The snowstorm of December 8 to 10, 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

240

Deaths

4

Injuries

9

Damage

$500

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.

• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 6 to 7, 20124 eventsAn upper level disturbance moved across western South Dakota during the night and early morning, bringing snow to much of the area.
• Heavy Snow in Montana, December 7 to 8, 20128 eventsA low pressure system moved through the region bringing heavy snow, mainly to higher elevations, to portions of Central and North Central Montana.
• Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, December 7, 20127 eventsA southwest flow of milder air aloft preceding a cold front and riding over at or below freezing temperatures at the surface produced light freezing rain and sleet during the morning commute on the 7th across the far northwest Philadelphia suburbs, Berks County, the Lehigh…
• Winter Weather in New Jersey, December 7, 20121 injured · 5 eventsA southwest flow of milder air aloft preceding a cold front and riding over at or below freezing temperatures at the surface produced light freezing rain and sleet during the morning commute on the 7th across the western Raritan Basin and northwest New Jersey.
• Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 7, 20123 eventsSnow, accompanied by generally light winds, accumulated 3 to 5 inches during the daytime hours on December 7th.
• Winter Weather in New York, December 7, 20121 death · 1 injured · 1 eventLight freezing rain developed in the morning as a weak warm front approached from the southwest, while surface high pressure off the New England coast provided sub-freezing air at the surface.
• Blizzard in Alaska, December 7 to 8, 20125 eventsA large intense North Pacific storm moved across the Eastern Aleutians and Alaska Peninsula December 8th.
• Heavy Snow in Washington, December 7 to 8, 20122 eventsAn exceptionally vigorous Puget Sound Convergence Zone produced very heavy snow at Stevens Pass.
• Winter Storm in South Dakota, December 8 to 9, 201214 eventsA strong area of low pressure moving across the region brought a one-two punch of heavy snow on Saturday followed by blizzard conditions on Sunday.
• Blizzard and Heavy Snow in North Dakota, December 8 to 9, 20126 eventsLow pressure moving from Montana, across South Dakota, and into the Upper Mississippi Valley brought severe winter weather to parts of west and south central North Dakota on the 8th and 9th. Up to eight inches of snow fell over McKenzie County and southern Morton County.
• Blizzard and Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 8 to 9, 201223 eventsSnowfall of 2 to 6 inches on December 8th over part of southeast South Dakota was followed by strong northwest winds gusting as high as 54 mph over more of the area on December 9th.
• Winter Storm in Alaska, December 8 to 9, 20125 eventsOn 12/7 the arctic front was over Northern Lynn Canal with high pressure over the northern Yukon into eastern B.C. This northern high build on 12/8 as a copious amount of moisture moved up from the south associated with a storm south of Dutch Harbor.
• Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 8 to 9, 20121 death · 35 eventsA slow moving storm dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of the Upper Midwest, making roads treacherous or impassable and leading to one fatal crash near Red Wing, Minnesota.
• Blizzard and Winter Weather in Minnesota, December 8 to 9, 20125 eventsSnowfall of 1 to 4 inches on December 8th over part of southwest Minnesota was followed by strong northwest winds gusting as high as 54 mph over more of the area on December 9th.
• Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 8 to 9, 20125 eventsFour to six inches of snow fell along and south of the Interstate 94 corridor in Minnesota. The highest amount, five inches, fell west at Wadena (in Wadena County) and Wendell (in Grant County).
• Winter Storm in North Dakota, December 8 to 9, 20123 eventsFour to six inches of snow fell south of the Interstate 94 corridor in North Dakota. The highest amount, six inches, fell west of Fairmount. As wind speeds increased on the 9th, visibilities due to blowing snow lowered, especially in open country.
• Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 8 to 9, 20122 eventsA strong low pressure area brought heavy snow of 6 to 11 inches to west central Minnesota. The winter storm evolved into a blizzard on the 9th. Some snowfall amounts included, 6 inches at Wheaton and 11 inches at Artichoke Lake. See blizzard entry for December 9th.
• Heavy Snow in Minnesota, December 8 to 9, 20129 eventsSnow slowly spread across northeast Minnesota as low pressure moved across central Wisconsin. The heaviest snow fell over mainly the southern parts of the forecast area, including the Twin Ports and Pine County.
