New England snowstorm memories.

[Fozz]

11 hours ago, The 4 Seasons said:

Today (and yesterday) is the 20th anniversary of the Feb 11-12th, 2006 Blizzard. An intense band from BOS to NYC dropped 16-27" of snow at rates over 4" per hour during the early morning and afternoon hours of the 12th. Widespread thunder was reported in the NYC area and i believe they picked up 10" of snow in 2 hours. In honor of this historic blizzard i recently re-mapped the entire event and included a new L. Northeast map with all the climo sites. 

I got a full radar animation on our site along with a bunch of other images related to the storm. 

Fun fact: This storm broke the all-time record in NYC with 26.9" that held for about 10 years when it was finally broken in 2016 with 27.5". Initially the record held as the final storm total in 2016 was 26.8", missed it by one tenth of an inch. But after nearly 2-3 months later, OKX reanalyzed the event and based on surrounding obs and radar they determined that it was an under report and changed it to 27.5". So the NYC record is technically an estimate rather than a direct ob. 

https://www.jdjweatherconsulting.com/feb-11-12-2006

I lived further south during the Feb 2006 storm (and it was a good one even there with 15”), but one specific thing I remember was one of the TWC mets asking a guy in Boston about the upcoming storm (just before it started) and he basically said “It’s not going to be that bad, we’re only getting a foot” and I chuckled. As I recall even the TWC met was a little stunned after hearing that.

[ORH_wxman]

8 hours ago, ma blizzard said:

As a young weenie in 3rd grade I remember 2/5/01 coming in like a wall with big rates right off the bat mid afternoon ish 

Yeah it was just after lunch. Prob between 1-2pm. IIRC ORH went from nothing to heavy snow inside 30 min and it stayed heavy snow on official ASOS for like 10-12 hours straight. Just a massive 10-12 hour crush job and then it was over. There wasn’t a ton of snow between that storm and the Mar 4-6, 2001 storm…but it mostly stayed OTG. Then March went gangbusters. 

[H2Otown_WX]

@The 4 Seasons you dropped the ball with missing the 25th anniversary of this bad boy:

 

EDIT: Oops, just found the post 

[The 4 Seasons]

20 minutes ago, H2Otown_WX said:

@The 4 Seasons you dropped the ball with missing the 25th anniversary of this bad boy:

 

EDIT: Oops, just found the post 

Foot meet mouth

 

I could never forget that one. Ima do something special for Mar 2001

[H2Otown_WX]

9 minutes ago, The 4 Seasons said:

Foot meet mouth

 

I could never forget that one. Ima do something special for Mar 2001

You and @Sey-Mour Snow should do a green screen re-enactment of Bruce Schwoleger and the other dude with the mustache.

[codfishsnowman]

On 2/11/2026 at 4:21 AM, The 4 Seasons said:

We just crossed the 25th anniversary of what is my #1 all-time fav snowstorm. @CoastalWx just linked me to a page about the 25th anniversary of the great Apr 1, 97 blizzard and it got me to thinking about this one. It doesn't get mentioned very often and we've certainly had bigger storms, even recently. However, Feb 2001 is no slouch and a lot of areas received 1-2ft+ in a short amount of time. This storm as well as Dec 2000 and Mar 2001 are what got me interested in meteorology at young age. As Scott as mentioned with Apr 1, the nostalgia and way i felt that day can never be duplicated. Totals alone may not seem like that big of a deal but this stands out and holds my #1 spot for several reasons:

• Over performer to the max - Forecasts just a couple days before were for rain/snow showers with <1" possible . The day before, in the morning a WS Watch went up for 4-7". And even the morning of the event the forecast was only 5-7". Local news snowfall maps were generally 3-5/5-8/8-12 south to north. 12 hours later 14-25" of heavy wet snow blanketed the state. Road crews were caught off guard and secondary roads remained unplowed for over a day. 
• Flake size & Rates - To this day i haven't seen flakes that large, half-dollar sized aggregates stuck together. I read many reports about people noticing this during the beginning of the storm. Snowfall rates of 2-4" per hour late morning into early afternoon.
• Thundersnow - First time ever i witnessed thundersnow and at the time i had no idea that was even possible during a winter storm. I just happened to be looking outside right during dusk about 5pm or so and watched as a CG strike hit just a couple hundred feet away with heavy snow/sleet following it.
• Timing - The timing was perfect starting just after 9AM and lasted through the entire day with over a foot of snow by dark. Schools were closed for 2 days with a delay on the third.

