February 1983 North American blizzard

February 1983 North American blizzard

The low-pressure area causing blizzard conditions across portions of the Northeast on February 12
Meteorological history
Formed	February 9, 1983
Exited land	February 12, 1983
Category 4 "Crippling" winter storm
Regional Snowfall Index: 14.78 (NOAA)
Lowest pressure	<1002 mbar (hPa); <29.59 inHg
Maximum snowfall or ice accretion	35 in (89 cm) in Glengary, West Virginia[1]
Tornado outbreak
Tornadoes	12
Maximum rating	F3 tornado
Duration	February 9–10, 1983
Highest winds	76 mph (122 km/h) (highest convective wind)
Largest hail	3 in (7.6 cm)
Overall effects
Fatalities	46[1]
Injuries	10
Areas affected	Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, and New England
Part of the 1982–83 North American winter and tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1983

A blizzard in February 1983, nicknamed the "Megalopolitan Blizzard", impacted the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and New England regions of the United States. First developing as a low-pressure area on February 9 while a El Niño event ensued, the low then moved eastward across the Gulf of Mexico. While the low progressed across the Gulf, several tornadoes associated with the system touched down across Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, ultimately resulting in ten injuries. The low then emerged over the Atlantic Ocean near the Georgia–South Carolina border, later developing and intensifying into a cyclone as it moved parallel along the East Coast of the United States. The cyclone then moved northward while producing blizzard conditions and heavy snowfall across portions of the Mid-Atlantic on February 11, including across Maryland and northern Virginia. Continuing to intensify and moving northward, the cyclone then brought heavy snow and blizzard conditions to parts of the Northeast and New England. Overall, the blizzard caused 46 deaths and set multiple weather records in terms of snowfall.^[2][3]