Boston Breaks Seasonal Snow Record

Snowiest winter record broken in Boston

A storm on Sunday dumped 7.4cm (2.9 inches) of snow on Boston, Massachusetts’ largest city, pushing the total snowfall over the winter to 275.8cm (108.6 in), and surpassing the city’s previous record of 273.3cm (107.6 in) set in 1995-1996, said the the National Weather Service.

The city has received more snow this winter than at anytime since record-keeping began in 1872.

Boston also broke monthly snow record in February with 164.5cm (64.9 in), surpassing a previous monthly record of 110cm (43.3 in) set in January 2005.

The seasonal snowfall is measured from July 1 through June 30, which means that the record could be broken again!

States of Emergency Declared in LA, AL, WV and NJ

Massive Winter Storm Causes States of Emergency from U.S. South to New England

A massive winter storm stretching all the way from southwest Texas to southern New England is forecast to dump up to 30cm (two feet) of snow on parts of the eastern United States, prompting the governors in at least four states—Louisiana, Alabama, West Virginia and New Jersey—to declare states of emergency, as of posting. States of emergency declared due to previous storms are still in effect for much of the rest of the region in the affected regions.

The storm, which is affecting more than 120 million people,  has forced hundreds of schools, businesses and local governments to close, grounding thousands of flights, including about 1,800 Wednesday night.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said in its latest forecast:

Winter Storm from the Mexican Border in Texas to southern New England through Thursday

A widespread winter weather event is underway from southwest Texas into parts of southern New England.  Sleet and freezing rain are expected from south/central Texas into the Southeast …

Areas from the southern Plains across the Mid-Atlantic into New England could see “significant snowfall.”

A rather vigorous and elongated piece of energy in the mid to upper levels, moving from the Plains to the Mid-Atlantic today and tomorrow, will interact with an arctic air mass and surface cold front plunging south and eastward into the Southeastern states this evening.

Significant snowfall of up to 12 inches is possible from the Tennessee Valley to the central Mid-Atlantic on Thursday, according to the forecast.

Moderate to heavy rain from the southern Plains to the Mid-Atlantic, combined with snow melt, could result in flood or flash flooding, especially across the lower Ohio Valley and western Mid-Atlantic regions.

Behind the front, winter hangs on tight as temperatures plummet across the eastern third of the nation. By Thursday evening, cold high pressure dominates resulting in unseasonably cold temperatures from the Plains to the eastern seaboard.

Temperatures for the remainder of the week are expected to fall by as much as 35 degrees below normal, said the forecast.

Possible New Snow Record for Beantown

The Walking City, which recorded its coldest February this year, could receive an additional 8cm (3 inches) of snow from the storm, said NWS.

Boston needs just 4.8cm more of powdery precipitation to break its all time record for total snowfall in a winter of 273.4 cm (107.6 in), set in 1995-96.

Boston Breaks More Snow Records

Record 72 inches of snow on Boston over 30 days, record 42.2 inches for February

A record 72 inches of snow on Boston over 30 days has paralyzed “The Walking City,” causing massive commuting delays and forcing the head of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to resign.

Boston has also set a new record of 42.2 inches for total snowfall in February, with more than two weeks left to end of the month.

Meantime, a new storm system is forecast to dump as much as two additional feet of snow on parts of New England.

Earlier today, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued the following forecast, warning of  “highly amplified weather pattern across the United States.” And an intense nor’easter bringing heavy snow and blizzard to eastern New England by early Sunday is forecast to produce “brutal subzero wind chills,” with the effective temperature falling to as low as minus 35 degrees in places.

Dangerous wind chills will continue Friday across much of the Northeast, into central Appalachians

[…] low pressure systems dropping southward out of Canada towards the East Coast… will then undergo what meteorologists call Miller-B type cyclogenesis near the New England coast, and this occurs when a low pressure system approaching from the west transfers its energy to a coastal low that rapidly intensifies and deepens.

The storm system will be followed by a “truly arctic airmass,” producing the coldest weather of the season, for parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast U.S. this weekend, said NWS. 

Record Snowfall Buries New England

Boston breaks snow record

Boston sets a record for the most snow in 30 days with 61.6 inches, breaking the previous record of 58.8 inches, which fell during and after the 1978 Blizzard.

