Winter 2025/26 Banter Thread

[Malacka11]

We fr live in a society 

[cyclone77]

Just 5 weeks till March. 

[Brian D]

A Starlink sat fell back to Earth Sat. Pretty cool show. Webcams from Canal Park in DLH, TH boat launch, TH depot, and Split Rock Lighthouse.

 

[Brian D]

January 24

1968: A rare severe thunderstorm hits the Twin Cities and leaves a coating of ice an inch thick. 10 thousand homes were without power.

 

1950: An ice storm develops over southwest Minnesota. Ice on telephone wires from 1/3 to 1.5 inches. Bismarck, North Dakota had 17 inches of snow. A Northern Pacific passenger train derailed at Detroit Lakes with no injuries.

 

1925: A solar eclipse is seen across northern Minnesota during the morning. The Duluth Herald reported that chickens were 'puzzled by the dark morning' and didn't leave their roosts.

For Saturday, January 24, 2026
1916 - The temperature at Browning MT plunged 100 degrees in just 24 hours, from 44 degrees above zero to 56 degrees below zero. It was a record 24 hour temperature drop for the U.S. (Weather Channel) (National Severe Storms Forecast Center)
1935 - Snowstorms hit the northeastern U.S. and the Pacific Northwest producing record 24 hour snowfall totals of 23 inches at Portland ME and 52 inches at Winthrop MA. (David Ludlum)
1956 - Thirty-eight inches of rain deluged the Kilauea Sugar Plantation of Hawaii in 24 hours, including twelve inches in just one hour. (David Ludlum)
1963 - A great arctic outbreak reached the southern U.S. The cold wave broke many records for duration of cold weather along the Gulf Coast. A reading of 15 degrees below zero at Nashville TN was an all-time record low for that location. (David Ludlum)
1982 - Chinook winds plagued the foothills of southeastern Wyoming and northern and central Colorado for the second straight Sunday. The winds gusted to 140 mph at Wondervu CO, located northeast of Denver. Chinook winds a week earlier produced wind gusts to 137 mph. (Storm Data)
1987 - Temperatures in Minnesota plunged far below the zero mark. International Falls MN reported a morning low of 35 degrees below zero, and Warroad MN was the cold spot in the nation with a low of 45 below zero. A storm developing in northeastern Texas produced severe thunderstorms with large hail in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. Camden AR reported golf ball size hail. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1988 - A blizzard rapidly developed in the north central U.S. In just one hour weather conditions in eastern North Dakota switched from sunny skies, light winds and temperature readings in the 20s, to rapidly falling temperatures and near zero visibility in snow and blowing snow. High winds in Wyoming, gusting to 72 mph at Gillette, produced snow drifts sixteen feet high. Northwestern Iowa experienced its second blizzard in just 24 hours. High winds in Iowa produced wind chill readings as cold as 65 degrees below zero. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1989 - Heavy snow blanketed the Rockies and the Northern High Plains Region. Hettinger ND received 12 inches of snow. Wolf Creek Pass CO was blanketed with 16 inches of snow in just 24 hours. Severe cold prevailed across Alaska. Between the 24th and the 29th of January, a total of thirty stations in the state report all-time record low temperatures. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1990 - A deep low pressure system brought high winds and heavy snow to the western Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Winds gusting to 82 mph at Shemya reduced the visibility to near zero in blowing snow. Rain and gale force winds lashed the northern Pacific coast. Thunderstorms produced locally heavy rains over the central Gulf coast states. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

[Brian D]

January 25

1964: A record high temperature of 64 is set at Redwood Falls.

For Sunday, January 25, 2026
1821 - The Hudson River was frozen solid during the midst of the coldest winter in forty-one years. Thousands of persons crossed the ice from New York City to New Jersey, and refreshment taverns were set up in the middle of the river to warm pedestrians. (David Ludlum)
1837 - At 7 PM a display of the Northern Lights danced above Burlington, VT. Its light was equal to the full moon. Snow and other objects reflecting the light were deeply tinged with a blood red hue. Blue, yellow and white streamers were also noted. (The Weather Channel)
1965 - Alta, UT, was in the midst of a storm that left the town buried under 105 inches of snow establishing a record for the state. (David Ludlum)
1987 - The second major storm in three days hit the Eastern Seaboard producing up to 15 inches of snow in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Up to 30 inches of snow covered the ground in Virginia following the two storms. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1988 - High winds created blizzard conditions in the mountains of Colorado. Winds gusted to 109 mph at Echo Lake, and a wind gust to 193 mph was reported atop Mount Evans. A "nor'easter" moving up the Atlantic Coast spread heavy snow from the Carolinas to New England, with as much as 16 inches reported in the Poconos of eastern Pennsylvania. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1989 - Bitter cold air, coming down from Alaska, settled over the Northern Rockies. Wilson WY reported a morning low of 48 degrees below zero. Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the south central U.S. One thunderstorm in north central Texas spawned a tornado which injured three persons at Troy. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1990 - Low pressure developed explosively over east central Missouri and moved into Lower Michigan producing high winds and heavy snow across parts of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. Wind gusts to 60 mph and up to a foot of snow created near blizzard conditions in southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Wind gusts in Indiana reached 76 mph at Wabash. Thunderstorms associated with the storm produced wind gusts to 54 mph at Fort Madison IA. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
2000 - Heavy snow fell from the Carolinas to New England, with up to 20 inches of snow and five deaths reported. (NCDC)

