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The concept!

'''I saved this set of articles from the Wiki thought police today! Sorry about download speeds, but there were many refugee pages!--Wipsenade (talk) 14:52, 16 December 2010 (UTC)'''

2006
 Global storm activity of 2006 profiles the major worldwide storms, including blizzards, ice storms, and other winter events, from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006. Winter storms are events in which the dominant varieties of precipitation are forms that only occur at cold temperatures, such as snow or sleet, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are cold enough to allow ice to form (i.e. freezing rain). It may be marked by strong wind, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), heavy precipitation, such as ice (ice storm), or wind transporting some substance through the atmosphere (as in a dust storm, snowstorm, hailstorm, etc.). Other major non winter events such as large dust storms, Hurricanes, cyclones, tornados, gales, flooding and rainstorms are also caused by such phenomena to a lesser or greater existent.

Very rarely, they may form in summer, though it would have to be an abnormally cold summer, such as the summer of 1816 in the Northeast United States of America. In many locations in the Northern Hemisphere, the most powerful winter storms usually occur in March and, in regions where temperatures are cold enough, April.

January
Severe Tropical Cyclone Clare was a moderate strength cyclone which hit Western Australia in January 2006. The storm formed as an area of low pressure in the Arafura Sea, on 4 January 2006, and moved westward. It ultimately peaked at Category 3 intensity on the Australian tropical cyclone scale. It moved ashore on the coast of Pilbara and proceeded inland, dissipating on 10 January. Clare produced winds of 142 km/h at Karratha and triggered widespread torrential rainfall that led to flooding. Following its usage, the name Clare was retired by the Bureau of Meteorology, and will never be used again for a tropical cyclone in the area affected by it. Ahead of the storm's landfall, local and state officials issued a "red alert" for several locations along the storm's prdicted path. 2,000 people were evacuated in the Karratha region. In areas between Broome and Port Hedland, people were urged to tidy up debris and organise disaster supplies to prepare for the storm. , several ports were closed and some oil rigs were shut down at the time to. There were heavy floods in the affected region and parts of East Timor to.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Jim

On 24 January, a broad area of low pressure developed near the coast of Queensland after a monsoonal trough passed through the region. Northeasterly winds flowing into the system quickly increased convection, resulting in heavy rainfall over coastal regions of Queensland. The slow movement of the developing low continued through 26 January before turning northeast in response to a mid-level ridge to the north. On 28 January, the JTWC began monitoring the system as Tropical Storm 10P and shortly after, the Bureau of Meteorology classified the storm as a Category 1 cyclone and gave it the name Jim. Torrential rainfall affected portions of coastal Queensland between 26 and 27 January. In a 24-hour span, 258 mm of rain fell in Home Hill, leading to minor flooding. On 28 January, the cyclone brushed Flinders Reef, New Caledonia, Willis Island and Lihou Reef, bringing winds up to 65 km/h (40 mph) to all three areas.

February
The TCWC Brisbane issued a gale warning for a Tropical Low near the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula on February 22. The low moved in an easterly direction. It quickly strengthened and became Tropical Cyclone Kate on the same day. Kate moved eastwards and weakened into a tropical low on February 24. Coastal Queensland was badly hit. In the Shire of Noosa, six surfers sustained serious injuries after wading into turbulent waters. Waves up to 1.8 m tossed the six surfers, leaving them with injuries ranging from broken noses and fractured ankles to head wounds from surfboards.

July
Heavy sandstorms sweep Mauritania‘s Sahel on July 12  and 17.

August 7
50 houses were damaged with 7 houses completely losing roofs and two people received minor injuries in the suburb of Leschenault in Australind, Western Australia which is located 163 km south of Perth. Western Australian Bureau of Meteorology measured the tornado to be a F2 on the Fujita scale with the damage area measuring around 100m by 2000m.

August 13–29
Between the 13th and 29 major storm induced flood hit the Cambodia. On the 13th the Battambang, Pursat and Kampong Thom were the fist to be hit. The heavy rainfall started at evening time of 13th in Kampong Speu Provinceand ended on the 14th. Kampot was flooded by heavy rain on the 16th along with 5 affected districts, 92 communes, 482 villages until the 17th. The Cambodian Red Cross Society gave help to the storm's victims. The storm burnt it's self out over Thailand and Laos on the 29th. The Stung Sen River and Mekong river burst their banks.

The major storm induced flood hit the Cambodian provinces of Kandal, Koh Kong, Kampot, Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom, Battambang, Pursat, Rattanakiri and the municipality of Phnom Penh particularly badly; as were the Thai provinces Amphoe Chiang Saen and Chiang Rai Province. Cambodian officials reported five deaths (2 in Kampong Speu and 3 in Kampot). It was said that 252 homes had been flooded, 12 homes had been washed away and about 6,000 families had been evacuated from low lying and coastal regions that were prone to flooding of this type. The Laotian town of Chiang Saen, Sekong Province and Attapeu Province and Vientiane Prefecture were briefly flooded in places the 29th and 30th.

August 21
An isolated, strong tornado was reported in Remagen in Germany on the evening of August 21. Significant damage was reported in the area as it hit a campground. One person was killed and several others were injured as a result. It was the fourth tornado fatality in Europe in 2006.

September 14–16
While not a major event, the first widespread winter weather event took place in the higher elevations of the Northwestern United States and as far south as Utah, and especially across the higher elevations of western Canada. The snow did not affect any of the major cities in the area, but did affect travel. The snow also had a positive impact in that it significantly reduced the number of wildfires in the area.

Such heavy snowfall is not unusual in September, especially in the northern Rocky Mountains.

September 21–23
Another storm moved into the Rocky Mountain region, dropping 1–2 feet of snow throughout the mountains of Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. The Black Hills near Deadwood, South Dakota also saw up to a foot of snow. Gothic, Colorado and Alta, Utah both reported 11 in.

October 9
On the 8th and 9th 32 died as a unusually heavy rain storm hits Thailand. 43 provinces are flooded, with Chiang Mai Province being the worst off. 1,000 were injured and approximately another 138,000 had been made ill by the polluted water supplies left after the storm had destroyed most of the water channes, seuwerage systems and water pipe lines. The Thai government estimate that 648000 acre of rice fields and farmland have been destroyed.

October 11–13


A low pressure system moving through the Great Lakes region, accompanied by a record-breaking cold snap, combined to produce significant early-season snowfall across the region. Several areas on the Lower Peninsula of Michigan recorded their earliest-ever measurable snowfall, including 0.2" at Detroit on October 12, beating the old record from October 13, 1909, and 1–2 feet (30–60 cm) of snow fell over western portions of the Upper Peninsula. A foot of snow also fell across portions of southwestern Ontario in the Niagara region with significant amounts also recorded in northwestern Ontario north and west of Thunder Bay.

Record-breaking snowfall of 1–2 feet also occurred in the highly localized lake effect snowband areas around Buffalo, New York, with Buffalo setting two consecutive daily October snowfall records, recording a total of 22.6 inches (57.4 cm). The resulting heavy, wet snow downed tree limbs and power lines, leaving 350,000 people without electricity in western New York. It also closed a large section of Interstate 90 from Rochester to Dunkirk and killed three people. Governor George Pataki declared a state of emergency in the hard-hit counties. The bands were very localized; very little snow fell in most other areas.

October 25–30
The first Plains blizzard of the season occurred over the Front Range of Colorado. Blizzard warnings were issued, with 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) of snow combining with winds as strong as 60 mph (95 km/h) in some areas. Snow accumulations in the mountains reached up to 2 feet (60 cm). Dozens of school districts were closed and highways were blocked throughout the region. Most flights out of Denver International Airport were either canceled or significantly delayed.

Significant amounts of snow were also reported across northeastern Ontario and western and central Quebec from October 26 to October 30. Accumulations exceeded locally 20 centimetres (8 inches).

November 5–7
The Puget Sound area received a Pineapple Express that dumped several inches of rain over the area in a period of four days caused massive flooding, two deaths, and extensive damage to Mount Rainier National Park. The rain contributed significantly towards making November 2006 the wettest on record for Seattle.

November 9–11
The first major winter storm of the season in the Upper Midwest dumped heavy snow across parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The highest amounts were in western Wisconsin, east of the Twin Cities, where up to 16 inches (41 cm) of snow fell. Schools and roads were closed as a result. Portions of Northeastern Ontario, including Greater Sudbury, also received over 15 centimetres on the night of the 10th into the 11th, with moderate snow falling across central Quebec later that day.

November 21
An unusual snow event took place in parts of South Carolina and Georgia in areas that typically don't receive snow, especially in November. The storm produced thunder snow for a time at Charleston, South Carolina, the only time thunder snow has been reported. Generally 1–2 inches was observed in interior areas from Jenkins County, Georgia to Colleton County, South Carolina. Not only was this a winter weather oddity, it was record setting. Charleston and Savannah, Georgia both observed their earliest snowfall on record. The powerful storm also brought heavy rains, severe beach erosion, and damaging winds to South Carolina and Georgia. This storm also brought snow flurries as far south as central Florida, near Orlando, the earliest that snow had ever been recorded that far south.

November 26–December 1
A widespread and severe storm complex tracked across the entire northern and central parts of North America in the last week of November. It produced a variety of severe weather, including heavy snow, rain, freezing rain, sleet, high winds, extreme cold, a serial derecho and several tornadoes.

The most severe impacts were in the Midwest where several fatalities were reported and extensive power outages occurred.

December 8
A severe, but localized, lake effect snow event took place in parts of the Great Lakes region. The hardest hit community was London, Ontario, where over 50 cm (20 inches) of snow fell. The heavy snow virtually shut down the community, with many roads and highways closed and even shutting down the transit system for the first time since 1978. Other areas on the leeward side of the Great Lakes saw lesser snowfall amounts.

December 14–16
While a severe rain and wind event took place in the Pacific Northwest causing significant damage and power outages, the highland areas saw blizzard conditions, along with hurricane-force winds. Some areas received over 16 inches (40 cm) of snow along with winds in excess of 80 mph (130 km/h). The blizzard also stalled rescue efforts on Mount Hood.

December 18–21


Another major winter storm slammed into the High Plains and central Rocky Mountains on December 19 and continued through December 21. The storm produced heavy snow across a large area covering six states centered around Denver, Colorado. Areas in the foothills received up to 27 inches (68 cm) of snow, which closed many highways, including several Interstates. The area was crippled as a result, with schools and most businesses closed and the local transit system shut down. The heavy snow also closed Denver International Airport as the Christmas rush began.

Some areas expected up to 3 feet (90 cm) of snow. In addition, up to 7 inches (18 cm) fell as far south as New Mexico. The Four Corners region saw up to 18 inches (45 cm) of snow in the mountains, with up to 6 inches (15 cm) in the valleys.

Governor Bill Owens declared a state of emergency, which allowed state funds to be used to activate the Colorado National Guard. Four people were killed by the storm.

December 26–27
A rare winter storm blanketed parts of the Middle East including southern Jordan which the area was paralysed due to heavy snow. Numerous roads leading to the area's main cities were shut down. The country's civil and defense teams had to rescue more than 1,400 who were trapped across various areas of the country. Air Force helicopters also assisted in the rescue efforts. No fatalities were reported.

December 28–January 1
Another massive blizzard hit the Front Range of Colorado and adjacent Plains areas. Approximately 1–2 feet of snow fell along the Front Range, cancelling many flights and closing some roads, while up to 4 ft fell in the surrounding foothills and mountains. At least a foot of snow, combined in some areas with up to 3 in of freezing rain, fell from the Texas Panhandle north along the High Plains into South Dakota. Ice fell all the way north into Ontario, and from December 31 into January 1, ice fell in northern New England before the storm weakened and exited the coast. The area around Albuquerque, New Mexico saw 1–3 feet of snow, including a record one day snowfall of 11.3 in on December 29. One area in the mountains of New Mexico saw an incredible 58 inches (4 feet, 10 inches). The storm overall brought 16.5 inches to Albuquerque, helping the city achieve its second-highest monthly snowfall total on record. Western Kansas saw up to 32 in of snow, and a huge sweep of the central Plains for stranded travelers was undertaken in the days after the storm. 12 people were killed in the storm; 10 in traffic accidents across Colorado, Texas, and Minnesota, 1 from a tornado in Texas, where severe thunderstorms occurred, and 1 from carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator in western Kansas.

 Global storm activity of 2007 profiles the major worldwide storms, including blizzards, ice storms, and other winter events, from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007. Winter storms are events in which the dominant varieties of precipitation are forms that only occur at cold temperatures, such as snow or sleet, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are cold enough to allow ice to form (i.e. freezing rain). It may be marked by strong wind, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), heavy precipitation, such as ice (ice storm), or wind transporting some substance through the atmosphere (as in a dust storm, snowstorm, hailstorm, etc.). Other major non winter events such as large dust storms, Hurricanes, cyclones, tornados, gales, flooding and rainstorms are also caused by such phenomena to a lesser or greater existent.

Very rarely, they may form in summer, though it would have to be an abnormally cold summer, such as the summer of 1816 in the Northeast United States of America. In many locations in the Northern Hemisphere, the most powerful winter storms usually occur in March and, in regions where temperatures are cold enough, April.

January 9–12
A low pressure brought up heavy snow and blizzard conditions across the Canadian Prairies. Snowfall locally reached between 8 inches (20 cm) to 1 foot (30 cm) in parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Particularly hard-hit was central Saskatchewan, including the city of Saskatoon. The storm was accompanied by strong gusty winds in excess of 40 mph (64 km/h). Two people were killed during the blizzard when their car was stuck near a First Nations reserve in Saskatchewan. Saskatoon's Diefenbaker Airport as well as schools were closed.

Prior of hitting the Prairies, the system brought another windstorm to western British Columbia, with gusts exceeding 60 mph (100 km/h). Additional trees at Vancouver's Stanley Park were uprooted. It also hindered efforts from workers who were trying to repair the inflatable roof of BC Place Stadium (home to the Canadian Football League's BC Lions), which was damaged by winds from a previous storm a few days earlier. A secondary wave following the main storm dumped over 4 inches of snow (10 cm) in the Victoria, Vancouver, and Seattle areas with heavier snow in the mountains. Over 115,000 homes were without power during the storm in B.C.

The storm would later drop some locally heavy amount of snows in parts of northern Ontario and central Quebec with 8 inches (20 cm) reported in Saguenay.

A cold front sharply drop temperatures from west to east with some areas getting their coldest days of the season across the Canadian and U.S. plains. The cold air later reached the eastern half of the continent at the end of the week.

January 12–24
Following a prolonged period of mild weather, a series of winter storms produced several waves of damaging freezing rain across the Midwest of the United States and central Canada from the 12th to the 16th causing the deaths of 85 people as of January 20. Several thousands of customers from Texas to New England lost power, some for several days. Some areas received as much as 4 inches of ice (100 mm).

Oklahoma and Missouri were declared disaster areas as they were the most hard hit states from the storms. Areas from Utah to New Brunswick received heavy amounts of snow from the 13th to the 16th. The storm was followed by an intense period of cold across most of the continent from California to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Additional waves of precipitation have affected the south half of the United States from the 16th to 18th from Texas to North Carolina, while another winter storm, called a weather bomb affected portions of New Brunswick, Quebec and Maine on the 19th and 20th with near blizzard conditions. Portions of eastern Quebec received as much as 32 inches of snow (80 cm) in just over 12 hours

A total of 85 deaths across 12 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces, and caused hundreds of thousands of residents across the U.S and Canada to lose electric power.

Most of them were in road traffic accidents, by the series of winter storms; 14 in Missouri, 8 in Iowa, 12 in Texas, 2 in Minnesota, 4 in New York, 1 in Maine, 1 in Indiana, 4 in Michigan, 3 in Arkansas, 1 in Quebec, 1 in Ontario, 1 in Nova Scotia, 2 in North Carolina, 2 in Kansas, 4 in Nebraska and 25 in Oklahoma. An accident near Elk City, Oklahoma, killed 7 occupants who were inside a minivan when it collided with a tractor-trailer during the storm.

Another winter storm affected the central and southern Plains from the 19th to the 21st bringing snow and ice for most of the area with accumulations that topped off at about 4 to 10 inches of snow (10–25 cm). It also brought a light wintry mix across the Ohio Valley and the mid-Atlantic states on the 21st with little accumulation. Newfoundland and Labrador was the last region affected by the series of storms on the 23rd and 24th.

January 14
Per was the name of a powerful storm with hurricane winds which hit the west coast of Sweden and Norway on the morning of 14 January 2007. In Sweden six people died from the storm and approx. 300,000 households were left without electricity. 6 Sweeds died in the storm.

January 15–19
A major European windstorm gave heavy amounts of snow across portions of Scotland. Most areas of western Europe from Great Britain to the Czech Republic have experienced damaging winds. Wind gusts have reached 90 mph (150 km/h) in the plain and up to 140 mph (225 km/h) in the mountain area. Boat, rail and air traffic have been heavily affected, while several hundreds of flights from London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Vienna, Prague and Paris have been delayed or canceled. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shortened her European trip due to the strong winds. Millions of residents were without power including 1 million in the Czech Republic. As of 9:00 PM GMT on January 21, Kyrill had caused 47 fatalities. They were- 13 in Germany, 11 in United Kingdom, 7 in Ireland,  6 in The Netherlands, 4 in Poland, 3 in the Czech Republic 3, 1 in France, 1in Belgium and 1 in Austria.

Germany had 3 tornadoes on February 22 and More tornadoes were confirmed from Poland.

January 23–27
A snowstorm affected a large area of western and central Europe, including France, Great Britain, Austria and Germany bringing locally heavy snow accumulations and ice which disrupted air and train travel in Berlin, Stuttgart and London. Some areas in the Alps region received as much as 1 meter of snow (40 inches). Three people were killed in Germany due to accidents caused by the storm. Over 5,000 motorists were stranded in a highway in eastern France due to the heavy snow amounts. Scattered power outages were reported with central France being affected the most with nearly 85,000 homes without power.

On the 27th abolut 40,000 people had been affected by flooding in Bolivia and Peru

February 1–2
A winter storm crossed through the southern United States, with a mix of winter weather. Several inches of snow fell across parts of Arkansas, Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee with scattered sleet and freezing rain farther south. Anywhere from 1-4 inches of snow fell across Tennessee and Arkansas, with lighter amounts in the Carolinas.

February 1–12
A major lake effect snow event, titled Lake Storm "Locust", occurred across the Great Lakes regions for several days. Areas most affected by the localized heavy burst of snows were just east of Georgian Bay area near Parry Sound, east of Lake Huron near Wiarton, in western Michigan, and in north central New York.

