Snowiest Day On Record: The Day Prince William Saw Most Snowfall

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — Only a few centenarians may remember April 15, 1921, the day it snowed 76 inches in Boulder County, Colorado. Snowfall records for a single day aren't quite as impressive in Prince William County, according to an analysis of government weather data.

Historical weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows every state in the country, even tropical Hawaii, has seen snow. A February 1936 storm that dumped 6½ inches of snow on Maui was impressive even by Midwest and Northeast standards. The only other time that Hawaii had an extreme snowfall was in December 1958, when the Big Island got 4½ inches.

In Prince William County, the biggest one-day snowfall was 20 inches in Manassas on Jan. 28, 1922. In Virginia, the record goes to neighboring Loudoun County, when it snowed 36.6 inches only four years ago, on Jan. 24, 2016.

That compares to records in neighboring counties:

• Fairfax County, 25.5 inches: Feb. 6, 2010
• Fauquier County, 23.0 inches: March 6, 1962

With two months of winter left, it would take some unexpected weather to break those records. The Old Farmer's Almanac predicted a cold, snowy winter throughout much of the United States, with at least seven big snowstorms from one coast to the other. Mountainous, western Virginia can expect wintry conditions, but forecasters believe eastern Virginia and much of the east coast will see a wet rather than snowy winter.

The competing Farmers' Almanac predicts the eastern two-thirds of the United States can expect a snowy ride through the rest of the winter. In Virginia, the Farmers' Almanac predicts wet and cold conditions in late January, with very cold air plunging its way into the region by early February. Snow mixed with rain likely won't hit the forecast until mid-February.

In the short term, the seven-day National Weather Service prediction for Manassas calls for:

• Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 41. Mostly clear at night, with a low around 20.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. Mostly cloudy at night, with a low around 29.
• Friday: A chance of rain after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. At night, rain mainly after 8 p.m., with a low around 41. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.
• Saturday: Rain likely during the day. At night, rain likely before 8 p.m. then becoming mostly cloudy, with a low around 33.
• Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 47. At night, mostly cloudy, with a low around 32.
• Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 46. At night, partly cloudy, with a low around 32.
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47.