2017-18 United States winter storm season

The **2017-18 United States winter storm season** was an active season that featured 24 named storms. The season started on November 1, 2017 and ended on April 30, 2018. However, Winter Storm Aiden was the first storm to form, and it formed on October 8, making it the earliest forming winter storm since Winter Storm Atlas in 2013. When Winter Storm Wilbur was named, it became the first season since 2013-14 to feature more than 22 named storms. In March, four-in-a-row nor'easters struck the United States: Riley, Quinn, Skylar, and Toby. All of these storms caused at least $2 billion in damages, with the costliest being Winter Storm Riley. Some long-tracked storms occurred during the season, such as Quinn, which tracked from the Cascades and Sierra Nevadas, all the way to New England, where it became a nor'easter. The strongest storm of the season was Winter Storm Grayson, which had the lowest pressure for a winter storm overall since Winter Storm Hercules in the 2013-14 season. The storm that brought the maximum snowfall of the season was Winter Storm Oliver, which brought about 52 inches of snow, as it tracked across the Cascades, Great Plains, and the Midwest. The final storm of the season, Xanto, wreaked havoc on the US in many different weather forms. It produced a large tornado outbreak in the South, wildfires in the Southwest, and high winds in Indiana, which stirred up separate fires. Xanto brought record snow and blizzard conditions to the Great Plains and the Minnesota/Wisconsin. Overall, the season was the most active since 2013-14 and the most destructive since 2015-16.

## Seasonal predictions

 WCB
 TGMC (revised)
 TGMC (revised)

On September 30, 2017, the TornadoGenius Meteorological Center predicted that there would be 23-24 named storms. The prediction stated, "The 2017-18 season will be much more active for many areas than the previous winter." Due to an El Niño, there will be much more snow in the Great Lakes and New England. Snow totals could be as violent as the previous season, according to the Weather Center of Buddhaland, who predicted that 24 named storms will form. On October 8, 2017, TGMC revised their prediction, bringing the storm total up to 25-26 named storms predicted. On October 9, the Weather Center of Buddhaland revised their prediction up to 26-27 named storms, with a high chance of the return of an El Nino, which influenced the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. TGMC revised their forecast, calling for potentially the least active season on record. The La Nina returned according to TGMC, which will bring all winter storms to the north, instead of coming through California, which will be potentially the driest winter for their area.

## Seasonal Snow Index (SSI)

Every year, the Season Snow Index is taken. It is the average of the top snowfall totals of each season. The SSI of the 2017-18 season was 25.4 inches.

## Storms

### Winter Storm Aiden

 **Peak Intensity** | 5.5 (in.), 998 mbar

Winter Storm Aiden formed on October 8. The Wyoming Department of Transportation announced on the morning of October 9 that I-80 between Rawlins and Laramie was shut down due to winter weather conditions. The department hopes to have the road open between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Snowfall totals ranged from 5 to 7 inches in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Elsewhere in Wyoming, 6 inches of snow was measured on Casper Mountain, 8 inches of snow was estimated in Park County, and up to 5 inches was estimated in Yellowstone National Park. Some light accumulations prompted the closure of the Needles Highway in South Dakota's Custer State Park for a time. In Wyoming, a stretch of Interstate 80 from east of Rawlins to Cheyenne was shut down early Monday morning, Oct. 9, due to dangerous winter driving conditions, according to the Wyoming Department of Transportation. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings from southeastern Wyoming into Colorado. Winter weather advisories were also posted in other parts of Wyoming and Colorado, along with a small part of the Nebraska Panhandle. The heaviest snow total from Winter Storm Aiden was an estimated 15.4 inches at the Deadman Hill SNOTEL station near Glendevey, Colorado. The Cinnabar Park SNOTEL near Centennial, Wyoming, was not far behind with 15 inches of snow. The peak totals in the Denver metro area were a trio of 7-inch snow totals in Broomfield and Arvada. This was Denver's earliest first snow of the season since 2012. 2016's first measurable snowfall in the Mile High City didn't occur until Nov. 17. The long-term average first measurable snow of the season in Denver is Oct. 18. Aiden dissipated on October 9, making it one of the shortest lived storms on record.

### Winter Storm Benji

*Main article: Winter Storm Benji*

 **Peak Intensity** | 6.3 (in.), 996 mbar

Winter Storm Benji formed on December 8. Rockport, Texas, site Harvey's Category 4 landfall just over three months before, reported up to 3 inches of snow. Much of the Houston metro area picked up 1 to 2 inches of snow, blanketing the grass on the city's west and northwest sides, the metro's first measurable snow event in over eight years. Freeway flyover and some bridges became icy. Rare winter storm warnings were issued for parts of eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, north Georgia, and western North Carolina. This included the cities of Birmingham, Alabama, Hattiesburg, Mississippi and most of the Atlanta metro area. In the South, the National Weather Service issued winter weather advisories stretching from coastal Texas to Virginia, including the cities of New Orleans, Charlotte and Greensboro, North Carolina. A Georgia man has died after being electrocuted by a downed power line after Winter Storm Benji dumped heavy snow across the Deep South Friday into Saturday, Atlanta firefighters say. According to the Associated Press, the unidentified man was found in a roadway near a live wire. The winter storm delivered a rare shot of decent snow the region doesn't usually see in early December. But the wintry menace also hindered travel and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands, making for a highly uncomfortable and frustrating end to the week. Early Friday morning, thundersnow was reported in some parts of southern Texas and even in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as the system brought bursts of snow that were heavy at times. Farther east, heavy snow fell in cities like Jackson, Mississippi, Birmingham, Alabama, and the northern suburbs of Atlanta. Metro Atlanta experienced another traffic nightmare Friday afternoon as many businesses and schools let out employees and students at virtually the same time citywide. It was a scene similar to that of a snow and ice event in January 2014, when drivers spent upwards of 12 hours stuck in traffic before abandoning their cars to walk or sleep overnight in stores or hotels. The snow also had an impact on power – over 400,000 homes and businesses were without electricity in North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia combined as of Saturday morning, according to PowerOutage.us. Accumulating snow was reported as far south as Brownsville Friday morning as southeastern Texas enjoyed a rare snowfall from Benji. In the Houston area, several school districts delayed opening because of road conditions, according to the Houston Chronicle. "We're experiencing delays with bus transportation due to weather, traffic, and staffing," Houston ISD said in a release sent Friday morning. "School leaders most impacted have been contacted, but this will be a district-wide problem. We also urge parents whose student rides the bus to make sure they're bundled up and to be patient as we work to get every bus rider to school safely. The safety of our students is our top priority, especially in unusual conditions such as those around the city today." Nearly 50,000 customers were without power in the Lone Star State Friday morning. Multiple school districts in southeastern Louisiana canceled classes Friday, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, as Benji's snow became problematic for travelers across the region. Nearly 60,000 homes and businesses across the state were still in the dark on Saturday morning. A stretch of U.S. 90 was closed in both directions from Amelia to Gray late Friday morning because of ice on the roadway, the Times-Picayune also said. The closure impacted a stretch of the highway about 20 miles long in southern Louisiana. Snow flurries fell in New Orleans during the afternoon hours, providing a rare wintry scene for the Big Easy. On the 24-mile causeway bridge that spans Lake Pontchartrain, police aided drivers via slow-moving convoys on the slick roadway, according to the Associated Press. "Hopefully, the only people on the roads are the ones who have to be out today," Dexter Accardo of the St. Tammany Parish government told the Times-Picayune. "We're advising everyone to stay off the roads if they can." Roads became troublesome in areas and more than 80,000 homes and businesses lost power in southern parts of Mississippi as Benji dumped several inches of snow Friday morning. Parts of southern Mississippi received up to a half-foot of snow, making Benji one of the biggest snowstorms to hit the area since records began, according to the National Weather Service. In Jackson, several schools were canceled Friday; WAPT.com has a complete list. Despite the headaches, many Mississippians were grateful that it wasn't a different kind of wintry precipitation for once. "My whole life it was always ice storms, rarely snow," Jackson resident Jason Tuten told the AP. "I guess the conditions were perfect." Residents were urged to stay home in northern Alabama as Benji turned roads dangerous. AL.com reported numerous crashes on Interstate 65 Friday morning, and meteorologists said street conditions were worsening as the morning went on. Reports from the NWS mid-morning Friday said all city roads were closed in Talladega, and some streets in Anniston were becoming impassable, with multiple wrecks reported. More than 700 flights were canceled into and out of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport – making up more than 70 percent of all domestic cancellations – as Benji made travel treacherous in North Georgia on Friday. Although many roads in the Atlanta area were pretreated with a brine solution, the slushy roads were packed midday with drivers looking to get home and beat the rush. Schools in the metro Atlanta area dismissed students early and thousands of residents hit the streets at the same time, creating another gridlock situation. "We're surprised that this little snowfall would cause this much disruption to the entire city," Lucas Rachow told the AP while trying to get a ride to the airport. With some of the South's biggest snow totals expected to fall in western and northern North Carolina, officials were taking no chances with travel – not even the state's leader. Gov. Roy Cooper postponed two events because of Benji, one in Waynesville and one in Asheville, where he was scheduled to appear, according to the AP. Those events will be rescheduled after the storm wraps up, the report added. Nearly 60,000 homes and businesses were without power statewide Saturday morning because of the winter storm. Many schools in and around the Asheville area were closed Friday; the Asheville Citizen-Times has a complete list. This was the South's biggest snow since Winter Storm Dionysus, when it struck on Christmas Day 2004. The top snowfall report from the system was 25" from Mt. Mitchell State Park in North Carolina. Snow began impacting New England on December 9. Snow totals did not reach any higher than 9" in the Northeast. Benji dissipated on December 10.

### Potential Winter Storm Three

 **Peak Intensity** | 14.3 (in.), 1000 mbar

An unnamed winter storm formed on December 11. A fast-moving weather system intensified and wrung out snow from the upper Midwest to parts of the Northeast Dec. 11 and 12, adding to accumulations from the past weekend for some. Light snow swept through parts of the upper Midwest on Dec. 11 as jet stream energy pivoted through the region. As of early evening Dec. 11, 5 inches of snow had accumulated in the northwest Illinois city of Mount Carroll. Minnesota's highest total was observed in Brainerd and Nisswa, in the central portion of the state, with 2.5 inches of snow at both locations. Chicago's O'Hare International Airport had measured 1.4 inches of snow as of early evening Dec. 11. As of late afternoon Dec. 12, Wells, New York, in the southeastern Adirondacks, had picked up 11.5 inches of snow. In Landgrove, Vermont, 14.3 inches had accumulated by early evening Dec. 12. Near Danbury, New Hampshire, 10.7 inches of snow was measured by early evening Dec. 12. In addition, brief, but heavy, snow squalls dropped visibility to near zero at times in parts of Ohio on Dec. 12. Given the track of low pressure very close to the Gulf of Maine, mainly light rain was observed along the Interstate 95 corridor from Boston and Providence to the New York City Tri-State, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. metro areas. Lake-effect snow, heavy in spots, developed behind the departing low-pressure system in the Great Lakes snow belts by late Dec. 12. What is unusual about this storm is that 2 million people were under winter storm warnings, which means the storm has to be named. However, The Weather Channel decided it wouldn't last long enough to be named. So, the storm remained unnamed throughout the span of its existence. The unnamed blizzard dissipated on December 12.

