The snowstorm of February 16 to 20, 2000

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

506

Deaths

1

Injuries

13

Damage

$1.5 million

Episodes

71

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 in Idaho, February 14, 20002 eventsHeavy snow fell across the Sawtooth Mountains and Sun Valley in the wake of a cold front that triggered the severe weather outbreak. Accumulation of 8 to 14 inches were recorded.
• Heavy Snow in North Dakota, February 15, 20001 eventA fast moving upper level system brought a narrow band of snow from Hebron North Dakota in Morton county east to Jamestown North Dakota in Stutsman county. A small area of 8 inches of snow fell at Steele North Dakota in Kidder county.
• Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, February 15, 20008 eventsA low pressure system moving east through central Wisconsin left behind a wide band of heavy snow across the northwestern counties of the state.
• Heavy Snow in Minnesota, February 15, 20006 eventsA low pressure system moving from southern Minnesota across central Wisconsin left behind a wide band of heavy snow from southern Cass county over to the Wisconsin border. Locations in and around Duluth received 7 to 10 inches, with other areas reporting between 6 and 7 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Minnesota, February 15, 20003 eventsA low pressure system moved across South Dakota into southern Minnesota, with a band of heavy snow extending into Otter Tail and Wadena counties. 6 to 8 inches of snow was reported across this area.
• Winter Storm in Michigan, February 15 to 16, 20008 eventsA storm system from the Northern Plains moved across the southern Great Lakes Region, spreading snow over the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Schools and businesses closed and some roadways were temporarily blocked.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, February 15, 20005 eventsA strong low pressure system that moved through southern Wisconsin dropped heavy snow over north central and northeast Wisconsin. The highest snowfall totals were found in Vilas county where both Presque Isle and Phelps reported 9.5 inches.
• Winter Weather in New York, February 16, 2000$6,000 · 6 eventsA storm system moved from the northern Great Lakes Tuesday evening, February 15th then into northern New York early Wednesday and then into northern Maine late Wednesday.
• Heavy Snow in New York, February 16, 2000$5,000 · 1 eventA storm system moved from the northern Great Lakes Tuesday evening, February 15th then into northern New York early Wednesday and then into northern Maine late Wednesday. Snow accumulations across the area was generally around 7 inches.
• Winter Weather in Vermont, February 16, 2000$6,000 · 6 eventsA storm system moved from the northern Great Lakes Tuesday evening, February 15th then into northern New York early Wednesday and then into northern Maine late Wednesday.
• Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, February 16, 20002 eventsSnow squalls during the morning commute made travel difficult on portions of Interstate 91 and Route 5, resulting in some 40 accidents.
• Heavy Snow in California, February 16, 20003 eventsLodgepole received 11 inches of new snow, and Mammoth Mountain reported 7 inches. Snowfall occurred in the Tehachapi Mountains below pass levels as well.
• Winter Storm in Wyoming, February 16 to 17, 200012 injured · $100,000 · 5 eventsHeavy snow fell over parts of south-central and eastern Wyoming, resulting in icy roads and numerous accidents.Interstate 80 was closed for a while between Laramie and Rawlins, Wy.
• Blizzard and Extreme Cold in Alaska, February 17 to 20, 20006 eventsModerate Low Pressure crossed the Aleutians near Nikolski on the afternoon of Feb 17, reaching the Pribilof island waters on the early morning of Feb 18.
• Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, February 17 to 18, 20005 eventsA winter storm spread a long-duration icing event across the area. Ice accumulations of between one-quarter and one-half inch were found over the five-county region during this 24-hour period.
• Heavy Snow in Colorado, February 17 to 18, 20004 eventsHeavy snow fell across portions of the North-Central Mountains, Front Range Foothills and Northeast Plains. Eldora Ski Resort received top honors with 24 inches.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 17 to 18, 200019 eventsAfter a dry and mild winter, the heaviest and most widespread snowfall of the year fell across much of south-central Nebraska on February 17 and 18. Snow amounts ranged from 4 to 9 inches over a 40 to 50 mile wide path from Cambridge to Genoa.
• Winter Storm in Iowa, February 17 to 18, 200021 eventsA major winter storm exiting the Southern Rockies moved through the Mississippi Valley and into the Great Lakes. Warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico became entrained into the storm system resulting in a variety of weather, ranging from heavy snow to freezing rain and rain.
