This Date in Weather History on Steno.fm

This Date in Weather History

In this daily podcast, you’ll learn something new each day. AccuWeather Meteorologist, Evan Myers takes a look back on weather events that impacted this date in the past, uncovering history that were shaped by unbelievable weather conditions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fri, June 17, 2022
This Date in Weather History Update
This Date in Weather History podcast update from AccuWeather. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sun, June 12, 2022
2014: Hail storm causes $400 million in damage in Abilene, TX
On June 12, 2014 a hail storm that hit Abilene produced more than $400 million in insured losses to vehicles, homes and commercial property. "This is the worst storm damage I've seen in my 41 years in the insurance business," Leroy Perkins of the Perkins Insurance Agency in Abilene, told the largest state insurance trade association in the United States. the storm, packing baseball-sized hail, moved directly south across Abilene pounding the city's north side and downtown area. Commercial buildings downtown received millions of dollars in damage to roofs, windows and structures. Total uninsured losses are also expected to be high, Perkins adds. "Downtown looks like autumn because all of the trees have been stripped of their leaves and many limbs down in the street," Karla Martin with the Taylor County Sheriff's Office said the day after the storm. Hundreds of vehicles, many of them new cars, were declared totaled from the beating they took. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) notes that hail causes approximately 1$ billion in damage to crops and property each year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, June 11, 2022
2008: F3 tornado strikes Scout camp near Little Sioux, IA
June 11, 2008 marks the tragic loss of 4 teenagers at a Boy Scout camp near Little Sioux, Iowa; 48 more were injured. The tragedy struck at the 1,800-acre camp about an hour north of downtown Omaha. An EF3 tornado, with 145 mph winds, descended on the remote camp, striking and leveling a cabin where campers had sought shelter as warnings of the storm circulated through the camp. A chimney at the cabin collapsed, sending heavy concrete blocks onto the Scouts. This was the worst of the storms that hit the Northern Plains that day. There were also two farms damaged from two different tornadoes, one near Spencer, Iowa and the other near Springfield, Minnesota. A nursing home was also damaged by a tornado in southern Salina, Kansas. There were over 300 reports of severe weather across the nation with 64 of those reports from tornado activity. There had been no basement or in-ground shelter at the camp when the tornado hit. The following year, the Boy Scouts Mid-America Council launched a major fundraising campaign to build emergency shelters at all of its camps. By 2013, two tornado shelters had been built at the camp, and a siren was added. The new structures have concrete walls, steel shutters and doors and emergency power backup, and were built to withstand an EF5 tornado.' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, June 10, 2022
1752: Benjamin Franklin famously flies kite in thunderstorm
Benjamin Franklin, inventor of bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove, one of those that wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, ambassador, Governor of Pennsylvania, on June 10 1752 in Philadelphia, flew a kite during a thunderstorm and collected an ambient electrical charge in a Leyden jar, enabling him to demonstrate the connection between lightning and electricity. According to the Franklin Institute, Franklin had been waiting for an opportunity like this. He wanted to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning, and to do so, he needed a thunderstorm. He had his materials at the ready: a simple kite made with a large silk handkerchief, a hemp string, and a silk string. He also had a house key, a Leyden jar (a device that could store an electrical charge for later use), and a sharp length of wire. His son William assisted him. Franklin had originally planned to conduct the experiment atop a Philadelphia church spire, according to his contemporary, British scientist Joseph Priestley (who, incidentally, is credited with discovering oxygen), but he changed his plans when he realized he could achieve the same goal by using a kite. Franklin and his son “took the opportunity of the first approaching thunder storm to take a walk into a field,” Priestley wrote in his account. “To demonstrate, in the completest manner possible, the sameness of the electric fluid with the matter of lightning, Dr. Franklin, astonishing as it must have appeared, contrived actually to bring lightning from the heavens, by means of an electrical kite, which he raised when a storm of thunder was perceived to be coming on.” Despite a common misconception, Benjamin Franklin did not discover electricity during this experiment—or at all, for that matter. Electrical forces had been recognized for more than a thousand years, and scientists had worked extensively with static electricity. Franklin’s experiment demonstrated the connection between lightning and electricity. To dispel another myth, Franklin’s kite was not struck by lightning. If it had been, he probably would have been electrocuted. Franklin became interested in electricity in the mid-1740s, a time when much was still unknown on the topic, and spent almost a decade conducting electrical experiments. He coined a number of terms used today, including battery, conductor and electrician. He also invented the lightning rod, used to protect buildings and ships. By the time he died in 1790 he was arguably the most famous man in the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, June 09, 2022
1984: Violent tornado outbreak in Russia
The tornado outbreak of 9 June 1984 is among the most important tornado events in Russia’s history because it was associated with substantial loss of life with 400 deaths, and contained one of two F4 tornadoes ever recorded for in that country. Very little information is available on a violent tornado outbreak that swept through areas north of Moscow in the summer of 1984. The Soviet Union had not yet disbanded and few details were leaked to the international media. The outbreak was the result of a series of violent supercell thunderstorms that travelled north-northeast at speeds greater than 50mph. Local newspapers reported that massive hailstones, some over 2lbs in weight, fell over the affected areas. 400 people were killed, with most of the fatalities likely the result of a single tornado that tore through the town of Ivanovo. A French research article describes how the tornado threw cars long distances, lifted a 350-ton operating crane and leveled “steel-reinforced” buildings. According to the same article, the Russians unofficially awarded the tornado an F4 rating, although some of the damage was indicative of F5 strength. Reports describe how the tornado scoured pavement from a highway and hurled a 120,000lb water tank several blocks. Satellite images at the time showed an strong severe weather set up reminiscent of large outbreaks in tornado alley in the US. If the reports are all true, then the outbreak was an unprecedented event and astoundingly violent for an area generally accustomed to tornadoes only capable of inflicting F1 and F2 damage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, June 08, 2022
The 1953 Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak
The 1953 Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak was a devastating tornado outbreak sequence spanning three days, two that featured tornadoes each causing at least 90 deaths—an F5 occurring in Flint, Michigan on June 8, 1953, and an F4 in Worcester, Massachusetts the next day. The Worcester storm stayed on the ground for nearly 90 minutes, traveling 48 miles across Central Massachusetts. In total, 94 people were killed, making it the 21st deadliest tornado in the history of the US. In addition to the fatalities, over 1,000 people were injured and 4,000 buildings were damaged. The tornado caused $52 million in damage, which translates to more than $350 million in today’s dollars. These tornadoes are among the deadliest in U S history and were caused by the same storm system that moved eastward across the nation. The tornadoes are also related together in the public mind because, for a brief period following the Worchester tornado, it was debated in the U.S. Congress whether recent atomic bomb testing in the upper atmosphere had caused the tornadoes. Congressman James Van Zandt (R-Penn.) was among several members of Congress who expressed their belief that the June 4th bomb testing created the tornadoes, which occurred far outside the traditional tornado alley. They demanded a response from the government. Meteorologists quickly dispelled such an assertion, and Congressman Van Zandt later retracted his statement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, June 07, 2022
1984: F5 tornado destroys 90% of Barneveld, WI
On June 7 1984, nine people died and 200 were injured when a tornado slammed into the Iowa County, Wisconsin community of Barneveld. The F5 twister destroyed 90% of the town of 580 residents. What made Barneveld’s tornado rare is it hit overnight. A majority of tornadoes occur between 3 and 9 p.m., and violent tornadoes almost never happen late at night. Many tornadoes show a telltale “hook” shape on radar, but Barneveld’s tornado did not. Meteorologists could see fast-moving storms on radar heading northeast through Grant and Lafayette counties but without the hook, they did not know a tornado was forming. Most people in Barneveld were in bed and didn’t know about the warning unless they happened to be watching television and saw the scrawl on their TV screens. Because power went out a few minutes before the twister hit, Barneveld’s tornado siren never sounded. Lightning flashed so often — more than 200 strikes per minute — that the sky looked like a strobe light, according to the National Weather Service in Madison. The tornado traveled 36 miles for 59 minutes. At its peak, it was nearly a quarter-mile wide. Destroyed were all three of Barneveld’s churches, 93 homes, 17 of the community’s 18 businesses including the library, fire station, bank, post office and municipal building. Barneveld’s water tower was marked by blue paint about halfway up, possibly from a twirling car. A couple sleeping on the upper floor of their house ended up in the basement with their truck on top; they survived. Paper debris including checks, letters, bills and invoices in an area 23 miles wide and 110 miles away. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, June 06, 2022
1944: How weather forecasting impacted D-Day
The story of how weather forecasting impacted the Allies invasion of Normandy on D-Day in 1944. https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/d-day-anniversary-how-the-weather-forecast-changed-the-tide-of-war/359733 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sun, June 05, 2022
1925: Temperature reaches 100 degrees in Washington DC
Rainfall totals in the northeastern United States from January through the end of May 1925 had only reached half the normal total in most cities. This meant, at least for the first 5 months of the year the climate was more like patched central Texas than the lush and green landscape of the eastern seaboard. Heating of the lower atmosphere takes place when the ground is heated and transfers that heat to the air closest to the ground. When the ground is moist some of the sun’s energy goes into evaporating the moisture rather than heating the ground. When the ground is dry that doesn’t happen and the ground heats up quickly. It’s one reason why it’s so much hotter in Texas and New Mexico and Arizona then the East. An unusual warm air mass moved over the eastern part of the nation in the first week of June 1925 and that coupled with the already dry ground lead to extraordinary early summertime heat. On June 5 the mercury reached 100 in Washington DC – the earliest on record in fact that was in the middle on a string of high temperatures in DC that reached 97 or higher for 5 consecutive days.. On June 5 1925 Philadelphia also reach 100 for the earliest ever there as well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, June 04, 2022
1976: Strong tropical cyclone and 40' storm surge hits India
On June 4, 1976 a strong Tropical Cyclone, known in the US as a Hurricane, hit the port cities just north of Mumba on the west coast of India. In the decades prior to the storm, massive Tropical Cyclones has battered both the west and east coasts of India with huge waves and heavy rains resulting in massive flooding and tremendous loss of life. Along the Indian east coast, especially in the northern part of the Bay of Bengal, the area is flat, almost at sea level for hundreds of square miles and ocean water is often pushed far inland because of the flat land. Significant warning times are needed to evacuate people out of harm’s way. Prior to the late 1960s and early 1970’s and the advent of satellite coverage very little warning lead time occurred. But by 1976 new technology had allowed for enough notice, in certain situations, for people to get out of the way. On June 4, 1976 despite a 40-foot storm surge ample notice was given and most people were able to evacuate, despite this 70 people still perished. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, June 03, 2022
1921: Cloudburst causes 10' of flooding in Pueblo, CO
What started out as just another day in June in Colorado in 1921, rapidly turned into one that would never be forgotten in the town of Pueblo, Colorado. A cloudburst enveloped the town the afternoon of June 3, 1921. During a typical cloudburst, over half an inch of rain may fall in a matter of minutes, and that is exactly what happened in Pueblo, creating devastating consequences for the heart of the town where the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek meet. At about the same time the rains were drenching the downtown area, there was another downpour about 30 miles north over Fountain Creek. As the torrential rains fell, the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek quickly began to swell, reaching over 15 feet in some areas before they began to recede. Within two hours from the start of the storm, the business district of Pueblo was flooded with water 10 feet deep. The entire Arkansas Valley, from 30 miles west of Pueblo to the Colorado–Kansas state line, was severely impacted. Hundreds of people died, with some death toll estimates as high as 1,500. The flood destroyed almost all of the downtown Pueblo area and decimated the city. Once the floodwaters receded, the immense damage became all the more visible. The flood, which covered over 300 square miles, carried away over 600 homes and caused upward of $25 million $350 million in 2021 dollars. Railroad passenger coaches and freight cars were swept away in every direction or smashed. A fire broke out in a lumberyard and burning lumber was carried throughout the city’s streets by the flood. The floodwaters also carried away entire buildings and businesses. Many of the dead were likely carried far down river and never recovered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, June 02, 2022
1889: Flooding of the Potomac River
On June 2, 1889, the same heavy rains caused that had helped cause massive flooding in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, overwhelmed the South Fork Dam several days before, hit the Washington, DC, area. Most of the roads in DC at the time where unpaved and unlike some other major cities of the time not even covered in cobblestones, their surface consisted mainly of dirt. As a result, when the Potomac River flooded and areas around Pennsylvania Avenue and the White House the whole region was under several feet of water the flooding was made worse by sewers that became clogged with dirt from unpaved roads and began overflowing, causing the water to rise faster than expected. The water on city streets because so deep that the only access between the east and west of the city was by boat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, June 01, 2022
1965: Tropical system causes 30k fatalities in Bangladesh
The World Health Organization reports that nation of Bangladesh is especially vulnerable to tropical cyclones, known as hurricanes near the United States, because of its location at the triangular shaped head of the Bay of Bengal, the sea-level geography of its coastal area, its high population density and the lack of coastal protection systems. During the pre-monsoon season in April and May or post-monsoon season in October and November, cyclones frequently hit the coastal regions of Bangladesh. About 40% of the total global storm surges are recorded in Bangladesh, and the deadliest cyclones in the past 50 years, in terms of deaths and casualties, are those that have struck Bangladesh. In 1965, just as the pre-monsoon season was winding down disaster struck the region. A tropical cyclone blasted northward and pushed a wall of water storm surge across the flat low lands of the region. Because the land only rises a few feet above sea levels for scores of miles inland, flood waters quickly inundate the region, sweeping away everything in their path and giving no quarter for people to escape, the result can be and has been a massive loss of life. On June 1, 1965 such a tropical system struck the region with a death toll estimated near 30,000. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, May 31, 2022
1889: The Johnstown Flood
Johnstown, Pennsylvania, lies hard against the Conemaugh River in its deep valley in the western part of the state. Founded in 1770, it grew quickly as the Civil War approached, fortunes were made in iron, coal and steel. By 1860, the Cambria Iron Company of Johnstown was the leading steel producer in the United States, outproducing steel giants in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. After the war it became the center of America’s growing industrial might and the site of many struggles by workers for recognition. High above the city, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania built a dam between 1838 and 1853, as part of a cross-state canal system, creating Lake Conemaugh, the reservoir behind the dam. As railroads superseded canal barge transport, the Commonwealth abandoned the canal and sold it to the Pennsylvania Railroad. The dam and lake were part of the purchase, and the railroad sold them to private interests. A group of speculators, from Pittsburgh purchased the abandoned reservoir, modified it, and converted it into a private resort club for some of those that had made their fortunes in local industry. Development included lowering the dam to make its top wide enough to hold a road, and putting a fish screen in the spillway that also trapped debris. These alterations are thought to have increased the vulnerability of the dam. Moreover, a system of relief pipes and valves, a feature of the original dam, previously sold off for scrap, was not replaced, so the club had no way of lowering the water level in the lake in case of an emergency. Floods were almost a yearly event in the Conemaugh valley during the 1880s. On the afternoon of May 30, 1889, following a quiet Memorial Day, it began raining in the valley. The next day May 31, 1889 water filled the streets, and rumors began that a dam holding an artificial lake in the mountains to the northeast might give way. It did, and an estimated 20 million tons of water began spilling into the Conemaugh River valley that led to Johnstown 14 miles away. The destruction in Johnstown occurred in only about 10 minutes. What had been a thriving steel town with homes, churches, saloons, a library, a railroad station, electric street lights, was buried under mud and debris. Out of a population of approximately 30,000 at the time, at least 2,209 people are known to have perished in the disaster. Compounding the disaster and contributing to the death toll was a major fire that burned much of what was left of the city. The flood established the American Red Cross as the pre-eminent emergency relief organization in the United States. Founder Clara Barton, came to Johnstown with 50 doctors and nurses and set up tent hospitals as well as temporary "hotels" for the homeless, and stayed on for five months to coordinate relief efforts. The people of Johnston were resilient and the town came back from the brink. The people never forgot the aid the nation gave to them and when the great Galveston Hurricane hit Texas and killed
Mon, May 30, 2022
1879: The Real-life inspiration for "The Wizard of Oz"
On May 30, 1879 the town of Irving, Kansas in the northeastern part of the state was a growing farm community with several hundred residents. Today, though Irving is a ghost town. On May 30, 1879, two tornados destroyed most of the town, leaving 19 dead and many more injured. Some residents left Irving, but the town was rebuilt, and new businesses arrived, allowing Irving to regain its prominence as a local agricultural center. During the summer of 1903, the Big Blue River flooded and destroyed homes, crops and bridges. The river threatened to do it again in 1908 but the townspeople were prepared and were able to keep the river within its banks. In 1910 the population was estimated at 403 and boasted "good banking facilities, a weekly newspaper, telegraph and express offices, grade schools, a public library, and churches. After plans for the construction of the Tuttle Creek Dam were announced, the population declined and many businesses, including the post office, closed. The townsite was abandoned in 1960 after the dam was constructed. The town fell victim to the ways of the weather on the great plans and what some would term – progress. Still the town lives on. It turns out that one of those who unfortunately died in the 1879 tornado was a young woman named Dorothy Gale, who was found without her shoes. Passing through the region just after the tornado was traveling salesman-turned-author Frank Baum. He would use the story to inspire him to write a book and the name of Dorothy would live on in his famous work, The Wizard of Oz. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sun, May 29, 2022
1914: Empress of Ireland and Storstad ships collide
From 1900 until 1914 almost 100,000 passengers in ocean liners, crossed the Atlantic to Canada, mainly from Great Britain. The main port of entry and embarkation to and from Canada was Quebec City, on the St Lawrence River. Many of the ocean-going passenger ship were huge, not quite rivaling the Titanic, but able to transport almost 1,500 passengers back and forth across the Atlantic. On the morning of May 29, 1914, a thick river fog formed quickly on the surface of the St Lawrence and extending almost 100 feet in the air. River fog can form when the sun heats the air just above the surface of the river all day long. The air near the river becomes much cooler on clear nights especially in the spring because the water is still rather chilly from the winter season, so it condenses into a fog cloud. That happened on the morning of May 29 just as the Ocean Liner, Empress of Ireland steamed on the river. Visibility had rapidly decreased and it was hard to see other river traffic as it headed for the open sea. In short order it was struck another ship The Storstad. In this horrific maritime disaster, over a thousand passengers on route from Quebec to Liverpool were lost in just fifteen minutes—the length of time it took for the ocean liner to sink to the bottom of the Saint Lawrence River. There was a misunderstanding between the two captains about their respective ships’ positioning and direction, leading to the fatal collision. The Storstad hit The Empress of Ireland broadside, tearing a 350 square foot hole in her hull. With water pouring in at 60 gallons per second, the ship sank rapidly. Hundreds of sleeping passengers were trapped, and the second- and third-class passengers had much less of a chance at survival than the first-class passengers, as first class was higher up on the ship. Out of 1,477 passengers, only 465 survived. And out of 138 children that were on board, only four survived. Overshadowed by the breakout of World War I two months later, known as Canada’s Titanic, the tragedy of The Empress was almost swept under the rug. Today, The Empress of Ireland is accessible to divers, at only 130 feet below the surface. It has been visited by those experienced enough to dive in such cold temperatures hundreds of times since the ship’s rediscovery in the mid-1980s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, May 28, 2022
1880: 1' of rain falls in less than 2 hours in Brackettville, TX
Brackettville, the county seat of Kinney County in Texas, is on U.S. Highway 90 twenty-two miles northeast of the Rio Grande and 125 miles west of San Antonio. It is named after Oscar Brackett, who established the first general dry goods store near the site of Forth Clark in 1852. Brackett, as it was called originally, was established on the San Antonio-El Paso Road, and by 1857 its Sargent Hotel and small restaurant were a regular stop for the San Antonio-San Diego stage line. The Texas State Historical Association reports that the community experienced a period of steady growth after the Civil War, attracting cattle rustlers, buffalo hunters and gamblers a true town of the wild west. In 1868 Brackett had ten homes and a population of fifty. It was designated the county seat of Kinney County when the county was established in 1876. Brackettville enjoyed a period of exceptional prosperity during the period by 1878, as nearby Fort Clark swelled with thousands of soldiers. The town grew rapidly, and many businesses, constructed of limestone blocks quarried nearby, were established. The population soared to near 1,500 and seemed on the way to prosperity. But on May 28, 1880 dry air sweeping in from New Mexico met up with moisture streaming out of the Gulf of Mexico. The dynamics of the weather system produced a cloudburst that dumped more than a foot of rain in less than 2 hours devastating the town. Much of the town was rebuilt on higher ground nearby , but it would never be the same again. Despite the population of Texas increasing from 1.5M in 1880 to almost 30M today, 20 times increase, Brackettville’s population remains close to its total from 140 years ago. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, May 27, 2022
1896: The third most deadly tornado in U.S. history strikes St. Louis
In 1896 St. Louis was listed as the 5th largest city in the United States, trailing only New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and what was then the separate city of Brooklyn. More than half a million people lived there on the banks of the Mississippi River. The morning of May 27, 1896 dawned calm and steamy and belied what was coming that afternoon. One of the greatest natural disasters to strike one of the largest US cities was awaiting residents in the afternoon. In what remains the third most deadly tornado in U.S. history struck St. Louis, on the afternoon of May 27, 1896. According to the National Centers for Environmental Education; shortly before five o’clock that Wednesday afternoon, May 27, the devastating tornado struck the city from the southwest, near the Compton Heights district. From there, the tornado made its way down the Mill Creek Valley, destroying countless homes as it headed toward the Mississippi River. Once the tornado made it to the Mississippi, it decimated the steamboats and other vessels in the harbor, breaking them to pieces and scattering them from the Missouri shore to the Illinois shore. Even the Eads Bridge, which was considered “tornado proof” as the first major bridge constructed by making use of true steel, was damaged by the powerful tornado, with nearly 300 feet of its eastern approach torn away. Much of the central portion of St. Louis was also destroyed, as were factories, saloons, hospitals, mills, railroad yards, and churches throughout the city. Across St. Louis, the tornado completely destroyed block after block of residential housing. Hundreds of miles of electric wires and thousands of telephone and telegraph poles were torn down by the fierce winds. The tornado also uprooted trees more than half a century old and hurled them a distance of several blocks. Heavy iron fences, like the one that surrounded Lafayette Park, were twisted and tangled until they were nearly unrecognizable. During the less than half an hour that the tornado was on the ground, it tracked a three-mile-wide path of destruction across St. Louis, killing 255 people, injuring 1,000, and rendering countless families homeless. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, May 26, 2022
2008: "Pneumonia Front" causes big temperature drops in Chicago
The term Pneumonia front, first coined by Milwaukee Weather Bureau Office in the 1960s, is used to describe a rare meteorological phenomenon observed on the western Lake Michigan shoreline during the warm season. These fronts are defined as lake-modified small scale cold fronts that result in one-hour temperature drops of 16 °F or greater. They do not necessarily have to be large scale, cold fronts to bring weather changes to an entire region. Very often in the spring to early summer the temperature difference between the cold lake waters and the warmer air over land can be as much as 35–40 °F . Under weak prevailing winds, an air current can often develop in the form of a lake breeze that moves from that water to the adjacent shoreline to as much as several miles inland. This "lake-breeze cold front" can drop temperature in places like Chicago, Milwaukee and Green Bay significantly as they cross the area. There has been many a spring day at Wrigley Field that surprises Cub fans who may have travelled from an inland location toward the shore to take in an afternoon game at Wrigley just a few blocks from the lakeshore, only to feel the effects of the "pneumonia front" as that cold blast of air comes through. On May 26, 2008 such a front caused temperatures to drop in Chicago from 72 at 10 pm to 55 an hour later. Winds had gone from light and westerly to northeasterly with gusts up to 40 mph along the lake. Other areas along the lake dropped from the mid 76 to the upper 40s Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, May 25, 2022
1987: A fisherman is struck and killed by lightning
The number of people killed by lightning in recent years is a far cry from annual lightning deaths decades ago. In the 1940s, for instance, hundreds of people were killed each year by lightning. In 1943 alone, 432 people died. The sharp drop in lightning deaths over the past 75 years " coincides with a shift in population from rural to urban regions," wrote meteorologist Ronald Holle in an article in the Journal of Applied Meteorology . In the 1940s, "there were many, many more small farmers who were out working in fields," which meant many more chances to be struck by lightning. In addition to better lightning safety awareness and medical advances, all phones were corded decades ago, leading to quite a few deaths due to people speaking on the phone. Additionally, there has been better lightning protection, suppression and grounding in electrical and phone lines. But on May 25, 1987 as a line of heavy thunderstorms crossed Louisiana a group of men fishing in Lake struggled to get to shore out of harm’s way as they approached the shore a man standing in a ski boat was struck and killed by lightning. News reports claim the man had said, "Here I am, come get me" when he was suddenly struck. 4 companions were not injured. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, May 24, 2022
1986: Severe and destructive storm strikes Texas
Another Spring Day and another round of wild weather in the state of Texas. Severe weather is most prevalent in Texas in the Spring and May 24, 1986 was no different, severe thunderstorms blasted the area. Damage was heaviest from just north of Downtown Fort Worth and across the east side of town to southwest of Arlington where a roof collapsed over portions of a bowling alley injuring seven people. Windows were blown in with roof damage at motel across the street. Hail as large as golf balls blew in drifts two feet deep in spots. 3-5“ of rain fell in one hour, flooding many city streets in Arlington. A 29-year-old woman and her 6-year-old daughter drowned in their car, which was found submerged in an underpass. Other reports indicated that more than 3” of rain fell in one hour at Newark in Wise County. 95 mph winds were reported at WBAP Radio, Tarrant County. Baseball size hail fell near Ivan, Stephens County. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, May 23, 2022
1908: Record flooding impacts north and central Texas
By May 23, 1908 4-8" of rain fallen across much of northern and central Texas in the preceding days on already saturated land especially on the upper Trinity and Brazos River Basins. The rise in the rivers continued for several days toward the end of the month. Large crowds of onlookers gathered on bridges all over Texas the view the unusual site of rising rivers. Most times the rivers were almost dry trickles or brief raging white water torrents spurred on by brief cloudbursts from thunderstorms. But the days and days of steady rains in the part of the state brought something unusual in the form of broad rising rivers not seen by most of the growing populace of Texas. Record floods resulted from the rain at Grand Prairie, Dallas and Rosser (38.0'). 3 people drowned in Fort Worth and 8 in Dallas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, May 21, 2022
The May 1957 Tornado Outbreak
The May 1957 tornado outbreak took place across the US Central Plains from May 19 to May 21, 1957. An F5 tornado, the strongest on the tornado intensity scale, on May 21 was the most significant in the outbreak and is known as the the Ruskin Heights Tornado where the area where the worst of the damage occurred, a suburb and housing development south of Kansas City. 57 tornadoes were reported from Colorado to the Mississippi Valley and 59 people were killed during the outbreak. But in the Kansas City area and specifically Ruskin Heights the impact was devastating. The Kansas City Star reported in its story from the next day that “At least 31 persons were reported killed, at least 200 persons were injured and many were made homeless by a tornado which struck the southern part of the metropolitan area shortly after 7pm. Everywhere there were scenes of jumbled debris, death and chaos as rescue workers struggled in the darkness to rescue the injured and maintain some semblance of emergency aid. Observers at the disaster scene in Ruskin Heights said there could be no count of the number killed, missing or injured until daylight. Rescue workers had only flashlights and motor car lights to search through the wreckage. With roads blocked with debris and cars, workers were doing well to get ambulances out of the disaster area. Glenn Rapp, director of the American Red Cross disaster unit in Jackson County, said hospitals in the metropolitan area had reported more than 200 injured, and efforts were being made to compile the names as rapidly as possible. Witnesses told of cowering in what shelter they could find as the winds ripped away houses and buildings. Cars were piled in tangled masses of metal in streets, in parking lots and in used car lots.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, May 20, 2022
1918: Tornadoes strike Kansas town for 3 consecutive years
This Date in Weather History - May 20th Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, May 19, 2022
2007: Temperature reaches 115°F in Sibi, Pakistan
