The snowstorm of December 19 to 24, 2006

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

283

Deaths

3

Injuries

12

Damage

$4.4 million

Episodes

36

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.

• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Colorado, December 18 to 21, 200632 eventsHeavy snow and blizzard conditions occurred over the western mountains...and eastern mountains and southeast plains of southern Colorado.
• Ice Storm in Kansas, December 18 to 20, 200617 eventsAn ice storm moved into western Kansas late in the day on Tuesday, December 19th. There was a brief period of rain before the freezing rain began during the late afternoon. This light freezing rain persisted until Thursday morning, December 21st.
• Ice Storm and Heavy Snow in Texas, December 19 to 20, 20063 injured · $391,000 · 21 eventsA strong upper low moved from southern California into eastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado. This system produced snow...sleet and freezing rain across the Texas panhandle.
• Ice Storm and Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, December 19 to 20, 2006$900,000 · 6 eventsA strong upper low moved from southern California into eastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado. This system produced snow...sleet and freezing rain across the Oklahoma panhandle.
• Ice Storm and Heavy Snow in Texas, December 19 to 20, 2006$175,000 · 18 eventsWidespread freezing drizzle and freezing rain developed over the extreme southwestern Texas Panhandle and the northwestern South Plains during the early morning hours of the 19th. By mid morning, numerous accidents had been reported on area roadways.
• Ice Storm in Nebraska, December 19 to 20, 2006$2.5 million · 12 eventsA major winter storm spun its way onto the plains. With mild temperatures in place at the start of the storm, precipitation began as rain, and pretty much stayed as rain.
• Ice Storm and Heavy Snow in New Mexico, December 19 to 20, 200618 eventsHeavy snow developed mainly across west central and north central New Mexico with areas of freezing rain across the eastern plains as a closed upper level low moved in from the west and then slowed as it passed over the state.
• Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, December 19 to 20, 2006$40,000 · 80 kt wind · 8 eventsThe next in a series of storms moved into the Western Gulf at 944 MB on Tuesday, Dec 19th. The surface pressure gradients with this storm were again extreme as early as midday Tue. The strong fronts moved onto the Eastern Gulf Coast Tuesday night.
• Winter Storm in Colorado, December 19 to 21, 20063 eventsA slow-moving low pressure system produced significant snow and ice accumulations across eastern Colorado, southwest Nebraska and western Kansas. Snow totals of 6-12 inches were common along the Kansas-Colorado border, with 1/2-11/2 inch ice accumulations further east in Kansas.
• Blizzard in Alaska, December 19, 20063 eventsAn intense storm over the Gulf of Alaska produced strong wind and snow across the Alaska Peninsula to Kodiak Island into Prince William Sound. Blizzard conditions occurred across these regions.
• Winter Storm in Kansas, December 19 to 21, 20069 injured · 13 eventsA slow-moving low pressure system produced significant snow and ice accumulations across eastern Colorado, southwest Nebraska and western Kansas.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, December 19 to 21, 20063 eventsA slow-moving low pressure system produced significant snow and ice accumulations across eastern Colorado, southwest Nebraska and western Kansas.
• Sleet in New Mexico, December 19, 20061 eventA quarter to a half inch of moderate to heavy sleet fell during thunderstorms across Eddy County as a strong upper level low approached the area.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Nebraska, December 19 to 21, 2006$264,000 · 27 eventsA powerful winter storm moved out of the southern rockies and moved slowly across Nebraska. Due to the slow movement of the system, significant accumulations of freezing rain, sleet and snow occurred.
• Heavy Snow in New Mexico, December 19 to 20, 20061 eventA deep upper trough moved across NM from west to east while a strong back door cold front pushed westward from the NM plains across the central mountain chain and beyond the Rio Grande.
• Ice Storm in Nebraska, December 20 to 21, 20061 eventA prolonged period of intermittent drizzle and rain fell across eastern Nebraska from Tuesday night, 12/19/06, through Thursday 12/21/06. Most of the precipitation remained liquid, except across parts of northeast Nebraska where a period of freezing rain fell.
• Blizzard in Nebraska, December 20 to 21, 20066 eventsA slow moving winter storm produced widespread blizzard conditions over much of the central and southern Nebraska panhandle, causing some power outages and closing most roads. More than 20 tractor-trailer trucks were reported to have been stranded along Interstate 80.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Colorado, December 20 to 21, 20062 deaths · 20 eventsA slow moving low pressure system moved from the Desert Southwest and into Southeastern Colorado. As a result, a deep upslope flow developed along the Front Range and Northeast Plains of Colorado.