[nvck]

On 1/23/2026 at 11:42 PM, HillsdaleMIWeather said:

cannot stand him or any of these other grifting hypercasters

[Chicago916]

Excuse any of my ignorance but how is this pattern not an "east coast pattern"?

Seems like we're stuck in a NW flow in the middle of the country now and only the East Coast can get lucky when the Sub tropical jet wants to cooperate?

So clippers for us and occasional favorable flow for LE (soon to end with lakes freezing though?)

 

Not a good look out West with so much ridging and lack of meaningful mountain snows. Could equate to drought concerns there into Summer without runoff?

[Brian D]

January 26

1916: A severe ice storm hits Mower County. Hundreds of birds were killed.

For Monday, January 26, 2026
1700 - A powerful earthquake struck the Pacific Northwest along the Cascadia Subduction zone. The estimated moment magnitude of 8.7-9.2 caused about a 1,000-kilometer rupture from mid-Vancouver Island to northern California. The ocean floor heaved upward approximately 20 feet, and with 10-20 minutes, a giant wave, 30-40 feet high, reached the shore. The earthquake caused a tsunami, which struck the coast of Japan.
1772 - Possibly the greatest snowfall ever recorded in the Washington DC area started on this day. When the storm began, Thomas Jefferson was returning home from his honeymoon with his new bride, Martha Wayles Skelton. The newlyweds made it to within eight miles of Monticello before having to abandon their carriage in the deep snow. Both finished the ride on horseback in the blinding snow. The newlyweds arrived home late on the night of January 26th. In Jefferson's "Garden Book," he wrote, "the deepest snow we have ever seen. In Albermarle, it was about 3. F. deep."
1937 - The wettest month ever in Cincinnati, Ohio, is January 1937, when 13.68 inches fell. Their average January amount is 3.00 inches of precipitation. The overabundance of precipitation over the Ohio River basin caused near-record to record flooding in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. On this day, the river gauge reached 80 feet in Cincinnati, the highest level in the city's history. The Ohio River reached 57 feet in Louisville, Kentucky, on the 27th, setting a new record by ten feet. Seventy percent of the city was underwater at that time.
1978 - A paralyzing blizzard struck the Midwest. One to three feet of snow fell in Michigan, and 20 to 40 inches was reported across Indiana. Winds reached 70 mph in Michigan, and gusted above 100 mph in Ohio. The high winds produced snow drifts twenty feet high in Michigan and Indiana stranding thousands on the interstate highways. Temperatures in Ohio dropped from the 40s to near zero during the storm. (David Ludlum)
1983 - The California coast was battered by a storm which produced record high tides, thirty-two foot waves, and mudslides, causing millions of dollars damage. The storm then moved east and dumped four feet of snow on Lake Tahoe. (22nd-29th) (The Weather Channel)
1987 - A winter storm spread heavy snow across the Middle and Northern Atlantic Coast States, with 18 inches reported at Vineland NJ, and wind gusts to 65 mph at Chatham MA. Snow cover in Virginia ranged up to thirty inches following this second major storm in just one week. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1988 - A snowstorm in the northeastern U.S. produced 19 inches at Austerlitz NY and Stillwater NY. A storm in the Great Lakes Region left 16.5 inches at Marquette MI, for a total of 43 inches in six days. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1989 - Snow and high winds created blizzard-like conditions in northwestern Vermont. Winds at Saint Albins gusted to 88 mph. In Alaska, the town of Cold Foot (located north of Fairbanks) reported a morning low of 75 degrees below zero. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1990 - A winter storm spread high winds from the northwestern U.S. to Wyoming and Colorado, with heavy snow in some of the high elevations. Stevens Pass WA received 17 inches of snow, half of which fell in four hours. In extreme northwest Wyoming, Togwotee Mountain Lodge received 24 inches of snow. Winds in Colorado gusted to 90 mph at Rollinsville. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

 

PDF showing the 1978 stm. AWESOME!  https://library.oarcloud.noaa.gov/docs.lib/htdocs/rescue/dwm/1978/19780123-19780129.pdf

[hawkeye_wx]

I'm ready for thunderstorm season.

