The snowstorm of March 23 to 28, 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

458

Deaths

1

Injuries

8

Damage

None recorded

Episodes

62

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 Storm in Idaho, March 22, 20131 death · 1 eventA heavy snow shower caused slick roads and reduced visibilities on Highway 37 just north of Rockland. The conditions caused a two car collision which resulted in a fatality at around 6:15 pm on March 22nd.
• Heavy Snow in South Dakota, March 22, 20133 eventsAn upper level disturbance crossed the area during the day, bringing snow showers to much western South Dakota. Heavy snow showers developed across the Black Hills and produced snowfall rates of two to three inches per hour. The highest snowfall amounts were along U.S.
• Winter Storm in Colorado, March 22 to 23, 201312 eventsA wet early spring snowstorm brought heavy snow to parts of the Front Range Foothills, Urban Corridor and Northeast Plains. The heaviest snowfall occurred near the Front Range Foothills and Palmer Divide.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Colorado, March 22 to 24, 20133 eventsA sluggish spring snowstorm affected the area with significant snowfall over a 36-48 hour period.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Nebraska, March 22 to 24, 20133 eventsA sluggish spring snowstorm affected the area with significant snowfall over a 36-48 hour period.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Kansas, March 22 to 24, 20138 eventsA sluggish spring snowstorm affected the area with significant snowfall over a 36-48 hour period.
• Lake-Effect Snow in Utah, March 22 to 23, 20131 eventA cold storm system moved into northern Utah on March 22, setting up ideal conditions for lake effect snow overnight and into the 23rd. The area with the most significant snow accumulation from this lake effect band was the Salt Lake Valley.
• Winter Storm in Missouri, March 23 to 24, 201322 eventsA major early-spring winter storm, tracked across the Interstate 70 corridor, March 23rd through 24th, 2013. Widespread snowfall amounts of 6 to 10 inches were observed. This ranked in the 10 highest spring-time snow amounts (March 21 and later) in Kansas City history.
• Winter Weather in Texas, March 23, 20138 eventsAn upper level trough of low pressure moved through the Central Plains during evening hours of the 23rd. The lift provided by this trough coupled with the lift of a 90 to 100 MPH jet stream to initiate precipitation across the northern Texas Panhandle during the early evening.
• Winter Storm in Kansas, March 23 to 24, 20135 eventsA major early-spring winter storm tracked across the Interstate 70 corridor, March 23rd through 24th, 2013. Widespread snowfall amounts of 6 to 10 inches were observed.
• Winter Weather in Oklahoma, March 23, 20133 eventsAn upper level trough of low pressure moved through the Central Plains during the evening hours of the 23rd. The lift provided by this trough coupled with the lift from a 90 to 100 MPH jet stream to initiate precipitation across the Oklahoma Panhandle.
• Heavy Snow in Kansas, March 23 to 24, 201313 eventsA early spring winter storm clobbered parts of northeast and east central Kansas with anywhere from 5 to as much as 9 inches of heavy wet snow. The snow began to fall during the late afternoon on the 23rd and intensified overnight.
• Winter Weather in Illinois, March 24, 20137 eventsA strong late season storm system tracked from Missouri into Illinois on March 24, 2013 drawing unseasonably cold air southward.
• Winter Weather in Iowa, March 24, 20135 eventsA strong late season storm system tracked from Missouri into Illinois on March 24, 2013 drawing unseasonably cold air southward.
• Winter Weather in Missouri, March 24, 20132 eventsA strong late season storm system tracked from Missouri into Illinois on March 24, 2013 drawing unseasonably cold air southward.
• Heavy Snow in Kansas, March 24, 20131 eventA winter storm brought moderate to heavy snow to portions of extreme southeastern Kansas into central Missouri during the early morning and day time hours of March 24. Total snow accumulations ranged from 4 to 7 inches with the highest accumulations across central Missouri.
• Heavy Snow in Missouri, March 24, 201314 eventsA major spring snowstorm hit the region on Palm Sunday, 3/24/2013. 6 to 11 inches of snow fell across Central, Northeast and East Central Missouri. Thunder snow was reported in many areas with the snow falling at a rate of 2 inches per hour.
• Winter Storm in Missouri, March 24, 20135 eventsA winter storm brought moderate to heavy snow to portions of extreme southeastern Kansas into central Missouri during the early morning and day time hours of March 24. Total snow accumulations ranged from 4 to 7 inches with the highest accumulations across central Missouri.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Illinois, March 24 to 25, 20132 injured · 25 eventsA deepening area of low pressure tracking from the lower Mississippi River Valley northeastward into the Ohio River Valley brought heavy snow to central Illinois from the morning of March 24th into the pre-dawn hours of March 25th.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, March 24 to 25, 20131 eventA low pressure center moved into Prince William Sound on Sunday March 24th and then became nearly stationary through Monday March 25th.
• Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Illinois, March 24, 201315 eventsA spring snowstorm hit on Palm Sunday, 3/24/2013. 6 to 16 inches of snow fell across the region. The heaviest snow fell from parts of Calhoun County, east across Jersey, Macoupin and into Montgomery County. This area picked up from 12 to 16 inches of snow.
