A winter storm is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures,such as snow,mixed snow and rain,or freezing rain. In temperate continental and subarctic climates,these storms are not necessarily restricted to the winter season,but may occur in the late autumn and early spring as well. A snowstorm with strong winds and other conditions meeting certain criteria is called a blizzard.
The January 2007 North American ice storm was a severe ice storm that affected a large swath of North America from the Rio Grande Valley to New England and southeastern Canada,starting on January 11 and lasting until January 16. It was followed by a second wave in the Southern United States from Texas to the Carolinas from January 16 through January 18,and a third one that hit the southern Plains and mid-Atlantic states as well as Newfoundland and Labrador from January 19 to January 24. It resulted in at least 74 deaths across 12 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces,and caused hundreds of thousands of residents across the U.S. and Canada to lose electric power.
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.
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 March 2014 North American winter storm,also unofficially referred to as Winter Storm Titan,was an extremely powerful winter storm that affected much of the United States and portions of Canada. It was one of the most severe winter storms of the 2013–14 North American winter storm season,storm affecting most of the Western Seaboard,and various parts of the Eastern United States,bringing damaging winds,flash floods,and blizzard and icy conditions.
The December 2015 North American storm complex, also known as Winter Storm Goliath,was a major storm complex that produced a tornado outbreak,a winter storm,a blizzard and an ice storm in areas ranging from the Southwestern United States to New England. Tornadoes impacted areas around Dallas,Texas while several other states,especially Missouri,were affected by heavy rain and snow causing severe floods. As the system moved through the Great Lakes region,heavy rain,ice pellets and heavy snow fell in the entire region. Wintry mix moved through southern Ontario and Quebec had significant snowfall on December 29. Almost 60 people were killed in the storm system and its aftermath,which made it one of the deadliest of such systems of 2015 in the United States.
The 2016–17 North American winter was quite warm across North America in general,due in part to a weak La Niña that was expected to influence weather conditions across the continent. Several notable events occurred during the season,including a potent winter storm that affected the East Coast of the United States in early January,the second-largest winter tornado outbreak on record later that month,and an unusually warm February. In addition,towards the end of the season,a large cyclonic storm system that caused a large tornado outbreak,flooding,and a potent blizzard occurred in the Heartland of the country. However,the most notable event of the winter was a powerful blizzard that impacted the Northeast and New England in mid-March,towards the end of the season.
The January 4–8,2017 North American winter storm was a major snow and ice storm that affected the Lower 48 of the United States with winter weather. Moving ashore on the West Coast on January 3,the system produced heavy snowfall in the Sierra Mountains,with nearly 4 feet of snowfall falling in the highest elevations. After impacting the Northwest and Southwest,the winter storm went on to strike the Southeast on January 5–6 with snow and ice,with snowfall accumulations up to 4 inches (10 cm). Afterwards,it began to morph into a nor'easter as it moved off the Southeast coast late on January 6,while producing blizzard conditions in the Carolinas. It then began to affect the Northeastern United States as it tracked northwards early on January 7. It produced a swath of moderate snowfall accumulations up the East Coast,with easternmost areas such as parts of Massachusetts receiving up to 1.5 feet (18 in) of snow.
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 February 2019 North American winter storm was one of three powerful winter storms that affected the continent in early February. This storm,in particular,paralyzed travel in parts of the Midwest,Northeast as well as Eastern Canada.
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 2020–21 New Year's North American winter storm was a major storm system that brought a wide swath of snow and ice to parts of the High Plains and Central and Northeastern United States during the New Years holiday from December 30–January 2. The system began developing early on December 30,and began spreading wintry precipitation to parts of Texas,coalescing into a low pressure system that formed near the western Gulf of Mexico. The winter storm tracked north and brought heavy snow,ice and strong winds to much of the center of the Midwest and interior parts of the Northeast and New England,causing widespread impacts and travel issues.
A major winter and ice storm had widespread impacts across the United States,Northern Mexico,and parts of Canada from February 13 to 17,2021. The storm,unofficially referred to as Winter Storm Uri by the Weather Channel,started out in the Pacific Northwest and quickly moved into the Southern United States,before moving on to the Midwestern and Northeastern United States a couple of days later.
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.
In February 2021,the state of Texas suffered a major power crisis,which came about during three severe winter storms sweeping across the United States on February 10–11,13–17,and 15–20. The storms triggered the worst energy infrastructure failure in Texas state history,leading to shortages of water,food,and heat. More than 4.5 million homes and businesses were left without power,some for several days. At least 246 people were killed directly or indirectly,with some estimates as high as 702 killed as a result of the crisis.
The February 2021 North American cold wave was an extreme weather event that brought record low temperatures to a significant portion of Canada,the United States and parts of northern Mexico during the first half of February 2021. The cold was caused by a southern migration of the polar vortex,likely caused by a sudden stratospheric warming event that occurred the prior month. Temperatures fell as much as 25–50 °F (−4–10 °C) below average as far south as the Gulf Coast. Severe winter storms also were associated with the bitter cold,which allowed for heavy snowfall and ice accumulations to places as far south as Houston,Texas,and contributing to one of the snowiest winters ever in some areas in the Deep South.
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. Addiitonally,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 February 2022 North American winter storm was a widespread,damaging,and severe winter storm which affected a wide swath of much of the United States with widespread wintry precipitation;it spread from Texas northeast to Maine. Nineteen states in the U.S. were impacted by the system;more than 90 million people were in the storm's path. The winter storm was named Winter Storm Landon by The Weather Channel and was also referred to by other media outlets as the Groundhog Snowstorm,primarily due to the storm impacting on Groundhog Day.
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.
A winter storm in late February 2022 impacted much of the Southwestern,Southern,Northeastern and Midwestern United States,producing high snow,ice,and sleet accumulations. The winter storm,unofficially named Winter Storm Oaklee by The Weather Channel,prompted the National Weather Service to issue numerous winter weather watches and warnings across much of the country. First impacting California and Arizona on February 23,the low-pressure area associated with the winter storm then traversed across the Southern,Midwestern,and Northeastern parts of the country,setting numerous low temperature records and high snowfall accumulations from Texas to Maine. More than 1,000 flights were cancelled,and over 100,000 power outages occurred. The winter storm caused 7 fatalities,all due to car accidents.
