Yes, it was a blizzard
It's official (but preliminary). The Super Bowl Weekend Storm in Maryland was a blizzard. Or, at least it met blizzard criteria at BWI-Marshall Airport and at the Patuxent Naval Air Station in St. Mary's County. It seems likely that many places in between also met the test.
"Near-blizzard conditions" were recorded at several other locations in the region, including Annapolis, meaning they had blizzard conditions, but not for the required three-hour minimum.
Here's the statement, issued Sunday afternoon by the National Weather Service forecast office in Sterling, Va.:
"PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN ST. MARY`S AND
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTIES IN MARYLAND ON SATURDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2010...
"THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEFINITION OF A BLIZZARD IS A WINTER
STORM WHICH PRODUCES THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS FOR 3 HOURS OR LONGER:
SUSTAINED WINDS OR FREQUENT GUSTS 35 MPH OR GREATER...AND FALLING
AND/OR BLOWING SNOW REDUCING VISIBILITY FREQUENTLY TO LESS THAN
ONE-QUARTER MILE ON A WIDESPREAD OR LOCAL BASIS.
"PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS SHOW THAT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WERE
RECORDED AT TWO OBSERVATION LOCATIONS IN THE REGION ON SATURDAY
6 FEBRUARY 2010. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS AT BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
INTERNATIONAL THURGOOD MARSHALL AIRPORT IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
MD...FROM APPROXIMATELY 12 MIDNIGHT TO 5:00 AM EARLY SATURDAY
MORNING. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD...WIND GUSTS WERE RECORDED TO
37 MPH WITH VISIBILITIES AT OR BELOW ONE-QUARTER MILE IN HEAVY SNOW.
"THE SECOND LOCATION WAS AT THE PATUXENT RIVER NAVAL AIR STATION IN
ST. MARY`S COUNTY MD...FROM APPROXIMATELY 12 NOON TO 4:00 PM
SATURDAY AFTERNOON. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD...WIND GUSTS WERE
RECORDED TO 41 MPH WITH VISIBILITIES REDUCED TO ONE-EIGHTH MILE IN
HEAVY SNOW.
"NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS...WHICH MET THE COUPLED VISIBILITY AND WIND
CRITERIA THAT OCCURRED OCCASIONALLY DURING THE STORM...BUT FELL
BELOW THE 3 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE HOUR CONSTRAINT OF THE FORMAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEFINITION OF A BLIZZARD...WERE OBSERVED IN
ANNAPOLIS MD...RONALD REAGAN WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT...DULLES
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...AND ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE IN PRINCE
GEORGES COUNTY MD.
"AS WITH ANY MAJOR CLIMATE RECORD ACHIEVEMENT...THESE PRELIMINARY
RECORDS WILL BE QUALITY CONTROLLED BY NOAA`S NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA
CENTER OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS."
Comments
You mean after all those e-mails from the copy desk saying we couldn't call it a blizzard (not that it stopped me) we can call it a blizzard? O happy day!
FR: Yes! Let those fingers fly!
Posted by: Elizabeth | February 7, 2010 6:04 PM
Say it ain't so, EL!
All this time we've been crowing that D@L as "the only blog you'll ever need," and here we find you blogging with The Other!
Posted by: BankStreet | February 7, 2010 7:04 PM
BankStreet--I read both Elizabeth and Frank...both great perspectives!
Posted by: Beth | February 8, 2010 9:38 AM
Looks like another "B" might just be here Tuesday night.
Posted by: Capt Jack | February 8, 2010 10:31 AM
This is my first visit to this site. It's nice. I know I'll be looking at it a lot over the next few days.
Posted by: Murre | February 8, 2010 10:37 AM
Frank, I gotta tell ya, I am ASTOUNDED to look at the pictures from the weekend blizzard. They are truly beyond words to see what Mother Nature has done to my former hometown.
All I got down here was a miserable cold rain.
However, all this snow brings a huge warning: Roof Collapses. I would not doubt there will be a lot of them with the constant thaw and refreeze, thaw and refreeze going on. There has been one already at Dulles Airport.
At least, the region doesn't have a forecasted warm-up any time soon. If this happens, what would you all rather have - roof collapses or massive flooding?
Back to back blizzards in 2 months; INCREDIBLE. Enjoy this Baltimore. A definite once in-a-lifetime experience.
Posted by: Mark from Charlotte | February 8, 2010 10:39 AM