Misplaced Pages

An early season winter storm developed in a deep dive of the jet stream into the mid-south on November 13. The storm was unofficially named Winter Storm Avery by The Weather Channel.

Preparations

Despite the European model consistently forecasting 6 in (15 cm) of snow from the storm, the National Weather Service of New York City initially predicted just 1 in (2.5 cm). Not until the afternoon of the storm did they raise the forecast into the 2–5 in (5.1–12.7 cm) zone, which prompted a winter weather advisory to be issued. Forecasts were also underestimating snow in other locations, such as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Ultimately, little preparations were done before the storm.

Impact

As a result of the winter storm, around 190,000 customers lost power, with 1,615 flights being cancelled.

Deep South

Houston recorded a trace of snow due to the event, becoming the earliest they’ve ever recorded snowflakes, breaking the previous record by ten days. In Monroe, Louisiana 0.4 in (1.0 cm) of snow accumulated on the morning of November 14, breaking the record for the earliest snowfall by 10 days. In Mississippi light snow was reported in Greenville, sleet in Tupelo and Memphis, Tennessee picked up 0.6 in (1.5 cm) of snow. Two people died, and 44 were injured, when a bus was overturned in Mississippi. Three other fatalities occurred in Arkansas.

Midwest

in Ohio, ice accumulations of one-quarter to one-third of an inch were reported in Cincinnati and the Dayton metropolitan area as well as parts of Northern and Central Kentucky. A general 2 to 5 in (5 to 13 cm) of snow fell in the St. Louis metro with isolated reports of 9 in (23 cm). Throughout the Midwest, four people died, with two deaths in Ohio, and one each in Michigan and Indiana.

Northeast

On November 15, as the storm headed northeastward, an unexpected 6.4 in (16 cm) of snow fell in Central Park, which became their earliest six inch snowfall on record, as well as their second largest November winter storm on record, which caught many off guard and resulted in several hour-long commutes that night. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was also forced to cancel over 1,100 buses. New Jersey Transit was forced to suspend service on multiple commuter rail lines, due to damage to overhead wires. This was considered by some as one of New York City's worst commutes, as some were over ten hours, and New Jersey reported 555 car crashes. In West Orange, New Jersey, a school district was forced to keep students overnight as buses could not make it to the school due to closures along Interstate 280. Airport delays at Newark Liberty International Airport reached an average of 5 hours. New Jersey reported one fatality: a person died due to the storm in a traffic related incident. Another fatality in the region occurred in Maryland. Aside from snow, many locations saw wind gusts eclipse 60 mph (97 km/h), with the strongest gust of 67 mph (108 km/h) occurring in Great Gull Island. The melted snow from this storm made 2018 the wettest year on record in Baltimore. The colder air that helped make the snow more intense then originally forecasted also led to daily record lows in Massena, New York, Montpelier, Vermont, Caribou, Maine and Bangor, Maine. The lowest temperatures in the region were at Estcourt Station, Maine at −5 °F (−21 °C).

Aftermath

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was so unprepared for the winter storm that the sanitation department needed to be called in to clear the George Washington Bridge, which was shut down due to multiple accidents. Even as of 8am on November 16, many buses were still experiencing delays from the night before, although the subway system was mostly on time. All New York City school field trips on November 16 were cancelled as a result of the storm. Mayor Bill de Blasio promised a full review of the traffic failure in New York City in the aftermath of the storm. Phil Murphy, governor of New Jersey stated that while the lousy forecast was partly to blame, more preparations on his end could have been done as well. The ice caused trees to fall at Shenandoah National Park, closing the southern portion of the park.

References

1. Winter Storm Avery Snowfall Totals: How Much Snow Did New York, New Jersey, Maine Get?, Newsweek, November 16, 2018
2. Weather, Climate & Catastrophe Insight 2018 Annual Report, Aon, January 22, 2019
3. Winter Storm Avery Heading North, National Weather Service Issues Advisories, Newsweek, November 14, 2018
4. Snowstorm causes havoc in NYC – what went wrong?, CBS News, November 16, 2018
5. Why was the Winter Storm Avery forecast so far off the actual amounts?, PennLive, November 16, 2018
6. Snowstorm NJ 2018: Here's how Thursday's commute turned into complete chaos, NorthJersey.com, November 15, 2018
7. ^ "Definitely not ready for this weather": Early winter storm slams Northeast with snow, CBS News, November 15, 2018
8. Snow! Airlines cancel flights, waive change fees for winter storm, USA Today, November 16, 2018
9. Snow-vember! The earliest Houston snowfall ever just happened!, KHOU, November 14, 2018
10. ^ "Winter Storm Avery Dumps Heavy Early Season Snow in the Northeast and Stops New York City in its Tracks (METEOROLOGICAL RECAP)". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
11. Victims identified after Tunica-bound tour bus overturns on slick Mississippi highway, Action 5 News, November 15, 2018
12. ^ Winter Storm Avery Causes Chaotic Commutes, Strands Students at School Overnight, Kills 11 on Slick Roads, The Weather Channel, February 13, 2019
13. Looking Back At The November 2018 Snowstorm In The Northeast, Weather Works, November 9, 2021
14. The New York Area Was Nearly Paralyzed by 6 Inches of Snow. What Went Wrong?, New York Times, November 16, 2018
15. "NJ TRANSIT". NJ TRANSIT. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
16. 555 crashes, impassable roads turn evening rush into snowlocked mush as season's first storm smacks N.J., Nj.com, November 15, 2018
17. COMMUTE FROM HELL: Snowstorm Cripples NYC Area With 10-Hour Traffic Nightmare, Huffington Post, November 16, 2018
18. SNOW FORCES SOME NEW JERSEY STUDENTS TO STAY OVERNIGHT IN SCHOOL, ABC7NY, November 16, 2018
19. Winter Storm Avery Kills 11, Gridlocks Northeast (PHOTOS), The Weather Channel, November 19, 2018
20. "The New York Area Was Nearly Paralyzed by 6 Inches of Snow. What Went Wrong?". New York Times. November 16, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
21. Rainfall breaks record, making 2018 wettest year in Baltimore, WBALTV, November 16, 2018
22. Why Winter Storm Avery Produced More Snow Than Expected In the New York City Area, The Weather Channel, November 16, 2018
23. New York Commuters Ask Why City Wasn't Prepared for Winter Storm Avery, The Weather Channel, November 16, 2018
24. Winter Storm Avery Causes Chaotic Commutes, Strands Students at School Overnight, Kills 11 on Slick Roads, Weather Underground, November 16, 2018
25. Portions of Shenandoah National Park still closed after ice storm, WHSV, November 19, 2018

• 2018–19 North American winter
• 2018 meteorology
• 2018 natural disasters in the United States
• November 2018 events in the United States