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Jan 16-18th Major Synoptic Snowstorm- Observation Thread


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1 hour ago, andyhb said:

Toronto's record is 19" (48 cm) from December 1944. This may challenge that, although observations at YYZ are often low and not representative of the city.

Yes, I think they use an odd measuring system - a nipher? - that does not report accurately when there is blowing snow/snow being blown around by the wind. 

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1 hour ago, andyhb said:

Knowing some of YYZ climo, large snowstorms like this one (and particularly blizzards) are quite rare for them. There have only been a select few storms in history that have dropped over 15" there, and this looks to join the club.

Last one I can remember was early February 2013.

Other than that, there were big storms in 1944, 1965, 1966, 1992, 1999.

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39 minutes ago, wolfie09 said:

We have been in a lull for the past hour or so, even a peek of sunshine lol Some precipitation starting to fill back in off the lake.. Quick look at the hrrr shows another 3"-5" for most of Oswego county this afternoon/evening..

WUNIDS_map - 2022-01-17T152120.884.gif

Well banding has made it here, probably the best rates of day, at least here from what I've seen lol Should be coming down decent for BM and parsley as well..

WUNIDS_map - 2022-01-17T160338.283.gif

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To give some historical context for Toronto (downtown), these are the top storm total snowfalls (almost all are two-day totals that are dominated by one day out of the two) ... almost all were measured in inches as Canada went to the metric system in June 1978, and almost all are reliable human measurements (the problems with downtown Toronto snow measurement date back mostly to 2017 when daily measurements ceased although morning snow depths remain in place, for the extension of the records in a project you can access here in the climate change forum, I have been taking a 10:1 conversion of reported precip when it appears similar to the snow depths and using some contacts I have both on the forum and in my family, having some contacts who live just two miles northwest of the observing site which has always been within a half mile of the current location, on the U of T campus in mid-town Toronto) ...

Rank ____ Amount (2d total) ____ Dates (with daily amounts)

_ 01 _____ 23.0 __________________ Dec 25-26 1872 (15.0 + 8.0)^

_ 02 _____ 22.5 __________________ Dec 11-12 1944 (19.0 + 3.5)

_ 03 _____ 22.0 __________________ Feb 20-21 1846 (18.0 + 4.0)

_ 04 _____ 20.0 __________________ Mar 15-16 1870 (10.0 + 10.0)

_t05 _____ 19.5 __________________ Mar 26-27 1870 (3.5 + 16.0)

_t05 _____ 19.5 __________________ Jan 24-25 1873 (4.2 + 15.3)

_t07 _____ 18.0 __________________ Feb 5-6 1863 (16.0 +2.0) (+1.0 4th = 19")

_t07 _____ 18.0 __________________ Feb 14, 1850 (18.0) _ one day

_t07 _____ 18.0 __________________ Jan 20-21 1867 (15.0 + 3.0)

_t07 _____ 18.0 __________________ Feb 24-25 1868 (12.0 + 6.0) (+1.0 23rd = 19")

_ 11 _____ 17.8 ___________________Feb 28-Mar 1 1900 (10.0 + 7.8) (1900 not a leap year)

_ 12 _____ 16.6 __________________ Jan 22-23 1966 (0.9 + 15.7)

_ 13 _____ 16.5 __________________ Mar 21-22 1867 (15.0 + 1.5)

_ 14 _____ 16.2 __________________ Mar 28-29 1876 (10.5 + 5.7)

_ 15 _____ 16.0 ___________________Dec 4-5 1898 (6.0 + 10.0)

_t16 _____ 15.7 ___________________ Jan 8-9 1884 (11.1 + 4.6)

_t16 _____ 15.7 ___________________ Jan 21-22 1902 (2.5 + 13.2)

_t18 _____ 15.5 ___________________ Mar 20-21 1876 (9.0 + 6.5)

_t18 _____ 15.5 ___________________ Mar 8-9 1931 (12.0 + 3.5)

_ 20 _____ 15.1 (msd 38.4 cm)*___ Jan 2-3 1999 (almost all on 2nd)

_t21 _____ 15.0 ___________________ Dec 29 1855 (one day)

_t21 _____ 15.0 ___________________ Mar 12-13 1870 (6.0 + 9.0)

_ 23 _____ 14.5 ___________________ Feb 2-3 1910 (5.0 + 9.5)

_ 24 _____ 14.4 (msd 36.5 cm)*___ Feb 7-8 2013 (8.0 + 6.4) (msd 20.3+16.2 cm)

_ 25 _____ 14.3 (msd 36.2 cm)*___ Feb 27-28 1984 (4.7 + 9.6) (msd 12.0 + 24.4 cm)

