Storm of the Century 1993 impressive pics

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cycloneye
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Storm of the Century 1993 impressive pics

#1 Postby cycloneye » Thu Jan 27, 2005 1:27 pm

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Enjoy them.Anyone who saw the effects of the storm of the century of 93 can share with the members their experiences.
Last edited by cycloneye on Thu Jan 27, 2005 2:39 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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#2 Postby BlizzardNole » Thu Jan 27, 2005 1:58 pm

Thanks for the pics! I was in southern MD, about 35 miles SE of DC during that event. I had 6" of wet snow, then heavy rain...even a thunderstorm. I was furious over that one...seeing Georgia and Alabama having a blizzard while I had rain in Maryland. A year later, when I got a permanent job in DC, I relocated in the northwest suburbs of DC, which makes a big difference -- especially in rain/snow line events. That 1993 storm had a lot to do with my decision.

I've always wondered what would have been if that storm had a track about 100 miles further east (instead of passing over the Chesapeake Bay).
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Great Blizzard of 1993

#3 Postby jimvb » Thu Jan 27, 2005 2:15 pm

BlizzardNole, I would have had 20 inches or more of snow had the storm (which I call Bluto, as I was naming snowstorms at the time) been more east. We actually got 1.5 inches of snow south of Richmond, followed by rain in the 30s all day long, turning back to 1.5 inches of snow at night, for a total of 3 inches. Lynchburg, to our west, got 20 inches. We also had a pressure of 28.47 inches, the lowest that I have ever experienced, and lower than Category 4 hurricanes.
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#4 Postby JenyEliza » Thu Jan 27, 2005 2:20 pm

I was in Atlanta for 1993's Blizzard/Superstorm. As it approached, NO ONE in Atlanta seriously believed we'd see snow in March, much less in the accumulations we saw. It just doesn't snow in March here.

So, we were all very pleasantly surprised that Friday night/Saturday morning when it began to snow. Where I lived, we saw just short of a foot of powder snow. It was beautiful....and awesome to actually see a blizzard in Atlanta, GA!

My kids are holding their breath for a repeat (since they weren't born yet in 1993)...but I told 'em not to! ;)
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krysof

#5 Postby krysof » Thu Jan 27, 2005 3:19 pm

If a superstorm happened once, its likely to happen again, like those famous blizzards.
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#6 Postby BlizzzardMan » Thu Jan 27, 2005 5:40 pm

And I would like another one to set up just like that one did! Pittsburgh got about 25 inches from that since that was a low that actually didn't go scooting off the coast, for a change, before turning northward. I was off from school most of that next week. I remember how windy it was and how the temps just plummeted from the very strong Canadian high. That was the only time in this area, since I've been alive, that we had an actual blizzard warning. I remember how the initial forecast was for just 6 to 12 inches here. They underestimated that storm right up to the day. I also remember eating in a restaurant that morning when it was just getting started and seeing a seagull outside trying to fly against the wind. It was just hovering in the air struggling to go forward! We're due for another one like that soon, I hope!!! Is their anywhere you could find old radar images or surface maps of that storm? The whole track of it? Just curious.
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A Hurricane in March!!

#7 Postby Burn1 » Fri Jan 28, 2005 12:05 am

I believe it was about 3 in the morning when the front from this storm
came through Fort Lauderdale.......It sounded like a Hurricane outside....
Power out and next morning trees etc...down all over the place...The
following 2 days was followed by record breaking cold....Very unusual to
have temps in the 30's for Mid March here in S. Florida

Also that night a boat carrying 4 people was making its way back from the Bahamas.....It ended up meeting the front in open waters halfway
between Bimini and Florida coast....Sent out one distress signal at about
3 that morning....However that was it and nothing was ever found of the crew and boat
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#8 Postby Brent » Fri Jan 28, 2005 9:45 am

I was not quite 5 yet... my mom was pregnant with my sister. I don't remember much BEFORE the storm, and don't remember actually seeing the snow falling. I just remember the next morning looking out and seeing feet of snow in drifts. We had about 10 inches if I remember correctly. We walked up to a friend's house and that's about all I can remember.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
345 AM CST SAT MAR 13 1993

...HEAVY SNOW WARNING CONTINUES FOR ALL OF ALABAMA...
...HIGH WIND ADVISORY FOR ALL OF ALABAMA THROUGH THE DAY SATURDAY...

