The snowstorm of March 12 to 14, 2019

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

202

Deaths

5

Injuries

0

Damage

$100,000

Episodes

23

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 Washington, March 11 to 13, 20191 eventHeavy snow fell in the Cascades on the evening on March 11 and continued through the day on March 12.
• Winter Storm in California, March 12, 20191 eventA cold and unstable air mass generated heavy snow showers across the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles counties. Above 6000 feet, snowfall totals between 10 and 20 inches were reported.
• Heavy Snow and High Wind in Utah, March 13 to 14, 201963 kt wind · 11 eventsA lake effect snow band brought significant snowfall accumulations to the Salt Lake Valley and Wasatch Mountains. Other valleys across Utah also received heavy snowfall with the initial storm system.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in South Dakota, March 13 to 14, 20191 death · 24 eventsA very strong winter storm moved across the region, bringing heavy snow and blizzard conditions to much of western and south central South Dakota. Snow developed during the morning hours, with rain and snow changing to snow southeast of the Black Hills by the early afternoon.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Wyoming, March 13 to 14, 20196 eventsA very strong winter storm moved across the region, bringing heavy snow and gusty winds to portions of northeastern Wyoming. Snow developed during the morning hours. Northwest winds increased during the late morning and afternoon, with areas of blowing snow developing.
• Winter Storm in Wyoming, March 13 to 14, 20191 eventA strong upper low moved across Wyoming during the 12th and 13th. This low provided a deep upslope flow across the northern Big Horn Mountains resulting in heavy snow, strong gusty winds, as well as blowing and drifting snow.
• Blizzard in Nebraska, March 13 to 14, 20199 eventsA well deepening Colorado Low underwent bombogenesis producing widespread heavy snow and blizzard conditions across the Nebraskan Panhandle.
• Blizzard in Wyoming, March 13 to 14, 20191 eventA strong upper low moved across Wyoming during the 12th and 13th. This low provided low-level moisture to advect into Sheridan County resulting in heavy snow. In addition, tight surface pressure gradients associated with the low resulted in very gusty winds.
• Blizzard in Colorado, March 13 to 14, 20193 deaths · $100,000 · 2 eventsAn intense low pressure system developed over southern Colorado on March 13th, producing blizzard conditions at times over El Paso county(focused from later in the morning on March 13th into the afternoon of March 13th).
• Blizzard and High Wind in Colorado, March 13 to 14, 20191 death · 52 kt wind · 11 eventsA rapidly intensifying storm system or bomb cyclone brought hurricane strength winds to the northeast plains of Colorado, along with moderate to heavy snowfall. Peak wind gusts ranged from 60 to 80 mph.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, March 13 to 14, 20196 eventsWinter storm conditions occurred across Keith, Arthur, McPherson, Logan, Hooker and Thomas counties during the evening and overnight hours March 13th into the daytime hours on March 14th.
• Blizzard in Nebraska, March 13 to 14, 20196 eventsA powerful storm system produced blizzard conditions across Garden, Sheridan, Grant, and Cherry counties. Snowfall amounts ranged from 4 to 10 inches, where northwest winds gusted to 60 mph at times leading to blizzard conditions.
• Blizzard and High Wind in Colorado, March 13 to 14, 201968 kt wind · 6 eventsA powerful winter storm system moved across East Central Colorado during the afternoon from west to east. Pea size hail was reported before the onset of snow. Not long after the snow starting the high winds developed, causing the visibility to be near zero at times.
• Blizzard and High Wind in Nebraska, March 13 to 14, 201964 kt wind · 4 eventsA powerful winter storm system moved across Southwest Nebraska during the afternoon from west to east. Not long after the snow starting the high winds developed, causing the visibility to be near zero at times for Dundy County.
• Blizzard and High Wind in Kansas, March 13 to 14, 201974 kt wind · 16 eventsA powerful winter storm system moved across Northwest Kansas during the afternoon from west to east. Not long after the snow starting the high winds developed, causing the visibility to be near zero at times.
• Blizzard in South Dakota, March 13 to 14, 201924 eventsA record breaking surface low pressure area moved across the central plains and brought rain, freezing rain, sleet, heavy snow and blizzard conditions to most all of central and northeast South Dakota.
• Blizzard in North Dakota, March 13 to 14, 201911 eventsAn intense blizzard developed during the late afternoon and evening of March 13 and continued into the daytime hours of March 14. Over a foot of snow fell over parts of the James River Valley, with lesser amounts to the north and west.
• Blizzard in North Dakota, March 13 to 14, 201917 eventsA Colorado Low tracked into the Central Plains during the evening of Wednesday, March 13th, with an inverted trough extending northward along the Red River of the North. To the east of the trough, temperatures ranged in the middle 30s.
• Blizzard and High Wind in Kansas, March 13 to 14, 201952 kt wind · 10 eventsHigh winds and near blizzard conditions occurred on this Wednesday night and Thursday. On Monday and Tuesday (March 11th and 12th), a low pressure system progressed through Arizona and New Mexico. Tuesday night, this low began rapidly deepening over Colorado.
• Blizzard in Minnesota, March 14, 201910 eventsA Colorado Low tracked into the Central Plains during the evening of Wednesday, March 13th, with an inverted trough extending northward along the Red River of the North. To the east of the trough, temperatures ranged in the middle 30s.
• Winter Storm and High Wind in Nebraska, March 14, 201951 kt wind · 14 eventsA strong area of low pressure moved off the front range of the Rockies. Record moisture combined with record snowpack, on frozen ground, with thick ice in the rivers created widespread flooding with many rivers reaching moderate to major flooding.
• Blizzard in South Dakota, March 14, 20198 eventsA colossal late winter storm began to develop early in the morning of March 13, with intense low pressure across southeast Colorado by 0600CST.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, March 15 to 16, 20193 eventsModerate lake effect snow accumulated over the northwest wind snow belts of Upper Michigan from the 15th into the 16th.

The snowstorm of February 21 to 25, 2019The snowstorm of April 9 to 12, 2019Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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