The snowstorm of November 21 to 24, 1999
A snowstorm NOAA ranked in 3 regions on its Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northern Rockies and Plains.
What the offices filed during it
Winter weather episodes east of the Rockies from the day before the storm began to the day after it ended, colored by kind.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The storm by region
Each region’s thresholds are its own, so the same depth of snow counts for more in the South than in the Northeast.
| Region | Index | Category | Area with snow (sq mi) | People under snow | Above the top threshold (sq mi) | People above it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Rockies and Plains | 0.26 | Below category 1 | 235,473 | 3,303,191 | 0 | 0 |
| Upper Midwest | 0.20 | Below category 1 | 107,872 | 6,625,217 | 0 | 0 |
| South | 0.04 | Below category 1 | 38,161 | 276,929 | 0 | 0 |
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.
The toll the offices filed
- Events
- 46
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Damage
- None recorded
- Episodes
- 12
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.
Episode by episode
- Heavy Snow in Alaska, November 20 to 21, 1999A small low pressure center northeast of Fairbanks intensified the afternoon of the 20th while the atmosphere destabilized and moist southwest flow began over the central Tanana Valley and Southern Upper Yukon Valley.Tanana Valley:Fairbanks Airport - 6.9"Co-op StationsWest Chena…
- Heavy Snow in Utah, November 21 to 22, 1999Finally...the first major winter storm of the season for Northern Utah. Most mountain locations received 1-2 feet of fresh powder, with the Wasatch Front generally receiving 3-8 inches in the valleys, and 5 -12 inches on many benches.
- Winter Storm in Colorado, November 21 to 22, 1999The first significant upslope snow event of the season struck the Front Range Foothills, Palmer Divide and adjacent plains.
- Winter Storm in Colorado, November 22, 1999First winter storm of the season with 2-5 inches of snowfall.
- Heavy Snow in Alaska, November 22 to 23, 1999A vigorous low just west of Middleton Island remained nearly stationary Monday and Tuesday.
- Winter Storm in Kansas, November 22, 1999First Winter Storm of the season with 2-5 inches of snowfall.
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, November 22, 1999First winter storm of the season with 2-5 inches of snowfall.
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, November 23, 1999Northeast Nebraska's first heavy snow event of the 1999/2000 season dropped a narrow band of 3 to 8 inches of wet snow from just west through northeast of Norfolk.
- Heavy Snow in Minnesota, November 23, 1999Heavy snow fell over the Minnesota north shore of Lake Superior. Hovland received 12 inches, Lutsen 8 inches, with 6 inches near Grand Marais.
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, November 23, 1999Heavy snow fell along the south shore of Lake Superior. Hurley received 11 inches, Butternut 9 inches, with 7 inches reported at both Cornucopia and Lake Nebagamon.
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, November 23 to 24, 1999Low pressure moving northeast over western Lake Superior brought heavy snow to extreme western Upper Michigan. North winds 10 to 20 mph from Lake Superior enhanced the accumulations. Ironwood received 16 inches of heavy wet snow.
- Heavy Snow in Alaska, November 25, 1999Heavy snow showers over the North Gulf of Alaska moved onshore. Yakutat received 11.3 inches of snow in 12 hours.
More
The snowstorm of November 17 to 19, 1999The snowstorm of December 3 to 6, 1999Snow nowEvery winter storm filed
Sources
NOAA NCEI Regional Snowfall Index, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.