March 4-6th, 2001 - 25 Years Later

[The 4 Seasons]

9 hours ago, ORH_wxman said:

Yeah imagine that falling on top of the snow in those pics I posted above. It’s why I still have March 2001 as the king of snow pack in all my winters. Feb 2015 was super impressive but it did not have the amount of water the 2001 pack had at its peak. 

What was that late March storm like, i barely remember anything about it here but it looks like it whacked the SE MA area pretty good?

I remember you said March went gangbusters in another thread a while ago. I counted 4 storms for March 2001 that i could find, i dont think i missed any bc i look over all the PNS and F6 data. There was obviously March 4-6th, and then March 9-10th, March 26-27th and March 30th

[dendrite]

I worked in Tyngsboro for that and I remember it being a sloppy mess. Heavy wet snow and then heavy rain. Blue bomb more in and up. 

[The 4 Seasons]

2 minutes ago, dendrite said:

I worked in Tyngsboro for that and I remember it being a sloppy mess. Heavy wet snow and then heavy rain. Blue bomb more in and up. 

which one

[ORH_wxman]

12 minutes ago, The 4 Seasons said:

What was that late March storm like, i barely remember anything about it here but it looks like it whacked the SE MA area pretty good?

I remember you said March went gangbusters in another thread a while ago. I counted 4 storms for March 2001 that i could find, i dont think i missed any bc i look over all the PNS and F6 data. There was obviously March 4-6th, and then March 9-10th, March 26-27th and March 30th

The 3/30 event was crazy. The gradient was even tighter than your map shows…lack of data doesn’t help. It was like 3” at ORH airport and 6-8” by the time you were in Holden center. Then by the time you got to WaWa easily a foot-plus. Some of the N ORH county towns saw their highest depths all winter after that storm. 
 

40”+ that month. I don’t remember a lot about the 3/26-27 storm. There was another nuke on 3/22-23 but it was barely too warm in most of interior SNE but up into interior NNE they got destroyed at elevation with a lot of snow. 

[dendrite]

4 hours ago, The 4 Seasons said:

which one

3/30

[dendrite]

A lot of the NE MA coops were around a foot of liquid that month. The Merrimack was raging by the end of it. Heavy heavy freshet.

Fun month up here though.

[Go Kart Mozart]

On 3/5/2026 at 7:54 AM, dendrite said:

Fun times.

MEZ018-019-NHZ010-013-060938-
INTERIOR YORK-INTERIOR CUMBERLAND-STRAFFORD-INTERIOR ROCKINGHAM-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BERWICK...PARSONSFIELD...SANFORD...
BRIDGTON...GRAY...GORHAM...WINDHAM...DEERFIELD...SALEM...DOVER...
ROCHESTER
938 PM EST MON MAR 5 2001

...BLIZZARD WARNING THROUGH TUESDAY...
.TONIGHT...SNOW...POSSIBLY MIXED WITH SLEET.  SNOW ACCUMULATION BY
MORNING 8 TO 16 INCHES.  VERY WINDY WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.
LOW IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S. NORTHEAST WIND 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS
TO 40 MPH.
.TUESDAY...SNOW.  TOTAL ACCUMULATION 1 TO 3 FEET.  CONTINUED VERY
WINDY.  HIGH IN THE LOWER 30S.  NORTHEAST WIND 20 TO 30 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO 40 MPH.  CHANCE OF SNOW NEAR 100 PERCENT.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...SNOW...TAPERING OFF TO SNOW FLURRIES EARLY.  WINDY.
LOW IN THE LOWER 20S.  CHANCE OF SNOW 90 PERCENT.
.WEDNESDAY...PARTLY SUNNY AND WINDY.  HIGH IN THE LOWER 30S.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT ... UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
405 PM EST WED MAR 7 2001

...A MAJOR WINTER STORM BROUGHT HEAVY SNOW...STRONG WINDS AND TIDAL 
FLOODING TO WESTERN MAINE AND NORTHERN...CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST NEW 
HAMPSHIRE...

THIS IS A STORM SUMMARY WITH REPORTS GATHERED FROM A VARIETY OF 
SOURCES.

