Summary of Fierce Blizzard that sweept through the Maritimes and parts New England on December 22nd & 23rd

AWCN14 CWHX 230711
SPECIAL WEATHER SUMMARY MESSAGE FOR NEW BRUNSWICK ISSUED BY
ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 3:11 AM AST TUESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2008.

A VERY INTENSE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVED THROUGH THE MARITIMES
ON MONDAY DECEMBER 22ND BRINGING SEVERE WINDS TO NOVA SCOTIA AND
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO NEW BRUNSWICK.
THE LOW FORMED OFF THE US EASTERN SEABOARD AND DEEPENED RAPIDLY
LATE ON DECEMBER 21ST. METEOROLOGICALLY SPEAKING..THE CENTRAL
PRESSURE OF THE LOW DEEPENED FROM 982 MB TO 964 MB IN 6 HOURS..OR
ABOUT 3 MB PER HOUR..WHICH IS AN EXCEPTIONAL RATE OF DEEPENING.
THE CENTRE OF THE 964-MB LOW TRACKED OVER GRAND MANAN ISLAND AND
SOUTHERN NEW BRUNSWICK THEN INTO THE CENTRAL GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE
NORTH OF PEI.

THERE WERE WIDESPREAD WIND GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE (120 KM/H) AND
EVEN WELL INLAND..GUSTS REACHED 100 KM/H. MANY EXPOSED AREAS
ALSO REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 70 TO 90 KM/H. THESE WINDS WERE
COMPARABLE TO EX-HURRICANE NOEL IN NOVEMBER 2007. IN HALIFAX..INLAND
DAMAGE WAS SIMILAR TO THAT EXPERIENCED FROM NOEL WITH DOWNED
TREES..SHINGLES, SIDING, AND FIXTURES TORN FROM BUILDINGS
..DISMANTLED SIGNAGE..AND FREQUENT POWER OUTAGES. SOME MINOR
BUILDING DAMAGE WAS REPORTED AS WELL WITH A ROOF PARTIALLY BLOWN OFF
A HOME IN THE CAPE SABLE ISLAND AREA OF SOUTHWEST NOVA SCOTIA
AND A PARTIALLY-CONSTRUCTED BUILDING ON PURCELL'S COVE ROAD NEAR
HALIFAX WAS BLOWN DOWN. THERE WERE COASTAL IMPACTS AS WELL WITH SOME
BOATS BREAKING FREE FROM MOURINGS AND BEING SWAMPED BY WAVES AS
WELL AS SOME SHORELINE EROSION EXACERBATED BY STORM SURGE.

SOME NOTEWORTHY OBSERVATIONS FROM AROUND THE MARITIMES ARE
TABULARIZED BELOW. VALUES ARE RANKED IN TERMS OF PEAK WIND SPEEDS
OVER NOVA SCOTIA AND PEI AND IN TERMS OF HEAVIEST SNOWFALL OVER NEW
BRUNSWICK:

NOVA SCOTIA...
LOCATION PEAK WIND GUST SNOWFALL
(KM/H) (CM)
-------- -------------- ------------
GRAND ETANG 194/123 mph
ST PAUL ISLAND 148/84 mph
BEAVER ISLAND 144/82 mph
HART ISLAND (CANSO) 133/78 mph
OSBORNE HD (COW BAY) 133/78 mph
MCNAB'S ISLAND 130/77 mph
BACCARO POINT 130/77 mph 4/1.5 Inches *
DRUM HD (GUYS. CO.) 126/75 mph * 5/2 Inches
YARMOUTH 124/73 mph 7/2.5 Inches
BRIER ISLAND 122/72 mph
SAMBRO 122/72 mph * 3/1.2 Inches *
HALIFAX DOCKYARDS 115/71 mph
SCOTT'S BAY/CAPE SPLIT 115/71 mph * 15/6 Inches *
HALIFAX AIRPORT 113/71 mph
ANTIGONISH 111/70 mph * 8/3.3 Inches *
ANNAPOLIS ROYAL 109/69 mph *
STEWIACKE 104/65 mph
GREENWOOD/KENTVILLE 90/50 mph 21/8.2 Inches
SYDNEY/SYDNEY MINES 88/48 mph 15/6 Inches
WEST BROOKLYN MTN (NR WINDSOR) 20/8 Inches *
CLAYTON PARK (HALIFAX) 14/5.5 Inches *
LIVERPOOL 15/6 Inches *
BADDECK 9/3.5 Inches *


PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND...
LOCATION PEAK WIND GUST SNOWFALL
(KM/H) (CM)
-------- -------------- ------------
NORTH CAPE 120/75 mph
EAST POINT 118/73 mph
SUMMERSIDE 94/55 mph
CHARLOTTETOWN 92/52 mph 15/6 Inches
ST PETER'S 91/51 mph
ELMWOOD (NR CH'TOWN) 23/9 Inches *
ALLISTON (S. OF MONTAGUE) 11/4.5 Inches *


NEW BRUNSWICK...
LOCATION SNOWFALL PEAK WIND GUST
(CM) (KM/H)
-------- -------------- ------------
MIRAMICHI 46/18 Inches
BATHURST 41/16.5 Inches 74/43 mph
FREDERICTON 37/14.5 Inches 78/44 mph
BAS CARAQUET 34/13.5 Inches* 120/75 mph
MISCOU ISLAND 111/70 mph
MONCTON 27/11 Inches 81/45 mph
ST. LEONARD 24/9.5 Inches 50/35 mph
SAINT JOHN 20/8 Inches *
SAINT JOHN AIRPORT 13/5.5 Inches 83/47 mph

* DENOTES VOLUNTEER/PRIVATE OBSERVATIONS

END/ASPC