2015–16 North American winter

none January 2016 January 2016 United States winter storm 2016-01-22 0735Z.png Satellite image of a historic blizzard bearing down on the U.S. East Coast on January 22 December 1 – February 29 December 21 – March 20 November 20, 2015 April 17, 2016 January 2016 United States blizzard January 21–24, 2016 983 $3 billion (2016 USD) 55 fatalities 15 total 3 total 1 total 51.3 in cm on at Pinecliffe, Colorado(April 15–23, 2016) 1.5 in mm on in Eakly, Oklahoma(November 25–27, 2015) 117 total $7.2 billion (2016 USD) 2015 *2015–16 UK and Ireland windstorm season The 2015–16 North American winter was not as frigid across North America and the United States (especially the East Coast) as compared to the 2013–14 and 2014–15 winters. This was mainly due to a strong El Niño, which caused generally warmer-than-average conditions. However, despite the warmth, significant weather systems still occurred, including a snowstorm and flash flooding in Texas at the end of December and a large tornado outbreak at the end of February. The main event of the winter season, by far and large, was when a crippling and historic blizzard struck the Northeastern United States in late January, dumping up to 3 ft in cm of snow in and around the metropolitan areas. Several other smaller snow events affected the Northeast as well, but for the most part the heaviest snowstorms and ice stayed out further west, such as a severe blizzard in western Texas in late December (producing a tornado outbreak as well), and a major late-season snowstorm in Colorado in mid-April. While there is no well-agreed-upon date used to indicate the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, there are two definitions of winter which may be used. Based on the astronomical definition, winter begins at the winter solstice, which in 2015 occurred late on December 21, and ends at the March equinox, which in 2016 occurred on March 20.Earth's Seasons: Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion, and Aphelion, 2000–2025 http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/EarthSeasons.php United States Naval Observatory March 27, 2015 August 15, 2015 Washington, D.C. PHP https://web.archive.org/web/20150831000837/http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/EarthSeasons.php August 31, 2015 dead mdy Based on the meteorological definition, the first day of winter is December 1 and the last day February 29.Meteorological vs. Astronomical Seasons https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/meteorological-versus-astronomical-summer%E2%80%94what%E2%80%99s-difference NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information June 21, 2013 July 3, 2015 Both definitions involve a period of approximately three months, with some variability. Winter is often defined by meteorologists to be the three calendar months with the lowest average temperatures. Since both definitions span the calendar year, it is possible to have a winter storm in two different years. Seasonal forecasts 200 US temp outlook winter 2015–16 NOAA.jpg Temperature outlook US precip outlook winter 2015–16 NOAA.jpg Precipitation outlook center On October 15, 2015, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center issued its U.S. Winter Outlook. The presence of a strong El Niño event was expected to affect weather and climate patterns by influencing the position of the Pacific jet stream. According to CPC deputy director Mike Halpert at the time of the outlook, "A strong El Niño is in place and should exert a strong influence over our weather this winter" and "While temperature and precipitation impacts associated with El Niño are favored, El Niño is not the only player. Cold-air outbreaks and snow storms will likely occur at times this winter. However, the frequency, number and intensity of these events cannot be predicted on a seasonal timescale." Other oscillations anticipated to have some effect on winter in the United States were the Arctic oscillation and the Madden–Julian oscillation. The precipitation outlook indicated an elevated likelihood of above-average levels precipitation from central and southern California to Texas and Florida and northward to southern parts of New England. Above-average precipitation was also favored in southeastern Alaska, with below-average levels of precipitation favored in central and western Alaska, parts of the Northwestern U.S. and northern Rocky Mountain states, and areas in the vicinity of the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. The temperature outlook favored below-average temperatures in the southern Plains and Southeastern United States. Above-average temperatures were most favored across the West and the northern half of the contiguous United States and Alaska and Hawaii. The drought outlook anticipated improvement in conditions in central and southern California by the end of January 2016, noting the possibility of additional alleviation of drought conditions in February and March. The outlook favored the removal of drought across large parts of the Southwestern U.S., with additional lessening or elimination of drought conditions likely in the southern Plains. Drought conditions were expected to persist across the Pacific Northwest and northern Rocky Mountains, with development likely in Hawaii and areas in the vicinity of the northern