February 7, 2021 - Snow in Eastern United States

Snow in Eastern United States

A strong winter storm moved from west to east across the United States in early February 2021, ending with a punch in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. By February 2, the storm was impacting nearly 70 million people and winter storm warnings were in effect from northern Georgia to Maine. The snow-filled nor’easter also packed strong gusts of up to 60 mph (97 km/h) which downed lines and left thousands without power. Icy roads and heavy snow created travel problems, with numerous accidents reported across the region. According to the Township of Marlboro, New Jersey storm update published on February 2, New Jersey State Troopers attended 743 accidents and responded to 1,362 motorist aid calls since the storm began. Air travel was also impacted, with more than 1,100 flights delayed and more than 1,600 flights cancelled.

At 10:00 AM EST on February 3, the National Weather Service reported that light snow was continuing to fall over portions of the Mid-Atlantic, north/central New York, and southern New England. Highest snowfall totals at that time included 32.5 inches in Mine Hill Township, New Jersey and 36.1 inches in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Birdsville, Maryland was listed as the highest ice total for the storm, with .33 inches recorded on February 3. Birdsville sat at the southern edge of the storm line, receiving snow for the first part of the storm then rain, then snow, then ice and sustained freezing temperatures - all over a period of 48 hours.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of several states blanketed in snow on February 4. States represented in this image include, from south to north: West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and southern Maine. Portions of Ontario (west) and Quebec provinces, Canada are also covered in snow.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 2/4/2021
Resolutions: 1km (337.1 KB), 500m (1.1 MB), 250m (3.3 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC