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December 2009 North American blizzard

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North American blizzard of 2009
A field of snow covers up a road winding between two pine trees, which are covered in snow. Significant snowfall reduces visibility in the distance.
Snowfall from the storm covers roads in Clifton, Virginia
TypeWinter storm
FormedDecember 16, 2009[1]
Lowest pressure968mb[2]
Maximum snowfall
or ice accretion		32 inches (81 cm)[3]
Fatalities5[4]
Areas affectedEast Coast of the United States (from North Carolina to Maine)
Canadian Atlantic provinces (portions of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador)[5]

The North American blizzard of 2009 is a severe nor'easter that formed over the Gulf of Mexico in December 2009[6] and dropped snow in North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Nova Scotia.[1][3][7] The storm produced whiteout conditions in many areas, and dumped about 16–20 inches (41–51 cm) of snow in many places, including major cities along the Eastern seaboard.

Formation

On December 16, 2009, meteorologists identified a storm forming in the Gulf of Mexico. It produced record rainfall in some areas of Texas, and had the potential to strengthen as it moved through Georgia and Florida and further north. Weather models accurately predicted that this storm would meet with cold air while retaining its record precipitation.[1] By the afternoon of 19 December, the large, low pressure region had moved up the east coast beyond Virginia, intensifying over the Washington Metropolitan Area and producing snow along its path.[7][8] Blizzard warnings were issued for many of the heavily affected areas, including Baltimore, Long Island, New York, and Washington, D.C.[1]

Snowfall

The storm produced record 24-hour snowfall in Washington, D.C. and Roanoke, Virginia, where nearly 2 feet (0.61 m) of snow accumulated. Some interior areas of West Virginia saw 30 inches (76 cm) of snow.[3] The storm broke the record for the amount of snow in a single event in December at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where 16.3 inches (41 cm) of snow accumulated. The storm was also the 6th-greatest snowfall in D.C. history.[8][9] The National Weather Service in Brookhaven, New York reported 26.3 inches (67 cm) of snow, the deepest since 1940.[10]

In Philadelphia, snowfall reached more than 2 inches (5.1 cm) per hour, disrupting Interstate 95.[1] By Sunday (December 20), snowfall there reached 23.2 inches (59 cm), surpassing the 21 inches (53 cm) snowfall of February 11–12, 1983, as the city's second-largest, and breaking a 100-year-old record for the largest single December storm, set on December 25–26, 1909, with 20.2 inches (51 cm). (The largest storm in Philadelphia history was the North American blizzard of 1996, which produced 30.7 inches (78 cm) of snow.[11])

Streetscape of the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

In more mountainous areas, snowfall was even heavier. By midnight Saturday morning, snowfall in Boone, North Carolina had reached 14–18 inches (36–46 cm), Asheville, North Carolina accumulated up to 12 inches (30 cm) while Greensboro, North Carolina received 3–7 inches (7.6–17.8 cm). Portions of eastern Kentucky received as much as 16 inches (41 cm).[12]

By Sunday morning, over 11 inches (28 cm) of snow fell in Boston, Massachusetts.[13]

Winter storm warnings for New York and Blizzard Warning for Long Island expired at 11 a.m. Sunday, and warnings for the Boston, Massachusetts, metro area and much of southeastern New England expired at noon. A blizzard warning for Cape Cod expired at 1 p.m.[14] The storm is expected to reach southwestern portions of Nova Scotia, delivering up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) of snow in Digby, Yarmouth, Shelburne and Queens counties. Portions of Newfoundland and Labrador are expected to receive freezing rain.[15][5]

Impact

A snowplow driving past diplomatic missions near Embassy Row, Washington, D.C.

