1	The Blizzard of '78... Revisited NOAA's National Weather Service Taunton, Massachusetts
2	Historic Nor';easters of the 20th Century Christmas Night Storm - 1909 Severe coastal flooding Valentine’s Day Storm - 1940 March 1956 Blizzard Etrusco freighter washed ashore at Scituate February 1969 Record snowfall Blizzard of ‘78 October 1991 December 1992 October 1996 Stream flooding April 1997
3	Are these headlines about the Blizzard of '78??
4	January 19-21 Snowfall Map
5	SNOWBOUND!
6	The Blizzard of 1978
7	Ingredients "in the mix" to create the Blizzard of '78 Unusually strong high pressure over central Canada with very cold air, and nearly stationary high pressure over Greenland Astronomical high tides in early February 1978 New moon, moon in “perigee”, NE “fetch” Low pressure at the surface and aloft moved out of the Great Lakes to the mid Atlantic coast Cold Canadian air to the north, low pressure to the south and relatively warm ocean air mixed together to form “The Blizzard”, which stalled off southern New England for nearly 36 hours
8	The Start
9	Stopped in their Tracks
10
11	Stranded
12	Route 128
13	No Exit
14	Footprints with a Message
15	Sea-ravaged houses along Peggoty Beach in Scituate
16	Home Lost in Revere
17	Hull
18	The Evening Bulletin
19	500 MB Heights and Upper-Level Winds 7 PM Feb 5 to 7 AM Feb 7
20	500 MB - 00Z 6 Feb 1978
21	500 MB - 12Z 6 Feb 1978
22	500 MB - 00Z 7 Feb 1978
23	500 MB - 12Z 7 Feb 1978
24	Surface Weather Analysis 7 PM Feb 5 to 7 AM Feb 7
25	Surface - 00Z 6 Feb 1978
26	Surface - 12Z 6 Feb 1978
27	Surface - 00Z 7 Feb 1978
28	Surface - 12Z 7 Feb 1978
29	Sattllite Image
30	Sattllite Image
31	Snowfall Amounts Woonsocket, RI - 38.0" (official) Rockport, MA - 32.5" Providence, RI - 27.6" 24 hour snow record 27.3" 10AM Mon-Tue Boston, MA - 27.1" 24 hour snow record 23.6" 7 PM Mon-Tue Worcester, MA - 20.2" Hartford, CT - 16.9" Snowfall rates -- up to 3 inches per hour
32	Northeast Snowfall Map
33	Rhode Island Snowfall Map
34	Blizzard Bits The Blizzard was forecast remarkably well several days in advance Winter Storm Watch issued early Sunday morning (30 hrs in advance) Heavy Snow Watch issued Sunday afternoon Warnings issued early Monday morning “Near blizzard conditions” forecast 15 hours in advance Many people stranded on roads because the onset of heavy snow occurred slightly later than predicted People were skeptical of the warnings issued, following a series of inaccurate forecasts the preceding month
35	Blizzard Bits The only Blizzard in Boston (since 1961) to verify on a “sustained” wind of 35 mph for 3 hours or more: 2/6/78 2 PM - 6 PM EST Storm lasted nearly 36 hours and paralyzed the entire region for a week Deepest Weather Service listed unofficial snowfall: 55 inches (Lincoln, RI) -- Snow drifts as high as 27 feet Strongest wind gusts Boston -- 79 mph and Chatham -- 93 mph
36	Blizzard Bits Cars abandoned on Routes 95, 195, 146 in greater Providence: 1,950 Cars stranded along Route 128: 3,500 Homes destroyed in New England: 2,000 People in storm shelters (N.E.): 10,000 + Total lives claimed by the storm (N.E.): 99 (73 in MA, 26 in RI from American Red Cross) Tides about 4 feet above normal, then waves driven onshore up to 12 feet on top of that! Total cost of damage (N.E.) $1 billion
37	Fall River
38	Long Distance
39	Images
40	Problem?
41	Quincy
42	Comparisons to other Historic Storms since 1978
43	Map - President 's Day Nor 'easter of '03
44	Map - Blizzard of '05
45	A Comparison of Storms President 's Day Nor 'easter of '03 Top 10 historic snowfalls for BOS, PVD, ORH and Blue Hill Large area of 20+ " snow fall across eastern and north central MA (28" Rockport) Astronomical high tide, but only one cycle (12 hours) Minor coastal flooding Fast moving "weak" storm, ended within 24 hours 47 mph peak wind gust The Blizzard of '78 Record snows for several locations (BOS, PVD) Officially 38" snowfall with large area of 30+" Devastating high tides for FOUR tide cycles (2 days) with continual onshore flow MAJOR coastal flooding Storm stalled off coast and developed into strong storm, 30+ hour snow duration Hurricane force wind gusts
46	Blizzard of '05 Fast moving intensifying storm Steadily moved eastward well south of New England Snowfall Top 10 historic snowfall – BOS, PVD, ORH, Blue Hill Snowfall ended in about 20-24 hours Comparable amounts as opposed to Blizzard of '78 and President 's Day, but in a shorter time Coastal Flooding Not as devastating as the '78 Blizzard due to fast movement, though most east coastal locations reported minor flooding Only one tide cycle affected on astronomical high tide Wind Hurricane force wind gusts across several areas of eastern MA and RI
47	Scences from '05
48	Greater Boston Area
49	Plymouth, MA.
50	Cape Cod
51	Credits Snowstorms Along the Northeastern Coast of the United States: 1955 to 1985, by Paul Kocin and Louis Uccellini (AMS) DOC Natural Disaster Survey Report 78-1, Northeast Blizzard of '78, DOC/NOAA publication Boston Globe and Boston Herald American Providence Journal Worcester Sunday Telegram Warwick Beacon (RI) Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA Archival records at NWS Taunton Cape Cod Times & Cape Cod Voice
52	NOAA/NWS