Overview of the 12–14 March 1993 Superstorm

An extratropical cyclone of unusual intensity and areal extent affected much of the Gulf and East Coasts of the United States on 12–14 March 1993. In this paper, the many effects of the storm will be highlighted, including perhaps the most widespread distribution of heavy snowfall of any recent East Coast storm, severe coastal flooding, and an outbreak of 11 confirmed tornadoes. A meteorological description of the storm is also presented, including a synoptic overview and a mesoscale analysis that focuses on the rapid development of the cyclone over the Gulf of Mexico. This is the first part of a three-paper series that also addresses the performance of the operational numerical models and assesses the forecasting decisions made at the National Meteorological Center and National Weather Service local forecast offices in the eastern United States.