Christmas Storm of 1994

[Stormsfury]

This thread was originally started by weatherluvr. I somehow lost the original question regarding this when I tried to move (split) this also into the tropics forum) ... sorry about that, weatherluvr.

I'm looking up some information on this storm right now. Ironically I found it from the same USA today article discussing the Fujiwhara Effect when two storms get very close to each other ...

Here's an excerpt.

From USA Today:

One final example shows how the storms don't necessarily have to be tropical. Just before Christmas, 1994, a large coastal storm formed off Florida's east coast. The storm seemed to become tropical, developing an eye, almost like a late season hurricane. As the storm moved northward along the Eastern Seaboard a very large upper-level storm formed in its wake over Florida. This upper level storm was huge with a wide circulation spreading northward. It seemed to reach out and grab the first storm only to slingshot it on a northwestward path into New England.

When this first storm came ashore nearly over New York City early on Christmas Eve it blew down trees all over Southern New England with winds clocked as high as 99 mph in Westport Harbor, Mass. The storm cut power to 130,000 in Connecticut as it dumped nearly 5 inches of rain on the area.

SF

[weatherluvr]

Thanks Stormsfury, I saw that on the USAToday site, and it kinda left me wanting more info on it.

[Stormsfury]

Thanks Stormsfury, I saw that on the USAToday site, and it kinda left me wanting more info on it.

Same here. I'm still trying to find more information about this storm myself and hopefully some satellite shots as well.

SF

[Stormsfury]

Here's another USA today story calling the Christmas Storm a hybrid.

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wdisguis.htm

More information from Intellicast

December 23-24, 1994 -

an intense nor'easter, a hybrid winter and tropical storm lashed New England with high winds and heavy rains. The storm had its origin in the western Gulf of Mexico and had characteristics of a tropical storm even as it reached 40 degrees latitude. The storm dumbelled around a developing winter type storm off the mid Atlantic and approached New England from the south-southeast. Winds exceeded hurricane force over coastal areas. Walpole, MA had a wind gust of 88 mph. Sustained winds of 63 mph with a gust to 84 mph were recorded at Nantucket. Falmouth, MA had a wind gust of 78 mph and Ashaway, RI a gust of 74 mph. Plymouth, MA was deluged with 4.85 inches of rain and Gloucester, MA had 4.72 inches.

Another Intellicast Article about the Perfect Storm of 1991 and the Christmas Storm of 1994 from Joe D'Aleo...

http://www.intellicast.com/DrDewpoint/Library/1122/

So far that's all I can find.

SF

[Stormsfury]

Another find.

32..."Christmas Weekend/Santa Storm" December 1994. Although the Hurricane Center has decided not to classify this system as tropical, post-analysis indicates it was a "warm core" system, and we have decided to include it here. Heavy rain and strong winds gusting over 80 MPH in southern New England on 23-24. Widespead heavy rains all New England on 24th make for a wet, not white, Christmas. Significant damage southeastern New England. Widespread power outages, downed trees and limbs. The demarcation line of heavy weather was from about Cape Ann southward with just heavy precipitation and minor coastal surges from that point northward. Major damage from Cape Cod southwestward through Rhode Island and Connecticut with two foot storm surges and lowland flooding. Heavy rains in Maine otherwise indirect effect from this system.

Link to the website that this came from.

http://home.maine.rr.com/mailhot/netrop.html

[weatherluvr]

Nice finds, Stormsfury. Thanks for the help.

[NJwx15]

id love to see sattelite images of the 94 storm if it is available please...really interesting stuff...could a hybrid ever be associated with snow?

[weatherluvr]

could a hybrid ever be associated with snow?

There wasn't any snow in central CT where I was... in fact it was a very muggy, mild day, not anything like what you'd expect from a typical nor'easter.

[Stormsfury]

id love to see sattelite images of the 94 storm if it is available please...really interesting stuff...could a hybrid ever be associated with snow?

