The snowstorm of December 9 to 12, 1999
A snowstorm NOAA ranked in 2 regions on its Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast.
What the offices filed during it
Winter weather episodes east of the Rockies from the day before the storm began to the day after it ended, colored by kind.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The storm by region
Each region’s thresholds are its own, so the same depth of snow counts for more in the South than in the Northeast.
| Region | Index | Category | Area with snow (sq mi) | People under snow | Above the top threshold (sq mi) | People above it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | 0.13 | Below category 1 | 114,320 | 16,216,557 | 0 | 0 |
| Upper Midwest | 0.01 | Below category 1 | 42,879 | 1,077,819 | 0 | 0 |
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.
The toll the offices filed
- Events
- 57
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Damage
- $165,000
- Episodes
- 30
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.
Episode by episode
- Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 8, 199911 inches of new snow was recorded at the DOT site just east of the town of Cordova. Most of the snow fell in 12 hours between 9am and 9pm Wednesday.
- Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 8, 1999Heavy snow warning for Zone 22 West of Yakutat. Satellite data indicated heavy snow showers were over coastal areas where no surface observations were available.
- Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, December 8 to 11, 1999Strong northwesterly winds to 60 mph were observed along the western Aleutians late Wednesday and Thursday. A strong 966 mb low, just south of Attu late Wednesday afternoon, moved east southeast then dissipated Thursday morning.
- Heavy Snow in New Mexico, December 8 to 9, 1999A swath of heavy snow developed across the central highlands eastward into the east central plains. Up to 8 inches of fresh snow was estimated across the southern Manzano Mountains.
- Heavy Snow in Texas, December 8 to 9, 1999Another upper level storm developed into the Pacific Northwest on the 7th. This storm translated into the Southern Rocky Mountains on the 8th and into the Southern Plains during the early morning hours of the 9th.
- Heavy Snow in Texas, December 8 to 9, 1999A closed upper low over central New Mexico moved east to south of the Texas panhandle during the nighttime and early morning hours. Heavy snowfall occurred across the extreme southwest and south-central Texas panhandle during this period.
- Winter Storm in California, December 9, 1999The first winter storm for many this winter season in the Northern Sierra Nevada was responsible for disrupting electrical power for 1,300 PG&E customers. A mix of rain, wet snow, and ice severed power lines mainly in western Nevada County.
- Heavy Snow in Utah, December 10, 1999Another quick shot of snow, with the higher amounts across the north. Alta received 14 inches and Snowbird 12 inches. Most northern valleys got 2-5 inches of snow. Cedar City in southwest Utah picked up 4 inches, and Brian Head got 13 inches.
- Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 11 to 12, 1999An "arctic type" low moved southward through the eastern Bering Sea to a position between Saint Paul Island and Unalaska mid-afternoon Saturday as an innocuous 1014 mb center.
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, December 10 to 11, 19997 inches of snow fell in 12 hours at an elevation of 5200 ft.
- Heavy Snow in Montana, December 11, 199910 inches at Hebgen Dam.
- Winter Storm in Vermont, December 11, 1999An area of low pressure intensified over northern Maine Friday night (December 10, 1999) and moved into New Brunswick, Canada on Saturday (December 11, 1999). Moisture wrapped around this system with snow across the area.
- Winter Storm in Vermont, December 11, 1999An area of low pressure intensified over northern Maine Friday night (December 10, 1999) and moved into New Brunswick, Canada on Saturday (December 11, 1999). Moisture wrapped around this system with snow across the area.
- Winter Weather in New York, December 11, 1999An area of low pressure intensified over northern Maine Friday night (December 10, 1999) and moved into New Brunswick, Canada on Saturday (December 11, 1999). Moisture wrapped around this system with snow across the area. Heaviest snow fell in the Adirondacks.
- Winter Weather in Vermont, December 11, 1999An area of low pressure intensified over northern Maine Friday night (December 10, 1999) and moved into New Brunswick, Canada on Saturday (December 11, 1999). Moisture wrapped around this system with snow across the area.
