February 10, 2015

The third major snowfall in two weeks struck the United States’ New England region—Boston, Massachusetts, in particular—again. In two storms in late January and early February, Boston received a total of 40.5 inches (103 centimeters) of snow in a week. With yesterday’s storm, Boston received another 22 inches (59 centimeters) and the storm was not predicted to end until today. In total, the city has received 71.8 inches (182 centimeters) this winter. It breaks all records for winter snowfall there, even in a city used to harsh winters.

The latest snowstorm left the Boston area with another nearly two feet of snow and forced the local transportation authority to suspend all rail service for the day. Credit: AP Photo

Boston and much of the New England area are prone to a type of storm called nor’easters. When the warm ocean currents of the Gulf of Mexico meet the frigid cold air traveling southwards over the Atlantic, a rotating low-pressure system brings rolling, dark clouds and rain or snow to New England.

Travel in the Boston region has been affected, with subway and train service canceled as well as 2,000 flights. The city of Boston is also struggling to get rid of so much snow. This is especially important since a fourth snowstorm is predicted to hit the area this coming weekend. The city’s “snow farms”—vacant parcels of land where snow removal crews dump large amounts of plowed snow—are full. Piles of snow made by plows reach to 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 meters) at intersections on some streets. Boston has begun using snow melters, gas-powered machines that can melt about 350 tons (307 metric tons) per hour. Still, the large snow melters are struggling to keep up, and Boston may be forced to request permission from the department of environmental protection to dump snow in Boston Harbor.

December 26, 2012

A powerful winter storm brought a white Christmas to the U.S. Midwest and tornadoes to the South. Little Rock, Arkansas, received 9 inches (91 centimeters) of snow, breaking a December 25 snowfall record that had stood for 86 years, and blizzard conditions hampered holiday travel in parts of Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

The National Weather Service reported the sighting of more than 30 tornadoes in a line stretching from Texas and Louisiana to Mississippi and Alabama. Hardest hit was Mobile, Alabama, where numerous twisters and brutal, straight-line winds knocked down countless trees, blew off roofs, and left thousands of households without electric power on Christmas Day.

(Credit: © Colin McPherson, Corbis)

The storm caused the deaths of at least six people, primarily victims of car accidents on snow- and sleet-slickened highways in Arkansas and Oklahoma. One man was killed in Houston, Texas, when a tree fell on his pickup truck.

The same storm system is currently moving eastward, threatening the Carolinas. By the end of the week, it was expected to move up into the Northeast, with 12 inches (30 centimeters) of snow predicted.

Additional World Book articles:

• Weather
• The Forecast: Better Weather Prediction Ahead (a special report)
• Weather Terms—Cloudy or Clear? (a special report)