highest snow totals during this time were Snowbird 14" (mountains) and 3" in Parowan and Spanish Fork (valleys).
• Winter Weather in Nebraska, January 10, 1998$12,000 · 1 eventA 1987 Chevy Blazer rolled upside down off of County Road R, west of County Road 13. The driver told police that she lost control in the snow. The driver was not injured but her vehicle sustained $12,000 in damage.
• Heavy Snow in Oregon, January 10 to 11, 19984 injured · 7 eventsA winter storm dumped from 4 inches to 19 inches of snow over central, north central, and northeast Oregon. The snowfall caused area schools to close for up to three days or open late.
• Heavy Snow in Washington, January 10 to 11, 19987 eventsUp to 15 inches of snow fell along the east slopes of the Cascades. Up to six inches fell in the Yakima Valley with only a few traffic problems reported. The lower Columbia basin received up to 3 inches of snow.
• Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Oregon, January 10 to 29, 19982 deaths · $1.6 million · 10 eventsA series of storms accompanied by very cold arctic air from Alaska and Canada brought widespread snow and then freezing rain to Southwest Washington and Northern Oregon from Saturday afternoon, January 10, through Wednesday afternoon, January 14.
• Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Washington, January 10 to 14, 1998$250,000 · 4 eventsThe area of Southwest Washington and western Columbia River Gorge experienced the same storm as described in the narrative for Oregon zones 001-004 and 006-009. See that narrative for details.
• Winter Storm in California, January 10 to 11, 19981 event24 hour snow fall: Sugar Bowl Ski Area 16-18 inches.

Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 1998Tornadoes in 1998

NOAA NCEI, U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025), https://doi.org/10.25921/stkw-7w73, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.