Brief News Accounts From Past Pre-December 15 Snowstorms

[donsutherland1]

While a good part of the northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions await the arrival of a potentially significant snowfall Friday night through Saturday night, some brief accounts from past early December snowstorms are offered for the wait.

I will add that I can see some of the disappointment among some here about the storm's largely avoiding their regions e.g., little accumulation is likely in Richmond, and I fully empathize with them. It is always among the most frustrating things to have high expectations for snow only to seem them crushed at the last moment. Hopefully, as the winter season progresses, you will also receive your share of snowfall.

<b>December 5, 1886 Snowstorm:</b>

From New Haven: <i>Today's storm, the first snow of the season has been one of the severest experienced here in hyears... To the north the fall of snow has been very heavy , and country roads are reported blocked.</i>

From Baltimore: <i>A snowstorm began early last night in this city and vicinity, which continued until late this afternoon, with a fall of fully four inches.</i>

From Richmond: <i>Almost continuous snow, hail, and rain since Saturday morning have made the present storm one of the severest experienced for years. Tonight at 6 o'clock, the snow took a fresh start, falling thick and fast, and appearances are favorable for several inches more.</i>

From Asheville, NC: <i>Snow has fallen to the depth of 26 inches and is still falling. Traffic and travel of all kinds are suspended.</i>

From Mobile: <i>Mobilians were surprised on awakening this morning to find snow falling briskly. There were frequent flurries until 3 o'clock, when the snow began falling heavily. It continued for three hours covering the ground to the depth of three-quarters of an inch.</i>

From Atlanta: <i>The snow which began on Friday and ended this morning extended to the florida line, the snow being four inches deep in Decatur and Miller counties, and three and a half feet in Fannin Union, and Towns. It was not until late last night that alarm seized upon the citizens of Atlanta, when the fear of two feet of snow crushing in the housetops put them to work.</i>

<b>December 13, 1917 Snowstorm:</b>

<i>New York City struggled yesterday to recover from one of the worst snowstorms that has visited the East so early in December for many years. The storm placed a practical embargo on freight in the East, disorganzed the transportation lines of the city and brougth the snow removal force of the Street Cleaning Department face to face with a siltuation that, because of labor shortage, it was not able to handle adequately.</i>

<b>December 4, 1957 Snowstorm:</b>

<i>The first severe snowstorm of the season disrupted all forms of travel in the metropolitan area yesterday...

The storm extended from new England to Virginia.</i>

<b>December 11-12, 1960:</b>

New York City: <i>The storm that swirled across the metropolitan area yesterday gave New York its heaviest early season snowfall in Weather Bureau records...

The storm brought high winds and severe cold as well as snow and thus qualifies for the term blizzard...

Unusual for a snowstorm was the fact taht it also brough thunder, which was heard at least twice during yesterday's early hours...

It was a second low-pressure center, developing over the coastal area of the Southeast that helped raise the blizzard over New York to its full severity.</i>

New England: <i>One of the worst pre-winter snowstorms on record crippled industry and transporation in central and southern New England today. Northern reaches escaped relatively lightly.</i>

<b>December 5-6, 2002:</b>

<i>The first major winter storm of the season -- uncommon in its timing and its intensity -- bullied its way up the Eastern Seaboard yesterday, snarling airports and highways, closing schools and offices and blanketing New York with more snow in a single day than the city received through all of last winter...

For many, though, the oddest aspect of the storm was that so much snow fell so early. Winter does not formally begin until Dec. 22, but meteorologists consider the first week of December the beginning of the season.

Nothing like this storm has come to New York City since 1938, according to meteorological records. Coming just a week after Thanksgiving, and with leaves still clinging to the sycamore trees in Bryant Park, the snow was a blustery dose of weather reality for those lulled by years of mild winters into thinking that the season is no longer what it used to be.

The six inches that fell on Central Park by late last night was nearly double the 3.5 inches that was recorded throughout all of last winter.</i>

<b>Source:</b> <i>The New York Times</i>

[Stephanie]

Hmmm...does this suggest a repeat of last winter??

[JCT777]

Nice accounts of the early December snowfalls, Don. I think if DC through Boston pick up 10"+ of snow (which is possible), it may be the earliest in the season that all of those cities got double-digit snow accumulations from a storm this early.

[donsutherland1]

Stephanie,

More on the snowfall implications for the winter as a whole in tonight's more detailed post. A hint: You're onto something with respect to snowfall if the storm materializes.

[donsutherland1]

John,

It would be one of the earlier snowfalls with 10" or more but not the earliest. Here are a few earlier ones:

November 11, 1987: 11.5" in Washington, DC

November 19-21, 1798: 18" in NYC

November 26-27, 1898: 12" in Boston

[JCT777]

Don - thanks. Actually, I meant all 5 cities having 10" from the same storm (DC, Baltimore, Philly, NYC, Boston). I would think this would be a rare occurance prior to Dec 10.

[Anonymous]

John,

It would be one of the earlier snowfalls with 10" or more but not the earliest. Here are a few earlier ones:

November 11, 1987: 11.5" in Washington, DC

November 19-21, 1798: 18" in NYC

November 26-27, 1898: 12" in Boston

In Woodbridge, Va, on Nov 11, 1987, we got 12.5 inches of snow.

In Woodbridge, Va, on December 5, in 2002, we got 5 inches of snow!!

Will history repeat itself? Can it happen again? Could we end up with MORE snow this December 5th?

All I can say is, BRING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



-SnowBlitzJEB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!