Some areas saw winds up to 25–30 miles per hour (40–48 km/h), with gusts of 45–50 miles per hour (72–80 km/h).[3] Many places saw whiteout conditions, including Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, where many flights were delayed or canceled. Of 740 scheduled departures at Washington National and 530 at Dulles, only 14 and 12, respectively, were able to take off.[16] President Barack Obama, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base after the UN Climate Conference, was forced to return to the White House by motorcade instead of helicopter.[17] More than 800 flights were canceled at New York City's three major airports.[18]

Trains were also canceled or delayed. Washington, D.C.'s Metrorail service was suspended to all outdoor stations at 1 pm on December 19.[16] One Amtrak train, carrying 255 passengers, halted for six hours while a frozen track switch was fixed.[9]

On roads, snow plows were unable to keep up with fast snow accumulations. Road accidents and stuck vehicles further hindered snow removal. On some major highways, traffic slowed to five miles per hour. [19] Greyhound Lines canceled 294 routes through Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia on the 19th and suspended service in and out of New York late Saturday.[20]

Cars buried by snow in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Thousands of power outages were reported in Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina, reportedly caused by snow weighing down on tree branches. By midnight Saturday morning, when the storm had just begun to strike the area, reported power outages had already exceeded 40,000.[1] In Kentucky, 107,000 power outages were reported.[12] A snow emergency was declared in Washington, D.C., where Mayor Adrian Fenty asked residents to avoid venturing onto the roads.[21] States of emergency were declared in Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and New Castle and Kent counties in Delaware.[20]

The storm is reported to have caused five deaths: four in automobile accidents in Ohio and Virginia and one from exposure in Virginia.[4]

The nor'easter, which arrived on the last shopping weekend before Christmas, hurt sales at many retail stores, but boosted online sales. Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas, typically nets $15 billion in retail sales.[22] It is estimated that 30% of this revenue comes from the northeastern United States.[21] Stores that managed to open saw reduced traffic.[23]

See also

Wikinews has related news:

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Tim Ballisty. "Snow Totals Adding Up from Blizzard 2009". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  2. ^ "HPC Storm Summary #9". Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d James Wilson. "Crippling snow from Mid-Atlantic to Northeast". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  4. ^ a b "Five dead as snowstorm engulfs US East Coast". "BBC". Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  5. ^ a b "Crippling U.S. storm moving north". CBC News. cbc.ca. December 20, 2009. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
  6. ^ Wood, Anthony R.; Colimore, Edward. "Better watch out: Snow looks to reign". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  7. ^ a b Alex Sosnowski. "Super Saturday Blizzard to Reach Southern New England Next". Accuweather. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  8. ^ a b Zapotosky, Matt (December 20, 2009). "The great dig-out: Neighborhood streets still clogged with snow". The Washington Post. washingtonpost.com. Retrieved December 20, 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ a b Associated Press. "Snow socks Eastern states, halts travel". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  10. ^ Liz Robbins. "Storm Continues to Rage on Long Island". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  11. ^ WPVI-TV (6-ABC) report of Philadelphia snowfall
  12. ^ a b Hopkins, Shawntaye (19 December 2009). "Gov. declares state of emergency, more than 100,000 homes without power". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  13. ^ Meghan Evans (December 20, 2009). "Latest Snowfall Map for Blizzard". AccuWeather.com. Retrieved December 20, 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Storm heads north after socking East Coast". CNN. December 20, 2009. Retrieved December 20, 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  15. ^ Meghan Evans (December 20, 2009). "Nor'easter Still Pounding Eastern New England". AccuWeather.com. Retrieved December 20, 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  16. ^ a b Asha Beh. "Above Ground, Metro Shuts Down". NBC Washington. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  17. ^ "Snow socks Eastern states, halts travel". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. 20 December 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  18. ^ Joseph Berger. "Storm Finally Exits a Snow-Covered East Coast". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  19. ^ "VDOT Continues to Address Winter Storm". NBC 29, WVIR-TV. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  20. ^ a b Liz Robbins. "Winter Arrives, Blanketing East Coast in Snow". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  21. ^ a b Baertlein, Lisa; Klayman, Ben. "Storm threatens U.S. retailers' last holiday push". Forbes. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  22. ^ Dodes, Rachel; Zimmerman, Ann. "Snowstorm Threatens 'Super Saturday' Sales". The Wall Street Journal.
  23. ^ Hank Daniszewski. "Tis the Season of Bargains". London Free Press. Retrieved 20 December 2009.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to North American blizzard of 2009.
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