Weather of 2009

Global weather activity of 2009profiles the major worldwide storms, including blizzards, tornadoes, ice storms, tropical cyclones and other meteorogical events, from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2009.Wintery stormsare events in which the dominant varieties ofprecipitationare forms that only occur at cold temperatures, such as snow orsleet,or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are cold enough to allow ice to form (i.e.freezing rain). It may be marked by strong wind, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), heavyprecipitation,such as ice (ice storm), or wind transporting some substance through theatmosphere(as in adust storm,snowstorm,hailstorm,etc.). Summer storms including flooding, severe thunderstorms andextratropical cyclones(which can occur in summer or winter) are also included in this list to a certain extent.

As this occurred a heat wave and/or unforeseenmonsoonweather also hit parts of Australia in 2009 and 2010. Victoria, the scene of horrific bushfires the year before, had a far colder summer, with hot weather arriving more than a month later than usual in 2009.August 17 saw a dust storm atLaguna Mar Chiquitaas a major drought hitArgentina,andflooding and hailstormshit southeastern Australia andQueenslandin March 2010. The lack of winter precipitation in parts of China, however, contributed to asevere droughtin the southwest.Bolivia,Venezuela,Mali,Mauritania,Moroccoand Spain have also seen periods of drought in 2009 and 2010. On between May 12 and 26, bothMauritania,theSénégal River Areaand neighbouring parts of bothSenegalandMalifaced both a drought and famine in 2010.

Astorm(fromProto-Germanic*sturmaz"noise, tumult" ) is any disturbed state of an astronomical body'satmosphere,especially affecting its surface, and strongly implyingsevere weather.

Storms are created when a centre oflow pressuredevelops, with a system ofhigh pressuresurrounding it. This combination of opposing forces can create winds and result in the formation of storm clouds, such as thecumulonimbus.Small, localized areas of low pressure can form from hot air rising off hot ground, resulting in smallermeteorologicaldisturbances such asdust devilsandwhirlwinds.

January

December 30, 2008—January 1, 2009

AnAlberta clipperaffected regions around theGreat Lakes,Midwestern United Statesand Northeastern United States. The storm strengthened over the Atlantic, and in turn theNortheastern United Statessaw about 10–20 cm of snow as compared to the 7-10 cm of snow in theGreater Toronto Area.The Atlantic provinces were in aBlizzardfor New Year's Day, with 49 cm recorded inCharlottetown,Prince Edward Island,and 25 cm inHalifax, Nova Scotia.Blizzard warnings andstorm surgewarnings were posted as winds were sustained more than 60–80 km (37–50 mi), out of the North.Newfoundland and Labradorsaw about 15–25 cm of snow, with blowing snow. Another 15–20 cm fell through the province, and 5-15 cm of heavy snowfall occurred in and around Vancouver.

Amounts of 5–15 cm of heavy wet snow fell in Metro Vancouver and the surrounding Fraser Valley.

January 2–4

January 2 saw a blizzard hit theSwiss–Liechtensteinborder, killing an Italian tourist, when his car skidded into a tree due to black ice on the nearby road.

Yet another winter storm developed and brought about 10–25 cm acrossAlberta,Saskatchewanand through the NorthernGreat Plains.10–20 cm also fell through Northern Ontario, withfreezing rain,ice pellets(sleet) and rain to the south.Northeastern United Statescan expect ice and snow, with rain down south. Traveling will not be easy.

On the west coast,Vancouverand the surrounding Fraser Valley got 5–20 cm of wet snow, with heavier accumulation towards in the interior ofBritish Columbia,about 10–20 cm of dryer, more powdery snow.

January 5–7

A major winter storm is developing near the Gulf. It is slowly moving north, and it will be a complex of two lows.Toronto,Ontario,recorded about 13 cm. Niagara region saw snow mi xing with ice pellets and Freezing rain. Eastern Ontario and SouthernQuebecsaw amounts of 15–30 cm. Similar amounts fell inNew England.The Atlantic provinces saw snow to start then mi xing, and rain was reported in some areas.

Snow continued in Metro Vancouver with accumulations of 2–15 cm of heavy wet snow.

Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley were stuck with continuing snow from the 1st-5th with accumulations for those 5 days anywhere from 15 to 30 cm of heavy wet snow pile up. As the temperatures rose (up to 10 °C), heavy rains came to the area starting on the 6th. Rain amounts on the 6th and the 7th were anywhere from 30 to even 150 mm on Western Vancouver Island, the north shore of Vancouver, and sections of the Fraser Valley. In the city of Chilliwack in the Fraser Valley a very deep snow cover, mostly sub-freezing temperatures since December 13, 2008, warm temperatures and heavy rain created flooding concerns for residents living near or on the edge of the Fraser River.

January 8

Four died on January 8 during a heavy blizzard in the Indian state ofJammu and Kashmirand theNorth West Frontier.

January 9–11

A storm brought 5–15 cm across theCanadian Prairiesand through the Great Plains.Midwest U.S.and Southwestern Ontario could see amounts of 5–25 cm. Many areas are reporting heavy amounts of snowfall.

On the west coast, up to 120 mm could fall in some areas, as a low pressure area comes in. These latest storms have caused flooding in many areas. Due to excessive snow melt courtesy from the large amounts produced by the December Snowstorms with thePineapple Expressstorm along with heavy rain fall lead to epic flooding. More than 18 rivers went beyond Major Flood stage and a couple went over Record Stage. These floods led the closure of I-5 in Centralia when the Chehalis and Skookumchuck Rivers overflowed. This was the second time in two consecutive years when that Section of I-5 was closed due to flooding.

January 17–19

A major winter storm swept across theGreat Lakesregion and the U.S. Northeast. Areas ofTorontorecorded between 15 and 25 cm, with 10 cm inWindsor, Ontario,& higher amounts towards the Lakes. Some areas reported more than 20 cm of accumulation. This same storm affected Northeastern United States with 10–30 cm, and the Atlantic provinces of Canada. Some areas have reportedfreezing rainandice pellets,and even rain mi xing in. U.S. Southeast saw mostly rain.

January 25–30

On January 21, heavy rain cause worst floods in 40 years in Brunei Darussalam. Heavy rains started late on Tuesday in the oil-rich capital of Bandar Seri Begawan, causing flash floods and landslides, interrupting power supply and shutting some telephone lines. About 145.8 millimetres of rainfall was recorded during the 24-hour period from 8 am Tuesday to 8 am Wednesday, according to the weather department, which expects more rain in the coming days but not as heavy as on Tuesday. Two casualties were reported.

Main article:January 2009 Central Plains and Midwest ice storm

In late January 2009, severe winter storm developed over the Midwest, after having already brought more than an inch of ice to many areas in the United States. The system moved eastward across the Midwest into the Northeast. Many places expected a major ice storm, and areas to the north expected significant snowfall accumulations. Over 2 million people were without power throughout the Midwest and Northeastern United States. About 500,000 people inKentuckywere left without electricity. Ice reached8 cm thick in some areas. The storm caused 23 deaths, with 6 deaths inTexas.Regions ofSouthern Ontarioreceived between 5–20 cm, with 20–30 cm in EasternOntarioand SouthernQuebec.Similar amounts fell in the Atlantic Provinces, with some rain/snow mi xing in at times, as some areas got above the 0 C (32 F) mark.

