"Don’t do it" 2026 Blizzard obs, updates and pictures.

[HoarfrostHubb]

37 minutes ago, Cold Miser said:

Who was it that drove around the cape a bunch of years ago to "debunk" the high totals?  I think they were totals from Phil, and maybe it was Messenger(RIP) who took the ride.  He pretty much just drove along route 6 and got out of the car every few miles and took a spot measure off the shoulder.

Yep.  That was Clinch Leatherwood, aka Messenger and some other names doing checks of Phil’s reports.    Pretty assholeish, god rest his soul. 

[Baroclinic Zone]

9 minutes ago, HoarfrostHubb said:

Yep.  That was Clinch Leatherwood, aka Messenger and some other names doing checks of Phil’s reports.    Pretty assholeish, god rest his soul. 

I remember that! 

[ChangeofSeasonsWX]

I know that there are obviously exceptions like 2005 on Cape Cod and the PYM area, and 1978 in far N Rhode Island, but overall, is it safe to say that this was the biggest snowstorm on record for the RI/SEMA area? Pretty widespread totals over 30 inches and a few close to 40. I'm just outside of Providence and I can tell you that we definitely got more than we did in 1996 and 2005, and I'm assuming 1978 also.

[Baroclinic Zone]

9 minutes ago, ChangeofSeasonsWX said:

I know that there are obviously exceptions like 2005 on Cape Cod and the PYM area, and 1978 in far N Rhode Island, but overall, is it safe to say that this was the biggest snowstorm on record for the RI/SEMA area? Pretty widespread totals over 30 inches and a few close to 40. I'm just outside of Providence and I can tell you that we definitely got more than we did in 1996 and 2005, and I'm assuming 1978 also.

Without question.

[Midlo Snow Maker]

1 hour ago, ORH_wxman said:

A few pics. I’m posting the pic I took Sunday morning too. The “before” pic for comparison.  
 

 

 

Awesome stuff will, and congrats to all! 

[Baroclinic Zone]

2 minutes ago, Midlo Snow Maker said:

Awesome stuff will, and congrats to all! 

What’s up Jamie?

[wxeyeNH]

I'm happy with my 1/4" of snow and more happy for the people who got 35 to 40".   I see lots of pictures of people posting snowbanks and drifts.  I'm looking for a video clip of someone who is able to drive and just video a neighborhood that got that much.  Cars and areas not plowed should be pretty much buried.  It is a good way to really judge.  Most social media posts want to show the highest snowbank or drifted area.  I just one to see a longer, honest video in the ground zero area.  If anyone has a link I would love to see it!

[SeanInWayland]

9 hours ago, Roger Smith said:

In the NYC forum, SACRUS has a daily post of historical weather events for each day.

Today there is an entry ...

1802 - A great snowstorm raged along the New England coast producing 48 inches of snow north of Boston. Three large ships from Salem were wrecked along Cape Cod. (David Ludlum)

Very likely he's drawing these from the list by dates of notable events in Ludlum's American Weather Book. It really should be more properly titled New England Weather Book, as most of the discussion, anecdotes, and history is centered on Northeast US weather.

It's a great read, and especially so for any budding weather enthusiast you might know.

[OceanStWx]

9 hours ago, 40/70 Benchmark said:

This, combined with the 50-75 shift south, is what killed me. This is a lesson that I'll take from this.....that band set up over ORH CO into S NH just like I thought it would, but it just wasn't very impressive. I think jan 2022 was like that , too. Could you provide a graphic to illustrate this?

Thanks in advance. I need to get better at band/fronto diagnostics. I am too weak with that.

In a typical developing (i.e. not peak intensity) storm your frontogenesis is going to be sloped towards the cold air. 850 is farther southeast than 700 mb, and so on. Lift tends to be maximized around 700 mb, hence congrats Dendrite.

This storm bombed out a little farther south, so one of the first things I noticed was the position of the forecast 700 and 850 mb frontogenesis.

