2011 Halloween nor'easter
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Halloween nor'easter was a large low pressure area that produced unusually early snowfall across the northeastern United States and the Canadian Maritimes
. It formed early on October 29 along a cold front to the southeast of the Carolinas
. As it moved northeastward, its associated snowfall broke records in at least 20 cities for total accumulations, resulting in an unusual "white Halloween."
Snow fell on trees that were often still in leaf, adding extra weight. Trees and branches that collapsed under it caused considerable damage, particularly to power lines. Several million customers in several states suffered outages
that lasted into the next week. In some areas the downed trees and blackouts broke records set just two months earlier by Hurricane Irene
. Many communities had to cancel or postpone celebrations of Halloween
from two days to a week later as a result. Delays in restoring power led to the resignation of the CEO of Connecticut Light & Power amid widespread criticism of the company's inadequate response to both the nor'easter and Irene.
over Canada advected
an unseasonably cold air mass across the Mid-Atlantic states
and New England
; at the same time, a surface low-pressure area began developing along the coast of Louisiana
. A cold front
extended from the western Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of South Carolina, westward to the low pressure area. Early on October 29, another low pressure area developed off the coast of the Carolinas with a cold front extending southward from the low into the Gulf of Mexico, while moisture was fed from the remnants of Hurricane Rina. At the same time, an area of precipitation extended from South Carolina through Pennsylvania, mostly falling as rain with some snow observed at higher elevations. By late that morning, the system was producing precipitation over much of the Mid-Atlantic and New England. As the system moved to the northeast through the day, it produced widespread snow and winds near hurricane-strength north of the cyclone's warm front over the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Winds as high as 69 mph (111 km/h) were observed in Massachusetts
, and the National Weather Service, issued a Hurricane Force Wind Warning for the Gulf of Maine
and New England high-seas. Overnight into October 30, the storm passed south of Nantucket, and it moved over Nova Scotia later that day with a barometric pressure
of 975 mb. As it did so, the associated precipitation diminished over New England and moved into Atlantic Canada. As the system moved out into the Atlantic ocean, it reached a minimum barometric pressure of 971 mb as it passed to the east of the island of Newfoundland late on October 31. By the early morning of November 1, the system had fully moved out to sea.
offices issued winter storm warning
s from northwestern Virginia through central New England, as well as winter storm watch
es from central Maryland through central Maine. Officials anticipated peak snowfall totals to be from 8 – across much of the region. All warnings were canceled after the storm moved away from the region.
Early on October 29, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
activated their fleet of salt trucks. In eastern Pennsylvania, the most recent significant snowstorm during October was in 1972. Utility crews prepared additional crews in the event of power outages. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
closed a road due to the storm's threat. Connecticut governor Dan Malloy
opened the state's Emergency Operations Center in Hartford
, which included members of the transportation, health, and energy departments. Officials opened 41 shelters in Connecticut. Protesters in the Occupy Wall Street
movement in New York asserted that they would continue their actions despite the weather, obtaining coats and blankets.
with 32 in (812.8 mm). At least 20 cities reported record-breaking snowfall, and the peak of 19 in (482.6 mm) in West Milford, New Jersey
broke the state record for highest snowfall during the month. Newark, New Jersey's largest city, also broke their all-time October snowfall record with 5.2 in (132.1 mm). The previous record for Newark was only 0.3 in (7.6 mm) in 1952. Central Park
, New York observed 2.9 in (73.7 mm), which set a new record for the most snow in October since 1869 when weather records began being kept, according to the National Weather Service. New York City had not reported measurable snowfall during October since 1952, and there were only three days on record when measurable snow occurred in Central Park
. Hartford, Connecticut observed a record 12.3 in (312.4 mm), and the highest total in the state was 18.6 in (472.4 mm) in Bakersville; this broke the record for highest statewide snow total during the month.
In Massachusetts, the nor'easter brought wind gusts peaking at 69 mph (111 km/h) in Barnstable
and, unofficially, 76 mph (122.3 km/h) in Provincetown.
An automated marine weather station at Mount Desert Rock, Maine recorded a top gust of 77.2 mph (124.2 km/h).
