Winter Storm Olive, A Major Snowstorm From the Rockies to the Midwest

Winter Storm Olive was a cross-country storm that deposited heavy snow from the Northwest and Rockies to the Great Lakes and New England, and dropped thick ice across the southern Great Lakes.

Winter Storm Olive, A Recap

O​live largely began late on Monday, Feb. 20 as a plunge in the jet stream and accompanying low pressure system dipped into the Northwest and Northern Rockies.

The snow really ramped up as an arctic cold front swept southward through the Rockies, Great Basin and Sierra on Feb. 21. Heavy snow and strong winds occurred from South Dakota through Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and into the Sierra.

T​he heaviest snow of the storm fell from the highest elevations of Utah, Colorado and Wyoming.

Brighton, Utah picked up over two feet of snow from the storm. Yellowstone Park, Wyoming recorded 34 inches of snow. O​ver two feet of snow was reported near Benoit, Wisconsin, while an estimated 19 inches of snow was measured in Apple Valley, Minnesota. Farther east, 8 inches of snow was reported in Groton, Vermont, and Inlet, New York.

A quick hit of snow whipped eastward from the Dakotas to the Twin Cities and western Great Lakes late in the day as forecasts increased toward a Top 5 snowstorm in the Twin Cities.

T​he storm system wrapped up and wind intensified across the Rockies and the northern Plains on Feb. 22. Warm air crusaded northward from the Lower Mississippi Valley into the southern Great Lakes causing precipitation to turn to a mess of freezing rain, sleet and even some heavy rain as far north as Chicago during the afternoon hours. Freezing rain accreted heavily across deep southern Michigan, southern Wisconsin and far northern Illinois outside of Chicago.

S​ignificant snow fell across the Midwest from South Dakota to southern Minnesota, northern and central Wisconsin and central Michigan. A few spots clinched blizzard criteria, including Aberdeen, South Dakota.

S​trong winds swept through much of the Southwest during the day. Heavy snow caused issues across much of Utah, including Salt Lake City. A band of strong winds caused blowing dust in Albuquerque, which turned into a snow squall that swept through the city during the daylight hours.

T​he Twin Cities picked up 12-17 inches of snow, with Minneapolis airport officially picking up 13.1 inches, which falls outside of the Top 20 for most significant snow storms. Parts of southern Minnesota picked up over 18 inches, including 20.5 inches near Glencoe, Minnesota.

S​everal interstates, including I-90 and I-94, were closed in Minnesota and Wisconsin in the depth of the storm. Area airports, including Minneapolis-St. Paul and Milwaukee canceled and delayed hundreds of flights.

With some lake-effect enhancement, parts of Upper Michigan picked up more than a foot of snow, including 22 inches in Mount Arvon, or northwest of Marquette, Michigan.

S​leet, freezing rain and ice were reported along the southern edge of the snow, or from eastern Iowa to western New York. Ice accumulations have brought down tree branches and power lines in parts of southern Michigan and northern Illinois.

A​ccumulating freezing rain in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan caused major tree damage and power outages. Portions of southern Michigan and southern Wisconsin reported more than half an inch of ice.

B​edford, Michigan reported 0.70 inches of ice and Franksville, Wisconsin, (south of Milwaukee) picked up 0.75 inches.

A​ll of this ice and snow led to more than 900,000 power outages for customers across the Midwest.

S​ome freezing rain coated cars and roads in western and northern New York. Much of the greater Buffalo metro area picked up more than a half-inch of ice during the night from Feb. 22-23.

L​ate on Thursday, Nov. 23, Olive moved through the Northeast with generally lighter snow and ice. Much of northern Upstate New York and central and northern New England picked up 5-10 inches of snow, including up to 10 inches near Conway, New Hampshire and Ripogenus, Maine.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.