It was the record-breaking nor'easter winter of '69
This Day In Weather History is a daily podcast by Chris Mei from The Weather Network, featuring stories about people, communities and events and how weather impacted them.
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Today we're covering a snowy day in Quebec's history. Of course, this is not your average Quebec snowfall -- it was a record-breaker.
The storm energy came from the December 1969 nor'easter. It affected northeastern areas of the United States and southern Quebec from December 25-28, 1969.
The nor'easter came with a tornado outbreak, record snow accumulations, a damaging ice storm, and flooding rains.
The storm started over Texas on December 25 and headed eastward, bringing dozens of tornadoes to Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida.
Snowfall map of the December 1969 nor'easter. Courtesy NOAA - National Climate Data Center
By December 26 and 27, the storm headed north, bringing sleet and rain to warmer areas of New England and 100 cm of snow to the colder areas.
The storm reached Quebec, and by the 27th and 28th, Montreal received 70 cm of snow, the city's biggest snowstorm on record at the time.
Courtesy of Taylor and Francis Online
All transportation in Montreal halted. Several fires broke out in the city and firefighters were unable to reach the outbreaks, leaving 23 families homeless.
Overall, there were 15 people who died due to storm-related causes, including some that died from the cold.
Image from The Weather Network
Image from The Weather Network
To learn more about how the nor'easter of 1969 made its way from the southern US to Quebec, listen to today's episode of "This Day In Weather History."
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Thumbnail image from The Weather Network
