Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | February 10,2024 |
Exited land | February 13,2024 |
Dissipated | February 18,2024 |
Winter storm | |
Highest gusts | ~50 mph (80 km/h) near Cape Cod,Massachusetts |
Lowest pressure | 956 hPa (mbar);28.23 inHg |
Maximum rainfall | 7.10 in (180 mm) near Avon,Alabama |
Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | 15.7 in (40 cm) in West Hartford,Connecticut |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 1 |
Areas affected | Southern United States,Ohio Valley,Northeastern United States |
Power outages | >176,000 |
Part of the 2023–24 North American winter |
The February 2024 nor'easter was a quick-moving but powerful and disruptive nor'easter that brought widespread effects primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions of the Northeastern United States. Developing from a combination of an upper-level low and an area of low-pressure in the Southwestern United States on February 10,the system first brought heavy snow to the Texas Panhandle the following day. It then moved northeastwards across the Ohio Valley,causing impacts before beginning to consolidate into a more defined low as it approached the East Coast. The system then began rapid deepening as a nor’easter it moved offshore early on February 13,bringing heavy snowfall to much of the Mid-Atlantic. The system departed later that day,but not before bringing impacts to Atlantic Canada before peaking and gradually weakening thereafter,eventually dissipating on February 18.
Many cities in the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic,particularly New York City,were expected to receive the heaviest snowfall accumulation in at least two years due to the nor'easter, [1] although the storm was notable for being difficult to predict in the aforementioned regions in the hours leading up to the event. For example,forecasts for Boston released on the morning of February 12 predicted at least a foot of snow,but when the storm moved through the New England region the following day,it hardly dropped any snow on the city after taking a more southerly course. [2] Flights were cancelled or delayed across the Mid-Atlantic,and millions spanning from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts were placed under winter storm warnings. Over 175,000 people across the Northeast lost power,due to the heavy wet nature of the snow,and the nor'easter was responsible for at least one death so far as of February 13. Separately,the system dumped at least 1 foot (12 in;30 cm) in parts of Texas and Oklahoma causing severe impacts in the region as well.
The setup for a potential coastal storm in the Northeastern United States was evident as early as the afternoon of February 8. [3] Uncertainties as to how the system would develop,how much cold air would be available and how the upper-level features would evolve in the run up to the event. The primary factors expected in the development of the system involved an upper-level shortwave trough that would eject out of the Southwest,leading to coastal development. [3] By February 10,the aforementioned feature began developing in the Southwest,and due to limited cold air,heavy wet snow affected the northern parts of Texas and Oklahoma. A weak area of low pressure developed along the Gulf Coast and trekked northeastwards throughout February 11–12 across the Southeast as the system as a whole continued eastward. [4] At 09:00 UTC,the Weather Prediction Center deemed it necessary to begin issue storm summary bulletins for the winter storm. [5] At that time,precipitation mostly consisted of rain showers and squalls,with isolated wet snow in the colder regions of the atmosphere near the upper-level low. Later on February 12,a primary low-pressure area began to consolidate in the Tennessee Valley,strengthening as it moved eastwards and as precipitation began to slowly move into the Mid-Atlantic states. [6]
As the system became a nor'easter and moved offshore,rapid deepening –known also as "bombing out" –commenced overnight,with the central pressure falling from 991 mb (29.3 inHg) at 09:00 UTC on February 13 to 964 mb (28.5 inHg) at 03:00 UTC on February 14,a drop of 27 millibars (0.80 inHg) in 18 hours. [7] [8] As this process commenced during the early morning hours on February 13,precipitation rapidly switched from rain to heavy snowfall along much of the Mid-Atlantic,with rates approaching 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) per hour in the northwestern and northeastern portions of New Jersey and Pennsylvania,respectively,which led to the heaviest snowfall totals of the event in those areas. [9] The nor'easter moved quickly,with precipitation and snowfall ending across the Mid-Atlantic and eventually New England by evening that day;consequently,the WPC terminated storm summary bulletins for the departing nor'easter at 03:00 UTC on February 14. [10] The system continued to rapidly deepen afterwards as it began impacting Atlantic Canada with heavy snow and gusty winds,peaking at a minimum pressure of 956 mb (28.2 inHg) at 18:00 UTC that day while located south of Nova Scotia. [11] The system slowly began weakening thereafter as it moved further into the North Atlantic Ocean.