Great Lakes region.Strong El Niño sets the stage for 2015–2016 winter weather https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/strong-el-ni-o-sets-stage-for-2015-2016-winter-weather National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration October 15, 2015 October 15, 2015 On November 30, 2015, Environment Canada issued its winter outlook for December, January, and February, as part of their monthly climate outlooks. Above-average temperatures were favoured throughout most of Canada, with the exception of northern Quebec and the southern tip of Baffin Island; areas that were considered the most likely to see above normal temperatures included the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, the Maritime provinces, southern Newfoundland, central Quebec and Ontario, and northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan; in those areas, the probability of above-normal temperatures was over 80%. The areas where below-normal temperatures were favoured included extreme northern areas of Quebec and Labrador, along with southern parts of Baffin Island. Above average precipitation was favoured in the Lower Mainland of B.C., New Brunswick, northern Quebec, northern Newfoundland, the Northwest Territories, and western Nunavut. Below-average precipitation was favoured on the south-eastern tip of Baffin Island and a small area just north of Lake Superior.Monthly Temperature Forecasts (Period: December 2015 January-February 2016) Government of Canada Environment Canada November 30, 2014 Seasonal summary thumb|250px|A winter storm moves through the Midwest, on March 23. The winter of 2015–16 was quite unusual in terms of winter weather. First, around the end of November near Black Friday, a crippling ice storm hit the Southern and Central Plains with as much as 1.5 in mm of ice accumulation in some areas, knocking out power to over 100,000 residents.https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-cara-arctic-blast-snow-west-plains-november-2015 Winter Storm Cara Recap November 24, 2015 March 27, 2016 The Weather Channel In December, two winter storms impacted the Great Lakes, with the latter one being a bit farther to the west, both brought roughly a foot of snow in some locations. Normally, in this area, this is not common, but the super El Niño may have been a contributor to this. Following that, the nation had one of the warmest Decembers on record, with New York City being as warm as 72 F C on Christmas Eve (December 24).Shapiro Emily Northeast Cities Make History With Warmest Christmas Eve Ever https://abcnews.go.com/US/bizarre-winter-weather-yorkers-wearing-shorts-arizona-prepares/story?id=35940642 June 25, 2022 ABC News December 24, 2015 This was the warmest temperature in New York City in the second half of December on record.New York City's ghosts of Christmas weather past https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/weather/2020/12/23/new-york-city-s-ghosts-of-christmas-weather-pasts August 12, 2022 NY1 December 20, 2021 The low that day of 63 F C was the warmest December low on record in New York. Record-Breaking Christmas Heat Clinches Record Warm December For Hundreds of Cities, Weather Channel, January 2, 2016 In fact, across the Lower 48, this was the warmest and wettest December on record at the time. Every single state in the Northeastern United States saw a record warm December.December 2015 National Climate Report, NOAA In 2021, an even warmer December was recorded across the Lower 48, with a mean temperature of 39.3 F C rather than 38.6 F C.December 2021 National Climate Report, NOAA This meant Buffalo, New York until December 18, a record for latest first snow.Buffalo, New York, Finally Saw Its First Measurable Snow of the Season Friday, The Weather Channel, December 20, 2015 A strong tornado outbreak also occurred from December 23–25, which a very similar event had occurred the year before, just weaker.https://weather.com/storms/tornado/news/storms-tornadoes-christmas-week-december-21-28-2015 Tornadoes and Flooding Rain Hit the South, Midwest Christmas Week 2015 December 23, 2015 March 27, 2016 The Weather Channel After this system passed, a larger storm complex moved through the same areas impacted by the ice storm from Black Friday 2015. This storm brought blizzard conditions to parts of Texas and New Mexico, with areas reaching up to close to 2 feet of snow in parts of Texas, which is a rare event in that state.https://weather.com/forecast/national/news/winter-storm-goliath-forecast-snow-blizzard Winter Storm Goliath: Historic Southern Plains Blizzard Within Huge Swath of Snow, Ice (RECAP) December 23, 2015 March 27, 2016 The Weather Channel For comparison, the last time this has occurred (or near the same areas), was in 2011 during the Groundhog Day blizzard. thumb|left|350px|Average temperature anomaly for the winter in the United States. Not one state had below-average temperatures. The month of January 2016 was variable in its weather patterns. Following the warm trend in December, an early cold snap brought close-to-average temperatures to the East Coast, at the same time a storm complex was moving through the Northeast, and due to the fresh batch of cold air, it was able to produce some snow on the back side of it.https://weather.com/forecast/regional/news/winter-storm-hera-forecast Regional Forecast Video January 