• Winter Storm in Illinois, February 17 to 18, 200013 eventsA major winter storm exiting the Southern Rockies moved through the Mississippi Valley and into the Great Lakes. Warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico became entrained into the storm system resulting in a variety of weather, ranging from heavy snow to freezing rain and rain.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 17 to 18, 200012 eventsA mix of rain...sleet and snow moved into eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa early Thursday evening, changed over to mostly snow by late Thursday evening, then continued into late Friday morning.
• Winter Storm in Missouri, February 17 to 18, 20002 eventsA major winter storm exiting the Southern Rockies moved through the Mississippi Valley and into the Great Lakes.
• Ice Storm in Iowa, February 17 to 18, 2000$550,000 · 11 eventsThe seasons first winter storm moved across the Rockies during the day on the 17th. By evening a strong low pressure moved into Kansas. Very strong winds in the low levels of 40 to 55 knots drew moisture north from the Gulf of Mexico.
• Winter Storm in Iowa, February 17 to 18, 20002 eventsA winter storm dumped heavy snow on portions of northeast Iowa. Oelwein and Maynard (Fayette County) received 6.5 and 7 inches respectively, while amounts of 7 to 8 inches were reported in the Strawberry Point area (Clayton County).
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, February 17 to 18, 20001 eventHeavy snow accompanied a winter storm, which affected the southwest portion of Wisconsin.
• Ice Storm in Illinois, February 17 to 18, 20001 injured · 8 eventsAn ice storm affected central parts of Illinois, near the Illinois River Valley, from late in the evening on February 17th through the late afternoon hours of February 18th.
• Ice Storm in West Virginia, February 17 to 18, 20002 eventsFreezing rain developed late in the evening of the 17th and continued until shortly after daybreak on the 18th. Ice accretion of 1/4 of an inch occured on trees and power lines, with isolated 1/2 inch amounts in the higher elevations of western Greenbrier County.
• Winter Storm in Iowa, February 17 to 18, 2000$280,000 · 28 eventsThe same storm mentioned in the narrative above produced heavy snow across much of central and parts of northern Iowa. The thunderstorms that were over southern Iowa moved northeast, with the precipitation changing over to snow in central Iowa.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, February 17 to 18, 20003 events
• Ice Storm in Virginia, February 18, 20007 eventsFreezing rain developed shortly after midnight on the 18th and continued until noontime. Ice accretion on trees, power lines, and bridges was 1/4 of an inch to 3/8ths of an inch. Isolated half inch amounts were reported in Montgomery County.
• Winter Storm in Ohio, February 18 to 19, 2000$95,000 · 3 eventsLow pressure moved across Central Ohio spreading mixed precipitation across the region. The precipitation started as rain but changed to freezing rain as temperatures fell into the 20s. Ice accumulation greater than one quarter inch downed many trees and branches.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Virginia, February 18, 200017 eventsLow pressure tracked from the Mid-Mississippi Valley to Pennsylvania on the 18th, spreading a mixed bag of precipitation north of a line from Harrisonburg to Washington D.C. Light snow spread into the area before dawn then changed to freezing rain by mid-morning.
• Ice Storm in West Virginia, February 18, 2000$20,000 · 1 eventRains developed during the predawn hours, north of a warm front. Amounts of 0.3 to 0.4 fell with temperatures in the upper 20s to around 30. This caused a half inch of ice to accumulate, especially over northern sections of the county.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Maryland, February 18, 20009 eventsLow pressure tracked from the Mid-Mississippi Valley to Pennsylvania on the 18th, spreading a mixed bag of precipitation across Western and North Central Maryland. Light snow spread into the area before dawn then changed to freezing rain by mid-morning.
• Winter Storm in West Virginia, February 18, 20008 eventsLow pressure tracked from the Mid-Mississippi Valley to Pennsylvania on the 18th, spreading a mixed bag of precipitation across the Eastern Panhandle. Light snow spread into the area before dawn then changed to freezing rain by mid-morning.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, February 18, 20003 eventsA significant winter storm, only the second of the winter season, affected far southern Wisconsin for 17 to 20 hours. Maximum snowfall rates were occasonally 1/2 to 1 inch per hour. East to northeast winds of 15 to 25 mph resulted in blowing and drifting of snow.
• Ice Storm in Virginia, February 18, 20008 eventsFreezing rain developed during the predawn hours of the 18th and continued through late morning. Ice accretion on trees, power lines, and bridges was 1/4 of an inch, with isolated 1/2 inch amounts reported in Appomattox and Campbell counties.
• Heavy Snow in Illinois, February 18, 200013 eventsFrom early morning on February 18th until evening, 5 to 12 inches of snow fell across portions of northern Illinois. Co-op and airport reports indicate that the heaviest snow (12 inches) fell from around Dixon and Rochelle, northeast through the northern suburbs of Chicago.
