Relive The Groundhog Day Blizzard From 2011

As you get older you get to say things like "This isn't a big winter storm. I remember when...". Well, it was only 10 years ago that the Groundhog Day Blizzard hit the United States from Texas to Maine so many of us can look back and say "I remember when".

The snow lightly began to fall on January 31. However, as conditions amplified that light snowfall would soon turn into areas of the Quad Cities seeing 1-3 inches of snow per hour, with 4 inches of snow per hour falling in Chicago. While many in the Quad Cities would end up with 10-12 inches of snow, Chicago and north into Wisconsin along the lake would see 2 to 2 1/2 feet of snow from this storm.

Ok, so you're old enough to remember more snow. Good for you. But sometimes, it's not just about the snow. Let's now add in winds of 30-60 mph with the highest winds again coming in Chicago at over 70 mph. The piles of snow and blowing winds would create drifts in the area up to 7ft tall.

At this point somebody has already said "This is nothing like the storm of 79!". I hope it was said in your best Grandpa Simpson, get off my lawn voice. I'm sure it was bad, however, for the Groundhog Day Blizzard, Moline would see a 24 hour record snowfall of 16.7 inches. So yeah, this one was bad too.

If that gerbil, or prairie dog, or muskrat...or whatever it is, sees it's shadow or not, as long as we don't get another one of these I'll be good with this winter.

Check out more information, pics and the radar from the blizzard of 2011 here.