9, 2016 March 27, 2016 The Weather Channel At the opposite end of the spectrum, the West Coast was receiving needed rainfall to help during its long-time drought. This brief period of relief soon ended. After that, around January 16–17, a potent storm system moved up the East Coast, bringing the first snowfall of the season to areas like Philadelphia and New York City. A few days later, an Alberta clipper moved through the central United States, producing a swath of snow from Illinois to North Carolina. This small system was then proceeded and eclipsed by a crippling and historic blizzard just days later on January 22–23. Cities like Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City were buried with 1–2.5 ft in of snow, breaking numerous records.https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-jonas-rank-in-history Winter Storm Jonas: Where Does it Rank Historically? January 24, 2016 March 27, 2016 The Weather Channel At the start of February, another snowstorm kicked off the month with a swath of snow from Colorado to Michigan. Snow accumulations ranged from 8–14 in cm, along with winds up to 45 mph km/h on.https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-kayla-forecast-recap-feb-3-2016 Winter Storm Kayla: Plains Blizzard is One of the Heaviest Snowstorms of Record in Parts of Nebraska February 3, 2016 March 27, 2016 The Weather Channel After the storm system passed, its cold front transformed into another snowstorm for the East Coast, with snowfall amounts up to 8 inches.https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-lexi-east-coast Winter Storm Lexi Drops More Than a Foot of Snow in Parts of New England (RECAP) February 4, 2016 March 27, 2016 The Weather Channel Multiple winter storms proceeded to affect the Northeast during a two-week period in early-to-mid February,https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-mars-new-england-snow Winter Storm Mars Brings Blizzard Conditions to Massachusetts February 7, 2016 March 27, 2016 The Weather Channel and the coldest air of the season arrived by February 14, parts of the Northeast on February 14, with temperatures dipping to as low as 0 F C, shattering many record low temperatures.https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/cold-outbreak-valentines-northeast-midwest-south-feb2016 Valentine's Day Arctic Outbreak Brings Coldest Temperatures in Decades to Boston, New York City February 9, 2016 March 27, 2016 The Weather Channelhttps://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-olympia-forecast Winter Storm Olympia Drops Over 20 Inches of Snow in Parts of New York (RECAP) February 12, 2016 March 27, 2016 The Weather Channel Historic flash flooding occurred in the southern U.S due to a very slow-moving system in early March.https://weather.com/storms/severe/news/historic-south-flooding-march-2016 Severe Weather March 10, 2016 March 27, 2016 The Weather Channel At the same time, record-breaking temperatures pushed into the Northeast, with some areas reaching into the low 80s. Later that month, another blizzard occurred in the High Plains, and dropped up to 30 in cm of snow in parts of the High Plains and the Great Lakes through March 23–25, along with bringing a significant ice storm to parts of New England, with accumulations of 0.25–0.75 in mm of ice in some areas.https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-selene-great-lakes-new-england-rockies-blizzard Winter Storm Selene (RECAP) March 24, 2016 March 27, 2016 The Weather Channel The final winter weather event occurred in mid-April, upper-level low stalled in the West, producing a major snowstorm that affected the High Plains and Rocky Mountains in areas near the Denver metropolitan area, dumping up to 4 ft in of heavy snow, which led to power outages.https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/rockies-high-plains-snowstorm-april-2016 April Snowstorm to Pound the Rockies, High Plains This Weekend (FORECAST) The Weather Channel April 13, 2016 April 13, 2016 The storm also produced record rainfall of up to 20 in cm, leading to severe flash floods. Events Late November ice storm Around Black Friday of 2015, a major ice storm occurred in the Southern Central Plains, with areas receiving up to 1 in mm of the frozen precipitation. Residents in the areas were without powers for days, if not weeks. The storm also brought snow to parts of the Midwest, with accumulations up to 1 ft cm of snow.https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-cara-arctic-blast-snow-west-plains-november-2015 Winter Storm Cara Recap weather.com November 29, 2015 March 8, 2016 Historic rainfall also fell too, breaking numerous records.https://weather.com/storms/tornado/news/severe-weather-forecast-november-23-29-2015 Heavy Rain, Flooding on Warm Side of Winter Storm Cara weather.com November 29, 2015 March 8, 2016 On November 25, an area of low pressure system moved through the West and central Midwest, dropping snow of up to 1 ft cm, and also brought the first cold blast of the winter season. At the same time, incoming moisture from weakening Hurricane Sandra in the East Pacific was starting to streak through Mexico into the southwestern United States. Interacting with the low pressure area, this combined to produce a plume of precipitation from ice to rain from southern Texas into Minnesota, due to high pressure