The snowstorm of April 9 to 13, 1997

The Regional Snowfall Index is NOAA’s ranking of snowstorms east of the Rockies by how much snow fell, over how wide an area and on how many people, region by region: the area and the population above four snowfall thresholds set for each region, weighted against that region’s own history. A storm is scored in each region it reached, on a scale from 1, notable, to 5, extreme.

Events

388

Deaths

8

Injuries

11

Damage

$62 million

Episodes

50

Every winter weather episode the Weather Service filed east of the Rockies in these dates. A few may belong to another system on the same days. Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

• Cold in Pennsylvania, April 9 to 11, 1997$25 million · 10 eventsAn unseasonably cold air mass from Canada moved across Pennsylvania from April 9th through the 11th. The cold weather did an estimated $25 million dollars in damage to the peach and apple crops in the state.
• Cold in Pennsylvania, April 9 to 11, 1997$25 million · 3 eventsWarm, sunny weather during the preceding week forced many trees into early bloom, then temperatures fell into the 20's and 30's overnight on the 9th and 10th. Unusually cold temperatures caused significant damage to fruit trees across south central Pennsylvania.
• Cold in New Jersey, April 9 to 11, 199720 eventsAn unseasonably cold air mass from Canada moved across New Jersey from April 9th through the 11th. A cold front moved through the region during the night of the 8th and ushered in this unseasonably cold air mass.
• Cold in Maryland, April 9 to 11, 19975 eventsAn unseasonably cold air mass from Canada moved across the Maryland Eastern Shore from April 9th through the 11th. Low temperatures those three mornings were below the freezing mark in most areas.
• Cold in Delaware, April 9 to 11, 19974 eventsAn unseasonably cold air mass from Canada moved across the Delmarva Peninsula from April 9th through the 11th. A cold front moved through the region during the night of the 8th and ushered in this unseasonably cold air mass.
• Heavy Snow in Montana, April 9, 19971 eventA spotter 17 miles south of Alder received 5 inches of snow.
• Cold in Virginia, April 9, 1997$200,000 · 1 eventTemperatures in the 20s during the morning hours on the 9th damaged apple, peach, and grape crops in Amherst County.
• Cold in Virginia, April 9, 1997$100,000 · 1 eventTemperatures in the 20s during the morning hours on the 9th damaged apple and peach crops in Botetourt County.
• Cold in North Carolina, April 9, 1997$100,000 · 1 eventTemperatures in the 20s during the morning hours on the 9th damaged peach and nectarine crops in mainly the western and northern portions of Wilkes County
• Cold in Kansas, April 9 to 13, 199713 eventsRecord cold with low temperatures in the single digits and highs below freezing was accompanied by freezing drizzle and light snow. It was the coldest for so late in the season. Where snow cover was light, wheat received moderate to severe freeze damage.
• Cold in Nebraska, April 9 to 13, 19973 eventsRecord cold with low temperatures in the single digits and highs below freezing was accompanied by freezing drizzle and light snow. It was the coldest for so late in the season. Schools were closed for 1 to 2 days. Many vehicle accidents occurred.
• Cold in Colorado, April 9 to 13, 19973 eventsRecord cold with low temperatures in the single digits and highs below freezing was accompanied by freezing drizzle and light snow. It was the coldest for so late in the season. Schools were closed for 1 to 2 days due to icy conditions. Many vehicle accidents occurred.
• Heavy Snow in Utah, April 9 to 10, 1997$20,000 · 9 eventsAn upper-level low pressure system developed over Utah during this time. Criteria snow fell in several locations around the state. Brian Head received the most with 23". In valley locations, Parowan had the most with 8". Several weather-related traffic accidents were reported.
• Winter Storm in South Dakota, April 9 to 10, 199716 eventsA late season storm produced snow from the Black Hills through South Central South Dakota. The greatest amounts occurred in a 40 mile wide swath generally along and south of Interstate 90.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, April 9 to 10, 19979 eventsWarm, moist air was lifted over top of an arctic frontal boundary which extended from southeast Colorado to northern Oklahoma. This combined with an upper level disturbance which moved through the central plains to generate widespread snow. Snowfall of 4 to 6 inches was common.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, April 9 to 10, 19979 eventsWarm, moist air was lifted over top of an arctic frontal boundary which extended from southeast Colorado to northern Oklahoma. This combined with an upper level disturbance which moved through the central plains to generate widespread snow. Snowfall of 4 to 7 inches was common.
