2009 — Dec 7-9, Winter storm/blizzard, extreme cold, esp. Midwest to East Coast — 24

 

–24  Blanchard tally of State breakouts below.

–16  Assoc. Press. “Storm Dumps Snow on Midwest, Bitter Cold to Follow,” 12-9-2009.

–12  USA Today. “Fierce Winter Storm Affects Much of the Country,” 12-9-2009.

 

Breakout of Fatalities by State

 

Arizona          (   2)

–1  High wind/tree fall. AP. “‘Extremely Dangerous’ Blizzards Move…Midwest,” 12-9-2009.[1]

–1  Gila County, north of Young. Froze; outside, male, 38.[2]

 

Illinois             (   2)

–1  Chicago, Belmont Road, Dec 8-9. Hypothermia from cold exposure; male, 42.[3]

–1  Chicago, Monroe St., Dec 8-9. Cold exposure; male, 51.  Storm Data, 51/12, Dec 2009, 87.

 

Iowa                (  3)

–3  Des Moines Register. “Bitter Cold Moving In; At Least 3 Dead…” Dec 9, 2009.

–2  Weather-related car crashes, Dec 8. Daily Times Herald, IA. “Snowstorm.” 12-10-2009, p. 3.

–1  Yale, Guthrie Co., Dec 9. Hypothermia; male, late 60s, found on ground next to his pickup.[4]

 

Minnesota      (>3)

—>3  Weather-related traffic accidents by Dec 10. Associated Press, Minneapolis.[5]

—  1  (Auto)  USA Today.  “Fierce Winter Storm Affects Much of the Country,” Dec 9, 2009.

 

Missouri         (  3)

— 3  (Auto)  USA Today.  “Fierce Winter Storm Affects Much of the Country,” Dec 9, 2009.

 

Nebraska        (  3)

— 1  Omaha, Dec 8. Female, 28, hit by snowplow outside her SW Omaha apartment complex.[6]

— 1  Omaha, Dec 8. Elderly man had car trouble, walked home; found dead in chair outside.[7]

— 1  Omaha, Dec 9. Heart attack after shoveling snow; male, 63.[8]

 

New Mexico   (  2)

–2  Auto accident. Assoc. Press. “Big Storm Targets Midwest With Snow, Wind,” 12-8-2009.

 

New York       (  1)

–1  Northumberland, Saratoga County, Dec 9. Snow plow hit by freight train; male driver, 68.[9]

 

North Carolina (2)

–2  State. NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 51, No. 12, Dec 2009, p. 180.

–1  Davidson Co., near Denton, Dec 9. Strong wind; tree fall onto vehicle; male, 44.[10]

–1  Franklin Co., Dec 9. Strong wind gusts blow down trees. Vehicular, male, 44.[11]

 

Oregon           (  1)

–1  Freezing.  AP.  “Big Storm Targets Midwest With Snow, Wind,” 12-8-2009.

–1  Southwest OR, Dec 5-11. Extreme Cold/Wind Chill. Storm Data, 51/12, Dec 2009, p. 192.

 

Texas              (  2)

–1  I-20, Dec 7. Vehicular, ice-covered road. NCDC. Storm Data, V51, N12, Dec 2009, p. 219.

–1  Armstrong Co., Dec 8. Freezing rain and icy roads; vehicular. Storm Data 51/12, p. 222.[12]

 

Press, General

 

Dec 8, AP: “Des Moines, Iowa (AP) — A fierce wintry storm moved into the nation’s midsection Tuesday, covering roads with deep snow that was set to be followed by high winds, creating blizzard conditions.  The storm already blanketed much of the mountain west and drenched Southern California with rain. In the Phoenix area, fierce wind brought down power lines, left four hospitals temporarily without power and created wide outages. Freezing temperatures in Oregon were being blamed for one death.

 

“Ice was the problem Tuesday morning in Oklahoma, where Interstate 40 was closed for about 25 miles between Clinton and Elk City, leaving truckers to wait out the storm. Mitch Dodson, a trucker hauling soda pop out of Durango, Colo., to Virginia, was waylaid at the Travel America plaza near the town of Sayre in western Oklahoma.  “It’s just a sheet of ice from Amarillo to here,” Dodson said. “It’s a disaster.”….

