February 2014 nor'easter

Late on February 11, the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) began issuing storm summary bulletins on a weak area of low pressure that formed along a stationary front on the extreme southern edge of the Gulf Coast of the United States, bringing wintry precipitation to the coastline. Precipitation expanded as snow on the northern outskirts of the system as the disturbance moved eastwards towards the Florida Peninsula. By late on February 12, as it strengthened and moved ashore in western Florida, coastal redevelopment began as a new surface low formed off the coast of South Carolina. By this point, a large swath of freezing rain had spread over a good portion of the Southeast, with snow encroaching on and spreading into the Mid-Atlantic states. Early the next morning, after the two lows merged into one, heavy snowbands moved throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast as the system started undergoing rapid deepening into a nor'easter as it paralleled the East Coast, spreading a large swath of of snowfall along an axis right over the Interstate 95 corridor; with mixing issues closer to the coast as warmer air from the Atlantic filtering in. By later that afternoon, when it had reached a pressure of , most precipitation in the Mid-Atlantic had ceased due to drier air infiltrating the system. Continued rapid deepening occurred into the night into early on February 14 as another round of snow moved into the Northeast on the back-end of the nor'easter, increasing the pressure gradient and causing gusty winds along the coast. The system peaked with a pressure of later that morning as it moved into Canada, as the WPC terminated storm summary bulletins at the same time as the overall event concluded across the Northeast U.S. The system then continued to depart from the East Coast, before finally dissipating on February 24 near Europe. ==Preparations and impact==

on February 13, showing ongoing disruption in Georgia and South Carolina. Southern United States Texas to Alabama Four people died in traffic accidents in Texas due to ice, and in Round Rock on February 11, a single accident resulting from ice on a bridge affected 20 vehicles. Mississippi had two deaths attributed to the weather. Several tractor-trailers jackknifed on Interstate 65 in northeast Alabama. The forecast was for freezing rain comparable to the January 2000 ice storms, which caused 500,000 to lose power and resulted in $35 million in damage, The storm damaged $65 million worth of timber. Winston-Salem had of snow, the most in 15 years, but areas to the north and west had over twice that. Three people died in North Carolina. Two of those died in car accidents, one in Chatham County and one in Moore County. The other died from a falling branch in Pender County. 100,000 lost power in the state. On February 13, President Barack Obama declared South Carolina a disaster area after a petition from Governor Nikki Haley, making the state eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency aid. Mid-Atlantic states Virginia and Maryland Baltimore had of snow, and parts of Washington, D.C. recorded 15 inches, with nearby areas in Maryland reporting or more, resulting in the shutdown of the federal government and the capital's two airports. The fishing pier in Ocean City, Maryland, which had seen extensive damage from Hurricane Sandy, was damaged again in the storm. Strong waves and wind snapped seven pilings at the end of the pier. The heavy snow from the storm contributed to roof collapses in several states. The roof caved in at a BP gas station in Roanoke, Virginia, and at a Shell gas station in Richmond, Virginia. Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York Following a partial collapse, 100 people had to be evacuated from the studios of NBC Lancaster, Pennsylvania affiliate WGAL, and the station was unable to transmit live for an undetermined length of time. The event set a record in the Philadelphia region, where of snow fell, as it marked the fourth snowstorm resulting in of snow or greater in one winter. On the morning of February 14, up to 100 vehicles were involved in multiple accidents on the eastbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike between Willow Grove and Bensalem from icy conditions. One accident involved about 75 vehicles, while another incident further east involved about 30 vehicles. There were a total of 30 injuries. The roof and walls of a ShopRite supermarket in New Milford, New Jersey, collapsed under the weight of several feet of snow. Also in New Jersey, an elementary school in Wallington, a department store in Woodland Park, and a sports complex in Waldwick, were among at least a dozen buildings across Bergen and Passaic counties that partially collapsed on February 14. No major injuries were reported in any of the incidents. New York City recorded . Many flights were delayed or outright cancelled and multiple road closures were reported in the city. The snow added to what was one of the top snowiest winters in New York City on record. ==Snowfall accumulation totals==

Note: Click "Show" to view table Source: National Weather Service (Unofficial Totals as of 2/15/2014) ==See also==