The snowstorm of February 2 to 5, 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

182

Deaths

2

Injuries

0

Damage

$110,000

Episodes

26

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, February 1, 20121 eventZone 212: Temperatures of 30 to 35 below combined with a north wind of 15 to 25 mph to produce wind chills as low as 66 below zero at Koyuk. The lowest wind chills were observed from approximately 0330AKST through 1030AKST on the 2nd.
• Blizzard and Avalanche in Alaska, February 1 to 3, 20121 death · $100,000 · 81 kt wind · 11 eventsA large intense north Pacific storm moved across Kodiak Island into the lower Cook Inlet and south central region of Alaska the afternoon of February 1st.
• Blizzard and Extreme Cold in Alaska, February 1 to 3, 20127 eventsA cold air mass across northern Alaska combined with a strong pressure difference between a 950 mb low in the northern Gulf of Alaska and a ridge of high pressure across eastern Russia to produce strong wind and low wind chills along parts of the west coast of Alaska.
• Winter Storm and High Wind in Alaska, February 1 to 3, 2012$10,000 · 81 kt wind · 15 eventsA monster storm developed in the western Gulf of Alaska on Wednesday 2.1. This hurricane force low deepened to 944 MB off Sand Point early in the morning then continued north slightly weakening to 953 MB near Kodiak Wednesday evening.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, February 1 to 2, 20121 eventA 945 mb low just south of Kodiak Island at 1500AKST on the 1st weakened to 963 mb over Kodiak Island by 0300AKST in the 2nd. The low produced a period of overrunning snow at Galena as moisture from the low moved over a very cold air mass that was in place across the area.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, February 2, 20121 eventAn upper disturbance moving across Lake Superior produced a band of moderate snow showers over portions of Ontonagon County on the morning of the 2nd.
• Winter Storm in Colorado, February 2 to 4, 20127 eventsA strong upper level disturbance generated heavy snow across many sections of southern Colorado.
• Heavy Snow in New Mexico, February 2 to 3, 20123 eventsAn upper level low pressure system slowly moved east along the New Mexico-Colorado border during the late night hours of the 2nd and early morning hours of the 3rd. This aided in snow shower development across northern portions of the state.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Colorado, February 2 to 4, 201216 eventsA slow moving and powerful storm system brought heavy snow to areas in and near the Front Range Foothills, with blizzard conditions over the northeastern plains of Colorado. In the Front Range Foothills, the snow piled up to over 4 feet in some areas.
• Winter Storm in Colorado, February 2 to 4, 20122 eventsA large winter storm system moved from the Central Rockies across the Central High Plains, producing a large band of four to nine inches of snow. The storm system initially began as rain in most areas, and changed to snow as temperatures cooled.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 2 to 4, 20121 eventA large winter storm system moved from the Central Rockies across the Central High Plains, producing a large band of four to nine inches of snow. The storm system initially began as rain in most areas, and changed to snow as temperatures cooled.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 3 to 4, 20121 death · 15 eventsA potent winter storm emerged from the southern Rockies and tracked from eastern Colorado across Nebraska and Kansas.
• Extreme Cold in Alaska, February 3 to 4, 20123 eventsZone 207: At Kivalina, temperatures of 28 to 31 below zero combined with a south wind of 15 to 25 mph to produce wind chills as low as 64 below zero at the Kivalina ASOS. The wind chills were 60 below or lower from approximately 0230AKST through 1700AKST on the 3rd.
• Blizzard in Alaska, February 3 to 5, 20123 eventsA strong north Pacific storm moved across the Aleutian Islands. The associated front pushed across the Pribilof Islands and produced high wind and snow that resulted in blizzard conditions.
• Winter Storm in Kansas, February 3 to 4, 20124 eventsA large winter storm system moved from the Central Rockies across the Central High Plains, producing a large band of four to nine inches of snow. The storm system initially began as rain in most areas, and changed to snow as temperatures cooled.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 3 to 4, 201224 eventsLeading up to this significant snow event, the preceding eight weeks had been unseasonably warm and dry across most of South Central Nebraska, with parts of the area likely drawing ever-closer to receiving a Category D2 (severe) drought designation from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Kansas, February 3 to 4, 20129 eventsAn upper level low passing south of the area along with strong cold advection behind a cold front allowed for moderate to heavy accumulations of snow.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Kansas, February 3 to 4, 20124 eventsLeading up to this event, the preceding 8 weeks had been unseasonably warm and dry across North Central Kansas, with parts of the area likely drawing ever-closer to receiving a Category D2 (severe) drought designation from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 3 to 4, 201217 eventsA large upper level low pressure system moved from the Rocky Mountains onto the plains. Rain developed ahead of the system and then turned to wet snow during the evening and overnight hours of February 3rd.
• Winter Storm in Iowa, February 4, 20125 eventsA large upper level low pressure system moved from the Rocky Mountains onto the plains. Rain developed ahead of the system and then turned to wet snow during the evening and overnight hours of February 3rd.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Indiana, February 4, 20125 eventsA narrow band of heavy wet snow impacted portions of northern Indiana during the morning hours of February 4th as a deepening frontal boundary set up over the area. Snowfall amounts ranged between 2 and 7 inches.
• Blizzard in Alaska, February 3 to 6, 201211 eventsA 958 mb low across the central Aleutians at 0300AKST on the 4th weakened to 971 mb near St Paul Island by 1500AKST on the 5th. The low produced blizzard conditions along much of the west coast of Alaska.
• Winter Weather in Ohio, February 4, 20122 eventsA narrow band of heavy wet snow impacted portions of northwest Ohio during the morning hours of February 4th as a deepening frontal boundary set up over the area. Snowfall amounts ranged between 2 and 5 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Iowa, February 4, 201210 eventsA strong upper level low moved northeast out of the southern Rockies into the central U.S. during the night of the 3rd into the day of the 4th. There wasn't a strong reflection at the surface with this storm.
• Winter Weather in Missouri, February 4 to 5, 20123 eventsAn upper level storm system moved across the Central Plains, during the evening and overnight hours, of February 4th through 5th, 2012. Rain transitioned over to snow, during the early morning hours of February 4th, in the extreme northwest corner of Missouri.
• Winter Weather in Kansas, February 4 to 5, 20122 eventsAn upper level storm system moved across the Central Plains, during the evening and overnight hours, of February 4th through 5th, 2012. Rain transitioned over to snow, during the late morning hours of February 4th, in Doniphan and Atchison counties.

The snowstorm of January 12 to 14, 2012The snowstorm of November 8 to 9, 2012Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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