Blizzard in Connecticut, December 26 to 27, 2010

Name: Blizzard in Connecticut, December 26 to 27, 2010
Start: 2010-12-26T11:00
End: 2010-12-27T11:00
Location: Connecticut

December 26 to 27, 2010 · NWS OKX · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS OKX wrote it up.

A rapidly intensifying low pressure system tracked from off the Southeast US coast on Christmas Day and then past the Mid Atlantic Coast on Sunday December 26th to just east of Long Island by early Monday morning December 27th. This intense low pressure system spread snowfall into the region Sunday morning, with bands of heavy snow plus embedded thunderstorms and very strong winds affecting the region Sunday afternoon through Sunday night. The powerful blizzard (defined when sustained winds or frequent gusts greater than or equal to 35 mph accompanied by falling and/or blowing snow, frequently reducing visibility to less than 1/4 mile for three hours or more) brought a widespread area of 10 to 18 inches of snow across Southwest Connecticut and 5 to 10 inches across Southeast Connecticut. The heavy snow was accompanied by area wide winds of 25 to 40 mph and gusts in excess of 60 mph Sunday afternoon into Sunday night, resulting in near whiteout conditions with blowing and drifting snow and making all forms of travel extremely difficult to nearly impossible. In fact, several Metro North lines as well as Amtrak was suspended Sunday night into Monday morning due to high snow drifts. In addition, over 10000 customers lost power during the height of the storm.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS New York, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 26, 10:32 AM EST, 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 26, 10:32 AM EST, 28 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
1032 AM EST SUN DEC 26 2010

.SYNOPSIS...
A DEVELOPING WINTER STORM OFF THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST WILL MOVE
NORTHEAST TO JUST SOUTH OF LONG ISLAND TONIGHT...BRINGING
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO MOST OF THE REGION. THE STORM WILL MOVE
INTO THE CANADIAN MARITIMES ON MONDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL RETURN
FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL NOON TODAY/...
FIRST OF SEVERAL NEAR TERM MESOSCALE UPDATES FOR TODAY.
FIRST...SEEING SOME SPITS OF MAINLY LIGHT SNOW ACROSS EASTERN
LONG ISLAND AND COASTAL SE CT...DRIVEN IN PART BY LOW LEVEL
CONVERGENCE NOTED NEAR MONTAUK POINT WHERE A COASTAL FRONT MAY BE
DEVELOPING. HOW FAR WEST THAT COASTAL FRONT DRIVES TONIGHT AS THE
INTENSE LOW MAKES ITS CLOSEST APPROACH TO LONG ISLAND STILL A BIG
QUESTION...AS THE 12Z NAM...WHILE NOW VERY CLOSE TO THE 06Z
GFS/00Z ECMWF LOW TRACK...HANGS TOUGHER WITH COLDER AIR...WITH
ONLY BRIEF MIXING INDICATED NEAR MONTAUK AS MAX BL WET BULB TEMPS
WARM BRIEFLY ABOVE +1C TONIGHT. WET BULB TEMP JUST TO THE EAST AT
BLOCK ISLAND ALREADY WARM ENOUGH FOR RAIN...SO NAM TOO COLD
UNLESS STRONG NORTHERLY FLOW ON THE COLD SIDE LATER TODAY KEEPS
THE COASTAL FRONT IN PLACE.

OTHER BIG ISSUE CONCERNS EXACTLY WHERE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL FALL
LATER TODAY INTO TONIGHT...WHICH MAY BE COMING MORE INTO FOCUS.
THE 12Z NAM SHOWED ITS STRONGEST H7-8 LAYER FRONTOGENESIS
DISPLACED ABOUT 30 MILES NW OF THE STRONGEST RADAR RETURNS OFF
DELMARVA ATTM...NO SURPRISE THERE AS THIS OFTEN HAPPENS WITH
INTENSE COASTAL STORMS. TAKING THE NAM OTHERWISE AS A PERFECT PROG
AND FOLLOWING EVOLUTION OF ITS FRONTOGENETIC FORCING INDICATES
THAT THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL OCCUR OVER SOUTH CENTRAL CT INTO
WESTERN SUFFOLK AND NASSAU COUNTIES ON LONG ISLAND..POSSIBLY A
LITTLE FARTHER WEST INTO SOUTHWEST CT AND NYC IF YOU LOOK AT H7
FRONTOGENESIS ONLY. MAY HAVE TO INCREASE MAX TOTALS IN THOSE AREAS
TO NEAR 20 INCHES...MAYBE MORE...AS THAT BANDING LOOKS TO SET UP
THERE TOWARD EVENING AND REMAIN FOR A GOOD CHUNK OF THE NIGHT.

