Paging David Viner: NWS reports snow so far in 2014 has far exceeded the worst winter in 1978. In Detroit, 6 of the last 14 years are in the top 20 snowiest winters on record.
You’ve probably all hear how Detroit is buried under massive debt due to mismanagement by the political party in power. Now, they are not only buried in debt, they are buried in snow. Let’s see them dig themselves out of that too. I’m betting the plowing budget is already plowed.
From the NWS office in Detroit, a stunning graph going back to 1874:
The Long Cold and Snowy Winter Continues: Updated Records and Statistics
SNOW
We have already discussed the record January snowfall in Detroit and Flint as well as the snowiest starts to the winter season through January. As we move into February, we can start looking at seasonal type of records. The past 10 to 15 years have had some active and snowy winters. In fact this winter puts 6 of the last 14 years into the top 20 snowiest winters on record.
Seasonal Snowfall Stats
| Location | Seasonal Normal | Winter 2013-14 (through February 6) | Record (Year) | Current Seasonal Ranking |
| Detroit Area | 42.5″ | 67.9″ | 93.6″ (1880-81) | 7th |
| Flint Area | 47.4″ | 62.3″ | 82.9″ (1974-75) | 13th |
| Saginaw | 45.5″ | 43.7″ | 87.2″ (1966-67) | — |
Most Consecutive Days with Snow Cover (1 inch or greater) through February 7th
There is a deep snow pack over Southeast Michigan and more below average temperatures expected through much of the upcoming month. Our current streaks are likely to reach the top five and potentially challenge higher places. (Ending Date in Parentheses)
| Detroit Area (only available back to 1948) |
Flint Area | |
| 1 | 74 days (3/15/1978) | 88 days (3/3/1963) |
| 2 | 64 (2/8/2001) | 81 (3/22/1978) |
| 3 | 54 (2/11/1976) | 67 (2/9/2001) |
| 4 | 48 (2/17/1948) | 65 (2/17/1948) |
| 5 | 45 (2/4/1984) | 63 (2/18/1930) |
| Currently | 12th longest streak at 39 days | 6th longest streak at 61 days |
COLD
December was below average for temperatures. January placed in the top 15 Januarys and now February is off to a cold start. How does the winter of 2013-14 compare to other winters.
Temperature Stats
| Location | Winter 2013-14 (through Feb. 6th) | Coldest Winter Since (through Feb 6th) | 2013-14 Ranking (through Feb 6th) | All-time Coldest (through Feb 6th) |
| Detroit Area | 21.4 | 1984 |
9th | 16.6 (1918) |
| Flint Area | 19.7 | 2009 | 8th | 14.2 (1977) |
| Saginaw | 18.9 | 1984 |
7th | 13.7 (1918) |
Source: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=dtx&storyid=100198&source=0
h/t to Steve Goddard for the NWS link.
The month after the next, the winter after the last.
============
I wonder what the cold has done for Detroit’s violent crime rate. Hard to get off a shot wearing mittens.
From great grand fathers memory: Texas
1,000 upon 1,000’s of cattle, sheep, goats, horses frozen Feb. 13-14 1899.
Registered temp Tulia Texas in the panhandle. 31 degrees below zero.
Laguna [Madre] froze. The old ones before the ones from europe came told of much colder times in the older times when the people first came to the now American Southwest.
It will come once more in time.
Panhandle has been cold year after year for decades. Some record from way back might be a nice anecdote, but anybody from Amarillo ain’t nearly so stupid as to think winter there is mild.
Better anecdotes include ice storms in Houston. That’s a weather “event.”
It’s an interesting piece — but has nothing to do with climate change one way or another. Cold weather is just weather — now, if it were hot weather you were talking about I could see that as proof of climate change….
But this is just cold weather and of no particular interest…
PS: I have to go out and shovel snow again — catcha later eh?
Answered my own question. According to mlive.com, “The Latest Crime & Police News from Metro Detroit. RSS …. Detroit homicides decrease 50 percent in January compared to 2013.”
And the US was supposed to be snow free by 2010?
Global Warming causes more snow because warmer air holds more moisture.
