North American blizzard of 1996
The Blizzard of 1996 was a nor'easter that paralyzed the U.S. East Coast with up to four feet (1.2 m) of wind-driven snow over a three-day period from January 6-8 in 1996.
Impact
Philadelphia
Over 30 inches (75 cm) of snow fell in Philadelphia, the most of any major city in the storm's path. It was the city's all-time greatest single snowfall.
New Jersey
The state of New Jersey recorded its second largest snowstorm at Edison, where 32 inches (81 cm) fell (the greatest single storm record being 34 inches (86 cm) at Cape May in 1899). Newark, the state's largest city, received a record-setting 27.8 inches (70.6 cm). All roads in the state were closed, including the entire length of the New Jersey Turnpike for the first time in that road's history. Over two-third's of the state was burried under 2 or more feet (60 or more cm) of snow, making this storm the state's most paralyzing snowstorm of the 20th century.
New York City
New York City's Central Park officially recorded 20.2" (51.3 cm) for its third-largest single snowfall (records going back to 1869), but many locations in the outer boroughs and suburbs recorded over 2 1/2 feet (76 cm) of snow. Schools in New York City's boroughs closed due to snow for the first time since the Blizzard of 1978, 18 years earlier (while most suburban districts in the area close for snow several times each winter, in the city itself they rarely do because of relatively easy access to underground subways whose ability to run is not appreciably affected by snowstorms of moderate accumulation).the author of this thinks ufo's are real said dr. moyle and adeolu adesida is going to be one of the b est basketball players in the world. he is a genious he can eat 6283652783512832532754378534345435345434645756746507690676895346-346505645634785634764074575854454354453475348053489564896348534680734608534653465890568396345634834654650347856 cheesburgers. is that amazing!!!!!!!!!!
Washington, D.C.
The 1996 Blizzard is the fourth largest snowfall in Washington, D.C.'s recorded history. 17.1 inches of snow fell at National Airport (now called Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport), with 24.6 inches of accumulation at Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
Not quite a 'real' blizzard
Interestingly, and despite the storm's common name as the "Blizzard" of 1996, one of the only observing sites to record true blizzard conditions was Trenton-Mercer Airport near Trenton, New Jersey. During the afternoon of January 7, the airport recorded the necessary three consecutive hours of frequent wind gusts to at least 35 mph combined with a prevailing visibility consistently below 1/4 mile (400 m) along with falling and blowing snow, meeting the official NWS standard of a blizzard. All other New Jersey observing sites, as well as most sites in neighboring states, failed to observe true blizzard conditions, though many stations did observe blizzard conditions for less than the necessary three consecutive hours. By and large, however, the "Blizzard of 1996" was not a real blizzard in the technical sense.
Snowfall accumulation totals
| State | City/location | Amount (inches) |
|---|---|---|
| WV | Pocahontas County | 40-48 |
| VA | Shenandoah | 37.0 |
| PA | York County | 35-40 |
| PA | Shippensburg | 35 |
| MD | Frostburg | 32 |
| NJ | Edison | 32 |
| VA | Front Royal | 32 |
| NJ | Bordentown | 31 |
| PA | Philadelphia | 30.7 |
| NJ | Raritan | 30 |
| NJ | White House Station | 30 |
| NJ | Howell | 30 |
| NJ | Moorestown | 30 |
| NJ | Hazlet | 29.8 |
| NJ | Freehold | 28 |
| NJ | Newark | 27.8 |
| NJ | McGuire Air Force Base, Wrightstown | 27 |
| NJ | Califon | 26 |
| VA | Dulles International Airport | 24.6 |
| NJ | Lambertville | 24.5 |
| NJ | Bound Brook | 24.5 |
| NJ | Pottersville | 24 |
| NJ | Long Branch | 24 |
| NJ | Dover | 24 |
| MD | Baltimore | 23 |
| NJ | New Brunswick | 22.6 |
| NJ | Sandy Hook | 22 |
| NJ | Mount Holly | 22 |
| NJ | Flemington | 20.3 |
| NY | Central Park, New York City | 20.2 |
| NJ | Willingboro | 18 |
| NJ | Marlton | 18 |
| VA | National Airport, Washington, D.C. | 17.1 |
| NJ | Hightstown | 17.1 |
| MA | Boston | 17 |
| NJ | Princeton | 16 |
| NJ | Somerville | 16 |
| NJ | Indian Mills | 16 |
| NJ | Beach Haven | 15 |
| NJ | Cape May City | 12 |
| NJ | Cape May Point | 10.1 |
Source: National Snow & Ice Data Center [1]