}
|-
|Maine
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| 160,000 ||align=right| 20 inches (50.8 cm)
|-
|Maryland
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| 43,000 ||align=right| 11.6 inches (29.5 cm)
|-
|Massachusetts
||align=right| 6 ||align=right| 420,000 ||align=right| 32 inches (81.3 cm)
|-
|New Brunswick
||align=right| 3 ||align=right| 3,500 ||align=right| N/A
|-
|New Hampshire
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| 315,000 ||align=right| 31.4 inches (79.8 cm)
|-
|New Jersey
||align=right| 8 ||align=right| 700,000 ||align=right| 19 inches (48.3 cm)
|-
|New York
||align=right| 3 ||align=right| 300,000 ||align=right| 21.6 inches (54.9 cm)
|-
|Nova Scotia
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| 40,000 ||align=right| N/A
|-
|Pennsylvania
||align=right| 8 ||align=right| 500,000 ||align=right| 16 inches (40.6 cm)
|-
|Prince Edward Island
||align=right| 1 ||align=right| 3,000 ||align=right| N/A
|-
|Rhode Island
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| 20,000 ||align=right| 6.6 inches (16.8 cm)
|-
|Vermont
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| 7,500 ||align=right| 16 inches (40.6 cm)
|-
|Virginia
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| >4,000 ||align=right| 9 inches (22.9 cm)
|-
|West Virginia
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| 43,000 ||align=right| 14 inches (35.6 cm)
|-
|Total||align=right|39 ||align=right|>3,389,000 ||
|}
Across the northeast United States, the combination of high winds and wet, heavy snow downed trees, most of which retained their fall leaves. In New York City, a thousand trees were estimated to have fallen in Central Park, far more than had been damaged by Hurricane Irene
two months earlier, just as had been reported in Connecticut. The New York Botanical Garden
in the Bronx reported that 2,200 trees in its old-growth forest, the only one remaining in the city from the era prior to European colonization, were damaged. The downed trees caused widespread power outages, leaving over 3 million people without power, as well as killing two people from electrocution. In Central Park workers put a priority on making the park safe for the annual New York City Marathon
the next weekend. As the storm moved into Canada, it dropped rain in Nova Scotia and snow in New Brunswick and Newfoundland. Parts of the inland regions of Newfoundland received close to 25 cm (9.8 in) of snow. The town of Granby, Connecticut
and Simsbury, Connecticut
were impacted the most in Connecticut
. Overall, there were at least 39 deaths, including one man in Pennsylvania who died after a tree struck his home.
service across the region was either delayed or canceled. NJ Transit
suspended service on the Morris and Essex Lines until November 1 due to downed wires and branches, and even then was only able to restore service as far west as Lake Hopatcong
. North of New York City, Metro-North
suspended commuter rail service on the Harlem Line north of North White Plains
, leaving passengers marooned on a train at Southeast
for 11 hours when fallen trees blocked the tracks in both directions. Service was also suspended on the Port Jervis Line and the New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury
branches of the New Haven Line. Service on the Port Jervis Line and electrified portions of the Harlem Line was restored on Monday; bus service replaced trains between Southeast and Wassaic
and on the Danbury and Waterbury branches for the rest of the week.
The storm also disrupted air travel from Pennsylvania through Connecticut. Officials at Newark International Airport canceled all flights on October 29, and flights out of New York's two major airports were delayed by about five hours. Some flights bound for New York were diverted to Hartford. Several JetBlue flights departing from Bradley International Airport
were stranded on the tarmac for up to seven hours due to the hazardous conditions.
games, were also impacted. Penn State officials limited parking at its home football game to 1,500 spaces due to the inclement weather. It was the first Nittany Lions home October football game with measurable snow since record keeping began in 1896. At West Point, New York
, Army
defeated Fordham
55–0 in its first home game played in snow since 1985. On Long Island
where a wind swept mixture of heavy snow and rain fell, a match between Plainview – Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School and Valley Stream Central High School
was cancelled after 15 players were treated for hypothermia
, prompting the school district to reconsider game cancellation policies. At another football game on Long Island 10 players were checked and some treated for hypothermia.
, where Washington Irving
's classic short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
" is set, attracting many tourists around the holiday, were canceled due to the storm and its aftermath. Another popular Halloween destination, Salem, Massachusetts
, was not affected due to minimal snowfall.
Some families were able to compensate for the lost Halloween. They took their children to trick-or-treat in other communities that had not lost power. Residents of Glen Rock, New Jersey
, organized a "trunk-or-treat" party at the local high school's football field, where children went around to parked sport-utility vehicles. Since many schools had snow days, and there was little to distract children without power, many parents insisted on going ahead with the holiday. "You can't cancel Halloween" said a woman in Fairfield, New Jersey. "The kids are all hyped up. They had no school because there's no power and this and that." A boy in Lexington, Massachusetts
said he now planned to "buy some candy and eat it myself."
Proposals in some communities to hold Halloween the following weekend, or whenever conditions returned to normal, met with protest from some parents. Some considered the October 31 date to be immutable and nonnegotiable, so children would have to wait for 2012. "I don't have control over the calendar, so Halloween is on Halloween, which is the 31st", said Pat Murphy, mayor of New Milford, Connecticut
, which, she noted, had managed to celebrate the holiday that day on its village green
despite considerable storm damage and continued power outages. Others had already allowed their children some trick-or-treating, and did not want them to indulge in candy a second time within the week.
Many school districts were forced by the storm to use up their remaining allotted snow days for the school year, after Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee
had required some be used near the beginning of the year. The Weston, Connecticut
, public schools had already used nine snow days as of November 2, five more than its schedule allowed. Since the regular winter was still two months away, it was certain that they would have to shorten or cancel vacation periods planned for later in the year, or even add days to the end of the year in June. The storm had come at a critical time for high school seniors
preparing college applications for early decision
, and 76 colleges and universities moved those deadlines back to compensate. In Connecticut, Weston High School, which had power, opened its library for students wishing to study or work on their applications; movies were shown in the auditorium.
About 500,000 households in New Jersey were left without power, prompting a state of emergency declaration from governor Chris Christie, who had himself lost electricity both at his house in Mendham
and the governor's mansion, Drumthwacket
, near Princeton. Along the Jersey Shore
, the nor'easter produced coastal flooding that left Ventnor Heights
isolated. Officials closed a portion of the Black Horse Pike
in West Atlantic City due to flooding. Further north, the flooding closed five New Jersey state highways
in Monmouth
and Ocean
counties.
In Connecticut, Governor Dannel Malloy declared a state of emergency late on October 29, after 830,000 people lost power, breaking the record set after Hurricane Irene. Outages were so severe in the Danbury
area that seven school districts had to cancel classes for the following week. A state of emergency was also declared in Massachusetts, which allowed for the activation of the state's National Guard as well as other emergency measures. Due to the power outages and downed trees shortly before Halloween, at least three towns in the state advised delaying trick-or-treating
. In New Hampshire, officials opened seven shelters for people who lost heating during the storm. The early snowfall allowed for the opening of ski resorts in Vermont and Maine.
By November 1, Governor Malloy estimated at a press conference that the storm damages in Connecticut would exceed $3 billion. Two days later, close to 700,000 homes and businesses remained in the power outage. A week after the storm, almost 150,000 customers of the state's two utilities had not yet had power restored. Customers still suffering outages, including actress Mia Farrow
at her home in Bridgewater
, continued to cope as best they could, by sleeping at the homes of friends who had had power restored, taking showers at work and storing perishables outside.
Many Conecticut residents were angry with the state's electric utilities, particularly Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P), which serves most of the state, for the long delays in restoring service. By the weekend after the storm, in comparison, most customers in other affected states had gotten their power back. Malloy said they had "missed their own target" and ordered an investigation into their preparation and restoration efforts to be led by James Lee Witt
, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
during the Clinton Administration. An Avon
man complained he had not seen any crews in his area since the storm. Some commentators felt Malloy was being too lenient with CL&P, noting that the company had cut its maintenance budget in the preceding year and that smaller public utilities, such as that serving the city of Norwich
, had experienced far less power loss and for far less time despite CL&P's customers paying the highest rates in the contiguous United States. Similar complaints had been made after the company had taken a long time to restore service after Hurricane Irene, and three weeks after the nor'easter, Jeff Butler, the company's CEO, resigned.
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
. It formed early on October 29 along a cold front to the southeast of the Carolinas
The Carolinas
The Carolinas is a term used in the United States to refer collectively to the states of North and South Carolina. Together, the two states + have a population of 13,942,126. "Carolina" would be the fifth most populous state behind California, Texas, New York, and Florida...
. As it moved northeastward, its associated snowfall broke records in at least 20 cities for total accumulations, resulting in an unusual "white Halloween."
Snow fell on trees that were often still in leaf, adding extra weight. Trees and branches that collapsed under it caused considerable damage, particularly to power lines. Several million customers in several states suffered outages
Power outage
A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
that lasted into the next week. In some areas the downed trees and blackouts broke records set just two months earlier by Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene (2011)
Hurricane Irene was a large and powerful Atlantic hurricane that left extensive flood and wind damage along its path through the Caribbean, the United States East Coast and as far north as Atlantic Canada in 2011...
. Many communities had to cancel or postpone celebrations of Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
from two days to a week later as a result. Delays in restoring power led to the resignation of the CEO of Connecticut Light & Power amid widespread criticism of the company's inadequate response to both the nor'easter and Irene.
Meteorological history
Early on October 28, 2011, a ridgeRidge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
over Canada advected
Advection
Advection, in chemistry, engineering and earth sciences, is a transport mechanism of a substance, or a conserved property, by a fluid, due to the fluid's bulk motion in a particular direction. An example of advection is the transport of pollutants or silt in a river. The motion of the water carries...
an unseasonably cold air mass across the Mid-Atlantic states
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
and New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
; at the same time, a surface low-pressure area began developing along the coast of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. A cold front
Cold front
A cold front is defined as the leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing a warmer mass of air.-Development of cold front:The cooler and denser air wedges under the less-dense warmer air, lifting it...
extended from the western Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of South Carolina, westward to the low pressure area. Early on October 29, another low pressure area developed off the coast of the Carolinas with a cold front extending southward from the low into the Gulf of Mexico, while moisture was fed from the remnants of Hurricane Rina. At the same time, an area of precipitation extended from South Carolina through Pennsylvania, mostly falling as rain with some snow observed at higher elevations. By late that morning, the system was producing precipitation over much of the Mid-Atlantic and New England. As the system moved to the northeast through the day, it produced widespread snow and winds near hurricane-strength north of the cyclone's warm front over the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Winds as high as 69 mph (111 km/h) were observed in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and the National Weather Service, issued a Hurricane Force Wind Warning for the Gulf of Maine
Gulf of Maine
The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...
and New England high-seas. Overnight into October 30, the storm passed south of Nantucket, and it moved over Nova Scotia later that day with a barometric pressure
Atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure is the force per unit area exerted into a surface by the weight of air above that surface in the atmosphere of Earth . In most circumstances atmospheric pressure is closely approximated by the hydrostatic pressure caused by the weight of air above the measurement point...
of 975 mb. As it did so, the associated precipitation diminished over New England and moved into Atlantic Canada. As the system moved out into the Atlantic ocean, it reached a minimum barometric pressure of 971 mb as it passed to the east of the island of Newfoundland late on October 31. By the early morning of November 1, the system had fully moved out to sea.
Preparations
Before the storm was at its strongest, local National Weather ServiceNational Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
offices issued winter storm warning
Winter Storm Warning
A Winter Storm Warning is a statement made by the National Weather Service of the United States which means a winter storm is occurring or is about to occur in the area, usually within 24 hours. Generally, a Winter Storm Warning is issued if at least to or more of snow or or more of snow with...
s from northwestern Virginia through central New England, as well as winter storm watch
Winter Storm Watch
A Winter Storm Watch is issued by the National Weather Service of the United States when there is a potential for heavy snow or significant ice accumulations. The watch is usually issued at least 24 to 36 hours before the storm's arrival in the area...
es from central Maryland through central Maine. Officials anticipated peak snowfall totals to be from 8 – across much of the region. All warnings were canceled after the storm moved away from the region.
