The January 31 - February 2, 2011 North American winter storm , also called 2011 Groundhog Day Blizzard , is a powerful and historic winter storm, located around the United States and Canada on Groundhog Day. During the early stages of the storm, some meteorologists estimate that the system will affect more than 100 million people in the United States. The storm brought cold winds, heavy snowfall, blowing snow, and mixed deposition across the lanes from New Mexico and northern Texas to New England and Eastern Canada. The Chicago area saw 21.2 feet of snow and snowstorm conditions, with winds over 60 mph. With continuous winds, Blizzard continues northward and affects Eastern Canada and the Atlantic. The most influential areas in Canada are the Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. The snowstorm conditions affect many other major cities along hurricane paths, including Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, El Paso, Las Cruces, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Detroit, Indianapolis, Dayton, Cleveland, New York City, New York Capital District, and Boston. Many other areas that are not normally used for extreme winter conditions, including Albuquerque, Dallas and Houston, experience significant snowfall or ice accumulation. Illinois National Weather Service center in Lincoln, Illinois just issued their fourth Blizzard Warning in the 16-year history of the forecast's office. The amount of snow 20 to 28 inches is estimated for most of Northern Illinois and the West.
The ice storms in front of the warm front of winter storms also bring dangerous conditions to many Midwest America and New England, and many areas see more than 1 in (2.5 cm) ice accumulation. Many power cuts, flight cancellations, airport closures, road closures, collapsed roofs, train and bus cancellations, mail terminations, and schools, government and business closures occur before and after the storm; many of these disorders last a few days. Some touchdown tornadoes are reported in Texas and tornado wind hours are issued for the Alabama section, ahead of cold fronts in the storm warm sector. In addition, lightning is now recorded in several locations, including downtown Chicago. At least 24 deaths were reported related to the storm, many of them in automatic shoveling or related incidents. The total damage caused by ice storm alone could exceed US $ 1 billion.
Video January 31 - February 2, 2011 North American blizzard
Sinopsis meteorologi
A system with a maximum pressure of 1,052 millibars (31.1 inHg) follows behind it, moving across Montana. The low-pressure system of the Pacific Ocean then landed in Northern California and crossed the Rocky Mountains, joined the lowly Alberta Clipper and developed the developing Texas lowlands of the Gulf of Mexico northwest. The storm then increased, and moved northeast, developing a long, warm front that stretched toward New England state, and marched northeast along the jet stream.
The snowflake effect of lakes starts over Lake Ontario and Lake Michigan from the northeast winds. Following the dominant jet pattern, the storm developed a very fast forward path and began migrating to the Greater Lower Lake. The heaviest snow falls in a wide swath from central Oklahoma to Illinois, Indiana and the Ohio Valley. The official snowstorm warning was issued in Southern Ontario for the first time since 1993, although the Canadian definition changed in 2010.
Maps January 31 - February 2, 2011 North American blizzard
Affected area
Canada
Nova Scotia
As the storm shed about 40 centimeters (16 in) snow in Nova Scotia, and winds of up to 50 km/h (31 mph) to some areas of eastern Canada, schools and businesses closed on Thursday morning, the 3rd of February. Lower Sackville near Halifax receives 38 cm (15 inches) of snow.
New Brunswick
Many cancellations of schools, buses and flights occur in the province in preparation for the largest winter storm during the winter of 2010-2011. The roof of the warehouse collapsed during a storm in the Baie Verte community.
Ontario
The storm lowered 20-30 centimeters of snow over Southern Ontario. Hamilton saw more than 25 centimeters because of the intense Lake Effect band from the western end of Lake Ontario caused by the improved winds of east-northeast, Toronto avoided more than expected by 15 centimeters and the prevailing winter storm warning. The areas from the shoreline of Lake Huron east to London and Hamilton are under the Blizzard Warning. There were reports of a storm in Windsor, Ontario when a storm hit the area on Tuesday night on February 1st; the city and nearby Chatham-Kent also declared a snow emergency, effectively imposing a parking ban to ease snow hijacking, due to an estimated 30 centimeters snowfall, and snow clearance in the city will likely cost $ 700,000 CAD, about 1.5 times as much than usual. The Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board closed all schools for the first time since Blizzard in 1999, a controversial decision that yields less than anticipated results and snowfalls resulting from the storm. Schools are also closed in the Windsor area and elsewhere.