[A-L-E-K]

5 minutes ago, hawkeye_wx said:

I'm ready for thunderstorm season.

best i can do is 6 more weeks of cad

 

[Chicago Storm]

2 hours ago, Chicago916 said:

Excuse any of my ignorance but how is this pattern not an "east coast pattern"?

Seems like we're stuck in a NW flow in the middle of the country now and only the East Coast can get lucky when the Sub tropical jet wants to cooperate?

So clippers for us and occasional favorable flow for LE (soon to end with lakes freezing though?)

 

Not a good look out West with so much ridging and lack of meaningful mountain snows. Could equate to drought concerns there into Summer without runoff?

ORD has picked up 8.7" of snow over the past two weeks, thanks to several clippers + LE. It may not seem like a lot, but we are now sitting at average snowfall for the month of January. Other areas in NE IL and the metro have received even more than that (Up by the border & along the lake).

Did the East Coast rack up a big snowfall this weekend? Sure, but so did a majority of the subforum. A foot of snow fell 4 hours from here.

If it were an East Coast pattern, none of the above would be reality.

[Chicago916]

2 minutes ago, Chicago Storm said:

ORD has picked up 8.7" of snow over the past two weeks, thanks to several clippers + LE. It may not seem like a lot, but we are now sitting at average snowfall for the month of January. Other areas in NE IL and the metro have received even more than that (Up by the border & along the lake).

Did the East Coast rack up a big snowfall this weekend? Sure, but so did a majority of the subforum. A foot of snow fell 4 hours from here.

If it were an East Coast pattern, none of the above would be reality.

That's all fair, but the pattern itself technically provides the highest ceiling for big dogs on the East Coast? Whether they occur or not is the question or whether they peak offshore. Just not seeing anything that would pull this pattern into one favoring more inland tracks or cutters like panhandle lows or colorado lows. 

[buckeye]

4 minutes ago, Chicago Storm said:

ORD has picked up 8.7" of snow over the past two weeks, thanks to several clippers + LE. It may not seem like a lot, but we are now sitting at average snowfall for the month of January. Other areas in NE IL and the metro have received even more than that (Up by the border & along the lake).

Did the East Coast rack up a big snowfall this weekend? Sure, but so did a majority of the subforum. A foot of snow fell 4 hours from here.

If it were an East Coast pattern, none of the above would be reality.

I think they do have a favorable set up for this coming weekend....at least a shot unless it goes OTS.   After that a clipper pattern sets up for the sub, with several, (seen as many as four forecasted on some models).   Then the trough retros further west and the sub might be open to something bigger?

[A-L-E-K]

p much a contender for the goat ec pattern of all time

joe in denial

 

 

[Chicago916]

Sorry for opening this debate can of worms lmao. Just curious. I miss the days of huge cutters (either favorable tracks for the Great lakes or cutting west and giving us some warmth). Feels like there's a severe lack of storms from colorado to the Mississippi River lately. 

[Chicago Storm]

That's all fair, but the pattern itself technically provides the highest ceiling for big dogs on the East Coast? Whether they occur or not is the question or whether they peak offshore. Just not seeing anything that would pull this pattern into one favoring more inland tracks or cutters like panhandle lows or colorado lows. 

I think they do have a favorable set up for this coming weekend....at least a shot unless it goes OTS.   After that a clipper pattern sets up for the sub, with several, (seen as many as four forecasted on some models).   Then the trough retros further west and the sub might be open to something bigger?

I’m talking more-so through current time, that it has not been an East Coast pattern thus far. I probably should have been more clear with that.

With the pattern expected to relax a bit coming up to end the month and begin February, during that timeframe the East Coast definitely holds the best chance for a bigger event.

The pattern looks to shift and re-load deeper into February, bringing more widespread chances of something better. Until then, we’ll probably be in clipper mode, unless a surprise hybrid pops up.

[cyclone77]

On 1/22/2026 at 12:12 PM, 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..

As expected nice gap on vis along I-80.  I'd post image but I'm at work lol.

