January 8–13, 2011 North American blizzard
Encyclopedia
The January 8–13, 2011 North American Blizzard was a major Mid-Atlantic
nor'easter and winter storm, and a New England
blizzard
. The storm also affected portions of the Southeastern regions of the United States. This storm came just two weeks after a previous major blizzard severely affected most of these same areas in December 2010
. It was the second significant snowstorm to affect the region thus far in the 2010-2011 winter season.
, and eastward across portions of Arkansas
, Louisiana
, Mississippi
, Alabama
, Tennessee
, Georgia
, and the Carolinas
. Significant snows and ice fell in these regions causing significant travel emergencies and accidents. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest in the world had only seen around 30 flights take off. Many flights were canceled however the airport did not close. Icy conditions were reported around the Atlanta and Birmingham as numerous traffic accidents were reported.
Meanwhile a second system swung southeastward from Alberta, Canada, delivering light amounts of snow to the Dakotas
, the Upper Midwest
and the Great Lakes
regions. Energy from the two systems combined off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina late on January 10, forming the storm that delivered over 2 feet of snow to New England on January 12.
The storm affected portions of New Jersey
, New York
, much of Connecticut
, Rhode Island
, and Massachusetts
overnight late Tuesday into Wednesday, January 12, 2011. Although the storm was expected to intensify to become a blizzard, New York City was spared from the worst. The city's public schools remained open. By Wednesday morning, Central Park had received 9.1 inches of snow; however, a lot of the areas in central and eastern Long Island had seen 15 to 20 inches of snow before it all ended. In Edison, New Jersey
, there was a reported snowfall total of 10.2 inches of snow.
Connecticut bore the brunt of the storm, with many locations checking in with snowfall totals of 20 to 30 inches. Heavy snow caused the roof of an apartment building in Norwich
to collapse, forcing the evacuation of 10 residents. The storm forced state troopers
to close a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 95
in southwest Connecticut due to numerous trucks becoming stuck on the highway in the snow. The storm also caused the bubble covering the Cheshire Community Pool in Cheshire, Connecticut
to collapse, forcing its closure for the season.
The highest amount of snowfall was reported at Savoy, Massachusetts
, with 40.5 inches. The storm also caused widespread airport delays and school closings in the region. Also, isolated amounts of more than 2 feet occurred in eastern Massachusetts. In Wilmington, MA, Winchester, MA and Lexington, MA, amounts of 24 inches occurred, with Winchester reporting 24.2 inches.
The Edgewood Yacht Club
was completely destroyed by a fire at the height of the storm. The elements made it extremely difficult for the fire to be put out. There were no injuries from the fire, although it is still unknown what caused the fire to start.
This blizzard together with blizzards later in the month is estimated to have led to a loss of 150,000 jobs in the United States for January.
Mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic can refer to:*Mid-Atlantic English, a mix between British English and American English*Mid-Atlantic Region , one of the United States geographic divisions of the Little League World Series...
nor'easter and winter storm, and a New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
. The storm also affected portions of the Southeastern regions of the United States. This storm came just two weeks after a previous major blizzard severely affected most of these same areas in December 2010
December 2010 North American blizzard
The December 2010 North American blizzard was a major nor'easter and historic blizzard affecting the United States from portions of northern Florida to Maine and portions of Canada on December 26–27, 2010. It was the first significant winter storm of the 2010-11 winter season and the fourth North...
. It was the second significant snowstorm to affect the region thus far in the 2010-2011 winter season.
Meteorological history
The storm took on a similar track as the storm that had crippled the region in December 2010. The storm formed as a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico, which interacted with an upper level low pressure system that dropped down from central Canada. Like the previous storm, it was fueled by a great amount of southern stream energy. In mid-Atlantic states, the track of the storm was over 50 miles east of the previous one; besides, the storm was a fast-moving system. As a result, snowfall totals in these areas were not expected to reach those of the December 2010 blizzard two weeks earlier. However, the storm dumped over 2 feet of snow in some areas in New England before it moved out to sea on Thursday.Impact
From January 8 through January 10, the storm dropped a swath of snow and ice from eastern TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and eastward across portions of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and the Carolinas
The Carolinas
The Carolinas is a term used in the United States to refer collectively to the states of North and South Carolina. Together, the two states + have a population of 13,942,126. "Carolina" would be the fifth most populous state behind California, Texas, New York, and Florida...
