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 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 December 2009 North American blizzard was a powerful nor'easter that formed over the Gulf of Mexico in December 2009, and became a major snowstorm that affected the East Coast of the United States and Canadian Atlantic provinces. The snowstorm brought record-breaking December snowfall totals to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia.
The February 5–6, 2010 North American blizzard, commonly referred to as Snowmageddon, was a blizzard that had major and widespread impact in the Northeastern United States. The storm's center tracked from Baja California Sur on February 2, 2010, to the east coast on February 6, 2010, before heading east out into the Atlantic. Effects were felt to the north and west of this track in northern Mexico, California, and the southwestern, midwestern, southeastern, and most notably Mid-Atlantic states. Severe weather, including extensive flooding and landslides in Mexico, and historic snowfall totals in every one of the Mid-Atlantic states, brought deaths to Mexico, New Mexico, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
The February 9–10, 2010 North American blizzard was a winter and severe weather event that afflicted the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England regions of the United States between February 9–11, 2010, affecting some of the same regions that had experienced a historic Nor'easter just three days earlier. The storm brought 10 to 20 inches of snow across a wide swath from Washington, D.C., to New York City, with parts of the Baltimore metro area receiving more than 20 inches (51 cm). This storm began as a classic "Alberta clipper", starting out in Canada and then moving southeast, and finally curving northeast while rapidly intensifying off the New Jersey coast, forming an eye. The National Weather Service likened this storm to a Category 1 hurricane: "Winds topped 58 mph over part of the Chesapeake Bay, and 40 mph gusts were common across the region as the storm's center deepened and drifted slowly along the mid-Atlantic coast". The storm system, in conjunction with the earlier storm, has been nicknamed "Snoverkill."
The February 25–27, 2010 North American blizzard was a winter storm and severe weather event that occurred in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions of the United States between February 24 and 26, 2010. The storm dropped its heaviest snow of 12 to 24 inches across a wide area of interior New England, New York, and Pennsylvania. The storm also brought flooding rains to coastal sections of New England, with some areas experiencing as much as 4 inches (10 cm). Aside from precipitation, the nor'easter brought hurricane-force sustained winds to coastal New England.
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 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 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, 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 January 31 – February 2, 2015 North American blizzard was a major winter storm that plowed through the majority of the United States, dumping as much as 2 feet (24 in) of new snowfall across a path from Iowa to New England, as well as blizzard conditions in early February 2015. It came less than a week after another crippling blizzard which impacted the Northeast with 2–3 feet of snow. It was the first of many intense winter storms to occur in the nation during the month of February, partly in due to an ongoing cold wave that was beginning to take shape shortly after the storm subsided.
The 2012–13 North American winter was the most active winter weather season by metric of the amount of storms rated on the Regional Snowfall Index (RSI), with a record-breaking 21 storms being rated on the scale. The season 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. Overall, the majority of the continent, more specifically the central parts of the United States, experienced a persistently wintry and cold pattern that extended into the months of April and May, a theme that would be repeated the following winter on a larger and more widespread scale. During the winter, a weak El Nino was expected to influence weather conditions across the continent.
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 had many La Niña like conditions, being 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 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 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 six storms ranking on the Regional Snowfall Index scale (RSI), with four 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 2022–23 North American winter was quite warm for the eastern half of North America, with much of the Eastern United States experiencing one of their warmest and least snowy winters on record. Despite this, numerous significant events still occurred, including a severe lake-effect winter storm across the Great Lakes region in mid-November, a cold wave bringing extremely cold temperatures to the Northeast in early-February, and several tornado outbreaks throughout the winter. However, most of the winter's damage and fatalities were due to a crippling and historic winter storm that wreaked havoc across the majority of the United States and parts of Canada in late-December. Additionally, the Western United States was colder than usual in contrast to the east, with a series of atmospheric rivers through December to March bringing widespread flooding in California and record amounts of snow across the region. During the winter, five storms have been ranked on the Regional Snowfall Index (RSI), two of which have attained the “Major” category. Similar to the previous two winters, a La Niña was expected to influence weather patterns across the continent.
A winter storm in March 2023 impacted much of the Western, Northern, and Northeastern United States, producing high snowfall totals and widespread damage across the region. The winter storm, unofficially named Winter Storm Sage by The Weather Channel, first progressed across the Western United States as an atmospheric river, and then moved across the northern United States, bringing blizzard conditions and moderate snowfall across the Northern U.S. The winter storm then became a nor'easter and impacted the Northeast, bringing snowfall rates of 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) per hour across numerous locations across the Northeast and 3 feet (36 in) of snow in several locations across the region with locally higher amounts. More than 320,000 power outages occurred across the areas impacted by the winter storm, and caused three fatalities and two injuries. Readsboro, Vermont received 42.1 inches (107 cm) of snow, and nearly 200 car accidents occurred across the New England region in the Northeast.
A winter storm, unofficially named Winter Storm Skylar by The Weather Channel, brought widespread blizzard conditions across the Northeastern United States, particularly New England in mid-March 2018. First impacting the Midwestern and Southern United States on March 11–12, causing travel impacts and producing high snowfall totals, the winter storm then moved into the Northeastern United States and became a nor'easter, producing blizzard conditions and heavy snowfall across portions of the interior Northeast on March 13–15. Heavy snow fell in Massachusetts, where most of the state received at least one foot of snow; the storm brought the heaviest March snow on record in Boston and Worcester. Over two feet of snow were reported in portions of Massachusetts, peaking at 31 inches (79 cm) in Wilmington. Heavy snow also fell in Rhode Island, where the snowfall peaked at 25.1 inches (64 cm) in Foster.
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 than 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 continent in mid-to-late January, and a disruptive nor'easter that affected much of the Mid-Atlantic in mid-February. Additional events included in other places included a record-breaking blizzard that struck Canada and atmospheric river events in California, both in the month of February. Two storms were rated on the Regional Snowfall Index (RSI), although none attained a "Major" rating on the scale. A strong El Niño was expected to influence the winter weather patterns across the continent. The winter weather-related events this season led to an estimated US$10 billion in damages, and an estimated 106 fatalities, much of it occurring in the month of January.