• Blizzard in South Dakota, December 9, 201216 eventsA winter storm with heavy snow of 6 to 10 inches evolved into a blizzard across much of the region on Sunday, December 9th. Northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 40 to 50 mph caused widespread blowing and drifting snow with visibilities to near zero at times.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, December 9, 20129 eventsA slow moving storm dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of the Upper Midwest. The storm began in the northern Rockies, and moved eastward across South Dakota the morning of Saturday, December 8th.
• Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 9 to 10, 20127 eventsSnow slowly spread across northwestern Wisconsin as a low pressure system moved across central Wisconsin. Some snow amounts include 7 inches at Danbury and 9 to 10 inches in the Bayfield Peninsula and Sarona.
• Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 9, 20123 eventsPortions of southeast Minnesota received between 6 and 10 inches of snow on Sunday, December 9th as the first winter storm of the season impacted the area.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, December 9 to 10, 20126 injured · 7 eventsPortions of western Wisconsin received between 6 and 10 inches of snow on Sunday, December 9th as the first winter storm of the season impacted the area.
• Winter Weather in Wisconsin, December 9, 201212 eventsA complex low pressure system brought the first significant snow of the 2012/2013 winter season to much of southern Wisconsin.
• Heavy Snow and Strong Wind in New Mexico, December 9, 2012$500 · 10 eventsA potent winter storm system surged south across the northern Rockies into NM, ushering in a potent cold front and areas of heavy snow.
• Blizzard in Minnesota, December 9, 20122 eventsA winter storm evolved into a blizzard across west central Minnesota as 6 to 11 inches was blown around by northwest winds of 25 to 40 mph. Whiteout conditions occurred across much of the region shutting down travel.
• Blizzard in Minnesota, December 9, 201210 eventsDuring the morning of Sunday, December 9th, an inverted trough across eastern Minnesota, and a surface low over southwest Minnesota, combined and then intensified as the main surface low developed across the southern Great Lakes.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, December 9 to 10, 20125 eventsA weakening low pressure system moving east through Lower Michigan produced moderate snow over portions of west and central Upper Michigan from the 9th into the morning of the 10th.
• Winter Weather in Texas, December 9 to 10, 20124 eventsA strong upper level system stretching from Minnesota southwest to New Mexico and Arizona moved across the Texas Panhandle during the evening and overnight hours on December 9th.
• Winter Weather in Texas, December 9 to 10, 20121 death · 1 injured · 2 eventsFollowing a strong cold front early on the 9th, a fast-moving upper trough in northwest flow passed over the South Plains late on the 9th and early on the 10th accompanied by a very narrow, but impressive band of moderate to occasionally heavy snow.
• Heavy Snow in Montana, December 9 to 10, 20122 eventsA low pressure system brought strong winds to the Rocky Mountain Front and adjacent plains as well as new snow in the mountains of Southwest Montana.
• Ice Storm in Idaho, December 10, 20121 eventFifteen to twenty automobile accidents occurred in the Pocatello area as freezing rain began in the early morning hours on the 10th and continued through morning rush hour.
• Winter Weather in Oklahoma, December 10, 20121 death · 1 eventAn arctic front moved through Oklahoma during the evening hours on the 9th. As very cold air spilled into Oklahoma from the North, a strong upper level wave moved over southern Oklahoma and northern Texas.
• Lake-Effect Snow and Winter Weather in Michigan, December 11 to 12, 20123 eventsHeavy lake enhanced snow plastered portions of Luce County on the 11th ahead of a cold front. In the wake of the cold front...moderate to heavy lake effect snow occurred over the Keweenaw Peninsula from the 11th into the 12th.
• Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, December 11 to 12, 20122 eventsA low pressure system passed north of Lake Superior late on the 11th, with cold air already in place across Northern Michigan.
• Heavy Snow in Montana, December 11 to 12, 20122 eventsA low pressure system moving over Southwest Montana brought heavy snow to the mountains.

The snowstorm of November 9 to 13, 2012The snowstorm of December 17 to 23, 2012Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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