. Significant snows and ice fell in these regions causing significant travel emergencies and accidents. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest in the world had only seen around 30 flights take off. Many flights were canceled however the airport did not close. Icy conditions were reported around the Atlanta and Birmingham as numerous traffic accidents were reported.
Meanwhile a second system swung southeastward from Alberta, Canada, delivering light amounts of snow to the Dakotas
The Dakotas
The Dakotas is a collective term that refers to the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota together. The term has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is continued to be used to describe the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, the economy, and...
, the Upper Midwest
Upper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the midwest. Although there are no uniformly agreed-upon boundaries, the region is most commonly used to refer to the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and...
and the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
regions. Energy from the two systems combined off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina late on January 10, forming the storm that delivered over 2 feet of snow to New England on January 12.
The storm affected portions of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, much of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, and Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
overnight late Tuesday into Wednesday, January 12, 2011. Although the storm was expected to intensify to become a blizzard, New York City was spared from the worst. The city's public schools remained open. By Wednesday morning, Central Park had received 9.1 inches of snow; however, a lot of the areas in central and eastern Long Island had seen 15 to 20 inches of snow before it all ended. In Edison, New Jersey
Edison, New Jersey
Edison Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway Township and Woodbridge Township...
, there was a reported snowfall total of 10.2 inches of snow.
Connecticut bore the brunt of the storm, with many locations checking in with snowfall totals of 20 to 30 inches. Heavy snow caused the roof of an apartment building in Norwich
Norwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
to collapse, forcing the evacuation of 10 residents. The storm forced state troopers
Connecticut State Police
The Connecticut State Police is a division of the Connecticut Department of Public Safety responsible for traffic regulation and law enforcement across the state of Connecticut, especially in areas not served by local police departments. The CSP currently has approximately 1,248 troopers, and is...
to close a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 95
Connecticut Turnpike
The Connecticut Turnpike, known now as the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike, is a freeway in Connecticut that runs from Greenwich to Killingly. It is signed as Interstate 95 from the New York state line at Greenwich to East Lyme, and then as Interstate 395 from East Lyme to Plainfield...
in southwest Connecticut due to numerous trucks becoming stuck on the highway in the snow. The storm also caused the bubble covering the Cheshire Community Pool in Cheshire, Connecticut
Cheshire, Connecticut
Cheshire is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 28,543 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshire. In 2009 Cheshire was ranked 72 in Money Magazine's 100 Best Places to Live.Likewise, in 2011 Cheshire was ranked 73 in...
to collapse, forcing its closure for the season.
The highest amount of snowfall was reported at Savoy, Massachusetts
Savoy, Massachusetts
Savoy is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 705 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, with 40.5 inches. The storm also caused widespread airport delays and school closings in the region. Also, isolated amounts of more than 2 feet occurred in eastern Massachusetts. In Wilmington, MA, Winchester, MA and Lexington, MA, amounts of 24 inches occurred, with Winchester reporting 24.2 inches.
The Edgewood Yacht Club
Edgewood Yacht Club
Edgewood Yacht Club is an historic yacht club in Cranston, Rhode Island at 3 Shaw Avenue.The club was constructed by Murphy, Hindle & Wright in 1908 in a shingle style...
was completely destroyed by a fire at the height of the storm. The elements made it extremely difficult for the fire to be put out. There were no injuries from the fire, although it is still unknown what caused the fire to start.
This blizzard together with blizzards later in the month is estimated to have led to a loss of 150,000 jobs in the United States for January.