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March 2014 nor'easter

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March 2014 nor'easter
Visible satellite imagery of the massive nor'easter near peak intensity on March 26, 2014.
TypeExtratropical cyclone
Blizzard
Bomb cyclone
Nor'easter
Superstorm
FormedMarch 24, 2014
DissipatedMarch 30, 2014
Highest winds
  • 89 mph (143 km/h)[1]
Highest gust119 mph (192 km/h) (official) Jonesport, ME[2] 129 mph (208 km/h) (unofficial) Machias Seal Island[3]
Lowest pressure954 millibars (28.2 inHg)[4]
Maximum snowfall
or ice accretion		12.2 inches (31 cm) of snow near Bleech Mountain, North Carolina[2]
FatalitiesUnknown
DamageUnknown
Areas affected

The March 2014 nor'easter was an extremely powerful extratropical cyclone that affected much of U.S. Gulf Coast, the eastern United States, eastern Canada, and Greenland. It was the most powerful winter storm of the 2013–14 North American winter storm season, being an unusually large winter storm as well, with its gale-force wind field becoming four times larger than that of Hurricane Sandy's extratropical remnant.[5][2] The storm affected various parts of the Midwest, most of the Eastern Seaboard (especially New England), as well as eastern Canada, bringing extremely powerful winds (reaching hurricane-force in some areas), and blizzard-like conditions.[2]

Meteorological history

On March 24, an extratropical disturbance developed in the Gulf of Mexico, just off the coast of South Texas.[6] Within a day, the developing storm crossed over Florida, before emerging off the east coast of the Southeastern United States on March 25.[7] Late on March 25, the winter storm emerged off the coast of the Southeastern United States and began to undergo explosive intensification, becoming a bomb cyclone by March 26,[5] and absorbing another weaker winter storm to the west in the process.[8] However, the storm's path remained off-shore, which resulted in relatively minor impacts to most of the Northeastern United States. Despite the storm's distance from the coast, the system caused wind damage and blizzard-like conditions across New England and eastern Canada. Powered by moisture coming from the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the opposing air masses, the storm quickly became a superstorm with a gale-force wind field four times larger than that of Superstorm Sandy, during the extratropical duration of the latter system, which was extremely unusual for a storm at that time of the year.[5] Later on March 26, the massive nor'easter reached a peak intensity of 954 millibars (28.2 inHg), shortly before it made landfall on Nova Scotia.[4][9] The storm also had peak sustained winds of 89 mph (143 km/h), and maximum gusts up to 119 mph (192 km/h), while unofficial records measured wind gusts up to 129 mph (208 km/h). Early on March 27, the superstorm made landfall on Nova Scotia and weakened to a strong nor'easter.[10] The storm continued to move towards the north, while gradually beginning to weaken. Later on the same day, the nor'easter weakened to a 973 millibars (28.7 inHg) storm and moved northward into the Labrador Sea.[11] On March 28, the storm stalled in the middle of the Labrador Sea.[12] Early on March 29, the nor'easter weakened further to a 1,002 millibars (29.6 inHg) disorganized extratropical storm, even resumed a slow eastward track.[13] Later on the same day, the northern part of the system reached Disko Bay, even as it continued to deteriorate.[14] Early on the next day, the storm's center of circulation collapsed as the system became elongated, due to its interaction with a ridge of high pressure over Greenland, even while the system's center of circulation remained off the east coast of Greenland and stalled, weakening to a 1,010 millibars (30 inHg) low.[15] Several hours later, the storm's remnants were absorbed into a frontal zone.[16][17]

Impacts

Aside from the impacts in eastern Canada, the Northeastern United States was battered with areas of snow and hurricane-force winds, with winds gusting up to 94 mph (151 km/h) in Chatham, Massachusetts.[18]

Snowfall totals

North Carolina

  • Highest snowfall total reported was 12.2 inches near Bleech Mountain.[2]

Kentucky

  • Highest snowfall total reported was 12 inches at Black Mountain, Kentucky.[2]

West Virginia

  • Highest snowfall total reported was 7.5 inches near Davis.[2]

New Jersey

  • Highest snowfall total reported was 7.2 inches in Dennisville.[2]

Virginia

  • Highest snowfall total reported was 7 inches near Lynchburg.[2]

Delaware

  • Highest snowfall total reported was 7 inches in Frankford.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/CAWR/2014/3/26/DailyHistory.html
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "East Coast Winter Storm Brings Blizzard Conditions in Eastern New England, Hurricane-Force Winds in Atlantic Canada". Weather.com. March 29, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  3. ^ "Atlantic Canada storm: Track the storm with news, videos and maps". The Weather Network. March 26, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  4. ^ a b GFS (March 2014). "NCEP GPS 1760x880 Wind Speed and Marine Surface Pressure for 12Z25MAR2014 thru 6Z27MAR2014". National Weather Service. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c Scott Neuman (March 26, 2014). "Massive Nor'easter Rakes New England". Npr. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  6. ^ "WPC surface analysis valid for 03/24/2014 at 18 UTC". NOAA's National Weather Service. March 24, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  7. ^ "WPC surface analysis valid for 03/25/2014 at 15 UTC". NOAA's National Weather Service. March 25, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  8. ^ "WPC surface analysis valid for 03/26/2014 at 06 UTC". NOAA's National Weather Service. March 26, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  9. ^ "WPC surface analysis valid for 03/26/2014 at 18 UTC". NOAA's National Weather Service. March 26, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  10. ^ "WPC surface analysis valid for 03/27/2014 at 06 UTC". NOAA's National Weather Service. March 27, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  11. ^ "WPC surface analysis valid for 03/27/2014 at 21 UTC". NOAA's National Weather Service. March 27, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  12. ^ "WPC surface analysis valid for 03/28/2014 at 09 UTC". NOAA's National Weather Service. March 28, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  13. ^ "WPC surface analysis valid for 03/29/2014 at 12 UTC". NOAA's National Weather Service. March 29, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  14. ^ "WPC surface analysis valid for 03/29/2014 at 15 UTC". NOAA's National Weather Service. March 29, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  15. ^ "WPC surface analysis valid for 03/30/2014 at 03 UTC". NOAA's National Weather Service. March 30, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  16. ^ "WPC surface analysis valid for 03/30/2014 at 12 UTC". NOAA's National Weather Service. March 30, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  17. ^ http://www.met.fu-berlin.de/de/wetter/maps/Analyse_20140330.gif
  18. ^ http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KMANORTH33&day=26&year=2014&month=3
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