2014-15 United States winter storm season

The **2014-15 United States winter storm season** was a slightly below-average season, featuring 22 named storms. The Boston area got its snowiest season after multiple winter storms hit the area, including Winter Storm Juno. The season began on November 1, 2014 and ended on April 30, 2015.

## Some attributes

### Third

**Strongest storm:** Neptune - 958 millibars

## 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 2014-15 season had an SSI of 24.9954545 inches of snow.

## Storms

### Winter Storm Astro

Winter Storm Astro formed on November 9. Heavy snow also fell on nearby areas of far northern Wisconsin. Several locations reported over 20 inches. The top reported total of 27.6 inches came from Saxon, near the western end of the Wisconsin-Michigan border. Elsewhere, some of the heaviest totals in Minnesota came from Stearns County, which includes St. Cloud. The town of St. Augusta reported 16.5 inches of snow Monday afternoon. The official total in St. Cloud was 13.2 inches, breaking the all-time November calendar-day record of 12.0 inches set Nov. 21, 1898. It was also St. Cloud's fifth heaviest calendar-day snow on record (dating to 1893) and was their snowiest calendar day in over 49 years, since 14.5 inches of snow blanketed the city on Mar. 1, 1965. Average November snowfall in St. Cloud is 8.4 inches. Parts of western and central Minnesota had measured over a foot of snow. The Minnesota Department of Transportation advised against travel in parts of western Minnesota, including Willmar and Montevideo, Monday afternoon. Winter Storm Astro dumped the season's first snow in Bismarck, North Dakota, with 3.2 inches measured at the National Weather Service office. This first snow in North Dakota's capital city arrived about two weeks later than average. Up to 8 inches accumulated in southwest North Dakota by the time the snow ended. No travel was advised in Bowman, Dunn, McKenzie and Mercer Counties in western North Dakota Sunday. Snow-covered roads were reported as far east as northwest Wisconsin Monday morning, including the Twin Cities metro area Monday morning, making for a messy commute. Webster, South Dakota, chalked up 8 inches of snow and patchy freezing drizzle had deposited a thin layer of ice on roads in parts of northern South Dakota. Conditions were bad enough to force the Rapid City Regional Airport to close at one point Monday afternoon due to falling and blowing snow along with temperatures in the mid teens. Up to 12 inches of snow blanketed parts of southern and eastern Montana, including Red Lodge (12 inches), Glasgow (6 inches) and Glendive (4 inches). Drifts up to 2 feet around buildings were observed near Brusett, in northeast Montana. Additional snowfall occurred in parts of the Rockies due to cold upslope winds in the wake of Astro on Tuesday and Wednesday, but by this point the main low pressure system was well to the east over the Great Lakes. It is not considered that snow to be a part of Winter Storm Astro, but significant amounts were reported including 14 inches in El Dorado Springs, Boulder County, Colorado. Astro dissipated on November 11.

### Winter Storm Bozeman

Winter Storm Bozeman formed on November 13. The storm was named after Bozeman High School's Latin class, whom provided the names for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons respectively. Over a foot of snow fell in the mountains of Idaho, western Montana, and Colorado. Some areas also saw ice accumulation from freezing rain, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Snow fell as far south as Midland, Texas. Up to 3.5 inches of snow fell in the Texas Panhandle near Amarillo, while parts of Oklahoma saw up to 4.5 inches of snow. Paducah, Kentucky, picked up 1.6 inches of snow. The last of the large-scale snows wound down the next day across the upper Ohio River Valley as the low pressure center associated with Winter Storm Bozeman lifted into Canada. However, cold winds in the wake of the low set off heavy lake-effect snows near the Great Lakes and lighter snows on the western slopes of the Appalachians. The lake-effect snows were expected to continue for several days. Bozeman dissipated on November 17.