Climate Change causes more extreme weather events, such as record cold.
Temps are rising, official government graphs clearly show warming trend.
Some of the warmest years ever recorded are happening now.
It’s only weather. You are guilty and must pay. mwahahaaa
But everyone knows the global warming is being sequestered in the deep oceans, magically transported there via tiny worm holes surrounding the omnipotent CO2 molecule, waiting to jump out in a cataclysmic El Nino event, resulting in the extinction of the entire planet. Yeah, that’s the ticket..
WillR says:
February 9, 2014 at 10:04 am
It’s an interesting piece — but has nothing to do with climate change one way or another. Cold weather is just weather — now, if it were hot weather you were talking about I could see that as proof of climate change….
But this is just cold weather and of no particular interest…
PS: I have to go out and shovel snow again — catcha later eh?
_____________________________
Clapping hands here, just for your post and putting you on the Gold Star list.
Ps In Canada, is it pronounced hoseur?
The “Climate Change” , CO2 kills cult =’s Life Out Of Balance.
Come spring the snow will be gone; however their debt will never melt away!
But I thought those same leaders of Detroit were praying for tons of white powder to cover their fiscal ineptitude with.
Detroit is fascinating, the logical conclusion of progressive policy and kleptocratic government.
Given one leads to the other, I guess they are one and the same.
Sad, I almost feel guilty mocking their weather adventure.
Now I heard a prominent Democrat say the real reason for Detroit’s massive indebtedness was RACISM! Ironically, the same reason there’s so much snow this year, What color is snow, after all? Coincidence? I THINK NOT!!!
Alan Robertson says:
February 9, 2014 at 10:13 am
_____________________________
Clapping hands here, just for your post and putting you on the Gold Star list.
Ps In Canada, is it pronounced hoseur?
Thank you! Thank You! Thank You!
Finally a Gold Star in Climate Change!
Nope, it’s just hoser. Only we Englishers are allowed to be Hosers TM Parry Sound Hosers Association. Quebec is far more fashionable and in tune with all things glittery. Across the Great Divide (Riviere Outaouais) we people west of the Ottawa River are a far duller bunch.
Cheers! And as Our Premier says — Cold? Hydro Bill too high? wear a sweater — eh?
“I wonder what the cold has done for Detroit’s violent crime rate. Hard to get off a shot wearing mittens.”
Beautiful. +10
Growing up in Detroit in the 50’s-70’s, I remember the previous record snowy January in 1978. Many of us older folks that lived in that region at the time can still remember the great blizzard late in January, 1978.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Blizzard_of_1978
There are many interesting facts related to that blizzard. As a student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, we were treated to well over a foot of snow and it was the first time in history that the University closed because of the weather. I believe that Dr. Roy Spencer was in his senior year up there at the time.
Similar weather occurred in Lansing where my 2 sisters were attending Michigan State University, which also closed because of nearly 18 nches of snow.
Ann Arbor and Lansing MI received almost all their precip in the form of snow, however, farther east, snow amounts dropped off with the intense circulation wrapping warm air in from east to west. With temperatures getting several degrees above freezing, farther east, it rained from much of the event.
At Metro Airport, just west of Detroit, I think the snow total was 8.8″ and farther east, at the city airport only 4.4 inches fell with the temperature climbing to 37 degrees on January 26, 1978.
The official records sited above are from Metro Airport(DTW), so the great blizzard’s heaviest snows were 25+ miles farther west of that location.
“Anthropogenic Global Snowing” officially replaces Anthropogenic Extreme Weather which replaced Anthropogenic Global Change which replaced Anthropogenic Global Weirding (thank god) which replaced Anthropogenic Global Warming.
Centuries from now we will be known in the history books as having suffered from Anthropogenic Neoscientific Global Severe Tirades against fellow humans, otherwise known as angst.
Massive fail.
Snow in Detroit is good, it covers up the burned out houses and abandoned autos.
Nicely done – good summary. Thanks.
We have friends in that area. They are not happy.
