The February 2022 North American winter storm was a widespread, damaging, and severe
winter storm which affected a wide swath of much of the
United States with widespread wintry precipitation; it spread from
Texas northeast to
Maine.[2][3][4][dead link] Nineteen states in the U.S. were impacted by the system; more than 90 million people were in the storm's path.[5] The winter storm was named Winter Storm Landon by
The Weather Channel and was also referred to by other media outlets as the Groundhog Snowstorm, primarily due to the storm impacting on
Groundhog Day.[6][7]
The storm spread a widespread swath of heavy
snowfall stretching from Texas to Maine, with anywhere from 6–12 inches (15–30 cm) falling. It also caused many disruptions as well, with over 375,000 people losing power as a result of the storm and many accidents occurring on snowy roadways as well. 7 deaths were attributed to the winter storm's impacts. Five
tornadoes also occurred within the warm sector of the storm in
Alabama on February 3; three of them were rated EF2.
Meteorological history
Over much of the Midwest, temperatures were unseasonably mild on February 1 as a strong cold front moved southward over the region. Rain began to fall in the early afternoon over the Central Midwest, and temperatures began to drop as the front draped southward. During the early evening, an upper-level low began to form along the front and interacted with a jet streak producing lift. As the temperatures on the backside of the front cooled and fell below freezing, the rain quickly turned to snow and thanks to the lift, made perfect conditions for lots of snow with rates receiving 1" an hour in some places. The winds also picked up to 30–35mph causing many cases of blowing and drifting snow. This snow continued through the night with areas along and south of
I-70 in Missouri and Indiana receiving more of a wintry mix and rain.[8]
During the night and morning of February 2, a second upper-level low began to form over Texas. Snow accumulations occurred in areas west of
I-35 while areas east received freezing rain and sleet. This system also began to advance northeastward along the cold front. Meanwhile, the first system also continued northeast and by the late-morning moved out of the Western Midwest and by the afternoon moved out of the rest of the area and into the northeast. But during the night, the second system moved back over the same area as the first bringing yet another round of snow to many of the same regions while areas in Arkansas and along the Ohio River Valley received heavy freezing rain and sleet.[9][10]
The energy from the two systems began to merge over the northeast during the morning on Thursday, February 3. By this time the system had become so large that precipitation associated with the system was falling over nearly half of all the US states, from Texas to Maine, but with the bulk of it still over Texas and Arkansas. During the late morning this would shift to over the Ohio River Valley while snow began to become heavier in the northeast and moisture being pulled northward by the system would cause a small severe weather outbreak over Alabama. The storm continued to move northeast and by that night was over mainly the Northeast. Snow would continue through the day on Friday, February 4 before the bulk of the storm moved offshore in the early afternoon.[10] It would reach a minimum pressure of 1,004 mb (29.6 inHg) around this time as well.[citation needed]
More than 600 flights were canceled to Northeastern U.S. airports on Wednesday in preparation of the winter storm.[25] Cities including
Burlington,
Boston, and
Providence issued
snow emergencies due to the upcoming winter storm.[36] Due to forecasted amounts of 7–13 in (18–33 cm) of snow, numerous schools in
Western New York closed.[37]
Impact
United States
Because of the winter storm, 5,600 flights were canceled both on February 2 and February 3.[38]
As much as 37 inches (94 cm) of snow was reported in
Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico.[42] At least 3 people were killed in New Mexico, 1 was killed in a weather–related pileup on
I-40 in
Bernalillo County, New Mexico, and 2 were killed when their car rolled 100 feet (30 m) down a mountain near
Cedar Crest. An additional non–fatal tractor–trailer accident closed
I-25 near
Santa Fe.[43][44]
The warm side of the storm, in
Alabama, had temperatures of nearly 70 °F (21 °C), an ingredient in forming powerful tornadoes.[56] On the morning of February 3, the
Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a slight risk for tornadoes for portions of Mississippi and Alabama. The storm system spawned a supercell that produced three EF2 tornadoes in Western Alabama, the second of which struck areas near
Sawyerville and caused significant high-end EF2 damage. One person was killed and eight others were injured, including three seriously. Two additional tornadoes, both rated EF0, impacted
Elmore County as well, resulting in minimal damage.[57] The
National Weather Service issued a
particularly dangerous situation on the tornado warning for Sawyerville.[58] The tornado damaged 60 homes and destroyed 20 others.[59]
Midwest
In Missouri,
I-70,
I-44, and
I-72 were all covered with snow and ice. In Illinois, a stretch of
I-55 was closed due to motor accidents reported in the area,[26] and parts of
I-74 and
I-57 also closed in Illinois.[60] In
Lewistown, Illinois, at least 14.4 inches (36.6 cm) of snow fell.[39] Snow also resulted in the
Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois closing down.[61] Snow accumulated as high as 17 inches (44 cm) was reported in
Columbia City, Indiana.[42] A "weather-related" fatality occurred in
Tennessee on February 4.[62] There were also over 85,000 power outages in
Ohio.[63]Milwaukee, Wisconsin was “blitzed” by small amounts of snow and
Madison, Wisconsin was also briefly affected.[64] As far down as
Kansas saw snow and ice, specifically in the
Kansas City and
Topeka areas.
Lansing, Michigan saw its record highest snow, with 13.3 inches (34 cm).[65] More snow was dropped in
Nebraska, though it got less snow than neighboring Kansas, with the most snow in
Omaha with 2 inches (5.1 cm).[65]
After the winter storm exited to sea, Southern
Nova Scotia saw small amounts of snow before the winter storm began moving northeast into the sea toward
Greenland.[71]
Greenland and Iceland
Greenland was briefly affected by the winter storm, though no major damage was reported due to the system dissipating a few hours later.[72] Similar to Greenland, the remnants of the winter storm dropped snow in
Iceland.[72]