Winter storm watches and warnings were issued for the impending nor'easter from as far west as central Pennsylvania to the coast of Massachusetts. [1]
Vehicle restrictions were poised to go into effect on February 13 in Pennsylvania as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) began actively pre-treating roadways ahead of the storm. [12]
Schools across the state of New Jersey closed or moved classes to remote learning. [13] Despite not declaring a state of emergency,governor Phil Murphy strongly encouraged citizens to remain indoors and to not travel during the morning commute when the heaviest snowfall would be occurring,as well as encouraging to work from home,if possible. [14] Additionally,a commercial vehicle ban was set to go into effect at midnight and state offices were to open on a delayed schedule. Morris County residents were advised to think twice before traveling,and snowplows and equipment were loaded with salt to begin pre-treating major roadways such as Interstate 280 that evening. [15]
In southern New York,where New York City and the surrounding regions and boroughs were expected to receive at least 5–8 inches (13–20 cm) of snow –the heaviest expected for the city since a blizzard in January 2022,schools moved to online learning for February 13. [16] Westchester County declared a state of emergency late on February 12,in order to ensure the safety of its citizens. [17]
Connecticut closed some of its schools and business for February 13. [18] Governor Ned Lamont also announced that a tractor-trailer ban was going into effect at midnight. [19] In the town of Hartford,approximately 100 crews and thirty trucks were prepared to treat roadways with salt for the storm. [19]
Rhode Island governor Dan McKee also implemented a tractor-trailer ban beginning at midnight as well,while also stating the state goverment would be closed the following day. [20] The Department of Housing (DOH) said it would be setting up emergency shelters as well as warming centers across the state. [20]
In Massachusetts,schools closed altogether for the following day,and Boston mayor Michelle Wu declared a snow emergency and advised residents to stay off the roads altogether. [21]
Parts of the states of Texas and Oklahoma received upwards of over 1 foot (12 in;30 cm) of heavy wet snow in the storm's precursor stage. [22] [23] Travel in the town of Plainview,Texas was reportedly "crippled" by 14 in (36 cm) of snow,which became the heaviest snow in the region. Portions of New Mexico received over 6 in (15 cm) of snow as well, [24] and Bandelier National Monument was closed during the storm. [25]
The highest snowfall total in Delaware was only 2.2 in (5.6 cm). [26]
Over 140,000 customers lost power in Pennsylvania. [27] Heavy snow fell across the northern suburbs of the Philadelphia metropolitan area,with Tobyhanna recording 14.5 in (37 cm) of snow. However,much less snow fell further south,with only 0.6 in (1.5 cm) of snow at Philadelphia International Airport. [26] Interstate 81 was closed near Shippensburg,Pennsylvania after cars got stuck in snow,and heavy snow also shut down parts of Interstate 83. [28] A fatality occurred in York County in a snowmobile crash. [29]
In New Jersey,approximately 13,000 people lost power. [27] In the city of Atlantic City,only trace of snow was recorded. [26] However,snowfall in the state varied widely,as Sussex recorded 15.0 in (38 cm) of snow. [30]
In New York City,snowfall totals reached 3.2 in (8.1 cm) at Central Park,3.3 in (8.4 cm) at LaGuardia Airport,4.2 in (11 cm) at John F. Kennedy International Airport,and 4.9 in (12 cm) at Newark Liberty International Airport. [31] Up to 8.7 in (22 cm) of snow fell in portions of Long Island. [32] The snow resulted in numerous subways being delayed,changing from express to local or skipping stops,with the Z Train being suspended altogether. All train services to the World Trade Center was suspended due to a power outage. [33] A ground stop was also briefly imposed at JFK Airport. [34]
In Hartford,Connecticut,small parts of Interstate 91 closed due to a jackknifed tractor trailor. [35] The heaviest snowfall in the region was nearby,with 15.7 in (40 cm) of snow in West Hartford,Connecticut. [36] However,parts of northwestern Connecticut,often the snowiest region of the state,was largely around 4 in (10 cm) of snow. [37]
In the state of Massachusetts,over 23,000 customers lost power and snow resulted in Massachusetts Route 28 closing. [38] Despite significant snow in many parts of the state,Boston only received 0.1 in (0.25 cm) of snow. [39]
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 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-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 January 20–22,2014 North American blizzard was a disruptive but powerful system that affected across much of the Mid-Atlantic states and New England,bringing near-or-at blizzard conditions to many and heavy snow accumulations in late January 2014. Originating on January 19 as an Alberta clipper in Canada,the system moved east into the Ohio Valley,dropping light snowfall before moving offshore the East Coast of the United States and soonafter strengthening into a powerful winter storm on January 21. The winter storm brought widespread gusty winds and snowfall totals of over 1 foot (12 in) to populated cities,before winding down and moving away from the coast the following day.
