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The December 2008 North American snowstorms were a series of snowstorms that struck across Canada and the US. The snowstorms caused snow to fall across Canada and many parts of the United States, and broke records for the amount of snow accumulated in many cities on Christmas Day.
The snowstorms caused Canada to have the first "nationwide" white Christmas since 1971. [1]
The series of snowstorms broke a 44-year-old record for the snowiest Christmas ever, with up to 28 inches (71 cm) of snow accumulated in some parts of the South Coast. It was the first "official" white Christmas in Vancouver since 1998. In fact, Vancouver would be the Canadian city with the greatest snow depth for the Christmas Day of 2008. [2] [3] Vancouver experienced many snowfalls including snowstorms on December 21 and on the 24th, breaking daily snowfall records.
Vancouver International Airport recorded 22.4 centimeters (9 in) and 26.8 centimeters (11 in) on the 21st and on the 24th respectively. Higher elevations and cities northeast of Vancouver, such as Coquitlam, received over 30 centimeters (12 in) of snow with each of the storms. The snow, however, was also accompanied by frigid temperatures such as the −15.2 °C (5 °F) on the 20th, which broke the daily low temperature record at the airport which is situated at sea level. It happened to be the coldest temperature recorded in December for 40 years; dating back to the −17.8 °C (0 °F) on the 29th in 1968. [4]
Another snowstorm on the 26th brought an additional 15.6 centimeters (6 in) of snow at the airport, which led to some roof collapses. [5] When recorded, the monthly snowfall for December stood at an astonishing near 90 centimeters (35 in) . [6]
Two avalanches occurred near Fernie, British Columbia, as a result of the snowstorms that dumped approximately 27 inches (69 cm) in the region. The first avalanche buried a group of seven men, and a second avalanche buried a group of four that were trying to help the first group. Three men pulled themselves out of the snow, but eight died in the avalanches. [7]
Areas of Southern Ontario saw above average snowfall throughout much of December 2008. Areas like Toronto saw over 60 cm (24 in) in December and near Lake Huron and Georgian Bay snowfall amounts were in excess of 100+cm. Many areas near London, Ontario, and near the shorelines of Lake Huron had seen above average snowfall as well. [8]
Thick fog caused by the storms were responsible for flight cancellations in both the Chicago Midway Airport and the US's second busiest airport, O'Hare International Airport. On December 26 hundreds of flights were canceled. Operations began to return to normal the following day, though over a hundred flights were still canceled. [9]
The snowstorms were responsible for the greatest December snowfall in Portland, Oregon, in 40 years [10] (the snowiest December in Portland was 1884, with more than 31 inches (79 cm) [10] of snow). The City of Portland reported spending an estimated $2.17 million on snow removal, deicing of roads, and employee overtime due to the record snowfall. [11]
Tri-Met suspended two-thirds of its bus lines. [12] Hundreds of flights arriving and departing from Portland International Airport were canceled, leaving passengers and luggage stranded. [13] Garbage services, privately run in the Portland area, were also canceled for over two weeks. [14]
The winter weather greatly affected the Seattle area, where snow brought the city to a standstill and temperatures reached record lows. Many holiday travelers were unable to reach their destinations when Greyhound canceled bus service, airlines canceled flights at Sea-Tac International Airport, and Amtrak shut down passenger service between Eugene, Oregon, and Vancouver, British Columbia. [15] [16]
The city of Seattle was criticized over its response to the snowfall. Mayor Greg Nickels initially gave the city a "B" for its response to the snowstorm, but the director of the Department of Transportation admitted the city should have done things differently. [17] [18] [19] The Seattle Department of Transportation did not use salt on the icy roads, opting instead to put sand and a chemical de-icer on the roads. The snowplows used by the city did not clear the roads entirely of snow, instead creating a hard snow-packed surface; this was done to minimize damage to the roads. [20] The mayor later stated the city would use salt during future snowstorms, [21] but the heavy criticism may have contributed to incumbent Mayor Nickels coming in third place in the next primary election. [22]
A deep, upper-level trough had become established over the western United States during the weekend of December 13–14, 2008. Reanalysis data obtained online from Penn State University shows 700 mb temperatures across the area dropped to between −10 °C (14 °F) and −12 °C (10 °F) across southern Nevada by 06Z on December 14 and remained there through 12Z on December 17. An upper-level low moved southward along the West Coast of the United States, reaching the coast of southern California by 06Z on December 17. The low moved southeastward through the base of the upper-level trough axis and by the morning of December 17 was located along the coast of southern California. By 12Z on December 17, the low was accompanied by a 120+ knot jet stream that was located across the Mojave Desert (Figure 1). As the low approached southern California, the Mojave Desert was located under the left front quadrant of the jet, an area of typically favorable for lift. An area of diffluence, associated with this jet, was noted over southern California and western Arizona ahead of the upper low around 00Z on December 18, which also helped to further enhance lift across the area. [23]
