 Satellite image of the storm on Christmas Eve. | |
| Type | Extratropical cyclone Blizzard Winter storm |
|---|---|
| Formed | December 22, 2009 |
| Dissipated | December 28, 2009 |
| Lowest pressure | 985 millibars (985 hPa)[1] |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 28 |
| Max. rating1 | EF3 tornado |
| Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | 40.0 inches (102 cm) (Lead, South Dakota)[1] |
| Fatalities | 21[2] |
| Areas affected | Midwest, Great Plains, Parts of Ontario, Eastern Seaboard |
Part of the Tornadoes of 2009 and 2009–10 North American winter 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale | |
The 2009 North American Christmas blizzard was a powerful winter storm and severe weather event that affected the Midwestern United States, Great Plains, Southeastern United States, the Eastern Seaboard, and parts of Ontario. The storm began to develop on December 22 before intensifying to produce extreme winds and precipitation by the morning of December 24.[3] The storm's rapid development made it difficult for forecasters to predict.[3] The blizzard was reported to have claimed at least 21 lives, and disrupted air travel during the Christmas travel season.[4] In the Southeastern and Central United States, an outbreak of 28 tornadoes occurred between December 23–24.[5][6] The storm, a Category 5 "Extreme" one on the Regional Snowfall Index scale, was the first winter weather event to rank as such since the North American blizzard of 1996.
- ^ a b "Storm Summary Number 06 For Christmas 2009 Blizzard". HPC. December 24, 2009. Archived from the original on December 9, 2009. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
- ^ "Midwest US states face fresh blizzards". BBC. December 26, 2009. Archived from the original on December 27, 2009. Retrieved December 26, 2009.
- ^ a b "A Review of the December 24, 2009 Christmas Eve Blizzard". National Weather Service, Norman OK. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ "Deadly winter storm arrives in US Midwest". BBC News. December 24, 2009. Archived from the original on December 25, 2009. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
- ^ "091223's Storm Report (1200 UTC – 1159 UTC)". Storm Prediction Center. December 23, 2009. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
- ^ "Today's Storm Reports (1200 UTC – 1159 UTC)". Storm Prediction Center. December 24, 2009. Archived from the original on December 28, 2009. Retrieved December 25, 2009.