The snowstorm of December 18 to 20, 1999

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

201

Deaths

0

Injuries

0

Damage

$445,000

Episodes

38

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 Iowa, December 16 to 17, 199918 eventsAn alberta clipper system brought snow to Eastern Iowa, Northwest Illinois and Northeast Missouri.Snow blanketed the entire region with amounts ranging from 1 to 3 inches in many areas.
• Winter Storm in Illinois, December 16 to 17, 199910 eventsAn alberta clipper system brought snow to Eastern Iowa, Northwest Illinois and Northeast Missouri.Snow blanketed the entire region with amounts ranging from 1 to 3 inches in many areas.
• Winter Storm in Missouri, December 16 to 17, 19992 eventsAn alberta clipper system brought snow to Eastern Iowa, Northwest Illinois and Northeast Missouri.Snow blanketed the entire region with amounts ranging from 1 to 3 inches. Numerous accidents were reported.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 17, 19991 eventYakutat received 10.2 inches of snow in 6 hours.
• Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, December 18 to 20, 199966 kt wind · 6 eventsAn intense 963 mb low in the north-central Pacific moved into Bristol Bay early Sunday, weakening to a 980 mb center. By 9 am Monday, the low had weakened to a 994 mb center just west of Kotzebue Sound.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 18 to 19, 19992 eventsYakutat received 21 inches of snow in about 30 hours.
• Cold in Alaska, December 18 to 20, 19991 eventWith a cold airmass in place over the North Slope, a low pressure center moved north over the west coast of Alaska producing extreme wind chill conditions at Point Lay. Lowest reported wind chill at Point Lay was -96. Wind speed was 25 mph.
• Blizzard in Wyoming, December 19, 19992 eventsMoisture associated with an arctic cold front produced heavy snowfall throughout Sheridan County during the early morning hours of the 19th. Sheridan received 6 inches of new snow, and Burgess Junction picked up 8 inches.
• Blizzard in North Dakota, December 19, 199910 eventsA strong low pressure system moved rapidly out of Alberta Canada and raced along the southern Canadian border. Behind thesystem a strong arctic cold front was ejected south into the northern plains and produced gradient winds out of the northwestat 40 to 60 mph.
• Blizzard in North Dakota, December 19, 19996 eventsA low pressure system tracked across southern Canada, producing blizzard conditions across portions of northeast North Dakota and extreme northwest Minnesota. A few schools closed for the day, due to the poor visibility.
• Blizzard in Minnesota, December 19, 19991 eventA strong low pressure system tracked across southern Canada, producing blizzard conditions across portions of northeast North Dakota and extreme northwest Minnesota. A few schools closed for the day, due to the poor visibility.
• Heavy Snow in Iowa, December 19, 19994 eventsAfter an extended period of very warm and dry weather, the first significant snowfall of the season occurred in Iowa. Low pressure passed north of the state as an Arctic cold front trailing from the low swept southeast across the state.
• Heavy Snow in Michigan, December 19 to 24, 19993 eventsA strong low pressure system passed north of Lake Superior. Strong north winds behind the associated cold front produced bands of lake effect snow along the south shore of Lake Superior.
• Winter Storm in Iowa, December 19 to 20, 199922 eventsA vigorous upper level storm system raced from the Northern Rockies into the Midwest bringing snow to the region. Accumulations ranged from 1 to 3 inches. Locally higher amounts of 4 inches fell in a narrow band over portions of Iowa, Johnson and Louisa counties.
• Winter Storm in Illinois, December 19 to 20, 199913 eventsA vigorous upper level storm system raced from the Northern Rockies into the Midwest bringing snow to the region. Freezing rain and drizzle mixed with the snow which kept amounts to around 1 inch over much of Northwest and West Central Illinois.
• Winter Storm in Missouri, December 19 to 20, 19992 eventsA vigorous upper level storm system raced from the Northern Rockies into the Midwest bringing snow to the region. Accumulations ranged from 1 to 3 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Montana, December 19 to 20, 19991 event15inches Hebgen Dam.
• Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, December 20, 19995 eventsA high pressure system that moved across the northern Middle Atlantic States and New England on the weekend of the 18th and 19th pumped in a cold, dry air mass into the region.
• Winter Weather in New Jersey, December 20, 19994 eventsA high pressure system that moved across the northern Middle Atlantic States and New England on the weekend of the 18th and 19th pumped in a cold, dry air mass into the region.
• Winter Weather in New York, December 20, 19991 eventLight freezing rain coated streets across the area which resulted in many traffic accidents and personal injuries. Starting at 7:26 am, the New Windsor Police Department logged roughly one accident report every 3 minutes for over 1 hour.