Quebec
The traffic that piled up three kilometers near Montreal, Quebec involving school buses and many other vehicles sent 29 people to hospital with injuries. All schools in Eastern Townships City Council near Sherbrooke are closed.
Newfoundland
Wind speeds exceeding 50 km/h (31 mph) strike areas near Clarenville and Bonavista, while schools in the eastern part of St. Louis. John's is closed.
Mexico
Chihuahua
Northern Mexico suffered extensive infrastructure damage from storms, and several weather-related deaths. In Chihuahua City, the temperature drops to 1 degree below zero Fahrenheit. Ciudad JuÃÆ'¡rez, located just across the border from El Paso, Texas, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, a regional emergency state was declared late Tuesday, right in front of a cold weather system, with Mexican authorities urging residents to stay indoors. Despite the growing snow and ice on the border, Bridges International remains open during a blizzard. In addition, to help ease the collapse of electricity in Texas due to frosty weather, Mexican officials set up a 280 megawatt transfer of electricity to the United States via an electrical connection located in Nuevo Laredo (opposite Laredo, Texas) and Piedras Negras, Coahuila (near Eagle Pass , Texas). Cold waves behind cold temperatures in front of left storm plunge to -18Ã, Â ° C (0Ã, Â ° F) in the Ciudad JuÃÆ'¡rez metropolitan area, and in the 23rd (-9Ã, Â ° F) plunge area, so the death of at least six people in the coldest temperatures recorded in the area in at least half a century. In addition, 35 animals died in the zoo, and school and factory closures took place in the city.
On Wednesday, authorities at JuÃÆ'¡rez announced that the convoy will travel to remote areas and slums to ensure that residents are warm and have the supplies they need to pass through the next few days. On Thursday, Mexican officials stopped energy exports to Texas, citing cold weather damage at five power plants across Mexico that resulted in a total loss of 1,000 megawatts of electricity in Northern Mexico. The power plant in Mexico is able to meet the energy demand generated in Northern Mexico, but can not save additional electricity to help Texas. In Juarez, overnight overnight temperatures leave 90% of the city without water services due to frozen pipes, and the failure of thermoelectric generators at a power plant in Samalayuca, 30 miles south of Juarez, leaves residents without electricity for about five hours..
Nuevo LeÃÆ'³n
In Monterrey, the capital of Nuevo LeÃÆ'³n, the cold air kills many trees and other types of tropical plants. Snow was observed at high peaks in the mountains and the fountain at the main Alameda park was frozen overnight.
United States
Connecticut
Connecticut experienced up to 10 inches of snow and 3/4 inch ice accumulation, resulting in widespread tree damage and power outages. The accumulation of additional snow and ice above several feet of snow before the storm caused the roof to collapse in Bethany, Waterbury, and Middletown. The West Rock tunnel on Wilbur Cross Parkway is closed for several hours due to accidents caused by slippery conditions, while service is interrupted on Metro-North Railroad and at Bradley International Airport. Thick snow causes at least 136 roofs to collapse from barns, greenhouses and other agricultural structures.
Illinois
In Chicago, to anticipate the coming snowstorm conditions, 1,300 flights were canceled at O'Hare and Midway airports. At 4:30 pm, CST (22:30 GMT), the storm reached the status of a blizzard with continuous winds exceeding 35 miles per hour (56 km/h), with white outcry conditions reported by complainants in the Old City neighborhood of the city North side. while Lake Shore Drive is temporarily closed due to impassable conditions. City officials said on Feb. 2 that at least 900 cars and buses were stranded on Lake Shore Drive, with drivers and their passengers caught in some cases for 12 hours (many drivers opted to stay in their cars in false-afraid of being left for leaving their vehicles over- instead of walking the short distance to the tall buildings lining the road), but closing down the road before could result in poor traffic conditions and possible accidents on other Chicago streets. Crane trucks started pulling cars from Lake Shore Drive on the night of February 2, and moved them into six temporary lanes for riders who left their vehicles to come and claim. The city of Chicago can not trace the license plate for every vehicle, causing complaints from many drivers and by the time they find their vehicle, many can not pick it up from the parking lot because they are parked in bumper-bumpers; on February 3, Chicago City reopened Lake Shore Drive for traffic before rush hour.
