The snowstorm of December 29, 2010 to January 2, 2011

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

573

Deaths

5

Injuries

14

Damage

$343,000

Episodes

65

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 Illinois, December 27 to 29, 20102 deaths · 2 eventsA 36 year old male died in Tinley Park from hypothermia on December 28th. Low temperatures were in the lower teens. A 90 year old woman was found dead in her home in Crest Hill in Will County. The temperature inside the home was 50 degrees.
• Heavy Snow in Oregon, December 27 to 29, 20103 eventsA series of strong weather systems brought heavy snow accumulations to the north Oregon Cascades and foothills and the Cascades in Lane County.
• Winter Storm in Montana, December 28 to 30, 201018 eventsPacific moisture and cold Canadian air met over North Central Montana and produced a widespread snow event. Snow amounts in excess of 6 inches were common across the area.
• Extreme Cold in Alaska, December 28 to 29, 20102 eventsTemperatures near 30 below combined with a west wind of around 20 mph at Barter Island to produce wind chills as low as 61 below from approximately 0400AKST through 0800AKST on the 28th.
• Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 28 to 30, 20106 eventsVery heavy snow fell portions of southeast Idaho from the 28th through the morning of the 30th. Heaviest spotter reports werre 12 inches in Island Park, 10 inches in Bern, 13 inches in Holbrook, and 8 inches in Roy.
• Winter Storm in California, December 28 to 29, 20102 eventsAnother winter storm brought up to two more feet of snow in the higher elevations and snow levels were down to near 4000 feet.
• Winter Storm and Lake-Effect Snow in Utah, December 28 to 31, 201020 eventsAnother very cold and moist storm system dropped into the western United States from the Gulf of Alaska, bringing widespread snow to Utah. Heavy snow was observed all the way from Utah's northern mountains down to Utah's southern border with Arizona.
• Blizzard and Heavy Snow in New Mexico, December 29 to 30, 20101 death · $5,000 · 61 kt wind · 23 eventsStrong winds and heavy snow plagued much of western and central New Mexico on the 29th and 30th. The heavy snow began on the 29th across northwest New Mexico as a very large and cold upper level system slid southward across the Great Basin.
• Blizzard and Heavy Snow in North Dakota, December 29 to 31, 201018 eventsAn inverted trough extending north from an area of surface low pressure over the central plains, brought heavy snow to portions of west and central North Dakota from Wednesday, December 29th until early Thursday, December 30th.
• Blizzard in Alaska, December 29 to 30, 20101 eventA strong low moved along the Aleutians and Alaska Peninsula producing strong northeast wind with snow and blowing snow resulting in a blizzard.
• Winter Weather and Dense Fog in Wisconsin, December 29 to 31, 201010 injured · $338,000 · 13 eventsFog develop across western and central Wisconsin and reduced the visibility to less than mile for an extended period starting on the 29th and continuing through much of the 31st.
• Winter Storm in North Dakota, December 29 to 30, 20106 eventsA swath of 5 to 7 inches of snow fell across portions of northeast North Dakota, mainly from Minnewaukan to Pembina.
• Blizzard in New Mexico, December 29 to 30, 20102 eventsA powerful upper low digging out of the Pacific Northwest brought a strong cold front with damaging winds and heavy mountain snows to the region. Blizzard conditions were reported in many areas of Northern Grant County and the Sacramento Mountains.
• Blizzard in Nebraska, December 30 to 31, 201010 eventsA strong storm system moved off the Pacific Northwest coast and into the central Rockies and then moved northeast over the northern plains.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Wyoming, December 30 to 31, 20106 eventsA powerful winter storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds to the region. The first part of the storm produced heavy snow, especially over northern Campbell County, on Dec 30.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 30 to 31, 201028 eventsA powerful winter storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds to the region. The first part of the storm produced heavy snow on Dec 30. The main system moved across the Central Plains with additional snow and strong northwest winds on the plains on Dec 31.
• Heavy Snow in Minnesota, December 30 to 31, 20109 eventsA mild period during Christmas Week ended with a strong, slow-moving cold front. West of the front, heavy snow began throughout, north and west of the Iron Range early on the 30th and continued into the 31st.
• Winter Weather in West Virginia, December 30, 20106 eventsLow pressure was centered over the Plains while surface high was located along the Mid-Atlantic Coast. A southerly flow between these two systems caused enough overrunning for a brief period of freezing rain across the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, December 30, 20102 eventsLow pressure was centered over the Plains while surface high was located along the Mid-Atlantic Coast. A southerly flow between these two systems caused enough overrunning for a brief period of freezing rain across the Potomac Highlands of Virginia.
• Winter Weather in Maryland, December 30, 20101 eventLow pressure was centered over the Plains while surface high was located along the Mid-Atlantic Coast. A southerly flow between these two systems caused enough overrunning for a brief period of freezing rain across western Maryland.
• Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 30, 20104 injured · 4 eventsFreezing rain produced a light ice coating on driving and walking surfaces that caused several accidents and caused other vehicles to slide off roads.
