Top snowy winters: January and December 2008 had a combined 154 inches of snow!

| October 31, 2011 9:00 PM

Last week in 'Gems,' we featured the 'Top Ten' snowy winter seasons and the most snowless 'Bottom Ten' winters since 1895. This week, we'll offer the 'Top Ten' snowiest months and the 'Top Ten' snowiest 24-hour days since 1895.

THE 'TOP TEN' SNOWIEST MONTHS SINCE AT LEAST 1895

1. 89.6" in December 2008

2. 82.4" in January 1969

3. 64.4" in January 2008

4. 63.6" in December 1915

5. 62.8" in January 1950

6. 57.7" in December 1996

7. 56.2" in January 1954

8. 53.2" in December 1964

9. 49.6" in December 1992

10. 47.0" in December 2007

*14. 38.3" in November 2010

THE 'TOP TEN' SNOWIEST DAYS (24 HOURS - 12 A.M. TO 12 A.M. - ALL ABOVE ONE FOOT!)

1. 12/18/2008 - 28.6" (Many roofs were damaged. We received more total snow on this single day than accumulated on any of the 'open' winter seasons listed below. This was the STORM OF THE CENTURY!)

2. 2/25/55 - 16.4"

3. 1/4/82 - 14.5"

4. 1/4/93 - 14.2"

5. 1.27/69 - 14.1"

6. 2/25/19 - 14.0"

7. 1/22/54 - 13.9"

8. 12/9/22 - 13.8"

9. 2/29/12 - 13.6"

10. 1/7/50 - 13.5"

Next week in 'Gems,' we'll feature the 'Top Ten' coldest and warmest winters in Coeur d'Alene since 1895.

NORTH IDAHO WEATHER REVIEW AND LONG-RANGE OUTLOOKS

The first hard freeze of the rather mild and mostly dry autumn of 2011 arrived at midweek as expected. Temperatures dipped into the mid to upper 20s in the region. We observed a frigid 26 degrees on Thursday at 7:25 a.m. at my station on Player Driver in northwestern Coeur d'Alene. This was the coldest morning locally since last April 20, more than 6 months ago.

Remember to detach the hoses in these fall coldwaves. Also, cover the mums on a nightly basis. It's also a good idea to bring in the water fountains. As far as snow tires are concerned, even the studded type, I would put them on one's vehicle as soon as possible. We could see some of the white stuff by the end of this week, into the Veterans Day period, Nov. 11, and beyond. Snows are early this "La Nina" autumn.

Looking farther down the meteorological roadway, Randy and I still predict that at least Lookout Pass will be open for skiing by the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The other ski resorts may not have enough snow to open until early December, But, as usual, only time will tell.

Remember, last November was the snowiest on record since at least 1895 in Coeur d'Alene. We measured a whopping 38.3 inches of rather wet snow on Player Drive, compared to the November average snowfall of just 8.7 inches in town. This November should bring us around a 'foot' of snow in Coeur d'Alene with upwards of 20 inches expected in the snowier Twin Lakes area and points north.

Cliff Harris is a climatologist who writes a weekly column for The Press. His opinions are his own. Email sfharris@roadrunner.com