The blizzard of March 12 to 14, 1993 remains one of the worst U.S. snowstorms since the Great Blizzard of 1888, and it's no surprise, considering that the storm stretched from Cuba to Nova Scotia, Canada, affected 100 million people across 26 states, and caused $6.65 billion in damage. In the United States, the storm was responsible for the loss of During March 11 and 12, 1993, temperatures over much of the eastern United States began to drop as an As the area of low pressure moved through the central Gulf of Mexico, a short wave trough in the northern branch of the jet stream fused with the system in the southern stream, which further strengthened the surface low. Causing approximately $5.5 billion in damages ($9.9 billion in 2020 dollars), America’s “Storm of the Century,” as it would become known, swept from the Deep South all the way up the East Coast. "British crew lost as storm sinks freighter". On the morning of March 11, a strong ridge of high pressure sat just offshore the U.S. west coast. Today it has several names: The 1993 Storm of the Century, '93 Superstorm, or Great Blizzard of 1993.
Both names were well-earned. A motorist makes an early exit after losing control of his vehicle, which slid off the road on Interstate 20 East during a blizzard in Atlanta, Saturday, March 13, 1993. Because of such societal impacts, this storm has been assigned the highest rank of "extreme" on the But despite warnings that a "big one" was on the way, public response was one of disbelief. It brought in cold air along with heavy precipitation and hurricane-force winds which, ultimately, caused a Some affected areas in the Appalachian Mountain region saw 5 feet (1.5 m) of snow, and snowdrifts as high as 35 feet (11 m). col E-F, p. Near midnight, the storm deepened to a central pressure of 960 mb while over the Chesapeake Bay area.
Tiffany Means is a meteorologist and member of the American Meteorological Society who has worked for CNN, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and more.Chance of Snow: Winter Storm Types and Snowfall Intensity3 Times Weather Nearly Delayed or Canceled the Super BowlHow Geography Shapes Regional Weather of the United StatesThe Jet Stream: What It Is and How It Affects Our Weather1996 Mount Everest Disaster: Death on Top of the World
The Times (64593). But how did this superstorm even begin? Heavy snow was first reported in highland areas as far south as Alabama and northern Georgia, with Union County, Georgia reporting up to 35 inches (89 cm) of snow in the north Georgia mountains. The storm complex was large and widespread, affecting at least 26 US states and much of eastern Canada. Besides producing record-low barometric pressure across a swath of the At 05:30 UTC, a waterspout-turned F0 tornado tossed a 23 ft (7.0 m) sailboat about 300 ft (91 m) at the Storm surges in those areas reached up to 12 feet (3.7 m),In Cuba, wind gusts reached 100 mph (160 km/h) in the There was widespread and significant damage in Cuba, with damage estimated as intense as This article is about the 1993 blizzard.
It brought in cold air along with heavy precipitation and hurricane-force winds which, ultimately, caused a blizzard over the affected area; this also included thundersnow from Georgia to Pennsylvania and widespread whiteout conditions. In 1993 happened The Storm of the Century, or The Great Blizzard of 1993, the blizzard that was stretched from Canada to Honduras. )As a result of heavy snow and high winds, most cities across the Eastern Seaboard shut down or were completely inaccessible for days. The "top fives" for U.S. snowfall, temperature, and wind gusts are listed here: It continued north-northeastward, centering over southern Georgia near mid-day and over New England that evening. When three independent weather patterns converged in the Gulf of Mexico in March of 1993, the resulting storm system caused three days of crippling snow, whirling seas… The storm really began to develop in the Western Gulf of Mexico early in the morning on March 12, 1993. Wikimedia Commons / NASA On March 12th, a large cyclonic storm formed over the Gulf of Mexico. Record cold temperatures were seen across portions of the south and east of the US in the wake of this storm. Snow flurries were seen in the air as far south as Jacksonville, Florida, and some areas of central Floridareceived a trace of snow.
The weather preceding the blizzard was unseasonably mild and didn't support the news that a winter storm of historic proportions was imminent.The Blizzard of 1993 broke dozens of records of its time, including over 60 record lows.
Both names were well-earned. A motorist makes an early exit after losing control of his vehicle, which slid off the road on Interstate 20 East during a blizzard in Atlanta, Saturday, March 13, 1993. Because of such societal impacts, this storm has been assigned the highest rank of "extreme" on the But despite warnings that a "big one" was on the way, public response was one of disbelief. It brought in cold air along with heavy precipitation and hurricane-force winds which, ultimately, caused a Some affected areas in the Appalachian Mountain region saw 5 feet (1.5 m) of snow, and snowdrifts as high as 35 feet (11 m). col E-F, p. Near midnight, the storm deepened to a central pressure of 960 mb while over the Chesapeake Bay area.
Tiffany Means is a meteorologist and member of the American Meteorological Society who has worked for CNN, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and more.Chance of Snow: Winter Storm Types and Snowfall Intensity3 Times Weather Nearly Delayed or Canceled the Super BowlHow Geography Shapes Regional Weather of the United StatesThe Jet Stream: What It Is and How It Affects Our Weather1996 Mount Everest Disaster: Death on Top of the World
The Times (64593). But how did this superstorm even begin? Heavy snow was first reported in highland areas as far south as Alabama and northern Georgia, with Union County, Georgia reporting up to 35 inches (89 cm) of snow in the north Georgia mountains. The storm complex was large and widespread, affecting at least 26 US states and much of eastern Canada. Besides producing record-low barometric pressure across a swath of the At 05:30 UTC, a waterspout-turned F0 tornado tossed a 23 ft (7.0 m) sailboat about 300 ft (91 m) at the Storm surges in those areas reached up to 12 feet (3.7 m),In Cuba, wind gusts reached 100 mph (160 km/h) in the There was widespread and significant damage in Cuba, with damage estimated as intense as This article is about the 1993 blizzard.
It brought in cold air along with heavy precipitation and hurricane-force winds which, ultimately, caused a blizzard over the affected area; this also included thundersnow from Georgia to Pennsylvania and widespread whiteout conditions. In 1993 happened The Storm of the Century, or The Great Blizzard of 1993, the blizzard that was stretched from Canada to Honduras. )As a result of heavy snow and high winds, most cities across the Eastern Seaboard shut down or were completely inaccessible for days. The "top fives" for U.S. snowfall, temperature, and wind gusts are listed here: It continued north-northeastward, centering over southern Georgia near mid-day and over New England that evening. When three independent weather patterns converged in the Gulf of Mexico in March of 1993, the resulting storm system caused three days of crippling snow, whirling seas… The storm really began to develop in the Western Gulf of Mexico early in the morning on March 12, 1993. Wikimedia Commons / NASA On March 12th, a large cyclonic storm formed over the Gulf of Mexico. Record cold temperatures were seen across portions of the south and east of the US in the wake of this storm. Snow flurries were seen in the air as far south as Jacksonville, Florida, and some areas of central Floridareceived a trace of snow.
The weather preceding the blizzard was unseasonably mild and didn't support the news that a winter storm of historic proportions was imminent.The Blizzard of 1993 broke dozens of records of its time, including over 60 record lows.