The snowstorm of January 29 to 31, 2013

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

567

Deaths

3

Injuries

29

Damage

$1.6 million

Episodes

86

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 Ohio, January 27 to 28, 20138 eventsLight freezing rain spread north into the region ahead of a warm front during the evening hours of January 27th. Ice accretions near a tenth of an inch were common.
• Winter Weather in West Virginia, January 28, 20131 eventA warm front well in advance of low pressure across the Great Lakes produced a mix of winter precipitation across eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, western Pennsylvania, and Garrett county Maryland.
• Ice Storm in Maryland, January 28, 20131 eventA warm front well in advance of low pressure across the Great Lakes produced a mix of winter precipitation across eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, western Pennsylvania, and Garrett county Maryland.
• Winter Weather in Ohio, January 28, 20131 eventA warm front well in advance of low pressure across the Great Lakes produced a mix of winter precipitation across eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, western Pennsylvania, and Garrett county Maryland.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, January 28, 201321 eventsHigh pressure was slow to move off the Atlantic Coast and sub freezing air was trapped on the leeward side of the Appalachian Mountains.
• Winter Weather in Maryland, January 28, 201315 eventsHigh pressure was slow to move off the Atlantic Coast and sub freezing air was trapped on the leeward side of the Appalachian Mountains.
• Winter Weather in West Virginia, January 28, 201311 eventsHigh pressure was slow to move off the Atlantic Coast and sub freezing air was trapped on the leeward side of the Appalachian Mountains.
• Ice Storm in Pennsylvania, January 28, 20134 eventsA warm front well in advance of low pressure across the Great Lakes produced a mix of winter precipitation across eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, western Pennsylvania, and Garrett county Maryland.
• Winter Weather in District of Columbia, January 28, 20131 eventHigh pressure was slow to move off the Atlantic Coast and sub freezing air was trapped on the leeward side of the Appalachian Mountains.
• Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, January 28, 20132 deaths · 13 eventsA wintry mix of precipitation affected the Poconos throughout the day on the 28th and the rest of Eastern Pennsylvania into the early afternoon of the 28th.
• Winter Weather in Maryland, January 28, 20135 eventsA wintry mix of precipitation affected the Eastern Shore of Maryland during the early morning of the 28th before changing to all rain later that morning. The effects of the wintry mix increased farther north along the Eastern Shore.
• Winter Weather in Delaware, January 28, 20134 eventsA wintry mix of precipitation affected Delaware during the early morning of the 28th before changing to all rain later that morning. The effects of the wintry mix increased farther north in the state. All places away from the immediate coast had at least some freezing rain.
• Winter Weather in New Jersey, January 28, 20136 eventsA wintry mix of precipitation affected northwest New Jersey throughout the day on the 28th and west central New Jersey during the morning of the 28th.
• Heavy Snow in Oregon, January 28 to 29, 20133 eventsStrong onshore flow produced heavy snow across the Oregon Cascades.
• Heavy Snow in Washington, January 28 to 29, 20132 eventsStrong onshore flow produced heavy snow across the South Washington Cascades.
• Winter Storm in South Dakota, January 28 to 29, 201314 eventsA low pressure system moving slowly across the region produced a moderate to heavy band of snow across much of central and northeastern South Dakota. Snowfall rates were greater than one inch per hour in some locations.
• Heavy Snow in Minnesota, January 28 to 29, 201312 eventsA band of heavy snow fell across portions of southeast North Dakota up toward the Bemidji, Minnesota area. Reports of six to twelve inches of snow were common from Forman and Wahpeton Breckenridge up through Bemidji.
• Heavy Snow in North Dakota, January 28 to 29, 20134 eventsA band of heavy snow fell across portions of southeast North Dakota up toward the Bemidji, Minnesota area. Reports of six to twelve inches of snow were common from Forman and Wahpeton Breckenridge up through Bemidji.