&&

.SHORT TERM /NOON TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
NO CHANGES TO THE WINTER STORM HEADLINES...YET.

TWO MAIN FCST ISSUES THIS MORNING. FIRST IS THE WIND. SECOND IS
THE POTENTIAL FOR RAIN ACROSS ERN LI.

MODEL STORM TRACK HAS CONSOLIDATED WITH THE 00Z RUNS. THE ECMWF
TRACKS ALONG THE 3Z SREF. GFS ABOUT 20MI NW OF THE ECMWF...AND
THE NAM SLIGHTLY E OF THE ECMWF.

QPF AND RESULTANT SNOWFALL FCST RELATIVELY UNCHANGED WITH A
GENERAL 6-18 INCHES LIKELY. LEAST AMOUNTS ACROSS THE W AND HIGHEST
AMOUNTS E...WHERE RAIN DOESN/T HOLD THE NUMBERS DOWN.

WITH REGARD TO THE RAIN...CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE LOW MAY ALLOW
FOR THE COASTAL FRONT TO PENETRATE WWD INTO E-CNTRL LI. THE TWIN
FORKS ARE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE. AS THE LOW MAKES IT/S CLOSEST APPROACH
HOWEVER IT UNDERGOES OCCLUSION. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT H85
TEMPS NEVER RISE ABOVE FREEZING ACROSS THE CWA. FOR THIS REASON
HAVE KEPT THE AREA MOSTLY SNOW BUT THERE REMAINS UNCERTAINTY.
ANYWHERE FROM CNTRL LI WWD WILL BE ALL SNOW.

THE DEEP LOW WILL PRODUCE A POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WIND FIELD. BL
WINDS IN THE GFS OVER 60KT. NAM WIND FIELDS ARE WEAKER...BUT THE
DEEPER ECMWF GIVES SUPPORT TO THE GFS. FOR THIS REASON HAVE BUMPED
WIND GUSTS UP TO 45-60 MPH. LOCALLY HIGHER GUSTS POSSIBLE ACROSS
MOST OF LI. HAVE KEPT THE WARNINGS INTACT...BUT WILL INCLUDE
WORDING STATING THAT AN UPGRADE TO A BLIZZARD WARNING IS POSSIBLE.
BECAUSE THE HIGHEST WINDS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE INTERIOR...WILL
BE TONIGHT...THERE IS STILL TIME TO OBSERVE WHAT ENSUES OVER THE
OCEAN.

THE STORM WINDS DOWN MONDAY WITH STRONG WINDS CONTINUING. THE
ACCUMULATING SNOW APPEARS IT WILL BE OVER BY 15Z ATTM. DRY WITH
LESS WIND TUE.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
NO CHANGES...

NORTHWEST FLOW BEGINS TO DIMINISH ON TUESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE
BUILDS INTO THE REGION AND THE PRESSURE GRADIENT RELAXES. TUES
NIGHT THROUGH THU SHOULD BE DRY CONDITIONS AND HIGH TEMPS RIGHT
AROUND NORMAL...TOPPING OFF IN THE UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S. GFS
INDICATES A WARM FRONTAL APPROACH THU NIGHT-FRI WHILE ECMWF KEEPS
THE FRONT WELL TO THE WEST...WILL TAKE THE MIDDLE GROUND AND
FORECAST ONLY SLIGHT CHANCE POP FOR SOME LIGHT PCPN AT THAT
TIME. SLIGHTLY WARMER ON FRI AND SAT WITH HIGHS IN THE LOWER AND
MID 40S. PCPN CHANCES BEGIN TO INCREASE LATE SAT AS A SFC SYSTEM
APPROACHES FROM THE OHIO VALLEY.