situated off Maine keeping the Northeast dry for the holiday. While causing a potent ice storm on its cold side, on the warm sector of the system, severe floods occurred as well, with areas like McKinney in Texas receiving up to 10.53 in cm of rain over a 4-day period, causing major flooding. Some areas even broke their records for yearly rainfall totals from this system, due to the axis of moisture shooting into Canada. In total, 17 people died, including six in Kansas, three in Texas, three in Missouri and one in Utah, and over 110,000 left without power, especially around Oklahoma City.Winter Storm Cara State-by-State: 17 Killed in Southern Plains; Thousands Still Without Power in Oklahoma, The Weather Channel, March 23, 2016 Post-Christmas storm complex 0 2015 Southern US storm complex Dec 26 2015 2230 UTC.jpg 989 41 December 25 December 28, 2015 59 3000 December 2015 North American storm complex 2015 Garland tornado Two days after Christmas, a large storm complex with snow, severe weather and heavy rainfall impacted the Southern Plains and southern Rocky Mountains, including all or parts of the states of Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. The system spawned tornadoes over central and eastern Texas and Oklahoma, while bringing blizzard conditions to the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, most areas in New Mexico, and southern Colorado. The main area of low pressure moved northeast from the southern Plains to the eastern Great Lakes, while a secondary low pressure system formed east of the Delmarva Peninsula on December 29. After impacting New Mexico and the Texas panhandle with record snowfall, the storm system left a swath of snow and ice accumulation from western Oklahoma to Michigan. On December 29, the storm system brought a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to New York State and New England. On December 26, 2015, it affected parts of the Texas Panhandle and resulted in the formation of tornadoes in the Dallas area, including an EF4 which struck the Garland area that evening.https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/tornadoes-sweep-through-dallas-area-significant-damage/ar-BBnRlgz?ocid=spartanntp Tornadoes sweep through Dallas area; significant damage Msn.com December 27, 2015https://www.foxnews.com/us/five-killed-after-tornadoes-touch-down-near-dallas-as-storms-pummel-southeast/ Five killed after tornadoes touch down near Dallas, as storms pummel Southeast Fox News December 26, 2015 December 27, 2015http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/live-blizzard-ice-severe-storm/54428497 LIVE: Severe storms strike Texas, blizzard unfolds over New Mexico Accuweather.com December 27, 2015 December 27, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151227062247/http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/live-blizzard-ice-severe-storm/54428497 dead Mid-January Mid-Atlantic snowstorm A relatively minor storm, similar to an Alberta clipper, caught numerous drivers off-guard, producing a brief period of heavy snow during rush hour in the Mid-Atlantic region on January 20.WRAL-TV CBS January 21, 2016 January 21, 2016 The Latest: Snow blamed for 2 North Carolina traffic deaths http://www.wral.com/forecasters-sweat-multiple-scenarios-for-north-carolina/15256529/ Raleigh, North Carolina https://web.archive.org/web/20160122165636/http://www.wral.com/forecasters-sweat-multiple-scenarios-for-north-carolina/15256529/ 2016-01-22 dead Although only 1 in cm on of snow fell in Washington, D.C., roadways were not treated; any snow that melted on roads quickly froze into black ice, rendering them impassable. Some referred to the event as "Carmageddon 2.0". Portions of Interstate 95 and Interstate 495 in Virginia and Maryland (especially on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge), as well as Interstate 270, were brought to a standstill through the early hours of January 21.WTTG 21st Century Fox January 21, 2016 January 21, 2016 Carmageddon 2.0: DC's ride home from hell in 1 inch of snow http://www.fox5dc.com/weather/78028676-story Washington, D.C. January 23, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160123142649/http://www.fox5dc.com/weather/78028676-story dead Virginia State Police responded to 767 accidents and 392 reports of disabled vehicles.Greg Botelho and Ed Payne CNN January 21, 2016 January 21, 2016 Snowstorm threatens East; Washington, Baltimore under blizzard warnings http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/21/us/winter-snowstorm-washington-blizzard/ The Virginia Department of Transportation mobilized 115 salt trucks to clear roads. A man was killed after being struck by a snow plow in Beltsville, Maryland. