The February 2013 North American blizzard, also known as ''Winter Storm Nemo'' and the ''Blizzard of 2013'', was a powerful

blizzard A blizzard is a severe Winter storm, snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow th ...

that developed from the combination of two areas of low pressure, primarily affecting the

Northeastern United States The Northeastern United States (also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. Located on the East Coast of the United States, ...

and parts of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, causing heavy snowfall and

hurricane-force winds The Beaufort scale ( ) is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Its full name is the Beaufort wind force scale. It was devised in 1805 by Francis Beaufort a hydrographer in the Royal Navy. It ...

. The storm crossed the Atlantic Ocean, affecting Ireland and the United Kingdom. The

nor'easter A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below) is a large-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. Typically, such storms originate as a low ...

's effects in the United States received a Category 3 rank on the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale, classifying it as a "Major" Winter Storm. The first low-pressure system, originating from the

Northern Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include the mix ...

of the United States, produced moderate amounts of snow across the

Great Lakes region The Great Lakes region of Northern America is a binational Canadian– American region centered on the Great Lakes that includes the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and the Ca ...

of the U.S. and Canada. The second low, originating across the state of

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, produced heavy rains and flooding across much of the

Southeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, ...

and

Mid-Atlantic Mid-Atlantic or Mid Atlantic can refer to: *The middle of the Atlantic Ocean *Mid-Atlantic English, any mix between British and American English *Mid-Atlantic Region (Little League World Series), one of the United States geographic divisions of the ...

parts of the U.S. As the two systems merged off the Northeast coast on February 8, 2013, they produced heavy snowfall over a large region from

North Jersey North Jersey, also known as Northern New Jersey, comprises the northern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the upper Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. As a distinct toponym, North Jersey is a colloquial one rather than an a ...

and inland from New York City through eastern New England up to coastal

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

and inland to

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. Total snowfall in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, reached , the fifth-highest total ever recorded in the city. New York City officially recorded of snow at

Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...

, and

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

, set a record of .

Hamden, Connecticut Hamden is a New England town, town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant (Connecticut), Sleeping Giant". The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecti ...

recorded the highest snowfall of the storm at , the second highest total in

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

was recorded in

Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...

at . Many surrounding cities picked up at least . In addition to the significant snowfall totals, hurricane-force wind gusts were recorded, reaching in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

, at Mount Desert Rock, Maine, and off the coast of

Cuttyhunk, Massachusetts Cuttyhunk Island is the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts. A small outpost for the harvesting of sassafras was occupied for a few weeks in 1602, arguably making it the first English settlement in New England. Cuttyhunk is loc ...

.Blizzard that buried Maritimes and central Canada blasts into Newfoundland , National News , Estevan Mercury, Estevan, SK
Boston experienced a

storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the ...

of , its fourth-highest. The storm affected

Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (), is the list of regions of Canada, region of Eastern Canada comprising four provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. As of 2021, the landma ...

after hitting the Northeastern United States. Watches and warnings were issued in preparation for the storm, and state governors declared states of emergency in all states in

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

and in New York. Flights at many major airports across the region were canceled, and travel bans were put into place on February 8 in several states. Hundreds ended up stranded on Long Island late on February 8 as a result of the rapidly accumulating snowfall. A combination of strong winds and heavy, wet snow left 700,000 customers without electricity at the height of the storm. At least eighteen deaths were attributed to the storm.

Meteorological history

Atmospheric conditions leading up to the formation of the February 2013

were rather anomalous and were conducive for

cyclogenesis Cyclogenesis is the development or strengthening of Cyclonic rotation, cyclonic circulation in the atmosphere (a low-pressure area). Cyclogenesis is an umbrella term for at least three different processes, all of which result in the development of ...

. Such conditions included the presence of a

ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...

over the North Atlantic and the strengthening of a

trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), the l ...

in California. The impactful nature of the eventual winter storm event was first predicted in

National Centers for Environmental Prediction The United States National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) delivers national and global weather, water, climate, and space weather guidance, forecasts, warnings, and analyses to government agencies and private users. The centers f ...