### Winter Storm Chloe

 **Peak Intensity** | 7.4 (in.), 985 mbar

Winter Storm Chloe formed on December 13. Winter Storm Chloe may have lasted only about 36 hours, but it spread a stripe of heavy snow in parts of the Great Lakes and laid down a blanket of snow from Minnesota to southern New England in mid-December 2017. Two Rivers, Wisconsin, picked up 10 inches of snow, helped by some final bands of lake-enhanced snow off Lake Michigan. 11.5 inches of snow piled up in Sturgeon Bay, in Wisconsin's southern Door County peninsula. Green Bay picked up 7.1 inches of snow on Dec. 13, their heaviest calendar-day snow in almost two years. Several locations in Lower Michigan picked up 6 to 10 inches of snow. Detroit's Metro Airport picked up 6.3 inches of snow, timed with the afternoon commute on Dec. 13. Parts of the Detroit metro airport measured up to 9 inches of snow, including the suburb of Westland. In the northern suburb of Utica, 9 inches of snow fell in just 9.5 hours. Flint, Michigan, measured 7.9 inches of snow. The town of Linden, about 15 miles south-southwest of downtown Flint, picked up 10 inches, according to a local media spotter. In northern and eastern Ohio, 3 inches of snow was the rule in Cleveland, Canton-Akron, Toledo and Mansfield. Somewhat heavier amounts were measured near Youngstown, including a 6.5 inch total in Leetonia, Ohio. A general 1 to 4 inches of snow fell in most locations in western and central Pennsylvania, as well as southern New York state outside of the lake-effect snowbelts, including Pittsburgh chalking up 1.8 inches. The towns of Karthaus (7 inches) and Slippery Rock (6 inches) came in with higher totals. Parts of New Jersey, Long Island and southern New England picked up 1 to 2 inches of snow, including Cape May, New Jersey, West Greenwich, Rhode Island, and Scituate, Massachusetts. Chloe dissipated on December 14, after only existing for 36 hours, the shortest lasting winter storm on record.

### Winter Storm Dylan

 **Peak Intensity** | 10.1 (in.), 998 mbar

Winter Storm Dylan formed on December 20. Dylan dumped up to 40 inches of snow in Montana's Glacier National Park. Dozens of locations in northern Montana, northern Idaho and northern Washington state reported at least a foot of snow.Elsewhere in Montana, 11.5 inches of snow was measured in Bozeman, 7.9 inches in Helena, and 9 inches in Great Falls. Two inches of snow fell in 90 minutes in Pocatello, Idaho. Over a foot of snow in northern Idaho's Boundary and Bonner Counties triggered numerous power outages, extending into northwest Montana and northeast Washington state, according to the National Weather Service. In the Plains and upper Midwest, parts of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Upper Michigan have seen light to moderate amounts of accumulating snow. A few localized spots in northern Minnesota and North Dakota picked up 8 to 9 inches of snowfall. Winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings were posted by the National Weather Service from the Rockies to northern New England. Dylan was most impactful in New England where cold surface air and warm air aloft allowed up to a half inch of ice to accrete in parts of Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. More than a third of an inch of freezing rain accumulated near Burlington, Connecticut, while several sites, including Leicester, Massachusetts and Goffstown, New Hampshire, have recorded 0.25 inches of ice. Up to 0.15 inches of freezing rain was reported in Springfield, Massachusetts, with 0.12 inches near Hartford, Connecticut. Several reports of multiple vehicle accidents have occurred across southern New England due to the icy roads, with travel not advised as of early Saturday morning. More than 20,000 power outages have been reported. Dylan dissipated on December 24.

### Winter Storm Ethan

 **Peak Intensity** | 6.9 (in.), 1002 mbar

Winter Storm Ethan formed on December 23. The National Weather Service issued winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings from the middle Mississippi Valley into the southern Great Lakes, New York and New England. Up to 15 inches of snow was estimated to have fallen near Steamboat Springs, Colorado, while Denver picked up a couple inches of accumulation. Farther east, Ethan brought a half foot or more of snow to parts of western Nebraska, including Scottsbluff. Lighter totals generally ranging from 1 to 3 inches were observed in portions of northern Kansas, northern Missouri and southern Iowa. Winter Storm Ethan brought a swath of snow from the central Rockies, where totals ranged in feet of snow, across parts of Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and into the Midwest on Christmas Eve. Ethan brought a white Christmas to much of the mid-section of the country and interior Northeast. Winds also downed trees in parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. A tree was downed in Washington D.C. on 19th St. Northwest, according to the National Weather Service. Ethan's impacts were most felt in New England where some received snow at a rate of up to 3-5 inches per hour, and thundersnow was reported from eastern Massachusetts to eastern Maine. Snow at the rate of 1 inch per hour was reported Christmas morning in Bangor, Maine, Nashua, New Hampshire, Hartford, Connecticut, and Albany, New York, among other locations. Overnight Christmas Eve, thundersnow was reported in Pittsburgh. Ethan's coastal low-pressure system rapidly intensified as it developed off the New England coast and moved northeastward into the Bay of Fundy. A top snowfall total of 42.5 inches of snow was dumped near the Snowy Range at an elevation of 10,800 feet. A snowfall rate of 0.5 inches an hour was reported in Bedford, Indiana, where a total of 2.5 inches fell during a four hour period of snow showers. Ethan dissipated on December 25.

### Winter Storm Frankie

 **Peak Intensity** | 12.7 (in.), 1005 mbar

Winter Storm Frankie formed on December 28. Four inches of snow fell in just three hours near Clark Fork, Idaho. On the eastern slope of the Washington Cascades, a glaze of ice covered 6 to 8 inches of snow in Cle Elum, and a mix of sleet and freezing rain was falling in Wenatchee. Frankie dumped over two feet of snow in the town of Seeley Lake, Montana, about 30 miles northeast of Missoula. Just southeast of Seeley Lake, an avalanche dumped 6 to 7 feet of snow onto Montana Highway 200 between Missoula and Lincoln. One vehicle was reportedly trapped by the avalanche, but the occupants were safely removed. The top snow total from Frankie was a 27-inch total near Clark Fork, Idaho, northeast of Coeur d'Alene. This combination of heavy snow and strong winds triggered some power outages. Elsewhere in Montana, Billings picked up 8.9 inches of snow, and Great Falls tallied 6 inches of snow. In parts of northwest Washington, however, ice was a much bigger problem than snow. Over an inch of ice accumulation, coupled with strong winds, downed trees and powerlines in Whatcom County, Washington, knocking out power to thousands. To the east, a swath of generally moderate snow blanketed parts of the Plains from the Dakotas into Iowa and Illinois. A few 6 to 7-inch snow totals came in from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Moline, Illinois. Generally 1 to 3 inches of snow accumulated farther east across the Ohio Valley, including the Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio metro areas. Up to 7 inches of snow was reported in parts of Garrett County, Maryland, on Dec. 30. Lancaster, Pennsylvania, picked up 4.5 inches of snow by midday Dec. 30. A dusting to an inch of snow was reported in parts of northern Virginia on the morning of Dec. 30. The National Weather Service office near Pittsburgh reported 2 inches of snow early Dec. 30. Both Philadelphia and New York's LaGuardia Airport measured 0.8 inches of snow Dec. 30, with 0.7 inches at Central Park. Baltimore recorded 0.5 inches of snow, with 0.4 inches at Washington D.C.'s Dulles Airport. Frankie dissipated on December 30.

### Winter Storm Grayson

 **Peak Intensity** | 18.2 (in.), 949 mbar

Winter Storm Grayson formed on January 2. Winter Storm Grayson was one of the most intense western Atlantic winter storms in decades, clobbering the East Coast with blizzard conditions and major coastal flooding after bringing one of the heavier snow and ice events to parts of the Southeast. Winter storm watches and warnings were issued from the Florida gulf coast to Maine's Canadian border due to the expected snow and ice impacts from Winter Storm Grayson. Just before 8:30 a.m. January 3, 0.1 inch of snow and sleet was measured at the National Weather Service office in Tallahassee, making it the first measurable snow there since 1989. The Interstate 10 flyover at Thomasville Road on the north side of Tallahassee, Florida, was shutdown due to ice. Up to one-quarter inch of ice accumulated in Lake City, Florida, between Jacksonville and Tallahassee. Some light freezing rain reached the western part of Duval County, and some flakes of snow were seen briefly at the National Weather Service office in Jacksonville. Light ice accumulation on elevated surface and trees was seen as far south as northern Levy County, Florida. In Georgia, up to 4 inches of snow fell in southern Telfair County, 3 inches was measured near Baxley, and a general 1 to 2 inches of snow had piled up in Thomasville, Vidalia and as far east as Chatham County. Up to one-half inch of ice accumulation was observed near Folkston, Georgia. Up to two-tenths of an inch of ice was reported in Charleston County, South Carolina, before precipitation changed to snow. A blizzard warning was issued for far northeastern North Carolina and far southeastern Virginia, including the city of Norfolk, Virginia, due to the combination of heavy snowfall and gusty winds which would likely cause whiteout conditions and significant drifting of the snow. 6 inches of snow was seen in Wildwood, New Jersey. The top snow total was 22 inches near the Etna and Plymouth, Maine. Islip, New York, picked up 16 inches of snow, with snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour for at least five straight hours from late morning through early afternoon on January 4. Snow fell at the rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour at Newark-Liberty and JFK airports, with winds at JFK gusting over 50 mph. Central Park wound up with 9.8 inches of snow while Queens received 13.6 inches, the highest of the five boroughs. Snow rates of 3 inches per hour were also observed in Providence, Rhode Island, where 14.1 inches of snow was recorded on January 4, their heaviest calendar-day snowfall since Winter Storm Juno almost three years ago. Boston's Logan Airport reported a rarely seen low visibility in a snow event of one-sixteenth of a mile, tallying 13.4 inches of snow on January 4. In New Hampshire, 19.5 inches of snow was measured near Berlin, 15 inches near Seabrook and 13 inches in Concord. In Maine, Bangor picked up 18.3 inches, Caribou tallied 13 inches, and Portland, Maine picked up 11.9 inches of snow. Whiteout conditions blasted parts of the Jersey shore, Delaware and the Virginia Tidewater, fueled by wind gusts from 45 to 60 mph. Parts of southern New Jersey picked up over a foot of snow, including Bayville (18 inches), Cape May (17 inches), Margate City (16 inches) and Atlantic City (14.2 inches at the airport northwest of the city). Drifts to 2 feet were reported in Atlantic County, New Jersey. A foot of snow fell in Disputanta, Virginia. Norfolk tallied 10.3 inches of snow. Pounding north to northeast winds worsened coastal flooding along east- and north-facing shores of Massachusetts around the early-afternoon high tide Thursday. Tidal levels at Boston Harbor topped an all-time record set during the infamous "Blizzard of '78," sending water pouring over the Long Wharf, then surging into streets in the city's Fort Point neighborhood. Cars were seen floating in a street in Chatham, Massachusetts, after water cut through a barrier island. Up to 4 feet of flooding prevented the scheduled evening weather balloon launch at Chatham, one of 72 locations in the Lower 48 states where twice daily weather balloon launches provide data for use in weather forecast models. Flood water surrounded a home and flooded basements in Hull, cars were stuck in flood water and ice in Quincy and a boardwalk was submerged in Sandwich, Massachusetts. In Winthrop, Massachusetts, 75 homes were flooded to the first floors and utilities were compromised, according to the emergency management director. Sea-wall damage was reported and Front Street became impassable due to floodwater in Scituate, south of Boston. A causeway was closed in West Gloucester, north of downtown Boston. Two to three feet of water swamped streets in Nantucket. Coastal flooding up to the wheel wells of vehicles was also reported as far north as Kennebunkport, Maine, during Thursday's high tide. Tide levels in Portland, Maine, topped out just 2 inches from their record, set in early January 1978. Based on preliminary reports, the highest tide on record was recorded in Bar Harbor, Maine, as well. Damaging wind gusts over 70 mph were recorded in Barnstable, Wellfleet, East Falmouth and Nantucket, Massachusetts, as well as on Block Island, Rhode Island, and persistent gusts over 50 mph downed power lines in southeastern Massachusetts and Connecticut. Wind gusts over 50 mph were also frequent Thursday morning from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the Delmarva Peninsula. Wednesday night, some gusts over 70 mph were clocked in eastern North Carolina. Grayson went on to whip Atlantic Canada with winds gusting over 70 mph, heavy snow and heavy rain. One wind-prone location on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, reported a wind gust to 106 mph, according to Environment Canada. In over four decades-worth of data compiled by Dr. Andrea Lopez Lang from SUNY-Albany and David Roth from NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, this bombogenesis rate of 59 millibars in 24 hours through 10 a.m. EST January 4 was a record magnitude for this part of the western Atlantic Ocean, dating to 1976. According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, Grayson's minimum estimated pressure was 950 millibars on January 4. For comparison, past Northeast storms such as Winter Storm Nemo (February 2013), Winter Storm Juno (January 2015) and Winter Storm Stella (March 2017) had minimum central pressures in the 970s millibars. Grayson dissipated on January 5.