Chicago Public School announced, on February 1, that some schools will be closed and some schools will remain open the next day (Wednesday, 2 February), which marks the first cancellation of the vast class district since Blizzard in 1999. Heavy snow and prolonged wind which is high-speed over 50 miles per hour (80 km/h), causing the rail switch to freeze on the CTA Red Line and blow up some of the roof from Wrigley Field. The University of Northwestern, the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago canceled Wednesday's class for the first time in more than a decade due to the weather. More than 39,000 state workers are ordered not to work due to weather; this was the biggest figure since the snowstorm in 1978. The mail service was discontinued on Wednesday for six post office areas in Northern Illinois. The Amtrak train service from Chicago was also canceled in Illinois on Wednesday.
In the central part of the state, many cities are all covered by storms. On Monday, residents rushed to the store to buy groceries, and many stores reported record sales. On Tuesday, some school and university districts cancel classes pre-emptively for Tuesday nights and throughout Wednesday. Many school districts plan to close the second day in a row, on Thursday. Approximately 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) of snow fell late Monday. Tuesday afternoon brought heavy snowfall and sustained 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) of wind, with gusts of more than 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). Local government officials encourage all businesses to close, and local hospitals prepare for the storm by preparing shelter and sleep for key personnel. Flights from the airport area were canceled, and local officials repeatedly urged residents not to travel, because due to the whiteout conditions, snowplows had been taken off the road. Interstate 80 closed Tuesday night between Morris and Princeton. On Wednesday, I-290 and Illinois Route 53 are closed from Lake Cook Road in Arlington Heights to St. Louis. Charles Road in Elmhurst. Forty vehicles abandoned on Route 53. Parts of Interstate 57 were also closed. State police describe most toll roads as "impassable". 50 motorists stranded on Illinois Route 47 in southern Huntley received help from the snowmobile club, while dozens of motorists had to be rescued on Illinois Route 72, west of Hampshire. During the height of the storm on Tuesday night, more than 100,000 stateless electricity customers across the state, including 79,000 ComEd customers in Northern Illinois and 35,800 Ameren customers in Central Illinois. Some charities set up shelters for homeless people and those stranded by blizzards, and governor Pat Quinn mobilizes 500 Illinois National Guard troops to help rescue trapped riders. Hundreds of riders have been rescued from Interstate 290, 55, 57, and 80. In addition, more than 80 traffic accidents are reported.
11 snow-related deaths have been reported in Illinois on February 3. The corpse of an individual was discovered from Lake Michigan by the Chicago Police. The pedestrian was reportedly walking on the lake-front lane when he had been thrown into the lake by strong winds. In Grayslake, a man was killed in an accident while driving through a storm, while a woman in Mundelein died of hypothermia in his vehicle. A man in Chicago was also found dead at his home, which is not hot. At Barrington, a teacher died of a heart attack while leaving school on Tuesday. Five heart-related deaths from snow shoveling occur in Lyons, Downers Grove, Mount Prospect, Carol Stream, and Glendale Heights. In LaSalle County countryside, a man died while trying to walk through a storm after his vehicle was stranded on a country road.
21.2 inches of snow at Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, making it the third largest snowfall in Chicago history, after the famous 1967 Blizzard Chicago and Blizzard 1999. 24 Inches falls on 1 N Abingdon mesonet in Knox County, in West Central Illinois. This is the biggest snowfall in mesonet history. 10 to 15 foot inclusions also occur. Snowfall exceeds 4 inches per hour for several hours on Tuesday evenings along with thunder and lightning.
The official total snowfall includes 20.9 inches at Chicago-Midway International Airport, 16.4 inches at the National Weather Service offices in Romeoville, and 14.3 inches at Chicago Rockford International Airport. The highest total of 27-inch storms are reported in the northwest suburbs of Roselle and Medina, Illinois. Peak wind blows during a snowstorm include 61 mph at O'Hare and 67 mph along the lake.
