Winter 2025/26 Banter Thread

[sbnwx85]

A+ here but only for one reason

[mimillman]

Whoever popularized the term "bomb cyclone" for the media to describe every nor’easter deserves a special place in hell 

[sbnwx85]

Finally someone willing to share real weather news: 

[DocATL]

I grew up in Tampa and they’re hosting the Stadium Series game on Sunday. It may not get out of the mid 40’s. Then of course you see crazy stuff like this…

https://x.com/flstormchasers_/status/2015854097153302774?s=46


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[SchaumburgStormer]

Wake up, check gfs out to 384hrs, less than 2" of snow progged for MBY. Close browser, sigh loudly, get angry at myself for believing after our hot start.

[DocATL]

Wake up, check gfs out to 384hrs, less than 2" of snow progged for MBY. Close browser, sigh loudly, get angry at myself for believing after our hot start.

Yet there’s still snow on the ground.


.

[michsnowfreak]

I was telling a story about the King winter of 2013-14 to someone, and it reminded me that it was the only time in my life i was ever scared of snow, albeit briefly. It was mid-late Feb and the snow depth approached 2 feet with huge drifts. I was in a hilly, drift-prone area not far from DTW, so of course, I wanted to play around and see how high some of the drifts are. When walking in deep snow, its best to KNOW your area, which I did not. So there I am, with my 40" snow stick getting a kick out of sticking it all the way in without hitting bottom (first time id ever done that), then I fell into chest deep snow. Those drifts are hardpacked. I couldnt move my arms to get out. After brief panic i started wiggling fingers to loosen the snow and as it loosened, i was eventually able to tunnel enough snow to get out of the drift. Absolutely wild. I walk in extremely deep snow every year up north, but never had an experience of falling into packed powder to my chest.

There will be harsh winters (this has happily turned into one), but there will never be another 2013-14.

[buckeye]

15 hours ago, mimillman said:

Whoever popularized the term "bomb cyclone" for the media to describe every nor’easter deserves a special place in hell 

yup, and every cold shot now is the polar vortex.

[Brian D]

January 28

1914: A very rare thunderstorm (for this time of year) is observed at Maple Plain during the evening. Heavy thunder and vivid lightning was observed.

 

1846: Temperatures are not too shabby for a January day. The high in the Twin Cities was 50, which is the normal high for the beginning of March.

For Wednesday, January 28, 2026
1887 - Snowflakes "as large as milk pans" fell at Fort Keogh of Montana. The flakes, which were said to measure 15 inches across and 8 inches thick, hold the unofficial size record!
1922 - The "Knickerbocker" storm immobilized the city of Washington D.C. The storm produced 28 inches of snow in 32 hours, and the heavy snow caused the roof of the Knickerbocker movie theatre to collapse killing 96 persons. (David Ludlum)
1963 - The low of -34 degrees at Cynthiana, KY, equalled the state record established just four days earlier at Bonnieville. (The Weather Channel)
1969 - Heavy rains of tropical origin that began on 1/18 ended on this day. As much as 50 inches of rain fell at 7,700 feet. 31 inches of rain fell on the south slopes of Mt. San Gorgonio, 15.5 inches at San Jacinto Peak, around ten inches at Banning, less than one inch from Indio southeast. 91 were reported dead from flooding and mudslides all over California and state-wide.
1977 - The Blizzard of '77 was one of the worst winter storms to hit southern Ontario and upstate New York. With the rapid onset of the storm, about 2,000 students in the Niagara region were stranded overnight in schools.
1987 - A storm moving out of the Central Rockies into the Northern Plains Region produced up to a foot of snow in the Colorado Rockies, and wind gusts to 99 mph at Boulder CO. High winds in Colorado caused 5.6 million dollars damage. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1988 - Barometric pressure readings of 30.55 inches at Miami FL, 30.66 inches at Tampa FL, and 30.72 inches at Apalachicola FL were all-time record high readings for those locations. (National Weather Summary)
1989 - Nome, AK, reported an all-time record low reading of 54 degrees below zero, and the temperature at Fairwell AK dipped to 69 degrees below zero. Deadhorse AK reported a morning low of 49 degrees below zero, and with a wind chill reading of 114 degrees below zero. In the Lower Forty-eight States, a winter storm over Colorado produced up to 15 inches of snow around Denver. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1990 - Strong and gusty winds prevailed across the northwestern U.S., and heavy snow continued over the mountains of Washington State and Oregon. In Idaho, Mullan received seven inches of snow, and winds gusted to 65 mph southeast of Burley. Heavy rain soaked coastal sections of western Oregon. Rainfall totals of 1.20 inches at Portland and 1.57 inches at Eugene were records for the date. Winds in Oregon gusting to 60 mph downed power lines in Umatilla County knocking out power to more than 13,000 homes, just prior to the kick-off of the "Super Bowl" game. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

 

That 1846 high of 50 would still be standing today, as the record high for Jan 28 in MSP is 47 (1892/2025). In fact, January as whole in 1846 still holds the record at 29.0, but the official record is 28.6 (2006). It was, in fact, noted that 1846 was the warmest year in the 1800's. Very warm!

[Brian D]

13 hours ago, DocATL said:

I grew up in Tampa and they’re hosting the Stadium Series game on Sunday. It may not get out of the mid 40’s. Then of course you see crazy stuff like this…

https://x.com/flstormchasers_/status/2015854097153302774?s=46


.

Snowbirders flee that stuff. This year, it's following them. 

[Malacka11]

The last one stung a bit because we at least marginally had skin in the game, but with that not being an issue this time around, I'll freely say I'm hoping EC weenies manage to reel their upcoming shot in. Ik they're dooming pretty hard in there but that would be a truly amazing snowpack for someone if it did manage to happen, and my soul hurts on their behalf just thinking about missing out (even understanding that it's not exactly a slam dunk setup)

[A-L-E-K]

virginia beach...this is your moment

[frostfern]

21 hours ago, sbnwx85 said:

A+ here but only for one reason

For 2026 IMBY, holy sh*t YES.  Lake Enhanced Clippers are back in force after being oddly missing in action the last few years.  Its not that I wouldn’t prefer some sharing of wealth on the synoptic scale.

[mimillman]

Got asked today if a “cyclone bomb” was going to hit the east coast 

[sbnwx85]

1 hour ago, frostfern said:

For 2026 IMBY, holy sh*t YES.  Lake Enhanced Clippers are back in force after being oddly missing in action the last few years.  Its not that I wouldn’t prefer some sharing of wealth on the synoptic scale.

Yeah, once the lake freezes over, we're all in the same boat hoping for system snow.

[frostfern]

5 minutes ago, sbnwx85 said:

Yeah, once the lake freezes over, we're all in the same boat hoping for system snow.

By that time I will be hoping for winter to be over.