As a southwesterly flow aloft pushed moist air over the Mojave Desert, surface analysis indicated a north to northeast pressure gradient was also present in this area due to high pressure centered over eastern Utah. The 12Z sounding from Desert Rock (KDRA) indicated low-level northeasterly flow was present up through 850 mb with primarily southwesterly flow above that level (Figure 2). Between 12Z on December 17 and 00Z on December 18, a plume of subtropical moisture accompanied by precipitable water values of 0.30 to 0.50 of an inch was streaming northeastward toward the Mojave Desert. By 18Z on December 17, the jet stream had strengthened to 140 knots over Arizona, which placed southern Nevada near the left rear quadrant of the jet. Typically, the left rear quadrant of the jet corresponds to an area of subsidence, but in this case the curvature effects of the jet resulted in additional vertical motion in this quadrant. The upper low by then had moved towards the coast of southern California, with a distinct area of maximum Positive Vorticity Advection (PVA) at 500 mb having moved inland across the Mojave Desert (Figure 3). [23]
Snow and a mix of snow and rain began to fall in the Las Vegas Valley shortly before 20Z on December 17. Radiosonde data from Desert Rock depicted warm advection took place between 12Z on December 17 and 00Z on December 18 with temperatures at 700 mb rising from −12 °C (10 °F) to −8 °C (18 °F) during that period. By around 02Z on December 18, precipitation generally became more intermittent as the area of maximum PVA had moved away from the area. Rain or a mixture of rain and snow tapered off between 05Z and 08Z on December 18 as warmer air finally infiltrated the lower levels and the upper low moved northeast over the Mojave dessert. Snow levels and amounts varied tremendously across the Las Vegas Valley with the greatest amounts located in the southeastern portion of the valley (Figures 4 and 5). Officially 3.6 inches of snow fell at the National Weather Service Office, which is located 2 miles southwest of McCarran International Airport. Generally 3 to 6 inches fell across the southern half of the valley. A maximum of 10 inches of snow was measured at the residence of a National Weather Service employee in southeast Henderson, near Railroad Pass, at an elevation of just under 2400 feet. The Henderson Executive Airport, located at an elevation of 2464 feet, in the southwestern part of Henderson received 8 inches. Snow amounts were highly variable along the famous Las Vegas Strip with the heaviest amounts on the southern end. At the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign on the far south end 1.7 inches of snow was measured while central and northern parts of The Strip saw snow barely coat some grassy surfaces and a few rooftops and metal objects at best. This corresponded well to a sharp-cut off noted overall across the center of the valley, where snow amounts decreased markedly. Across the northern half of the valley, snow levels were about 500 feet higher thus resulting in little to no snow accumulating here. [23]
The North American blizzard of 1996 was a severe nor'easter that paralyzed the United States East Coast with up to 4 feet (1.2 m) of wind-driven snow from January 6 to January 8, 1996. The City University of New York reported that the storm "dropped 20 inches of snow, had wind gusts of 50 mph and snow drifts up to 8 feet high." This storm was a classic example of a nor'easter, but the storm would not have been as historically significant without the presence of the arctic high pressure system located to the north of New York. It was followed by another storm, an Alberta Clipper, on January 12, then unusually warm weather and torrential rain which caused rapid melting and river flooding in the Northeast Floods later that month. Along with the March Superstorm of 1993 and the January 2016 United States blizzard, it is one of only three snowstorms to receive the top rating of 5, or "Extreme", on the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS).
The North American blizzard of 2006 was a nor'easter that began on the evening of February 11, 2006. It dumped heavy snow across the Mid-Atlantic and New England states, from Virginia to Maine through the early evening of February 12, and ended in Atlantic Canada on February 13. The major cities from Baltimore to Boston received at least a foot of snow, with a second-highest amount of 26.9 inches (68 cm) in New York City, the most since at least 1869, the start of record keeping, only broken by the January 2016 United States blizzard nearly 10 years later.
The Blizzard of 1999 was a strong winter snowstorm which struck the Midwestern United States and portions of central and eastern Canada, hitting hardest in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, southern Ontario, and southern Quebec dumping as much as 60 centimetres (2 ft) of snow in many areas. Chicago received a recorded 21.6 in (55 cm). The storm hit just after New Year's Day, between January 2 and January 4, 1999. Travel was severely disrupted throughout the areas and the cities of Chicago and Toronto were also paralyzed. Additionally, record low temperatures were measured in many towns in the days immediately after the storm.