AT 340 AM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED A SOLID AREA OF
SNOW OVER CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ALABAMA. SURFACE REPORTS AT 300 AM
SHOW NEAR BLIZZARD LIKE CONDITIONS OCCURRING THE AREA WITH ALL
STATIONS REPORTING HEAVY SNOWFALL AND NORTH WINDS OF 20 TO 30
MPH...REDUCING VISIBILITIES BELOW ONE-HALF MILE. A FEW STORM TOTALS

UP TO 300 AM INCLUDE:
PINSON ... 10 INCHES
BIRMINGHAM ... 7 INCHES
JASPER ... 6 INCHES
CENTREVILLE ... 6 INCHES
TUSCALOOSA ... 5-6 INCHES
HUNTSVILLE ... 4 INCHES
MOBILE ... 2 INCHES
MONTGOMERY ... 1 INCH

THE STRONG WINDS HAVE CREATED SNOW DRIFTS OF THREE TO FIVE FEET AND
MOST ROADS ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA ARE IMPASSABLE AND HAVE BEEN CLOSED
BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS. WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES HAVE OCCURRED
OVER THE AREA DUE TO THE WEIGHT OF THE SNOW ON POWER LINES AND TREES.
MORE OUTAGES CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS STRONG NORTH WINDS
CREATE ADDED STRESS ON THE POWER LINES.
THE COMBINATION OF STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS AND SUB FREEZING TEMPERATURES
WILL CREATE DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS. AT 300 AM WIND CHILL INDICES WERE
NEAR ZERO AND ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN AT OR BELOW ZERO THROUGHOUT THE
DAY.
THIS REMAINS A DANGEROUS STORM. AS THE STORM MOVES TOWARDS THE EAST
COAST TODAY THE SNOWFALL WILL DECREASE TO JUST FLURRIES BY LATE
MORNING. HOWEVER...THE COMBINATION OF SUB FREEZING TEMPERATURES
AND BLOWING SNOW WILL MAKE OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES TREACHEROUS AND PEOPLE
ARE URGED NOT TO REMAIN OUTDOORS FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS THIS HISTORIC WINTER STORM MOVES AWAY FROM THE
STATE.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
710 AM CST SAT MAR 13 1993

... PARALYZING SNOWSTORM SETS ALL-TIME SNOWFALL RECORD ...
... FOR BIRMINGHAM ...
...HEAVY SNOW WARNING CONTINUES FOR MIDDLE AND EASTERN ALABAMA...
...HIGH WIND ADVISORY TODAY...
...WIND CHILL ADVISORY TODAY AND TONIGHT...

THE BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT REPORTED 12 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND AT 600
AM THIS MORNING. THIS SNOW TOTAL BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD SINGLE
SNOWSTORM TOTAL OF 11 INCHES SET IN JANUARY, 1936. THERE HAVE BEEN
REPORTS FROM OTHER LOCATIONS AROUND NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA OF SNOW
TOTALS OF 12 TO 16 INCHES.
ROADS ARE IMPASSABLE OVER MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA AND
WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES HAVE BEEN REPORTED BY ALABAMA POWER.
NEAR BLIZZARD LIKE CONDITIONS PERSIST OVER MUCH OF ALABAMA AS STRONG
NORTH WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MILES AN HOUR CREATE WIND CHILL INDICES BELOW
ZERO.
THIS REMAINS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM SYSTEM. AS THE STORM MOVES TOWARDS
THE EAST COAST TODAY THE SNOWFALL WILL DECREASE TO JUST FLURRIES BY
LATE MORNING. HOWEVER...THE COMBINATION OF SUB FREEZING TEMPERATURES
AND BLOWING SNOW WILL MAKE OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES TREACHEROUS AND PEOPLE
ARE URGED TO REMAIN INDOORS.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS THIS HISTORIC WINTER STORM MOVES AWAY FROM THE
STATE.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
825 AM CST SAT MAR 13 1993