(NCEP) and

Hydrometeorological Prediction Center The Weather Prediction Center (WPC), located in College Park, Maryland, is one of nine service centers under the umbrella of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), a part of the National Weather Service (NWS), which in turn is ...

(HPC) forecasts at 1200

UTC Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...

on February 6, when the accumulation of at least of snow in the ensuing hours was considered a moderate probability in parts of

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

and

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. Fueled by energy originating from the

Gulf of Alaska The Gulf of Alaska ( Tlingit: ''Yéil T'ooch’'') is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the ...

and carried by the

polar jet stream Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents in the Earth's atmosphere. The main jet streams are located near the altitude of the tropopause and are westerly winds, flowing west to east around the globe. The northern hemisphere and th ...

, a

low-pressure area In meteorology, a low-pressure area (LPA), low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. It is the opposite of a high-pressure area. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with incle ...

formed as anticipated in

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, at 1200 UTC the next day. The cyclone tracked in a general east-northeastward direction throughout the day, reaching central

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

by early on February 8. Blizzard2013eye

As the low-pressure system over the

United States Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern c ...

developed, energy associated with the

subtropical jet Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow thermal wind, air currents in the Earth's Atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere. The main jet streams are located near the altitude of the tropopause and are westerly winds, flowing west to east around the gl ...

over the Mexican plateau tracked into the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

, resulting in the formation of another low-pressure area just off the coast of

on February 7. Tracking eastward, the system produced isolated severe weather across the

United States Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South or the South Coast, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texa ...

. Near noontime that day, the cyclone moved into the

Florida Panhandle The Florida panhandle (also known as West Florida and Northwest Florida) is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida. It is a Salient (geography), salient roughly long, bordered by Alabama on the west and north, Georgia (U.S. state ...

. By February 8, the low-pressure system had moved into

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. Both the system in the Gulf of Mexico and the system in the Midwestern United States were supported by the same

shortwave trough A shortwave or shortwave trough is an embedded kink in the trough / ridge pattern. Its length scale is much smaller than that of and is embedded within longwaves, which are responsible for the largest scale (synoptic scale) weather systems. Sho ...

. Due to blocking steering patterns, both storms began to gravitate towards the Eastern Seaboard. The HPC began issuing periodic storm summary bulletins on the two low-pressure areas at 0300 UTC on February 8. Their forecasts suggested that the system associated with the subtropical jet stream would rapidly intensify near the

United States East Coast The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the region encompassing the coast, coastline where the Eastern United States meets the Atlantic Ocean; it has always pla ...

, later absorbing the system associated with the polar jet stream. A few hours later, the southern disturbance began a phase of barometric deepening as it tracked northeastward off the

Outer Banks The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separatin ...

, while the northern system maintained an easterly course into northwestern

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

. Beginning at 0000 UTC on February 9, the two systems began an extensive merging process, with the strengthening cyclone originating from the subtropics absorbing energy from the cyclone originating from the polar jet stream. This resulted in the cyclone off the United States East Coast to continue intensifying while the initial system to the northwest gradually diffused over the

Mid-Atlantic states The Mid-Atlantic is a region of the United States located in the overlap between the nation's Northeastern and Southeastern states. Traditional definitions include seven U.S. states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virg ...

. Throughout the day the resulting system continued to track to the northeast, bringing along with it a large swath of snowfall that tracked across

and into Canada. By 1200 UTC, the extratropical cyclone had strengthened enough to classify it as a

bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

. At 2100 UTC on February 9, the extratropical cyclone reached its peak intensity with a minimum

barometric pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as air pressure or barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1,013.2 ...

of while located roughly off the coast of

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. After reaching peak intensity the system began to steadily weaken and depart the coast of

, tracking near

early on February 10, upon which the HPC issued their final storm summary bulletin. Despite the discontinuance of bulletins, the extratropical cyclone continued to persist and assumed an easterly course. By February 13, the storm system had tracked just south of Iceland, bringing a cold and warm front into the

British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...

. The system then began to curve northward through the

Norwegian Sea The Norwegian Sea (; ; ) is a marginal sea, grouped with either the Atlantic Ocean or the Arctic Ocean, northwest of Norway between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea, adjoining the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separate ...

over the next few days, before it was absorbed by a larger system on February 18.