Areas near Oswego and northeast of Syracuse received as much as 141 inches (358 cm) of snow during that period. There were unofficial reports that two towns on the Tug Hill Plateau southeast of Lake Ontario received over 10 feet (305 cm) of snow — Redfield, with 141 inches (358 cm) and Parish, with 121 inches (307 cm). Local accumulations elsewhere on the plateau were well over 1 meter (3.3 ft). A state of emergency was declared in Oswego County due to the intense snow. Portions of central Ontario received 1–3 feet (30–90 cm) of snow over the period while heavy accumulations were also reported in western Michigan just off the shores of Lake Michigan.

On February 1, a snow squall just east of Oshawa, Ontario on the north shore of Lake Ontario caused a 15-vehicle pileup including a tractor trailer which burst into flames. Two people were killed in the event. There were no reported deaths related to the event in New York State. However, 20 were killed in other states due to cold weather. The event was very localized; areas outside the narrow bands received little or no snow.

February 7–9
A winter storm blanketed parts of the United Kingdom including the City of London disrupting travel all across the city including numerous flights cancelled from all airports and several motorists were stranding on area roads. Service on the Underground subway system was also affected with several stations been closed. Many schools were also closed for one or two days. The heavy snowfall started life as a low-pressure system sitting out in the Atlantic Ocean, at the time the UK was under the influence of a cold northerly wind. The low pressure system tracked towards the UK on the evening of February 7 and turned readily to snow as it hit the cold air. The snow turned back to rain across southern and western regions, but much of Wales, the Midlands and the south-east had significant snowfalls on the 8th. The West Midlands in particular was badly hit, with up to 6 inches (15 cm) reported over high ground – the most snow to fall in this region for 15 years. In Wales, Sennybridge in Powys, reported 15 inches (38 cm) on level snow with drifts of up to 3 feet (90 cm) in places. On the 9th, the low pressure over France tracked further north than forecast, bringing more heavy snow for the Midlands and Wales. This caused additional travel disruption as the roads were not gritted and heavy gridlock formed on many of the roads. The snow began to thaw over the weekend and in turn caused some localised flooding.

February 12–16


A major winter storm affected a large area of eastern North America from Nebraska to the Canadian Maritimes. Numerous areas received snow accumulations of over 6 inches (15 cm) with isolated reports as much as 1 meter (3.3 ft) in the Adirondacks and the Vermont mountains. Burlington, Vermont set a 24-hour snowfall record, with 25.3 inches. Twelve to sixteen inches (30 to 41 cm) of snowfall and blizzard conditions in central Illinois cancelled classes at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for two days, the first time classes had been cancelled since 1979.

Large cities including Cleveland, Hamilton, Syracuse, Rochester, Burlington, Quebec City and Sherbrooke received amounts well in excess of 1 foot of snow (30 cm). The city of Hamilton received local snowsqualls bombarding in from Lake Ontario with a north-east wind which dumped over 2 feet of snow (75 cm) in some parts of the city.

Mixed precipitation fell across the southern Ohio Valley and the Interstate 95 corridor from Virginia to Boston, including New York City, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.

The storm has been blamed for 35 deaths across 13 states and three Canadian provinces.

February 19–24
A blizzard event took place across eastern Canada on the island of Newfoundland, dumping over 16 inches (40 cm) of snow in St. John's, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, shutting down most of the city, and closing all area schools. Heavy amounts were reported in the western Avalon Peninsula of the province. The storm previously affected portions of Nova Scotia and dumped locally heavy amounts of snow due to sea effects coming from the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Fundy. A new storm on the 23rd and 24th dumped an additional 6 inches (15 cm)in the capital with freezing rain, while heavier amount fell just to the west.

February 21–26
A storm moved onto the northern California coast early on the 21st, leading to 1–3 feet (30–90 cm) of snow across the southern Cascades, Siskiyous, Sierra Nevada, and the mountains of southern California. It also gave moderate snowfall accumulations across the Canadian Prairies between 4 and 8 inches (10–20 cm) across Manitoba. The storm then moved east, bringing up to 2 feet (60 cm) to the mountains of Utah and Colorado. Late on the 23rd, it moved onto the central High Plains and organized into a major storm that spread snow from eastern Colorado northeast into the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region, and ice from Iowa to northern Indiana. The system then split into two with the northern branch dissipating due to a blocking ridge of high pressure which prevented the blizzard from moving north into Canada. The storm continued into the Mid-Atlantic on the 25th, dropping snow as far south as the Washington, D.C. area.

Snowfall amounts from 12 to 24 inches (30–60 cm) were common in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois, while lighter amounts were reported in Michigan and Ontario. Winona, Minnesota recorded the highest official snowfall total in this region, with 29.5 inches (75 cm) as well as La Crosse, Wisconsin with 21 inches (53 cm). Up to 1.5 inches (38 mm) of ice accumulation was reported from Iowa eastward into northern Indiana. Sustained winds of 30–40 mph (48–64 km/h) resulted in severe blowing and drifting in some of these locations. 10 people were killed in traffic accidents during the storm including 8 in Wisconsin, one in Ontario and one in Kansas. A forty car pileup resulted in the closing of Interstate 70 between Denver and Goodland, Kansas. This storm caused massive delays and cancellations at Chicago O'Hare and Midway Airport. At one point, 250,000 customers in Iowa were without power. Some people got their power back quickly, for others it took quite a while. The storm then moved into the mid-Atlantic states, where up to 8 inches accumulated. Blizzard or winter storm warnings were in effect at one point in Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.

The storm also brought severe thunderstorms and tornadoes from Kansas to Alabama, hitting Arkansas especially hard, where Dumas was heavily damaged by a tornado.

February 22–23
A snowstorm moved across Scandinavia in northern Europe dumping heavy amounts of snow. The storm was blamed for one fatality in Denmark ,while hundreds of flights from Copenhagen and Sweden were cancelled. Numerous motorists were stranded due to drifts that reached locally 3-meters high. A sports hall in Thisted, Denmark also collapsed but the building was vacant.

The 2007 Mozambican flood began in late December 2006 when the Cahora Bassa Dam overflowed from heavy rains on Southern Africa. It worsened in February 2007 when the Zambezi River broke its banks, flooding the surrounding areas in Mozambique. The Chire and Rivubue rivers have also flooded. Avbout 80,600 were evacuated. Ther were 29 known and 10 unconfirmed deathes in Mozambique.

February 27–March 2
Another major storm moved into the Pacific Northwest coast on the 27th, adding to the several feet of snow already recorded in the Cascades and Sierra Nevada in the previous few days. It is impacted the Upper Midwest, the northern Plains, the Great Lakes and Quebec regions with heavy snow, sleet, freezing rain and high winds by March 1 and 2, in addition of bringing more severe thunderstorms to the South. Already, numerous tornadoes were reported in Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and Kansas including six killers. A deadly tornado struck Enterprise High School, killing 8 students on March 1. On March 2, over 2 inches of rain fell in New York City and snow, sleet and freezing rain fell in the interior Northeast.

Omaha, Nebraska was under a blizzard warning for the first time in 9 years, with much of the city receiving a foot (30.5 cm) or more of snow, and thunder snow as reported at the beginning of the storm. Wind speeds in Omaha were clocked as high as 58 miles per hour, creating snow drifts in outlying areas up to 8 feet depth. The entire state of Iowa was placed under a State of Emergency by Governor Chet Culver while large stretches of Interstate 80 were shut down. The National Guard came into the area to bring generators to restore power until utility lines were repaired.

Several areas in Manitoba as well as the Northern Plains received over 8 inches (20 cm) of snow with portions of Wisconsin receiving 16 inches (40 cm), 17 inches (42 cm) for parts of Iowa, 12–25 inches (30–63 cm) in parts of Minnesota with the highest accumulations falling in the northwest suburbs of the twin cities metropolitan region, (Anoka, Champlin, Maple Grove, Plymouth, Rogers)., and up to 21 inches (53 cm) across the Dakotas. Portions of Ontario and Quebec from Sault Ste. Marie to Montreal (including Sudbury, North Bay and Ottawa) received between 6 and 10 inches of snow (15–25 cm) on March 2. 80,000 customers lost power in the province with localized heavy amount across the Appalachians. Although Toronto did not receive large amounts of snow around 10 cm (4 in.), hours of freezing rain that followed created a hazardoussituation the next day when the temperature rose in the city core and under the CN Tower causing massive chunks of ice sheets to cascade off the buildings hundreds of metres below, breaking some vehicle windows in a hotel parking lot. It forced City police to close the Gardiner Expressway on March 5.

The storm with the tornadoes and snow was blamed for 39 deaths including 10 in Alabama, 1 in Missouri, 9 in Georgia, two in Manitoba, two in Ontario, one in Minnesota, three in Michigan, one in Nebraska, four in North Dakota, one in Massachusetts and four in Wisconsin.

March 3–4
Portions of northern China and Mongolia were hit by the worst winter storm in over 50 years. The provinces of Liaoning and Shenyang had adopted emergency measures in able to cope with the storm which shut down numerous highways and canceled numerous flights while disrupting train service. Strong winds created snow drifts of up to 2 meters deep.

Rescue ships had to assist a large group of fisherman on the Yellow Sea following a storm tide. Two people were killed in Tianjin when a storm surge collapsed several warehouses. As much as 50 cm (20 inches) fell in the province in Heilongjiang.

March 14–15
Jordan's second winter storm of the season shut down most roads, schools and businesses across much of the country due to accumulations exceeding 4 inches (10 cm) including the capital of Amman.

Much of the Middle East usually have little or no snow during the winters due to much warmer conditions caused by the moderate sea effects from the Mediterranean Sea. However 3 feet (90 cm) of snow fell in a storm 2004, which was the worst since 1950.

The north eastern US snow event
A heavy nor'easter caused serevere Precipitation that started as rain across the region during the evening of the 15th, but as colder air moved in aloft, precipitation changed quickly to snow in The Poconos around Midnight EDT on the 16th and in Berks County and the Lehigh Valley around 7 a.m. EDT. Farther to the south, the surge of cold air was confined to a more shallower layer and precipitation changed to sleet around the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. EDT. Precipitation continued as mainly sleet across the greater Philadelphia through the evening. The nor'easter caused heavy sleet to fall across the greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, heavy snow and sleet also fell across Berks County, the Lehigh Valley and heavy snow hit the Poconos on both the 16th into the early morning of the 17th.

The winter storm caused scores of accidents. Variouse vehicles rolled over, slid off roads, slid into each other, slammed into guardrails and fishtailed. The afternoon and evening commute slowed to a crawl. In the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, about 265 schools dismissed early and more than 60 community events were either cancelled or postponedon the 17th. A few schools also closed on the 16th, but most of the others had early dismissals and many after school activities were postponed. Some state offices and county courts also closed early and severa municipalities declared snow emergencies over the 16th to 18 March.

The winter storm wreaked havoc at Philadelphia International Airport had most flights on the 16th cancelled and it took a couple of days for flights to return to normal. The largest impact of the winter storm within Philadelphia was the cancellation of most of the 1,200 scheduled flights at the Philadelphia International Airport. About 1,000 people were stranded at the airport the night of the 16th. Passengers on about 15 U.S. Airways planes sat on the tarmac for over four hours before gates became available to deplane them. Operations resumed on the 17th, but U.S. Airways still had to cancel about one quarter of its flights because the weather prevented crews and planes from arriving in Philadelphia. About 100 travelers slept at the airport on the night of the 18th. Normal operations resumed on the 19th.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association postponed several state playoff high school basketball games. A couple of Saint Patrick's Day parades scheduled for Saturday the 17th were also postponed on the 16th. The Philadelphia Flyers hockey team was forced to fly out of Atlantic City International Airport on the 17th. The horse racing card at Philadelphia Park was also cancelled for three days.

On the 17th snowy accumulations averaged 4 to 6 in in the local Philadelphia area, 5 to 9 in in Berks County and the Lehigh Valley and 12 to 18 in in the Poconos.

In Berks County and the Lehigh Valley, the snow mixed with and changed over to sleet during the later afternoon and the first half of the evening before it went back to all snow. Precipitation ended early in the day on the 17th (before 3 a.m. EDT) as mainly snow in all areas. Elsewhere in Bucks County, portions of the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Quakertown were stalled when two tractor-trailers collided in the southbound lanes at 2 p.m. EDT. A six mile back-up occurred. About 1,900 homes and businesses lost power in Newtown after a vehicle struck a pole.

The sleet forced the closure of the eastbound lanes of the Vine Expressway within the city for about half an hour between the Schuylkill Expressway and Interstate 95 for its removal. In Montgomery County, in Montgomery Township, an accident on Pennsylvania State Route 309 and Taylor Road badly injured one person. In Towamencin Township, two accidents resulted in two injuries occered.

In Chester County, the state police reported 46 accidents in the central part of the county, but only one reported injury. A woman was hospitalized after a crash on Pennsylvania State Route 113 in Phoenixville. Several businesses in the county closed early. In Berks County, in Union Township one vehicle slid off a road and landed upside down in a creek. The driver was treated for non-threatening life injuries. A serious accident occurred on Old U.S. Route 22 in Lenhartsville.

The Lehigh Valley had a number of serious accidents on Interstate 78. In Lehigh County, a tractor-trailer jack-knifed near Pennsylvania State Route 100 at Fogelsville and closed the interstate from 330 p.m. EDT through 515 p.m. EDT. Both southbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension were closed from 155 p.m. EDT through 420 p.m. EDT after two tractor-trailers and a car collided in Lower Milford Township. Many flights at the Lehigh Valley International Airport were delayed, a couple were cancelled.

Commuter buses bringing workers home from New York City had long delays. In Northampton County, a tractor-trailer jack-knifed on the eastbound lanes of Interstate 78 about 4 p.m. EDT near the Pennsylvania State Route 33 junction. All lanes were not reopened until 545 p.m. EDT. In Moore Township, a school bus collided head-on with a car. Both drivers, but no children were injured.

In Lower Mount Bethel Township, a Jeep Cherokee slid into a home on Pennsylvania State Route 611 and injured the driver. A Ford Explorer driver was injured after the vehicle struck a tree in Wind Gap. Problems on Lehigh Valley roadways continued long after the snow and sleet ended. A driver was injured on U.S. Route 22 in Whitehall Township (Lehigh County) when ice chunks from a tractor-trailer hit their vehicle. In Upper Macungie Township (Lehigh County), ice chunks that flew off a Wal-Mart tractor-trailer cracked the windshield and dented the hood of a vehicle on Interstate 78 near the Pennsylvania State Route 100's exit.

In the Poconos, many shopping malls and sports complexes closed early. In Monroe County, a flipped over truck snarled traffic on U.S. Route 209 and Pennsylvania State Route 33. A jack-knifed tractor-trailer on eastbound Interstate 80 near Stroudsburg snarled the evening commute to a crawl.

North eastern US snow depths
Snow and sleet depth totals across the north eastern US included 18.0 in in Albrightsville (Carbon County) and Effort (Monroe County), 15.4 in in Lehighton (Carbon County) it was at 14.5 in. In Tobyhanna (Monroe County), 14.2 in in East Stroudsburg (Monroe County) it was at 10.0 in. In Slatington (Lehigh County) it was at 8.5 in in Reading (Berks County) and at the Lehigh Valley International Airport it was at 6.5 in. In Birdsboro (Berks County) and Springtown (Bucks County) it was at 6.1 in.

In Glenmoore (Chester County) it was 6.0 in. In East Nantmeal (Chester County), 5.7 in in Doylestown (Bucks County) it was at 5.5 in. In Elkins Park and King Of Prussia (both Montgomery County) it was at 5.3 in In Marshalls Creek (Northampton County) it was at 5.0 in.

In Broomall (Delaware County) and Bethlehem (Northampton County) it was 4.8 in. In Roxborough (Philadelphia County) it was 4.0 in In Drexel Hill (Delaware County) and Neshaminy Falls (Bucks County) it was 3.8 in In West Chester (Chester County) it was 3.1 in. In Wynnewood (Montgomery County) and at the Philadelphia International Airport it was 3.0 in.

The storm event in Canada
A strong high pressure system moved across nearby parts of Canada and supplied a fresh supply of cold air into the region.

Hundreds of traffic accidents occurred across the northeast and Canada including one involving a vehicle from George W. Bush's motorcade in Washington, D.C..

The metrological cause of the storm
The winter storm was caused by a nor'easter low pressure system that developed on a cold front that moved through the area on the 15th. Prior to that, unseasonably mild air helped push high temperatures as high as the 70s.

Meanwhile, the low pressure system formed over South Carolina and Georgia on the morning of the 16th and moved northeast. At 2 p.m. EDT on the 16th, it was near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; at 8 p.m. EDT that evening, it was just east of Virginia Beach; at 2 a.m. EDT on the 17th, it was about 100 mi east of Atlantic City, New Jersey and was about 100 mi south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts at 8 a.m. EDT on the 17th. As central pressures go, this was not particularly a powerful system; it was only 996 millibars the morning of the 17th. What contributed to the event, was the strong high pressure system (about 1040 millibars the morning of the 16th). It supplied the fresh cold air needed to change the precipitation over to sleet and freezing rain and increased the pressure gradient (and consequently the wind) between itself and the developing nor'easter low pressure system.

Fatalities
The only seriouse reported traffic fatality from the storm in Eastern Pennsylvania occurred in Bucks County. An 18-year-old girl from Plumstead Township was killed when her vehicle crossed the center line of an icy Durham Road and collided with a dump truck on the 16th.

So far, 10 people have been killed by the storm, all in traffic accidents. This includes six in New Jersey, three in Pennsylvania and one in Maryland.

March 26–29
A storm moved onto the coast on March 26, dropping up to 2 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada. The storm moved across the Intermountain West on the 27th and developed into a major winter storm across the northern and central Rockies and northern High Plains. Many of the western valleys, from the Wasatch Front through the valleys of Wyoming, onto the Plains of Wyoming and Montana, saw about 6-12 inches of snow, with 1–2 feet in the mountains from the 27th through the 29th. Up to 3 feet fell in the Wasatch Range and Bighorn Mountains. The storm was concentrated around south-central Montana and north-central Wyoming, where such cities as Sheridan and Billings and surrounding areas could see 1–2 feet of snow. Throughout the mountains and on the Plains (including Saskatchewan and Manitoba), this snow was accompanied by strong winds, leading to localized near-blizzard to blizzard conditions.

April 2–7


A late season winter storm dumped a large swath of snow from North and South Dakota, eastward through Minnesota, Wisconsin and into Upper Michigan. Up to 9 inches of snow fell near Bismarck, North Dakota, 11 inches in Brainerd, Minnesota, and areas near Hurley, Wisconsin received 18 inches. Parts of Upper and northern Michigan then saw a major Lake Effect event over approximately five days. Painesdale, Michigan received 65 inches of snow and the National Weather Service in Marquette received 47 inches, shattering most previous April snowfall records for that city. Lake effect also affected the Lake Erie region, cancelling the series between the Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners baseball teams in Cleveland, and prompting a move of the next series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from Jacobs Field to Miller Park in Milwaukee.

