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 Surface weather analysis of the storm on December 26 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | December 25,1947 |
| Dissipated | December 26,1947 |
| Category 3 "Major"blizzard | |
| Regional snowfall index:8.11 (NOAA) | |
| Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | 26.4 inches (67 cm) - recorded at Central Park in Manhattan |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 77 |
| Areas affected | Mid-Atlantic coastal states |
The North American blizzard of 1947 (also known as the Great Blizzard of 1947) was a record-breaking snowfall that began without prediction on the evening of Christmas and brought the northeastern United States to a standstill. The snowstorm was described as the worst blizzard in the region after that of 1888. [1] The storm was not accompanied by high winds,but the snow fell silently and steadily. By the time it stopped on December 26,accumulation had reached 26.4 inches (67.1 cm) in Central Park in Manhattan. [2] Similar or greater accumulations were noted in all of metropolitan New York and New Jersey,as well as in upstate New York,Connecticut,and most of the mid-Atlantic region.
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Meteorological records indicate that warm moisture arising from the Gulf Stream fed the storm's energy when it encountered the cold air of the storm and greatly increased the precipitation. Automobiles and buses were stranded in the streets, [3] [4] subway service was halted,and parked vehicles initially buried by the snowfall were blocked further by packed mounds created by snow plows when they were able to begin operation,some not accessible so long as the mounds persisted. Once trains resumed operations,they ran twelve hours late.
Seventy-seven deaths are attributed to the blizzard. Interference with delivery of coal,the typical fuel for furnaces of the day,created emergencies in which facilities and homes with heating through underground gas-distribution systems or having a good supply of wood for their fireplaces became havens until supplies could be provided. Schools were closed. Typical items delivered regularly to homes during that period,such as milk,were subject to delays and sometimes deliveries were not possible due to roadways waiting plowing.