### Winter Storm Cato

Winter Storm Cato formed on November 24. As many as 20 million people were under winter storm warnings in the Northeast on the day before Thanksgiving as travelers tried to navigate slushy roads and air travel delays. Motorists saw a slower than normal holiday drive, and air travelers experienced plenty of delays at airports. The FAA said some arriving flights at Newark Liberty International Airport were delayed by more than 3 hours around midday November 25. Flightaware.com said about 3 of every 8 flights departing from Newark had been either delayed or canceled by 4 p.m. Cato caused snowfall totals as high as 20" in some areas. Cato dissipated on November 26.

### Winter Storm Damon

Winter Storm Damon formed on December 9. Damon fizzled out over the Northeast after a second pulse of atmospheric energy arrived from the west breathing new life into this extremely slow-moving nor'easter. Areas hard-hit by Superstorm Sandy were among the first to face Damon's fury, as high tide brought minor to moderate coastal flooding to the Jersey Shore and parts of Long Island. In some areas, tides reached their highest levels since Sandy, but impacts were far less damaging. Rainfall added to the flood woes near the coast, while ice covered roads farther inland. The following day, the biggest impact was snow, with more than 12 inches falling in many locations. Damon dissipated on December 11.

### Winter Storm Eris

Winter Storm Eris formed on December 25. Eris blanketed parts of the West in snow and provided a white Christmas in the Rockies, and not just over the higher elevations. It then moved east into the Great Plains and upper Midwest during the first half of the post-holiday weekend. Denver saw 3.4 inches of snow on Christmas Day which is the third highest snowfall on Christmas since 1882. Snow showers continued in Denver through the next couple days. Snow accumulated in the Minneapolis area December 26 with 4 inches of snow reported in St. Paul, Minnesota early on December 27. Eris dissipated on December 27.