Extreme heat can be rather uncomfortable. But what actually happens to the human body as the mercury rises? On humid days, when the air is already saturated with water, sweat evaporates more slowly. This explains why it feels so much hotter in high humidity. When relative humidity reaches a high enough level, the body's natural cooling system simply can't work. Sweat evaporates very slowly, if at all, and the body heats up. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most serious level of this breakdown is heat stroke, and it occurs when the body’s temperature reaches an excess of 104 degrees Fahrenheit. During heat stroke, body functions grind to a halt, the brain shuts down the body’s natural coolant system, perspiration. Without sweat, the body can no longer keep its temperature in check, heat stroke causes the brain to swell, leading to headaches and even seizures in more extreme cases. Victims also experience an altered level of consciousness. The cardiovascular system is affected as well. Heat stroke causes blood pressure to drop and the heart to beat faster and more irregularly, heightening the risk for high-output cardiac failure. Heat-related deaths are one of the deadliest weather-related health outcomes in the world, in the United States an average of 658 people a year die due to extreme heat. AccuWeather’s patented RealFeel temperature is a measure that combines the effect of temperature, humidity and other factors. On May 19, 2007 in Pakistan, severe heat and humidity created deadly RealFeel temperatures. In Sibi, northwest Pakistan, the temperature reached 115 degrees with a dew point of 90; the RealFeel was 150 degrees, one of the highest ever recorded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, May 18, 2022
1894: Severe storms and wind sinks 9 ships on Lake Michigan
Ever since people have traveled the Great Lakes, storms have sunk ships and taken lives. In fact, the very first recorded sailing vessel on the upper lakes, was lost in 1679. Since that time, massive and historical storms have swept the lakes, most numerous in the month of November. With the coming of modern technology and stronger vessels, fewer such losses have occurred. The large surface of the lakes allows waves to build to giant heights out in the open. Strong winds can cause storm surges that lower lake levels several feet on one side while raising it even higher on the other. The shallowest lake, Lake Erie, sometimes sees storm surge rises of 8 or 10 feet. On May 18, 1894 one such storm and wind event struck the Lakes. On lake Michigan off of Chicago 9 vessels were sunk with an uncounted loss of life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, May 17, 2022
1814: Logs in swollen Maine rivers cause destruction
The state of Maine is known for many things, including my favorite, Maine lobsters. But one of the longest running industries in North America, dating back until the early 1600s is logging. The British Royal Navy quickly claimed the best stands of light and strong Eastern White Pine for the masts, spars, and planking for their fast and maneuverable ships. England's competitors, the French, the Dutch, and the Spanish, were left to build from the heavier Baltic Fir. It was Revolutionary War debt which boosted the first large scale harvests. To raise money, Massachusetts sold land to the District of Maine. Logging operations grew in proportion to the national demand for lumber products, which grew in proportion to the expansion of the nation itself over the 19th and well into the 20th centuries. The industry became extensive and complex employing surveyors to identify likely stands of trees, lumbermen to cut timber, teamsters and their draft animals to haul logs, scalers to measure the timber's worth, and river drivers to float logs to the mills. Most trees were felled in the late fall and winter and then floated downstream on Maine’s rivers to ports at the coast. These golden rivers, as they were called, because of their color appearance because of the logs and the money the wood would represent on delivery were covered from bank to bank with floating timber. Most of the time they were controlled by crews working the river. But as they floated downstream in the spring they would sometimes get loose and out of control. The result could be, and often times was disaster as the timber acted like a battering ram destroying anything in its path. On May 17, 1814 after a soggy April and early May the rivers were all swollen and the logs did their work wiping out anything in their path, destroying bridges and docks and any structures near the shore. It would take years to recover. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, May 16, 2022
1874: The Mill River Flood
In 1865, a group of mill owners from the Northampton area of Massachusetts constructed a dam on the Mill River north of the town of Williamsburg, it was constructed by using a design drawn by one of the owners, a man with no training in engineering. The dam was poorly constructed and leaked as soon as it was filled, still it was in place for 9 years. But on May 16, 1874 after several days of heavy rain, the dam completely failed. Almost all off of the water held behind the earthen dam burst out like a wall of water. 139 people died in the towns downstream to the south. The flood destroyed much of the villages of Williamsburg, Skinnerville and Northampton itself. Even though so many died, the death toll might had been much higher, but the dam keeper George Cheney, rode his horse at a gallop to Williamsburg to raise the alarm as the dam began to fail. Other riders took off from Williamsburg and were able to warn residents in towns to the south. Despite an inquest and the negligence of the mill owners, no one was punished for the disaster. Even today, people still visit the site of the tragedy by hiking on a public trail to the former site of the Williamsburg Reservoir. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sun, May 15, 2022
1968: Five tornadoes strike Iowa
During the late afternoon and early evening of May 15, 1968, five tornadoes, two F1s, one F2, and two F5s occurred in Iowa. These tornadoes were part of the May 15-16, 1968 outbreak with a total of 39 tornadoes which affected ten states; Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee. The tornadoes in Iowa caused 18 fatalities and 619 injuries of which 450 occurred in Charles City alone. The huge tornado, approximately a half mile wide passed directly through Charles City from south to north. The tornado destroyed, 372 homes and 58 businesses, 188 homes and 90 businesses sustained major damage, and 356 homes and 46 businesses sustained minor damage. Eight churches, 3 schools were damaged or destroyed, the police station was heavily damaged, and 1,250 vehicles were destroyed. About 60 percent of the city was damaged by the tornado. The, Iowa Governor requested federal assistance to repair damage to public facilities resulting from the and on May 29, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared the state of Iowa as a disaster area. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, May 14, 2022
1834: Late-season storm brings snow from Ohio to New England
Late season snowstorms, like those in the autumn can cause havoc in a different way than those in the middle of winter. Many trees in both seasons are in full or partial leaf, as are bushes and other shrubby. In the middle of winter, snow’s greatest impact is on the inability to travel due to impassible roads or severe drifting that blocks doorways and even makes walking difficult. In the fall and spring, because of more sunlight it is hard for the snow to accumulate on the warmer streets and sidewalks so that usually isn’t much of a problem. The bigger issue is falling tree limbs caused by the weight of the snow on those limbs as the snow plasters itself on all those leaves. In modern times those limbs not only are hazardous to those that might be walking underneath them but they also take down powerlines. It is a rare storm in the late spring that combines both. This usually happens when the snow falls so hard and fast it piles up on everything. One such a storm happened on May 14, 1834. A Northeast coastal storm spread snow from Ohio to New England. 6" fell at Erie, 10" at Bradford, 4" at Rochester, 12" at Burlington, VT. Marshfield, in Washington County northeast of Montpelier, picked up more than 2 feet and Haverhill, NH had 36" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, May 13, 2022
1930: One of the few hail deaths in the US occurs
Hailstorms are notorious for inflicting costly damage upon property and crops every year in the United States. Annually, the destruction from these frozen rain pellets that travel dozens of miles per hour through the atmosphere results in $1 billion in damage, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration – NOAA. Hail also poses a safety threat to both humans and animals. NOAA estimates that 24 people in the U.S. are injured each year, with some injuries significant enough to land them in the hospital. In May , 1995, severe storms brewing over the Dallas-Fort Worth metro-plex in Texas produced damaging winds, heavy rain and extremely large hail. The storms, which remain some of the costliest in history, also impacted an outdoor festival called Mayfest, where over 10,000 people were caught out in the open with little to no shelter from the hail. More than 400 people were hurt after being pelted with hail up to the size of a softball. Although no one was killed, about 60 people were seriously injured. “What injuries we do see are to people who are out in the open, like farmers, golfers, landscapers – anyone that’s doing outside work that doesn’t have any means to find shelter right away in a storm,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski. However, how likely is it that a hailstorm can actually kill you? The odds are low, but it can happen, experts say. The World Meteorological Organization reported that the highest mortality associated with a hailstorm happened in India, on April 30, 1888. The deadly storm killed 246 people with pieces of hail as large as “goose eggs, oranges and cricket balls.” In the U.S., hailstorms resulting in loss of human life are quite rare. “Hail has to be really large to cause serious injury to people, or even death,” Kottlowski said. But on May 13, 1930 one of the few deaths by hail in the US. 36 miles NW of Lubbock, TX a farmer was caught in an open field and he died from his hail caused injuries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, May 12, 2022
1934: Massive dust storm strikes Eastern US cities
Newspapers and radio stations East of the Mississippi on the morning of May 12, 1934 carried ominous messages and headlines of a thickening black cloud of chocking dust and dirt moving out of the Great Plains states. The cloud would envelope the Mid-west and then Eastern states on May 12, turning mid-day sunlight into an eerie darkness, that seemed like night in many major cities. What happened? Actually, the causes can be traced back decades. Favorable weather conditions in the from 1900 to the 1920s with significant rainfall and relatively moderate winters, encouraged increased population and farming in the Great Plains. But the region entered an unusually dry period in the summer of 1930. During the next decade, the Northern Plains suffered four of their driest years in almost 100 years. When this severe drought hit the Great Plains region in the 1930s, it resulted in erosion and loss of topsoil because of farming practices at the time. The drought dried the topsoil and over time it became reduced to a powdery consistency. Native high grasses that held the soil in place had been plowed under to make room for expanding crop lands, so when high winds that occur on the plains picked up the topsoil massive dust clouds and dust storms occurred, giving rise to the term Dust Bowl. The continuous dry weather caused crops to fail, leaving the plowed fields exposed to wind erosion. The fine soil of the Great Plains was easily picked up and carried east by strong winds. In November 1933, a very strong dust storm stripped topsoil from South Dakota farmlands in just one of a series of severe dust storms that year. But beginning on May 9, 1934, a strong, several days dust storm removed massive amounts of Great Plans soil in one perhaps the worst storm of the Dust Bowl. The dust clouds first blew all the way to Chicago, where they deposited 12 million pounds of dust. By May 12, 1934, the same storm reached cities to the east, such as Cleveland, Buffalo, Boston, New York City and Washington, D. C. turning day to night and chocking millions of people as dirt all the way from the plains states was deposited more than 1000 miles away on the streets and in the homes of major cities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, May 11, 2022
2003: Record tornado outbreak impacts 25 US states
The first week of May in 2003 had one of the worst tornado outbreaks on record in the United States reports indicate that 384 tornadoes occurred in 25 states, causing 42 deaths with at least 23 tornadoes on each day. Hardest hit were Missouri, where tornadoes occurred on 6 of the 7 days and 19 died; and Tennessee, where tornadoes occurred on 5 days and 11 died during the week-long outbreak that ended on May 11, 2003. The outbreak was so important that an entire paper was published on it in the American Meteorological Society magazine. There were also an incredible 723 wind reports and 1,782 hail reports that week! Oklahoma City suffered multiple twisters... from the National Weather Service report: "One day after and F4 tornado struct the southern Oklahoma City metropolitan area on May 8, 2003, a single supercell thunderstorm produced ten tornadoes in central Oklahoma, including one F3 and three F1 tornadoes in the northern Oklahoma City metropolitan area." A total of six F4 tornadoes struck during the week, including one around Kansas City and another near Memphis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, May 10, 2022
1889: Destructive tornado touches down in Reading, PA
May of 1889 was particularly warm and humid across the eastern United States. The jet-stream that steers weather system had lifted far north into Canada and air from the steam Gulf of Mexico has surged northward into the void. By May 9th chilly weather has re-established itself across the mid-west and was heading eastward as the jet stream dipped southward to push the chilly weather along. As the cold front marking the leading edge of the change moved into the east on the afternoon of May10, 1889 a rash of violent thunderstorms erupted and brought extensive damage to a corridor in Pennsylvania through Williamsport, Shamokin, Pottsville, Reading, Pottstown, Philadelphia and to Atlantic City, New Jersey. A tornado cut a large swath through Berks County, including the city of Reading, which was the second twister to cut through the city that year. The damage was very extensive and at least of par with that of major midwestern tornadoes. Dozens narrowly escaped death. Visibility lowered to less than 10 feet at times in blinding, wind-driven rain. Temperatures reached the mid to upper 90's before the storm hit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, May 09, 2022
1977: Powerful snowstorm strikes Northeast US
One of the most powerful May snowstorms to strike the Northeast hit on May 9, 1977. 13" fell at Gardiner, MA; 12.7" at Worchester, MA; 1/2 million people lost power. Officially 1/2" in Boston, but thunderstorms with snow in the suburbs dumped 10" in the Wellesley area. A foot of snow fell at Foster, RI. Bare grass did not reappear in Wellesley, MA until the afternoon of the 11th and it was the heaviest snow of the entire winter there...all the plows were activated although in many cases the plows had already been removed for the season from the trucks...schools were closed in the western suburbs of Boston, it was the latest school "snow day" ever...because of the convective nature of the storm, like hit and miss thunderstorms in the summer, some weird local variations occurred...with one town getting almost a foot of snow while just 5 miles away only a couple of inches fell. Vivid lightning accompanied the snowfall in many communities. Slide Mountain, NY had 27". Heavy snow also covered parts of New York. Cooperstown picked up 12.7" and in Connecticut 20" fell at Norfolk.One of the most powerful May snowstorms to strike the Northeast hit on May 9, 1977. 13" fell at Gardiner, MA; 12.7" at Worchester, MA; 1/2 million people lost power. Officially 1/2" in Boston, but thunderstorms with snow in the suburbs dumped 10" in the Wellesley area. A foot of snow fell at Foster, RI. Bare grass did not reappear in Wellesley, MA until the afternoon of the 11th and it was the heaviest snow of the entire winter there...all the plows were activated although in many cases the plows had already been removed for the season from the trucks...schools were closed in the western suburbs of Boston, it was the latest school "snow day" ever...because of the convective nature of the storm, like hit and miss thunderstorms in the summer, some weird local variations occurred...with one town getting almost a foot of snow while just 5 miles away only a couple of inches fell. Vivid lightning accompanied the snowfall in many communities. Slide Mountain, NY had 27". Heavy snow also covered parts of New York. Cooperstown picked up 12.7" and in Connecticut 20" fell at Norfolk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sun, May 08, 2022
1360: Massive storms impact outcome of Hundred Years War
The hundred Years War between England and France began in 1337; by 1359, King Edward III of England led a huge army across the English Channel to France. The French did not engage in any pitched battles and mainly stayed behind protective walls of towns and cities. Meanwhile Edward conquered the countryside. In April 1360, Edward’s forces reached the Paris suburbs and began to move toward Chartres and its famous cathedral. While they were camped outside the town, now a suburb of Paris, in early May, a sudden storm hit. Lightning struck, killing a number of people, then large hailstones began falling hitting the soldiers. Two of the English generals were killed and panic set in among the troops, who had no shelter from the storm. Heavy losses were suffered by the English with more than 1000 estimated dead in the stampede caused by the storm. Some said it was a sign from God. King Edward of England was convinced to negotiate peace with the French. On May 8, 1360, a treaty was signed, marking the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years’ War. Edward agreed to renounce all claims to the throne of France. The hail storm and thunderstorms that produced the treaty were a direct line in the signing of the treaty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, May 07, 2022
1840: Deadly Tornado strikes Natchez, MS
Natchez, Mississippi was a bustling and booming river town hard against the Mississippi River in 1840, it was 20 years after Mississippi joined the union and 20 years before the Civil War. But on May 7, 1840 the second deadliest tornado in U S history struck the city. A large and powerful tornado went right through the center of town, flattening most of the buildings. But even worse was the damage on the Mississippi River, which was filled with boats, including 120 flatboats and steamboats carrying people and goods along the main transport system in the part of the nation – the Mississippi River. The powerful tornado wrecked many boats at the Natchez Landing in Mississippi as well and then plowed through the city. The tornado killed 317 people and injured 109 others. The only storm on record this destructive to kill more than it injured. Many bodies were never found. The storm is still as of May 7, 2022, the second deadliest tornado on record. The actual death toll could be higher as enslaved persons were not counted. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, May 06, 2022
1937: The Hindenburg Disaster
The airship Hindenburg, the largest dirigible ever built and the pride of Nazi Germany, bursts into flames upon touching its mooring mast in Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 36 passengers and crewmembers on May 6, 1937. After opening its 1937 season by completing a single round-trip passage to, Brazil earlier in the year, in late March, the Hindenburg departed from, Germany on the evening of May 3, on the first of 10 planned round trips between Europe and the United States that were scheduled for its second year of commercial service. Except for strong headwinds that slowed its progress, the Atlantic crossing of the Hindenburg was otherwise uneventful. Although carrying only half its full capacity of passengers and crew for the flight, the Hindenburg was fully booked for its return flight. The airship was hours behind schedule when it passed over Boston on the morning of May 6, and its landing at Lakehurst was expected to be further delayed because of afternoon thunderstorms. Advised of the poor weather conditions at Lakehurst, the Captain charted a course over New York City, causing a public spectacle as people rushed out into the street to catch sight of the airship. After finally being notified at 6:22 p.m. that the storms had passed, the airship headed back to Lakehurst to make its landing almost half a day late. At the time of the disaster, sabotage was commonly put forward as the cause of the fire, but in order to make up for the delay of more than 12 hours in its transatlantic flight, the Hindenburg passed through thunderstorms with high humidity and high electrical charge. Although the mooring lines were not wet when they first hit the ground and ignition took place four minutes after, it was theorized that the lines may have become wet in these four minutes. When the ropes, which were connected to the frame, became wet, they would have grounded the frame but not the skin. This would have caused a sudden potential difference between skin and frame and would have set off an electrical discharge – a spark. Seeking the quickest way to ground, the spark would have jumped from the skin onto the metal framework, igniting the leaking hydrogen, causing the explosion. The airship caught fire and was destroyed. The accident caused 35 fatalities from the 97 people on board and an additional fatality on the ground. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, May 05, 2022
1761: 5" of snow falls in Ashford, CT
The office of the Town Clerk is the repository for the maintenance and safekeeping of records for the Town of Ashford, Conn. The Town reports that housed in the fire-proof vault in the office of the Town Clerk are all land records, Town Meeting minutes, Town Ordinances, birth/marriage/civil union/death records, land surveys, election records, trade names, liquor permits, contracts, town reports, veterans discharge filings, Town board/commission/agency agendas and minutes, listings of Notaries Public, Justices of the Peace, election records, and other historical documents. Just about everything and anything you can think of. In addition to maintaining records, the Town Clerk’s Office is the place to go for absentee ballots, copies of vital records, dog licenses, marriage licenses, voter registration forms. The Town of Ashford is not unique to New England, for centuries the Town Clerks at these hamlets great and small have dutifully recorded, not just those official papers I reported on, but other significant events. They have told the story of America, it so happens that on May 5, 1761, Ebenser Byles, Town Clerk of Ashford reported that 5" of snow fell and that it was, and I quote from his official record "A very stormy day of snow, an awful sight, the trees green and the ground white. The trees in a blow and the fields covered with snow" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, May 04, 2022
1774: 4" of snow falls in Germantown, Philadelphia
The neighborhood of Germantown in Philadelphia sits at a higher elevation than most of the rest of the city. From 250-300 feet above sea level the temperature can average a degree or two colder than the city below. During weather situations that are borderline between rain and snow, often times much of the City of Philadelphia will have a slushy mixture of rain and snow, while only wet snow falls in Germantown and its adjacent elevated neighborhood of Chestnut Hill; sometimes depositing a couple inches of snow. On May 4, 1774 Germantown was a not part of the City of Philadelphia yet, it was a prosperous town of hundreds living in long established stone houses. Germantown was founded in 1683 and awaited its fate as the location of one of the most important battles of the Revolutionary War in 1777. But on May 4, 1774 as a strong storm surged up the Atlantic seaboard, temperatures held just near freezing, and while rain fell in the City of Philadelphia below 4” of heavy wet snow blanketed Germantown in one of the latest snowfalls on record in the region, before or since. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, May 03, 2022
1978: 11" of rain falls on "Sun Day" in New Orleans
Most of New Orleans, Louisiana is below the flowing water level of the Mississippi River, that also means that the city is below sea level and so both the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Pontchartrain surfaces are also above the ground level of the city. Because of that, the city does not have a natural drainage for rainwater, so pumps are required to remove rainwater from the region. On May 3, 1979 the pumping drainage system had been in operation since 1900. That system was designed to handle one inch of rain per hour for the first three hours, and one-half inch per hour thereafter. Any rainfall in excess of this limit resulted in drainage slowdown and flooding, often times during extensive thunderstorm cloudbursts or tropical systems and Hurricanes the capacity to pump out the water simply was not effective. May 3, 1978 was proclaimed 'Sun Day.' All across the United States, celebrations were planned to pay tribute to the power and potential of solar energy. No celebration occurred in New Orleans, the sun was not visible all day, in fact heavy rains fell most of the day. Almost 11” of rain fell, more and 8” of that from 8am until noon. It was more than the drainage system could handle, actually more than twice its capacity. There was severe property damage, as much of the city sat in more than 5 feet of water as a result of the heavy rains and the failure of the pumping system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, May 02, 2022
2009: Storm collapses roof of Dallas Cowboys' practice facility
Twelve people were hospitalized Saturday May 2, 2009 after the roof of the Dallas Cowboys' indoor practice facility in Frisco, Texas collapsed during a thunderstorm. The giant blue Cowboys star atop the building lay crumpled on the ground. The storm knocked out power at team headquarters and splintered trees across the property. The roof was a large air- and tension-supported canopy with aluminum frames covering a regulation 100-yard football field. Approximately 70 players, coaches, staff and media were reported inside. Some of the injuries were serious, but none were considered life-threatening. Based on the national standards for determining loads and for designing structural steel buildings, the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology researchers studying the Cowboys facility found that the May 2 wind load demands on the building's framework—a series of identical, rib-like steel frames supporting a tensioned fabric covering—were greater than the capacity of the frame to resist those loads. The researchers determined that, at the time of collapse, the wind was blowing predominantly from west to east, perpendicular to the long side of the building. Maximum wind speed gusts at the time of collapse were estimated to be in the range of 55 to 65 miles per hour—well below the design wind speed of 90 miles per hour in the national standard for wind loads. The NIST report recommended building owners, operators and designers inspect all fabric-covered, steel-frame structures, evaluating them to ensure they are designed to handle appropriate wind loads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sun, May 01, 2022
1854: 90 consecutive hours of rain falls in New England
The winter of 1853-1854 had been a particularly snowy one across the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. Not record breaking, but it was a cold winter and the snows that fell during the winter months didn’t melt much. The cold lingered into April and so did the snow on the ground. The weather pattern broke as the month ended, winds in the high atmosphere turned from the northwest to out of the south and ushered in warm air that had been building across the Gulf states in the early spring. At the same time copious volumes of moisture were carried along in the current of air from the Gulf of Mexico and the result was an unceasing rain that developed all across New England. Along with a soaking rain and soaring temperatures cloudbursts imbedded in thunderstorms brought hour after hour of rain. By the time the rain ended on May 1, 1854 it had been raining for 90 consecutive hours. Rainfall totaled more than 5” in Worchester, Mass and more than 7 ½ inches in Southwick, Mass, a general 3-5” rainfall fell from Philadelphia all the way to Maine. The rain coupled with the warm snow melting temperatures produced record flooding all across New England. The greatest crest on the Connecticut River was at Hartford where the river reached almost 29’ above flood stage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, April 30, 2022
1887: Massive Flooding at China's "Yellow River"
The Huang He (Wang He) or Yellow River is one of the longest rivers in China, at 3,398 miles, it loops northward from the mountains in western China, then flows east, each year bringing 1.6 billion tons of fine-grained silt from the mountains to the huge flat basin of the north China plains. That rich laden dirt and silt makes the region one of the most fertile in the world, it is China’s breadbasket. The silt nourishes and replenishes the land. The Yellow River gets its name from its rich, fine-ground, golden mud. Unfortunately for the farmers, the only way the river can spread its fertilization is by flooding the fields; and the Yellow River has flooded a recorded 1,593 times in the last four thousand years, with catastrophic effects. The worst flooding occurred in 1887. For decades leading up to 1887 dikes and embankments had been built along the river to control its flooding and provide irrigation for crops. In some places, because of those levees, the river was flowing more than 20 feet higher than the surrounding countryside – a breech in the system was all that was needed for disaster. An usually snowy winter and a wet mild spring led to massive snowmelt in the mountains and heavy rains contributed more water. On April 30, 1887 the first of several massive floods erupted as the river could no longer be contained. Flooding continued off and on all summer. The flooding led to the greatest weather disaster in human history. More than 900,000 perished in the initial rounds of flooding close to the river with another estimated 1.3 million drowned from flooding away from the river as the floodwaters spread out all across northern China. A further estimated three to four million died from flood-related, waterborne diseases, with a thick deposit of muddy silt 8 ft deep, the most fertile fields in China were a desert which had to be cleared by bare hands and wheelbarrows. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, April 29, 2022
1991: Tropical storm surge floods Bangladesh
On April 22, 1991 an area of tropical thunderstorms began to organize in the Bay of Bengal it would grow to become one of the deadliest tropical cyclones ever recorded. The storm hit, one of the most populated areas in Bangladesh. An estimated 200,000 people were killed by the storm, as many as 10 million people lost their homes, and overall property damage was in the billions of dollars. Once the weather system organized it began moving north. By April 24 the storm was designated Tropical Storm 02B, and by April 28 it was a tropical cyclone, or as they are known in the western hemisphere, a hurricane. One day later on April 29 the storm hit, with winds of up to 150 miles per hour. The damage was immediate, as a storm surge as high as 15 feet engulfed the flat, coastal plans of southeastern Bangladesh. The surge washed away entire villages and swamped farms, destroying crops and spreading fears of widespread hunger as well as economic woes. As a result of a storm in 1970, a few storm shelters had been built, but they were not enough. Though in 1991 some were saved by the shelters, many people had doubted warnings of the storm. Since the 1991 storm, the Bangladesh government has built thousands of elevated shelters in coastal areas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, April 28, 2022
1992: "Grapefruit-sized" hail devastates parts of Texas
A hailstone begins as a water droplet that is swept upward by an updraft inside of a thundercloud. Inside the cloud, there are a large number of other supercooled water droplets already present. These supercooled particles will adhere to the water droplet’s surface, forming layers of ice around it. The size the hailstone reaches depends on the amount of time it spends surrounded by supercooled water droplets, but eventually gravity causes the stone to fall to the Earth. As gravity takes over, they will fall to Earth at approximately 106 miles per hour. The exact velocity each stone falls at will vary depending on several conditions, such as weight, air friction and collisions with other suspended objects. The evening of April 28, 1992, brought with it one of the most devastating hailstorms of all time, pummeling two areas approximately 100 miles apart. For nearly five hours, residents between Waco to Fort Worth, Texas braced as hailstones the size of grapefruits 4.5 in. diameter smashed windows and decimated roofs. The worst damage was reported across Ellis, Dallas, and Tarrant counties. More than 600 pets and wild animals were killed. Damage was estimated at $750 Million or almost $1.5 Billion in 2022 dollars. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, April 27, 2022
2004: High temperatures smash records across Southern California
Santa Ana Winds occur when air from an area of high pressure over the dry, desert region of the southwestern U.S. flows westward in its clockwise circulation toward the California coast. This creates dry winds that flow east to west through the mountain passages in Southern California. These winds are most common during the cooler months of the year, occurring from September through May. Santa Ana winds typically feel warm or even hot because as the cool desert air moves down the side of the mountain, it is compressed, and that causes the temperature of the air to rise at the rate of more than 5 degrees for every thousand feet in descends. These strong winds can cause major property damage. They also increase wildfire risk because of the dryness of the winds and the speed at which they can spread flames across the landscape. The winds can produce uncommon heat. On April 27, 2004 a strong Anta Ana developed causing temperatures to soar all across Southern Calif smashing records by more than 10 degrees in some places. Ontario, California, near Los Angles reached 100 degrees breaking the old record of 90, Riverside reached 101, the mercury at the beaches reached closed to 90. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, April 26, 2022
1986: The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
The Chernobyl, Russia nuclear disaster was the worst nuclear disaster in history and occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Plant. A catastrophic eruption ripped through the power plant on April 26, 1986, spewing radioactive particles into the sky. The deadly blast was caused by the explosion of the RBMK reactor number 4, a result of human error and faulty equipment. More than 50,000 people from the nearby town of Pripyat were evacuated following the blast. But plumes of deadly radioactive matter were sent high into the atmosphere as the uranium core lay exposed in the days that followed. The particles were swept across Europe by winds. Officials in Sweden, almost 700 miles away were alerted of radiation levels within their atmosphere within 48 hours of the explosion. Soviet authorities initially denied the claims anything happened but were forced to reveal the mistake as the scale of the accident unfolded. The initial impacted areas were Ukraine, Belarus and western Russia, with some areas contaminated indefinitely and to this day are still wastelands. The World Nuclear Association said: “Most of the released material was deposited close by as dust and debris, but the lighter material was carried by the wind over Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and to some extent over Scandinavia and Europe. ”The weather was a big factor as rains and snow were responsible for bringing radiation down to the ground, where it would penetrate into the Earth. The World Health Organization says an estimated 7,722 square miles of land in Europe was affected by radiation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, April 25, 2022
