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This article is about a current winter storm where information can change quickly or be unreliable. The latest page updates may not reflect the most up-to-date information. Please refer to your local weather service or media outlets for the latest weather information pertaining to a specific location. Please help improve this article using reliable sources or help by discussing changes on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove this message)

February 2021 nor'easter

The deepening nor'easter off the Mid-Atlantic coast early on February 1, 2021
Type	Extratropical cyclone Winter storm Ice storm Nor'easter Blizzard Flood
Formed	January 25, 2021
Dissipated	Currently active
Highest gust	125 mph (201 km/h) at Alpine Meadows, California
Lowest pressure	990 mb (29.23 inHg)
Tornadoes confirmed	1 confirmed
Max. rating	EFU tornado
Maximum snowfall or ice accretion	107 in (270 cm) of snow at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, California
Maximum rainfall	16 in (41 cm) at Chalk City, California
Fatalities	1 total
Damage	Unknown
Power outages	> 400,000
Areas affected	Western United States, Central United States, Mid-Atlantic states, Northeastern United States
Part of the 2020–21 North American winter Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

The February 2021 nor'easter is currently a developing nor'easter impacting the Northeastern United States. The storm first developed as an extratropical cyclone off the West Coast of the United States on January 25, with the storm sending a long plume of moisture into states such as California, where very heavy snowfall and strong wind gusts were recorded, causing several hundred thousand power outages and numerous mudslides. The system moved ashore a few days later, moving into the Midwest and dropping several inches of snow across the region. On February 1, the system developed into a nor'easter off the coast of the Northeastern U.S.

Several states deployed snow equipment and many winter weather alerts were issued in advance of the storm, and several major cities issued snow emergencies. The state of New Jersey and the city of New York City declared states of emergencies ahead of the storm, cancelling dozens of flights and cancelling in-person schools for many. It was given the unofficial name of "Winter Storm Orlena" by The Weather Channel.

Meteorological history

In late January 2021, an extratropical cyclone developed in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean, to the south of Alaska, occluding, and moved southeastwards. The system drew moisture northeastwards towards the West Coast of the United States in a phenomenon known as an atmospheric river, with the main focus being directed towards the state of California on January 26, with heavy amounts of rain and snow expected. By 15:00 UTC, the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) began issuing storm summary bulletins for the storm as it was impacting California. On January 28, the storm began moving towards the West Coast, sending an atmospheric river into California in the process. The area of low pressure responsible moved slowly near the coastline, prolonging impacts until it moved inland early on January 29, in a weakened state. Moving eastward towards the Rocky Mountains, the WPC terminated storm summary bulletins for the West Coast system as impacts had generally diminished. The remaining energy moved eastward through the mountainous terrain, helping to generate a new surface low in the early morning hours of January 30, over the state of Kansas, which soon came to dominate the storm. The storm grew in size as it moved eastward, with precipitation blossoming over a large area as a result. Late on January 31, the storm developed a new low-pressure center over the Carolinas, which quickly grew to dominate the storm and became a nor'easter.

Current weather alerts

Template:WinterStormWarningsTable

Preparations

All warnings and advisories issued in the Midwestern and Northeastern United States due to the storm

	Winter Storm Warning
	Winter Storm Watch
	Winter Weather Advisory
	Coastal Flood Advisory
	High Wind Warning

Western United States

The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for all areas above 6,500 feet (1,981 meters) in Nevada. Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak ordered all state offices in Northern Nevada to open 2 hours later than usual. The California Highway Patrol closed a 75 mile stretch of Interstate 80 due to multiple spinouts.

Midwest and Ohio Valley

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency in Illinois urged residents to make preparations for the winter storm on January 29, and to check on neighbors to make sure they received the necessary preparations as well. The city of Chicago, Illinois was placed under a winter storm warning on January 29 with expectations of up to 8–12 inches (20–30 cm) of snow. The city also deployed about 300 salt spreaders and snow plowers as the winter storm continued throughout the evening of January 30. 100 flights out of the city were cancelled. Statewide, the Illinois Department of Transportation had more then 1,800 equipment trucks available at will for the storm.