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 March 2017 North American blizzard was a major late-season blizzard that affected the Northeastern United States,New England and Canada,dumping up to 3 feet of snow in the hardest hit areas,mainly New York,Vermont,New Hampshire and Southern Quebec. Forming out of an extratropical cyclone near the Northwest,the storm system dived into the northern portions of the United States,dropping light to moderate snow across the Great Lakes,Upper Midwest on March 11–12 before reaching the Ohio Valley the next day. It later coalesced into a powerful nor'easter off the East Coast,producing a swath of heavy snowfall across a large portion of the Northeast. The storm was given various unofficial names,such as Winter Storm Stella,Blizzard Eugene,and Blizzard of 2017.
The February 2015 Southeastern United States winter storm was a rare winter storm that dumped up to a foot of snow in the Southeast,an area that rarely receives such heavy snowfall. Forming out of a shortwave trough that developed over Texas near the Gulf of Mexico on February 24,the storm quickly made its way over the southern United States,coalescing into a surface low-pressure area as it did so. With arctic air unusually far south,this helped spawn heavy,wet snowfall across the northern portions of several southern states,including the suburbs of Atlanta,Georgia. States such as Alabama and Georgia declared a state of emergency in the northern portions of the state due to the possibility of up to 6 inches (15 cm) of snow,which was normally never seen.
The 2017–18 North American winter saw weather patterns across North America that were very active,erratic,and protracted,especially near the end of the season,resulting in widespread snow and cold across the continent during the winter. Significant events included rare snowfall in the South,an outbreak of frigid temperatures that affected the United States during the final week of 2017 and early weeks of January,and a series of strong nor'easters that affected the Northeastern United States during the month of March. In addition,flooding also took place during the month of February in the Central United States. Finally the winter came to a conclusion with a powerful storm system that caused a tornado outbreak and blizzard in mid-April. The most intense event,however,was an extremely powerful cyclonic blizzard that impacted the Northeastern United States in the first week of 2018. Similar to the previous winter,a La Niña was expected to influence the winter weather across North America.
The March 6–8,2018 nor'easter caused additional disruption and significant snowfall to the Northeastern United States just days after another intense nor'easter struck the Mid-Atlantic,hampering recovery efforts from that storm. Forming on March 2 and reaching the Outer Banks late on March 6,as the end phase of a long-tracked winter storm across the country,it rapidly deepened off the Mid-Atlantic coast on March 7 and brought up to 3 feet (36 in) of heavy snow,whiteout conditions,and even coastal flooding to those in the impact zone from the storm,many of whom were still without power from the previous storm less than a week prior.
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 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 (RSI),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 January 31 –February 3,2021 nor'easter,also known as the 2021 Groundhog Day nor'easter,was a powerful,severe,and erratic nor'easter that impacted much of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada from February 1–3 with heavy snowfall,blizzard conditions,strong gusty winds,storm surge,and coastal flooding. The storm first developed as an extratropical cyclone off the West Coast of the United States on January 25,with the storm sending a powerful atmospheric river into West Coast states such as California,where very heavy rainfall,snowfall,and strong wind gusts were recorded,causing several hundred thousand power outages and numerous mudslides. The system moved ashore several days later,moving into the Midwest and dropping several inches of snow across the region. On February 1,the system developed into a nor'easter off the coast of the Northeastern U.S.,bringing prolific amounts of snowfall to the region. Large metropolitan areas such as Boston and New York City saw as much as 18–24 inches (46–61 cm) of snow accumulations from January 31 to February 2,making it the worst snowstorm to affect the megalopolis since the January 2016 blizzard. It was given the unofficial name Winter Storm Orlena by The Weather Channel.
