High Wind — Southern Coos, New Hampshire

2024-01-09 to 2024-01-10 · Southern Coos, New Hampshire

Event narrative

East of a deep low pressure in the eastern Great Lakes a strong low level jet developed. East southeast winds near ridgeline in the White Mountains downsloped into the lee areas on the northwest side of the peaks. The strongest gusts began late in the evening on the 9th and continued into the early morning on the 10th. The Mount Washington Regional Airport recorded two separate peak gusts of at least 58 mph, 58 mph at 326 am and 62 mph at 442 am. Winds quickly diminished once the frontal occlusion moved through the North Country.

Wider weather episode

A powerful storm tracked northeast through the Mid Mississippi River Valley on the 9th, rapidly deepening as it approached the southern Great Lakes. Precipitation formed along and ahead of the advancing warm front, which arrived in part of northern New England during the evening of the 9th. High pressure anchored to the north of Maine dammed low level cold air up against the mountains and allowed precipitation to start as snow for most locations in New Hampshire, except for those east of the coastal front along the Seacoast. The coastal front was able to quickly mix westward as heavier precipitation moved into the area, and snow changed to rain into the foothills through midnight and the early morning hours. Rain closer to the coast and snow across the higher terrain was heavy at times through the overnight hours. Snowfall of 6 to 12 inches occurred in the higher terrain, with locally higher amounts in the high peaks. Rainfall was a widespread 2 to 4 inches where precipitation remained mostly rain. A strong low level jet accompanying the deep low pressure over the eastern Great Lakes arrived during the early morning hours on the 10th, with strong to damaging wind gusts along the Seacoast as well as on the northwest side of the White Mountains. These warm winds along with rainfall helped to melt much of the fresh snow pack that had fallen on the 7th. The strongest east southeast winds also arrived just ahead of high tide, as they were approaching their monthly spring tides. Moderate to major coastal flooding and large, battering waves occurred all along the Seacoast leading to major damage. By the morning of the 10th, snow, rain, and wind had all moved east of the area.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1147378. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.