On the January 27, up to 10 cm of heavy wet snow fell in Eastern Metro Vancouver, the surrounding Fraser Valley in British Columbia, and Kitsap Country in Washington. At this point, the winter of 2008-2009 was one of the snowiest in years for Southwestern British Columbia and the pacific northwest as winter storm after winter storm pounded the region from mid-December through to early January. Some locations received up to 125 cm of snow during that period and snowcover for Vancouver exceeded 60 cm at one point in late December pointing to flood concerns on the then ice-jammed Fraser river.

February

February 1–2

Commuters leaving Euston Station, 2 February 2009

A warm, moist Mediterranean cyclone began to move (unusually?) northwards over France, against a cold continental high pressure ridge, causing the cyclone to discharge its moisture as snow over large areas of western Europe. The system was vigorous enough to produce a winter-time tornado inMálaga.

On February 1 and 2,heavy snow fell overnightacross large parts of the United Kingdom, causing widespread disruption to transport and education. London received its heaviest snowfalls in 18 years.Many roads, including theM25 London Orbital motorway,were blocked in the morning rush hour, whilst train services are disrupted and many airport runways closed.Transport for Londonsuspended allLondon Busesand theLondon Undergroundwas severely disrupted. Hundreds of schools were forced to close. Temperatures fell below seasonal averages withChesham,Buckinghamshirerecording -10 degrees Celsius at night.

Airports were affected included London'sHeathrowandGatwickairports.Charles de Gaulle AirportandOrly Airportwere affected.

Spain, Germany, Portugal and Ireland were also affected. In Ireland, snowstorms disrupted road and rail transport, including the M50 and M1.Dublin AirportandCork Airportwere severely disrupted, as were ferry services in the Irish Sea throughout February 2.

Ireland was affected in a similar way to the UK. In the Republic, the South and East were the worst affected. Due to black ice, driving was very treacherous, with ice and snow blocking many major routes such as the M1 and M50. Dublin Airport and Cork Airport were seriously affected, with many flights to Britain and Europe delayed and cancelled. The major rail routes across Ireland were closed down, as a result of bad ice and snow. Temperatures across Ireland fell below average everywhere, with temperatures of -8 and -9 degrees Celsius recorded in places.

The snow was a result of wind blowing across from West Siberia, and reacted with the low pressure system approaching across from the Atlantic. This created unusually large amounts of snow, which fell across England, Wales and Eastern Ireland. This weather type is rare in Ireland, and is normally confined to small amounts; however, the total amount of snowfall in this storm was the highest since 1981.

A winter storm developing over the Gulf states and through theGulf of Mexico,is bringing widespread Heavy Rain to the South Eastern States of the US. Up to 100 mm is possible in some areas. Coastal areas of North Eastern United States can expect snowfall of up to 6 inches (15 cm) in some areas, local amounts may be higher. Atlantic Canada will see strong winds and snowfall amounts of 15–30 cm (6–12 in).

A small weather system carrying snow that developed in North France reachedSouth East Englandand theMidlandswhich brought 20–30 cm (8–12 in) of snow in some parts ofGloucestershire.Further snow came in from the south and east throughout the week. The worst places affected was theForest of DeanandThe Cotswolds.On 6 February a few small towns inDevonreported around 55 cm (22 in) of lying snow (Okehampton).TheSevern Bridge,the main link between England and Wales closed due to falling ice for the first time. Some 321 schools inBuckinghamshire,300 schools inGloucestershireand 307 schools inWalesalso closed on the 6th.

February 6–12

About 3,000 people were killed as a storm complex paced overHaition the 6th

A winter storm from the Atlantic reached southern Britain and the Midlands on 9–10 causing heavy rain and flooding. Across the midlands and further north, it was cold enough for it to fall as snow. Coupled with the strong winds, it madeblizzardconditions. The Met office issued an extreme winter storm warning for many counties in Great Britain. Meanwhile, a temperature of −18 °C (0 °F) was recorded in theScottish Highlands— the coldest UK temperature since 2003. Smaller outbreaks of snow occurred across parts of the north and east of England on 12–13 February.

A major storm developing overTexasis affecting many communities in North America. Areas likeOklahoma Citywere hit hard with heavy rain, hail and atornadoin western Oklahoma City. There have been numerous spottings of funnel clouds. Heavy rain continues through Texas andKansas,which will extend intoMissouri,ArkansasandLouisiana.Areas ofMichigan,Illinoisand SWOntariocould see pop-up thunderstorms, but likely not as severe. Northern Ontario will see mostly an ice-rain event. While areas to the South could see 25–50 mm (0.98–1.97 in).

February 16–20

A major storm affectedNewfoundlandwith strong winds gusting to 100 km/h in some areas. Bitterly cold conditions, strong winds and heavy snowfall caused ablizzardthrough parts of Newfoundland. Some areas of Newfoundland received between 20 and 40 cm. Local areas and local drifts were locally higher.

A winter storm that developed overColoradobrought messy weather across the Great plains,Midwest U.S.,theGreat Lakesand Northeast United States. Some areas had a messy mix of snow, ice and rain.Torontohad seen about 10 cm.South Western Ontariosaw between 1–10 cm. Northern Areas ofOntarioandQuebecreceived between 10 and 25 cm.Eastern Ontarioreceived between 10 and 20 cm. The northeast saw local amounts of over 15 cm. From Midwestern sections of the U.S. to the Southern Lakes messy mix was reported with rain at times. Southern United States saw heavy amounts of rainfall,ThunderstormsandTornado warningswere issued in some areas.

The Atlantic provinces are seeing heavy snowfall and some mixed precipitation. Areas could exceed 10 cm.Newfoundlandcould get more heavy snowfall.

February 21–23

An Alberta clipper, which picked up moisture from the Gulf, dumped about 5–20 cm across theMidwest,and theGreat lakesarea. Areas likeWindsorsaw close to 15 cm,Torontosaw about 5–12 cm.Eastern Ontarioand SouthernQuebeccould see slightly higher amounts as a coastal low develops, and gives heavier snow. Northeastern United States are seeing snow, mix precipitation and rainfall. The heavier snowfall is towards New England and Maine.

Atlantic Canada is seeingblizzardlike conditions. 15–40 cm is possible is some areas. Winter storm warnings and snowfall warnings are in place.

