The snowstorm of November 6 to 8, 2008
A snowstorm NOAA ranked in 2 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 | 2.92 | Category 1, Notable | 312,632 | 3,329,269 | 1,047 | 20,021 |
| Upper Midwest | 0.09 | Below category 1 | 203,587 | 15,120,473 | 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
- 166
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 3
- Damage
- $5.6 million
- Episodes
- 15
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
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in South Dakota, November 5 to 6, 2008An intense fall storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds to much of the Black Hills. The heaviest snow fell across the northern Black Hills as upslope-enhanced snow fell for many hours.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in North Dakota, November 5 to 7, 2008A significant and complex winter storm impacted much of western and central North Dakota beginning Wednesday, November 5th, and lasting into Friday, November 7th. Winter storm warnings and blizzard warnings were posted well in advance of the storm.
- Blizzard in South Dakota, November 5 to 7, 2008An intense fall storm produced blizzard conditions across the South Dakota plains for over 24 hours. Precipitation started as rain during the day and changed to heavy, wet snow during the evening of the 5th.
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, November 5 to 6, 2008An intense fall storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds to northeastern Wyoming. Snowfall across Crook and Weston Counties ranged from five to 12 inches with over a foot of snow across the Wyoming Black Hills.
- Blizzard in Wyoming, November 5 to 6, 2008An intense fall storm system brought blizzard conditions to the Colony area. Heavy snow and strong winds reduced visibility to near zero for several hours. Snowfall around one foot was reported with significant drifting.
- Blizzard in South Dakota, November 5 to 7, 2008A strong area of low pressure moving across South Dakota and into Minnesota brought widespread rain, freezing rain, and snow to central, north central, and northeast South Dakota.
- Winter Storm and High Wind in Nebraska, November 6 to 7, 2008A strong upper level low pressure system moved east across southern South Dakota on November 5th and 6th. Very strong northwest winds combined with up to 12 inches of snow to produce near whiteout conditions across Sheridan and Cherry Counties.
- Winter Storm in North Dakota, November 6 to 7, 2008The first winter storm of the season brought a combination of wind, ice, and snow to portions of eastern North Dakota. A slow moving, potent upper level low pressure system tracked from South Dakota into Minnesota.
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, November 6, 2008A powerful low pressure area over Nebraska produced snow and very strong winds over much of the Nebraska panhandle resulting in some road closures due to very low visibilities and some accidents.
- Winter Storm in South Dakota, November 6 to 7, 2008A strong area of low pressure moving across South Dakota and into Minnesota brought rain, snow, and strong winds to parts of northeast South Dakota. The precipitation initially began as rain during the daytime hours of the 6th.
- Blizzard and Winter Weather in South Dakota, November 6 to 7, 2008Snowfall mostly in the 2 to 4 inch range combined with winds sustained at over 30 mph and gusting as high as 50 mph to produce widespread blizzard conditions with near zero visibilities.
- Winter Weather in Minnesota, November 6 to 7, 2008Snowfall of 2 to 5 inches was accompanied by northwest winds gusting as high as 40 mph. This caused areas of blowing snow with local visibilities as low as a quarter mile.
- Lake-Effect Snow in Wisconsin, November 8 to 9, 2008Six to 12 inches of snow fell in the snowbelt of Iron County. Hurley measured 7 of snow, Whitecap Ski Resort near Upson reported 8 and Gile had 9.5.
- Lake-Effect Snow and Winter Weather in Michigan, November 8 to 10, 2008Locally moderate to heavy lake effect snow fell over portions of west and central Upper Michigan from the evening of the 8th through the morning of the 10th.
- Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, November 9 to 10, 2008Cold west-northwest winds brought the first substantial lake effect snow event of the season to parts of Northern Lower Michigan. Six to ten inches of snow fell in an area roughly bounded by Gaylord, Frederic, Mancelona, and Alba.
More
The snowstorm of April 10 to 13, 2008The snowstorm of December 18 to 22, 2008Snow nowEvery winter storm filed
Sources
NOAA NCEI Regional Snowfall Index, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.