Blizzard Drops Record Snowfall Through the U.S. Urban Corridor

Written by Team Morecast

 

A bomb cyclone dropped 2-3 feet of snow from New York City into southern New England from Sunday into Monday. Widespread high winds gusting 60-75 mph (100-120 kph) contributed to hours of whiteout conditions as well as large drifts. The result has been one of the worst blizzards in decades. Outright travel bans were in effect for five states and almost 500,000 households were without power as of Monday afternoon.

 

 

 

A powerful upper low moved through the Midwest and into the Mid-Atlantic on Sunday. This energy helped a surface low explode off the East Coast (see satellite loop above) which in turn pulled rich Atlantic moisture into a cold air mass over the Northeast. The result was widespread, very heavy snow bands dropping rates up to 2-3″ per hour. Philadelphia measured over 14 inches (36 cm), the highest amount since 2016. New York City saw 20-27 inches (50-69 cm), also the most since the big 2016 storm. Amounts up to 31 inches (79 cm) piled up further out on Long Island. The heaviest snows fell in Rhode Island and southeast Massachusetts with amounts of 27-36 inches (69-91 cm). Providence, RI shattered the previous all-time record with 33 inches (84 cm).

 

 

Travel has been rendered virtually impossible in this region. The heavy, wet snow combined with high winds have felled trees and power lines, leading to hundreds of thousands of outages. Emergency crews aiming to restore power face tremendous obstacles, meaning restoration will take several days, especially in rural areas. More than 10,000 flights have also been cancelled due to the crippling snowstorm. Lead photo courtesy Rhode Island resident Mary Montminy-Danna.

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