March

March 1–4

Snow on the ground in Mount Vernon, Virginia, in the aftermath of the storm

A major winter storm which brought up to 16 "of snow to parts of West Tennessee and Arkansas and up to 7" of snow to parts of Georgia (including the Atlanta area), Alabama (including Birmingham) and Mississippi gathered strength and moved northeastward, in the process crossing the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area before impacting the greater New York and greater Philadelphia areas. The storm was a large, widespread storm, with snow totals exceeding 8 inches (200 mm) across most of the tri-state area. as well as 3–7 inches north ofRockland County,as well as scattered amounts of 17–20 inches in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

On March 1 to 2 a heavydust stormhits N.E.Chinaand parts ofMongolia.It then parses over theBohai Seaand theYellow Sea,finally dispersing overNorth KoreaandSouth Koreain the 4th

March 7

On the 7th, heavy rain induced floods killed 52 in Bolivia, 19 in Peru, and 16 in Ecuador, said news reports.

March 9

A quick late winter storm caused about 5–15 cm of snow in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with cold wind chills as low as -10 °C and with sustained winds at about 20 km/h.

March 13

Snow storm strands 2 busses, 53 cars and 83 people on theUst-Kamenogorsk-Georgiyevka highwayinKazakhstanon March 13.

March 22

Heavy snow and ice hits theSea of Okhotsk,Sakhalin IslandandPrimorsky Kraiin Russia far east on March 22.

March 26–28

A major blizzard hitDenverand other counties around the area on Thursday, March 26. Parts of the Front Range saw 18 inches (460 mm) of snow and schools around Denver were closed early.Denver International Airportcanceled more than 400 planes departing and arriving. On Friday, March 27, the storm impactedKansas,northwesternOklahoma,and theTexas Panhandle,with 12 to 24 inches (610 mm) of snow and blizzard conditions. Some areas around Pratt County, Kansas and Kiowa County, Kansas received 28 "of Snowfall. Snow Drifts reached 10 feet (3.0 m) high inDalhart,Texas.On Friday night and into Saturday, March 28, the storm system impacted theKansas Cityarea and northern parts ofMissouri,before moving into theQuad Citiesarea,Northern Illinoisand SouthernWisconsinon Saturday night. Numerous areas here saw between 4 and 8 "of snow.Waukegan,Illinois,saw around half a foot from this late-season winter blast.

April

April 12–13

A late major winter storm coming fromNew Englandwas expected to hit theMaritime ProvincesonEaster.15–30 cm of snow was expected in most areas, and Halifax and southern areas were expected to see heavy rain.

June

June 2

Another 15 people and 10,000 head ofcattlehad died by this date in Mongolia. Snow also fell on Russia'sSakhalinisland.

June 6

Heavy rain and storm with twister in Czech Republic

July

July 1

Heavy rain falls in parts ofUkraine.

July 11

July 11 saw heavy storms flood the Chinese city ofShuzou,inJiangsuProvince.

July 17

On July 17, flooding caused by heavy rain and hailstorms hitNanaimovillage, and its environs as bad weather sweeps over most ofMongolia,killing 24 people as it did so.

July 24

On July 24, theDakar Rallystage inMauritaniadue to heavy sandstorms and high winds.

August

August 5–6

August 5 and 6 saw theMaritime affairs departmentinHainanprovince issued an emergencytropical stormwarning to 20,000 fishing vessels in theSouth China Seaas TyphoonsMorakotandGoni,approached China'sGuangdongProvince. Heavy storms hit the cities ofGuangzhou, ZhuhaiandHaikou.More than 953,000 residents and more than 35,000 boats were evacuated back to shore in the eastern and southeastern provinces of thePeople's Republic of Chinaas TyphoonsMorakotapproachedA fishing boat capsized with nine fishermen missing.3 people died in theChinaand 462 died inTaiwan.

August 4–10

Blizzardsin southernBrazil,reached 1,000,000 people, closing roads. Maximum accumulation of snow 50 cm (20 in) and a minimum temperature of −7 °C (19 °F).

August 21–28

A stream of moisture that emerged from theGulf of Californiabrought rain to Southern California. Aflash floodwarning was issued for Central and EasternSan DiegoCounty as a result of the rain. Later on, the system moved north and started to move towards the east coast on Sunday, August 23. The remaining thunderstorms lingered around in Central and Eastern San Diego County until Friday, August 28 before finally moving towards the east coast.

September

September 2–8

A heavy and rainycyclonehit theBering Sea,Choris Peninsulaand parts of theAleutian Islandson September 2. A heavy storm hit parts of theBeaufort Seaand parts of theChukchi Seaon September 4.

Heavy rain and floods on the 4th also lead to both cars were under water and bales ofwheatare floating down the swollen river past Mr A.J. Duncan's farms atMuirden Farm,Turriff,Aberdeenshire.Both Oxbridge and Publican spring barley planting was at risk if the flood waters did not clear quickly.

On the 8th unusually heavy rain hitArgentina,and storms hit Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, killing 14 or 15 people (reports varied).Tornados his Argentina to.A town official inSanta Rosa,Paulo Alvezappealed for help for both the town of Santa Rosa andEl Progreso.

Arkansas witnessed heavy flooding on the 7th and 8th.

October

October 1–5

A heavy and snowy cyclone hit theKedrovaya RiverinPrimorsky Kraiand parts of theAleutian Islandson October 1.

A heavy and rainy cyclone hit theBering Seaand parts of theChukchi Seaon October 3. 21 people were confirmed dead following rainstorms and landslides inSicily.Afishing boatwas damaged at sea off the coast of Sicily. Austria saw heavy flooding, with lesser levels in theCzech Republic,Poland,Slovenia,Slovakia,Romania,Moldovaand southern parts ofUkraine.Two Ukrainians and a Moldovan died in the storm.

5 days of unusually heavy rain left 205 dead, 125 injured and 750,000 homeless in southern India by October the 5th. Indian andSri Lankanmedical teams managed to save many lives acrossTamil NaduandKeralastates.

October 7–20

Main article:October 2009 North American storm complex

Late on October 11, the disorganized remnants ofSuper Typhoon Melorwere absorbed by another low-pressure system just north of it,similar to howTyphoon Kujira's remnants were absorbed by another extratropical system. The extratropical cyclone rapidly intensified as it neared thePacific Northwest.Several wind and flood watches/warnings were issued on October 17 in advance for the expected arrival of the winter storm. A high wave advisory was issued for the entire western seaboard. Just before midnight of October 18, the powerful winter storm struckCaliforniawith gale-force winds and torrential rainfall. InNorthern California,the rainfall was seemingly endless. TheSan Francisco Bayarea suffered the most damage, from 40-foot (12 m) high waves and reported gusts of 85 mph (137 km/h). A rare storm warning was posted for San Francisco Bay and subsequently, wind gusts were clocked at 75 mph (121 km/h) onAngel Island.While the main system remained offshore, the storm's moisture split into two new systems over theWestern United States,which rapidly moved eastward across the US, bringing strong winds and heavy rain. On December 20, after looping back north into theGulf of Alaska,the storm complex was absorbed by another stronger extratropical cyclone approaching from the west. The damage that the storm complex caused is currently estimated at $1.18 million (2009 USD).