• Winter Storm and Sleet in Pennsylvania, February 18 to 19, 200010 eventsSnow spread Eastern Pennsylvania between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. EST on Friday, February 18th. As warmer air moved in aloft as the day progressed, the snow changed to sleet and then to rain.
• Winter Storm in Michigan, February 18 to 19, 20006 eventsA weak low pressure system moved south of Michigan. However, the system had lots of gulf moisture to work with, and a band of steady light to occasionally moderate snow developed across southern lower Michigan.
• Heavy Snow in Indiana, February 18, 20002 eventsSnow, sleet, and freezing rain turned to all snow by the afternoon of February 18th and continued through evening, leaving 6 to 9 inches of snow across northern portions of Lake and Porter Counties. Crown Point in Lake County reported 9.0 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Maryland, February 18, 20002 eventsSnow spread across the Maryland Eastern Shore around 6 a.m. EST on Friday, February 18th. It changed briefly to sleet and freezing rain before changing to plain rain by noon EST.
• Heavy Snow in Delaware, February 18, 20002 eventsSnow spread across Delaware between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. EST on Friday, February 18th. It changed briefly to sleet and freezing rain before changing to plain rain by noon EST.
• Heavy Snow in New York, February 18 to 19, 200018 eventsA low pressure system moved out of the Ohio Valley on Friday the 18th spreading snow into central New York. The low then tracked across southern Pennsylvania Friday night, before weakening on Saturday the 19th.
• Winter Storm and Sleet in New Jersey, February 18 to 19, 200015 eventsSnow spread across New Jersey between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. EST on Friday, February 18th. As warmer air moved in aloft as the day progressed, the snow changed to sleet and then to rain.
• Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, February 18 to 19, 20007 eventsA low pressure system moved out of the Ohio valley on Friday the 18th spreading snow into northeast Pennsylvania. The low then tracked across southern Pennsylvania Friday night, before weakening on Saturday the 19th.
• Heavy Snow in Michigan, February 18 to 19, 20003 eventsA pair of low pressure systems moved up the Ohio Valley during the afternoon and evening of the 18th. These systems brought large amounts of moisture north from the Gulf of Mexico, producing snow across all of southeast Michigan.
• Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, February 18 to 19, 200035 eventsLow pressure developed over the Great Plains states and moved east across the Ohio Valley spreading a wintery mix of precipitation into Pennsylvania on Friday, the 18th.
• Heavy Snow in Connecticut, February 18 to 19, 20003 eventsLow pressure tracking from the Ohio Valley to the coast of southern New England brought heavy snow to north central and northeast Connecticut. Snowfall amounts up to 7 inches were reported, with the highest amounts in Hartford County.
• Winter Storm in New York, February 18 to 19, 2000$111,000 · 24 eventsAn area of low pressure developed over the Texas Panhandle on Feburary 17. The low deepened and tapped into Gulf of Mexico moisture as it tracked northeast through the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio valleys early on Feburary 18.
• Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, February 18 to 19, 200018 eventsLow pressure tracking from the Ohio Valley to the coast of southern New England brought heavy snow to much of the Bay State, with the exception of the south coast, Cape Cod, and the Islands where only 2 to 5 inches of snow fell.
• Heavy Snow in New Hampshire, February 18 to 19, 200011 eventsA large area of low pressure tracked eastward from the mid-Mississippi Valley on the 18th to the mid-Atlantic Coast on the 19th. The circulation around the low brought heavy snow to all of New Hampshire, except northern Coos County.
• Heavy Snow in New Hampshire, February 18 to 19, 20002 eventsLow pressure tracking from the Ohio Valley to the coast of southern New England brought heavy snow to southern New Hampshire. In Cheshire and Hillsborough Counties, snowfall amounts averaged between 7 and 12 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Maine, February 18 to 19, 200016 eventsA large area of low pressure tracked eastward from the mid-Mississippi Valley on the 18th to the mid-Atlantic Coast on the 19th. The circulation around the low brought heavy snow to all of western Maine, except the mountains, and the foothills of central Maine.
• Heavy Snow in Rhode Island, February 18 to 19, 20006 eventsLow pressure tracking from the Ohio Valley to the coast of southern New England brought heavy snow to much of the Ocean State, with the exception of the south coast where 3 to 5 inches of snow fell.
• Winter Storm in Connecticut, February 18 to 19, 20001 eventAn area of low pressure developed over the Texas Panhandle on February 17. The low deepened and tapped into Gulf of Mexico moisture as it tracked northeast through the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio valleys early on Feburary 18.
