3/15-3/16 Winter Storm

[A-L-E-K]

9 minutes ago, weatherbo said:

Somewhere around 300".  I'm usually pretty close to Herman's totals and they stand at 341" as of today but there were a few times this winter they were hit a bit harder than me. Measuring snow here is damn near a fulltime job and I just don't care as much as I use to.
However, from Friday through last night I've received an estimated 55" while MQT officially stands at 48.1" during the same time, with a season total of 262.7".
Today starts the cleanup.  There's 4-5' drifts of wind-packed snow across the entire driveway this morning and while I do have a Kubota tractor, this is still going to take some time.  Will try to post a few more pics today.

lesson 2 be learned here for some

[Brian D]

19 minutes ago, weatherbo said:

Somewhere around 300".  I'm usually pretty close to Herman's totals and they stand at 341" as of today but there were a few times this winter they were hit a bit harder than me. Measuring snow here is damn near a fulltime job and I just don't care as much as I use to.
However, from Friday through last night I've received an estimated 55" while MQT officially stands at 48.1" during the same time, with a season total of 262.7".
Today starts the cleanup.  There's 4-5' drifts of wind-packed snow across the entire driveway this morning and while I do have a Kubota tractor, this is still going to take some time.  Will try to post a few more pics today.

Just curious, but do you send pics to NWS MQT?

[weatherbo]

8 minutes ago, Brian D said:

Just curious, but do you send pics to NWS MQT?

I have and sometimes still do.  Back around 2014-2018 I reported almost daily but it became too much of a chore.  MQT gave me my two official snow stakes that I still put out each year for shits and giggles.

[michsnowfreak]

24 minutes ago, weatherbo said:

I have and sometimes still do.  Back around 2014-2018 I reported almost daily but it became too much of a chore.  MQT gave me my two official snow stakes that I still put out each year for shits and giggles.

It would be so fun to measure snow there for a full winter season, every 6 hours lol. My NWS snow stick goes to 40" which is plenty for 99% of places...but not your area!

[weatherbo]

2 hours ago, michsnowfreak said:

It would be so fun to measure snow there for a full winter season, every 6 hours lol. My NWS snow stick goes to 40" which is plenty for 99% of places...but not your area!

You'd finally get your fill of snow!

This is what 5.5+ feet of snow looks like.
Pretty much standing in the same spot as the late August pic this past Summer.
Took some weight off the roof as well.  Inside the house is like a cave.
EDIT:  The lesser snow on the left side of the pic is a path i blew to the propane tank a few weeks back.

[Met1985]

20 hours ago, weatherbo said:

Snow and wind have let up considerably with another 5-6" possible through the night.  Snow is too deep to walk or even snowshoe in, there's no power, and the road is closed for miles. 
Deepest snow I have ever seen. The house is almost buried.

Dang. Haven't seen you post in a minute.  Was thinking you'd be buried. 

[weatherbo]

This was definitely one for the books.  Just goes to show what mid-west/great lakes climate can churn out from time to time.
Now on to spring!

[Chicago Storm]

ORD received 1.3" of snow from this event (A bit low-balled), with 5.7" at RFD.

…2025/26 Season Snowfall...
33.7" - ORD
29.7" - RFD

[A-L-E-K]

makes up for you slant sticking all those dabs

[Chicago Storm]

Peak wind gusts with this storm system...

44MPH - ORD
47MPH - MDW
40MPH - RFD

[Chicago Storm]

makes up for you slant sticking all those dabs

[andyhb]

23 hours ago, weatherbo said:

Snow and wind have let up considerably with another 5-6" possible through the night.  Snow is too deep to walk or even snowshoe in, there's no power, and the road is closed for miles. 
Deepest snow I have ever seen. The house is almost buried.

For lack of a more scientific analysis, holy shit.

[Chinook]

here's some 2-day CoCoRAHS snow reports from WI/MI

[michsnowfreak]

4 hours ago, weatherbo said:

You'd finally get your fill of snow!

This is what 5.5+ feet of snow looks like.
Pretty much standing in the same spot as the late August pic this past Summer.
Took some weight off the roof as well.  Inside the house is like a cave.
EDIT:  The lesser snow on the left side of the pic is a path i blew to the propane tank a few weeks back.

I honestly think measuring snow would be a full time job up there. Even here, when you get the stretches where it snows daily and there's snowpack you to make sure you've cleared ample room to measure the next day with blowing and drifting. Even with just average snow, the long lasting snowcover this winter was frequently drifting over the board. I dont even know how or where you'd even start to do that with feet of pre existing snow. I have to imagine all the reports are the observers best judgment. 

[Stebo]

On 3/16/2026 at 4:10 PM, weatherbo said:

Snow and wind have let up considerably with another 5-6" possible through the night.  Snow is too deep to walk or even snowshoe in, there's no power, and the road is closed for miles. 
Deepest snow I have ever seen. The house is almost buried.

This is literally insane that has to be a 10 foot snow drift. Did you have to unbury your heater intake or chimney?

[sbnwx85]

4 hours ago, weatherbo said:

You'd finally get your fill of snow!

This is what 5.5+ feet of snow looks like.
Pretty much standing in the same spot as the late August pic this past Summer.
Took some weight off the roof as well.  Inside the house is like a cave.
EDIT:  The lesser snow on the left side of the pic is a path i blew to the propane tank a few weeks back.

I was gonna post a picture of the 2" I got but nvm

[weatherbo]

19 minutes ago, Stebo said:

This is literally insane that has to be a 10 foot snow drift. Did you have to unbury your heater intake or chimney?

As long as we keep a fire going, the heat from the stovepipe creates a hollow cavity around the stack, even if the snow accumulates a foot or two higher than the pipe. But obviously shovel it out as soon as possible just to keep it free and clear and to avoid ice issues. 
The first thing I did when moving here was to reroute the furnace exhaust off the roof and have it exit the sidewall up high just beneath the roof soffit.  That worked out well until this year. 
Keeping the snow cleared is a job you def don't want to fall behind on.

[OrdIowPitMsp]

The 8.8” of snow at MSP contained 0.75” of water content for a SLR of approx 12:1

 

[beavis1729]

9 hours ago, weatherbo said:

Somewhere around 300".  I'm usually pretty close to Herman's totals and they stand at 341" as of today but there were a few times this winter they were hit a bit harder than me. Measuring snow here is damn near a fulltime job and I just don't care as much as I use to.
However, from Friday through last night I've received an estimated 55" while MQT officially stands at 48.1" during the same time, with a season total of 262.7".
Today starts the cleanup.  There's 4-5' drifts of wind-packed snow across the entire driveway this morning and while I do have a Kubota tractor, this is still going to take some time.  Will try to post a few more pics today.

I think the official MI state record seasonal snowfall is 390” around Herman/Calumet, in one of the late 1970s winters. But I imagine some spot has hit 400”, even if no one was there to measure it.

I could see Herman ultimately reaching 350-375” this season, but 390” is probably a stretch. Either way, crazy snowfall and depths, and it will probably hang on until mid-April (actual cover, not just piles) barring a major thaw.