- Winter Weather in Vermont, December 11, 1999An area of low pressure intensified over northern Maine Friday night (December 10, 1999) and moved into New Brunswick, Canada on Saturday (December 11, 1999). Moisture wrapped around this system with snow across the area.
- Winter Weather in New York, December 11, 1999An area of low pressure intensified over northern Maine Friday night (December 10, 1999) and moved into New Brunswick, Canada on Saturday (December 11, 1999). Moisture wrapped around this system with snow across the area. Heaviest snow fell in the Adirondacks.
- Winter Weather in New York, December 11, 1999An area of low pressure intensified over northern Maine Friday night (December 10, 1999) and moved into New Brunswick, Canada on Saturday (December 11, 1999). Moisture wrapped around this system with snow across the area. Heaviest snow fell in the Adirondacks.
- Winter Weather in New York, December 11, 1999An area of low pressure intensified over northern Maine Friday night (December 10, 1999) and moved into New Brunswick, Canada on Saturday (December 11, 1999). Moisture wrapped around this system with snow across the area. Heaviest snow fell in the Adirondacks.
- Winter Weather in Vermont, December 11, 1999An area of low pressure intensified over northern Maine Friday night (December 10, 1999) and moved into New Brunswick, Canada on Saturday (December 11, 1999). Moisture wrapped around this system with snow across the area.
- Winter Weather in Vermont, December 11, 1999An area of low pressure intensified over northern Maine Friday night (December 10, 1999) and moved into New Brunswick, Canada on Saturday (December 11, 1999). Moisture wrapped around this system with snow across the area.
- Winter Weather in Vermont, December 11, 1999An area of low pressure intensified over northern Maine Friday night (December 10, 1999) and moved into New Brunswick, Canada on Saturday (December 11, 1999). Moisture wrapped around this system with snow across the area.
- Winter Storm in Vermont, December 11, 1999An area of low pressure intensified over northern Maine Friday night (December 10, 1999) and moved into New Brunswick, Canada on Saturday (December 11, 1999). Moisture wrapped around this system with snow across the area.
- Winter Weather in New York, December 11, 1999An area of low pressure intensified over northern Maine Friday night (December 10, 1999) and moved into New Brunswick, Canada on Saturday (December 11, 1999). Moisture wrapped around this system with snow across the area. Heaviest snow fell in the Adirondacks.
- Winter Weather in Vermont, December 11, 1999An area of low pressure intensified over northern Maine Friday night (December 10, 1999) and moved into New Brunswick, Canada on Saturday (December 11, 1999). Moisture wrapped around this system with snow across the area.
- Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 11 to 12, 1999Snowfall at Yakutat was 13.2 inches for a 48 hour period. Unknown how much accumulated in any period because the snow was occasionally mixed with rain.
- Winter Storm in Idaho, December 12 to 13, 1999A winter storm brought heavy snow to the mountains of Central and Eastern Idaho. Accumulation of 6 to 12 inches were reported from the Sawtooth and Boulder Mountains across the Upper Snake Highlands to the Teton Basin.
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, December 12 to 14, 1999A surge of cold air following a strong Pacific frontal system brought heavy snow to the Cascade Mtns, Cascade foothils and Coastal Mtns. Timberline reported 33 inches, Mt Hood Meadows 28 inches,and Bennett Pass 23 inches.
- Winter Weather in Maryland, December 13, 1999Light rain fell across Western Maryland from 6:00 AM through Noon on the 13th. However, temperatures at ground level were below freezing in Washington and Allegany Counties between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM, allowing the rain to freeze on impact.
- Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 13, 1999Areas of heavy snow over the Souithern Panhandle. Annette Island had 6.3 inches in 12 hours. Klawock had 6 inches in 12 hours.
More
The snowstorm of December 8 to 9, 1999The snowstorm of December 13 to 16, 1999Snow nowEvery winter storm filed
Sources
NOAA NCEI Regional Snowfall Index, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.