The snowstorm of December 17 to 23, 2012

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

642

Deaths

12

Injuries

20

Damage

$15 million

Episodes

86

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.

• Winter Storm in Utah, December 16 to 19, 201213 eventsA fast-moving storm system moved through Utah on December 16, bringing a shot of snow to northern Utah. This was quickly followed by a deeper and colder Pacific system on the 17th, which produced both gusty winds and heavy snowfall across much of the state.
• Winter Storm in Maine, December 16 to 18, 20124 eventsAn area of low pressure on the morning of the 16th and a developing low off the mid-Atlantic coast produced heavy snow across sections of western Maine. Snowfall amounts generally ranged from 6 to 10 inches Oxford, southern Somerset, and northern Cumberland Counties.
• Heavy Snow in Oregon, December 16 to 17, 20122 eventsA cold air mass moved over the forecast area following a Pacific cold front...resulting in significant snowfall in the Cascades.
• Winter Storm in New Hampshire, December 16 to 18, 20121 eventAn area of low pressure on the morning of the 16th and a developing low off the mid-Atlantic coast produced heavy snow across sections of northern Coos County. Snowfall amounts generally ranged from 6 to 8 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Washington, December 16 to 17, 20121 eventA cold air mass moved over the forecast area following a Pacific cold front...resulting in significant snowfall in the Cascades.
• Winter Weather in Massachusetts, December 16 to 17, 2012$5,000 · 1 eventWeak low pressure passing south of New England brought a wintry mix of precipitation to Massachusetts. Light freezing rain in northern Massachusetts resulted in a light coating of ice, with up to 1/4 inch of glaze reported.
• Blizzard in Alaska, December 16 to 17, 20121 eventA 989 mb low tracked northeast across the north Bering Sea on the 16th and 17th. Visibilities were reduced to one-quarter mile or less at Gambell and Savoonga late on the 16th through mid-morning of the 17th.
• Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 16 to 17, 20124 eventsA fast moving Pacific storm system dropped 10 to 20 inches of snow at several SNOTEL sites. Trained spotters reported 6 to 9 inches in the Hailey and Bellevue areas.
• Winter Weather in Washington, December 17 to 25, 20122 deaths · 10 injured · $5.6 million · 1 eventSeveral rounds of heavy snow fell across the East Slopes of the Washington Cascades between December 16th and the 24th.
• Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 18, 20126 eventsA narrow band of snow produced accumulations of 2 to 6 inches along and near Interstate 90 in southeast South Dakota during the morning of December 18th. Winds during the snowfall were light.
• Winter Weather in Minnesota, December 18, 20123 eventsA band of snow produced accumulations of 2 to 6 inches near Interstate 90 in southwest Minnesota during the morning and early afternoon of December 18th. Winds during the snowfall were light.
• Winter Weather in Iowa, December 18, 20123 eventsA band of snow produced accumulations of 2 to 5 inches near the northern border of Iowa during the morning and early afternoon of December 18th. Winds during the snowfall were light.
• Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, December 18, 201269 kt wind · 2 eventsA strong low in the Gulf of Alaska produced snow and strong wind across Kodiak Island and strong wind through channeled terrain along the Alaska Peninsula.
• Heavy Snow in Maine, December 18 to 19, 20128 eventsIntensifying low pressure tracked across the southern Gulf of Maine during the 18th...with a trof extending back westward across the region into the 19th. Snow expanded north across the region through the morning and afternoon of the 18th.
• Heavy Snow and High Wind in New Mexico, December 19, 2012$50,000 · 75 kt wind · 32 eventsAn open wave trough over the Great Basin pushed across New Mexico bringing with it snow and high winds.
• Blizzard and Winter Weather in Colorado, December 19, 201210 eventsA storm system brought periods of moderate to heavy snow to parts of the North Central Mountains, Front Range Foothills, Urban Corridor with blizzard conditions developing over the parts of the Northeast Plains of Colorado.
• Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, December 19 to 21, 201259 kt wind · 3 eventsA strong low moved toward Vancouver Island on the afternoon on the afternoon of 12/19 while high pressure was in place over the central interior of AK.