### Winter Storm Frona

Winter Storm Frona formed on December 27, 2014. Frona brought significant snowfall to the mountains of the Northwest, and to a lesser extent portions of the northern Rockies and the Wasatch Range. Top reported snowfall totals included 28 inches over Santiam Pass, Oregon; 26 inches outside of Jaype in Clearwater County, Idaho; 20 inches in Alta, Utah; 19 inches at Jackson Hole (mid-mountain), Wyoming; 18 inches at Mount Spokane Ski Resort in Washington; and 6.5 inches in the Flatirons just west of Boulder, Colorado. Valley locations also saw some snow as the cold air dives southward, though not as much as the mountains. The official snow total for Boise, Idaho, was 1.7 inches Saturday evening into Sunday, December 27-28. Downslope damaging winds also raked parts of northern Utah and California as the cold air poured in behind Winter Storm Frona. Along the Wasatch Front of Utah, wind gusts as high as 78 mph were recorded in Farmington. Centerville and Snowbasin, Utah also clocked wind gusts as high as 69 mph. At the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, 60 mph wind gusts were reported. Damaging winds also buffeted parts of the Bay Area Tuesday, December 30. Wind gusts over 60 mph were clocked on the north side of Oakland (1402 feet elevation), atop Mt. Diablo, and at Las Trampas in Contra Costa County. Numerous trees were downed, some on homes. Winds gusted up to 69 mph in the Los Angeles County mountains at Warm Springs. An incredible 179-mph gust was clocked atop Mammoth Mountain, at an elevation of just over 11,000 feet. Over 100 vehicles were stranded on mountainous, snow-covered state highway 138 near Crestline, California and also in two separate locations near Mount Baldy, California Tuesday evening, Dec. 30. This is about 80 miles east-northeast of downtown Los Angeles. San Bernardino County Fire Department personnel brought some of the stranded to shelters while some simply abandoned their vehicles and walked home. A strong jet-stream disturbance in the upper atmosphere plunged into the Desert Southwest and met up with more arctic air arriving from the north and northeast, ingesting some additional moist air, as well. Snow began to fall throughout the Southwest on December 30, generating even a light amount of accumulation in the deserts of Joshua Tree National Park. Up to 3 inches had accumulated in Murrieta, California early on December 31, prompting vehicles to pull off Interstate 15 due to slick roads. As much as 6 to 10 inches of snow had fallen around Lake Elsinore, California, at an elevation of only 1400 feet, breaking many tree limbs and stranding as many as 50 people on Ortega Highway Route 74, according to California Highway Patrol. The airport in Flagstaff, Arizona reported 16.9 inches of snow. Snow continued over much of Arizona's higher elevations and the canyons of southern Utah, spreading into southwest Colorado and parts of northern New Mexico through early on New Year's Day. Some rare light snow also fell on the valley floor in Las Vegas. McCarran International Airport, the official observation site for Las Vegas, reported light snow on New Year's Eve from 9:40 to 9:54 a.m. and again from 10:45 to 11 a.m. Only a trace fell, but it was enough to tie Las Vegas's record snowfall for New Year's Eve. Needles, California reported 0.3 inch of snow on December 31 which marked the first time that accumulating snow had ever fallen in the month of December there, dating back to January 1888. Lake Havasu City, Arizona saw a trace of snow on December 31 and January 1 which also marks the first time snow was officially reported at this weather observation station since records began in September 1967. Bullhead City, Arizona also recorded the first snow at their observation station when 1 inch fell on December 31 (records date to November 1977). Earlier in the storm, hazardous driving conditions developed in west Texas on Tuesday, December 30, as an area of light freezing rain and freezing drizzle developed. Accidents were reported in the Midland-Odessa area the same day. Light snow was reported farther north in west Texas. This light precipitation diminished somewhat the following day, but spotty freezing drizzle and temperatures well below freezing kept road conditions treacherous across much of west Texas through New Year's Eve. Freezing rain and sleet continued through New Year's Day and up to 0.5" of freezing rain and sleet accumulations were reported on New Year's Day in Garden City and El Dorado, Texas. Through January 2, Lubbock, Midland and San Angelo all reported a mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow with accumulations of 0.25 inches. Ice accumulations of up to 0.5 inch were reported on January 3, in the Midland, Texas area including Andrews, Texas, where downed power lines caused fires. Snow also fell, with 9 inches in the Texas Panhandle in Rhea, near the New Mexico border reported early January 3. Blizzard conditions were reported on January 3, in parts of North Dakota, including Grand Forks where visibility was reduced to a quarter of a mile with winds gusting over 40 mph. The first effects of Winter Storm Frona were in the northern and central Great Plains, which saw some peripheral effects while Frona was still mostly over the West. In the Great Plains, 3.1 inches of snow fell at the Rapid City, South Dakota airport on December 28-29; 4.2 inches of snow fell in Scottsbluff, Nebraska December 29-30; Oberlin, Kansas, recorded 7 inches on December 29-30; and 4.7 inches of snow fell those same two days in Goodland, Kansas. Frona dissipated on January 4, 2015.

### Winter Storm Gorgon

Winter Storm Gorgon formed on January 4. This fast-moving system prompted winter storm warnings, and advisories for parts of 22 states from Washington all the way to New Jersey, as well as the District of Columbia. Bands of snow snarled the morning commute in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metro areas. As much as 4 inches of snow blanketed the U.S. Capitol grounds, the first 1-inch-plus snow of the season there. Karo, Virginia, about a two-hour drive west of the Nation's Capital, picked up 6 inches of snow. Meanwhile Oakland, in western Maryland, measured 8 inches of snow. Official totals at the major East Coast airport sites included 4.2 inches at Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia; 2.4 inches at Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C.; 2.3 inches at BWI Airport near Baltimore; and 1.0 inch at Philadelphia International Airport, the season's first 1-inch snow there. Numerous accidents occurred in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, where the top snowfall totals were 4.2 inches in Farmington and 7 inches in Elkins, respectively. Snow also fell in the New York City area, in what was the area's first measurable snowfall since December 10, 2014. Parts of New Jersey were also blanketed in a thin layer of snow, with just over an inch in Atlantic City and other parts of South Jersey. A total of 45.8" fell in Wyoming. Gorgon dissipated on January 6.