• Winter Storm in Iowa, April 9 to 10, 19974 eventsWarm, moist air was lifted over top of an arctic frontal boundary which extended from southeast Colorado to northern Oklahoma. This combined with an upper level disturbance which moved through the central plains to generate widespread snow. Snowfall of 4 to 6 inches was common.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, April 9 to 11, 199726 eventsA winter storm which moved across Nebraska produced areas of freezing drizzle along with snowfall ranging from 3-6 inches with up to 10 inches across parts of southwest Nebraska. Schools were closed Thursday and Friday. Track meets were postponed to a later date.
• Heavy Snow in South Dakota, April 9 to 10, 199712 eventsSnowfall of 6 to 12 inches occurred within a large area of lesser snowfall. The greatest accumulation of 12 inches was reported at Burke in Gregory County.
• Heavy Snow in Wyoming, April 9 to 10, 19972 eventsHeavy snow fell over the Snowy Range as well as over and east of the southern Laramie Range. Cheyenne received 11 inches while the Laramie Range received generally 10 to 12 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Nebraska, April 9 to 10, 19977 eventsHeavy snow fell over central and southern portions of the Panhandle. Accumulations of 7 to 9 inches were widespread.
• Heavy Snow in Missouri, April 10 to 11, 19972 injured · $9.8 million · 15 eventsHeavy wet snow fell across the Northern third of Missouri throughout the day on the 10th followed by a second band of snow during the early morning hours of the 11th.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, April 10 to 12, 199724 eventsAn early April winter storm dumped several inches of snow across Central and South Central Nebraska. Amounts across the area generally ranged from 6 to 10 inches of snow. Aurora took top honors with 14 inches of new snow.
• Winter Storm in Kansas, April 10 to 12, 19976 eventsAn early April snowstorm dumped heavy snow across much of North Central Kansas. Reports of 6 to 8 inches of snow were common while a few areas, near Osborne and Lebanon, reported almost a foot of new snow.
• Cold in Kansas, April 10 to 12, 19971 eventAn extended period of late season cold resulted in three consecutive days of record low maximum temperatures in Topeka. New record low maximums of 35 were set on the 10th and 11th. A maximum of temperature of only 36 tied the record for the 12th.
• Heavy Snow in Montana, April 10, 19971 event7 inches of snow fell at Shonkin.
• Cold in Virginia, April 10, 1997$200,000 · 1 eventTemperatures in the 20s during the morning hours on the 10th damaged apple, peach, and grape crops in Amherst County.
• Cold in Virginia, April 10, 1997$100,000 · 1 eventTemperatures in the 20s during the morning hours on the 10th damaged apple and peach crops in Botetourt County.
• Cold in North Carolina, April 10, 1997$100,000 · 1 eventTemperatures in the 20s during the morning hours on the 10th damaged peach and nectarine crops in mainly the western and northern portions of Wilkes County
• Heavy Snow in Iowa, April 10 to 11, 1997$1.6 million · 12 eventsA strong baroclinic frontal boundary formed to the south of Iowa during the night of the 9th and morning of the 10th. Warm air riding north on a southern flow in the low levels of the atmosphere over ran cold air at the surface.
• Winter Storm in Missouri, April 10, 199724 eventsA spring snowstorm caught many residents of central, northeast and east central Missouri by surprise the morning and afternoon of April 10. 2 to 4 inches of snow fell from central to northeast Missouri while a band of 4 to 6 inches fell across east central Missouri.
• Heavy Snow in Iowa, April 10 to 12, 199713 eventsA foot to a foot and a half of heavy wet snow fell in several waves of heavy snow. Snow was heavy enough to cause the collapse of many roofs.
• Heavy Snow in Illinois, April 10, 199710 eventsA very unusual April snowstorm affected a small part of southern Illinois. The narrow path of snow extended from the Mt. Vernon and Carbondale areas to around Shawneetown on the Ohio River. The highest snowfall total was 6 inches in Willisville.
