The snowstorm of March 18 to 24, 2010

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

306

Deaths

3

Injuries

39

Damage

$337,000

Episodes

30

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 Montana, March 18 to 19, 20101 eventA Pacific storm brought heavy snow to Gallatin County. Snow accumulations in excess of 6 inches was reported.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Kansas, March 19 to 21, 201020 injured · $127,000 · 26 eventsAn intense late winter/early spring winter storm spread wintry precipitation and heavy snow across much of southeast Kansas from the evening hours of the 19th through the morning hours of the 21st.
• Heavy Snow in New Mexico, March 19 to 20, 201013 eventsAs winter was officially drawing to a close, yet another blast of snow impacted New Mexico, primarily over the central mountains and adjacent eastern high plains.
• Heavy Snow in Iowa, March 19 to 20, 20109 eventsA shortwave moved southeast into the central U.S. during the 19th into the 20th. The system intensified over the southern Plains during the overnight hours into the 20th. A cold front slipped southeast across Iowa during the afternoon and evening of the 19th.
• Winter Weather in Iowa, March 19 to 20, 201021 eventsLow pressure moving along a stationary front from east Texas into the Ohio Valley produced a widespread light snow event on March 20, 2010, the first day of spring.
• Winter Storm in Kansas, March 19 to 21, 20107 eventsA powerful, dynamic, and long duration winter storm, welcomed the arrival of Spring to the Missouri River Valley for March 19th through March 21st, 2010.
• Winter Storm in Missouri, March 19 to 21, 20107 eventsA powerful, dynamic, and long duration winter storm, welcomed the arrival of Spring to the Missouri River Valley for March 19th through March 21st, 2010.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Oklahoma, March 19 to 21, 20101 death · 6 injured · 26 eventsA strengthening upper level storm system moved east-southeastward from northeast New Mexico to near the Red River and the Arklatex.
• Winter Weather in Wisconsin, March 19 to 20, 20107 injured · 11 eventsA typical winter weather event deposited 1 to 4 inches of snow across southern Wisconsin overnight March 19th into the morning hours of March 20th. The snow had a snow:water ratio of 10 to 1 to 12 to 1.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Texas, March 19 to 20, 201018 eventsSnowfall began to overspread portions of west Texas during the late evening of the 19th and persisted through the morning hours of the 20th.
• Winter Weather in Illinois, March 19 to 20, 201013 eventsLow pressure moving along a stationary front from east Texas into the Ohio Valley produced a widespread light snow event on March 20, 2010, the first day of spring.
• Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Kansas, March 19 to 21, 20108 eventsA slow moving storm system brought heavy wet snow to much of Northeast and East Central Kansas over an extended period of time. The snow began just before midnight on Friday March 19th across much of the area.
• Winter Weather in Missouri, March 20, 20102 eventsLow pressure moving along a stationary front from east Texas into the Ohio Valley produced a widespread light snow event on March 20, 2010, the first day of spring.
• Winter Weather in Texas, March 20, 20104 eventsA powerful cold front, combined with a strong upper level storm system allowed for rain to change to snow over parts of northern Texas. The snowfall did not last long, and wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph did not allow for the snow to accumulate easily.
• Winter Storm in Oklahoma, March 20 to 21, 201023 eventsA strong upper level storm system moved from the Southern Rockies into the Southern Plains on the 20th and 21st while a cold front moved across the area on the 19th and 20th. Precipitation formed over the region late on the 19th.
• Winter Storm in Kansas, March 20 to 21, 20103 eventsAn intense storm system brought heavy snow along with accumulating sleet and freezing rain to southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri.
• Winter Storm in Missouri, March 20 to 21, 201019 eventsAn intense storm system brought heavy snow along with accumulating sleet and freezing rain to southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Texas, March 20 to 21, 20102 deaths · 6 injured · $210,000 · 10 eventsThe last snow event of the memorable winter season of 2009-2010 occurred on the night of March 20th. The highest storm total snowfall was 8 inches in Collin County where a narrow band of heavy snow persisted through much of the night.
• Winter Storm in Arkansas, March 20 to 21, 20107 eventsA strong upper level storm system moved from the Southern Rockies into the Southern Plains on the 20th and 21st while a cold front moved across the area on the 19th and 20th.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Arkansas, March 20 to 21, 20104 eventsA cold front moved into western Arkansas on the 20th. The passage of the front replaced mild air with much colder air.
• Winter Weather in Texas, March 21, 201014 eventsAn early spring winter storm affected portions of the region over the first official weekend of spring. A potent upper level low pressure wrapped in cold arctic air at the same time tapping into moisture and wrapping it around the north and west side of the low.
• Winter Weather in Arkansas, March 21, 20104 eventsAn early spring winter storm affected portions of the region over the first official weekend of spring. A potent upper level low pressure wrapped in cold arctic air at the same time tapping into moisture and wrapping it around the north and west side of the low.
• Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, March 21, 20101 eventAn early spring winter storm affected portions of the region over the first official weekend of spring. A potent upper level low pressure wrapped in cold arctic air at the same time tapping into moisture and wrapping it around the north and west side of the low.
• Winter Weather in North Carolina, March 22 to 23, 201013 eventsSnow showers developed over the mountains during the early afternoon, and continued into the evening hours. Total snowfall ranged from trace amounts in the valleys, to as much as 4 inches at the highest peaks.
• Heavy Snow and High Wind in Maine, March 23 to 24, 20104 eventsLow pressure tracking across the Gulf of Maine brought heavy snow to northwestern Maine through the 23rd into the morning of the 24th. Storm total snow accumulations ranged from 5 to 9 inches.
• Winter Storm in Alaska, March 23 to 24, 20102 eventsArctic air moved over the northern Panhandle from a 1017 MB high over the Yukon Territory on the night of 3/21. Warm moist air aloft moved over SE Alaska from the southwest starting on the morning of 3/23 bringing heavy snow into the evening of 3/23.
• Winter Storm in Colorado, March 23 to 24, 201021 eventsA winter storm produced localized snow drifts up to 4 feet as well as heavy snow over a large portion of southern Colorado.
• Heavy Snow in New Mexico, March 23 to 24, 20108 eventsAs two upper level storm systems merged over New Mexico and moved into the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles, wrap around precipitation once again left northeast New Mexico with several inches of snow on the ground. Strong and gusty winds also resulted in blowing and drifting snow.
• Heavy Snow in Texas, March 24 to 25, 20106 eventsA slow moving upper storm system produced heavy snow across the northern Texas Panhandle during the nighttime hours on March 24 through the day on March 25. There were no reports of damages or injuries.
• Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, March 24 to 25, 20101 eventAn upper low pressure system moved across the Panhandles during the early morning hours on the March 25. Heavy snow fell across the extreme northwest Texas Panhandle. No damage or injuries were reported.

The snowstorm of March 11 to 15, 2010The snowstorm of March 22 to 25, 2010Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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