North American blizzard of 1996

North American Blizzard of 1996

Category 5 "Extreme" (RSI: 20.99)
Satellite image of the storm system on January 7, 1996
Type	Blizzard Winter storm
Formed	January 6, 1996
Dissipated	January 10, 1996
Lowest pressure	980 mb (28.94 inHg) at 7:00 am EST on January 8th
Maximum snowfall or ice accretion	48 inches (120 cm), Pocahontas County, West Virginia
Damage	Roughly $3 billion
Casualties	154 fatalities total (another 33 took place during flooding after the storm)
Areas affected	Continental United States; especially the Northeastern United States

The Blizzard of 1996 was a severe nor'easter that paralyzed the U.S. East Coast with up to 4 feet (1.2 m) of wind-driven snow from January 6 to January 8, 1996. It was followed by another storm, an Alberta Clipper, on January 12, then unusually warm weather and torrential rain which caused rapid melting and river flooding. Along with the March Superstorm of 1993, it is one of only two snowstorms to receive the top rating of 5, or "Extreme", on the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS).

Most of Virginia was impacted with the more central and western parts receiving one to three feet of snow. Roanoke got a record-breaking 23 inches. The heaviest snow fell in Page County, with ~37 inches. Snowfall reached three feet in the Shenandoah Valley and exceeded two feet in much of the Virginia mountain and Piedmont areas. Gov. George Allen declared a state of emergency as power lines went down, people were trapped in their houses, and at least eight weather-related deaths occurred. High winds that accompanied the blizzard caused white out conditions and drifts of up to 10 feet in Patrick County.

Snow began falling on Washington, D.C. and Baltimore during the early afternoon of January 6 and continued at a consistent rate until mid-afternoon the next day. At that time, the metro area received 13 to 17 inches (33 to 43 cm), and after a few hours of sleet and then a complete stop for several hours, it seemed the worst was over. But overnight, as the storm slowly crawled northward, extremely heavy bands of snow came in from the east. These bands created whiteout conditions as winds gusted past 40 miles per hour (64 km/h), along with thunder and lightning. By the morning of January 8, the bands tapered off, and the metro area was left with a blanket of 15 to 25 inches (38 to 64 cm) of snow. Baltimore received 22.5 inches (57 cm) and Washington Dulles International Airport received 24.6 inches (62 cm). Many areas north and west in Maryland and West Virginia received well over 2 feet (0.6 m) with a few locations in the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia receiving up to 4 feet (1.2 m).