Ranking the Best winter events of the century

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Glacier
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by Glacier »

Typeing3 wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 2:22 pm Data below from is from Agassiz. Monthly average temp and total snowfall in the brackets.

For 20th century, here are the top months (IMO):

1. January 1950 (-9.5c, 57.2cm)
2. January 1916 (-5.9c, 50.8cm)
3. January 1969 (-5.6c, 98.5cm)
4. January 1937 (-4.1c, 61.5cm)
5. January 1913 (-1.8c, 226.2cm)
6. January 1935 (-1.2c, 138.6cm)
7. January 1954 (-2.2c, 93.3cm)
8. January 1907 (-5.1c, 93.9cm)
9. January 1943 (-3.1c, 92.8cm)
10. December 1996 (-0.3c, 106.1cm)
11. February 1936 (-3.3c, 99.4cm)
12. January 1909 (-3.1c, 29.2cm)
13. December 1964 (-1.4c, 79.7cm)
14. January 1911 (-2.3c, 76.2cm)
15. December 1971 (-0.7c, 68.4cm)
16. December 1968 (-0.2c, 55.8cm)
17. January 1979 (-1.9c, 33.4cm)
18. December 1927 (-0.4c, 88.8cm)
19. January 1929 (-1.4c, 16.5cm)
20. January 1930 (-3.6c, 25.4cm)
21. November 1985 (-1.3c, 8.8cm)
22. February 1937 (0.2c, 115.4cm)
23. January 1949 (-1.3c, 10.6cm)
24. January 1971 (0.5c, 69.0cm)
25. February 1916 (2.2c, 73.6cm)
You need to include Dec 1968 in the 1969 data. If we take a month to be 31 days... 124.7 cm from Dec 26-Jan 25...
Temperature was -6.2C over that same period, good for 2nd. Slightly colder (-6.3) if starting on Dec 27th or 28th. Either way, 1968/69 was 2nd coldest 31 day period on record. Also 3rd snowiest month on record.
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by PortKells »

Typeing3 wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 2:22 pm Data below from is from Agassiz. Monthly average temp and total snowfall in the brackets.

For 20th century, here are the top months (IMO):

1. January 1950 (-9.5c, 57.2cm)
2. January 1916 (-5.9c, 50.8cm)
3. January 1969 (-5.6c, 98.5cm)
4. January 1937 (-4.1c, 61.5cm)
5. January 1913 (-1.8c, 226.2cm)
6. January 1935 (-1.2c, 138.6cm)
7. January 1954 (-2.2c, 93.3cm)
8. January 1907 (-5.1c, 93.9cm)
9. January 1943 (-3.1c, 92.8cm)
10. December 1996 (-0.3c, 106.1cm)
11. February 1936 (-3.3c, 99.4cm)
12. January 1909 (-3.1c, 29.2cm)
13. December 1964 (-1.4c, 79.7cm)
14. January 1911 (-2.3c, 76.2cm)
15. December 1971 (-0.7c, 68.4cm)
16. December 1968 (-0.2c, 55.8cm)
17. January 1979 (-1.9c, 33.4cm)
18. December 1927 (-0.4c, 88.8cm)
19. January 1929 (-1.4c, 16.5cm)
20. January 1930 (-3.6c, 25.4cm)
21. November 1985 (-1.3c, 8.8cm)
22. February 1937 (0.2c, 115.4cm)
23. January 1949 (-1.3c, 10.6cm)
24. January 1971 (0.5c, 69.0cm)
25. February 1916 (2.2c, 73.6cm)
1913 :lol:
Can you imagine that much snow in one month. That would cripple the region beyond repair.
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by Glacier »

PortKells wrote: Tue Nov 22, 2022 3:24 pm 1913 :lol:
Can you imagine that much snow in one month. That would cripple the region beyond repair.
Hope had 234.9 cm that month. And New West 164.5cm and Vancouver 145.4 cm. Crazy. I bet people would blame it on climate change if it happened today (and likewise, the skeptics will claim it means there's no such thing as climate change because almost 100% of the population thinks a single event tells you all you need to know).
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by Typeing3 »

PortKells wrote: Tue Nov 22, 2022 3:24 pm 1913 :lol:
Can you imagine that much snow in one month. That would cripple the region beyond repair.
It all fell within 22 days. :flakey: :flakey:
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by Glacier »

By far the snowiest events since the mid 1940s was January 1954 and March 1951. Over 100 cm fall at Abbotsford in 5 days.