I just finished replotting this event for the 25th anniversary and included a new lower northeast map as well. There's a full radar loop up on the site and surface animation but i really can't find much on this storm so if anyone has any free use images or radar please post em here.

https://www.jdjweatherconsulting.com/feb-5-2001

 

 

I remember just watching TWC and seeing the radar just exploding south of long island and off jersey. I lived in Bristol CT at the time and it was awesome. Snow instantly moderate to heavy with decent growth the whole storm. Some very heavy thunder snow with frequent lightning later in the evening. 18-19 inches but anyone doing six hour measurements would have had 20 or more. It was a denser snow too with temps in the upper 20s/30 degrees. We had a six to nine inch glacier already on the ground from past events so otg totals were 24 to 28 inches and that was deeper than any snowpack I had in Jan of 96 after that big one (21-24 otg, 15-17 storm).

[codfishsnowman]

19 minutes ago, The 4 Seasons said:

Foot meet mouth

 

I could never forget that one. Ima do something special for Mar 2001

I can still hear the sleet against the windows in my mother's basement that Sunday night . I'll save my thoughts on that Monday for the real anniversary.

[The 4 Seasons]

13 minutes ago, H2Otown_WX said:

You and @Sey-Mour Snow should do a green screen re-enactment of Bruce Schwoleger and the other dude with the mustache.

We do, uh have a rather big storm on our hands,  it'll rival the Blizzard of 1978...

EVEN STRONGER

[H2Otown_WX]

49 minutes ago, The 4 Seasons said:

We do, uh have a rather big storm on our hands,  it'll rival the Blizzard of 1978...

EVEN STRONGER

Imagine going on live TV and saying a storm will rival the Blizzard of '78 with 2001 NWP at your disposal 

[The 4 Seasons]

7 minutes ago, H2Otown_WX said:

Imagine going on live TV and saying a storm will rival the Blizzard of '78 with 2001 NWP at your disposal 

Eta, Avn, NGM, NOGAPS 

People think the NAM and HRRR is bad, they have idea about the NGM

[The 4 Seasons]

14 minutes ago, H2Otown_WX said:

Imagine going on live TV and saying a storm will rival the Blizzard of '78 with 2001 NWP at your disposal 

That was the sentiment at the time

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION..FINAL AFTN..
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
414 PM EST SUN MAR 4 2001

...SEVERE STORM COMPARABLE OR WILL EXCEED THE BLIZZARD OF 78 FOR
SNE WITH 60 HR DURATION OF SNW AND MAX INTENSITY OF WORST CONDS 18Z
TUE-00Z WED AND HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS ARE HIGHLY LIKELY TO OCCUR
PARTS OF E MA COAST...DRAG

 

[vortex95]

 

On 2/12/2026 at 8:44 PM, CoastalWx said:

I was supposed to get 24-30

Supposed to??  According to who or what?  Did all models show 24-30" for NZW or did you just pick the one that showed the most?   Scott gets over a foot and still complaining? 

So when Hamden got 40" in the Bliz of '13 and you only got what, 26"?  You were mad then as well? 

Talk about spoiled.  I WANT THE MOST ALL THE TIME!!!"      Recently get buried all-time in Jan-Fen 2015 and 2 years later still complaining.

Coming soon, "the ratios were 'supposed to' be 20:1 and were only 12:1!  So I "lost" and for `12" instead of 20"!

 

[vortex95]

On 2/12/2026 at 10:32 PM, The 4 Seasons said:

You're doin better than Joe i think he forgot Jan 26 already. 

I guess 4"/hr was a bit conservative. That seems almost unbelievable I've heard of 7-8"/hr but damn

Wow, never heard of that outside of LES or Rockies/Sierra-Nevada upslope.  Ayer MA has 8"/hr on 12/23/97 and the 12/9/05 was up to 9"/hr near Andover MA.

So was it on the mountain at Sunday River  at 3000 ft?

[vortex95]

2 hours ago, The 4 Seasons said:

That was the sentiment at the time

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION..FINAL AFTN..
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
414 PM EST SUN MAR 4 2001

...SEVERE STORM COMPARABLE OR WILL EXCEED THE BLIZZARD OF 78 FOR
SNE WITH 60 HR DURATION OF SNW AND MAX INTENSITY OF WORST CONDS 18Z
TUE-00Z WED AND HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS ARE HIGHLY LIKELY TO OCCUR
PARTS OF E MA COAST...DRAG

 

"Will exceed?"  That is unwise to forecast an all-time record storm w/ absolute wording.  It is so hard to say "may approach?"  That is the more reasonable thing to do, rather than go all out.  This sets one up for big failure in the eyes of the public if it does not happen esp, when comparing it to a benchmark storm for a region.  The psychological impact here is huge.

