Ice storm of December 2005
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The Ice storm of December 2005 was a damaging winter storm that produced extensive ice damage in a large portion of the Southern United States on December 14 - 16, 2005 while extensive snows were reported across portions of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It led to enormous and widespread power outages and at least 7 deaths.
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[edit] Background
The storm was triggered by a deep low pressure system formed over the Gulf of Mexico on December 14, which began moving northward. At the same time, cold arctic air from northern Canada penetrated deep into the central United States and lowered the temperatures at the surface while warm air from the Gulf Stream remained at the coast. A second Alberta clipper farther north also added additional energy to the system.
The precipitation remained as rain in the coastal areas, including the large cities from Boston to Washington, D.C.. However, freezing rain was extensive in the inland areas, including around Atlanta, where the temperatures remained just below freezing for extended periods. The freezing rain persisted for many hours, leading to extensive ice damage.
[edit] Impact
| State | Total | County | County total |
Direct deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 1 | Unknown | 1 | 0 |
| Maryland | 2 | Unknown | 2 | 0 |
| North Carolina | 4 | Cabarrus | 1 | 1 |
| Granville | 1 | 0 | ||
| Rockingham | 1 | 0 | ||
| Wilkes | 1 | 0 | ||
| Totals | 7 | 1 | ||
Trees and power lines, along with numerous other lightweight structures, came down in many areas from Georgia northward, and highways (including several Interstate Highways) were closed and impassable. The heaviest ice accretions were in southwestern North Carolina, where ice over 3/4 inch (20 mm) thick was reported[1] and Charlottesville, Virginia with 1 inch (25,4 mm)[2].
The ice storm left more than 700,000 people without power in and near the Appalachians, including 30,000 customers in Georgia, 358,000 in South Carolina, 328,000 in North Carolina and 13,000 in Virginia. [1] It took over a week to restore power. Several emergency shelters also were opened[3]. At the higher elevations, and farther north across the Great Lakes region and into northern New England, the storm produced heavy snow with amounts varying between 7 inches to as high as 26 inches (57 cm)[2].
In Canada, 41 centimetres of snow fell in Montreal in about 12 hours, with snowfall rates as high as 30 centimetres in 4 hours, and 11 centimetres in a one hour period during the morning rush hour on December 16. This is the second worst storm on record, after a storm on March 4, 1971 dumped 47 centimetres and the worst fall snowstorm to hit the area since records were kept.[4]. [5]In Ottawa, between 20 and 35 centimetres fell in a short period of time causing several OC Transpo buses to become stuck on the city's transitway and several of their articulated buses to become jackknifed at a busy intersection in the suburb of Gatineau, Quebec.
In addition, at least seven deaths were blamed on the weather, one of them directly related to weather conditions. One of the deaths was as a result of a tree that fell into a home and crashed into a man in Kannapolis, North Carolina, one as a result of a faulty generator in a house without power, and the other five as a result of traffic accidents. [2] [3]
[edit] References
- ^ Greenville-Spartanburg office. Event Summary. National Weather Service. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
- ^ a b Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (2005-12-16). Storm summary message. National Weather Service. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
- ^ News Story. Station WLOS North Carolina. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
- ^ Dave Phillips (2002-12-18). Top Weather Events of the 20th Century. Environment Canada. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
- ^ Un record de neige pulvérisé