Heavy snow fell in parts of Pennsylvania between October 15 and 16. State College, Pennsylvania saw ten inches (250 mm) of wet snow, causing a very memorable Penn State homecoming game, and breaking numerous records, such as earliest recorded snowfall, most severe October snowstorm, and most snow in the month of October. Moderate snow fell between October 15 and 18 in theNortheastern United States,as far as the suburbs ofNew York City,with light snow being reported in the city itself.Bostonsuburbs saw moderate, wet snow fall on the morning of October 16, in spots accumulating up to 0.5 inches (13 mm). The area was then hit on October 18, when in the afternoon, heavy rain turned to heavy snow and almost white-out conditions. The ground was too warm for any significant accumulation, but up to 2 inches (51 mm) were reported at spots between Boston andLowell.All of the snow melted by October 20.

October 12–13

On 12 October 2009, Just over 200 herdsmen and 1,000 heads oflivestockhad been stranded by heavy snowfalls inAli prefecture.The week-long snowfall had accumulated to about 30 centimetres inPulan Countyin Ali, with some areas reaching as much as 1 meter depth, according to Xing Xiuyin, head of anarmed policedetachment stationed in theTibetanregion. 30 soldiers and two snow-clearing machines were sent on the way to Ali, according to Xing Xiuyin. Thousands of people were trapped as heavy snow fell in Tibet'sLhunze County,but rescue services managed to minimize the casualties and damage to homes. The rescue services also managed to provide shelter and emergencyfodderfor 200 head of cattle. By October 13, snow was reported by Chinese authorities to be falling in bothQinghaiandHeilong gian gProvinces.

October 15–16

On 15 October 2009, Germany, Austria and Poland were hit by heavy snowstorms.One person died after falling in aTyrolianlake by accident.

27,000lightningstrikes and heavy rainstorms hit parts of Spain in just over 12 hours on 16 October.

On October 16 the cold weather in Poland kills 4 people and the Czech power companyCEZ Groupdeclared a state of emergency in 8 regions due to the widespread reports of fallen power lines. The town ofJablonec nad Nisouwas mostlyblacked outby apower outage.Heavy snow was reported in Poland, theCzech Republic,Slovakia,Liechtensteinand the Austrian province ofStyria.

October 29–30

Between October 29 and 30 a very powerful winter storm battered the west coast of the US, although it did not affectSouthern California.It was very windy in the places that it hit, but the storm only stayed there for two days. The storm left and traveled towards the east coast after that day. The only affect the storm had on Southern California was bringing a cloudy day with very cold temperatures.

October 31

Heavy snowfall hit Russia'sPrimorskyTerritory on October 31, as the cold windstorm moved from theSea of Okhotskto the coast of theKamchatka Peninsula,bringing heavy snow and rain to the region that meteorologists expected to last another 24 hours. They also warned that temperatures would fall by up to 15 degreesand that weather conditions could make traveling difficult as snowfall in theVladivostokarea had already significantly impeded travel by larger vehicles. The city administration's officialYevgeny Kolpinetstold the Russian news agency Itar-Tass that the inclement weather had stopped bus traffic in the city, but luckily no energy supply service problems had been reported.Weather forecastersexpected more cyclone-generated snow fall over the next few days.

November

November 3–18

On November 3, theHarbin Snow FestivalinHarbin,Heilong gian g,China, experienced unusually heavy snow. The festival was first started in 1985and had never before seen such heavy snowfall. Harbin is China's tenth-largest city with a population of about 4,500,000,so planned electricity rationing would hit this usually busy city hard, as would the planned rationing inBeijing.The worst snowstorms in Northeastern China since 1949 claimed 40 lives, destroyed thousands of buildings and destroyed almost 500,000 acres (202,343 ha) of winter crops, according to theCivil Affairs Ministry.The snowfall was the heaviest in the provinces ofHebei,Shanxi,Shaanxi,ShandongandHenansince the founding of thePeople's Republic of Chinain 1949.

On November 4,Tropical Storm IdahitsNicaraguaand later theGulf of Mexico.TheLower Mississippi River Forecast Centerputs out a flood alert on theMississippi RiverBy November the 7th, a storm waning was also out inPinar del Río,in westernCuba,as it headed out ofCentral Americaand in to southernMexico.Winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) were forecast forYucatán PeninsulaandYucatán Channel.Heavy rain was reported in parts ofHaiti.A rainfall of 3 to 10 inches (250 mm) is predicted by local authorities and the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center for both the Yucatán Peninsula and western Cuba. By the 10th, it had virtually died out and was only a bad storm inNew OrleansandPensacola.35-45 M.P.H. winds and heavy rain battered the rest ofFlorida‘sGulf CoastandAlabama'sDauphin Island.The remnants of the storm then caused some more snow to fall in the southern parts theGreat Plainson region the 11th and 12th.

On November 10, heavy rain and intermittent snow hit theCheviot Hills,Pennines,Dee ValleyinWalesandThe Wash.Light snow fell in theGrampian MountainsandAberdeenshire.Passingsleetwas also recorded inLincolnshireon the 10th. Aflood watchwas put on theRiver Tayand theRiver Dee.Minor surface flooding had already occurred in parts of Lincolnshire andCumbriaafter the previous two days flooding.

11 November 2009, saw snow and/or rain storms menacing Hungary,Iceland,India's part of theHimalayas(rain and snow), parts ofIndonesia(rain only), north westernIran,northern Iraq,Mount Fujiin Japan and inArmenia.Yet more snow storms hit thePeople's Republic of China,disrupting traffic across the northeastern provinces,BeijingandTibeton November the 10th and 11th. Most ofBulgaria's poordrainagesystems and second-ratestorm drainsfailed during the day's heavy rain and windstorms.Snow was also present in most of the mountain regions.

Heavy snowfall in China caused schoolbuilding collapsesand the deaths of 38 people on the 18th.

November 10–13

Floods on the 10th and 11th killed 8 in Brazil'sRio Grande do Sul,according to the state's Civil Defence Department. 4 others were killed in Argentina and Uruguay. 22,000 people were evacuated in each nation as heavy rain made the rivers between Uruguay and Argentina to overflow its banks.

November 11 – December 30

After a rather snowy November 11,Iceland's weather became rather unusual. From November 12 to December 30, Iceland's abnormally warm and dry November weather gave way and December became very snowy with the town ofAkureyrireceiving 35 cm of snow over the night of December 1–2.Snow fell andblizzardsoccurred intermittently throughout a windy December.

On December 12, heavy snow hitDimmuborgir,Iceland.

November 14

A blizzard and about half a foot of snow fell on the 1,040 m highPeak Chekhov,nearYuzhno,Sakhalin Island,on November 14, 2009.

November 18–25

Main article:2009 Great Britain and Ireland floods

The approach toCalva Bridge,Workington,20 November 2009.

A snowy Banbury street on Nov' 20, 2009.

Many properties were flooded inAmblesideon November 18, leaving the main road impassible for most vehicles.Over 200 people inCockermouthwere rescued from their homes by the emergency services.