Early on October 29, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Barry Schoch Presently, PennDOT supports over of state roads and highways, about 25,000...
activated their fleet of salt trucks. In eastern Pennsylvania, the most recent significant snowstorm during October was in 1972. Utility crews prepared additional crews in the event of power outages. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service, preserves almost of land along the Delaware River's New Jersey and Pennsylvania shores, stretching from the Delaware Water Gap northward almost to the New York state line...
closed a road due to the storm's threat. Connecticut governor Dan Malloy
Dan Malloy
Dannel Patrick "Dan" Malloy is the 88th and current Governor of Connecticut. He was the Mayor of Stamford, Connecticut from December 1995 until December 2009. Malloy had been endorsed by the Connecticut Democratic Party on May 22, 2010 over 2006 Democratic U.S...
opened the state's Emergency Operations Center in Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, which included members of the transportation, health, and energy departments. Officials opened 41 shelters in Connecticut. Protesters in the Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
movement in New York asserted that they would continue their actions despite the weather, obtaining coats and blankets.
Snowfall totals and records
Precipitation began falling in North Carolina and Virginia late on October 28. By early on October 29, measurable snowfall was reported from West Virginia through Maryland, which later extended through Maine. The highest snowfall was in Peru, MassachusettsPeru, Massachusetts
Peru is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 821 at the 2000 census.- History :Originally known as Northern Berkshire Township Number 2 and including all of Hinsdale and part of Middlefield, the town was first settled in 1767 and was officially incorporated...
with 32 in (812.8 mm). At least 20 cities reported record-breaking snowfall, and the peak of 19 in (482.6 mm) in West Milford, New Jersey
West Milford, New Jersey
West Milford is a township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 25,850.-History:...
broke the state record for highest snowfall during the month. Newark, New Jersey's largest city, also broke their all-time October snowfall record with 5.2 in (132.1 mm). The previous record for Newark was only 0.3 in (7.6 mm) in 1952. Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, New York observed 2.9 in (73.7 mm), which set a new record for the most snow in October since 1869 when weather records began being kept, according to the National Weather Service. New York City had not reported measurable snowfall during October since 1952, and there were only three days on record when measurable snow occurred in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. Hartford, Connecticut observed a record 12.3 in (312.4 mm), and the highest total in the state was 18.6 in (472.4 mm) in Bakersville; this broke the record for highest statewide snow total during the month.
In Massachusetts, the nor'easter brought wind gusts peaking at 69 mph (111 km/h) in Barnstable
Barnstable
Barnstable may refer to:Places*Barnstable, Massachusetts, a US city*Barnstable , Massachusetts, a village within the city of Barnstable...
and, unofficially, 76 mph (122.3 km/h) in Provincetown.
An automated marine weather station at Mount Desert Rock, Maine recorded a top gust of 77.2 mph (124.2 km/h).
| State/Province | Deaths | Power outages | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Connecticut Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately... |
10 | 830,000 |
|-
|Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| 160,000 ||align=right| 20 inches (50.8 cm)
|-
|Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| 43,000 ||align=right| 11.6 inches (29.5 cm)
|-
|Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
||align=right| 6 ||align=right| 420,000 ||align=right| 32 inches (81.3 cm)
|-
|New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
||align=right| 3 ||align=right| 3,500 ||align=right| N/A
|-
|New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| 315,000 ||align=right| 31.4 inches (79.8 cm)
|-
|New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
||align=right| 8 ||align=right| 700,000 ||align=right| 19 inches (48.3 cm)
|-
|New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
||align=right| 3 ||align=right| 300,000 ||align=right| 21.6 inches (54.9 cm)
|-
|Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| 40,000 ||align=right| N/A
|-
|Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
||align=right| 8 ||align=right| 500,000 ||align=right| 16 inches (40.6 cm)
|-
|Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
||align=right| 1 ||align=right| 3,000 ||align=right| N/A
|-
|Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| 20,000 ||align=right| 6.6 inches (16.8 cm)
|-
|Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| 7,500 ||align=right| 16 inches (40.6 cm)
|-
|Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| >4,000 ||align=right| 9 inches (22.9 cm)
|-
|West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
||align=right| 0 ||align=right| 43,000 ||align=right| 14 inches (35.6 cm)
|-
|Total||align=right|39 ||align=right|>3,389,000 ||
|}
Impact
The nor'easter storm became the fourteenth multi-billion-USD weather-related disaster of 2011, exceeding the old record of eight such disasters in one year, set in 2008.Across the northeast United States, the combination of high winds and wet, heavy snow downed trees, most of which retained their fall leaves. In New York City, a thousand trees were estimated to have fallen in Central Park, far more than had been damaged by Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene (2011)
Hurricane Irene was a large and powerful Atlantic hurricane that left extensive flood and wind damage along its path through the Caribbean, the United States East Coast and as far north as Atlantic Canada in 2011...
