The snowstorm of March 15 to 18, 2014

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

333

Deaths

2

Injuries

17

Damage

None recorded

Episodes

49

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.

• Blizzard and Avalanche in Alaska, March 13 to 15, 20143 eventsA potent storm moved into western Prince William Sound overnight March 14th. Heavy snow fell over the Anchorage area from this storm. As much as 27 inches of snow fell over the Anchorage Hillside from this storm.
• Heavy Snow in Texas, March 16, 20142 eventsA shortwave trough closed off as it translated southward over New Mexico and resulted in snowfall in the higher elevations of the Davis Mountains in West Texas.
• Cold in Wisconsin, March 16, 20141 death · 1 eventThe Milwaukee County Medical Examiner reported the death of a woman from hypothermia during the morning. She was found in the driveway of her home and was determined to be intoxicated.
• Heavy Snow in Washington, March 16, 20141 eventA Pacific front produced heavy snow at Mt Baker.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Arkansas, March 16, 20141 injured · 9 eventsOn the 16th, rain fell over much of Arkansas. A cold front moved into the state at late morning and the colder air behind the front changed the rain to snow over parts of northern Arkansas on the afternoon of the 16th.
• Winter Storm in Arkansas, March 16, 20142 eventsA strong upper level disturbance moved across the Southern Plains on March 16th resulting in a large area of precipitation across the region. Rain changed to snow across northwestern Arkansas during the mid to late morning hours.
• Heavy Snow in West Virginia, March 16 to 17, 201425 eventsLate on the 16th, a low pressure storm system passed east across the Tennessee Valley, while strong high pressure was located over the Great Lakes and southern Ontario. In some counties, the precipitation started as a brief period of sleet and rain before changing to wet snow.
• Heavy Snow in Kentucky, March 16 to 17, 20144 eventsLate on the 16th, a low pressure storm system passed east across the Tennessee Valley, while strong high pressure was located over the Great Lakes and southern Ontario. The precipitation started as a brief period of sleet and rain before changing to wet snow.
• Winter Storm in Virginia, March 16 to 17, 201425 eventsTwo areas of low pressure formed south of the Mid Atlantic. Dry and cold air at the surface led to precipitation to quickly change to snow. Heavy snow fell across the region with a confined area of greater than 10 inches across the Central Foothills.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in West Virginia, March 16 to 17, 201410 eventsTwo areas of low pressure formed south of the Mid Atlantic. Dry and cold air at the surface led to precipitation to quickly change to snow. Heavy snow fell across the region with a confined area of greater than 10 inches across the Central Foothills.
• Heavy Snow in Ohio, March 16 to 17, 20142 eventsLate on the 16th, a low pressure storm system passed east across the Tennessee Valley, while strong high pressure was located over the Great Lakes and southern Ontario. Southeast Ohio was on the northern fringe of the precipitation shield.
• Winter Storm in Virginia, March 16 to 17, 20142 eventsLow pressure ejecting out of the Southern Plains sent precipitation northeast into the region early on the 17th with cold high pressure building in from the north producing a strong cold-air damming setup.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Maryland, March 16 to 17, 201415 eventsTwo areas of low pressure formed south of the Mid Atlantic. Dry and cold air at the surface led to precipitation to quickly change to snow. Heavy snow fell across the region with a confined area of greater than 10 inches across the Central Foothills.
• Heavy Snow in Delaware, March 16 to 17, 201415 injured · 4 eventsA low pressure system that traversed across the southern United States brought heavy snow to Delaware on the 16th and 17th. Snowfall averaged 3 to 8 inches with the highest amounts in the southern half of the state.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in New Jersey, March 16 to 17, 201415 eventsA low pressure system that traversed across the southern United States brought heavy snow to most of the southern half of New Jersey and measurable snow into central New Jersey. Little, if any, snow fell farther to the north in New Jersey.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Kentucky, March 16 to 17, 20147 eventsA trough of low pressure tracked east through Kentucky. Rain during the day quickly changed over to snow as colder air rushed in.