1982: Lightning strike damages Alabama town's water supply
Most lightning strikes occur from cloud to cloud – but about 20% go from clouds to the ground. Lightening striking the ground has caused problems with pipes and water supplies.. Some people have also experienced cloudy or discolored water after a lightning storm. Due to the strike, the vibration into the earth can shake a ground water well causing any built-up minerals to fall into the water supply. When lightning strikes near a home or other structure, sending electricity shooting through the ground, the electricity, which prefers to flow through metal rather than dirt, seeks out any buried copper pipes or the home's grounding rod. Building codes require the metal grounding rod to be connected to a home's wiring and pipes. Electricity moves through the pipes until it hits a dead end, such as when the copper pipe meets a plastic service line or some other nonmetallic fitting. Lightening has also coursed through the ground and impacted tree roots and pipes close to those roots. On April 25, 1982 in Lexington, Alabama lightning struck a tree, then reached through its roots to a PVC pipe holding drinking water. Almost 50% of the town’s water supply was lost before the pipe could be repaired. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sun, April 24, 2022
1993: Large tornado hits Interstate 44 in Tulsa
A large tornado slammed into a section of I-44 east of Tulsa during the early evening hours of April 24 1993. The Washington Post reported that the storm blew cars and trucks off the interstate highway and damaged dozens of homes that evening, killing at least 10 people, injuring at least 50 and leaving hundreds homeless. "This was not a storm that stayed down and then went back up. It stayed down for several minutes and totaled the area," said Jerry Griffin, an inspector for the Tulsa County Sheriff's Department. That area was about a mile wide and two miles long, he said. At least 80 mobile homes were demolished at a trailer park in a Tulsa suburb. Two major truck stops on Interstate 44 were scattered piles of rubble. Sheets of metal were wrapped around whatever poles were left standing. Families who escaped from their vehicles at one truck stop walked around dazed, clinging to pillows, blankets and other possessions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, April 23, 2022
2013: Latest measurable snowfall on record in Wichita, Kansas
April 23, 2013 was more than a month deep into the Spring, but Old Man winter wasn’t quite done with depositing a new round of cold weather into the Great Plains. The weather during the middle of April in the mid-section of America had been mild, field work had already gotten underway. But far to the north across the arctic lands of Canada cold weather had been building for more than week. At the start of the third week of April it was unleashed southward, bringing a cold wave more typical of mid-winter. On April 23, 2013 all across Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota the mercury plunged into the single digits. Reaching down to 1 above at Big Sky Montana, 8 at Huron SD and 9 in Lander Wyoming. In Wichita, Kansas 0.2” of snow fell. This marked the latest measurable snowfall on record. The old record for the latest measurable snow was set 95 years earlier on April 20, 1918. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, April 22, 2022
1980: Temperature reaches 100°F in Waterloo, Iowa
1980 brought the United States one of the worst heat waves in its history. The intense heat and drought wreaked havoc on much of the Midwestern states and Southern plains throughout the summer of 1980. It is among the most devastating natural disasters in terms of deaths and destruction in U.S. history, claiming at least 1,700 lives and because of the massive drought, agricultural damage reached $20 billion or almost $65 billion in 2022 dollars. The heat wave began in June when a strong high-pressure area began to build in the central and southern United States allowing temperatures to soar to 90 degrees almost every day from June to September. The high-pressure system also acted as a cap on the atmosphere, stopping the development of thunderstorms, leading to exceptionally severe drought conditions. The heat wave broke only when the decaying Hurricane Allen disrupted the weather pattern. In some areas the spring got a jump start on what was to come. On April 22, 1980. The mercury reached 100 degrees in Waterloo, Iowa the highest temperature ever recorded in the state of Iowa in the month of April Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, April 21, 2022
1963: Rare "Dust Devil" strikes Reading, PA
Dust devils, are small, brief whirlwinds occurring most frequently in the early afternoon when a land surface is heating rapidly. Dust devils are occasionally made visible by the lofting of dust, leaves, or other loose matter from the ground. Dust devils form when a pocket of hot air near the ground rises quickly through cooler air above it, forming an updraft. If conditions are just right, the updraft may begin to rotate. As the air rapidly rises, the column of hot air is stretched vertically, which causes intensification of the spinning effect. Most dust devils are usually small and weak, often less than 3 feet in diameter with strongest winds averaging about 45 miles per hour, and they often dissipate less than a minute after forming. On rare occasions, a dust devil can grow very large and intense, sometimes reaching a diameter of up to 300 feet with winds in excess of 60 mph and can last for upwards of 20 minutes before dissipating. Dust devils typically do not cause injuries, but rare, severe dust devils have caused damage they typically occur in dry, arid areas with the most common being Arizona, New Mexico, Eastern California. But on April 21, 1963, the combination of prolonged dry weather along the eastern seaboard and strong southerly winds transporting hot weather from the southern United states resulted in a dust devil in Reading, Pennsylvania. The giant dust devil extended up to half a mile high, tore bricks from the side of a school, uprooted trees and downed power lines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, April 20, 2022
1982: Violent thunderstorms produce baseball-sized hail
Strong temperature contrasts and violent weather outcomes in the springtime in the United States are generally unique in the world. Vast flat-lands that start as in the great coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana gently roll northwest from there into the Great Plains on the central United States and extend up into Canada. Weather systems can traverse the region unencumbered by mountains or large bodies of water. In the spring cold air is still left over from the departing winter, lurking in northwest Canada, in the Yukon. Meanwhile heat from the coming summer is building across Mexico and even Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. When strong winds in the high atmosphere pick up speed and start to bend in great wave patterns and the heat is drawn northward and cold southward in a great dance and battle between the competing seasons. The result of this clash often manifests itself in wild and extreme weather. On April 20, 1982 such a setup became established. In the warm sector violent thunderstorms erupted. At Richland in central Mississippi, strong thunderstorm winds blew over trailers. In Central Texas, baseball sized hail fell at Burnett and hail the size of grapefruits pounded Cedar Park. As much as 4" of rain fell over northern Louisiana and northeast Texas, and flooding occurred around Nacogdoches, TX. A tornado touched down at Lake Travis to the west of Austin, TX. Tornadoes were sighted around Lake Charles, LA near and near Moss Bluff. Meanwhile in the cold sector Northwestern Wisconsin was covered by more than a foot of snow. Weyerhaeuser, WI received 16”, with 15” at Barron. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, April 19, 2022
1775: Paul Revere's Ride - Part II
In the early morning hours of April 19, 1775, Paul Revere was making a mad dash through Middlesex County just west of Boston. He was trying to avoid British patrols but was stopped by one briefly before making his getaway, the roads were soft and muddy from the heavy rains of the previous day and he was able to elude his captors. It was not last time the weather would play a part in that fateful day. Revere galloped from town to town, from farm to farm to warn that the British regulars were coming to seize the stores of powder and shot local militias had been hiding to defend themselves from British tyranny. Rouse them he did. As the author Rick Atkinson states in his book “The British Are Coming”, and I quote. “Across the colony, in an image that would endure for centuries, solemn men grabbed their firelocks and stalked off in search of danger” The British left Boston and rowed across the Harbor to Charlestown and started the march to Lexington. There in Lexington, they encountered a band of local militia, and when the patriots assembled refused orders to disperse the British fired. The colonials were routed. The British then marched on to Concord, where thousands of militia from all over New England had gathered, warned by Revere and other riders. The British found themselves out gunned and outflanked. The first pitched battle of the revolution turned into the colonial victory. The British had planned to bring about their small cannon with them to teach the rebels a lesson. That ordnance would have come in handy that day. But the roads were still soft and muddy on April 19, 1775. Even though the sun was out, it was a chilly Spring day because the cold front that had brought that rain the day before. The canons got stuck in the mud on the road from Boston and had to be left behind. The battle perhaps turned on the muddy road and the rainy weather from the day before. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, April 18, 2022
1775: Paul Revere's Ride - Part I
Those are the opening lines of the immortal poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride”, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It was one of my father’s favorite poems and Those are the opening lines of immortal poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride”, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It was one of my father’s favorite poems and because of that I memorized it when I was 7 years old. Revere’s task was to ride through the countryside and call out the country-folk to arms to resist British tyranny. As the poem said, Revere was across Boston Harbor in Charlestown to watch the steeple of the Old North Church in Boston to see if the British were going to march out of Boston on land or take boats across the harbor and through Charlestown. It would warn the local militia’s which route the British would take. If one lantern was hung, then they would march over land, but two would signal the water and across the harbor. Most of April 18, 1775 was cloudy and rainy in Boston, the visibility was not good. Revere was concerned that he wouldn’t be able to see “Old North” as it was known. But late in the evening a cold front moved across the region, and by the time of the signal, the weather cleared and the visibility was excellent. Revere saw the two lanterns clearly across on the opposite shore and rode into history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sun, April 17, 2022
1821: 12" of snow blankets Boston, MA
Boston, Massachusetts averages just under 2” of snow for the month of April. Given is proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the warming effects of the water, big snowstorms in April are uncommon – but not rare. On April 17, 1821 such an uncommon event occurred as a strong storm system slowly lumbered up the eastern seaboard. Cold air held sway over New England, the storm swung northward but was far enough out to sea to prevent the warming effects of a flow of air off the ocean. The big counter-clockwise swirl of winds around the system blew from the north northeast and off the land reinforcing cold air from eastern Canada rather than an east flow off the warmer ocean. The result was a foot of snow and the snowstorm prevented the Legislature from opening for several days. The storm also brought 3” of snow in New York City and 16” to Worcester, Massachusetts. Interestingly the 12” of snow in Boston is not the most snow there from a single storm in April, that record belongs to April 1, 1997 when more than 25” blanketed Beantown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, April 16, 2022
1851: The Lighthouse Storm
On April 16th, 1851, a strong nor'easter smashed into Cape Cod, and brought the highest waters ever seen in that area up to that the time, easily besting the high tides of 1723. The system went into the history books as "The Lighthouse Storm.” Heavy gales and high seas pounded the coasts of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The storm arrived at the time of a full moon, and the high tide was already well above what would be termed normal for the coast. That evening, the newly-constructed Minot's Ledge Lighthouse was destroyed by this massive storm. The storm weakened the tower's iron support piles, causing them to collapse and topple into the ocean off the coast. The lighthouse keeper, had been away in Boston when the storm struck. Onlookers on April 17 could only see the bent iron pilings where the lighthouse once stood. The two assistant lighthouse keepers, bravely kept the lighthouse lamp burning as late as 10:00 PM on the night of April 16th to warn ships of the nearby rocks just before they were swept away in the storm’s massive waves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, April 15, 2022
1912: The Sinking of the RMS Titanic
1912 was a year of promise. The start of World War I was still two years away and science and technology were ascendant, with the outlook that humans had finally conquered nature, and their inventions could overcome anything. Albert Einstein had already been working on his theories around relativity that would revolutionize Physics. In practical terms, the first decade to the 20th century saw the invention of the vacuum cleaner, the air conditioner and the electric washing machine. It seemed like science was triumphant. It was with that attitude that British White Star Line commissioned the building of the largest ship ever constructed. The Titanic. The ship would have every technological advantage and be unsinkable. It left the British Isles at Queenstown, Ireland, on Thursday, April 11, 1912 on its maiden voyage. The weather awaiting the Titanic in North America was cold. In Boston, a few thousand fans shivered as snow flurries fell and the Red Sox beat Harvard University 2-0 in the first game ever played at Fenway Park. On April 12, the winds were west-southwest at about 20 mph and the noon temperature was about 60 degrees where the great ship was on the Atlantic Ocean. As the ship continued west, the skies got cloudier as a weak cold front approached. The noontime temperature on Saturday, April 12, was still at 60 degrees, but another cold front (associated with those Fenway flurries) was to the west and north of the ship. As the Titanic passed through the second cold front on Sunday, April 14, the winds switched to northwest and increased to 25 mph. The noon temperature was 50 degrees, but by 7:30 p.m., the temperature had dropped to 39. On Sunday, nighttime temperatures dropped below freezing, and the skies cleared and the winds calmed. A large Arctic air mass was now over the area on the clear, star-lit night with subfreezing temperatures and calm winds that resulted in a sea “like glass.” Icebergs were known to be in the region, but the calm winds made spotting them difficult. To spot icebergs during the night, lookouts searched for wind-driven waves breaking around their bases, but because of the calm weather this effect did not occur. The ship struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. Sunday, April 14. While the seas were relatively calm, that NW flow of air behind the front and actually steered a giant ice field toward the ship that night. The ship hit the iceberg that has been estimated as possibly weighing up to 300,000 tons, and the ship’s hull was torn wide open. It then took less than three hours from that point for the Titanic to sink. The temperature of the water was estimated to be as low as 28 degrees – even lower than the conventional 32-degree freezing point, as salt helped to lower its freezing point. Even though many people went into the water and survived the initial crash and sinking, the extremely cold-water temperature caused almost all in the water to suffer hyper-thermae and die quickly. Just hours before the wind has
Thu, April 14, 2022
1986: World's heaviest hailstone falls in Bangladesh
The National Weather Service reports that Hail is a form of precipitation consisting of solid ice that forms inside thunderstorm updrafts. Hail can damage aircraft, homes and cars, and can be deadly to livestock and people. Hailstones are formed when raindrops are carried upward by thunderstorm updrafts into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere and freeze. Hailstones then grow by colliding with liquid water drops that freeze onto the hailstone’s surface. Hail falls when it becomes heavy enough to overcome the strength of the thunderstorm updraft and is pulled toward the earth by gravity. Although Florida has the most thunderstorms, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming usually have the most hailstorms. The area where these three states meet – “hail alley” – averages seven to nine hail days per year. Other parts of the world that have damaging hailstorms include China, Russia, India, Bangladesh and northern Italy. The largest hailstone recovered in the United States fell in Vivian, South Dakota, with a weight of 1 lb. 15 oz. But the world’s heaviest hailstone fell on April 14, 1986 in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. It likely fell to the ground at 90 mph and it weighed 2.25 lbs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, April 13, 2022
1981: Person talking on phone killed by lightning
The New York Times reports that chatting on the telephone connected to a land-line during a thunderstorm can electrocute you, it is no urban legend. A bolt of lightning that strikes a telephone line can cause an electrical surge to shoot through the wires and enter a handset. The odds of this are relatively small, and most phone companies have protective measures in place. Still, the risk exists, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommends that people avoid using telephones and other appliances during electrical storms. Cases of customers' being jolted while on the phone in a storm are well documented. In fact, on April 13, 1981 a person was killed while talking on the phone in Kincaid, IL when lightning struck an outside telephone line and traveled to the house via a phone line; the phone exploded. What about cell phones? Because the danger comes from lightning traveling through outdoor wiring, cordless and cellular phones are generally safe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, April 12, 2022
1841: 12" of snow falls in Philadelphia
The average annual snowfall in Philadelphia is slightly more than 22”. In April, Philly averages a half an inch of snow and there is measurable snow in April there only once every other year. 1841 was not so kind to Philadelphia. Unusual late season cold lingered for much of the month and a series of storms swept out of the Gulf of Mexico and up the East Coast of the United States bringing one snow event after the other. 6” of snow fell in the city on April 10th and 3” fell on Aril 13 and 14th, but the heaviest snowfall occurred in between those two systems when a foot of the white stuff piled up on April 12, 1841. Almost 20” of snow fell on Philadelphia in April 1841 – the average for an entire winter season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, April 11, 2022
1999: 3" of rain brings flooding to Hong Kong
On April 11, 1999 more than 3” of rain fell in Hong Kong during a cloudburst as heavy thunderstorms pounded the region. Streets were flooded and stores were forced to shut. The 3” of rain was more than Hong Kong had received in the first 3 months of 1999. As it turns out that is only half as much rain as is normal in Hong Kong from January to March when more than 6” is normal – still not a huge amount of rain. But rainfall is abundant, in Hong Kong when looked at through the lens of a full year. In fact, the normal yearly rainfall is around 94.5 inches per year. The rainiest period is from May to September, when the rainfall exceeds 12" per month in the city, while the least rainy period is from November to January, when it drops below 2 inches per month. To put that in perspective, Hong Kong’s 94.5” per year towers over places in the United States that are considered rainy like. Seattle, Washington with 38” average rainfall a year or 62” in Miami or 64” a year in New Orleans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sun, April 10, 2022
1996: Spring storm dumps snow on US East coast
The winter of 1995-1996 in the Northern part of the United State just didn’t seem to want to end. Cold air lingered on well past the start of Spring. April was cold in that region of the country, especially New England and the first half of the month seemed more like winter than Spring. At the start of the second week of April temperatures were below freezing most nights and even during the daytime, readings had a tough time reaching 40. Meanwhile a strong storm was organizing off the coast of South Carolina and started to make its way up the coast, but a bit offshore, but close enough to first push snow on to the southern New Jersey coast dumping almost 5” of the white stuff on Atlantic City, an April record. The storm took a turn a bit to the northwest and pushed snow into New York City, JFK Airport had 4” of snow. But the heaviest snowfall was reserved for New England. By the time the snow stopped flying on the evening of April 10, 1996 Boston had 6”, Worcester, Ma 16” and Storrs, Conn 17”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, April 09, 2022
1993: Several tornadoes rip through West Bengal, India
Tornadoes have been recorded on all continents except Antarctica. The United States has the most tornadoes of any country, as well as the strongest and most violent tornadoes. A large portion of these tornadoes form in an area of the central United States. Canada experiences the second most tornadoes in the world. Other areas of the globe that have frequent tornadoes include significant portions of Europe, South Africa, Philippines, Bangladesh, parts of Argentina, Uruguay, and southern and southeast Brazil, along with northern Mexico, New Zealand, and far eastern Asia. Bangladesh and the eastern parts of India are very exposed to destructive tornadoes causing higher deaths and injuries. On April 9, 1993 several tornadoes ripped through the India in the State of West Bengal killing 100 people and injuring 400. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, April 08, 2022
1938: Blizzard leaves 20' snow drifts in Texas
In the early days of April 1938 arctic cold that had been building and was bottled up in Alaska and the Yukon came crashing southward along the east slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The wintry chill reached cities like Cheyenne and Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo and then smashed eastward enveloping Omaha, Wichita and Amarillo. The cold modified as it headed eastward but held firm for several days from Montana to New Mexico and eastward into Nebraska, Kansas and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. Meanwhile off the coast of southern California a storm was brewing. That system headed eastward and spread a blanket of snow from Arizona and New Mexico into west Texas. The storm slowed and eventually stalled for several days in Texas. Moisture came streaming into the system from off the Gulf of Mexico and lifted up and over the cold air in place. The result was an all-out blizzard. It raged for 84 hours and when the storm finally moved eastward on the afternoon of April 8, 1938. Snow drifts reached 20 feet high. Winds at the height of the storm were clocked at 77 mph in Pampa, Texas and 8 deaths were blamed on the storm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, April 07, 2022
1977: Wintry weather impacts first Blue Jays game
April 7, 1977 marked the first home game in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays. Actually, for a while, in February 1976 , it looked as if the National League’s San Francisco Giants would move to Toronto, where there were buyers eager for the club. When the Giants were sold in March 1976 to new owners determined to keep them in San Francisco, the American League jumped in to establish Toronto as an American League city, setting up an expansion club, and announced the Blue Jays, who began play the next year. Despite being one of the northernmost cities with a baseball team. The first games of the season for the franchise were actually not played at the home of some southern American League team as you might have expected in a search for warmer temperatures – but rather in Toronto. It was not a wise choice. With a sellout crowd on hand at Exhibition Stadium, more than 44,000 fans packed the old stadium, filling not only a new section built for baseball but also the football grandstand beyond the outfield fence. It was a snowy day and the lines on the field had to be brushed off constantly during the game – but nothing short of a blizzard was going to see the first Major League Baseball game in Toronto cancelled. Temperatures were in the 20s. The wintry weather did not deter the team ether, and the Blue Jays won their first ever major league game beating the Chicago White sox 9-5. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, April 06, 2022
1936: Tornado devastates town of Gainesville, GA
April 6, 1936 , brought one of the worst weather-related disasters in Georgia history. A series of strong tornadoes struck the southern United States but none was deadlier than the one that struck Gainesville, Georgia on April 6 1936. It was part of a devastating outbreak of 17 tornadoes across the South. And it wasn’t the first for Gainesville - another tornado killed more than 100 people in January 1903. In 1936, not one, but two tornadoes tore through the heart of town, destroying much of the business district and the county courthouse, trapping hundreds in debris. The funnel fueled fires all over the area, including the Cooper Pants manufacturing company, where 60 employees were killed. The storm left more than 200 dead, 1,600 injured, 2,000 homeless and millions of dollars in damage in Gainesville and 454 people were killed by the tornado outbreak across the south in the second deadliest ever recorded in US history. President Franklin Roosevelt toured the city three days later, and returned in 1938 to rededicate the courthouse and city hall after a massive citywide rebuilding effort. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, April 05, 2022
1816: The Eruption of Mount Tambora
The summer of 1816 was not like any summer people could remember. The National Center for Atmospheric Research reported that, snow fell in New England and gloomy, cold rains fell throughout Europe. It was cold and stormy and dark. 1816 became known in Europe and North America as “The Year Without a Summer.” The year before on April 5, 1815, Mount Tambora, a volcano, started to rumble with activity. Over the following four months the volcano exploded - the largest volcanic explosion in recorded history. Many people close to the volcano lost their lives in the event. Tambora ejected so much ash and dust into the atmosphere that the sky darkened and the Sun was blocked from view. The large particles spewed by the volcano fell to the ground nearby, covering towns with enough ash to collapse homes. Smaller particles spewed by the volcano were light enough to spread through the atmosphere over the following months and had a worldwide effect on climate. They made their way high into the stratosphere, where they could distribute around the world more easily. Earth’s average global temperature dropped more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit. The Year Without a Summer had many impacts in Europe and North America. Crops were wiped out - either by frost or a lack of sunshine. This caused food to be scarce. The lack of successful crops that summer made the food which was grown more valuable, and the price of food climbed. Because the price of oats increased, it was more expensive for people to feed their horses. Horses were the main method of transportation, so with expensive oats, the cost of travel increased. The gloomy summer weather also inspired writers. During that summer-less summer, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein , a horror novel set in an often stormy environment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, April 04, 2022
1933: The Akron airship disaster
In the 1930s, lighter than air ships, or dirigibles where the rage for long distance flight. Trans-ocean flight by airplanes was virtually impossible, especially as a passenger service. Planes would have to hop and skip from one re-fueling station to another across the north Atlantic. Long distance non-stop flight was still a way off not coming into practical availability until well after world War II. So, the big balloons where the rage. Many of them would ultimately meet with disaster including the US Shenandoah and the famous explosion and crash of the German air ship, Hindenburg in Lakehurst New Jersey in 1937. The Shenandoah had crashed 12 years earlier than the Hindenburg in 1925 when it flew through a thunderstorm. But the big ships kept flying. The Akron made many flights across the US as a promotion for the US Navy. The Akron was on such a flight on the early morning of April 4, 1933 off the coast of New jersey. It soon encountered severe weather, which did not improve when the airship passed over Barnegat Light, New Jersey. The Akron broke up rapidly and sank in the stormy Atlantic. The crew of a nearby German merchant ship saw lights descending toward the ocean at about 12:23 a.m. and altered course to investigate. The Akron slowly sunk in the ocean, the accident left 73 dead, and only three survivors. The day of the lighter than air ships would continue for several more years only to meet with one disaster after another almost all fueled by encounters with violent weather. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sun, April 03, 2022
1974: The "Super Tornado Outbreak"
The last few days of March 1974 and the first couple of days of April 1974 brought unseasonable warmth to much of the nation east of the Mississippi River. Across Ohio and northern Kentucky, the daffodils were blooming, and grass had turned a bright green, and, in some places, there was a hint of blue, that marks many types of grasses in Kentucky. Birds had already started to build their nests as the unseasonable warmth lasted for several days. But it was a false sign of spring and trouble was brewing in the vast frozen hinterlands of arctic Canada. Bitter cold from the departed winter still held sway up in the great north and when the jet stream, that had pulled up toward the Canadian border to transport the out of season warmth to the Ohio valley buckled, the cold was unleashed. Once the cold spilled over that region record low temperatures would wreak havoc with the blossoming buds and leave a skiff of snow on the ground. But before that happened, a violent cold front marking the leading edge of the bitter blast would rake across the region. It spanned killer twisters that went into the record books as the "Super Tornado Outbreak " - In 18 hours mostly on April 3, 1974, 148 tornadoes struck 13 states from Georgia to the Canadian border. 315 were killed and 6100 injured. Damage reached 1/2 billion dollars or 3 billion in 2022 dollars. Brandenburg, KY was completely destroyed with 28 killed and half of Xenia, OH was leveled with 33 dead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, April 02, 2022
1837: 17" of snow falls in St. Louis, MO
The city of St. Louis, Missouri, is known as the “Gateway to the West.” It has this nickname because it was the starting point for the westward movement of people in the United States during the early to mid-1800s. It was a traveling hub for many settlers, hunters and others migrating west. The Gateway Arch now in St. Louis symbolizes the city’s nickname. St. Louis was where many wagon trains got organized that first began to head west on the Oregon Trail and to California. Even though Kansas City and Independence Missouri where other jumping off points, St. Louis was the last big city that many settlers encountered. The "Gateway to the West" was where these travelers could load up on supplies they couldn’t find elsewhere before heading through the vast open western wilderness. April was a time or organization before waiting a few more weeks for the snow in the Rockies to melt. It all had to be timed just right because leaving too late in the spring might mean getting stuck in the mountains by the snow of the coming winter, and that could result in disaster. Nice Spring weather was the key to a good start. On April 2, 1837 the weather failed to cooperate dumping 17” of snow in St. Louis and as much as 24” in nearby towns just to the west delaying the start of many wagon trains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, April 01, 2022
1997: The "Great April Fools Day Snowstorm"
April snowfalls in the northeastern section of the United States are not unusual, but heavy snowfalls are rare. April snowfall totals average less than 5% of the season average in places like Boston. In fact, the normal snowfall in the month of April in Boston is less than 2”. In 1997 what would go into the books at the Great April Fools Day Snowstorm blasted up the East Coast. Cold air was already firmly in place across the region and this system pounded New England on April 1, 1997. 25.4” of snow fell at Boston’s Logan Airport, and broke the all-time 24-hour snowfall record of 23.6" set 1n February 1978. 100,000 people were left without power. This storm also made April 1997 the snowiest on record, easily surpassing the 13.3” that fell in April 1982. Winds gusted to 72 mph on Blue Mountain, Massachusetts, and to 54 mph in Boston. In a 2-day period from March 31 to April 1 Milford, Massachusetts picked up 36”, and Worcester, Mass was buried under 33”. Parts of the Catskills in New York State had up to 40”. In parts of Northwestern NJ, as much as 2’ of snow fell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, March 31, 2022
1807: Early chronicled winter storm strikes upstate New York
One of the earliest chronicled winter storms to strike upstate New York after the Revolution, was the strong system that impacted the region on March 31, 1807. The Herald in Cooperstown , NY reported, and I quote “The wind roared in the forests similar to the sound of the great cataract, the air was alternately filled with snow and transient gleams from the sun.” Along the Atlantic coast high winds and rain was the scene in New York Harbor, The New York Post described the situation. From it’s pages it said: “Amidst the bustle along the ports, in securing vessels and getting out fenders, were seen hundreds with their dogs, killing rats, which had been routed by the high tide. Hardly a terrier in the city was unemployed; and we may safely say, not less than 1000 rats were destroyed on the eastside of town. Though this remark may, by some, be considered unworthy of notice, it will be of use, if a proper use of it – that is, by removing the carcasses of the animals before the sun operates on them.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, March 30, 2022
1843: 2' of snow falls in Indiana
