MET Winter Grading 2013-2014 (Dec 1 - Feb 28)

[Ginx snewx]

For Sunapee...since the late 1950s so a little more common

Rank  Value  Ending Date
  1   144.9    6/30/1958 (107)
  2   135.5    6/30/2003 (4)
  3   132.4    6/30/1969
  4   131.3    6/30/1971 (24)
  5   127.5    6/30/1972 (2)
  6   125.6    6/30/1962 (1)
  7   125.1    6/30/1993 (10)
  8   117.4    6/30/2008 (2)
  9   110.9    6/30/2011 (1)
 10   110.2    6/30/1960

easy to see why the younger generation has higher expectations, spoiled comes to mind

[OceanStWx]

easy to see why the younger generation has higher expectations, spoiled comes to mind

 

The 1960s may have spawned a few weenies too.

[CoastalWx]

You guys younger than 25-27 yrs old should be so lucky. Wait until the 80s and early 90s come back.

[ORH_wxman]

You guys younger than 25-27 yrs old should be so lucky. Wait until the 80s and early 90s come back.

 

 

Yeah it has been a fortunate stretch recently...lcukily I'm old enough to remember the 1980s and early 1990s disasters. The late 1920s through early 1950s were somewhat putrid as well but just about everyone on here is not old enought o remember those years.

[CoastalWx]

Yeah it has been a fortunate stretch recently...lcukily I'm old enough to remember the 1980s and early 1990s disasters. The late 1920s through early 1950s were somewhat putrid as well but just about everyone on here is not old enought o remember those years.

 

I'm thinking back to those days where I literally remember jumping up and down on my parents bed when I saw 3-6" forecasted..lol. It's almost hard to fathom that given how lucky we have been.  Throw up 5-10" and I think I passed out.

[weathafella]

I'm thinking back to those days where I literally remember jumping up and down on my parents bed when I saw 3-6" forecasted..lol. It's almost hard to fathom that given how lucky we have been. Throw up 5-10" and I think I passed out.

Lol...reminds me of when my dad dragged me (probably 3 years old) out of bed during a snow burst circa 1949 or so and pressed my nose against the window. He says. "Look outside". What is it doing?....and I chortle...SNOWING!" He was a weenie too.

[free_man]

Well I'm roughly the same age as some you guys, maybe a little older (35) and remember great years as well as the 80's, which were absolutely terrible.

Thank you for that info, Oceanstwx, but 100" doesn't seem quite so rare as you painted it to be. Definitely more rare for ASH, since there are probably several years 85-95" while we maybe touched 100" here.  But that's nit-picking.

[CoastalWx]

Lol...reminds me of when my dad dragged me (probably 3 years old) out of bed during a snow burst circa 1949 or so and pressed my nose against the window. He says. "Look outside". What is it doing?....and I chortle...SNOWING!" He was a weenie too.

 

It's funny how random weenie moments forever stick with you. Hopefully my son has something similar.

[ORH_wxman]

I'm thinking back to those days where I literally remember jumping up and down on my parents bed when I saw 3-6" forecasted..lol. It's almost hard to fathom that given how lucky we have been.  Throw up 5-10" and I think I passed out.

 

 

Yeah, I felt the same exact way...by about 1991, it was like an all-out paralyzing snowstorm if mets forecasted 5-10"....and forecasts of 2-4" seemed like a top 3 or 4 event of the winter.

 

Then everything changed in December 1992 and we really haven't looked back. We had a brief run of some "meh" winters from 1997-2000....but even within those winters there were some big events like Dec 1997, Feb 1999, Mar 1999, etc.

[OceanStWx]

Well I'm roughly the same age as some you guys, maybe a little older (35) and remember great years as well as the 80's, which were absolutely terrible.

Thank you for that info, Oceanstwx, but 100" doesn't seem quite so rare as you painted it to be. Definitely more rare for ASH, since there are probably several years 85-95" while we maybe touched 100" here.  But that's nit-picking.

 

To me 5-10 times out of 100 years is pretty rare, but I guess it's different for everyone.

 

I'm just saying that 150" you mentioned is probably near 200% of normal for you. That's pretty extreme.

[wxeyeNH]

I gave this winter a c- so far.  No big storms at my location, seemed to always be on the NW edge of the good stuff. Didn't have a storm this winter that gave me a foot.    64" of snowfall is probably about average for me going into March 1rst.   Still awaiting a good noreaster with heavy snow and gale force winds.  Most impressive event was that storm where it snowed all day with a zero temperature.

 

Last 50F reading was Nov 17th which is quite impressive for the duration of the cold without one torch.  Cold air damning is really good up here.

[ORH_wxman]

Well I'm roughly the same age as some you guys, maybe a little older (35) and remember great years as well as the 80's, which were absolutely terrible.

Thank you for that info, Oceanstwx, but 100" doesn't seem quite so rare as you painted it to be. Definitely more rare for ASH, since there are probably several years 85-95" while we maybe touched 100" here.  But that's nit-picking.