There is nothing wrong with Detroit. They need to be awarded the next Olympic Games and have a 50 Billion dollar investment of other people’s money. We are all going to pay anyway so why not get something for our sacrifice. On the other hand, they have already turned off many of the street lights and other services so why not just turn off all the rest and restore the land as open prairie. That might be worth a visit in 30 years or so.
http://www.npr.org/2013/12/20/255733403/bankruptcy-casts-shadow-over-detroits-plan-to-fix-streetlights
Is that all??
What Detroit’s gotten to date would be an average snowfall for Buffalo. Of course, there’s nothing average about this winter as we’re also well ahead of where we should be by now as we push to 95″ for the season so far (should be around 67″).
Pamela Gray says:
February 9, 2014 at 10:50 am
___________________
Good Job !!!
One of the real problems they are having in Detroit now are the number of broken water lines. The latest one flooding an intersection and trapping folks in their cars. I think the number is on the order of 700.
Up where I live in the UP they are numerous places well ahead of average snow totals and well below average temps.
Detroit could blame their fiancial woes on snow removal costs and apply for Federal disaster relief. I mean, everyone knows that Detroit is a continuing disaster, right?
Fortunately for Detroit and much of the country, a weather pattern change is in store.
A powerful Pacific jet stream will blow mild, oceanic air masses across the country as this week progresses. However, most of this week, in the Detroit area the milder air will not be allowed to make much headway, being cut off by the old/cold pattern, featuring some upper troughing and what has been an endless parade of reinforcing cold fronts.
At least the intensity of the cold will mellow out and by late this week we’re done with the sub zero stuff for awhile. During week 2, as the new pattern strengthens, there is hope for a thaw.
With Detroit currently reporting 17 inches of snow on the ground and this milder air having to travel a great distance over snow covered terrain, it will not be easy to warm up.
What would do the trick quickly, is being in the warm sector of a big storm and getting heavy rains……….which would rapidly melt a great deal of snow.
Nothing like that in the week 2 forecast now……………..and most of this Winter, the actual weather pattern we’ve seen has consistently verified COLDER than models, so we may have to dial in some additional cooling at some point. However, this new pattern is a different one than that we’ve seen so far in the cold/snowy Winter of 2013/14.
The West Coast from N. CA to OR/WA will get some needed precip!!
Mike Maguire says:
February 9, 2014 at 10:48 am
Thanx for the memory jog. I lived in AA then near the old airport, and used the A.A.R.R. tracks to take a straight line walking into town after that big snow, because they were slightly elevated most of the distance, so less deep in snow and therefore less effort moving forward.
Tanks, A. Good reporting.
Yesterday Joe Bastardi said there is more snow and cold from Alaska to come next week; Warmth for the South, but cold for the North.
See http://weatherbell.com for the weekly public forecast video
Ask Bettsy to contact his old mate Viner and let him know ‘ YOUR a T$$SSer’
Not too far from Detroit , Chicago , has had 19 days when the lows have been below zero , tying a record going back to the winter of 1872-1873. The city may [break] this record overnight. The most low days below zero was set in 1884-1885 . So we are going back 142 years in cold extremes . Annual and Winter temperatures in United States have been cooling now for 1 5 years and we have not even reached the trough of the current 30 year cool phase of the 60/70 climate cycle which is likely 2030/2040
wws says: @ February 9, 2014 at 10:26 am
Now I heard a prominent Democrat say the real reason for Detroit’s massive indebtedness was RACISM!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
That right, Clinton gave their jobs to the Chinese….. (I wish I could add a sarc tag)
I wonder how much snow is falling in the un-Happy Valley of State Penn U., aka Reprobate State?
Meanwhile in England, it’s the wettest winter “ever”. From the quote below check out the last sentence. That should leave a mark.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/09/severe-weather-cuts-off-r_n_4755483.html?utm_hp_ref=green
@John robertson –
A preview, methinks, of what the current kleptocracy in Washington intends to do to the country as a whole.
At least, when the EPA starts sabotaging power plants they will hit the DC area first. (See CFACT for Dr. Bonner Cohen’s testimony regarding the EPA’s new anti-coal regulations, terming them industrial sabotage.)
