2012–13 North American winter
The 2012–13 North American winter started out somewhat early, as the remnants of Hurricane Sandy brought heavy snow to the mountains of West Virginia in late October. Later, a strong nor'easter affected the weary Northeastern United States, hampering storm recovery efforts and dropping several inches of snow. The rest of the winter featured several other notable events, such as a Christmas winter storm that affected most of the Eastern United States, and the most notable event occurring in early February, when a powerful blizzard struck the Northeast and brought record snow to some areas. During the winter, a weak El Nino was expected to influence weather conditions across the continent.
| 2012–13 North American winter | |
|---|---|
NASA satellite image of a strong nor'easter over New England on February 9, 2013 | |
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| Meteorological winter | December 1 – February 28 |
| Astronomical winter | December 21 – March 20 |
| Most notable event | |
| Name | February 2013 North American blizzard |
| • Duration | February 7–18, 2013 |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Maximum snowfall accumulation | 40 in (100 cm) (Hamden, Connecticut) |
| Total fatalities | 69 total |
| Total damage | Unknown |
While there is no well-agreed-upon date used to indicate the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, there are two definitions of winter which may be used. Based on the astronomical definition, winter begins at the winter solstice, which in 2012 occurred late on December 21, and ends at the March equinox, which in 2013 occurred on March 20. Based on the meteorological definition, the first day of winter is December 1 and the last day February 28. Both definitions involve a period of approximately three months, with some variability.