• Blizzard in Kansas, December 19 to 20, 20128 eventsA strong storm system moved into Western Kansas the morning of Wednesday, December 19th. There was also a strong cold front that swept through Western Kansas that day, resulting in a tight surface pressure gradient. North winds blew at 45 mph with gusts to around 60 mph.
• Heavy Snow in Washington, December 19 to 20, 20123 eventsA Pacific frontal system brought heavy snow to the Olympics and Cascades.
• Heavy Snow in Washington, December 19 to 20, 20122 eventsCold air trapped in the Columbia River Gorge combined with an incoming Pacific low pressure system brought heavy snowfall to the Gorge and South Washington Cascades.
• Heavy Snow in Oregon, December 19, 20122 eventsCold air trapped in the Columbia River Gorge combined with an incoming Pacific low pressure system brought heavy snowfall to the Gorge and North Oregon Cascades.
• Blizzard in Colorado, December 19, 20121 eventA potent storm system and associated cold front produced snow...heavy at times...in combination with wind gusts to around 50 mph and near zero visibilites across northern El Paso County. Snow amounts up to 6 inches occurred with the blizzard conditions.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Nebraska, December 19, 20121 death · 10 eventsAn intense winter storm tracked from southeastern Colorado into Nebraska. The winter storm brought winter storm and blizzard conditions to portions of the southeast panhandle into southwest and central Nebraska on December 19, 2012.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Nebraska, December 19 to 20, 20121 death · 24 eventsThe first major winter storm of the 2012-2013 season brought widespread snowfall of generally 3 to 9 inches to the entire 24-county area, along with several hours of blizzard conditions to most counties.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Nebraska, December 19 to 20, 201226 eventsA winter storm developed over the western United States on December 18th, and then moved into the central Plains on the 19th producing heavy snow, localized areas of sleet and freezing rain, and in some areas blizzard conditions.
• Blizzard and Winter Weather in Kansas, December 19, 201211 eventsA strong cold front moved through Northwest Kansas during the early afternoon. Behind the front winds quickly strengthen, with gusts of 44-58 MPH reported.
• Blizzard and Winter Weather in Colorado, December 19, 20123 eventsA strong cold front moved through East Central Colorado during the early afternoon. Behind the front winds quickly strengthened, with a peak gust of 67 MPH measured at Cheyenne Wells.
• Blizzard in Nebraska, December 19, 20123 eventsA strong cold front moved through extreme Southwest Nebraska during the early afternoon. Behind the front winds were strong, with gusts of 52 MPH reported at McCook.
• Winter Storm in Washington, December 19 to 20, 20121 eventAnother strong Pacific storm moved into the interior Pacific Northwest, bringing heavy snow and strong winds to the region. Snowfall amounts reported in inches include Trout Lake (14) and SSE Easton (11).
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Iowa, December 19 to 20, 201210 eventsA winter storm developed over the western United States on December 18th, and then moved into the central Plains on the 19th producing heavy snow, localized areas of sleet and freezing rain, and in some areas blizzard conditions.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Kansas, December 19 to 20, 20126 eventsThe first significant winter storm of the 2012-2013 season brought widespread snowfall of generally 2-5 inches to the entire six-county area, but more notably several hours of near-blizzard to blizzard conditions that greatly enhanced event impacts.
• Winter Weather in Texas, December 19, 20126 eventsA strong cold front moved across the Texas Panhandle during the afternoon and evening hours on the 19th.
• Blizzard in Iowa, December 19 to 20, 201221 eventsA powerful storm system moved from the Southern Plains on Wednesday morning into Michigan by early Friday morning. This brought a potent winter storm to eastern Iowa through the period.
• Blizzard and Winter Weather in Iowa, December 19 to 20, 20126 eventsSnowfall of 2 to 6 inches was accompanied by north to northwest winds gusting to 35 mph. This combination produced widespread visibilities near zero in Woodbury, Ida, and Buena Vista Counties in northwest Iowa on the morning of December 20th.
• Winter Weather in Oklahoma, December 19, 20121 eventA strong cold front moved across the Oklahoma Panhandle during the afternoon hours on the 19th.
