The snowstorm of January 20 to 24, 2015

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

392

Deaths

2

Injuries

17

Damage

$25,000

Episodes

55

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.

• Winter Weather in Iowa, January 19, 20159 eventsFreezing rain during the early and mid morning of January 19th caused icy roads and walking surfaces in part of northwest Iowa. Ice accumulations were light.
• Blizzard in Alaska, January 19, 20151 eventA series of low pressure systems moved across Saint Lawrence Island and the Bering Strait on the 18th through the 19th of January.
• Winter Weather in Wisconsin, January 20, 20151 death · 2 eventsThe passing of a weak area of low pressure resulted in areas of freezing drizzle and light snow over portions of south central and southeast WI. There were some slide-offs and accidents, including an indirect fatality in Columbia County.
• Winter Storm in Alaska, January 20 to 21, 20151 eventA strong front moved into the Central Panhandle on the morning of January 20th which stalled on the 21st. High pressure to the north caused heavy snow for the Klondike Highway and Skagway. No damage was reported.
• Heavy Snow in New Mexico, January 21 to 22, 201528 eventsTwo upper level disturbances phased over southwestern Arizona and developed into a closed low on the 21st, moving in unison to the south and east into west central Texas by the 23rd.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Texas, January 21 to 22, 201520 eventsA vigorous weather system moving out of the Southwestern United States into the southern Plains resulted in significant snowfall across the Texas Panhandle on the 21st and 22nd.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Oklahoma, January 21 to 22, 20153 eventsA vigorous weather system moving out of the Southwestern United States into the southern Plains resulted in significant snowfall across the Oklahoma Panhandle on the 21st and 22nd.
• Winter Storm in Colorado, January 21 to 22, 20156 eventsA storm system moving across the Four-Corners area produced widespread snow...heavy at times...over much of southern Colorado. Some of the higher snow totals include 6 to 9 inches near Black Forest...Air Force Academy...Peyton...
• Winter Weather in Maryland, January 21, 201512 eventsLow pressure tracking to the north with a deepening upper level low produced scattered snow showers.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, January 21, 20153 eventsLow pressure tracking to the north with a deepening upper level low produced scattered snow showers.
• Winter Weather in Maryland, January 21, 20155 eventsA clipper low pressure system dropped 1 to 3 inches of snow across most of the Eastern Shore during the afternoon on the 21st and helped cause slippery traveling conditions that resulted in accidents.
• Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, January 21, 201510 eventsAn upper air disturbance and a weakening low pressure system over Western Pennsylania dropped 1 to 2 inches of snow across parts of the western Poconos, Berks County and the Lehigh Valley during the afternoon and early evening on the 21st.
• Winter Weather in Delaware, January 21, 201514 injured · 4 eventsA clipper low pressure system dropped 1 to 3 inches of snow across most of Delaware during the evening commute on the 21st and helped cause slippery traveling conditions that resulted in numerous accidents.
• Winter Weather in New Jersey, January 21, 20153 injured · 12 eventsA clipper low pressure system dropped 1 to 3 inches of snow across the southern half and less than an inch across the northern half of New Jersey during the afternoon and evening on the 21st. The snow helped cause slippery traveling conditions and accidents.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Texas, January 21 to 22, 201519 eventsA pair of upper level disturbances phased together on Wednesday, January 21st across the lower Rockies, serving as the large scale lifting mechanism for precipitation formation.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Oklahoma, January 21 to 22, 201511 eventsAn Arctic airmass became established across Oklahoma and north Texas late on the 21st. As a strong upper level storm system moved into the region, sufficient lift overspread the region to foster widespread light precipitation.
• Winter Weather in Texas, January 22, 20151 eventAn Arctic airmass became established across Oklahoma and north Texas late on the 21st. As a strong upper level storm system moved into the region, sufficient lift overspread the region to foster widespread light precipitation.
• Heavy Snow in Texas, January 22 to 23, 20153 eventsA potent upper level trough moving over the region resulted in heavy snowfall across portions of southeast New Mexico.
• Heavy Snow in New Mexico, January 22, 20152 eventsA potent upper level trough moving over the region resulted in heavy snowfall across portions of southeast New Mexico.