• Heavy Snow in Maryland, March 16 to 17, 20145 eventsA low pressure system that traversed across the southern United States brought heavy snow to the Maryland Eastern Shore on the 16th and 17th. Snowfall averaged 4 to 7 inches.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Ohio, March 16 to 17, 20144 eventsA trough of low pressure tracked east through Kentucky. Rain during the day quickly changed over to snow as colder air rushed in.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Virginia, March 16 to 17, 201414 eventsA complex area of low pressure developed along a stalled cold front across the Southeast United States with weak high pressure over New York, creating a mixed batch of snow and sleet across the northern sections of the Wakefield County Warning Area.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Maryland, March 16 to 17, 20144 eventsA complex area of low pressure developed along a stalled cold front across the Southeast United States with weak high pressure over New York, creating snow across the Lower Maryland Eastern Shore.
• Winter Storm in District of Columbia, March 16 to 17, 20141 eventTwo areas of low pressure formed south of the Mid Atlantic. Dry and cold air at the surface led to precipitation to quickly change to snow. Heavy snow fell across the region with a confined area of greater than 10 inches across the Central Foothills.
• Winter Weather in Maryland, March 16 to 17, 20141 eventLow pressure moving toward the Mid Atlantic States produced an area of snow across northern West Virginia and Garrett county Maryland, with heavy snow falling in Tucker county where 6 to 10 inches accumulated.
• Heavy Snow in West Virginia, March 16 to 17, 20141 eventLow pressure moving toward the Mid Atlantic States produced an area of snow across northern West Virginia and Garrett county Maryland, with heavy snow falling in Tucker county where 6 to 10 inches accumulated.
• Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, March 16 to 17, 20145 eventsA low pressure system that traversed across the southern United States brought snow into southeastern Pennsylvania on the 17th. Snowfall in Philadelphia and its nearby suburbs averaged 1 to 4 inches. Little if any snow fell farther to the north in Pennsylvania.
• Heavy Snow and High Wind in Montana, March 17 to 21, 201470 kt wind · 18 eventsA series of disturbances in a moist, westerly flow moved through the region generating mostly terrain-based periods of heavy snow. With a strong westerly flow, some high winds were also reported.
• Heavy Snow in Minnesota, March 17 to 19, 20143 eventsHeavy snow fell across a small part of far eastern Aitkin County and a small part of extreme southern Carlton County as well as Pine County. Snowfall amounts ranged from 8 to 11 inches. Snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to a little over 9 inches.
• Winter Weather in North Carolina, March 17 to 18, 201414 eventsA slow moving low pressure system combined with weak cold air damming to produce an extended period of light freezing rain along the eastern Blue Ridge escarpment, as well as the northern foothills and Piedmont of North Carolina.
• Winter Weather in North Carolina, March 17, 201421 eventsIn the midst of a late season cold air damming event, multiple waves of low pressure developed and tracked northeast along a stalled front just off the southeast coast.
• Winter Weather in North Carolina, March 17 to 18, 20144 eventsSub-freezing air that gradually oozed south across the North Carolina Piedmont caused light rain to change to freezing rain during the early afternoon along the I-85 corridor. By late evening, many areas reported around 0.10 inch of ice accretion, with pockets of higher amounts.
• Heavy Snow in Wyoming, March 17 to 18, 20142 eventsAn upper low over Idaho brought an upslope flow resulting in heavy snow to the Big Horn Mountains and adjacent foothills.
• Winter Storm in South Dakota, March 17 to 18, 20143 eventsA low pressure system passed over the Northern Plains, bringing rain and snow to much of western South Dakota. Rain quickly changed to snow over the northern Black Hills area during the evening, with occasionally heavy snow during the night.
• Winter Storm in Wyoming, March 17 to 18, 20141 eventA low pressure system passed over the Northern Plains and produced heavy snow over portions of the Bear Lodge Mountains. Rain quickly changed to snow in the evening, with occasionally heavy snow during the night.
• Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, March 17 to 19, 20147 eventsHeavy snow fell across a large part of northwestern Wisconsin. Snowfall amounts ranged from 8 to 11 inches. Snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to a little over 9 inches. Some specific amounts include 11 inches at Drummond, 9 inches near Hayward and 7 inches in Washburn.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, March 17 to 19, 20147 eventsA low pressure system tracking through the Great Lakes region dropped moderate snow over portions of west and central Upper Michigan from the 17th into the 19th.
• Winter Storm in Minnesota, March 18, 201415 eventsA storm system which began across the Northern Rockies Monday, dived southeast over the Plains, and organized across the Upper Midwest Tuesday and Tuesday night, March 18th. Initially, light snow began across west central and central Minnesota after midnight, Tuesday.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, March 18, 20149 eventsAn intense late season storm brought moderate to heavy snow and very strong northwesterly winds to the western Nebraska Panhandle. Snow totals ranged from 4 to as much as 15 inches over the northwest Panhandle.
• Heavy Snow in South Dakota, March 18, 20143 eventsA surface low pressure area moving off to the east brought some heavy snow into far northeast South Dakota. A narrow band of heavy snow set up across this area bringing from 6 to 11 inches of snow.
• Heavy Snow in Minnesota, March 18, 20141 eventA strong area of surface low pressure moving across the region brought a heavy snow band into west central Minnesota. Snowfall amounts included, 6 inches in Correll.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, March 18, 201414 eventsA wedge of high pressure was across the Mid Atlantic. Low level moisture and sub freezing temperatures led to freezing drizzle and freezing rain across the Central Foothills, Shenandoah Valley, Piedmont and Southern Maryland.
• Winter Weather in Maryland, March 18, 20141 eventA wedge of high pressure was across the Mid Atlantic. Low level moisture and sub freezing temperatures led to freezing drizzle and freezing rain across the Central Foothills, Shenandoah Valley, Piedmont and Southern Maryland.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Nebraska, March 18, 20148 eventsA cold front was advancing east across central Nebraska around dawn on this Tuesday. Low pressure was along the front over Kansas and was moving east. The front continued eastward through the daytime hours and was at the Iowa border by sunset.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in South Dakota, March 18, 201411 eventsSnowfall became heavy in a narrow band extending from Pickstown northeast to just west of Mitchell and just west of Brookings. The snow fell during the late morning and afternoon of March 18th. Accumulations varied from 4 to 10 inches along the axis of this band.
• Winter Storm in Nebraska, March 18, 20141 death · 1 injured · 3 eventsA winter storm brought heavy snow to portions of central and north central Nebraska on March 18, 2014. As the storm system moved east heavy snow bands developed that led to snowfall amounts from 6 to 9 inches in portions of Rock, Blaine, Loup, and Custer counties.
• Winter Weather in Minnesota, March 18, 20142 eventsSnow accumulated 3 to 5 inches in parts of Lincoln and Lyon Counties in southwest Minnesota during the late morning and afternoon of March 18th. North winds gusting to 30 mph caused a few areas of blowing snow and some minor drifting.
• Heavy Snow in Washington, March 19, 20141 eventA Pacific front produced heavy snow at Mt Baker.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, March 19, 201414 eventsA wedge of high pressure was located across the region. Overrunning air air masses led to showers and drizzle to from while temperatures were sub freezing at the surface. Freezing rain and drizzle occurred along and surrounding the Blue Ridge.
• Winter Weather in West Virginia, March 19, 20142 eventsA wedge of high pressure was located across the region. Overrunning air air masses led to showers and drizzle to from while temperatures were sub freezing at the surface. Freezing rain and drizzle occurred along and surrounding the Blue Ridge.
• Winter Weather in Maryland, March 19, 20142 eventsA wedge of high pressure was located across the region. Overrunning air air masses led to showers and drizzle to from while temperatures were sub freezing at the surface. Freezing rain and drizzle occurred along and surrounding the Blue Ridge.
• Heavy Snow in New Hampshire, March 19 to 20, 20145 eventsLow pressure moved from the Mid-West into southeastern Canada from the 19th through the 21st as a secondary low developed off the New England Coast and moved northeast.

The snowstorm of February 27 to March 4, 2014The snowstorm of November 9 to 11, 2014Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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