December 1969 nor'easter
The December 1969 nor'easter was a strong winter storm that mainly affected the Northeastern United States and southern Quebec between December 25 and December 28, 1969. The multi-faceted storm system included a tornado outbreak, record snow accumulations, a damaging ice storm, and flooding rains.
The storm developed over
In central New England, a severe freezing rain event occurred along the boundary between cold air to the west and warmer air to the east. Several inches of
Background
The winter of 1969–1970 continued a long-term
Before the cyclone's arrival, a 1,033
Meteorological history
The nor'easter originated in a weak area of
The low-level jet continued to strengthen and delivered warm air to areas east of the storm center, where precipitation quickly transitioned to rain. The jet ultimately reached extremely high velocities of 55 m/s (120 mph) as it wrapped around the northern side of the low, feeding abundant moisture into areas of heavy precipitation.[1] The storm slowed drastically on December 26,[8] and over the next 24 hours, it moved very slowly from Cape May, New Jersey, to near Boston, Massachusetts.[4] During this period, exceptionally heavy snow fell over eastern New York, Vermont, and southern Quebec. While located just east of Long Island on December 27, the nor'easter began its second phase of rapid strengthening that brought central pressure down to 976 hPa (28.8 inHg). During this period of intensification, snow propagated around the western side of the system, reaching as far south as Long Island.[8]
With a storm track very close to the shore and a retreating high-pressure area to the northeast, onshore winds allowed temperatures to warm above freezing in eastern and northern New England. A frontal boundary between the warm Atlantic air and a residual wedge of colder air over the interior served as the focus for a severe ice storm in central New England.[8] Thunder and lightning accompanied the precipitation in some areas.[11][12] By 12:00 UTC on December 27, the attendant upper-level trough matured into a closed cold-core low.[1] The nor'easter continued to drift toward the east-northeast over the next 24 hours.[8]
Impact and aftermath
Southeast U.S. and Mid-Atlantic
The developing extratropical cyclone spawned 16 known tornadoes and waterspouts in
A tornado in southern Georgia, about 9 mi (14 km) west of
In addition to widespread rain, parts of northern South Carolina experienced freezing rain that damaged trees and power lines. Freezing rain and sleet fell over the southern Piedmont of North Carolina, resulting in power outages and dangerous travel conditions.[18] At least one fatal traffic accident was reported. Heavy snow covered the northwest Piedmont and Mountain Region of the state, accumulating to around 12 in (30 cm) at Asheville;[19] occurring on the heels of another winter storm, this snowfall contributed to depths up to 2 ft (60 cm) at higher elevations.[18] High winds from the storm left at least 50,000 electric customers in the Richmond, Virginia region without power. In Carroll County, strong winds uprooted trees.[17] Significant snow accumulations occurred throughout the Mid-Atlantic, chiefly away from the coastal plain. Snowfall exceeded 10 in (25 cm) in parts of western Virginia, western Maryland, and West Virginia; Washington, D.C. received 12.1 in (31 cm) of snow.[8]
Northeast U.S.
