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2009 North American Christmas blizzard

Weather event in the United States and Canada

Summary

Weather event in the United States and Canada

FieldValue
name2009 Christmas Blizzard
image2009 Christmas Storm 12-24.jpg
captionSatellite image of the storm on Christmas Eve.
formedDecember 22, 2009
dissipatedDecember 28, 2009

|maximum-snow=40.0 in (Lead, South Dakota) The 2009 North American Christmas blizzard was a powerful winter storm and severe weather event that affected the Midwestern United States, Great Plains, Southeastern United States, the Eastern Seaboard, and parts of Ontario. The storm began to develop on December 22 before intensifying to produce extreme winds and precipitation by the morning of December 24. The storm's rapid development made it difficult for forecasters to predict. The blizzard was reported to have claimed at least 21 lives, and disrupted air travel during the Christmas travel season. In the Southeastern and Central United States, an outbreak of 28 tornadoes occurred between December 23–24. The storm, a Category 5 "Extreme" one on the Regional Snowfall Index scale, was the first winter weather event to rank as such since the North American blizzard of 1996.

Impact

Snowfall

Snowfall varied across the United States. South Dakota likely received the most, with 30.8 in. In Minnesota, 26 in was received near Pequaywan Lake on the state's North Shore. Parts of Texas recorded snowfall as high as 9 in in Post. Snowfall in Nebraska caused six deaths. In Oklahoma, a state of emergency was declared after blizzard conditions killed 3 people and dropped 19 in of snow. Iowa saw high snowfall as well.

The storm was so intense that it wrapped warm air around the north and west side of it and cold air and snow blew in from the south. Rochester, Minnesota, in the northern half of the storm, saw rain with temperatures in the mid 30s Fahrenheit (~2°C) while snow was falling just to the west in a 1300 mi band stretching from Canada south to at least Dallas, Texas, giving that region its first "White Christmas" since 1929. I-29 was completely closed in North and South Dakota, and then in stretches into Missouri. Will Rogers World Airport was also shut down.

Rain

Heavy rain in parts of the Midwest prompted the National Weather Service to issue Flood Warnings for many areas. The maximum rainfall amount recorded was 6.89 in in Little Rock, Arkansas. Freezing rain fell across Iowa and Illinois, affecting travel to and from O'Hare International Airport. The Chicago area saw as much as ten inches of snow following the freezing rain and sleet.

Tornado outbreak

Several houses were destroyed near Lafayette, Louisiana, possibly by a tornado. Near Longview, Texas an EF2 tornado left a path of destruction nearly one mile long. Another tornado near Lufkin, Texas produced EF3 damage and caused two injuries.

Confirmed tornadoes

December 23 event
EF#LocationCounty / ParishStateStart Coord.Time (UTC)Path lengthMax widthDamageSummary
storm}}EF0NE of JacksonvilleCherokeeTX20:35-20:402.28 mi50 ydDamage was limited to a few trees.
storm}}EF0NE of New SummerfieldCherokeeTX21:04-21:062.79 mi50 yd$Damage was limited to a few trees.
cat2}}EF2LongviewGreggTX22:39-22:567.03 mi200 yd$Numerous industrial buildings, including a FedEx building, were heavily damaged. Several houses were also damaged and significant tree damage along its path.
cat1}}EF1SE of AvingerCassTX23:51-23:520.12 mi50 yd$A brief tornado in a wooded area damaged numerous trees and tree branches.
storm}}EF0NNE of RecklawRuskTX01:16-01:170.11 mi150 yd$A brief tornado snapped a few trees.
cat3}}EF3LufkinAngelinaTX03:56-04:074.06 mi300 yd$Three buildings were destroyed, including a welding shop and a funeral home. Many houses sustained significant roof damage and tree damage was widespread, including in a park. Several 18-wheelers were also thrown. Two people were injured.
cat1}}EF1SE of AtlantaCass (TX), Miller (AR)TX, AR04:10-04:184.79 mi150 yd$One house sustained minor roof damage, and many trees and limbs were damaged.
cat1}}EF1SE of GarrisonNacogdochesTX04:37-04:380.49 mi50 yd$Several trees were snapped and a small storage building was destroyed.
cat2}}EF2SW of CarthageShelby, PanolaTX05:26-05:4910.13 mi200 yd$Many houses were damaged, including roof and shingle damage. A barn and two mobile homes were destroyed.
December 24 event
EF#LocationCounty / ParishStateStart Coord.Time (UTC)Path lengthMax widthDamageSummary
storm}}EF0E of PinelandSabineTX08:10-08:121.28 mi100 yd$Numerous trees and a few power lines were snapped.
storm}}EF0S of Pleasant HillSabineLA09:24-09:261.19 mi75 yd$Several pecan trees were uprooted.
storm}}EF0E of FairmontSabineTX09:28-09:290.29 mi50 yd$A brief tornado inflicted damage to trees and power lines along Toledo Bend Reservoir.
storm}}EF0N of ManySabineLA10:21-10:252.67 mi75 yd$Numerous large pine trees were uprooted.
storm}}EF0SW of MartinRed RiverLA11:36-11:392.76 mi50 yd$A few large trees were downed.
cat2}}EF2WhitevilleSt. Landry, AvoyellesLA13:25-13:379.37 mi50 yd$A small church on cinder blocks was destroyed. A rice silo was thrown into a bayou and two tractor-trailers were also damaged.
cat2}}EF2N of CrowleyAcadiaLA13:27-13:396.64 mi100 yd$At least 30 houses were damaged, primarily in a single subdivision that was especially hard hit where four houses were heavily damaged. The worst damage was a house that completely lost its roof. Four people were injured.
storm}}EF0E of EvergreenAvoyellesLA13:37-13:454.96 mi25 yd$Several trees were damaged.
storm}}EF0W of BranchAcadiaLA13:40-13:452.08 mi25 yd$A small outbuilding was destroyed and a few trees were blown down.
storm}}EF0Richard (1st tornado)AcadiaLA13:46-13:492.92 mi25 yd$Several trees were blown down, and a mobile home and barn were damaged.
cat1}}EF1Richard (2nd tornado)AcadiaLA13:50-13:551.72 mi25 yd$A house and a church were damaged in town. Many trees were also damaged.
cat1}}EF1N of IotaAcadiaLA13:50-13:521.53 mi25 yd$A barn was destroyed, and two mobile homes lost their roofs.
storm}}EF0W of SavoyAcadia, St. LandryLA13:53-13:562.71 mi25 yd$A barn was damaged, along with many trees.
cat2}}EF2GueydanVermilionLA13:57-14:035.58 mi50 yd$Two structures were destroyed, a mobile home which rolled and an outbuilding which was thrown into a water tower, and over 50 others were damaged, some of them heavily.
storm}}EF0S of ChataignierSt. Landry, EvangelineLA13:58-14:022.07 mi25 yd$An outbuilding was damaged by the tornado.
storm}}EF0NW of Long BridgeAvoyellesLA13:59-14:000.26 mi10 yd$A mobile home was heavily damaged by the brief tornado.
cat1}}EF1SSE of MorseAcadiaLA14:05-14:093.11 mi25 yd$A tornado quickly touched down after the first Gueydan tornado dissipated. Three houses and an entire farm were damaged.
cat1}}EF1W of FarmervilleUnionLA14:20-14:265.96 mi150 yd$Two houses were damaged on the shores of Lake Darbonne. Many trees were snapped or knocked down.
storm}}EF0E of VancleaveJacksonMS21:50-21:530.3 mi20 yd$A brief tornado damaged a few trees.

