Jump to content

2011 Halloween nor'easter

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Daniel Case (talk | contribs) at 20:18, 1 November 2011 (→‎Preparations and impact: two grafs on Halloween effects, with some color (and source of course)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

2011 Halloween nor'easter
Snow falling into the backyard of a light brown house and garage. In the upper foreground are branches with leaves, mostly red but with some remaining green. A rubber inflatable jack o'lantern is in the lower right corner.
Snow falling on autumn leaves in Walden, NY
TypeNor'easter[1]
FormedOctober 28, 2011
DissipatedCurrently active
Lowest pressure975 mb (28.8 inHg)
Maximum snowfall
or ice accretion		32 inches (810 mm), Peru, Massachusetts[2]
Fatalities15 total[3]
Areas affectedNortheastern United States, Atlantic Canada

The 2011 Halloween nor'easter was a large low pressure area that produced unusually early snowfall across the northeastern United States. It formed early on October 29 along a cold front to the southeast of the Carolinas. As it moved northeastward, its associated snowfall broke records in at least 20 cities for total accumulations.

Meteorological history

During the end of October 2011, a ridge over Canada produced a flux of unseasonably cold air across the Mid-Atlantic states and New England.[4][5] On October 28, a cold front extended from the western Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of South Carolina, westward to a low pressure area in the southern United States.[4] Early on October 29, another low pressure area developed off the coast of the Carolinas,[6] while moisture was fed from the remnants of Hurricane Rina.[7][8] By that time, its area of precipitation extended from South Carolina through Pennsylvania, mostly falling as rain.[6] As the system moved to the northeast, it produced widespread snow, along with winds of up to 70 mph (110 km/h) along the southern New England coastline. The National Weather Service in Taunton, MA issued a Hurricane Force Wind Warning for the Gulf of Maine and New England high-seas. Early on October 30, the storm passed south of Nantucket,[9] and it moved over Nova Scotia later that day with a minimum barometric pressure of 975 mb (28.8 inHg). As it did so, the associated precipitation diminished over New England and moved into Atlantic Canada.[2]

Preparations and impact

Satellite image of snowfall on October 29th.

Before the storm was at its strongest, local National Weather Service offices issued winter storm warnings from northwestern Virginia through central New England, as well as winter storm watches from central Maryland through central Maine. Officials anticipated peak snowfall totals to be from 8–10 inches (200–250 mm) across much of the region.[4] All warnings were canceled after the storm moved away from the region.[2]

Early on October 29, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation activated their fleet of salt trucks.[10] In eastern Pennsylvania, the most recent significant snowstorm during October was in 1972.[11] Penn State officials limited the parking spaces for its football game by 1,500 spaces due to the inclement weather.[10] The college observed the first home October football game with measurable snow since record keeping began in 1896.[12] Utility crews prepared additional crews in the event of power outages.[10] The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area closed a road due to the storm's threat.[13] Connecticut governor Dan Malloy opened the state's Emergency Operations Center in Hartford, which included members of the transportation, health, and energy departments.[14] Officials opened 41 shelters in Connecticut.[15] Several JetBlue flights departing from Bradley International Airport were stranded on the tarmac for up to seven hours due to the hazardous conditions.[16] Protesters in the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York asserted that they would continue their actions despite the weather, obtaining coats and blankets.[11]

Precipitation began falling in North Carolina and Virginia late on October 28.[4] By early on October 29, measurable snowfall was reported from West Virginia through Maryland,[17] which later extended through Maine. The highest snowfall was in Peru, Massachusetts with 32.0 in (810 mm).[2] At least 20 cities reported break-breaking snowfall,[15] and the peak of 19 in (480 mm) in West Milford, New Jersey broke the state record for highest snowfall during the month. The previous record was only 0.3 in (7.6 mm) in Newark in 1952.[18] Central Park, New York observed 2.9 in (74 mm),[2] which set a new record for the most snow in October since 1869 when weather records began being kept, according to the National Weather Service.[19] New York City had not reported snowfall during October since 1952,[11] and there were only three days on record when measurable snow occurred in Central Park.[20] Hartford, Connecticut observed a record 12.3 in (310 mm),[15] and the highest total in the state was 18.6 in (470 mm) in Bakersville; this broke the record for highest statewide snow total during the month.[21]