two months earlier, just as had been reported in Connecticut. The New York Botanical Garden
New York Botanical Garden
- See also :* Education in New York City* List of botanical gardens in the United States* List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City- External links :* official website** blog*...
in the Bronx reported that 2,200 trees in its old-growth forest, the only one remaining in the city from the era prior to European colonization, were damaged. The downed trees caused widespread power outages, leaving over 3 million people without power, as well as killing two people from electrocution. In Central Park workers put a priority on making the park safe for the annual New York City Marathon
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
the next weekend. As the storm moved into Canada, it dropped rain in Nova Scotia and snow in New Brunswick and Newfoundland. Parts of the inland regions of Newfoundland received close to 25 cm (9.8 in) of snow. The town of Granby, Connecticut
Granby, Connecticut
Granby is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,347 at the 2000 census. The town center was defined as a census-designated place known as Salmon Brook in the 2000 census....
and Simsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury is a suburban town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 23,234 at the 2000 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's twenty-first town in May 1670.-Early history:...
were impacted the most in Connecticut
Fatalities
The snow resulted in traffic accidents that killed at least six people, including one due to storm conditions in the Canadian province of Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. Overall, there were at least 39 deaths, including one man in Pennsylvania who died after a tree struck his home.
Transportation
The storm affected transportation across the Northeast. Two rail services were closed in the New York area, and AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
service across the region was either delayed or canceled. NJ Transit
New Jersey Transit rail operations
New Jersey Transit Rail Operations is the rail division of New Jersey Transit. It provides regional rail service in New Jersey, with most service centered around transportation to and from New York City, Hoboken, and Newark...
suspended service on the Morris and Essex Lines until November 1 due to downed wires and branches, and even then was only able to restore service as far west as Lake Hopatcong
Lake Hopatcong (NJT station)
Lake Hopatcong Station is a New Jersey Transit station in the Landing section of Roxbury Township, New Jersey. It is named for the nearby Lake Hopatcong. The station is located at the intersection of Landing Road and Lakeside Boulevard...
. North of New York City, Metro-North
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
suspended commuter rail service on the Harlem Line north of North White Plains
North White Plains (Metro-North station)
The North White Plains Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of northern White Plains, New York via the Harlem Line. It is the north terminal for most trains that run local to the south and, until 1984, was the northern limit of electrification. Adjacent to the station is a yard/support...
, leaving passengers marooned on a train at Southeast
Southeast (Metro-North station)
Southeast is a Metro-North Railroad station serving the residents of Southeast, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every hour, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour. It is the terminus of the Harlem Line electrified service. For travel farther north to Wassaic,...
for 11 hours when fallen trees blocked the tracks in both directions. Service was also suspended on the Port Jervis Line and the New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury
Waterbury Branch
Metro-North Railroad's Waterbury Branch is a branch of the New Haven Line, running north from a junction east of Stratford to Waterbury. Originally built as the Naugatuck Railroad, it once continued north to Winsted...
branches of the New Haven Line. Service on the Port Jervis Line and electrified portions of the Harlem Line was restored on Monday; bus service replaced trains between Southeast and Wassaic
Wassaic (Metro-North station)
The Wassaic Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Wassaic, New York as the northern terminal of the Harlem Line. Trains leave for New York City every two hours, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour...
and on the Danbury and Waterbury branches for the rest of the week.
The storm also disrupted air travel from Pennsylvania through Connecticut. Officials at Newark International Airport canceled all flights on October 29, and flights out of New York's two major airports were delayed by about five hours. Some flights bound for New York were diverted to Hartford. Several JetBlue flights departing from Bradley International Airport
Bradley International Airport
Bradley International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Windsor Locks on the border with East Granby and Suffield, in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the State of Connecticut....
were stranded on the tarmac for up to seven hours due to the hazardous conditions.
Sports
Sporting events on Saturday, mostly college and high school footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
games, were also impacted. Penn State officials limited parking at its home football game to 1,500 spaces due to the inclement weather. It was the first Nittany Lions home October football game with measurable snow since record keeping began in 1896. At West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
, Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
defeated Fordham
Fordham Rams
The 22 Fordham University varsity sports teams are known as the Fordham Rams. Their colors are maroon and white. The Fordham Rams are members of NCAA Division I and compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference for all sports except football. In football, the Rams play in the Patriot League of NCAA...