Was 40-50" explicitly forecast  by any model for parts of SNE?  Were storm tides forecast to match or exceed the Bliz of 78?  Was there a 1055 mb high in place NW of New England w/ a 70 mb plus high/low difference?

Was the synoptic pattern over NAMR similar to the Biz of 78, b/c that 500 ridge/trough evolution was exceptional, unlike anything in the KU cases.  You not only had a massive cut-off low form just S of New England, but a massive cut off high form at the same time over western Canada.

The worst case scenario is the least likely to happen in any given storm situation, so you better have a darn good reason to go for it.  The notion "better safe than sorry" is a tired and invalid excuse.  Going for worse all the time has real world consequences and impacts, and you will be wrong more often than not.

Extraordinary events require extraordinary circumstances.  

 

[Ginx snewx]

2 hours ago, vortex95 said:

Wow, never heard of that outside of LES or Rockies/Sierra-Nevada upslope.  Ayer MA has 8"/hr on 12/23/97 and the 12/8/05 was up to 9"/hr near Andover MA.

So was it on the mountain at Sunday River  at 3000 ft?

1500 slopeside. Convective city tsnow for an hour 

[The 4 Seasons]

3 hours ago, vortex95 said:

"Will exceed?"  That is unwise to forecast an all-time record storm w/ absolute wording.  It is so hard to say "may approach?"  That is the more reasonable thing to do, rather than go all out.  This sets one up for big failure in the eyes of the public if it does not happen esp, when comparing it to a benchmark storm for a region.  The psychological impact here is huge.

Was 40-50" explicitly forecast  by any model for parts of SNE?  Were storm tides forecast to match or exceed the Bliz of 78?  Was there a 1055 mb high in place NW of New England w/ a 70 mb plus high/low difference?

Was the synoptic pattern over NAMR similar to the Biz of 78, b/c that 500 ridge/trough evolution was exceptional, unlike anything in the KU cases.  You not only had a massive cut-off low form just S of New England, but a massive cut off high form at the same time over western Canada.

The worst case scenario is the least likely to happen in any given storm situation, so you better have a darn good reason to go for it.  The notion "better safe than sorry" is a tired and invalid excuse.  Going for worse all the time has real world consequences and impacts, and you will be wrong more often than not.

Extraordinary events require extraordinary circumstances.  

 

I mean it's an AFD in 2001, saying it on TV to tens of thousands of people is a very  different thing.

And the next AFD you can hear the disappointment and fear in drags words. Forecasts didn't change all that much but did go down a notch

[The 4 Seasons]

4 hours ago, vortex95 said:

"Will exceed?"  That is unwise to forecast an all-time record storm w/ absolute wording.  It is so hard to say "may approach?"  That is the more reasonable thing to do, rather than go all out.  This sets one up for big failure in the eyes of the public if it does not happen esp, when comparing it to a benchmark storm for a region.  The psychological impact here is huge.

Was 40-50" explicitly forecast  by any model for parts of SNE?  Were storm tides forecast to match or exceed the Bliz of 78?  Was there a 1055 mb high in place NW of New England w/ a 70 mb plus high/low difference?

Was the synoptic pattern over NAMR similar to the Biz of 78, b/c that 500 ridge/trough evolution was exceptional, unlike anything in the KU cases.  You not only had a massive cut-off low form just S of New England, but a massive cut off high form at the same time over western Canada.

The worst case scenario is the least likely to happen in any given storm situation, so you better have a darn good reason to go for it.  The notion "better safe than sorry" is a tired and invalid excuse.  Going for worse all the time has real world consequences and impacts, and you will be wrong more often than not.

Extraordinary events require extraordinary circumstances.  

 

Radar

https://www.jdjweatherconsulting.com/mar-4-6-2001

[The 4 Seasons]

11 and 19 years ago today is the V-Day Blizzards of 2007 and 2015. I just finished replotting and fixing up 2015, 2007 ill do later. Also another new L. Northeast map for 2015 w/ climate sites.

This was quite a big bust here we were under blizzard warnings for 4-8", got a quick 2" on the front end WAA snows then nothing with barely any wind (at least when it was snowing). 2nd part clipped E CT and destroyed Middlesex down to Plymouth and Bristol counties. 2015 was another one of the storms where i look at the radar and its hard to believe a widespread 14-22" fell over E MA but those rates were pretty insane for the brief time it snowed during part 2. 

https://www.jdjweatherconsulting.com/feb-14-15-2015

2007 was essentially a sleet storm for most of CT especially south of 84. Most of those snow totals are pure sleet. Snow totals overall are not that impressive >12" until you get into the Berkshires and Catskills in Ulster Co. 

https://www.jdjweatherconsulting.com/feb-13-14-2007

 

[CoastalWx]

32 minutes ago, The 4 Seasons said:

11 and 19 years ago today is the V-Day Blizzards of 2007 and 2015. I just finished replotting and fixing up 2015, 2007 ill do later. Also another new L. Northeast map for 2015 w/ climate sites.