In northern New England, the storm hit on Wednesday afternoon and left behind up to a foot and a half of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. Over 180,000 homes lost power, mostly due to broken tree limbs snapping wires. The storm has caused at least one death.

Heavy snow also fell across much of southern and central Quebec with amounts in excess of 12 inches across some areas with higher amounts over higher terrain in the Charlevoix region. Numerous accidents were reported across the provinces including one involving a firetruck. Two people were killed in accidents across the province.

On the back side of the storm persistent heavy flurries gave additional accumulations of a few inches across most of Ontario and Quebec.

April 8
Another winter storm affected portions of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Prince Edward Island on Easter Sunday dumping as much as 12 inches of snow locally along with strong winds which caused flight cancellations at Halifax International Airport and scattered power outages, mainly in Nova Scotia.

April 9–13
For the second time in a week, the Northern Plains of the United States was affected by a late-season April winter storm. Snowfall totals of 8 inches was reported in Fairmont, Minnesota while 9 inches was recorded in Victory, Wisconsin. 6 people died in snowfall related traffic accidents near Green Bay, Wisconsin. 5.1 inches fell in Muskegon, Michigan, on April 11, setting a snowfall record for that date. Heavy mixed precipitations fell across portions of the Canadian Maritimes and southern Quebec with accumulations that exceed 8 inches (20 cm) across the Eastern Townships and the Beauce region. The storm did shut down some school across Nova Scotia on the 13th.

April 13–16
A major nor'easter struck the eastern half of North America bringing heavy rains, floods, storm surges and damaging wind across coastal areas. New York City itself received nearly 8 inches (200 mm) of rain in one day, making it one of the rainiest days ever for the city. Flooding did occur across many suburbs of the region as well as in other areas of the East Coast from Maine to Virginia. In Cape Elizabeth, Maine, an 80 mph wind gust was recorded, along with 30 foot waves that battered the coast. In New York, the National Guard assisted the emergency procedures while Maine, West Virginia and New Jersey declared state of emergencies. Several tornadoes struck the Carolinas killing at least 1 in South Carolina. Additional tornadoes struck northern Texas on the 13th.

In addition, heavy snow fell across portions of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma on the 13th, bringing about 12 to 18 inches (30–50 cm) across the higher elevations. Then it dumped heavy snow across the Appalachian Mountains and the Laurentians of Quebec on the 15th and 16th. 17 inches (43 cm) fell over portions of Vermont, as much as 26 inches (65 cm) in Tupper Lake, New York, as much as 40 inches (100 cm) in the Charlevoix region of Quebec while 4 to 6.5 (10–16 cm) inches also blanketed the cities of Montreal and Ottawa and the surrounding regions in just a few hours.

In Quebec as much as 160 000 Hydro-Québec customers lost power from the Outaouais to the Quebec City region while several schools were closed north of Montreal. An additional 17 000 households serviced by Hydro One and Hydro Ottawa suffered power outages in Eastern Ontario In the U.S over 300,000 customers lost power from Maryland to Maine including 55 000 in New York, 50 000 in Pennsylvania, 43 000 in Connecticut, 46 000 in New Hampshire, 17 000 in Maine, 30 000 in Maryland, 25 000 in Vermont and 12 000 in Massachusetts.

Numerous flights were delayed or canceled from New York, Boston and Philadelphia as well as the Canadian airports of Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec City. In Boston, the annual Boston Marathon when ahead of schedule despite howling winds and pouring rain as well as cold temperatures.

Three people were killed in South Carolina, five in total in Texas and Kansas and five in Quebec.

April 23–24
A strong low pressure system affected southern portions of the Rockies including the higher elevations of Colorado. Areas west of Denver received a much as 26 inches of snow (near Evergreen) with several other reports of 12 inches or more. while severe weather affected eastern portions of the state.

May 4–5
While much of the Central Plains received heavy rain and damaging tornadoes, regions in higher elevations across the Rockies, including Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nebraska and Idaho, received snow, locally a major winter storm. Portions of central and northern Colorado received as much as 12 inches (30 cm) of snow during the overnight event.

May 9
Also on May 9, a strong tornado struck Bebejia, Chad destroying the town and killing 14 people.

May 15–16
Heavy rain storms hit Poland om May 15 and 16, causing heavy flooding in the south and east of the country. 8 inches of rain also fell in Gdansk causing heavy localised flooding until the 17th.

On Sunday, May 16, the rivers in Malopolska had reached alarming leavels in 6 locations, a state of flood alert was issued in 23 places. Flood alerts have been announced in the communities Liszki, Skawina, Cracow, Rzezawa, Łapanów, Bochnia, Borzęcin Gnojnik, Brest-Litovsk,  Bobowa and Gorlice.

May 20–23
Between May 20 and 23, emergency services evacuated the commune of Wilków along with some other parts of the Lublin area as the river Vistula broke it’s banks. Most people do not want to leave their homes and were focibly removed for their own safety. The river Wisła fell by 12 cm of rain fell in Sandomierz, but the level of water grew alarmingly in the Lublin, Liszki and Lodz. A person was killed in Lubin as he fell in to a flood swoled streem near their home.

May 22 saw Warszawa’s opera hall, some schools, kindergartens and babies’ nurseries were closed in areas at risk of flooding. Local and state officials also asked for the expertise of German specialists who are experienced in carrying out the mass evacuation. Several hectares of land in the commune of Wilków was flooded by the Vistula River. Wroclaw was partly flooded as the river Oder broke  a dyke and  the district Kozanów flooding an area of about 80 hectares.

June 3–4
On June 3, a 3rd wave of flooding hit both Wilków, Liszki and Lubin as more powerful storms have passed over many places in the country and brought heavy rainfall. Most dykes and levees had been upgraded mostly held out in the Lublin area. The governor of Mazovia, Jacek Kozlowski, introduced a flood alert for all the municipalities and counties south of Mazovia.

Between June 3 and 4 dangerous levels of flooding returned to Lower Silesia. Local officials declared flood emergency in 16 counties and the city of Legnica The Polish Hydrological Service also confirmed that the river Oder would probably be involved in the second wave of climactic flooding.

June 7
On June 7 the districts of Tarnów had closed the locks in the drainage ditches as flooding occurred several settlements in the municipality of Wierzchosławice. In the municipality Gromnik a series of landslides occurred, with some threateningly the high voltage poorer lines in Ryglice.

June 12
On June 12, Polish Premier Donald Tusk visited a flooded village as the water began to subside.

June 11–13
A major winter storm occurred in portions of Argentina and Chile creating hazardous traveling through several areas. Hardest hit areas were in the higher elevation along the Chile and Argentina borders. One of the main roads connecting the two counties was fully shut down while numerous trucks were left stranded in the area. The combination of heavy snow and hurricane-force winds force the shutdown of schools and businesses in Bariloche a popular resort destination in the country. Accumulations of several meters of snow fell in the Cristo Redentor Tunnel mountain pass.

June 20–21
A winter storm affected portions of the southeastern coast of Australia and South Island, New Zealand. Heavy snows fell in the mountain regions of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney as well as Oberon and Bathurst while it disrupted air travel in Otago, New Zealand while causing numerous accidents across the area due to slippery conditions.

July 1–4
A winter storm brushed the Antarctic Peninsula with hurricane force winds in early July 2007. The San Martin Base weather station reported winds gusting up to 90 mi/h on the evening of July 1, and winds up to 110 mi/h by July 3. The strong winds caused temperatures to drop to -10 °F and did not rise until July 4. Other weather stations in the Antarctic Peninsula reported similar effects.

July 9
An interaction with an area of low pressure systems across Argentina during the July 6, 7 and 8 of 2007, and the entry of a massive polar cold snap made as a result the worst winter of Argentina in almost forty years, where severe snowfalls and blizzards affected the country The cold snap advanced from the south towards the central zone of the country during Friday, July 6, continuing its displacement towards the north during Saturday, July 7 and Sunday, July 8. On Monday July 9, the simultaneous presence of very cold air, above the average levels of the atmosphere as in the surface, gave place to the occurrence of snowfalls even in localities where snow is rare. This phenomenon left at least 23 people dead.

It was the third time that a phenomenon like this happened in the country. The first time was in 1912 and the second one was in 1918, occasion in which even there was major volume of snow.

July 21–22
Central Banbury is flooded by heavy rain. The flooded area included the bus and railway station.

September 13–16
The 2007 floods of Africa was reported by the UN to be one of the worst floodings in recorded history. The flooding started with rains on September 14, 2007 and lasted for 3 days. 14 countries had been affected in the continent of Africa, 250 people were reported to have been killed by the flooding and 2,500,000 were affected. The UN had issued warnings of water borne diseases and locust infestations.

In Ghana 400,000 were homeless with at least 20 people dead and crops and livestock had been washed away over the 3 day event.

Some villages and communities have now been totally wiped off the map of Ghana

George Azi Amoo - Ghana's national disaster management co-ordinator

64 people were reported killed in the Sudan. 17 people were reported dead Ethiopia. In the Afar Region, the Awash River flooded caused a dam to collapse. Around 4,500 people were stranded, surrounded by water. 150,000 people were displaced in Uganda and 21 reported dead. 170 schools were under water. 18 people were reported dead and 500 residences were washed away by floods in Rwanda. Mali saw 5 bridges had collapsed and 250 residences were washed away. 33 people were reported dead in Burkina Faso, 12 people were reported dead in Kenya and Togo reported that 20 people were reported dead

November 1–5


Hurricane Noel, which killed 163 people in the Caribbean Islands, affected most of Atlantic Canada, eastern Quebec and eastern New England as a post-tropical system with heavy rains and damaging winds in excess of 100 km/h (60 mph). The highest gust was recorded in the Wreckhouse area in Newfoundland and Labrador where gusts reached 180 km/h (110 mph). Nearly 200,000 customers in Atlantic Canada alone lost power during the height of the storm. In the northwestern most edge of the system, Noel produced a narrow swath of snow (thus the first major winter storm across those areas) which affected areas of Maine, as well as Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador and eastern Quebec from near Rivière-du-Loup to Sept-Îles including Rimouski, Amqui, Cap Chat, Port-Cartier and portions of Baie-Comeau and Forestville. Some areas in Quebec received over 8 inches (20 cm) of snow with the Murdochville area receiving as much as 16 inches (40 cm). 14 people were injured when an Orleans Express bus overturned on Route 132 in the Saint-Simon area. Nearly 20,000 Hydro-Québec customers were without power mostly due to a damaged transmission line in the Minganie region. The storm prompted election director to extend the voting period for school board elections, which the storm disrupted.

November 5–7
The first lake-effect snow event around the Great Lakes occurred as cold air swept through the region. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan saw up to a foot of snow, while up to 8 in of snow fell in northern Pennsylvania. Significant snow also fell in western New York in the typical snowbelt regions. Areas on the southern shores of Lake Superior and Georgian Bay in Ontario also received significant amount of snows in excess of 6 inches (15 cm). The low pressure disturbance continued eastward to produce significant snowfalls across the mountains of central Quebec in excess of 12 inches (30 cm), disrupting traffic in several areas.

November 7–8
A European windstorm crosses over Scotland and plunges into the mouth of the North Sea, to the west of Norway, where its strong winds push large bodies of water Southeast, towards coastal regions in England and the Netherlands. The tidal surge puts both nations on red alert as the English evacuate some coastal villages and close the Thames Barrier. The Dutch close the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier and the enormous Maeslant barrier in order to prevent massive flooding as the storm mimics the situation that caused the devastating North Sea flood of 1953. For the first time since 1976, the entire Dutch coastline is put on alert and is closely monitored by officials. The tidal surge turned out to be too weak to cause any significant damage to the strong Dutch coastal defenses. In England, only minor flooding occurred.

November 11–13
A powerful storm in the Black Sea sank or damaged 5–10 ships, one of them, the oil tanker MT Volganeft-139, broke apart spilling most of its 1.3 million gallons of crude oil into the sea. The storm killed 3 crew members and the resulting oil spill killed over 30,000 birds and an unknown number of fish. Several merchant ships carrying over 6,000 tons of sulphur also sank: the M/S Nekhichevan and Kovel followed by M/S Volnogorsk when it collided with the sunken Kovel; a Georgian cargo carrying steel products also sank.

Further to the west in southeastern Europe, the storm dumped exceptional amounts of snow over parts of Austria with local reports of over a meter of snow. Some meteorologists mentioned that the weather that took place in the Alps was a once in every 30 to 50 year occurrence. The storm contributed to the closure of several mountain roads and an increased risk of avalanches over the region. The country's avalanche warning system raised its alarm level to the second-highest.

November 15–17
A cold front pushed through eastern North America early on the 15th, bringing lake-effect snow to the typical snowbelt regions, dropping up to a foot of snow in the snow belts. The snow continued into the 17th, with snow developing across the northern Appalachians, central and eastern Quebec and northern Maine. Poor weather conditions were responsible for at least 2 deaths due to traffic accidents in Quebec on Route 175 south of Saguenay and on Highway 20 in Rimouski. Further east, significant rainfalls affected portions of the Gaspésie region with the towns of Matane, Cap-Chat and Sainte-Anne-des-Monts declaring disaster areas due to extensive flooding.

November 20–28
A series of low pressure systems traveled across the central and eastern sections of North America, the Great Lakes and eastern Canada. While some of the systems dumped several inches of snow across portions of eastern Ontario and central Quebec on the 20th and 21st, the strongest storm produced the first major winter storm for southern Ontario and southern Quebec while also affecting portions of central and eastern Quebec and northern New Brunswick. It produced a wide swath of heavy snow in excess of 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) (with areas receiving as much as 8–12 inches (20–30 cm) ) across many regions including Ontario's Cottage country, the Ottawa region and the St Lawrence River Valley in Quebec with some snow affected portions of the Midwest United States from Nebraska to Michigan. Freezing rain and ice pellets affected areas along Highway 401 from east of London to Brockville as well as areas just east of Montreal.

Several flights coming out of Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa were affected. At one point during Ontario Provincial Police reported on average one motor-vehicle accident every minute. Activities surrounding the Canadian Football League's Grey Cup Match in Toronto had to be brought indoors or canceled due to the poor conditions. The storm is responsible for at least two death in Ontario including west of Renfrew on Highway 17 and on Highway 400 in Toronto. Sûreté du Québec reported well over a hundred vehicles running off the road only around Montreal and Montérégie, and a dozen more serious accidents in Mauricie. 20,000 Hydro-Québec were affected in total by power outages, with the most of them east of Montreal

During November 25 and 26, heavy rain and snow induced flooding devastates Serbia, especially the towns of Crni Marko and Novi Pazar

November 30 – December 2
Preceding the large winter storm, a significant winter storm affected portions of the Canadian Maritimes and Newfoundland and Labrador on December 2. Initially a weak disturbance, it produced significant lake-effect snows across the traditional snow belts on the southern shores of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron and Ontario as well as Georgian Bay. The disturbance intensified over the Maritimes and dumped heavy amounts of snow across Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador where accumulations of 8 to 20 inches (20–50 cm) were reported over central parts of the province. The storm registered a minimum of 957 mb off the Atlantic Coast two days later. Due to heavy snow, strong winds, sleet and freezing rain, over 100,000 customers in Newfoundland lost power, with a large portion of the capital St. John's being blacked out for several hours. In the Bonavista Peninsula, several transmission lines and support structures collapsed and telephone service was also disabled for a certain period including cellphone coverage. Some residents remained without power for over a week.

December 1–5 (eastern and central North America)
A low-pressure system developed across the southwestern United States moved across the central parts of North America on December 1, becoming a Colorado Low with an initial between moving from Nebraska to northern Ontario and into the Middle Atlantic Coast near New York City. A second band originating from a band of thunderstorms across Missouri then traveled across the Great Lakes and the Northeast. A newly formed low pressure off the coast of New Jersey then moved across Maine and the Canadian Maritimes.

Areas of the Middle Plains and the lower Great Lakes including Des Moines, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit and Toronto received a significant wintry mix of precipitation before changing to rain and thunderstorms on December 1 and 2. Des Moines International Airport was shut down for several hours due to the icing conditions on runways and an American Airlines flight with 44 passengers slipped out of a taxiway while another skidded out of a runway at Madison, Wisconsin's Dane County Regional Airport. Numerous passengers were stranded for several hours at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport where 400 flights were canceled on December 1 alone. About 140,000 customers in Illinois alone lost power.

Portions of Wisconsin, Minnesota and northern Ontario received several inches of snow while the mountain regions of Colorado received as much as four feet of snow (120 cm), resulting in the postponement of the men's Super-G alpine skiing event in Beaver Creek, Colorado, where 15 in was reported.

Portions of the Northeast including most of northern and eastern Ontario and central and southern Quebec received 8 to 16 in of snow from the second band of precipitation while freezing rain was reported south of the Great Lakes across New York and Pennsylvania. Portions of Maine and the Maritimes affected by the coastal low received as much as 18 inches (45 cm) of snow.

The storm was responsible for at least 16 deaths including three in Quebec, one in New York, one in Maine, one in Indiana, three in Wisconsin, two in Illinois, three in Michigan, one in Utah, and one in Colorado.

December 1–5 (Pacific Northwest to Middle-Atlantic)
Additionally, on December 1, a large storm off the Pacific Coast brought heavy snow to portions of British Columbia, including the South Coast and Vancouver Island, with amounts in higher elevations exceeding 16 inches (40 cm) and significant accumulations also for Metro Vancouver. Another large storm called a Pineapple Express brought torrential rains to the same areas on December 3 with very strong winds across portions of Oregon and Washington states, freezing rain into valley areas of central British Columbia, and heavy snow of up to 2 ft across mountainous areas. The heavy rains caused a mudslide inside Stanley Park which closed its seawall which had just recently re-opened in November after it was heavily damaged during a major wind storm in December 2006. Extensive flooding was reported across many areas of Washington and Oregon after heavy rains with amounts of up to 10 in were reported. Coast Guard helicopters had to evacuate and saved over 100 residents who were trapped by the high water levels. The town of Vernonia, Oregon was completely cut-off by the water and mudslides. Wind gusts locally exceeded 100 mph (160 km/h) with the highest gust registered at 129 mi/h recorded in Bay City, Oregon. Over 100,000 customers from northern California to Washington lost electricity while 40,000 lost power in British Columbia. In addition, Amtrak service between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia was disrupted for at least two days.

The storm was responsible for at least 10 deaths, including five in a single vehicle crash near Prince George, British Columbia where there was snow-covered roads. Three people were killed in Washington and two in Oregon. From the perspective of Chicago, the storm was viewed as an Alberta clipper with the potential for heavy snowfall. During the evening of December 2, the storm was reported to have a central pressure of 949 mb, pressures associated with a Category 3 hurricane.