• Ice Storm and Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 20 to 23, 1999$25,000 · 52 kt wind · 6 eventsA strong Low in the North Pacific moved north over the Alaska Peninsula on the evening of the 21st, then northeast over the interior of Alaska on the 22nd, with a second low developing just beyond the northeast corner of Alaska on the afternoon of the 22nd.
• Winter Weather in Connecticut, December 20, 19993 eventsLight freezing rain fell in the deeper valleys of northern Connecticut, as rain fell into a shallow layer of below freezing air at the surface. The resultant light coating of ice formed "black ice" on many roadways, which caused many accidents.
• Winter Weather in New Hampshire, December 20, 19992 eventsLight freezing rain fell in the valleys of southwest New Hampshire, as a result of rain falling into a shallow layer of below freezing air at the surface. The resultant light coating of ice formed areas of "black ice" on many roadways, causing dozens of accidents.
• Winter Weather in Massachusetts, December 20, 19997 eventsLight freezing rain developed in the deeper valleys of western and central Massachusetts, as rain fell into a shallow layer of below freezing air at the surface.
• Winter Weather in Vermont, December 20 to 21, 1999$50,000 · 1 eventHigh pressure over the Canadian Maritimes resulted in a supply of cold air in the low layers of the atmosphere across Vermont while milder moist air moved in at higher levels.
• Winter Weather in Vermont, December 20 to 21, 1999$30,000 · 1 eventHigh pressure over the Canadian Maritimes resulted in a supply of cold air in the low layers of the atmosphere across Vermont while milder moist air moved in at higher levels.
• Winter Weather in New Hampshire, December 20, 199911 eventsFreezing rain developed over much of New Hampshire, except along the immediate coast, during the afternoon of Monday the 20th and caused numerous accidents.
• Winter Weather in New York, December 20, 19996 eventsA weak low pressure moved north along the eastern seaboard on Monday morning December 20. Rain was associated with this system. However surfaces temperatures in sheltered valleys north of the Mohawk River in eastern New York were around or a little below freezing.
• Winter Weather in Vermont, December 20, 1999$30,000 · 1 eventHigh pressure over the Canadian Maritimes resulted in a supply of cold air in the low layers of the atmosphere across Vermont while milder moist air moved in at higher levels.
• Heavy Snow in Utah, December 20 to 21, 19998 eventsA statewide snowstorm brought the heaviest amounts to the north once again. Alta and Snowbird received another 17 inches, with 16 inches at Solitude. East Orem picked up 5 inches, with 4 inches in Logan and Heber City.
• Winter Weather in Vermont, December 20, 1999$5,000 · 1 eventHigh pressure over the Canadian Maritimes resulted in a supply of cold air in the low layers of the atmosphere across Vermont while milder moist air moved in at higher levels.
• Winter Weather in Vermont, December 20, 1999$20,000 · 1 eventHigh pressure over the Canadian Maritimes resulted in a supply of cold air in the low layers of the atmosphere across Vermont while milder moist air moved in at higher levels.
• Winter Weather in Vermont, December 20, 1999$10,000 · 1 eventHigh pressure over the Canadian Maritimes resulted in a supply of cold air in the low layers of the atmosphere across Vermont while milder moist air moved in at higher levels.
• Winter Weather in Maine, December 20, 199911 eventsFreezing rain developed over much of western Maine, except along the immediate coast, during the late afternoon and evening of Monday the 20th and caused numerous accidents.
• Heavy Snow in Wyoming, December 20 to 22, 19992 eventsStrong upslope from moisture rotating around two low pressure systems which dropped slowly southeast through eastern Montana and western South Dakota produced heavy snows in Sheridan County. Sheridan received 6 inches of new snow on the night of the 20th.
• Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, December 21 to 22, 1999$275,000 · 130 kt wind · 5 eventsStrong southeasterly winds blew across the Gulf of Alaska Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of a moderate front. While wind gusts were generally 40 to 60 mph ahead of the front, reports of stronger winds were received.
• Ice Storm in Alabama, December 21, 199916 eventsA light mixture of rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow flurries fell across northern Alabama. Numerous trees across the area picked up a coating of ice, but it melted away by late morning. No significant accumulations were reported.
• Winter Storm in Michigan, December 21 to 24, 19994 eventsLake effect snow began after passage of a cold front early in the day on Tuesday, December 21st. Light snow developed across all of western lower Michigan during the evening hours of the 21st, and became heavier on the 22nd, after a trough of low pressure moved through.

The snowstorm of December 13 to 16, 1999The snowstorm of December 22 to 25, 1999Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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