In Indiana, a full call out for plow trucks was issued by the Indiana Department of Transportation on January 29 for the northern half of the state. The department also called for drivers to drive slower then normal, due to the wintry weather.

Crews within Ohio pretreated roads on January 30 as much of the central parts of the state were under a winter storm warning with up to 8 inches (20 cm) of snow expected.

Northeast

Amtrak will operate a modified schedule in the Northeast on February 1, with the Northeast Regional, Keystone Service, and Empire Service running on a limited schedule and the Acela and Pennsylvanian cancelled.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation enacted restrictions on the speed limit on several interstates and highways on January 31 within the Susquehanna Valley, including I-81, I-83, I-283, and I-78. Speed limits were also reduced on highways in the Philadelphia area including I-76, I-95, I-295, I-476, I-676, US 1, US 30, US 202, US 422, PA 63, PA 100, and PA 309. Commercial vehicle restrictions were implemented on several highways in northeastern Pennsylvania including all or part of I-78, I-80, I-84, I-380, I-476, US 22, and PA 33. A snow emergency went into effect for the city of Philadelphia on January 31. City offices were closed and trash and recycling collection were suspended on February 1. In the cities of Levittown and Bristol Township, city officials declared a snow emergency starting at 6 p.m. on January 31 and effective for 36 hours. Several cities within the state began readying salt spreaders and snow plowers the day before as well.

Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey declared a state of emergency for the state on January 31, as New Jersey was expected to bear the brunt of the nor'easter with up to 1–2 feet (12–24 in; 30–61 cm) being expected in a large majority of the state. Civil offices would also be closed for the following day. Murphy also stated that all New Jersey Transit forms of transportation would be suspended systemwide during the day, with the exception of the Atlantic City Line. All six COVID-19 vaccine mega-sites were also closed for February 1, with appointments to be rescheduled. The New Jersey Department of Transportation enacted travel restrictions due to the storm, focusing on many major interstate highways, including I-95, I-80 and I-78. The state also activated roughly 3,000 plows and salt spreaders to clear snow off of major highways. Utility companies also pledged their readiness to handle and restore power outages caused by the storm.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered state agencies to mobilize emergency response resources on January 31. He also urged residents to keep an eye on updates regarding the storm and to not travel. Travel restrictions were implemented on the New York State Thruway effective early on February 1. Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency for New York City and ordered all schools to switch to online learning the following day. COVID-19 vaccine sites were closed as well. The nor'easter also forced outdoor dining to be cancelled. More then 2,000 plows were said to be ready to deploy, with 300,000 pounds of de-icing materials available to use.

New England

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh declared a snow emergency the day before the storm on January 31, as Winter Storm Warnings were issued in the area. Snowfall totals were expected to be 6–12 inches (15–30 cm) in the Boston area, with locally higher totals. Boston Public Schools were to be remote on February 1 and 2, and numerous school districts in the area either were to have an early dismissal or fully remote learning on February 1. Worcester, Massachusetts also announced a parking ban on February 1, because of the nor'easter. The state of Massachusetts also deployed nearly 4,000 snow removal vehicles and other services to pre-treat the roads in Massachusetts before and during the storm.

Impact

West Coast

The storm had significant impacts in California. One person was injured in one of the mudslides in Northern California, and many structures suffered damage. The storm knocked out power to an estimated 400,000 people at one point, according to power outage tracking maps. In the mountainous parts of the state, the winter storm dropped tremendous amounts of heavy snow, with Mammoth Mountain Ski Area receiving 94 in (240 cm) within 72 hours, and a total of 107 in (270 cm) of snowfall for the entire event. Blizzard conditions were also recorded within parts of the Sierra Nevada. Very high wind gusts were also observed, with gusts over 100 mph (160 km/h) observed at Alpine Meadows, peaking at 126 mph (203 km/h). A significant length of road along the Big Sur collapsed into the ocean after massive amounts of rain were dumped, causing a debris flow onto the highway.