Sometimes I think we skeptics are like those Germans in 1932 who saw Hitler coming, fighting against the tidal wave of ignorance and evil intent embodied in global warming alarmism.
Grand Rapids, a fairly fiscally responsible city, blew through their “snow budget” by mid-January. Relentless lake effect and lack of warmth has made snow plowing a non-stop job. Not only is there this cost, but the streets themselves are taking a beating that will require extra $$ to repair. Not to mention the raised possibility of flooding when all this snow melts.
It’s just unbelievable, the joy being expressed as one of our greater cities gets laid low, not only by economics but a weather event.
I take no joy in the situation.
Let’s get things back into perspective.
The snowfall plot, as can be seen, is not simply the inverse of temperature variation yet somewhat related, like the least snowfall was about when it was warmest in the 1930s. (Since the plot doesn’t show modern temperatures as warmer than the 1930s and shows the double peak history typical of unadjusted data, such appears probably data not adjusted for political correctness yet).
Although a local region need not necessarily follow a similar pattern as broader averages (U.S. or world, annual instead of January), it is of mild interest to observe the plot of Detroit temperature since 1874 shows the usual general pattern superimposed on weather noise:
warming ->
with then a cooling dip a decade into the 20th century ->
followed by rise to the exceptionally warm 1930s-1950s ->
cooling during the 1960s-1970s global cooling scare (weak solar cycle 20 fizzling to its final minimum in 1976) ->
warming during the subsequent global warming scare ->
and subsequently cooling
(The graph may be compared to arctic, U.S., Northern Hemisphere, and world temperature trends and the cause for them meanwhile, like
those plotted in http://img213.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=62356_expanded_overview3_122_1094lo.jpg ).
Mike Maguire says:
February 9, 2014 at 11:42 am
The West Coast from N. CA to OR/WA will get some needed precip!!
————————————————————————————–
The rain has been light to moderate and fairly steady for the last 3 days. It was much needed. Burn restrictions had been in place for the last several months, and that was extremely unusual for a rainforest in the middle of winter.
@jim –
By any chance, was the city government in Grand Rapids told by local alarmists that they no longer needed to worry about heavy snow, and if so, did they listen, and fail to prepare adequately? (There are reports that this was the case in Atlanta, helping to leave that city unprepared.)
@u.k. (us) –
No, no joy – just sadness and anger; and foreboding, over the failure of these events to get through the thick skulls of the alarmist crowd. How much longer does this go on before the insanity stops, and how much more damage will it be allowed to do? But then as I keep saying, no amount of contrary evidence is ever even acknowledged to exist, let alone recognized as right, by the ideologue.
Snow is no more they confidently predicted. Now they tell us that more snow is caused by CATASTROPHIC ANTHROPOGENIC GLOBAL WARMING.
It’s so sad to see formally intelligent people plunging to such depths of insanity and anger.
Here are sure signs of climate change. We need to act now!
Hot=cold. Hot=hot. Cold really comes from hot. Does that make any sense? Well to some people that is how it goes.
u.k.(us) says: @ February 9, 2014 at 2:03 pm
…. Let’s get things back into perspective.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The perspective is Mother Nature is putting a major kink in Holdren and Obama’s plans to ‘De-Develop the United States’
So yes I rejoice, not at the suffering of the people here in the USA and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere but over the fact that it is a major bucket of cold water in the face of the sheeple and just maybe they will wake-up in time to stop the insanity.
Because if we do not stop it now the entire USA will look worse than Detroit.
Since Obama took office the number of unemployed has gone from ~12% in 2007 to ~24% Already 10% of our electric @ $16 per megawatt is slated tol be shutdown and replaced by new capacity ranging in price from $136 per megawatt to $357 per megawatt (FirstEnergy Ohio) probably by 2015. What do you think will happen in Ohio were the most coal fired plants are slated to be shut down? Do you think people are going to be happy when a $160 per month electric bill skyrockets towards $3,000 per month bill? Do you think any businesses will remain in the area? Or do you think Ohio is going to make Detroit look good?