Effects by State or Province[22]
State/Province Deaths Power outages Snowfall
Connecticut 4 830,000 18.6 inches (47 cm)
Maine 0 160,000 20.0 inches (51 cm)
Maryland 0 43,000 11.6 inches (29 cm)
Massachusetts 3 420,000 32.0 inches (81 cm)
New Brunswick 3 3,500 N/A
New Hampshire 0 315,000 31.4 inches (80 cm)
New Jersey 4 700,000 19.0 inches (48 cm)
New York 3 300,000 21.6 inches (55 cm)
Nova Scotia 0 40,000 N/A
Pennsylvania 8 500,000 16.0 inches (41 cm)
Prince Edward Island 1 3,000 N/A
Rhode Island 0 20,000 6.6 inches (17 cm)
Vermont 0 7,500 16.0 inches (41 cm)
Virginia 0 >4,000 9.0 inches (23 cm)
West Virginia 0 43,000 14.0 inches (36 cm)
Total 26 >3,389,000

Across the northeast United States, the combination of high winds and wet, heavy snow downed trees, most of which retained their fall leaves.[12] The downed trees caused widespread power outages, leaving over 3 million people without power,[15] as well as killing two people from electrocution.[5] The snow resulted in traffic accidents that killed at least six people, including one due to storm conditions in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. Overall, there were at least 11 deaths, including one man in Pennsylvania who died after a tree struck his home.[5]

About 500,000 people in New Jersey were left without power, prompting a state of emergency declaration from governor Chris Christie.[12] Along the Jersey Shore, the nor'easter produced coastal flooding that left Ventnor Heights isolated. Officials closed a portion of the Black Horse Pike in West Atlantic City due to flooding.[23] Further north, the flooding closed five New Jersey state highways in Monmouth and Ocean counties.[24] Two rail services were closed in the New York area, and Amtrak service across the region was either delayed or canceled.[5] The storm closed roads and also disrupted train and airplane service from Pennsylvania through Connecticut.[12][12] Officials at Newark International Airport canceled all flights on October 29, and flights out of New York's two major airports were delayed by about five hours.[25] Some flights bound for New York were diverted to Hartford, where they remained on the runway for over seven hours.[26] On Long Island where a wind swept mixture of heavy snow and rain fell, a match between Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School and Valley Stream Central High School was cancelled after 15 players were treated for hypothermia prompting Plainview-Old Bethpage school district to reconsider game cancellation policies. At another football game on Long Island 10 players were checked and some treated for hypothermia.[27]

In portions of Connecticut, there were more downed trees from the storm than from Hurricane Irene two months prior.[15] Governor Malloy declared a state of emergency late on October 29,[25] after 830,000 people lost power, breaking the record set after Hurricane Irene.[26] A state of emergency was also declared in Massachusetts, which allowed for the activation of the state's National Guard as well as other emergency measures.[5] Due to the power outages and downed trees shortly before Halloween, at least three towns in the state advised delaying trick-or-treating.[5] In New Hampshire, officials opened seven shelters for people who lost heating during the storm.[26] The early snowfall allowed for the opening of ski resorts in Vermont and Maine.[5]

Many traditional Halloween activities were affected by the storm. In communities without power, where tree limbs and wires were down, trick-or-treating was postponed until days when it was expected to be back and repairs had made the streets safer. Events in Sleepy Hollow, New York, where Washington Irviing's classic short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is set, attracting many tourists around the holiday, were canceled due to the storm and its aftermath. Another popular Halloween destination, Salem, Massachusetts, was not affected.[28]

Some families were able to compensate for the lost Halloween. They took their children to trick-or-treat in other communities that had not lost power. Residents of Glen Rock, New Jersey, organized a "trunk-or-treat" party at the local high school's football field, where children went around to parked sport-utility vehicles.[28]

In Massachusetts, the Nor'easter brought Hurricane-force wind gusts peaking at 69 mph (111 km/h) in Barnstable and, unofficially, 76 mph (122 km/h) in Provincetown.[29] An automated marine weather station at Mount Desert Rock, Maine recorded a top gust of 77.2 mph (124.2 km/h).[30]