On theIsle of Man,there were brief power cuts on the 18th, inBallaraghandLaxeybutManx Electricityrestored power to all affected properties by the afternoon.

On the 20th, all services on theWest Coast Main Linewere still temporarily suspended after a landslip betweenCarlisleandPenrith.The West Coast Main Line was flooded between Carlisle andCarstairsand was closed as a result. Services were reduced betweenEdinburghandGlasgowand also Edinburgh andDunblane.

Calva Bridge,WorkingtoninCumbria,which was condemned as a result of damage received in the flooding.

InWorkington,the collapse ofNorthside Bridgecarrying theA597 roadand the condemnation ofCalva Bridgecarrying theA596resulted in a 40 miles (64 km) journey from Northside to the town centre.Network Railare constructed a temporary railway station,Workington North,to help Northside residents get into and out of town.The 170 members of theRoyal Engineersfrom 170 (Infrastructure Support Unit) installed a temporary footbridge upstream of Calva Bridge, which opened as scheduled, on 5 December 2009.

As a result of the loss of all road and footbridges inWorkingtonon November 19, it was announced that a newrailway station,Workington North,would be built on wasteland leased for two years fromAllerdale Council.The station was scheduled to open by 28 November with services provided byNorthern Rail.Workington North opened on 30 November 2009.

The government pledged£1,000,000 to the reconstruction of the shattered town, but deemed any new (permanent) road or a (temporary) rail bridge unnecessary and only allowed the army engineers to build a temporary foot bridge at state expense to begin with. Northern Rail,Network Railand a local contractor all helped in the building of Workington North station. TheDepartment for Transportannounced that it would fund the service until 31 December 2009, at a cost of £216,000. All trains betweenWorkington,Workington North,FlimbyandMaryportwould be free of charge until 31 December 2009.

Heavy sandstorms hitMauritaniaon Nov 22.

County Fermanaghwas hit by heavy rain on November the 23rd. Many roads were flooded or hit bylandslides.The B36 Dernawilt Road betweenEnniskillenandKillyfolewas one of many that were affected by the storm.BothLough Erneand theColebrooke Riverwere put onflood alert.

A mini-tornadotore through Maypole Lane in theDerbyshirevillage ofLittleoverthe next day, November 24.Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Servicereported moderate damage in the Village on the 24th. A smallwaterspoutwas reported off the coast ofAberdeenshire.

25 November saw fierce winds rattlingDublin Airportand parts of the east coast of Ireland, leading to the diversion of ten aircraft—seven aircraft toShannon Airportand three aircraft toManchester Airport.Some of the affected aircraft were transatlantic flights from destinations such asChicagoand New York.

November 21 – December 3

Main article:Typhoon Nida (2009)

Typhoon Nida's storm path

Early on November 21 theJoint Typhoon Warning Center(JTWC) reported that an area of convection had persisted within a monsoon trough about 880 km (550 mi) to the southeast ofGuam. The typhoon later weakened to a category four, before re-strengthening to a category five on November 27, remaining quasi-stationary for more than two days. It weakened to a tropical depression on December 2, after sending bursts of moisture into thejet stream.The storm dissipated on December 3.

November 25–30

On November 25, a cold extratropical cyclone tracked into Russia'sPrimorskyTerritory from theYellow Sea.Weather forecasterscorrectly predicted snow,gale-force wind and temperatures between 0 and −2 °C, with one night's temperature drop reaching −25°С. Over the next week the daytime temperature was predicted to be between 2°С to -10°С, with a nighttime temperature between −24 and −25 °C. The wind speed was expected to be between 0 and 11 m/s (40 km/h).Both ice andavalanchewarnings were issued for a week (to December 2) as heavy snow was predicted for bothPrimorsky KraiandAmur Krai,but significantly less than expected actually occurred over the week and the storm finally cleared up on 30 November, rather than on December 2.

A powerful storm (probably the earlier one from Primorsky Krai) stalled in theGulf of Alaskaon November 25. On the 26th, its wind field produced high tides on the western seaboard. The storm weakened significantly on the 27th and moved towardsSouthernCalifornia,bringing heavy rainfall starting early in the morning and causing strong winds. The storm left Southern California and moved on to batter the east coast during the afternoon of Sunday, November 29, 2009. A heavy and snowycyclonehit the Aleutian Islands on November 30.

By November 27 heavy rain was moving over theIrish Seais set to give some heavy rain then turning to snow over parts of thePeak District,with altitudes above 1,000 feet (300 m), dropping over 2 inches (5.1 cm) of snow in some places. This is the usual snowfall for parts ofScotland,including theWest Highlandsand theEast Highlands.

Network Rail's new WorkingtonWorkington North Temporary Stationopened 30 November 2009.

In the U.K.,Cumbria's Workington North Temporary Station was officially opened on 30 November 2009.

On the 30th more than 100 people died as heavy rain floodJeddah,Saudi Arabia.The poorly designed and built local infrastructure and mismanagement of city works construction have been blamed, as well as the effects ofGlobal Warming.

December

December 1–2

On December 1 and 2 heavy rain fell in the British Isles, and into the night, therain bandhit thecold airand turned to snow giving about 1 foot (30 cm) on some hilltops and mountains acrossScotland.

On 2 December, thousands of acres ofIrishfarmland remained underwater, floodwaters were still rising in someCounty Galwayvillages and roads inCounty Clareand Galway were still impassable.Floods were still in situ across the UK and both bus and train services were disrupted inEssex,CumbriaandPembrokeshire.TheRiver SevernandRiver Derwentwere put onflood watchby theEnvironment Agency.

December 3, 2009 – January 1, 2010

Toronto, Ontario,Canada was hit by both a cold front and two extreme cold weather warnings between December 3 and January 1.A strong arctic cold front moved through Alberta from the northwest, bringing from 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 cm) of snowfall. Winds gusted to 50 mph (80 km/h), causing whiteout and blizzard conditions across most of Alberta. The southern half of the province got the worst of the storm. The winds blew the snow into massive drifts and snow banks up to 10 feet (3.0 m) in height. Numerous communities inCalgarywere completely snowed in for three days, from December 5 to 7. Numerous cars and trucks were abandoned, with many of them buried up to their roofs in snow.

December 4–7

Between December 4–7 a heavy snow storm hitCalgaryand disrupted travel in general Canada.

December 6–14

TheDecember 2009 North American snowstormswere a meteorological event in North America that started on December 11. Thesnowstormsbrought record amounts of snow to theMidwestand contributed to deaths of 16 people.The storms affected a number ofUS states,includingArizona,Wisconsinand New York, as well as Canada. Although the initial storm had virtually subsided by December 11, further snow was expected to fall.

A weak disturbance that started overnight on December 6 stalled over the western United States and intensified rapidly. Heavy downpours began early in the morning of December 7 and continued non-stop until the evening, triggering flash-flood watches. The storm dropped as much as 4.5 in (110 mm) of rain inCuyamaca,San Diego, causing blackouts in some locations. This storm was followed by a small semi-tropical winter storm which started overnight on December 10 and then stalled overSouthern Californiaand intensified, causing heavy downpours. In addition to 4 inches (100 mm) of rain, this storm gavepea-sized-hailand gusty winds before weakening and moving away from Southern California on December 13.