### Winter Storm Hunter

 **Peak Intensity** | 6.7 (in.), 997 mbar

Winter Storm Hunter formed on January 9. At the time of formation, over 9.5 million people were under some type of winter storm warning. Hunter was responsible for major flooding in California, where at least 6 people were killed. Santa Barbara County fire spokesman Mike Eliason told CNN.com that at least three homes were destroyed in a mudslide, and crews rescued numerous residents from homes, vehicles and elsewhere. One such rescue was a boy who was found under an overpass Tuesday morning, according to the New York Times. "That kid that was carried probably a third of a mile downstream," Eliason told the Times. "His father is still missing." Eliason confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that a fire was sparked by a gas main break earlier in the morning, and more homes were destroyed by the blaze. He also told the L.A. Times that there were reports of missing people, but added "we're still hoping that's not the case." "Mud came in an instant, like a dam breaking," Montecito resident Ben Hyatt told CNN. "(It) surrounded the house, 2 to 3 feet." More than 30,000 homes and businesses were without power statewide Tuesday morning, but most of those outages were in Southern California. With so many roads impassable because of downed trees and power lines, crews had to rescue some trapped residents by helicopter, according to the AP. It was the first notable rainfall during the region's rainy season, and the first time heavy precipitation fell since a series of large wildfires scorched hundreds of square miles. As the heaviest rain bands centered over Santa Barbara County, officials urged residents to "shelter in place or move to higher ground" instead of attempting to flee any fast-moving mudflows. Between Ventura and Santa Barbara, a 30-mile stretch of U.S. 101 was closed in both directions Tuesday morning because of flooding on the roadway and the risk of mudslides, the California Highway Patrol announced via Twitter. Mandatory evacuations were issued for vulnerable locations of the Thomas Fire and Whittier Fire burn scars, Santa Barbara County officials announced. Voluntary evacuations have been issued for several other areas. "Flash floods, mud and debris flows can happen with little or no warning. It is important that you understand the seriousness of the situation and follow the direction of authorities," said a statement from Santa Barbara County. Officials in the city of Duarte ordered roughly 180 homes to evacuate near the Fish Fire burn area, CBS Los Angeles reported. Burn scars from the Sherpa and Rey fires were also being monitored closely for mudslides, and evacuations were also issued for areas nearby, the county also said. "Creeks that normally would be dry would turn into raging rivers of mud and debris and large rocks and trees," Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management Director Robert Lewin told the Associated Press. "These can be quite damaging. They'll destroy roads, they'll take out homes." But that doesn't mean all residents were eager to heed evacuation orders. Having spent weeks in hotels or shelters while wildfires burned throughout the holiday season, some told the L.A. Times they weren't going through that ordeal again and were hoping for the best. "No more Motel 6 for us," Kagel Canyon resident Patricia Beckmann Wells told the L.A. Times. "We're expecting to just be trapped in the canyon. Everyone is just out getting supplies and holing up to stay here. Nobody wants to evacuate. They don't see this as the threat the fire was." The Thomas Fire, which was sparked Dec. 4 in Santa Barbara County, has burned more than 440 square miles and is the largest wildfire in state history. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Burn scars are especially susceptible to mudslides because wildfires can burn away all vegetation that holds back the land, leaving no defense against heavy rain. The Weather Channel predicted that Hunter would touch all 48 continental US States. An estimated 43 people died from the storm, the third deadliest winter storm on record, behind Winter Storm Jonas and Winter Storm Goliath. Snowfall amounts up to 9 inches were reported Thursday in parts of the Plains, including 6.2 inches in Grand Forks, North Dakota, 6 inches in Bismarck, North Dakota, and 3 inches in Salina, Kansas. In the upper Midwest, 2.8 inches of snow was observed at the National Weather Service office in Duluth, Minnesota. An inch or two of snow was observed as far south as the Texas Panhandle early Thursday. Blizzard conditions were observed in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service. A roughly 150-mile stretch of Interstate 29 was closed for several hours on Thursday morning north of Fargo, North Dakota, to the Canadian border. To the south, wind gusts to 76 mph have been clocked near Garden City, Kansas, with a 68-mph gust reported at Midland International Airport in Texas. On January 12, flash freezing occurred in Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee as a result of a 30-40 degree drop in less than 10 minutes in all areas. For the first time in 20 years, a red travel warning was issued for many parts of Kentuckiana. The last time this happened was the 1998 North American Ice Storm. A large pileup was reported Friday afternoon along Interstate 40 in western Tennessee, closing the freeway in both directions. Social media posts showed a lengthy line of damaged vehicles, including many semi trucks, near mile marker 120 in the eastbound lanes. No injuries or deaths have been reported, but westbound I-40 remained closed Friday night, along with eastbound I-24 and northbound I-65, according to the National Weather Service. Meanwhile, treacherous travel conditions prompted the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency to declare a state of emergency. The agency is asking residents to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary. Wintry precipitation fell as far south as Louisiana and Mississippi Friday morning, and in northern Alabama, schools and government offices were closed as officials asked residents to stay off the roads. North of Shreveport, Louisiana, Interstate 49 was closed in both directions for several hours Friday morning. The closure impacted a stretch of the roadway all the way to Mira, not far from the Arkansas border. Later in the day, southbound Interstate 55 in Tate County, Mississippi, was temporarily closed after a tractor-trailer overturned on the icy road. No injuries were reported. Parts of Arkansas and western Tennessee also reported wintry conditions on roadways Friday morning, making travel hazardous. Interstates 40 and 55 in Arkansas were temporarily closed Friday morning after many drivers lost control of their vehicles on the icy roadways, according to the Associated Press. Memphis police said they responded to more than 100 crashes Friday. Gov. Bill Haslam closed all state offices in western and central portions of Tennessee, WSMV.com reported. Nashville bridges iced over rapidly in the morning hours, and authorities urged residents to stay home. Kentucky's legislative session was called off Friday, the AP also reported. In Paducah, Kentucky, truck stop employee Paige Harville told the AP she had a slow drive Friday morning and couldn't take back roads because they were covered in sleet. "It was pretty slick," she told the AP. "I had to drive pretty slow." Further north, schools in Indianapolis and other Indiana cities were canceled Friday with half a foot of snow or more expected in parts of the state. Travel advisories were issued for much of southern Indiana, the AP reported. Icy roads caused an increase in crashes Friday morning in Michigan's Lower Peninsula, and several counties canceled school. According to data compiled by PowerOutage.us, more than 25,000 homes and businesses were in the dark statewide Friday afternoon. In the Northeast, a combination of wind, wet weather and wintry conditions from this storm system knocked out power to a combined 60,000 homes and businesses in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York Friday morning. Roads were snow-covered and dangerous across the heartland Thursday morning as Winter Storm Hunter continued its journey east. In North Dakota, a stretch of Interstate 29 from north of Fargo to the Canadian border was closed Thursday morning due to hazardous travel conditions, the state's Department of Transportation announced. It was reopened midday Thursday after conditions improved. Travel was not advised across northeastern North Dakota, where a blizzard warning was issued. A travel alert was issued for the rest of the state, according to the AP. Southward into Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma, blowing snow created dangerous travel conditions for many. The AP said there were many slide-offs and accidents on Kansas roads, especially in areas where rain fell and then froze as temperatures fell quickly. Hunter forced school districts across several states to cancel or delay classes Thursday. This included schools in Omaha, Des Moines, southeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. In Omaha, traffic moved slowly Thursday morning as the snow made roads slicker than usual. Crystell Orent told the Omaha World-Herald that her morning commute took 30 minutes longer than average, but only because she drove 20 mph the entire way. "I'm a grandma in this weather," the grandmother told the World-Herald. In Kansas City, fears about frozen roads materialized Thursday morning on the north side of the city, and officials urged extra caution when driving. All school districts in the Kansas City metro were closed Thursday, according to the Kansas City Star. Niagara Falls, New York saw 0.07 inches of ice accumulate before snow began to fly Friday evening. Farther east, numerous street flooding and basement flooding was reported in eastern Massachusetts early Saturday. In addition, over 130 reports of flooding came in Friday from parts of West Virginia, Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and New York state, including the Buffalo and Pittsburgh metro areas. A mess of sleet and freezing rain was followed by a splash of quick moving snowfall across portions of Illinois, Missouri and Indiana on Thursday and Friday with heavier snowfall reported across southern Illinois and Indiana. Power outages were reported in Boonville, Indiana, and in Hopkins County, Kentucky. Power outages were also reported in parts of southeastern Michigan and southern Ohio, likely due to icing in these areas. Across much of the Midwest, precipitation was layered with snow on top of ice. Parts of western Kentucky and far southern Illinois picked up 3 to 7 inches of snow and sleet, including Murray, Kentucky, which saw 5 inches of the white stuff on top of 2 inches of sleet. Paducah, Kentucky, which saw 4.5 inches of snow on top of 1.5 inches of sleet. Several sites near Bowling Green, Kentucky recorded 0.25 inches of ice. In Illinois, as much as 5.1 inches of snow fell in Carrier Mills, Illinois while Carbondale picked up one-half inch of sleet. Much of central and southern Illinois saw a light glaze of ice. One to two inches of snow fell across southeastern Missouri, but up to one-half inch of sleet was reported in Poplar Bluff with freezing rain and snow mixed in. Incredibly, Oak Ridge, Missouri, near Cape Girardeau, picked up 4.5 inches of sleet according to the National Weather Service. In Flint, Michigan residents saw 4.2 inches of snow as cold air kicked in, which Saginaw residents saw 4.8 inches. Michigan's lead snowfall came from near Ironwood with 8.6 inches, which is downwind of Lake Superior's western end, which may have enhanced snowfall totals there. Near the Ohio/Pennsylvania border east of Cleveland, 0.3 inches of ice aggregated near Kelloggsville. Generally, one to two-tenths of an inch of ice accumulated near Cleveland with 1-2 inches of snow across the city. Akron, Ohio received one-tenth of an inch of ice. Several inches of snow fell across central Kentucky and middle Tennessee on Friday. As was the case across much of the Ohio Valley, numerous precipitation types compiled on top of one another as air cooled from the west. In the Louisville area, up to a quarter inch of ice was topped by up to a half inch of sleet and several inches of snowfall, making any transportation tough. Accumulating sleet coated roads in eastern Arkansas, west Tennessee, northern Mississippi, northern Louisiana and western Kentucky Friday. Interstate 40 in parts of western Tennessee were closed Friday afternoon following slick conditions and several accidents. Freezing rain developed in the Nashville and across middle Tennessee during the late afternoon hours on Jan. 12, but switched over to snow during the evening. Snow amounted to half an inch to two inches across most of the area, but some spots in northern Tennessee saw more. Paris, Tennessee has received 8 inches so far. Farther west, in east Memphis, snowfall accumulated to nearly an inch and a half. Much of eastern Arkansas picked up sleet, with up to an inch being reported near DeWitt with snow on top of that. Little Rock picked up a trace of sleet. Icy roads were reported in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and Jackson, Tennessee, among many other locations. Numerous vehicle accidents were reported on Interstate 22 in Union County, Mississippi due to ice. Union City, Tennessee saw an inch of sleet topped by 4.5 inches of snow on Friday. Reports of snow had come in from as far south as Alexandria, Louisiana, and Natchez, Mississippi, on the morning of Jan. 12. More than four inches of snow and sleet may have fallen in northern Louisiana according to the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center, but generally, amounts were less than 2 inches. Thousands were without power Saturday as Winter Storm Hunter clobbered the Northeast and New England with up to 16 inches of snow in some areas of New York. According to poweroutage.us, more than 10,000 residents were without power in New Jersey Saturday morning, while nearly 7,000 remained without power in Massachusetts. A group of 10 hikers was rescued overnight after becoming trapped by two swollen creeks in New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest, the Associated Press reports. No injuries were reported. Cities like Nashville, Louisville and Columbus, Ohio received slickening ice and snow on roadways and interstates while Albany and Buffalo, New York received flooding and ice jams due to warm weather. Interstates in the Nashville area, including Interstate 65 and 40 were closed at times due to pile ups and numerous crashes. A top snowfall total of 22.3" was recorded near Bellevue, Ohio. Hunter dissipated on January 13.+