### Winter Storm Hektor

Winter Storm Hektor formed on January 11. Hektor brought some light snow to parts of the Northeast. Early January 12, light ice accumulations were reported in parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia. Up to one-third of an inch of ice accumulation lead to traffic accidents and a few power outages in parts of Indiana throughout the morning. Light freezing rain also fell along parts of the Interstate 95 corridor from northern Virginia to the New York City area. Sidewalks became covered in ice, and driveways also turned into a sheet of ice in some neighborhoods of the Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York metropolitan areas. However, as temperatures warmed, precipitation changed over to rain in the Northeast Corridor during the workday Monday. Farther north, light snow continued from northeast Ohio through interior Pennsylvania, parts of upstate New York and into northern New England by late afternoon. Hektor dissipated on January 12.

### Winter Storm Iola

Winter Storm Iola formed on January 21. Iola affected portions of the nation in two phases, the first of which brought significant snowfall to the Southern Rockies and Southern Plains January 21 and January 22 before shifting direction and moving towards the Northeast on January 23. Iola met The Weather Channel naming criteria because by January 21, the National Weather Service had issued winter storm warnings covering more than 450,000 square kilometers (173,746 square miles) in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado. The threshold for naming requires winter-related warnings covering at least 400,000 square kilometers or 2 million people. (The population under warnings reached 2.2 million at one point on January 22.) Snow from Iola began to develop during the evening hours on January 20 in parts of Colorado and northern New Mexico and continued to expand January 21 into the Texas Panhandle. Impressive snowfall rates occurred Wednesday evening, January 21 as the storm cranked up in intensity. Amarillo experienced snowfall rates as high as 3 inches per hour, and snowfall totals from this single storm have more than tripled the city's season-to-date snowfall total. By late January 23, enough cold air caught up with Iola's moisture that snow began to accumulate in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee. Ice was also reported in North Carolina with 0.25 to 0.50 inch reported near Oak Grove. Up to 0.2 inch of freezing rain was also reportd in Millboro, Virginia with 0.10 inch of freeezing rain in Wytheville, Virginia. Winter Storm Iola brought a stripe of snowfall to the Northeast as it headed towards maritime Canada January 24. Phase 1 of the storm already dumped snow on parts of the Southern Plains, and on the morning of January 24 Iola continued to produce snow for much of the Northeast. Iola rapidly intensified off the East Coast during the overnight hours January 23 into the morning and afternoon hours of January 24. In fact, Iola exhibited "bombogenesis" – a rapid pressure drop of at least 24 millibars in 24 hours – during the time frame of 7 p.m. January 23 through 4 p.m. January 24, during which the pressure dropped from 1009 millibars to 980 millibars. This rapid pressure drop allowed strong winds to develop around the storm, and some of those winds caused coastal flooding in some areas of Massachusetts. Iola dissipated on January 24.

### Winter Storm Juno

Winter Storm Juno January 26. Juno was the first storm in the Boston winter storm series. Juno pounded locations from Long Island to New England with heavy snow, high winds and coastal flooding also impacted the same locations. Juno had a maximum snowfall total of 36". In Boston, two feet of snow fell, which was only the beginning to the 108" of snow Boston would see by the end of the season. Central Park recorded 9" of snow. Juno dissipated on January 28.

### Winter Storm Kari

Winter Storm Kari formed on January 29. Kari produced mainly light accumulations of snow and ice across portions of the Midwest and interior Northeast. Once it reached the Northeast, Kari's center of low pressure wrapped up off the coast of Cape Cod and south of Nova Scotia on Saturday morning. While the surface low wasn't nearly as strong as Winter Storm Juno, this offshore low wrung out an area of heavy snow on its northwest flank over parts of northern New England, particularly over the state of Maine. During the height of the storm, winds gusting up to 40 mph reduced visibility, and drifting snow (much of it already on the ground from Juno) added to the dangerous travel conditions in the area. Kari dissipated on February 1.