 

“In New Mexico, two people were killed in traffic accidents blamed on slick conditions. In Oregon, a 70-year-old man was pronounced dead in Medford. Officials said it appeared he had gone to sleep on the ground near railroad tracks with only a light blanket around himself, KDRV-TV reported.” (AP. “Big Storm Targets Midwest With Snow, Wind,” Dec 8, 2009.)

 

Dec 9, ABC News: “In Omaha, Neb., a 28-year-old woman was reportedly killed Tuesday night when a pickup truck, plowing out of the parking lot of an apartment complex, accidentally backed over her.” (ABC News (Ned Potter). “Snow, Wind, Rain: Winter Storm Blankets U.S., Dec 9, 2009.)

 

Dec 9, AP: “At least five deaths were blamed on the weather, including an Arizona hunter who was killed Monday night when a large pine tree snapped and crushed him as he slept in a tent. The driver of a sport utility vehicle that plunged 90 feet off an icy road into the Texas Panhandle’s Palo Duro Canyon also died.”  (AP. “’Extremely Dangerous’ Blizzards Move into Midwest,” Dec 9, 2009.)

 

Dec 9, AP: “Des Moines, Iowa (AP) — The big winter storm that has dumped more than a foot of snow across much of the Midwest and New England is blamed for at least 16 deaths, most in traffic accidents.  Powerful winds have created snow drifts between 8 and 15 feet tall….
Hundreds of schools canceled classes and hundreds of flights have been canceled. Thousands of people from Missouri to New York have lost power. The weather system has also caused bitter cold. In the Twin Cities, the wind chill dipped to minus 9 degrees.” (Associated Press. “Storm Dumps Snow on Midwest, Bitter Cold to Follow,” Dec 9, 2009.)

 

Dec 9, USA Today: “The East Coast braced for a storm of snow, ice and rain Wednesday as residents in the Upper Midwest were still dealing with dangerous ice, heavy snow and vicious winds.  Schools and businesses were closed, motorists were stranded in their cars, and at least 12 people have died, most in traffic accidents….

 

“The weather service said the storm was Iowa’s worst since 1996. Des Moines had 14.7 inches of snow by 7 a.m. Wednesday. Roads were closed and snowdrifts were expected to reach up to 15 feet high…. The Iowa National Guard was called out to help state troopers rescue motorists. Plows were being pulled off the roads because snow drifts were too high to navigate….

 

“In Sioux Falls, S.D., snow plows couldn’t keep up with clearing emergency routes because of blowing snow, said police Sgt. Tom Ward.

 

“Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle declared a state of emergency as the state dealt with blizzard-like conditions. Doyle ordered the closure of all state government and University of Wisconsin campuses.  The weather service’s blizzard warning for the state — defined as a severe snowstorm characterized by cold temperatures and heavy drifting of snow — is in effect until midnight Wednesday. As many as a dozen tractor-trailers were stuck on interstate ramps near Madison because of heavy snows…. Snapped power lines knocked out power to thousands of residents in Madison, which was buried in 16 inches of snow….

 

“Weather was blamed for 200 flight cancellations at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, said Karen Pride, spokeswoman for the Chicago Department of Aviation.

 

“Blizzard warnings also covered eastern Nebraska, where overnight snowfall reports of 12 inches were common, and parts of Kansas, Illinois and Minnesota.

 

“Meanwhile, snow and ice pummeled the Northeast. A wintry mix of sleet and snow blanketed Massachusetts, snarling traffic and forcing school closures.

 

“Hundreds of schools across New York’s eastern half are closed and almost 50,000 upstate utility customers are without electricity. Eight inches of snow had fallen by late Wednesday morning, with the highest totals in the Albany area, the Catskills and Orange County in the Hudson Valley.

Snowfall was very heavy in Maine during the day, with accumulations of up to 14 inches expected in the western mountains and smaller amounts closer to the coast, where rain fell in some areas as the winds moved in.

 

“By the time the storm moves off the Maine coast Thursday night, it may have affected as much as two-thirds of the country, said Jim Lee, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Des Moines.  Maine and New Hampshire could see snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches capped off by rain and sleet in the evening. In northern New York, as much as a foot of snow was expected to accumulate Wednesday and more than 3 feet was expected by the week’s end near the Great Lakes.  “It’s a monster of a storm,” Lee said.