This was quite a big bust here we were under blizzard warnings for 4-8", got a quick 2" on the front end WAA snows then nothing with barely any wind (at least when it was snowing). 2nd part clipped E CT and destroyed Middlesex down to Plymouth and Bristol counties. 2015 was another one of the storms where i look at the radar and its hard to believe a widespread 14-22" fell over E MA but those rates were pretty insane for the brief time it snowed during part 2. 

https://www.jdjweatherconsulting.com/feb-14-15-2015

2007 was essentially a sleet storm for most of CT especially south of 84. Most of those snow totals are pure sleet. Snow totals overall are not that impressive >12" until you get into the Berkshires and Catskills in Ulster Co. 

https://www.jdjweatherconsulting.com/feb-13-14-2007

 

People also forget the first part delivered like 4 to 7 inches.

[tamarack]

1 hour ago, The 4 Seasons said:

11 and 19 years ago today is the V-Day Blizzards of 2007 and 2015. I just finished replotting and fixing up 2015, 2007 ill do later. Also another new L. Northeast map for 2015 w/ climate sites.

This was quite a big bust here we were under blizzard warnings for 4-8", got a quick 2" on the front end WAA snows then nothing with barely any wind (at least when it was snowing). 2nd part clipped E CT and destroyed Middlesex down to Plymouth and Bristol counties. 2015 was another one of the storms where i look at the radar and its hard to believe a widespread 14-22" fell over E MA but those rates were pretty insane for the brief time it snowed during part 2. 

https://www.jdjweatherconsulting.com/feb-14-15-2015

2007 was essentially a sleet storm for most of CT especially south of 84. Most of those snow totals are pure sleet. Snow totals overall are not that impressive >12" until you get into the Berkshires and Catskills in Ulster Co. 

https://www.jdjweatherconsulting.com/feb-13-14-2007

 

VD07 was great here, 15.5" from 1.80" LE at temp near 10, especially appreciated as we'd gone nearly 2 years w/o a 6"+ snowfall.

GYX has called VD15 their Valentine's Day Massacre.  The night before, the forecast was 18-24 plus a blizzard warning.  The day shift lowered snow to 12-18 and kept the blizz. 
Verified at 1.5", the 4th and final snowstorm that winter to verify at 1/8 (or less) of the forecast's low end.  Meanwhile, SNE got buried and Machias, at 20' elev, measured 25".

Looking forward to March 2001.  The early storm was fine, 9.5", but nothing special.  By month's end we'd had 55.5" with 48" pack on 3/31 as 35" came after the equinox.

[vortex95]

10 hours ago, Ginx snewx said:

1500 slopeside. Convective city tsnow for an hour 

So 11" in an hr from combined upslope and convective TSW++?  Probably giant dendrites!

Good info.  Knowing the limits of any wx event, type, or specific phenomena is paramount for historical discussion and getting people excited!

[vortex95]

9 hours ago, The 4 Seasons said:

I mean it's an AFD in 2001, saying it on TV to tens of thousands of people is a very  different thing.

And the next AFD you can hear the disappointment and fear in drags words. Forecasts didn't change all that much but did go down a notch

Yes, I know, but enough ppl has access or were looking at AFDs outside mainstream media to run w/ that and hype.  Yes, this was long before FB, Twitter, and tidbit quotes going viral instantly, esp. to the general public.  But within wx circles, chat forums, and list-servs, this was a hot topic.  I recall it well!

IIRC, that March 2001 event was I think the first time the MSM went nuts 5+ days out for the "storm to end all storms" PHL-BOS.  A watershed event for pre-storm hype!  The big cities largely missed out, even BOS, but just 10 mi NW in Woburn, I had 23" of snow, and it was super wet that entire 23"!  Never had I seen so high vertical snow "walls" on power lines (wind was next to nothing), and never has so much snow in a single storm that was 100% wet.  You'd dig into the snow pack, and you'd see a blue tinge, esp. noticeable while it was still cloudy  That's when I learned that high-moisture content snow result in this.  So "KEWL!"