The same storm entered the Upper Midwest as an Alberta Clipper, which brought light to moderate snowfall over much of the Midwest on December 4 and early December 5, and overspread the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic states on December 5. The Minneapolis-St. Paul, Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago metropolitan areas saw upwards of 4 to 8 in of snow from the storm system, with areas further south and east receiving less.

December 9–17
A series of winter storms impacted widespread areas of North America over a nine-day period. From December 8 to December 11, another major ice storm impacted the midsection of the United States from Texas, northeast through the Midwest, through the Mid-Atlantic States, and into southern New England. At least 38 people were killed by the ice storms, including 23 in Oklahoma, four in Kansas, three in Missouri, and one in Nebraska. Most of the fatalities were the result of traffic accidents caused by the icy weather, including four people in a single accident on Interstate 40 west of Okemah, Oklahoma. The storm caused the largest power outage in Oklahoma history, where 600,000 homes and businesses lost power, while 350,000 customers were also without power in other states, including 100,000 in both Missouri and Kansas, and scattered power outages in Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois. Overall, over 1.5 million customers lost power throughout the Central United States with some being without electricity for over one week. The storms caused widespread school and flight cancellations with Chicago O'Hare International Airport cancelling at least 560 flights, while Tulsa International Airport was forced to halt flights on the 10th after losing power for 10 hours.

The energy of the second ice storm produced significant snows over the northeastern part of the US and the Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario on December 13 and dumped as much as 12 inches (30 cm) of snow in parts of New England and New York state. A large system crossed the Central and Eastern part of the continent from December 15 to December 17 dumping as much as 20 in over parts of Ontario and New England with mixed precipitation south of the heavy snow bands. The snow storm was responsible for at least 17 deaths across five states and three Canadian provinces as well as numerous flights and school cancellations from Michigan to the Canadian Maritimes.

December 18
After a mild start to the cold season, a large area of Spain was hit by its first winter storm of the season which brought heavy snow and rain as well as strong winds and much colder temperatures. In the eastern part of the country, several roads were closed due to high amounts of snow. Portions of a key road link between Madrid and Barcelona was also shut down due to the weather.

December 21–24
A new winter storm affected most of Central North America from the Texas Panhandle to northern Ontario while heavy rains, areas of freezing rain, very strong winds and warm temperatures affected most of Eastern North America. Blizzard warnings were issued at one point over southwestern Kansas and locally a foot of snow fell in some regions with several regions registering wind gusts of over 50 mi/h. Up to a foot of snow fell across much of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and freezing rain was also reported in many areas. Parts of Michigan's Upper Peninsula saw upwards of 15 in of snow. The storm also produced strong winds, including wind gusts of 88 mi/h across Lake Michigan, and gusts ranging from 50–68 mph across the Chicago area. The winds caused 300 flights to be canceled at Chicago-O'Hare International Airport. Also in Chicago, crews reported that 170 signals had been knocked out and more than 500 reports of fallen limbs had been attributed to the storm. 11,000 customers in Wisconsin, 92,000 in Michigan and 225,000 in Illinois lost power. The storm was responsible for at least 25 deaths across seven US states and one Canadian province, including eight in Minnesota, three in Indiana, three in Wyoming, five in Wisconsin, one in Texas, one in Kansas, one in Michigan, and three in New Brunswick. In Texas, the fatal crash included 50 vehicles on Interstate 40 while in Kansas and Missouri crashes on Interstate 70 and Interstate 29 respectively also involved several vehicles. Lake-effect snows across the traditional snowbelt region in the Great Lakes also fell on Christmas Eve.

 Global storm activity of 2008 profiles the major worldwide storms, including blizzards, ice storms, and other winter events, from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. A wintery storms are an event in which the dominant varieties of precipitation are forms that only occur at cold temperatures, such as snow or sleet, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are cold enough to allow ice to form (i.e. freezing rain). It may be marked by strong wind, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), heavy precipitation, such as ice (ice storm), or wind transporting some substance through the atmosphere (as in a dust storm, snowstorm, hailstorm, etc.). Major dust storms, Hurricanes, cyclones, tornados, gales, flooding and rainstorms are also caused by such phenomena to a lesser or greater existent.

A storm (from Proto-Germanic *sturmaz "noise, tumult") is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather. It may be marked by strong wind, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), heavy precipitation, such as ice (ice storm), or wind transporting some substance through the atmosphere (as in a dust storm, snowstorm, hailstorm, etc.).

Storms are created when a centre of low pressure develops, with a system of high pressure surrounding it. This combination of opposing forces can create winds and result in the formation of storm clouds, such as the cumulonimbus. Small, localized areas of low pressure can form from hot air rising off hot ground, resulting in smaller meteorological disturbances such as dust devils and whirlwinds.

December 30 – January 2
A series of moderate to intense low pressure systems affected most of eastern North America particularly the Canadian Maritimes with repeated heavy snow, mixed precipitation, rain and wind. The initial storm dumped over a foot of snow over parts of Newfoundland and Labrador on December 30 while a second storm gave a foot of snow over Prince Edward Island and several inches of snow across New Brunswick and portions of New England and Ontario on December 30–31 while Nova Scotia received a mix of snow, rain and ice pellets. Several New Year's Eve festivities including Charlottetown's main event as well as the fireworks show in St. John's were cancelled due to weather conditions.

As part of a third storm, a burst of snow, some of it lake enhanced, affected the The Great Lakes from mid-afternoon New Year's Eve until mid-afternoon New Year's Day. Particularly hit hard were the cities of Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland. 3 to 6 in of snow fell in many areas, with many parts of Michigan seeing over a foot of snow, including Capac, Michigan, which reported 16 in of snow. 36,000 people lost power in southeastern Michigan, and 10,000 lost power in Northeast Ohio. Detroit Metropolitan Airport and Chicago-O'Hare International Airport both reported numerous delays and 145 flights were canceled at O'Hare alone. There were no serious injuries or fatalities reported, but many spinouts and other accidents occurred.

January 2–3
A major winter storm event took place across portions of central Europe including Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania and southwestern Russia as well as areas near the Black Sea. The storm was responsible for the sinking of the M/S Vanessa, a Bulgarian cargo ship on the Kerch Strait, killing at least 4 sailors. Up to 2 ft of snow fell across portions Bulgaria and Romania severely disrupting transportation including the closure of Bucharest's two main airports as well several ports around the Black Sea were also shut down. Electricity was also cut in about 300 towns and villages in Bulgaria and deliveries of food and water were also delayed.

January 4–9
Heavy snow fell in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains from three storms. The heaviest snow occurred in the mountains south of Lake Tahoe, with Kirkwood Mountain Resort receiving 11 ft of snow. Sierra-at-Tahoe and Heavenly Ski Resort both received up to 8 ft of snow. Snow depths of at least 5 ft were widely reported. The snow was combined with wind gusts exceeding 100 mi/h, creating blizzard and white-out conditions in the Sierra Nevada. The highest reported wind gust was 163 mph (265 km/h) on Ward Mountain. Widespread reports of 3–6 inches of rain were received, and at the height of the storm approximately 2 million people were without power in California. About 3,000 people in Orange County, California were forced to evacuate their homes because of mudslide concerns in areas that had recently been burned in wildfires. These storms continued through the Intermountain West and into the Rocky Mountains. Heavy snow of 2–4 feet occurred in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, with a maximum of 50 in reported at the Silverton Mountain Resort. Six snowmobilers who were stranded by the storm in southern Colorado found shelter in a cabin. However, 3 people were still missing; one hiker in the San Bernardino Mountains in southern California, and two skiers in Colorado near Wolf Creek Pass. At least three people were confirmed killed in the storm. A woman died when she drove her car across a flooded road in Chino, California, one person was killed by a falling branch in Sacramento, and person was killed by a falling tree in Central Point, Oregon. Two bodies discovered in Sacramento near a homeless camp were also being investigated as possibly weather-related. In Fernley, Nevada an irrigation ditch burst and flooded 290 homes with up to 8 ft of water; the cold weather then caused the water to freeze. In southeastern Utah, nine people were killed and 20 injured after a charter bus returning from a ski trip in Telluride, Colorado ran off the road north of Mexican Hat. However, it was unknown if slick roads were the primary cause of the crash.

January 5–7
A major snowstorm that dropped the heaviest snow in more than a decade in northern Iran killed at least 21 people and injured at least 88, with some people freezing to death, others dying in avalanches, and some dying after their cars overturned on snow-covered roads. Anywhere from 15–50 cm (6–20 inches) of snow were recorded in Tehran, while about 90 cm (3 ft) of snow fell in the Caspian Sea town of Bandar-e Anzali in Gīlān Province in northwestern Iran, usually a mild, damp place in winter. "Heavy" sea-effect snow also fell in Baku, Azerbaijan.

January 13–14
A Nor'easter developed along the Mid-atlantic coast, and moved northward. It affected the northeastern United States, eastern Quebec and the Canadian Maritimes with heavy snow, and high winds along the coast.Several areas across Maine, New Brunswick received snow amounts in excess of 1 ft with as much as 20 in locally across the Gaspe region.

January 17–18
A low pressure system moving northward up the East Coast caused snow and rain to overspread the Mid-Atlantic region on January 17 and 18. Many spots started off as snow, with a gradual changeover to sleet, freezing rain and then finally rain as the storm slowed down. The greatest concern for accumulating ice was in western North Carolina, while the greatest accumulations of snow was expected in the Shenandoah Valley. Lighter accumulations of snow were expected along and west of I-95 in the Baltimore-Washington metro area, making for a difficult commute that afternoon. Winter storm watches and warnings extended from northern Georgia into southern Pennsylvania.

The wintry mix continued to spread northward overnight and into Friday. While New York and Boston saw mainly rain, accumulating snow occurred through the upper Delaware Valley and into the Hudson River Valley. The heaviest snow on Friday was expected for northern New Hampshire into Maine.

January 24–31
A rapid-fire series of major winter storms affected the western United States over the last week of January. The storms focused on California at first, bringing heavy rain and snow to the state. Up to 6 ft of snow fell in the Sierra Nevada early on, with 2–5 inches of rain falling in the lowlands of California and up to 8 in in the foothills. The heaviest rains occurred around Santa Barbara. Many areas of southern California received more rain during these storms than what they saw the entire previous water year. Heavy snow periodically closed Interstate 5 over the Grapevine (north of Los Angeles) due to the snow, as well as jackknifed tractor trailers, which stranded about 300 motorists for several hours. Heavy snow pounded all of the mountains of California, and 3 skiers were killed by avalanches on January 24 in the San Gabriel Mountains, where locally 5 feet (150 cm) of snow fell in the storm. Several mudslides and flash floods were reported in Orange County and in Los Angeles, while several residents were forced to be evacuated from their homes in Marin County. A Metrolink commuter train in Los Angeles hit mud and rocks that partially covered the tracks, causing it to be stranded along with its hundreds of passengers for over 2 hours before another train pulled it out from the debris. Wind gusts of 40–50 mph also affected areas of southern California. Combined with the heavy wind and rain in the region, widespread though spotty power cuts were reported.

Heavy snow also spread into the Inland Empire of the Pacific Northwest. The Spokane, Washington and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho areas saw two powerful storms during this time period, with local amounts of more than 2 ft in a storm from the 26th–27th, with 13.7 in in Spokane and up to 6 in in Eugene, Oregon. This storm caused numerous roofs to collapse near Coeur d'Alene. Another storm from late on the 30th to the 31st dropping up to 18 in of snow in Pullman, Washington and Moscow, Idaho. Lewiston, Idaho recorded 6.1 in inches, Pendleton, Oregon 9.3 in, and Spokane an additional 9.2 in. Numerous roads throughout the Spokane Valley, the Palouse, and the surrounding mountains were closed at various times during the storms. Several inches of snow even fell in Seattle and down to the Oregon coast (a very rare event). Local amounts of over 4 ft of snow fell in the Cascades. Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass, which had seen snowfall approaching 3 ft, was hit by two avalanches in 3 days, the second of which buried 2 cars.

The mountains of Utah and Colorado also saw heavy snow of 2–4 feet during this time. The spate of late-month storms pushed Alta, Utah to a monthly total of 178.5 in of snow, tying its January record first set in 1996.

January 29
A major snowfall event affected portions of the Middle East including Israel, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. One of the areas mostly affected was Jerusalem where schools (including the Hebrew University of Jerusalem), stores and transportation were shut down after 5 to 8 in of snow fell. The main highway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem was also shortly closed because of the snow. The weather event had topped local headlines eclipsing a critical government report related to the 2006 Lebanon War and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

January 10 – February 5
Several days of heavy wet snow, frigid temperatures and ice struck several regions of central China during the country's peak Lunar New Year Travel Season. At least 107 people were killed by the storm which stranded several thousands of people, canceled numerous flights and damaged or destroyed several homes, power lines and crops which had raised concerns for food and water shortage a. Among the fatalities, 11 were killed by a bus accident in Anhui with flipped into a ditch on January 21.

The provinces of Hubei, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu and Anhui were the hardest hit areas where some areas received their worst snow storm in 50 years. Snow persisted throughout the week with bitterly cold temperatures accompanying it. Tens of thousands of people were left stranded at several trains stations across southern China including Guangzhou Several main highways which also disrupted transportation of goods across several areas of the country.

Widespread power cuts were also reported and at one point, 17 of the 31 provinces had to endured reduced power supplies. It was estimated that about 827 000 people were evacuated across 14 provinces. The country's civil affairs ministry estimated that the severe weather affected 67 million people and that the costs were estimated at about 7.8 billion British pounds, 15.8 billion US Dollars or 111 billion Chinese yuan.

January 27 – February 2
A series of low pressure systems affected the eastern portion of North America with various types of weather. On January 27, a low pressure system which developed just of Cape Cod, Massachusetts brought a major ice storm for portions of the Canadian Maritimes on January 28 after dumping a few inches of snow across coastal sections of Massachusetts and Maine, and up to 13 inches (30 cm) of snow on Cape Cod. Particularly hard hit was Prince Edward Island where about one-third of the island lost power while numerous power poles and lines were downed due to the weight of the ice. Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay offered the province help with the services of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Meanwhile, another powerful storm moved across the much of the continent bringing first blizzard conditions and frigid temperatures from Alberta to Manitoba and down towards the Dakotas where temperatures dropped locally 40 degrees below zero with much colder windchills. While approaching the eastern half of the continent, it intensified further and brought widespread damage wind some of them from thunderstorms. Winds exceeded locally as much as 120 km/h in some areas while blowing snow shut down many roads near the shorelines of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. The cold front associated with the depression produced very rapid temperature drops in a short period from Iowa to southern Ontario. The storm killed at least 2 in Indiana due to an EF2 tornado. A third strong storm developed across the Texas Panhandle on January 31 affected much of the Midwest and East with heavy snows from Northern Oklahoma to Quebec with significant ice across the Appalachians and the Ohio Valley and severe weather from southern Texas to the Middle Atlantic States. It brought massive amounts of snow to the midwest with some isolated reports of 11 in of snow. Chicago saw its largest snowstorm this season as it dropped ten plus inches (203 mm) of snow in downtown building up traffic delays. Across Ontario and Quebec it dumped about 8 inches of snow (20 cm) in Toronto, 13 to 14 inches (32–35 cm) in Ottawa, Gatineau and Quebec City and 11 inches (27 cm) in Montreal with higher amounts as much as 22 inches (55 cm) in the mountains north of Quebec City. It also brought severe weather to the deep south bringing several inches of rain. The storm has also produced heavy sleet and freezing rain in much of Pennsylvania and New York. The highest reported amount of ice accumulation was at State College, Pennsylvania, where 0.75 in of ice fell, coupled with moderate wind gusts, has caused downed trees and powerlines there, and in much of the Northeast United States. The ice then moved into the Canadian Maritimes for several hours. While it disrupted air travel at various major airports along the path, the storm has been responsible for at least 15 deaths across three states and one Canadian province including one in Ontario, four in New York, six in Illinois, three in Texas and one in Oklahoma.

February 5–6
A major winter storm affected the Central United States and southern Ontario from February 5 into February 6. The storm stretched from Wisconsin all the way south into Mississippi. Across eastern Iowa, southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and lower Michigan, the storm dumped upwards of a foot or more of snow, with locally heavier amounts of 20 in in some areas, particularly across southeast Wisconsin. In Ontario, 12 in of snow fell in Toronto (with locally heavier amounts) with other areas of Ontario from Windsor to Ottawa receiving up to 12 in. Winds of up to 25 mph and heavy snowfall rates made for blizzard conditions in some areas, making travel nearly impossible. Many places throughout northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin were forced to close on February 6, including schools, colleges, churches, health care centers, government buildings, businesses, and shopping malls. In addition, over 1000 flights were canceled at Chicago-O'Hare International Airport and 100 at Chicago-Midway International Airport while numerous flights were also cancelled at Toronto's Pearson International Airport. In the Milwuakee area, whiteout conditions forced the temporary closure of General Mitchell International Airport, where half of its flights were canceled for the day. In addition, numerous accidents were reported across the area, including one fatality. Several interstates and other roadways were closed throughout Wisconsin due to either whiteout conditions or accidents. The National Guard was brought in to assist over 2000 stranded motorists on a 19 mi stretch of I-90 between Janesville, WI, and Madison after several semi trailers lost traction and blocked the road.

The same storm system brought heavy rain across portions of the Ohio Valley, with severe thunderstorms further south. Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama all saw tornadoes from mid-afternoon February 5 to the early morning hours of February 6. 33 people were killed in Tennessee, 14 in Arkansas, 7 in Kentucky, and 5 in Alabama. In all, at least 59 people have been killed by the tornadoes, making it the deadliest outbreak since the 1985 United States-Canadian tornado outbreak of 1985, which killed 88 people. In addition, over 100 people have been injured. The storm tore off the roof of a shopping mall in Memphis, trapped college students at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, ignited a gas fire near Nashville, and demolished warehouses in Southaven, Mississippi, in addition to destroying numerous homes. Over 103 separate tornadoes were reported. Several presidential candidates paused to remember victims during their speeches after the Super Tuesday primaries, with several tornadoes still occurring as they were speaking.

February 12–14
On February 11, a low pressure system moved out of the U.S. Plain States into the eastern half of the United States and eastern Canada. The low pressure system began to strengthen, and slowly moved east. Snow began to fall in on the northern side of the system as the storm moved off the coast. It all but stalled, and the snow soon turned to ice for most of the affected area. After the ice storm, temperatures warmed to above freezing, and most of the precipitation turned to all rain for all areas other than the far northern fringes of the storm. The rain lasted for several hours in many places, with some areas receiving 3 inches (7.5 cm) of rain, which caused minor flooding in low-lying and urban areas. As the primary low pressure system moved away, a smaller low formed, which enhanced rainfall and extended precipitation for several more hours. By early on February 14, the storm had moved away. On the northern side of the system between 10–20 cm of snow fell from Wisconsin to New Brunswick.