In the 1820’s and 1830s just after Maine became a state, after separating from Massachusetts, crop failures combined with cold weather caused some in New England to dream of warmer climates to the west. About this time Newspaperman Horace Greely was purported to have said “Go west, young man, and grow up with the country”? Many started the exodus for the Midwest. A major cradle of Midwestern settlement was Maine, Maine’s stony soil and the decline of its shipping trade pushed thousands of Mainers to get out just after it achieved statehood in 1820. The exodus was so bad that many newspaper editors in Maine wrote about the fear that the new state would actually be depopulated by “Illinois Fever” and the rush to lumbering towns along the Great Lakes — and then Oregon. Many of those Mainers and New Englanders settled in Indiana in addition to Illinois. They were greeted by a period of mild winters for a decade or so, but I was not to remain that way. The weather pattern shifted back to more typical Midwest cold and snowy winters. On March 30, 1843 2 feet was measured on the ground across much of Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. Until this point, farmers and loggers of the region had thought the climate to be better than New England – where many had just originated. The winter of 1842-43 dashed their hopes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, March 29, 2022
1848: Ice jam causes Niagara Falls to run dry
According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, ice jams on bodies of water are caused by melting snow and ice in the springtime. Warm temperatures and spring rains cause snow and ice to melt very rapidly. All this extra water causes frozen rivers and streams to swell up, and the layer of ice on top of the river begins to break up. The rushing river carries large chunks of ice downstream, and sometimes a group of ice chunks get stuck in a narrow passage of a river or stream. The ice chunks form an ice jam or ice dam, that blocks the natural flow of the river. Ice jams can be dangerous for people living in towns nearby. Because the river is blocked, the rushing water has nowhere to go and it can cause flooding in the surrounding area. On March 29th, 1848 a very unusual ice jammed formed. Centered on that day for about 24 hours, Niagara Falls ran dry. The Niagara River was reduced to a trickle as a massive ice jam formed near Buffalo. Strong winds has blown ice from Lake Erie into the River entrance and completely blocked it. It was only when the ice shifted the next day that the water resumed its flow over the falls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, March 28, 2022
2005: Storms along East coast brings heavy rain and flooding
A strong storm developed in the southeastern United States on the 27th of March 2005 and grew even more dangerous as it moved up the East Coast on March 28th before moving out to sea off the New England Coast. Heavy rain fell across the Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan areas on the 28th and set the stage for a one-two punch of flooding when a second storm arrived in early April. Poor drainage and urban flooding resulted from the storm on the 28th and some rivers also experienced flooding, especially in New Jersey, notably along the Passaic and Ramapo Rivers. Rainfall totals exceeded 3” in New York City and much of New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Most of the ground was still covered in snow from the winter season adding to the flooding woes. Further to the south on the tail end of the storm system, severe weather broke out dumping 4” diameter hail in Raleigh North Carolina and striking Florida with heavy thunderstorms that produced several inches of rain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sun, March 27, 2022
1980: Winnipeg, Manitoba reaches March record-high
The prairies and plains of west central Canada, like those on the plains of the central United States are subject to wide swings of weather. Geographic barriers like mountains and large bodies of water can block or deflect even large-scale weather systems. Ocean temperatures and currents impact the track of storms. The influence of abnormally warm or cold waters, known as El Nino and La Nina, off the west coast of the Americas results in abnormal snow and rainfall patterns across much of the North American continent. Sometimes, as slow-moving storms come toward ocean shorelines, those storms almost bounce a bit off the coast directed away by the friction that winds encounter with landmasses. On the vast open plains of North America, no such impediments exist. That often times manifests itself in temperature extremes not expected at southern and northern latitudes. For example, Texas sees much colder weather than Florida. Canada will often see high temperatures not usually associated with that northern clime at certain times. On March 27, 1980 such and occurrence happened when Winnipeg, Manitoba reached an all-time March record high temperature of 74 degrees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, March 26, 2022
2014: Powerful Nor'Easter strikes New England
Late season Nor’easters in March are often times the most powerful storms to strike the northeast. On March 26, 2014 one such storm struck New England. The strong late season winter storm brought howling winds and heavy snow to Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Winds gusted as high as 82 mph on Nantucket, and more than 100 mph just off shore. The wind drove snow against buildings and homes plastering doors shut. Drifts of snow several feet high impeded emergency vehicles from removing trees and power poles brought down by the hurricane force winds. Most of the major cities in New England missed out on the heavy snow from the storm, but some offshore islands received almost a foot of snow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, March 25, 2022
1948: Tornado strikes Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City
Tornado Alley is that area in the United States that has more tornados than anywhere else in the world. Stretching from central Texas to Eastern South Dakota. Tornados are more likely in Texas and Oklahoma in the Spring, and then they are more numerous in the northern plains in the summertime. Fed by the contrast between moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and super dry air that blows down off the Rockies, and the contrast in temperatures between the ground surface and midlevels in the atmosphere, severe weather development is primed. This is most common in Tornado Alley, and more common in southern areas early in the season. Oklahoma’s most active month is May, but March is the 4th most active of the year. Averaging almost as many tornados as July, August and September put together. It’s not unusual then for tornado to strike the same part of Oklahoma more than once in March. But what happened on this date in weather history on March 25, 1948 was unusual. A tornado struck Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City destroying 35 airplanes. Just 5 days earlier a tornado had also struck the air base destroying 50 airplanes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, March 24, 2022
1912: 25" of snow falls in Kansas City, MO
It had been fairly snowy across Kansas and Missouri in the 1911-1912 winter season. By the later stages of March, Kansas City already had recorded more than 40” of snow including 15” earlier in March alone. Average snowfall for an entire season is about 15” so the city already had well above its normal snowfall. Milder weather had made several attempts to move into that part of the nation during March, but cold air held firm and so it was cold on March 23, 1912 as a storm spun up in the southern Rockies. That’s system moved eastward pulling moisture from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of it and skirted along the southern edge of the cold air mass that was in place across the Plains states. As the storm moved through Texas, Kansas City was deep in the cold air. Snow began to fall in the afternoon of the 23rd and by the time it ended on the evening of March 24, 1912 Kansas City experienced its greatest snowstorm on record. 25” fell in 24 hours bringing the total snowfall there to more than 40” for March and 67” for the winter more than 4 times normal. Both the March and seasonal snowfall totals were records for Kansas City. Not far away in Olathe, KS 38” fell during that storm, a single storm state record. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, March 23, 2022
1913: The Great Flood
On March 23, 1913 the rain started falling across the Mid-west and it didn’t stop for 4 days and 4 nights. The deluge resulted in epic flooding unequaled in American history before and after. Known as the Great Flood. The storm system that produced the flood in late March 1913 began with a typical winter storm pattern, but developed characteristics that promoted heavy rain and at times sleet and snow. As the storm gained strength on Sunday, March 23, high winds, hail, sleet, and tornadoes settled in across a vast swath of the nation’s mid-section. Major tornadoes hit Omaha, Nebraska where 94 died; also hit were Lone Peach, Arkansas; and Terre Haute, Indiana . On Monday and Tuesday, March 24 and 25, 3 to 8 inches of rain fell in Ohio, Indiana, and southern Illinois. Major rivers in Indiana and Ohio experienced heavy runoff. Downstream, where the Ohio River enters the Mississippi River, the water level broke record highs. By Tuesday, March 25, the Ohio River and its tributaries flooded cities such as Indianapolis, Cincinnati , Youngstown and Columbus. Dayton, Ohio, was particularly hard-hit. On Wednesday, March 26, the storm moved east into Pennsylvania and New York , while heavy rain continued in the Ohio valley. The heaviest rainfall, 6 to 9, covered an area from southern Illinois into northwestern Pennsylvania. As the storm continued eastward, flooding began in New York, Massachusetts , Vermont , and Virginia . The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Tue, March 22, 2022
1936: Melting snow leads to massive flooding
The winter of 1935-1936 was a severe one with lower than normal temperatures in the eastern half of the United States. As of early March, it was estimated that the snowpack in Northern New England contained an average of about 7.5 inches of water – the equivalent of almost 100” of snow. Deep snow also covered the ground across Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York state. Early in March 1936, a warm, moisture-laden storm moved into the area from the Ohio Valley to New England and stalled producing heavy rainfall. As the snow started to melt and the rains fell, streams and rivers began to fill, and the ground became soggy and saturated. A second moisture laden storm moved into the same region on March 18th and continued into the 20th. Again, the combination of heavy rain and melting snow resulted in more flooding. But this time almost the entire snow cover in New England melted, and with the ground already water-logged and the rivers full, severe flooding ensued. In many locations, this was the most severe flooding that has ever been experienced. The height of the flood, when the waters peaked, was March 22, 1936. The flood in Pittsburgh was more than 6 feet, higher than ever recorded, almost 9 feet higher in Hartford, Conn. and many other locations on that day would see flooding records not surpassed since. 107 lives were lost and $270 million dollars in damage or more than $5 billion in 2022 dollars. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, March 21, 2022
1868: Late-March snowstorm slams East coast
March 1868 started out relatively mild across the Eastern states. The winter of 1867-1868 had been a uniformly cold winter. Life was finally starting to get back to normal in the aftermath of the Civil War in the Northeastern states and the break in the winter, early in March was welcomed as the harbinger of an early spring. In the middle of the month though, a storm took form across the nation’s midsection and as it rolled eastward arctic air moved out of western Canada, across the Great Lakes into the Northeast. With cold weather firmly in place the storm moved in, and snow began to fall and quickly. Reports form the day indicated that 15-20” of snow fell at Philadelphia on March 21, Georgetown DE has an incredible 32” in just 16 hours. Many other parts of Delaware and New Jersey had close to 2 feet of the white stuff. The winter itself would go into the record books as the snowiest recorded up to that time. The storm on March 21, 1868 would bring seasonal snowfall totals to more than 80” in both New York City and Boston. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sun, March 20, 2022
1948: 32.5" of heavy snow falls in Juneau, AK
Often times wave patterns develop in the high atmosphere, the strongest winds in these waves are represented by the jet stream. These waves in the air, like waves in the ocean, have high and low points over time and space. From a geographical perspective the high point usually supports high pressure and the low points low pressure or storms. On the western side of the high pressure or ridging it’s usually warm and winds blow from the south, close to the center of the low point or trough of the wave there is storminess. When patterns like this develop to the extreme, with great definition contrast in the waves, in the wintertime there can be awesome extremes. One such extreme case happened On March 20, 1948. A trough or dip in the wave caused a massive storm to hit Alaska dumping heavy snow in Juneau, the states capitol, where 32.5” of snow fell the heaviest ever there from one storm. Meanwhile far to the east in the eastern part of the US, a ridge, or rise in the jet stream, resulted in record warmth across the Carolinas. In some places like Raleigh and Greensboro, NC the mercury barely dipped below 70 for a low temperature setting records for the warmest March night ever recorded there. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, March 19, 2022
1958: The "Eve of Spring Snowstorm"
On March 19, 1958. Rain began falling along the eastern seaboard as a weak storm moved across the Ohio Valley. As that system approached the East Coast cold air was drawn into the storm from eastern Canada. The storm exploded. As it strengthened rapidly and the cold air was pulled southward all the way into the Mid-Atlantic states, the rain changed to snow and more and more moisture was fed into the system from a strong jet stream that reached all the way down into the Gulf of Mexico. When the rain started in March 19th temperatures were well up into the 40s. By the night of the 19th temperatures had sagged down to near freezing. The snow picked up in intensity and continued for the next several days. Most of the time the ratio of water content to the amount of the mid-Atlantic states is 10 to 1. That is for every inch of water there is about 10” of snow. In this situation though, later in March, with temperatures at or above freezing that ratio was more than 4 to 1 or even 3 to I. That meant the snow was much heavier than usual the result would soon play itself out with collapsed roofs and buildings as they yielded to the sheer weight of the snow. When the snowfall was over more than foot of the white stuff covered many of the big northeastern cities from Philadelphia to Boston. Many of the northern and eastern suburbs received almost 2 feet of snow from the storm that would go into the History books as the “Eve of Spring Snowstorm”. Just south of the snow area in Washington DC and Baltimore had record rainfall of almost 4” and flooding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, March 18, 2022
1925: The Tri-State Tornado
Early spring often brings the most violent weather to the nation’s midsection of the entire year. High in the atmosphere, up where the jet stream is, temperatures can still be almost as cold as they are in mid-winter, yet down on the ground temperatures can soar to at times close to summer-time levels. The extreme temperature contrast, that occurs at no other time of the year, combined with turning winds from the surface up into higher levels of the air leads to the formation of severe thunderstorms and multiple tornados. On March 18, 1925 perhaps the greatest severe weather event in the last two centuries was brewing. By the time the day was over what would be known as the Tristate tornado produced the single most devastating tornado ever. The tornado began near Ellington, Missouri and averaged 62 mph in forward speed as it moved northeastward. The tornado was 1 mile wide and was on the ground for 219 miles the longest continuous tornado path ever observed. 85 farms were destroyed near Owensville, Indiana, and the entire town of Griffin, Indiana, was totally destroyed. A total of 695 deaths were reported with 2,027 injured there alone from that single tornado alone. There was $16.5 million worth of damage or almost a quarter of a billion in 2021 dollars. 11 other tornadoes the same day killed 50 more elsewhere, including 33 at a school in Desoto, IL. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, March 17, 2022
1776: Weather impacts the Revolutionary War
The first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired in the towns of Lexington and Concord just west of Boston in April 1775. What started as a British victory as they looked for munitions stored by local militia turned into a rout as American militia from all of New England converged on the area and drove the British back into Boston. The British attempted to break out of Boston at the Battle of Bunker Hill some months later and even though they won because the Americans ran out of ammunition, the victory came at a terrible cost of dead and wounded, British General Clinton said that more British victories like that would actually put an end to British rule in America. So the British sat in Boston for almost a year. Meanwhile George Washington took control of the American Army and sent colonial artillery expert Henry Knox to Fort Ticonderoga in New York state to bring southward huge cannons from the fort. Working all night on March 4 and into March 5, 1776 American forces moved the guns onto Dorchester heights that overlooked Boston from the south. It gave the Colonials a commanding position that the British could not counter. But British General William Howe wanted to give it a go anyway, he gathered some of his force of 11,000 troops onto ships to cross Boston harbor and attack the gun placements before they could be firmly established. Just as the troops had been loaded into the ships a huge storm hit and caused them to turn back. It gave the Americans time to firm up the guns and their advantage was established. The weather turned the tide. The British soon abandoned Boston, never to return during the rest of the Revolution. They evacuated on March 17, 1776, a day still celebrated in Boston. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, March 16, 2022
1843: Snowstorm from Gulf of Mexico to Maine
On March 16, 1843 one the first winter storms to be documented to sweep out of the Gulf and Mexico and impact must of the eastern part of the nation was observed. At the start of the second week of March in 1843 arctic air moved southward out of the vast snowfields of the Yukon, down the east slopes of the Rockies and then spread eastward to the Atlantic seaboard. The cold air held for the next few days and on its southern flank, well south in the Gulf of Mexico a storm started to organize. That system strengthened rapidly and then blasted up the east coast, but far enough out in the ocean to keep most mild ocean air away from land. The result was snow from the Gulf of Mexico to Maine. This great snowstorm dumped 8” in Little Rock, AR; 10" in Memphis, TN and a foot of snow in Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Drifts reached 4-5 feet in New York City. Snow turned to rain then back to snow at Providence, RI. 4-6". All snow with punishing gales were recorded in Portland, ME. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, March 15, 2022
1935: "Black Blizzard" strikes Amarillo, TX
The 1930s were not kind to the Great Plains, in the midst of economic disaster caused by the Great Depression, one of the most prolonged periods of severe weather struct the region in the form of severe drought, known as the Dust Bowl. Mass migration hit the area and many parts of the region lost population that would not be replenished for more than 25 years. With insufficient understanding of the ecology of the plains, farmers had conducted extensive deep plowing of the virgin topsoil of the Great Plains during the previous decade; this had displaced the native, deep-rooted grasses that normally trapped soil and moisture even during periods of drought and high winds. The rapid mechanization of farm equipment, especially small gasoline tractors, and widespread use of the combine harvester contributed to farmers' decisions to convert arid grassland, much of which received no more than 10 inches of precipitation per year, to cultivated cropland. During the drought of the 1930s, the unanchored soil turned to dust, which the prevailing winds blew away in huge clouds that sometimes blackened the sky. These choking billows of dust were named "black blizzards". On March 15, 1935 one of the worst of these black blizzards, stuck Amarillo, Texas with Suffocating dust; 6 people died, many livestock starved or suffocated. Dust lay 6 feet deep in places. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, March 14, 2022
1870: The coining of the term "Blizzard"
The term blizzard has found a significant spot in our language. A blizzard is officially defined as a storm with "considerable falling or blowing snow" and winds in excess of 35 mph with visibilities of less than 1/4 mile for at least 3 hours. The term has been applied to many snowstorms in American history, most notably the Blizzard of ’88. The term has also been used for snow events that did not meet the criteria – but where big snowstorms none the less. But the term wasn’t even invented until March 14 1870. The Editor of the Dakota Republican of Vermillion South Dakota described the storm: "A violent snowstorm, driven by a heavy NW wind, and continued three whole days and nights. The weather was intensely cold and the heavy fall, flying before a furious wind - blowing as only the prairie winds can blow - rendered traveling exceedingly uncomfortable and dangerous, if not almost impossible." This storm referred to as a blizzard. A baseball team was named after it: The "Northern Blizzards", of Estherville Iowa. The manager said that "We confess to a certain liking for it, because it's at once startling, curious and positively suggestive of the furious and all victorious tempests which are experienced in this northwestern clime." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sun, March 13, 2022
1888: The Blizzard of '88
Records show that early settlers to what would become the Mid-Atlantic and New England states report of huge snowstorms dating back to the 1600s. Native American tales tell of deep snow and powerful winds from well before that time in the region. But modern city life and dense population was not yet established. By the 1880s though the population of Northeast cites had skyrocketed. In Philadelphia the population went from 120,000 in 1850 to 850,000 in 1880. NYC from 700,000 in 1850 to almost 2 million in 1880. With all those people packed into now modern rising cities and dependent on public services to allow people to get around and supply lines for basics like food major snow storms had a profound impact. In the decades prior to 1888 there had been no large snowstorm to impact the cities in the area. That all changed starting on March 11, 1888 and reached it’s height on March 13. In what would go down in history as the fabled Blizzard of ’88. The storm was slow to organize on the mid-Atlantic coast with 10” in Philadelphia, then it strengthened rapidly turning into a bomb cyclone. When the snow stopped flying the damage was done; more than 20” in New York 45” in Albany and New Haven Conn. New York City ground to a near halt in the face of massive snow drifts and powerful winds from the storm. Wind gusts were recorded at 85 miles per hour in New York City. Along with heavy snow, there was a complete whiteout in the city. Despite drifts that reached the second story of some buildings, many city residents trudged out to New York’s elevated trains to go to work, only to find many of them blocked by snow drifts and unable to move. Up to 15,000 people were stranded on the elevated trains. In addition to the elevated trains; telegraph lines, water mains and gas lines were also located above ground making them prone to freezing, which they did because record cold accompanied the storm, temperatures plunged into the teens as far south as North Carolina. At the time, approximately one in every four Americans lived in the area between Washington DC and Boston, more than 400 people perished in the storm. Even though it happened more than 130 years ago it is still the benchmark that all other storms are measured by in the region. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, March 12, 2022
1990: Record high temperatures in Eastern US
The winter of 1989-1990 in the eastern 2/3rds of the nation had been brutal. November 1989 started mild in the western part of the nation, and a bit cooler in the East it was nothing out of the ordinary. The weather, however changed dramatically in late November. It turned very cold with frequent snowstorms in the central states and the east. In the Midwest temperatures averaged, in some places more than 15 degrees below normal, and it ranked as one of the 5 coldest Decembers on record, and the fierce winter was just getting started. At the end of December, just a day before Christmas one of the greatest coastal snowstorms every recorded struck South and North Carolina. By Christmas morning 1989 snow reached almost 4” in depth in Charleston, SC, 15” in Wilmington NC and more than a foot all the way out on Cape Hatteras, NC. Snow covered the ground as far south as Tampa and Daytona Beach. In January and February of 1990 temperatures began to moderate somewhat – but it remained cold and snowy in many places in the East. In mid-March winter broke and it did so by completely flipping the script. Warm air started to build across the Plains states and by March 10th the jet stream, that had dropped far south in the United States and brought cold air with it had retreated quickly northward into Canada. That allowed the warm air out west to pour into the East. March 12 , 1990 saw unheard of record high temperatures. The mercury reached 90 in Raleigh, NC, 87 in Norfolk, Va. 86 on the beaches of Atlantic City. And amazing 95 in Baltimore Md, breaking a record that had stood for 100 years. Meanwhile cool air still held out over New England and Long Island. While readings in northern New Jersey soared into the upper 80s, central Long Island was chilly. LaGuardia Airport, a mere 60 miles away in New York City reached no higher than 47. But the winter was clearly on the run on March 12, 1990 and no more artic air reached into the Eastern states until the following winter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, March 11, 2022
1911: Snow depth record for US in Tamarack, CA
Tamarack, California sits up in the high Sierra of that state at an elevation of 6,913 feet. Located just south of Reno and Lake Tahoe it is home to one of the premiere ski venues in the United States and even the world for that matter, and for good reason. Snowfall averages an incredible 443” a year. Because of its location in the High Sierra it is prone to getting hit by one strong pacific storm after another loaded with copious amounts of moisture that sometimes stream all the way from the central pacific. That moisture stream, often known as the Pineapple Express is a direct link all the way from the Hawaiian Islands and beyond. During the winter of 1911 the central part of California was impacted by one snowstorm after another. By March 11, 1911 snow on the ground measured 471” – the greatest snow depth ever measured in one place in the United States, a record that still holds today. Tamarack also holds the record for greatest seasonal snowfall in California: during the winter of 1906−1907, it received 883”. It’s no wonder so many skiers make the trip there every winter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, March 10, 2022
1869: Reddish snow falls across central France
Dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa is the main source of dust in the atmosphere on a yearly basis across the world. The dust has its origins principally in the remains of centuries old dry lake beds, mainly in the country of Chad. This dust is presentient and often times lifts into the low atmosphere creating a general haze across north central Africa. Because of its presence, storms and seasonal, or trade winds often pick up huge amounts of the dust and dirt and send it thousands of miles away from Africa – sometimes halfway around the world. The presence of the dust in Hurricane season can often act as a deterrent to the formation of tropical systems suppressing the formation of water droplets and clouds. Sometimes this dust makes it all the west into the Caribbean. It can cause travel disruptions diverting aircraft and interfering with radio waves. The most pronounced visible manifestation of the dust is in Europe, often lifted high into the atmosphere from storms approaching the northwest coast of Africa or Portugal. The dust settles into the lower atmosphere causing red sunrises and sunsets – but sometimes it’s washed out of the sky by rain and even more striking by snow. Such events, in the past, have resulted in superstitious approaches to the weather events. On March 10 1869 a reddish snow fell all day across central France. Some locals panicked because they thought it was colored in blood. Africans and scientists knew what the source of the red appearance was. The origin of the red color was the dust raised from the dry lake beds of Chad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, March 09, 2022
1862 - The Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack
The Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack occurred on March 9, 1862,. It was the first battle between ironclad warships. The Northern-built Merrimack, a conventional steam frigate, had been salvaged by the Confederates from the Norfolk navy yard. With her upper hull cut away and armored with iron, this 263-foot ship resembled, according to one contemporary source, “a floating barn roof.” The ship had destroyed a fleet of wooden warships off Newport News, Virginia in the days leading up to the battle. The Union ironclad Monitor arrived the night of March 8. This 172-foot “Yankee Cheese Box on a raft,” with its water-level decks and armored revolving gun turret, represented an entirely new concept of naval design. Thus the stage was set for the dramatic naval battle of March 9, with crowds of Union and Confederate supporters watching from the decks of nearby vessels and the shores on either side. They passed back and forth on opposite courses. Both crews lacked training; firing was ineffective. The Monitor could fire only once in seven or eight minutes but was faster and more maneuverable than her larger Confederate opponent. Both ships suffered some damage and retired. Because of the sheer weight of the ship and lack of maneuverability the previous days success of the Merrimack and the battle itself was only possible because of calm weather that allowed for smooth waters. In fact weather reports indicate the sky was clear and sunny with no wind. Even though the battle was inconclusive - it showed the superiority of the iron clad or metal covered ships and the engineering improved rapidly. Historians said that the battle made all navies that existed in the world at the time obsolete, and brought into existence modern naval warfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, March 08, 2022
2008: Major storm moves across Tennessee Valley
Cold air had been holding across the Midwest during the first week of March in 2008. Storms had been frequent in that region during that time, but none of them particularly strong. That changed on March 8, 2008. A major storm moving across the Tennessee Valley brought snow to the Midwest, strong thunderstorms to the Southeast and heavy rain and flooding the Northeast. Columbus, OH set a 24-hour maximum heavy snowfall record of 15.4“. The storm total reached more than 20 “. Memphis, TN received 1.4“ of snow, breaking the daily record. Jackson, TN also had an inch of snow, breaking their daily record. Trenton, NJ had a daily rainfall record 1.49“, with a record of 1.47“ in Philadelphia. Flooding occurred all along the Neshaminy Creek in the Philadelphia suburbs causing people to flee their homes. Damage occurred in parts of a VA from powerful thunderstorm generated winds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, March 07, 2022
2017: Powerful tornado rips through Oak Grove, KS
The first week of February 2008 was a tough one for the western US as a powerful storm moved onshore. The storm’s height culminated on February 7. There were several areas of very heavy rain with some places having nearly 10“ while winds gusted to more than 100 mph. Loma Prieta, CA had nearly 10“ of rain and Marysville, Ca had just over 9“. Winds gusted to 163 mph near Tahoe City, CA with a 149 mph wind gust at Mammoth Mountain. Snow was also impressive with a whopping 132“ in Kirksville, CA and 62“ in Wolf Creek Pass Colorado. At height of the storm it was estimated that nearly 2 million people were without power through California, Nevada and Utah. Roads were blocked by snow, flooding was a problem not only from the rainfall but because of pounding waves and storm surge along the northern California coast. The heavy snow, rain and powerful winds caused huge airline delays that rippled across the entire US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, March 05, 2022
1899: Cyclone Mahina
Tropical systems that reach Hurricane strength in a region near Australia are known as Cyclones. Cyclones that impact the northern and east coast of Australia are fairly common, but the strongest systems usually steer north of the Island Continent. But on March 5, 1899 one of the most powerful Tropical Cyclones ever to strike the region caused unimaginable damage. Cyclone Mahina was the deadliest cyclone in recorded Australian history, and also likely the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. A pearling fleet, based at Thursday Island, Queensland was anchored in the bay before the storm. Within an hour, the storm drove much of the fleet ashore or onto the Great Barrier Reef. An eyewitness reported that a 48-foot storm surge swept over their camp at Barrow Point atop a 40-foot high ridge and reached 3 miles inland, the largest storm surge ever recorded. The exact number of those that died is unknown – but was probably close to 500. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, March 04, 2022
1909: Weather's impact on President Taft's inauguration
On March 4 1909, William Howard Taft was to be sworn in as the 27th President of the United States. The night before a fierce storm struck the East Coast and all but shut down travel. With Temperatures well below freezing snow began on the afternoon of March 3 in Washington DC and continued into the after dawn hours of Inauguration Day, which at the time was still held on March 4th. The blizzard left more than 10” of snow. The inauguration ceremony was moved indoors, into the Senate Chamber, limiting the number of persons who could attend. Despite the adverse weather conditions, the inaugural parade was not cancelled. 6,000 city workers used 500 wagons to remove 58,000 tons of snow to clean the parade route. For the first time in inauguration history, the incoming First Lady joined her husband in leading the parade from the Capitol to the White House. Before heading off that evening with his wife, to an inaugural ball at the Pension Building, Taft hosted a celebratory dinner at the newly opened Metropolitan Club for those fellow members of his Yale Class of 1878 who had come to the event. In his remarks he said that . “I always said it would be a cold day when I got to be president,” and so it was. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, March 03, 2022
1994: Massive snowstorm dumps 30" in Central PA