 

“The storm drenched California with rain, blanketed the mountain West with snow and brought 100 mph winds to New Mexico earlier this week. More than 20 inches of snow fell over Flagstaff, Ariz. — more than four times the record of 5 inches set in 1956.

 

“The 12 people who have died include three fatal accidents along slippery roads in Missouri, and a Minnesota driver who braked to avoid a stalled vehicle and wound up crashing down an embankment.” (USA Today. “Fierce Winter Storm Affects Much of the Country,” Dec 9, 2009.)

 

Dec 10, AP: “A man who was found behind the post office in Yale, Iowa died en route to hospital. He had been there for at least a couple hours…” (AP. “Massive Storm Buries Central US in Snow,”  Dec 10, 2009.)

Arizona

 

NCDC: “A powerful winter storm hit northern Arizona December 7th and 8th. This storm produced heavy snow, strong winds, and limited visibility in the high country. In the lower terrain, this storm produced heavy rain, damaging winds, and severe thunderstorms. Freeways were closed due to snow and blowing snow, hunters were trapped by heavy snow and falling trees, and over 400 hundred cars slid off the roads. The storm resulted in the largest search and rescue operations in Coconino County with nearly 50 people located from the Grand Canyon to Happy Jack. The Department of Public Safety dispatch center in Flagstaff received 3,000 calls for service within the first 24 hours of this storm. There were close to 550 slide offs and motorist assists, 83 non-injury collisions, and 26 injury collisions across northern Arizona. More than 14,000 customers were without power after the storm passed. Heavy rains loosened soil around boulders allowing them to fall on roadways. This storm caused school closures across the area.

 

“Northern Gila County received up to 18 inches of snow with this storm. A man froze to death about a mile and a half from his truck north of Young.” (National Climatic Data Center. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Heavy Snow. Arizona. Northern Gila County. 12-07/08-2009.)

 

Illinois

 

NCDC: “Bureau – Carroll – Henry – Jo Daviess – Putnam – Rock Island – Stephenson – Whiteside [Dec] 08-09…Winter Storm

 

“A very intense storm system tracked from the Oklahoma Panhandle to western Illinois and then to Lake Huron. This had the lowest barometric pressure (975 mb or 28.79 inches) in the Midwest since the November 10, 1998 storm that also moved through the upper Midwest. This powerful winter storm produced very heavy snowfall, blizzard conditions and bitterly cold temperatures on December 8-9, 2009. Snow amounts of at least 10 to 15 inches were common north of a Fairfield, Iowa to Sterling, Illinois line. The largest amount was an incredible 17.7 inches at Orangeville, Illinois in Stephenson county. Other amounts included 15 inches at Brighton, Iowa (Washington county), Mt. Vernon, Iowa (Linn county) and at Freeport, Illinois (Stephenson county). Snowfall was much lighter in southeast Iowa, extreme northeast Missouri and west central Illinois. Here snow accumulations were 1 to 4 inches as rain and sleet mixed with the snow. A band of freezing rain from Burlington, Iowa to Sterling, Illinois coated trees and power lines with up to 3 tenths of an inch of ice. A few locations also reported thundersnows with snowfall rates of nearly 2 inches per hour. There were scattered power outages and some tree branches down. Numerous accidents and vehicles sliding into ditches were reported across the region. Many schools and businesses were also closed. In addition, winds gusting over 50 mph produced widespread blizzard conditions across much of eastern Iowa and extreme northeast Missouri, reducing visibilities to near zero on December 9.” (National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 51, No. 12, Dec 2009, p. 88.)

