Extreme Snowfall in New England Led by Mount Washington in N.H.
91.1 inches of snow fell over three days in February 1969
Almost 8 feet of snow in three days.
That’s what fell at Mount Washington in New Hampshire from Feb. 25 to 27, 1969, the highest three-day snowfall total on record in New England.
Imagine trying to plow, shovel or otherwise cope with 91.1 inches of snow.
During the “100-Hour Snowstorm,” 72 inches of snow fell at Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire, 28 inches in Concord, New Hampshire, 26.9 inches in Portland, Maine, and 26.3 inches in Boston, Massachusetts, according to NOAA’s Climate.gov.
The slow-moving storm, which lasted from Feb. 22 to 28, ranks as a Category 5 on the Regional Snowfall Index scale, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. The scale reflects the area affected by a storm, the amount of snowfall and the area’s population. It is akin to the Saffir-Simpson scale for hurricanes and Fujita scale for tornadoes.
During the storm, snowfall of at least 30 inches covered an area 4.5 times larger than the second-ranked event: the March 1993 “Storm of the Century,” according to NOAA. That’s another Category 5 snowstorm.
Two other snowstorms rank as Category 5: the Blizzard of 1978 (Feb. 4 to 8) and the Blizzard of 1996 (Jan. 6 to 9).
New England Average Snowfall Map: Are You Ready for Winter?
As a native of frequently snowy Rochester, New York, which is along Lake Ontario, I shoveled my share of typically lake effect snow while growing up in Brighton — just south of the city. I did not mind shoveling as a kid and enjoy it now because it’s great exercise and it’s great to get outdoors.
Before it became impossible to drive during the February 1978 blizzard, I drove through heavy snow to reach the rental home I shared with other Connecticut College students in New London, Connecticut. Alone at home, I spent the next day or so catching up on assignments and reading while my housemates remained on campus.
The blizzard spawned hurricane-force winds (at least 74 mph), whiteout conditions and record-setting snowfall. Heavy snow fell from northeastern Maryland into Maine. Records were set in Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, with more than 50 inches of snow reported in a small area of Rhode Island. Many schools and businesses were closed for more than a week, according to NOAA.
During and after the Blizzard of 1996, I spent hours shoveling our driveway in central New Jersey so we could get out of it. We dubbed an enormous pile of snow on one side of the driveway Mount Bates. On the Monday after the storm, I headed to work, almost got stuck in deep snow on a couple of road ramps and earned an extra day off for reporting for duty at the Asbury Park Press office building in Neptune.
The storm, which rivaled the 1993 storm when it comes to crippling snowfall, ranked as a Category 5 in the Northeast, Ohio Valley and Southeast. More than 20 inches of snow fell in a large area stretching from central Virginia to southwestern Massachusetts, according to NOAA.
One of America’s deadliest snowstorms arose in March 1888. An estimated 400 people died during the “Great Blizzard of 1888,” which paralyzed the East Coast from Chesapeake Bay to Maine. The storm unloaded up to 55 inches of snow in some areas, with 30- to 40-foot drifts reported, according to the National Weather Service.
Though the 1888 storm was more severe than the 1993 storm in the Northeast and New England, it did not affect the entire eastern seaboard like the 1993 event did, according to a National Climatic Data Center technical report. The more recent storm affected 26 states and about half the U.S. population. It was a powerful as a Category 3 (major) hurricane, based on its storm surge and minimum pressure.
This winter (December through February), New England and much of the East most likely will be warmer than average, according to NOAA, which notes that snow forecasts typically are not predictable more than a week in advance.
New England Climate Outlook: Warmth May Continue this Fall and Winter
In Vermont, where winters are warming rapidly as a result of climate change, annual snowfall has been decreasing since the 1960s, according to a new Vermont Climate Assessment by the University of Vermont. Winter precipitation has increased, suggesting that more of it is falling as rain.
Downhill skiing will likely remain largely viable in the Green Mountain State until about 2050, with the help of snowmaking. By 2080, the Vermont ski season will be shortened by two weeks (under a low emissions scenario) or a month (under a high emissions scenario), according to the report. Still, some ski areas will remain viable.
Meanwhile, people are responding to climate change by riding snowmobiles less and storing piles of snow to try to extend the Nordic ski season, the report says.
“Although average annual snowfall is declining, annual snowfall, much like Vermont’s winter temperatures, remains highly variable from year to year,” the report says. “Therefore, while Vermont’s winters may become milder and less snowy on average, any given year could be quite snowy.”
For the record, here are some snowfall and snow depth milestones in New England states:
— New Hampshire: 24-hour snowfall, 49.3 inches on Feb. 25, 1969, at Mount Washington; snow depth, 164 inches at Pinkham Notch on Feb. 27, 1969.
— Maine: 24-hour snowfall, 40 inches at Orono on Dec. 30, 1962; snow depth, 84 inches at Farmington on Feb. 28, 1969.
— Vermont: 24-hour snowfall, 42 inches at Jay Peak on Feb. 5, 1995; snow depth, 149 inches at Mt. Mansfield on April 2, 1969.
— Massachusetts: 24-hour snowfall, 29 inches at Natick on April 1, 1997; snow depth, 62 inches at Great Barrington Airport on Jan. 13, 1996.
— Connecticut: 24-hour snowfall, 36 inches at Ansonia 1NE on Feb. 8 to 9, 2013; snow depth, 55 inches on Feb. 5, 1961.
— Rhode Island: 24-hour snowfall, 30 inches at Woonsocket on Feb. 7, 1978; snow depth, 42 inches at North Foster 1E on Feb. 7, 1978.
