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


.

[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.

[Harry Perry]

6 hours ago, frostfern said:

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

It’s coming quick with temps this cold.

[King James]

Would you rather live through this two week long stretch of zero degree temps or read 100 pages of our Michigan posters talk about winter and snow?

[Brian D]

January 29

1977: Due to the extreme cold, the St. Paul Winter Carnival is held indoors for the first time.

For Thursday, January 29, 2026
1780 - On the coldest morning of a severe winter the mercury dipped to 16 degrees below zero at New York City, and reached 20 degrees below zero at Hartford CT. New York Harbor was frozen for five weeks, allowing a heavy cannon to be taken across the ice to fortify the British on Staten Island. (The Weather Channel)
1921 - A small but intense windstorm resulted in the "Great Olympic Blowdown" in the Pacific Northwest. Hurricane force winds, funneled along the mountains, downed vast expanses of Douglas fir trees, and the storm destroyed eight billion board feet of timber. Winds at North Head WA gusted to 113 mph. (David Ludlum)
1947 - On this date through the 30th, a fierce winter storm buried southern Wisconsin under two feet of snow. Strong northeasterly winds piled drifts up to 10 feet high in the Milwaukee area, shutting down the city for two days.
1983 - A series of Pacific coast storms finally came to an end. The storms, attributed in part to the ocean current, "El Nino," produced ocean swells 15 to 20 feet high which ravaged the beaches of southern California. Much of the damage was to homes of movies stars in the exclusive Malibu Colony. (The Weather Channel)
1987 - A strong storm moving out of the Central Rockies spread snow across the north central states, with up to eight inches of snow in Wisconsin, and produced wind gusts to 64 mph at Goodland KS. A thunderstorm produced three inches of snow in forty-five minutes at Owing Mills MD. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1988 - Rain and snow were primarily confined to the northwestern U.S. An afternoon reading of 34 degrees at International Falls MN was a record high for the date. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1989 - Bitter cold air continued to pour into Alaska. At McGrath, temperature dipped to 63 degrees below zero. Strong winds blowing through the Alaska Range between Fairbanks and Anchorage produced a wind chill reading of 120 degrees below zero at Cantwell. (National Weather Summary)
1990 - Severe thunderstorms in the southeastern U.S. spawned a tornado which destroyed three mobile homes near Blythe GA injuring six persons. A fast moving cold front produced high winds in the western U.S. Winds along the coast of Oregon gusted to 65 mph at Portland, and high winds generated 22 to 26 foot seas which battered the coast. Winds near Reno NV gusted to 78 mph. High winds also buffeted the Central High Plains, with gusts to 94 mph reported at La Mesa CO. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
2002 - A major three-day winter storm blasted parts of Kansas and Missouri. A catastrophic ice storm occurred south of the snow area, with two inches of ice and snow accumulating in the Kansas City, Missouri area. Thousands of trees were felled by the storm, blocking roads, felling utility lines, and causing fires. Two "Bicentennial Trees," estimated at being over 200 years old, were badly damaged from this storm. After the 31st, 325,000 people were reported without power in Kansas City alone.
2008 - A sharp cold front moved across Illinois during the day, producing a drastic temperature drop. Temperatures fell 20 to 40 degrees in just a couple of hours, with areas from Springfield, Illinois to St. Louis, Missouri seeing temperatures fall as much as 50 degrees between noon and 6 pm. Temperatures in the mid-60s in central Illinois at midday on the 29th had fallen to near zero by the next morning.

[A-L-E-K]

carolinas blizzard happening huh, jelly obv

[OrdIowPitMsp]

Got a little windy in La Crosse last evening.

[SchaumburgStormer]

1 hour ago, OrdIowPitMsp said:

Got a little windy in La Crosse last evening.

Wind chill..... 

 

Nice. 

[Chicago Storm]

ready for spc outlooks to be the most confusing thing ever?

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/conditional-intensity-information/

[A-L-E-K]

lol

[Stevo6899]

10 hours ago, King James said:

Would you rather live through this two week long stretch of zero degree temps or read 100 pages of our Michigan posters talk about winter and snow?

Don't blame/take it out on us for the weather boredom in your area and for the cold stretch. You don't see us ever bitching and moaning about Chicago's lake effect shit.

[Chicago Storm]

1 minute ago, Stevo6899 said:

You don't see us ever bitching and moaning about Chicago's lake effect shit.

why would one bitch about others talking current weather?

[sbnwx85]

21 minutes ago, Chicago Storm said:

ready for spc outlooks to be the most confusing thing ever?

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/conditional-intensity-information/

90 percent wind triple-hatched is going to be a big day.

[Stevo6899]

4 minutes ago, Chicago Storm said:

why would one bitch about others talking current weather?

Guess it's only fitting for a guy named king James to be whining and complaining.

[Harry Perry]

4 minutes ago, sbnwx85 said:

90 percent wind triple-hatched is going to be a big day.

Was just looking at that too. Won’t be too bad to remember really.
 

Dashes - going to be hefty. Lines - going to be rowdy. Hatched - Oh shit. 

[Chicago Storm]

16 minutes ago, Stevo6899 said:

Guess it's only fitting for a guy named king James to be whining and complaining.

i think it's common knowledge here that many winter threads will go off the rails at some point with some mi winter weather history or some other back-and-forth.

...which is why it's a running joke.