(Coal fueled 78 percent of Ohio’s net electricity generation in 2011)
So yes, I hope the USA gets slammed good and hard with snow and cold for the next few years to give people a real appreciation of reliable cheap electric. Because if we vote any more bozos into office, I suggest you start learning Chinese.
Rare snow signs are sure signs of the next ice age. We must act now before it’s too late.
Japanese children say they now understand what snow is.
Yes, lots of snow, but I get the feeling that at the first signs of melt, the alarmist fingers will start to point at the dreaded Global Warming of the man made variety again.
@Gail Combs –
Frankly, I think Holdren and Obama are perverse enough to be delighted at the prospect of people having to pay $3,000 a month for electricity – if they can keep getting it at all. Of course only Obama’s billionaire crony capitalist buddies and other assorted reprobates like senators Feinstein and Boxer will be able to pay that kind of money for electricity, and they could care less that everyone else will lose their jobs because their employers can’t pay those rates, and maybe starve or freeze to death., These people are mean-spirited enough to quite overtly wish that on poor and middle-class folks.
What’s for dinner? I am buried in 9 inches of snow here (hey, don’t laugh, I am less than 59 inches tall!). So in honor of the snow pack building in the Blues and Wallowas, I have made a delectable dinner of sour cream cornbread, spicy broiled trout, carrot and red rice sauteed pilaf, and cole slaw. All served with an appropriate room temperature red wine to match the spicy savory food. The cornbread is done and has filled the air with corn-sweet scent. The red rice is simmering in vegetable stock. The trout is soaking up its spicy paste rub in the frig. And the cook is drinking too much sherry! Yum yum!
The downside? My potato growing man is 80 miles away and bad roads separate us.
To paraphrase former U.S. Interior Sec. James Watt, Detroit represents “the failure of socialism.” I don’t take joy in their plight, but all we can do is watch as the city slowly dissolves.
Just doing a Phd on ‘Passive Smoking’ and ‘Weather In America’,not yet sure of what Is In the smoke but It sure does ‘Open the Mind’ to a ‘Fantasy World’ of synaptic gap exchanges.
I now know the meaning of a ‘HIGHer Education’.
(Please note-this Is sarcasm).
@Chad – No. The city knows we get hit with more snow some years, less in others. In fact, this year should end up being the fourth time since 2000 that GR records more than 100 inches of snowfall . The NWS shows only 7 years total with more than 100 inches of snowfall in records dating back to 1893. Last year there was 63 inches.
The problem this year, was the snow seemed to be a constant occurrence with no thaw. No huge storms, just a bunch of minor ones. And we could not tell one storm from the next with all the lake effect we’ve had in between. Though, the beauty of a lake effect snow squall with the sun shining underneath, makes it all worth it living here.
“I’m betting the plowing budget is already plowed.”
Somebody has to say it: Budget? We don’t need no stinking budget.
No, but the bon mot is appreciated!
Was driving on Evergreen Road today, near the library and office buildings. I have been in Third World countries where the roads are kept up better than in Southfield. In other large metro areas heads would roll over such neglect. Are Southfield and Oak Park also broke?
@u.k 2:03.
Sorry if you are offended.
This is the future the kleptocrats would have us all embrace.
Our wealth siphoned off, unable to react to normal weather events and unable to pay for necessary repairs of our infrastructure.
All the misery of Detroit was predictable and was predicted.
They chose, there is no sin in pointing and laughing.
They are an abject lesson as to the wisdom of allowing thieves and fools to govern.
You would deny the residents, their one last redeeming value to our civilization?
I’ve heard that a LOT of things happen when HELL freezes over.
I spent a week in Detroit once (business).
I can see that a LOT of things are going to happen this year.
If you’ve never seen these photos before, it is hard to believe that they were taken in an American city once known as a center of manufacturing and culture:
http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1864272,00.html
A changing climate is a slow thing but it seems to me that it’s quite possible that climate doomers were observing natural climate change. We remember what they predicted but what are we slowly seeing now?