• Winter Weather in Texas, January 22 to 23, 20159 eventsAn upper level disturbance brought an area of light snow to West Central Texas as temperatures were in the lower and middle 30s.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, January 22 to 25, 20153 eventsA low pressure center in the Gulf of Alaska moved inland and to the east of Fairbanks on the 23rd of January.
• Winter Weather in Texas, January 23, 201510 eventsAn upper level trough combined with warm moist flow over cold surface air to produce snow across South Central Texas. Snow accumulated mainly on grassy areas. Snowfall totals were generally a trace; however one spot in Real County estimated two inches.
• Winter Weather in North Carolina, January 23 to 24, 20158 eventsA mix of light freezing rain and sleet developed across the northern and central mountains around daybreak on the 23rd.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, January 23, 20153 eventsA low pressure system moving through northern Ontario brought mixed precipitation and moderate wet snow to east and southeast Upper Michigan on the 23rd.
• Winter Weather in North Carolina, January 23 to 24, 20153 eventsLight freezing rain occurred within a scenario where cold air damming was taking place across the area, all while relatively warmer moisture aloft in association with a coastal low was progressing across the region.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, January 23 to 24, 201518 eventsLight freezing rain occurred within a scenario where cold air damming was taking place across the area, all while relatively warmer moisture aloft in association with a coastal low was progressing across the region.
• Winter Weather in West Virginia, January 23 to 24, 2015$25,000 · 1 eventA low pressure system moved out of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico and across Georgia during the evening of the 23rd, before moving off the coast on the 24th.
• Winter Weather in Maryland, January 23 to 24, 20155 eventsLow pressure tracking just offshore of Delmarva brought a mix of precipitation to the area as a result of cold air wedging from a retreating high pressure.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, January 23 to 24, 20154 eventsLow pressure tracking just offshore of Delmarva brought a mix of precipitation to the area as a result of cold air wedging from a retreating high pressure.
• Ice Storm and Winter Weather in West Virginia, January 23 to 24, 20152 eventsLow pressure tracking just offshore of Delmarva brought a mix of precipitation to the area as a result of cold air wedging from a retreating high pressure.
• Blizzard in Alaska, January 23, 20151 eventA 1004 mb low east of Barrow coupled with a 1028 mb high pressure center over Eastern Russia created a strong pressure gradient over the eastern Arctic slope, providing strong winds and blizzard conditions during the day of the 23rd of January 2015.
• Heavy Snow in Kentucky, January 23 to 24, 201511 eventsOn the 23rd of January, wrap-around moisture associated with low pressure moving through the Tennessee Valley brought a generally light mixture of rain and snow to southern Indiana and northern Kentucky. Temperatures were generally in the mid 30s.
• Winter Weather in West Virginia, January 23 to 24, 20155 eventsLight freezing rain occurred within a scenario where cold air damming was taking place across the area, all while relatively warmer moisture aloft in association with a coastal low was progressing across the region.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Ohio, January 23 to 24, 20156 eventsAn upper level trough of low pressure in the Great Lakes region combined with a surface trough of low pressure on the western side of the Appalachians to transition rain in the area to snow during the evening hours of the 23rd.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Kentucky, January 23 to 24, 20154 eventsAn upper level trough of low pressure in the Great Lakes region combined with a surface trough of low pressure on the western side of the Appalachians to transition rain in the area to snow during the evening hours of the 23rd.
• Winter Weather in Tennessee, January 23 to 24, 201530 eventsLight snow overspread Middle Tennessee from late on January 23 into the early morning hours on January 24. Most locations received between one half inch and 1 inch of snow, but some areas reported up to 1 and a half inches of snow in north and northwest Middle Tennessee.
• Winter Weather in Maryland, January 23 to 24, 20151 eventA low pressure system brought some measurable snow at the onset of precipitation in Cecil County on the evening of the 23rd. Precipitation started as snow between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Winter Weather in Delaware, January 23 to 24, 20151 eventA low pressure system brought some measurable snow at the onset of precipitation in New Castle County on the evening of the 23rd. Precipitation started as snow between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, January 23 to 24, 20151 eventA complex winter storm brought moderate snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches to most of central Pennsylvania, with the highest amounts ranging from 6 to 8 inches over the eastern Coal Region.
• Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in New Jersey, January 23 to 24, 201515 eventsA winter storm dropped heavy snow in Northwest New Jersey and a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain in the central and southwest part of New Jersey on the evening of the 23rd into the morning of the 24th.
• Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, January 23 to 24, 201513 eventsA winter storm dropped heavy snow in the Poconos and Lehigh Valley and a mixture of heavy snow with some sleet and freezing rain in Berks County and the far northern Philadelphia suburbs from the evening of the 23rd into the morning of the 24th.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Kentucky, January 23 to 24, 20151 death · 11 eventsAccumulating snowfall occurred across portions of eastern Kentucky from late in the evening of January 23rd through the early morning hours of January 24th. The highest snowfall totals generally occurred along and north of I-64, where up to five inches fell in Fleming County.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in New Jersey, January 24, 20158 eventsLow pressure moved out of the northern Gulf of Mexico on the morning of the 23rd, to the Mid Atlantic coast on the morning of the 24th, then rapidly intensified on its way northeast to the Canadian Maritimes the following day.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in New York, January 24, 20155 eventsLow pressure moved out of the northern Gulf of Mexico on the morning of the 23rd, to the Mid Atlantic coast on the morning of the 24th, then rapidly intensified on its way northeast to the Canadian Maritimes the following day.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Connecticut, January 24, 20154 eventsLow pressure moved out of the northern Gulf of Mexico on the morning of the 23rd, to the Mid Atlantic coast on the morning of the 24th, then rapidly intensified on its way northeast to the Canadian Maritimes the following day.
• Heavy Snow in Connecticut, January 24, 20151 eventA low pressure system developed off the North Carolina coast and moved up the east coast of the United States, bringing snow to much of southern New England.
• Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, January 24, 20159 eventsA low pressure system developed off the North Carolina coast and moved up the east coast of the United States, bringing snow to much of southern New England.
• Winter Weather in Connecticut, January 24, 20152 eventsA rapidly developing area of low pressure moved from just off the mid-Atlantic coast towards southern New England on Saturday, January 24th, 2015. With the storm remaining far enough south of the region, it only brought a glancing blow to the area.
• Winter Weather in New York, January 24, 20152 eventsA rapidly developing area of low pressure moved from just off the mid-Atlantic coast towards southern New England on Saturday, January 24th, 2015. With the storm remaining far enough south of the region, it only brought a glancing blow to the area.
• Heavy Snow in Rhode Island, January 24, 20151 eventA low pressure system developed off the North Carolina coast and moved up the east coast of the United States, bringing snow to much of southern New England.
• Heavy Snow in New Hampshire, January 24, 20153 eventsAn area of low pressure moving rapidly northeast along the East Coast on the 24th brought heavy snow to extreme southeastern New Hampshire. Snowfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches were reported in Rockingham and eastern Hillsborough Counties.
• Heavy Snow in Maine, January 24, 20151 eventAn area of low pressure moving rapidly northeast along the East Coast on the 24th brought heavy snow to Knox County. Snowfall amounts generally ranged from 4 to 8 inches.
• Heavy Snow in Maine, January 24 to 25, 20153 eventsRapidly intensifying low pressure tracked across the Gulf of Maine to Nova Scotia from the 24th into the 25th. Snow developed during the morning and early afternoon hours of the 24th then persisted into the early morning hours of the 25th.
• Winter Weather in Ohio, January 25 to 26, 201531 eventsA clipper system brought accumulating snow to the northern Ohio Valley.
• Winter Weather in Indiana, January 25 to 26, 20155 eventsA clipper system brought accumulating snow to the northern Ohio Valley.

The snowstorm of December 9 to 14, 2014The snowstorm of January 25 to 28, 2015Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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