• Winter Storm in Indiana, March 24 to 25, 201319 eventsAn area of low pressure moved along the Ohio River during the evening of March 24 and lingered to the east of central Indiana on March 25. The result was snow, heavy in some areas, across central Indiana.
• Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Kansas, March 24, 20138 eventsA late season snow event led to widespread snow accumulations across much of southeast Kansas.
• Heavy Snow in Missouri, March 24, 20138 eventsA major spring snowstorm hit the region on Palm Sunday, 3/24/2013. 6 to 11 inches of snow fell across Central, Northeast and East Central Missouri. Thunder snow was reported in many areas with the snow falling at a rate of 2 inches per hour.
• Heavy Snow in Virginia, March 24 to 25, 201314 eventsA complicated winter storm affected the region March 24-25 with a variety of precipitation types. A strong surface and upper level system developed over the central U.S. with a secondary low forming over the southeast, and both systems tracked northeast.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in West Virginia, March 24 to 26, 201315 eventsA storm system moved northeast out of south central Kentucky during the afternoon of the 24th. The low pressure system reached northeast Ohio on the morning of the 25th. Snow began during midday on the 24th in Pocahontas County on a cooling upslope wind from the southeast.
• Winter Weather in Illinois, March 24 to 25, 20137 eventsFrom 1 to 3 inches of snow was reported across parts of southern Illinois, mainly along and northwest of a line from Marion through Mcleansboro and Fairfield. The highest accumulation of 3 inches was reported in Mount Vernon.
• Winter Weather in Ohio, March 24 to 25, 20134 eventsLow pressure moved northeast from south central Kentucky during the afternoon of the 24th. Snow began in the early afternoon across portions of southeast Ohio.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, March 24 to 25, 201323 eventsA developing low pressure system over the Southeast United States brought snow to central and eastern Virginia.
• Winter Storm in Illinois, March 24 to 25, 20133 eventsHeavy snow fell across parts of east central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of March 24th. The heavist snowfall amounts included 10.0 inches in Paxton; 8.9 inches in Milford; 7.0 inches in Chatsworth; 7.0 inches in Watseka and 5.5 inches in Fairbury.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Virginia, March 24 to 25, 201325 eventsCoastal low pressure impacted the Mid Atlantic region with snow and rain showers. Surface temperatures were marginal during the event and a sharp gradient of snowfall accumulation existed in the vicinity of Washington DC.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Maryland, March 24 to 25, 201314 eventsCoastal low pressure impacted the Mid Atlantic region with snow and rain showers. Surface temperatures were marginal during the event and a sharp gradient of snowfall accumulation existed in the vicinity of Washington DC.
• Winter Storm in West Virginia, March 24 to 25, 201311 eventsCoastal low pressure impacted the Mid Atlantic region with snow and rain showers. Surface temperatures were marginal during the event and a sharp gradient of snowfall accumulation existed in the vicinity of Washington DC.
• Winter Storm in Indiana, March 24 to 25, 20133 eventsHeavy snow fell across parts of northwest Indiana during the afternoon and evening of March 24th. The heaviest snow amounts included 7.8 inches in Remington; 7.2 inches in Rensselaer; 6.3 inches two miles north northeast of Mt.
• Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, March 24 to 25, 20133 eventsA complex low pressure system moved east across the upper Ohio Valley the evening of the 24th before the storm transitioned to a large coastal low later in the day of the 25th.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Indiana, March 24 to 25, 201320 eventsA strengthening low pressure system tracking northeast through the Ohio Valley region dropped up to a foot of heavy wet snow on northern Indiana, mainly during the evening hours of March 24th and morning hours of March 25th.
• Heavy Snow in West Virginia, March 24 to 25, 20132 eventsA complex low pressure system moved east across the upper Ohio Valley the evening of the 24th before the storm transitioned to a large coastal low later in the day of the 25th.
• Heavy Snow in Maryland, March 24 to 25, 20131 eventA complex low pressure system moved east across the upper Ohio Valley the evening of the 24th before the storm transitioned to a large coastal low later in the day of the 25th.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Ohio, March 24 to 25, 201330 eventsOn Sunday and Monday March 24th and 25th, snow and sleet along with some rain spread through the region, with significant snow found over metropolitan Dayton and to the northwest. Surface low pressure moved from the Tennessee Valley to Ohio during the overnight.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Indiana, March 24 to 25, 20135 eventsOn Sunday and Monday March 24th and 25th, snow and sleet along with some rain spread through the region, with significant snow found over metropolitan Dayton and to the northwest. Surface low pressure moved from the Tennessee Valley to Ohio during the overnight.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Ohio, March 24 to 25, 20134 eventsA strengthening low pressure system tracking northeast through the Ohio Valley region dropped between 5 and 9 inches of heavy wet snow on northwest Ohio, mainly during the morning hours of March 25th.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Kentucky, March 24 to 26, 20136 eventsLow pressure weakened over the eastern Ohio Valley and central Appalachians sending several waves of snow showers into east Kentucky. Snowfall amounts ranged from 1 to 3 inches in most valley locations, with much of this snow melting on contact with the ground and roads.