References

  1. ^ "Harrisburg storm lives up to Weather Channel star's hopes". The Patriot-News. 2011-10-29. Retrieved 2011-10-31. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e David Hamrick; et al. (2011-10-31). "Storm Summary Number 11 for Autumn Mid-Atlantic to Northeast U.S. Major Winter Storm... Corrected". Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. Retrieved 2011-10-31. {{cite web}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)
  3. ^ "More than 1.6 million still without power after Northeast storm". CNN. 1 November 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d David Hamrick (2011-10-28). "Storm Summary Number 3 for Autumn Mid-Atlantic to Northeast U.S. Major Winter Storm". Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Lori Stabile (2011-10-30). "Gov. Deval Patrick declares state of emergency". Masslive.com. Retrieved 2011-10-30.
  6. ^ a b Sean Ryan (2011-10-29). "Storm Summary Number 5 for Autumn Mid-Atlantic to Northeast U.S. Major Winter Storm". Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  7. ^ http://www.liveweatherblogs.com/weatherblog/20759/Water-Vapor-imagery-shows-tropical-feed-from-Rina-remnants-now-fueling-the-Nor'Easter
  8. ^ http://www.nws.noaa.gov/view/national.php?prodtype=hurricane
  9. ^ David Roth (2011-10-30). "Storm Summary Number 8 for Autumn Mid-Atlantic to Northeast U.S. Major Winter Storm". Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  10. ^ a b c Jeff Frantz (2011-10-29). "Central Pennsylvania braces for rare pre-Halloween snow that could bring down power lines". The Patriot News. Associated Press. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  11. ^ a b c "Octsnowber? Fall snow storm threatens Northeast". CBS. 2011-10-28. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
  12. ^ a b c d e Genaro C. Armas (2011-10-29). "Early snow pelts East Coast, cuts power to 1.7M". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Associated Press. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  13. ^ "River Road is closed because of storm". Pocono Record. 2011-10-29. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  14. ^ "Emergency Operations Center Opens for Saturday's Storm". Southington Patch. 2011-10-29. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  15. ^ a b c d e Dan Hart; Jim Polson (2011-10-30). "About 3 Million Without Power as Freeze to Hit U.S. Northeast". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2011-10-30.
  16. ^ Crawley, John (1 November 2011). "JetBlue, US gov't look at storm flight delays". Reuters. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  17. ^ Mary Beth Gerhardt (2011-10-29). "Storm Summary Number 6 for Autumn Mid-Atlantic to Northeast U.S. Major Winter Storm". Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  18. ^ Bruce Shipkowski; Donna Weaver (2011-10-31). "South Jersey escapes the worst of northeaster linked to two deaths in North Jersey". Press of Atlantic City. Associated Press. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  19. ^ "Central Park in NYC Sets October Record for Snow". ABC News. 29 October 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  20. ^ Pat Eaton-Robb (2011-10-29). "October Nor'easter threatens to knock out power with heavy snow". Christian Science Monitor. Associated Press. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  21. ^ James Lu; Tapley Stephenson (2011-10-31). "Record snowfall pummels CT". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  22. ^ "A state-by-state look at power failures and other damage from the Northeastern snowstorm". Associated Press. The Washington Post. November 1, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  23. ^ Dan Good (2011-10-29). "Both main roadways into Ventnor Heights are closed due to flooding; coastal flood advisory remains in effect". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  24. ^ "Storm flooding closes road lanes in Monmouth, Ocean counties". Asbury Park Press. 2011-10-29. Retrieved 2011-10-29. {{cite news}}: Text "head" ignored (help)
  25. ^ a b Sean Morris (2011-10-29). "2 dead, over 1 million without power as snowstorm slams Northeast, Mid-Atlantic". CNN.com. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  26. ^ a b c "A state-by-state look at power failures and other damage from the Northeastern snowstorm". Washington Post. Associated Press. 2011-10-31. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  27. ^ Athletes' hypothermia: Eyeing guidelines Newsday October 30, 2011
  28. ^ a b "October storm disrupts Halloween across Northeast". Associated Press. November 1, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2011]]. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  29. ^ "Public Information Statement". National Weather Service Boston. 2011-10-31. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  30. ^ http://s7.postimage.org/7cfqrwft5/plot_cwind_php.png
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2011_Halloween_nor%27easter&oldid=458517747"