• Heavy Snow in Illinois, April 10 to 12, 19979 eventsA foot to a foot and a half of heavy wet snow fell in several waves of heavy snow. Snow was heavy enough to cause the collapse of many roofs.
• Winter Weather in Kansas, April 10, 19971 death · 1 eventA combination of snow and ice resulted in a fatal head-on collision on an ice covered bridge on Flush Road near the town of Flush 1 1/2 miles north of Rock Creek High School.
• Heavy Snow in Kentucky, April 10, 19972 eventsAn unusual April snowstorm affected a small part of northwest Kentucky, primarily Union and Webster Counties. A slushy accumulation of 1 to 3 inches fell, mostly on grassy areas.
• Winter Storm in Illinois, April 10, 199713 eventsA spring snow storm caught many residents of west and southwest Illinois by surprise the morning and afternoon of April 10. 2 to 4 inches of snow fell in west Illinois in the Quincy area with up to 6 inches falling in southwest Illinois adjacent to St. Louis.
• Heavy Snow in Illinois, April 10 to 11, 19979 injured · 8 eventsAn early spring snow storm dumped between 4 and 13.5 inches of heavy wet snow over northern portions of Central Illinois. A 30 mile wide band centered along a line from just south of Galesburg to just north of Peoria received from 10 to 13.5 inches of snow.
• Heavy Snow in New Mexico, April 10, 19972 eventsFour to six inches of snow fell in short periods of time along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo mountains from Raton to Angel Fire.
• Heavy Snow in Kansas, April 10 to 11, 19977 deaths · $207,000 · 8 eventsA late season moisture laden snow storm dumped 4 to 8 inches of accumulation across North Central and Northeast kansas generally north and west of Manhattan or along and north of a line from Abilene in Dickenson County to Baileyville in Nemaha County.
• Ice Storm in Kansas, April 10 to 11, 19971 eventA narrow zone of freezing rain between heavy snow to the northwest and rain to the southeast produced 1/2 to 3/4 inch of ice accumulation on trees and other exposed objects in the town of Wheaton. Just 3 miles to the east only a thin glaze of ice was observed.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, April 10 to 12, 19977 eventsSurface low pressure developed and strengthened over northern Texas then moved northeast through Missouri and into Illinois.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, April 11 to 12, 199722 eventsSurface low pressure developed and strengthened over northern Texas then moved northeast through Missouri and into Illinois.
• Winter Storm in Iowa, April 11 to 12, 19977 eventsSurface low pressure developed and strengthened over northern Texas then moved northeast through Missouri and into Illinois.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, April 11 to 12, 19979 eventsA spring winter storm deposited heavy, wet snow in a narrow region from around Janesville (Rock co.) northeast to near Fond du Lac (Fond du Lac co.). The storm consisted of two round of snow, with a break during the 0400 to 0800 CST timeframe. Some of the snow melted as it fell.
• Heavy Snow in New Mexico, April 11 to 12, 19974 eventsHeavy snows developed over the middle Rio Grande Valley and spread northward over the Sandia and Manzano mountains to the east slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Sudden amounts of 3 to 4 inches along Interstate Highway 25 north of Socorro caused white-out conditions.
• Heavy Snow in Utah, April 12, 1997$10,000 · 2 eventsA disturbance moved through southern Utah dumping heavy snow in a few locations. Brian Head received 11" and Cedar City 8". A few traffic accidents occurred due to the snowfall.
• Cold in Texas, April 12 to 13, 199722 eventsAn unusually strong arctic cold front moved into North Texas on the 11th, setting the stage for a night of strong radiational cooling as high pressure built into the southern plains behind the front.
• Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, April 12, 19972 eventsA quick shot of heavy snow fell in the far southern portions of Calumet and Manitowoc counties. New Holstein (Calumet county) and Kiel (Manitowoc county) measured 6 inches of snow. Highway 32/57 was closed for a period of time due to white-out conditions and numerous accidents.
• Heavy Snow in Oregon, April 13 to 14, 19971 eventA cold Pacific storm dumped 9 inches of new snow at Mt. Hood Meadows and 6 inches at Bennett Pass.

The snowstorm of April 4 to 7, 1997The snowstorm of October 23 to 28, 1997Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

NOAA NCEI Regional Snowfall Index, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.