A historic snowstorm struck the Ohio Valley of the United States, as well as Ontario in Canada, on December 22 and December 23 and is not the same storm that led to snow in Texas on Christmas Eve. It lasted roughly 30 hours, and brought snowfall amounts up to 29 inches (74 cm) to portions of the Midwestern United States. Damages from the storm totaled US$900 million (2004 dollars). A total of 18 died during the storm, one from Canada, mainly due to car accidents.
The Early Winter 2006 North American storm complex was a severe winter storm that occurred on November 26, 2006, and continued into December 1. It affected much of North America in some form, producing various kinds of severe weather including a major ice storm, blizzard conditions, high winds, extreme cold, a serial derecho and some tornadoes.
The East Asian snowstorms of 2009–2010 were heavy winter storms, including blizzards, ice storms, and other winter events, that affected East Asia from 8 May 2009 to 28 February 2010. The areas affected included Mongolia, China, Nepal, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Kuril Islands, Sea of Okhotsk, Primorsky, and Sakhalin Island.
Global weather activity of 2009 profiles the major worldwide storms, including blizzards, tornadoes, ice storms, tropical cyclones and other meteorogical events, from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2009. Wintery storms are events in which the dominant varieties of precipitation are forms that only occur at cold temperatures, such as snow or sleet, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are cold enough to allow ice to form. It may be marked by strong wind, thunder and lightning, heavy precipitation, such as ice, or wind transporting some substance through the atmosphere. Summer storms including flooding, severe thunderstorms and extratropical cyclones are also included in this list to a certain extent.
Global storm activity of 2008 profiles the major worldwide storms, including blizzards, ice storms, and other winter events, from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. A winter storm is an event in which the dominant varieties of precipitation are forms that only occur at cold temperatures, such as snow or sleet, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are cold enough to allow ice to form. It may be marked by strong wind, thunder and lightning, heavy precipitation, such as ice, or wind transporting some substance through the atmosphere. Major dust storms, Hurricanes, cyclones, tornados, gales, flooding and rainstorms are also caused by such phenomena to a lesser or greater existent.
The February 2013 North American blizzard, also known as Winter Storm Nemo and the Blizzard of 2013, was a powerful blizzard that developed from the combination of two areas of low pressure, primarily affecting the Northeastern United States and parts of Canada, causing heavy snowfall and hurricane-force winds. The storm crossed the Atlantic Ocean, affecting Ireland and the United Kingdom. The nor'easter's effects in the United States received a Category 3 rank on the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale, classifying it as a "Major" Winter Storm.
Snow in the southern part of Louisiana presents a rare and serious problem because of South Louisiana’s subtropical climate. For snow to push into the southern region of Louisiana, extreme weather conditions for the area must be present, usually a low-pressure system coupled with unusually low temperatures. Average snowfall in Louisiana is approximately 0.2 inches (5.1 mm) per year, a low figure rivaled only by the states of Florida and Hawaii. Due to the infrequency of these cold weather patterns, southern areas affected in this state are often unprepared to deal with slick streets and freezing temperatures.
The 2014–15 North American winter was frigid and prolifically wintry, especially across the eastern half of North America in the months of January–March. The season began early, with many places in North America experiencing their first wintry weather during mid-November. A period of below-average temperatures affected much of the contiguous United States, and several records were broken. An early trace of snowfall was recorded in Arkansas. There were greater accumulations of snow across parts of Oklahoma as well. A quasi-permanent phenomenon referred to as the polar vortex may have been partly responsible for the cold weather. Temperatures in much of the United States dropped 15 to 35 °F below average by November 19, following a southward "dip" of the polar vortex into the eastern two-thirds of the country. The effects of this dip were widespread, bringing about temperatures as low as 28 °F (−2 °C) in Pensacola, Florida. Following a significant snowstorm there, Buffalo, New York received several feet of snow from November 17–21. In addition, significant winter weather occurred throughout the season, including a major blizzard that struck the Northeastern United States at the end of January, another blizzard that affected much of the Northern United States days later in early February, and several significant snow events paired with very frigid temperatures for much of February.
The 2015–16 North American winter was not as frigid across North America and the United States as compared to the 2013–14 and 2014–15 winters. This was mainly due to a strong El Niño, which caused generally warmer-than-average conditions. However, despite the warmth, significant weather systems still occurred, including a snowstorm and flash flooding in Texas at the end of December and a large tornado outbreak at the end of February. The main event of the winter season, by far and large, was when a crippling and historic blizzard struck the Northeastern United States in late January, dumping up to 3 feet of snow in and around the metropolitan areas. Several other smaller snow events affected the Northeast as well, but for the most part the heaviest snowstorms and ice stayed out further west, such as a severe blizzard in western Texas in late December, and a major late-season snowstorm in Colorado in mid-April.