Preparations

Canada

Environment Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC; )Environment and Climate Change Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of the Environment (). is the Ministry (government department), department ...

issued winter storm warnings for much of

, while

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

issued an extreme weather alert ahead of the storm. Several universities and colleges closed throughout

Southern Ontario Southern Ontario is a Region, primary region of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada, with approximately 13.5 million people, approximately 36% o ...

. Many flights were canceled in the region and

Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...

canceled bus service to New York. In the

Maritimes The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of ...

, blizzard warnings were in effect for parts of

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

and all of

and

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

, with more than possible.

United States

By late on February 7, 2013, winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories were issued for the northeastern United States, from the

Upper Midwest The Upper Midwest is a northern subregion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. Although the exact boundaries are not uniformly agreed upon, the region is usually defined to include the states of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wi ...

. There was also a

blizzard warning A blizzard warning ( SAME code: BZW) is a hazardous weather statement issued by Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) of the National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States, which indicates heavy snowfall accompanied by sustained winds or frequent gu ...

for the

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...

, all of Connecticut, all of Rhode Island, and eastern Massachusetts, as well as southeast New Hampshire and coastal Maine. On February 8, blizzard warnings were expanded to include inland portions of southeast New Hampshire, and inland portions of Maine's coastal counties. By February 8,

storm warning At sea, a storm warning is a warning issued by the National Weather Service of the United States when winds between are occurring or predicted to occur soon. The winds must not be associated with a tropical cyclone. If the winds are associate ...

s and

hurricane force wind warning A hurricane force wind warning is a warning issued by the National Weather Service of the United States when sustained winds or frequent gusts of 64 knots (118 km/h, 74 mph) or greater are either being observed or are predicted to occur. The wind ...

s were in effect for the New England and Mid Atlantic waters, in addition to coastal flood warnings. In Chicago, officials deployed 199 snow trucks, and the

Illinois State Toll Highway Authority The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) is an administrative agency of the U.S. state of Illinois charged with building, operating, and maintaining toll roads in the state. The roads, as well as the authority itself, are sometimes refer ...

sent 182 plows for its road system. In the northeast United States, the storm threatened beaches and dunes in areas affected by

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was an extremely large and devastating tropical cyclone which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late ...

from the previous October. Due to the storm's threat, airlines canceled more than 2,700 flights, mostly for February 8. In New York, officials readied snow removal crews, with more than 250,000 tons of salt prepared. Schools were closed in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

and

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

, among other cities.

Connecticut Governor The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Connecticut Military Department, military forces. The Governor (United States), governor has a duty to enforce state laws, ...

Dannel Malloy Dannel Patrick Malloy (; born July 21, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 88th governor of Connecticut from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he chaired the Democratic Governors Association from 2016 to 2017. In Ju ...

declared a state of emergency at 12:00 p.m. EST (1700 UTC) on February 8, and closed limited-access highways statewide at 4:00 p.m.

Connecticut Light and Power Eversource Energy is a publicly traded, Fortune 500 energy company headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, and Boston, Massachusetts, with several regulated subsidiaries offering retail electricity, natural gas service and water service to appr ...

and

United Illuminating The United Illuminating Company (UI) is a regional electric distribution company based in Orange, Connecticut. Established in 1899, UI is engaged in the purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity and related services to 325,000 ...

planned for 30 percent of customers to lose power in Connecticut, and hired out-of-state line crews to assist with power restoration. Governor Malloy on February 9 ordered all roads in the state closed except to essential vehicles.

Rhode Island Governor The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Dan McKee, a member of the Democratic ...

Lincoln Chafee Lincoln Davenport Chafee ( ; born March 26, 1953) is an American politician. He was mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island, from 1993 to 1999, a United States Senator from 1999 to 2007, and the 74th Governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015. He was a ...

declared a state of emergency on February 8, and issued a travel ban for interstates and other major highways effective 5p.m. EST.

Massachusetts Governor The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The governor is the chief executive, head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonw ...