...SNOWSTORM PARALYZES MOST OF NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA...
...HEAVY SNOW WARNING CONTINUES FOR MIDDLE AND EASTERN ALABAMA THIS MORNING...
...HIGH WIND ADVISORY TODAY...
...WIND CHILL ADVISORY TODAY AND TONIGHT...

SNOWFALL CONTINUES TO DECREASE ACROSS THE MOST OF THE STATE THIS
MORNING. THE MAIN PROBLEMS THAT ALABAMIANS CAN ANTICIPATE TODAY
WILL BE FROM STRONG WINDS RANGING FROM 25 TO 35 MILES AN HOUR
WITH HIGHER GUSTS TO 40 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR POSSIBLE. THIS WILL
BLOW SNOW AROUND CAUSING POOR VISIBILITIES ACROSS NORTH AND
CENTRAL ALABAMA TODAY. THE STRONG WIND WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS
BLOW ZERO WIND CHILL READINGS ACROSS MOST OF ALABAMA THROUGH THE
DAY.
ROADS ARE IMPASSABLE OVER MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA AND
WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES HAVE BEEN REPORTED BY ALABAMA POWER.
THIS REMAINS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM SYSTEM.
THE STORM...PRESENTLY MOVING ACROSS EASTERN GEORGIA THIS
MORNING...WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARDS THE EAST COAST TODAY.
SNOWFALL WILL DECREASE TO JUST FLURRIES BY LATE MORNING AS THE
STORM MOVES FATHER TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST.
HOWEVER...THE COMBINATION OF SUB FREEZING TEMPERATURES AND STRONG
WINDS BLOWING SNOW...WILL MAKE OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES TREACHEROUS AND
PEOPLE ARE URGED TO REMAIN INDOORS.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS THIS HISTORIC WINTER STORM MOVES
FARTHER AWAY FROM THE STATE.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
945 AM CST SAT MAR 13 1993

...SNOWSTORM PARALYZES MOST OF NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA...
...HEAVY SNOW WARNING CONTINUES FOR MIDDLE AND EASTERN ALABAMA
THIS MORNING...
...HIGH WIND ADVISORY TODAY...
...WIND CHILL ADVISORY TODAY AND TONIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES ACROSS ALABAMA CONTINUE TO
RECEIVE SNOWFALL REPORTS FROM MANY LOCATIONS ACROSS THE STATE
THIS MORNING. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS HAVE RANGED FROM 2 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS SOUTH ALABAMA TO 8 TO 13 INCHES ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH AND
CENTRAL ALABAMA. APPROXIMATE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FROM LOCAL AREAS
ARE AS FOLLOWS;