55–0 in its first home game played in snow since 1985. On Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
where a wind swept mixture of heavy snow and rain fell, a match between Plainview – Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School and Valley Stream Central High School
Valley Stream Central High School
Valley Stream Central High School is a public senior high school in the village of Valley Stream, New York in southwest Nassau County. It is part of the Valley Stream Central High School District.-Principals:A list of school principals:...
was cancelled after 15 players were treated for hypothermia
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
, prompting the school district to reconsider game cancellation policies. At another football game on Long Island 10 players were checked and some treated for hypothermia.
Halloween
Many traditional Halloween activities were affected by the storm. In communities without power, where tree limbs and wires were down, trick-or-treating was postponed until days when it was expected to be back and repairs had made the streets safer. Events in Sleepy Hollow, New YorkSleepy Hollow, New York
Sleepy Hollow is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by the Philipse Manor stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line.Originally...
, where Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
's classic short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story by Washington Irving contained in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., written while he was living in Birmingham, England, and first published in 1820...
" is set, attracting many tourists around the holiday, were canceled due to the storm and its aftermath. Another popular Halloween destination, Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
, was not affected due to minimal snowfall.
Some families were able to compensate for the lost Halloween. They took their children to trick-or-treat in other communities that had not lost power. Residents of Glen Rock, New Jersey
Glen Rock, New Jersey
Glen Rock is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 11,601.-History:...
, organized a "trunk-or-treat" party at the local high school's football field, where children went around to parked sport-utility vehicles. Since many schools had snow days, and there was little to distract children without power, many parents insisted on going ahead with the holiday. "You can't cancel Halloween" said a woman in Fairfield, New Jersey. "The kids are all hyped up. They had no school because there's no power and this and that." A boy in Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,399 at the 2010 census. This town is famous for being the site of the first shot of the American Revolution, in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775.- History :...
said he now planned to "buy some candy and eat it myself."
Proposals in some communities to hold Halloween the following weekend, or whenever conditions returned to normal, met with protest from some parents. Some considered the October 31 date to be immutable and nonnegotiable, so children would have to wait for 2012. "I don't have control over the calendar, so Halloween is on Halloween, which is the 31st", said Pat Murphy, mayor of New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford is a town in southern Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States north of Danbury, on the Housatonic River. It is the largest town in the state in terms of land area at nearly . The population was 28,671 according to the Census Bureau's 2006 estimates...
, which, she noted, had managed to celebrate the holiday that day on its village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
despite considerable storm damage and continued power outages. Others had already allowed their children some trick-or-treating, and did not want them to indulge in candy a second time within the week.
Many school districts were forced by the storm to use up their remaining allotted snow days for the school year, after Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee
Tropical Storm Lee (2011)
Tropical Storm Lee was the twelfth named storm and thirteenth system overall of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, developing from a broad tropical disturbance over the Gulf on September 1. It was designated as Tropical Storm Lee the next day...
had required some be used near the beginning of the year. The Weston, Connecticut
Weston, Connecticut
Weston is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The population was 10,179 at the 2010 census. The town is served by Route 57 and Route 53, both of which run through the town center. About 19% of the town's workforce commutes to New York City, about to the southwest.Like many towns in...
, public schools had already used nine snow days as of November 2, five more than its schedule allowed. Since the regular winter was still two months away, it was certain that they would have to shorten or cancel vacation periods planned for later in the year, or even add days to the end of the year in June. The storm had come at a critical time for high school seniors
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
preparing college applications for early decision
Early decision
Early decision is a common early admission policy used in college admissions in the United States for admitting freshmen to undergraduate programs. It is used to indicate to the University or College that the candidate considers that institution to be his or her top choice...
, and 76 colleges and universities moved those deadlines back to compensate. In Connecticut, Weston High School, which had power, opened its library for students wishing to study or work on their applications; movies were shown in the auditorium.