• Winter Storm in Iowa, December 19 to 20, 2012$1.0 million · 41 eventsPart 1 of 2: The seasons first major winter storm moved into Iowa during the late afternoon and evening of the 19th and continued into the day on the 20th. A strong low pressure developed over southeast Colorado and pushed east across southern Kansas.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 19 to 20, 20128 eventsA large storm system began to organize across the southern Rockies the morning of Wednesday, December 19th.
• Winter Storm in California, December 19 to 20, 20122 eventsA winter storm dropped significant snowfall amounts over parts of Northwest California. This resulted in road closures and chain restrictions on the higher elevation roads.
• Winter Storm in Kansas, December 19 to 20, 20121 death · 1 injured · 12 eventsRain changed to sleet and snow from northwest to southeast across much of northeast Kansas. The rain changed to snow after 9pm across north central Kansas and after midnight across the rest of northeast Kansas.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, December 19 to 20, 20125 eventsA large storm system began to organize across the southern Rockies the morning of Wednesday, December 19th.
• Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 19 to 20, 20122 injured · $3,000 · 7 eventsA strong area of low pressure moved out of the Central Plains into Illinois and the Great Lakes region on December 19th and 20th. As this storm moved by, it dumped between 5 and 10 inches of snow on southeast Minnesota and produced wind gusts in excess of 40 mph.
• Blizzard in Illinois, December 19 to 20, 201213 eventsA powerful storm system moved from the Southern Plains on Wednesday morning into Michigan by early Friday morning. This brought a wide array of weather to northwest Illinois through the period.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Wisconsin, December 19 to 20, 201213 eventsA strong area of low pressure moved out of the Central Plains into Illinois and the Great Lakes region on December 19th and 20th.
• Blizzard in Iowa, December 20, 20122 deaths · 7 injured · $7.3 million · 45 eventsPart 2 of 2: The seasons first major winter storm moved into Iowa during the late afternoon and evening of the 19th and continued into the day on the 20th and became a blizzard for much of the Des Moines CWA.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, December 20 to 21, 201220 eventsThe largest winter storm in nearly two years affected much of Wisconsin with wet, heavy snow. Snowfalls of 8 to 12 inches fell across the central and northeast part of the state.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Kansas, December 20, 20122 eventsAfter nearly two years without a significant winter weather event in the local area, a major winter storm impacted the region from the evening of Wednesday December 19th through the morning on Thursday, December 20th.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Missouri, December 20, 201216 eventsAfter nearly two years without a significant winter weather event in the local area, a major winter storm impacted the region from the evening of Wednesday December 19th through the morning on Thursday, December 20th.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, December 20 to 21, 20127 eventsA major winter storm brought impressive double-digit snowfall amounts to parts of Southeast Wisconsin.
• Winter Storm in Michigan, December 20 to 21, 2012$245,000 · 17 eventsA powerful low pressure system passed across Southern Lower Michigan on the night of the 20th.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Michigan, December 20 to 21, 2012$17,000 · 14 eventsA powerful low pressure system originating over the mid-Mississippi Valley dumped wet heavy snow across much of the east half of Upper Michigan from the 20th into the 21st. A few locations over western Upper Michigan also saw heavy snow during the event.
• Blizzard in Iowa, December 20, 2012$75,000 · 8 eventsA strong area of low pressure moved out of the Central Plains into Illinois and the Great Lakes region on December 19th and 20th.
• Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Michigan, December 20 to 21, 20127 eventsSignificant snow fell across west central Lower Michigan from December the 20th through the 21st, where two day cumulative snowfall amounts reached 10 to 15 inches across portions of Lake, Osceola and Clare counties.
• Winter Storm in Missouri, December 20, 20122 eventsA powerful storm system moved from the Southern Plains on Wednesday morning into Michigan by early Friday morning. This brought much needed precipitation to Clark and Scotland Counties in Missouri.
