It is hard to believe that 2005 was 20 years ago. The year 2005 was historic in several ways concerning Meteorology. 2005 was infamous for Hurricanes, severe weather, and other events. In 2005 I was not a Meteorologist yet. In fact, I was a student in college to be one. Still one of the first weather events of 2005 was the January 20th-23rd blizzard. This was not just the first blizzard of January 2005 but the first winter storm as well.

2005 was dominated by a developing La Nina. La Nina pushes the jet stream farther northward. A storm system moved into the Pacific Northwest bringing heavy rain to the Washington and Oregon coast lines. As the storm moved eastward it begin to intensify. Very cold air was ahead of the storm system, and Rich Gulf Moisture was being pulled northward. Then you had winds pushing off the Rocky Mountains. Once the Storm moved east of the Dakotas it turned into a blizzard.

Significant snow started to occur in the Upper Midwest and the Great Lake Regions. The moisture combined with Lake effect snow produced very high amounts. A slight dip int he Jet Stream caused the storm to move into parts of the Mid-Atlantic states. After moving off the east coast the storm being to intensify once more. La Nina caused above average water temperatures off the east coast. This caused the storm to produce large amounts of snow due to the increased moisture. On January 22nd the storm moved into the Northeast and on the 23rd the Storm exited the United States.

In my class we had just started the term so my professor turned this storm into a lesson. We had to look at models give our own take on the storm. We also looked at pressure and other variables.

This Blizzard not only produced 40-60 mph winds in the states it impacted as a blizzard, but it produced some very high snowfall amounts.

Here are some of the highest snowfall amounts.

Salem Massachusetts saw 33 inches of snow from this storm system.

Boston Massachusetts saw 26-29 inches across the city.

Nantucket Massachusetts saw 25 inches of snow

Providence Rhode Island saw 22 inches of snow

East Pennsylvania mainly in Philadelphia saw 14 inches of snow.

New York City saw 12 inches of snow

A lot of the Upper Midwest states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan saw 10-14 inches of snow

Parts of Maryland saw 5-10 inches of snow.

Sadly 12 people loves their lives including 3 first responders. This storm was historic because it was the first significant winter storm of 2005. Also, because it impacted so many people and so many states. For some states this was the worst snowstorm they had seen since the mid 1990's.

Looking back on it now this storm was only the beginning of a wild 2005 weather dominated by La NIna. Spring would bring severe weather outbreaks and the summer and fall would bring a very destructive hurricane season.