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an apology for inadequate preparations in the wake of the storm on January 22. Vehicles in Maryland became stranded, with some residents abandoning their cars altogether.Tom Liddy ABC News January 21, 2016 January 21, 2016 Slick Roads Spark More Than 100 Accidents, Strand 'Hundreds' in DC Area https://abcnews.go.com/US/slick-roads-spark-100-accidents-strand-hundreds-dc/story?id=36412078 Georgia Governor Nathan Deal issued a state of emergency for northern counties on January 19, ensuring areas were better prepared than during a similar storm in 2014.WSB-TV American Broadcasting Company January 19, 2016 January 21, 2016 Officials say state is ready for winter weather http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/officials-say-state-ready-winter-weather/np7zg/ Atlanta, Georgia https://web.archive.org/web/20160122211850/http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/officials-say-state-ready-winter-weather/np7zg/ 2016-01-22 dead Icy conditions prompted road closures in northern Georgia, including portions of Interstate 75; several crashes resulted from the dangerous conditions.WSB-TV American Broadcasting Company January 20, 2016 January 21, 2016 Icy conditions reported on Georgia roads http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/ice-reported-georgia-roads/np8Fz/ Ringgold, Georgia https://web.archive.org/web/20160122110724/http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/ice-reported-georgia-roads/np8Fz/ 2016-01-22 dead Similar conditions affected Tennessee and Kentucky; schools closed on account of dangerous roads.WTVF E. W. Scripps Company January 20, 2016 January 21, 2016 Middle TN, Southern KY Waking Up To Snow, Ice http://www.newschannel5.com/news/local-news/middle-tn-southern-ky-waking-up-to-snow Nashville, Tennessee https://web.archive.org/web/20160122092445/http://www.newschannel5.com/news/local-news/middle-tn-southern-ky-waking-up-to-snow 2016-01-22 dead One person died and another was injured in an accident in Knox County after speeding on slippery roads.WATE-TV Media General January 20, 2016 January 21, 2016 Knox County sheriff: 1 dead, 1 injured after speeding car slides off road http://wate.com/2016/01/20/injuries-reported-in-crash-on-snowy-knox-county-road/ Knoxville, Tennessee January 22, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160122020818/http://wate.com/2016/01/20/injuries-reported-in-crash-on-snowy-knox-county-road/ dead Two deaths resulted from snow-related car accidents in North Carolina. Another person died, and two others were injured, when a car collided with a salt truck in Whitley County, Kentucky.Associated Press WJLA-TV Sinclair Broadcast Group January 21, 2016 January 22, 2016 At least 4 killed in snowstorm-related deaths in Ky., N.C., Tenn. http://wjla.com/weather/at-least-4-killed-in-snowstorm-related-deaths-in-ky-nc-tenn Washington, D.C. Late January blizzard 20.14 2016 January 2016 United States winter storm 2016-01-23 0715Z (alternate).jpg January 2016 United States blizzard path.png 983 42 January 21 January 23, 2016 55 3000 January 2016 United States blizzard A crippling and historic blizzard occurred from January 22–23 in the Mid-Atlantic states. The storm was given various unofficial names, including Winter Storm Jonas, Blizzard of 2016, and Snowzilla among others. The highest reported snowfall was 40 in cm in Glengary, West Virginia. Locations in five states exceeded 30 in cm of snow. The storm dropped 18 in cm of snow in Washington, D.C., 22 inches in Philadelphia, 26 in cm in Baltimore, 30.5 in cm in New York City.Winter Storm Jonas Detailed Updates The Weather Channel, January 24, 2016 (07:15 AM EST)Rogers Katie Big Snowstorm Forecast Sends a Shiver Up the East Coast https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/big-snowstorm-forecast-sends-a-shiver-up-the-east-coast/ar-BBotNXH?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=mailsignout MSN The New York Times January 20, 2016 January 22, 2016Johnson Alex Vinograd Cassandra 'Walloped': Nation's Capital in Crosshairs of Huge Snowstorm https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/storm-could-dump-2-feet-snow-east-coast-forecasters-n500131 NBC News January 20, 2016 January 22, 2016 States of emergency were declared in Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, New York, and Washington, D.C.Botelho Greg Payne Ed Snowstorm threatens East; Washington, Baltimore under blizzard warnings http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/21/us/winter-snowstorm-washington-blizzard/ CNN January 21, 2016 January 22, 2016 The storm also caused coastal flooding in Delaware and New Jersey. Cape May, New Jersey set a record high water level at 8.98 ft m, higher than the 8.90 ft m seen during Hurricane Sandy. High winds led to blizzard conditions in many areas. Sustained winds of 59 mph km/h with gust of 72 mph on were recorded in Delaware. 70 mph km/h gusts were also recorded in Massachusetts. Groundhog Day winter storm 4.68 February 2016 United States winter storm 2016-02-02 1700Z.png 992 41 January 30 February 7, 2016 7 Unknown February 2016 North American winter storm A trailing low pressure system to the previous weeks' blizzard had developed offshore California on January 29. The low and accompanying precipitation moved onshore the next day. At the time blizzard conditions were expected. The storm moved eastward into the Great Plains where tremendous snowfall occurred. On February 1, another area of low pressure led to severe weather across the Southeastern United States. Multiple tornadoes were reported in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee, including a large EF2 tornado. After the storm had passed, the cold front associated with it stalled over the East Coast late on February 4. A new low pressure developed off North Carolina that night and started to track up the coast. It impacted areas already hit hard by the previous blizzard about two weeks prior, and caused messy travel