Great Appalachian Storm of 1950
The Great Appalachian Storm of November 1950 was a large extratropical cyclone which moved through the Eastern United States, causing blizzard conditions along the western slopes of the Appalachian Mountains and significant winds and heavy rainfall east of the mountains. Hurricane-force winds, peaking at 110 miles per hour (180 km/h) in Concord, New Hampshire, and 160 mph (260 km/h) in the highlands of New England, disrupted power to 1 million customers during the event.
Category 5 "Extreme" (RSI/NOAA: 34.69) | |
Surface analysis showing cyclone near time of maximum intensity on November 25, 1950 | |
| Type | Extratropical cyclone Nor'easter Blizzard Winter storm |
|---|---|
| Formed | November 24, 1950 |
| Dissipated | November 30, 1950 |
| Lowest pressure | 978 mbar (28.88 inHg) |
| Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | 57 inches (1,400 mm) |
| Fatalities | 383 fatalities |
| Damage | $66.7 million (1950 dollars) |
| Areas affected | Eastern United States Southeast Canada |
In all, the storm impacted 22 states, killing 383 people, injuring over 160, and causing $66.7 million in damage (equivalent to $845,000,000 in 2023). U.S. insurance companies paid out more money to their policy holders for damage resulting from the cyclone than for any previous storm or hurricane at the time. The cyclone is also one of only twenty-six storms to rank as a Category 5 on the Regional Snowfall Index.
Termed, the "Storm of the Century".