Power outages
Approximately 1.7 million customers in the Northeast were still without power as of November 1. Temperatures in the region warmed up to above 50 °F (10 °C) during the day, but went down to near freezing at night. As powerless houses grew cold, residents bundled up and kept under blankets, went to stay or visit with others who had power, or used their car heaters to temporarily warm up. Some, frustrated by long blackouts after other recent storms, considered leaving the region or moving to cities where power lines were underground.About 500,000 households in New Jersey were left without power, prompting a state of emergency declaration from governor Chris Christie, who had himself lost electricity both at his house in Mendham
Mendham Township, New Jersey
Mendham Township is an affluent township in Morris County, in the central portion of northern New Jersey, United States, located more than due west of New York City. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 5,400...
and the governor's mansion, Drumthwacket
Drumthwacket
Drumthwacket is the official residence of the governor of New Jersey. The mansion is located at 354 Stockton Street in Princeton, New Jersey, close to the state capital of Trenton...
, near Princeton. Along the Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
, the nor'easter produced coastal flooding that left Ventnor Heights
Ventnor City, New Jersey
Ventnor City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 10,650....
isolated. Officials closed a portion of the Black Horse Pike
Black Horse Pike
The Black Horse Pike is a designation used for a number of different roadways that had been part of a historic route connecting the Camden area to the area of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Roadways now bearing the Black Horse Pike designation include portions of New Jersey Route 168, New Jersey Route...
in West Atlantic City due to flooding. Further north, the flooding closed five New Jersey state highways
State highways in New Jersey
In the U.S. state of New Jersey, the New Jersey Department of Transportation maintains a system of state highways. Every significant section of roadway maintained by the state is assigned a number, officially State Highway Route X but commonly called Route X by the NJDOT and the general public....
in Monmouth
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
and Ocean
Ocean County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 510,916 people, 200,402 households, and 137,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 803 people per square mile . There were 248,711 housing units at an average density of 151/km²...
counties.
In Connecticut, Governor Dannel Malloy declared a state of emergency late on October 29, after 830,000 people lost power, breaking the record set after Hurricane Irene. Outages were so severe in the Danbury
Danbury, Connecticut
Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
area that seven school districts had to cancel classes for the following week. A state of emergency was also declared in Massachusetts, which allowed for the activation of the state's National Guard as well as other emergency measures. Due to the power outages and downed trees shortly before Halloween, at least three towns in the state advised delaying trick-or-treating
Trick-or-treating
Trick-or-treating or "Guising", is a customary practice for children on Halloween in many countries. Children in costumes travel from house to house in order to ask for treats such as candy with the question "Trick or treat?"...
. In New Hampshire, officials opened seven shelters for people who lost heating during the storm. The early snowfall allowed for the opening of ski resorts in Vermont and Maine.
By November 1, Governor Malloy estimated at a press conference that the storm damages in Connecticut would exceed $3 billion. Two days later, close to 700,000 homes and businesses remained in the power outage. A week after the storm, almost 150,000 customers of the state's two utilities had not yet had power restored. Customers still suffering outages, including actress Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
at her home in Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Connecticut
Bridgewater is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,824 at the 2000 census. It is the only remaining dry town in Connecticut.-Geography:...
, continued to cope as best they could, by sleeping at the homes of friends who had had power restored, taking showers at work and storing perishables outside.
Many Conecticut residents were angry with the state's electric utilities, particularly Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P), which serves most of the state, for the long delays in restoring service. By the weekend after the storm, in comparison, most customers in other affected states had gotten their power back. Malloy said they had "missed their own target" and ordered an investigation into their preparation and restoration efforts to be led by James Lee Witt
James Lee Witt
James Lee Witt was Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency during the administration of President Bill Clinton....
, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
during the Clinton Administration. An Avon
Avon, Connecticut
Avon is a town in the Farmington Valley region of Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. , the town had a population of 18,098.Avon is a suburb of Hartford. Avon Old Farms School, a prestigious boarding school, is located there. In 2005, Avon was named the third-safest town in America by...
man complained he had not seen any crews in his area since the storm. Some commentators felt Malloy was being too lenient with CL&P, noting that the company had cut its maintenance budget in the preceding year and that smaller public utilities, such as that serving the city of Norwich
Norwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
, had experienced far less power loss and for far less time despite CL&P's customers paying the highest rates in the contiguous United States. Similar complaints had been made after the company had taken a long time to restore service after Hurricane Irene, and three weeks after the nor'easter, Jeff Butler, the company's CEO, resigned.