[A-L-E-K]

[Cary67]

3 hours ago, A-L-E-K said:

That's nice. No chance for blowing and drifting on the way back and forth to Iowa City

[frostfern]

6 hours ago, Chicago Storm said:

ORD has picked up 8.7" of snow over the past two weeks, thanks to several clippers + LE. It may not seem like a lot, but we are now sitting at average snowfall for the month of January. Other areas in NE IL and the metro have received even more than that (Up by the border & along the lake).

Did the East Coast rack up a big snowfall this weekend? Sure, but so did a majority of the subforum. A foot of snow fell 4 hours from here.

If it were an East Coast pattern, none of the above would be reality.

The problem is more not having much to look forward to in this pattern.  Especially anyone not in a lake belt.  I’d rather be teased by a phantom storm in the long range than see absolutely nothing.

[A-L-E-K]

 

Huh

 

[WestMichigan]

Those bands passing through off Lake Michigan are no joke this morning.  Less than 1/8 mile visibility when they move through and the wind makes it even worse with the blowing snow.

[TheClimateChanger]

15 hours ago, A-L-E-K said:

 

Huh

 

Lol, I saw that and it makes zero sense. There is in fact snow cover over eastern Kentucky and West Virginia  - that's typical upslope snow from there south into E TN/ W NC. The satellite imagery isn't blue there, because there's overcast skies. If anything, it looks like the snow cover is suppressing clouds. Maybe the differential heating is contributing to the cumulus buildup south of the snowpack, but that's not the same process as lake effect snow. The flurries on radar earlier are clearly from a weak "disturbance" that moved in from Arkansas.

[TheClimateChanger]

19 hours ago, A-L-E-K said:

That's the jackpot. You can get snow effect snow from any wind direction.

[sbnwx85]

I love winter but miss thunderstorms. The structure on this lake effect snow band is the best we’ll get for now.

[A-L-E-K]

 

 

[SchaumburgStormer]

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

 

 

"This pattern stinks. This winter stinks. "

Preach my man. Preach. 

[Brian D]

January 27

2006: A record high temperature of 50 degrees is set at the Eau Claire Regional Airport.

For Tuesday, January 27, 2026
1772 - The "Washington and Jefferson Snowstorm" occurred. George Washington reported three feet of snow at Mount Vernon, and Thomas Jefferson recorded about three feet at Monticello. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987)
1922 - On this date through the 29th, a significant snowstorm struck the East Coast from South Carolina to southeastern Massachusetts. Washington, DC, reported 28 inches of snow. The heavy snow on the Knickerbocker Theater's flat roof put a significant strain on the structure. On the evening of the 28th, during a showing of the silent comedy "Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford," the building collapsed, killing 98 people and injuring 130 others.
1966 - Oswego, NY, was in the midst of a five day lake effect storm which left the town buried under 102 inches of snow. (David Ludlum)
1967 - Residents of Chicago, IL, began to dig out from a storm which produced 23 inches of snow in 29 hours. The snow paralyzed the city and suburbs for days, and business losses were enormous. (David Ludlum)
1987 - A powerful storm moving into the western U.S. produced 13 inches of snow at Daggett Pass NV, and 16 inches in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. Winds gusted to 63 mph at Reno NV, and wind gusts in Oregon exceeded 80 mph. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1988 - The nation got a breather from winter storms, however, cold arctic air settled into the southeastern U.S. Hollywood FL reported a record low reading of 39 degrees. (National Weather Summary)
1989 - The last half of January was bitterly cold over most of Alaska. Nearly thirty stations established all-time record low temperatures. On this date Tanana reported a low of -76 degrees. Daily highs of -66 degrees were reported at Chandalar Lake on the 22nd, and at Ambler on the 26th. (The Weather Channel)
1989 - Low pressure in north central Alaska continued to direct air across northern Siberia and the edges of the Arctic Circle into the state. The temperature at Fairbanks remained colder than 40 degrees below zero for the eighth day in a row. Lows of 68 below at Galena, 74 below at McGrath, and 76 below at Tanana, were new records for the date. Wind chill readings were colder than 100 degrees below zero. (National Weather Summary)
1990 - Another in a series of cold fronts brought high winds to the northwestern U.S., and more heavy snow to some of the higher elevations. The series of vigorous cold fronts crossing the area between the 23rd and the 27th of the month produced up to 60 inches of snow in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
2005 - Month-to-date snowfall at Boston Logan International Airport totaled 43.1 inches, making January the snowiest month on record.