• Blizzard in Wisconsin, December 20 to 21, 201211 eventsA blizzard brought record double-digit snowfall to much of South-Central and a portion of Southeast Wisconsin. Winds gusted to between 40 and 48 mph during the peak of the storm...bringing near-zero visibilities and severe drifting across the region.
• Blizzard in Illinois, December 20, 201219 eventsA deepening area of low pressure tracking from the southern Plains toward the Great Lakes brought snow and high winds to central Illinois on December 20th.
• Winter Storm and Avalanche in California, December 20 to 24, 20122 deaths · 7 eventsA series of pacific storms tracked across Northern California Thursday through the weekend bringing periods of moderate to heavy snow in the mountains and gusty winds. Low snow levels brought snow as low as 500 ft before snow levels rose to 3000 to 4500 ft by the weekend.
• Winter Storm in Maryland, December 20 to 22, 20121 eventA strong low pressure moving across the Ohio valley swept a cold front through the region late on the 20th of December. Some freezing rain was reported in the higher elevations in northern West Virginia where temperatures struggled to rise above freezing.
• Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 20, 20121 eventLake effect snow caused about 10 inches of snow in northern Iron County. Two inches fell between 7 pm and 10 pm, then the snow quickly became very light.
• Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, December 20, 20122 eventsA deep low pressure system that tracked across the Lower Great Lakes northeastward into the Saint Lawrence Valley from the evening of the 20th into the daytime of the 21st caused a wintry mix of precipitation to fall at the onset of the event over the higher terrain of the…
• Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, December 21 to 22, 20122 eventsAn intense low pressure system and sharp cold front moved across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states. The initial surge of precipitation with this system quickly changed from rain to snow across the Alleghenies and Central Mountains early on the 21st.
• Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, December 21 to 22, 2012$250,000 · 2 eventsA low pressure system tracked northeast out of the Plains, and underwent rapid deepening as it passed north of Lake Erie on December 21st.
• Winter Storm in Ohio, December 21 to 22, 2012$150,000 · 2 eventsA low pressure system tracked northeast out of the Plains, and underwent rapid deepening as it passed north of Lake Erie on December 21st.
• Heavy Snow in West Virginia, December 21 to 22, 20125 eventsA strong cold front swept through during the night of the 20th into the 21st. In its wake, wind blown snow showers, of varying intensity, formed during the predawn hours of Friday the 21st.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Kentucky, December 21, 201220 eventsAccumulating snowfall fell across portions of eastern Kentucky on December 21, 2012. Snowfall amounts ranged from a dusting up to 2 inches for many locations east of I-75.
• Winter Weather in North Carolina, December 21 to 22, 20124 eventsSnow showers developed behind a cold front along the far western mountains of North Carolina during the morning, and continued off and on through the day and night of the 21st.
• Winter Storm and High Wind in Vermont, December 21 to 23, 20122 deaths · $355,000 · 63 kt wind · 11 eventsA strong, complex, dual area of low pressure from the Great Lakes to the New Jersey coast on the morning of December 21st eventually lifted north across New York into Quebec by December 22nd.
• Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, December 21 to 22, 20122 eventsA strong low pressure moving across the Ohio valley swept a cold front through the region late on the 20th of December. Some freezing rain was reported in the higher elevations in northern West Virginia where temperatures struggled to rise above freezing.
• Heavy Snow in West Virginia, December 21 to 22, 20122 eventsA strong low pressure moving across the Ohio valley swept a cold front through the region late on the 20th of December. Some freezing rain was reported in the higher elevations in northern West Virginia where temperatures struggled to rise above freezing.
• Winter Storm in New York, December 21 to 22, 2012$51,000 · 5 eventsLow pressure moved across the upper Great Lakes to New England. The winter storm brought heavy snow to the higher elevations of the western southern tier and eastern Lake Ontario region.
