Blizzard Conditions in St. Mary's and Anne Arundel

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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