North American blizzard of 2006

North American blizzard of 2006

Category 2 "Significant" ( NOAA: 5.13)
NASA satellite image of the storm at peak intensity on February 12, featuring a hurricane-like "eye".
Type	Extratropical cyclone Nor'easter Blizzard Winter storm
Formed	February 11, 2006
Dissipated	February 13, 2006
Lowest pressure	971[1] mb (28.67 inHg)
Maximum snowfall or ice accretion	30.2 inches (77 cm) in Fairfield, Connecticut[2]
Fatalities	0 direct, 3 indirect
Damage	$5 million (2006 USD)
Power outages	506,000
Areas affected	2005–06 North American winter storms

The North American blizzard of 2006 was a

Since the heaviest snow was confined to a fairly small, but very heavily populated area, the storm was only ranked as a low-end Category 3 (Major) on the new

In addition to the heavy snow, coastal flooding from storm surge was reported, particularly in Massachusetts.^[4] Storm surges have been recorded as high as 3 feet (0.91 m) in parts of New England.^[5]

The

Three casualties occurred as a result of the snow: in Virginia, a man died due to his truck sliding off a highway; in Baltimore, a person died in a house fire as a result of snow delaying rescue workers from getting to the fire.^[6] A third fatality occurred in a weather-related accident in Nova Scotia.^[7]

Connecticut

While

New Castle County and Wilmington felt the brunt of this storm, with 14 to 15 inches (36 to 38 centimetres) of snow. Kent and Sussex counties to the south mixed with rain for a while, and saw significantly less snow accumulations, mostly in the 6 inches (15 cm) range.

District of Columbia

The city of Washington, D.C. missed the worst of the storm. The city received about 10 inches (25 cm) of snow, far less than in the suburbs. Approximately 3,000 people lost electricity in the District of Columbia.^[9] However, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (just across the Potomac River) was closed.

Maryland

The heaviest snow in Maryland fell from the northern suburbs of Washington, D.C., to the Baltimore area. These areas overwhelmingly saw over a foot of snow. Snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 centimetres) per hour were common, and thundersnow occurred. Snowfall amounts of up to 21 inches (53 cm) were reported in Columbia, 13.1 inches (33 cm) in Baltimore, 17 inches (43 cm) in Catonsville, and a foot (30.5 cm) in Potomac. This was the area's heaviest snow since the North American blizzard of 2003. Lesser amounts occurred in western and southern parts of the state.

Maryland was hardest hit by power outages. In the Baltimore area, more than 62,000 people lost electricity, plus another 16,000 in Montgomery County and 37,000 in Prince George's County.

Massachusetts

The most serious coastal problems were in Massachusetts. The heaviest snow was in the central part of the state, where snow amounts of up to 20 inches (51 cm) were reported. Coastal areas, particularly around

There were no power outages, despite the conditions.[10] There was one death; a tree fell onto a pickup truck in Billerica, killing the driver.^[11] Strong winds across the state caused $1.9 million in damage (2006 USD).^[12]

New Jersey

The impact of the blizzard in northern

Wikimedia Commons has media related to New York City in blizzard of 2006.

The

The storm did not reach very far north of the city; the Albany area only received 1–2 inches (3–5 centimetres) of snow. As a result, the 2005–06 winter season ended up being the first time ever since records began in the late 19th century that New York City received more snow than Albany in a given winter (the inland, upstate city averages about twice as much snowfall per winter as its big neighbor to the south).

The strong winds downed trees and powerlines, resulting in $3 million in damage (2006 USD).^[12] The Long Island Rail Road reported extensive delays and as many as eight trains disabled up to several hours after the blizzard. The Monday morning commute was no better, as two of the railroad's lines were shut down completely and delays caused headaches for ambitious commuters. By Tuesday, two days after the storm, service was back to normal.^[15]

Despite the record snowfall, New York City schools were open on February 13, owing to planning and work by the city and its snowplow team.

Pennsylvania

Snowfall totals were measured at 12 inches (30 cm) at Philadelphia International Airport, but 35 miles (56 km) to the west in West Caln Township, there were 21 inches (53 cm). Philadelphia International Airport remained open throughout the storm, although about 50% of flights were cancelled. There were also power outages in the Philadelphia area, with about 10,000 customers losing power. But in contrast, in Western Pennsylvania most got 1 in (2.5 cm) or less of snow.^[16] Philadelphia public and parchocial schools were closed for the day.^[17]

Rhode Island

The

According to

Only accumulations of 8 inches (20 cm) or greater are listed. Not all observations are listed due to space limitations; only major communities and notable reports are listed.

Sources: National Weather Service local offices – Sterling, VA, Mount Holly, NJ, Upton, NY, Taunton, MA, Caribou, ME^{[dead link]}, Gray, ME

See also

• Cyclogenesis
• Extratropical cyclone

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to North American blizzard of 2006.

• 'Dangerous storm' slams Northeast, snarls travel — CNN (February 12, 2006)
• 'Winter storm hits Northeast, thousands lose power — CNN (Saturday, February 18, 2006)
• Images from the storm