CHESHIRE COUNTY, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Winter Storm Fern wrapped up early Tuesday after delivering widespread heavy snowfall and bitter cold across Cheshire County, with several communities recording more than a foot of snow and Keene tying a record-low daytime high temperature, according to the National Weather Service.

Final snowfall reports show the storm was one of the more significant January snow events in recent years for the region.

Final Snow Totals Across Cheshire County

Peterborough: 17.0 inches

Roxbury: 14.4 inches

Keene: 13.8 inches

West Chesterfield: 13.4 inches

Spofford (ENE): 12.5 inches

Snow fell steadily from Sunday morning through Monday evening, with the heaviest accumulation occurring Sunday night into Monday. Travel conditions deteriorated rapidly during peak snowfall, prompting parking bans, shelter openings and repeated calls from officials for residents to stay off the roads.

How This Storm Ranks Historically

With 13.8 inches recorded in Keene, Winter Storm Fern ranks among the top snow events of the past decade, though it falls short of the city’s largest two-day snowstorms on record, according to David Coe, meteorologist for 1DegreeOutside. Keene’s highest two-day snowfall remains 24.9 inches in February 2001.

However, according to Coe’s data, the storm does compare closely with other notable events, including:

14.0 inches in March 1984

14.5 inches during the March 2017 storm

16.0 inches in December 2020

Records for Keene date back to 1893, placing this storm solidly in the upper tier of significant winter events.

Record Cold Accompanied the Snow

In addition to heavy snowfall, the storm brought exceptionally cold temperatures, shown in National Weather Service records. On Sunday, Jan. 25, Keene recorded a maximum temperature of just 11 degrees, tying the coldest daily high temperature ever recorded for that date.

Wind chills during the storm dropped well below zero, increasing the risk of frostbite and hypothermia and prompting the opening of multiple warming shelters across the Monadnock Region.

Snowfall Well Above Normal

The storm pushed Keene’s January snowfall total to 21.6 inches, well above the normal January average of 12.7 inches. Since July 1, Keene has now recorded 36.9 inches of snow, exceeding the seasonal average for this point in the winter.

Snow depth in Keene reached 14 inches, the deepest of the season so far.

After the Storm

Road crews across Cheshire County continued cleanup operations Tuesday, clearing residential streets and addressing narrowed roadways caused by snowbanks. Officials thanked residents for complying with parking bans and staying off the roads during the height of the storm.

While conditions improved as skies cleared, forecasters cautioned that lingering cold temperatures could lead to icy surfaces and refreezing overnight.

Winter Storm Fern is now officially over, but it will be remembered as a high-impact January storm marked by heavy snow, dangerous cold and record-setting temperatures in parts of Cheshire County.