SNOWFALL TOTALS EXCEEDED 2 FEET IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS WITH PEAK 
TOTALS OF 3 FEET OR MORE.  THE FOLLOWING LIST INCLUDES STORM TOTAL 
SNOWFALL BROKEN DOWN BY STATE AND BY COUNTY AND ROUNDED TO THE 
NEAREST INCH...

MAINE...

ANDROSCOGGIN...
16 INCHES ... DURHAM
15 INCHES ... POLAND
13 INCHES ... LIVERMORE FALLS
12 INCHES ... LISBON FALLS

CUMBERLAND...
23 INCHES ... SCARBOROUGH /SPOTTER/
22 INCHES ... SOUTH WINDHAM
18 INCHES ... GORHAM...SCARBOROUGH /NWS EMPLOYEE/ AND SOUTH PORTLAND 
              /SAWYER STREET/
17 INCHES ... GRAY /NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE/...PORTLAND 
              /FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR/...PORTLAND /NORTH DEERING/
16 INCHES ... BRIDGTON AND BRUNSWICK /NAVAL AIR STATION/
15 INCHES ... SOUTH BRIDGTON
10 INCHES ... NORTH SEBAGO

FRANKLIN...
15 INCHES ... FARMINGTON
10 INCHES ... NEW SHARON AND WILTON
 7 INCHES ... RANGELEY
 3 INCHES ... EUSTIS

KENNEBEC...
14 INCHES ... WINTHROP
10 INCHES ... ALBION...AUGUSTA AND WAYNE
 6 INCHES ... WATERVILLE

KNOX...
15 INCHES ... ROCKLAND
14 INCHES ... PORT CLYDE

LINCOLN...
18 INCHES ... MONHEGAN ISLAND
15 INCHES ... NEWCASTLE
12 INCHES ... BOOTHBAY

OXFORD...
16 INCHES ... EAST HIRAM AND HARTFORD
13 INCHES ... LOVELL AND WATERFORD
10 INCHES ... BETHEL AND WEST PARIS

SAGADAHOC...
21 INCHES ... BATH

SOMERSET...
 4 INCHES ... NORTH ANSON
 2 INCHES ... FLAGSTAFF LAKE
 2 INCHES ... HARMONY

WALDO...
 6 INCHES ... BELFAST

YORK...
26 INCHES ... SOUTH BERWICK
24 INCHES ... WELLS
21 INCHES ... ELIOT
20 INCHES ... SANFORD
19 INCHES ... KENNEBUNKPORT AND WATERBORO CENTER
18 INCHES ... LIMINGTON AND WATERBORO /LAKE SHERBURNE/
16 INCHES ... HOLLIS

NEW HAMPSHIRE...

BELKNAP...
20 INCHES ... SANBORNTON
18 INCHES ... GILFORD
17 INCHES ... LACONIA
16 INCHES ... BARNSTEAD
12 INCHES ... LAKEPORT
 9 INCHES ... NEW HAMPTON

CARROLL...
14 INCHES ... TAMWORTH
12 INCHES ... CRAWFORD NOTCH
11 INCHES ... NORTH CONWAY
10 INCHES ... CONWAY

COOS...
20 INCHES ... PINKHAM NOTCH
18 INCHES ... GORHAM
14 INCHES ... BERLIN
 8 INCHES ... DIXVILLE NOTCH
 7 INCHES ... DIAMOND POND AND WHITEFIELD
 6 INCHES ... MOUNT WASHINGTON...NORTH STRATFORD AND TWIN MOUNTAIN
 5 INCHES ... COLEBROOK
 4 INCHES ... FIRST CONNECTICUT LAKE...LANCASTER AND PITTSBURG

GRAFTON...
27 INCHES ... ENFIELD
20 INCHES ... GRAFTON
17 INCHES ... ALEXANDRIA AND KANCAMAGUS HIGHWAY /NH DOT/
13 INCHES ... LOST RIVER
10 INCHES ... LINCOLN
 9 INCHES ... PLYMOUTH
 8 INCHES ... BETHLEHEM AND FRANCONIA NOTCH
 7 INCHES ... GLENCLIFF AND THORNTON

MERRIMACK...
23 INCHES ... FRANKLIN FALLS
21 INCHES ... SUTTON
20 INCHES ... HOOKSETT
19 INCHES ... BRADFORD AND CANTERBURY
18 INCHES ... CONCORD
17 INCHES ... HENNIKER
16 INCHES ... SALISBURY

