(Cheryl Boughton)ĭespite the incorrect measuring techniques in Montague, the NWS report noted that the snow depth on the ground increased by 51 inches in 24 hours, implying that more snow fell in 24 hours than the official state record for New York – 49 inches in Watertown on Nov. This photograph was taken during the remarkable lake-effect snow burst in Montague Township, New York, in January 1997. Official NWS records require snowfall to be measured four times in a 24-hour period – every 6 hours – but the observer took six measurements, which resulted in a higher total than would have otherwise been reported. That observation was determined to be invalid because too many measurements were made within the 24-hour period in question. 11-12, 1997, was investigated by an ad hoc committee organized by the National Weather Service. Other Candidates for State (and National) Snow RecordsĬhristopher Burt, weather historian at Weather Underground, has also done research on this topic and found data for some states that could trump NOAA's reported totals, although they are not recognized as official records.Ī report of 77 inches in 24 hours in Montague, New York, on Jan. Winter storms in February 1898 and December 1929 may have topped it, but data from those storms is not reliable. Finally, Louisiana's 24-hour total may be higher than the 13 inches NOAA has for the state. 5-6, 1991, and a 54-inch total in New York's Tug Hill Plateau in January 1976. This includes a 55.5-inch total at Alta Guard Station in Utah Jan. Unofficial higher totals in some states: A few states have unofficial higher snowfall totals not recognized by NOAA.Florida's record 24-hour snow was 4 inches near Milton, which oddly occurred in early March 1954. No official records exist, but Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on Hawaii's Big Island may have seen a foot or more of snow in 24 hours. Two states with less than a foot in 24 hours: Florida and Hawaii are the only two states with record 24-hour snowfall totals of less than one foot.28, 1900, and 49 inches at Watertown, New York, Nov. Oldest records: The two records that have stood the longest are 36 inches in Astoria, Illinois, during the 24 hours ending Feb.Here are some other notables on 24-hour snowfall records in the U.S.: The fifth state to set a new record in the last 13 years is Nebraska, where 27 inches was measured near Dalton in the 24 hours ending Dec. states have set new 24-hour snowfall records during the past 13 years. Recent 24-Hour Snowfall Records Brokenįive U.S. Those states are California (67 inches in the Sierra Nevada), Washington (65 inches in the Cascades) and South Dakota (52 inches in the Black Hills). Three other states have had 24-hour snowfalls that exceeded 50 inches, and much like the top two locations, mountainous terrain played a role in squeezing out those extreme totals. (MORE: December in the Lower 48 Begins With Most Snow Cover in Years ) Here, winter storms in the Gulf of Alaska send moisture from the Pacific into the mountainous terrain, making it an ideal spot for incredible snowfall totals. Tucked away in the mountains northeast of Valdez, Alaska, is Mile 47 Camp, which was buried by 78 inches of snow in the 24 hours ending Feb. One location in Alaska, however, takes the crown for all 50 states. That location saw 6.3 feet (75.8 inches) of snow high in the Rockies at an elevation of 10,220 feet above sea level. If you were 6 feet tall and standing outside for 24 hours in Silver Lake, Colorado, April 14-15, 1921, you would've been buried by snow from head to toe. (Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News/MCT)Ĭolorado leads the pack with the most extreme 24-hour snowfall record in the Lower 48 states. An example of the incredible snow the Valdez, Alaska, area receives.
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