The February 6–8,2021 nor'easter,also referred to as the 2021 Super Bowl Sunday nor'easter,was a strong and fast-moving nor'easter that started out in the Southern United States,before impacting the Mid-Atlantic and New England states on Super Bowl Sunday,in February 2021. The storm struck the region just days after another significant nor'easter impacted the same general regions. Developing on February 6 along a stationary front in the Southern United States and moving northeastward,the imminent impacts from the nor'easter forced several vaccination sites in the Northeast to temporarily close again for the following days. The storm caused one indirect death,and damage estimates are currently undetermined. It was unofficially named Winter Storm Quade by The Weather Channel.
The February 15–20,2021 North American winter storm,also unofficially referred to as Winter Storm Viola,was a significant and widespread snow and ice storm across much of the United States,Northern Mexico,and Southern Canada. The system started out as a winter storm on the West Coast of the United States on February 15,later moving southeast into the Southern Plains and Deep South from February 16–17. It then moved into the Appalachian Mountains and Northeastern United States,before finally moving out to sea on February 20. The storm subsequently became a powerful low pressure system over the North Atlantic,before eventually dissipating on February 26.
The March 2021 North American blizzard was a record-breaking blizzard in the Rocky Mountains and a significant snowstorm in the Upper Midwest that occurred in mid-March 2021. It brought Cheyenne,Wyoming their largest two-day snowfall on record,and Denver,Colorado their second-largest March snowfall on record. The storm originated from an extratropical cyclone in the northern Pacific Ocean in early March,arriving on the west coast of the United States by March 10. The storm moved into the Rocky Mountains on Saturday,March 13,dumping up to 2–3 feet (24–36 in) of snow in some areas. It was unofficially given the name Winter Storm Xylia.
The April 2021 nor'easter,also referred to as the 2021 Spring nor'easter,was a significant late-season nor'easter that impacted much of New England with heavy snowfall,gusty winds,thundersnow,and near-whiteout conditions from April 15–17,2021. The system originated from a weak frontal system late on April 14 over North Carolina,which moved into the ocean the next day and began to strengthen. The low-pressure steadily deepened as it moved up the East Coast,and developed an eye-like feature just prior to peak intensity. It prompted a fairly large area of Winter Storm Warnings across interior sections of New England,with Winter Weather Advisories being issued closer to the coast. Over 20,000 customers lost power at the height of the storm on April 16 due to heavy wet snow,and near-whiteout conditions were reported in many areas. Several injuries,some serious,occurred as well,mostly due to traffic incidents on poorly-treated roadways during the storm. Damage estimates from the system are currently not calculated.
The January 2022 North American blizzard caused widespread and disruptive impacts to the Atlantic coast of North America from Delaware to Nova Scotia with as much as 2.5 feet (30 in) of snowfall,blizzard conditions and coastal flooding at the end of January 2022. Forming from the energy of a strong mid- to upper-level trough,the system developed into a low-pressure area off the Southeast United States on January 28. The system then quickly intensified that night as it traveled northeast parallel to the coast on January 29,bringing heavy snowfall blown by high winds to the East Coast of the continent. Further north,it also moved inland in Maine and its width meant it strongly impacted all three of Canada's Maritime provinces. In some areas,mainly the coastal regions of New Jersey,Long Island and Massachusetts,it was the first blizzard since a storm in January 2018. The storm was considered a "bomb cyclone" as it rapidly intensified and barometric pressure dropped at least 24 millibars over a 24-hour period. The storm was given names such as Blizzard of 2022 and Winter Storm Kenan.
The 2023–24 North American winter was the warmest winter on record across the contiguous United States,with below-average snowfall primarily in the Upper Midwest and parts of the Northeastern United States. However,some areas,especially in the states of Pennsylvania,New Jersey and New York saw considerably more snow then the previous winter. Notable winter events were also more prevalent across the eastern half of the country this winter,including a series of winter storms in mid-January that brought snow from the South to Northeast states,a period of very cold temperatures across much of the country in mid-to-late January,and a disruptive nor'easter that affected much of the Mid-Atlantic in mid-February. 2 storms have been rated so far on the Regional Snowfall Index (RSI),although none have attained a "Major" rating. A strong El Niño was expected to influence the winter weather patterns across the continent.
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