Mid-Atlantic and Northeast

In Virginia, state police responded to at least 270 crashes and almost as many vehicles stuck on January 31, and four firefighters were injured after a spin-out in Richmond. In Maryland, police responded to at least 70 crashes and dozens of calls.

Washington D.C received its first one-inch snowfall total since February 20, 2019, with 1.4 inches (3.6 cm) (as of the afternoon of January 31) measured at the Reagan National Airport. In Pennsylvania, an elderly woman with Alzheimer's disease was found dead on February 1, after wandering outside of her house and freezing due to hypothermia. The National Weather Service reported a total of 11.7 inches (30 cm) of snow at Lehigh Valley International Airport.

Areas near New York City reported double-digit snowfall totals by the morning of February 1, with snowfall rates consistently over an inch per hour. Blizzard conditions were reported unofficially in Islip, New York on Long Island. Coastal flooding and storm surge was observed in along the Jersey Shore and Long Island as well. Most flights were cancelled due to the snowstorm at all airports in and near New York City. Above-ground subway routes were suspended at 2:00 p.m. EST due to heavy snow.

See also

• January 31 – February 2, 2011 North American blizzard
• February 2013 North American blizzard
• March 2013 nor'easter
• December 2014 North American storm complex
• January 2016 United States blizzard
• December 15–17, 2020 nor'easter