3-4" MUSCLE SHOALS/FLORENCE (COLBERT AND LAUDERDALE COUNTIES)
4-6" ADDISON (WINSTON COUNTY)
5-6" MILBROOK/PRATVILLE (AUTAUGA/ELMORE COUNTIES)
8" DECATUR (MORGAN COUNTY)
6" ANDMORE (LIMESTONE COUNTY)
6" ATHENS (LIMESTONE COUNTY)
7" NWS IN HUNTSVILLE (MADISON COUNTY)
3-4" RUSSELVILLE (FRANKLIN COUNTY)
8-10" HARTSELLE (MORGAN COUNTY)
5" MOULTON (LAWRENCE COUNTY)
12" ARAB (MARSHALL COUNTY)
12" ALBERTVILLE (MARSHALL COUNTY)
9" GUNTERSVILLE (MARSHALL COUNTY)
5-7" SCOTTSBORO (JACKSON COUNTY)
12" FORT PAYNE (DE KALB COUNTY)
10" LEESBURG (CHEROKEE COUNTY)
11-12" CLEVELAND (BLOUNT COUNTY)
14" CENTRE (CHEROKEE COUNTY) AND STILL SNOWING
10" GADSDEN (ETOWAH COUNTY)
6-8" HEFLIN (CLEBURNE COUNTY)
13" HOMEWOOD (JEFFERSON COUNTY)
8-10" CLAY COUNTY
12" BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT (JEFFERSON COUNTY)
13" NWS IN BIRMINGHAM (JEFFERSON COUNTY)
15" CHANNEL 13 IN BIRMINGHAM (JEFFERSON COUNTY)
14" VESTAVIA (JEFFERSON COUNTY)
10-11" HELENA (SHELBY COUNTY)
16-17" RIVERCHASE (SHELBY COUNTY)
8" JACKSONVILLE (CALHOUN COUNTY)
12" ASHLAND (CLAY COUNTY)
8" CENTREVILLE (BIBB COUNTY)
4" ROANOKE (RANDOLPH COUNTY)
6" DICKERY (RANDOLPH COUNTY)
8-9" CLANTON (CHILTON COUNTY)
4" NWS IN MONTGOMERY (MONTGOMERY COUNTY)
4-5" ALEX CITY (TALLAPOOSA)
12" NORTH COOSA COUNTY
3-4" AUBURN (LEE COUNTY)
7" WHATLEY (CLARKE COUNTY)
2" DOTHAN (HOUSTON COUNTY)
3" EUFAULA (BARBOUR COUNTY)
4" SELMA (DALLAS COUNTY)
SNOWFALL CONTINUES TO DECREASE ACROSS THE MOST OF THE STATE THIS
MORNING. THE MAIN PROBLEMS THAT ALABAMIANS CAN ANTICIPATE TODAY
WILL BE FROM STRONG WINDS RANGING FROM 25 TO 35 MILES AN HOUR
WITH HIGHER GUSTS TO 40 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR POSSIBLE. THIS WILL
BLOW SNOW AROUND CAUSING POOR VISIBILITIES ACROSS NORTH AND
CENTRAL ALABAMA TODAY. THE STRONG WIND WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS
BLOW ZERO WIND CHILL READINGS ACROSS MOST OF ALABAMA THROUGH THE
DAY.
THIS REMAINS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM SYSTEM. MANY ROADS HAVE BEEN
CLOSED AND ARE IMPASSABLE OVER MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA
AND WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES HAVE BEEN REPORTED BY ALABAMA POWER.
THE COMBINATION OF SUB FREEZING TEMPERATURES TODAY AND TONIGHT AND
STRONG WINDS BLOWING SNOW...WILL MAKE OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES TREACHEROUS.
YOU ARE URGED TO REMAIN INDOORS AND TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO STAY
WARM AND SHELTER YOURSELF FROM THE WIND.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS THIS HISTORIC WINTER STORM MOVES
FARTHER AWAY FROM THE STATE.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1030 AM CST SUN MAR 14 1993

...MOTHER OF ALL SNOWSTORMS BREAKS EVERY RECORD IN THE BOOKS...
THE MONUMENTAL SNOWSTORM OF 1993 REQUIRES SERIOUS REWRITING OF THE
RECORD BOOKS FOR BIRMINGHAM. A LIST OF BROKEN RECORDS FOLLOWS:

OLD RECORD NEW RECORD
MAX SNOW IN 24 HOURS.........11.0 JAN 29 1936 13.0 MAR 12-13 1993
MAX SNOW IN A SINGLE STORM...11.0 JAN 29 1936 13.0 MAR 12-13 1993
MAX SNOW IN A SINGLE MONTH...11.0 JAN 29 1936 13.0 MAR 12-13 1993
MAX IN A SINGLE SEASON.......12.9 1929-30 13.0 1992-93
MAX SNOW DEPTH IN MARCH.......6.0 1924 13.0 1993
* ALL MEASUREMENTS ARE IN INCHES OF SNOW.
A FEW TEMPERATURE RECORDS OF INTEREST INCLUDE:
OLD RECORD NEW RECORD
REC MINIMUM HIGH TEMP (MARCH 13) 34 1951 32 1993
REC LOW (MARCH 13) 21 1932 12 1993
REC LOW (MARCH 14) 19 1926 2 1993
REC ALL-TIME LOW FOR MARCH 11 1980 2 1993
REC LOWEST TEMP THIS LATE IN SEASON 11 1980 2 1993

THE ABOVE RECORDS WERE COMPILED FROM OFFICIAL OBSERVATIONS TAKEN AT THE
BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT.
OTHER RECORDS THAT MAY BE BROKEN TODAY ARE THE MINIMUM HIGH TEMPERATURE
WHICH IS 39 DEGREES SET IN 1951 AS THE FORECAST HIGH IS EXPECTED TO
WARM ONLY TO 35 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. THE OTHER RECORD THAT WILL BE
BROKEN IS THE RECORD LOW FOR MARCH 15TH WHICH IS 24 DEGREES SET IN 1988.
THE FORECAST LOW MAY DROP TO 12 DEGREES BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING.
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Re: Storm of the Century 1993 impressive pics

#9 Postby cycloneye » Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:31 pm

I am bumping this thread for those members that have not seen the great images that are posted at the first post of the 1993 Storm of the Century Superstorm. Do many of you remember this event by seeing it and dealing with it? In my case from the distance in the warm tropical Caribbean,I was very impressed with this huge storm.
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#10 Postby CrazyC83 » Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:37 pm

In places like Alabama, to get that much snow especially in March is just jaw-dropping. That is like an extremely paralyzing snowstorm in the Northeast in the middle of May, or in tropical terms, a monster landfalling hurricane in December.
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#11 Postby Jinkers » Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:44 pm

Here in Florida of course we didn't get the snow, but I do remember really bad winds & lots of rain.
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#12 Postby psyclone » Sun Feb 06, 2011 12:14 pm

thanks for this thread. i was a freshman in college living on campus at kent state university in northeast ohio for the great storm of '93. i recall this storm being well forecast at the time. even with the primative (by today's standards) modeling at the time, you could see the freight train coming days in advance and the cleveland mets hyped appropriately (i particularly remember wews (channel 5) don webster sounding the alarm.) the blizzard unloaded its full fury on saturday, march 14. the temps were in the teens (astonishing for mid march in that part of the county), the snow was powder and it was blowing like crazy. a true blizzard with vis under a quarter mile all day. saturday evening the winds increased even more, with frequent 50 to 60 mph gusts. naturally, i made frequent trips outside to witness this perilous weather first hand. of course my room mates thought i was insane but it was meteorlogically orgasmic! i recall leaning into the wind near a security light with total whiteout conditions at times. absolutely crazy. and we got lake effect after the synoptic snow ended as the huron-erie connection paid dividends with the northwest flow. i only got about a foot or a bit more from the superstorm while areas just to the southeast (like pit) got twice that. however, we already had a substantial snowpack before the storm. the drifting was phenomenal. the next day, snow was even with the roof on the leeward side of our dorm (about 12 feet) and many of the side walks on the open areas of campus had drifts of 4 to 8 feet. needless to say, the tractors that normally clear such walk ways were useless. being mid march the logic was that the guy who put it there will eventually take it away... in the meantime , we were detouring around some serious snow mountains. i will always remember the superstorm as a phenomenal, perhaps once in a lifetime event. for me, no storm since has rivaled that one. good memories.
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