Heavy snow hitWisconsin,New York,Washington, D.C., and parts ofMarylandon the 10th and 14th. Heavy rain hit parts ofArizonaon the 11th.

In Vancouver, BC a strong winter storm deposited anywhere from 10 to 30 cm of heavy snow from the night of the 12th through to the morning of the 15th after a frigid arctic air that had been over the region for days with as low as -15 °C temperatures met with moist Pacific air.

December 8–16

Light snow began to fall in theGrampian Mountainson December 8. On the 8th more heavy snow showers followed on the 18th. Heavy overnight snow caused widespread disruption across England in the South East, East Anglia, the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber. East Winds brought further snowfalls in the northern half of the UK.

Overnight, fiveEurostartrains were stuck in theChannel Tunnel,trapping 2,000 people for 16 hours after electrical failures due to cold temperatures. Many schools in England were closed on the 9th. During theDecember 2009 European snowfall,four Eurostar trains broke down inside the Channel Tunnel, after leaving France, and one in Kent on 18 December. Although the trains had beenwinterised,the systems had not coped with the conditions.Over 2,000 passengers were stuck inside failed trains inside the tunnel, and over 75,000 had their services disrupted.All Eurostar services were cancelled from Saturday 19 December to Monday 21 December 2009.An independent review, published on 12 February 2010, was critical of the contingency plans in place for assisting passengers stranded by the delays, calling them "insufficient".

The cold weather began in earnest on December 10, with temperatures inBraemar,Aberdeenshirereaching a low of −4.9 °C on the 10th, −7 °C on the 11th, and −8.9 °C on the 12th. This was the beginning of the "Big Freeze".Between December 11 and 16, cold air from the north and east brought subzero temperatures to many northern parts of the UK and the southern county ofOxfordshire,along with dense fog.

December 14–21

Paris, France, on 17 December

Peterborough,England, on 18 December

A major blizzard killed 11 people inRomaniabetween December 14 and 21.

Wintery showers of rain, sleet, and heavy snow affected East and South-East parts of the United Kingdom. On 18 December, heavysnowfallcaused widespread disruption and travel chaos across large parts ofLancashire,South East England,East Anglia,theEast MidlandsandYorkshire and the Humber,forcing schools to close early for the upcoming Christmas holiday and cutting power supplies in some areas.The heaviest snowfall in 20 years also caused temperatures to fall as low as −16 °C (3 °F) in the Scottish Highlands.

More heavy snow showers followed on December 18. Heavy overnight snow caused widespread disruption across England in the South East, East Anglia, the East Midlands, Yorkshire, and the Humber. FiveEurostartrains were stuck in theChannel Tunnelafter electrical failures due to cold temperatures, trapping 2,000 people for up to 16 hours. Many schools in England were closed on December 18.

Heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures killed at least 290 people across Europe. Temperatures fell to as low as −33 °C (−27 °F) in Germany, suspending and cancelling flights and stranding thousands of Christmas passengers. As many as 40% of flights from Paris's two airports,OrlyandCharles de Gaulle,were cancelled.Berlin Tegel Airport,Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, andFrankfurt International Airportwere forced to close due to ice on the runway.

Heavy snow fell in both the Russian territories ofKrasnodar Kraiand in theRussian Far Easton December the 18th. The Far Eastern storm had heavysnow flurriesoccurred across theSea of Okhotsk,Cape Lopatka,Avacha Bay,Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky,Volcanoes of Kamchatka,which aUNESCO World Heritage Sitein theKamchatka Peninsula'sCentral Range Mountainson December the 18th.

Wrocław,Poland, on 20 December.

On December 20, 3 people froze to death in Steiermark, Austria,while blizzards hit S.W. Norway.December 21 and 22 saw 20 cm of snow fall in Moscow and nearby townsTemperatures of as low as −20 °C killed 47 people in Poland on December 20.In northern Italy, some locations recorded the lowest temperature since 1985, with one low reaching −17 °C (1 °F).Finland, the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands also recorded record low temperatures.

In the United Kingdom, many majormotorways,including theM25,M4,M40andM1,were brought to a standstill due tosnow drifts,cold, and ice, leaving many towns gridlocked. The UK'sHighways Agencytried to grit theM11and M1, only to have a gritter van skid off the M11 and into a deep snow drift. Some people were able to travel fromLondon Victoria StationtoAshford International railway stationcourtesy of asteam trainhauled byTornado.Widespread transport disruption to roads, railways, buses, and airports affected much of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

InZagreb,Croatia,around 50 passengers were injured when a train travelling fromSisakto Zagreb failed to stop due toblack iceon the rails and hit a buffer at the city's mainrailway station.One person suffered life-threatening injuries, while some 40 others required medical attention. Ahomelessman froze to death in southernKosovoduring a localized snowstorm. InBosnia and Herzegovina,3 people were found dead fromhypothermiainSarajevoandTeslić.

December 16–19

Main article:North American blizzard of 2009

Cars buried by nearly 24 inches (61 cm) of snow inWoodley Park, Washington, D.C.,on December 19.

A powerfulnor'easterbrought blizzard conditions to thenortheasternandmid-atlanticUnited States, as well asNova Scotiain Canada on 16 December. Washington, D.C., received nearly two feet (over 60 cm) of snow, setting a city record for December snowfall. New York City and southernNew Englandwere forecast to receive over a foot of snow.The snow covered most ofNew England,disrupting travel inNew YorkandPennsylvaniaas local record low temperatures are recorded assnow fallsinFloridaon the 17th.Seven people were killed as a result of the storm.

19 December 2009 also saw a meeting of bothmeteorological,provincialandgovernmentalofficials from acrossEastern Siberiaand the neighbouring provinces ofNortheast Chinaon how to cope with any future severe storms in southernSakhalin IslandandHeilong gian gProvince. 8 people had died on the island by this date

December 20–22

On December 20, nearly a foot and a half of snow fell in parts ofBuncombe Countyand around other parts ofNorth Carolina,with the highest amounts seen north and east ofTransylvania County.This was the most snow seen in the region since 1996. Two feet of snow was recorded onMt. Mitchell.National Guardunits were mobilized to help stranded drivers and clear roads.Red Crossand National Guard shelters were opened in Buncombe, Madison and McDowell counties to accommodate travellers stranded by miles-long backups on the congested and debris-strewn I-40 and I-26.Hundreds of trees and limbs fell under the weight of the snow, blocking roads and leaving tens of thousands without power or phones.On December 22, blizzard conditions also struck Washington, D.C.Snow fall would be widely spread across the north eastern USA and most of theEastern Seaboard.

