Digging Out: States Hit Hardest by The Winter Storm

Over the weekend and into Monday, a massive winter storm brought frigid temperatures, ice, and heavy snow to much of the United States. In the last three days, the storm carved a 2,300 mile path across the country, impacting as many as 245 million Americans in 40 states. As of Monday morning, over 11,000 flights had been cancelled and more than 700,000 homes and businesses were without power in the storm’s wake, according to The New York Times. Additionally, the storm has been linked to at least 16 deaths so far.

In much of the country, extreme cold is expected to linger, as local forecasts across the Midwest and Northeast indicate single-digit and sub-zero lows for the coming days. But while the snowfall associated with the storm is largely over, emerging data from weather stations across the country show double-digit snow accumulation across a large swath of the United States. 

As of midday Monday, 72-hour snowfall totals show that the storm dropped over a foot of snow in 20 states – from New Mexico to Maine and as far south as Arkansas and Oklahoma. In half of those 20 states, there were places that reported more than a foot and a half of snowfall over the weekend. 

Using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Snowfall Reports tool, Climate Crisis 247 identified the states hit hardest by the recent winter storm. We ranked all 10 states that reported at least 18 inches of snow over the 72-hour period ending midday Monday, January 26, by reported snowfall volume. For each state, we listed the maximum reported snowfall volume associated with the storm and the reporting weather station. Supplemental data on all-time 3-day snowfall records at the county-level are from NOAA’s Snowfall Extremes program.

The states on this list span multiple regions, including the mid-Atlantic, Rocky Mountains, and Southwest – though most are concentrated in the Northeast. Among these 10 states, the greatest reported snowfall volume over the course of the storm ranges from 18.3 to 31.0 inches. Notably, recent snowfall totals in these places fall short of the local 3-day snowfall record high, in most cases by well over a foot. 

10. West Virginia 

• Highest reported 72-hour snowfall volume during weekend storm: 18.3 inches
• Reporting weather station: Canaan Heights in Tucker County, WV
• Record high 3-day snowfall volume in Tucker County, WV: 40 inches on April 28, 1928 (reported from the Cortland weather station)

9. Rhode Island 

• Highest reported 72-hour snowfall volume during weekend storm: 18.5 inches
• Reporting weather station: Smithfield in Providence County, RI
• Record high 3-day snowfall volume in Providence County, RI: 38 inches on Feb. 8, 1978 (reported from the Woonsocket weather station)

8. Maine 

• Highest reported 72-hour snowfall volume during weekend storm: 20 inches
• Reporting weather station: 1 WSW Kittery in York County, ME
• Record high 3-day snowfall volume in York County, ME: 34 inches on March 15, 2023 (reported from the Kittery Point 0.8 WSW weather station)

7. Connecticut 

• Highest reported 72-hour snowfall volume during weekend storm: 20.2 inches
• Reporting weather station: Torrington in Litchfield County, CT
• Record high 3-day snowfall volume in Litchfield County, CT: 36 inches on March 14, 1993 (reported from the Torrington weather station)

6. New Hampshire 

• Highest reported 72-hour snowfall volume during weekend storm: 21 inches
• Reporting weather station: Stratham in Rockingham County, NH
• Record high 3-day snowfall volume in Rockingham County, NH: 42.2 inches on Jan. 28, 2015 (reported from the Salem 1.7 NNE weather station)

5. Massachusetts 

• Highest reported 72-hour snowfall volume during weekend storm: 22.2 inches
• Reporting weather station: 3 ENE Princeton and 1 NW Sterling in Worcester County, MA
• Record high 3-day snowfall volume in Worcester County, MA: 42 inches on Feb. 1, 1898 (reported from the Leicester weather station)

4. Colorado 

• Highest reported 72-hour snowfall volume during weekend storm: 23 inches
• Reporting weather station: 7 WNW Crested Butte in Gunnison County, CO
• Record high 3-day snowfall volume in Gunnison County, CO: 64 inches on Dec. 21, 2010 (reported from the Crested Butte 6.2 N weather station)

3. Pennsylvania 

• Highest reported 72-hour snowfall volume during weekend storm: 24.7 inches
• Reporting weather station: 4 W Jennerstown in Somerset County, PA
• Record high 3-day snowfall volume in Somerset County, PA: 48 inches on March 14, 1993 (reported from the Seven Springs weather station)

2. New York 

• Highest reported 72-hour snowfall volume during weekend storm: 30 inches
• Reporting weather station: 2 E Napanoch in Ulster County, NY
• Record high 3-day snowfall volume in Ulster County, NY: 50 inches on Feb. 26, 2010 (reported from the Slide Mountain weather station)

1. New Mexico 

• Highest reported 72-hour snowfall volume during weekend storm: 31 inches
• Reporting weather station: 6 SW Bonito Lake in Lincoln County, NM
• Record high 3-day snowfall volume in Lincoln County, NM: 35 inches on March 13, 1909 (reported from the Alto weather station)