 

 

There were two above average winters in the 1980s for all intents and purposes ...1981-1982 (too young to remember that one and I think you were too, but correct me if I'm wrong) and 1986-1987 which was indeed a very good winter. '87-'88 (maybe slightly above on the CP) and '83-84 were pretty much average and the rest stunk ('82-'83 was near average in ORH, but stunk on the CP)...and then of course the absolute 2 stinkers to start the 1990s.

 

 

By the way you grade now, I would have a hard time not finding a report card filled with 6 or 7 "Fs" in the 1979-1991 stretch and a whole lot of Ds and Cs. So either remembering "Great years" in the 1980s consists of almost exclusively remembering 1986-1987 or you were a much easier grader back then.

[CoastalWx]

I do remember those '86-'88 winters and I remember Worcester always getting mentioned. Reporters always live at Belmont Hill on rt 9. Definitely envious at times, but we had a couple of great storms too on the CP.

[free_man]

To me 5-10 times out of 100 years is pretty rare, but I guess it's different for everyone.

 

I'm just saying that 150" you mentioned is probably near 200% of normal for you. That's pretty extreme.

 I think the 5-10 in 100 years is a little conservative but I'll take your word.  Probably closer to 10, which would be  a 1 in 10 year return.

150" would be A+ for nearly anyone that posts here aside PF and a few others.  Nearly impossible, but that's what the A+ is for.

 

Will, I don't remember 81-82 but I do remember the 1983 PD I storm.  That was a solid 10" or so, but I wouldn't remember that much detail without the pictures.

[OceanStWx]

 I think the 5-10 in 100 years is a little conservative but I'll take your word.  Probably closer to 10, which would be  a 1 in 10 year return.

150" would be A+ for nearly anyone that posts here aside PF and a few others.  Nearly impossible, but that's what the A+ is for.

 

Will, I don't remember 81-82 but I do remember the 1983 PD I storm.  That was a solid 10" or so, but I wouldn't remember that much detail without the pictures.

 

I mean you can call it conservative, but that is direct snowfall measurement from area coops. Nashua had 8 in over 100 years, and Sunapee had 10 in a little over 60 years in a weenie snow spot like Mount Monadnock.

[ORH_wxman]

 I think the 5-10 in 100 years is a little conservative but I'll take your word.

150" would be A+ for nearly anyone that posts here aside PF and a few others.  Nearly impossible, but that's what the A+ is for.

 

Will, I don't remember 81-82 but I do remember the 1983 PD I storm.  That was a solid 10" or so, but I wouldn't remember that much detail without the pictures.

 

 

The '83 winter had a very good stretch in the interior that was able to get both the Feb 6-7 storm and the Feb 11-12, 1983 storm...the latter was actually the "Megapolitan Storm"..."PDI" was 1979 Presidents Day weekend.

 

 

But outside of that lat Jan to mid Feb stretch in 1983, it was a total torch winter with bad snow cover retention...I feel like these days that winter would have an awful lot of angst and complaining on here for the warmth and melting. '86-'87 was really the good winter that decade outside of 1981-1982...Jan '87 was epic with a ton of storms and cold enough to not melt off pack. Not epic cold, but solid. Kind of like Jan 2011.

 

'87-'88 was a good winter, but no blockbuster storms. Lots of medium sized events and a very cold month in January...kind of reminds me of like '08-'09 but a little bit less overall snow. Most of the other 1980s winter? Forget it...it would be Metldown City on here. Bare ground...storms whiffing SE. DCA getting a 7" event while it is cold and sunny up here with bare ground....when we do get snow, it torches right after...etc, etc.

[free_man]

I mean you can call it conservative, but that is direct snowfall measurement from area coops. Nashua had 8 in over 100 years, and Sunapee had 10 in a little over 60 years in a weenie snow spot like Mount Monadnock.

10 years of 110"+, not 100".    Not arguing the data.

[OceanStWx]

10 years of 110"+, not 100".    Not arguing the data.

 

I stopped copying the data when it dropped below 100". There were no years in the record with 100-109".

[ORH_wxman]

I mean you can call it conservative, but that is direct snowfall measurement from area coops. Nashua had 8 in over 100 years, and Sunapee had 10 in a little over 60 years in a weenie snow spot like Mount Monadnock.

 

 

The Fitzwilliam Coop in Cheshire county has 8 100" seasons since records in 1929...though you can add one on for 1992-1993 because for some reason that winter they didn't have any snow data and they easily passed 100" that year....though Fitzwilliam is pretty high. I think their metadata has them at like 1200 feet on average over the course of its life.

[free_man]

The '83 winter had a very good stretch in the interior that was able to get both the Feb 6-7 storm and the Feb 11-12, 1983 storm...the latter was actually the "Megapolitan Storm"..."PDI" was 1979 Presidents Day weekend.

