ZCZC NYCWRKPS3 000
  TTAA00 KNYC 231544
  CTZ005>012-NJZ002>006-011-NYZ067>081-281000-
  
  PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
  NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY
  600 AM EDT TUE OCT 27 2009
  
  ...THIS IS WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK... 
  
  PLEASE JOIN THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE NEW YORK STATE 
  DISASTER PREPAREDNESS COMMISSION IN PROMOTING WINTER WEATHER 
  EDUCATION INCLUDING SAFETY.
  
  TODAY'S THEME IS HEAVY SNOW, WHICH IS DEFINED AS AN AVERAGE SNOWFALL 
  OF 6 INCHES IN 12 HOURS OR 8 INCHES IN 24 HOURS.
   
  COASTAL STORMS...ALSO KNOWN AS NOR'EASTERS...CAN BRING HEAVY SNOW TO 
  THE AREA. THEY USUALLY FORM FROM OCTOBER THROUGH APRIL ALONG THE 
  COASTAL PLAIN FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO TO THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. THE 
  COMBINATION OF HIGH PRESSURE NORTH OF THE AREA AND LOW PRESSURE 
  MOVING NORTHEAST, PRODUCES STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS WHICH IS WHY 
  COASTAL STORMS ARE KNOWN AS NOR'EASTERS.
  
  SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT COASTAL STORMS HAVE BROUGHT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS
  INCLUDING HEAVY SNOW TO THE REGION DURING THIS DECADE. HERE ARE 
  JUST A FEW RECENT EXAMPLES:
  
  BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OCCURRED ACROSS LONG ISLAND JANUARY 22ND AND 
  23RD OF 2005. WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH COMBINED WITH HEAVY FALLING 
  SNOW CREATED WHITE OUT CONDITIONS THAT REDUCED VISIBILITY TO LESS 
  THAN MILE. MAJOR WIDESPREAD IMPACTS TO MASS TRANSIT OCCURRED ACROSS 
  THE ENTIRE REGION. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS UP TO 20 INCHES WERE MEASURED. 
  WIDESPREAD BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OCCURRED DURING FEBRUARY 11TH AND 
  12TH OF 2006 WHEN SNOWFALL AMOUNTS RANGED FROM 12 TO 28 INCHES. 
  CENTRAL PARK RECORDED ITS BIGGEST SNOW STORM EVER WITH 26.9 INCHES. 
  
  THIS DECADE HAS HAD ITS SHARE OF HEAVY SNOW EVENTS ACROSS THE REGION 
  ON THE FOLLOWING DATES:
  
  DECEMBER 5TH AND 25TH 2002,
  DECEMBER 5TH-7TH AND FEBRUARY 17TH-18TH 2003,
  JANUARY 28TH 2004,
  JANUARY 22ND-23RD 2005,
  AND FEBRUARY 11TH-12TH 2006
  
  LAST SEASON FEATURED A SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL SNOWFALL SEASON AT NEW
  YORK CITY'S CENTRAL PARK WITH 27.6 INCHES OF SNOW. THE PREVIOUS 2 WINTER
  SEASONS...CENTRAL PARK AVERAGED BELOW NORMAL SNOWFALL. HOWEVER...FOR THE
  WINTERS FROM 2003 TO 2006...CENTRAL PARK AVERAGED OVER 40 INCHES OF 
  SNOWFALL A YEAR. THE AVERAGE SNOWFALL IS 22.4 INCHES.
  
  FOR A DETAILED LIST OF SIGNIFICANT STORMS AND SNOWFALL AMOUNTS, 
  VISIT OUR WEB PAGE AT:
  
  HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OKX/STORMTOTALS.HTML
  
  WEDNESDAY'S INFORMATION STATEMENT COVERS ICE STORMS.
  
  $$