• Heavy Snow in Minnesota, January 28 to 29, 20134 eventsA low pressure system tracked across Southern Minnesota January 28th, 2013. This brought some snow across Northern Minnesota with the heaviest snowfall of 8 to 12 inches in a swath from Bemidji to International Falls.
• Heavy Snow in North Dakota, January 28 to 29, 20132 eventsLow pressure lifting northeast across the Central Plains brought a band of heavy snow to the far southern James River Basin of North Dakota during the afternoon and evening of the 28th. Snow eventually ended early on the morning of the 29th.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, January 29, 201314 eventsWarm moist air lifting over the area ahead of an approaching cold front produced widespread light freezing rain over much of Upper Michigan on the morning of the 29th. Many schools were closed or delayed as a result of the freezing rain.
• Winter Storm in Utah, January 29 to 31, 20134 eventsA couple of weather disturbances moved through Utah on January 29 and 30, bringing more snow to northern Utah.
• Winter Storm in Alaska, January 29, 20134 eventsStrong arctic high pressure was established over central ALCAN at 1043 MB on the morning of 1/28 driving cold northerly flow through mountain passes and Lynn Canal. The high moved to the southeast on 1/29 as a moisture-laden frontal system moved into the eastern Gulf.
• Heavy Snow in New Mexico, January 29 to 30, 20134 eventsA slow-moving, moist upper level storm system pushed across New Mexico delivering strong winds along and east of the central mountain chain and heavy snow for portions of the northern mountains.
• Winter Weather in Kansas, January 29 to 30, 20135 eventsBetween the late afternoon of Tuesday the 29th and the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday the 30th, the majority of the six-county area received a widespread 2 to 5 inches of snow. The only exception was Phillips County, most of which measured only 1-2.
• Winter Weather in Nebraska, January 29 to 30, 20135 eventsBetween the late afternoon of Tuesday the 29th and the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday the 30th, southeast portions of the area received a widespread 2 to 5 inches of snow, with very localized higher amounts up to 6 inches.
• Winter Weather in Texas, January 29, 201322 eventsAn upper level trough of low pressure moved across the Texas Panhandle on January 29th and caused snow showers during the afternoon and overnight hours.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Nebraska, January 29 to 30, 20133 eventsAn upper level disturbance tracking across the plains caused low pressure to deepen as it tracked from northern Oklahoma into northeast Missouri. Snow, occasionally moderate and even briefly heavy, fell from late on the 29th into the morning hours of the 30th.
• Winter Weather in Oklahoma, January 29, 20131 eventAn upper level trough of low pressure moved across the Oklahoma Panhandle on January 29th and caused snow showers during the afternoon and overnight hours.
• Heavy Snow in Montana, January 29 to 31, 20137 eventsHeavy snowfall was reported at many locations across Central and South Central Montana.
• Heavy Snow in Iowa, January 29 to 30, 20132 eventsAn upper level disturbance tracking across the plains caused low pressure to deepen as it tracked from northern Oklahoma into northeast Missouri. Snow, occasionally moderate and even briefly heavy, fell from late on the 29th into the morning hours of the 30th.
• Winter Storm in Iowa, January 29 to 30, 2013$750,000 · 30 eventsA volatile pattern was in place over the central U.S. with a strong long wave trough moving through the area. On the 29th, a strong push of warm to record warm air moved over the state.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Iowa, January 29 to 30, 201319 eventsA winter storm system lifted northeastward across Missouri and northern Illinois January 30th bringing heavy snows and strong northwest winds which occasionally gusted between 30 and 45 mph.
• Winter Weather in Kansas, January 29 to 30, 20132 eventsA storm system moved northeast across the area January 29th and 30th, 2013. On the south side of the system, showers and thunderstorms were noted mainly south of Interstate 70.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, January 30, 2013$10,000 · 8 eventsSnowfall amounts of 5 to 12 inches covered portions of western Wisconsin from a winter storm that moved through the region on January 30th.