 

 

But outside of that lat Jan to mid Feb stretch in 1983, it was a total torch winter with bad snow cover retention...I feel like these days that winter would have an awful lot of angst and complaining on here for the warmth and melting. '86-'87 was really the good winter that decade outside of 1981-1982...Jan '87 was epic with a ton of storms and cold enough to not melt off pack. Not epic cold, but solid. Kind of like Jan 2011.

 

'87-'88 was a good winter, but no blockbuster storms. Lots of medium sized events and a very cold month in January...kind of reminds me of like '08-'09 but a little bit less overall snow. Most of the other 1980s winter? Forget it...it would be Metldown City on here. Bare ground...storms whiffing SE. DCA getting a 7" event while it is cold and sunny up here with bare ground....when we do get snow, it torches right after...etc, etc.

Oh right, I mixed those up. The Megapolitan storm was a good one but mostly SW of us, looking at the Kocin maps.  I remember sledding Diamond Hill in RI on that one, was pretty epic.

 

When do you think we'll repeat the 80's disasters?  20-30 year cycles would argue pretty soon?

[free_man]

I stopped copying the data when it dropped below 100". There were no years in the record with 100-109".

 

Interesting! 

[ORH_wxman]

Oh right, I mixed those up. The Megapolitan storm was a good one but mostly SW of us, looking at the Kocin maps.  I remember sledding Diamond Hill in RI on that one, was pretty epic.

 

When do you think we'll repeat the 80's disasters?  20-30 year cycles would argue pretty soon?

 

 

Yeah hard to say...I'm sure we will repeat them on some sort of level at some point...there were some pretty lean years in the 1940-1955 stretch. Then from 1979-1992. So maybe every 40 years or so? That would put us at about 2020 for the start of the next cycle....but who knows if it will repeat nicely like that.

[Ginx snewx]

The 1960s may have spawned a few weenies too.

number one reporting for duty

[free_man]

Yeah hard to say...I'm sure we will repeat them on some sort of level at some point...there were some pretty lean years in the 1940-1955 stretch. Then from 1979-1992. So maybe every 40 years or so? That would put us at about 2020 for the start of the next cycle....but who knows if it will repeat nicely like that.

Yeah, it seems like our luck will run out this decade or next, along with overall ATL hurricane activity.

[weatherwiz]

I remember when I was younger..talking 5-6-7+ years old every night of a snow threat as soon as I woke up in the morning I would wake up and run right to my bedroom and look outside...if the ground was white I would turn on TWC and then go outside.

I'll never forget this one time we were forecasted to get something...don't remember the amounts but it was something at least 6"...I woke up and looked out the window and there was absolutely nothing...I was really heart broken.

[ORH_wxman]

I remember when I was younger..talking 5-6-7+ years old every night of a snow threat as soon as I woke up in the morning I would wake up and run right to my bedroom and look outside...if the ground was white I would turn on TWC and then go outside.

I'll never forget this one time we were forecasted to get something...don't remember the amounts but it was something at least 6"...I woke up and looked out the window and there was absolutely nothing...I was really heart broken.

 

 

 

This happened a lot in the late 80s and early 90s...maybe not quite "forecasting 6" and nothing"...but forecasting 6" and then we get 2"...or forecasting 3-5" and then wake up to rain or bare ground and sunshine. It was a lean time...so many events underperformed. Then the opposite seemed to happen a whole bunch starting in '92-'93 through '96-'97....so many events that "busted" on the positive side...where we got a lot more than forecasted.

[Ginx snewx]

You don't know pain unless you grew up near the south coast of NE. I literally had to drive my kids 20 mins North to Foster so they could go sledding in the 80s

[weatherwiz]

This happened a lot in the late 80s and early 90s...maybe not quite "forecasting 6" and nothing"...but forecasting 6" and then we get 2"...or forecasting 3-5" and then wake up to rain or bare ground and sunshine. It was a lean time...so many events underperformed. Then the opposite seemed to happen a whole bunch starting in '92-'93 through '96-'97....so many events that "busted" on the positive side...where we got a lot more than forecasted.

I remember this one event...I want to say 2000-2001 but that was an incredible positive bust. It was one of those setups were we got two parts and Forecasts didn't have that. With the first part I believe I got around 10" or so and the second part dropped around 6"...areas to the NE though got hit much harder with the second part. In fact school was cancelled two days in a row for me. I think it may have happened in February

[OceanStWx]

You don't know pain unless you grew up near the south coast of NE. I literally had to drive my kids 20 mins North to Foster so they could go sledding in the 80s

 

If it gets that perfect kind of muddy that the grass slicks up, it can act as a pretty good lubricant for a sled. Traumatizing really.

[weatherwiz]

If it gets that perfect kind of muddy that the grass slicks up, it can act as a pretty good lubricant for a sled. Traumatizing really.

Natural lubricants are the best