February 2013 North American blizzard

February 2013 North American blizzard
Category 3 "Major" (RSI/NOAA: 9.21)
Suomi NPP image of the nor'easter on February 9, 2013
TypeExtratropical cyclone
Winter storm
Bomb cyclone
Nor'easter
Blizzard
FormedFebruary 7, 2013 (February 7, 2013)
DissipatedFebruary 18, 2013 (February 18, 2013)
Highest winds
Highest gust102 mph (164 km/h)[1]
Lowest pressure968 mb (28.59 inHg)
Maximum snowfall
or ice accretion		40 inches (100 cm)
at Hamden, Connecticut[2][3]
Fatalities18 fatalities
Damage$100 million[4]
Power outages≥700,000
Areas affected

The February 2013 North American blizzard, also known as Winter Storm Nemo[5][6] and the Blizzard of 2013,[7] was a powerful blizzard that developed from the combination of two areas of low pressure,[8] primarily affecting the Northeastern United States and parts of Canada, causing heavy snowfall and hurricane-force winds. The storm crossed the Atlantic Ocean, affecting Ireland and the United Kingdom.[9] The nor'easter's effects in the United States received a Category 3 rank on the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale, classifying it as a "Major" Winter Storm.

The first low-pressure system, originating from the Northern Plains of the United States, produced moderate amounts of snow across the Great Lakes region of the U.S. and Canada.[10] The second low, originating across the state of Texas, produced heavy rains and flooding across much of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic parts of the U.S. As the two systems merged off the Northeast coast on February 8, 2013, they produced heavy snowfall over a large region from North Jersey and inland from New York City through eastern New England up to coastal Maine and inland to Ontario.

Total snowfall in Boston, Massachusetts, reached 24.9 inches (63 cm), the fifth-highest total ever recorded in the city.[11] New York City officially recorded 11.4 inches (29 cm) of snow at Central Park, and Portland, Maine, set a record of 31.9 inches (81 cm). Hamden, Connecticut recorded the highest snowfall of the storm at 40 inches (100 cm), the second highest total in Connecticut was recorded in Milford at 38 inches (97 cm). Many surrounding cities picked up at least 1 foot (30 cm). In addition to the significant snowfall totals, hurricane-force wind gusts were recorded, reaching 102 mph (164 km/h) in Nova Scotia, 89 mph (143 km/h) at Mount Desert Rock, Maine, and 84 mph (135 km/h) off the coast of Cuttyhunk, Massachusetts.[1][12][13] Boston experienced a storm surge of 4.2 ft (1.3 m), its fourth-highest.[14] The storm affected Atlantic Canada after hitting the Northeastern United States.

Watches and warnings were issued in preparation for the storm, and state governors declared states of emergency in all states in New England and in New York. Flights at many major airports across the region were canceled, and travel bans were put into place on February 8 in several states. Hundreds ended up stranded on Long Island late on February 8 as a result of the rapidly accumulating snowfall. A combination of strong winds and heavy, wet snow left 700,000 customers without electricity at the height of the storm.[15] At least eighteen deaths were attributed to the storm.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]

  1. ^ a b Blizzard that buried Maritimes and central Canada blasts into Newfoundland | National News | Estevan Mercury, Estevan, SK Archived January 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ National Weather Service – Eastern Region Hydrometeorological Event Display
  3. ^ "Storm Summary Number 09 For Great Lakes And Northeast Major Winter Storm". NWS Weather Prediction Center. February 9, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  4. ^ Global Catastrophe Recap - February 2013, Aon, March 2013
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Weather Channel was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference CNBC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference climatecentral.org was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Clara Moskowitz (February 8, 2013). "Massive snowstorm seen from space in satellite photo". CBS News. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  9. ^ Rao, Nathan (12 February 2013). "Warning as snowstorm Nemo heads for Britain".
  10. ^ "Snow Summary - February 7-8, 2013" (PDF). National Weather Service. February 9, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Huffington_Post_2650592 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Mount Desert Rock Continuous Winds Data". Archived from the original on 2015-10-17. Retrieved 2013-02-10.
  13. ^ "Buzzards Bay, MA Continuous Winds Data". Archived from the original on 2013-05-24. Retrieved 2013-02-10.
  14. ^ Jeff Masters (February 9, 2013). "Snow measured in feet, not inches: historic Nor'easter pounds England". Weather Underground. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  15. ^ McLaughlin, Tim (9 February 2013). "Blizzard hammers U.S. Northeast, five dead, 700,000 lose power". Reuters.
  16. ^ "Three Northport Men Die While Removing Snow". Northport Patch. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  17. ^ "At least 4 dead as blizzard moves east from Ontario". CTV news. February 9, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  18. ^ Mike Benischeck (February 8, 2013). "Wind, snowfall intensifying; More than 6 inches so far in Poughkeepsie, Rhineback". Poughkeepsie Journal. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  19. ^ "5 Storm-Related Fatalities Reported". NBC Connecticut. February 9, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference nbc-tractor-accident was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference globe-co-incidents was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference wsj-li-apt was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference cnn was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ "(no title)". Canoe. Archived from the original on March 6, 2013. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)