### Winter Storm Inga

 **Peak Intensity** | 6.4 (in.), 1019 mbar

Winter Storm Inga formed on January 15. An intense lake-enhanced band of snow hammered Wisconsin's Doore County peninsula with over a foot of snow Sunday night into Monday morning, and continues to pivot into some lakeshore counties. Generally from 1 to 4 inches of snow has fallen in the Midwest, so far, including just under 3 inches at Rockford, Illinois, around 2 inches at Chicago's Midway Airport, and 4 inches on the west side of Madison, Wisconsin. A few reports of 6 inches of snow came in from near La Crosse, Wisconsin and in the town of Streator, Illinois, early Monday. Winter Storm Inga unloaded snow and ice on much of the South Tuesday and Wednesday, and with frigid temperatures moving in behind the snowstorm, travel in the region has been all but shut down and at least 100,000 homes and businesses are in the dark. At least three deaths have been blamed on the winter storm. Authorities in Bibb County, Georgia, confirmed a fatal crash caused by wintry conditions killed two people Wednesday morning along Interstate 75, and the roadway was shut down the road for an extended period of time. On Tuesday afternoon, a woman died in a crash on Interstate 64 in Cabell County, West Virginia, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail. Two other deaths were blamed on the brutally cold weather that rushed in behind the storm. Officials in Houston and Memphis said there was one confirmed fatality from cold-weather exposure in each city. Hundreds of flights were canceled across the South again on Wednesday, including in Atlanta and Charlotte, where the former was in a ground stop in the morning hours and the latter was facing multi-hour delays. Residents were urged to stay home and off the roads as several Southern cities attempted to avoid a repeat of recent "Snowpocalypse" events, when hundreds of thousands of motorists were stranded on icy roadways for several hours. "If you don't have to be on the road, please don't be on the roads," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Tuesday. "For the next 24 hours, it's going to be somewhat treacherous out there." From Texas to the Carolinas, widespread school closures were reported as officials attempted to keep children home and safe from the hazardous travel conditions. The snow stretched all the way down to Florida, where bridges were closed in the panhandle as they became covered in snow and ice. The storm also prompted governors to declare states of emergency in Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina. In Alabama, every public school system was closed statewide Wednesday, giving nearly 727,000 students the day off, according to AL.com. The University of Alabama announced it would resume normal operations at noon Wednesday, but urged students and faculty to use their best judgment about traveling to the Tuscaloosa campus. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said during a Wednesday weather briefing that all residents should head home and not wait for the evening rush hour because conditions were expected to worsen throughout the day. The State Highway Patrol told the AP that there were more than 500 crashes Wednesday morning in North Carolina, and at least 700 calls for service. Government offices were closed Wednesday in parts of western and central South Carolina, according to the Associated Press. Inga forced Gov. Henry McMaster to postpone his first State of the State address to Jan. 24, and a State Senate meeting was also canceled, the report added. Winter Storm Inga was believed to be the reason for a 10-vehicle pileup on Interstate 85 northeast of Atlanta Wednesday morning, according to WXIA-TV. It wasn't immediately known if there were any injuries, but I-85 was shut down as a result of the collision. Interstate 65's southbound lanes were shut down in central Kentucky near Bonnieville because of a multi-vehicle wreck that injured at least seven passengers on a Greyhound bus, WAVE-TV reported. At least two tractor-trailers and two cars were also involved in the collision that closed the freeway for five hours, the report added. Later Tuesday morning, another pileup was reported along Interstate 22 near Red Banks, Mississippi, according to the South Reporter. WREG.com said six semi trucks and possibly other vehicles were involved in the wreck, but no injuries were reported. In cities like Austin, Houston and San Antonio, authorities urged residents to stay off roads that quickly iced over because of Inga, and many bridges quickly became hazardous as precipitation fell Tuesday. Ramps were shut down and crashes were reported in the Austin area Tuesday morning, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport had nearly 800 cancellations into and out of the hub Tuesday, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware. Dozens more flights were canceled at Houston's William P. Hobby Airport. All non-emergency city services were suspended Tuesday in Houston. The Houston Independent School District – the largest school district in the state – canceled classes Tuesday and Wednesday, as did several other large Texas cities. The University of Texas and Texas State University also closed because of the storm. More than 63,000 homes and businesses in Texas were without power at the height of the storm Tuesday, according to PowerOutage.us. Wednesday morning, a combined 60,000 customers remained in the dark in Texas and Louisiana. In Shreveport, Louisiana, where measurable snow fell for the first time since 2015, both directions of Interstate 49 were closed in the city Tuesday morning. Stretches of I-20 and I-220 were also shut down, the AP reported. "We've got numerous crashes on the interstates and surface roads," Louisiana State Trooper Glenn Younger told the AP Tuesday morning. Several northwestern Louisiana school districts were closed again Wednesday; KSLA.com has a complete list. To the south, every major interstate in southeastern Louisiana was impacted by weather-related closures Wednesday morning. Most Baton Rouge-area school districts were closed Tuesday and Wednesday as all major roadways leading into and out of the city were shut down, including interstates 10, 12 and 110. Eastward into Mississippi, the travel problems didn't lessen. The Mississippi Department of Transportation reported ice on roadways in every county on Wednesday morning. As temperatures plunged, utility companies urged residents to conserve energy by lowering their thermostats and skipping showers or washing clothes, the AP reported. The University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University canceled classes Tuesday and Wednesday, and city offices were closed in Jackson. Multiple road accidents were reported across the Midwest and Plains on Monday as Inga swept through the region with snow, sleet and freezing rain. A crash involving multiple vehicles caused injuries on Interstate 55 in Illinois and prompted officials to shut the road down, state police reported. Officials said the roadway was covered in black ice north of Farmersville in both the northbound and southbound lanes. South of Farmersville, patches of snow and ice were reported on the interstate. Several accidents were reported across Wichita, Kansas, Monday morning, KAKE.com reported. No serious injuries have been reported. Authorities shut down the southbound lanes of I-65 in Columbus, Indiana, Monday after a trailer attached to a truck partially flipped over a concrete overpass barrier, local police tweeted. Chicago's O'Hare International Airport led the nation with more than 100 flight cancellations Monday, according to FlightAware. In western North Carolina, Waynesville (elevation: 3,800 feet), picked up 3.5 inches of snow in just 2 hours Wednesday morning. Farther east, 4.0 inches was reported late Wednesday morning in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. A light dusting of snow blanketed the Washington D.C. metro area, while the New York City metro area saw a mix of light rain and snow. Other parts of the Northeast have already picked up over 6 inches of snow, including Loysville, Pennsylvania (9.5 inches), Rhinebeck, New York (8 inches), Canaan, Connecticut (7 inches), Savoy, Massachusetts (7.7 inches), Dover, New Hampshire (6.3 inches), Montague, New Jersey (6.3 inches) and near Machias, Maine (6 inches). In Atlanta 2.3 inches of snow was recorded Tuesday night into early Wednesday, shutting down schools, triggering major delays at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and making roads treacherous. Snow also fell in Mobile County, Alabama, overnight. Mobile Regional Airport officially measured 0.1 inches of snow and sleet making it only the second time on record that two measurable snow events occurred in the same winter - January 1977 being the other. Snow was reported as far south as Panama City and Destin, Florida, early Wednesday, and sleet accumulated on vehicle tops and grassy areas in Pensacola, Florida, overnight Tuesday night. Inga dissipated on January 18.