• Winter Storm in Iowa, January 30, 20136 eventsSnowfall amounts of 4 to 10 inches covered portions of northeast Iowa from a winter storm that moved through the region on January 30th.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Michigan, January 30 to 31, 20131 death · 1 injured · $8,000 · 14 eventsA strong cold front moving through Upper Michigan produced heavy snow over the east half of Upper Michigan on the 30th, and then moderate to heavy lake effect snow and blowing snow behind the front into the 31st for portions of west and north central Upper Michigan.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, January 30, 201317 eventsA low pressure system developed along an Arctic front and moved northeast across northern Illinois. Snowfall across central and northeast Wisconsin was mostly in the 4 to 9 inch range, most of which fell in a 12-hour period.
• Winter Storm in Wisconsin, January 30, 201311 eventsHeavy snow fell over most of South-central Wisconsin and northwest portions of Southeast Wisconsin as low pressure followed a favored track from southern Missouri to eastern Lower Michigan during the day on January 30th.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Illinois, January 30, 20136 eventsA winter storm system lifted northeastward across Missouri and northern Illinois January 30th bringing heavy snows and strong northwest winds which occasionally gusted between 30 and 45 mph.
• Winter Weather in Wisconsin, January 30, 20132 injured · 9 eventsRain changed over to snow over most of Southeast Wisconsin and far southeast portions of South-central Wisconsin as low pressure followed a favored track from southern Missouri to eastern Lower Michigan during the day on January 30th.
• Blizzard in Alaska, January 30, 20131 eventA 976 mb low in the bering strait produced strong northeast winds over Saint Lawrence Island on the 29th. Blizzard conditions were reported at the Gambell ASOS during the early morning hours of the 30th. The visibility was frequently reduced to one quarter mile or less.
• Winter Storm in Wyoming, January 30 to 31, 20131 eventA moist northwest flow combined with a cold front brought accumulating snow and gusty winds across Sheridan County.
• Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, January 30 to 31, 20135 eventsA strong cold front turned mixed rain and snow over to lake effect snow showers on the night of the 30th. Those snow showers intensified during the day on the 31st, thanks to a passing upper level disturbance.
• Extreme Cold in North Dakota, January 30 to 31, 201336 eventsArctic high pressure building into the Northern Plains brought a prolonged period of dangerous wind chill temperatures to the area. Wind chills as low as 55 below zero were recorded. This wind chill event continued into February 1 for parts of the area.
• Extreme Cold in South Dakota, January 30 to 31, 201321 eventsAn Arctic high pressure settling over the region brought temperatures into the single digits and teens below zero. This cold airmass in combination with northwest winds of 10 to 20 mph caused extreme wind chill values between 35 below and 50 degrees below zero.
• Extreme Cold in North Dakota, January 31, 201312 eventsFrigid air moved into eastern North Dakota on the 31st along a thin band of clearing. Temperatures fell into the teens below zero with steady northwest winds, which kept wind chill readings around 40 below to 45 below zero.
• Winter Weather in West Virginia, January 31, 20133 eventsAn upper trough of low pressure was over the Great Lakes region. After a cold frontal passage, northwest flow produced upslope snow showers west of the Allegheny Front in the Mid Atlantic.
• Winter Weather in Maryland, January 31, 20131 eventAn upper trough of low pressure was over the Great Lakes region. After a cold frontal passage, northwest flow produced upslope snow showers west of the Allegheny Front in the Mid Atlantic.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, January 31, 20131 eventAn upper trough of low pressure was over the Great Lakes region. After a cold frontal passage, northwest flow produced upslope snow showers west of the Allegheny Front in the Mid Atlantic.
• Lake-Effect Snow in Pennsylvania, January 31, 20131 eventA very cold northwest flow over the Great Lakes produced significant lake-effect snow in the Warren County snowbelt. The lake-effect snow event ended in the evening on February 1, 2013.
• Extreme Cold in Minnesota, January 31, 20132 eventsAn Arctic high pressure settling over the region produced temperatures in the single digits to the teens below zero. This cold airmass in combination with northwest winds of 10 to 20 mph caused wind chill values to range between 35 below to 40 degrees below zero.
