White Juan
Type | Extratropical cyclone Nor'easter Blizzard |
---|---|
Formed | February 17, 2004 |
Dissipated | February 23, 2004 |
Highest winds |
|
Lowest pressure | 959 mbar (28.3 inHg)[1] |
Lowest temperature | −8 °F (−22 °C) |
Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | 95.5 centimetres (37.6 in) at Shearwater heliport |
Fatalities | None |
Damage | $1 million (2004 USD) |
Areas affected |
White Juan is the unofficial name given to the hurricane-strength nor'easter blizzard of February 2004 that affected most of Atlantic Canada and the Eastern United States between February 17 and 20, 2004—five months after Hurricane Juan devastated Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.[2]
The storm dropped heavy snowfall throughout the Nova Scotia peninsula and Prince Edward Island, with accumulations in the hardest-hit areas ranging from 50 to 100 centimetres (20 to 39 in).
Meteorological history
The storm formed approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, on February 17, 2004. It intensified over the Gulf Stream, moving at 35–40 km/h (21–24 mi/h) before striking Atlantic Canada.[1]
Impacts
Snow fell at a rate of 5 centimetres (2.0 in) per hour for 12 straight hours, and sustained winds blew at up to 124 kilometres (77 mi) per hour.[1]
The snowstorm dropped a record-breaking 95.5 centimetres (37.6 in) of snow on Shearwater heliport, beating the previous record of 73.2 centimetres (28.8 in) set February 1, 1960. It also broke the record for the most snow in Yarmouth with 82.0 centimetres (32.3 in) of snow, surpassing the 67.8 centimetres (26.7 in) that fell on January 16, 1977. Charlottetown PEI also broke their all time daily snowfall record with 74.4 centimetres (29.3 in).
Numerous unofficial reports[
Two weather stations in the Halifax Regional Municipality reported 10-second gusts nearing 147 kilometres per hour (91 mph). However, these reports have never been confirmed by
The wind combined with the intense snow rates produced visibilities of 1 metre (3.3 ft) or less in most areas for brief periods, however these conditions persisted for at least eight hours in much of Nova Scotia. The wind also whipped up snow drifts which in some cases covered two and three-storey buildings and made many roads impassable to both common motor vehicles and snow removal equipment.
The
The storm also had an effect on the 2004 Special Olympic National Winter Games, which were being held in Charlottetown, PEI.
Snowfall amounts for February 18–19
- Halifax and Dartmouth: 95.5 centimetres (37.6 in)
- Yarmouth: 82.0 centimetres (32.3 in)
- Charlottetown: 74.4 centimetres (29.3 in)
- Halifax International Airport: 66.8 centimetres (26.3 in)
- Enfield: 66.6 centimetres (26.2 in)
- Moncton: 61.2 centimetres (24.1 in)
- Port Hawkesbury: 50 centimetres (20 in)
- Baddeck: 49 centimetres (19 in)
- Sydney: 40.8 centimetres (16.1 in)
- Saint John: 25 centimetres (9.8 in)
- Miramichi: 3.5 centimetres (1.4 in)
- Fredericton: 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in)
- Bathurst: 0.5 centimetres (0.20 in)
School cancellations
All schools were closed in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island as province-wide states of emergency were declared.[3]
Marine effects
While conditions on land proved to be serious, the storm produced hurricane-force winds out at sea with 10–15 meter (32–49 ft) swells, prompting a special marine warning. A
Financial impacts
In 2011, the
It wasn't until ten years later that the federal government announced that it would pay the province $3.6 million under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements program which helps cover the costs of evacuations, emergency shelters and infrastructure.[5]
See also
- North American blizzard of 2006
- Early February 2013 North American blizzard
- January 2018 North American blizzard
References
- ^ a b c d Halifax Weather: Blizzard Matches 'White Juan' From 2004 (VIDEO, TWEETS, PHOTOS) Huffington Post Canada
- ^ Lyndsay Morrison (2011-02-18). "White Juan: remembering the storm". The Weather Network. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
- ^ "News - Remembering White Juan: 10 years later - the Weather Network".
- ^ http://www.novaweather.net/Blizzard_2004/Blizzard_summary.pdf Summary by Chris Fogarty of Environment Canada (Page 7)
- ^ a b "Halifax owed $6M in Juan relief". CBC News Nova Scotia. Aug 18, 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2014.