SNOW OBSERVATIONS
 
WEST HENRICO CO. - GLEN ALLEN VA SNOWFALL FOR 2015-2016
WINTER'S TOTAL     19.9 inches
BACK TO CURRENT SNOW TABLE SNOWS OF PAST WINTERS

Days
Snow
Month
Snow
Day
Total
Snow
Inches

Rating
Hourly
Chart
Time
Lapse
Movie
Remarks
Days with any measurable snow during the winter
Rating = Snowstorms must be greater than 1 inch of snow.
 1  Jan   04  T  Event 1  No  The first trace of snow for the winter occurred between 0855 and 0905 some very light snow flurries and the temperature was 29.5°F. The amount of moisture in the flurry was so light it wasn't recorded on the precipitation sensor and was hardly visible on the sky mirror.
 2  Jan  17  1.3 Storm 1 Yes   The snow started between 0700 and 0715 at a temperature of 37.4. The snow lowered the temperature 32.9°F at 1045 which was the lowest temperature during the storm. The very warm January day of the 16th with a high of 60.5°F kept the snow from sticking on any streets much less highways. From about 0855 to 1030 the snow fell as large aggregates or fluffy assemblages of many crystals and made for a beautiful snow. Also as it as a long weekend holiday and the fact it didn't stick to streets and caused very few people had any problems an was enjoyable for most people. Snow measurements are taken from a snowboard with a 3 inch air space below so it doesn't get any ground heating and thus measurements are more than any taken on the surface of the yard.
 3  Jan  20  T  Event 2  No  Some very light snow flurries here between 1935 and 1950 hours. But the snow flurries were so light they weren't detected by the precipitation sensor. Washington DC had about 0.3 inches that caused traffic problems as the roads weren't pre-treated.
 4  Jan 22
23
 15.1 Storm 2 Yes   This storm lasted 35.5 hours giving 15.1 inches of snow a new record storm total; the previous record was 12.9 inches on December 18-19, 2009. It also sets a new 24 hour total of 13.1 inches from 1800 hours on the 22nd to 1700 hours of the 23rd; the previous record was 12.9 inches. The storm also set a record for the most snow on the ground at any one time of 14.0 inches. On Jan 23 at (sunset 1722) there was 13 inches on the ground but at 1800 on the 23rd a new maximum of 14 inches was on the ground. Approximately 0.80 inches of the storm's 2.26 precipitation fell as sleet from 1730 on the 22nd to 0300 on the 23rd during a 9.5 hour period. The total snow for the 22nd-23rd was 15.1 inches with water content of the snow approximately 1.46 inches. The maximum wind gust during the storm was 33 mph at 0821 on the 23rd but several afternoon gusts were 30 mph. The maximum drift measured in and around the yard was about 30 inches. All of the models were very close to being in agreement about this storm and the historic prediction was near the mark. It is interesting how much more snow Glen Allen would have had if so much of the precipitation about 0.80 inches wasn’t sleet. The snow to water ratio before any sleet was 11.4 inches to one inch. The total liquid precipitation in the storm was 2.26 inches. Multiplying the snow to water ratio times the current liquid precipitation gives 25.8 inches. The European model projected 26 to 27 inches. If all of the precipitation had been snow, the total snow depth would have been 25.8 inches even more than the forecasted amount. So shoveling these 15.1 inches is going to be like shoveling 25.8 inches of snow.
 5  Feb.  05  0.1 Event 3 Yes  Really too warm for snow as the lowest temperature was 33.8°F and the snow was light and the ground was warm. The snow never stuck to the grass or even the deck only cars the sky mirror and the elevated snowboard. The snowboard on the ground had only a slight skim of slush.
 6  Feb  09  T Event 4 Image   There were two periods of sleet and graupel today. The first was from 1304 to 1306 and was very light and had all melted by 1310. There was convection with this event and cumulus clouds with some vertical development could be seen after graupel occurrence around 1310. Click on Event 4 to see a picture taken at 1607 after the second period of frozen precipitation had ended. The second period was more like icy snow pellets and lasted longer and was almost enough to measure.
 7  Feb  10  0.1  Event 5 Yes  This movie shows the two periods of frozen precipitation yesterday. It also shows the snow pellets and snow that occurred today starting at about five minutes before midnight and contining until 0200. This was a surprise snow for many and the second surprise was worse black ice. The snow just after midnight had melted on the warm roads but by morning was cold enough to freeze into black ice. This caused many early morning accidents and schools in Henrico were delayed for two hours but the roads were fine by 0900.
 8  Feb  12   T  Event 6  No  This was the lightest of snow flurries that occurred from 1510 to 1515.
  9  Feb  14-15  1.4 Storm 3 Yes  The snow started at 2130 but came on very slowly as much of the snow was evaporating as it fell through a very dry and cold air mass. It was midnight before there was 0.1 inches on the snow board and increased some during the early morning hours but was only 0.5 inches at 0400 hrs. The snowfall was light or very light during the duration of the snow part of the storm. The total snow amount was 1.4 inches and around 1100 the snow changed over quickly to freezing rain with no sleet observed during the transition. The light freezing rain continued until 0310 of the 16th when the temperature rose very quickly to 50.2°F by 0625. The maximum glaze was about 0.1 inches before the warm up. Then a heavy warm rain occurred from 0815 to 0830 that melted what snow and ice was left. This was followed by light rain until 1005 when the rain ended and the sun was out by 1220.
 10  Mar.  03-04  1.9 Storm 4 Yes  This low pressure moved in from the WNW and was losing strength and transferring its energy to a coastal low. Thus Glen Allen received only about 2 inches of snow not the 4 inches that was expected and the maximum snow rate never exceeded 0.5 inches per hour. The total liquid content was 0.14 inches and the maximum snow on the snow board was 1.9 inches. Thus the snow to liquid equivalent ratio was 13.6 to one. Some snow stuck to the branches of trees and made a pretty morning scene. Also the snow never stuck to the streets in our neighborhood and not even the driveways thus this event should be a low impact event for most.
 11  Mar.  20  T  Event 7  No  Chilly first day of spring-sprinkles on and off during day-snow and rain mix started around 2145-2300. A few wet snowflakes observed on the illuminated sky mirror at 2145 that melted within seconds of contact with the mirror.
 12  Apr.  09  T  Event 8  No   A two minute snow flurry occurred exactly from 1058 to 1100 and the flakes melted within seconds of contact with the windshield of the car. But about a mile or two just south of the Glen Allen Station a snow shower was occurring, as could be told by the dark cloud in that direction. My observation was on the north edge of this event.
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