Winter of 1917-1918

[Curt]

While we are nearing mid-winter and snow starved at this point (licking our chops for some Feb cold), I happened upon some records from the winter of 1917-1918. This winter must have been the snowlovers dream. Snow upon snow, with only a slight reprieve from what I can tell. In fact, looking at the oldest records I can find near Memphis that date back that far, Covington TN (just to the north) shows a seasonal total of nearly 40 inches of snow and from some guessing, nearly a month of snowcover (not just the piddly dusting to an inch, but full fledged 6-12 inch snows).

Covington data Dec 1917 through March 1918
http://climate.usurf.usu.edu/products/output.php

Little Rock, Ar
http://climate.usurf.usu.edu/products/output.php

Jonesboro, Ar
http://climate.usurf.usu.edu/products/output.php

Clarksville
http://climate.usurf.usu.edu/products/output.php

Knoxville
http://climate.usurf.usu.edu/products/output.php


The overall theme in a nutshell was an 8-12 inch snow in early Dec, a 4-6 inch New Years Eve snow, then numerous back to back 4-8 inch snows mid Jan through mid Feb. AMAZING!!!


I couldnt find any data old enough for Memphis and Nashville direct. It looks like region wide snow events from early December to late Feb, with most of the heavier snow focused on Arkansas and the western half of Tennessee. There was plenty of single and sub-zero snows to boot. Could it happen again? Probably yes is my guess. I would love to look at the data behind this winter, but I am sure it wasnt studied like today due to technology. 40 inches of snow is more like Chicago than Tennessee. Repeat anyone?

[Tom23]

WOW!! That Winter would've been awesome to experience (however it was 75 years before I even was born). Just further proof that weather does travel in cycles. Yes, this event can happen again, but it will be hard to happen as long as this did.

[Curt]

Added Hopkinsville KY for StormNine (an amazing 15 inch snowfall at the beginning of December!):

http://climate.usurf.usu.edu/products/output.php

[Crockett]

Repeat anyone?

Yes, let's. 

[Curt]

So when clicking on the links to the different cities on this thread, I am finding that it keep picking the same one over and over. If that happens to you, just go to http://climate.usurf.usu.edu/products/data.php  and zoom the map to one of those sites since they all have data that is well over 100 years old.

[ajatwister]

After looking at those records it makes me wanna cry 

[Slowmodem]

Back then, the American Dream was to live until Spring.  Living was hard.  Massive snowfalls made living that much harder.

Nowadays, we're basically spoiled because living is much easier.  However, snowfall makes it difficult for many people to live even today.

[StormNine]

What is weird is I believe this winter was a Moderate La Nina.  I would love to see what type of pattern produced this pattern.

[Curt]

What is weird is I believe this winter was a Moderate La Nina.  I would love to see what type of pattern produced this pattern.

How can you tell?

[StormNine]

How can you tell?

I just heard by many sources.  That is kind of what I wondered to.

[Thundersnow]

Without the benefits of sea surface temperatures measured, it is likely possible to gather circumstantial evidence of historical weather records to determine when there were likely periods of specific ENSO activity.  I think the term "El Nino" goes back hundreds of years, since it was an observed weather phenomenom, even if the causes or issues with SSTs weren't really understood at the time.

[Curt]

Revived this old topic since the winter of 1917-18 has to be one of the coldest, snowiest winters ever in this part of the country. I found a few more record digging around in the Utah State database. Osceola Arkansas, about 35 miles N of Memphis, recorded almost 45 inches of snow in a 6 week period. At one point with temps below zero, this station recorded nearly 2 feet of snow on the ground. Snow was on the ground for nearly 30 days...just unheard of in these parts.

[bugalou]

Revived this old topic since the winter of 1917-18 has to be one of the coldest, snowiest winters ever in this part of the country. I found a few more record digging around in the Utah State database. Osceola Arkansas, about 35 miles N of Memphis, recorded almost 45 inches of snow in a 6 week period. At one point with temps below zero, this station recorded nearly 2 feet of snow on the ground. Snow was on the ground for nearly 30 days...just unheard of in these parts.

Good God.  I would say it would be awesome if we could swing that again in our lifetimes, but I can only imagine the 3rd world country Memphis and surrounding areas would become if we had that much snow for that long!

[tennessee storm09]

Good God.  I would say it would be awesome if we could swing that again in our lifetimes, but I can only imagine the 3rd world country Memphis and surrounding areas would become if we had that much snow for that long!

this was all before that thing called GLOBAL WARMING kicked in.