A second powerful Nor\'Easter impacted the Mid Atlantic region in less than a week from Tuesday February 9th to Wednesday February 10th. Low pressure developed near the Texas Gulf Coast and tracked into the Ohio Valley during Tuesday. As this low tracked eastward, it gradually transferred its energy to another area of low pressure which organized along the Carolina coast late Tuesday evening. During Wednesday February 10th, this low intensified rapidly just east of the New Jersey coast. Heavy snow occurred in two bursts across the region. The first round of snow pushed through Tuesday evening and into the early morning hours of Wednesday. Some mixing with sleet and rain occurred with this initial burst of snow, especially from the Delmarva northward through central New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania. As an upper level disturbance and colder air moved across the area, a second round of heavy snow developed and brought significant accumulations. Snow lasted into Wednesday night and gradually ended from west to east as the low pressure system tracked northeast and away from the region.

A Winter Storm Watch was issued at 345 am Monday February 8th 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 351 pm Monday February 8th, the Winter Storm Watch was upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning for the following areas: New Castle and Kent 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, and Atlantic in New Jersey; Carbon, Monroe, Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. At 330 am Tuesday February 9th, the Winter Storm Watch was upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning for the following areas: Sussex in Delaware; Cape May and Coastal Atlantic in New Jersey. The Winter Storm Warning was upgraded to a Blizzard Warning at 433 am Wednesday February 10th for the following areas: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex in Delaware; Cecil, Kent, Queen Annes, Talbot, and Caroline in Maryland; Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Salem, Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, Ocean, Cumberland, Atlantic, and Cape May in New Jersey; Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.

Significant snow accumulations were recorded across the region from this strong winter storm. In fact, this was the third major snowstorm of the 2009-2010 winter season, and seasonal snowfall records were broken at Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Atlantic City. Snowfall totals ranged from 18 to 24 inches across Chester, Montgomery, and Berks counties in Pennsylvania. An area of 12 to 18 inch accumulations were measured across much of western New Jersey and down into the northern Delmarva. Snowfall amounts of 8 to 12 inches were tallied from the southern Delmarva northward through eastern New Jersey. Coastal areas of New Jersey recorded 3 to 8 inches of snow. Total snow accumulations were not as high for coastal New Jersey and the Delaware beaches due to sleet and rain mixing in for a longer period of time. Sleet and rain also mixed in during the first round of heavy snow from late Tuesday into early Wednesday across central to western New Jersey, southeastern Pennsylvania, and through the Delmarva. In many areas, temperatures rose into the lower and middle 30s, yielding a heavy, wet snow.

Gusty winds were also a factor with this coastal storm. Some of the highest wind gusts recorded include 68 mph measured at Cape May, NJ; 55 mph in Royal Oak, MD; and 51 mph in Lewes, DE. Wind gusts of 40 mph or greater were also measured at Dover, Wilmington, Atlantic City, Allentown, and Mount Pocono. Strong winds along with the falling snow created reduced visibilities and blizzard or near-blizzard conditions at times, especially through the Delmarva Peninsula.

During the two main snow bursts that developed across the region with this storm system, snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour occurred from portions of the Delmarva northward into western New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania. The heavy, wet snow quickly accumulated on trees and power lines resulting in power outages from southern New Jersey into the Delmarva. At the height of the storm, roads became impassable with numerous traffic accidents and stranded cars. Portions of I-80, I-78, I-295, and the PA/NJ turnpike were closed. In addition, the Philadelphia International Airport was closed as heavy snow and reduced visibilities continued for much of the day. Many schools across the region, including Philadelphia area schools, were closed on Wednesday February 10th and Thursday February 11th.

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