 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(December 2010) |
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 massive and far-reaching storm was called the Superstorm of 2006 by some meteorologists. [1]
As of December 4, at least 23 deaths had been attributed to the storm system.
The storm allowed frigid air bottled up in much of western Canada and Alaska to flow south and overspread the United States, with sub-zero (°F) highs in the northern Plains. The colder air later reached the eastern half of the United States with much lesser impact.
The first impacts took place in the Pacific Northwest on November 26. It was unusual in that the snow fell all the way to the coast, which is rare so early in the season. Up to 2 feet (61 cm) of snow fell in the Cascades, with up to 6 inches (15 cm) in the Puget Sound area. [2] The Sierra Nevada saw up to a foot and many valley locations recorded 4–10 inches (10–25 centimetres).
In the Greater Vancouver Area and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, 6–20 inches (15–51 centimetres) of snow fell on November 26 and 27, with Abbotsford recording the heaviest amount at about 45 cm (about 1.5 feet). [3] At least 1 person was killed by the snowfall in British Columbia. [2] The Vancouver and Victoria areas normally get far more rain than snow, even during the winter months, due to the warm flow coming from the Pacific Ocean.
Before the occurrence of the snowstorm however, it was all about the rain. The city of Vancouver was under a boil water advisory due to two of the main reservoirs overflowing. The snowstorm occurred because of another huge low pressure system, but this time, colliding with an arctic ridge resulted in extremely heavy snow and causing overnight temperatures to dip to well below seasonal values; −12 °C (10 °F) on the 28th and −11.6 °C (11.1 °F) on the 29th. Daily high temperatures hovered at a frigid −5 °C (23 °F) on the 28th as the arctic ridge began to stabilize over the south coast. Drier air began to influence the coast with sunny breaks and isolated flurries beginning on the evening of the 27th and ending on the morning of the 29th. On the 30th, about 25 cm (8-10 inches) of snow was recorded to be on the ground at Vancouver International Airport. [4] In some areas of the lower mainlands hills/higher elevations such as West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Coquitlam, Burnaby Mountain and Maple Ridge the snow started earlier (some snow recorded as early as the 24th) and ended later (some snow recorded as late as the 4th of December) so the snow lasted much longer than the rest of the lower mainland as temperatures got very close to −18 °C (0 °F).
The storm then moved into the central Rocky Mountains and the northern Plains from November 27 to 29. The central and northern Rockies received 1–2 feet (30–61 cm), with up to 3 feet (91 cm) in the Wasatch Range and a foot of snow falling along the Wasatch Front of Utah through the 29th.
As the system moved eastward, it remained a snow event across the northern Plains, with the heaviest snow taking place in Canada on November 27 and 28, Heavy snow fell across portions of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario including the cities of Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg. Accumulations of 4–10 inches (10–25 centimetres) were common and blizzard conditions occurred across portions of Saskatchewan. [5] [6]
Late on November 28, the system moved eastward into the Midwest, with the most significant impacts taking place on November 29 and 30. Up to a foot (30 cm) of snow with blizzard conditions and even some freezing rain at times fell across the Plains and Midwest as far south as Texas through the 30th, bringing the first significant snowfall of the season to some areas. Freezing rain and other winter weather also took place across parts of the southern Plains and the Tennessee Valley by the 30th, as well. Blizzard conditions were reported in Oklahoma, where Tulsa, Oklahoma picked up about 10 inches (25 cm) of snow, a record high snowfall so early in the season for that city.
The storm continued to press northeastward late in the day on November 30, producing heavy snow and ice across most of Kansas and Missouri. The Wichita area received blizzard conditions, while Butler, Missouri picked up 15 inches (38 cm) of snow. Freezing rain and sleet caused widespread power outages in the St. Louis region, causing over ½ million customers (almost entirely Ameren) to be without power in Missouri and Illinois, for the second time in 1 year (see 2006 St. Louis Derecho), some of them not gaining power for a week. On Sunday, December 3, over 300,000 customers were still without power through the weekend, prompting the Army National Guard to come in and provide aid. The storm also significantly impacted central Illinois, where Bloomington received 3 inches (76 mm) of ice, followed by 17.6 inches (45 cm) of snow. In Peoria, Illinois, heavy snow caused the roof of a nursing home to collapse, injuring four people.
