The snowstorm of December 9 to 14, 2014

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

328

Deaths

2

Injuries

0

Damage

$2.6 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.

• Extreme Cold in Alaska, December 7 to 10, 20141 eventIt is likely that dangerous wind chill conditions occurred in passes of zone 205 during the 8th through the 10th, as the Howard Pass RAWS reached a wind chill of -82 before it stopped reporting wind speed on the 8th at 1539AKST.
• Winter Weather in Wisconsin, December 8, 201416 eventsA surge of relatively mild and moist air aloft over below freezing temperatures at the surface resulted in freezing rain and some sleet. A thin layer of ice on roads and sidewalks led to numerous slide-offs and accidents.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, December 8 to 9, 201422 eventsCold air damming situation as high pressure retreated to the north of the area and low pressure formed over the Mid-Atlantic region.
• Winter Weather in West Virginia, December 8 to 9, 201411 eventsCold air damming situation as high pressure retreated to the north of the area and low pressure formed over the Mid-Atlantic region.
• Winter Weather in Maryland, December 8 to 9, 201411 eventsCold air damming situation as high pressure retreated to the north of the area and low pressure formed over the Mid-Atlantic region.
• Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, December 9, 20148 eventsA wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain and even some snow in the Poconos occurred at the onset of precipitation associated with a strong nor'easter during the morning of the 9th.
• Winter Weather in Connecticut, December 9 to 11, 20142 eventsA slow moving coastal storm impacted all of northwestern Connecticut with a variety of winter weather for Tuesday, December 9th through early in the day on Thursday, December 11th. An area of low pressure developed off the Mid-Atlantic coast on Tuesday, December 9th.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in New York, December 9 to 11, 201427 eventsA slow moving coastal storm impacted all of eastern New York with a variety of winter weather starting on Tuesday, December 9th and continuing through early in the day on Thursday, December 11th.
• Winter Weather in New Jersey, December 9, 20144 eventsA wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain occurred at the onset of precipitation associated with a strong nor'easter during the morning of the 9th. Ice accumulations averaged one-tenth to one-quarter of an inch with the highest amounts over the higher terrain.
• Winter Weather in Massachusetts, December 9 to 11, 20142 eventsA slow moving coastal storm impacted all of western Massachusetts with a variety of winter weather for Tuesday, December 9th through early in the day on Thursday, December 11th. An area of low pressure developed off the Mid-Atlantic coast on Tuesday, December 9th.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Vermont, December 9 to 11, 20143 eventsA slow moving coastal storm impacted all of southern Vermont with a variety of winter weather starting on Tuesday, December 9th and continuing through early in the day on Thursday, December 11th.
• Winter Storm in New York, December 9 to 11, 20147 eventsA strong low pressure system developed over the eastern seaboard late Monday night, December 8th.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Vermont, December 9 to 11, 2014$1.8 million · 16 eventsLow pressure moved north along the eastern seaboard on December 9th and then stalled across New England through December 11th before lifting northeast into the Canadian Maritime. This storm was comprised of three phases.
• Winter Weather in Rhode Island, December 9, 20141 eventA strong coastal storm brought wintry precipitation, heavy rain, and strong winds to much of southern New England.
• Winter Storm in New Hampshire, December 9, 20142 eventsLow pressure off the Delmarva Peninsula on the morning of the 9th drifted slowly north and northeast through the morning of the 12th.
• Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Maine, December 9 to 11, 20146 eventsLow pressure tracking north across the region brought a wintry mix to northern Maine. Precipitation expanded north through the afternoon and evening hours of the 9th. Warning criteria snow accumulations were met through the early morning hours of the 10th.
• Winter Weather in Connecticut, December 9, 20141 eventA strong coastal storm brought wintry precipitation, heavy rain, and strong winds to much of southern New England.
• Winter Storm in Maine, December 9 to 10, 20143 eventsLow pressure off the Delmarva Peninsula on the morning of the 9th drifted slowly north and northeast through the morning of the 12th.
• Winter Storm in New York, December 9 to 11, 2014$180,000 · 9 eventsLow pressure moved north along the eastern seaboard on December 9th and then stalled across New England through December 11th before lifting northeast into the Canadian Maritime. This storm was comprised of three phases.
• Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, December 10 to 11, 20143 eventsSnow wrapping around the nor'easter dropped 1 to 4 inches of snow across the Poconos mainly during the morning of the 10th and 1 to 3 inches in parts of Chester County overnight on the 10th.
• Winter Storm in New York, December 10 to 11, 2014$420,000 · 15 eventsLow pressure developed off the mid-Atlantic coast then lifted to southern New England. The nor easter brought a blanket of heavy snow to much of the region.
• Winter Weather in New Jersey, December 10, 20142 eventsSnow wrapping around the nor'easter dropped 1 to 3 inches of snow across Sussex and Warren Counties mainly during the afternoon of the 10th.
• Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, December 11, 2014$200,000 · 2 eventsAn area of low pressure over New England spread cold air and precipitation west into northwestern Pennsylvania. The relatively warm waters of Lake Erie helped enhance the snowfall.
• Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, December 11, 20148 eventsBands of snow wrapping around the nor'easter accumulated 1 to 3 inches across sections of Eastern Pennsylvania with some higher amounts in northwest Berks County mainly during the morning and afternoon of the 11th.
