December 1969 nor'easter

The December 1969 nor'easter was a strong winter storm that mainly affected the Northeastern United States and southern Quebec between December 25 and December 28, 1969. The multi-faceted storm system included a tornado outbreak, record snow accumulations, a damaging ice storm, and flooding rains.

The storm developed over Texas by December 25 and advanced eastward, spawning over a dozen tornadoes in Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida. Upon reaching the Eastern Seaboard, the cyclone turned northeastward and intensified into a powerful nor'easter. On December 26 and 27, the storm's forward movement slowed to a drift, causing very heavy snow over Upstate New York, Vermont, and southern Quebec. Warm onshore winds, caused by a storm track close to the shore, allowed precipitation to change to sleet and rain in central and eastern New England. Where precipitation remained as snow, accumulations reached 40 inches (100 cm) or more, crippling travel. Drifts up to 30 ft (9.1 m) high blocked roadways, isolating some communities and forcing emergency workers to rely on snowmobiles for transportation. At least 20 fatalities were attributed to the storm in New York and New England.

In central New England, a severe freezing rain event occurred along the boundary between cold air to the west and warmer air to the east. Several inches of glaze ice, accompanied by gale-force winds, caused damage comparable to the aftermath of the 1938 New England hurricane. Throughout the region, the snow and ice—in some cases further weighted by heavy rainfall—caused roofs to cave in. Montreal received 27.5 in (70 cm) of snow in that city's biggest snowstorm on record at the time; officials blamed the storm for 15 deaths in Quebec. In eastern New England, ice jams, poor drainage, and several inches of rain caused flooding that forced people from their homes and submerged roadways. Wind gusts to 100 mph (160 km/h) and strong waves battered the coastline.