Winter '10 / '11 - Snow Storm #1 - NYC-area Blizzard Conditions

03z SFC analysis

JFK and HPN (White Plains) get the brass ring.  Other surrounding stations came close but failed the three-hour restricted visibility criterion.

Blizzards are high-wind storms where falling or blowing snow severely restricts the surface visibility for a period of three hours or more.

The blizzard began at JFK at 0151z (8:51 PM EST). The hour's METAR carries 0SM which is the tower visibility. SFC visibility is reported in the remarks as 1/8SM.

The wind was at or above the 30 kt threshold before and after the visibility condition was met. Blizzard conditions prevailed for three hours until 0451z (11:51 PM EST) when the SFC visibility improved to 1/4SM.

KJFK 270051Z 36029G38KT 1/4SM SN FZFG BLSN VV002
KJFK 270151Z 34034G42KT 0SM SN FZFG BLSN VV001 SFC VIS 1/8
KJFK 270251Z 34037G49KT 0SM SN FZFG BLSN VV001 SFC VSBY 1/8
KJFK 270351Z 34035G49KT 0SM SN FZFG BLSN VV001 SFC VIS 1/8
KJFK 270451Z 33031G44KT 1/8SM SN FZFG BLSN VV004 SFC VIS 1/4
KJFK 270459Z 34029G42KT 1/8SM SN FZFG BLSN VV005 SFC VIS 1/4

Similar story at HPN...
KHPN 270056Z 34024G32KT 1/4SM SN BLSN VV002
KHPN 270156Z 34030G41KT 0SM SN BLSN VV002
KHPN 270256Z 33028G45KT 0SM +SN BLSN VV001
KHPN 270356Z 33032G44KT 0SM +SN BLSN VV001
KHPN 270456Z 33034G48KT 0SM +SN BLSN VV001
KHPN 270556Z 33028G42KT 0SM +SN BLSN VV001
KHPN 270656Z 33030G43KT 3/4SM +SN BLSN VV002

Blizzard conditions began in White Plains at 8:56 PM (0156z) and ended at 1:56 AM (0656z)...lasting two hours longer than JFK.

These was a similar storm sixty-three years ago to the day (requires free Djvu plug-in).