Rochester, NY (WHAM) – 32 years ago might sound long, but to many of you, the record-breaking storm on March 13 and 14, 1993, seemed like yesterday. The storm of the century was a powerful cyclone that brought record-breaking snow, strong winds, severe weather, and devastation across the entire East Coast.
The storm first developed as a low-pressure system in the Gulf. The cyclone rapidly intensified due to the clash of warm water and moist air in the Gulf and cold Artic air descending from Canada. This resulted in a nor’easter but on a much larger scale. The storm was moving quickly to the Northeast and was ranked a Category 5 on the regional snowfall index.
Here in Rochester, NY, over 20″ of snow, and over 40″ in Syracuse, NY. Temperatures have dropped into the single digits. Strong winds gusting around 70 mph caused power outages and homes along the lake shore were covered in inches of ice. Multiple schools, businesses, roads, and airports shut down. Sadly, the storm took 270 people’s lives across 13 states.
This storm remains one of the most well-documented and studied weather events in history. Ranking in the top three historical March snow storms. We can all appreciate the knowledge we have gained from this storm. It has improved emergency preparedness everywhere and helped educate everyone that mother nature is powerful. Three decades later, the Storm of the Century remains a milestone for strong winter storms.
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