On This Day in 2008: Major Ice Storm Wreaks Havoc Across The Northeast

The December 2008 nor’easter occurred on this day 15 years ago. While it brought heavy rain, high winds and tons of snow, it was an especially damaging ice storm, and was deemed the worst in a decade for New England. 

The setup for this damaging nor’easter began with a cold front moving across the Northeast, Wednesday, December 10th. This ushered in a bitter cold air mass into the region. From there, a low pressure system developed over the Southeast later that day and overnight. This low pressure headed northeast over the next few days, moving over the Mid-Atlantic  late Thursday night and the New York metro area and southern New England on Friday, December 12th. The storm system then moved into the Canadian Maritimes later Friday. 

As the storm approached, warmer air moved in aloft while a cold air mass was in place at the surface. This set the stage for a mixed precipitation event. The precipitation came down heavy at times, especially Thursday night. Hourly precipitation rates of one-quarter to one-third inch were reported for several areas in northwestern parts of the Mid-Atlantic and the interior Northeast. Some thunder was also reported. 

Ice accumulations ranged from around one-half inch up to an inch across parts of the Capital District in New York and the western Massachusetts Berkshires. North and west of the Capital District, temperatures were colder throughout the atmosphere, so precipitation generally fell as snow though some sleet and freezing rain mixed in. Snowfall reports of 2 to 4 inches were observed just north and west of the Capital District, where sleet and freezing rain mixed in. There was anywhere from 8 to 12 inches of snow across parts of the southern Adirondacks. 

Heavy rain fell across most of southern New England, where temperatures were much warmer. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches, with some locally higher amounts. This led to widespread urban and small stream and river flooding. 

Damage was primarily caused by fallen trees and fallen utility wires and poles, which were coated in a heavy layer of ice. The storm did raise heavy controversy over the slow return of power. At the storm’s peak, as many as 1.7 million people were without power. More than 800,000 customers were still without power days later, with 100,000 still without electricity almost a week later. The cost of the damage was estimated to be as much as $3.7 billion (USD 2008).

At least four deaths were attributed to the storm. Three of them were due to carbon monoxide poisoning. The fourth was a government employee who had gone missing when investigating damage to trees. 
 

Source: NWS, Wikipedia
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Image: A fallen tree due to the December 2008 Northeast ice storm, taken in Troy, N.Y. (December 13, 2008, Joe D via Wikimedia Commons)