Deval Patrick Deval Laurdine Patrick (born July 31, 1956) is an American politician who served as the 71st governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. He was the first African Americans, African-American Governor of Massachusetts and the first Democratic Pa ...

declared a state of emergency at 12:00 p.m. EST on February 8, and banned vehicles from all public roads after 4:00 p.m.; it was the first statewide driving ban in Massachusetts since the Blizzard of 1978, which happened to strike the region exactly 35 years and 1 day earlier. The ban, issued via executive order, included a penalty of one year in jail and/or a five hundred dollar fine. The ban did not apply to emergency vehicles, hospital workers, or the media. The

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...

(MBTA) suspended subway, commuter rail, bus, and boat service at 3:30p.m. on February 8, and flights at

Boston Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport — also known as Boston Logan International Airport — is an international airport located mostly in East Boston and partially in Winthrop, Massachusetts, United States. Covering , it has ...

were suspended at 4:00 p.m.

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

mayor

Thomas Menino Thomas Michael Menino (December 27, 1942 – October 30, 2014) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Boston, from 1993 to 2014. He was the city's longest-serving mayor. He was elected mayor in 1993 after first serving three mont ...

ordered schools to close and recommended that businesses shut down during the storm. The

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

postponed a game between the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...

and the

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...

that was scheduled to be played at Boston's

TD Garden TD Garden (named the FleetCenter from opening until 2005 and TD Banknorth Garden until 2009) is a multi-purpose arena in Boston. It is located directly above the MBTA's North Station, and it replaced the original Boston Garden upon opening i ...

on February 9 due to the nor'easter; the game was originally set for a delayed start of 7p.m.; before the game was first delayed to 7p.m. it was set for 1p.m.

New York Governor The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ha ...

Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( , ; born December 6, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and son of former governor Mario Cuomo, ...

declared a state of emergency on February 8.

Maine Governor The governor of Maine is the head of government of the U.S. state of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive. The current governor of Maine is Ja ...

Paul LePage Paul Richard LePage (; born October 9, 1948) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 74th governor of Maine from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the mayor of Waterville, Maine, from 20 ...

declared a state of emergency as well.

New Jersey Governor The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

activated his state's Emergency Operations Center on the morning of February 8. Approximately 2,295

National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...

soldiers and airmen were activated in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York to support actions needed on state roads.

United Kingdom

The

Met Office The Met Office, until November 2000 officially the Meteorological Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather and climate service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and ...

issued an amber warning for snow and ice for the weakened storm for between 09:05 till 23:55 GMT on Wednesday 13 February. The already existing Cold weather health alert was extended in anticipation of the storm. Forecasters also warned of severe drifting of snow ahead of the gale force winds.

Impact

Canada

The storm brought significant snow to Southern

from February 7 to February 8. Snowdrifts caused major disruptions on roads and freeways. Nearly a thousand flights were canceled at

Pearson International Airport Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the main airport serving Toronto, its metropolitan area, and the surrounding region known as the Golden Horseshoe. Pearson is the ...

, as well as a numerous flights at

Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport Ottawa/Macdonald–Cartier International Airport or simply Ottawa International Airport is the main international airport serving Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and its metropolitan area as well as Gatineau, Quebec known as the National Capital Re ...

, Montreal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, and

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is a regional airport located on the Toronto Islands in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is often referred to as Toronto Island Airport and was previously known as ''Port George VI Island Airport'' and ''Toronto C ...

(Toronto island). The storm brought snow and high winds to

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

and

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, as well as extensive flooding to parts of

and

. In Toronto, it was the largest snowfall in 5 years with accumulations of at the airport and in downtown (And up to in the suburbs). Power was disrupted for thousands of customers in

, and dozens of flights were canceled at

Halifax Stanfield International Airport Halifax Stanfield International Airport is a Canadian airport in Goffs, Nova Scotia, a rural community of the Halifax Regional Municipality. It serves the Halifax region, mainland Nova Scotia, and adjacent areas in the neighbouring Maritime p ...

on February 9. All

Marine Atlantic Marine Atlantic Inc. () is an independent Canadian federal Crown corporation which is mandated to operate ferry services between the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. Marine Atlantic's corporate headquarters are in St. John ...

ferries on February 9 were canceled.

was hit with wind gusts up to , and more than 21,000

Nova Scotia Power Nova Scotia Power Inc. is a vertical integration, vertically integrated electric utility in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is privately owned by Emera and regulated by the provincial government via the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (NSUARB). Nov ...

customers were without electricity as of the afternoon of February 9.