February 17–18
A panhandle hook winter storm combined with an Alberta Clipper crossed the central United States, spreading rain, ice and heavy snow to parts of the upper Midwest and Northeast as well as eastern Canada from southern Manitoba to the Canadian Maritimes. Portions of Iowa and Manitoba were under blizzard warnings. Areas from northern Ontario to southern Wisconsin were under winter storm warnings while much of Ontario and Quebec were under freezing rain warnings. The ice event may have been blamed for a late-evening incident at the Ottawa International Airport where a Boeing 737 WestJet flight from Calgary slid off an icy runway and ending off into a snowbank. No injuries among the 94 passengers and crew members were reported in the incident.

Generally between 4 to 8 inches (10–20 cm) of snow fell across the Midwest and portions of Ontario although locally across Wisconsin amounts approached 1 foot (30 cm). The system was also notable for a tornado outbreak across Alabama, Georgia and Florida where dozens of tornadoes touched down injuring at least 30.

February 17–18
Heavy snowfall in Greece cut off access to at least 150 villages and was followed by a major cold snap. Significant power outages and water supply shortages were reported across many areas. Hardest hit areas were the island of Crete and Evia as well as the southern portions of the Peloponnese Peninsula. In Athens, where at least 15 cm (6 in) fell, dozens of flights from the Athens Airport were cancelled while most schools throughout the city were shut down. Temperatures fell below minus 10 °C (15 °F) across northern Greece.

February 21–23
A snow storm affected the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic of the United States from February 21 onward. School closings, car accidents, and airport delays were reported in New York City. The FAA reported delays of up to 9 hours at LaGuardia Airport, and delays averaging 3–5 hours at JFK Airport. In total, almost 1,100 flights were cancelled at New York City's three major airports. In New York City, 6 inches (15 cm) fell, while in northern New Jersey, up to 13 inches (32.5 cm) accumulated. In addition, the speed limit on the New Jersey Turnpike was reduced to 35 mi/h, and in Greenwich, Connecticut, southbound lanes of Interstate 95 were closed for a couple hours.

Storm-related traffic accidents led to one death in Connecticut while in Missouri, where ice was the primary form of precipitation, 5 people were killed in accidents.

February 28 – March 2
A weak Alberta Clipper intensified over eastern Canada after dumping about 10–17 cm over Ontario and Quebec and several areas of the Northeastern United States. It brought another major winter storm for New Brunswick and eastern Quebec. Gaspé, Quebec received about 55 cm of snow while portions of New Brunswick received 25–30 cm. Strong winds in excess of 100 km/h forced the closure of the Confederation Bridge linking New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

March 1
A European windstorm passed through Central Europe causing severe damage in Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, easteren France, Poland and the Czech Republic and left 16 people dead (8 Germans, 4 Czechs, 2 Austrians, 1 Frenchman and 1 Pole). Windstorm Emma was a severe extratropical cyclone which passed through several mainly Central European countries, most devastatingly on Saturday March 1, 200, killing at least twelve people in Austria, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. Wind speeds reached up to 166 km/h (103 mph) in Austria, and up to 180 km/h (112 mph) elsewhere. Major infrastructure disruptions and some injuries were also reported in Belgium, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Many trees were also bought down in SW British Isles as it passed over with winds at about 100 mph, affecting counties in Ireland, Wales and S.Western England. A Lufthansa jet almost crashed attempting to land in crosswinds at Hamburg. nd almost crashed whilst landing in high winds near Hamburg.

March 3–5


A storm system attached to a strong front that give very warm temperatures across much of the eastern half of the continent, produced a significant winter storm for portions of Missouri and Arkansas with freezing rain across New York and Ohio. The low is expected to cross New England and give mixed precipitations for most of the Northeast as well as portions of Quebec and Ontario with heavier snow away from the Saint Lawrence River and the Lower Great Lakes.

The freezing rain affected parts of Ohio where presidential primaries were held but had little or no impact on the overall turnout. In Arkansas, where up to nearly one foot of snow fell locally, several schools were shut down in the western part of the state while other school closures were reported across the Midwest. About 8 to 10 in fell in parts of Missouri and Michigan with localized amounts of thirteen inches (330 mm) near the St. Louis area. The winter storm disrupted the schedule of several March Madness Tournament basketball games across the Midwest. Nearly 12 000 customers in Illinois also lost power during the storm.

Heavy snow and local ice pellets and freezing rain fell throughout much Eastern Canada with the heaviest snow from north of the Great Lakes to north of the Saint Lawrence River from Toronto to eastern Quebec. From 4 to 12 inches (10–30 cm) of snow fell with the highest amounts in the Ottawa area. The blizzard conditions also forced a one-day delay for a ceremony at CFB Trenton in memory of a Canadian soldier who was killed in Afghanistan.

March 5–9
The snow on March 5 forced the cancellations of over 500 flights at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, stranding thousands of travelers. As much as 9 inches (18 cm)fell in the northeastern corner of Texas, an unusual depth for that region.

The storm continued northeastward through the Midwest and into the Ohio Valley. Ohio was the hardest-hit state, where near-blizzard conditions were experienced and 8–20 inches of snow fell, while nearby Indiana saw areas of over a foot of snow as well. Arkansas also saw localized totals of 12–18 inches. Snow fell as far south as northern Mississippi, where 5–8 inches fell, and in Tennessee and Kentucky, where localized totals over a foot were reported and Louisville saw its largest storm in a decade. A record 20.4 in fell on Columbus, Ohio during the storm, mainly on the 8th, and 4 people have been killed in traffic accidents caused by the weather so far, with 1 in Ohio, 1 in Tennessee, and 2 in New York. On the 8th, the worst day for much of the Midwest and Ohio Valley, a plane skidded off the runway at Port Columbus International Airport, while near-blizzard conditions closed Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Schools were closed across the state, delaying numerous high school sporting events (mainly basketball championships), while the University of Cincinnati men's basketball team was forced to delay its game with the University of Connecticut after being unable to catch a flight out of the state. Thousands of people also lost power during the storm.

The storm also hit hard across portions of Ontario and Quebec during the period dumping from 6 inches to as much as 21 inches of snow (15–52 cm). Strong winds in excess of 60 km/h with reports in excess of 100 km/h and thunder and lightning also accompanied the storm. Snow drifts forced several motorists to abandoned their vehicles on some the Quebec major highways particular on Highway 15 and 30 near Montreal and also on a secondary highway near Quebec City.

Several inches of rain caused localized flooding along the I-95 corridor in the mid-Atlantic. In Florida, widespread severe weather, including approximately 15 tornadoes, was reported on March 7. One tornado near Lake City killed 2 people.

March 13–18
Newfoundland and Labrador and parts of Atlantic Canada including Nova Scotia were hit by a series of winter storms. Newfoundland and Labrador was particularly hit hard with three consecutive storms with heavy amounts of snow, strong winds, freezing rain. At one point Fogo Island was under a state of emergency after an avalanche caused by one of the storms isolated the area from the rest of the province. Properties and a bridge were damaged by the avalanche. On March 13–14, central parts of the provinces near Gander received as much as 50 centimeters. About 20 centimeters fell on March 16. On March 18, the Avalon Peninsula including St. John's received as much as 40 centimeters of snow and winds reached as high as 141 km/h in Cape Race in the southern part of the Peninsula. Freezing rain and rain later followed the heavy snow across those areas. Transit, banks, government buildings and Memorial University were all shut down while several roads were closed.

March 19–21
A major winter storm hit the eastern portions of Quebec during a two-day period bringing heavy snow and winds gusting in excess of 100 km/h across the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Bas-Saint-Laurent and Côte-Nord regions creating blizzard conditions. Several roads including Highways 132, 138 and 185 were closed as did Autoroutes 20 and 85. Over 600 people were sheltered at schools and other shelters in Riviere-du-Loup. The roof of a school gymnasium in Maria, Quebec in the Gaspésie region collapsed under the weight of the heavy snow from the storm and previous snowfall and ice during the winter. At least one person was killed during the storm near Forestville

April 1–7
On April 1, Dust storms hit Astana in Kazakhstan.

A late season winter storm struck parts of eastern South Dakota, eastern North Dakota and northern Minnesota on April 5 - April 7. An area of low pressure formed along a stationary front draped over central Minnesota and moved slowly northeast. Fourteen inches (356 mm) of snow fell in Hoover, South Dakota, and nearly 5 in fell in Fargo, North Dakota. The heaviest snow fell in northern Minnesota with a wide swath of 18+ inch amounts reported. Areas near Bemidji recorded 23 in, south of Park Rapids recorded 20 in, 32 in of snow was reported 5 mi north of Virginia, 27 in was reported in Cass Lake and 26 in was reported in Babbitt and Chisholm.

April 9–12
A large storm system affected a large portion of the Central United States from April 9 to April 12. The storm produced strong winds to the south of it and dumped heavy snow to the north. Winter Storm watches and warnings were in effect from Colorado to Michigan, and Blizzard Warnings were in effect for parts of South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. The hardest hit area was Ouray, Colorado where over 21 inches (52 cm) fell Some areas across Minnesota received as much as 17 inches (42 cm) near Askov in Pine County and 10 inches (25 cm) in Duluth. Up to 13 inches (33 cm) fell across the eastern Dakotas and western Nebraska.

April 10–21
A series of mid-April winter storms affected much of the Canadian Plains after a below-average snowfall season for most areas. The city of Calgary and most of southern Alberta were hit by a surprising winter storm during the morning hours by a wave of precipitation that was not related to the winter storm the central portions of the continent. About 20–25 cm fell in a few hours bringing down power lines and causing 16 injuries due to motor vehicle accidents. Snow also fell from the Rockies east towards central Saskatchewan. Many areas received over 20 cm with local reports of up to 60 cm shutting down several roads and producing dozens of collisions across several of the major Alberta highways. Accumulated snow even fell in Victoria, British Columbia where it broke a new April single-day record snowfall

April 24–27
A new system across the eastern Prairies dumped heavy amounts of snow from the eastern Dakotas to northwestern Ontario as well as southern Manitoba including Winnipeg from April 24 to April 27. Up to 18 inches of snow (45 cm) fell across the eastern Dakotas with up to 10 inches (25 cm) in parts of northwestern Ontario. Blizzard conditions during the early morning hours of April 26 shut down parts of the Trans-Canada Highway in southern Manitoba east of Winnipeg where 6 to 8 inches fell (15–20 cm)

April 30 – May 2
While a major tornado outbreak took place across the Central and Southern Plains as well in the lower Mississippi River Valley, the northern fringes of a strong low pressure system delivered a major blizzard across northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota. The town of Lead, South Dakota received as much as 4½ feet of snow or about 54 inches while several other areas received from 1 to 4 ft of snow during a two-day period. The poor conditions forced the closure of Interstate 90 in the Black Hills region of western South Dakota.

May 8th-9th
On May 8, dust storms hit Astana in Kazakhstan. 21 people had died in a rural Mongolian blizzard. Parts of the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia were also affected.

The Burmese government said that over 60,000 people are dead or missing and about 1,000,000 are homeless. The American embassy to Burma in the area has estimated that about 100,000 died when Cyclone Nargis hit costal Myanmar on May 8 and 9, 2008.

May 26–27
Fifty-four people, including 14 children, died during a sudden snowstorm in eastern Mongolia, after the days before had been warm with temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius (77 °F). Additionally, around 200.000 heads of lifestock were lost in Khentii and Sükhbaatar alone. In Dornod, Sükhbaatar and Khentii, several meteorological stations broke down, causing a communication issue with the meteorological institute. Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulan Bator saw delayed flights.

June 1–2
About 52 people and 200,000 head of cattle had died in heavy blizards by the 2nd in Mongolia.

August 5–16
On the morning of August 5, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center began monitoring an area of low pressure embedded in a surface trough 1,200 mi (1,930 km) east southeast of Hilo, Hawaii showed signs of development. The remaining low pressure zone was last notable on August 14 as it crossed the International Date Line, out of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center's area of responsibility. Shortly after crossing the dateline, the remnant low that had been Tropical Storm Kika (2008), entered the western Pacific basin and regenerated into a tropical depression. The mrtrologiical depression continued to move towards the west southwest before dissipating on August 16 over open waters.

August 25
On the 25 August, heavy dust storms went over the eastern plains of Somalia and the northeast of  a still drought hit northern Kenya.

September 14–16
On September 14 to 16, a major sandstorm covered an area between the cities of  Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk. It had apparently started in on the Syrian/Iraq on the 14th and had spread in to neighbouring parts of Iran, Turkey and most of Syria by the 16th.

October 10–12
A huge early season storm began to develop over the Great Basin on the 10th and snowfall spread through the Idaho mountains and into Montana. It spread eastward through the rest of Montana and Wyoming throughout the 10th, bringing heavy snowfall to the northern High Plains and adjacent Rocky Mountains. Snow will fill in across Utah and Colorado on the 11th, and as the strong low pressure area moves northeast through Wyoming and into the High Plains, snow will once again intensify across those regions.

The mountains of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah will see widespread totals of 1–2 feet of snow, with up to 4 feet in the mountains of south-central Montana and the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. Snow will fall to the valley floors across the region as well, bringing at least 4 inches to most mountain valley locations, with over 12 inches in some areas. On the High Plains, snow of 6–12 inches will occur from southern Saskatchewan through eastern Montana, western North and South Dakota, and eastern Wyoming. Amounts of 1–2 feet are possible in the far western High Plains region from approximately Billings to Sheridan. In addition, approximately 3–6 inches are expected in the valleys of eastern Idaho, northeastern Nevada, and western Utah, with locally greater totals downwind of the Great Salt Lake due to the lake-effect. The plateaus of southern Wyoming will see blizzard conditions, while the western mountains of Colorado will see up to a foot of snow. This storm is expected to be one of the largest storms to ever affect the region so early in the year.

October 29
The first snowfall in Eastern Canada dumped up to 15 cm of wet snow in Northwestern and southwestern Quebec and the neighboring regions of eastern Ontario, knocking electricity out for some 70,000 people and forcing the closure of several schools and school boards. The same depression also caused worries in Gaspésie due to rainfall. Portions of New York and Pennsylvania received as much as 1 foot of snow.

October 30
The First snowfall for the British Isles dumped around 20 cm of wet snow in parts of Devon and Buckinghamshire. Ireland was also affected with around 10 cms of snow.

November 5–7
A major winter storm affected portions of the northern Plains of North America from the Dakotas to Manitoba. Blizzard conditions across the Dakotas made travel nearly impossible with several roads shut down due to whiteout conditions and winds in excess of 60 mph. As much as 15 inches fell in North Dakota in Towner and Velva, while significant ice fell near the Red River and Devil's Lake areas. Lighter amounts was observed in South Dakota where at most 8 inches fell west of the state capital Pierre. In Manitoba, where 20 centimeters of snow fell, about 2,000 collisions were reported in and around the Winnipeg area.

November 18–22
The first major snowsquall event of the year occurred in Southern Ontario and parts of Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York. About 100 cm (1 metre) was recorded in some areas.

At the same time a coastal system produced a major snowstorm across the Canadian Maritimes shutting down many roads in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. About 30 cm of snow fell in the Halifax area and about 20 in Moncton. Over 10,000 customers lost power during the storm. In another snow event during the week preceding the main storm about 1,500 motorists were stranded on the Cobequid Pass of Highway 104 in Nova Scotia.

November 19–24 (Europe)
A strong high ridge emanating from Greenland crossed Europe creating the first wintry conditions in the season. The ridge interacted over the Black sea with an extratropical cyclone, which later created high winds of 25 m/s (force 10, with gusts up to force 12 over Baltic sea) with snowfall over much of eastern and northeastern Europe. Disruptions in power supply, traffic, air traffic and shipping on the Baltic sea were widespread. The cyclone eventually filled over Estonia leaving about a foot of snow over much of the affected area.

November 25 – December 1
A large extratropical cyclone struck California late on November 25. Floods Watches and Warnings, Winter Storm Watches and Warnings were issued for California and Nevada. A flood advisory was in effect for Clark County and Winter Storm Warnings were in effects for the Serrria range. In Canada, Winter Storm Warnings and Snowfall Warnings are in effect, while in some areas it dumped 30 cm, and other areas saw only rain. Wiarton saw 30 cm, Barrie saw 10 cm and Toronto saw rain with mixing at times. Many delays at airports were reported like at Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

December 3–5
A winter storm is affecting portions of Ontario, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan. Upwards of 20–30 cm (8–12 in) was reported in some areas. In behind it, cold Arctic air is rushing in from the North, and temperatures are dropping rapidly. The is the first major cold wave of the season. The cold air mass has developed more snow squalls of the lakes, as much as 40 cm or more could fall in parts of Michigan and 30 cm or more near the snowbelt region of Ontario.

December 6- December 7
A fast moving system known as a Alberta Clipper is affecting areas around the Great Lakes with up to 5–10 cm (2–4 in) in most areas. Area's around the lakes could get more snow, because of enhancement off of the Lakes. The storm then affected the northeast with as much as 4 inches of snow, Major cities like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Providence, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Albany all got some type of snow accumulation. Chicago was hit by freezing air temps. At one point in Boston, 0.5 mile visibility was observed. Long Island, N.Y. had snow ranging from 1 inch in Islip, to 3.5 inches in Huntington. Temperatures in Chicago were as low as 3 degrees Fahrenheit and in the States of Wisconsin and Minnesota, temperatures were in the negatives with Duluth at 6 degrees Fahrenheit below 0 and Green Bay saw temperatures at 4 degrees Fahrenheit below 0. Temperatures continued to drop in the Northeast, with overnight temperatures in the low teens. Minneapolis was in the negatives all day and at one point it was 10 degrees Fahrenheit below 0. States such as Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, and all of the Northeast states were hit by this system with freezing air temperatures and snow accumulations.

December 7–8
A winter storm is affecting parts of Atlantic Canada. As much as 25–50 mm of rain could fall in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and parts of New Brunswick. Northern Quebec could see 20–30 cm, with similar amounts in Labrador. Winds gusting over 100 km/h are quite possible, once the storm passes, with much colder temperatures. Many areas reported seeing strong gusty winds. Driving will be hazardous in many areas of the Atlantic provinces. As much as 20 cm was recorded in parts of Quebec, and Northern New Brunswick.

December 8–12
A powerful Panhandle hook storm tracked across the Midwestern US, Great Lakes and eastern Canada regions where heavy snow fell from northern Iowa to eastern Quebec. Numerous winter storm, heavy snowfall and freezing rain warnings were issued. Snowfall and mixed precipitation fell in parts of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin and Southern Ontario and Quebec and much of New Brunswick.

