January 2010 North American winter storms

For other 2010 blizzards in North America, see North American blizzards of 2010.

January 2010 North American winter storms
The first wave of the January 2010 El Niño storms to affect California (Storms #2–4), on January 17.
TypeSuperstorm
Bomb cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Blizzard
Upper-level low
Tornado outbreak
FormedJanuary 14, 2010 (first storm formed)
DissipatedJanuary 28, 2010 (sixth storm dissipated)
Highest winds
  • 74 mph (119 km/h)[1]
Highest gust94 mph (151 km/h)[1]
Lowest pressure964 mbar (28.5 inHg) (Storm #3)[2]
Tornadoes
confirmed		6 confirmed
Max. rating1EF1 tornado
Maximum snowfall
or ice accretion		90 inches (230 cm) of snow at Mammoth Lakes, California.[3]
Maximum rainfall20 inches (51 cm) of rain at the Sierra Nevada, California
FatalitiesAt least 10[6]
Damage>$66.879 million (2010 USD)[4][5]
Power outages>1.3 million[3][6]
Areas affected

1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale

The January 2010 North American winter storms were a group of seven powerful winter storms that affected Canada and the Contiguous United States, particularly California. The storms developed from the combination of a strong El Niño episode, a powerful jet stream,[7] and an atmospheric river that opened from the West Pacific Ocean into the Western Seaboard.[8][9] The storms shattered multiple records across the Western United States, with the sixth storm breaking records for the lowest recorded air pressure in multiple parts of California,[3][10] which was also the most powerful winter storm to strike the Southwestern United States in 140 years.[1] The fourth, fifth, and sixth storms spawned several tornadoes across California, with at least 6 tornadoes confirmed in California (including two EF1 tornadoes); the storms also spawned multiple waterspouts off the coast of California.[6][11] The storms dumped record amounts of rain and snow in the Western United States, and also brought hurricane-force winds to the U.S. West Coast, causing flooding and wind damage,[12][1] as well as triggering blackouts across California that cut the power to more than 1.3 million customers.[3][6] The storms killed at least 10 people, and caused more than $66.879 million (2010 USD) in damages.[4][5][13][14][6]

  1. ^ a b c d Jeff Masters (January 22, 2010). "Strongest winter storm in at least 140 years whallops Southwest U.S." Weather Underground. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference WPC Jan 18 weather map was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference report was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Storm Events Database: California: 201 events were reported between 01/17/2010 and 01/24/2010 (8 days). ncdc.noaa.gov (Report). NCEI. January 2010. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Storm Events Database: 84 events were reported between 01/17/2010 and 01/24/2010 (8 days). ncdc.noaa.gov (Report). NCEI. January 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e "January 2010 Monthly Cat Recap - Impact Forecasting" (PDF). Aon Benfield. February 10, 2010. p. 2. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference storms are coming was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Ed Joyce (January 20, 2010). "It's Official: El Niño For California In 2010". KPBS. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference four storm systems was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference breaks records was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference rare mesocyclone was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference more flooding was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Storm Events Database: Oregon: 17 events were reported between 01/17/2010 and 01/24/2010 (8 days). ncdc.noaa.gov (Report). NCEI. January 2010. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  14. ^ Storm Events Database: Washington: 13 events were reported between 01/17/2010 and 01/24/2010 (8 days). ncdc.noaa.gov (Report). NCEI. January 2010. Retrieved October 27, 2021.