Notes

References

References

  1. (December 24, 2009). "Storm Summary Number 06 For Christmas 2009 Blizzard". HPC.
  2. (December 26, 2009). "Midwest US states face fresh blizzards". BBC.
  3. "A Review of the December 24, 2009 Christmas Eve Blizzard".
  4. (December 24, 2009). "Deadly winter storm arrives in US Midwest". BBC News.
  5. (December 23, 2009). "091223's Storm Report (1200 UTC – 1159 UTC)". Storm Prediction Center.
  6. (December 24, 2009). "Today's Storm Reports (1200 UTC – 1159 UTC)". Storm Prediction Center.
  7. "Christmas Snowstorm and Blizzard of 2009".
  8. "U.S. storm turns deadly before Christmas". United Press International (UPI).
  9. (December 24, 2009). "Iowa Environmental Mesonet". [[Iowa State University]].
  10. (December 29, 2009). "White Christmas Across South Central US". NASA MODIS Website.
  11. Liz Robbins. (December 25, 2009). "Huge Storm Hobbles Middle of Nation". New York Times.
  12. (December 25, 2009). "White Out Christmas, Best To Stay In". WOWT.
  13. [https://www.cnn.com/2009/US/weather/12/24/winter.weather.plains/index.html Winter storm forces interstates, turnpikes closed in Oklahoma], [[CNN]], December 24, 2009
  14. [http://www.suntimes.com/news/weather/1960495,snow-storm-chicago-122709.article Another 1 to 3 inches of snow expected] {{Webarchive. link. (December 30, 2009 , Chicago Sun Times, December 27, 2009)
  15. Demarest, Janis. "Aerial tour of tornado damaged areas". KLTV.
  16. Parker, Bill. "Public Information Statement, NWS Shreveport".
  17. (2010). "Texas Event Report: EF0 Tornado". [[National Climatic Data Center]].
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  42. (2010). "Louisiana Event Report: EF0 Tornado". [[National Climatic Data Center]].
  43. (2010). "Louisiana Event Report: EF2 Tornado". [[National Climatic Data Center]].
  44. (2010). "Louisiana Event Report: EF0 Tornado". [[National Climatic Data Center]].
  45. (2010). "Louisiana Event Report: EF0 Tornado". [[National Climatic Data Center]].
  46. (2010). "Louisiana Event Report: EF0 Tornado". [[National Climatic Data Center]].
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blizzards-in-the-united-states blizzards-in-canada meteorological-events-in-2009 2009-natural-disasters-in-the-united-states 2009-disasters-in-canada natural-disasters-in-arkansas natural-disasters-in-minnesota natural-disasters-in-nebraska natural-disasters-in-north-dakota natural-disasters-in-oklahoma natural-disasters-in-south-dakota tornadoes-in-arkansas tornadoes-in-louisiana tornadoes-in-mississippi tornadoes-in-texas 2009–10-north-american-winter december-2009-in-north-america f3,-ef3-and-if3-tornadoes
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