The storm hit the Chicago area on the morning of December 1, its intensity peaking during the morning rush hour. Its expected impact caused over 450 flights to be canceled at O'Hare International Airport and 70 flights to be canceled at Midway International Airport. Additionally, hundreds of schools, colleges, and even workplaces, particularly in the collar counties, were closed for the day. 17 inches (43 cm) of snow fell in LaSalle and Peru, where blizzard conditions brought Interstate 80 to a standstill for much of the day. Chicago's northern and northwestern suburbs were particularly hard hit, where up to 15 inches (38 cm) of snow fell in McHenry and over a foot of snow fell over much of Lake County, Illinois, and northwestern Cook County. Snow fell at times at rates of over 1 to 2 inches (3 to 5 centimetres) throughout most of the Chicago area, and thundersnow was reported in several locations. Meanwhile, the city of Chicago only saw 6.2 inches (16 cm) of snow, thanks to warm air on the back side of the low which produced more of a slushy mixture and less snowfall. Blowing and drifting snow, in addition to below-freezing temperatures caused roads to continue to be hazardous for travel through the weekend. In southeast Wisconsin blizzard warnings were posted for much of the day on December 1 in Kenosha, Racine, and Milwaukee counties. Genoa City, WI, just north of the WI-IL border, saw over 14 inches (36 cm) of snow, while Milwaukee received 10.1 inches (26 cm) of snow. The highest total in the region was Kenosha, WI, receiving 17 inches (43 cm) of snow. This area of southeast Wisconsin had not experienced a blizzard like this since the Blizzard of 1999. The storm moved out over Lake Michigan and into the northern sections of lower Michigan midday December 1, and up to a foot of snow fell across the area. By late afternoon, the blizzard moved into Canada.
On December 1, the blizzard and ice storm moved into Ontario and Quebec. In eastern Canada, several areas received between 15 and 6–10 inches (15–25 centimetres), especially in northeastern Ontario and in central and eastern Quebec. However, many areas, including central New Brunswick, southern Ontario and southern Quebec, received mixed precipitation including ice pellets and freezing rain. Over a 250,000 Hydro-Québec residents in the Montreal area lost their power during their storm and tens of thousands of residents in Ontario were also without power due to damaging winds and heavy amounts of freezing rain. The ice accumulation locally reached two inches (51 mm) in eastern Ontario with Ottawa receiving over 1 inch (25 mm) while Montreal in southern Quebec received 1.25 inches (32 mm) of ice. The towns of Russell and Embrun in eastern Ontario were under a state of emergency due to the storm. [7] [8] [9] This area was also hard-hit by the 1998 Ice Storm which caused over 1 million homes to lose power (some of them for up to one month) while transmission towers and hydro poles were destroyed.
South of the ice, severe thunderstorms took place across the Mid-Atlantic States on December 1 as the snow and ice took place farther north, where warm Gulf moisture created a situation ripe for heavy rain and severe thunderstorms.
On the morning of December 1, while heavy snow was battering the Midwest, large sections of the Northeastern United States saw temperatures in the 60–75 °F (16–24 °C) range. Including a record high for December 1 of 70 °F in Pittsburgh. Severe thunderstorms were forecast for Ohio, Pennsylvania, and parts of the Northeast Megalopolis. Sure enough, heavy rain, strong winds, hail, and vivid lightning pelted the area, in addition to several tornadoes. One of the strongest tornadoes, an F2, struck Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Scranton. An F1 tornado struck Greensburg, Pennsylvania at 11:40 am, east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Across Upstate New York, Damaging Thunderstorms resulted from an unprecedented temperature gradient and unusually strong Jet Stream winds over the area. Jet stream winds of 160 mph, and winds at the 1,000-foot level of as high as 70 mph crossed the area during the evening as an area of low pressure developed over the region and dragged a warm front northward. The Storm Prediction Center placed New York and Pennsylvania under a Moderate Risk for Severe Thunderstorms. Temperature contrasts were extreme along the warm front, with one area of Columbia County experiencing temperatures in the upper 30s. Two miles away, temperatures were in the upper 60s.