• Blizzard in South Dakota, December 30, 201026 eventsA strong upper level low pressure trough and associated surface low pressure area moved across the region bringing the first of two consecutive blizzards to central and northeast South Dakota.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Colorado, December 30 to 31, 201020 eventsAnother winter storm brought moderate to heavy snow, strong winds and very cold wind chill temperatures to the mountains, foothills and northeast plains of colorado.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 30 to 31, 201010 eventsThe first in a two part winter storm produced locally 4 to 7 inches of snowfall across portions of west central Minnesota during the late morning of Thursday, December 30th, through the early morning of Friday, December 31st.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 30 to 31, 20104 eventsOn the afternoon of 12/29 arctic air was over the northern Panhandle. A strong warm front was approaching from the south associated with as storm center all the way over at the eastern Aleutians. warm over running snow continued into the morning of the 31st.
• Blizzard in Minnesota, December 30, 20102 eventsA strong upper level low pressure trough and associated surface low pressure area moved across the region bringing the first of two consecutive blizzards to west central Minnesota.
• Blizzard in Minnesota, December 30 to 31, 201013 eventsAs the storm system responsible for the winter storm on the 29th and 30th started to intensify, a surface low pressure system lifted from eastern Nebraska at noon on the 30th and tracked to near Duluth, Minnesota, by midnight.
• Blizzard in North Dakota, December 30 to 31, 201010 eventsAs the storm system responsible for the winter storm on the 29th and 30th started to intensify, a surface low pressure system lifted from eastern Nebraska at noon on the 30th and tracked to near Duluth, Minnesota, by midnight.
• Heavy Snow in Minnesota, December 30 to 31, 20109 eventsA frontal boundary hung up along a line from the Wahpeton/Breckenridge area up toward the Lake of the Woods (Minnesota). This helped to focus slightly higher snow amounts from the southern Red River Valley up toward the Lake of the Woods area.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, December 30 to 31, 201023 eventsAn upper level storm system tracking from eastern Colorado into central Nebraska brought significant snowfall to western and north central Nebraska. Strong northwest winds resulted in blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 30 to 31, 20101 eventA storm over southwest Alaska produced strong moist southerly flow into the Susitna Valley. This resulted in moderate to heavy snowfall, especially in the northern and western portions of the Susitna Valley.
• Winter Weather in Nebraska, December 30 to 31, 201024 eventsAfter a remarkably snow-free start to winter, the last few days of 2010 finally brought the first widespread accumulations of the season to South Central Nebraska, as a powerful upper level low pressure system tracked across the region, following a path from northeast Colorado…
• Winter Weather in Kansas, December 30 to 31, 20106 eventsAfter a remarkably snow-free start to winter, the last day of 2010 finally brought the first widespread accumulations of the season to North Central Kansas, as a powerful upper level low pressure system tracked along a path from northeast Colorado to southeast South Dakota.
• Blizzard in Nebraska, December 30 to 31, 20105 eventsAn upper level storm system tracking from southwest Nebraska into northeast Nebraska brought snowfall accumulations of 6 to 10 inches with blizzard conditions to portions of western Nebraska on December 31st.
• Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 31, 201018 eventsAs one winter storm event ended, hardly 14 hours passed and portions of the region were back in a second winter storm. These rare back-to-back storms ended up shutting down a good majority of events across the area.
• Blizzard in North Dakota, December 31, 201011 eventsAs one blizzard event ended, hardly 14 hours passed and portions of the region were back in a second blizzard. These rare back-to-back blizzards ended up shutting down a good majority of events across the area.
• Blizzard in Minnesota, December 31, 20106 eventsAs one blizzard event ended, hardly 14 hours passed and portions of the region were back in a second blizzard. These rare back-to-back blizzards ended up shutting down a good majority of events across the area.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 31, 201020 eventsSnowfall of 6 to 10 inches and winds gusting to over 40 mph produced widespread blizzard conditions on New Years Eve in southeast South Dakota near and west of a Pickstown to Mitchell to De Smet line.
• Blizzard in South Dakota, December 31, 201026 eventsA second stronger surface low pressure area moved across the region on New Year's Eve bringing widespread heavy snowfall along with blizzard conditions.
• Blizzard in Alaska, December 31, 20101 eventA storm moved into south central Alaska Friday, December 31st that produced strong wind and snow through the Thompson Pass area resulting in a blizzard.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, December 31, 20102 eventsA low pressure system over the Plains moved toward western Lake Superior and deposited a glaze of freezing drizzle over portions of western Upper Michigan on the 31st.
• Blizzard in Minnesota, December 31, 20102 eventsA second stronger surface low pressure area moved across the region on New Year's Eve bringing widespread heavy snowfall along with blizzard conditions.
• Cold in Nebraska, December 31, 20109 eventsAs a storm system lifted northeast toward the upper Great Lakes region, cold Arctic air wrapping around it brought dangerously cold wind chill Values to eastern Nebraska New Year's Eve and early New Years Day.