On March 3 1994, a major storm belted the eastern states, heavy rains fell along the east coast and heavy snow piled up in the interior. As much as 30” of snow buried parts of central PA. This intense storm resulted in the establishment of many seasonal snowfall records in the region. The snow was accompanied by frequent thunder and lightning in some locations. These thunder snows, acting much like downpours of rain in the summertime – gave downpours of snow that mounted up, in some places to 4-5 inches in a single hour. Along the East Coast, on the I-95 corridor, there was more than 2” of rain accompanied by wind gusts over 60 mph and urban street flooding and flooding along streams; 25 foot waves crashed on to Cape Hatteras, NC. A snow avalanche buried 5 cars under 20 feet of snow, trapping the occupants for 28 hours before rescue in the Pennsylvania Mountains of Clinton County. 28" of snow fell at State College PA; 24" at Lock Haven, PA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, March 02, 2022
1975: Tornadoes in Georgia leave a trail of destruction
The morning of March 2, 1975 dawned warm and humid across Georgia. As the day wore on in Atlanta temperatures continued to climb, meanwhile across the Mississippi Valley a strong cold front was heading eastward. As that frontal system gathered momentum and pushed into the warmer weather, a strong line of severe thunderstorms erupted across Alabama. By afternoon violent weather was approaching Atlanta and tornados developed. One Tornado took direct aim on the Georgia governor’s mansion in Atlanta. First the twister touched down in a housing development known as Perry Homes, then lifted up after leaving at least 100 apartments there severely damaged and a small shopping center destroyed. Displaced residents were moved to nearby schools, motels and other buildings. Soon the Governor’s Mansion was in its sight, The Mansion, newly built and only 8 years old, sat roughly midway on the eight‐mile‐long path of destruction caused by the tornado. In some places, the path was more than a quarter of a mile wide. According to the New York Times, Gov. George Busbee was forced to flee to safety in the center section of the Mansion. Elsewhere around the city, disaster officials reported, about 500 homes and businesses were badly damaged, 50 persons were injured and 3 people died. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, March 02, 2022
1975: Tornadoes in Georgia leave a trail of destruction
The morning of March 2, 1975 dawned warm and humid across Georgia. As the day wore on in Atlanta temperatures continued to climb, meanwhile across the Mississippi Valley a strong cold front was heading eastward. As that frontal system gathered momentum and pushed into the warmer weather, a strong line of severe thunderstorms erupted across Alabama. By afternoon violent weather was approaching Atlanta and tornados developed. One Tornado took direct aim on the Georgia governor’s mansion in Atlanta. First the twister touched down in a housing development known as Perry Homes, then lifted up after leaving at least 100 apartments there severely damaged and a small shopping center destroyed. Displaced residents were moved to nearby schools, motels and other buildings. Soon the Governor’s Mansion was in its sight, The Mansion, newly built and only 8 years old, sat roughly midway on the eight‐mile‐long path of destruction caused by the tornado. In some places, the path was more than a quarter of a mile wide. According to the New York Times, Gov. George Busbee was forced to flee to safety in the center section of the Mansion. Elsewhere around the city, disaster officials reported, about 500 homes and businesses were badly damaged, 50 persons were injured and 3 people died. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, March 01, 2022
2007: Clash of air masses results in violent weather
In late February 2007 arctic cold had most of the western half of nation in its’ grip, at the same time warm and humid weather covered the eastern states. It was a classic set up of a clash of air masses, that usually results in a violent weather outcome. By the early morning of March 1st a powerful storm was organizing in the southern Rockies. That system would take a track across New Mexico and Oklahoma and then head toward the Ohio Valley. Snow began to fly in the central Rockies and then it headed out into the plans states. That strong storm brought blizzard conditions to Nebraska. Omaha had a foot a snow with 58 mph winds that reduced visibility to less than half a mile. Snowfall extended north and east with a foot and a half of the white stuff in parts of Iowa and a foot or more from Minnesota and South Dakota all the way to Michigan. Further south, where warm air held sway, severe thunderstorms brought hail and deadly tornadoes. Fifteen people were killed when a tornado hit Enterprise High School in Alabama, and two were killed when a tornado hit Americus, Georgia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, February 28, 2022
1994: Record cold grips parts of Pacific Northwest
Mild weather had been the rule across the Pacific Northwest for most of the winter of 1994. In fact, when the winter was over it turned out to be the 10th warmest winter in more than 100 years. But in the later days of February an artic airmass that had been building across the Yukon began to slide southward. By the morning of February 28, 1994 it has settled in over Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Record cold gripped the region. Burns Oregon recorded a low temperature of 22 below zero smashing the old record of 2 above. In Pocatello, Idaho the mercury reached 17 below, another record. The cold lingered on for a few more days – but that was to be the last bitter cold of the warm winter of 1994. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, February 27, 2022
1997: Several inches of snow on the summits of Hawaiian mountains
For folks suffering in the throes of a harsh winter thoughts often turn to warmer climates and the dream of laying out on the beaches of Hawaii. In fact, the normal high temperature on February 27 is close to 80 in Honolulu. But there are high mountains on the Hawaiian Islands, 3 volcanic peaks extend well above 9,000 and because temperatures can drop as much as 5 ½ degrees for every 1000 feet of elevation that’s a difference from the ground at sea level to that 9,000-foot elevation of about 50 degrees. So that normal 80 for a high temperature can be 30 or even colder. When storms strike in the rainy, winter season from December to February, snow and ice can accumulate on the mountains and even though the snow doesn’t stay around too long it can certainly keep those peaks white. In fact, some adventurous Hawaiians even try their hand at skiing. Such a winter event occurred of February 27, 1997, when several inches of snow fell on the highest summits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, February 26, 2022
1645: Several feet of snow accumulates across New England
The winter of 1645 had been relatively mild across New England. Population growth of European settlers in the region had been slow with only 3,000 living in the area in 1630. But by 1640 14,000 lived in the region and mild winter had encouraged more to come from England and other European lands and by 1645 close to 20,000 where spreading through the area. By February 26 some thought they might get through the winter with no real harsh weather. But it was not to be. A storm churning up the Atlantic seaboard dumped several feet of snow across the region on February 26, 1645. With little to help clean up the snow or for that matter pack down the snow, so sleighs and sleds could glide over the snow, it was reported that travel was virtually impossible for 3 weeks. Courts and public meetings where suspended to almost the end of March. That winter storm or other harsh winters did nothing to deter more settlers and by 1680 almost 70,000 Europeans or their descendants occupied New England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, February 25, 2022
1961: One of the worst ice storms in North American history
From the morning of February 25, 1961 until the next day sheets of rain pounded the Montreal area, at the same time cold air hugged the lowest several thousand feet of the atmosphere, and the result was one of the worst ice storms in history to strike North America. With temperatures in the 20s and winds gusting between 50 and 70mph through the day the rain was pushed into every nook and cranky of the city and suburbs, causing ice to form everywhere that got wet. Ice accumulated as much as 2 ½ inches thick on wires. Power and communication lines snapped and, in many areas, it took more than a week to restore power. Many homes had no heat for more than a week. Water lines were impacted as well and many suburban areas were unable to get water because of the lack of power and because of lack of heat pipes burst – just as they did in Texas last year. Government authorities set up shelters in area schools to house thousands of people who had no heat, no water and no communication. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, February 24, 2022
1969: New England gets hit with 5-day long snowstorm
In February 1969 arctic cold had been holding New England in its grip for most of the month and a series of storms had brought snow all across the region. In some places 1-3 feet of snow had already been reported in the first 3 and a half weeks of the month. It was only the beginning. On February 24, 1969 at 1:35am snow began in Boston. The snow continued, almost without let up for 5 days. By the time the snow ended just after noontime on February 28, 26.3” was measured at Boston’s Logan airport right along the water. But much heavier amounts were recorded just inland from Boston, in places like Roxbury to Malden and also Lexington and Concord of Revolutionary war fame, the storm brought 40-50” of the white stuff. 77” was recorded at Pinkham Notch in New Hampshire, bringing the February snowfall total there to 130” and the total snow depth to 164”. It took New Englanders the better part of the next week to dig out from the great 5-day snowstorm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, February 23, 2022
1802: Massive snowstorm dumps up to 4' in New England
On February 23, 1802 a great snowstorm raged across New England, by nightfall when the snow stopped flying, drifts in places near Boston piled up to 4 feet high. In those early days of the republic how did people get around in cities? How were the streets cleaned? According to Marketplace.org; before the mid-1800s, there wasn’t really any effort to get snow off roads. Before 1862, people didn’t use snow plows, they used snow rollers. The way people travelled through snow was by attaching skis to their horse-drawn carts and carriages. Snow rollers were huge, horse-drawn wheels that would flatten out the snow, making it easier for the carts with skis to move on the winter roads. But by the mid-19th century, as cities were rapidly growing in population, city streets needed to be entirely clear of snow for the business of the city to continue. And with this, came snow plows, first used by the city of Milwaukee in 1862. Early snow plows were horse-drawn, and would deposit the compacted snow in huge piles on the city’s streets and sidewalks. Not all cities used plows though. Some just used shovels. In New York, clearing the snow was the responsibility of the Police Department and officers would have to shovel. On February 23, 1802 in Boston, people where then left to fend for themselves in dealing with a massive snowstorm and it took more than a week to literally dig out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, February 22, 2022
1901: Heavy fog causes ship to crash and sink near San Francisco
Fog and low clouds have been the bane of travelers since the beginning of time. As more people travel in groups and because of modern technology those going from place to place sometimes find themselves at the mercy of the low clouds and fog with no way to escape. From the recent tragic helicopter crash involving Kobe Bryant and his companions to a pile up of cars on an interstate highways, low visibility or lack of visibility at all, contributes to the horrible outcome. Despite the best efforts of those involved and modern technology, sudden loss of visibility can, in an instant, turn clear skies to total lack of vision. Those traveling the interstates of the northeast near snow squall areas know this well when white-outs occur and lead to massive pile ups. This type of event can also happen on the seas and especially near the coastline. Such a tragedy struck on February 22 1901 when a Pacific mail steamer struck a rock in near San Francisco as it attempted to enter the bay during a dense fog, visibility was almost zero and those piloting the ship where unable to see where they were headed. The ship went down claiming 128 lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, February 21, 2022
1971: Clash of airmasses causes vicious tornado outbreak
1971 had been a relatively mild winter east of the Mississippi. Many areas had been bathed in warmth and humidity for much of February. Such was the situation on the morning of February 21. Meanwhile bitter cold that had been locked in the Artic hinterlands of Canada was finally able to break free as the jet stream, that up to the point in the winter has remained far north, finally plunged southward. As the brutal cold moved into the nation’s heartland it came into direct conflict with the early springtime conditions. In areas where the cold became quickly established snow developed and tuned into an all-out blizzard. By the morning of February 22, 1-3 feet of snow-covered areas from Texas to Iowa, including drifts to 20 feet high. But the most violent impact of the clash of airmasses occurred in the warm sector where a vicious tornado outbreak killed 212 people. Three long track tornados accounted for all but three of the deaths. The longest track of a single tornado was more than 200 miles long from Louisiana-Mississippi boarder to Tennessee during the mid-day hours of February 21. The other two twisters had tracks of 90 and 70 miles. The outbreak ended on the night of February 21 as the arctic cold swept rapidly across the region and eventually off the east coast ending the severe weather threat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, February 20, 2022
1805: After 2 months, Potomac River thaws and ice jams break
In 1805 the nations’ capitol had only been established at its current site on the Potomac for a few years, having moved from Philadelphia. Originally know during its construction as Federal City, Congress met in newly named Washington City, as it was then known, for the first time in November 1800, the man for whom the city was named had died in December of the previous year, and in February 1801 the District of Columbia, which at the time also included the cities of Alexandria and Georgetown, was placed under the control of Congress. In January 1791, President George Washington had announced his choice for the federal district: 100 square miles of land ceded by Maryland and Virginia, in 1846, the Virginia land was returned to the state, shrinking the district by a third. The Potomac River, at that time, especially in the area around Washington, was shallow and its shores consisted of large areas of mud flats, where the water was only inches deep. During harsh winters the shallow waters easily froze putting an end to navigation until the spring. On February 20, 1805, after being frozen over for more than 2 months, leaving those in Washington City in desperate straits because of lack of supplies the Potomac River was once again deemed fit for navigation as the ice jams broke and commerce resumed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, February 19, 2022
1980: Pineapple Express leads to over 10" of rain falling in LA
The Pineapple Express is a non-technical term for a meteorological phenomenon characterized by a strong and persistent flow of moisture and associated with heavy rain and snow from the waters near the Hawaiian Islands and extending to locations along the Pacific coast of North America, mainly California. Such weather patterns set up every few years during the winter, the winter is the rainy season on the west coast of the US. In February of 1980 an extreme version of this pattern set up and lasted for almost a week reaching its height on February 19. Rain had been falling in Los Angles since February 13th, in the first in a series of storms pushed along by the Pineapple Express. Downtown L.A. recorded more than 12" of rain from the 13th to the 19th. In the mountains south of Monterey, more than 22 inches of rain totaled by the 19th. Unofficially, 19 deaths were attributed to the storms in Southern California alone, with more than $100 million in damage, $325 million in 2022 dollars. Estimates in Arizona indicate at least 4 storm related deaths and an additional $35 million in damage. There was also flooding in Arizona, especially in Phoenix. Shortly after 2:00 PM on February 19, 1980 a tornado touched down at the Fresno Airport, which broke the plate glass windows and damaged the roof at the terminal building. Trees were uprooted and cars overturned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, February 18, 2022
2016: Massive winter storm from Appalachians to New England
A massive storm developed in Georgia, on February 18th, 2016 spreading snow up the Appalachians and into New England. Blizzard conditions developed in Pennsylvania by the 19th. These conditions forced a closing of Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania. Winds clocked at up to 50 mph during the storm shipped snow into drifts as deep as 20 feet in some sections of north Central Pennsylvania. Drifting snow stranded thousands of motorists, as radio stations remained at full power during the night relaying information and requesting help from 4-wheel drive vehicles and snowmobiles. Tides of 6-8' above normal caused severe flooding at coastal areas along the east coast north of Virginia. Thousands became homeless in New England due to coastal flooding. Breakers moved 8-ton concrete seawall blocks in across coastal roadways in Maine. Winds clocked to 110 mph at Eastham on Cape Cod. This massive storm said to have some hurricane characteristics, such as an eye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, February 17, 2022
1936: Temperature reaches -58 degrees at McIntosh, SD
The Dust Bowl is generally associated with extreme drought and heat. The "Dust Bowl" years of 1930-36 brought some of the hottest summers on record to the United States, especially across the Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lake States. For the Upper Mississippi River Valley, the first few weeks of July 1936 provided the hottest temperatures of that period, including many all-time record highs The string of hot, dry days was also deadly. Nationally, around 5000 deaths were associated with the heat wave. Several factors led to the deadly heat of July 1936. A series of droughts affected the U.S. during the early 1930s. The lack of rain parched the earth and killed vegetation, especially across the Plains states. Poor land management and farming techniques across the Plains furthered the impact of the drought, with lush wheat fields becoming barren waste lands. Without the vegetation and soil moisture, the Plains acted as a furnace. The climate of that region took on desert qualities, accentuating its capacity to produce heat. But also, like hot desserts there are also cold desert climates – the lack of vegetation and drought allows for cold air to sweep across these regions, unchecked and creating unheard of cold extremes. The situation that set up for several years in the plans states in the 1930’s created these extremes of both hot and cold. So, it was on the morning of February 17, 1936, when the mercury dipped to -58 degrees at McIntosh, SD... the state record low temperature. Later that very same year, at the height of the Dust Bowl on, July 5, 1936, the state record high temperature of 120 degrees was set at Gann Valley, SD. A difference in the state in less than 6 months’ time of 178 degrees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, February 16, 2022
1958: Massive snowstorm results in $550 million in damage
February 16, 1958 marked the end of a massive snowstorm that had developed in the lower Mississippi Valley a few days earlier. The system moved slowly eastward all day on the 14th gathering moisture from the Gulf of Mexico rain fell along the Gulf Coast with increasing intensity. Just as the storm was moving into position to turn up the eastern seaboard an injection of bitter arctic air moved out of eastern Canada and down the coast settling as far south and North Carolina. As the storm moved northward snow began falling on the 14th in southern Virginia and by the time night fell Washington DC was already shut down, by the morning of the 16th already more than a foot of snow was on the ground in DC.. 2’ pf snow clogged Boston by the evening of the 16 with an incredible 30-36” from the Catskills in New York to the White Mountains of New England. After the storm moved out to sea later that night the toll was staggering; 43 had died and more than $500 million dollars of destruction, more than $4.5 billion in today’s dollars was totaled. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, February 15, 2022
1895: The greatest snowfall event to hit Gulf Coast
The Texas Gulf coast is known for hot steamy weather and has been the site of some of the most destructive and deadly hurricanes ever to strike the United States, but on February 15, 1895 a weather extreme of another sort struck the region. In the days leading up to the February 15th artic cold plunged into the south with a vengeance. At the same time a storm was spinning inland in southern California. The cold weather was firmly established by the 14th and that western storm was forced southward into northern Mexico. It set the scene for the greatest snowfall event to ever hit the Gulf coast. Snow began to fall in some places on the evening of the 14th and by the time it stopped in the afternoon of February 15, 1895 record snowfall was measured from Texas to Alabama: Rayne, Louisiana recorded 22" a state record; Houston, also had, 22"; an incredible 15.4” fell on the beaches of Galveston, Texas, there was 8.2” in New Orleans, Louisiana, 6” in Brownsville, Texas and Mobile, Alabama. All land travel came to a halt for days and the extreme cold and snow killed many livestock. No accurate accounting of the impact on the people of the region was recorded, but estimates are than many perished in the cold and snow that was more usual for the northern plains states. Most homes had inadequate heating and people attempted to heat their homes with fires inside and that led to further disaster. The scale of winter weather was unprecedented. Nothing like it has been seen since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, February 14, 2022
1958: 16" of snow falls in Haleyville, AL
On February 14, 1958 in Haleyville, AL 16” of snow fell, an extreme snow event for that area of the country. Because of the snow’s high water equivalent, that is the total water content of the snow, the weight was extremely heavy and it caused many chicken coops in the poultry region to collapse leading to the crushing of many of the chickens inside. The coops were not constructed to withstand the heavy wet snow that fell, since the entire average winter’s snowfall in the region was a mere 1-2”. Following the snow storm many chicken coops in the poultry rich region where rebuilt to higher standards. In the north, chicken coop building standards have been and remain much more sturdy due to snowfall. In addition in many places housing poultry that don’t need coops, foul are kept in wire cages. The only impact is that when snow is heavy enough people must be called out to knock the snow off the wire confinements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, February 13, 2022
1899: Much of US suffers from arctic outbreak
By February 13, 1899 much of the nation had been suffering under the icy grip of the worst arctic outbreak since the founding of the republic. Records that stand even to today had been set in the days previous to February 13, 1899 and more were to fall in the next few days. Because of the persistent week-long cold, Ice flows had formed in Gulf of Mexico causing a hazard to navigation. The temperature on the morning of February 13, 1899 along the Gulf coast sat at incredibly low readings; -16 degrees Minden, LA a record for state, in New Orleans the mercury was 6.8 degrees; at in Mobile -1 degree; Pensacola 7 degrees; Brownsville Texas was 12 degrees an all time low for the city. Temperatures all the way southward to Ft Myers were in the 20s and snowflakes where observed all across Florida. But father up the East Coast the brunt of the outbreak was being felt as a Great Blizzard paralyzed the region on the 13th and 14th: 36" of snow fell at Cape May, New Jersey. 20.5" at Washington, D.C. and many other areas along the coast saw snowfall totals at more than a foot. The cold finally broke in the following days, after a week of misery, and with the warmup came several inches of rain that on top of melting snow produced flooding in the Northeast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, February 12, 2022
1899: The coldest airmass to move into the US
February 1899 marked the arrival of perhaps the coldest airmass in move into the United States in recorded history. For more than a week the bitter arctic cold ravaged North America with Blizzards and ice. Records were established that hold even today more than century later. By February 12, 1899 the cold was already firmly established. In previous days the mercury had already dipped to minus 20 in Columbus and Pittsburgh. The day before on the 11th parts of Montana had seen temperatures below minus 60. In Tallahassee 2 below was recorded, a state of Florida record that still stands today. A foot and a half of snow had not only fallen in Philadelphia and Baltimore, but Richmond and Raleigh. By February 12 the storm was in full swing, in Boston winds gusted to 65 mph and maintained an average of 50 mph throughout the entire day. 24-36" of snow just north of Boston in Beverly. The Boston Herald declared: "Rarely, if ever, has Boston been so completely snowbound as it has been by this blizzard." At the end of the storm, the snow depth measured 23" in Boston. But the snow extended far southward bringing unheard of snow totals including 4 in Charleston SC and 2.8” in Tallahassee. The cold persisted well behind the storm, Tulia, Texas recorded a morning temperature of minus 23, a state record. The arctic grip was not lessening, far from it, some places would suffer even more from the cold in coming days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, February 11, 2022
1994: Airmass brings 1-2' of snow to the I-95 corridor
February 11, 1994 dawned cold across the Tennessee Valley, an air mass that originated in the arctic snow fields of the Yukon had in previous days blasted across the northern plains state and by the 11th had settled into much of the nation east of the Rockies. Far to the south a storm was brewing on the Texas Gulf coast and pulling plenty of moisture northward out ahead of it. The cold air was holding on stubbornly in the lowest several thousand feet of the atmosphere in the Tennessee and Ohio valleys even as it began to warm up higher up in the air. As the moisture form the Gulf of Mexico was forced to rise up and over that cold layer of air near the ground it began to rain – but with temperatures still well below freezing at the surface the rain froze on everything. The result was Severe ice storm across parts of Tennessee, Alabama, and much of Kentucky. 1.45" of rain fell at Memphis --all with a temperature below freezing. Power was knocked out in many areas as ice accumulated on tree limbs and wires. In some cases, power was not restored for as much as 2 weeks. As the storm turned northward and into deeper cold air snow broke out on a wide front along the I-95 corridor and dumped heavy snow reaching depths of close to 1-2’ from Harrisburg and Allentown Pa into New England, including New York City, snar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, February 10, 2022
1972: Torrential downpours cause flooding in Calama, Chile
Calama, Chile is one of the driest cities in the world with average annual precipitation of just 0.20”. Located on the Atacama Desert, a plateau in South America. The desert is one of the driest places in the world, as well as the only true desert to receive less precipitation than polar regions. In many locations in the desert it rains but once every 10 years and then in small amounts. But on February 10,1972 a torrential downpour depositing several inches of rain caused catastrophic floods and landslides, isolating the town and cutting off electricity. Prior to this event, the town had been known as THE driest place on earth, having had virtually no rain for 400 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, February 09, 2022
1969: The Mayor Lindsay Storm
On February 9 1969 the fortunes of New York City Mayor John Lindsay were riding high. Mentioned often as possible Presidential contender in the upcoming decade of the 70’s he had done much to win the support of Democrats and Republicans, serving a Democratic city as a Republican. His policies where often hailed as progressive and finically responsible. But his future in politics was about to be undone by the weather. Warned in advance of an impending storm his administration was ill prepared. Budget cuts had slashed the available snowplows by 40% and a recent strike with city workers has not been fully overcome. What became known as the “Mayor Lindsay Storm” dumped 15.3" at New York City; Central Long Island 12-18"; Scarsdale, NY 24"; Falls Village, CT 35"; Bridgeport, CT 17.7"; Hartford, CT 15.8"; Bedford, MA 25"; Blue Hill 21"; Boston 11.1"; Portland, ME 21.5"; 800 cars stranded on Tappan-Zee Bridge. Property damage totaled more than $10 million in New England. Thousands of homes lost utility service. Drifts reached 10-20' deep. Thousands were stranded on highways, the New York Thruway was closed from New York City to Albany. The storm was named for Mayor Lindsay's failure to clear the streets of New York City and more than 40 New Yorkers died as a result of the storm. Worst hit was the NYC borough of Queens where 21 people died. The storm came to a swift end late in the day of February 9 and with it came the end of Mayor Lindsey political career, despite being re-elected in 1969 he never held political office again after leaving office as Mayor, despite unsuccessful runs for senate and president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, February 08, 2022
1835: Bitter cold kills orange trees in Florida
Citrus, namely oranges have been farmed commercially in Florida groves since the early 1800s. The first citrus was brought to the Western Hemisphere in 1493 by Christopher Columbus. In the mid-1500s one of the early Spanish explorers, most likely Ponce de Leon, planted the first orange trees around the current location of St. Augustine, Florida. Florida's unique sandy soil and subtropical climate proved to be ideal for growing the seeds that the early settlers planted and have flourished ever since. Today it is a $9 billion industry, employing nearly 76,000 Floridians. In 1835 the citrus industry was just getting on it’s feet, but it almost ended before it got going. On February 8, 1835 a bitter cold arctic blast reached into the southern part of the United States and produced low temperatures unknown in that region. The mercury reached below zero as far south as Savannah Georgia and on the morning of February 8 the temperature read 8 degrees in Jacksonville killing most of the orange trees and setting back the citrus industry more than 10 years. The first groves were originally planted in northern Florida far from where they currently exist. As time went on and more killing freezes occurred the groves were moved further and further south and are now hundreds of miles south of their original loculation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, February 07, 2022
2008: Powerful storm strikes Western US
The first week of February 2008 was a tough one for the western US as a powerful storm moved onshore. The storm’s height culminated on February 7. There were several areas of very heavy rain with some places having nearly 10“ while winds gusted to more than 100 mph. Loma Prieta, CA had nearly 10“ of rain and Marysville, Ca had just over 9“. Winds gusted to 163 mph near Tahoe City, CA with a 149 mph wind gust at Mammoth Mountain. Snow was also impressive with a whopping 132“ in Kirksville, CA and 62“ in Wolf Creek Pass Colorado. At height of the storm it was estimated that nearly 2 million people were without power through California, Nevada and Utah. Roads were blocked by snow, flooding was a problem not only from the rainfall but because of pounding waves and storm surge along the northern California coast. The heavy snow, rain and powerful winds caused huge airline delays that rippled across the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, February 06, 2022
The Blizzard of 2010
February 6, 2010 marked the culmination of a coast to coast storm that brought parts of the Central United States snow and ice and snarled traffic and caused flight delays for the days leading up to the 6th. As the storm approached the East Coast on the afternoon of February 5, 2010 snow started to fall along the I-95 corridor in the Mid-Atlantic region. Already warned of the impending storm airlines had cancelled hundreds of flights and moved planes out of the snowfall zone. The storm intensified aided by a strengthening pocket of arctic cold settling in over New England. The result was a bomb cyclone – so called because of extreme strengthening, not unlike an explosion or bomb going off. By the time the snow was done flying on the afternoon of February 6, 28.5” of snow had fallen in Philadelphia making it the 2nd greatest snowfall in that city’s history. Baltimore totaled 24.8” an all-time record and in the nation’s capital 32.4” of measured smashing the old the record for the heaviest single season fall by almost 10”. Airports, roads and schools were closed for a week and as crews battled bitterly cold temps and strong winds in the aftermath of what would be termed the Blizzard of 2010. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, February 05, 2022
This Date in Weather History - February 5rh
Weather records can be spotty when looking back more than 100 years ago and sometimes not as accurate as todays modern standards, but carefully recorded records of extreme events usually are on the mark. On February 5, 1892 record cold held most of the north Asia in its icy grip. In the Siberian town of Verkhoyansk in Tsarist Russia the mercury plunged to 90.4 degrees F below zero, making it the coldest temperature ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere. Interestingly just two days later on February 7 of 1892 the thermometer once again hit that extreme low level. Verkhoyansk is notable chiefly for its exceptionally low winter temperatures and some of the greatest temperature differences on Earth between summer and winter. It holds the Guinness World Record for the greatest temperature range on Earth, from that 90.4 below zero to in winter to an all-time high temperature in that city of 99 the in summer, an incredibly high temperature for being located above the Arctic Circle. A swing of 189.4 degrees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, February 04, 2022
The Super Tuesday Severe Weather Outbreak
On February 4, 2008 record warmth was surging northward from Mexico at the same time 14 states prepared to hold primary elections for the 2008 Presidential election cycle. Known as Super Tuesday, it was the biggest number of state presidential primaries held on the same day up to that point. As the heat pulsed into the country a strong storm roared out of the plains states and warmth added fuel to what would become known as the Super Tuesday Severe Weather Outbreak. Temperatures soared into the 80s and beyond all across the southern states. The mercury reached 85 in San Antonio, 82 in Austin, 83 in Baton Rouge and 81 in Augusta George – all records. As the heat reached its peak the storm from the west started to act on the hot air and moisture moving out of the Gulf of Mexico. As the storm started to do its work it sparked an outbreak of severe storms from northeast Texas to the lower Ohio valley. The strongest thunderstorms spawned deadly and destructive tornadoes, which resulted in numerous injuries and at least 55 fatalities. One of the strongest tornadoes measured and EF4 on the enhanced Fujita scale, tore through eastern Jackson County, Alabama late that election Tuesday night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, February 03, 2022