Severe Thunderstorms developed across the cold front in Central New York and moved east. The 5 pm observation at Albany ahead of these storms was a Temperature of 42 degrees and a Dewpoint of 40. Immediately ahead of these storms, temperatures skyrocketed into the 60s. There were multiple reports of windows of homes and cars fogging up from the rapid rise in temperature.
Frequent Lightning and Damaging Winds accompanied these storms which is unusual for the cold season in the Northeast. Large Hail, which is unheard of in the Cold Season was reported from these storms in Delaware and Columbia Counties. Trees and Wires were reported downed in many areas, and in some cases Structural damage was reported. In Western Massachusetts, Tanglewood was especially hard hit. A microburst as high as 85 mph downed as many as 300 trees and caused $250,000 worth of damage. Severe damage was also reported in the vicinity.
Additionally, large sections of the southeast saw severe thunderstorms, including a bow echo that hit parts of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia on November 30. Several tornadoes were also reported.
The Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS) was created to measure snowstorms in the U.S. Northeast in much the same way the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale records hurricane intensity and the Enhanced Fujita Scale with tornadoes.
Minnesota has a humid continental climate, with hot summers and cold winters. Minnesota's location in the Upper Midwest allows it to experience some of the widest variety of weather in the United States, with each of the four seasons having its own distinct characteristics. The area near Lake Superior in the Minnesota Arrowhead region experiences weather unique from the rest of the state. The moderating effect of Lake Superior keeps the surrounding area relatively cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, giving that region a smaller yearly temperature variation. On the Köppen climate classification, much of the southern third of Minnesota—roughly from the Twin Cities region southward—falls in the hot summer zone (Dfa), and the northern two-thirds of Minnesota falls in the warm summer zone (Dfb).
This article describes severe weather terminology used by the Meteorological Service of Canada, a branch within Environment and Climate Change Canada. The article primarily describes various weather warnings, and their criteria. Related weather scales and general weather terms are also addressed in this article. Some terms are specific to certain regions.
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.
Global weather activity of 2007 profiles the major worldwide weather events, including blizzards, ice storms, tornadoes, tropical cyclones, and other weather events, from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2007. Winter 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. Other major non winter events such as large dust storms, Hurricanes, cyclones, tornados, gales, flooding and rainstorms are also caused by such phenomena to a lesser or greater existent.
Global weather activity of 2006 profiles the major worldwide weather events, including blizzards, ice storms, tropical cyclones, tornadoes, and other weather events, from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2006. Winter 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. Other major non winter events such as large dust storms, Hurricanes, cyclones, tornados, gales, flooding and rainstorms are also caused by such phenomena to a lesser or greater existent.
The December 1969 nor'easter was a strong winter storm that mainly affected the Northeastern United States and southern Quebec between December 25 and December 28, 1969. The multi-faceted storm system included a tornado outbreak, record snow accumulations, a damaging ice storm, and flooding rains.
The 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard was a powerful and historic winter storm that affected large swaths of the United States and Canada from January 31 to February 2, 2011, especially on Groundhog Day. During the initial stages of the storm, some meteorologists predicted that the system would affect over 100 million people in the United States. The storm brought cold air, heavy snowfall, blowing snow, and mixed precipitation on a path from New Mexico and northern Texas to New England and Eastern Canada. The Chicago area saw 21.2 inches (54 cm) of snow and blizzard conditions, with winds of over 60 mph (100 km/h). With such continuous winds, the blizzard continued to the north and affected Eastern and Atlantic Canada. Blizzard conditions affected many other large cities along the storm's path, including Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, El Paso, Las Cruces, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago, Indianapolis, Dayton, Cleveland, New York City, New York's Capital District, and Boston. Many other areas not normally used to extreme winter conditions, including Albuquerque, Dallas and Houston, experienced significant snowfall or ice accumulation. The central Illinois National Weather Service in Lincoln, Illinois, issued only their fourth blizzard warning in the forecast office's 16-year history. Snowfall amounts of 20 to 28 inches were forecast for much of Northern and Western Illinois.
