Mega-monster Midwest Storm Leaves Record Snowfall in Its Wake...

Santa has come and gone, and in his wake, the mega-monster storm, now in its third full day, will slowly slink off into Canada. But Santa may have outdone himself this year. The storm that peaked on Christmas Day 2009 left fallen records from Wyoming to North Carolina and from Tennessee to the Canadian border. In fact, daily records were broken in 15 (more than 30%) of the 48 contiguous states (a total of 40 records at least), an annual rainfall record was toppled in Alabama and a monthly rainfall record eclipsed in Virginia.

The storm also brought with it some highly unusual weather patterns (described here).

Here are some of the records (mostly snowfall and melted precipitation) set on Christmas Day 2009. The latter category, known as "equivalent liquid precipitation," is to allow meteorologists to compare all precipitation forms. Meteorologists take a "core sample" of a representative snowfall depth and melt it to determine what an equivalent amount of rainfall would have been.

Note that for many locations, records only exist for the past 75 to 125 years. Thus, these are NOT all-time "global warming" records, just ones in an historical weather context.

Illinois

...Moline reported 0.66 inches of rain; this broke the old record of 0.44 inches set in 1956.

Iowa

...At Dubuque, a historical rainfall record (0.54 inches in 1933) fell by the wayside. More than six-tenths of an inch of rain (0.62 inches) was reported.

...Sioux City, IA topped its record snowfall (6 inches in 1996) with an 8-inch snowfall. Melted snowfall here yielded a liquid precipitation amount of 0.56 inches, beating the previous record of 0.37 inches set in 1982.

...Further to the east, record rainfall was reported. Mason City reported 0.50 inches (old record was 0.48 inches set in 1973) and Waterloo logged 0.77 inches (old record 0.7 inches set in 1951).

Kansas

...Topeka broke a daily snowfall record with 3.9 inches. The previous record was 3 inches set in 1895.

Michigan

...Liquid equivalent precipitation (nearly all from rain) fell at Houghton Lake. The 0.47 inches measured on Christmas Day topped the 0.30 inches that was recorded in 1936 and 1945.

Minnesota

...Ten inches of snow fell in Duluth, MN, breaking a record of 6.9 inches set in 1982. Since the snow was "wet," it yielded a water equivalent of 1.25 inches, easily eclipsing the old record of 0.32 inches set in 1893.

...International Falls also reported a record water equivalent of 0.32 inches. This broke the old record of 0.23 inches set in 1992.

Missouri

...A daily record snowfall occurred at Kansas City, MO. 3.7 inches fell, breaking the record 2.5 inches set in 1895.

Nebraska

...New snowfall and liquid precipitation records were set in Grand Island. The 7.8 inches of snowfall topped the record of 3.0 inches (set in 1941). Liquid precipitation of 0.51 inches broke the previous record of 0.20 inches (also set in 1941).

...Hastings recorded 9.2 inches of snowfall, surpassing the previous record for the date of 9.0 inches established in 1945.

...Lincoln was dumped with 9.5 inches of snowfall (breaking the old record of 1.3 inches set in 1962). Liquid water equivalent of 0.62 inches broke a record (0.42 inches set in 1892).

...Norfolk recorded 11.8 inches of snow, topping its old record of 5.2 inches set in 1996. The liquid water equivalent of this snow was 0.73 inches (the old record was 0.17 set in 1982).

North Carolina

...2.46 inches of rain fell in Asheville, breaking the previous record of 2.02 inches set in 1914.

North Dakota

...Bismarck, ND reported 9.2 inches of snowfall; the old record was 5.2 inches set in 1916. The snowfall yielded a liquid water equivalent of 0.43 inches, topping the 0.34 inches also from 1916.

...Fargo recorded a record 8.1 inches of snow (old record was 3.6 inches in 1912). The liquid water equivalent of 0.76 inches easily set a record (old record was 0.21 inches set in 1912).

...The Grand Forks area documented several records on Christmas Day 2009. These included a record 5.4 inches of snow at the Grand Forks International Airport (old record was 2.1 inches in 1970). Also, 15.7 inches of snow fell at the Grand Forks University Climatic Station shattering the previous record of 3.0 inches set in 1968. This was a relatively "dry" snow, yielding only 0.5 inches of liquid water. Still that was enough to set its own record, breaking a long-standing record of 0.29 inches (1949).

...Williston, ND reported a record snowfall of 4.3 inches. The previous record was 3.9 inches (1916).

Ohio

...Columbus recorded 0.79 inches of rainfall. This broke the old record of 0.77 inches (set in 1944).

South Carolina

...Columbia recorded a maximum daily rainfall of 3.06 inches. This broke the old record of 1.64 inches set in 1945

South Dakota

...Many locales in South Dakota reported a snowiest Christmas Day on record. Sioux Falls, SD measured 10.5 inches topping the old record of 10 inches set in 1945; Huron, SD measured 9.5 inches, easily eclipsing the 3.5 inches that fell in 1978; and Mitchell, SD recorded 7.0 inches topping the 5.7 inches recorded back in 1964.

...Huron, SD also reported a liquid water equivalent of 0.6 inches, topping the previous record of 0.2 set in 1893 (106 years earlier).

...Rapid City received 2.2 inches of snow (breaking the old record of 2.1 inches in 1984). On the liquid equivalent side, this translated into 0.20 inches (breaking the old record of 0.17 inches set in 1988).

Tennessee

...Snowfall records were at least tied as far south as Tennessee. A trace was reported at both Memphis and Jackson. Previous trace amounts were recorded at Memphis in 1975, 1980 and 1992 and at Jackson in 1993.

Wisconsin

...Milwaukee set a daily rainfall record of 0.96 inches. This broke the previous record of 0.39 inches set in 1935.

Wyoming

...Casper shivered at minus 15 degrees breaking the record low temperature for the date (minus 14 set in 1944).

In addition, Roanoke and Blacksburg (both in Virginia) established monthly rainfall records. Roanoke has recorded 7.34 inches to date, topping the old record of 7.10 set in 1948. Blacksburg reported 6.46 inches to date, topping the record of 6.03 inches set in 1952.

Perhaps the most notable record report was from a veteran cooperative observer in Pinson, AL. The cumulative rainfall for calendar year 2009 to date of 75.83 inches broke the previous maximum for the entire year of 74.87 inches (1961). The report, from Mr. James B. Price, spans almost 60 years of weather record keeping.

So, thanks, Santa, for your meteorological presents. Perhaps next year you won't be quite as generous!