### Winter Storm Jaxon

 **Peak Intensity** | 12 (in.), 1001 mbar

Winter Storm Jaxon formed on January 19. Several locations from far northwest Kansas to central Minnesota and northern Wisconsin picked up over a foot of snow from Jaxon. This included the Twin Cities, where 12.4 inches of snow fell on Jan. 22, alone. This was their heaviest single-day snowfall since a December 2010 snowstorm lead to a collapse of the roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was forced to shut down all four of its runways late Monday afternoon, Jan. 22, due to heavy snow and poor visibility. Two of those runways later reopened just after 7 p.m. CST Jan. 22. Drifts up to 2 feet were spotted at the National Weather Service office in Chanhassen, Minnesota, where 11 inches of snowfall was measured. Mankato, Minnesota, picked up 13 inches of snow, while up to 17 inches of snow was measured near Owatonna. This prompted a shutdown of a stretch of Interstate 35 in southern Minnesota, for a time. Whiteout conditions were reported in Nebraska on Jan. 22, including along Interstate 80, where some closures had occurred due to accidents. Conditions were so bad Monday morning, Jan. 22, that plows had to be pulled off of roads in Platte County, Nebraska. Thundersnow was observed near Columbus, Nebraska, Monday morning, Jan. 22, and Norfolk, Nebraska, reported a wind gust to 60 mph. Snow drifts of 4 to 5 feet were observed near Stanton, Nebraska, Monday afternoon, Jan. 22, reportedly stranding some motorists. In Iowa, 12.1 inches of snow had piled up in Sioux City with wind gusts over 40 mph. Whiteout conditions were reported in northwestern sections of the state. Dangerous travel conditions prompted a closure of Interstate 29 in southeastern South Dakota around midday Monday, Jan. 22, from the Iowa state line to near Sioux Falls. Interstate 70 was closed for a time Monday morning, Jan. 22, from WaKeeney, Kansas, to the exit for Denver International Airport, a stretch of about 270 miles. Nine inches of snow was reported in Goodland, Kansas, accompanied by winds gusting to 58 mph early Monday morning, Jan. 22. One location north-northwest of St. Francis, Kansas, picked up 14 inches of snow. Areas of freezing rain and sleet slickened roads from Maine to parts of upstate New York and Massachusetts, with ice accumulations from one-tenth to one-third of an inch reported. Some damage to trees and power lines occurred in parts of northern Massachusetts due to accumulated ice. Up to 8 inches of snow fell in northern Maine. Caribou, Maine, picked up just under 8 inches of snow, which included over an inch of sleet, as well as roughly one-third inch of ice accumulation. The Denver metro area picked up 3 to 6 inches of snow Sunday, Jan. 21. Officially, Denver International Airport measured 5.7 inches of total snowfall, but, as usual, higher amounts over 1 foot were measured in the foothills. Two vehicle accidents were reported on outbound Peña near the terminal at Denver International Airport Sunday afternoon, Jan. 21, due to the slick conditions. Interstate 70 was closed in both directions in eastern Colorado as of Sunday afternoon, Jan. 21, from Limon to Burlington, as blizzard conditions led to multiple crashes in the area. Up to 20 inches of snow was reported from Jaxon in Utah's Wasatch Mountains Jan. 20-21. Parts of the Salt Lake City metro area saw a foot of snow Jan. 19-20. Jaxon dissipated on January 23.

### Winter Storm Kalani

 **Peak Intensity** | 7.9 (in.), 988 mbar

Winter Storm Kalani formed on January 29. Small-scale bands of heavy snow developed over parts of Lower Michigan the morning of Jan. 29, producing accumulations of a half-foot or more. An estimated 10 inches of snow had piled up in 12 hours near Haslett and Holt, Michigan, by late morning Jan. 29. A 24-hour total of 11.1 inches was reported in Perry, Michigan, on Jan. 29. Flint and Lansing, Michigan, picked up 9.7 inches and 6 inches, respectively. Light snow in the Motor City – 3.4 inches officially at Detroit's Metro Airport – prompted ground delays early afternoon Jan. 29, persisting into the early evening. That area of heavy snow triggered a winter storm warning from the National Weather Service for several counties in Lower Michigan, including the northern suburbs of Detroit and the city of Flint. These warnings for over 2-million people met our population criterion for naming this winter storm. Over 6 inches of snow accumulated Jan. 30 in central and eastern Long Island, including at the National Weather Service office in Upton, New York, where 8.7 inches of snow was measured. Heavier accumulations also came in from southeastern New England, including 8.4 inches in Bristol, Rhode Island, 8 inches in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and 7.5 inches in West Greenwich, Rhode Island. Winds gusted to 53 mph at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and 50 mph on Nantucket Island just after midnight Jan. 30. Just over 1 inch of snow was reported at New York's JFK and LaGuardia airports, with 2.4 inches observed at Boston's Logan Airport on Jan. 30. Colt Station, Pennsylvania, picked up 13 inches of snow, McKean, Pennsylvania, measured 7 inches of snow and Johnstown, Pennsylvania, reported 5.7 inches of snow. Snow-weary Erie, Pennsylvania, reported 4 to 5 inches of snow on the ground as of early Jan. 30. Some 2- to 3-inch snow totals were reported in eastern New Jersey. A light dusting of snow was reported in parts of the Baltimore and Raleigh-Durham metro areas early Jan. 30, mainly on grassy areas. Up to 8 inches of snow was reported in the Appalachians near Terra Alta, West Virginia, with 7 inches at Sugar Mountain, North Carolina. Some minor flooding occurred in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the morning high-tide Jan. 30. In Downeast Maine, up to 11 inches of snow was observed near Bar Harbor and Cherryfield. Kalani dissipated on January 30.

### Winter Storm Liam

 **Peak Intensity** | 6.9 (in.), Unk mbar

Winter Storm Liam formed on February 6. Snowfall amounts in the Midwest were generally in the 1- to 4-inch range Feb. 6 into early Feb. 7 from northern Illinois, including Chicagoland, to Indiana, southern Lower Michigan, western and central Ohio and western Pennsylvania. This snowfall helped Erie, Pennsylvania, reach its seasonal snowfall record. A few locations in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania picked up 6 to 9 inches of snow Feb. 7. Harmony, Pennsylvania, measured 8.5 inches of snow. Parts of central and upstate New York also picked up more than a half-foot of snow, including 7 inches in Ithaca at Cornell University and 7 inches in Glens Falls. A swath of 5- to 12-inch totals was observed in New Hampshire, with Meredith receiving up to 13 inches of snow. This led to slick roadways across the Granite State, and multiple accidents had been reported on Route 101, including the one pictured below in Brentwood, New Hampshire. On the southern end of the wintry precipitation, freezing rain accumulated up to about one-quarter inch around the Cincinnati metro area, as well as other parts of southern and eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, western Maryland and southwestern Pennsylvania. Up to three-quarters of an inch of ice was reported in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, with a half-inch of ice in Thurmont and Oakland, Maryland. A light glaze of ice was also seen on elevated surfaces in parts of the New York City, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia metros, as well as in Harrisburg, Reading and Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on the morning of Feb. 7. Central Park reported one-tenth of an inch of ice while Washington's Dulles Airport measured 0.13 inches of ice. Up to a half-inch of ice was measured in Martinsburg, West Virginia, with one-quarter inch of ice reported in Hartford, South Windsor, New Britain and Meriden, Connecticut. The icing in Connecticut led to multiple accidents, one of which led to an injury when a car collided with a utility pole on Route 72 in New Britain. Ice accumulation from a light glaze to around one-quarter inch on elevated surfaces, including bridges and overpasses, was seen in parts of northeastern Arkansas stretching into western Kentucky. A light coating of ice was seen in parts of the Tulsa, Oklahoma, metro overnight Feb. 6. Liam dissipated on February 7.

### Winter Storm Mateo

 **Peak Intensity** | 8.7 (in.), Unk mbar

Winter Storm Mateo formed on February 8. The first batch of energy from Mateo created a stripe of snow from parts of Montana to northern New York, including the Chicago and Detroit metro areas, Feb. 8-9. The heaviest snowfall totals were in the High Plains of Montana, where a few locations picked up a foot or more of snow. Havre, Montana, picked up just over 13 inches of snow in a 30-hour period, leaving some city streets impassable with stranded vehicles. Up to 3-inch per hour snow rates were observed in Great Falls, Montana. If that wasn't enough, a rare freezing rain resulted in poor travel conditions across parts of Montana Feb. 8. The first round of snow in Chicago lasted nearly a day, and more than 10 inches fell in parts of Chicagoland, making it the deepest snow depth in almost three years. Up to 6 inches piled up in the Milwaukee metro area, and 2 to 4 inches accumulated in the Detroit metro area from the first batch of snow. Chicago picked up 4.5 inches of snow from the final round of Mateo Feb. 10-11, adding to the 7.8 inches the storm brought Feb. 8-9 at O'Hare International Airport. South Bend, Indiana, and Columbus, Ohio, set daily snowfall records on Feb. 9. South Bend received 10.3 inches, breaking the old daily record of 6 inches set back in 1909. Columbus received 4.4 inches of snow, breaking the old daily record of 3.6 inches set in 1895. The first round of snow in Iowa diminished late on Feb. 9 after dropping 6 to 11 inches of snow in a swath from Ft. Dodge to Waterloo. The second round of snow snarled traffic on Feb. 9 across much of Nebraska, where snowfall totals were upwards of 13 inches. Light to moderate snow fell across the Colorado Rockies and into the Denver metro area on Feb. 10. Denver officially reported 2.2 inches of snow. Up to 0.15 inches of ice was reported in parts of Missouri on Feb. 10. Several accidents were reported on Interstate 44 between Joplin and St. Louis, Missouri, and in much of central and southwestern Missouri due to icy conditions. A separate bout of freezing rain and sleet swept through northern Texas Feb. 11, leading to icy conditions in spots, including around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Mateo dissipated on on February 11.

### Winter Storm Noah

 **Peak Intensity** | 4.3 (in.), Unk mbar

Winter Storm Noah formed on February 17. Moderate to heavy snow made streets slick from New York City to parts of the Washington D.C. metro area on the afternoon and evening of Feb. 17. Some parts of northeastern New Jersey saw up to 9 inches of snowfall, including Westwood (9.2 inches) and Allendale (9 inches). Newark Airport received 3.1 inches of total snowfall, and 3 inches had fallen at Teterboro Airport in northern New Jersey in a little over 90 minutes, eventually leading to a storm total of 3.9 inches there. Central Park picked up 4.4 inches of snow as of midnight Feb. 18. Up to 1.5 inches of snow was reported at Dulles International Airport outside of Washington D.C. while 0.2 inches was measured at Reagan National Airport. The Baltimore metro area picked up 1 to 3 inches of snowfall. Heavy snowfall was also reported in West Virginia and western Virginia. Heavy snow was falling in parts of the Boston metro area early Feb. 18, including at the National Weather Service office in Taunton, Massachusetts, where, officially, 5.9 inches piled up. Since Winter Storm Grayson hammered the Northeast coast with heavy snow just after Near Year's Day, it had been largely a snowless six-week stretch for parts of the Interstate 95 corridor. New York's Central Park had only picked up 1.9 inches of snow since Jan. 4 before Noah, but still remained above its average season snowfall-to-date, tallying 19.4 inches for the season. Similarly, Philadelphia had only managed 0.7 inches of snow since Jan. 4 before Noah, spread among three separate days. Farther south along the Interstate 95 corridor, there had been little snow to speak of all season. Baltimore's heaviest snow event this season so far was a mere 2.8 inches on Dec. 9 during Winter Storm Benji. Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. had only tallied 3.1 inches of snow all season through Feb. 13. While it's not nearly a record-least snowy season-to-date there (last season through Feb. 13 had only 1.4 inches), it had only picked up 27 percent of its average snowfall-to-date. Noah dissipated on February 18.