ROCKINGHAM...
40 INCHES ... NOTTINGHAM
34 INCHES ... HAMPTON /NH DOT/
28 INCHES ... PORTSMOUTH /PEASE TRADEPORT/
24 INCHES ... SALEM
23 INCHES ... DERRY
17 INCHES ... HAMPTON /SPOTTER/

STRAFFORD...
36 INCHES ... DOVER
32 INCHES ... DURHAM
20 INCHES ... ROCHESTER /NH DOT/
18 INCHES ... ROCHESTER /CO-OP OBSERVER/

SULLIVAN...
14 INCHES ... NEWPORT

THE NEXT LIST CONTAINS PEAK WIND INFORMATION...

MAINE...
64 MPH ... MONHEGAN ISLAND
51 MPH ... SABATTUS
45 MPH ... AUGUSTA
44 MPH ... ROCKLAND AND WATERVILLE
43 MPH ... BRUNSWICK
40 MPH ... LEWISTON...PORTLAND AND SANFORD

NEW HAMPSHIRE...
97 MPH ... MOUNT WASHINGTON
38 MPH ... PORTSMOUTH
37 MPH ... ROCHESTER
36 MPH ... CONCORD
33 MPH ... LACONIA

COASTAL WEATHER BUOYS...
61 KNOTS /70 MPH/ ... ISLE OF SHOALS
60 KNOTS /69 MPH/ ... MATINICUS ROCK
59 KNOTS /68 MPH/ ... MOUNT DESSERT ROCK
41 KNOTS /49 MPH/ ... PORTLAND BUOY

THE STRONG WINDS COMBINED WITH ASTROMOMICALLY HIGH TIDES AND ROUGH 
WAVES TO PRODUCE COASTAL FLOODING.  STORM SURGES WERE 1 1/2 TO 2 1/2 
FEET.  THE HIGHEST WAVES REPORTED WERE 19 FEET AT THE PORTLAND BUOY 
AND 27 FEET AT CACHES LEDGE BUOY.

IN PORTLAND THERE WAS A HIGH TIDE OF 12.0 FEET AT 730 AM ON TUESDAY, 
MARCH 6TH WHICH WAS 1.94 FEET ABOVE NORMAL AND ANOTHER HIGH TIDE OF 
12.35 FEET AT 836 AM ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7TH WHICH WAS 1.78 FEET 
ABOVE NORMAL.

AT SEAVEY ISLAND THERE WAS A HIGH TIDE OF 11.25 FEET AT 748 AM ON 
TUESDAY MARCH 6TH WHICH WAS 2.36 FEET ABOVE NORMAL AND ANOTHER HIGH 
TIDE OF 11.4 FEET AT 842 AM ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 7TH WHICH WAS 2.10 
FEET ABOVE NORMAL.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WOULD LIKE TO THANK WEATHER SPOTTERS 
...COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS...HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT 
AGENCIES FOR THESE REPORTS.

I was living in the north end of BDR at the time.  6".

[vortex95]

On 3/5/2026 at 12:51 PM, Winter Wizard said:

All time worst bust for the Mid-Atlantic, imagine expecting 2-3 feet of snow from an all timer blizzard and instead getting at most a couple inches of slop. I was too young to remember this but I believe it was a case of a delayed transfer which shifted the heaviest snows way north into New England. I believe that trend was choreographed on some of the models, which makes me think that something of that magnitude *probably* won't happen again. 

I bet the animated GIFs from "MID-LO" were hot and heavy for this event!!!!  LOL.

[ORH_wxman]

1 hour ago, dendrite said:

A lot of the NE MA coops were around a foot of liquid that month. The Merrimack was raging by the end of it. Heavy heavy freshet.

Fun month up here though.

54" that month and they "only" recorded 15" for 3/6-7/01....that could easily have been double that amount for a 70 burger month. 

[dendrite]

19 minutes ago, ORH_wxman said:

54" that month and they "only" recorded 15" for 3/6-7/01....that could easily have been double that amount for a 70 burger month. 

I think I just found my favorite COOP form ever.

”snow is too deep for me”

[mreaves]

22 minutes ago, dendrite said:

I think I just found my favorite COOP form ever.

”snow is too deep for me”

Am I reading that correctly?  It looks like a relatively warm month with the coldest high temp being 19°