January 24-26 Winter Storm Recap

Storm snowfall totals across the Northeast ranged from less than 3 inches to more than 24 inches.

A major winter storm affected the Northeast from January 24 to 26. The greatest snowfall totals were generally around 24 inches, particularly in southwestern Pennsylvania, eastern New York, and New England. Snowfall totals for January 25 to 26 ranked among the four greatest two-day totals for January at Boston and Worcester, MA, and Bridgeport and Hartford, CT.

Two-day snowfall totals were among the four greatest for January at four major sites.

Daily snowfall totals on January 25 ranked among the 10 greatest for January at 18 of the region’s 35 major sites. For instance, the 15.6 inches at Hartford, CT, and 15.1 inches at Bridgeport, CT, on January 25 qualified as each site’s second-snowiest January day on record. In fact, January 25 ranked among the 10 snowiest days for any month at Bridgeport, as well as Boston, MA, which saw 16.7 inches.

January 25 snowfall totals were among the 10 greatest for January at 18 major sites.

Freezing rain also fell in parts of the Mid-Atlantic, with West Virginia having the greatest ice amounts of 0.25 to 0.75 inches. For example, on January 25, Charleston, WV, reported 16 consecutive hours of freezing rain, while Baltimore, MD, and Philadelphia, PA, had 11 consecutive hours and nine consecutive hours of ice pellets, respectively. These rank among the 10 greatest number of such hours for January for these sites.

Ice totals reached up to 0.75 inches in parts of West Virginia.

Travel was difficult to impossible in multiple areas due to flight cancellations, suspension of bus and rail service, and hazardous road conditions. Power outages were minimal in the Northeast, generally focused in parts of West Virginia with the greatest ice accumulation.

A plowed road in New York’s Hudson Valley after the storm.

Coastal portions of the Northeast could be affected by another winter storm this weekend. Meanwhile, outlooks for the next two weeks favor colder-than-normal temperatures but below-normal precipitation for a much of the region.