The cyclone was rated by meteorology researchers Kocin and Uccellini (2004) as a high-end Category 3 on the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale, equating to a "major" winter storm.[8] However, more recent data from the National Climatic Data Center classifies the nor'easter as a low-end "crippling" Category 4.[2] By December 30, at least 20 deaths in New York and New England had been attributed to the storm, largely from traffic accidents and physical exhaustion.[20]
Areas of northeastern
While major highways were generally cleared by December 29,
Governor
The influx of warm, moist air over a wedge of cold air near the surface resulted in a severe ice storm across central and northern New England, most notably in the upper
The changeover to heavy rain in southern and eastern New England swelled frozen rivers, creating ice jams which induced severe flooding. Flooding of roadways and homes was compounded by drainage issues from the dense snowcover.[6] Rising floodwaters forced hundreds of families to leave their homes in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Up to 4 in (100 mm) of rain fell in the Boston region, where thousands of homes were inundated. Rivers had begun to recede by December 29 after cresting well above flood stage.[31][33] Up to 4 in (100 mm) of rain fell over Rhode Island after 6 to 11 in (15 to 28 cm) of snow, with widespread flooding reported in multiple towns. Frequent automobile accidents and large traffic jams were reported in the state.[5] Winds were strongest in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where gusts peaked near 100 mph (160 km/h). The gales were particularly damaging to trees laden with snow and ice. The heavy rainfall in eastern Massachusetts added tremendous weigh to the snow that had already fallen, causing roof collapses and making it difficult to clear the snow. In southeastern New Hampshire, the strong winds toppled trees and blew out windows in Hampton Beach.[12] Although the coastal plain of New England avoided the heaviest snow accumulations, pounding surf and strong winds battered piers, boats, and other coastal installations, while low-lying areas experienced storm surge flooding.[34]
Quebec
The storm dropped up to 30 in (75 cm) of snow in southern Quebec, where wind gusts up to 50 mph (80 km/h) damaged buildings and brought down power lines.[35] Over a period of 60 hours, 27.5 in (70 cm) of snow fell at Montreal in what was then the city's heaviest snowfall on record. Rail, air, and automobile transportation were paralyzed.[36] One individual in Quebec City was struck and killed by a snowplow, and two more died of exposure to cold while ice fishing on the St. Lawrence River. Several fires broke out in Montreal during the storm, killing at least six people and leaving 23 families homeless.[35] In total, the storm was connected to at least 15 fatalities in the province.[36][37]
See also
- Climate of the United States
- List of Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale winter storms
References
General
- Environmental Science Services Administration (1970). "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena" (PDF). National Climatic Data Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 9, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
- Thomas P. Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes, 1880–1989. Vol. II. National Science Foundation.
- Paul J. Kocin and Louis W. Uccellini (2004). Northeast Snowstorms. American Meteorological Society. ISBN 978-1-878220-64-6.
Specific
- ^ a b c d e Kocin and Uccellini, p. 473
- ^ a b National Climatic Data Center. "The Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS)". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on January 5, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
- ^ Climate Prediction Center. "Observation of Monthly Mean North Atlantic Oscillation". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
- ^ a b c A. Boyd Pack (1968). "New York – December 1969: special weather summary". Climatological data. New York, Volumes 80–81. National Climatic Data Center. p. 210. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Storm Data, p. 159
- ^ a b c d e Storm Data, p. 156
- ^ Northeast Regional Climate Center. "Minimum 1-day mean min temperature for Albany AP, NY". Cornell University. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kocin and Uccellini, p. 467
- ^ Kocin and Uccellini, p. 469
- ^ Kocin and Uccellini, p. 468
- ^ a b Storm Data, p. 154
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Storm Data, p. 157
- ^ Ian Livingston (December 23, 2012). "Christmas Eve and Christmas Day tornado history". US Tornadoes. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
- ^ a b c Grazulis, p. 502
- ^ Storm Data, p. 155
- ^ a b Storm Data, pp. 154–155
- ^ a b "Snow Piles Quickly in Coast Area". Youngstown Vindicator. Associated Press. December 26, 1969. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
- ^ a b Storm Data, pp. 158–159
- ^ a b c d e f "Northeast Stays Paralyzed By Storm". The Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. December 30, 1969. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
- ^ a b c d National Weather Service Albany, New York. "Major Winter Storms". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
- ^ "Burlington, Vermont top 20 greatest snowstorms" (PDF). National Weather Service Burlington, Vermont. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
- ^ Staff Writer (December 28, 1969). "New England Clogged by 2-Day Snow". The Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
- ^ a b Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux (2002). "Climate Variability and Socioeconomic Consequences of Vermont's Natural Hazards: A Historical Perspective" (PDF). Vermont Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bill Kovachs (December 30, 1969). "Albany Calls 'Dire' Emergency As 26-Inch Snow Paralyzes Area; Albany Declares 'Dire Emergency' After 26-Inch Snowstorm". The New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
- ^ a b "4-Foot Snow, Flood Strangle Northeast". The Modesto Bee. Associated Press. December 29, 1969.
- ^ .
- ^ "Vermont Declared a Disaster Area". The Meriden Journal. Associated Press. December 29, 1969. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
- ^ Storm Data, pp. 156–157
- ^
- ^ .
- ^ Climat-Quebec. "Significant Climate Events of the 20th Century in Québec". Meteorological Service of Canada. Archived from the original on November 28, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
External links