United States

Northeast

Snow and rainfall began at 9a.m. on February 8 across

; by late that day, totals reached near

Milton, Vermont Milton is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,723. According to local legend, the town was named after the English poet John Milton, but the name most likely originated from William ...

. Later that evening, snow was falling at per hour in coastal Massachusetts, and at a significant rate of over in parts of Connecticut. Thunder and lightning along with small hail were reported within the heavy band of snow in Connecticut. In Massachusetts, two neighborhoods in Quincy and about a dozen homes in

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

were evacuated due to

coastal flooding Coastal flooding occurs when dry and low-lying land is submerged (flooded) by seawater. The range of a coastal Flood, flooding is a result of the elevation of floodwater that penetrates the inland which is controlled by the topography of the coas ...

. Voluntary evacuation orders were issued for oceanfront residents in Revere, Marshfield, and Scituate. Early on February 9, mandatory evacuations were ordered for Massachusetts coastal regions near the town of

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft * Submarine hull Ma ...

due to possible flooding and high winds. Parts of coastal New England experienced hurricane-force winds from the storm, with a peak gust of in Mount Desert Rock, Maine. A maximum gust of was recorded on the Isle of Shoals, a small group of islands off the New Hampshire coast. Winds of were recorded in

Buzzards Bay Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 28 miles (45 kilometers) long by 8 miles (12 kilometers) wide. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism. Buzzards ...

near

, and Boston's

Logan Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport — also known as Boston Logan International Airport — is an international airport located mostly in East Boston and partially in Winthrop, Massachusetts, United States. Covering , it has ...

measured a wind gust of . When the snow stopped, the highest amount recorded was in

. The of snow in

, set a new record for the city from a single snowstorm, and

Gorham, Maine Gorham is a New England town, town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 18,336 at the 2020 United States Census. In addition to its urban village center known as Gorham (CDP), Maine, Gorham Village or simply "the Villag ...

set a record for the state of . It was the second highest total in

, with ;

Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the county seat, seat of Merrimack County, New Hampshire, Merrimack County. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 43,976, making it the List of municipalities ...

, received of snow.

received of snow, the fifth highest total in the city from a single storm. It was the third-largest snowfall in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...

, at . Connecticut set a 24 hour snowfall record at . At

in New York, of snow was recorded, while other parts of the city accumulated as much as . Much of Long Island was hit with over of snow, with snowfall as high as being recorded in Medford, in Suffolk County.

Other affected areas

The secondary low over

produced light to moderate snowfall that extended to

. Totals reached in

Muskegon, Michigan Muskegon ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Muskegon County, Michigan, United States. Situated around a harbor of Lake Michigan, Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, and boating. It is the most populous city along Lake Michigan' ...

. The storm previously dropped of snow in Chicago, and was reported in

Beach Park, Illinois Beach Park is a village in Benton Township, Lake County, Illinois, Benton and Waukegan Township, Lake County, Illinois, Waukegan townships of Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was ...

on February 8. Several traffic accidents were reported in Illinois.

Power

The

Nuclear Regulatory Commission The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with protecting public health and safety related to nuclear energy. Established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, the ...

said the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in

Plymouth, Massachusetts Plymouth ( ; historically also spelled as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in and the county seat of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklor ...

experienced an automatic shutdown at around 9:15 p.m. EST on February 8 after losing off-site power; there was no threat to the public. The storm caused power outages, shortages at gas stations, and numerous car accidents across the region. As of 12:45 a.m. EST on February 9, 321,000 customers were without power in

, 191,000 in

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

, and 32,000 in

. By 10:30 a.m., more than 655,000 customers were without power due to the storm, including 405,000 in Massachusetts and 185,000 in Rhode Island. As of the evening of February 9, approximately 575,000 people were without power. As of the late evening of February 9, 344,000 customers were without power in Massachusetts and 31,000 in Connecticut. About 390,000 remained without power in total in the Northeast. In total, utility companies reported about 700,000 customers were without power across nine states. As of Sunday evening, there were still about 205,000 customers in Massachusetts without power. Some areas were projected not to have power restored until Thursday February 14. The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant lost power again on February 10, after an offsite outage had caused a shutdown on February 8. A spokeswoman for

Entergy Entergy Corporation is a Fortune 500 integrated energy company engaged in electric power production and retail distribution operations in the Deep South of the United States. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and generates and ...

