February 1969 nor'easter

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February 1969 nor'easter
Category 2 "Significant" (
NOAA: 4.528)
A surface weather analysis
of the nor'easter
TypeExtratropical cyclone
Nor'easter
Blizzard
Winter storm
FormedFebruary 8, 1969
DurationFebruary 10, 1969
Lowest pressure970 mb (28.64 inHg)
Fatalities94 fatalities
Areas affected
Mid-Atlantic and New England

The February 1969 nor'easter was a severe

Mid-Atlantic and New England regions of the United States between February 8 and February 10.[1] The nor'easter dropped paralyzing snowfall, exceeding 20 in (51 cm) in many places. New York City bore the brunt of the storm, suffering extensive disruption. Thousands of travelers became stranded on roads and in airports. The storm killed at least 94 people. City schools were closed for several days and some areas of the city remained uncleared for over a week. New York Mayor John Lindsay
was criticized for failing to respond to the snowstorm adequately.

Synoptic history

An

Mid-Atlantic States, and heavy snow began to fall from New Jersey northward by 1200 UTC on February 9.[1]

The primary low dissipated, and the secondary low continued to intensify as it moved northeastward from the

millibars, having strengthened 32 millibars in an 18-hour period. At 1200 UTC, it was situated off Cape Cod, still an intense cyclone.[1] On February 11, the storm moved out of the region.[2]

Impact

Manhattan's empty streets during the storm, February 10

The storm produced paralyzing snowfall from New Jersey through most of New England. Forecasts severely underestimated the duration of the storm, often predicting just a chance of snow.[3] The highest totals—often exceeding 42 in (110 cm)—were reported in the Bangor, Maine, area; Lewiston, Maine, topping 32 in (81 cm). Lesser accumulations up to 20 in (51 cm)—occurred in areas south to western Connecticut, Massachusetts, southern Vermont, northern Rhode Island, and eastern New Hampshire.[1] Lighter snowfall extended as far south as central Virginia, and as far west as Indiana.[4] The snow was accompanied by high winds, in some areas reaching 45 mph (72 km/h). Heavy snow and gale warnings were declared across the region. Tides along the coast ran 2 to 3 ft (0.61 to 0.91 m) above normal during the storm.[5]

New York City was struck particularly hard by the storm. Central Park reported 15 inches (38 cm) of snow, and John F. Kennedy International Airport reported 20 inches (51 cm).[3] It is estimated that 42 people perished, and several hundred more people were injured. The storm disrupted the city for days, and forced schools to close.[6] Streets throughout Queens became impassable; mail service, buses, taxis, delivery vehicles, and trash collection were all disrupted.[7] Thousands of motorists became trapped on the New York State Thruway. A snow emergency was issued in the city, and the Long Island Rail Road suspended all service at the time. The snowstorm left approximately 6,000 travelers stranded at Kennedy Airport. They slept on chairs and floors.[5] Over 1,000 vehicles were stalled or abandoned on the Tappan Zee Bridge; most of these were removed within a day.[8]

Overall, at least 94 deaths were attributed to the storm.[9] Throughout the region, the lack of delivery trucks also led to a shortage of food staples such as milk and bread.[10]

Aftermath

Following the storm, then-mayor

Kew Gardens Hills. The storm became known as the "Lindsay Snowstorm", and created a political crisis;[7] as a result, Lindsay lost the Republican primary for the next mayoral election.[11] Lindsay was able to win the mayoral election by running on a third-party ticket,[12]
but he was politically weakened by the crisis.

The storm also had an economic impact. The

National Association of Securities Dealers also closed.[13]

See also

References

Specific
  1. ^ a b c d e Kocin and Uccellini, p. 450
  2. ^ NOAA Central Library Data Imaging Project (February 11, 1969). "Daily Weather Maps for February 11, 1969". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
  3. ^
    The New York Daily News. Archived from the original
    on December 30, 2010. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
  4. ^ "February 8-10, 1969 snowfall map". National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved January 8, 2010. [dead link]
  5. ^ a b "East Blanketed by Snow Storm". The Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. February 9, 1969. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
  6. The New York Daily News. Retrieved January 8, 2010.[dead link
    ]
  7. ^ a b Swewll Chan (February 10, 2009). "Remembering a Snowstorm That Paralyzed the City". The New York Times City Room Blog. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
  8. ^ "Northeast Paralyzed by Quickie Snowstorm". The Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. February 11, 1969. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
  9. The Tri-City Herald. Associated Press. February 11, 1969. Retrieved January 10, 2010.[permanent dead link
    ]
  10. ^ "Northeast Begins Digging Out Of Massive Snowstorm". The Rome News-Tribune. Associated Press. February 11, 1969. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
  11. ^ Waugh, p. 88
  12. ^ ""My Heart Is as Black as Yours": White Backlash, Racial Identity, and Italian American Stereotypes in New York City's 1969 Mayoral Campaign". Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  13. ^ "NYSE, Amex boards closed by snowstorm". The Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. February 10, 1969. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
General

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