 

Iowa

 

NCDC: “Iowa, Central [Dec] 08-09…Heavy Snow

 

“An intense low pressure system moved into southern California during the afternoon and evening of the 7th, then tracked northeast across the central U.S. the surface low reached Kansas during the morning of the 8th, eastern Kansas by evening, and tracked to northern Illinois before sunrise on the 8th. The storm intensified rapidly, reaching 975 mb by the afternoon of the 9th as it crossed Lower Michigan. Snow broke out across Iowa during the overnight hours of the 7th into the early morning hours of the 8th. The snow continued through the day on the 8th. Northeast winds of 15 to 25 MPH caused drifting snow through the day and into the evening. Snowfall reached an inch per hour at times during several heavier waves of snowfall during the afternoon and evening of the 8th. A broad band of 8 to 16 inch snowfall totals were reported across much of the northwest two thirds of the state. There were isolated reports of thundersnow over southwest into central Iowa. Some of the heavier snowfall totals included 20 inches in Sac County at Schaller, 16.2 inches in Adams County at Corning, 16 inches in Cass County at Atlantic, 15.7 inches at the Des Moines Airport, and 15.3 inches in Windsor Heights, both in Polk County. The entire CWA received at least 4-6 inches from the storm over a 36 hour period. In terms of snowfall across the state, this storm produced the greatest snowfall /10.2 inches average/ of any storm since 1971. The snow became mixed with freezing rain and ice pellets over the southeast third of the state, and even turned to all freezing rain for a few hours southeast of a Lamoni to Ottumwa line. Ice accrual was generally under one tenth of an inch. Road conditions became hazardous with most businesses and schools closing by the early to mid afternoon hours of the 8th due to the poor conditions.” (National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 51, No. 12, Dec 2009, p. 92.)

 

Kansas

 

NCDC: “Kansas, East…[Dec] 07-09…Winter Storm

 

“A powerful winter storm battered much of Northeast Kansas dumping up to 15 inches of snow across parts of the area. Many areas received over 6 inches of snow during the storm which began on Monday night and persisted into the early morning hours of Wednesday. Areas along and southeast of an Abilene to Manhattan to Hiawatha line experienced periods of freezing rain and sleet during the day Tuesday, December 8th, which limited the snowfall accumulations however northwest of this line the precipitation primarily fell as snow and it was heavy during the day Tuesday. Although the heavy snows ended by Tuesday night, extremely strong northwest winds gusting from 40 to 50 mph developed and produced near blizzard conditions across parts of the area during the early morning hours on Wednesday. Wind chill values dropped into the -10 to -20 degree range early on Wednesday December 9^th.” (National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 51, No. 12, Dec 2009, p. 99.)

 

Minnesota

 

NCDC: “Minnesota, Southeast…Olmsted…Houston…Dodge – Fillmore- Mower – Wabasha – Winona…[Dec] 08-09…Blizzard…Winter Storm…

 

“A large winter storm, with heavy snow and strong winds, affected southeast Minnesota from December 8 through December 9. As the storm system approached, it strengthened and produced strong northwest winds that gusted to 45 mph at times, leading to significant drifting and blowing snow. Visibilities were reduced to near zero in many locations, especially in open country, where blizzard conditions prevailed. Snow drifts of 4 to 6 feet were common by the morning of December 9, with numerous roads nearly impassable. Snow plows had difficulty keeping roads open, especially in rural areas. Highest snowfall totals were between 12 and 17 inches. Specific reports from weather observers included 16.5 inches at Rushford (Fillmore County), 16.3 inches at both Dakota and Minnesota City (Winona County) and 14.0 inches near Caledonia (Houston County).” (National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 51, No. 12, Dec 2009, p. 138.)

 

Dec 10: “Associated Press, December 10, 2009. Minneapolis (AP) — Slick roads are making for slow commutes in the Twin Cities after the first big snowstorm of the season dumped up to a foot of snow in southeastern Minnesota. Cold air pushed into the state after the storm moved on Wednesday. Early morning temperatures Thursday ranged from 22 degrees below zero in Hallock to 1 above in Winona….At least three people have died in weather-related traffic accidents in Minnesota. The arctic cold is expected to longer until late in the week, with highs Friday near zero along the U.S.-Canadian border.”

 

Missouri

 

NCDC: “Missouri, Northeast…Clark – Scotland…[Dec] 07-09…Winter Storm.

