…VARIOUS SNOWFALL RECORDS AT THE DES MOINES AIRPORT…

GIVEN THE AMPLE SNOWFALL THIS WINTER SEASON…DES MOINES IS CLOSE TO OR HAS BROKEN NUMEROUS RECORDS REGARDING SNOW…SNOWFALL AND SNOW DEPTH.

CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF SNOW DEPTH…THIS IS JUST THE NUMBER OF DAYS THE SNOW DEPTH HAS BEEN AT OR EXCEEDED A GIVEN VALUE FOR CONSECUTIVE DAYS. THE SNOW DEPTH DROPPED TO 5 INCHES ON JANUARY 24TH ENDING THE THREAT OF BREAKING THE RECORD OF THE BIGGER SNOW DEPTH VALUES. HOWEVER… NEW STREAKS FOR SOME OF THESE DEPTHS HAVE STARTED BUT ARE STILL IN THE TEENS OF DAYS AND NOT NOTED HERE. THIS DATA IS GOOD THROUGH FEBRUARY 8TH (TODAY) SINCE SNOW DEPTH IS RECORDED FROM THE 12Z (6AM) OBSERVATION FROM THE DES MOINES AIRPORT

SNOW DEPTH CONSECUTIVE DAYS CURRENT TOTAL
1″ OR MORE 99 (2000-01) 64 DAYS
2″ OR MORE 94 (2000-01) 64 DAYS
3″ OR MORE 91 (2000-01) 63 DAYS
4″ OR MORE 63 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 61 DAYS 1979)
5″ OR MORE 62 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 54 DAYS 1961-62)
6″ OR MORE 54 (1961-62) TOTAL ENDED JAN 24TH AT 46 DAYS
7″ OR MORE 46 (1979) TOTAL ENDED JAN 24TH AT 30 DAYS
8″ OR MORE 43 (1982) TOTAL ENDED JAN 24TH AT 30 DAYS
9″ OR MORE 35 (1960) TOTAL ENDED JAN 23RD AT 28 DAYS
10″ OR MORE 35 (1960) TOTAL ENDED JAN 17TH AT 23 DAYS
11″ OR MORE 29 (1960) TOTAL ENDED JAN 17TH AT 10 DAYS
12″ OR MORE 27 (1960) TOTAL ENDED JAN 13TH AT 7 DAYS

NON CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF SNOW DEPTH…THIS IS THE NUMBER OF DAYS THE SNOW DEPTH HAS BEEN AT OR EXCEEDED A GIVEN VALUE REGARDLESS IF THE SNOW DEPTH OCCURRED ON CONSECUTIVE DAYS OR NOT. IN OTHER WORDS…IT JUST THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TIMES THIS SNOW DEPTH HAS BEEN OBSERVED DURING THE SEASON.

SNOW DEPTH NON CONSECUTIVE DAYS CURRENT TOTAL
1″ OR MORE 106 (2000-2001) 64 DAYS
2″ OR MORE 101 (2000-2001) 64 DAYS
3″ OR MORE 94 (2000-2001) 63 DAYS
4″ OR MORE 90 (2000-2001) 63 DAYS
5″ OR MORE 80 (2000-2001) 62 DAYS
6″ OR MORE 79 (1961-1962) 60 DAYS
7″ OR MORE 70 (1961-1962) 59 DAYS
8″ OR MORE 56 (1961-1962) 55 DAYS
9″ OR MORE 51 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 49 DAYS 1960)
10″ OR MORE 42 (1960) 37 DAYS
11″ OR MORE 31 (1960) 22 DAYS
12″ OR MORE 29 (1960) 14 DAYS

MOST SNOWFALL IN A WINTER SEASON (JULY-JUNE).

1. 72.0 INCHES IN 1911-12
2. 70.9 INCHES IN 1885-86
3. 64.1 INCHES IN 1961-62
4. 62.9 INCHES IN 1981-82
5. 59.7 INCHES IN 1974-75
6. 58.5 INCHES IN 2007-08
7. 58.4 INCHES IN 2003-04
8. 58.2 INCHES IN 1959-60
9. 57.8 INCHES IN 1904-05
10. 57.0 INCHES IN 1983-84

MOST SNOWFALL TO DATE IN THE SEASON. IN OTHER WORDS…THE MOST SNOWFALL SINCE JULY OF LAST YEAR UNTIL FEBRUARY 7TH (YESTERDAY) IN ANY GIVEN SEASON.

1. 50.6 INCHES IN 1885-86
2. 47.5 INCHES IN 2009-10
3. 43.2 INCHES IN 1983-84
4. 42.8 INCHES IN 1904-05
5. 40.8 INCHES IN 2003-04

THE SNOWFALL TODAY WILL LIKELY PUSH US INTO FIRST PLACE ON THIS LIST. HOWEVER…WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MIDNIGHT TO GET THE FINAL DAILY TOTAL.

HIGHEST NUMBER OF DAYS IN A WINTER SEASON WITH MEASURABLE SNOWFALL

THE RECORD IS 31 DAYS SET IN THE WINTER OF 1978-79. WE ARE AT 27 DAYS INCLUDING TODAY.