along Interstate 95 (Northeast). The storm brought a quick but moderate-to-heavy burst of steady snow, with some areas in New England receiving up to 1 ft m. Early February nor'easter 0 976 11 February 6 February 9, 2016 0 Unknown On February 7, an elongated area of low pressure developed offshore to the west of Florida. While moving inland, it produced a decent dose of rainfall to the Sunshine State as it moved to the northeast. Later the same day, it moved offshore into the Atlantic Ocean and began to undergo bombogenesis, its pressure dropping from 1004 mbar inHg at 7a.m. EST February 7 to 979 mbar inHg at 1a.m. EST February 8.https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-mars-new-england-snow Winter Storm Mars Brings Blizzard Conditions to Massachusetts weather.com February 9, 2016 February 19, 2016 As it did so, it also began to transition into a nor'easter, as rainbands began to impact the eastern edges of North Carolina and South Carolina. There was some cold air aloft, allowing for a few areas of wet snow to develop further inland. As the cyclone continued to strengthen, it started to achieve the conditions of a bomb cyclone. Furthermore, the system started to form an eye compared to that of a typical Category 1 hurricane, however this was short-lived and dissolved a few hours later. Snowbands began to impact New England early in the morning of February 8, with some bands reaching up to snowfall rates of an inch per hour, especially near the coast. The outermost bands did not reach New Jersey and New York City, due to the nor'easter being far offshore. The storm continued to deepen for a few more hours before reaching its peak intensity of 976 mbar inHg. The system then continued to weaken as it moved northward, before finally merging with another low pressure system on February 10 to the south of it which had also exited from the East Coast. Mid-February cold wave thumb|Predicted average temperature departure for Sunday, Feb. 14. Note the large area of dark blue and purple over the Northeast, signifying very cold temperatures. During mid-February, record-breaking cold temperatures swung across the Northeast United States and southeastern Canada.http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/14/us/winter-weather/ Record-breaking cold sweeps Eastern U.S. Holly Yan and Azadeh Ansari 14 February 2016 CNN 16 February 2016 On 13 February 2016, Whiteface Mountain underwent a record windchill of -114 F C,https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/weather/upstate-ny-mountain-hits-114-degrees-wind-chill-at-summit/ar-BBpvaen?li=BBnbfcL Upstate NY mountain hits -114 degrees wind chill at summit msn.com 16 February 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160218083343/http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/weather/upstate-ny-mountain-hits-114-degrees-wind-chill-at-summit/ar-BBpvaen?li=BBnbfcL February 18, 2016 dead mdy-all while in Boston, Massachusetts, the temperature dropped to -9 F C, the coldest since 1957. The windchill descended to -36 F C, surpassing the previous record by 6 F.https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/02/14/boston-breaks-valentine-day-cold-weather-record/aLJKvKjOLYRescV6mq5y1O/story.html Boston breaks Valentine's Day cold weather record – The Boston Globe BostonGlobe.com 16 February 2016 In Toronto, Ontario, the NBA All-Star Weekend took place in temperatures of -23 C F and wind chills near -40 C F, causing some players and visitors to complain about the cold.https://globalnews.ca/news/2516173/nba-all-stars-visitors-shocked-by-sub-zero-temperatures/ NBA All-Stars, visitors shocked by Toronto's sub-zero temperatures globalnews.ca 19 July 2018 The recorded temperatures were the coldest recorded since a very similar cold wave impacted the region exactly a year prior. In New York City, the temperature in Central Park gets below 0 F C for the first time since January 19, 1994,A History of Frigid Temperatures in New York City https://thestarryeye.typepad.com/weather/2013/01/baby-its-cold-outside-a-history-of-single-digit-temperatures-in-new-york-city.html 2022-06-28 New York City Weather Archive and the windchill at JFK Airport on February 14 at 6:30am hit -19 F C. The low of -1 F C set a record for the coldest Valentines Day on record.Waterhouse Mike Brrr! Valentine's Day of 2016 was the coldest in New York City's history https://abc7ny.com/record-low-temperature-cold-central-park/1201463/ August 15, 2022 ABC7NY February 15, 2016 Bridgeport, Connecticut experienced its coldest February temperature, and 2nd coldest all time temperature, at -6 F C.Cummings Bill Bridgeport has second-coldest day ever on Sunday https://www.ctpost.com/weather/article/Bridgeport-has-second-coldest-day-ever-on-Sunday-6830532.php February 4, 2023 CTPost February 15, 2016 Meanwhile, Binghamton hit -18 F C. Windchills in Worcester, Massachusetts sunk to -44 F C.Emily Shapiro Deep Freeze Hits Northeast as Central Park Drops Below 0 Degrees https://abcnews.go.com/US/deep-freeze-hits-northeast-central-park-drops-degrees/story?id=36930224 ABC 7 April 19, 2022 In spite of -1 F C temperatures in New York on February 14, by February 16, the temperature reached 54 F C.Frydlewicz Rob Greatest Rebounds in Temperature Following Sub-Zero Cold https://thestarryeye.typepad.com/weather/2016/02/greatest-rebounds-after-sub-zero-cold.html%20 