Great Appalachian Storm of 1950

Great Appalachian Storm of November 1950
Category 5 "Extreme" (RSI/NOAA: 34.69)
Surface analysis showing cyclone near time of maximum intensity on November 25, 1950
TypeExtratropical cyclone
Nor'easter
Blizzard
Winter storm
FormedNovember 24, 1950[1]
DissipatedNovember 30, 1950
Lowest pressure978 mbar (28.88 inHg)
Maximum snowfall
or ice accretion
57 inches (1,400 mm)
Fatalities383 fatalities
Damage$66.7 million (1950 dollars)[2]
Areas affectedEastern United States
Southeast Canada

The Great Appalachian Storm of November 1950 was a large extratropical cyclone which moved through the Eastern United States, causing blizzard conditions along the western slopes of the Appalachian Mountains and significant winds and heavy rainfall east of the mountains. Hurricane-force winds, peaking at 110 miles per hour (180 km/h) in Concord, New Hampshire, and 160 mph (260 km/h) in the highlands of New England, disrupted power to 1 million customers during the event.

In all, the storm impacted 22 states, killing 383[3][4][5] people, injuring over 160, and causing $66.7 million in damage (equivalent to $845,000,000 in 2023).[5] U.S. insurance companies paid out more money to their policy holders for damage resulting from the cyclone than for any previous storm or hurricane at the time. The cyclone is also one of only twenty-six storms to rank as a Category 5 on the Regional Snowfall Index.[6]

Termed, the "Storm of the Century".[3][5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference ohiohistory was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ National Climatic Data Center. Climatological Data: National Summary 1950.[permanent dead link] Retrieved November 26, 2006.
  3. ^ a b Magazine, Editors of Time (December 7, 2004). Time: Almanac 2005. Time Home Entertainment, Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-932273-35-9. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ Halverson, Jeff. "In 1950, an iconic storm blasted through the Eastern U.S. at Thanksgiving". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA'S TOP U. S. WEATHER, WATER AND CLIMATE EVENTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY. Retrieved on November 25, 2006.
  6. ^ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Regional Snowfall Index (RSI). Retrieved on November 18, 2014.