 

“A very intense storm system tracked from the Oklahoma Panhandle to western Illinois and then to Lake Huron. This had the lowest barometric pressure (975 mb or 28.79 inches) in the Midwest since the November 10, 1998 storm that also moved through the upper Midwest. This powerful winter storm produced very heavy snowfall, blizzard conditions and bitterly cold temperatures on December 8-9, 2009. Snow amounts of at least 10 to 15 inches were common north of a Fairfield, Iowa to Sterling, Illinois line. The largest amount was an incredible 17.7 inches at Orangeville, Illinois in Stephenson county. Other amounts included 15 inches at Brighton, Iowa (Washington county), Mt. Vernon, Iowa (Linn county) and at Freeport, Illinois (Stephenson county). Snowfall was much lighter in southeast Iowa, extreme northeast Missouri and west central Illinois. Here snow accumulations were 1 to 4 inches as rain and sleet mixed with the snow. A band of freezing rain from Burlington, Iowa to Sterling, Illinois coated trees and power lines with up to 3 tenths of an inch of ice. A few locations also reported thundersnows with snowfall rates of nearly 2 inches per hour. There were scattered power outages and some tree branches down. Numerous accidents and vehicles sliding into ditches were reported across the region. Many schools and businesses were also closed. In addition, winds gusting over 50 mph produced widespread blizzard conditions across much of eastern Iowa and extreme northeast Missouri, reducing visibilities to near zero on December 9.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 51, No. 12, Dec 2009, p. 138.)

Nebraska

 

NCDC: “A large and relatively slow moving storm brought a prolonged winter storm and even, for a time, blizzard conditions to eastern Nebraska and western Iowa from late on Dec. 7th through the early morning hours of Dec. 9th. The storm was driven by an upper level disturbance that tracked from the west coast across the Rockies and deepened over the Mississippi River Valley. The heaviest snow fell in advance of when the stronger winds arrived, mainly during the morning and afternoon of Dec. 8th. However, as north winds increased to 30 to 50 mph during the night of the 8th and early on the 9th, visibilities frequently dropped to near zero, especially in open areas. Considerable drifting snow also occurred, in many cases closing roads back shut almost as fast as they could be opened. This prompted many counties to pull snow plows off the roads for a while during the night of the 8th and early on the 9th. Many schools were closed for 3 days because of the storm; due the forecast of heavy snow to begin on the 7th, because of poor visibilities and roads that were drifted shut on the 8th and still some closed roads and bitter cold wind chills which followed the storm on the 9th. An elderly Omaha man was found dead during the evening of the 8th when he apparently had car trouble and returned to his apartment and was found dead sitting down in a chair outside.

 

“Total snowfall from the storm was 6 to 15 inches over most of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Higher amounts in eastern Nebraska included 15 inches in Union, 14 inches in Columbus, around 12 inches at the NWS in Valley, at Tekamah, Uehling, Steele City and Weeping Water. In western Iowa heavier amounts included 12 inches in Clarinda and Hastings and around 11 inches in Harlan, Red Oak and Little Sioux.

 

“….A 28-year-old woman was killed late on the 8th when she was hit by a snowplow that was backing up outside of her southwest Omaha apartment complex and a 63-year-old man died of a heart attack on the 9th after shoveling snow outside of his northwest Omaha home. The weight of the snow damaged several roofs of businesses in Omaha and also caused the city to spend over $500,000 in equipment rental for snow removal besides over $1 million in actual snow removal expenses.” (National Climatic Data Center. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Winter Storm. Nebraska. Douglas. Dec 7-9, 2009.)

 

Sources

 

ABC News (Ned Potter).  “Snow, Wind, Rain: Winter Storm Blankets U.S., 12-9-2009.  At:  http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/winter-storm-rain-snow-bad-road-conditions-school/story?id=9290413

 

Associated Press, Minneapolis. “Arctic Air Moves into Minn. After Snowstorm Leaves.” 12-10-2009. FEMA News Clipping Service.

 

Associated Press (Melanie S. Welte). “Big Storm Targets Midwest With Snow, Wind,” 12-8-2009. At: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g-WqKbY64oAqC7RR_lsu1h9nMHFwD9CFAQI80

 

Associated Press. “`Extremely Dangerous’ Blizzards Move into Midwest,” 12-9-2009.  At:  http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g-WqKbY64oAqC7RR_lsu1h9nMHFwD9CFPHJ84

 

Associated Press. “Massive Storm Buries Central US in Snow,”  12-10-2009. Accessed at:  http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/massive-storm-buries-central-us-in-snow-20091210-kkhd.html

 

Associated Press. “Storm Dumps Snow on Midwest, Bitter Cold to Follow,” 12-9-2009. At:  http://www.weartv.com/template/inews_wire/wires.national/31d56567-www.weartv.com.shtml

 

Bloomberg News/Brian K. Sullivan and Gregory Viscusi. “Wintry Storm Drenches NYC as Snow Moves Northeast.” 12-9-2009. Accessed from FEMA News Clipping Service, 12-10-2009.