&&

.AVIATION /15Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
A MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT THE TERMINALS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
MONDAY WITH HEAVY SNOW AND HIGH WINDS.

LIGHT SNOW HAS MOVED ONTO LONG ISLAND...WITH MVFR VSBYS REPORTED
AT KISP AND FLURRIES AT KJFK. THE LEADING EDGE OF SNOW WILL
CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTH AND OVERSPREAD THE REGION OVER THE NEXT
COUPLE OF HOURS. MEANWHILE...HEAVIER SNOW BANDS ARE DEVELOPING
ABOUT 30 MILES OFFSHORE S OF LONG ISLAND. MOVED IFR VSBYS UP TO
18Z WITH 15Z TAF UPDATE. SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN
INTENSITY THIS AFTERNOON WITH SUB-IFR CONDITIONS LATE THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT.

MESOSCALE BANDING WILL BE LIKELY OVER THE NY METRO WITH 1+" PER
HOUR ACCUMULATION RATES POSSIBLE AFTER 19Z AND MORE LIKELY BY 21Z.

SNOW TOTALS OF 11-15" EXPECTED.

NNE WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 20 KT HAVE DEVELOPED OVER SEVERAL
TERMINALS. GUSTS WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AND GRADUALLY
INCREASE TO AROUND AND 30 KT LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN BETWEEN
40 AND 50 KT FOR KISP...KBDR...AND KGON THIS EVENING. SOME OCCASIONALLY
HIGHER GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE.

OUTLOOK FOR 12Z MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...

MON...MOSTLY LIGHT SNOW WITH NO ACCUMULATING SNOW ON MONDAY
DAYTIME...BUT BLOWING SNOW IN NW 30 G 40 KT WND. CIGS GRADUALLY
IMPROVING TO MVFR/VFR BY LATE MON MORNING.
TUE...VFR...GUSTY NW WINDS.
WED AND THU...VFR.

&&

.MARINE...
ALL WATERS UPGRADED TO STORM. PEAK WINDS WILL BE AFTER DARK. STORM
FORCE WINDS MAY NOT OCCUR OUTSIDE OF THE OCEAN UNTIL THE TONIGHT
PERIOD...WITH MAINLY GALE FORCE WINDS LATE THIS AFTERNOON.

LOW WATER PROBLEMS ARE POSSIBLE AT THE TIMES OF LOW TIDE MON
AFTERNOON AND NIGHT AFTER PASSAGE OF THE LOW.

THEREAFTER...GALES CONTINUE FROM MON INTO TUE...FOLLOWED BY GRADUALLY
DIMINISHING WINDS TUE NIGHT.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
SNOW SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON WILL GENERALLY YIELD LIQUID
EQUIVALENT AMOUNTS OF 0.75 TO 1.50 INCHES...HEAVIEST FROM NYC EAST
INTO SOUTHERN CT AND EASTERN LONG ISLAND. NO HYDROLOGIC IMPACTS
ARE EXPECTED DUE TO ITS FROZEN STATE...AND LITTLE SUBSEQUENT
MELTING OF ANY SNOW PACK AS LONG TERM HIGH TEMPS BARELY REACH THE
LOWER 40S MAINLY IN URBAN/COASTAL SECTIONS DURING MID TO LATE
WEEK.

&&

.TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...
WITH LOW PRESSURE RAPIDLY DEEPENING OFFSHORE THROUGH TONIGHT...THERE
IS THE POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD MINOR COASTAL FLOODING AND EVEN
ISOLATED MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING TOWARDS WESTERN LONG ISLAND SOUND
FOR THE HIGH TIDE CYCLE LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY MORNING.