### Winter Storm Linus

Winter Storm Linus formed on January 30. Linus spread a swath of snow from the southern Rockies to the Midwest, Northeast and New England in the days prior to and including Groundhog Day 2015. Snow fell on Friday in portions of New Mexico and Colorado and then spread into the central Plains on Saturday. Heavy snow then impacted a large swath of the Midwest Sunday. On Monday, the storm delivered its sharpest punch in the Northeast. A subsequent flash freeze lead to severe delays on Boston's train system Tuesday morning, and some delays on MTA's system in the New York City metro, as well. Linus was the third heaviest snowstorm on record in Detroit and the fifth heaviest on record in Chicago. Locations in four states reported 20 inches or more of snow, including parts of the Chicagoland metro. Linus dissipated on February 2.

### Winter Storm Marcus

Winter Storm Marcus formed on February 6. As snowbanks stretched toward the sky and city officials bickered about what went wrong during weeks of relentless winter weather, Boston residents were slowly resuming normal life on Wednesday. About 6 feet of snow fell in 17 days, bringing transportation infrastructure in parts of New England to its breaking point. The problems were especially bad in Massachusetts, where the governor declared a state of emergency. Limited rail service of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is set to resume Wednesday. MBTA had suspended all trolleys, commuter trains and subway lines since Monday evening, citing "virtually impossible" weather conditions. Boston Public Schools also planned to re-open Wednesday, but the mayor decided to delay business a few hours at City Hall, so as not to crowd streets. Marcus dissipated on February 10.

### Winter Storm Neptune

Winter Storm Neptune formed on February 14. Neptune brought a swath of snow from the Midwest to the Northeast on Valentine's weekend 2015. Along with the snow, strong and damaging winds also occurred. The heaviest snow and strongest wind gusts, once again, pummeled parts of coastal New England. Neptune dissipated on February 15.

### Winter Storm Octavia

Winter Storm Octavia formed on February 15. During Octavia, 17.1” of snow fell in less than 2 days making this the heaviest two-day snow storm on record. Octavia dissipated on February 18.

### Winter Storm Pandora

Winter Storm Pandora formed on February 19. Pandora was a widespread winter storm, impacting parts of the Rockies, South, Midwest and Northeast with snow and ice on February 20-22, 2015. Heavy ice accumulations of up to one inch combined with gusty winds caused significant damage in Tennessee. In Cumberland County, Tennessee, reports of trees down on houses, power outages and power poles snapped were widespread. Fentress, Overton, Putnam, White, Van Buren and White Counties also had similar reports of trees down and power outages. Snow and ice from the storm caused severe travel problems in northern Alabama late February 20 into early February 21. Some motorists were stuck on I-65 for hours. Snow totals were the heaviest in West Virginia, with several spots picking up over 20 inches. The top total was exactly 24 inches in Rainelle, West Virginia. Localized snow totals of a foot or more were reported in Maryland and Virginia. More than a foot of snow was also reported in Colorado from a combination of Winter Storms Pandora and Quantum. Along the Northeast I-95 corridor, Philadelphia saw 4.8 inches, while New York City followed not far behind with 4 inches. Boston received just over an inch of snow from Pandora. Pandora dissipated on February 21.

### Winter Storm Quantum

Winter Storm Quantum formed on February 21. Quantum first brought snow to the Rockies and the adjacent Front Range during the weekend of February 21-22, 2015. Denver picked up about 10 inches of snow from the storm. Quantum then swept into the South and brought a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain from the Southern Plains into Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. This mixture impacted northern Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area where thunder accompanied the sleet. Roads were covered with the icy mixture. A day later on February 24, 2015, a mix of snow and sleet accumulated in the far north Atlanta suburbs, resulting in many school cancellations. In eastern North Carolina, snow totals were in the range of 1-2 inches in Raleigh and Fayetteville. Icing was reported along the coast of the Carolinas, including Wilmington, North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Finally, Quantum finished up by bringing snow to eastern New England on February 25, 2015. Boston picked up 1.9 inches of snow from Quantum, sending their seasonal total to just over 100 inches. In eastern Maine, the snow caused a massive pileup on I-95 that involved 40 cars. Quantum dissipated on February 24.

### Winter Storm Remus

Winter Storm Remus formed on February 24. Remus brought snow as far south as Dallas and Birmingham to the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast. Remus dissipated on February 26.

