A Harsh Winter Storm at Antarctica's McMurdo Station

June 28, 2017

National Science Foundation
Office of Polar Programs
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22230

Credit: Angela Garner, NSF

It is the middle of winter in the Southern Hemisphere and for U.S. research stations in Antarctica, this means no respite from darkness, extreme cold and brutal weather.

In late June what one station official termed "the worst storm of our winter thus far, and maybe one of the worst storm I've witnessed personally in all my trips to McMurdo" struck Antarctica's Ross Island.

The roughly five-hour storm eventually was designated Condition One, on a scale of 1 to 3, the most hazardous and outdoor movement on the station was restricted to following rope lines between buildings or, in some cases, approved, escorted travel by search-and-rescue personnel, based on the danger posed by peak winds.

Storms wind at the station itself peaked at 63 knots (72 MPH), sustained, with a peak gust of 76 knots (87 MPH). Out at the more open ice runway, peaks were 86 knots (98 MPH), sustained, with a 150-knot (172 MPH) peak gust.

The video below, combines two separate segments: the first was taken immediately before a Condition One was declared. The second, and shorter, segment was shot in Condition One and the two travelers were using a rope line between two buildings after following a requirement to check in with the station firehouse before departure and after arriving at their destination.

The weather was caused by a low-pressure system that dropped into the Ross Sea from the north, moving from northwest to southeast.

The storm, according to measurements on site, reached a minimum central pressure of 945 millibars. By comparison, Hurricane Matthew, in 2016, made landfall in the U.S. with a central pressure of 963 millibars. Hurricane Hugo, in 1989, registered 934 millibars.

McMurdo's recent "Herbie"— slang for heavy storms—therefore registered low pressures therefore between two of the most significant storms the nation's history.

Fortunately, the station reports, forecasts helped to prevent any injuries or significant damage.