### Winter Storm Oliver

 **Peak Intensity** | 9.3 (in.), Unk mbar

Winter Storm Oliver formed on February 17. The first batch of snow reached the Midwest and joined up with moisture from Winter Storm Noah on Saturday morning while the second batch of snow arrived in the Northwest late Saturday. The second piece of energy dropped 2 to 4 inches of snow from North Dakota to the Arrowhead of Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Sunday. This snow piled up on top of what fell in the region from the first batch of snow on Saturday, Feb. 17. Then a more concentrated swath of snow fell from the Rockies to the High Plains and Upper Midwest through Tuesday. Portions of the Washington Cascades likely received more than 4 feet of snowfall while more than 2 feet of snow likely fell in the higher elevations of the Rockies of Montana and in Idaho's Bitterroots. Parts of the High Plains of Wyoming and South Dakota, and also far northwest Wisconsin and northeast Minnesota, picked up over a foot of snow. Also on Tuesday, a second wave of precipitation from Oliver brought heavy snow to parts of southwest Washington and western Oregon, including the heavily-populated Willamette Valley. At times Tuesday night, snowfall rates reached almost an inch in less than 30 minutes in Portland, Oregon. In all, 3.1 inches of snow was recorded in downtown Portland, and 4.2 inches was measured at the NWS office on the city's northeast side. Heavier amounts, from 6 to 8 inches of snow, were reported in parts of southwest Washington (8.5 inches in Yacolt) and in Oregon's Cascade foothills (8 inches in Estacada and Sandy). Early-morning thunderstorms transitioned quickly to sleet and freezing rain in the Oklahoma City metro area Tuesday, leading to deteriorating road conditions and ice accumulation in trees and elevated surfaces. Up to a third of an inch of ice accumulation was estimated in Shawnee, Oklahoma, Tuesday. Freezing rain and accumulating sleet also led to hazardous travel in the Kansas City metro area, as well as a swath of central and eastern Iowa and western, central and northeastern Wisconsin. Parts of eastern Kansas and western Missouri picked up to 0.25 inch ice accumulation, Tuesday into early Wednesday. In west-central Texas, freezing rain with frequent lightning was reported in Abilene and San Angelo, Texas, Wednesday afternoon while some light sleet and freezing drizzle was reported earlier Wednesday morning in Lubbock. Farther north, ice accumulations of up to 0.1 inches on elevated surfaces and grassy areas were observed in parts of the mid-Mississippi Valley Tuesday night into early Wednesday, including the cities of Hannibal, Missouri, and Peoria, Illinois. Ice accumulation in Stephenville, Texas, about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth, brought down tree branches and power lines early Wednesday afternoon. A band of moderate to heavy freezing rain dropped as much as an inch of ice across portions of northern Texas on Wednesday afternoon. Just northwest of Fort Worth, an emergency manager reported an inch of accumulating freezing rain and sleet in Bowie, Texas, Wednesday afternoon. Freezing rain coated sidewalks and parts of roads in Wichita Falls, Texas, Wednesday afternoon, then some sleet accumulated on top of the thin glaze of ice. Accumulating sleet also made roads in Oklahoma, including interstates 40 and 35, messy at best. Thunder freezing rain was reported late Thursday morning in Oklahoma City, and slick roads were observed in the area. Significant ice accumulations occurred Thursday just west of Oklahoma City in Yukon, Oklahoma, where freezing rain has accumulated on most surfaces, weighing down tree branches. To the north of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, both the northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate 35 were closed south of Gainesville late Thursday morning as the power company replaced a power line over the highway. On the far northeastern edge of Winter Storm Oliver, moderate to heavy snow developed Thursday morning in parts of western, central and upstate New York, which was quickly accumulating and making for slippery roads despite record warmth the previous day. Earlier Thursday morning, numerous thunderstorms in northern Texas and southern Oklahoma produced not only moderate to heavy freezing rain and sleet, but hail up to the size of nickels was also reported in some spots. Icy roads from freezing drizzle in Lubbock, Texas, early Thursday led to numerous accidents in the area, as captured by Texas Department of Transportation cameras. Oliver dissipated on February 21.

### Winter Storm Polly

 **Peak Intensity** | 6.3 (in.), Unk mbar

Winter Storm Polly formed on February 22. Authorities responded to dozens of crashes across the Reno, Nevada, area Feb. 22 as Polly brought as much as 6 inches of snow to northern Nevada in just two hours. One collision involved as many as 20 vehicles along an ice-covered Interstate 80 east of Sparks, according to KTVN.com. Officials said eight people were hospitalized after the pileup, which occurred at about 2 p.m. Feb. 22 and shut down the eastbound lanes of the freeway for several hours, the report added. A second pileup, involving nearly 35 vehicles, occurred south of Reno along I-580 near the Galena Creek Bridge in Washoe County, KRNV-TV reported. All northbound lanes were closed for hours after the crash, KRNV also said, but no injuries were reported. As Winter Storm Polly pushed east, travel problems were also reported near Flagstaff, Arizona, when the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 were closed at Ash Fork because of snow and ice Feb. 23, according to the Associated Press. Polly then advanced northeastward across the central Plains into the upper Midwest on Feb. 24, producing a half-foot of snow in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. This winter storm's final phase brought snow and ice to portions of upstate New York and northern New England on Feb. 25 before pushing into Atlantic Canada that evening. Polly dissipated on February 25.

### Winter Storm Quinn

 **Peak Intensity** | 23.2 (in.), 988 mbar

Winter Storm Quinn formed on February 28. Winter Storm Quinn began as a slow-moving, but deep trough dropped southward from the Gulf of Alaska on Feb. 28 toward the Pacific Northwest. A cold front associated with Quinn swept through the West Coast from Washington to central California on Mar. 1 with a reinforcement of moisture and cold air. Blizzard conditions and snow drifts up to four feet were reported near Kingvale, California, late Thursday, Mar. 1. At the summit of Squaw Valley ski resort, winds gusted to over 130 mph was clocked Thursday, with several gusts over 70 mph in parts of California and Nevada on Friday. The warm side of Quinn has also brought locally heavy rain to California. Dozens of collisions were reported on San Francisco Bay Area highways, according to the Associated Press, likely due to rainy and windy conditions. In the Bay area, many totals of 1-3 inches have been reported from Wednesday evening into Thursday afternoon while a few spots in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, located south of the Bay, have seen more than 6 inches. In southern California, a burst of locally heavy rain prompted a flash flood warning for parts of the Thomas Fire burn area Friday morning. Multiple collisions and slide offs were reported near Spokane, Washington due to icy conditions during the early morning commute on Friday. Much of the region was still feeling the effects of the nor'easter Thursday after the storm shut down schools, slowed travel and dumped as much as three feet of snow in some areas. Barbara Suleski, 88, was killed Wednesday afternoon after being struck by a tree that fell on her while she shoveled snow outside her Suffern, New York, home, the Associated Press reports. In New Jersey, a man was killed Thursday when he drove around a barricade in Franklin Lakes and struck a live power line, AP reports. The storm's heavy, wet snow left more than 1 million customers in the dark by Thursday morning, according to PowerOutage.us. More than 100,000 were already without power in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania after Winter Storm Riley battered the East Coast days before. By Thursday afternoon, power had been restored to about 200,000 customers. Officials with electric utility Eversource, which serves millions in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire, say it could be days before power is restored, the AP reports. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday afternoon the state remains under a state of emergency. He also said he is launching a review of how utilities responded to the back-to-back nor'easters. Since Wednesday morning, more than 3,000 flights have been canceled in the U.S., according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware, and virtually all of those cancellations were blamed on the nor'easter. Amtrak announced that it was operating under a modified schedule in the Northeast, the New York Times reported. Residents across the region were asked again on Thursday to avoid travel unless it was absolutely necessary. In Wilmington, Massachusetts, a commuter rail train slid off the tracks at about 6:30 a.m. Thursday morning after striking a tree branch lodged in the tracks, the Boston Globe reported. Some 100 passengers were aboard the train during the "low-speed derailment," and no injuries were reported, according to CBS Boston. The incident remains under investigation. Emergencies were declared in Pennsylvania and New Jersey ahead of the storm that killed five as it made its cross-country trek from the West into the northern Plains earlier in the week. The storm prompted officials to declare snow emergencies in the Massachusetts towns of Quincy, Newton, Belmont and Waltham, according to the Boston Globe. "As always, safety is our number one priority," said Boston Mayor Marty Walsh in a statement. "We are encouraging residents to stay off the roads, assist the elderly and disabled, and be sure to use caution during the cold weather." State offices were also closed because of the storm, and along the Massachusetts Turnpike, the speed limit was reduced to 40 mph from the New York border to I-495, the Associated Press reported. Snowmobiles were sent to rescue drivers who were trapped in their cars for at least five hours on a snow-covered Route 280 and Route 78 early Thursday morning in Essex County, New Jersey, NJ.com reported. The motorists were taken to warming centers after crews rescued them from their vehicles, the report added. More than 500 vehicles got stuck during the incident, WABC-TV said. Near Berkeley Heights, cars were stuck in the westbound lanes of Interstate 78 for about four hours after a semi truck was disabled for a prolonged period of time with hazardous materials involved, NJ.com also said. "People are walking up and down the road trying to see what's going on," Derek Mindler, who was stranded on I-78 for hours, said in a tweet. "Starting their cars for a few (minutes) for warmth." No injuries were reported in either incident. On Manhattan's Upper West Side, one person was injured in a stampede at a subway station after an arctic cable sparked flames and produced smoke, scaring the crowd of passengers. The incident occurred at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, according to the AP. "I see a ball of fire filling the end of the tunnel," passenger Bryan Murphy told the New York Post. "People are running and screaming and people were falling down and you had to step over them." Bus and train cancellations left some commuters stranded Wednesday as snow shrouded the Empire State. "I don't know how to go home right now. I am trying to find out the way to go home," resident Huseyin Aktug told Reuters after becoming stranded at Penn Station. Because of the winter storm, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a travel ban for tractor-trailers along the New York State Thruway from near Syracuse to New York City. Violators will receive tickets from state troopers, Cuomo also said. Officials in Ocean County, New Jersey, said a teacher was hospitalized after being struck by lightning during thundersnow, NBC Philadelphia reported. She was in stable condition after being struck, the report added. Travel conditions went downhill fast Wednesday afternoon in the Philadelphia area, with what appeared to be a pileup on Interstate 76 westbound leaving the city. Power outages spiked Wednesday afternoon, with more than 125,000 customers in the dark, most of which were in far eastern Pennsylvania. According to a statement from Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf's office, the state banned certain high-profile vehicles, including empty straight trucks, large combination vehicles, tractors hauling empty trailers, trailers pulled by passenger vehicles, motorcycles and recreational vehicles, from some portions of interstates. These include Interstate 78 from the junction with Interstate 81 in Lebanon County to the New Jersey line, I-80 from the junction with I-81 to the New Jersey line, I-81 from the Maryland line to the New York line and I-84 from the junction with I-81 to the New York line. The ban began Tuesday at midnight and will remain in place "as long as warranted through the storm." In the mid-Atlantic, coastal flooding returned as Quinn strengthened off the coast. The Annapolis Police Department said flooding closed Compromise and Dock Streets in the Maryland city Wednesday morning. Drivers were also told to avoid the Eastport Bridge from Eastport to downtown Annapolis. Along North Carolina's Outer Banks, coastal flooding kept N.C. 12 closed from Rodanthe to the Bonner Bridge Wednesday morning as crews continued to clear sand and water that washed over the road starting with Winter Storm Riley over the weekend. In Duxbury, Massachusetts, where multiple high tides broke down a seawall during Winter Storm Riley, officials said there was no additional damage after Thursday morning's high tide. Crews placed temporary fixes in place between the storms. "The work we've been doing out on the seawall has been holding up, which we're pleased with," Town Manager Rene Read told NBC News. "We've heard that there could be 40- to 50 mile-an-hour gusts of wind. We do have high tides, and that's a big sea out there. We're tired from the last five days, but morale is good." Over 1 million people ended up without power. Quinn dissipated on March 8, after causing destruction from California to Maine.