References

1. "Winter Storm Trekking East". weather.com. The Weather Company. January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
2. Rice, Doyle (January 26, 2021). "'Atmospheric river' to blast California with heavy rain, feet of snow". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
3. Pereira, Frank (January 27, 2021). "Storm Summary Number 1 for Major West Coast Winter Storm". Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
4. "WPC Surface Analysis for 01/29/21 03 UTC". Weather Prediction Center. January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
5. Asherman, Jacob (January 29, 2021). "Storm Summary Number 3 for Major West Coast Winter Storm". Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
6. "WPC Surface Analysis for 01/30/21 06 UTC". Weather Prediction Center. January 30, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
7. "WPC Surface Analysis for 02/01/21 00 UTC". Weather Prediction Center. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
8. "Winter Storm Warning". National Weather Service. National Weather Service. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
9. Amy Alonzo (January 29, 2021). "UPDATE: Washoe County schools on 2-hour delay Friday morning". Reno Gazette Journal. Reno Gazette. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
10. Chris Wolfe (January 29, 2021). "Blizzard conditions bury Sierra Nevada in snow as atmospheric river drenches CA's Central Coast". KTLA. KTLA. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
11. "Illinois Officials Urge Residents to Prepare for Snowstorm, Dropping Temps". NBC Chicago. January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
12. "Snowstorm Updates: Chicago Deploys 300-Plus Plows, More Than 100 Flights Canceled". NBC Chicago. January 31, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
13. Cauguiran, Cate; Team, ABC7 Chicago Digital (January 30, 2021). "Chicago weather: Winter Storm Warning issued for Saturday, Sunday; 5-9 inches of snow expected LIVE RADAR". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved January 31, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
14. Draper, Dana (January 29, 2021). "INDOT Northwest issues full call out for weekend weather". The Pilot News. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
15. Kenya Ramirez (January 30, 2021). "ODOT, Columbus prep for up to 7 inches of snow on central Ohio roads". Nbc4i. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
16. "Winter storm forces service changes, suspensions on NJ Transit, Amtrak, SEPTA". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV. January 31, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
17. "PennDOT reduces speed limits on major roads in the Susquehanna Valley". WGAL. January 31, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
18. "Travel restrictions in New Jersey, Pennsylvania due to winter storm". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV. January 31, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
19. "Updated: PennDOT issues travel restrictions for winter storm". Allentown, PA: WFMZ-TV. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
20. "City of Philadelphia announces snow emergency ahead of winter storm". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV. January 31, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
21. Doug Gross (January 31, 2021). "Levittown Area Prepares For Winter Storm". Patch.com. Levittown, Pennsylvannia: Levittown, PA Patch. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
22. Staff, WPXI com News (January 30, 2021). "Road crews ready for snow, wintry mix moves into western Pennsylvania". WPXI. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
23. ^ "New Jersey declares state of emergency, suspends NJ Transit service". abc7ny.com. ABC, Inc. January 31, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
24. "Winter Storm: Mass transit and travel information for the Tri-State". abc7ny.com. ABC, Inc. January 31, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
25. Derek Van Dam (February 1, 2021). "Powerful nor'easter nears East Coast and could bring up to 18 inches of snow to New York City". CNN. Cable News Network. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
26. ^ Patrick Adcroft; Shannon Caturano (February 1, 2021). "Ahead of Winter Storm, Mayor Issues Local Emergency Travel Restrictions". www.ny1.com. Spectrum News NY1. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
27. https://twitter.com/MassGovernor/status/1356073131413278725
28. Staff, Boston 25 News (February 1, 2021). "Live winter storm updates: Boston declares snow emergency, BPS to go remote Monday & Tuesday". WFXT. Retrieved February 1, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
29. Chris Gloninger; Kaitlin McKinley Becker; Mike Manzoni (February 1, 2021). "As Nor'easter Nears, More Snow Is Expected, Blizzard-Like Conditions Are Possible". NBC Boston. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
30. Sarah Moon (January 29, 2021). "One woman injured, 25 structures damaged as powerful winter storm unleashes mudslides in parts of Northern California". CNN. Cable News Network. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
31. ^ "California Atmospheric River Triggered Flooding, Debris Flows and Feet of Sierra Snow". weather.com. The Weather Company. January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
32. Tom Nizioli (January 29, 2021). "Impressive #snow reports coming from Mammoth Ski Resort this morning. 94" at the base and 107" at the summit !!" (Tweet). Retrieved January 31, 2021 – via Twitter.
33. NWS Sacramento (January 27, 2021). "Here are the peak wind gusts observed across interior #NorCal over the past 24 hours. #CAwx" (Tweet). Retrieved January 31, 2021 – via Twitter.
34. Andone, Dakin (January 30, 2021). "A huge piece of California's Highway 1 near Big Sur collapsed into the ocean". CNN. Cable News Network. Retrieved February 1, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
35. ^ Jan Wesner Childs (January 31, 2021). "New Jersey, Philadelphia Declare Emergencies; Hundreds of Crashes Reported as Winter Storm Orlena Moves East". The Weather Channel. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
36. VA State Police (January 31, 2021). "#winterstormorlena is keeping #Virginia's Dispatchers busy. Since midnight, #VSP Dispatchers have fielded calls for approx. 270 traffic crashes & 240 stuck vehicles statewide. So our #Fairfax Comms Ctr appreciated Bernie stopping by this AM to lend a mittened hand.😁#berniememes" (Tweet). Retrieved January 31, 2021 – via Twitter.
37. https://www.inquirer.com/wires/ap/winter-storm-hits-pennsylvania-with-snow-strong-winds-20210201.html
38. https://twitter.com/NWSNewYorkNY/status/1356308479871307776
39. https://www.radio.com/wcbs880/news/local/most-flights-canceled-at-nyc-area-airports-due-to-snowstorm
40. https://www.jsonline.com/story/travel/airline-news/2021/02/01/winter-storm-orlena-1-400-flights-canceled-check-airline-waivers/4335757001/

External links

• 2021 Storm Summaries from the Weather Prediction Center

• Current events from January 2021
• 2020–21 North American winter
• 2021 disasters in the United States
• Blizzards in the United States
• February 2021 events in the United States
• January 2021 events in the United States