October 30: Historic Northeast Snowstorm (earliest snow since Civil War for New York City)

1.3" Central Park in New York City. Snowiest October since records were first kept in 1869.
Thunder-snow reported at Harrisburg, PA yesterday.
15" snowfall estimate in Lancaster, PA (thanks to weather spotter Volker Kruhoeffer for providing that report).
42 F. high in Baltimore and Washington D.C. (Reagan Airport) Saturday, coldest October 29 ever recorded.
Snow has fallen in Washington D.C. only 15 times in October since the late 1800s (Capital Weather Gang).


Snow Blitz! A scene from Lodi, New Jersey. Governor Chris Christie declared a State of Emergency for much of New Jersey. Photo courtesy of the Daily Mail.

·  Earliest New York City one-inch snowfall since records began.

·  Pennsylvania 84-year-old man dies as tree crashes into his home as he has had a nap. Another dead in Connecticut

·  More than 250,000 customers lost power in Pennsylvania and Maryland

·  More than 1,000 flights in or out of America cancelled

·  Experts predict up to 10 inches of snow to fall across North East

·  Only fourth time since Civil War that snow has fallen in NYC in October

* Winter storm factoids above courtesy of the Daily Mail.

“It is unusual to have a storm of this intensity affect the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast” at this time of year, said National Weather Service spokesman Chris Vaccaro. “This is more like a February storm as opposed to an October storm.” - from a Washington Post article on Saturday's freakish October snowstorm.



Historic Northeast Storm. Saturday's storm is breaking records from Virginia to Maine, impacting tens of millions of Americans. AccuWeather.com has more details: "Heavy, tree-breaking, travel-snarling, record-breaking snow will continue to spread across the Northeast tonight. The snow is moving southwest to northeast across the region, creating an early season winter wonderland but a nightmare for travelers and power companies. By the time the snow winds down Sunday morning, between 6 and 12 inches of snow will cover places from central and eastern Pennsylvania to eastern Maine."

Atmospheric Omen? I'm starting to wonder if another La Nina pattern may just favor the biggest storms for the east coast again this winter. It's too early to reach profound conclusions - we won't really know what kind of blocking patterns are setting up until late November or December. But the east coast just got pasted by heavy rain, snow and coastal flooding - a few more coastal storms are brewing over the next 1-2 weeks, and this may be a premonition of wild and wintry storms to come from Atlanta to D.C. to New York and Boston. We'll see. Just a gut feel (nausea?)

I Thought This Thing Had All-Wheel Drive! Thanks to WeatherNation meteorologist Kristin Clark, who braved moderate snow in State College, PA to take in a Penn State - Illinois football game with some friends. No, she wasn't the one getting pushed out of a snowy rut.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

SPOTTER REPORTS

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY

549 PM EDT SAT OCT 29 2011

THE FOLLOWING ARE UNOFFICIAL OBSERVATIONS TAKEN DURING THE STORM

THAT HAS BEEN AFFECTING OUR REGION.  APPRECIATION IS EXTENDED TO

HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS...COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS...SKYWARN SPOTTERS AND

MEDIA FOR THESE REPORTS.  THIS SUMMARY IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR HOME

PAGE AT WEATHER.GOV/NYC

...RECORD OCTOBER SNOWFALL AMOUNT SET FOR CENTRAL PARK NY...

AS OF 2 PM TODAY...CENTRAL PARK RECORDED 1.3 INCHES OF SNOWFALL.

SINCE SNOWFALL RECORDS BEGAN IN 1869...AN INCH OF SNOWFALL HAS NEVER

BEEN RECORDED IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER. THE LAST TWO TIMES THAT

MEASURABLE SNOW FELL IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER WAS...OCTOBER 21 1952

WITH 0.5 INCHES AND OCTOBER 30 1925 WITH 0.8 INCHES.

THEREFORE...THIS BREAKS THE DAILY RECORD FOR SNOWFALL IN OCTOBER AND

THE MOST SNOWFALL EVER RECORDED IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.

********************STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL********************

LOCATION          STORM TOTAL     TIME/DATE   COMMENTS

                     SNOWFALL           OF

                     /INCHES/   MEASUREMENT

CONNECTICUT

...FAIRFIELD COUNTY...

   RIDGEFIELD            10.0   450 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   DANBURY                8.9   500 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   MONROE                 7.0   249 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   SHELTON                6.8   530 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   BROOKFIELD             6.0   500 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   GREENWICH              5.0   351 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   NEWTOWN                5.0   323 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   NORWALK                3.5   330 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   BRIDGEPORT             2.5   326 PM 10/29  COOP OBSERVER

   DARIEN                 2.0  1255 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   STAMFORD               2.0   145 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   STRATFORD              1.3   119 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

...MIDDLESEX COUNTY...

   HADDAM                 2.0   523 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

...NEW HAVEN COUNTY...

