December 2013 North American storm complex

December 2013 North American storm complex
Satellite image from NASA depicting the system over the Central United States on 21 December.
Meteorological history
Formed19 December 2013
Dissipated23 December 2013
Winter storm
Lowest pressure997 hPa (mbar); 29.44 inHg
Maximum snowfall or ice accretionSnowfall – ~36 cm (14 in)
Ice – Around 30 mm (1.2 in)
Tornado outbreak
Tornadoes13
Maximum ratingEF2 tornado
Duration2 days, 6 hours and 4 minutes
Overall effects
Fatalities29
Damage$54 million – $200 million (2013 USD)
Areas affectedSouthern Ontario, Southern Quebec, Upper Midwest, Great Plains, Southeastern United States, East Coast, Michigan, northern New England, Nova Scotia, Canada, Newfoundland,
Power outages1,500,000

Part of the 2013–14 North American winter and tornado outbreaks of 2013

The December 2013 North American storm complex was a significant storm complex that included many different types of severe weather, including a winter storm, a severe ice storm and a tornado outbreak that impacted the central and eastern portions of Canada, parts of the Central Great Plains, the Southern United States, and the northeastern United States from 20 to 23 December 2013. Formed in the South Central United States, the storm headed across the Great Plains towards Canada into Atlantic Canada and northeastern United States where the storm dissipated on 23 December 2013. The storm produced freezing rain and snow to the affected areas which caused massive damage to electric power transmission and trees. The storm resulted in 29 deaths, loss of power to over a million residents and over $200 million in damages. The storm produced similar conditions to the ice storm of 1998 which affected similar areas.