• Heavy Snow and High Wind in Montana, December 11 to 14, 201455 kt wind · 3 eventsMoist southwest flow associated with an upper trough in the eastern Pacific Ocean brought periods of snow to Central Montana mountains. High winds over the northern Rocky Mountains were also observed.
• Winter Weather in New Jersey, December 11, 20142 eventsSnow wrapping around the nor'easter dropped 1 to 2 inches of snow across parts of Hunterdon and Salem Counties during the mid day hours on the 11th.
• Winter Weather in Delaware, December 11, 20141 eventSnow wrapping around the nor'easter dropped around one inch of snow across parts of New Castle County during the mid day hours on the 11th.
• Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, December 11 to 12, 20145 eventsA deformation band of moderate to heavy snow persisted across the Middle Susquehanna Valley from the morning hours of December 11th through the mid afternoon hours.
• Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, December 12 to 13, 20142 eventsA light wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing drizzle occurred in the Poconos during the evening of the 12th. Mainly trace amounts fell.
• Winter Weather in West Virginia, December 13, 20141 death · 1 eventLow clouds and patchy freezing drizzle combined with temperatures around 30 degrees to cause slippery roads during this Saturday morning. Several minor vehicular accidents were reported in the Kanawha Valley. One accident lead to an indirect death in Putnam County.
• Heavy Snow and High Wind in New Mexico, December 13 to 15, 201452 kt wind · 12 eventsAn upper level low pressure system strengthened as it approached from California and swept through north central New Mexico. A subtropical moisture tap in association with this system produced heavy snow across the northern mountains on the 13th.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Colorado, December 13 to 15, 201410 eventsA storm system brought heavy snow to the North Central Mountains, then brought strong winds and heavy snow to the northeast plains of Colorado.
• Winter Weather in Nebraska, December 14 to 15, 20145 eventsA low pressure system intensified as it tracked northeast from the southern Rockies into the central Great Plains. Light to moderate snowfall and northerly winds gusting to 35 mph created hazardous travel throughout the northern Nebraska Panhandle.
• Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 14 to 15, 20141 eventA slow-moving weather system brought a band of 6 to 8 inches of snow across Yuma County, with lesser snow amounts of 2-5 inches over Kit Carson county. Areas further east in Kansas and Nebraska received moderate to heavy rainfall with little snow accumulations noted.
• Heavy Snow in Nebraska, December 14 to 15, 201411 eventsAn intense low pressure system tracked northeast into the central Great Plains. It produced heavy snowfall and gusty northerly winds up to 40 mph throughout much of the southern Nebraska Panhandle.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, December 14 to 15, 201414 eventsA strong winter storm brought rain, followed by freezing rain, sleet and snow to portions of western and north central Nebraska.
• Winter Storm in Wyoming, December 14 to 15, 20141 eventA strong disturbance within a northwest flow aloft brought some heavy snow to the Sheridan Foothills.
• Winter Weather in Nebraska, December 15, 20149 eventsAlthough minor accumulation persisted well into the day across parts of South Central Nebraska on Monday the 15th, one of the first impactful snow events of the 2014-15 winter season occurred mainly during the pre-dawn hours as generally 1-4 inches of fairly wet snow targeted…
• Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 15, 201410 eventsWarm air overriding colder air at the surface brought freezing rain to much of northeast South Dakota from the early morning to the late morning hours. Amounts ranged from a trace up to a tenth of an inch of ice. This created dangerous walking and driving conditions.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 15, 201424 eventsFreezing rain and freezing drizzle preceded snow in southeast South Dakota on December 15th. The freezing precipitation began during the predawn hours. Precipitation changed to snow during the day and the snow continued into the evening.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Nebraska, December 15 to 16, 20144 eventsA strong upper level storm system moved across Kansas and into Iowa during the day on the 15th.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Minnesota, December 15, 20148 eventsFreezing rain and freezing drizzle preceded snow in southwest Minnesota on December 15th. The freezing precipitation began during the morning hours and produced significant ice accumulations. Precipitation changed to snow during the day and light snow continued into the evening.
• Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 15, 20145 eventsAn abnormally warm second week of December kept temperatures from dropping below freezing across a large part of the Upper Midwest.
• Winter Weather in Iowa, December 15, 20144 eventsFreezing rain and freezing drizzle produced ice accumulations of less than a tenth of an inch in northwest Iowa during the daytime and early evening of December 15th. The freezing rain was followed by light snow accumulations of less than one inch.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, December 15 to 17, 20141 death · 8 eventsA low pressure system moving across the Upper Great Lakes brought a combination of moderate snow and lake enhanced snow accumulation to much of west and north central Upper Michigan from the 15th into 17th.
• Winter Storm in Alaska, December 15, 20142 eventsAn upper ridge of high pressure had moved eastward into Canada opening up for onshore flow aloft over the northern Panhandle.
• Blizzard in South Dakota, December 15, 20144 eventsAfter a coating of ice from freezing rain, the precipitation changed over to snow with 1 to 2 inches of snowfall occurring.

The snowstorm of November 26 to 28, 2014The snowstorm of January 20 to 24, 2015Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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