• Winter Storm in Vermont, February 18 to 19, 2000$80,000 · 8 eventsA storm system moved from the Ohio Valley Friday afternoon, February 18th and moved to the southern New England coast Saturday morning before reorganizing and moving out to sea. The heaviest snow fell over the eastern half of the state.
• Winter Storm in New York, February 18 to 19, 2000$30,000 · 3 eventsA storm system moved from the Ohio Valley Friday afternoon, February 18th and moved to the southern New England coast Saturday morning before reorganizing and moving out to sea. In general, between 5 and 8 inches fell across the area.
• Winter Weather in New York, February 18 to 19, 2000$5,000 · 5 eventsA storm system moved from the Ohio Valley Friday afternoon, February 18th and moved to the southern New England coast Saturday morning before reorganizing and moving out to sea. Generally between 3 and 6 inches of snow fell across the area.
• Winter Weather in Vermont, February 18 to 19, 2000$4,000 · 4 eventsA storm system moved from the Ohio Valley Friday afternoon, February 18th and moved to the southern New England coast Saturday morning before reorganizing and moving out to sea. In general, between 3 and 6 inches fell across the area.
• Winter Storm in Massachusetts, February 18 to 19, 20001 eventAn area of low pressure developed over the Texas Panhandle on February 17. The low deepened and tapped into Gulf of Mexico moisture as it tracked northeast through the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio Valleys early on Feburary 18.
• Winter Storm in Vermont, February 18 to 19, 2000$8,000 · 2 eventsAn area of low pressure developed over the Texas Panhandle on February 17. The low deepened and tapped into Gulf of Mexico moisture as it tracked northeast through the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio Valleys early on Feburary 18.
• Winter Storm in New York, February 18 to 19, 20001 death · 10 eventsWith cold air in place, as a warm front approached from the south and a weak low pressure system moved northeast along the coast, light snow developed from around 6:40 am at Westchester County Airport to 10:45 am at Westhampton Beach (in Suffolk County).
• Winter Storm in New Jersey, February 18 to 19, 20004 eventsWith cold air in place, as a warm front approached from the south and a weak low pressure system moved northeast along the coast, light snow developed from around 6:05 am at West Milford (in Western Passaic County) to 9:38 am at Teterboro Airport (in Bergen County).
• Winter Storm in Connecticut, February 18, 20004 eventsWith cold air in place, as a warm front approached from the south and a weak low pressure system moved northeast along the coast, light snow developed from around 7:30 am in Fairfield County (7:41 am at Bridgeport Airport) to around 11 am in New London County (10:50 am at Groton…
• Winter Storm in Maine, February 19, 20005 eventsLow pressure which developed along the southern New England coast tracked just east of the Gulf of Maine. The northern edge of the precipitation shield brought heavy snow to portions of Downeast Maine.
• Heavy Snow in New York, February 19, 2000$40,000 · 4 eventsLow pressure moved from the Ohio Valley to the Jersey coast spreading snow across the region. While most areas received a general four to six inches of snow, higher elevations of the Western Southern Tier and Finger Lakes received between six and ten inches.
• Heavy Snow in New York, February 20, 20001 eventNorthern Oneida county picked up an additional 4 to 8 inches of snow on the 20th due to a lake effect snowband. This brought the snowfall totals up to 10 to 18 inches.
• Blizzard and Extreme Cold in Alaska, February 20 to 26, 200051 kt wind · 6 eventsThe strong northeast winds which develop over northwest Alaska and the western Arctic of Alaska Feb. 19-21 continued as a small low developed in Kotzebue Sound on the morning of Feb. 22.
• Winter Storm in California, February 20 to 21, 2000$25,000 · 2 eventsLodgepole received 8 inches of new snow in 12 hours; Mammoth had 12 inches overnight. In addition, gusty wind caused a loss of power to about 8500 customers in the Southern Sierra Nevada between Mariposa and Madera Counties.
• Heavy Snow in New York, February 20 to 21, 2000$35,000 · 2 eventsA single band of lake effect snow developed in a cold westerly flow across Lake Ontario. The band remained stationary for six to eight hours over northern Oswego and southern Lewis counties. Over six inches fell in a 15 mile wide band with a maximum of 17 inches at Redfield.
• Blizzard and High Wind in California, February 20 to 21, 2000$60,000 · 70 kt wind · 2 eventsA 70-knot gust of wind as 12:30 AM on the 21st damaged a glider and felled a 3-foot diameter tree at Mountain Valley Airport. Subsequent reports of roof damage from high wind was also received from the California City area in the Kern County Desert.

The snowstorm of February 14 to 17, 2000The snowstorm of February 24 to 26, 2000Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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