June 25, 2022 thestarryeye Meanwhile, despite Toronto having a windchill on February 14 of -34 C F, the next day it felt like -1 C F.https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/weather/severe/this-day-in-weather-history-february-14-2016-nba-all-star-game-extreme-cold How celebrities reacted to extreme cold during the 2016 NBA All-Star Game February 14, 2021 Late February storm complex Tornado outbreak of February 23–24, 2016 On February 23, a low-pressure area developed near the east end of Texas and began to track northeastwards into the Mid-Atlantic States in the early hours of February 24. During this period, it also began to interact with some cold air on the back side of it, producing snow and ice in parts of the Ohio Valley, dumping as much as 17.0 in cm of snow.https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-petros-great-lakes-midwest-feb2016 Winter Storm Petros Brings Snow to Midwest, Great Lakes, Appalachians, Northeast (RECAP) weather.com February 25, 2016 February 26, 2016 At the same time, ahead of the cold front, severe thunderstorms developed ahead of it, which would eventually lead to the second largest tornado outbreak of the month of February. March extreme weather events 250px|thumb|right|NASA satellite image of the storm system responsible for the record flooding in the South and record warmth in the Northeast. Taken March 10, 2016. On March 7, an area of low pressure system from the Pineapple Express moved ashore in California as part of the pattern change that allowed the Golden State to receive much-needed rain. Late that evening, it dove into Mexico where it became detached from the main jet stream.https://weather.com/news/weather/news/extremes-mexico-snow-south-flooding-northeast-heat Extreme March Weather Pattern Yields Snow in Mexico, Historic Flooding in South and Record Northeast Heat weather.com March 10, 2016 March 10, 2016 It then stalled for a few days and caused some extreme weather events, such as record-breaking heat in the Northeast, with areas achieving their earliest 80 F day on record, which was the result of high pressure off the coast of Florida. It also caused historic floods in the South as well. Areas in Louisiana picked up to over 15 in cm of rain, setting numerous records and triggering multiple flash floods from the extreme rainfall. The highest rainfall report was 23.22 in cm near Monroe in Louisiana.https://weather.com/storms/severe/news/historic-south-flooding-march-2016 Over 26 Inches of Rain Triggers Record Flooding in the South, Including the Sabine River weather.com March 18, 2016 March 25, 2016 The historic events also caused rare snow in Mexico, which rarely receives snow at all. Late March blizzard 0 March2016Blizzard.png 989 32.5 March 21 March 25, 2016 2 Unknown On March 21, an area of low pressure moved ashore on the West Coast, with a limited amount of moisture available. Because of this precipitation was originally isolated. As it moved eastward on March 22 it started to intensify and as such snowfall began to become widespread. The storm also began to transition into an extratropical cyclone, achieving a peak of 989 mbar inHg two times on March 23.http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/archives/web_pages/sfc/sfc_archive_maps.php?arcdate=03/23/2016&selmap=2016032318&maptype=satsfcnps WPC Surface Analysis Archive Blizzard warnings were issued for areas around Denver due to the strong winds accompanying the system along with snowfall. Parts of Interstate 80 were shut down due to the extreme winter weather conditions.https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-selene-blizzard-warnings-rockies-plains-midwest-great-lakes-new Winter Storm Selene a High Plains Blizzard; Heavy Snow Spreading to Upper Midwest (FORECAST) March 23, 2016 March 23, 2016 During the storm, Denver International Airport was shut down.ROUND-UP: Denver’s March 2016 blizzard, Denver Post, March 23, 2016 Ahead of its cold front, thunderstorms began to fire up, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a tornado watch. A squall line later developed out of this as more storms began to fire up and move eastwards, with the severe weather threat shifting more to the east towards the East Coast.https://weather.com/storms/severe/news/severe-weather-forecast-march-23-24-2016 Tornado Watch Issued as Severe Thunderstorms Target South, Ohio Valley Into Thursday Night (FORECAST) March 24, 2016 March 24, 2016 The system also brought ice accumulations from 0.25–0.75 in mm from the Midwest into New England. It then rapidly weakened and moved offshore late on March 25, dissipating the next day. Early April blizzard On April 4, a snowstorm occurred in Massachusetts, with Boston's Logan International Airport recording 4.7 inches of snow. Other Massachusetts towns experienced much heavier snowfall, with Freetown getting 7.5 inches of snow and Plymouth getting 9.3 inches of snow.https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/snow-totals-april-4-storm/ Snow Totals: April 4 Storm April 4, 2016 Mid-April storm complex 0 2016 April 18, 2016, North American cyclone.png 1006 51.4 April 16 April 19, 2016 8 2700 April 2016 North American storm complex On April 13, an area of disturbed weather associated with the jet stream moved ashore on the West Coast. Moving slowly it dived into the High Plains and Rocky