The February 1987 nor'easter was a significant
winter storm
A winter storm is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In temperate continental climates, these storms are not necessar ...
in the
US that impacted the
Mid-Atlantic States around the end of the month. It delivered 8–12 hours of heavy, wet snowfall to several states from
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
to
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
between February 22 and February 24. The storm was both preceded and followed by relatively warm temperatures,
[Kocin and Uccellini, p. 556] causing the snow to rapidly melt.
[Kocin and Uccellini, p. 557] The mild conditions were the result of a moderate
anticyclone
An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined as a large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from abov ...
over the region that deteriorated as the nor'easter approached.
Cold air damming
Cold air damming, or CAD, is a meteorology, meteorological phenomenon that involves a high-pressure area, high-pressure system (anticyclone) accelerating equatorward east of a north-south oriented mountain range due to the formation of a barrier je ...
likely took place prior to the storm's formation.
The nor'easter evolved from a complex series of low pressure areas. Eventually, the multiple center consolidated and a primary cyclone took hold along the Carolina coast. This low rapidly strengthened as it tracked northeastward. Upon reaching the
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
coast, it turned more towards the east and intensified further to attain a minimum barometric pressure of 964
millibars
The bar is a metric unit of pressure, but not part of the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as exactly equal to 100,000 Pa (100 kPa), or slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea leve ...
by 1800 UTC on February 23. The heaviest precipitation, occasionally accompanied by thunder and lightning, along with gusty winds, occurred between 0000 UTC and 1800 UTC.
Snowfall accumulations exceeding were reported in eastern West Virginia,
northern Virginia
Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is a widespread region radiating westward and southward from Washington, D.C. Wit ...
, north-central Maryland, northern
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
, southern
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, central and southern
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, and
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
. Most of the interior Northeast was spared a substantial impact from the storm. However, lighter totals extended as far north as central
.
The weight of the wet snow caused extensive damage to trees and power lines, and hundreds of thousands were reportedly left without power.
At
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, of snow fell, having widespread effects. Limited states of emergency were declared in certain areas.
MV ''Balsa 24'', a long freighter, was lost February 25, 1987 after it capsized in the storm. 18 sailors were killed and there was 1 survivor, who was rescued by the nuclear submarine
USS Scamp (SSN-588). Fishing vessel ''Delores Marie'' was also lost, killing 3.
See also
*
Climate of the United States
The climate of the United States varies due to changes in latitude, and a range of geographic features, including mountains and deserts. Generally, on the mainland, the climate of the U.S. becomes warmer the further south one travels, and dri ...
References
* {{cite book, author=Paul J. Kocin and Louis W. Uccellini, title=Northeast Snowstorms, url=https://archive.org/details/springer_10.1007-978-1-878220-32-5, year=2004, publisher=
American Meteorological Society
The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is the premier scientific and professional organization in the United States promoting and disseminating information about the Atmospheric sciences, atmospheric, Oceanography, oceanic, and Hydrology, hydr ...
, isbn=1-878220-64-0
Nor'easters
1987 meteorology
1987 natural disasters in the United States