2009 North American Christmas blizzard
Satellite image of the storm on Christmas Eve. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | December 22, 2009 |
| Dissipated | December 28, 2009 |
| Category 5 "Extreme" blizzard | |
| Regional snowfall index: 19.62 (NOAA) | |
| Lowest pressure | 985 millibars (985 hPa) |
| Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | 40.0 inches (102 cm) (Lead, South Dakota) |
| Tornado outbreak | |
| Tornadoes | 28 |
| Maximum rating | EF3 tornado |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 21 |
| Areas affected | Midwest, Great Plains, Parts of Ontario, Eastern Seaboard |
Part of the Tornadoes of 2009 and 2009–10 North American winter | |
The 2009 North American Christmas blizzard was a powerful winter storm and severe weather event that affected the Midwestern United States, Great Plains, Southeastern United States, the Eastern Seaboard, and parts of Ontario. The storm began to develop on December 22 before intensifying to produce extreme winds and precipitation by the morning of December 24. The storm's rapid development made it difficult for forecasters to predict. The blizzard was reported to have claimed at least 21 lives, and disrupted air travel during the Christmas travel season. In the Southeastern and Central United States, an outbreak of 28 tornadoes occurred between December 23–24. The storm, a Category 5 "Extreme" one on the Regional Snowfall Index scale, was the first winter weather event to rank as such since the North American blizzard of 1996.