1961: Massive snowstorm strikes Northeastern states
The winter of 1960-1961 was one of the harshest on record for the northeastern states. Winter came early with a massive snowstorm in the beginning of December then was punctuated by the John K Kennedy Inauguration storm of January 20, 1961. The last of 3 monumental snowstorms that winter hit on February 3, 1961. The deepest snow fell from just north of Baltimore to New England and paralyzed the region for days. The storm did not come without warning, in fact schools from Philadelphia northward were cancelled a day before the storm hit to prepare. Snowfall totals reached 10 inches in Philadelphia 14” in Boston more than 20” across the New York City area and an incredible 40" in Cortland, New York. The wind reached 73 mph winds at Long Branch, NJ. The storm was proceeded by an intense period of record cold starting just after that storm on Inauguration day. In Philadelphia the mercury remained below freezing from January 20 all the way to February 3. That period of continually below freezing temperatures is one of the longest on record in that city. Both major rivers that flow through the city were frozen solid. Many cities set or were close to setting their all-time winter snowfall records – but then the winter ended as abruptly as it began. There were no more snow storms or intense cold the rest of the winter. Two intense winter months that went down in history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, February 02, 2022
1952: The Groundhog Day Storm
Wednesday, February 2 The extraordinary 1952 Groundhog Day Storm was the only Atlantic tropical cyclone on record in February. First observed in the western Caribbean Sea on February 2, it moved rapidly throughout its duration and struck southwestern Florida early the next day as a gale-force storm. The 1952 Atlantic hurricane season was the last Atlantic hurricane season in which tropical cyclones were named using the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet. It was a near normal Atlantic hurricane season, although it was the least active since 1946. The season officially started on June 15; however, that pre-season storm formed on Groundhog Day, becoming the only storm on record in the month of February. On February 2 1952, a low-pressure area formed in the western Caribbean two months after the end of the1951 hurricane season. It moved quickly north-northwestward and acquired gale-force winds as it brushed the northern coast of Cuba. Early on February 3, the storm struck Cape Sable, Florida and quickly crossed the state. The Miami National Weather Bureau office recorded a wind gust of 68 mph during its passage. The winds damaged windows and power lines. The storm also dropped 2–4 inches of rain along its path, causing crop damage in Miami-Dade County. Then the storm continued rapidly northeastward, reaching peak winds of 70 mph. On February 4 it moved by off the coast of North Carolina. Later that day, it passed over Cape Cod, and dissipated after crossing into Maine. The storm caused scattered power outages and gusty winds across all across New England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, February 01, 2022
2011: Massive storm dumps snow on plains states
On February 1, 2011 a massive storm moved across the northern and central plains states to start off February on a very wintry note. Oklahoma City was pounded with heavy snow that accumulated almost a foot. This crushed the 5.5” record for the date set in 1913. It was also the snowiest February day on record in Oklahoma City. Chicago, Illinois also had the snowiest February day ever with 13.6”. Other ”big” snowfall winners were Claremore, Oklahoma at 20” and Hannibal, Missouri also at 20”. As this system spread moisture eastward there was significant icing in the Ohio Valley and snow continued to develop over New England and the Northeast although not as high accumulations as Oklahoma to Illinois. Most roads like Interstate 80 became impassable from Chicago eastward to Pennsylvania and most truck traffic from Missouri to Chicago was halted for several days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, January 31, 2022
1911: Tamarack, CA records 32.5' of snowfall in one month
On January 31, 1911 the weather records show that Tamarack, California, closed the books for the month on snowfall there with 390 inches or 32.5 feet of snow that had fallen. That established a record that still holds well more than a hundred years later as the most snow in a calendar month in the United States. Tamarack, formerly known as Camp Tamarack, is an unincorporated community in Calaveras County, California, in the United States. It was founded in the 1920s. It sits at an elevation of 6,913 feet on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada near Bear Valley and south of Lake Tahoe. It is prone to getting huge snowfalls as storms blow into northern California from off the Pacific ocean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, January 30, 2022
1966: The most intense cold arctic outbreak to strike southern states
The most intense cold arctic outbreak to strike the southern states in modern times plunged into that region on January 29 1966 and by the morning of January 30 set record unrivaled in the history of the region before or since. The mercury in Corinth. Mississippi dipped to 19 below zero the lowest in state history. New Market, Alabama reached a morning reading of 27 below also a state record. In Greensboro, North Carolina the afternoon temperature reached just 13 the lowest high temp ever seen. Many homes were not insulated for that kind of cold and water pipes burst all across the deep south – in some places it took weeks to restore the water. Many automobiles and trucks did not have proper ant-freeze and engine blocks froze and where ruined. The cold made it into Florida and significantly damaged the citrus crops there. This cold air had swing into the region behind a massive storm that was moving up the eastern seaboard and as the cold gained form control in the south in the wake of the storm up the east coast heavy snow was falling that would reach deeps of 10” of more in Philadelphia and Harrisburg and as much as 20” in and around Washington DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, January 29, 2022
1921: The Great Olympic Blowdown
The Great Olympic Blowdown of January 29, 1921, also called the Big Blow, was a compact, intense windstorm that struck the coast of Washington on January 29, 1921. The storm is remembered for the massive number of trees destroyed. At the time, it was the greatest loss of timber in the country, according to the U S Forest Service. Hurricane-force. winds destroyed billions of board-feet of timber across the Olympic Peninsula. More than 40 percent of the trees on the southwest side of the Olympic Mountains were blown down. The Great Olympic Blowdown felled eight times more trees than the eruption of Mount St. Helens. The old-growth timber that was destroyed created a fire hazard, and fire suppression crews were deployed by the U. S Forest Service, the state of Washington, and the Washington Forest Fire Association. Air patrols to support the fire suppression crews were provided by the U.S. Army. A herd of 200 elk were killed near the town of Forks by tree branches and flying debris and hundreds of domestic farm animals were also killed. Power and telephone lines were downed. Moored boats were dashed on the beaches. Twenty-one barges were adrift in Puget Sound after breaking from their mooring lines. Smokestacks and chimneys collapsed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, January 28, 2022
2014: Historic winter storm moves through Southern US
What would be termed an historic winter storm moved through the southern part of the United States on January 28 2014. Snow and ice stretched from far eastern Texas into Florida and the Carolinas. Heavy sleet and freezing rain led to power outages, including in Pensacola FL. and Charleston SC. Ice and snow in Atlanta GA. led to an incredible gridlock that left thousands of stranded motorists on I-75. People were trapped in their cars through the day and night, Heavy snow fell farther north from Columbia SC to Norfolk VA, and Temperatures were mainly in the teens. Some stranded in the Atlanta area overnight slept in grocery store aisles for warmth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, January 27, 2022
1922: The Knickerbocker Storm
Late January of 1922 saw the Virginia and North Carolina experience one of the greatest snowstorms ever recorded in the region. Automobile and truck traffic had just become established as the main mode of transport for people and goods in the region and the storm of January 27 1922 brought that traffic to a complete halt for more than a week. With virtually no way to clean off the roads connecting farms and towns over a wide expanse of the countryside, travel just stopped. Almost 20” of snow fell in Richmond, Virginia; two feet in Washington DC and Baltimore and in Roxboro, North Carolina an incredible 36” of snow fell. The storm would become known as the Knickerbocker storm because the 2 feet of snow that fell in Washington D. C., caused the roof of the Knickerbocker theatre to collapse crushing those in attendance and killing over 100 movie patrons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, January 26, 2022
1978: One of the greatest blizzards in North American history
On January 26, 1978, one of the greatest blizzards in North American history struck a wide area from the great Lakes and Mid-west all the way toward the east coast of the United States and northward into parts of Canada. The bitter cold arctic air had been holding across the large region for more than a week and had been reinforced by successive waves of air from the Yukon and Siberia. Then a storm developed on the Gulf coast and came sweeping northward right into the cold air. Significant support gathered in the high levels of the atmosphere for the storm and resulted in a system that some said rivaled a hurricane in strength. Pittsburgh reached its lowest barometric pressure ever at 28.49” – just like that in a hurricane. The Paralyzing blizzard that ensued killed more than 100. Winds gusted to 100 mph producing 25’ drifts. Many roofs collapsed from heavy snow. 28.14” was the pressure reading at Cleveland, the lowest recorded at an inland US station. 120,000 cars and trucks were abandoned in Michigan. In Canada the ravaging winter storm caused $41 million in damage and contributed to 9 deaths. Hurricane force winds blew out windows in Toronto’s skyscrapers, where the air pressure plunged to 27.80”; also, an all-time low reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, January 25, 2022
1990: The "Burns Day storm"
On January 25, 1990 at least 39 people, some of them children, died in the worst weather to hit England and Wales in decades. Hurricane-force winds gusting in from the south-west brought chaos with many railway stations, roads and ports forced to close and some flights to major airports in England were diverted. The severe weather also affected other parts of Europe, killing at least 21 people in France, the Netherlands and Belgium, and caused disruption and damage in western Germany. Police in Britain described the situation as "chaotic", with cars and overturned lorries blocking motorways, buildings collapsing and power and telecommunications lines being blown down. At least half a million homes are without electricity. The storm was marginally less powerful than its better known predecessor of 1987. But no storm had caused such loss of life in the UK since the East Coast Flood disaster in 1953. The trail of destruction from the British Isales to Denmark left 100 people dead. The centre of the storm crossed the birthplace of Robbert Burns on his birthday and became known as the "Burns Day Storm". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, January 24, 2022
1925: Solar eclipse causes rapid temperature drop in New Jersey
During the total solar eclipse in December 1834, the Gettysburg, PA Republican Banner reported that in some places, the eclipse caused the temperature to drop by as much as 28 degrees Fahrenheit, from 78 degrees F to 50 degrees F. During a total solar eclipse on the Norwegian island of Svalbard in March 2015, temperatures dropped from 8 degrees F to minus 7 degrees F. The change in temperature during a total eclipse will vary based on location and time of year. The temperature change created by the loss of light from the sun's disk will be similar to the difference between the temperature at midday and the temperature just after sunset, except the change will occur more suddenly, which is why this is often one of the very noticeable effects of a total solar eclipse. On January 24, 1925 a total solar eclipse over the far northern part of New Jersey, under clear skies, the temperature fell significantly during the afternoon to near 0. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, January 23, 2022
1916: The greatest 24-hour temperature drop in history
On January 23, 1916 the World record 24-hour variation in temperature was set. Browning, Montana, in the northern part of the state, hard against the Canadian border reached a temperature of 44 degrees F in the late morning hours as warm air surged in from the southeast. The air mass that held sway in the region came all the way from the Gulf of Mexico and the folks in Browning that morning were looking forward to a relatively balmy day. The average high temperature on January 23 is 33 and the record high is near 50 – so it was quite warm for that time of the year. But the weather was about to turn, a “Siberian Express” cold front came through, quickly dropping the temperature below freezing. The temperature continued to drop, reaching 56 degrees below zero F by late that night. A one-day variation of exactly 100 degrees and also the greatest 24-hour temperature drop in history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, January 22, 2022
1943: Temperature in Black Hills, SD falls 50 degrees in minutes
The Black Hills area of South Dakota can experience spectacular temperature variations. Day-to-day changes occur as cold and warm fronts cross the northern Plains. However, temperature ranges across the area at a given time can be just as great. They happen rapidly as the wind direction changes, most notably by the warming Chinook winds. Other temperature differences are caused by inversions, when warm air flows over a shallow pool of cold air. Because the Black Hills rise above the plains like an island in a body of water, they are in the warm air layer. The most notable temperature fluctuations occurred on January 22, 1943 when temperatures rose and fell almost 50 degrees in a few minutes. This phenomenon was caused when a frontal boundary separating extremely cold Arctic air from warmer Pacific air rolled like an ocean tide along the northern and eastern slopes of the Black Hills. In mid-January 1943, Arctic air pushed southward from Canada, bringing extremely cold temperatures across the central United States. By the morning of January 19, temperatures were well below zero as far south as Kansas and in the single digits to teens across Texas. On January 20, warmer air started to spread eastward from the Pacific over the Rockies while low temperatures ranged from -20 to -30 degrees across the Dakotas. The boundary separating this warmer air from the frigid air was near the front range of the Rocky Mountains and through Nebraska, with Casper WY at 22 degrees while Rapid City was -20 degrees. During the day, the warm air higher in the atmosphere reached the higher elevations of the Black Hills. Early morning temperatures on January 22 were already above freezing in the higher elevations of the Black Hills but still below zero along the foothills. Shortly after daybreak, the front moved northeast—down the slopes of the Black Hills—and temperatures warmed rapidly. Later in the morning, the front retreated to the southwest and temperatures plummeted just as quickly. The oscillations occurred several times during the morning; the front pushed east of Rapid City during the afternoon, allowing the airport to reach 50 degrees. It finally shifted south again during the late afternoon, and the cold air returned to the foothills. The change in temperature was noticeable as people rounded street corners. Motorists were unable to see out their windshields when thick frost formed as they encountered the front and plate glass windows cracked. Nearby Spearfish holds the world record for the fastest recorded temperature change. On January 22, 1943, at about 7:30 a.m., the temperature in Spearfish was −4 °F. The Chinook wind picked up speed rapidly, and two minutes later (7:32 a.m.) the temperature was +45 °F. The 49° rise in two minutes set a world record that still holds. By 9:00 a.m., the temperature had risen to 54 °F . Suddenly, the chinook died down and the temperature tumbled back to −4 °F . The 58 °F drop took only 27 minutes. The sudden change in temper
Fri, January 21, 2022
1863: Union General Burnside's army gets stuck in mud
On January 21, 1863, Union General Ambrose Burnside’s Army of the Potomac began an offensive against General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia that quickly bogged down as several days of heavy rain turned the roads of Virginia into a muddy quagmire. The campaign was abandoned a few days later. The Union army was still reeling from the disastrous Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, on December 13, 1862. Burnside’s force suffered more than 13,000 casualties as it assaulted Lee’s troops along hills above Fredericksburg. Lee suffered around 5,000 casualties, making Fredericksburg one of the most one-sided engagements in the Eastern theater of operations. Morale was low among the Yankees that winter. In mid-January, Burnside sought to raise morale and seize the initiative from Lee. His plan was to swing around Lee’s left flank and draw the Confederates away from their defenses and into the open. Speed was essential to the operation. January had been a dry month to that point, but as soon as the Federals began to move, a drizzle turned into a downpour that lasted for four days. Logistical problems delayed the laying of a pontoon bridge across the Rappahannock River, and a huge traffic jam snarled the army’s progress. In one day, the 5th New York moved only a mile and a half. The roads became unnavigable, and conflicting orders caused two corps to march across each other’s paths. Horses, wagons, and cannons were stuck in mud, and the element of surprise was lost. Jeering Confederates taunted the Yankees with shouts and signs that read “Burnside’s Army Stuck in the Mud.” Burnside turned his Army around and abandoned the fight due primarily because of the weather. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, January 20, 2022
1937: The wettest Presidential Inauguration on record
The Constitution of the United States had established March 4 as Inauguration Day in order to allow enough time after Election Day for officials to gather election returns and for newly-elected candidates to travel to the capital. On April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated in New York City as our first president. Washington was scheduled to be inaugurated on March 4, however weather prevented Congress from being able to make quorum, and thus the beginning of our nation under the original Constitution was delayed almost two months. On March 4, 1801, Thomas Jefferson was the first president inaugurated in Washington, D.C., our new federal capital. After New York, Philadelphia had become our nation’s capital. Though, in order to appease Southern slave holders fearing a northern capital would be inordinately influenced by Northern Abolitionists, the nation’s capital was moved south to its current location. Inauguration was initially held inside the House and Senate chambers of the Federal Congress. James Monroe, the newly elected president in 1817, began the tradition of holding the inauguration outside, in front of Congress. The outdoor inauguration would prove fatal in 1841. With great hubris, the newly elected President William Harrison decided to ride on horseback, without a coat, to his inauguration – despite the winter weather. Harrison then delivered the longest inauguration speech in American history — a two-hour-long oration, which led to the shortest Presidency in American history as Harrison subsequently caught pneumonia and died 31 days later. The twentieth amendment of the Constitution, took effect before Franklin D. Roosevelt’s second term began. The twentieth amendment specified that the elected president would become president through inauguration at noon on Jan. 20, two months, instead of four, after the presidential election. The twentieth amendment also clarified the presidential secession plan. The first inauguration held on the new date of January 20, 1937 turned out to be the wettest inauguration ever with 1.77" rain in 24 hours. It was quite windy with temperatures just above freezing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, January 19, 2022
1961: Snowstorm strikes DC the day before JFK's inauguration
A strong snowstorm struck the Northeastern part of the United State on January 19, 1961. It was the day before the inauguration of President John K Kennedy, temperatures held steady during the 19th at 20 and snowfall fell at 1–2 inches per hour and a total of 8 inches fell during the night, causing transportation and logistical problems in Washington and serious concern for the inauguration. On inauguration day, January 20, 1961, the skies began to clear but the snow had created chaos in Washington, almost canceling the inaugural parade. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was put in charge of clearing the streets during the evening and morning before the inauguration, and were assisted by more than 1,000 District of Columbia employees and 1,700. This task force employed hundreds of dump trucks, front-end loaders, sanders, plows, rotaries, and even flamethrowers to clear the route. Over 1,400 cars which had been stranded due to the conditions and lack of fuel had to be removed from the parade route. The snowstorm dropped visibility at Washington area airports to less than half a mile, preventing former President Herbert Hoover from flying into Washington and attending the inauguration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, January 18, 2022
1930: Temperature in Watts, OK reaches -27°F
During the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s much of the Great plains of the United States was bone dry. Because there was little rainfall the ground was dry. Daytime heat is derived from the ground heating up from the sun and then heating the lowest level of the atmosphere from the warming ground. The amount of moisture in the ground has a great impact on this heating. A large percentage of the sun’s energy goose into evaporating the moisture on the ground surface. When the ground is dry to begin with the sun just gets to work warming things up. It’s not the sole reason that temperatures climb to record high levels – but it helps. During the 30’s in places like Oklahoma a significant number of high temperature records were set in part because of this dry weather phenomenon. Lack of moisture also has an impact of lowering temperatures. Moisture in the ground leads to higher humidity near the ground and that prevents temperatures from getting below the saturation point of moisture in the air. When there is little moisture temperatures can drop more. So, in additions to the extreme heat that we all hear about from the Dust Bowl – there was also extreme cold. On January 18, 1930 in Watts Oklahoma the mercury dipped to -27 degrees the coldest ever in state. It was the 1st day of string of 33 days when temperature averaged -2.8 degrees. 7.7 degrees colder than any other period since records commenced. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, January 17, 2022
1994: Driver in Edmonton gets car stuck under moving truck
In Edmonton, Alberta a massive snowstorm struck on January 17, 1994. Snow was whipped into huge drifts and visibility was severely limited. When storm like this strike they have widespread and even historic impacts. But all such events are personal and there are individual stories that amaze or are harrowing and don’t rise to the level of historic reporting – yet are extremely important to those involved. During this storm, blinded by blowing snow, a motorist drove her small car into the back of a tractor-trailer. The unsuspecting truck driver drove off with her vehicle stuck beneath the tanker. For 30 minutes, the coupled vehicles stayed together despite the woman’s frantic efforts to break free. Blowing snow kept other drivers from noticing. The truck driver stopped after he heard the car’s tires exploding. Luckily the diver of the car suffered only minor injuries in this storm fueled drive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, January 16, 2022
1916: Storm brings several inches of snow to San Francisco
January 16, 1916 brought a massive storm to California. Sweeping in off the Pacific Ocean the storm was pulling plenty of moisture northward all the way from Hawaii in what is often called the Pineapple Express. The storm struck with a vengeance with powerful gusts of wins that toppled trees and ripped off roofs from the San Francisco Bay area all the way to the Central Valley of California. Perhaps the most spectacular impact of the storm was the several inches of snow that fell in San Francisco and surrounding communities. With no way to clean off the snow on the hilly streets in the region those roads became slippery nightmares and travel halted for several days until the snow melted and transport was once again able to move. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, January 15, 2022
1780: New York Harbor and rivers freeze solid
The winter of 1779-1780 had been fairly cold in the New York City area, with ice flows recorded on the North River – now known as the Hudson and the East River through the start of January 1780. But on January 15 the ice flows started to harden and merge together all the way out to the south of the city in the main harbor of New York freezing solid. The rivers and New York Harbor would see the ice thicken and hold firm all the way through the end of February. In fact, the ice became so thick that not only could sleigh and wagons move from Long Island to Manhattan and from Manhattan to Staten island and to New Jersey. With the Revolutionary War still in full swing the ice was even strong enough to support the movement of heavy cannons from place to place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, January 14, 2022
1882: Snowfall brings 8-15" to parts of Southern California
Southern California's greatest snow occurred on this date. Fifteen inches blanketed San Bernardino, and even San Diego reported a trace of snow. According to the “History of Riverside, California” by Edgar Wallace Holmes, Jan. 11,1882 was a beautiful day. But the temperature dropped that night, it became overcast and snow began falling around daybreak. The snow fell all day on Jan. 12th and into the next day. By the 14th, Riverside and San Bernardino counties were totally snow-covered. The bitter winter weather extended up and down California and brought snow to all kinds of places that saw it very rarely, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. In Riverside, snow fell to a depth of 8 to 12 inches. So much snow blew into area canals that they became blocked in places and severe breaks occurred. Only a minor amount of damage occurred to the citrus fruit still on the trees, as the snow acted as an insulator. However, many trees were damaged when the weight of the snow, combined with the weight of the fruit, and that caused branches to break and trees to split. The city of San Bernardino, being at a higher elevation than Riverside, got more snow. The city had an estimated 12 to 15 inches. All transport came to a halt in the region for a week in what went into the history books as the greatest snowfall ever seen, before or since in Southern California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, January 13, 2022
1997: Ice storm strikes Houston, TX and parts of Louisiana
Ice along the Texas Gulf coast is not unknown, but it is a rarity to accumulate more than a thin ice coating, mainly on bridges and overpasses. Usually when that icing does occur it happening in the early morning hours and the common practice is simply to let it melt as the sun rises and heats up the roadways enough to raise the temperature above freezing to melt that ice and end the slippery conditions. On January 13, 1997 an ice storm glazed the Houston, TX area as well as parts of Louisiana. This time, temperatures were not just a degree of two below freezing but rather in the mid 20’s, so 1/2” thick ice formed from Beaumont, TX to Lake Charles, LA. The normal method of simply letting the ice melt would not work unless those in the region waited for several days. With little salt on hand, like the stockpiles in the northern states, the local highway departments needed to improvise using road graders and front loaders to dump gravel used in road construction and cinders from local incinerators to cover the highways to allow motorists to gain traction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, January 12, 2022
1988: Heavy lake-effect snow on E. side of Lake Ontario
Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when a cold air mass moves across long expanses of warmer lake water. The lower layer of air, heated up by the lake water, picks up water vapor from the lake and rises up through the colder air above; the vapor then freezes and is deposited on the downwind shores. But Lake-effect snow can actually occur when a lake is partially or even total frozen. That is because directional wind shear is one of the most important factors governing the development of snow squalls; environments with weak directional shear typically produce more intense squalls than those with higher shear levels. Frictional convergence is the major factor in producing the squalls. When the wind blows over an expanse of water – or even frozen lake – the air is flowing unimpeded, when it reaches the shoreline it slows as it comes into contact with the land and causes friction. There is only once place for the air to go and that is up. The lifting causes clouds and precipitation. When the wind blows in such a way that is turns counter-clockwise, the same direction as large-scale storms – that also aids in lift. When the lake is frozen the added element of temperature contrast and available moisture is added to the mix. This is most common around the Great Lakes in the United States and Canada. The snowfall totals can be prodigious, in a short period of time. On January 5, 1988 Heavy lake effect snows on the east side of Lake Ontario in upstate New York. So much snow fell that Interstate 81 was closed from Pulaski to Watertown for a week. As much as 45” of snow fell in less than 12 hours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, January 11, 2022
1918: Bitter cold immobilizes mail delivery in Midwest for 2 weeks
The first week of January 1918 brought a persistent bitter cold the upper Midwest and the great lakes region. In many places high temperatures barely reached the freezing mark. Already storages brought on by World War I were being felt in the region with scarcity of fuel to heat homes. Then an even colder air mass that had been building across the arctic regions of Canada plunged southward into the northern tier of the United States. Meanwhile a storm was brewing in the southern states, as that system swept northward it brought plenty of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico along with it. The result was a vast storm of blizzard proportions that moved through Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. Toledo had 63 mph winds and a temperature drop from +28 degrees to -15 degrees as the storm pulled the arctic air southward behind it. The result was a complete immobilization and no mail for 2 weeks in many parts of the Midwest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, January 10, 2022
1982: Severe blizzard in Edinboro, PA
Snow, continuous and heavy with sustained winds estimated at 30-35 mph, gusting to 60 mph struck Edinboro, PA on January 10, 1982, as bitter cold air moved out of Canada and across the Great Lakes resulting in a massive diplay of Lake-effect snowfall. Mountainous drifts caused roads to be shut down. Between 3 and 4 feet of new snow, well above the waist on the level was reported. There was at least one report of a devastating “snow devil”. Miniature vortexes of wind can stir up snow in a formation known as a snow devil. Similar to a dirt devil, snow devils are spinning columns of snow. The reported stated that “It became dark at 4 pm, and a sudden strong gust of wind picked up a wall of snow and blew it about. It cleared somewhat, but then a definite funnel shaped vortex, swirling about at a rapid rate, knocked over an apple tree. The snow devil then proceeded to rip a 6-inch diameter cherry tree right out of the ground with the roots lying on top of the snow. The snow devil was about 20-25 feet in diameter and at least 100 feet tall. This was one of the most severe blizzards in this region in memory.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, January 09, 2022
1975: Blizzard conditions shut down Winnipeg
January 9, 1975 marked one of the coldest days across the parries of western Canada. Arctic cold had move out of Siberia and across Alaska and the Yukon and then southward. Along the southern fringes of the cold weather a storm laden with moisture from the Pacific Ocean had slammed into the pacific northwest of the United States and was moving eastward across Idaho and Montana. As the bitter cold air surged into the places like Winnipeg, Manitoba snow broke out. Fueled by the cold and that Pacific storm blizzard conditions quickly developed. As the snow piled up the airport in Winnipeg was forced to close and remained out of service for almost 2 days. Travel across the entire region ground to a halt as the blizzard reduced the visibility in Winnipeg to zero. People couldn’t even see a foot or two in front of them. The white-out continued for more than 12 hours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, January 08, 2022
1981: Snow accumulates in parts of Greece and Tunisia
Bitter cold air moved westward out of Siberia in the first week of January 1981 and settled in across much of the European continent. Temperatures remained below freezing night and day in Germany and France and across the British isles and southward to the Mediterranean coast. Northern Italy and Greece were not spared the arctic chill. On the southern end of the Siberian airmass a large storm formed in north Africa and moved westward. By the time the powerful storm reached the southern part of Greece it resulted in 4 days of wild weather from January 8-11. Snow fell in parts of Greece as well as Tunisia where 2" accumulated. This was the first snow in Tunisia in 26 years. There were floods in Turkey and dust storms in Libya. Travel in those areas that experienced snow on the Mediterranean coast experienced travel disruptions for days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, January 07, 2022
"The Blizzard of '96"
The “Blizzard of ‘96'” wreaked havoc across the eastern third of the United States. A powerful storm moved up the eastern seaboard and ran into very frigid air helping to produce traffic-stopping, life-disrupting snowfall totals. The major cities of Boston, MA, New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA & Washington DC became completely paralyzed. Philadelphia received a record 31" of snow, smashing the old record snowfall of 21.3" set in Feb. 1983. In parts of southern PA, snowdrifts were as high as 10'. As much as 4' of snow fell in the West Virginia Mountains. Nearly 2' of snow buried New York City. 29" was measured in Boston, MA. Winds gusted over 80 mph on the New Jersey shore. A total ban on travel was in put in effect in the eastern half of PA for 48 hours to aid in the clean-up and recuse stranded motorists. 35" fell in White Horse, NJ to set a state snowfall record Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, January 06, 2022
2006: Tropical Storm Zeta
