The snowstorm of December 29, 2006 to January 1, 2007

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

396

Deaths

15

Injuries

27

Damage

$190 million

Episodes

47

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.

• Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, December 27 to 29, 200687 kt wind · 8 eventsHigh Wind and Heavy Snow Case: A 958 MB storm center moved into the Western Gulf on the afternoon of Wed. Dec. 27th with strong warm advection over all of SE Alaska. Strong surface pressure gradients formed along the outer coast.
• Heavy Snow in Montana, December 27 to 28, 20064 eventsAn upper level low moving over northcentral Montana and a surface low over northeast Wyoming interacted to bring heavy snow to portions of central and southwest Montana. Snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to 12 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Utah, December 28, 20063 eventsA strong cold front brought significant snowfall to the I-15 Corridor from Fillmore to Cedar City as well as the adjacent mountains.
• Heavy Snow in Wyoming, December 28, 20061 eventA storm system moved off the Pacific Northwest Coast and across Montana and Northern Wyoming during the last week of the month. Rain developed during the evening of the 27th and changed to snow during the early morning hours of the 28th.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Colorado, December 28 to 30, 200631 eventsHeavy snow and blizzard conditions impacted the western mountains...and the eastern mountains and southeast plains of southern Colorado. Wind gusts exceeded 55 mph...snow amounts reached up to 48 inches...and snow drifts noted as high as 18 feet.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Colorado, December 28 to 30, 2006$102,000 · 15 eventsAnother slow moving storm system moved from the Desert Southwest and into the Texas Panhandle.
• Heavy Snow in Texas, December 28 to 29, 20061 eventA strong upper level storm system moved east across New Mexico and combined with deep moisture and cold temperatures to produce a half a foot of snow over parts of the Davis Mountains.
• Blizzard and Ice Storm in Texas, December 28 to 31, 20066 deaths · 5 injured · $100,000 · 11 eventsA strong and vigorous upper low moved across the Rockies and produced heavy snow and blizzard conditions along with freezing rain to the western and central Texas panhandle.
• Blizzard and Ice Storm in Oklahoma, December 28 to 30, 20061 injured · $11 million · 9 eventsA strong and vigorous upper low moved across the Rockies and brought strong winds and heavy snow to the Oklahoma panhandle.
• Winter Storm in Wyoming, December 28 to 29, 20062 eventsThe second snowstorm in about a week affected southeast Wyoming, with the heaviest snow over the extreme southeastern part.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, December 29 to 30, 20061 injured · $95,000 · 16 eventsA powerful winter storm moved out of the southern rockies and into western and north central Nebraska on Friday, December 29th. Due to abundant moisture drawn in from the Gulf of Mexico, significant snow accumulations occurred.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in New Mexico, December 28 to 31, 200619 eventsRecord snows measuring in feet instead of the usual inches developed across central and northeastern New Mexico as an upper level closed low remained nearly stationary for about 36 hours over southwest areas of the state.
• Winter Storm in Kansas, December 29 to 31, 2006$87 million · 13 eventsA second, major winter storm within one week brought a large area of heavy snowfall to all of eastern Colorado, southwest Nebraska and western Kansas.
• Winter Storm in Colorado, December 29 to 30, 20063 eventsA second, major winter storm within one week brought a large area of heavy snowfall to all of eastern Colorado, southwest Nebraska and western Kansas.
• Winter Storm in Kansas, December 29 to 31, 200620 eventsA widespread devastating storm produced total precipitation from 2 to 4+ over much of Southwest Kansas.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, December 29 to 31, 20061 injured · 3 eventsA second, major winter storm within one week brought a large area of heavy snowfall to all of eastern Colorado, southwest Nebraska and western Kansas.
• Blizzard in Alaska, December 29 to 30, 20061 eventA strong front moved to the North Gulf Coast producing snow and wind through Thompson Pass resulting in a blizzard.
• Ice Storm in Nebraska, December 29 to 31, 2006$71 million · 23 eventsA wide variety of significant winter weather began impacting portions of south central Nebraska during the day on Friday (12/29) and continued through Saturday night (12/30), before exiting the area on Sunday (12/31).
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Nebraska, December 29 to 31, 20061 death · $19 million · 11 eventsA large low pressure system moved out of the southwest United States and brought a mix of wintry precipitation to eastern Nebraska. Ahead of the system, abundant moisture fed north into Nebraska with storm total rain amounts of 1 inch or more common over all of eastern Nebraska.
• Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 29 to 30, 200613 injured · $340,000 · 10 eventsRain, freezing rain, and snow spread into southeast South Dakota late Friday December 29th and early Saturday December 30th.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Texas, December 29 to 30, 20065 eventsThe extreme southwestern Texas Panhandle and the northwestern South Plains received a glancing blow from a powerful winter storm during the overnight hours of 29th and the morning hours of the 30th.
• Heavy Snow in South Dakota, December 29 to 30, 200616 eventsAn upper level trough of low pressure moving across northern South Dakota from the late evening on December 29th through the late evening of December 30th along with deep and strong frontogenesis brought heavy snowfall to central and north central South Dakota and parts of…
• Ice Storm in Kansas, December 30 to 31, 2006$2.1 million · 5 eventsA wide variety of significant winter weather began impacting portions of north central Kansas. Freezing rain, sleet, and snow began early Saturday morning mainly along highway 183 and spread east during the day.
• Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 30, 200610 eventsAn upper level trough of low pressure moving across northern South Dakota along with deep and strong frontogenesis brought widespread snow, freezing rain, and rain to northeast South Dakota. The precipitation began as snow and freezing rain early in the morning on the 30th.
• Heavy Snow in North Dakota, December 30, 2006$110,000 · 17 eventsA unique meteorological condition led to very significant heavy snow over central and eastern North Dakota on December 30, 2006. An upper level low cut off over the southwest part of the United States and transported Gulf of Mexico moisture northward.
• Winter Weather in New York, December 30, 2006$35,000 · 9 eventsA significant mid-level disturbance, with an associated weak surface low, moved southeast across the southern Adirondacks during the morning of the 30th.
• Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in North Dakota, December 30 to 31, 200618 eventsAfter many areas across eastern North Dakota had been worried about having little or no snow cover for the Christmas holiday, a late December storm system brought some ice and snow to the area.
• Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Minnesota, December 30 to 31, 20068 eventsAfter many areas across the northwest quarter of Minnesota had been worried about having little or no snow cover for the Christmas holiday, a late December storm system brought some ice and snow to the area.
• Winter Weather in Vermont, December 30, 20062 deaths · $85,000 · 13 eventsA significant mid-level disturbance, with an associated surface low, moved southeast across southern Vermont during the late morning and early afternoon on the 30th.
• Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 30 to 31, 20063 eventsPeriods of freezing rain produced light ice accumulations in part of southeast South Dakota from Huron to east of Mitchell. Roads became icy and travel was hampered.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 30 to 31, 20062 eventsAs a mature and weakening Low died out in Prince William Sound on Saturday night, Dec. 30th, a triple point low developed rapidly well to the southwest of SE Alaska.
• Ice Storm in Minnesota, December 30, 20062 eventsAn upper level trough of low pressure moving across northern South Dakota and west central Minnesota along with deep and strong frontogenesis brought mostly rain along with some freezing rain and light snow to Big Stone and Traverse counties.
• Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 30 to 31, 20062 deaths · 6 injured · 6 eventsStrong low pressure moving from the southern plains through eastern Wisconsin brought copious amounts of precipitation to northeastern Minnesota December 30th and 31st.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Kansas, December 31, 200611 eventsThe tail end of a massive storm system that earlier crippled western Kansas had just enough strength to bring a round of snow to parts of the area. Two to five inches of snow were common over the affected counties.
• Winter Weather in Kansas, December 31, 20064 deaths · 6 eventsThe back side of a strong area of low pressure brought a relatively quick round of moderate to heavy snow to portions of Central Kansas during the predawn to mid-morning hours on the 31st. Snow accumulations ranged from 3 to 5 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Iowa, December 31, 20066 eventsA strong low pressure moved out of the southern Plains into Iowa during the afternoon of the 30th into the 31st. There was very little in the way of cold air associated with the system and much of the precipitation it produced was in the form rain.
• Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 31, 200616 eventsA large storm system developed in the Southern Plains on the 29th, and then moved to extreme western Minnesota on the 30th. This surface low pressure area...then proceeded into eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin by the late evening hours on the 31st.
• Winter Weather in Iowa, December 31, 20064 eventsRain changed to snow and accumulated 2 to 5 inches in in part of northwest Iowa on New Years Eve.
• Heavy Snow in Iowa, December 31, 20062 eventsRain which spread into northwest Iowa Saturday December 30th changed to snow during the morning of December 31st.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, December 31, 20062 eventsA powerful storm system moved from the southern plains through eastern Wisconsin, bringing copious amounts of precipitation to northwest Wisconsin from December 30th through the morning of January 1st.
• Blizzard in Alaska, December 31, 20061 eventA strong front moved inland along the North Gulf Coast New Years Eve producing snow and strong wind through Thompson Pass resulting in a Blizzard.
• Winter Weather in New York, January 1, 2007$20,000 · 9 eventsA weak area of low pressure moved across Ontario and Quebec provinces in Canada during the morning and afternoon of the 1st.
• Winter Weather in Vermont, January 1, 2007$50,000 · 16 eventsA weak area of low pressure moved across Ontario and Quebec provinces in Canada during the morning and afternoon of the 1st.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, January 1, 20072 eventsA powerful storm system moved from the southern plains through eastern Wisconsin, bringing copious amounts of precipitation to northwest Wisconsin from December 30th through the morning of January 1st.
• Blizzard in Alaska, January 1, 20071 eventA strong front moved inland along the North Gulf Coast New Years Eve producing snow and strong wind through Thompson Pass resulting in a Blizzard.
• Winter Storm in Montana, January 2, 20071 eventA Pacific storm brought snow, blowing snow and damaging winds to the Northern Rocky Mountain Front. Six-hour snowfall amounts of 7 inches were measured in the warned area at a time when winds were strong.
• Extreme Cold in Alaska, January 2, 20071 eventAn occlusion moved over interior Alaska and caused sustained winds to increase enough through Anaktuvuk Pass to create Extreme Wind Chills. The lowest Wind Chill value reported, calculated from the Anaktuvuk Pass AWOS, was 62 degrees below zero.

The snowstorm of December 19 to 24, 2006The snowstorm of January 19 to 22, 2007Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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