• Winter Storm in North Carolina, March 25 to 27, 20138 eventsSnow showers developed during the early morning hours of the 25th and continued off and on throughout the day.
• Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, March 25, 20133 eventsA complex area of low pressure moved northeast along the windward side of the central Appalachians, with secondary development east of the mountains along the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont and Coastal Plain.
• Heavy Snow in Virginia, March 25 to 26, 20135 eventsA strong upper level low pressure system moved Across the Upper Ohio Valley and Central Appalachians late Sunday night into Monday while pulling significantly colder air into the Southern Appalachian region.
• Heavy Snow in Tennessee, March 25 to 27, 20133 eventsA strong upper level low pressure system moved Across the Upper Ohio Valley and Central Appalachians late Sunday night into Monday while pulling significantly colder air into the Southern Appalachian region.
• Winter Weather in District of Columbia, March 25, 20131 eventCoastal low pressure impacted the Mid Atlantic region with snow and rain showers. Surface temperatures were marginal during the event and a sharp gradient of snowfall accumulation existed in the vicinity of Washington DC.
• Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Maryland, March 25, 20135 eventsA nor'easter that moved east of Maryland on the 25th dropped 2 to 5 inches of snow across the Eastern Shore with the heaviest snow in Caroline County. Most of the snow fell during the day and had difficulty accumulating when the intensity decreased.
• Winter Weather in Delaware, March 25, 20136 injured · 3 eventsA nor'easter that moved off the Delaware coast on the 25th dropped 1 to 4 inches of snow across the state with the highest snowfall in New Castle County.
• Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, March 25, 201313 eventsA nor'easter that moved east of the state on the 25th dropped 2 to 5 inches of snow in the Philadelphia western suburbs and Berks County and 1 to 3 inches of snow elsewhere across Eastern Pennsylvania including Philadelphia.
• Winter Weather in New Jersey, March 25, 201310 eventsA nor'easter that moved east of New Jersey on the 25th dropped 1 to 3 inches of snow across central and southern New Jersey with a large area of around 3 inches of snow accumulating between the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway in the southern half of the state.
• Blizzard in Alaska, March 25 to 26, 20131 eventDuring the early morning hours of March 25th a 994 mb low crossed Portage Pass and entered Prince William Sound. As the low passed over Whittier the pressure gradient rapidly increased bringing in strong Westerly winds in addition to the heavy snow that had been falling.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, March 25 to 26, 20132 eventsRain fell on the 24th. However, colder air swept into Buchanan and Dickenson Counties before dawn on the 25th. Lingering moisture deposited 1 to 3 inches of snow accumulation into the morning of the 26th.
• Winter Weather in Tennessee, March 25 to 26, 201310 eventsAs a trough of low pressure moved across Middle Tennessee during the mid to late evening hours on Monday, March 25th through the mid morning hours on Tuesday, March 26th, a significant accumulating snowfall event occurred across some counties west of and across the Cumberland…
• Winter Weather in North Carolina, March 25 to 26, 20132 eventsSnow showers developed across northern Macon County and northern Buncombe County during the late evening and continued during the overnight hours. By the time the snow tapered off during the morning of the 26th, as much as 5 inches had fallen.
• Winter Weather in Tennessee, March 26, 20131 eventA weak upper level short wave moving southeast through the region, produced around a dusting of snow across portions of southern middle Tennessee during the morning hours.
• Winter Weather in Alabama, March 26, 20133 eventsA weak upper level short wave moving southeast through the region, produced around a dusting of snow across portions of northeast Alabama during the morning hours.
• Blizzard in Alaska, March 26 to 28, 20132 eventsA large low pressure system moved along the Aleutian Islands with an occluded front ahead of it. As this front moved across the eastern Bering Sea and the southwest Alaska coast it produced blizzard conditions across that coast as well as over the Pribilof Islands.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, March 26 to 27, 20131 eventA northwest flow behind a cold front caused cold and moist air to flow over the mountains, triggering snow showers across locations along and west of the Allegheny Front.
• Winter Storm in West Virginia, March 26 to 27, 20131 eventA northwest flow behind a cold front caused cold and moist air to flow over the mountains, triggering snow showers across locations along and west of the Allegheny Front.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, March 27 to 28, 20131 eventA northwest flow behind a cold front caused cold and moist air to flow over the mountains, triggering snow showers across locations along and west of the Allegheny Front.
• Winter Weather in West Virginia, March 27 to 28, 20131 eventA northwest flow behind a cold front caused cold and moist air to flow over the mountains, triggering snow showers across locations along and west of the Allegheny Front.

The snowstorm of March 17 to 20, 2013The snowstorm of April 7 to 13, 2013Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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