Corp., the Louisiana company that owns Pilgrim said, "There's no worker or public safety concern," she said. "We're troubleshooting the cause." On Long Island, at least 40,000 people lost power, 29,000 outages in which were restored several hours later.

Travel

More than 6,300 commercial flights were canceled on February 8 and 9. In the New York City area,

John F. Kennedy Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is t ...

LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport ( ) – colloquially known as LaGuardia or simply LGA – is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, situated on the North Shore (Long Island), northwestern shore of Long Island, bord ...

and

Newark Airport Newark Liberty International Airport is a major international airport serving the New York metropolitan area. The airport straddles the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union County, in the U.S. stat ...

opened 7a.m. EST on February 9. In Boston,

Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport — also known as Boston Logan International Airport — is an international airport located mostly in East Boston and partially in Winthrop, Massachusetts, United States. Covering , it has ...

reopened at 11p.m. EST on February 9. Also, in Hartford,

Bradley International Airport Bradley International Airport – historically known as Bradley Field – is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, Con ...

reopened at 6a.m. EST on February 10. As of Sunday night, Logan Airport had limited service. Hundreds of cars got stuck on the

Long Island Expressway Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music mens ...

in Suffolk County beginning the afternoon of February 8. On February 10, from 7a.m. to 5p.m. EST, about 26 miles of the Long Island Expressway were closed between exits 57 and 73 for snow removal. The closure was extended till 9p.m. EST however, it was closed indefinitely as of 10:50 p.m. EST. The westbound side of the Long Island Expressway opened early Monday morning, while the eastbound lanes between exits 57 and 73 remained closed for snow removal. At around 7a.m. on February 11, both lanes of the Long Island Expressway reopened.

Additional effects

In the afternoon of February 9, a portion of the roof of Smithtown Lanes bowling alley in

Smithtown, New York Smithtown is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Suffolk County, New York, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. The population was 116,296 at the 2020 United ...

collapsed. There were no injuries as the business was closed at the time. A house in Long Island suffered major structural damage due to heavy snow accumulation on the roof. The

postponed their afternoon home game on Saturday, February 9 at the

against the

to Thursday, April 25. The

Mohegan Sun Mohegan Sun is a large casino and entertainment complex located on 240 acres (97 ha) of the Mohegan Indian Reservation in Uncasville, Connecticut, along the banks of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River. It is owned and operated by the fe ...

resort casino in Connecticut postponed a Saturday night

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley ...

concert, but the band played for the snowbound guests. The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

(USPS) suspended mail delivery in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and parts of New York during and after the storm. Many school districts on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

, especially in Suffolk County closed schools for February 11.

Boston Public Schools Boston Public Schools (BPS) is a school district serving the city of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest public school district in the state of Massachusetts. Leadership The district is led by a superintendent, hired by t ...

and several other school districts, including

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

and

Somerville Somerville may refer to: Places Australia *Somerville, Victoria, a town **Somerville railway station * Somerville, Western Australia, a suburb of Kalgoorlie, Australia New Zealand * Somerville, New Zealand, a suburb of Manukau City, New Zea ...

, remained closed on February 11 and 12. On February 10, President Obama declared a state of emergency for Connecticut.

Fatalities

Canada

Ontario

An 80-year-old woman in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

, and an 80-year-old man in

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York (s ...

collapsed and died while shoveling snow. A 49-year-old

Oshawa Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the Greater Toronto Area and of the Golden Horseshoe. It ...

man was killed in a multi-vehicle collision in Pickering. A 57-year-old man from

died when his car crashed near

Prescott Prescott may refer to: People Given name * Prescott E. Bloom, American lawyer and politician * Prescott Bush, American banker and politician * Samuel Prescott Bush, American industrialist * Prescott F. Hall, American lawyer, author and eugenicist ...

