Remembering the Great Blizzard of 2003

Over many years, some of the worst winter storms have occurred in February and the Blizzard of 2003 was no exception.

February is an exceedingly stormy month because middle and northern latitudes are very cold, while warmer weather is starting to blossom through the Deep South.

The ensuing large temperature gradients provide all the energy necessary for atmospheric monsters capable of dumping excessive amounts of snow.

An added advantage along the Eastern Seaboard is that sea surface temperatures reach their lowest levels in February which gives a coastal storm less reason to turn to rain.

A few of the great February snowstorms that come to mind are the New England blizzard in 1978, the mid-Atlantic blizzard of 1983 and the two monster snowstorms that hit the mid-Atlantic region just last winter.

The Blizzard of 2003 easily makes the top 10 of the past 30 years and was one of the worst beyond the year 2000.

The storm formed on Feb. 14 and lasted through Feb. 19. It was accompanied by extreme cold and strong winds making it a true blizzard.

During the height of the storm, many areas had temperatures no higher than the teens, and severe blowing and drifting snow caused complete whiteouts.

Hundreds of people became stranded in the storm.

Exceptionally large portions of the Midwest and East were covered by more than a foot of snow, and a large area from northern Maryland to southern New England had more than 2 feet.

In Baltimore, 28 inches of snow fell, and even more piled up in the city's suburbs. Kingsville, a small town in Baltimore County, had 37.4 inches which is comparable to what happened in Elkridge, Md., just a year ago.

An even worse aspect of the storm was the devastating ice event that hit the Carolinas and Virginia.

Trees and power lines were downed everywhere, and power outages lasted for many days afterward.

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