March 1993 Superstorm

[LVwxHistorian]

This is one of my favorite storms -- we've had bigger in the Lehigh Valley but this one wasn't just about one location.  With easily the highest NESIS rating of any storm on record, everyone from the deep south to Maine cashed in on this one.  Let's reminisce!!!

Regional Snowfall Index (RSI) | Snow and Ice | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) (noaa.gov)

Table 2: Ranks 66 high-impact snowstorms that affected the Northeast urban corridor.

RANK	START	END	NESIS	CATEGORY	DESCRIPTION	MAP
1	1993-03-12	1993-03-14	13.20	5	Extreme	view
2	1996-01-06	1996-01-08	11.78	5	Extreme	view
3	1960-03-02	1960-03-05	8.77	4	Crippling	view
4	2016-01-22	2016-01-24	7.66	4	Crippling	view
5	2003-02-15	2003-02-18	7.50	4	Crippling	view
6	1961-02-02	1961-02-05	7.06	4	Crippling	view
7	1964-01-11	1964-01-14	6.91	4	Crippling	view
8	2005-01-21	2005-01-24	6.80	4	Crippling	view
9	1978-01-19	1978-01-21	6.53	4	Crippling	view
10	1969-12-25	1969-12-28	6.29	4	Crippling	view
11	1983-02-10	1983-02-12	6.25	4	Crippling	view
12	1958-02-14	1958-02-17	6.25	4	Crippling	view
13	1966-01-29	1966-01-31	5.93	3	Major	view
14	1978-02-05	1978-02-07	5.78	3	Major	view
15	2007-02-12	2007-02-15	5.63	3	Major	view

[Physicsteve]

I imagine most of us had some winter event during our formative years that started our love for snow (and the weather channel at the time) and this is that storm for me. I grew up in Washington Township, NJ, about 10 miles SE of Philly (yo, @BBasile!) and was 9 years old at the time. Relying on my childhood memories, an unreliable source to be sure, I think we got about 2 feet. I couldn't imagine any more snow until my Uncle reported about 3 feet up in Vernon, NJ. That was my first taste of jackpot jealousy which I’m just now getting over. I can finally just appreciate storms for what they are and not worry about getting the most snow possible. Only took about 28 years...

I think I remember some sleet mixing in (could've been ‘96, or both) during the middle of the storm, but luckily wasn’t aware enough to get worried about it impacting totals or warm noses or anything. It didnt last long, from what I remember. Maybe an hour or two. I went out sledding with some friends pretty early on in the storm, which was awesome to be out in and was probably the only opportunity before there was simply too much for a sled to work.

I lucked out being too young/not knowing any better in the 80s during the dark days @RedSky has flashbacks about, but was young and impressionable for ‘93, ‘94 ice bonanza, and ‘96. ‘96 always seems to get the most hoopla on this site, but you never forget your first, and for me that was ‘93.

[hazwoper]

1 hour ago, Physicsteve said:

I imagine most of us had some winter event during our formative years that started our love for snow (and the weather channel at the time) and this is that storm for me. I grew up in Washington Township, NJ, about 10 miles SE of Philly (yo, @BBasile!) and was 9 years old at the time. Relying on my childhood memories, an unreliable source to be sure, I think we got about 2 feet. I couldn't imagine any more snow until my Uncle reported about 3 feet up in Vernon, NJ. That was my first taste of jackpot jealousy which I’m just now getting over. I can finally just appreciate storms for what they are and not worry about getting the most snow possible. Only took about 28 years...

I think I remember some sleet mixing in (could've been ‘96, or both) during the middle of the storm, but luckily wasn’t aware enough to get worried about it impacting totals or warm noses or anything. It didnt last long, from what I remember. Maybe an hour or two. I went out sledding with some friends pretty early on in the storm, which was awesome to be out in and was probably the only opportunity before there was simply too much for a sled to work.

I lucked out being too young/not knowing any better in the 80s during the dark days @RedSky has flashbacks about, but was young and impressionable for ‘93, ‘94 ice bonanza, and ‘96. ‘96 always seems to get the most hoopla on this site, but you never forget your first, and for me that was ‘93.

I think you are thinking of 1996.  SE Philly mixed quite a bit in 1993 and didn't get to 2 feet.

http://www.raymondcmartinjr.com/weather/1993/13-Mar-93.html

http://www.raymondcmartinjr.com/weather/1996/07-Jan-96.html

[Physicsteve]

I guess that’s why ‘96 gets all the hoopla, and my memory is as bad as my wife says it is. Either way, it was the first big snowstorm I saw, and a weenie was born. 

[Itstrainingtime]

On 3/16/2021 at 10:34 AM, hazwoper said:

I think you are thinking of 1996.  SE Philly mixed quite a bit in 1993 and didn't get to 2 feet.

http://www.raymondcmartinjr.com/weather/1993/13-Mar-93.html

http://www.raymondcmartinjr.com/weather/1996/07-Jan-96.html

Correct - 2' totals happened west of the I-81 corridor in Central PA. Even in Harrisburg the total was 18". Here in Lancaster, I had about 6 hours of pure wind-driven sleet during the height of the storm. Still finished with about 18" of snow/sleet combined. 

[LVwxHistorian]

The 2 storms are very distinct in my mind because I was a teenager, but as a child I can see how they could be conflated.

And Harrisburg had a March storm record 20.4" in 1993 

 

On another note: why so few replies??