Indiana
Near Wheatfield, a teenage boy and a pedestrian he picked up were killed in a snowstorm when the semi hit a compact car they drove. Central Indiana sees ice, followed by snow and strong winds, which spurt over 50 mph. Peak 50,000 customers of Duke Energy are powerless due to storms, including nearly half of the Purdue University campus at one point. A 57-year-old South Haven resident collapsed and died after clearing snow from his driveway. The city of Indianapolis receives almost half an inch of ice from a snow storm, effectively paralyzing the city and leaving many people without electricity.
Iowa
Southeastern Iowa sees up to 18.5 inches of snow. The heaviest snow falls in the eastern part of the state. Des Moines fared a little better, where only 6.5 â €
In Kansas, 53 counties were declared a disaster area. Particularly hit hard is the eastern part of the state, which sees more than one foot of snow and white conditions. Government offices and state legislatures were closed on Wednesday, but are expected to reopen on Thursday. At least two deaths were blamed on the storm.
Maryland
Baltimore received freezing rain during the day on February 1, which turned to rain when the temperature rose on Feb. 2, and the overall ice cover in the area was less than expected.
Massachusetts
In Berkshire County, snow fell by 10 inches.
Michigan
A 73-year-old Dansville man was killed in a vehicle accident. Universities closed for snow include Western Michigan University, Kendall College of Art and Design, Grand Valley State University, Michigan State University, Flint Michigan University, Michigan University of Dearborn, Wayne State University and Central Michigan University.
Missouri
In Missouri, an emergency was announced by Governor Jay Nixon, who activated the Missouri National Guard. On February 1st, Interstate 70, which runs east-west from St. Louis to Kansas City, the entire width of Missouri, was closed by the Missouri Department of Transportation because of the white conditions and the rising snowfall. This is the first time in Missouri history that any interstate is shut down across the state.
Kansas City was under snowstorm warning for only the second time since 1980, and only the third time in its entire history. Columbia experienced the first snowstorm warning with this storm in their history.
Many local school districts cancel classes, the University of Missouri is closed for an unprecedented three days in a row. The University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri (which received 23 inches of snow, which in turn broke all time records for the city for snow in a single day) was closed three days never before. A hockey game St. Louis Blues scheduled on February 1st was postponed until the 22nd. The Missouri region also reported significant accumulation of hail. In St. Louis, some MetroLink services are delayed due to ice on the rails. Some malls are closed due to ice in the parking lot. One person in Missouri was killed during a storm.
New Jersey
In New Jersey, snow, rain and ice are problems. In the middle of the New Jersey ice storm warning came into effect. In northern New Jersey, the forecast calls for ice 1 'snow and more than 1. "The road is slippery and difficult for cars to maneuver on the highway.
New Mexico
Two-foot snow fell at Sangre de Cristo, and Central Mountain Chain in New Mexico, while up to 6 inches fell in the Albuquerque Metro Area. The heaviest total snowfall is 23 inches in the Santa Fe Ski Area, and 20 inches in Sandia Peak east of Albuquerque, Bonito Lake in Lincoln County, and Tres Ritos in Taos County. A 180 mile stretch of Interstate 25 is closed between Las Cruces and Belen due to strong winds and blowing snow. On Thursday night, Governor Susana Martinez declared a state of emergency in southern New Mexico, due to the steady supply of natural gas caused by catastrophic failure of the El Paso Electric Company power grid.
New York
New York City receives almost an inch of ice from freezing rain on the night of February 1-2, causing public transport on both bus routes and Long Island Rail Road to be delayed or completely closed. One resident of Long Island was killed by a fire fueled by cooking fuel during a storm.