 

Chicago Tribune/Associated Press. “Iowa Man Found During Blizzard Died of Hypothermia.” 12-10-2009. The Courier, Waterloo, IA. Accessed 7-29-2017 at: http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/iowa-man-found-during-blizzard-died-of-hypothermia/article_ced4b8d2-e5ab-11de-9e07-001cc4c002e0.html

 

Daily Times Herald, Carroll, IA. “Snowstorm.” 12-10-2009, p. 3. Accessed 8-5-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/carroll-daily-times-herald-dec-10-2009-p-19/?tag

 

Des Moines Register, IA. “Bitter Cold Moving In; At Least 3 Dead After Mighty Storm,” Dec 9, 2009. At: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20091209/NEWS/912090369/0/NEWS12/Bitter-cold-moving-in-at-least-3-dead-after-mighty-storm

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 51, No. 12, Dec 2009. Asheville, NC: NCDC, National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, NOAA. Accessed 6-24-2015 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-63C9C3B6-1C46-4465-A115-94928C85B1A8.pdf

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Heavy Snow. Arizona. Northern Gila County. 12-07/08-2009. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA. Accessed 6-24-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=201500

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Strong Wind. North Carolina. Davidson. Dec 9, 2009. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA. Accessed 6-24-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=198870

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Strong Wind. North Carolina. Franklin. Dec 9, 2009. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA. Accessed 6-24-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=198874

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Winter Storm. Nebraska. Douglas. Dec 7-9, 2009. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA. Accessed 6-24-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=200527

 

New York Times/Associated Press. “Storm Closes Schools, Knocks out Power Across NY.” 12-9-2009. From FEMA News Clipping Service, 12-9-2009.

 

USA Today. “Fierce Winter Storm Affects Much of the Country.” 12-9-2009. Accessed at: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/winter/2009-12-09-winter-storm-wednesday_N.htm

 

 

[1] In apparent reference to the same death, Pete Thomas of the LA Times, noted: “In the high winds Monday night (Dec 7) Arizona hunter Skylar Stock was killed when the top of a 70-foot pine tree fell on the tent in which he was sleeping. (Thomas, Pete. “Arizona Hunters Trapped in Deep Freeze are Subject of Massive Search,” Los Angeles Times Blog, 12-10-2009.)

[2] NCDC. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Heavy Snow. Arizona. Northern Gila County. 12-07/08-2009.

[3] NCDC. Storm Data, V51, N12, Dec 2009, p. 87.

[4] Chicago Tribune/AP. “Iowa Man Found During Blizzard Died of Hypothermia.” 12-10-2009. Notes that victim also had “underlying medical conditions,” and lived in Bagley.

[5] “Arctic Air Moves into Minn. After Snowstorm Leaves.” 12-10-2009.

[6] NCDC. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Winter Storm. Nebraska. Douglas. Dec 7-9.

[7] NCDC. Storm Data, V51, N12, Dec 2009, p. 154.

[8] NCDC. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Winter Storm. Nebraska. Douglas. Dec 7-9.

[9] NYT/AP. “Storm Closes Schools, Knocks out Power Across NY.” 12-9-2009. Victim identified as James Shea.

[10] NCDC. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Strong Wind. North Carolina. Davidson. Dec 9, 2009.

[11] NCDC. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Strong Wind. North Carolina. Franklin. Dec 9, 2009.

[12] Possible reference to death of a “The driver of a sport utility vehicle that plunged 90 feet off an icy road into the Texas Panhandle’s Palo Duro Canyon…” (Bloomberg News/Brian K. Sullivan and Gregory Viscusi. “Wintry Storm Drenches NYC as Snow Moves Northeast.” 129-2009.) This State Park enters Armstrong Canyon on the west.