WINTER STORM SUMMARY FOR
FEBRUARY 25, 2010 TO FEBRUARY 26, 2010 EVENT

Synopsis

A strong Nor'Easter spread significant snow and windy conditions across the Middle Atlantic region from Thursday February 25th into Friday February 26th. An area of low pressure developed off the Carolina coast late Wednesday night February 24th and then strengthened as it tracked northward to near Long Island, New York by Thursday evening. As low pressure aloft deepened over the Mid Atlantic coast Thursday night into Friday, the surface low retrograded and moved westward into northern New Jersey and southern New York. By Saturday February 27th, the low pushed into southern New England and gradually weakened over the weekend.

Watches/Warnings/Advisories

A Winter Storm Watch was issued at 330 pm on Tuesday February 23rd for the following areas: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex in Delaware; Cecil, Kent, Queen Annes, Talbot, and Caroline in Maryland; Sussex, Warren, Morris, Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Salem, Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, Ocean, Cumberland, Atlantic, and Cape May in New Jersey; Carbon, Monroe, Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. At 316 pm on Wednesday February 24th, the Winter Storm Watch was upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning for all of the areas listed above. At 434 am on Friday February 26th, the Winter Storm Warning was downgraded to a Winter Weather Advisory for the following areas: Kent and Sussex in Delaware; Kent, Queen Annes, Talbot, and Caroline in Maryland.

At 1117 am on Thursday February 25th, a Wind Advisory was issued for the following areas: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex in Delaware; Cecil, Kent, Queen Annes, Talbot, and Caroline in Maryland; Sussex, Warren, Morris, Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Salem, Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, Ocean, Cumberland, Atlantic, and Cape May in New Jersey; Carbon, Monroe, Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.

Precipitation/Temperatures/Winds

Precipitation began across the Mid Atlantic region late Wednesday night and into the early morning hours of Thursday February 25th. At the onset, the precipitation was generally a mix of rain and snow from the Delmarva into southern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania as temperatures hovered in the 30s. By mid-morning on Thursday, the precipitation had changed to mainly snow from southeastern Pennsylvania and through inland portions of New Jersey. Heavier snow fell across northern New Jersey and into the Poconos of northeast Pennsylvania. In fact, total accumulations of 20 inches or more were recorded from Morris and Sussex counties in New Jersey westward into Monroe county Pennsylvania. A band of 12 to 18 inches of snow accumulation was measured from Warren and Morris counties in New Jersey westward to Lehigh county Pennsylvania. In addition to snow that accumulated during the daytime on Thursday, many locations across the region experienced a heavier burst of snow with gusty winds Thursday night into early Friday thanks to additional moisture that wrapped around the low pressure system. Some areas saw snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour, especially from northern New Jersey and into the Poconos.

Strong wind gusts were measured throughout the Middle Atlantic region as a result of this coastal storm. Some of the highest wind gusts recorded include 62 mph measured at Cape May, NJ; 52 mph at the Atlantic City Marina; 51 mph at the Mount Pocono Airport and at Lewes, DE; and 50 mph at Dover Air Force Base. Wind gusts of 40 mph or greater were also recorded at Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Allentown. Considerable blowing and drifting snow resulted, especially from the Poconos eastward into northern New Jersey. Snow drifts as high as 3 to 5 feet were seen across portions of Warren and Sussex counties in New Jersey.

Significant Impacts/Aspects

A heavy, wet snow fell across much of the region during this storm; however, the snow that fell was a bit lighter and drier throughout northern New Jersey and the Poconos where more blowing and drifting occurred. The combination of gusty winds and accumulating snow resulted in scattered power outages and downed trees. Slippery conditions led to traffic accidents and speed restrictions on the region's roadways and interstates. Numerous flights were cancelled at county and international airports, including at Allentown, Philadelphia, and Atlantic City. Many school districts across the region, including Philadelphia area schools, were closed on both Thursday February 25th and Friday February 26th.

Notes

Information contained in this summary is preliminary. More complete and/or detailed information may be contained in subsequent monthly NOAA storm data publications.