### Winter Storm Sparta

Winter Storm Sparta formed on February 27. Sparta delivered a long swath of snow and ice from the Rockies to the Southern Plains, Midwest and the East Coast as the calendar flipped from February to March. The storm was named on February 27, 2015, and exited the Northeast coast by early March 2, 2015. Sparta's impacts began on February 27, 2015 when an upper-level impulse associated with a developing southward dip in the jet stream spread snow into some of the same parts of north Texas and southern Oklahoma, which were just blanketed by both Winter Storms Quantum and Remus. The snow snarled travel in north Texas, including the Dallas-Forth Worth metro area. Slick and icy roads in Oklahoma created dangerous travel conditions, and one driver lost control of his vehicle and hit another car, killing a passenger and critically injuring another. Heavy snow also impacted parts of New Mexico. Albuquerque received 9.6 inches of snow over three days from a combination of Winter Storms Sparta and Thor. February 28, 2015 to March 1, 2015, more than 6 inches of snow blanketed parts of Missouri, central Illinois, central Indiana and Ohio. Indianapolis, Indiana received 7.9 inches of snow, easily topping their March average snowfall of 2.6 inches. In Missouri, snowy and icy conditions on I-44 near Rolla caused a multi-vehicle pile up, forcing the closure of the interstate for a period of time on February 28, 2015. Light icing from Sparta caused very slick conditions in North Carolina on the morning of March 1, 2015, with accidents reported on parts of I-95, I-85 and I-540. Icy conditions from snow, sleet and freezing rain were also reported in the Mid-Atlantic region later that day, including the Washington, D.C. metro area. Light to moderate amounts of snow fell in the Northeast from March 1, 2015 into early March 2, 2015. New York City received nearly 5 inches of snow, which is above the March monthly average of 3.9 inches. Boston finished with a storm total of 2.1 inches. Sparta dissipated on March 1.

### Winter Storm Thor

Winter Storm Thor formed on February 28. Parts of western Kentucky have tallied over 20 inches of snow from Thor, including 25 inches near Radcliff. Lexington, Kentucky had set a new two-day snowstorm record that had stood since World War II. More than a foot of snow has also fallen in southern Ohio, southeast Missouri and West Virginia. Click here for a more comprehensive snow and ice totals as well as a flooding recap from Winter Storm Thor. In addition to creating hazardous travel conditions on the roads from Dallas-Fort Worth to Baltimore, Thor impacted numerous airports with ground stops and flight delays. Most notably, snowy and icy conditions at LaGuardia Airport caused an airplane to slide off the runway on Thursday, March 5. Thor dissipated on March 5.

### Winter Storm Ultima

Winter Storm Ultima formed on March 20. Disturbances in the northern (polar) and southern (subtropical) jet streams and associated moisture pushed into the East. In response, an area of low pressure developed off the Northeast seaboard. A reinforcing arctic cold front then swept into the Northeast. Ultima caused snowfall totals as high as 8" across New England. Ultima dissipated on March 21.

### Winter Storm Venus

Winter Storm Venus formed on May 6, as an ongoing tornado outbreak occurred in the Great Plains. Venus dumped heavy, wet snow from the Rockies to the High Plains during Mother's Day weekend 2015. In Rapid City, South Dakota, 13.6 inches was measured at the National Weather Service Office. Venus was the heaviest snowstorm so late in the season and the second heaviest May snowstorm overall, there. In the Black Hills to the west of Rapid City, 19 inches was reported in the town of Lead. The top snow total from Venus in the High Plains was 24 inches in Fort Robinson, Nebraska. Venus dissipated on May 11, ending the season.

## Storm names

This was the first time that all of the names on the list were not used. This would happen again in the following year.

* Bozeman
* Cato
* Damon
* Eris
* Frona
* Gorgon
* Hektor
* Juno
* Kari
* Linus
* Marcus
* Neptune
* Octavia
* Pandora
* Remus
* Sparta
* Thor
* Ultima
* Venus
* Wolf *(unused)*
* Xander *(unused)*
* Zelus *(unused)*