YXX: 1944- present:

Greatest 1 day snowfall events on record:
1) 49.8 cm, Jan 21, 1954
2) 44.1 cm, Nov 26, 2006 (really?)
3) 43.9 cm, Dec 30, 1990

Greatest 2 day snowfall events on record:
1) 63.5 cm, March 5-6, 1951
2) 61 cm, Jan 21-22, 1954
3) 57.2 cm, Jan 20-21, 1954

Greatest 3 day snowfall events on record:
1) 84.9 cm, Jan 21-23, 1954
2) 78.2 cm, March 5-7, 1951
3) 73.4 cm, March 4-6, 1951

Greatest 4 day snowfall events on record:
1) 92.3 cm, Jan 21-24, 1954
2) 92.3 cm, Jan 20-23, 1954
3) 88.1 cm, March 4-7, 1951

Greatest 5 day snowfall events on record:
1) 104.2 cm, Jan 21-25, 1954
2) 102.6 cm, March 3-7, 1951
3) 99.7 cm, Jan 20-24, 1954

Greatest 6 day snowfall events on record:
1) 111.6 cm, Jan 20-25, 1954
2) 111.3 cm, Jan 21-26, 1954
3) 103.9 cm, March 3-8, 1951

Greatest 7 day snowfall events on record:
1) 118.7 cm, Jan 20-26, 1954
2) 111.6 cm, Jan 19-26, 1954
3) 111.3 cm, Jan 21-27, 1954
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by Abby_wx »

Glacier wrote: Tue Nov 29, 2022 10:37 am
2) 44.1 cm, Nov 26, 2006 (really?)
Nope... reality was more like 30-35 cm. I was living here and I was working not far from the airport at that time.

However, there was 5-10 cm the previous day, so the total depth reached 38 cm at the airport.
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Fall/Winter 2023/24
Low min: -16.6C (Jan 12th)
Low max: -9.9C (Jan 12th)
Snowfall: 8.0 cm
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by Glacier »

Abby_wx wrote: Tue Nov 29, 2022 10:50 am Nope... reality was more like 30-35 cm. I was living here and I was working not far from the airport at that time.

However, there was 5-10 cm the previous day, so the total depth reached 38 cm at the airport.
The airport measures the day from 10pm to 10pm so it could have been 44 over that time period. Probably depends on how many times they measure in the day because there's a lot of settling and melting in November snowfalls usually. 40.5 mm SWE for the day.

I notice that Sumas Canal had 46 cm measured once, but including what had fallen the day before.
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by Glacier »

For the Okanagan the big snows were in Jan 2015, Dec 1949, Jan 1982 and Dec 1971....

Penticton (since 1941):

1 day: 25.2 cm (Jan 5, 2015)
2 day: 30.2 (Jan 22-23, 1982)
3 day: 33.6 (Jan 21-23, 1982)
4 day: 35.4 (Jan 20-23, 1982)
5 day: 35.8 (Dec 23-27, 1949)
35.4 (Jan 19-23, 1982 &Jan 20-24, 1982)
6 day: 39.6 (Dec 8-13, 1971)
36.5 (Jan 18-23, 1982)
7 day: 45.4 (Dec 8-14, 1971)
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by Abby_wx »

Glacier wrote: Tue Nov 29, 2022 11:13 am The airport measures the day from 10pm to 10pm so it could have been 44 over that time period. Probably depends on how many times they measure in the day because there's a lot of settling and melting in November snowfalls usually. 40.5 mm SWE for the day.

I notice that Sumas Canal had 46 cm measured once, but including what had fallen the day before.
Airports measure at every synoptic, so every 6 hours. As you suggest, this can lead to snowfall totals that seem inflated, especially during marginal temperatures, when the ground is warm, and when there is a lot of compacting/blowing snow.

I will have to go through my records, but I know my peak depth for that event was a bit shy of 30 cm. The airport got more, but at no point was there 44 cm on the ground. Maybe that much "technically" fell, but it still seems a bit dishonest.
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Fall/Winter 2023/24
Low min: -16.6C (Jan 12th)
Low max: -9.9C (Jan 12th)
Snowfall: 8.0 cm
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by PortKells »

Glacier wrote: Tue Nov 29, 2022 2:36 pm For the Okanagan the big snows were in Jan 2015, Dec 1949, Jan 1982 and Dec 1971....