The Greater Toronto Area saw between 5 and 10 centimeters before the changeover to rain with local freezing rain particularly north and east of the city. Many areas of central, northeastern and eastern Ontario as well as southern received from 15 to 35 centimeters including 20 cm in the Montreal area and 30 cm in the Ottawa and surrounding region with a few hours of freezing rain from 9 pm to 1 am. The snow storm further complicated the commuters in the Ottawa area where a transit strike at OC Transpo started. About 20 centimeters was recorded in North Bay and up to 30 centimeters in and around the Cottage Country near the Parry Sound and Haliburton regions. There were over 100 crashes reported in Southern Ontario, because of icy conditions and snow.

In the US, up to 11–12 inches fell in Wisconsin, 14 inches in Michigan, 5 inches in northern Illinois and 7 inches in Iowa

The storm was also accompanied by heavy rain further south and severe storms which spawned tornadoes from the Alexandria, Louisiana area to near Birmingham, Alabama to west of Atlanta, Georgia. There were 36 reported tornadoes in an outbreak in the southern part of this storm. 33 of those tornadoes were confirmed with five of those EF2s, two in Mississippi, two in Alabama, and one in Louisiana with many destroyed homes, damaged buildings, and overturned cars. Many people were injured in the tornadoes. Other than the EF2s, many EF0s and EF1s were confirmed with damage in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia. One EF0 tornado in Georgia was caught on film as it was hitting a high school, damaging it. The outbreak was one of the largest in the month of December.

A second storm, with a cold-core upper low, developed on December 11 behind the first one and spread snow across parts of the Gulf Coast states including the cities of Houston, Texas, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and New Orleans, Louisiana as well as parts of southern Mississippi. Four inches fell in Lumberton and Beaumont in southeast Texas as well as just outside the Baton Rouge area and south central Louisiana. Some areas of west-central Louisiana received as much as 6 inches, while areas just south of Jackson, Mississippi received 8 to 10 inches. It was the first snowfall for the downtown New Orleans area since 2004 while its all-time snowfall record for one storm was 5 inches in December 1963. The winter weather caused local power outages in several parishes in Louisiana. It was also Houston's first snowfall since 2004. While wintry precipitation was light and more scarce across the Tennessee Valley, a swath of freezing rain developed across the northeast, dumping heavy amounts of ice across most of New England. Up to one million customers lost electricity across the entire region due to the ice and high winds from northern New York to Maine (see December 2008 Northeast ice storm). States of emergency were declared by the governors of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York. Snowfall amounts topped 9 inches across parts of northern Vermont and New Hampshire. In the Maritime provinces of Canada, several hours of freezing rain were reported, followed by much warmer temperatures. Moncton, New Brunswick hit 60 °F (16 °C), which caused flooding.

December 12–17
A major winter storm is affecting the west coast with rain and snowfall as well as high winds. About 13 cm of snow fell in Vancouver, British Columbia on December 13, while about 20 cm fell in the interior of British Columbia. In behind the storm, a cold air mass developed over British Columbia and temperatures could drop below the freezing mark for a daytime high. The storm will affect the Canadian Prairies, and U.S. Prairies with blizzard like conditions, likely 10–20 cm could fall, with local amounts of 20 cm or more. The windchill could drop below −35 °C in southern Saskatchewan, and parts of Alberta and Manitoba. Windchill warnings have been posted for those areas. This is a major Arctic outbreak in Western Canada and U.S. Around the Great lakes, Wawa, Ontario saw 24 cm (9.4 in), Thunder bay, Ontario saw 23 cm (9.1 in), with lighter amounts away from the center. Southern Ontario saw rain, with strong winds Monday, taking down trees (Toronto reached winds of 40–60 km/h), it has cooled down in Southern Ontario, and parts of the U.S. Northeast. In the Maritime provinces, warmer weather is continuing, but by Tuesday everything will cool down.

December 16–17
A moderately harsh winter storm struck the midwestern United States on December 16 and has the possibility of dropping 3 to 5 inches. In Southern Ontario, the Greater Toronto Area has seen 8–10 cm. With 10 cm in Barrie, and 11 cm in Windsor, Ontario. Heavier snow fell in Midwestern United States where as much as 15 cm or more was recorded. There were over 200 crashes in Southern Ontario, many of them because of careless driving. The storm is affected regions of Atlantic Canada, with 15 cm in Southern New Brunswick, with similar amounts in Newfoundland and Labrador.

A low pressure system moving northeast from the Pacific Ocean in the southwest, along with arctic air produced 1 to 12 inches of snow in the Las Vegas Valley with Las Vegas receiving 1 to 4 inches and Henderson receiving 5 to 10 inches, outer edges of the valley received up to a foot of snow. This was the largest snow event in the Las Vegas Valley in over 30 years. Deserts of California also saw a snow event with the same system, Barstow (a San Bernardino suburb) received 3 to 6 inches of snow.

December 17–19
A quick moving Colorado low, affected portions of the southwest, Midwestern US as well as parts of eastern Canada. Previously, the storm produced snow across the Pacific Northwest including the Seattle, Vancouver and Victoria area. 4 to 8 inches was later reported in and around the Las Vegas metropolitan area setting an all-time one-day December snowfall which was previously held in 1967. Heavy snow affected parts of Wisconsin and Michigan dumping up to a foot of snow in the Milwaukee area heavily disrupting air traffic at General Mitchell International Airport NWS Milwaukee, December 20, 2008. Over a foot of snow was also reported locally around Oakland and Macomb Counties near Detroit. The storm also brought about 3.8 in to Las Vegas, the most snow over 3 decades. Most of southwestern Ontario, next in path of the storm received 15 to 30 cm. The snow and blowing snow was the cause of a 25-car pile-up on Highway 400 north of Toronto injuring at least five. The storm also affected parts of New England still recovering from the previous week's ice storm that left over 1 million customers without power.

By December 19 the storm sped up and dumped 8 to 12 in across parts of the northeast, including 12 inches from western New York to western Massachusetts. New York City saw several inches of snow before a change to freezing rain and then rain. Up to half of foot of snow is expected in Boston later this evening, before the storm pulls off the coast and strengthens further, effecting the Canadian maritimes as a winter mix of snow and freezing rain. During the storm's peak, as many as 1,000 flights were canceled across the northeast.

South of the snow band, a strong ice storm affected the states of Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. Ice accumulation was up to 1.25 inch in some parts of Illinois. Roads are very dangerous and hazardous. Interstates were covered in a sheet of thick ice. Many airports (including Chiacgo O'Hare) are experiencing cancellations and delays. Schools are also being canceled and delayed. About 300 delays were reported at Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

December 19–22
A storm formed off the Pacific coast before effecting the Midwest and northeast later this weekend, right around the Winter Solstice. It could join forces with another low from the north. Winter storm watches and blizzard warnings (not related to the previous storm) are in effect from Washington to Maine, as the storm is expected to bring immediate blizzard conditions to parts of the west and Midwest, before affecting the northeast on Sunday. By Saturday the storm is expected to bring winds as high as 90 mph to parts of Washington. Snowfall estimates for the northeast on Sunday currently range from estimates of 4–6 inches for New England to estimates of 5–10 inches in the Adirondacks by the National Weather Service. The storm brought 15 cm to the Greater Toronto Area, with higher amounts towards Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, and the Niagara Region. This storm also brought strong winds, gusting to 90 km/h in some areas. The storm will bring blizzard like conditions, causing delays at the major airports, so travellers need to be warned. As much as 20–40 cm fell in New Brunswick, and a wintery mix in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Storm surge likely will occur, with the brisk winds, warnings and watches have been placed in the Atlantic provinces. In U.S. Northeast some localized areas reported 60 cm, with 30–50 cm in other areas. The storm cut power to many, most of them in the State of Maine.

On the west coast a major winter storm is affecting major cities. Vancouver, British Columbia saw about 15–20 cm, with higher amounts on Vancouver Island. Down south, towards Washington, 15–20 cm also fell, with lighter amounts south of Seattle, WA. Many delays have been reported at the major airports.

December 22–25
A storm has begun to develop just off the west coast, this could become a major Winter storm once it moves north towards the U.S. Midwest, and the Great lakes region. It will affect the region one day before Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve. Travellers need to be warned. The Greater Toronto Area has seen 10–15 cm of snow, London, Ontario about 20 cm with 5 cm in Barrie, Ontario. Rain should follow, behind the snow, with 10–20 mm in Southern Ontario. There have been delays at many airports, at the O'Hare Airport, and Pearson International, on a busy travelling day because of icy and slippery conditions. The storm brought freezing rain and snow to start in the Atlantic Provinces, but it changed to rain in the end. Northern New Brunswick and Quebec mostly saw snow.

On the west coast, there could be 10–20 cm in many areas, of British Columbia, mostly along the coast, towards Vancouver, which could see 15 cm. Lesser amounts of snow will fall in Victoria, British Columbia, and on Vancouver Island.

December 30-January 1
An Alberta clipper is affecting regions around the Great lakes, Midwestern United States and Northeastern United States. Greater Toronto Area saw about 7–10 cm, with higher amounts towards the Niagara region. The storm is strengthening over the Atlantic, and could become a blizzard. Northeastern United States saw about 10–20 cm. The Atlantic provinces were in a Blizzard for New Year's Day, with 49 cm recorded in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and 25 cm in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Blizzard warnings and storm surge warnings were posted as winds were sustained more than 60–80 km (40–50 mi), out of the North. Newfoundland and Labrador saw about 15–25 cm of snow, with blowing snow. Another 15–20 cm could fall through the province, as another low comes in.

Global storm activity of 2009 profiles the major worldwide storms, including blizzards, ice storms, and other winter events, from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. Wintery storms are events in which the dominant varieties of precipitation are forms that only occur at cold temperatures, such as snow or sleet, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are cold enough to allow ice to form (i.e. freezing rain). It may be marked by strong wind, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), heavy precipitation, such as ice (ice storm), or wind transporting some substance through the atmosphere (as in a dust storm, snowstorm, hailstorm, etc.). Summer storms including flooding, severe thunderstorms and extratropical cyclones (which can occur in summer or winter) are also included in this list to a certain extent.

As this occurred a heat wave and/or unforeseen monsoon weather also hit parts of Australia in 2009 and 2010. Victoria, the scene of horrific bushfires the year before, had a far colder summer, with hot weather arriving more than a month later than usual in 2009. . August 17 saw a dust storm at Laguna Mar Chiquita as a major drought hit Argentina, and flooding and hailstorms hit southeastern Australia and Queensland in March 2010. The lack of winter precipitation in parts of China, however, contributed to a severe drought in the southwest. Bolivia, Venezuela, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco and Spain have also seen periods of drought in 2009 and 2010. On between May 12 and 26, both Mauritania, the Sénégal River Area and neighbouring parts of both Senegal and Mali faced both a drought and famine in 2010.

A storm (from Proto-Germanic *sturmaz "noise, tumult") is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather.

Storms are created when a centre of low pressure develops, with a system of high pressure surrounding it. This combination of opposing forces can create winds and result in the formation of storm clouds, such as the cumulonimbus. Small, localized areas of low pressure can form from hot air rising off hot ground, resulting in smaller meteorological disturbances such as dust devils and whirlwinds.

December 30-January 1
An Alberta clipper is affecting regions around the Great lakes, Midwestern United States and Northeastern United States. Greater Toronto Area saw about 7–10 cm, with higher amounts towards the Niagara region. The storm is strengthening over the Atlantic, and could become a blizzard. Northeastern United States saw about 10–20 cm. The Atlantic provinces were in a Blizzard for New Year's Day, with 49 cm recorded in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and 25 cm in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Blizzard warnings and storm surge warnings were posted as winds were sustained more than 60–80 km (40–50 mi), out of the North. Newfoundland and Labrador saw about 15–25 cm of snow, with blowing snow. Another 15–20 cm could fall through the province, as another low comes in.

January 2–4
January 2 saw a blizard hit the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, killing an Italian torist, when his car skidded into a tree due to black ice on the near by road.

Yet another winter storm developed and brought about 10–25 cm across Alberta, Saskatchewan and through the Northern Great plains. 10–20 cm also fell through Northern Ontario, with freezing rain, ice pellets (sleet) and rain to the south. Northeastern United States can expect ice and snow, with rain down south. Traveling won't be easy.

On the west coast, Vancouver could get 5–10 cm of wet snow, with heavier accum. towards in the interior of British Columbia, likely 10–20 cm.

January 5–7
A major winter storm is developing near the Gulf. It is slowly moving north, and it will be a complex of two lows. Toronto, Ontario recorded about 13 cm. Niagara region saw snow mixing with ice pellets and Freezing rain. Eastern Ontario and Southern Quebec saw amounts of 15–30 cm. Similar amounts fell in New England. The Atlantic provinces saw snow to start then mixing, and rain was reported in some areas.

January 8
Four died on January 8 during a heavy blizzard in the Pakistani state of Jammu and Kashmir and the North West Frontier.

January 9–11
A storm brought 5–15 cm across the Canadian Prairies and through the Great plains. Midwest U.S. and Southwestern Ontario could see amounts of 5–25 cm. Many areas are reporting heavy amounts of snowfall.

On the west coast, up to 120 mm could fall in some areas, as a low pressure area comes in. These latest storms have caused flooding in many areas. Due to excessive snow melt courtesy from the large amounts produced by the December Snow storms, along with heavy rain fall lead to epic flooding. More than 18 rivers went beyond Major Flood stage and a couple went over Record Stage. These floods led the closure of I-5 in Centralia when the Chehalis and Skookumchuck Rivers overflowed. This was the second time in two consecutive years when that Section of I-5 was closed due to flooding.

January 17–19
A major winter storm swept across the Great Lakes region and the U.S. Northeast. Areas of Toronto recorded between 15–25 cm, with 10 cm in Windsor, Ontario, & higher amounts towards the Lakes. Some areas reported more than 20 cm of accumulation. This same storm affected Northeastern United States with 10–30 cm, and the Atlantic provinces of Canada. Some areas have reported freezing rain and ice pellets, and even rain mixing in. U.S. Southeast saw mostly rain.

January 25–29
January 2009 Central Plains and Midwest ice storm

A potentially severe winter storm is in the developing stages and had already brought more than an inch of ice to many areas in the United States. This system will move across the Midwest into the Northeast. Many places are expecting a major ice storm and areas to the north are expecting significant snowfall accumulations. Over 2 million people were without power through out the Midwest and North East United States. About 500,000 people in Kentucky were left Powerless. Ice was thick as 8 cm in some areas. There were 23 Deaths, with 6 deaths in Texas. Regions of Southern Ontario received between 5–20 cm, with 20–30 cm in Eastern Ontario and Southern Quebec. Similar amounts fell in the Atlantic Provinces, with some rain/snow mixing in at times, as some areas got above the 0 C (32 F) mark.

On January 21, heavy rain cause worst floods in 40 years in Brunei Darussalam. Heavy rains started late on Tuesday in the oil-rich capital of Bandar Seri Begawan, causing flash floods and landslides, interrupting power supply and shutting some telephone lines. About 145.8 millimetres of rainfall was recorded during the 24-hour period from 8 am Tuesday to 8 am Wednesday, according to the weather department, which expects more rain in the coming days but not as heavy as on Tuesday. Two casualties were reported.

February 1–2


A warm, moist Mediterranean cyclone began to move (unusually?) northwards over France, against a cold continental high pressure ridge, causing the cyclone to discharge its moisture as snow over large areas of western Europe. The system was vigorous enough to produce a winter-time tornado in Malaga.

On February 1 and 2, heavy snow fell overnight across large parts of the United Kingdom, causing widespread disruption to transport and education. London received its heaviest snowfalls in 18 years. Many roads, including the M25 London Orbital motorway, were blocked in the morning rush hour, whilst train services are disrupted and many airport runways closed. Transport for London suspended all London Buses and the London Underground was severely disrupted. Hundreds of schools were forced to close. Temperatures fell below seasonal averages with Chesham, Buckinghamshire recording -10 degrees Celsius at night.

Airports were affected included London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Charles de Gaulle Airport and Orly Airport were affected.

Spain, Germany, Portugal and Ireland were also affected. In Ireland, snowstorms disrupted road and rail transport, including the M50 and M1. Dublin Airport and Cork Airport were severely disrupted, as were ferry services in the Irish Sea throughout February 2.

Ireland was affected in a similar way to the UK. In the Republic, the South and East were the worst affected. Due to black ice, driving was very treacherous, with ice and snow blocking many major routes such as the M1 and M50. Dublin Airport and Cork Airport were seriously affected, with many flights to Britain and Europe delayed and cancelled. The major rail routes across Ireland were closed down, as a result of bad ice and snow. Temperatures across Ireland fell below average everywhere, with temperatures of -8 and -9 degrees Celsius recorded in places.

The snow was a result of wind blowing across from West Siberia, and reacted with the low pressure system approaching across from the Atlantic. This created unusually large amounts of snow, which fell across England, Wales and Eastern Ireland. This weather type is rare in Ireland, and is normally confined to small amounts; however, the total amount of snowfall in this storm was the highest since 1981.

A winter storm developing over the Gulf states and through the Gulf of Mexico, is bringing widespread Heavy Rain to the South Eastern States of the US. Up to 100 mm is possible in some areas. Coastal areas of North Eastern United states can expect snowfall of up to 6 inches (15 cm) in some areas, local amounts may be higher. Atlantic Canada will see strong winds and snowfall amounts of 15–30 cm (6–12 inches).

A small weather system carrying snow that developed in North France reached South East England and the Midlands which brought 20–30 cm (8–12 inches) of snow in some parts of Gloucestershire. Further snow came in from the south and east throughout the week. The worst places affected was the Forest of Dean and The Cotswolds. On 6 February a few small towns in Devon reported around 55 cm (22 inches) of lying snow (Okehampton). The Severn Bridge, the main link between England and Wales closed due to falling ice for the first time. Some 321 schools in Buckinghamshire, 300 schools in Gloucestershire and 307 schools in Wales also closed on the 6th.

February 6–12
About 3,000 people were killed as a storm complex paced over Haiti on the 6th

A winter storm from the Atlantic reached southern Britain and the Midlands on 9–10 causing heavy rain and flooding. Across the midlands and further north, it was cold enough for it to fall as snow. Coupled with the strong winds, it made blizzard conditions. The Met office issued an extreme winter storm warning for many counties in Great Britain. Meanwhile a temperature of -18 °C was recorded in the Scottish Highlands — the coldest UK temperature since 2003. Smaller outbreaks of snow occurred across parts of the north and east of England on 12–13 February.