[vortex95]

3 hours ago, The 4 Seasons said:

11 and 19 years ago today is the V-Day Blizzards of 2007 and 2015. I just finished replotting and fixing up 2015, 2007 ill do later. Also another new L. Northeast map for 2015 w/ climate sites.

This was quite a big bust here we were under blizzard warnings for 4-8", got a quick 2" on the front end WAA snows then nothing with barely any wind (at least when it was snowing). 2nd part clipped E CT and destroyed Middlesex down to Plymouth and Bristol counties. 2015 was another one of the storms where i look at the radar and its hard to believe a widespread 14-22" fell over E MA but those rates were pretty insane for the brief time it snowed during part 2. 

https://www.jdjweatherconsulting.com/feb-14-15-2015

2007 was essentially a sleet storm for most of CT especially south of 84. Most of those snow totals are pure sleet. Snow totals overall are not that impressive >12" until you get into the Berkshires and Catskills in Ulster Co. 

https://www.jdjweatherconsulting.com/feb-13-14-2007

 

Awesome snow maps.  On your site, how many have you done, and how far back?

[vortex95]

3 hours ago, CoastalWx said:

People also forget the first part delivered like 4 to 7 inches.

But nothing takes the cake for CoastalWx than the Bliz of 05.  Scott has the radar loop archived for that I think!  So which is it for you, Bliz of 97 or 05?  Does Bliz 13 round out the top 3 for you?

From both a meteorological set up and personal experience event, the Bliz of 97 takes the cake for me. Why?

1) Being so mild that weekend leading up, and strong tstms later on Sat across SNE.  Then a pleasant Easter Sunday for the region w/ temps in the 60s.  That just makes the stark contrast to what was coming even better,  It is the "let's freak out the general public as much as possible" wx swing!

2)  I was off on Monday, and I recall the forecast was not for a flip to snow until later in the aftn.  Yet it started as a R/S mix in Woburn MA at 1030am.  I was like "oh boy...."

3)  The struggle for accumulation during the day due to marginal temps.  I had 4" but it was only on certain areas, like on the car top or mulch.

4) Then as night fell, remarkable transformation occurred.  I went out at 6pm for some errands, and it was not too bad, by the time I finished them by 8pm, it was nuts.  Temp dropped from the low 30s to mid 20s, snowfall rates 2-3" hr, and blowing and drifting everywhere.  Even the 128 was a total mess.  I could see transformer explosions in the distance.  Got home and then a brilliant LTG strike.  And the poundage continued.  Got 4" in one hr 2-3am.  You'd never think it was April 1 w/ what was going on outside.

5)  My car was completely drifted over the next morning.  Never had I had that happened before.

6)  BOS struggled R/S mix all day into the early evening, and then BLAM!, went to S+ right around 00z, and they got 25" in about 12 hr.  I really think that BOS had it all-time record snowfall w/ this storm, but access and drifting issues prevented the observer 1 mi away from Logan that took the airports obs at the time from getting an accurate measurement.

7)  BOS DPW was taken by surprise by the rapid flip to S+ that evening, and the rates were so crazy, the city was snowed in bad, and some part of the city remained unplowed for 3 days.  I recall I front page story from the BOS Herald, and it said "TICKED OFF" and showed a resident hold a clock 1201pm standing in his unplowed street, stating the city promised his street to be plowed by noon (still had the paper).

8) The satellite image morning of 4/1...absolutely epic.  I attached it.  Look at the enormous size of the storm, and how far wrapped it was with a classic giant mesh of instability CU over the ocean!

After that, I said to myself, I've got my fill for big snowstorms.  Since it had been so good since 1992-93, I was "sated" so to speak.  Nothing could top this event on multiple levels as I noted above (not all meteorological).  Not that I did not enjoy what happened later as the epic period continued, capped off by the crazy Jan-Feb 2015 snowblitz, but I no longer got "CoastalWx mad/in a snit" when snowstorms did not work out, or mild/snowless winters occurred.  All my hardship from the lame winters of the mid 80s to early 90s was excised, so to speak, after the Bliz of 97.  Maybe CoastalWx should take note of this, and not get so miffed when winters do not cooperate! Not like you've never experienced epic winters, and 1991-2020 was the snowiest 30 yr normal period for much of SNE on record, w/ truly an exceptional snowblitz Jan-Feb-2015, unlike anything on record for SNE.

This does to mean I do not welcome big snowstorms and get into weenie mode when one is imminent, but there is more to wx than that.  And really, it nice to have breaks sometimes!  Also, always swinging for "home runs" (blockbuster snowstorms) you are going to be disappointed very often.  Who needs that emotional roller coaster from something no one has control over?