✔ Return of snow and ice in the NH
✔ Arctic sea ice & volume 50% bounce in September 2013
✔ Flat temps for over 16 years (some say over 17)
✔ Antarctic extent above mean (records broken in recent years)
✔ Global sea ice ‘normal’
✔ Northern hemisphere winter snow extent trending up since 1967
✔ Extreme weather evidence scanty to non-existent or opposite
Of course I see other things they would point to like declining NH spring snow, Arctic sea ice trending down since its high extent in 1979 etc. If the years ahead show that natural climate change is controlling the show then the IPCC might have to dissolve and we can all stop panicking. These alarms and scares are not new.
“Fire and Ice”
http://www.mrc.org/node/30586
“150 Years of Global Warming and Cooling at the New York Times”
http://newsbusters.org/node/11640
“A Century Of Cycles: Do You See A Pattern Here?”
http://www.almanac.com/sites/new.almanac.com/files/1895_cvr1_0.png
Here is another
“The 1970’s Global Cooling Compilation”
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/03/01/global-cooling-compilation/
A selection of weird and bad weather since 1709
http://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/bad-weather/
Detroit as well as 2/3 of the United States just aren’t getting the message.
More snow is what you would expect from global warming.
I really do feel sorry for these people. Their over confidence is coming back to haunt them. Where is me old Viner by the way?
CRS, DrPH,
Go look at the population trends for Detroit. It’s headed towards becoming the largest ghost town in the history of the US.
Last week the price of bulk road salt doubled, then the next day it went up 30 percent again, it snows almost every day, we get 1/4 inch of snow and they dump copious amounts of salt, it has been very cold in s.e.mi, but I remember winter 93 being much colder than this!
Detroit is really alien! According to the Ny Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/08/opinion/sunday/the-end-of-snow.html
(There are also links to basically the same story in 2005, 2007 & 2012).
Chad Wozniak says:
February 9, 2014 at 1:21 pm
“I wonder how much snow is falling in the un-Happy Valley of State Penn U., aka Reprobate State?”
In State College Pa, home of Penn State aka State Penn, and home of Mikey Mann aka Dr. Michael E. Mann Phd etc. etc. , we have had a snowier and colder than average winter. We have had a couple snowfalls at 5-6 in. and numerous small ones at 1-2 in. The statistics show that as of 2/9/14 the snowfall for our area is # 29 out of 119 with # 1 being the snowiest. The heating degree days are # 26 out of 119 with #1 being the most heating degree days. It has been cold.
Yes, Detroit is buried in snow and debt.
The Good News: The snow will melt away by May 1, naturally.
The Bad News: Their ‘mile deep glacier’ of debt will not.
Only fiscal discipline, low taxes, regulatory reform, a very business friendly environment, and time will get them back to a viable balanced budget and sufficient surpluses to begin to melt the debt away.
Detroit, is that a Californian outpost ?
Glimpse of the future perhaps ?
Heh, I understand that the upper Midwest (greater chicagoland) has major road-salt problem, in the sense that the stocks are gone, almost used up and we have a month or more of serious winter left…
I laugh because guys, the storage of salt is really very very cheap, really all you have need is a rain shelter and a train spur, so you can place these things anywhere land is cheap and move the salt to some local depot as needed.
So why do the idiots in charge not have a 2 year supply on hand? Ever heard of “insurance” kids?
From what I’ve heard of modern Detroit, buried is the best fate for the city and that appalling singing.
“So why do the idiots in charge not have a 2 year supply on hand? Ever heard of “insurance” kids?”
Wel, duuuh! Ever heard of Global Warming? Who is going to need road salt in a couple of years?
Lay off Detroit those people are living in Mad Max times – Homer Simpson
The [] population elected corrupt [] politicians and they squeezed every penny they could out of the city. Now they’ve come around and elected a [] mayor who so far seems to be doing a good job even though the city is under an emergency manager. It’s probably too late though since the population will most likely drop under 700K people when the next census results are released. It’s hard to believe this once great city was the 4th biggest in America with a population of 1.8 million. The corrupt [] leadership robbed and ruined Detroit and blamed the evil [] people. Don’t laugh Chicago because you’re heading down the same path. Violence and corruption is followed by [] flight which leaves no one to pay taxes.
[Cut the racist attitude and descriptors. Mod]