On December 20 snow near the city ofHanovercaused miles-long traffic jams on theAutobahn. There had been road 50 accidents reported on the stretch of Autobahn, which only has 5-6 accident a day in normal weather.The trains running betweenWarsawandPoznańwere delayed by at least an hour due to snow drifts on the tracks and fallenpower lines.ThePolish Meteorological Institutepredicted the weather would not change for the next few days and temperatures would stay at -10C for the next couple of days.Poland, northern Germany,Scandinavia,Lithuaniaand Hungary would all see at least some heavy snow in places that day. Light snow was reported in most parts oncontinental Europeand the UK by the 22nd. Twenty-threefootballmatches and twohorse raceswere called off in the UK.

December 21, 2009—January 3, 2010

InMongolia,heavy Decembersnowstormskilled 2,000 cattle and 2 people. The worst of the snowstorms occurred between December 21 and January 3.

December 21–22

On December 21 blizzards disruptedNew England,south westernUkraine,Düsseldorf,Frankfurt,Bosnia,Serbia,Paris, the Netherlands and London.

On December 22, a blanket of heavy snow fell upon large parts of Japan andSouth Korea,causing the deaths of 10 Japanese and 3 South Korean people. Snow was piled up to 184 cm high in parts ofNiigata.Up to 650,000 homes and businesses lost electricity, and local trains were also halted by the power outage.InFukui,twonuclear powerplants automatically shut down due to technical problems caused by the unusually heavy snowfalls. South Korea deployed several thousand troops to clear highways and remove snow from the roofs of weak buildings after up to a metre of snow had fallen over the past two weeks. Although the storm certainly affectedNorth Koreaas well, no reports are available.

Also on the 22nd, snowstorms hitLeicestershireandWarsaw.At the same time, a Winter storm hit Moscow,Saint Petersburg,and parts ofTannu Tuva,while aSiberian cyclonestarted up overYakutiaand headed forKhabarovsk Krai.

December 22–28

Main article:2009 North American Christmas blizzard

The 2009 American Christmas Winter Storm on December 24 over the Southeast United States.

Starting on December 22, a large winter storm began moving across theGreat PlainsandMidwest.It claimed 21 lives, canceled hundreds of flights and knocked out power across most ofWest Virginia.The storm stalled and spun around itself for a few days before continuing northeast. Many parts of the Great Plains experienced heavy snowfall, while places further north such asChicagoandOttawareceived freezing rain.As the snow and rain subsided on the 27th, it left record rainfalls inTexasto the Upper Midwest. The storm dumped 23.9 in (61 cm) of snow inGrand Forks, North Dakota,and 18 in (46 cm) near Norfolk,Nebraska.In the East, higher temperatures and rains have started melting and washing away last week's record-setting snowfalls, threatening the region with flooding.TheNational Weather Servicealso of flooding in parts of the South and Midwest, andwinter weather advisorieswere in effect in sections ofNebraska,Illinois,IndianaandMichiganthrough the Sunday.A man drowned after slipping into theKennebec River,nearMoosehead LakeinMaine.Over 30 inches (76 cm) of snow fell inSouth Dakota.Several inches of snow also fell in theLas Vegas Valley,Nevada.In southernOntario,snowsquallsfed into acold frontbehind the main low pressure center of the storm to produce a rapid drop in temperatures on December 28.

An outbreak of 28 tornadoes also occurred in theSoutheastern United States.One EF3 tornado caused major damage inLufkin, Texas,injuring two people.

December 23, 2009—January 1, 2010

December 23 to 26 saw heavy snow hit bothPrimorsky (Primorye) Krai,Khabarovsk Krai,Sakhalin OblastandKamchatka Krai.The weekend saw a migratory cyclone bringing a warm spell and snowstorms reaching Primorsky on the Friday.Heavy snow badly disrupted life inVladivostokin December as sleet and gale-force wind occurred on Primorsky Krai's south coast.Over two days, temperatures rose from -4 °C up to -2 °C. On the night of December 26 the strengtheningcyclonebegan drifting to the southern coast of Primorsky and over Sakhalin Krai.Snow also fell inAmur Oblast.PresidentVladimir Putinvisited Vladivostok on the 25th.

Heavy snowfall also began inSaint Petersburg,Russia. By December 26, the city was under 35 cm of snow, creating the most December snowfall seen in the city since 1881.A snowstorm also occurred in parts of theBarents Sea.

On December 30, an emergency warning about the passage of another powerful cyclone was issued to all the territories and population centres along Russia's Pacific Coast.The gales, heavy snowfall, blizzards and a sharp fall in air temperatures hit theSea of Okhotskand the surrounding territories of Primorsky Krai, Sakhalin Oblast, Khabarovsk Krai andMagadan Oblast.The Far Eastern territorial centre of the federal Ministry for Emergency Situations and Civil Defence (E.M.E.R.C.O.M.) warned that the cyclone would producesnow banks,icy conditions on roads, as well as snow bringing down phone andpower transmission linesin Primorsky territory.The temperatures reckoned to have fallen near the expected −7 °C. The temperature was that which usually occurs in aSiberiancyclone, when it reaches theRussian Far East.Forecasters said there was a strong possibility of heavy snowfall and blizzards along the eastern districts of the Khabarovsk Krai, in parts of theSakhalin Islandand on the southernKuril IslandsDecember 31 and January 1.

The last week of 2009 saw anArctic stormbearing down onSakhalin Island,and local officials told people not to drive their cars outside any city limits and banned the rather dangerous practice ofice fishing,due to the purported death of aNivkhfisherman,until the storm had passed.Nonetheless, dozens of cars were buried in snow and in one village, rescuers dug out 56 cars, freeing 74 passengers and giving aid to those who were haplessly trapped.People in cars that remained stuck were being provided with both water, bread and fuel via snowmobile.The towns ofKorsakovandPoronayskwere worst hit, and parts of the localtaigaforests of fir and birch had been entirely up-rooted and buried by the blizzard conditions.

December 25–30

About 60% of the Italian city ofVenicewas flooded by a heavyrainstormon December the 25th.

Glen Coe,Scotland, on 27 December.

Leeds Bradford Airportfollowing heavy snowfall on 27 December 2009.

Parts of England again suffered repeated power cuts,and Scotland experienced fresh snowfall overnight on 26–27 December with the worst affected area beingPerthshire,where between 12 and 18 inches (300–460 mm) fell.

Temperatures dropped to −18 °C (0 °F) in parts of the Highlands overnight on 28–29 December, withBraemarrecording Britain's lowest temperature of the winter. Fresh travel warnings were issued on 29 December as the wintry conditions continued to cause problems on Scotland's roads.

The runway ofInverness Airportwas briefly closed because of snow and ice, andFirst ScotRailreduced services to and fromGlasgow Centralbecause of the severe conditions.

The snow and icy conditions were good for the Scottishskiindustry, which said the weather helped it to experience its best start to the season for several years.

Warnings of heavy snow were issued for Wales, the Midlands, north-west England, eastern and southern England, and Yorkshire and Humber.More snow began falling across parts of Wales and central and northern England on the evening of 29 December, with Wales recording the heaviest of the snow showers where some rural areas were cut off by of up to 30 centimetres (12 in). Snow was also reported in parts of theWest Midlands regionandYorkshire.