   OXFORD                 8.5   531 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   SEYMOUR                7.0   457 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   NORTH HAVEN            6.2   536 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   MERIDEN                4.0   412 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   NEW HAVEN              1.1   233 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   EAST DERBY             1.0   234 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

NEW JERSEY

...BERGEN COUNTY...

   TENAFLY                4.3   516 PM 10/29  COOP OBSERVER

   SADDLE BROOK           4.3   532 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   RIDGEWOOD              4.0   532 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   MIDLAND PARK           4.0   336 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   RIDGEFIELD             4.0   130 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   RAMSEY                 3.3   532 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   DUMONT                 3.0   319 PM 10/29  NWS EMPLOYEE

   RIVERVALE              2.5   245 PM 10/29  COOP OBSERVER

   WYCKOFF                1.9   532 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   GARFIELD               1.2   138 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

...ESSEX COUNTY...

   VERONA                 6.0   446 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   CEDAR GROVE            5.3   452 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   WEST ORANGE            5.0   351 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   BELLEVILLE             4.9   516 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   NEWARK AIRPORT         2.7   300 PM 10/29  FAA CONTRACT OBSERVER

...HUDSON COUNTY...

   HARRISON               3.1   530 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   HOBOKEN                1.0   333 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

...PASSAIC COUNTY...

   WEST MILFORD          12.5   523 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   RINGWOOD               8.8   511 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   WAYNE                  5.8   532 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   HAWTHORNE              3.5   424 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

...UNION COUNTY...

   ROSELLE PARK           4.8   532 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   ELIZABETH              3.4   411 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

NEW YORK

...BRONX COUNTY...

   BRONX                  2.2   421 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

...KINGS COUNTY...

   SHEEPSHEAD BAY         1.0   130 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

...KINGS (BROOKLYN) COUNTY...

   SHEEPSHEAD BAY         2.0   442 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

...NASSAU COUNTY...

   MINEOLA                4.0   503 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   NORTH MASSAPEQUA       1.0   330 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

...NEW YORK COUNTY...

   NEW YORK               1.8   254 PM 10/29  PUBLIC AT W 85TH ST

...NEW YORK (MANHATTAN) COUNTY...

   CENTRAL PARK           1.3   200 PM 10/29  CENTRAL PARK ZOO

...ORANGE COUNTY...

   HARRIMAN               8.3   445 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   WARWICK                8.0   448 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   MONROE                 7.3   530 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   MIDDLETOWN             7.0   520 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   GOSHEN                 5.0   345 PM 10/29  EMERGENCY MANAGER

   NEW WINDSOR            4.5   300 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   SOUTH BLOOMING GROVE   3.0   226 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   GREENWOOD LAKE         3.0   248 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   CORNWALL LANDING       3.0   323 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   NEWBURGH               3.0   225 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

...PUTNAM COUNTY...

   MAHOPAC                6.5   432 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   BREWSTER               6.0   537 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   PUTNAM VALLEY          1.5   247 PM 10/29  COOP OBSERVER

...QUEENS COUNTY...

   LAGUARDIA AIRPORT      1.0   200 PM 10/29  FAA CONTRACT OBSERVER

   NYC/JFK AIRPORT        0.3   200 PM 10/29  FAA CONTRACT OBSERVER

...RICHMOND COUNTY...

   ELTINGVILLE            0.5   100 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

...ROCKLAND COUNTY...

   NEW CITY               5.0   420 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   STONY POINT            3.0   323 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

...SUFFOLK COUNTY...

   OAKDALE                0.3   208 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   ISLIP                    T   200 PM 10/29  FAA CONTRACT OBSERVER

...WESTCHESTER COUNTY...

   ARMONK                 7.5   357 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON     6.0   453 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   VALHALLA               5.0   300 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   SOMERS                 4.5   422 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   VERNON PARK            4.0   255 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

   YONKERS                4.0   256 PM 10/29  COOP OBSERVER

   RYE                    2.5   113 PM 10/29  PUBLIC

   SCARSDALE              1.5   100 PM 10/29  SKYWARN SPOTTER

* Thanks to NOAA and Earth Networks for the NYC snowfall update.