Ohio
Ohio is in the warm sector of the low pressure system. On the night of January 31-February 1, Cleveland and Akron regions received a Winter Storm Warning from the NWS Cleveland Field Office for snow and freezing rain. On Monday night, 3-6 inches of snow fell during the warm front front. During the hour of last February 1-2, when the low pressure center moves from Missouri to lower Indiana, it brings a warm front, with warm air and a shallow, shallow pool at the bottom. This caused frozen rain in the Northeast Ohio section. In Canton, ice accretion ranges from 0.5 to 0.75 inches, which causes power grids and trees to crash, leaving nearly 40,000 people without electricity. In the Greater Cleveland area, there is an ice rise of 0.1 inches and scattering out on the outskirts of Cleveland North Royalton, where 2,000 people lose power, as well as in parts of Garfield Heights and Maple Heights. The scattered loss is reported in other parts of the area.
The overnight temperature went from 25 Â ° F (-4 Â ° C) at 19.00 to 42 Â ° F (6 Â ° C) at 17:00 turning frozen rain into a liquid rain, and NWS canceled the Winter Warning Storm earlier at 5 o'clock : 00. On Wednesday morning when the low price moved to New England, the cold air moved behind the low and the temperature dropped dramatically in mid-20s Fahrenheit at 4:00 pm with Cleveland receiving 1-2 inches of snow and windy conditions.
In the Dayton area, Ohio Highway Trooper and his wife died of carbon monoxide poisoning from generators running gas in their homes after the house lost power.
Oklahoma
Heavy snowfall, along with hail and some freezing rain, began to flourish in Oklahoma and Texas stretching on the night of January 31, with a state of emergency declared by Governor Mary Fallin earlier in the day. As a result of the emergency declaration, state legislation prohibiting price increases of more than 10 per cent on most goods and services during and for 30 days after the emergency declaration takes effect, and will remain in force for 180 days after the declaration order for the price of repair, renovation and construction. The Salvation Army of Central Oklahoma opened three shelters and one warm-up station for those who were stranded by outside storms, homeless people, and those who lost power during the storm; two in Oklahoma City, one in Norman and one in El Reno, with a team from the American Red Cross branch in Oklahoma stationed on standby. Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City and Tulsa International Airport are closed, with Will Rogers staying closed for 20 hours; I-44 from Stroud to the Missouri state line, Interstate 40 near Okemah and the I-40 west line east of Henryetta are among the many major highways that are closed, and the Indian Nation, Creek and Muskogee turnpikes are either completely covered or in the range.
Most school districts in the state include the Oklahoma City and Tulsa public school districts, as well as most Oklahoma City government offices closed the day before the storm. The US Postal Service released a statement saying it was trying to ship to the entire state, but "some areas may not be shipped", because of heavy snow and very low visibility; mail delivery in Oklahoma City does not occur in most areas due to conditions. The statewide temperatures of February 1 and 2 float in single digits to mid-teens. The wind blazed up to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) when creating a snowstorm in the eastern half of the state; Cold wind values ​​fell as low as -36 ° F (-38 ° C) in Boise City, the lowest recorded winds in the state since the Mesonet deployment in Oklahoma. Heavy snowfall on the roof of a building at Hard Rock Hotel & amp; The casino complex in Tulsa contains poker rooms and electronic casino games, the damage is limited to areas that are part of the original structure built in 1992. No one was hurt by the collapsing roof because no one was affected by the area at the time; hotel towers, concert venues, convention centers, and retail operations in the complex are unaffected and kept open. The Tulsa World newspaper canceled its print edition on Feb. 2 and 4, citing heavy snowfall and dangerous road conditions that could endanger the safety of their newspaper operators, making it the first time in a 111-year newspaper history that the print edition should be canceled; however, the newspaper continues to publish its electronic edition on its website. The portion of the boat dock at Tera Miranda Marina Resort on the arms of the Monkey Island in Grand Lake collapsed due to the significant accumulation of snow on its roof, destroying four ships worth approximately $ 450,000.