• Blizzard in West Virginia, December 21 to 22, 20123 eventsIntensifying low pressure over the Great Lakes with an associated cold front brought below freezing temperatures and snow to the Potomac Highlands. Windy northwest flow behind the cold front produced upslope snow showers and blizzard conditions.
• Blizzard in Maryland, December 21 to 22, 20121 eventIntensifying low pressure over the Great Lakes with an associated cold front brought below freezing temperatures and snow to the Potomac Highlands. Windy northwest flow behind the cold front produced upslope snow showers and blizzard conditions.
• Blizzard in Virginia, December 21 to 22, 20121 eventIntensifying low pressure over the Great Lakes with an associated cold front brought below freezing temperatures and snow to the Potomac Highlands. Windy northwest flow behind the cold front produced upslope snow showers and blizzard conditions.
• Winter Storm and Dense Fog in California, December 21 to 27, 2012$60,000 · 8 eventsThe next storm consisted of two components. The first reached California on December 22nd, with only a brief pause in the precipitation before the second component arrived.
• Winter Storm in New York, December 21 to 22, 2012$15,000 · 3 eventsA strong, complex, dual area of low pressure from the Great Lakes to the New Jersey coast on the morning of December 21st eventually lifted north across New York into Quebec by December 22nd.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in West Virginia, December 21 to 22, 20123 eventsAn intense upper low was rotating through the mid-Atlantic region during the period. An equally intense surface low and occluded front was located across the eastern Ohio valley.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 22, 20125 eventsLow pressure tracked from eastern Michigan on Friday the 21st to southern Quebec on Saturday the 22nd. A cold northwest flow behind this system generated lake effect snow for a large part of central New York. Snowfall amounts ranged from 7 to 14 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 22 to 26, 2012$157,000 · 1 eventFour-days of heavy snowfall left several feet of snow in the Seldovia/Homer/Anchor Point, Alaska area resulting in widespread power outages in the communities and two sunken fishing vessels.
• Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 22 to 24, 20122 eventsNine to 14 inches of snow were recorded at several SNOTEL sites over a two day snow event just prior to the Christmas holiday.
• Cold in Illinois, December 22, 20121 death · 1 eventLow temperature in the teens and a high near freezing contributed to the cold exposure death of man.
• Winter Storm in Utah, December 23 to 25, 20123 eventsA cold storm system moved into Utah beginning late on December 23, with the heaviest snow falling on December 24. The largest snow totals were observed in far northern Utah.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, December 24, 20125 eventsLow pressure moved up the Ohio Valley and precipitation overspread the region. Warm air aloft moved over cold air at the surface and resulted in snow west of the Blue Ridge and in Northern Maryland.
• Winter Weather in West Virginia, December 24, 20125 eventsLow pressure moved up the Ohio Valley and precipitation overspread the region. Warm air aloft moved over cold air at the surface and resulted in snow west of the Blue Ridge and in Northern Maryland.
• Winter Weather in Maryland, December 24, 20127 eventsLow pressure moved up the Ohio Valley and precipitation overspread the region. Warm air aloft moved over cold air at the surface and resulted in snow west of the Blue Ridge and in Northern Maryland.
• Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, December 24 to 25, 201211 eventsA quick moving low pressure system dropped one to three inches of snow from the Poconos south through the Lehigh Valley and the northern Philadelphia suburbs during the evening and overnight of the 24th and gave those areas a White Christmas.
• Winter Weather in New Jersey, December 24 to 25, 20125 eventsA quick moving low pressure system dropped one to two inches of snow across Northwest New Jersey and the Upper Raritan River Basin during the evening and overnight of the 24th and gave those areas a White Christmas.
• Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 24 to 25, 20124 eventsA storm system moving across the Northern Rockies and into the Central Plains on Christmas Eve brought snow to western South Dakota. The heaviest snow fell across southwestern South Dakota, where four to six inches of snow was measured.

The snowstorm of December 8 to 10, 2012The snowstorm of December 24 to 28, 2012Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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