The snowstorm of November 12 to 17, 2009

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

101

Deaths

0

Injuries

0

Damage

$4.8 million

Episodes

19

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 Heavy Snow in Alaska, November 11, 20095 eventsA strong 967 mb low pressure system developed over the Bering Strait on the night of the 10th, and moved near the Seward Peninsula and intensified to 956 mb on the morning of the 11th.
• Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, November 11 to 13, 20094 eventsA 955 mb near Nome at 9 am on the 11th tracked across the Seward Peninsula and slowly weakened to 982 mb near Selawik by 3 pm on the 12th.
• Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, November 11 to 12, 200971 kt wind · 2 eventsAn strong front pushed through the south central region of Alaska that produced high wind along Turnagain Arm and the Anchorage hillside. Mchugh Creek and Glenn Alps reported wind gusts of 81 and 82 mph.
• Winter Storm in Montana, November 11 to 12, 200910 eventsA moist Pacific storm system combined with a cool Canadian airmass to bring heavy snows to portions of Southwest Montana. Snow amounts in excess of 20 inches were reported. More than seventy motor vehicle accidents were reported during the event.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, November 12 to 13, 20091 eventA 992 mb low in the Northeast Gulf of Alaska produced a period of heavy snow in portions of the Upper Tanana Valley south of the Alaska Highway.
• Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, November 13 to 15, 200970 kt wind · 11 eventsA storm force low from the North Pacific Ocean deepened to 952 MB near Middleton Island on the morning of Saturday 11/14. The associated front moved onshore and through Southeast Alaska by Saturday evening.
• Winter Storm in Colorado, November 13 to 15, 200911 eventsA winter storm system generated heavy snow accumulations across portions of southern Colorado. General amounts in excess of 8 inches occurred across the eastern San Juan...La Garita...Sangre de Cristo...and Wet mountains.
• Blizzard in Alaska, November 13 to 14, 20091 eventA storm in the northern Gulf of Alaska produced strong north wind and snow across the Chugach Mountains that resulted in a blizzard through Thompson Pass.
• Heavy Snow in New Mexico, November 14 to 15, 20095 eventsA strong upper level low pressure system tracked from the Four Corners area east-southeast across New Mexico during the weekend of the 14th and 15th. As it exited the area, a strong back door cold front surged south across the eastern plains.
• Winter Storm in Colorado, November 14 to 15, 20097 eventsA storm system produced heavy snow over parts of Front Range Foothills, Urban Corridor and Palmer Divide.
• Heavy Snow in Kansas, November 15, 20096 eventsA low pressure system moved northeast from the four corners area toward the Texas Panhandle area and southern Kansas. An area of moderate to heavy snow developed across west-central Kansas during the day on Sunday, November 15.
• Blizzard in Alaska, November 15, 20091 eventStrong north flow along the Bering Sea coast produced frequent snow showers and strong northwest wind that resulted in blizzard conditions along the coast of the Kuskokwim Delta.
• Heavy Snow in Kansas, November 15 to 16, 20093 eventsA powerful storm missed most of southwest Kansas (at least the heaviest). There were still scattered reports of heavy snow in the northwest portion of the area.
• Winter Weather in Kansas, November 15 to 17, 20097 eventsA strong upper level disturbance brought accumulating snow to portions of central, east-central and southeast Kansas. Accumulations of 1 to 2 inches were common.
• Heavy Snow in Kansas, November 16, 2009$4.8 million · 9 eventsA slow moving storm system produced 6 to 12 inches of heavy wet snow across parts of Northeast Kansas. The heaviest snow and greatest impact occurred along and north of a Concordia to Hiawatha line where numerous power outages due to downed power lines were reported.
• Heavy Snow in Nebraska, November 16, 20096 eventsA large upper level low pressure system brought a heavy wet snow to far southeast Nebraska. The precipitation started as rain...mixed with then changed to snow before sunrise on the 16th and then mixed back with rain or changed over to rain later that afternoon.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, November 16 to 17, 20092 eventsArctic air was entrenched over the northern portion of Southeast Alaska. A complex area of low pressure over the Gulf of Alaska with a low moving north along the outer coast resulted in an overrunning snow event over northern Chichagof Island and the Haines area.
• Heavy Snow in Washington, November 16 to 17, 20091 eventMoist cool southwest flow accompanying a Pacific frontal system produced 18 inches of snow at Mt Baker on Nov 16-17.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, November 18, 20099 eventsWidespread frost formation resulted in slippery highways, which in turn, caused numerous accidents on the morning of the 18th. Accidents were reported all but the western counties of Upper Michigan.

The snowstorm of October 27 to 30, 2009The snowstorm of November 27 to 29, 2009Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

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