I'm working on that ... I've send some emails out to respective agencies that might have information on those storms. Hope to have something soon on that.

SF

[ColdFront77]

I believe I remember this snowstorm.

The 1993 and 1994 winters were busy across southern New England.

[PTrackerLA]

Interesting stuff, I look forward to what yall can find.

[Stormsfury]

According to the answers I've gotten ... it gets quite confusing.

Frank Lepore from the NHC sites Colin McAdie's report that the system was not tropical in nature, however, the email I received from Chris Landsea indicates the storm is under review for reanalysis to be included into the tropical cyclone database.

Currently, the 1910's, 1920's, and 1930's are being worked on for the reanalysis project. Unfortunately, we won't know anything on the Christmas Storm of 1994 until probably late 2005, to see if the storm was indeed "subtropical" ...

Both the NHC and Taunton, MA have presented evidence that best describes the storm as "subtropical". The findings from the reanalysis project will be quite interesting, nonetheless...

This is the best I can do right now.

SF

[weatherluvr]

Wow! I guess there's still a lot of debate going on about this one. I have a feeling they'll eventually declare it non-tropical if only to not open a can of worms and have them re-analyze every major coastal storm for evidence of a warm core.

Still, I think it was a unique storm. I could swear I've seen a sat. photo of this storm once, and it sure looked at least somewhat tropical.

Thanks a lot for all your help and effort on this, Stormsfury!

[Stormsfury]

Thanks again, weatherluvr. I just got a surprise email from Glenn Field in Taunton, MA in regards to the Christmas Day Storm or what he calls "Tropical Storm Santa".

You are correct...the storm that we in the Taunton office affectionately refer to as "Tropical Storm Santa" (whether it's subtropical or tropical) did indeed have an eye feature, seen on IR imagery when the storm was approximately at 38.5 or 39.0 degrees N and 71.0 or 71.5 degrees W (due S of Martha's Vineyard). The deepening of this storm was so phenomenal that we decided to activate the Emergency Broadcast System (now EAS) for Cape Cod and the Islands. At the "Hotel" or 44004 buoy, located at 38.5N 70.7W, the pressure fell 11.7 mb in 3 hours and at 18Z/23rd was down to 977.5 mb. Winds at that time were NNE (020 degrees) at 54 G 70 knots (or 62 G 81 mph)! Quite a storm! Peak wind gusts when it arrived in New England were as follows: Walpole, MA 88 mph; Nantucket, MA 84 mph; Blue Hill Observatory in Milton, MA 76 mph; Ashaway, RI 74 mph; Providence, RI 72 mph; Chatham, MA 72 mph; Boston, MA 66 mph.

Satellite imagery from the day prior to the storm revealed a very warm eddy in the sea surface temperatures protruding quite far northward toward New England, which may be what helped it develop so much, so far north.

That's about as much as I know/can recall. I do have 3 satellite photos saved from this storm. Hope that helps.

You better believe I'm requesting to see those satellite photos!

SF

[ColdFront77]

I used to live 15 to 20 miles southeast of Walpole, Massachusetts.

I never heard this particular Christmas Day Storm being called, "Tropical Storm Santa."

[Stormsfury]

I used to live 15 to 20 miles southeast of Walpole, Massachusetts.

I never heard this particular Christmas Day Storm, "Tropical Storm Santa."

I hope to have some more information on this later.

[TampaFl]

Stormfury, looking forward to seeing the satellite pictures when you receive them . Very interesting storm indeed. :o

Robert

[weatherluvr]

I never heard this particular Christmas Day Storm being called, "Tropical Storm Santa."

Neither have I. This is getting more and more interesting...

[Stormsfury]

A nice loop of the 500mb Geopotential Heights and 850mb Absolute Vorticity using the Plymouth State Reanalysis Map Generator.

http://www.stormsfury1.com/Temp/TempLoo ... Storm.html

[PTrackerLA]

Can't wait to see the sat. shots!