GFS STORM SURGE GUIDANCE SHOWS ABOUT 2 TO 3 FT OF STORM SURGE ON
AVERAGE FOR LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY. A COASTAL FLOOD WATCH
HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF THE AREA SURROUNDING LONG ISLAND SOUND.
DESPITE A LOWER ASTRONOMICAL CYCLE NEAR HALF MOON AND UNCERTAINTY
IN THE MODEL GUIDANCE...IT IS PRUDENT TO ISSUE A WATCH ATTM WITH
SOME GUIDANCE SUGGESTING 5 FT TIDAL DEPARTURES ON THE SOUND. THE
MOST SUSCEPTIBLE AREAS ATTM ARE ALONG THE N SHORE OF LI AND INTO
QUEENS DUE TO THE FCST NLY WIND DIRECTION. SMALL CHANGES IN THE
TRACK HOWEVER WILL INFLUENCE WIND DIRECTION...AND ANY WWD TREND IN
THE ACTUAL LOW WOULD FAVOR NE WINDS AND GREATER IMPACTS TO CT.

&&

.OKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CT...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR
     CTZ009>012.
     BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST MONDAY FOR CTZ007>012.
     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST MONDAY FOR CTZ005-006.
NY...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR
     NYZ071-073-078-079-176-177.
     BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST MONDAY FOR NYZ071>075-078>081-
     176>179.
     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST MONDAY FOR NYZ067>070.
NJ...BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST MONDAY FOR NJZ002-004-006-
     103>108.
MARINE...STORM WARNING FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM EST MONDAY FOR
     ANZ330-335-338-340-345.
     STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM EST MONDAY FOR ANZ350-353-355.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 26, 6:56 AM EST, 4 hours 4 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
656 AM EST SUN DEC 26 2010

CTZ009>012-NYZ071-073-078-079-176-177-271200-
SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD-SOUTHERN NEW HAVEN-SOUTHERN MIDDLESEX-
SOUTHERN NEW LONDON-SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER-BRONX-NORTHWESTERN SUFFOLK-
NORTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-NORTHERN QUEENS-NORTHERN NASSAU-
656 AM EST SUN DEC 26 2010

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST MONDAY...
...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE
TONIGHT...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT AND
SOUTHEAST NEW YORK.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   BLIZZARD WARNING.
   COASTAL FLOOD WATCH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   BLIZZARD WARNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

&&

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL
WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER EVENTS THAT MAY REACH NWS WARNING
CRITERIA. MOST LONG FUSED NWS WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES IN
EFFECT ARE HIGHLIGHTED.

PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST NWS FORECASTS FOR WEATHER NOT MEETING NWS
WARNING CRITERIA.

CTZ007-008-NJZ002-004-006-103>108-NYZ072-074-075-080-081-178-179-
271200-
NORTHERN MIDDLESEX-NORTHERN NEW LONDON-WESTERN PASSAIC-
EASTERN PASSAIC-HUDSON-WESTERN BERGEN-EASTERN BERGEN-WESTERN ESSEX-
EASTERN ESSEX-WESTERN UNION-EASTERN UNION-NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)-
RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)-KINGS (BROOKLYN)-SOUTHWESTERN SUFFOLK-
SOUTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-SOUTHERN QUEENS-SOUTHERN NASSAU-
656 AM EST SUN DEC 26 2010

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST MONDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN
CONNECTICUT...NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST NEW YORK.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   BLIZZARD WARNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   BLIZZARD WARNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

&&

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL
WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER EVENTS THAT MAY REACH NWS WARNING
CRITERIA. MOST LONG FUSED NWS WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES IN
EFFECT ARE HIGHLIGHTED.

PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST NWS FORECASTS FOR WEATHER NOT MEETING NWS
WARNING CRITERIA.

ANZ330-335-338-340-345-271200-
LONG ISLAND SOUND EAST OF NEW HAVEN CT/PORT JEFFERSON NY-
LONG ISLAND SOUND WEST OF NEW HAVEN CT/PORT JEFFERSON NY-
NEW YORK HARBOR-PECONIC AND GARDINERS BAYS-
SOUTH SHORE BAYS FROM JONES INLET THROUGH SHINNECOCK BAY-
656 AM EST SUN DEC 26 2010

...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM EST
MONDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   STORM WARNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME THAT WOULD MEET
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WARNING CRITERIA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

&&

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL
WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER EVENTS THAT MAY REACH NWS WARNING
CRITERIA. MOST LONG FUSED NWS WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES IN
EFFECT ARE HIGHLIGHTED.

PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST NWS FORECASTS FOR WEATHER NOT MEETING NWS
WARNING CRITERIA.

CTZ005-006-NYZ067>070-271200-
NORTHERN FAIRFIELD-NORTHERN NEW HAVEN-ORANGE-PUTNAM-ROCKLAND-
NORTHERN WESTCHESTER-
656 AM EST SUN DEC 26 2010

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST MONDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT AND
SOUTHEAST NEW YORK.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER STORM WARNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER STORM WARNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

&&

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL
WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER EVENTS THAT MAY REACH NWS WARNING
CRITERIA. MOST LONG FUSED NWS WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES IN
EFFECT ARE HIGHLIGHTED.

PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST NWS FORECASTS FOR WEATHER NOT MEETING NWS
WARNING CRITERIA.

ANZ350-353-355-271200-
MORICHES INLET NY TO MONTAUK POINT NY OUT 20 NM-
FIRE ISLAND INLET NY TO MORICHES INLET NY OUT 20 NM-
SANDY HOOK NJ TO FIRE ISLAND INLET NY OUT 20 NM-
656 AM EST SUN DEC 26 2010

...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 AM EST MONDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   STORM WARNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME THAT WOULD MEET
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WARNING CRITERIA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

&&

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL
WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER EVENTS THAT MAY REACH NWS WARNING
CRITERIA. MOST LONG FUSED NWS WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES IN
EFFECT ARE HIGHLIGHTED.

PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST NWS FORECASTS FOR WEATHER NOT MEETING NWS
WARNING CRITERIA.

JMC

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Southern Fairfield

When: December 26, 11:00 AM EST to December 27, 9:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Fairfield forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 41.285, -73.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Approximately 15 road closures were reported Sunday night into Monday, December 27th, due to downed trees and power lines fully or partially blocking the roadways around Wilton, with over 1100 people without power in the town. Tuesday afternoon a 20 foot section of roof collapsed at Lawn Doctor's production facility on Viaduct Road in Stamford, but no one was injured.

Blizzard, Southern New Haven

When: December 26, 11:00 AM EST to December 27, 10:00 AM EST
Where: Southern New Haven forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 41.443, -72.965 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The strong winds downed trees and power lines on Jamestown Drive in Guilford Sunday night, December 27th. In Madison, a large tree crashed through the roof of a house around 330 am EST Sunday night on Woodlawn Avenue.

Blizzard, Southern Middlesex

When: December 26, 11:00 AM EST to December 27, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Middlesex forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 41.451, -72.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

About 50 residents around Pond Meadow Road in Westbrook lost power after a large tree fell across a power line at 11 pm on Sunday night, December 27th.

Blizzard, Southern New London

When: December 26, 11:00 AM EST to December 27, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Southern New London forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 41.504, -72.101 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The strong winds blew out 900 pounds of storefront glass at Abbey Carpet in New London Shopping Center in New London Sunday night, December 27th, while at the Garde Arts Center several awnings were shredded or ripped off the building.

Blizzard, Northern Middlesex

When: December 26, 11:30 AM EST to December 27, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Middlesex forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 41.451, -72.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Northern New London

When: December 26, 11:30 AM EST to December 27, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Northern New London forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 41.504, -72.101 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Downed trees on power lines caused a major power outage Tuesday morning, December 28th, in Stonington, with 2745 customers without power for a while as a result.

Blizzard, Northern Fairfield

When: December 26, 12:00 PM EST to December 27, 9:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Fairfield forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 41.285, -73.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Northern New Haven

When: December 26, 12:00 PM EST to December 27, 10:00 AM EST
Where: Northern New Haven forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 41.443, -72.965 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The strong winds caused a large gas station canopy to collapse on Washington Avenue in North Haven and a tree to fall in Hamden between midnight and 1 am EST Sunday night, December 27th. Meanwhile in Wallingford, an 80 foot spruce tree was toppled onto a house on Pond Hill Road Sunday night.

What these are

Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Connecticut in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Connecticut, December 2010

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 274054, 274056, 274058, 274059, 274057, 274060, 274053, 274055.