While still sloped a bit, it's far more collocated/vertically stacked. That signaled to me that one major band would develop. And that look at 700 mb with a secondary band farther north suggested to me that it wasn't going to be a uniform precip shield. That a subsidence zone was possible between the two. I may have sent a text about toaster baths in the LWM area to @CoastalWx and @CT Rain Sunday.

I made a little gif too, so you can see how the forcing is overlaid.

I do think part of the problem with the secondary band was that it was advecting so much dry air into the storm. @dendrite posted somewhere along the line the map of RH, and 50% across central NH just wasn't going to get it done for that northern extent. It was like a dry wedge in the usually CAD spots. 

[ORH_wxman]

1 hour ago, Midlo Snow Maker said:

Awesome stuff will, and congrats to all! 

Yo, Midlo in the house....thanks man. 

 

My front yard looks like yours usually does now. 

[tavwtby]

13 minutes ago, OceanStWx said:

In a typical developing (i.e. not peak intensity) storm your frontogenesis is going to be sloped towards the cold air. 850 is farther southeast than 700 mb, and so on. Lift tends to be maximized around 700 mb, hence congrats Dendrite.

This storm bombed out a little farther south, so one of the first things I noticed was the position of the forecast 700 and 850 mb frontogenesis.

While still sloped a bit, it's far more collocated/vertically stacked. That signaled to me that one major band would develop. And that look at 700 mb with a secondary band farther north suggested to me that it wasn't going to be a uniform precip shield. That a subsidence zone was possible between the two. I may have sent a text about toaster baths in the LWM area to @CoastalWx and @CT Rain Sunday.

I made a little gif too, so you can see how the forcing is overlaid.

I do think part of the problem with the secondary band was that it was advecting so much dry air into the storm. @dendrite posted somewhere along the line the map of RH, and 50% across central NH just wasn't going to get it done for that northern extent. It was like a dry wedge in the usually CAD spots. 

nice analysis, would explain why my area down to about DXR was seeing on and off SN+ while 15-20mi east of me was light snow, it really ripped here for a good part of yesterday morning, then would wave on and off as the dry air was trying to push east as it moved... but that band down there was relentless with the rates good Lord!

[Layman]

My unofficial stake showed a total increase of 3” from start to finish. Seems pretty disingenuous though as it plowed more like 6-8”. The drifting, existing snow and density made it feel like a decent amount. 

[codfishsnowman]

13 hours ago, Damage In Tolland said:

41” Fall River. Pics look legit 

https://x.com/snewengweather/status/2026098368804487556?s=46&t=dhcbvkjmRcyBVQtDxJ3lRg

That looks very legit to me. I think anything from 35 to 45 is acceptable there down through southern and central RI. That looks like a bit more than some of those Cape pictures from 2005 in areas where 30-38 inches fell.

[codfishsnowman]

I did watch Corys video a few times and there's no doubt his area got boned for whatever reason. He had to be in a narrow subby zone between the Goliath Central and southern RI band and the one just to his NE. That is just horrible luck. I totally believe it and kinda feel bad for him but that said his area should be well cleaned up and he should go out and look to see in different directions how long it takes to run into massive amounts. An inch or so of snow in nine hours is horrible in his area but sub zones can do that. If he had say peak depths of new snow in the teens then it tappered off for the next 8-9 hours hen that wind is going to do some serious compaction. I would buy him getting 14-18 inches allowing for settling and compaction etc.

[OceanStWx]

2 hours ago, dendrite said:

Yup…wind failed at TAN. Interesting. Still they had a stretch with frequent gusts over 40 before it crapped out. 1045-1252z…lame. I’d count it.

I wouldn't be surprised if post analysis counts it for Storm Data anyway. Some of it is a bit subjective, but if DAW, PSM, and PWM all hit blizzard up here how could I say coastal York wasn't also a blizzard.