Will Rogers World Airport recorded about 11.6 inches of snow, destroying the daily snowfall all the time for the month of February for Oklahoma City (the previous record was 6.5 inches on February 7, 1986). Tulsa also set an all-time snowfall record for storms for February 1 and February, as Tulsa International Airport receives 14Ã, "inches of snow accumulation (February's previous snow record for Tulsa city was 10.5 inches in February 2003). , and the previous record for snowfall in a 24-hour period in Tulsa was 12.9 inches on March 8-9, 1994). Likewise, Oklahoma received the most accumulation of snow in Oklahoma by 21 inches. Ironically, a few days earlier on January 29, forest fires burned central and southern parts of Oklahoma, and ten central and southern central Oklahoma districts were placed under fire ban because of extremely dry fire prone conditions. State Insurance Commissioner John Doak issued an emergency order to enable licensed claims inspectors outside Oklahoma to help assess damage and losses from storms for 90 days. On February 2, Governor Fallin asked the White House to approve a request for an emergency disaster declaration for all 77 areas in Oklahoma. In a statement by Fallin, state and local governments will receive 75% reimbursement for the costs associated with responding to the storm if the declaration is approved, including overtime fees, fees associated with shelter operations and snow-clearing and ice-covered roads. That night, President Barack Obama granted Federal emergency requests from Fallin, authorized the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA to coordinate disaster relief efforts in the state of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma State University held a home basketball game on February 2 against the University of Missouri as scheduled, although the Missouri team's troubles had arrived at Stillwater due to a snowstorm. As a result of the storm, the university gave free tickets to fans who could attend the match at the Gallagher-Iba Arena, which the State of Oklahoma won in a 76-70 victory against Tiger # 15.
The storm system has caused at least three deaths in Oklahoma, one in sledding and two car accidents. On February 1, a 20-year-old Oklahoma City woman died from injuries sustained in an up-and-down accident near Lake Stanley Draper, where a sled was pulled by a vehicle that veered off the road, throwing her onto a guardrail; he was declared dead at the scene. Two days later due to slippery road conditions continuing across parts of the state, a truck carrying eight people fled the bridge and crashed into the Ice River (ice-covered), at I-44 in Ottawa County near Miami, killing two people ; one of the two west lines I-44 reopened for traffic the previous night after the blizzard conditions made it impassable.
Pennsylvania
In the northern Pennsylvania section of Philadelphia, an ice storm warning was put into effect. The storm dropped several inches of hail and snow on the Poconos and included a long period of frozen rain that resulted in ice increments of up to half an inch in the Lehigh Valley and the suburbs of Philadelphia. Ice knocked down many tree branches, trees, and then, the power lines.
Number of Snowfall
Rainfall starts as snow crosses the area on the first morning. As the warmer air moves upward, rain falls into hail and frosts early in the local Philadelphia area, a mixture of hail and frosts at the end of a morning trip in Berks County and Lehigh Valley as well as a winter blend in the morning at Poconos. Rainfall tapered into drizzle especially frozen during the afternoon and early evening of 1st. More dense rain moved again on the night of the 1st and fell as a frozen rain on the outskirts of Philadelphia, a mixture of hail and frozen in Berks County and Lehigh Valley and especially a mixture of snow and ice on the Poconos. The cold air last night moved higher above the Poconos and rainfall changed back into all the snow for several hours. By sunrise on the 2nd, this process begins to reverse both on the surface and above. The warm air moved north again and the freezing rain turned into torrential rains on the outskirts of Philadelphia and Berks County at about 8 am EST and Lehigh Valley around 9 am. EST. In Poconos, rainfall turned into frozen rain around 7 am EST and ended as a frozen rain around 11 am EST on the 2nd. Representatives of snow and snow accumulation included 5.4 inches at Tobyhanna (Monroe County), 5.0 inches in Pocono Summit (Monroe County), 3.5 in Delaware Water Gap (Monroe County), 2.1 inches at Lehigh Valley International Airport, 1.5 inches in Albrightsville (Carbon County) and 1.0 inches in Easton and Martins Creek ( Northampton County). Es accretions representatives include 0.50 in Glenmoore (Chester County), Sping Mount (Montgomery County) and Emmaus (Lehigh County), 0.40 inches in East Nantmeal (Chester County) and Lansdale (Montgomery County), 0.38 inches in Kutztown (Berks County) and Allentown (Lehigh County), 0.33 inches in Feasterville (Bucks County) and 0.25 inches in Bangor (Northampton County).