### Winter Storm Riley

 **Peak Intensity** | 10.1 (in.), 970 mbar

Winter Storm Riley formed on March 1. At least seven have been killed by Winter Storm Riley's strong winds, which brought down trees and power lines from North Carolina to Maine and knocked out power to more than 2.1 million homes and businesses. Deaths have been reported in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Maryland, and Virginia, where two people were killed. Two of the victims – a 6-year-old boy in Chester, Virginia, and an 11-year-old boy in Putnam Valley, New York – were children. The governors of Maryland and Virginia declared states of emergency due to the conditions. National Guard members were activated in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania to assist in the aftermath. Since Friday morning, nearly 4,000 domestic flights have been canceled, mostly in the Northeast, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware. Amtrak temporarily suspended all service along its Northeast Corridor between New York City and Boston, and wind damage shut down one of the tracks along the Washington-Maryland corridor, AP reported. In eastern Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel was closed Friday morning and part of the afternoon, the AP also said. United Airlines Flight 3833 had a violent descent into Dulles Airport just after 7 a.m. Friday morning, and the turbulence made virtually every passenger sick. "Very bumpy on descent. Pretty much everyone on the plane threw up," said a pilot in a report filed with the National Weather Service's aviation center. The plane, a CRJ-200 that can hold about 50 passengers, took off from Charlottesville, Virginia, less than an hour before the landing, according to NBC Washington. The pilots were reportedly close to also vomiting due to the extreme nature of the turbulence, the report also added. Despite the frightening landing, no injuries were reported, NBC Washington also said. Trees and power lines were downed all across the mid-Atlantic, including the Washington D.C. area. Trees collapsed into roadways and onto homes, and some injuries were reported. A 100-year-old woman was rescued from her Kensington, Maryland, house after a tree fell through the roof and trapped her overnight Thursday, NBC Washington reported. She was pulled from the debris and hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, the report added. Federal offices were closed Friday because of the storm, and residents were urged to stay home. Along the New England coast, officials performed water rescues and responded to reports of wind damage as Riley intensified. As trees collapsed, they damaged or destroyed whatever was in their path – homes and vehicles included. In Brockton, Massachusetts, a 16-year-old was inside an SUV when a tree collapsed onto it, according to WHDH.com. He was hospitalized as a precautionary measure, the report added. "My first thought was my son because I knew he was in the car," Cynthia Creighton told WHDH. Those living in coastal areas were urged to leave before it was too late. "Lives may be at risk for people who put themselves in harm's way," said the National Weather Service in a stern warning to residents along the coast. Scituate residents who evacuate were asked to fill out an online form to let authorities know they left their homes and are not missing. More than 1,800 notified officials that they had left their homes, according to AP. Flooding extended north to the coasts of New Hampshire and Maine on Friday afternoon, flooding streets and some structures. Some schools were closed in southern Vermont Friday as officials tried to keep children home and out of the storm's damaging winds. As conditions worsened on Friday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a travel advisory for areas north of New York City. The advisory limited travel for certain types of vehicles in some areas and Cuomo asked residents to stay off the roads if possible. After three tractor-trailers overturned on the Mario Cuomo Bridge, formerly known as the Tappan Zee Bridge, officials banned all buses and trucks from traveling across the span until further notice, the AP reported. Strong winds set adrift several barges carrying construction materials for the bridge, the Journal News reported. Two of the barges ran ashore near Alpine, New Jersey, and another fully sank near the Yonkers wastewater treatment plant. The others were retrieved from the Hudson River. Nearly a quarter-million homes and businesses were without power statewide Friday afternoon, with most of those outages in southern portions of the state. Roads in New Jersey were in decent shape for most of Friday, but falling trees left behind plenty of damage in some areas. Hundreds of flights were grounded by the storm Friday. John F. Kennedy International Airport saw more than 420 flights canceled by Friday evening. LaGuardia Airport saw roughly 600 cancellations, according to the terminal's Twitter. A video posted on the social media site showed winds tearing what appears to be roofing or a covering off an American Airlines hangar at the terminal. A spokeswoman for the airline told the AP there were no injuries or planes damaged, and the hangar is still structurally sound. Officials at Newark Liberty International Airport tweeted there have been more than 480 cancellations. Riley dissipated on March 4, after causing 9 fatalities and left 2.8 million people without power.

### Winter Storm Skylar

 **Peak Intensity** | 14.8 (in.), 966 mbar

Winter Storm Skylar formed on March 10. Snowfall first developed on March 10 from a southeastward dipping disturbance in the Plains. By March 11, light snow fell across the mid-Mississippi Valley, including the St. Louis metro area, then spread into the Appalachians later March 11 into March 12. Skylar hammered the Northeast corridor on Tuesday, Mar. 13, with heavy snow, damaging winds and minor coastal flooding as it bombed out off the coast. Skylar dumped over a foot of snow in parts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, West Virginia and Maine. Seven of those states have picked up more than 20 inches of snow. The top snowfall total was 30 inches in Little Lyford Pond and Holden, Maine. This storm was the third nor'easter to affect the East Coast in less than two weeks. Winter Storm Riley began March with destructive winds, heavy snow and severe coastal flooding in the Northeast. Last week, Winter Storm Quinn dumped heavy snow that led to additional downed trees and power outages. Up to 10.5 inches of snow was reported in the Lexington, Kentucky, metro area March 12, where the average annual snowfall is only 12.6 inches. Trees were downed by the weight of the heavy, wet snow in Beattyville, Lawrenceburg, Mt. Vernon and Perryville, Kentucky, early March 12. Rain changed to light snow in the Nashville metro early March 12, with some north metro suburbs picking up an inch or two of wet snow, leading to a slippery morning commute. Snow was seen sticking to roads in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Richmond, Virginia, during the afternoon and early-evening of March 12, leading to a slick commute. Accumulating snow was observed as far east as Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Virginia, and eastern North Carolina on the evening of March 12. Roads were slick in Greensboro, North Carolina, midday March 12, causing at least one car to slide off the road. In West Virginia, snowfall rates of 3 inches per hour were measured in Camden-on-Gauley and Summersville. Calvin, West Virginia, had picked up 18 inches of snow through March 12. Snowfall rates accelerated as Skylar pivoted into the Northeast on Mar. 13, with rates as high as 3.25 inches per hour were recorded in New England. The heaviest snow fell from eastern Massachusetts to central and coastal Maine. New one-day March snowfall records were set on Tuesday in Boston where 14.5 inches fell and in Worcester where 21.8 inches accumulated. Skylar rapidly intensified late March 12 into March 13 off the East Coast, as heavy snow and gusty winds spread into New England. Pressure dropped as low as 966 mb on the afternoon of Mar. 13. Blizzard conditions have been confirmed in Boston, Hyannis, Falmouth, Plymouth, Marshfield and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, as well as Newport, Rhode Island, and Portland, Maine, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS defines a blizzard when the following conditions are met for at least three hours: sustained winds or frequent gusts to at least 35 mph and considerable falling and/or blowing snow that frequently reduces visibility to less than a quarter-mile. The last time a blizzard had been observed in Boston was during Winter Storm Niko Feb. 7-9, 2017, NWS-Boston reported. Winds gusted from 35 to 50 mph Tuesday at Boston's Logan Airport. Midday Tuesday, winds gusted as high as 81 mph in East Falmouth, Massachusetts, while Hyannis, Massachusetts, clocked a 79-mph wind gust and Nantucket Island gusted to 77 mph. Reports of trees downed have come in from Long Island and Connecticut to Maine. Nantucket observed a 3-foot storm surge during Tuesday morning's (Mar. 13) high tide, just below the top-10 highest observed tides since 1963. Boston's storm surge was around 2.8 feet at high tide Tuesday morning. Skylar dissipated on March 14.

### Winter Storm Toby

 **Peak Intensity** | 8.1 (in.), 988 mbar

Winter Storm Toby formed on March 19. Toby was the fourth nor'easter to hit the East in less than three weeks, bringing heavy snow and some winds from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast as spring officially arrived. Toby dumped a foot or more of snow in at least five states, with heavy snow stretching from Long Island to the Appalachians to parts of the Ohio Valley. Parts of Long Island were hammered by up to 20 inches of snow. Islip's Long Island MacArthur Airport picked up 18.4 inches of snow, with snowfall rates during the evening of March 21 of 4 to 5 inches per hour. New York's Central Park picked up 8.2 inches of snow, the first time they had picked up at least 6 inches from a snowstorm in late March or April in 26 years (March, 19, 1992). Only early January's Winter Storm Grayson - 9.8 inches - was snowier this season, there. Parts of New Jersey picked up over 6 inches of snow, including Newark-Liberty Airport (7.9 inches). Toms River picked up 6.5 inches of snow in just 3 hours on March 21. Central and southern Pennsylvania into northern Maryland was buried in over a foot of snow in several locations. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, had its second heaviest late-March snowstorm in records dating to 1941, picking up 14.2 inches. Only a snowstorm almost 60 years ago to the day produced more late-March snow in Pennsylvania's capital city, than Toby. Many other locations across Pennsylvania Dutch country picked up over a foot of snow, including 14 inches in York and just over 15 inches near Gettysburg. Toby was the heaviest spring snowstorm in Philadelphia in 60 years, with 7.6 inches measured at Philadelphia International Airport. Only a late March 1958 snowstorm (11.4 inches) and early April 1915 storm (19.4 inches) were snowier during the spring in Philadelphia records dating to 1884. Pittsburgh picked up over 10 inches of snow, 8.6 inches of which fell on March 21 alone, their snowiest single day since they were buried by a total of 21.1 inches of snow during the infamous "Snowmageddon" snowstorm of February 5-6, 2010. While snowfall totals around the Nation's Capital sounded modest - generally 4 to 6 inches - Toby was their heaviest snowstorm of the winter season. Snowfall rates of 1 inch per hour were measured at Dulles Airport and 2 inches per hour at Reagan National Airport on March 21. The Baltimore metro area up to 7 inches of snow, with 4.7 inches measured at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Much of northern Maryland picked up over 10 inches of snow, including 16.5 inches just north of the town of Thurmont, near the Pennsylvania border. In the Appalachians, over a foot of snow piled up in the high country of West Virginia and western Virginia. Accumulating snow was reported as far south as the Smoky Mountains, including 10 inches atop Soco Mountain, North Carolina, and accumulations on grass and elevated surfaces in the Knoxville metro area. Not to be outdone, a persistently heavy snowband parked itself over parts of southern Indiana and northern Kentucky on March 21. The weight of this wet snow downed trees in the Louisville metro, where snow was falling at the rate of 1 inch per hour. Storm totals of up to a foot were measured in the metro, one of their heaviest March snowstorms, and nearly matching their average annual snowfall of 13.4 inches. Stubborn dry air kept the heaviest snowfall largely out of most of southern New England. In general, most of Connecticut, Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts picked up only light snowfall. A thin band of freezing rain early on March 21 brought up to 0.2 inch ice accumulation in parts of Maryland's eastern shore, Delaware and southern New Jersey, downing tree limbs and power lines in a few spots. Overall, the combination of heavy snow and winds triggered power outages to over 100,000 customers in the Northeast. In Atlantic County, New Jersey, hundreds of trees and telephone poles were reported downed by a spotter. Some coastal flooding was reported from the Jersey shore to eastern coastal New England. Four roads were flooded early on March 22 in Scituate, Massachusetts. The Green Harbor area of Marshfield, Massachusetts was also flooded. In the South, Toby brought destructive tornadoes, including the first EF3 tornado of the year in Jacksonville, Alabama. The severe side of Toby caused 20 confirmed tornadoes touch down, including a high-end EF2 tornado that struck the Atlanta metro. Toby dissipated on March 23.

