Blizzard Conditions in St. Mary's and Anne Arundel

Back-to-Back Pacific Storms to Impact the West Coast; Heavy Snow in the Central Appalachians

Back-to-back powerful Pacific storm systems to impact the Pacific Northwest and northern California through the end of this week with heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, and higher elevation mountain snow. A strong, long-duration atmospheric river will accompany the Pacific storms, bringing excessive rainfall and flash flooding to southwest Oregon and northwest California through the week. Read More >

000 NOUS41 KLWX 072149 CCA PNSLWX DCZ001-MDZ003>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-501-502-VAZ021-025>031-036> 042-050>057-WVZ049>055-501>504-081100- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTED DATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 435 PM EST SUN FEB 07 2010 ...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. $$ LEE