Tropical Storm Zeta, the 26th and last storm of the 2005-2006 hurricane season, died off in the central Atlantic on January 6, 2006. This was the second storm to span two calendar years, the first being Hurricane Alice in 1954-1955. In current times the start of the Hurricane season triggers the re-start of the alphabet. The season officially kicks off on June 1st in the Atlantic basin. Sometimes tropical systems form in May or even April. In fact, there has been a named storm in every month of the year when compiling all the storms that have formed through history. Usually then when there is a natural break in the season and there has been no storm for a while the alphabet is restarted. Most of these modern protocols here established by the WMO, the World Meteorological Organization in the 1950s and 60’s with some refinements after that. That is why in the 2005-2006 season was still using the end of the alphabet with Zeta, but 1954-1955 before the rules where worked out the alphabet was already re-started with Alice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, January 05, 2022
1988: Heavy lake-effect snow on E. side of Lake Ontario
Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when a cold air mass moves across long expanses of warmer lake water. The lower layer of air, heated up by the lake water, picks up water vapor from the lake and rises up through the colder air above; the vapor then freezes and is deposited on the downwind shores. But Lake-effect snow can actually occur when a lake is partially or even total frozen. That is because directional wind shear is one of the most important factors governing the development of snow squalls; environments with weak directional shear typically produce more intense squalls than those with higher shear levels. Frictional convergence is the major factor in producing the squalls. When the wind blows over an expanse of water – or even frozen lake – the air is flowing unimpeded, when it reaches the shoreline it slows as it comes into contact with the land and causes friction. There is only once place for the air to go and that is up. The lifting causes clouds and precipitation. When the wind blows in such a way that is turns counter-clockwise, the same direction as large-scale storms – that also aids in lift. When the lake is frozen the added element of temperature contrast and available moisture is added to the mix. This is most common around the Great Lakes in the United States and Canada. The snowfall totals can be prodigious, in a short period of time. On January 5, 1988 Heavy lake effect snows on the east side of Lake Ontario in upstate New York. So much snow fell that Interstate 81 was closed from Pulaski to Watertown for a week. As much as 45” of snow fell in less than 12 hours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, January 04, 2022
1780: The Hard Winter
The absolute worst winter in the 18th century was the “hard winter” of 1779-1780. The winter that year was bad. Durning the course of the winter, New Jersey had 26 snowstorms and 6 of those are considered to be blizzards! Every saltwater inlet from North Carolina to Canada froze over completely. In fact, New York Harbor froze over with ice so thick that British soldiers were able to march from Manhattan to Staten Island. George Washington decided to place his army at Morristown, New Jersey for winter quarters. When they arrived at the encampment site in November 1779 there was already a foot of snow on the ground. The worst of the snowfalls dropped more than four feet of snow with snow drifts over six feet on January 4, 1780. The temperature only made it above freezing a couple times in the whole winter. Officers remembered ink freezing in their quill pens and one surgeon recorded that “we experienced one of the most tremendous snowstorms ever remembered; no man could endure its violence many minutes without danger to his life. … When the storm subsided, the snow was from four to six feet deep, obscuring the very traces of the roads by covering fences that lined them.” Because of the severity of the winter, provisioning almost 10,000 soldiers were nearly impossible. A soldier in the Connecticut Line, Joseph Plumb Martin remembered “We were absolutely literally starved; – I do solemnly declare that I did not put a single morsel of vitials into my mouth for four days and as many nights, except for a little black birch bark which I gnawed off a stick of wood, if that can be called food. I saw several of the men roast their old shoes and eat them, and I was afterward informed by one of the officer’s waiters, that some of the officers killed and ate a favorite little dog that belonged to one of them.” Even General Washington noted after the winter that “The oldest people now living in this Country do not remember so hard a winter as the one we are now emerging from. In a word the severity of the frost exceeded anything of the kind that had ever been experienced in this climate before.” The Continental army remained in camp until the end of May 1780 recuperating from the harsh winter. It would still be more than a year until the decisive battle of the war in Yorktown, Virginia and Washington’s army would still struggle to overcome battle and nature – but none as harsh as that winter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, January 03, 2022
1961: The North American ice storm
The North American ice storm of January 1961 was a massive ice storm that struck areas of northern Idaho in the United States at the start of January 1961. The storm set a record for thickest recorded ice accumulation from a single storm ever in the United States, at 8 inches. The storm covered areas from Grangeville, in north central Idaho, to the US-Canadian border. A combination of dense fog, sub-freezing temperatures, and occasional freezing rain led to the heavy ice accumulations. Catastrophic damage to trees and utilities resulted, resulting in widespread power outages. Prior to this storm, previous records of between 4 and 6 inches of ice were recorded in New York and Texas. Imagine if you will ice that is 8” thick. That is thicker than several ice cubes stacked end to end. Imagine it covering everything, consider its sheer weight. It caused almost all the tress in the region to break apart. All wires fell, roofs and other structures caved in. Consider how long it would take all that ice to melt – it was weeks and many were without power for even longer. It caused the power industry to devise new ways of not only restoring power, but new ways to distribute power including more sub stations to generate power and the burying of wires and utility lines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, January 02, 2022
1740: Delaware River freezes over
During Colonial times, Philadelphia was one of the major ports in North America. Lying at the confluence of the mighty Delaware river and the smaller Schuylkill river it carried a significant amount of commerce back and forth from Europe to the New World. The Delaware River was deep enough for most of the huge sailing ships of the day to connect right up the docks and easily load or off-load their cargo. Navigation was usually clear from the Atlantic ocean to the great port. Unlike present day, the presence of some ice on the river could lead to a slowing of the ability of ships to navigate any ice fields on the river. Unlike today if bitter cold struck there was no way to break the ice and the wooden ships hulls were vulnerable to damage and even ships sinking from significant ice. When the river froze over solid commerce stopped. January 2 was a day of great activity in the Port of Philadelphia in these times gone by after Christmas and New year’s Day, but it came to pass that on January 2, 1740 the Delaware became completely frozen over and shipping came to a halt for the winter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, January 01, 2022
1864: Bitter cold on New Year's Day
New Years Day 1864 brought an intense day of suffering from the Mid-West into the Tennessee Valley, especially for Union and Confederate soldiers who were camped in tents and other structures not made for permanent living and therefore ill prepared against the cold. Times where especially tough on confederate prisoners of war, who were not used to the extreme cold. The New Year’s Day cold in Midwest was the worst in decades as a snowstorm and gale force winds struck; Minneapolis had a high of the -25 degrees; Chicago’s high was -16 degrees, with a morning low -25 degrees. The south was not spared the bitter cold, temperatures dropped from 47 degrees to -19 degrees in 21 hours at Louisville, KY. Newspaper reports from the day reported Intense suffering for Civil War soldiers and prisoners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, December 31, 2021
1978: Severe ice storm strikes N. Texas
In Dallas, Texas and across north Texas in the month of December the daily high temperatures decrease by 6°F, from 62°F to 56°F, rarely falling below 40°F or exceeding 74°F. Daily low temperatures decrease by 6°F as well, from 44°F to 39°F, rarely falling below 26°F or exceeding 58°F. It does get cold on occasion though, with record low temperatures at the end of the month in the single digits and even a little below zero on some days. Snowfall can reach a couple inches. Cold air is easily pushed down the plains from Canada in the winter season. Often times this cold air only manages to penetrate the lowest several thousand feet – so it is close to the ground. When this happens and storms push moisture in from the Gulf of Mexico it falls as rain – yet with temperatures near the ground below freezing the rain freezes on all surfaces and causes ice. On December 31, 1978 a severe ice storm struck leaving 1” to 2" of ice over a 100-mile swath from Gainesville to Paris, Texas. Electricity was off for 10 days in parts of Dallas County. More than 2,000 people were treated for frostbite, automobile accidents or falling accidents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, December 30, 2021
1880: Negative temperatures and bitter cold hit East coast
The winter of 1880–1881 is widely considered the most severe winter ever known in some parts of the United States. Many children—and their parents—learned of "The Snow Winter" through the children's book The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder, in which the author tells of her family's efforts to survive. The snow arrived in October 1880 and blizzard followed blizzard throughout the winter and into March 1881, leaving many areas snowbound throughout the entire winter. Accurate details in Wilder's novel include the blizzards' frequency and the deep cold, many railroads stopped trains until the spring thaw because the snow made the tracks impassable, the near-starvation townspeople throughout the mid-west. An October blizzard brought snowfalls so deep that two-story homes had snow up to the second-floor windows in Minnesota and Wisconsin. No one was prepared for the deep snow so early in the season and farmers all over the region were caught before their crops had even been harvested, their grain milled, or with their fuel supplies for the winter in place. By January the train service was almost entirely suspended from the region. Railroads hired scores of men to dig out the tracks but it was a wasted effort: As soon as they had finished shoveling a stretch of line, a new storm arrived, filling up the line and leaving their work useless. There were no winter thaws and on February 2, 1881, a massive blizzard struck that lasted for nine days across the upper Midwest and parts of the Plains states. In the towns the streets were filled with solid drifts to the tops of the buildings and tunneling was needed to secure passage about town. Homes and barns were completely covered, compelling farmers to tunnel to reach and feed their stock. For the most part the snow by passed the big cities on the East coast that winter. The cold was only sporadic but on December 30, 1880, bitter cold hit the east coast, the mercury dropped to 3 below in Washington D. C. the earliest below zero reading there ever, records were also set in Charlotte North Carolina at 5 below and in Philadelphia the temperature also dropped to negative 5 and the afternoon high temperature despite bright sunshine only reach 5 above zero. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, December 29, 2021
1830: "Winter of the Deep Snow" begins
The heaviest observed and accurately measured snowfall in more than a hundred years, across the plains plans states, hit on December 29, 1830. Many of the cities in the region had just experienced a growth spurt as a jumping off pint for westward travel. Farming was taking hold in the nations’ mid-section. Many immigrants from Europe had moved into the region and brought their farming techniques and strains of wheat that would lead to American becoming the nation’s breadbasket. The push was on to seize the land of Indigenous people and also send settlers on treks to the west coast that was not part of the United States, in places like California and Oregon. All that was stalled for a while as the massive snowstorm struck. Very heavy snow struck 36” was recorded in Kansas City and 30” in Peoria 30". it began the ”Winter of the Deep Snow" with more than 30" on ground in parts of Missouri and Illinois until mid-February. People began to re-think the move west as being too harsh. But the continue influx of refugees from the across the Atlantic continued to push people in search of more land and soon “the Winter of Deep Snow” was forgotten and the movement continued within a few years the great wagon train treks began with the opening of the Oregon Trail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, December 28, 2021
1879: 17" of snow falls in Jerusalem
Snowfall in Israel is a common sight during the months of January and February, especially on Mount Hermon. In fact, Mount Hermon Ski Resort is Israel's only winter ski and snowboard resort located in the Golan Heights in the far north of the country. Apart from the mountain range, the Golan Heights, Upper Galilee region, Safed and Jerusalem receive snowfall every year. At just under 2,700 feet above sea level, snow is not uncommon in the winter in Jerusalem. On average, at least a few flakes fall 7-8 days each year. So, snowfalls are not uncommon and some have buried the city if Jerusalem in almost a foot of snow. Because of its high elevation it certainly is colder than cities like Tel Aviv on the coast of the Mediterranean. From December through January high temperatures in the city average about 53 degrees and low temperatures 44. But on December 28, 1879 the city was hit with one of it’ largest snowstorms ever when 17” accumulated. It shut down the region for travel for more than a week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, December 27, 2021
1992: Bitter cold strikes the Carolinas
Bitter cold weather moved into the Carolinas on Christmas day of 1992 and held for several days aided by a persistent north wind. During the evening hours of December 26 those winds close to the ground turned to the northeast as a storm formed in southern Georgia. Meanwhile higher in the atmosphere the wind turned to the south and increased, bringing warm air into the region several thousand feet above the ground level. Still the winds the at surface remained northeast and kept cold air holding with temperatures in the 20s in the lowest several thousand feet. Colder air is more dense and heavier than warm air and has to retreat and is not pushed out of the way by light warmer air which is forced to rise up and over the cold air. This situation played out across the Carolinas on December 27, 1992, As the storm rolled northward rain broke out across the region – but because temperatures were below freezing at the ground the rain froze on everything. Soon ice covered all surfaces and caused tree limbs and wires to come down and turning highways into skating rinks. Hundreds of thousands lost power and, in some places, it took more than a week to restore electricity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, December 26, 2021
2010: Major winter storm barrels up East coast
A major winter storm barreled up the East Coast on December 26, 2010. The mid- Atlantic and New England coastlines bore the brunt of the storm’s fury. Snowfall totals eclipsed a foot in some cities and towns from eastern Virginia to Massachusetts, with accumulations tipping 18” in New Jersey. Winds also howled past 60 mph in parts of New England, creating whiteout conditions in spots. More than 45,000 customers had lost power across the region. Flight delays and cancellations plagued holiday travelers at many of the East Coast’s busy air hubs. All New York City airports were forced to close. The impending storm also prompted the NFL to postpone the Sunday night matchup between the Eagles and Vikings in Philadelphia before the storm even arrived. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, December 25, 2021
1775: Washington's historic crossing of the Delaware
The fall and early winter of 1775 had not gone well for the patriots during the American Revolution. One defeat was met by another. Starting with the battle of Long Island, the British chased George Washington and his shrinking army out of Brooklyn, out of New York city and finally out of New Jersey. With the end of 1775 coming fast, many in the army would not be signing back up and the revolution was on the verge of collapse. The British were so sure of victory, most of the generals and other high-ranking officers retired to the comforts of New York City for the winter, leaving garrisons of troops in many New Jersey towns under the command of either junior officers or German Hessian mercenaries. Washington was camped on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River a distance north of Philadelphia. He was desperate, as was his army. Washington was a keen observer of the weather, like many of the nation’s founders. His army had miraculously escaped the British after the battle of Long Island as a bank of early morning fog formed and hid his retreat. He understood river fog in the fall season quite well, having lived on his Mt Vernon farm along the banks of the Potomac River. He also understood that strong northwest winds in December usually brought on a change to much colder weather and surmised that the enemy across the river would be hunkered down the next morning, inside to escape the cold and it would be the day after Christmas as well and the soldiers would be sleeping in after celebrating. At 11 p.m. on Christmas night, Washington’s army started its crossing of the half-frozen Delaware river at three locations. The 2,400 soldiers led by Washington successfully braved the icy and freezing river and reached the New Jersey side of the Delaware just before dawn. The other two divisions, made up of some 3,000 men and crucial artillery, failed to reach the meeting point and turned back. Washington was on his own. At 8 a.m. on the morning of December 26, Washington’s remaining force, separated into two columns, reached the outskirts of Trenton, New Jersey and descended on the unsuspecting Hessians. Trenton’s 1,400 Hessian defenders were groggy from the previous evening’s festivities, just as Washington has surmised, they were ensconced in their buildings and underestimated the Patriot threat after months of decisive British victories throughout New York. Washington’s men quickly overwhelmed the Germans’ defenses, and by 9:30 a.m. the town was surrounded. Although several hundred Hessians escaped, nearly 1,000 were captured at the cost of only four American lives. Washington’s victory was based as much on pluck and courage as his understanding of celebrations and even more so the weather. The bitter cold that Washington and his troops braved was the turning point. Hessian sentries were not out braving the cold, also as Washington imagined. The surprise victory was complete and total. Washington’s army was boosted by the victory and one several days l
Fri, December 24, 2021
1966: Christmas Eve coastal storm strikes East coast
A coastal storm developed in Gulf States and moved up East Coast on December 24, 1966. A widespread white Christmas resulted for many. Thunder and vivid lightning were reported along with heavy rain and snow from Baltimore north to Rhode Island. JFK Airport closed for 24 hours because of drifting snow. Nantucket Sound saw seas up to 40' - boat trips were cancelled and people were unable to get to Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket for the Christmas Holiday. Philadelphia had more than a foot of snow. Baltimore more than 8 and Atlantic City more than 6", Washington DC had 6.5" the most ever on Christmas Eve. Highpoint State Park, NYC 19", Central Park, NY 7.1", Pittsfield, MA 17" – an all time snow record, 24 hours. In Boston, MA, 67 mph winds blew down Christmas decorations. Storm was of great benefit to holiday skiers; up to 20" of snow fell in the VT and NH mountains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, December 23, 2021
1775: The Snow Campaign
Regiments of Patriot soldiers in the fall and early winter of 1775, under Col. Richard Richardson, set out to attack a Loyalist unit that had camped in present-day Greenville County, South Carolina for safety. The Patriots marched through several feet of snow in December to accomplish this. The Loyalists, abiding by the terms of a treaty, had disbanded most of their forces. Col. Richardson refused to abide by the treaty and rounded up their leaders and sent them to Charlestown under arrest. On December 22nd, Col. Richardson detached 1,300 troops to attack the Loyalist camp of Capt. Patrick Cunningham that had stopped to rest on Cherokee lands. Capt. Cunningham warned his men to fend for themselves and they all ran into the woods. He was able to escape on horseback. After Capt. Cunningham had been defeated, Col. Richardson considered the upcountry to be pacified and turned his army homeward. He couldn't stay because winter was coming and his army had no tents, their shoes were worn out, and they were badly clothed. Along the way home, it snowed for thirty hours ending on December 23, 1775, dumping nearly two feet on the weary Patriots, thus ending what became known as The Snow Campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, December 22, 2021
1989: Severe cold strikes nation's midsection
In mid-December 1989, a severe arctic outbreak of bitter cold plunged out of the Yukon, across the plains of Canada and right into the middle of the United States midsection. The morning of December 22, 1989, brought record cold across a wide area. Notable low temperature records reached down to 23 below in Indianapolis, breaking the old record by 6 degrees, Cincinnati’s temperature dropped to minus 20, breaking the record by 7, it was 12 below in Pittsburgh and 1 below in Tupelo, Mississippi. Kanas City reached down to 23 below the coldest ever there. On the southern fringes of the cold, a storm churned through the Gulf of Mexico bringing snow to the Gulf coast with 2” in Houston and Galveston Texas and an inch in New Orleans. At the same time, as the cold departed the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains warming Chinook winds took over and in Cut Bank, Montana after a morning low temperature of 34 below zero the afternoon temperature topped out at plus 40. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, December 21, 2021
2006: Blizzard strands 5,000 passengers at Denver Int.
Thousands of travelers were stranded at airports and shelters on December 21, 2006 after a blizzard paralyzed Colorado and parts of other Western states. Snowfall measured over 50 inches in the Rocky Mountain foothills, and drifts reached more than five feet on airport runways. Gov. Bill Owens of Colorado declared a state of emergency, calling in National Guard troops to help stranded motorists reach home, a hotel or Red Cross shelters. At Denver International Airport, nearly 5,000 people were stuck overnight, the airport remained closed for 3 days. 30- to 40-mile-per-hour winds with falling snow, prevented cleanup. The snow was accumulating too fast to keep up with it. Cities along Colorado’s Front Range could not plow roads fast enough as the snow kept falling for over 24 hours, leaving 20 to 30 inches in Denver. Light-rail trains and bus service were canceled for days, and it was a week before side streets in Denver were plowed. Mail delivery was canceled and most businesses, including malls, were closed during the busiest shopping time of the year. With cars, trucks and buses abandoned on the roads, the cleanup was hindered. At Denver International Airport, thousands of passengers were bused to hotels and many others slept on the floor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, December 20, 2021
1836: "The Sudden Freeze"
On December 20, 1836, what Illinois pioneers called “The Sudden Freeze” occurred. About eight inches of snow fell on Dec. 19, but it got warm enough for the snow to turn to rain the next day, which melted the snow on the ground into slush and water. At 2 p.m. Dec. 20, the sky darkened, and a heavy, black cloud rolled in from the northwest. Early settlers recorded that then a strong, icy-cold wind, estimated to be blowing at 70 mph, swept over the landscape, instantly freezing everything in its path. Jacksonville, Illinois resident John Lathrop described the sudden freeze. “The cold wave struck me, and as I drew my feet up the ice would form on my boots. When I reached the square, the ice bore me up, and when I returned to Mr. Turner’s, a half hour afterwards, I saw his chickens and ducks frozen into the ice.” Some farmers who had walked from their homes to their barns in slush and water made the return trip on ice a few minutes later. Travelers caught out on horseback were frozen to their saddles, and had to be lifted off and carried to a fire to be thawed apart. “Two young men who were traveling for Philadelphia merchants were frozen to death not far from Rushville,” Lathrop recalled. “One of them was found with his back against a tree with his horse’s bridle over his arm and his horse frozen in front of him. The other young man was partly in a kneeling position, with a tinder box in one hand and a flint in the other — with both eyes open, as though attempting to light the tinder in the box — that being the usual mode of lighting a fire before the days of friction matches.” Reports also came from several places of travelers resorting to killing their horses, and, after disemboweling them, crawling into the carcass to escape the bitter cold. No record was left of how far the mercury dropped, but various reports said 6 to 12 inches of ice formed in frozen streams in just a few hours. For decades, survivors reckoned dates of birth, marriages, deaths and other important events from the Deep Snow, or the Sudden Freeze. Survivors prided themselves on having borne nature’s fury, considering themselves true settlers — the ‘Old Settlers’ —and regarding later arrivals as untested upstarts.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, December 19, 2021
The 1948 NFL Championship game
At least one person thought the 1948 NFL championship game between the host Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Cardinals was going to be snowed out. Eagles running back Steve Van Buren looked out his window that morning at a raging blizzard and went back to bed. His coach had to call to tell him the game was on, so he caught three trolleys and walked several blocks in the storm to make the game, which started with 4 inches of accumulation that only got worse. It remains the second-lowest scoring postseason game in NFL history, with the Eagles winning 7-0 on a Van Buren TD run, as neither team could do much in the storm. The grounds crew needed the teams' players to help remove the tarp, and extra officials were used to assist with out-of-bounds calls. It was a big moment in NFL history as it marked the first time that the Championship Game was televised with Harry Wismer and Red Grange calling the action on ABC. However, the start of the game was put in jeopardy due to the heavy snow. There was even talk of postponing the game, but instead, the game started two hours late to allow more fans to attend the game. With four inches already on the ground, the Eagles offered any fan with a shovel a free ticket for helping to ready the field. Once the game began, it was obvious just how difficult it would be to play the game. Slick conditions, poor visibility which at times was less than a foot and accumulating snow made it hard for both teams to move the ball. The passing game was essentially eliminated by the whiteout conditions and blowing snow as the Cardinals and Eagles combined for just 19 yards through the air on five completions. Each team turned the ball over three times, as the game was scoreless through three quarters. One player who was able to put up big numbers as Steve Van Buren who had 98 yards on 26 carries. Late in the third quarter, Ray Mallouf attempting a handoff fumbled the ball setting up the Eagles on the Chicago 17. The Eagles were on the verge of scoring as the fourth quarter began, finally breaking the tie with a five-yard run by Van Buren. It would be the game’s only score as the Eagles won the game 7-0 to claim the NFL Championship. The Eagles would win a second straight championship in 1949, while the Cardinals would not win another playoff game until 1998 after moving through St. Louis and onto Arizona. The 7-0 score would be the lowest scoring NFL playoff game until 1970 when the Dallas Cowboys beat the Detroit Lions 5-0. Van Buren later said, "I was sure the game would be postponed." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, December 18, 2021
2013: Record warmth spreads across Plains states
Forays’ of cold air had been frequent across the Plains states in the fall of 2013; snow had accumulated in places across Montana and the Dakotas. But the middle of December brought somewhat milder weather as winds across the region shifted from the north to the southwest and south and air came surging up out of Mexico. The change in the wind brought and marked change in the weather and on December 18, 2013 Record warmth spread across the Plains. Boulder, MT. tied the record of 54 set in 1979. Denver, CO. reached 68, breaking the record of 66. Imperial, NE broke their record of 65 from 1979 by reaching 69. All across the region people welcomed the break in the early season cold that had held sway earlier in the month – it was not to last – just a couple of days later temperatures in parts of the region dipped into the teens and single digits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, December 17, 2021
1903: The Wright Bros. historic flight in Kitty Hawk, NC
The archives of the National Weather Service report that Wilbur and Orville Wright made four brief flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with their first powered aircraft on December 17, 1903. After having success with their 5-foot biplane kite, the brothers realized the weather conditions in Dayton, OH, where their bicycle workshop was located and where they worked on heavier than air aircraft were not ideal for their flying experiments. They wrote the National Weather Bureau in Washington, D.C. requesting a list of suitable places on the east coast of the United States where winds were constant. The Wright Brothers received the following response from Joseph Dosher, who staffed the Weather Bureau office, and wrote in August of 1900 regarding the suitability of Kitty Hawk. "To Mr. Wilbur Wright, Dayton Ohio Dear Sir, In reply to yours of the 3rd, I will say the beach here is about one mile wide clear of trees or high hills, and islands for nearly sixty miles south. Conditions: the wind blows mostly from the North and Northeast September and October which is nearly straight down this piece of land. Giving you many miles of a steady wind with a free sweep. I am sorry to say that you could not rent a house here. So, you will have to bring tents. You could obtain frame. The only way to reach Kitty Hawk is from Roanoke Island N.C. in a small sail boat. From your letter I believe you would find it here like you wish. Will be pleased at any time to give you any information. Yours very respectfully.” For those of you, like me, who have been to Kitty Hawk this description from 120 years ago of the landscape and weather conditions hold true to this day. On December 17, with the winds were averaging more than 20 mph, Orville took a flight for a total distance of 120 feet. I was the first heavier than air flight that carried a human being. The flight lasted all of the 12 seconds – but Orville Wright flew into history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, December 16, 2021
1835: "Cold Wednesday"
Wednesday, December 16, 1835 was a bitterly cold day, known as ”cold Wednesday”. Hanover, NH only reached a high temperature of -17 degrees. It was -12 degrees at Boston by sunset. But it was in New York City that the cold did it’s most damage. It was so cold that the East River was frozen: Fire fighter couldn’t access the water, The Great NYC Fire of 1835 leveled 17 blocks that night, including most of Wall Street. The fire began on the evening of December 16, 1835, in a five-story warehouse at 25 Merchant Street, now known as Beaver Street at the intersection of Hanover Square and Wall Street. As it spread, gale-forces winds blowing from the northwest toward the East River spread the fire. The conflagration was visible from Philadelphia, approximately 80 miles away. At the time of the fire, major water sources including the East River and the Hudson Rover were frozen in temperatures as low as −17 °F . Firefighters were forced to drill holes through ice to access water, which later re-froze around the hoses and pipes. Attempts were made to deprive the fire of fuel by demolishing surrounding buildings, but at first there was insufficient gunpowder in Manhattan. Finally a detachment of U. S. Marines and sailors arrived at 3 o'clock in the morning, with gunpowder from the Brooklyn Navy Yard and began to blow up buildings in the fire's path. An investigation found that a burst gas pipe, ignited by a coal stove, was the initial source; no blame was assigned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, December 15, 2021
1945: Intense lake effect snow event
Mild weather had persisted in western New York and indeed all across the Great Lakes region well into December in 1945. With the end of World War II, it seemed like the nice autumn weather was allowing people to enjoy peace of mind and carefree mild days for the first time in years. Great Lake water temperatures were also on the warm side when compared against long-term seasonal averages. Then on December 15 time ran out. A bitter blast of artic air – the first of the season arrived and blasted that cold air across the warm lakes setting an intense lake effect snow event. The city of Buffalo, New York got pounded with more than 36” of snow and areas south of the city in what are known as the snowbelts had twice as much snow – some places upwards of 70” of the white stuff. The region had some removal equipment – but heavy snow removal equipment was still sparse as many of the trucks and earthmoving type equipment was in use in the war effort and still had not been returned to many cities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, December 14, 2021
1779: "Hard Winter"
The autumn of 1779 had been relatively mild across the 13 colonies as they struggled against the British for independence, but on December 14, 1779 and cold wave hit as artic air spilled out of Canada and into the Colonies. It was a portend of what was to come. The winter of 1779–1780 has been called among the harshest in the eighteenth century. The so-called Hard Winter. A total of twenty-eight snowstorms hit the soon to be United States, some dropping snow for several days in succession. The temperature rarely rose above freezing as the Delaware and Hudson Rivers froze over. Sledges moved regularly across ten miles of ice between Annapolis and the opposite shore of the Chesapeake. Wild animals were almost exterminated as people where desperately hunting for food and other animals died of the cold and exposure. General Alexander (Lord Stirling) marched over a saltwater channel to make his unsuccessful Staten Island raid—even his artillery passed over the six miles of open water safely. Washington's main army suffered much more, because of this weather, in their Morristown winter quarters, than they had at Valley Forge two years earlier, with snow lying six feet deep. The British in New York suffered almost as much as the economy in North America ground to a halt and food became scarce everywhere. As inflation took off, Washington found it ever more difficult to obtain much needed supplies for his shrinking Continental army. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, December 13, 2021