United States

New England

In Connecticut an 81-year-old woman using a snowblower was hit by a car in

Prospect Prospect may refer to: General * Prospect (marketing), a marketing term describing a potential customer * Prospect (sports), any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team * Prospect (minin ...

, a man in

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...

was found dead under snow at his home, a man died after he suffered a heart attack while plowing snow in New Milford, a man from

Shelton Shelton may refer to: Places United Kingdom *Shelton, North Bedfordshire, in the parish of Dean and Shelton, Bedfordshire * Lower Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire * Upper Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bedf ...

died while digging his truck out of the snow, and police in

Danbury Danbury ( ) is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2020 was 86,518. It is the third-largest city in Western Connecticut, and the seventh-largest ...

said a man was found dead on his back porch on February 9. In Maine, a 75-year-old man crashed his vehicle into a tree in Passadumkeag, then his pickup ended up in the

Penobscot River The Penobscot River (Abenaki: ''Pαnawάhpskewtəkʷ'') is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 22, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Maine. Including the river's W ...

. In

, Massachusetts, a 13-year-old boy and a man died separately due to

carbon monoxide poisoning Carbon monoxide poisoning typically occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) at excessive levels. Symptoms are often described as " flu-like" and commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Large ...

while inside cars because the tailpipes were blocked by snow. A man was killed in an automobile accident in

Auburn, New Hampshire Auburn is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,946 at the 2020 census, up from 4,953 at the 2010 census. History Auburn was originally settled by Native Americans in 1624. It was a fishing settleme ...

when his car spun out on a hill and collided with a tree, flattening the front end of his

SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definition ...

and crushing him.

Mid-Atlantic

In New York, a man was plowing his driveway with a tractor on February 8 in Germantown, when the tractor went off the edge of the road and fell on top of him. In

Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie ( ) is a city within the Town of Poughkeepsie, New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsie is in the Hudson River Valley region, midway between the core of the New ...

, a pedestrian was struck by a car and killed. A 58-year-old man in Selden died while clearing snow at his apartment complex. On February 11, three more deaths, all in

Northport, New York Northport is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the Huntington, New York, Town of Huntington in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island, New York (state), New ...

, were blamed on the storm, bringing the blizzard death toll in Suffolk County to four.

Names

The Weather Channel The Weather Channel (TWC) is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by Weather Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Allen Media Group. The channel's headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia. Launched on May 2, 1982, the channel ...

dubbed the storm "Winter Storm Nemo", in keeping with a list of names they have given to some winter storms since 2012.

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

affiliate

WFSB WFSB (channel 3) is a television station licensed to Hartford, Connecticut, United States, serving the Hartford–New Haven market as an affiliate of CBS. Owned by Gray Media, the station maintains studios on Denise D'Ascenzo Way in Rocky H ...

named the storm "Blizzard Charlotte", in keeping with a long-standing station tradition of naming major winter storms affecting

dating back to the early 1970s. The

National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...

however, has rejected naming winter storms.Don't Call that Storm 'Nemo'? Twitter Begs to Differ , ''Time''
/ref> Despite this, the

Free University of Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public university, public research university in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in West Berlin in 1948 with American support during the early Cold War period a ...

kept the name "Nemo", referring to the storm by that name on their weather maps. Other names for the storm include the "Blizzard of 2013" (or the "Blizzard of '13") and "Blizzard 2013".

Notes

References

External links

* * {{United States winter storms Nor'easters 2013-2 2013-2 2013 meteorology 2013 natural disasters 2013 natural disasters in the United States 2013 disasters in Canada Natural disasters in Connecticut

Natural disasters in Rhode Island 2013 in Connecticut 2013 in Maine 2013 in Massachusetts 2013 in New York (state) 2013 in Rhode Island 2013 in Vermont Articles containing video clips February 2013 in North America February 2013 in the United States

Meteorological history

Preparations

Canada

United States

United Kingdom

Impact

Canada

United States

Northeast

Other affected areas

Power

Travel

Additional effects

Fatalities

Canada

Ontario

United States

New England

Mid-Atlantic

Names

See also

Notes

References

External links