• Cold in Nebraska, January 31, 20139 eventsArctic high pressure building southeast across the northern plains brought nearly steady temperatures in the single digits to northeast Nebraska and west central Iowa much of Jan. 31st.
• Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, January 31, 20132 eventsModerate to heavy lake effect snow showers accumulated to between 6 and 10 inches in spots January 31st into the morning hours of February 1st.
• Cold in Iowa, January 31, 20133 eventsArctic high pressure building southeast across the northern plains brought nearly steady temperatures in the single digits to northeast Nebraska and west central Iowa much of Jan. 31st.
• Lake-Effect Snow in Indiana, January 31, 20131 eventModerate to heavy lake effect snow showers accumulated to between 5 and 9 inches in spots January 31st into the morning hours of February 1st.
• Winter Weather in Kentucky, January 31, 20133 eventsSnow showers across the Ohio Valley brought one to two inches of accumulating snowfall. Cold air funneled into the region and numerous roadways were closed due to accidents from icy buildups, particularly in the Cincinnati metropolitan area.
• Winter Weather in Indiana, January 31, 201310 injured · $400,000 · 1 eventA number of heavy snow squalls moved across portions of central Indiana during the afternoon of the 31st of January as a weak frontal boundary pushed across the area. One particular snow squall may have been a part of what caused a 40-car pile-up on Interstate 70.
• Winter Weather in Ohio, January 31, 201312 eventsSnow showers across the Ohio Valley brought one to two inches of accumulating snowfall. Cold air funneled into the region and numerous roadways were closed due to accidents from icy buildups, particularly in the Cincinnati metropolitan area.
• Winter Weather in Indiana, January 31, 20133 eventsSnow showers across the Ohio Valley brought one to two inches of accumulating snowfall. Cold air funneled into the region and numerous roadways were closed due to accidents from icy buildups, particularly in the Cincinnati metropolitan area.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 31, 2013$10,000 · 1 eventA rapidly deepening storm system moved eastward from Lake Huron and tracked north of Lake Ontario to southwestern Quebec. The system was followed by a westerly flow of very cold air across the still unfrozen Great Lakes which triggered lake effect snows downwind of Lake Ontario.
• Heavy Snow in West Virginia, January 31, 20131 eventA fast moving clipper system moved south of the Upper Ohio valley brushing areas from Pittsburgh south with snow. Across Tucker county much higher amounts of a very dry and fluffy snow fell.
• Winter Weather in Tennessee, January 31, 201313 eventsAs a low pressure system swept rapidly southeastward from the Ohio River Valley across the Tennessee Valley during the late evening hours on Thursday, January 31st, a band of snow showers quickly entered western and central portions of Middle Tennessee, as temperatures began…
• Winter Storm in Ohio, February 1, 2013$250,000 · 3 eventsAn arctic cold front moved across the Upper Ohio Valley early on January 31st. Cold westerly winds behind the cold front caused lake effect snow showers to develop before daybreak on the 31st.
• Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, February 1, 2013$150,000 · 2 eventsAn arctic cold front moved across the Upper Ohio Valley early on January 31st. Cold westerly winds behind the cold front caused lake effect snow showers to develop before daybreak on the 31st.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, February 1 to 3, 2013$53,000 · 6 eventsA rapidly deepening storm system moved eastward from Lake Huron and tracked north of Lake Ontario to southwestern Quebec.
• Winter Weather in North Carolina, February 1, 20138 eventsSnow showers developed across the mountains around midnight and continued off and on through the morning hours.
• Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, February 1 to 2, 20137 eventsA prolonged Lake Effect Snow Event began late on January 31st with impacts being first felt midday February 1st. S0me locations saw continuous snow for 72 hours, though the greatest impacts were felt from midday to midnight February 1st.
• Lake-Effect Snow and Winter Weather in Michigan, February 1, 20133 eventsModerate to heavy lake effect snow fell over west and north central Upper Michigan on the 1st.
