Tag Archives: Philadelphia

National Weather

Slammed again – Northeastern U.S. gets another snowstorm while Thornton waits

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Snowfall totals from the latest snowstorm to strike the northeastern United States. (Examiner.com)
Snowfall totals from the latest snowstorm to strike the northeastern United States. Click the image for a larger view. (Examiner.com)

Yet another major snowstorm pummeled the northeastern United States yesterday and last night, their third in less than a month.  Snow totals in many areas from this single storm have far exceeded what Denver has received for its entire snow season thus far.

Snow began falling on Wednesday snarling evening commutes from Virginia to New York and picked up in intensity overnight. 

Snowfall totals this morning include 18.9 inches at Newark Airport, 19.0 inches at Central Park and 15.1 inches in Philadelphia (click here to view the latest totals from across the region).  These all dwarf Denver’s official seasonal total thus far of 12.1 inches!

Even President Barack Obama was not immune to the storm as Marine One, the presidential helicopter, was grounded due to the weather Wednesday.  Returning from a trip to Wisconsin, the president took a motorcade back to the White House instead and spent an hour stuck in traffic. 

As many as 400,000 residents across the northeast are without electricity as the unusually wet snow wreaked havoc with the utilities.  Public schools are closed Thursday and many government offices followed suit with the only exception being emergency personnel.

Slideshow: Northeastern U.S. battered by another snowstorm New York area airports shuttered Wednesday causing flight delays and cancellations across the nation.   The FAA reports that most should open late this morning or this afternoon.

Virtually every major city has reported seasonal snowfall totals so far this year far in excess of normal.  New York City, Boston, Worcester and Providence all have accumulated more than a foot of snow above average. 

Click the image to the left to view a slideshow of images of the snow around New York City (Examiner.com).

This story was originally featured by the Natural Disasters Examiner on Examiner.com.  Remember that by visiting there you are supporting ThorntonWeather.com.

National Weather

As seen from space – Second blizzard’s snow spread across the East Coast

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As seen from spance, snow covers the Mid-Atlantic from Washington D.C. through Baltimore and Philadelphia to New York City. (NASA) See a larger image below.
As seen from space, snow covers the Mid-Atlantic from Washington D.C. through Baltimore and Philadelphia to New York City. (NASA) See a larger image below.

Whether it is called ‘Snowmageddon’, ‘Snowpocalypse’ or any other array of the names, the amazing series of winter storms that have struck the Mid-Atlantic States has been nothing short of astounding. Two storms struck the region in less than a week and NASA satellites have captured images of what the scene looks like from space after the second storm struck.

Baltimore, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Wilmington and Atlantic City have all set new records for seasonal snowfall. Baltimore has recorded nearly 7 feet of snow so far this winter eclipsing the previous record by more than 17 inches.

All of those cities have recorded more snow than ones in the Rocky Mountain region. That also led to the unusual event of 49 of the 50 states having snow on the ground on the same day.

The image to the right and below was taken by NASA’s Terra satellite on February 11, 2010 after the second blizzard struck.

Second Blizzard Strikes U.S. East Coast
As seen from spance, snow covers the Mid-Atlantic from Washington D.C. through Baltimore and Philadelphia to New York City. (NASA)

National Weather

From Philly to Washington to New York, East Coast slammed by blizzard

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The adjectives to describe last week’s record-setting snowstorm no longer seem adequate to describe the winter weather striking from the Mid-Atlantic to New York. A second potentially more severe storm that the National Weather Service described as ‘life threatening’ is battering Washington D.C., Baltimore, New York City and every place in between.

Storms that dumped more than two feet of snow last week were bad enough but the latest storm has introduced another element – wind. Gusts of 35 mph to 45 mph are expected and coupled with snowfall amounts of more than a foot, snow drifts to four feet are forecast for some areas.

Widespread power outages are likely to become common as the wind and heavy snow takes its toll on an already taxed infrastructure. Road crews who were still working to clear the snow from the last storm are now struggling to stay ahead of the mounting snow totals.

Blizzard Warnings have been posted for Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and New York City. Forecast snow accumulations range from 6 to 12 inches in Washington to 12 to 22 inches in Philadelphia and 10 to 16 inches in New York City. Underscoring the dangerous conditions from the wind and snow, the National Weather Service warning said, “This is a life threatening situation for anyone who becomes stranded.”

Officials were urging all area residents to hunker down and wait the storm out. Public schools, businesses and even the federal government have ceased operations for the day.

There's more to this story on Examiner.com!For more details including the travel mess the storms have created and the astounding snow totals, see the complete story on the Natural Disasters Examiner.

National Weather

‘Snowmageddon’ spotted by NASA satellite

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e extent of snowfall from the major winter storm that struck the Mid-Atlantic states last week is easily seen from NASA satellites. (NASA) See a larger version below.
The extent of snowfall from the major winter storm that struck the Mid-Atlantic states last week is easily seen from NASA satellites. (NASA) See a larger version below.

This past Friday and Saturday the Mid-Atlantic states were smashed by a record-setting snowstorm that left more than two feet of snow in many areas. The snow brought the nation’s capital to a grinding halt and now the extent of the storm’s wrath can be seen from space.

NASA’s Terra satellite flew over the area on Monday and was able to capture amazing imagery showing the widespread snow cover. The image to the right and the larger version below clearly show Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia buried under a significant blanket of white.

Even as area residents continue to dig out from the snow and power companies try to restore power to tens of thousands, a second blast of winter is set to arrive today. That storm may generate nearly as much snow and will certainly push most major cities in the area to record seasonal snowfall totals.

Heavy Snow around U.S. Capital – February 8, 2010 (NASA)
Heavy Snow around U.S. Capital - February 8, 2010 (NASA)