January 8–13, 2011 North American blizzard

January 8–13, 2011 North American blizzard

Category 2 "Significant" (RSI: 3.50)
Satellite image of the storm as it passed over Cape Cod on January 12, 2011.
Type	Extratropical cyclone Nor'easter Blizzard Winter storm
Formed	January 8, 2011
Dissipated	January 13, 2011 (moved out to sea)
Maximum snowfall or ice accretion	40.5 inches (103 cm) at Savoy, Massachusetts
Areas affected	Midwestern United States, Southern United States, Mid-Atlantic Region, New England, eastern Canada

The January 8–13, 2011 North American Blizzard was a major Mid-Atlantic nor'easter and winter storm, and a New England blizzard. The storm also affected portions of the Southeastern regions of the United States. This storm came just two weeks after a previous major blizzard severely affected most of these same areas in December 2010. It was the second significant snowstorm to affect the region during the 2010–11 North American winter storm season.

The storm took on a similar track as the storm that had crippled the region in December 2010. The storm formed as a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico, which interacted with an upper level low pressure system that dropped down from central Canada. Like the previous storm, it was fueled by a great amount of southern stream energy. In mid-Atlantic states, the track of the storm was over 50 miles east of the previous one; besides, the storm was a fast-moving system. As a result, snowfall totals in these areas were not expected to reach those of the December 2010 blizzard two weeks earlier. However, the storm dumped over 2 feet of snow in some areas in New England before it moved out to sea on Thursday.

From January 8 through January 10, the storm dropped a swath of snow and ice from eastern Texas, and eastward across portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Significant snows and ice fell in these regions causing significant travel emergencies and accidents. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest in the world had only seen around 30 flights take off. Many flights were canceled however the airport did not close. Icy conditions were reported around the Atlanta and Birmingham as numerous traffic accidents were reported.

Meanwhile, a second system swung southeastward from Alberta, Canada, delivering light amounts of snow to the Dakotas, the Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes regions. Energy from the two systems combined off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina late on January 10, forming the storm that delivered over 2 feet of snow to New England on January 12.