In Italy, December 30 saw hundreds of homes inTuscanyevacuated because of flooding and Spain's rescue services were on yellow danger alert after flash floods destroyed roads and landslides swept railways away.Transport Links betweenAlmeria,Granada,MálagaandSevillawere severed. Drought-blightedAndalusiahas had its fifth day of rain, and Portugal was on orange flood alert.Authorities said the rain had destroyed millions of Euros worth of agricultural produce.Theharbourswere closed and theMadeiraarchipelago islands were also under threat of both flooding and gale-force winds, as 110 km/h whipped up six-metre -high waves.

December 28, 2009—January 3, 2010

At least two of the Russian Far East storms stacked up over theGulf of Alaskaduring December 28. Variousweather forecastssuggested that one would spread valley rain and mountain snow acrossNorthern Californiaand drop up to half an inch of rain across the northernSacramento Valleyover the next few days. TheNational Weather Serviceissued aWinter Weather Advisorywarning for theMount Shastaarea,where forecasters expected 1 to 3 inches (76 mm) of snow in town and up to 10 inches (250 mm) above 5,000 feet (1,500 m). The second cold front, and its related storm, would bring more rain and high country snow to the north state byNew Year's EveorNew Year's Day.

The blizzards began onNew Year's Eve,and lasted until January 3. The worst of the blizzards occurred on December 31, when anavalanchederailedadiesel locomotivefitted with a railwaysnowploughoff its railway tracks.The storm continued through 1 January, when three workers sent to repair the damage were swept away by the howlingblizzardthat was ripping throughSakhalin Islandaccording to theRIA Novostinews service.One worker was found alive and rescue teams retrieved the body of a second Sunday morning.The situation worsened to the point that 140soldierswere ordered to help dig the train out from beneath 350,000 cubic feet (9,900 m³) of snow.A local man, Andrei Sukhonosov, trying to return home to the city ofTomariwas on the buried train.

Authorities and rescue services inSakhalin Oblastwere put on alert, and warned of a high risk ofavalancheson the island's numerous hills and mountains.Another avalanche warning was issued on the 2nd, forSakhalin Island,due to hazardous levels ofsnowfallduring yet anotherSiberian snow cycloneandblizzard,emergency officials said.The authorities in Primorsky andKhabarovsk Kraiwere also put on alert, just in case things got ant worse.The last twoRussian Far Easternstorms dissipated in theGulf of Alaskaon January 5 and 6 respectively.

December 29–31

Following the deadly2009 North American Christmas winter storm,a medium-sizednor'easterformed inTexasand brought moderate snow to the western portion of the state on December 29. In anticipation of the event Texas GovernorRick Perryactivated his resources ahead of the winter storm.It then moved through the Southeast and brought heavy rain and freezing rain to higher altitudes. Some snow was reported inClayton, Georgia,but did not accumulate. It then moved quickly up theEast Coast of the United States,bringing freezing rain and sleet to theMid-Atlanticand moderate to heavy snow to the Tri-State Area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut). 5 inches (13 cm) at the most was reported inWhite Plains4.5 inches (11 cm) inHartford.It then brought about 2 inches (5.1 cm) toBostonand southeasternNew England.Overnight January 1, it strengthened explosively over water and looped back around to create ablizzardin northern New England. Up to 19 inches (48 cm) was on the ground inLubec, Maine,by Sunday, and on Saturday it moved to southern New England. 13 inches (33 cm) fell inLe xing ton, Massachusetts,making that the most fallen in southern New England in the season. Boston received 9 inches (23 cm). The storm moved into theLabrador Seaby Sunday afternoon, leaving behind a pattern where multiple storms within the broader low undergocyclogenesisto track north ofNewfoundland.

Sportscotland Avalanche Information Service(SAIS) issued warnings about conditions on Scottish mountains on December 30.However, three people died in three large avalanches.Two climbers were killed as a result of an avalanche onBen Nevis,while a man was airlifted fromLiathach,a mountain inTorridon,after getting into trouble, and died in hospital.

Continued icy weather in Scotland onNew Year's Eveled to the cancellation ofHogmanaycelebrations inInvernessamid concerns over public safety.New Year celebrations in other parts of Scotland went ahead as planned.North-east Scotland experienced fresh snowfall during the afternoon and evening of 31 December. For a second time that weekInverness Airportwas closed forcing several hundred passengers to make alternative arrangements. InBatley,West Yorkshire2,500 imperial gallons (11 m³) of water leaked into the local gas network, leaving 400 homes inDewsburyand Batley without gas during sub-zero temperatures. The final homes were reconnected on 7 January.

December 31 to January 5 saw heavy flooding in southern Spain and heavy snow in northern Spain.

Fatalities

The death toll finally stood at:

Nation	Fatalities
Saudi Arabia	100 (estimated)
Bolivia	52
Peru	19
Ecuador	16
India	205
Italy	1
North Korea	1 (unconfirmed)
Poland	119
Czech Republic	1
Pakistan	29
Slovakia	1
Hungary	1
Taiwan	462
The PRC	84
Romania	11
USA	60
Russia	11
UK	27
France	1
Portugal	1
Mongolia	55
Haiti	5
Austria	3
Mexico	9

Political impact

Much of the snowstorm activity coincided withCopenhagen Summitof December 2009 as well as theClimatic Research Unit email controversyone month prior. The unusual weather patterns that year (particularly in the Southern United States) provided an opportunity to promote or question the theory ofglobal warming,and led to an increasing use of the phrase "climate change"as opposed to" global warming. "

Gallery

• 
  Snow fall in Banbury during December 2009.
• 
  Snowfall during the blizzard inClifton, Virginia,U.S.A., completely covers a road and reduces visibility on 19 December 2009.
• 
  Streetscape of theDupont Circleneighborhood ofWashington, D.C.,on 19 December 2009.
• 
  Ede, Netherlands,on 20 December.
• 
  Lockerbie,Scotland,on 25 December.

See also

• Winter storm
• Winter of 2009–10 in Europe
• 2009 West Africa floods
• 2013–14 North American winter
• Global storm activity of 2008
• Global storm activity of 2010
• Winter storms of 2009–10 in East Asia
• 2010 Northern Hemisphere heat waves
• Global storm activity of 2008
• Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom
• Winter of 1962–63 in the United Kingdom

• February 2009 Great Britain and Ireland snowfall
• Winter of 1990–91 in Western Europe
• Cyclogenesis
• Jet stream
• Arctic oscillation
• North Atlantic oscillation

• Pacific–North American teleconnection pattern
• El Niño–Southern Oscillation
• Gulf Stream
• European windstorm
• Global storm activity of 2007
• Global storm activity of 2006

References

• "Winter Roof Care in Calgary Snow".Archivedfrom the original on 2023-06-26.Retrieved2023-06-26.

Global weather by year
Preceded by 2008	Weather of 2009	Succeeded by 2010