Biggest snowfall recorded in Highland County, VA history

Stacker
Mar 23, 2023
Mar 23, 2023 Updated Mar 23, 2023
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Stacker looked at the biggest 1-day snowfall in Highland County, Virginia using data from the National Centers for Environmental Information.

Biggest snowfall recorded in Highland County, VA history

Updated Mar 23, 2023

Biggest snowfall recorded in Highland County, VA history — 2023 has proven to be a winter of extremes. Southern California received unusual amounts of snow and rain, a late-season Nor'easter hit New England after an unseasonably warm few months, and a Texas ice storm left over 170,000 households in Austin without power.
When it comes to snowfall extremes, data will soon show how this winter compares to the past century. For now, Stacker cited data from NOAA to reveal when Highland County, Virginia had its biggest snowfall up to summer 2021.
Highland County, Virginia set its snowfall record 27 years ago. On Jan 7, 1996 the county received 19.9 inches of snow over 24 hours.
The biggest snowfall recorded nationally took place in Boulder County, Colorado, when 76 inches fell on April 15, 1921. Over the next two days, cumulative three-day snowfall reached 98 inches.
Overall, snowfall in many parts of the U.S. has fallen since observation began in 1930. According to NOAA data, 80% of weather stations have seen a decline in the proportion of precipitation that reaches the atmosphere as snow.
Warming temperatures don't mean less snow across the board, however. In regions with frequent cold periods, it can even lead to more snowfall. Warm weather causes waterways and the ocean to evaporate more and warmer air contains more of that vapor. Eventually, it's released either as rain in warmer areas or snow where the temperatures are below freezing.
It's why global climate models predict a rise in extreme snowfall even as the planet warms.
Famartin // Wikimedia Commons

2023 has proven to be a winter of extremes. Southern California received unusual amounts of snow and rain, a late-season Nor'easter hit New England after an unseasonably warm few months, and a Texas ice storm left over 170,000 households in Austin without power.
When it comes to snowfall extremes, data will soon show how this winter compares to the past century. For now, Stacker cited data from NOAA to reveal when Highland County, Virginia had its biggest snowfall up to summer 2021.
Highland County, Virginia set its snowfall record 27 years ago. On Jan 7, 1996 the county received 19.9 inches of snow over 24 hours.
The biggest snowfall recorded nationally took place in Boulder County, Colorado, when 76 inches fell on April 15, 1921. Over the next two days, cumulative three-day snowfall reached 98 inches.
Overall, snowfall in many parts of the U.S. has fallen since observation began in 1930. According to NOAA data, 80% of weather stations have seen a decline in the proportion of precipitation that reaches the atmosphere as snow.
Warming temperatures don't mean less snow across the board, however. In regions with frequent cold periods, it can even lead to more snowfall. Warm weather causes waterways and the ocean to evaporate more and warmer air contains more of that vapor. Eventually, it's released either as rain in warmer areas or snow where the temperatures are below freezing.
It's why global climate models predict a rise in extreme snowfall even as the planet warms.
Famartin // Wikimedia Commons

Originally published on stacker.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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