Penticton (since 1941):

1 day: 25.2 cm (Jan 5, 2015)
2 day: 30.2 (Jan 22-23, 1982)
3 day: 33.6 (Jan 21-23, 1982)
4 day: 35.4 (Jan 20-23, 1982)
5 day: 35.8 (Dec 23-27, 1949)
35.4 (Jan 19-23, 1982 &Jan 20-24, 1982)
6 day: 39.6 (Dec 8-13, 1971)
36.5 (Jan 18-23, 1982)
7 day: 45.4 (Dec 8-14, 1971)
Late december 2017 was pretty insane in West Kelowna. I recall 3 or 4 days straight of snow, almost up to my chest.
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by Glacier »

November 1977 was crazy. 3rd biggest 2 day snowfall on record followed up later in the month by the largest 3 day event, 4 day event, 5 day event, and 2nd largest 6 day event. Largest 7 day event after Dec 1971 snowfall.

Kamloops (since 1951):

1 day: 33.8 cm (Jan 7, 1962)
2 day: 37.4 (Jan 6-7, 1962)
37.2 (Jan 4-5, 2015)
36.8 (Nov 10-11, 1977)
3 day: 37.8 (Nov 25-27, 1977)
37.4 (Jan 6-8, 1962 & Jan 5-7, 1962)
37.2 (Jan 4-6, 2015 & Jan 3-5, 2015)
4 day: 43.6 (Nov 23-26, 1977)
39.4 (Jan 2-5, 2015)
5 day: 44.6 (Nov 23-27, 1977)
43.6 (Nov 22-26, 1977)
6 day: 53.4 (Dec 4-9, 1971)
44.6 (Nov 22-27, 1977)
44.6 (Nov 23-28, 1977)
7 day: 55.4 (Dec 3-9, 1971)
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by arbetrader »

Abby_wx wrote: Tue Nov 29, 2022 3:28 pm Airports measure at every synoptic, so every 6 hours. As you suggest, this can lead to snowfall totals that seem inflated, especially during marginal temperatures, when the ground is warm, and when there is a lot of compacting/blowing snow.

I will have to go through my records, but I know my peak depth for that event was a bit shy of 30 cm. The airport got more, but at no point was there 44 cm on the ground. Maybe that much "technically" fell, but it still seems a bit dishonest.
It was that week (in November 2006) that we were staying with my wife's parents in Aldergrove (32B Ave), and I measured 48cm of snow on their porch, I took a few measurement samples. We (at the time) lived in central Abbotsford, and there was WAY WAY less snow - I can't speak for yxx at the time, and their measurement, however I can attest certain areas got hit pretty hard (and that area of Aldergrove always just seems to get more - generally speaking).
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by Abby_wx »

arbetrader wrote: Tue Nov 29, 2022 5:14 pm It was that week (in November 2006) that we were staying with my wife's parents in Aldergrove (32B Ave), and I measured 48cm of snow on their porch, I took a few measurement samples. We (at the time) lived in central Abbotsford, and there was WAY WAY less snow - I can't speak for yxx at the time, and their measurement, however I can attest certain areas got hit pretty hard (and that area of Aldergrove always just seems to get more - generally speaking).
Yeah, there was quite a gradient with that storm. If I hadn't been working near the airport at the time, I wouldn't feel qualified to comment.

Aldergrove typically gets more snow than YXX, so that doesn't surprise me.
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Fall/Winter 2023/24
Low min: -16.6C (Jan 12th)
Low max: -9.9C (Jan 12th)
Snowfall: 8.0 cm
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by PortKells »

Typeing3 wrote: Tue Nov 08, 2022 10:03 pm 1. December 2008
2. December 2021
3. December 2016
4. November 2006
5. February 2017
6. February 2019
7. November 2010
8. January 2020
9. February 2018
10. January 2004
11. January 2007
12. February 2011
13. January 2012
14. March 2002
15. January 2005
16. January 2002
17. December 2012
18. December 2013
19. February 2014
20. December 2017
21. December 2007
22. December 2009
Time to update the rankings. Where does December 2022 sit for you? I say 3rd. Bigger snowfall than 2021 but the widespread freezing of ice surfaces and skating last year just inches it ahead for me. Maybe some would prefer 2006 over this one. Or maybe even 2016...
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Re: Ranking the Best winter events of the century

Post by Typeing3 »

PortKells wrote: Fri Dec 23, 2022 8:50 pm Time to update the rankings. Where does December 2022 sit for you? I say 3rd. Bigger snowfall than 2021 but the widespread freezing of ice surfaces and skating last year just inches it ahead for me. Maybe some would prefer 2006 over this one. Or maybe even 2016...
I agree. Third place.
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