EastCoast NPZ

Easily the worst May in my memory. Worst for heat. Worst for rain. Worst for pollen.

yep.

IF??? Now, that's funny.

And I bet they think Michael Jordan was better than Wilt Chamberlain.

I didn't get anywhere close to 19". We had 2" in mid Dec. and 7" on Jan. 26. Other than that I don't remember a single significant event. Got some light snow either Christmas Eve or early Christmas morning and some flurries from the boxing day fiasco. Got lots of cold wind that winter, though. I'd like to have punted that winter clear into orbit.... much like this one.

Actually, we had a pretty -NAO in '10-11 and the winter still sucked. Only index that matters for us is TPCS. In its semi-decadal relaxation period we have a chance to score.

Been here since birth in 1970. I've seen 'em all... and I can tell you that for sheer snow amounts; it's '96 and '83 ... and the rest of the pack is far, far behind.

Thanks, guys. 10 - 20 out here is a pretty nice event. Shame I don't recall it.

The Oct. '79 storm was my first true, detailed weather memory, so I wonder if Feb '79 was anything special out here. Does anyone have one of those summary maps for this storm?

It's funny the things you remember. I have that nearly exact memory from the Dec. 2009 storm. My GF (wife now) and I went downtown to Main St. in Front Royal that Saturday evening - just as the sun was setting and the storm was about to taper off - and walked around, admiring the Christmas decorations in a blanket of sparkling white. Very few people out, and almost all were pedestrians. It was so quiet and peaceful, with - as you said - only the sound of the snow hitting my jacket and hood. It's one of the most vivid memories I have. We got to the gazeebo area and there was Christmas music playing. We were the only people there. We ran, played, and wrestled like children in undisturbed knee-deep snow. It was the storm I had waited my entire life to see, a true Christmas storm. The only way that storm could ever be topped is had it happened 5 days later; aside from my kids and Super Bowl XXVII, it was as close to perfect as anything I have ever known. Here is a view of Main St. that night: Warren County Courthouse. I've watched that same manger display on the front lawn every year for at least 30 years; it never looked so good as it did that night. Here is the gazeebo. I still remember looking at this and the only sounds were the snow falling on my jacket and the Christmas music in the background. It was like I stepped into a Norman Rockwell painting. With the complete absence of car traffic and the typical hustle and bustle of everyday life, it was like I stepped out of a time machine. It felt like I was 12 years old again. I've walked that street a million times in my life, seen it nearly everyday of my life; I've never seen it more beautiful than that night. For me, it was truly magical. That storm will always be very dear to me.

Yep, even though we got less snow than on Feb 6 2010 (26" vs. 21"). It was a much colder storm, gave us a White Christmas, and had much better longevity due to the sun-angle. That's why I rated it higher. I still am a bit salty that so much of that Feb storm was wasted. We had about 7 hours of light and moderate snow completely melt on contact during the day that Friday, not to mention the sucky ratios for the first half of that storm; it could have been so much more. Remember, that the 2nd part of snowmageddon was a complete dud out here, so I don't hold quite the same affection for the Feb 2010 period as a lot of you guys to the east.

Nothing will ever compare to the depth, duration, and temps afterward of Jan. '96. But #3 on my list is certainly Feb '83. Temp was in the low teens during the entirety of the storm and the rates of that storm will probably never be seen again. We got 32" in Warren County, just outside Front Royal, in around 15 hours. It was only the second time in my life (to that point) that I'd experienced thunder snow. Remember being outside playing and the snow pouring from the sky and then, BOOM. I swear, you could see the snow piling up. I remember Bob Ryan talking about snow rates of 4 -5 inches per hour, and I believe it. The intensity of that storm is unmatched. Had it been a slower mover; it would surely have been the storm of the ages. Unfortunately, there was little cold air behind the storm... and it was mid-Feb at that point, so the sun quickly did its damage too. Another reason why Jan '96 and Dec '09 are #1 and #2 on my list.

Jan '96. / drops the mic and walks off stage

ohh to have lived in 1880.

Pretty sure that is the best wedding pic I've ever seen.

Wow, that is beautiful.

Was just thinking the exact same thing. What great memories. It was the storm I'd waited my entire life for.

meh, 1" Christmas snow = 3" regular snow. If it had snowed 63 inches then maybe I'd agree. On second thought, no way. Snowpocalypse >> Snowmageddon.

Most importantly, it was (near) Christmas snow, and would ensure the first white Christmas in many years.

My experience: I was actually standing at the urinal (not something i really want to share) in the bathroom at work when suddenly I felt myself go off-balance, and felt dizzy I recall thinking that I was about to pass out, and don't recall feeling shaking or hearing rumbling - that started a few seconds afterwards. When the rumbling started and at first I thought maybe a tow-motor in our manufacturing facility was causing vibrations, but the duration seemed too long and the intensity increased. In all the shaking/rumbling lasted for about 10 or 12 seconds I guess, and I'll never forget the sound. The best way to describe it would be like being beside a train track. It was unnerving actually. I finished up quickly and made my way out of the bathroom and towards the next office building to see if it was felt over there. At that point most people were headed out the doors. I never felt an earthquake before, but was pretty sure thats what it was. I called my fiance in Front Royal to see if she felt it there, and they had already evacuated her office building. Earthquake confirmed. No damage out this way, as apparently the soil of the coastal plain amplifes the shaking, so it was not as intense here as it was points east. It seems like that my intial dizzeness was caused by a side to side motion, maybe, or just the p-wave. It felt like the shaking that occurred a few moments later was a up-down motion, but low-amplitude and high-frequency. I assume that was the S wave.

I didn't feel the aftershock.

Lot of shaking in the valley. 10 seconds worth.