Power failure
Many trees still snow on top of the winter storm the previous week to aggravate the damage. Nearly 300,000 power outages occurred. PECO Energy reported about 185,000 customers in southeastern Pennsylvania lost power. Power did not fully recover until the last few until the afternoon of the 6th. Pennsylvania Power and Light reported about 79,000 customers lost power in Eastern and Central Pennsylvania; while Metropolitan Edison reports about 14,000 of its customers lost power in Berks County. Many schools cancel classes on 1 and 2. Recycling and delayed garbage removal. This winter storm adds an additional strain to the snow-making budget and a tight salt supply. Reading, Hamburg, Boyertown, Birdsboro, Barto, Bechtelsville and Douglassville all suffered a power outage. In Bucks County, the cable that crashed at Milford caused a basement fire in a house on Sleepy Hollow Road. In Montgomery County, the most severely reported trees and ice damage occurred in Lansdale and Hatfield. The electric pole fire in Pottstown knocked out electricity to a water treatment plant in the borough. There are over 100 reports about wires that break up throughout Northampton County.
Travel
In Northampton and Lehigh County, many collisions occurred in the United States Route 22, Pennsylvania State Route 33 and Interstate 78. On Interstate 78, the driver swerved to avoid crashing into a plow truck and injured. In Bethlehem, a driver was injured after his vehicle was rolled over on Schoenersville Road. Also in Bethlehem, the roof section of the 100-foot terrace collapsed on the 2nd night at Glendale Avenue from the loads of ice and snow. Three vehicles were damaged. In Berks County, the State Routes of Pennsylvania 345 (near Birdsboro) and 625 (south of Reading) are closed. In Chester County, there were several reported slip and fall accidents, particularly on the 1st. Just east of Exton, North US Route 202 was closed between the State Routes of Pennsylvania 30 and 401 due to an accident with an injury on the 2nd. Two roads were closed due to trees - fallen trees and cables in North Coventry Township. One street is also closed in West Vincent Township.
Texas
In Texas, the storm caused widespread disruption to road and air traffic, including in and out flights from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Love Field. Rotating blackouts are institutionalized across the country due to high electricity demand causing power lines to become overloaded and unable to handle demand. Governor Rick Perry calls on citizens to save as much electricity as they can to help alleviate the power grid. ERCOT, the governing body responsible for most of the electricity distribution in Texas, reports that more than 75% of countries are affected by rolling blackouts on February 2; at one point the demand for energy is so great that the power companies start buying electricity from the national network to meet demand. Parts of Texas are expected to experience rolling blackouts again on Wednesdays and Thursdays as workers seek to revive electrical systems. Post-analysis shows that cold temperatures have caused more than 150 generators to face adversity; loss of supply, instrumentation failure, and freezing of gas well heads are some of the source causes.
Along the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, several large school districts were closed to record 5 consecutive days, letting students go out for a full week because of the danger of roads due to ice and snow. An ice storm affected areas as far south as Houston behind the main front of the storm, while three people were killed near Houston in a traffic accident. The storm had a devastating impact on activities in the weeks leading up to the XLV Super Bowl, which was played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The storm caused a failure at a water treatment plant near Donna, Texas, prompting officials to issue boiling water advice.
In El Paso, Texas, the storm left a slippery main highway with ice and snow, and sudden demands placed on El Paso's utility services resulted in sporadic reports of water loss and natural gas capability. Frozen temperatures resulted in the total failure of the two natural gas power plants in the city, resulting in rolling blackouts throughout the city. The loss of power has a ripple effect throughout the region, due to power failures leaving the water and the powerless gas utility necessary to operate the pump to move water and natural gas to customers. This resulted in complete cancellation of activities in all areas of independent school districts and higher education institutions on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and the following Monday. In total, nearly 200,000 El Paso Electric customers went without power at some point as a result of the storm, while 1,200 Texas Gas Service customers left without gas. More than 157 major water breaks due to cold temperatures are reported to El Paso Water Utilities, which when combined with frozen water pumping equipment and very high water demand causes water supply to the left of El Paso is very low. Stage 2 restriction of compulsory water, allowing the use of drinking water alone, was carried out late Monday as water utilities worked to raise the water level in reservoirs, and on Wednesday the water restriction was lifted. On the same Wednesday it was announced that federal and state officials would conduct an investigation into El Paso Electric as a result of the spectacular failure of utilities during a snow storm.
Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker declared a state of emergency in 29 counties in Wisconsin due to a blizzard, and deployed 75 soldiers to the Wisconsin National Guard. On February 2, the state emergency management agency issued a Civil Warning warning of warning drivers completely out of the way with stranded risks due to dangerous conditions forcing county hijackers, law enforcement and off-road salters, declarations distributed via NOAA Weather Radio Emergency Alert System and outlets local media, and otherwise only issued to other major events such as terrorist attacks and water contamination emergency. The same warning issued a few hours later completely ban travel in Lake County, Illinois. Interstate 94 and Interstate 43 south of Milwaukee to the country line were both closed for a while due to dangerous conditions and many vehicles were stranded.
Almost all government buildings, schools and public facilities were closed for February 2, 2011 in the southeastern states, including Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, Kenosha, Sheboygan, and Madison, with Racine and Kenosha receiving the largest amount of snow, just shy of 24 inches. Three people died of heart-related illness during snow clearing in Milwaukee.
Non-winter weather events
Strong wind
Strong winds-strong forces are expected in many areas, especially places northwest of the Appalachian Mountains. The storm warning for the whole of Lake Michigan rose on Feb. 1, replacing the warnings of strong winds. The winds are supported from 39 to 55 mph and gusts up to 70 mph or higher are reported over parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Lake Michigan for several hours at the peak of the storm according to the National Weather Service.
Flash freeze
Eastern Texas and Louisiana sections to the Mississippi Valley and the Florida Panhandle are experiencing or experiencing rapid temperature drop and freezing events after the storm's line moves.
Storm surge
Local floods occur in northeastern Illinois, near the shores of Lake Michigan where high winds carry storm surges and lakeshore floods.
Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes
Severe thunderstorms erupted in many areas of the Midwest and Southeastern United States. Thunder with heavy rain and snow. Tornadoes are reported in Texas, and hours of tornado winds are ejected for parts of Alabama. An EF1 tornado damaged two houses in Rusk County, Texas.
Impact
Preparation
Local governments in front of storms prepare residents to follow procedures during a storm. This includes restrictions on parking and driving as well as preparation of road cleaning equipment. Street crews cleaned chemicals applied to the highway to melt ice and snow and check equipment before the event.
Emergency status
Emergencies were announced in several American states, including Illinois, Oklahoma, and Missouri.
Airport traffic
At least 6,400 flight cancellations occurred across North America before the storm. The impact was severe at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, as more than 1,100 flights were canceled there. The impact was less severe but still large at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto where about 300 of its 1,400 daily flights were canceled.
By the end of February 2, at least 13,000 individual flight cancellations have occurred throughout North America.
Power failure
Many local and widespread power outages affect locations along hurricane paths, including in Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Indiana, Texas, Colorado and Kentucky.
Impact on Super Bowl XLV
The storm affected the Dallas, Texas area, bringing the ice sheet to the ground after a quick freeze. This caused some damage in front of Super Bowl XLV. Snow falling from the roof of the Cowboys Stadium caused several injuries.
Gallery
See also
- January 25-27, 2011, North American snow storm - a snowstorm ensuing, affecting the Northeast and Canada
- Chicago Blizzard in 1967
- Chicago Blizzard 1979
- 1993 Hurricane of the Century
- North American snowstorm in 1999
- February 2007 North American Winter Storm
- 2008 Super Tuesday tornado plague
- December 2010 Blizzard North America
- January 2016 snowstorm United States
- January 31 - February 2, 2015 Blizzard North America
- February 2016 winter storms in North America
References
External links
- National Weather Service web page:
- February 1, February 2, 2011 Blizzard Summary - details and charts
- Extreme Weather 2011: Groundhog Day blizzard - short summary
- Accuweather.com 2011 Winter Weather Center
- Weather Underground: Great Blizzard beat Chicago; The very dangerous cyclone Yasi approached Australia
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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