The 2011–12 North American winter by and large saw above normal average temperatures across North America, with the Contiguous United States encountering its fourth-warmest winter on record, along with an unusually low number of significant winter precipitation events. The primary outlier was Alaska, parts of which experienced their coldest January on record.
The 2009–10 North American winter saw several major blizzards affect the Northeastern United States. It refers to winter as it occurred across the North American continent from late 2009 to early 2010. While there is no well-agreed-upon date used to indicate the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, there are two definitions of winter which may be used. Based on the astronomical definition, winter begins at the winter solstice, which in 2009 occurred on December 21, and ends at the March equinox, which in 2010 occurred on March 20. Based on the meteorological definition, the first day of winter is December 1 and the last day February 28. Both definitions involve a period of approximately three months, with some variability.
The 2018–19 North American winter was unusually cold within the Northern United States, with frigid temperatures being recorded within the middle of the season. Several notable events occurred, such as a rare snow in the Southeast in December, a strong cold wave and several major winter storms in the Midwest, and upper Northeast and much of Canada in late January and early February, record snowstorms in the Southwest in late February, deadly tornado outbreaks in the Southeast and a historic mid-April blizzard in the Midwest, but the most notable event of the winter was a record-breaking bomb cyclone that affected much of the Central United States and Canada in mid-March. Unlike previous winters, a developing weak El Niño was expected to influence weather patterns across North America. Overall, however, winter of 2018–19 was mild along the mid- and lower parts of the East Coast, the West Coast, and most of the southern Plains. Overall, the meteorological winter of 2018-19 became the wettest on record for the United States.
The 2019–20 North American winter was unusually warm for many parts of the United States; in many areas, neutral ENSO conditions controlled the weather patterns, resulting in the sixth-warmest winter on record, and many areas in the Northeastern United States saw one of the least snowy winters in years. In fact, Baltimore and Islip saw no snow in February for the first time. Some notable events still occurred, such as a powerful blizzard that impacted the Western United States in late November, a series of cold shots in January and February, a snowstorm within the Texas Panhandle and a late-season blizzard in the High Plains.
The 2020–21 North American winter was the most significant winter season to affect North America in several years, and the costliest on record, with a damage total of at least $33.35 billion. The season featured 6 storms ranking on the Regional Snowfall Index scale, with 4 storms ranking as at least a Category 3. Most of the winter's damage and fatalities occurred due to a historic and major cold wave in mid-February. Several other significant events occurred, including a crippling early-season ice storm in the Southern Plains, a powerful nor'easter in mid-December, another major nor'easter in early February, two major and widespread winter storms in mid-February, and a major blizzard in the Rocky Mountains in mid-March. The winter-related events were responsible for at least 358 fatalities, making it the deadliest season since 1992–93. A La Niña pattern influenced much of the winter in North America.
The December 15–17, 2020 nor'easter was a powerful nor'easter that hammered the Northeastern United States and produced widespread swaths of over 1 foot (12 in) of snow in much of the region from December 15–17, 2020, ending a 1,000+ day high-impact snowstorm drought in much of the Mid-Atlantic and coastal New England regions. The system developed out of a weak area of low-pressure that first developed over the Central United States producing some snowfall before moving eastward, and by December 16, a new, dominant area of low pressure began to develop along the Southeast coast. This low steadily deepened as it moved along and impacted the Mid-Atlantic coastline, prompting several winter-related advisories and warnings for much of the Northeast.
The 2021–22 North American winter was not as significant and record-breaking as the previous winter season. Despite this, several notable and significant events still occurred, including two separate record-breaking tornado outbreaks in mid-December, a significant winter storm in the South in mid-January, a powerful blizzard that impacted the Northeast coast at the end of January and a wide-ranging, significant winter storm that affected most of the eastern half of the country in early February. Additional significant events included a late-season winter storm in March that affected the Appalachian Mountains, and a major blizzard that affected North and South Dakota in mid-April. Additionally, a very late out-of-season snowstorm struck the Rocky Mountains in late May. During the season, four storms have been ranked on the Regional Snowfall Index (RSI), although none attained the “Major” category. Similar to the previous winter, a developing La Niña was expected to influence weather patterns across the continent.
The 2022–23 North American winter was an unusually warm winter for the east and an unusually cold winter for the west in North America, as it occurred across the continent from late 2022 to early 2023. The winter season in North America began at the winter solstice, which occurred on December 21, 2022, and it ended at the March equinox, which occurred on March 20, 2023. The first day of meteorological winter began on December 1 and unofficially ended on February 28; winter storms may still occur outside of these limits.
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