October 2010 North American storm complex

October 2010 North American storm complex
Satellite image of the storm complex at peak intensity, on October 27, 2010.
TypeExtratropical cyclone, Blizzard, Derecho, Tornado outbreak, Windstorm
FormedOctober 23, 2010
DissipatedNovember 5, 2010
Lowest pressure955.2 mb (28.21 inHg)
Tornadoes
confirmed
69 confirmed
(Record for a continuous outbreak in October)
Max. rating1EF2 tornado
Maximum snowfall
or ice accretion
9 inches (22.9 cm) St. Louis County, Minnesota
Fatalities1 (snow)
DamageUS$18.5 million (tornado)[1]
Areas affectedEastern two-thirds of North America and adjacent waters
Ireland
United Kingdom
Western Europe

1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale

The October 2010 North American storm complex is the name given to a historic extratropical cyclone that impacted North America. The massive storm complex caused a wide range of weather events including a major serial derecho stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, a widespread tornado outbreak across the Southeast United States and Midwest and a blizzard across portions of the Canadian Prairies and the Dakotas.[2][3] The cyclone's lowest minimum pressure of 955.2 mb (28.21 inHg) made it the second most intense non-tropical system recorded in the continental United States (CONUS).[4] The lowest confirmed pressure for a non-tropical system in the continental United States was set by a January 1913 Atlantic coast storm.[4]

  1. ^ "NCDC Storm Database". National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Archived from the original on 6 May 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  2. ^ Gerhardt, Mary Beth (October 26, 2010). "Storm Summary Number 4 for Midwest High Wind Event". Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (HPC). Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  3. ^ "Oct 26, 2010 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center (SPC). October 26, 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Pressure Records: The October 26–27, 2010 Significant Extratropical Cyclone". National Weather Service.