CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-
063>066-082>084-VTZ013>015-251200-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
800 AM EDT WED OCT 24 2012

...WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES...

OCTOBER 21 TO OCTOBER 27 IS WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK 
IN NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND. 

THIS MESSAGE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME INFORMATION ON 
ONE OF THE MOST HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER EVENTS YOU MAY 
EXPERIENCE...THE ICE STORM.

HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE CAN BRING DOWN TREES AND 
POWERLINES...AS WELL AS TOPPLE UTILITY POLES AND COMMUNICATION 
TOWERS. ICE CAN DISRUPT COMMUNICATIONS AND POWER FOR DAYS WHILE 
UTILITY COMPANIES REPAIR EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. EVEN SMALL 
ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO MOTORISTS AND 
PEDESTRIANS. BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES ARE PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS 
BECAUSE THEY FREEZE BEFORE OTHER SURFACES.

FREEZING RAIN IS THE RESULT OF PRECIPITATION WHICH INITIALLY FALLS 
AS SNOW...THEN ENCOUNTERS A LAYER OF WARM AIR WHICH MELTS THE SNOW 
CHANGING IT TO RAIN. THE RAIN THEN FREEZES AS IT ENCOUNTERS BELOW 
FREEZING AIR AT OR NEAR THE SURFACE CREATING A FILM OR GLAZE OF 
ICE. MOST OF EASTERN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND RECEIVE 20 
TO 30 HOURS OF FREEZING RAIN ANNUALLY. 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES WINTER STORM WARNINGS FOR ICE 
ACCUMULATIONS OF HALF AN INCH OR MORE AND WINTER WEATHER 
ADVISORIES FOR ANY ICE ACCRETION WHICH ALSO INCLUDES FREEZING 
DRIZZLE.

A CATASTROPHIC ICE STORM STRUCK EASTERN NEW YORK AND MUCH OF NEW 
ENGLAND DECEMBER 11 AND 12 2008. THE STORM PARALYZED THE REGION 
FOR DAYS WITH UP TO 1.8 MILLION PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER ACROSS THE 
NORTHEAST. ICE ACCUMULATIONS ON TREES AND POWER LINES WAS AS THICK 
AS AN INCH.

ON OF THE WORST ICE STORMS ON RECORD OCCURRED FROM JANUARY 5 THROUGH 9 
IN 1998. FREEZING RAIN FELL FOR MUCH OF THIS PERIOD ACROSS 
NORTHERN NEW YORK...NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND AND THE PROVINCES OF 
ONTARIO AND QUEBEC IN CANADA. ICE THICKNESS REACHED 3 TO 5 INCHES 
WITH TOTAL DAMAGE EXCEEDING 4.5 BILLION DOLLARS. IN THE UNITED 
STATES...FEDERAL DISASTER AREAS WERE DECLARED IN 37 
COUNTIES...WHERE 16 PEOPLE DIED AND 18 MILLION ACRES OF FOREST WAS 
DAMAGED BY ICE.  

WE ISSUE FREQUENT UPDATES DURING ACTIVE WINTER WEATHER...THAT 
SERVE TO GIVE YOU THE MOST UP TO THE MINUTE...AND 
DETAILED...WEATHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION...WE ISSUE 
STATEMENTS THAT FOLLOW UP ON THE ISSUANCE OF 
WATCHES...WARNINGS...OR ADVISORIES.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH INTERNET ACCESS...ALL OF OUR WEATHER AND 
HYDROLOGIC INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ONLINE. SIMPLY GO TO 
WWW.WEATHER.GOV AND THEN CLICK ON EASTERN NEW YORK OR WESTERN 
NEW ENGLAND. THIS WILL TAKE YOU TO THE MAIN WEB PAGE OF THE 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY NEW YORK.  

$$
DIRIENZO