• Blizzard in Wyoming, December 20 to 21, 20061 death · 4 eventsA slow moving winter storm produced blizzard conditions over much of southeastern Wyoming, producing whiteout conditions, drifts up to 5 feet and closing most roads. One person died during the storm while attempting to find aid after becoming stranded in their vehicle.
• Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 20 to 21, 20062 eventsA powerful winter storm developed across the Central Rockies and moved through the Central Plains, with the northern edge of the storm clipping south central South Dakota. Precipitation started off as a period of rain and freezing rain before changing to snow.
• Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 20 to 21, 2006$120,000 · 4 eventsFreezing rain and snow fell over part of southeast South Dakota in the western Missouri to James River area, from Gregory and Pickstown in the west to Mitchell and Freeman in the east.
• Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 20 to 21, 200611 eventsRain changing at times to freezing rain produced light ice accumulations mainly along and north of Interstate 90 in southeast South Dakota. The icing took place from the evening of December 20th into the daytime hours of December 21st.
• Winter Weather in Oregon, December 20 to 21, 20063 eventsA strong low pressure system combined with existing very cold, shallow air over portions of northwest Oregon brought a wintry mix of precipitation.
• Winter Weather in Washington, December 20 to 21, 20061 eventA strong low pressure system combined with existing very cold, shallow air over portions of southwest Washington brought a wintry mix of precipitation.
• Winter Weather in Minnesota, December 20 to 21, 20068 eventsPeriods of freezing rain produced light ice accumulations in southwest Minnesota from late evening of December 20th through most of December 21st. Icy roads hampered travel and resulted in a few school systems cancelling classes for December 21st. Several vehicles slid off roads.
• Heavy Snow in California, December 21 to 22, 20062 eventsA Pacific storm system moved across the Southern Sierra Nevada the evening of the 2st through early the morning of the 22nd.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, December 21 to 22, 20064 eventsA light wintry mix of precipitation developed ahead of an approaching low pressure system over the Plains.
• Heavy Snow in Nevada, December 21 to 22, 20061 eventA winter storm brought heavy snow to the Elko and Spring Creek area.
• Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 21 to 22, 20061 eventA late December storm brought heavy snow to the Eastern Magic Valley. Some amounts were 7 to 8 inches 7 miles south of Burley. 6 inches were recorded in Paul, Burley and Rupert.
• Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, December 22, 20062 eventsA mixture of freezing rain and sleet caused slippery travel in parts of the Poconos on the 22nd. Several bands of light precipitation moved through the Poconos during the day on the 22nd.
• Blizzard in Alaska, December 22 to 23, 20063 eventsA strong low in the northern Gulf of Alaska produced strong north to east wind and areas of snow over the south central region of the state and northern Prince William Sound.
• Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 22 to 23, 20066 eventsRain quickly turned to snow as an upper low pressure system moved across Wisconsin. The snow caused roads to become slippery and hundreds of vehicle accidents were reported. Heavy, wet snow stuck to power lines and tree branches causing them to snap under its weight.
• Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 22 to 23, 20063 eventsLow pressure moved northeastward across the upper midwest, bringing rain and snow to northwest Wisconsin. Rain changed to heavy snow as the low passed to the east through upper Michigan, with totals ranging from 6 inches to nearly a foot.
• Heavy Snow in Michigan, December 22 to 23, 20065 eventsA storm system developing over the central Plains tracked into eastern Lake Superior early on the 23rd. This system dumped heavy snow over portions of western Upper Michigan from the evening of the 22nd continuing into the morning of the 23rd.
• Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, December 24 to 26, 200665 kt wind · 4 eventsHeavy Snow and High Wind Combination. It started with a weakening 980 MB Low over Middleton Island Saturday afternoon Dec 23rd which started snow in the Eastern Gulf area.
• Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 25 to 28, 20069 eventsA large intense storm centered over the Alaska Peninsula produced widespread blizzard conditions across most of the central and eastern Bering Sea and over the south central region of Alaska.

The snowstorm of November 29 to December 3, 2006The snowstorm of December 29, 2006 to January 1, 2007Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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