• Winter Weather in Kentucky, February 1, 20133 eventsA quick moving clipper system and associated arctic boundary brought snow showers and snow squalls to eastern Kentucky from Thursday Evening January 31st, to the predawn hours of Friday February 1st.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, February 1, 20131 eventA cold westerly flow produced significant lake effect snowfall in northern Oneida county in central New York.
• Lake-Effect Snow in Pennsylvania, February 1, 20131 eventA very cold northwest flow over the Great Lakes produced significant lake-effect snow in the Warren County snowbelt. This was a continuing lake-effect snow event from January 31, 2013.
• Heavy Snow in West Virginia, February 1, 20131 eventA fast moving clipper system moved south of the Upper Ohio valley brushing areas from Pittsburgh south with snow. Across Tucker county much higher amounts of a very dry and fluffy snow fell.
• Heavy Snow in West Virginia, February 1, 20135 eventsAn arctic cold front swept through during the early morning hours on the 1st. The on and off snow showers, that fell during Jan 31st, became a steadier heavier snow by 0000E. The snow diminished to snow showers by 1000E.
• Winter Weather in Kentucky, February 1, 20134 eventsAn arctic cold front swept through during the early morning hours on the 1st. The on and off snow showers, that fell during Jan 31st, became a steadier snow after 0000E. The snow diminished to snow showers by dawn.
• Extreme Cold in North Dakota, February 1, 201313 eventsArctic high pressure building into the Northern Plains brought a prolonged period of dangerous wind chill temperatures to the area. Wind chills as low as 55 below zero were recorded. This extreme cold event started January 30. Please see January's Storm Data.
• Extreme Cold in North Dakota, February 1, 201312 eventsThis event continued over from January 31st. Temperatures from 15 below to 25 below zero combined with northwest winds of 10 to 15 mph to produce wind chill readings around 40 below zero. As winds became light by the early morning hours of the 1st, the warning was cancelled.
• Winter Weather in Tennessee, February 1, 20138 eventsAs a continuation of an event that started during the late evening hours on Thursday, January 31st, a low pressure system that had swept rapidly southeastward from the Ohio River Valley across the Tennessee Valley during the late evening hours on Thursday, January 31st, bringing…
• Winter Weather in Maryland, February 1, 20138 eventsA clipper system moved through the Mid Atlantic in the early morning hours and produced advisory level snowfall in the Baltimore and Washington DC metro areas.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, February 1, 20137 eventsA clipper system moved through the Mid Atlantic in the early morning hours and produced advisory level snowfall in the Baltimore and Washington DC metro areas.
• Cold in Michigan, February 1, 20131 eventCold Arctic air invaded far western Upper Michigan on the morning of the 1st driving wind chills down as cold as 35 below zero.
• Winter Weather in District of Columbia, February 1, 20131 eventA clipper system moved through the Mid Atlantic in the early morning hours and produced advisory level snowfall in the Baltimore and Washington DC metro areas.
• Winter Weather in Delaware, February 1, 201316 injured · 4 eventsA low pressure system that formed along a secondary cold front helped drop two to six inches of snow across the southern half of New Castle County, Kent County and the northern half of Sussex County during the morning of the 1st. The heaviest snowfall was right around Dover.
• Winter Weather in Maryland, February 1, 20134 eventsA low pressure system that formed along a secondary cold front helped drop 1.5 to 3.5 inches of snow across most of the Eastern Shore except for Cecil County during the morning of the 1st. The heaviest snowfall was in Queen Anne's County.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in New Jersey, February 1, 20135 eventsA low pressure system that formed along a secondary cold front dropped heavy snow in Cape May County with lesser, but still accumulating snow in Cumberland and Atlantic Counties.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, February 1 to 2, 20132 eventsA cold northwest flow over Lake Ontario produced significant lake effect snow across central New York. Snowfall amounts ranged from 7 to 10 inches.

The snowstorm of January 27 to 29, 2013The snowstorm of February 8 to 10, 2013Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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