A major storm developing over Texas is affecting many communities in North America. Areas like Oklahoma City were hit hard with heavy rain, hail and a tornado in western Oklahoma City. There have been numerous spottings of funnel clouds. Heavy rain continues through Texas and Kansas, which will extend into Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana. Areas of Michigan, Illinois and SW Ontario could see pop-up thunderstorms, but likely not as severe. Northern Ontario will see mostly an ice-rain event. While areas to the South could see 25–50 mm (1–2 inches).

February 16–20
A major storm affected Newfoundland with strong winds gusting to 100 km in some areas. Bitterly cold conditions, strong winds and heavy snowfall caused a blizzard through parts of Newfoundland. Some areas of Newfoundland received between 20–40 cm. Local areas and local drifts were locally higher.

A winter storm that developed over Colorado brought messy weather across the Great plains, Midwest U.S., the Great Lakes and Northeast United States. Some areas had a messy mix of snow, ice and rain. Toronto had seen about 10 cm. South Western Ontario saw between 1–10 cm. Northern Areas of Ontario and Quebec received between 10–25 cm. Eastern Ontario received between 10–20 cm. The northeast saw local amounts of over 15 cm. From Midwestern sections of the U.S. to the Southern Lakes messy mix was reported with rain at times. Southern United states saw heavy amounts of rainfall, Thunderstorms and Tornado warnings were issued in some areas.

The Atlantic provinces are seeing heavy snowfall and some mixed precipitation. Areas could exceed 10 cm. Newfoundland could get more heavy snowfall.

February 21–23
An Alberta Clipper, which picked up mositure from the Gulf, dumped about 5–20 cm across the Midwest, and the Great lakes area. Areas like Windsor saw close to 15 cm, Toronto saw about 5–12 cm. Eastern Ontario and Southern Quebec could see slightly higher amounts as a coastal low develops, and gives heavier snow. Northeastern United States are seeing snow, mix precipitation and rainfall. The heavier snowfall is towards New England and Maine.

Atlantic Canada is seeing blizzard like conditions. 15–40 cm is possible is some areas. Winter storm warnings and snowfall warnings are in place.

March 1–4
A major winter storm which brought up to 16" of snow to parts of West Tennessee and Arkansas and up to 7" of snow to parts of Georgia (including the Atlanta area), Alabama (including Birmingham) and Mississippi gathered strength and moved northeastward, in the process crossing the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area before impacting the greater New York and greater Philadelphia areas. The storm was a large, widespread storm, with snow totals exceeding 8 in across most of the tri-state area. as well as 3–7 inches north of Rockland County, as well as scattered amounts of 17–20 inches in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

On March 1 to 2  A heavy dust storm hits  N.E. China  and parts of  Mongolia. It then parses over the Bo Hai Sea and the Yellow Sea, finally dispersing over North Korea and South Korea in the 4th

March 7
On the 7th, heavy rain induced floods killed 52 in Bolivia, 19 in Peru, and 16 in Ecuador, said news reports.

March 13
Snow storm strands 2 busses, 53 cars and 83 people on the Ust-Kamenogorsk-Georgiyevka highway in Kazakhstan on March 13.

March 22
Heavy snow and ice hits the Sea of Okhotsk, Sakhalin Island and Primorsky Krai in Russia far east on March 22.

March 26–28
A major blizzard hit Denver and other counties around the area on Thursday, March 26. Parts of the Front Range saw 18 in of snow and schools around Denver were closed early. Denver International Airport canceled more than 400 planes departing and arriving. On Friday, March 27, the storm impacted Kansas, northwestern Oklahoma, and the Texas Panhandle, with 12 to 24 in of snow and blizzard conditions. Some areas around Pratt County, Kansas and Kiowa County, Kansas received 28" of Snowfall. Snow Drifts reached 10 ft high in Dalhart, Texas. On Friday night and into Saturday, March 28, the storm system impacted the Kansas City area and northern parts of Missouri, before moving into the Quad Cities area, Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin on Saturday night. Numerous areas here saw between 4 and 8" of snow. Waukegan, Illinois, saw around half a foot from this late-season winter blast.

April 12–13
A late major winter storm coming from New England was expected to hit the Maritime Provinces on Easter. 15–30 cm of snow is expected in most areas, and Halifax and southern areas were to see heavy rain.

June 2
Another 15 people and 10,000 head of cattle had died by this date in Mongolia. Snow also fell on Russia's Sakhalin island.

June 6
Heavy rain and storm with twister in Czech Republic

July 1
Heavy rain falls in parts of the Ukraine.

July 11
July 11 saw heavy storms flood the Chinese city of Shuzou, in Jiangsu Province. .

July 17
On July 17, flooding caused by heavy rain and hailstorms hit Nanaimo village, and it‘s environs as bad weather sweeps over most of Mongolia, killing 24 people as it did so.

July 24
On July 24, the Dakar Rally stage in  Mauritania due to heavy sandstorms and high winds. .

August 5–6
August 5 and 6 saw the Maritime affairs department in Hainan province issued an emergency tropical storm warning to 20,000 fishing vessels in the South China Sea as Typhoons Morakot and Gorni, approached China's Guangdong Province. Heavy storms hit the cities of Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Haikou. More than 953,000 residents and more than 35,000 boats were evacuated back to shore in the eastern and southeastern provinces of the People's Republic of China as Typhoons Morakot approached A fishing boat capsized with nine fishermen missing. . 3 people died in the China and 462 died in Taiwan.

August 21–28
A stream of moisture that emerged from the Gulf of California brought rain to Southern California. A flash flood warning was issued for Central and Eastern San Diego County as a result of the rain. Later on, the system moved north and started to move towards the east coast on Sunday, August 23. The remaining thunderstorms lingered around in Central and Eastern San Diego County until Friday, August 28 before finally moving towards the east coast.

September 2–8
A heavy and rainy cyclone hit the Bering sea, Choris Peninsula and parts of the Aleutian islands on September 2. A heavy storm hit parts of the Beaufort Sea and parts of the Chukchi Sea on September 4.

Heavy rain and floods on the 4th also lead to both cars were under water and bales of wheat are floating down the swolen river past Mr A.J. Duncan’s farms at Muirden Farm, Turriff, Aberdeenshire. Both Oxbridge and Publican spring barley planting was at risk if the flood waters did not clear quickly.

On the 8th unusually heavy rain hit Argentina, and storms his Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, killing 14 or 15 people (reports varied). Tornados his Argentina to. A town official in Santa Rosa, Paulo Alvez appealed for help for both the town of Santa Rosa and El Progreso.

Arkansas withessed hevy flooding on the 7th and 8th ,.

October 1–5
A heavy and snowy cyclone hit the Kedrovaya River in Primorsky Krai and parts of the Aleutian islands on October 1.

A heavy and rainy cyclone hit the Bering sea and parts of the Chukchi Sea on October 3. 21 people were confirmed dead following rainstorms and landslides in Sicily. A fishing boat was damaged at sea off the coast of Sicily. Austria saw heavy flooding, with lesser levels in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, Moldova and southern parts of Ukraine. Two Ukrainians and a Moldovan died in the storm.

5 days of unusually heavy rain left 205 dead, 125 injured and 750,000 homeless in southern India by October the 5th. Indian and Sri Lankan medical teams managed to save many lives across Tamil Nadu and Kerala states.

October 11–18
Late on October 11, the remains of Super Typhoon Melor were absorbed by a newly formed low-pressure system just north of it, similar to how Typhoon Kujira's remains were absorbed. The low-pressure system slowly began to intensify as it crossed the Pacific Ocean. Several wind and flood watches/warnings were issued on October 17 in advance for the expected arrival of the winter storm. A high wave advisory was issued for the entire western seaboard. Just before midnight of October 18, the powerful winter storm struck California with gale-force winds and torrential rainfall. In Northern California, the rainfall was seemingly endless. The San Francisco Bay area suffered the most damage, from 40-foot (12 m) high waves and reported gusts of 85 mph (140 km/h). A rare storm warning was posted for San Francisco Bay and subsequently, wind gusts were clocked at 75 mph (125 km/h) on Angel Island. Because the storm stayed stationary, it began to weaken, but soon afterward it moved east and then south. As it moved south, brought moderate rain to some parts of California before moving towards the east coast. It caused heavy rainfall while it was moving towards the eastern seaboard. The winter storm moved off the eastern coast of the United States and into the Atlantic Ocean early on Saturday, November 7, 2009, and dissipated completely in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, November 11, 2009. The damage that the storm did to the west coast from Sunday, October 11, 2009 to Friday, October 15, 2009 is currently estimated at about $1.5 billion (2009 USD).

Heavy snow fell in parts of Pennsylvania between the 15th and 16th. State College, Pennsylvania saw ten inches (254 mm) of wet snow, causing a very memorable Penn State homecoming game, and breaking numerous records, such as earliest recorded snowfall, most severe October snowstorm, and most snow in the month of October. Moderate snow fell between the 15th and 18th in the Northeast US as far as the suburbs of New York City, with light snow being reported in the city itself. Boston suburbs saw moderate, wet snow fall on the morning of October 16, in spots accumulating up to 0.5 in. The area was then hit on October 18, when in the afternoon, heavy rain turned to heavy snow and almost white-out conditions. The ground was too warm for any significant accumulation, but up to 2 in were reported at spots between Boston and Lowell. It all melted by October 20.

October 12–13
On 12 October 2009, Just over 200 herdsmen and 1,000 heads of livestock had been stranded by heavy snowfalls in Ali prefecture. The week-long snowfall had accumulated to about 30 centimetres in Pulan County in Ali, with some areas reaching as much as 1 meter depth, according to Xing Xiuyin, head of an armed police detachment stationed in the Tibetan region. 30 soldiers and two snow-clearing machines were sent on the way to Ali, according to Xing Xiuyin. Thousands of people were trapped as heavy snow fell in Tibet's Lhunze County, but rescue services managed to minimize the casualties and damage to homes. The rescue services also managed to provide shelter and emergency fodder for 200 head of cattle. By October 13, snow was reported by Chinese authorities to be falling in both Qinghai and Heilongjiang Provinces.

October 15–16
On 15 October 2009, Germany, Austria and Poland were hit by heavy snowstorms. One person died after falling in an Tyrolian lake by accident.

27,000 lightning strikes and heavy rainstorms hit parts of Spain in just over 12 hours on 16 October.

On October 16 the cold weather in Poland kills 4 people and the Czech power company CEZ Group declared a state of emergency in 8 regions due to the wide spread reports of fallen power lines. The town of Jablonec nad Nisou was mostly blacked out by a power outage. Heavy snow was reported in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Liechtenstein and the Austrian province of Styria.

October 29–30
Between October 29 and 30 a very powerful winter storm battered the west coast of the USA, although it did not affect Southern California. It was very windy in the places that it hit, but the storm only stayed there for two days. The storm left and traveled towards the east coast after that day. The only affect the storm had on Southern California was bringing a cloudy day with very cold temperatures.

October 31
Heavy snowfall hit Russia's Primorsky Territory on October 31, as the cold windstorm moved from the Sea of Okhotsk to the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, bringing heavy snow and rain to the region that meteorologists expected to last another 24 hours. They also warned that temperatures would fall by up to 15 degrees and that weather conditions could make traveling difficult as snowfall in the Vladivostok area had already significantly impeded travel by larger vehicles. The city administration's official Yevgeny Kolpinets told the Russian news agency Itar-Tass that the inclement weather had stopped bus traffic in the city, but luckily no energy supply service problems had been reported. Weather forecasters expected more cyclone-generated snow fall over the next few days. .

November 3–18
On November 3, the Harbin Snow Festival in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, experienced unusually heavy snow. The festival was first started in 1985 and had never before seen such heavy snowfall. Harbin is China's tenth-largest city with a population of about 4,500,000, so planned electricity rationing would hit this usually busy city hard, as would the planned rationing in Beijing. The worst snowstorms in Northeastern China since 1949 claimed 40 lives, destroyed thousands of buildings and destroyed almost 500000 acres of winter crops, according to the Civil Affairs Ministry. The snowfall was the heaviest in the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Shandong and Henan since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

On November 4, Tropical Storm Ida hits Nicaragua and later the Gulf of Mexico. The Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center puts out a flood alert on the  Mississippi River By November the 7th, a storm waning was also out in Pinar del Rio, in western Cuba, as it headed out of Central America and in to southern Mexico. Winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) were forecast for Yucatan Peninsula and Yucatan Channel. Heavy rain was reported in parts of Haiti. A rainfall of 3 to 10 in is predicted by local authorities and the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center for both the Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba. By the 10th, it had virtually died out and was only a bad storm in New Orleans and Pensacola. 35-45 M.P.H. winds and heavy rain battered the rest of Florida‘s Gulf Coast and Alabama’s Dauphin Island. The remnants of the storm then caused some more snow to fall in the southern parts the Great Plains on region the 11th and 12th.

On November 10, heavy rain and intermittent snow hit the Cheviot Hills, Pennines, Dee Valley in Wales and The Wash. Light snow fell in the Grampian Mountains and Aberdeenshire. Passing sleet was also recorded in Lincolnshire on the 10th. A flood watch was put on the River Tay and the River Dee. Minor surface flooding had already occurred in parts of Lincolnshire and Cumbria after the previous two days flooding.

11 November 2009, saw snow and/or rain storms menacing Hungary, Iceland, India's part of the Himalayas (rain and snow), parts of Indonesia (rain only), north western Iran, northern Iraq, Mount Fuji in Japan and in Armenia. Yet more snow storms hit the People's Republic of China, disrupting traffic across the northeastern provinces, Beijing and Tibet on November the 10th and 11th. Most of Bulgaria's poor drainage systems and second-rate storm drains failed during the day's heavy rain and windstorms. Snow was also present in most of the mountain regions.

Heavy snowfall in China caused school building collapses and the deaths of 38 people on the 18th.

November 10–13
The resent floods on the 10th and 11th had killed 8 in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul, according to the state's Civil Defence Department. 4 others were killed in Argentina and Uruguay. 22,000 people were evacuated in each nation as heavy rain made the rivers between Uruguay and Argentina to overflow its banks.

November 11 - December 30
After a rather snowy November 11, Iceland's weather became rather unusual. From November 12 to December 30, Iceland's abnormally warm and dry November weather gave way and December became very snowy with the town of Akureyri receiving 35 cm of snow over the night of December 1–2. Snow fell and blizzards occurred intermittently throughout a windy December.

On December 12, heavy snow hit Dimmuborgir, Iceland.

November 14
A blizzard and about half a foot of snow fell on the 1,040 m high Peak Chekhov, near Yuzhno, Sakhalin Island, on November 14, 2009.

November 18–25


Many properties were flooded in Ambleside on November 18, leaving the main road impassible for most vehicles. . Over 200 people in Cockermouth were rescued from their homes by the emergency services. .

On the Isle of Man, there were brief power cuts on the 18th, in Ballaragh and Laxey but Manx Electricity restored power to all affected properties by the afternoon.

On the 20th, all services on the West Coast Main Line were still temporarily suspended after a landslip between Carlisle and Penrith. The West Coast Main Line was flooded between Carlisle and Carstairs and was closed as a result. Services were reduced between Edinburgh and Glasgow and also Edinburgh and Dunblane. .

In Workington, the collapse of Northside Bridge carrying the A597 road and the condemnation of Calva Bridge carrying the A596 resulted in a 40 mi journey from Northside to the town centre. Network Rail are constructed a temporary railway station, Workington North, to help Northside residents get into and out of town. The 170 members of the Royal Engineers from 170 (Infrastructure Support Unit) installed a temporary footbridge upstream of Calva Bridge, which opened as scheduled, on the 5th  December 2009.

As a result of the loss of all road and footbridges in Workington on November 19, it was announced that a new ailway station, Workington North, would be built on wasteland leased for two years from Allerdale Council. The station was scheduled to open by 28 November with services provided by Northern Rail. Workington North opened on 30 November 2009.

The government pledged £1,000,000 to the reconstruction of the shattered town, but deemed any new (permanent) road or a (temporary) rail bridge unnecessary and only allowed the army engineers to build a temporary foot bridge at state expense to begin with. Northern Rail, Network Rail and a local contractor all helped in the building of Workington North. The Department for Transport announced that it would fund the service until the 31st of December 2009, at a cost of £216,000. All trains between Workington, Workington North, Flimby and Maryport would be free of charge until 31 December 2009.

Heavy sandstorms hit Mauritania on Nov 22.

County Fermanagh was hit by heavy rain on November the 23rd. Many roads were flooded or hit by landslides. The B36 Dernawilt Road between Enniskillen and Killyfole was one of many that were affected by the storm. Both Lough Erne and the Colebrooke River were put on flood alert.

A mini-tornado tore through Maypole Lane in the Derbyshire village of Littleover the next day, November 24. Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service reported moderate damage in the Village on the 24th. A small waterspout was reported off the coast of Aberdeenshire.

25 November saw fierce winds rattling Dublin Airport and parts of the east coast of Ireland, leading to the diversion of ten aircraft—seven aircraft to Shannon Airport and three aircraft to Manchester Airport. Some of the affected aircraft were transatlantic flights from destinations such as Chicago and New York.

November 21-December 3
Early on November 21 the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) reported that an area of convection had persisted within a monsoon trough about 880 km, (545 mi) to the southeast of Guam. The typhoon later weakened to a category four, before re-strengthening to a category five on November 27, remaining quasi-stationary for more than two days. It weakened to a tropical depression on December 2, after sending bursts of moisture into the jet stream. The storm dissipated on December 3.

November 25–30
On November 25, a cold cyclone tracked into Russia's Primorsky Territory from the Yellow Sea. Weather forecasters correctly predicted snow, gale-force wind and temperatures between 0 to −2 °C, with one night's temperature drop reaching −25°С. Over the next week the daytime temperature was predicted to be between 2°С to -10°С, with a nighttime temperature between −24 and −25 °C. The wind speed was expected to be between 0 and 11 m/s. Both ice and avalanche warnings were issued for a week (to December 2) as heavy snow was predicted for both Primorsky Krai and Amur Krai, but significantly less than expected actually occurred over the week and the storm finally cleared up on 30 November, rather than on December 2.

A powerful storm (probably the earlier one from Primorsky Krai) stalled in the Gulf of Alaska in November 25. On the 26th, its wind field produced high tides on the western seaboard. The storm weakened significantly on the 27th and moved towards Southern California, bringing heavy rainfall starting early in the morning and causing strong winds. The storm left Southern California and moved on to batter the east coast during the afternoon of Sunday, November 29, 2009. A heavy and snowy cyclone hit the Aleutian islands on November 30.

By November 27 heavy rain was moving over the Irish Sea is set to give some heavy rain then turning to snow over parts of the Peak District, with altitudes above 1000 feet (300 m), dropping over 2 inches (5.1 cm) of snow in some places. This is the usual snowfall for parts of Scotland, including the West Highlands and the East Highlands.