Mountains during the course of the day on April 14. The upper-level low associated began to stall in the area and became cut off from the jet stream, while simultaneously producing a major snowstorm in the Rocky Mountains (with up to as much as 4 ft in of snowfall reported) and areas around the Denver metropolitan area and soaked the Central Plains and areas to the south with heavy rain (up to 20 in cm of rainfall was reported early on April 18), flooding, severe thunderstorms, and possibly tornadoes.https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-vexo-rockies-high-plains-denver-snowstorm-april-2016 Winter Storm Vexo: April Snowstorm to Pound the Rockies, High Plains This Weekend (FORECAST) April 15, 2016 April 15, 2016https://weather.com/storms/severe/news/plains-heavy-rain-flood-threat-severe-mid-april-2016 Plains Flood Threat Looms From Unusual April Multi-Day Heavy Rain Event (FORECAST) April 15, 2016 April 15, 2016https://weather.com/storms/severe/news/severe-weather-forecast-april-15-18-2016 Severe Threat, Including Tornadoes, Across Central States Through This Weekend (FORECAST) April 10, 2016 April 10, 2016 Multiple rescue efforts had to be made in southeastern Texas early on April 18, due to the extremely heavy rainfall and flooding.https://weather.com/safety/floods/news/houston-southeast-texas-flooding-impacts Widespread Flooding Reported as Hundreds Call for Rescue in Houston Area April 18, 2016 April 18, 2016https://weather.com/storms/severe/news/plains-heavy-rain-flood-threat-severe-mid-april-2016 Dangerous Flood Threat Ongoing in Texas; Water Rescues Reported Near Houston (FORECAST) April 18, 2016 April 18, 2016 The upper low gradually moved out of the region by April 19, alas at a very slow rate. Records United States The city of Boston, Massachusetts recorded its second-warmest winter in recorded history.https://archive.boston.com/news/weather/weather_wisdom/2016/03/meteorological_winter_ends_wit.html Meteorological winter is over, and it's the second warmest on record March 1, 2016 March 27, 2016 boston.com and New York City (behind 2001–02)Kral George NYC winter second warmest on record, National Weather Service says https://www.amny.com/news/nyc-winter-second-warmest-on-record-national-weather-service-says-1-11530421/ November 23, 2022 AMNY March 2, 2016 The month of December was the wettest on record in the Lower 48, as a result of persistent storminess and weather systems throughout the month.https://weather.com/news/climate/news/record-warmest-winter-us-2015-2016 Lower 48 States Just Experienced Warmest Winter On Record March 8, 2016 March 27, 2016 The Weather Channel Due to the January 2016 United States blizzard, multiple towns recorded their Highest snowfall from a single snowstorm, including the towns of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Newark, New Jersey, New York City and Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaJanuary 2016 blizzard officially snowiest in city’s history: NOAA, ANNY, April 28, 2016 John F. Kennedy International Airport had its snowiest January on record.Role Reversal, Northeast Regional Climate Center Atlanta, Georgia, and La Crosse, Wisconsin saw their second-wettest winter on record, while Waterloo, Iowa, and Lincoln, Nebraska had their wettest winter on record. Season effects This is a table of all of the events that have occurred in the 2015–16 North American winter. It includes their duration, damage, impacted locations, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. All of the damage figures are in 2016 USD. 2015–16 2016 Late November ice storm November 25 – 27 0 N/A N/A N/A 12 (30) 1 (25) Central United States Unknown 17 Post-Christmas storm complex December 26 – 29 0 N/A N/A 989 41 (104) N/A Southwestern, Central, and New England regions in the United States (particularly Texas); Northern Mexico; Southeastern Canada >$3 billion 21 Late January blizzard January 21 – 23 5 20.14 85 (135) 983 42 (110) 0.75 (19) Pacific Northwest, Great Plains, South Central United States, Eastern United States (especially the Mid-Atlantic states), Atlantic Canada, British Isles, Finland $3 billion 55 Early February winter storm January 30 – February 7 2 4.68 N/A 992 41 (100) N/A Western United States, Central United States, Southeastern United States, Northeastern United States Unknown 7 Early February nor'easter February 6 – 9 0 N/A 65 (105) 976 11 (28) N/A Northeastern United States, Atlantic Canada Unknown N/A Late February tornado outbreak & winter storm February 23 – 24 0 N/A N/A N/A 17 (43) 0.7 (18) Eastern United States, Canada $1.2 billion 7 Late March blizzard March 21 – 25 0 N/A N/A 989 32.5 (83) N/A Northeastern United States, Canada Unknown 2 Mid-April storm complex April 16 – 19 0 N/A N/A 1006 51.3 (130) N/A Western United States (Rocky Mountains) Unknown 8 3 November 20 April 17 976 51.3 (130) 1.5 (38) 7.2 billion 117 See also 2015–16 UK and Ireland windstorm season References 30em External links 2015 Storm Summaries from the Weather Prediction Center 2016 Storm Summaries from the Weather Prediction Center Climate Prediction Center: What to expect this winter: NOAA's outlook reveals what conditions are favored across the US 2014–15 North American winters 2015–16 2016–17 2015-12 Category:North American winters Category:Meteorological events in 2015 Category:Meteorological events in 2016 Winter Winter