Winter 2025/26 Banter Thread

[Chicago916]

Was just thinking about all the budget cuts to the NOAA and how it impacts modeling. I wonder what verification scores are now vs previous years (winter and summer comparisons). Feels like modeling is pretty bad. 

[cyclone77]

Vis nicely shows the bare ground along/south of route 30.  Should be a nice FU sandwich along I-80 showing up on vis in a few days with the new snow field to the south.  Bout ready to move on to spring..

[A-L-E-K]

9 minutes ago, cyclone77 said:

Vis nicely shows the bare ground along/south of route 30.  Should be a nice FU sandwich along I-80 showing up on vis in a few days with the new snow field to the south.  Bout ready to move on to spring..

feel this

[roardog]

2 minutes ago, A-L-E-K said:

feel this

Don’t worry, it’ll be cold NE wind season before you know it while cyclone77 will be basking in 65 degree air. lol

[sbnwx85]

2 hours ago, Chicago916 said:

Was just thinking about all the budget cuts to the NOAA and how it impacts modeling. I wonder what verification scores are now vs previous years (winter and summer comparisons). Feels like modeling is pretty bad. 

This is our last hope to pull something out of this weekend's system. #ThanksTrump

[Chicago Storm]

2 hours ago, Chicago916 said:

Was just thinking about all the budget cuts to the NOAA and how it impacts modeling. I wonder what verification scores are now vs previous years (winter and summer comparisons). Feels like modeling is pretty bad. 

it's not affecting things, contrary to what many thing.

[Chicago Storm]

the funny thing is, re: all of the complaining locally about the current winter...

this is the coldest and snowiest winter we've had in years.

we've surpassed seasonal snowfall totals for the winters of 2024/25, 2023/24 and 2022/23 already, and it's only mid-january.

[A-L-E-K]

from F to D, winning

[Geoboy645]

17 minutes ago, Chicago Storm said:

the funny thing is, re: all of the complaining locally about the current winter...

this is the coldest and snowiest winter we've had in years.

we've surpassed seasonal snowfall totals for the winters of 2024/25, 2023/24 and 2022/23 already, and it's only mid-january.

Yeah here at Madison its easily been the coldest and snowiest first half of winter in a while. Even with the Christmas warm wave and first week of January. We are at 38 inches of snow so far at the airport with about 12 of that over the last week. That's a total that's only been "recently" surpassed by years like 07-08, 08-09, and 00-01. We have a general 3-7 inches of snow OTG. Pretty good start to say the least.

[sbnwx85]

I can't even imagine what 4-6" of sleet looks like.

[SchaumburgStormer]

1 hour ago, sbnwx85 said:

I can't even imagine what 4-6" of sleet looks like.

To be fair, it prolly looks a whole lot like 4-6” of snow… 

[A-L-E-K]

I always kinda forget that Arkansas exists 

[sbnwx85]

7 minutes ago, SchaumburgStormer said:

To be fair, it prolly looks a whole lot like 4-6” of snow… 

But like... a glacier?

[roardog]

2 minutes ago, sbnwx85 said:

But like... a glacier?

I remember when we had about 2 inches of sleet in early April 2003 and I can confirm it looks like snow on the ground until you walk on it. I remember it took awhile to melt too even though it was April. 

[A-L-E-K]

On 1/13/2026 at 12:13 PM, Chicago Storm said:

so, where’s this east coast pattern some of you were whining about?

it's here

[Chicago Storm]

it's here

where?

there’s gonna be a foot of snow downstate. that’s not an east coast pattern.

[ILSNOW]

i believe he is referring to this after next weekends coastal

[A-L-E-K]

Everyone stacking but us

 

 

 

[mimillman]

35 minutes ago, A-L-E-K said:

Everyone stacking but us

 

 

 

They’re at 8000 feet in the foothills of the Himalayas. Saying it’s snowing there is like saying it’s snowing in the Michigan snow desert…it shouldn’t be a surprise 

[Chicago916]

Bring on thunderstorms 

[Brian D]

January 23

1963: A record low of -31 is set at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

For Friday, January 23, 2026
1780 - The coldest day of the coldest month of record in the northeastern U.S. A British Army thermometer in New York City registered a reading of 16 degrees below zero. During that infamous hard winter the harbor was frozen solid for five weeks, and the port was cut off from sea supply. (David Ludlum)
1971 - The temperature at Prospect Creek, AK, plunged to 80 degrees below zero, the coldest reading of record for the United States. (David Ludlum)
1987 - Strong winds ushered bitterly cold air into the north central U.S., and produced snow squalls in the Great Lakes Region. Snowfall totals in northwest Lower Michigan ranged up to 17 inches in Leelanau County. Wind chill temperatures reached 70 degrees below zero at Sault Ste Marie MI and Hibbing MN. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1988 - Northeastern Colorado experienced its most severe windstorm in years. A wind gust to 92 mph was recorded at Boulder CO before the anenometer blew away, and in the mountains, a wind gust to 120 mph was reported at Mines Peak. The high winds blew down a partially constructed viaduct east of Boulder, as nine unanchored concrete girders, each weighing forty-five tons, were blown off their supports. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1989 - Low pressure brought heavy snow to Wyoming, with 18 inches reported at the Shoshone National Forest, and 17 inches in the Yellowstone Park area. Gunnison CO, with a low of 19 degrees below zero, was the cold spot in the nation for the twelfth day in a row. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1990 - A Pacific cold front brought strong and gusty winds to the northwestern U.S. Winds in southeastern Idaho gusted to 62 mph at Burley. Strong winds also prevailed along the eastern slopes of the northern and central Rockies. Winds in Wyoming gusted to 74 mph in Goshen County. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)