In the U.K., Cumbria's Workington North Temporary Station was official opened on 30 November 2009.

On the 30th overmore than 100 people died as heavy rain flood Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The poorly designed and built local infrastructure and mismanagement of city works construction have been blamed, as well as the effects of Global Warming.

December 1–2
On December 1 and 2 heavy rain fell in the British Isles, and into the night, the rain band hit the cold air and turned to snow giving about 1 foot (30 cm) on some hilltops and mountains across Scotland.

On 2 December, thousands of acres of Irish farmland remained underwater, floodwaters were still rising in some County Galway villages and roads in County Clare and Galway were still impassable. . Floods were still in situ across the UK and both bus and train services were disrupted in Essex, Cumbria and Pembrokeshire. The River Severn and River Derwent were put on flood watch by the Environment Agency.

December 3 - January 1
Toronto, Canada was hit by both a cold front and two extreme cold weather warnings between December 3 and January 1. . A strong arctic front moved through Alberta from the northwest, bringing from 4 in to 1 foot (10 cm to 30 cm) of snowfall. Winds gusted to 50 mph (80 km/h), causing whiteout and blizzard conditions across most of Alberta. The southern half of the province got the worst of the storm. The winds blew the snow into massive drifts and snow banks up to 10 feet (3m) in height. Numerous communities in Calgary were completely snowed in for three days, from December 5 to 7. Numerous cars and trucks were abandoned, with many buried up to their roofs in snow.

December 4–7
Between December 4–7 a heavy snow storm hits Calgary and disrupts travel in general Canada.

December 6–14
The December 2009 North American snowstorms were a meteorological event in North America that started on December 11. The snowstorms brought record amounts of snow to the Midwest and contributed to deaths of 16 people. The storms affected a number of US states, including Arizona, Wisconsin and New York, as well as Canada. Although the initial storm had virtually subsided by December 11, further snow was expected to fall.

A weak disturbance that started overnight on December 6 stalled over the western United States and intensified rapidly. Heavy downpours began early in the morning of December 7 and continued non-stop until the evening, triggering flash-flood watches. The storm dropped as much as 4.5 in (110 mm) of rain in Cuyamaca, San Diego, causing blackouts in some locations. This storm was followed by a small semi-tropical winter storm which started overnight on December 10 and then stalled over Southern California and intensified, causing heavy downpours. In addition to 4 in of rain, this storm gave pea-sized-hail and gusty winds before weakening and moving away from Southern California on December 13.

Heavy snow hit Wisconsin, New York, Washington, D.C. and parts of Maryland on the 10th and 14th. Heavy rain hit parts of Arizona on the 11th.

December 8–16
Light snow began to fall in the Grampian Mountains on December 8. On the 8th more heavy snow showers followed on the 18th. Heavy overnight snow caused widespread disruption across England in the South East, East Anglia, the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber. East Winds brought further snowfalls in the northern half of the UK.

Overnight, five Eurostar trains were stuck in the Channel Tunnel, trapping 2,000 people for 16 hours after electrical failures due to cold temperatures. Many schools in England were closed on the 9th. During the December 2009 European snowfall, four Eurostar trains broke down inside the Channel Tunnel, after leaving France, and one in Kent on 18 December. Although the trains had been winterised, the systems had not coped with the conditions. Over 2,000 passengers were stuck inside failed trains inside the tunnel, and over 75,000 had their services disrupted. All Eurostar services were cancelled from Saturday 19 December to Monday 21 December 2009. An independent review, published on 12 February 2010, was critical of the contingency plans in place for assisting passengers stranded by the delays, calling them "insufficient".

The cold weather began in earnest on December 10, with temperatures in Braemar, Aberdeenshire reaching a low of −4.9 °C on the 10th, −7 °C on the 11th, and −8.9 °C on the 12th. This was the beginning of the "Big Freeze". Between December 11 and 16, cold air from the north and east brought subzero temperatures to many northern parts of the UK and the southern county of Oxfordshire, along with dense fog.

December 14–21


A major blizzard killed 11 people in Romania between December 14 and 21.

Wintery showers of rain, sleet, and heavy snow affected East and South-East parts of the United Kingdom. On 18 December, heavy snowfall caused widespread disruption and travel chaos across large parts of Lancashire, South East England, East Anglia, the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber, forcing schools to close early for the upcoming Christmas holiday and cutting power supplies in some areas. The heaviest snowfall in 20 years also caused temperatures to fall as low as -16 C in the Scottish Highlands.

More heavy snow showers followed on December 18. Heavy overnight snow caused widespread disruption across England in the South East, East Anglia, the East Midlands, Yorkshire, and the Humber. Five Eurostar trains were stuck in the Channel Tunnel after electrical failures due to cold temperatures, trapping 2,000 people for up to 16 hours. Many schools in England were closed on December 18.

Heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures killed at least 290 people across Europe. Temperatures fell to as low as -33 C in Germany, suspending and cancelling flights and stranding thousands of Christmas passengers. As many as 40% of flights from Paris's two airports, Orly and Charles de Gaulle, were cancelled. Berlin Tegel Airport, Amsterdam's Schipol Airport, and Frankfurt International Airport were forced to close due to ice on the runway.

Heavy snow fell in both the Russian teritorries of Krasnodar Krai and in the Russian Far East on December the 18th. The Far Eastern storm had heavy snow flurries occered across the Sea of Okhotsk, Cape Lopatka, Avacha Bay, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Volcanoes of Kamchatka, which a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Kamchatka Peninsula's Central Range Mountains on December the 18th.

On December 20, 3 people froze to death in Steiermark, Austria, while blizzards hit S.W. Norway. December 21 and 22 saw 20 cm of snow fall in Moscow and nearby towns Temperatures of as low as −20 °C killed 47 people in Poland on December 20. In northern Italy, some locations recorded the lowest temperature since 1985, with one low reaching −17 °C (1.4 °F). . Finland, the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands also recorded record low temperatures.

In the United Kingdom, many major motorways, including the M25, M4, M40 and M1, were brought to a standstill due to snow drifts, cold, and ice, leaving many towns gridlocked. The UK's Highways Agency tried to grit the M11 and M1, only to have a gritter van skid off the M11 and into a deep snow drift. Some people were able to travel from London Victoria Station to Ashford International railway station courtesy of a steam train hauled by Tornado. Widespread transport disruption to roads, railways, buses, and airports affected much of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

In Zagreb, Croatia, around 50 passengers were injured when a train travelling from Sisak to Zagreb failed to stop due to black ice on the rails and hit a buffer at the city's main railway station. One person suffered life-threatening injuries, while some 40 others required medical attention. A homeless man froze to death in southern Kosovo during a localized snowstorm. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3 people were found dead from hypothermia in Sarajevo and Teslić.

December 16–19


A powerful nor'easter brought blizzard conditions to the northeastern and mid-atlantic United States, as well as Nova Scotia in Canada on the 16th of December. Washington, D.C. received nearly two feet (over 60 cm) of snow, setting a city record for December snowfall. New York City and southern New England were forecast to receive over a foot of snow. The snow covered most of New England, disrupting travel in New York and Pennsylvania as local record low temperatures are recorded as snow falls in Florida on the 17th. Seven people were killed as a result of the storm.

19 December 2009 also saw a meeting of both metrological, provincial and governmental officials from across Eastern Siberia and the neighbouring provinces of Northeast China on how to cope with any future severe storms in southern Sakhalin Island and Heilongjiang Province. 8 people had died on the island by this date

December 20–22
On December 20, nearly a foot and a half of snow fell in parts of Buncombe County and around other parts of North Carolina, with the highest amounts seen north and east of Transylvania County. This was the most snow seen in the region since 1996. Two feet of snow was recorded on Mt. Mitchell. National Guard units were mobilized to help stranded drivers and clear roads. Red Cross and National Guard shelters were opened in Buncombe, Madison and McDowell counties to accommodate travellers stranded by miles-long backups on the congested and debris-strewn I-40 and I-26. Hundreds of trees and limbs fell under the weight of the snow, blocking roads and leaving tens of thousands without power or phones. On December 22, blizzard conditions also struck Washington, D.C.. Snow fall would be widely spread across the north eastern USA and most of the Eastern Seaboard.

On December the 20th snow near the city of Hanover caused miles-long traffic jams on the Autobahn. There had been road  50 accidents reported on the stretch of Autobahn, which only has 5-6 accident a day in normal weather. The trains running between Warsaw and Poznan were delayed by at least an hour due to snow drifts on the tracks and fallen power lines. The Polish Meteorological Institute predicted the weather would not change for the next few days and temperatures would stay at -10C for the next couple of days. Poland, northern Germany, Scandinavia, Lithuania and Hungary would all see at least some heavy snow in places that day. Light snow was reported in most parts on continental Europe and the UK by the 22nd. Sadly, 23 football matches and 2 horse races were called off in the UK.

December 21 - January 3
In Mongolia, heavy December snowstorms killed 2,000 cattle and 2 people. The worst was between December 21 and January 3.

December 21–22
On December the 21st blizzards disrupt New England, south western Ukraine, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Bosnia, Serbia, Paris, the Netherlands and London.

On December 22, a blanket of heavy snow fell upon large parts of Japan and South Korea, causing the deaths of 10 Japanese and 3 South Korean people. Snow was piled up to 184 cm high in parts of Niigata. Up to 650,000 homes and businesses lost electricity, and local trains were also halted by the power outage. In Fukui, two nuclear power plants automatically shut down due to technical problems caused by the unusually heavy snowfalls. South Korea deployed several thousand troops to clear highways and remove snow from the roofs of weak buildings after up to a metre of snow had fallen over the past two weeks. Although the storm certainly affected North Korea as well, no reports are available.

Also on the 22nd, snowstorms hit Leicestershire and Warsaw. At the same time, a Winter storm hit Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and parts of Tannu Tuva, while a Siberian cyclone started up over Yakutia and headed for Khabarovsk Krai.

December 22–28


Starting on December 22, a large winter storm began moving across the Great Plains and Midwest. It has claimed 21 lives, canceled hundreds of flights and knocked out power across most of West Virginia. The storm stalled and spun around itself for a few days before continuing northeast. Many parts of the Great Plains experienced heavy snowfall, while places further north such as Chicago and Ottawa received freezing rain. As the snow and rain subsided on the 27th, it left record rainfalls in Texas to the Upper Midwest. The storm dumped 23.9 in (60.7 cm) of snow in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and 18 in (45.7 cm) near Norfolk, Nebraska. In the East, higher temperatures and rains have started melting and washing away last week's record-setting snowfalls, threatening the region with flooding. The National Weather Service also of flooding in parts of the South and Midwest, and winter weather advisories were in effect in sections of Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan through the Sunday. A man drowned after slipping in to the Kennebec River, near Moosehead Lake in Maine.

Over 30 inches (78 cm) of snow fell in South Dakota. Several inches of snow also fell in Las Vegas, Nevada. In Southern Ontario, snowsqualls fed into a cold front behind the main low pressure center of the storm to produce a rapid drop in temperatures on December 28.

December 23 – January 1
December 23 to 26 saw heavy snow hit both Primorsky (Primorye) Krai, Khabarovsk Krai, Sakhalin Oblast and Kamchatka Krai. The weekend saw a migratory cyclone bringing a warm spell and snowstorms reaching Primorsky on the Friday. Heavy snow badly disrupted life in Vladivostok in December as sleet and gale-force wind occurred on Primorsky Krai's south coast. Over two days, temperatures rose from -4 °C up to -2 °C. On the night of December 26 the strengthening cyclone began drifting to the southern coast of Primorsky and over Sakhalin Krai. Snow also fell in Amur Oblast. President Vladimir Putin visited Vladivostok on the 25th.

Heavy snowfall also began in Saint Petersburg, Russia. By 26 December the city was under 35 cm of snow, creating the most December snowfall seen in the city since 1881. . A snowstorm also occurred in parts of the Barents sea.

On December 30 an emergency warning about the passage of another powerful cyclone was issued to all the territories and population centres along Russia's Pacific Coast. The gales, heavy snowfall, blizzards and a sharp fall in air temperatures hit the Sea of Okhotsk and the surrounding territories of Primorsky Krai, Sakhalin Oblast, Khabarovsk Krai and Magadan Oblast. The Far Eastern territorial centre of the federal Ministry for Emergency Situations and Civil Defence (E.M.E.R.C.O.M.) warned that the cyclone would produce snow banks, icy conditions on roads, as well as snow bringing down phone and power transmission lines in Primorsky territory. The temperatures reckoned to have fallen near the expected −7 °C. The temperature was that which usually occurs in a Siberian cyclone, when it reaches the Russian Far East. Forecasters said there was a strong possibility of heavy snowfall and blizzards along the eastern districts of the Khabarovsk Krai, in parts of the Sakhalin Island and on the southern Kuril Islands December 31 and January 1.

The last week of 2009 saw an Arctic storm bearing down on Sakhalin Island, and local officials told people not to drive their cars outside any city limits and banned the rather dangerous practice of ice fishing, due to the purported death of a Nivkh fisherman, until the storm had passed. Nonetheless, dozens of cars were buried in snow and in one village, rescuers dug out 56 cars, freeing 74 passengers and giving aid to those who were haplessly trapped. People in cars that remained stuck were being provided with both water, bread and fuel via snowmobile. The towns of Korsakov and Poronaysk were worst hit, and parts of the local taiga forests of fir and birch had been entirely up-rooted and buried by the blizzard conditions.

December 25–30
About 60% of the Italian city of Venice was flooded by a heavy rainstorm on December the 25th.



Parts of England again suffered repeated power cuts, and Scotland experienced fresh snowfall overnight on 26–27 December with the worst affected area being Perthshire, where between 12 and(-) fell. .

Temperatures dropped to -18 C in parts of the Highlands overnight on 28–29 December, with Braemar recording Britain's lowest temperature of the winter. Fresh travel warnings were issued on 29 December as the wintry conditions continued to cause problems on Scotland's roads.

The runway of Inverness Airport was briefly closed because of snow and ice, and ScotRail reduced services to and from Glasgow Central because of the severe conditions.

The snow and icy conditions were good for the Scottish ski industry, which said the weather helped it to experience its best start to the season for several years.

Warnings of heavy snow were issued for Wales, the Midlands, north-west England, eastern and southern England, and Yorkshire and Humber. More snow began falling across parts of Wales and central and northern England on the evening of 29 December, with Wales recording the heaviest of the snow showers where some rural areas were cut off by of up to 30 cm. Snow was also reported in parts of the West Midlands region and Yorkshire.

In Italy, December 30 saw hundreds of homes in Tuscany evacuated because of flooding and Spain's rescue services were on yellow danger alert after flash floods destroyed roads and landslides swept railways away. Transport Links between Almeria, Granada, Málaga and Sevilla were severed. Drought-blighted Andalusia has had its fifth day of rain, and Portugal was on orange flood alert. Authorities said the rain had destroyed millions of Euros worth of agricultural produce. The harbours were closed and the Madeira archipelago islands were also under threat of both flooding and gale force winds, as 110 km/h whipped up six metre high waves.

December 28 - January 3
At least two of the Russian Far East storms stacked up over the Gulf of Alaska during December 28. Various weather forecasts suggested that one would spread valley rain and mountain snow across Northern California and drop up to half an inch of rain across the northern Sacramento Valley over the next few days. The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory warning for the Mount Shasta area, where forecasters expected 1 to 3 in of snow in town and up to 10 in above 5000 ft. The second cold front, and its related storm, would bring more rain and high country snow to the north state by New Years Eve or New Years Day.

The blizzards began New Year's Eve lasted until January 3. It was at its worst on December 31, when an avalanche derailed a diesel locomotive fitted with a railway snowplough off its railway tracks. The storm continued through the 1st of January, when three workers sent to repair the damage were swept away by the howling blizzard that was ripping through Sakhalin Island according to the RIA Novosti news service. One worker was found alive and rescue teams retrieved the body of a second Sunday morning. Things got desperate enough that 140 soldiers were ordered to help dig the train out from beneath 350,000 cubic feet of snow. A local man, Andrei Sukhonosov, trying to return home to the city of Tamari was on the buried train .

Authorities and rescue services in Sakhalin Oblast were put on alert and warned of a high risk of avalanches on the island's numerous hills and mountains. Another avalanche warning was in effect on the 2nd, for Sakhalin Island, due to hazardous levels of snowfall during yet another Siberian snow cyclone and blizzard, emergency officials said. The authorities in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krai were also put on alert, just in case things got ant worse. The last two Russian Far Eastern storms dissipated in the Gulf of Alaska on January the 5 and 6th respectively.

December 29–31
Following the deadly 2009 North American Christmas winter storm, a medium-sized nor'easter formed in Texas and brought moderate snow to the western portion of the state on December 29. In anticipation of the event Texas Governor Rick Perry activated his resources ahead of the winter storm. It then moved through the Southeast and brought heavy rain and freezing rain to higher altitudes. Some snow was reported in Clayton, Georgia but did not accumulate. It then moved quickly up the East Coast of the United States, bringing freezing rain and sleet to the Mid-Atlantic and moderate to heavy snow to the Tri-State Area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut). 5 inches (12.7 cm) at the most was reported in White Plains 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) in Hartford. It then brought about 2 inches (5 cm) to Boston and southeastern New England. Overnight January 1, it strengthened explosively over water and looped back around to create a blizzard in northern New England. Up to 19 inches (48 cm) was on the ground in Lubec, Maine by Sunday, and on Saturday it moved to southern New England. 13 inches (33 cm) fell in Lexington, Massachusetts making that the most fallen in southern New England in the season. Boston received 9 inches (23 cm). The storm moved into the Labrador Sea by Sunday afternoon, leaving behind a pattern where multiple storms within the broader low undergo cyclogenesis to track north of Newfoundland.

Sportscotland Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) issued warnings about conditions on Scottish mountains on December 30. However, three people died in three large avalanches. Two climbers were killed as a result of an avalanche on Ben Nevis, while a man was airlifted from Liathach, a mountain in Torridon, after getting into trouble, and died in hospital. .

Continued icy weather in Scotland on New Year's Eve led to the cancellation of Hogmanay celebrations in Inverness amid concerns over public safety. New Year celebrations in other parts of Scotland went ahead as planned. North-east Scotland experienced fresh snowfall during the afternoon and evening of 31 December. For a second time that week Inverness Airport was closed forcing several hundred passengers to make alternative arrangements. In Batley, West Yorkshire 2,500 gallons of water leaked into the local gas network, leaving 400 homes in Dewsbury and Batley without gas during sub-zero temperatures. The final homes were reconnected on 7 January.

December 31 to January 5 saw heavy flooding in southern Spain and heavy snow in northern Spain.

Reflist
Compleated!--Wipsenade (talk) 15:01, 16 December 2010 (UTC)