_ 26 _____ 14.2 ___________________ Feb 21-22 1950 (11.0 + 3.2)

_ 27 _____ 14.0 ___________________ Jan 18-19 1864 (4.0 + 10.0)

_ 28 _____ 13.9 ___________________ Dec 27-28 1968 (2.6 + 11.3)

_ 29 _____ 13.5 ___________________ Feb 25-26 1960 (13.0 + 0.5)

_ 30 _____ 13.0 or more __________ Feb 1845

==========================

^ from historical weather maps, appears to be largely east-wind lake effect storm during exceptionally cold weather setting low temp records, the associated synoptic scale event shown near NYC was weak. Historical weather maps are available on wetterzentrale.de back as far as 1835 now. From those I discovered an unrecorded snowstorm in Feb 1845 that might have made this list, shown in 30th place, monthly amounts are available and support a 15-20 inch snowstorm as well as a few smaller events during the month. Toronto weather data while excellent in general from early days have gaps in snow and rain daily amounts in the period 1840-45 (not all data is missing and most months have at least totals available). The conversion of snow to liquid equivalent was always 10:1 until April 1962 and only became variable after that (in other words snowfall plus rainfall was always a case of 10:1 snow equivalent, and if no rain fell then the snowfalls equalled 10x precip). For some unknown reason 1984 data are all recorded in 10:1 ratios. This did not occur for any other year in the conversion era 1962-2017. I have had to restore the 10:1 convention backwards to get any snowfall amounts from the data available after Oct 2017.

* the 1984, 1999 and 2013 storms that made this list were measured in cm as shown, converted to inches. All the rest were measured in inches. A double conversion may change their values (official records converted from inches to cms then reconverted to inches, can introduce errors).

After several more snowfalls in first two weeks of Jan 1999 the snow depth was 65 cm on Jan 15th, the highest value recorded at the location. The author measured 66 cm in Peterborough ON after the Dec 9-10 1992 snowstorm. Amounts much larger than that are known to have accumulated in Jan 1971 and other heavy snow squall events in central Ontario. The Apr 1975 snowstorm left 60-80 cm amounts in Simcoe County north of Toronto that eventually led to drifts (partially frozen by daily freeze-thaw cycles in strong sunshine) of 2-3 metres separated by bare ground. (personal observation near Barrie ON around Apr 4-6 1975).

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BM is that you? Lol

Oswego"public" reported 11"..

Other reports from the county, Obviously some reports not updated..

..Oswego County...
Oswego                       11.0 in   0230 PM 01/17   Public
Oswego                       7.1 in    0345 PM 01/17   Trained Spotter
Fulton                       4.0 in    0930 AM 01/17   Public
2 N Richland                 4.0 in    0845 AM 01/17   Trained Spotter
Minetto 0.1 SE               3.4 in    0800 AM 01/17   COCORAHS
4 N Central Square           3.0 in    0800 AM 01/17   Trained Spotter
Palermo 2SSE                 3.0 in    0600 AM 01/17   COOP
Lacona 3.6 SSE               2.3 in    0700 AM 01/17   COCORAHS
3 NW Sand Ridge              1.8 in    1100 AM 01/17   Public
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44 minutes ago, Ottawa Blizzard said:

YYZ is the worst reporting station for snow.  No way the city got just 9". No way. The two cars in our driveway are almost buried. The snow is up to my waist even away from the drifts.

Yeah YYZ is a joke. As of 12pm they had 12" (32cm). 

I measured 17", could be more because it certainly feels like it. Most places in Toronto saw between 15-20". 

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9 minutes ago, wolfie09 said:

Might have to relocate to Binghamton..(if it's not sleet lol)

WUNIDS_map - 2022-01-17T163610.688.gif

All snow here... steady light to mod rate and winds are picking up from the NW. Nice fluffy dendrites. Street starting to coat over. Temp is down to 28.8° from an earlier high of 41 around noon.

Screenshot_20220117-164643_Gallery.thumb.jpg.b3176063a70c23770117103bf6caf47e.jpg

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Perhaps another 4 to 6 inches here tonight and tomorrow morning. Come on, Lake Ontario!

StormTotalSnowWeb.jpg

 

Onondaga County

 
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy. Snow showers, mainly in the morning. Total snow accumulation of 4 to 6 inches. Highs around 20. Northwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Chance of snow 80 percent.
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Great end to this event here in WNY...Steady snow for the last couple hours, added a couple inches to pad the stats. I can't give an "official" measurement b/c I haven't measured since about 8 am (16.5" at that time) but this last burst probably put me at or just over 20".

At least for WNY the modeling was phenomenal for this event. Starting showing a big storm with WNY in the bullseye around last Tuesday.  Don't think any major model every really lost that idea at any time.  

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