…UPDATE TO VARIOUS SNOW 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. SNOW DEPTH RECORDS AT DES MOINES GO BACK TO 1893. THE SNOW PACK HAS BEGUN TO MELT OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS SO SEVERAL STREAKS OF 4 INCHES OR MORE HAVE ENDED AS INDICATED BELOW. THE FOLLOWING DATA ARE VALID THROUGH MARCH 10TH UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

SNOW DEPTH CONSECUTIVE DAYS CURRENT TOTAL
1″ OR MORE 99 (2000-01) 94 DAYS (ENDED MAR 10TH)
2″ OR MORE 94 (2009-10) TIED RECORD (OLD 94 DAYS IN 2000-01)
3″ OR MORE 93 (2009-10) NEW RECORD (OLD 91 DAYS IN 2000-01)
4″ OR MORE 92 (2009-10) NEW RECORD (OLD 61 DAYS IN 1979)
5″ OR MORE 90 (2009-10) NEW RECORD (OLD 54 DAYS IN 1961-62)
6″ OR MORE 54 (1961-62) 43 DAYS (ENDED MAR 8TH)
7″ OR MORE 52 (1911-12) 42 DAYS (ENDED MAR 7TH)
8″ OR MORE 46 (1911-12) 41 DAYS (ENDED MAR 6TH)
9″ OR MORE 41 (2010) NEW RECORD (OLD 38 DAYS IN 1936)
10″ OR MORE 35 (1960) 28 DAYS (ENDED MAR 5TH)
11″ OR MORE 29 (1960) 26 DAYS (ENDED MAR 5TH)
12″ OR MORE 27 (1960) 25 DAYS (ENDED MAR 4TH)
13″ OR MORE 22 (2010) TIED RECORD (OLD 22 DAYS IN 1911-12)
14″ OR MORE 14 (2010) NEW RECORD (OLD 13 DAYS IN 1905)

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 IS JUST THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TIMES THIS SNOW DEPTH HAS BEEN OBSERVED DURING THE SEASON. SNOW DEPTH RECORDS AT DES MOINES GO BACK TO 1893. THE FOLLOWING DATA ARE VALID THROUGH MARCH 20TH UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

SNOW DEPTH NON CONSECUTIVE DAYS CURRENT TOTAL
1″ OR MORE 106 (2000-2001) 95 DAYS
2″ OR MORE 101 (2000-2001) 95 DAYS
3″ OR MORE 94 (ONGOING) TIED RECORD (OLD 94 DAYS IN 2000-01)
4″ OR MORE 93 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 90 DAYS IN 2000-01)
5″ OR MORE 91 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 80 DAYS IN 2000-01)
6″ OR MORE 90 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 79 DAYS IN 1961-62)
7″ OR MORE 88 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 70 DAYS IN 1961-62)
8″ OR MORE 82 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 62 DAYS IN 1911-12)
9″ OR MORE 78 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 49 DAYS IN 1960)
10″ OR MORE 62 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 42 DAYS IN 1960)
11″ OR MORE 47 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 31 DAYS IN 1960)
12″ OR MORE 38 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 29 DAYS IN 1960)
13″ OR MORE 32 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 24 DAYS IN 1911-12)
14″ OR MORE 27 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 19 DAYS IN 1911-12)
15″ OR MORE 19 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 13 DAYS IN 1961-62)
16″ OR MORE 12 (ONGOING) NEW RECORD (OLD 9 DAYS IN 1905)

MOST SNOWFALL IN A WINTER SEASON (JULY-JUNE). THE CURRENT TOTAL IS VALID THROUGH MARCH 20TH.

1. 72.0 INCHES IN 1911-12
2. 70.9 INCHES IN 1885-86
3. 69.0 INCHES IN 2009-10
4. 64.1 INCHES IN 1961-62
5. 62.9 INCHES IN 1981-82
6. 59.7 INCHES IN 1974-75
7. 58.5 INCHES IN 2007-08
8. 58.4 INCHES IN 2003-04
9. 58.2 INCHES IN 1959-60
10. 57.8 INCHES IN 1904-05

MOST SNOWFALL SEASON TO DATE. IN OTHER WORDS…THE MOST SNOWFALL SINCE JULY OF THE PRIOR YEAR THROUGH MARCH 20TH IN ANY GIVEN SEASON.

1. 71.1 INCHES IN 1911-12
2. 69.0 INCHES IN 2009-10
3. 62.7 INCHES IN 1961-62
4. 61.7 INCHES IN 1885-86
5. 58.4 INCHES IN 2003-04

AVERAGE SNOW DEPTH FOR THE ENTIRE SNOW SEASON TO THIS POINT (OCTOBER 1ST THROUGH MARCH 20TH). THE SNOW YEAR ACTUALLY BEGINS JULY 1ST BUT NO APPRECIABLE SNOW DEPTH HAS BEEN RECORDED PRIOR TO OCTOBER. SNOW DEPTH RECORDS AT DES MOINES GO BACK TO 1893.

1. 6.1 INCHES IN 2009-10
2. 5.0 INCHES IN 1961-62
3. 4.5 INCHES IN 2000-01
4. 4.5 INCHES IN 1911-12
5. 3.9 INCHES IN 1978-79 AND 1959-60

TOTAL NUMBER OF DAYS IN THE WINTER SEASON ON WHICH AT LEAST AN INCH OF NEW SNOW HAS FALLEN. THE CURRENT TOTAL IS VALID THROUGH MARCH 20TH.

1. 22 DAYS IN 2009-10
2. 21 DAYS IN 1981-82
21 DAYS IN 1885-86
4. 20 DAYS IN 1974-75
5. 19 DAYS IN 1959-60
19 DAYS IN 1886-87