Blizzard Conditions Born From a Hurricane? It Has Happened

Most people do not associate tropical weather with snow. That is one of the reasons why Superstorm Sandy will live on forever in the history books as one of the most unusual and historic storms to hit the U.S. Here is a look back at this hurricane that went on to unleash blizzard conditions.

How a Hurricane Produced a Blizzard

While Sandy was not officially a hurricane when it made landfall, the storm's origin in the tropics gave it definitive tropical characteristics throughout its lifespan. The notorious storm is most known for the deadly storm surge and flooding that it unleashed across the northeastern U.S. The storm came ashore in the U.S. in October of 2012, triggering billions of dollars of damage. Sandy is still one of the costliest storms to impact the U.S., despite losing its hurricane status before making landfall.

One of the most unusual facets of Sandy was its ability to produce heavy snow. While the storm made landfall in New Jersey, its impacts stretched down into the Appalachian Mountains in the form of snow. The National Weather Service (NWS) offices in Charleston, West Virginia; Blacksburg, Virginia; and Baltimore, Maryland, were forced to issue blizzard warnings as the snow continued to fly about 300 miles inland of where Sandy made landfall.