NOAA Creates Ranking System for Snowstorms

Posted on February 1, 2006

NOAA has announced the creation of The Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS), which will assign a ranking to snowstorms shortly after they have ended. NESIS scores are a function of the area affected by the snowstorm, the amount of snow, and the number of people living in the path of the storm.

A table shows some past storms that have already been assigned rankings according to the NESIS. The blizzard of 1993tops the list with an NESIS score of 13.20 and a Category 5 ranking.

Will we see any powerful snowstorms this year? So far this Winter seems especially warm. Several cities had all-time record average temperatures for January including Rapid City and Sioux Falls in SD, Bismarck, ND and Traverse City, Michigan.

WEATHER