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The December 1969 nor'easter was an intense winter nor'easter that impacted the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions of the United States between December 25 and December 28, 1969. A high-end Category 3 or low-end Category 4 on the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale, the storm developed over Texas by December 25 and advanced eastward. On reaching the Eastern Seaboard, it intensified and turned northeastward, accelerating toward New England. There, the worst of the storm was felt on December 26 and 27. The low peaked in severity with a minimum barometric pressure of 976 mb as it began pulling away from New England. The slow movement of the cyclone led to extremely heavy snowfall totals throughout the interior Northeastern United States, reaching 40 in in localized areas, although an influx of warmer air turned the precipitation to rain near the coast.

Due to a number of factors, including the high water content of the snow, pre-existing snowpack, and equipment failures, the storm proved difficult to recover from in Upstate New York and Vermont. Depths exceeding 1 ft were reported as far south as Washington, D.C.. Drifts up to 30 ft high blocked roadways, and at least 20 deaths were blamed on the nor'easter. In the hardest-hit areas, snow removal on roadways was severely delayed, isolating some communities. Following the storm, strong winds impeded cleanup efforts, and flooding became an issue near the coast as a result of excessive rainfall and ice jams. Archives • Read more...