• Blizzard in Alaska, December 31, 20101 eventA strong storm moved through the eastern Bering Sea producing snow and wind that resulted in blizzard conditions in the Pribilof Islands.
• Cold in Illinois, January 1, 20111 death · 1 eventA 65 year old man died of hypothermia outside his home in Bartlett in Dupage County after being dropped off by taxi-cab. He apparently fractured his humerus after a fall due to alcohol intoxication.
• Blizzard in South Dakota, January 1, 201126 eventsA blizzard that started on New Year's Eve wound down during the morning hours of New Year's Day. Bitter cold northwest winds of 25 to 40 mph combined with additional snowfall of 6 to 10 inches brought visibilities to near zero across much of the region.
• Winter Storm in Minnesota, January 1, 201118 eventsThis event began on December 31, 2010 and carried into January 1, 2011. As one winter storm event ended, hardly 14 hours passed and portions of the region were back in a second winter storm.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in South Dakota, January 1, 201115 eventsBlizzard conditions that developed on New years Eve continued through New Years morning, abating by noon. Winds gusting to over 40 mph and fresh snow cover of 6 to 10 inches produced the blizzard conditions.
• Blizzard in North Dakota, January 1, 201111 eventsThis event began on December 31, 2010 and carried into January 1, 2011. As one blizzard event ended, hardly 14 hours passed and portions of the region were back in a second blizzard.
• Blizzard in North Dakota, January 1, 201110 eventsA strong pressure gradient persisted over central South Dakota and eastern North Dakota from December 30th and 31st, and continued to result in strong winds over 40 mph.
• Cold in Nebraska, January 1, 20117 eventsAs a storm system lifted northeast toward the upper Great Lakes region, cold Arctic air wrapping around it brought dangerously cold wind chill Values to eastern Nebraska.
• Blizzard in Minnesota, January 1, 20116 eventsThis event began on December 31, 2010 and carried into January 1, 2011. As one blizzard event ended, hardly 14 hours passed and portions of the region were back in a second blizzard.
• Blizzard in Minnesota, January 1, 20112 eventsA blizzard that started on New Year's Eve wound down across west central Minnesota during the morning hours of New Year's Day. Bitter cold northwest winds of 25 to 40 mph combined with additional snowfall of 4 to 8 inches brought visibilities to near zero across the region.
• Winter Weather and Sleet in Georgia, January 1, 20117 eventsStrong high pressure along the Atlantic coast had wedged cold air east of the Appalachian Mountains with temperatures dipping into the upper 30s near the Altamaha River in southeast Georgia.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Alaska, January 1 to 2, 20117 eventsA 960 mb low approximately 200 miles southwest of Saint Lawrence Island combined with a 1026 mb high across the northern Beaufort Sea to produce strong winds and snow along with heavy snowfall and areas of blizzard conditions along the west coast of Alaska.
• Blizzard in Minnesota, January 1, 20115 eventsThe second wave of a winter storm moved across the Upper Midwest during the mid to late afternoon of Friday December 31st, and produced locally 2 to 4 inches of snow across west central Minnesota.
• Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, January 1 to 2, 20112 eventsA low pressure trough passing over the Upper Great Lakes caused heavy lake effect snow over the Keweenaw Peninsula on the 1st and 2nd.
• Blizzard in Alaska, January 1 to 2, 20113 eventsA 960 mb low approximately 200 miles southwest of Saint Lawrence Island combined with a 1026 mb high across the northern Beaufort Sea to produce strong winds and snow along with blizzard conditions along the western and northern arctic coast as well as the central Beaufort Sea…
• Winter Storm in Montana, January 2 to 3, 20113 eventsA winter storm brought heavy snow to Chouteau County and to the Bears Paw Mountains. Snowfall amounts up to 18 inches were reported.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 2 to 3, 20111 eventPersistent westerly flow downwind of Lake Ontario produced heavy lake effect snow over northern Oneida County in central New York. Total snowfall across far northwest Oneida County near Camden ranged from 1 to 2 feet.
• Winter Storm in Utah, January 3, 20111 eventA cold upper level trough moved across far southern Utah on the morning of January 3rd, bringing quick snow accumulations to the lowest valleys of the state.
• Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, January 3 to 4, 201165 kt wind · 2 eventsA strong low in Bristol Bay produce wind and snow resulting in blizzard conditions in the Kuskokwim Delta. This same storm also produce strong wind through Portage Pass.
• Cold in Minnesota, January 3, 20111 death · 1 eventRachael Lavonna Rupert was found unresponsive lying outside her home at 8:00 am. According to the Itasca County sheriff's office, she likely slipped, fell and was unable to recuperate herself and succumbed to the cold. There is no estimate to the time of her fall.
• Winter Storm in California, January 3, 20114 eventsA cold winter storm moved across Southern California, bringing significant snowfall to both the mountains and lower elevations between the 2nd and 3rd. Snow levels dropped to around 1500 feet at the peak of the storm.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, January 3 to 4, 201110 eventsA clipper type system advanced toward the Great Lakes region from the west during the afternoon of January 3rd with snow beginning towards evening.

The Post Christmas Storm of 2010Southeastern Snowstorm of 2011Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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