The Halloween Superstorm of 1991. Where were you on October 31, 1991? If you were in Minnesota at the time I'm betting you have an interesting story to share. Everyone remembers where they were, what they were doing, when the biggest single storm in Minnesota history (since the early 1800s) stalled out over Lake Superior, dumping nearly 30" snow on the metro area. Over 900 Minnesota schools shut down, commuting was impossible - our legendary snow-removal system simply couldn't keep up with the volume of snow. A New England storm (the inspiration behind "The Perfect Storm" stalled offshore, which caused Minnesota's storm to slow down and temporarily stall out over Lake Superior, prolonging the heavy snow over eastern Minnesota. Here's a quick recap from the local NWS office: "As Halloween dawned back in 1991, some wintery weather was anticipated but no one was expecting a blizzard. The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Watch at 4:00 am on the 31st with a potential of a foot of snow. The first inkling that the forecast underprojected snowfall totals came when precipitation started falling as snow at about 11:30am in the Twin Cities, much earlier than anticipated. With the realization that the precipitation would be snow, not rain, a Winter Storm Warning was issued during the day by the National Weather Service in the Twin Cities and forecasters realized there was a potential for a lot of snow. As the afternoon faded into evening a surreal scene unfolded with kids attempting to trick or treat wearing coats and boots and pumpkins becoming covered with a snowy blanket. 8.2 inches of snow fell by midnight on the 31st at the Twin Cities International Airport, the most for the entire month of October on record for the Twin Cities."

* Click here for a great recap of the Halloween Superstorm from the Minnesota State Climate Office.

One For The Ages. Chances are we will never experience another storm like the one that struck October 31 - November 2, 1991. A huge swatch of eastern Minnesota picked up in excess of 2 feet of snow, nearly 37" fell in Duluth (with 5-8 foot drifts). Map courtesy of the State Climatology Office, DNR Waters.

Twin Cities Record Broken By Halloween 1991 Storm. This is one impressive list, compliments of the MN State Climatology Office.

More Records. Wikipedia has a good recap of the Halloween Superstorm. Records fell from Omaha and Sioux Falls to Duluth, but the Twin Cities saw the most records - wintry milestones which will probably not be repeated in our lifetime.

Top 50 Scary Halloween City Names. Realtor.com has the list of unfortunately-named towns around the USA. There's actually a "Hell, Michigan". Who knew?


1. Accident, Maryland
2. Bad Axe, Michigan
3. Badwater, California
4. Bat Cave, North Carolina
5. Bitter Springs, Arizona
6. Boos, Illinois
7. Casper, Wyoming
8. Chocolate Bayou, Texas
9. Cut Off, Louisiana
10. Deadwood, Oregon
11. Devils Elbow, California
12. Devils Elbow, Missouri
13. Devils Lake, North Dakota
14. Dripping Springs, Texas
15. Echo, Minnesota
16. Egg Harbor City, New Jersey
17. False River, Louisiana
18. Frankenstein, Missouri
19. Frostproof, Florida
20. Gnaw Bone, Indiana
21. Half Hell, North Carolina
22. Hazard, Nebraska
23. Hell, Michigan

 

Remnant Of Hurricane Rina Shuffles More Cruise Ship Itineraries. USA Today has the story: "Industry giant Carnival plans to re-route three more cruise ships over the coming week due to Rina, the once-powerful storm that caused itinerary changes at a number of lines this week. Carnival tells USA TODAY the Saturday sailing of the Carnival Dream out of Port Canaveral, Fla. will be affected by the weakening storm, as will the Sunday sailings of the Carnival Valor out of Miami and the Carnival Legend out of Tampa. The line says the Carnival Dream will switch from a Western Caribbean itinerary to an Eastern Caribbean itinerary for the week to steer clear of Rina. Instead of port calls in Mexico, Belize and Honduras, the ship will visit St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Nassau in the Bahamas."

A Storm Like No Other

I can't remember what I did yesterday, but I will never forget Halloween, 1991. Snow was in the forecast, but it came in faster and harder, lingering a lot longer than the (worthless) computer models were predicting. Nobody envisioned the storm stalling over Lake Superior, prolonging "S+" over eastern Minnesota. My little Saab couldn't even get out of the driveway. KARE-TV's Chief Engineer rescued me in his big Suburban. Kind of embarrassing when the weather guy can't get to work. It was a humbling reminder of the limits of meteorology, a "black swan" weather event. Odds are we will never see a storm to rival the 1991 "Superstorm". Most snow from a single storm (28.4"). Earliest 8"+ snow. Earliest subzero temperature. In all 7 Twin Cities records.

Some 1-2 foot snows plastered the northeast yesterday, the earliest foot of snow on record. I suspect it's a preview: the biggest, wildest storms may track south/east of Minnesota this winter. Thanks La Nina.

Climate Stories...

Global Warming: Middle East's Vital Wet Winters Are Disappearing. The Christian Science Monitor has the story: "Winter droughts have become increasingly common in the Mediterranean region, particularly over the past 20 years, and a new study finds that global warming has driven at least half of the change. Drought conditions in this politically explosive region are expected to grow more severe over the course of the century unless countries begin to significantly reduce their emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, many researchers say. Those emissions come from burning fossil fuels, as well as from land-use changes. Winter storms historically have delivered most of the annual rain and snowfall to the already arid Mediterranean region. Yet precipitation measurements from the region and modeling studies point to a relatively rapid shift in the winter rain and snowfall trends that began in the 1970s, according to the study."