As of Monday p.m., a total of 76.5 inches of snow had fallen at Logan Airport, where snow is officially measured, so far this winter.

The latest snowstorm, which has killed at least one person in Massachusetts, forced the closure of schools, businesses and  cancellations of hundreds of flights , so far this week.

Massachusetts Governor Baker issued a statewide snow emergency Sunday evening, urging employers to close businesses and non-essential employees to stay home.

Gov. Baker Declares State of Emergency for Mass.

Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency Monday evening “for the Commonwealth to pursue mutual aid initiatives with other states.”  He also announced state office closures for non-emergency personnel who live or work in Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk or Suffolk counties, according to the State’s website.

“Three storms in two weeks have dropped historic amounts of snow on the Commonwealth, complicating cleanup and snow removal efforts, despite round the clock shifts,” said Baker.

“The state of emergency shall remain in effect until notice is given in the Governor’s judgment that it is no longer necessary,” said a statement issued by the state officials.

MBTA Closure – Tuesday, February 10th, 2015: The MBTA has announced all subway, trolley and commuter rail services will be suspended to allow maintenance crews to clear snow and ice from tracks, the third rail and switches. Bus services will be available on an extremely limited basis and customers will not be able to make transfers at customary intermodal points due to suspended rail services.

 

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – August 1, 2014

MAJOR DISASTERS/ SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
SCENARIOS 888, 817, 699, 444, 111, 023
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Destructive emerald beetle found in Boston

Emerald beetle,  a small, metallic-green beetle native to Asia, which can quickly kill ash trees has been found at the Arnold Arboretum, said Boston state park and agriculture officials.

“Massachusetts has about 45 million ash trees, or about 3 percent of its total tree population. The ash borer was first seen in the United States in Michigan in 2002, and has since destroyed millions of ash trees across 23 states. The estimated cost of treating, removing, and replacing trees runs into the billions of dollars. The insect cannot be eradicated because of its prevalence,” said a report.

Death toll climbs to 27 in Taiwan gas explosions

Multiple gas explosions in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung has killed at least 27 people and injured about 300 others, officials said. The powerful blasts tore up an entire street.

“The local fire department received calls of gas leaks late Thursday and then there was a series of blasts around midnight affecting an area of [more than 4 sq km,]” said the National Fire Agency.

Millions of Jellyfish-Like Creatures Wash Up on Pacifica Beaches

Mounds of millions of jellyfish-like creatures have washed up on beaches along the US west coast over the past month, giving the shoreline a purple gleam and an unpleasant odor, said the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Flash flooding shuts Serbian power plant

Extreme Rain Events unleashed severe flash flooding in Serbia forcing authorities to shut down a 181-megawatt unit at Kostolac power plant, the country’s second largest, said the state power utility EPS.

A 348.5 megawatt block in the 1,000-Megawatt Kostolac plant is offline for maintenance until December 1, Reuters reported.

“The Kolubara coal mine, supplying the country’s biggest thermal plant complex, Nikola Tesla, halved production after two of its open pits were flooded in May.”

Related Links

• Deadly Deluge Devastates Romania, Bulgaria July 31, 2014

Major snowstorm dumps a foot of snow

A major late-winter snowstorm blanketed the eastern United States today dumping up to a foot of snow in parts of the mid-Atlantic states.

Motorists and pedestrians make their way down Main Street in downtown Springfield during Monday’s storm which hit the area three weeks before the start of spring. Photo by Mark M. Murray/The Republican. Image may be subject to copyright.

Here’s how the impact of the snowfall was felt across the eastern United States:

• Schools were closed from Virginia to Maine.
• Federal government in Washington delayed opening offices by two hours to allow commuters coping with up to a foot of snow.
• Dozens of flights were canceled.
• Up to a quarter of a million people  were left without power.
• Snow affected states as  far south as Alabama and Georgia.
• Up to 2  million schoolchildren in New York, New Jersey and Boston stayed home as schools closed for the day.
• As many as 700 flights in New York and Boston areas were disrupted by cancellation and long delays as winds of up to 40 mph compounded the impact of snow fall on roads and runways.
• State police in Virginia responded to hundreds of road accidents on Sunday and early Monday.

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