### Winter Storm Uma

 **Peak Intensity** | 9.4 (in.), ~1010 mbar

Winter Storm Uma formed on March 23. Uma pushed through the West March 20 to 22, dumping rain and higher-elevation snow. Moderate to heavy rain fell in central and southern California, prompting concerns of flooding and debris flows. A foot or more of snow was reported in parts of Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota. Mason City, Iowa, saw 17.5 inches of snow while 14 inches piled up in Emmons, Minnesota. Additional snowfall totals can be found toward the bottom of this article. Indianapolis measured 10.2 inches of snow on March 24, making it the heaviest calendar-day snowfall since Jan. 5, 2014, when 11.4 inches accumulated. Uma's snow was also a record snowfall for the date and the second-highest calendar-day total for the month of March. Near-blizzard conditions were reported in Woodford and northern Peoria counties in Illinois on March 24. There were also numerous reports of thundersnow, including in Plainfield, Iowa, Dickinson County, Iowa, and near Lexington, Kentucky. Police in Davenport, Iowa, responded to more than 25 snow-related vehicle accidents March 24 as heavy snow slickened roadways across the Quad Cities. There was a sharp gradient of snowfall totals across the Midwest. In northern Illinois, accumulations ranged from a foot to nothing across a distance of just 28 miles. The Appalachians saw snowfall totals topping a foot in parts of West Virginia and southwestern Virginia. A teen was killed due to a car accident related to hail from the severe side of Uma in North Vernon, Indiana. Social media videos showed that over 40 cars had slid off of Indiana State Road 37 from a 20 mile stretch between Bedford and Bloomington, Indiana. Uma dissipated on March 24.

### Winter Storm Violet

 **Peak Intensity** | 8.1 (in.), 1003 mbar

Winter Storm Violet formed on March 30. Violet was a short-lived wintry disturbance that sped through the northern tier of the United States in late March. The storm spread a swath of snow from northern Montana eastward through the Dakotas and into Minnesota. The low pressure center intensified in the Upper Midwest as it crossed from Michigan's Upper Peninsula into Canada. Portions of central Montana saw near-blizzard conditions on the afternoon of Mar. 30 where sustained winds of 35-40 mph were recorded. Snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour were also reported. Strong winds blasted the northern High Plains. A wind gust of up to 68 mph was recorded at the Rapid City Airport in South Dakota on Mar. 30. A gust to 72 mph was also reported near Garrett, Wyoming. Travel advisories were issued for parts of northwestern North Dakota due to snowy and icy road conditions. A few crashes were reported. Ranchers in North Dakota were worried about the cold conditions that are expected to follow Violet. Newborn calves are being delivered this time of year, and they are more fragile to the cold conditions. Up to 12.8 inches of snow was reported in near Bruno, Minnesota. More than six inches fell across parts of central Minnesota and northern Wisconsin during the clipper-like system's quick hit and run. Some residents in the Midwest took the late season snow in stride. Violet dissipated on March 31.

### Potential Winter Storm Twenty-four

 **Peak Intensity** | 11 (in.), 1023 mbar

An unnamed winter storm formed on April 1. This winter storm brought record cold morning lows to areas in Missouri and Illinois, including snow totals up to 4". Overnight on Easter Sunday/April 2, snow swept across in minor accumulations through Indiana and Ohio. In Pennsylvania, snow totals reached at least 7-8", where in some places nearly a foot of snow was measured. The New York Yankees announced on Twitter that their home opener against the Tampa Bay Rays had been postponed due to snow. At least 6" of snow piled the stadium seats, causing the game to be postponed. This was the first occurrence since 1982. New York City experienced the eighth snowiest April day in the city's history. About 4.8 inches of snow fell in Central Park on Monday morning, well above the average April monthly snow total of 0.6 inches. The last time that at least 4 inches fell in Central Park in April was back on April 7, 2003. LaGuardia Airport at one point recorded 2 inches of snow per hour. New York City and Philadelphia had been under advisories for as much as 6 inches of heavy, wet snow. In Connecticut, the wet snow blanketed roads and made for a difficult morning commute. Winter weather watches, warnings and advisories extended nearly coast-to-coast over the northern tier, covering over 40 million people, including in the northeast Midwest, and across the Northern Plains. This winter storm dissipated on April 2, after moving into the Atlantic Ocean off of Cape Cod.

### Winter Storm Wilbur

 **Peak Intensity** | 9.7 (in.), 992 mbar

Winter Storm Wilbur formed on April 2. An intensifying area of low pressure moving from Colorado caused snow and gusty winds. Wilbur had brought up to 10 inches of snow to northwest Montana near Rexford, including 6 inches that fell in a span of two hours on Easter. The Billings, Montana, area saw up to 5 inches of snow. 19 inches of snow was reported in Montana. Wilbur brought 9 inches of snow to Minneapolis/St. Paul, making it the heaviest two-day April snowfall there in nearly 34 years. Green Bay, Wisconsin, received 8.1 inches of snow from Wilbur on April 3. Wilbur dissipated on April 4.

### Winter Storm Xanto

 **Peak Intensity** | 14.5 (in.), 985 mbar

Winter Storm Xanto formed on April 11. Winter Storm Xanto was named due to the clear expectation that the area criteria (winter storm warnings for 400,000 square kilometers) would be exceeded in the northern Plains and northern Rockies. Winter Storm Xanto dropped into the northwestern United States on April 11 as a strong mid- to upper-level jet stream disturbance. This disturbance crossed the northern and central Rockies the following day before becoming a strong surface low-pressure system in Kansas and Nebraska on April 13. The sluggish, strong low-pressure system continued to batter the Midwest and central Plains as of midday April 14 without much eastward progression. Strong winds, some in excess of 70 mph, were seen from California to Utah and Wyoming as the jet stream disturbance dropped into the West. A dash of snow was seen in California's Sierra, but heavier snow fell in the Cascades and Utah's Wasatch. Almost 10 inches of snow had accumulated near Great Falls, Montana, and 20 to 25 inches of snow was estimated in the Bridger Range north of Bozeman. Thundersnow and snowfall rates up to 3 inches per hour were reported in South Dakota and western Nebraska. Blizzard and near-blizzard conditions occurred in eastern Colorado, much of Nebraska, much of South Dakota and parts of southwestern Minnesota. Blizzard warnings were issued for parts of six states: South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Minnesota. Several locations – including Imperial, Nebraska, near North Platte, Nebraska, Kit Carson, Colorado, and Goodland, Kansas – reported near-blizzard conditions in eastern Colorado, western Kansas, Nebraska, southern Minnesota and northwestern Iowa. Most major interstates and roads in South Dakota and western Nebraska were closed due to the conditions on April 13. Interstate 70 in eastern Colorado and Interstate 80 in eastern Wyoming were also closed. Whiteout conditions and stranded motorists were reported early April 14 in northwestern Kansas. Note that all of these locations recorded visibility of one-quarter mile or less AND frequent wind gusts at or above 35 mph for at least three hours. On the non-snowy part of Xanto, high winds from the same system caused a massive fire to break out in Lawrence County, Indiana at a mulch plant. The Indiana National Guard was deployed to assist in extinguishing the fire using aerial water drops. Mutual aid fire departments from surrounding counties had also been assisting. But the aerial support did not extinguish the blaze. Following several water drops (more than 550 gal each), it became evident the wind was too strong and dispersing the water. Crews began using heavy equipment to relocate the mulch to a nearby wetland to help the fire dissolve. Because the smoke continued to be thick, some residents who were evacuated in the immediate area likely would be relocated to a shelter being established by the Lawrence County EMA. Hazmat officials with the Indiana State Fire Marshal's office monitored the plume. The smoke could cause health concerns if people are exposed for an extended period, and residents were encouraged to contact their doctor if they begin to experience symptoms related to the smoke (burning eyes, shortness of breath, etc.) All local firefighters that had left the scene to get some much needed rest had been requested to return to the scene with tanker support. Residents in the surrounding area were asked to stay inside to avoid the smoke from the fire. In addition, Poison Control encouraged any resident who was exposed or in the path of the plume and experiencing symptoms to contact their family physician as a precaution. The fire at Fibertech began at about 11 a.m. on April 12. A 7-acre mulch pile burned, resulting in heavy smoke throughout the town of Mitchell and Bedford area. Authorities dispatched firefighting crews to battle several blazes in Oklahoma, and entire towns were evacuated as the wildfires advanced rapidly. Several homes were destroyed near Woodward, Woodward County Emergency Management Director Matt Lehenbaur told the Associated Press. Some 450 people have been evacuated from their Woodward County homes, Lehenbaur also said. The fires were responsible for claiming more than 210 square miles of land on Thursday, according to the Oklahoman, and those conflagrations continued to grow Friday, exceeding 300 square miles destroyed. With fire danger expected to remain high on Friday, officials urged residents to take all evacuation orders seriously and avoid burning. "Unfortunately, Mother Nature's not throwing us any good pitches so we're having to deal with what she sends us, which is unfortunately not going to be any real recovery time in the overnight hours," Guthrie Fire Department Chief Eric Harlow told Fox Oklahoma City. "Usually the humidity will come back up, but unfortunately it looks like we're in for another couple days of the same conditions." The largest group of fires, named the 34 Complex Fire, burned more than 187 square miles by Friday morning in northwestern Oklahoma's Woodward County, the Oklahoman also said. Late Thursday afternoon, authorities ordered an evacuation in Woodward County in northwest Oklahoma, according to the Woodward News. That was due to a pair of large fires, one of which was apparently started by a downed power line. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol subsequently shut down State Highway 34. Fire destroyed two barns and a home after downed power lines ignited a cotton gin in Dill City, KWTV reported. Evacuations were ordered Thursday night for the small town of Mutual, Oklahoma, located in Woodward County. According to reports, a wildfire was rapidly moving northward about two miles south of the town of less than 100. The wildfires encroached upon the Oklahoma City metro area, as KWTV reported a wildfire in the far northwestern suburbs. A large inferno in western Oklahoma, dubbed the Rhea Fire, burned more than 128 square miles in Dewey County and is 0 percent contained, Oklahoma Forestry Services spokeswoman Michelle-Finch Walker told the AP. Authorities searched for a missing hunter who was with two other people when he vanished in the smoke-filled area, according to a separate report from the Oklahoman. The hunter, identified as Terry Burleson, was found Friday morning and transported to a local hospital, the Dewey County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. The Rhea Fire has destroyed one home, the report added. "Critical or extremely critical fire weather conditions are possible again Friday in southwestern and central Oklahoma, western Texas, southern New Mexico and southern Arizona," said weather.com meteorologist Brian Donegan. Xanto dissipated on April 16.

## Storm names

The storm names for the 2017-18 winter storm season were announced on October 8, 2017, with the formation of Winter Storm Aiden.

* Benji
* Chloe
* Dylan
* Ethan
* Frankie
* Grayson
* Hunter
* Jaxon
* Kalani
* Liam
* Mateo
* Noah
* Oliver
* Polly
* Riley
* Skylar
* Toby
* Uma
* Violet
* Wilbur
* Xanto
* Zoey *(unused)*

### Retirement

On July 1, 2018, the first session of the North American Winter Storm Committee retired the names *Benji*, *Grayson*, *Hunter*, *Inga*, *Quinn*, *Riley*, *Toby*, and *Xanto*. No names replaced them, as the committee ruled that these names could show again for future use, meaning there is no permanent retirement.