Southeast Freeze

Losses, 2024 dollars

$1.3 billion

Losses at the time

$1.0 billion

Deaths

0

The losses and deaths are NCEI’s, counting everything the disaster did. The episodes below are only what the Weather Service filed in its Storm Events record, which counts damage differently and often not at all, so the two never add up and are shown apart.

• Winter Storm in Michigan, March 13 to 14, 20171 eventLow pressure crossed the Ohio Valley, with cold northeast winds in place across northern Michigan. This resulted in lake-enhanced snowfall off of Lake Huron into northeast lower Michigan.
• Winter Storm in Ohio, March 13 to 15, 2017$600,000 · 3 eventsAn area of low pressure over Missouri at daybreak on March 13th moved east across the Tennessee Valley and to the East Coast by early on the 14th. The low rapidly intensified as it moved northeast up the East Coast by daybreak on the 15th.
• Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, March 13 to 15, 2017$350,000 · 2 eventsAn area of low pressure over Missouri at daybreak on March 13th moved east across the Tennessee Valley and to the East Coast by early on the 14th. The low rapidly intensified as it moved northeast up the East Coast by daybreak on the 15th.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Virginia, March 13 to 14, 201727 eventsThe northern and southern branches of the jet phased together, which resulted in coastal low pressure on the 13th. The coastal low tracked up the Mid-Atlantic Coast during the morning hours of the 14th before moving out to sea later in the day.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Maryland, March 13 to 14, 201718 eventsThe northern and southern branches of the jet phased together, which resulted in coastal low pressure on the 13th. The coastal low tracked up the Mid-Atlantic Coast during the morning hours of the 14th before moving out to sea later in the day.
• Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, March 13 to 14, 20173 deaths · 29 eventsA Miller-B East Coast winter storm affected the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States over this two day period, producing heavy snow for the interior and snow to sleet to rain closer to the coast.
• Winter Storm in New York, March 13 to 15, 2017$1.1 million · 17 eventsLow pressure over the Great Lakes combined with low pressure lifting north along the Atlantic coast to bring significant snowfall to the entire region. Snow began across the region during the late evening into the early overnight hours of the 13th-14th.
• Winter Storm in West Virginia, March 13 to 14, 201711 eventsThe northern and southern branches of the jet phased together, which resulted in coastal low pressure on the 13th. The coastal low tracked up the Mid-Atlantic Coast during the morning hours of the 14th before moving out to sea later in the day.
• Winter Storm and High Wind in Delaware, March 14, 201752 kt wind · 2 eventsLow pressure systems across the Ohio Valley and Carolinas phased. This led to a rapidly developing storm which tracked just offshore. Wind, coastal flooding, heavy rain and snow all occurred.
• Cold in Virginia, March 14 to 15, 20174 eventsStrong northwest winds ushered in very cold air during the overnight hours of the 14th through the morning hours of the 15th. The combination of bitterly cold air and strong winds caused wind chill values to dip well below zero.
• Cold in West Virginia, March 14 to 15, 20174 eventsStrong northwest winds ushered in very cold air during the overnight hours of the 14th through the morning hours of the 15th. The combination of bitterly cold air and strong winds caused wind chill values to dip well below zero.
• Cold in Maryland, March 14 to 15, 20171 eventStrong northwest winds ushered in very cold air during the overnight hours of the 14th through the morning hours of the 15th. The combination of bitterly cold air and strong winds caused wind chill values to dip well below zero.
• Frost and Freeze in Kentucky, March 15, 201722 eventsVegetation that bloomed and budded unusually early in the season became susceptible to damage from hard freezes that occurred in mid-March. Some fruit trees were adversely impacted. In particular, apricot and plum trees sustained a nearly 100 percent loss to their fruit crops.
• Frost and Freeze in Illinois, March 15, 201719 eventsVegetation that bloomed and budded unusually early in the season became susceptible to damage from hard freezes that occurred in mid-March. Some fruit trees were adversely impacted. In particular, apricot and plum trees sustained a nearly 100 percent loss to their fruit crops.
• Frost and Freeze in Missouri, March 15, 201711 eventsVegetation that bloomed and budded unusually early in the season became susceptible to damage from hard freezes that occurred in mid-March. Some fruit trees were adversely impacted. In particular, apricot and plum trees sustained a nearly 100 percent loss to their fruit crops.
• Frost and Freeze in Indiana, March 15, 20176 eventsVegetation that bloomed and budded unusually early in the season became susceptible to damage from hard freezes that occurred in mid-March. Some fruit trees were adversely impacted. In particular, apricot and plum trees sustained a nearly 100 percent loss to their fruit crops.
• Cold in South Carolina, March 16, 2017$750 million · 15 eventsThe 2017 growing season began early across Upstate South Carolina, due to an unusually warm February and early March that saw average temperatures of almost 10 degrees above normal.
• Cold in North Carolina, March 16, 201718 eventsThe 2017 growing season began early across western North Carolina, due to an unusually warm February and early March that saw average temperatures of almost 10 degrees above normal.
• Cold in Georgia, March 16, 20175 eventsThe 2017 growing season began early across northeast Georgia, due to an unusually warm February and early March that saw average temperatures of almost 10 degrees above normal.
• Frost and Freeze in Georgia, March 16, 2017$204 million · 26 eventsA late season freeze occurred across the tri-state area on the morning of March 16th. Across Georgia, as much as 80 percent of the blueberry crop was lost.
• Frost and Freeze in North Carolina, March 16 to 17, 201711 eventsA strong cold front pushed through the region on March 15th, bringing a 1036 mb (30.59 in) high pressure system that settled into the region for the next two days. Significant crop damage was noted.

Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2017Tornadoes in 2017

NOAA NCEI, U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025), https://doi.org/10.25921/stkw-7w73, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.