The Geography of Atlanta encompasses 132.4 square miles (342.9 km2), of which 131.7 square miles (341.1 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) is water. The city is situated among the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, and at 1,050 feet (320 m) above mean sea level, Atlanta has the highest elevation among major cities east of the Mississippi River. Atlanta straddles the Eastern Continental Divide, such that rainwater that falls on the south and east side of the divide flows into the Atlantic Ocean, while rainwater on the north and west side of the divide flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Atlanta sits atop a ridge south of the Chattahoochee River, which is part of the ACF River Basin. Located at the far northwestern edge of the city, much of the river's natural habitat is preserved, in part by the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.
The 2013–14 North American winter was one of the most significant for the United States, due in part to the breakdown of the polar vortex in November 2013, which allowed very cold air to travel down into the United States, leading to an extended period of very cold temperatures. The pattern continued mostly uninterrupted throughout the winter and numerous significant winter storms affected the Eastern United States, with the most notable one being a powerful winter storm that dumped ice and snow in the Southeastern United States and the Northeastern United States in mid-February. Most of the cold weather abated by the end of March, though a few winter storms did affect the Western United States towards the end of the winter.
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-then-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.
At the start of spring 2016, a major winter storm moved through the High Plains and Midwest, bringing blizzard conditions with snowfall of up to 12–18 inches (30–46 cm) and strong winds as well. Snowstorms like this are typical in these areas at this time of year. The system also brought with it a severe weather threat as well. As it moved to the east, a crippling ice storm scenario was developing as well.
The 2012–13 North American winter started out somewhat early, as the remnants of Hurricane Sandy brought heavy snow to the mountains of West Virginia in late October. Later, a strong nor'easter affected the weary Northeastern United States, hampering storm recovery efforts and dropping several inches of snow. The rest of the winter featured several other notable events, such as a Christmas winter storm that affected most of the Eastern United States, and the most notable event occurring in early February, when a powerful blizzard struck the Northeast and brought record snow to some areas. During the winter, a weak El Nino was expected to influence weather conditions across the continent.
The 2010–11 North American winter was influenced by an ongoing La Niña, seeing winter storms and very cold temperatures affect a large portion of the Continental United States, even as far south as the Texas Panhandle. Notable events included a major blizzard that struck the Northeastern United States in late December with up to 2 feet (24 in) of snowfall and a significant tornado outbreak on New Year's Eve in the Southern United States. By far the most notable event was a historic blizzard that impacted areas from Oklahoma to Michigan in early February. The blizzard broke numerous snowfall records, and was one of the few winter storms to rank as a Category 5 on the Regional Snowfall Index. In addition, Oklahoma set a statewide low temperature record in February.
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 January 2019 North American winter storm was a long-lived winter storm, forming as a large area of low pressure off the Pacific Northwest shoreline January 16, making its way to the Northeast by January 21. Its effects included heavy rain/high elevation snow and gusty winds in California, severe weather in the south, near-blizzard conditions in Upstate New York, an ice storm in New England and minor coastal flooding in the Mid-Atlantic.
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 November 26 – December 3, 2019 North American blizzard was a major winter storm from the Rocky Mountains to the Northeast as well as a record-breaking windstorm along the West Coast. It occurred the week of American Thanksgiving, hampering travel for millions across the United States.
The January 14–17, 2022 North American winter storm brought widespread impacts and wintry precipitation across large sections of eastern North America and parts of Canada. Forming out of a shortwave trough on January 13, it first produced a swath of snowfall extending from the High Plains to the Midwestern United States. The storm eventually pivoted east and impacted much of the Southern United States from January 15–16 before shifting north into Central Canada, the Mid-Atlantic states, and the Northeastern United States. The system, named Winter Storm Izzy by The Weather Channel, was described as a "Saskatchewan Screamer".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)