1878: Bitter cold wave in southern California
California's citrus heritage has deep roots in what is now downtown Los Angeles. In the 1840s, it was the site of the state's first commercial citrus farm. "When the Gold Rush of 1849 hit, there was a huge demand for oranges in the gold country because it was well established that fresh citrus was useful in combating scurvy," a vitamin-C deficiency, said Vince Moses, a historian on California citrus and former director of the Riverside Metropolitan Museum. But long before citrus became a viable commercial crop, Spanish missionaries who settled in Southern California during the 1700s were already cultivating a variety of citrus fruit. Cold temperatures are not good for the sensitive fruit trees and devastating freezes had previously ravaged the Florida citrus industry. Causing groves to the planted and re-planted farther and farther south in Florida. Those in southern California thought they were immune to the cold, but on December 13, 1878 a bitter cold wave was able to push over the mountains from the east and the temperature dropped to 30 degrees in LA, in outlying areas it was even colder, in the 20s and did some damage to the trees. Still not quite as devastatingly cold as often had occurred in Florida where temperatures in the northern groves had dropped into the teens and lower destroying all the trees numerous times in the 1800’s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, December 12, 2021
1995: ”monster storm” slams Washington, Oregon and California
During the winter huge storms form in the Gulf of Alaska south of the 49th state and are pushed southward by the jet-stream and often slam into the region from the Pacific Northwest to central California. Often times powerful winds batter the region as they blow in off the Pacific Ocean and produce massive rainfall amounts. On the east side of the mountain ranges that run through are area significant snowfalls often occur. On December 12, 1995, a ”monster storm” slammed Washington, Oregon, northern and central California. The storm brought flooding rains and hurricane force winds. Wind gusts were recorded as high as 119 mph at Sea Lion Caves, OR. The central barometric pressure dropped to 28.45". 12.27" of rain fell at Marin, CA and 80 mph wind gusts were recorded at San Francisco, CA. 1.5 million people were without power. In some places power was off for weeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, December 11, 2021
1905: Highest temperature in South American history
On December 11, 1905, the highest temperature in South American history recorded at 120°F in Rivadavia, Argentina. Rivadavia is located in northern Argentina, just south of the Paraguayan border in the Gran Chaco and east of the Andes. This coastal province sees a wide range of temperatures due to its position along the sea. In Rivadavia, the heat is intense from November to February, with average highs temperatures of generally of 95 °F, In winter, from May to mid-August, the daytime high temperatures drop to around 75 °F. However, the daily temperature range can be remarkable, it can get hot even in winter, but it can sometimes get cold at night, especially when the Pampero blows a cold wind coming from the southern lands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, December 10, 2021
1699: First major ice storm in New England recorded history
According to the website Vox.com before World War II, few US cities used salt in the winter. When snow fell, local governments would plow the roads and then spread sand and cinders around to improve traction. Cars would don snow chains, and people generally accepted that the roads weren't always passable in icy conditions. But as America's highways expanded and became ever more crucial to the economy, that changed. Increasingly, truckers and commuters needed to be able to drive in all conditions. New Hampshire's state government became the first to use salt on the roads in the winter of 1941–'42, and the practice spread as the interstate highway system was built in the 195-‘s and grew. Road salt is basically sodium chloride — much like table salt — and comes from deposits leftover after prehistoric oceans evaporated, with huge mines in Ohio, Michigan, New York, Kansas, and Louisiana. Oftentimes, extra chemicals will be mixed in. For instance, road salt is less effective at melting ice when temperatures drop below 20 degrees — when it gets extremely cold, other chemicals like magnesium chloride or calcium chloride are mixed in. Salt, after all, has plenty of drawbacks. It can corrode the steel in cars, trucks, bridges, and reinforcing rods in concrete — weakening valuable infrastructure. Transportation departments can add chemicals to the salt to inhibit corrosion or add coating to steel, but this gets pricey. One study in Utah estimated that salt corrosion now costs the US almost $20 billion a year. Salt dissolves and splits into sodium and chloride, it washes away, into rivers and streams. Chloride, in particular, doesn't get filtered out naturally by soil and accumulates in waterways. In December 2014, the US Geological Survey found that chloride levels were on the rise in 84 percent of urban streams studied — with 29 percent exceeding federal safety limits. On December 10, 1699 in one of the first major ice storms in New England recorded history, ice shut down the city of Boston for a week – there was no salt or anything else to cause the ice to melt as temperatures remain very cold for days. In addition, the ice caused massive damage to orchards in the region as the heavy frozen rain brought down many tree limbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, December 09, 2021
1977: Massive snowstorm isolates London, Ontario for days
December 9, 1977 brought a massive snowstorm accompanied by powerful winds and blindly low visibility to southern Ontario as an intense storm system moved across the Ohio Valley in the United States. The total snowfall for the storm averaged about a foot in most places, but some areas received much more, as enhanced snowfall was created by additional lake effect snowfall combined with the large-scale storm system. The blizzard was made unique by the sustained winds, gusting up to 70 mph which picked up the snowdrifts already accumulated earlier in the season and dumped that snow load in western New York and southern Ontario. 2-day totals brought close to 40 inches of snow. The combination of roads drifted shut and the powerful wind that continued unabated for several days caused the city of London, Ontario to be isolated for days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, December 08, 2021
The 1703 Windstorm
The December 7-8, 1703 Windstorm (November 26-27 on the old calendar still used in England at the time) was the most damaging to have affected the southern part of Britain for at least 500 years. The fame of the storm owes much to the fact that it cut a swathe of damage through London. The City of London had been entirely rebuilt after the 1666 Great Fire of London, and thatch had been prohibited for use in roofing to reduce the fire hazard. After the storm: ‘the streets lay so covered with Tiles and Slates, from the Tops of the Houses, especially in the Out-parts, that the quantity is incredible, and the Houses were so universally stript, that all the Tiles in Fifty Miles round would be able to repair but a small Part of it’. Approximately 2,000 massive stacks of chimneys were blown down in and about London, along with gable ends of Houses, some whole roofs and 16-20 entire houses on the edge of the town. The level of damage was similar in many towns and villages across southern Britain, with the majority of houses partly or completely stripped of tiles. As in London, a significant number of houses were demolished by the collapse of a central chimney stack. In all more than 800 dwelling houses were blown down, and in the county of Kent there were over 1,000 out-houses and barns destroyed. One hundred churches had the lead sheeting rolled up or blown off their roofs, as well as pinnacles dislodged, windows broken, and in a few cases, steeples collapsed into the remainder of the structure. Of all buildings, the most vulnerable were windmills with more than 400 either toppled and broken, or burnt to the ground after the sails rotated at such speed as to cause the axles and brake to overheat and catch fire. There was widespread destruction of millions of trees in forests, parks and orchards. Although the storm in England occurred entirely at night, when casualty rates are around a quarter of daytime, 123 people were killed on land in England and Wales, due to the collapse of roofs and chimneys. 21 people were killed by falling stacks of chimneys in London, with 200 severely wounded and maimed. At least another 20 died in damage in continental Europe. Around 80 people are known to have drowned in their cottages in the marshlands. Even these totals are dwarfed by the estimated 8,000 killed in more than 100 shipwrecks at sea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, December 07, 2021
1941: Weather's impact on Pearl Harbor
For much of the country, the weather Hawaii was experiencing in the late stages of autumn 1941 would have been considered unseasonably warm, but in Hawaii, the mild temperatures and partially cloudy skies were common at that time of year. Nobody on the island of Oahu on December 7, 1941 expected there to be any significance to the weather conditions, but little did they know that the beautiful weather would lead to the start of a terrible morning. As Japanese fighters crossed the Pacific, they were given hope that their mission of a sneak attack on the 7th US Fleet anchored near Honolulu in Pearl Harbor would succeed when the announcement was made of “clouds mostly over the mounts. Visibility good.” There was nothing obstructing their sight-lines, no heavy cloud cover to hide the harbor and no heavy rains to make flight difficult. After crossing the rough waters of the North Pacific, the Japanese were met with a clear “long white line of coast” once the island was in view. Though the United States suffered greatly due to the clear conditions of the morning, something else was happening approximately 2,200 miles away at Wake Island. Scheduled to return to Pearl Harbor on the morning of the 7th, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, encountered unfavorable conditions. As the Enterprise tried to return on schedule, she was met with rough seas that delayed the arrival, this turned out to be a strike of good fortune. Had the mighty vessel made it back to Pearl Harbor on time, she would have been engaged by Japanese fighters and likely damaged or destroyed. The USS Enterprise played a vital role in World War II, earning enough commendations to become the most decorated US ship in the war. The good weather at Perl Harbor aided the Japanese attack, but the adverse weather that prevented the Enterprise from returning and perhaps being sunk, greatly aided the American cause and that ship helped turn the tide of the war in the pacific. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, December 06, 2021
1970: Strong winds topple National Christmas Tree in DC
The National Christmas Tree is a large evergreen tree located in the northeast quadrant of The Ellipse near the White House in Washington, D. C. Each year since 1923, the tree has been decorated as a Christmas tree. Every year, early in December, the tree is traditionally lit by the President of the United States Every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt has made formal remarks during the tree lighting ceremony. In 1970 the 78-foot tall blue spruce from South Dakota’s Black Hills was carried to Washington, D.C. on a train. While en route, the train derailed twice. Then the weekend before the tree lighting ceremony, on December 6, 1970, the tree blew over in high winds and several cut branches had to be attached to the tree to replace damaged ones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, December 05, 2021
1953: Tornado outbreak strikes Vicksburg, MS
The city of Vicksburg lies hard against the Mississippi River at a sharp bend in that river. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vicksburg was built by French colonists in 1719. It was incorporated as Vicksburg in 1825 named after Methodist missionary Newitt Vick. In the American Civil War, it was a key Confederate river-port, and its surrender to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, in July 1863, after a month’s long siege marked the turning-point of the war. Much destruction was visited upon the city as it held out with constant shelling from cannon fire. On December 5, 1953 Vicksburg, was visited by a tornado outbreak that was a deadly severe weather event that affected northeastern Louisiana, southeastern Arkansas, and western Mississippi on December 5, 1953. At least four confirmed tornadoes touched down. One of the tornadoes produced F5 damage as it moved through the city of Vicksburg, causing 38 deaths and injuring at least 270 along the seven-mile path of devastation. Historical records show that the ravages visited upon the city from the severe weather in on single afternoon caused more damage and destruction than months of war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, December 04, 2021
2002: The North Carolina ice storm
The North Carolina ice storm of 2002 caused up to an inch of freezing rain from December 4 into December 5 in central North Carolina. A total of 24 people were killed, and as many as 1.8 million people were left without electricity. Power outages began December 4, and power was not completely restored until December 14. Raleigh got the most freezing rain from a single storm since 1948, and Bristol, Tennessee received the most ice it had seen in 28 years. The storm also produced heavy rain in both the mountains and coastal plain of North Carolina. Much of the Southern Plains and the Northeast received snow with this system. During the power outages many residents used propane and kerosene powered generators and heaters to combat the cold, with some resorting to moving charcoal grills indoors to heat their households. The increased usage of these heating methods, particularly grills led to a substantial number of cases of carbon monoxide poisoning. Varying reports cite up to 200 cases of poisoning. Hispanic residents were disproportionately affected by the impacts of the ice storm, sustaining 23% of total injuries and 65% of carbon monoxide poisonings during the storm period. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, December 03, 2021
The Great Smog of 1952
The Great Smog of London, or Great Smog of 1952, was a severe air pollution event that affected the British capital in early December 1952. A period of unusually cold weather, combined with a large region of high pressure and windless conditions, collected airborne pollutants—mostly arising from the use of coal—to form a thick layer of smog over the city. It lasted from December 3 to December 9, 1952, then dispersed quickly when the weather changed. It caused major disruption by reducing visibility and even penetrating indoor areas, far more severely than previous smog events, called “pea-soupers”. Government medical reports in the following weeks estimated that up to December 8, 4,000 people had died as a direct result of the smog and 100,000 more were made ill by the smog's effects on the human respiratory tract. More recent research suggests that the total number of fatalities may have been considerably greater, one paper suggesting about 6,000 more died in the following months as a result of the event. London has suffered since the 13th century from poor air quality and this worsened in the 1600s as the city grew and coal become the common method to heat homes. The Great Smog is thought to be the worst air pollution event in the history of the United Kingdom, and the most significant for its effects on environmental research, government regulation, and public awareness of the relationship between air quality and health. It led to several changes in practices and regulations, including the Clean Air Act of 1956. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, December 02, 2021
1896: Snow breaks out and accumulates in Southern US states
Unusual early winter cold moved out of Canada in the last week of November 1896. Few low temperature records were set but the cold was persistent and held sway from Mississippi and Alabama across Georgia and all the way to the Carolinas. Fortunately for the first few days of the cold outbreak there was no precipitation. Then on December 1, 1896, a reinforcing surge of air reached the region all the way from the Arctic, at the same time a storm was gathering strength on the Gulf coast near New Orleans. That storm system moved east northeastward across the southern portions of Alabama and pulled moisture out of the Gulf. Snow began to break out all across Dixie. When the storm departed on the evening of December 2, 1896 records for snowfall had been set in many southern cites for the month of December. 4 inches of snow fell in Raleigh with more than half a foot of snow in Atlanta and 10 inches in Charlotte, North Carolina and Greeneville, South Carolina. Without any means to clear the snow from city streets commerce came to a halt for several days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, December 01, 2021
1876: Northern half of CA records zero rain for month
Rain fell in San Francisco often in the first half of November 1876 and it would seem that the winter or rainy season, along the west coast of the United States might turn out rather wet. December averages almost a dozen days of rain in the month with rainfall totals close to 4 inches on the average. No rain fell on December 1, 1876, not on the second. In fact, not one drop of rain fell for the entire month as a persistent area of high pressure camped along the west coast for the entire month and into January deflecting storms to its north. No rain fell in area all across the northern half of California, not only in San Francisco but also Sacramento and even up in rainy Portland Oregon less than an inch feel for the entire month in one of the driest periods on record, even including today in the current era of drought in the west. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, November 30, 2021
2001: Buffalo, NY records zero snowfall for all of November
n Buffalo, New York, during November, snow falls an average of 4.9 days and averages and monthly accumulation of 7.9" of snow. In Buffalo, during the entire year, snow falls for 61 days, and averages 94.7". On November 30, 2001 the weather record books closed for the month in Buffalo. Amazingly no snow, not even a trace was reported for the entire month. This was the first time that happened for the city in the month of November since records first stared to be kept in 1871. Interestingly the previous November of 2000 was a record-breaking snowfall November for Buffalo with 45.6” recorded in the month, two Novembers in succession, one with the greatest November snowfall the next year, the least. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, November 29, 2021
1975: 34" of snow falls in Red River, NM
Red River, New Mexico area has a rich history. Indigenous Apaches established settlements in the region hundreds of years ago. Fur trappers and prospectors moved into the area as they named River City, as Red River was first called. Hundreds of gold, silver and copper mines were carved into the mountain with names like Golden Treasure, Silver King and Black Copper. Red River's population soared. There were stores, a livery stable, two newspapers, a sawmill, blacksmith shop, barber shop, more than a dozen saloons, several hotels and boarding houses, a dance hall and a hospital. The mines played out eventually, but soon homesteaders outnumbered prospectors. The town gained new momentum by renting abandoned mining cabins to flatland visitors seeking refuge from the heat. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, ski areas soon started to develop. In those days without artificially made snow Red River and indeed ski resorts across the world relied on natural snowfall. Some locations fared well – but others would suffer from snow droughts and be ruined. Snow making in the United States started mainly in the eastern states after World War II. In the west, in places like Red River, snowmaking was still a novelty in 1975. On November 29, 1975, the ski season started off with a bang when 34” of snow fell setting up a great start to the ski season and also but the 34” also set a New Mexico state record for a 24-hour snowfall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, November 28, 2021
1973: Violent weather breaks out in Southern US
On November 28, 1973, warm, humid air moving northward from the Gulf of Mexico out ahead of a strong cold front fed violent weather in the lower Ohio Valley and all across the southern United States. Tornadoes and flash floods killed 3 people and injured more than 600 during the day. 9 twisters touched down in southern Louisiana, northern Alabama, and Tennessee. Hundreds of houses and trailer homes were destroyed as the cold front blasted into Georgia and the Carolinas. Huntsville, Alabama was hardest hit - winds were clocked at 94 mph before the weather instruments broke. Extensive flooding occurred in southern West Virginia. Warm air surged northward ahead of the storm system as temperature readings reached close to 70 as far north as Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, November 27, 2021
1898: The Portland Storm
The famous "Portland" storm struck off Cape Cod on November 27, 1898 with loss of 200 lives in strong winds and heavy wind whipped snowfall across southern New England. Many were lost in 50 small vessels to the raging sea off the coast. 27” of snow fell in New London, CT. 15" at Waterbury, CT. A peak wind of 72 mph was recorded at Boston. Boston received more than 12” of snow... then 5” more fell on November 30th to give them their deepest ever Nov. snow depth at 16". Boston Harbor filled up with shipwrecks. Block Island had an estimated gust to 98 mph. Docks in Boston Harbor where also torn up disrupting shipping commerce for weeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, November 26, 2021
1983: Icy conditions lead to pileups on the Queen Elizabeth Way
The Queen Elizabeth Way – better known as the QEW is the major super highway that runs from Niagara Falls across southern Ontario to Toronto, Canada’s largest city and one the world’s major metropolises. Each day hundreds of thousands of travelers, computers and others travel the highway. On November 26, 1983 a bitter cold airmass had settled in over the region. Lingering moisture held close to the ground from a storm just a few days earlier. Meanwhile a bank of low clouds formed, it was the perfect setup for fog to form. Fog began to appear just as rush hour started. The fog formed a thin layer of moisture that quickly froze, the result was black ice – invisible to drivers at first. Treacherous morning rush hour conditions resulted caused a more than 100-car pile-up and closed the QEW for hours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, November 25, 2021
1950: The Great Appalachian Storm
On November 25, 1950, one of the greatest November storms in recorded North American History blasted the eastern half of the United States and Canada with unprecedented early season snow and cold, paralyzing the region for more than a week and causing untold damage and suffering. Cold air had been scarce in the lower 48 states in November, but was building to prodigious proportions across the artic. It was unleased southward in a bitter blast that would even be extreme in the depths of winter let along November. Caused by a huge wave action high in the atmosphere in the jet stream those high-level winds plunged southward right out of the Yukon. On the eastern side of the continent the wave action cut off into a swirling ball of winds that spawned a monster storm. Known as The Great Appalachian Storm, it achieved the region's greatest sustained wind force when gales continued at many points for 12 hours or more. At coastal cities, such as Newark and Boston, single minute speeds in excess of 80 mph were registered. Peak gusts were recorded of 110 mph at Concord, NH, 108 mph at Newark, NJ, and 100 mph at Hartford, CT. Atop Mt. Washington a wind gust hit 160 mph from the SE early on the 26th. Central Park in the heart of sheltered Manhattan Island set an 80-year record with fastest mile of 70 mph. There were 34 deaths across New York State. Heavy flooding rains along coast. The snowfalls were equally as extreme almost 28” in Pittsburgh. Toronto had its greatest one-day November snowfall of a foot and in Steubenville Ohio snow piled up to a depth of more than 36” – 3 feet! Roads were blocked and roofs collapsed. Just behind the storm came some of the coldest temperature of the winter. Both Louisville, Kentucky and Nashville, Tennessee dipped to 1 below zero the earliest below zero reading on record. In Atlanta the mercury dropped to 2 above, and despite sunshine the afternoon high temperature only reached 17. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, November 24, 2021
1863: The Battle Above the Clouds
Lookout Mountain rises 1700 feet above the Tennessee Valley, its steep sides protruding to the sky. The northern end the mountain is surrounded on three sides by a near vertical rock wall that has afforded protection to the occupants of the top for hundreds of years. The mountain is known for a weather phenomenon that occurs from 3-5 times a year. A layer of fog forms around the bottom of the Mountain then begins to rise, sometimes engulfing the entire mountain. This rising fog has been written about since the first European settlers visited the area before 1735. On November 24, 1863, during the height of the Civil War, this very weather situation set in, just as Union forces were closing in on the city of Chattanooga nearby and set up what would be known as the Battle of Lookout Mountain or more famously known as The Battle Above the Clouds. "Clouds enveloped the entire mountain" wrote Union General John Geary before the attack. Confederate General Edward Walthall, whose Mississippians made up part of the Rebel line would write that he detected Geary's movement at about 7:30am but before he could tell where the Union commander was headed "a mist obscured the valley" at about 8:00am. Geary was headed to the site of an old dam, where his engineers would build a bridge. By 8:00am the bridge was complete enough to send about 20 Union soldiers from 3 companies across to form a bridgehead. Stealth and the fog were on their side as they captured 42 Confederate pickets without firing a shot. At 9:30am the Geary's attack began in "thick fog" on the mountainside. The Union commander also noted that the fog in Lookout Valley had risen. The fog prevented Union General Hooker's artillery from joining the fray. Around 11:00 the clouds lifted to the point that the artillery could tell Rebel from Yankee and opened fire, even though the cloud bank was returning. One Union artillery man later compared it to "...a fire and cloud-capped Sinai." Reports from the battle notes that "...the enemy threw grenade and shell over the cliffs, and the fire of their sharpshooters was so galling that we must inevitably have lost many men but for a dense cloud that enveloped the mountain top about noon." The New York Times on Nov. 30, 1863, mentions the notable fact that in Gen. Hooker's fight up the slopes of Lookout Mountain, "much of the battle was fought above the clouds, which concealed him from our view, but from which his musketry was heard." The fog allowed more Union advances as the rebels became confused and it helped the union win an important victory that brought all of Tennessee under Union control and lead the road to Atlanta wide open for Union forces and eventually Sherman’s March to the Sea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, November 23, 2021
2010: Golf ball-sized hail causes massive damage in Chicago area
On the night of November 22, 2010 violent thunderstorms erupted from Chicago, IL to Springfield, MO. These storms raged into November 23, 2010 and downed trees and power lines with some wind gusts in excess of 60mph. Some of the hail that fell was as big at golf balls, causing massive damage to parked cars and car lots housing used and new autos, resulting in millions of dollars of damage to windshield and car bodies. Torrential downpours plagued the Chicago area with more than an inch of rain, triggering flash flooding. Tornadoes tore through northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, heavily damaging several buildings. Three people were injured from damage several miles east of Loves Park, IL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, November 22, 2021
1963: The Assassination of JFK
President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas on Friday, November 22, 1963. There was a chance that the horrific events of that day might not have happened at all had the weather been different. The day started out grey and overcast as the President arrived at the Airport in Dallas early that morning. A small amount of rain had fallen first thing in the morning with more forecast likely later in the day. That would have likely meant that a plexiglass bubble would have been used on the President’s 1961 Lincoln Convertible to keep him and the First Lady dry. Those coverings were generally bullet-proof. As the motorcade was set to leave for the cross-town journey at 11:50am the weather turned bright and sunny and even warm for late November. The temperature climbed to near 70. Because of the break in the weather and the crowds that where lining the street the President decided not to go with the Plexiglas covering. Since the ride would only take less than an hour President Kennedy wanted to be able for the crowds to see him. Just as the motorcade slowed as it drove through Dealey Plaza at 12:30pm before turning onto a road that would allow the motorcade to speed up shoot rang out killing the 35th President of the United States and seriously injuring Texas Governor John Connally. Had the weather remined cloudy with light rain the whole scenario might never have taken place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, November 21, 2021
1970: Double-barreled storm brings snow and thunderstorms
A double-barreled autumn storm hurled snow over the northern Midwest and unleashed violent thunderstorms from the Ohio Valley to the Gulf Coast on November 20, 1970. 5" of snow fell in Rochester, MN. 4” fell in Mason City, IA. Heavy snow and drove temperatures to near 0 along the Canadian border. Up to 10” of snow blanketed Cut Bank, MT where the mercury sank to 3 above zero at midnight. Blowing and drifting snow hampered travel in eastern Washington and northern Oregon. Meanwhile, high winds in western New York State caused window breakage and widespread power outages. In the Buffalo area, winds felled trees and electrical wires. Three radio stations in Buffalo suffered a 32-minute interruption of service. One person was hospitalized after being struck by an up-rooted tree. Wind driven waves from Lake Erie spilled onto Route 5 in Athol. Seneca Falls was without power for 2 hours. A severe thunderstorm watch involved portions of a half-dozen states from Kentucky to Georgia. Funnel clouds were sighted during the night at two locations in the Memphis area. Hail pelted Evansville, IN. Tornadoes skipped across parts of Arkansas causing considerable damage, and 16 persons were hospitalized when a tornado swept through Moro and Oak Forest, AR in Lee County. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, November 20, 2021
2016: Major lake-effect event strikes East coast
A major lake-effect event set up starting late on November 19, 2016 and continued more prominently through the 20th. The heaviest total reported was in Redfield, New York at 54.5 inches. Other significant totals include Osceola at 48 inches, Binghamton at 27.6 inches, Syracuse at 25.1 inches and Watertown at 18.0 inches. Interestingly this event was preceded by record warmth. Watertown hit 72 on the 19th breaking the record of 70. But the heavy snowfall put an end to thoughts of a lingering warm autumn, roads were closed in many areas for a better part of a week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, November 19, 2021
Arctic cold outbreak leads to record temperatures in East US
An early-season arctic cold outbreak on November 19, 2008, led to records being broken, both for overnight lows and daytime highs all across the eastern part of the United States. Worcester, MA had a high of only 29 degrees. Even as far south as Saint Simons Island, GA there was a record cold day, with a high of only 50 degrees. Killing frost and freezes were felt in the deep South and with a strong wind accompanying the cold many marginal plants and vegetation didn’t stand a chance putting an abrupt end to the growing season all the way to the Gulf coast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, November 18, 2021
1421: Storm on European coastline causes 10k fatalities
On November 18, 1421, a storm in the North Sea slammed into the European coastline. Over the next several days, approximately 10,000 people in what is now the Netherlands died in the resulting floods. History.com tells us the lowlands of the Netherlands near the North Sea were densely populated at the time, despite their known vulnerability to flooding. Small villages and a couple of cities had sprung up in what was known as the Grote Waard region. The residents had built dikes throughout the area to keep the water at bay, but fatal floods still struck in 1287, 1338, 1374, 1394 and 1396. After each, residents fixed the dikes and moved right back in. Even the St. Elisabeth’s flood of November 1404 (named after the November 19 feast day for St. Elisabeth of Hungary), in which hundreds died, could not dissuade the residents from living in the region. Seventeen years later, at the same time of year, another strong storm struck the North Sea. The resulting storm surge caused waves to burst hundreds of dikes all over Grote Waard. The city of Dort was devastated and 20 whole villages were wiped off the map. The flooding was so extensive this time that the dikes were not fully rebuilt until 1500. This meant that much of Zeeland and Holland–the area that now makes up the Netherlands–was flooded for decades following the storm. The town of Dordrecht was permanently separated from the mainland in the flood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, November 17, 2021
2013: Severe weather outbreak in Great Lakes and Midwest
November 17, 2013 was a difficult day for many people across the Midwest and Great Lakes region with a major outbreak of severe weather that is usually associated with the Spring season. All told there were over 750 reports of severe weather incidents and of those 136 reports were from tornados. Of the remaining reports there were 579 from wind and 42 from hail. The storm damage extended far and wide from eastern Iowa and Missouri eastward to New Jersey. The worst of this day was in Washington Illinois, a suburb to the east of Peoria. This is where an EF4 tornado moves through destroying several homes. This tornado was responsible for 122 injuries and 1 fatality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, November 16, 2021
2003: Mild temperatures alter moose migration
The moose is the largest of all deer species, standing about five to six and a half feet tall. Moose require habitat with adequate edible plants; grasses, young trees and shrubs, cover from predators, and protection from extremely hot or cold weather. Moose travel or migrate among different habitats with the seasons to address these requirements. Moose are cold-adapted mammals with thickened skin, a dense, heat-retaining coat, and a low surface volume ratio, which provides excellent cold tolerance but poor heat tolerance. Moose survive hot weather by accessing shade or cooling wind, or by immersion in cool water. In hot weather, moose are often found wading or swimming in lakes or ponds. When heat-stressed, moose may fail to adequately forage in summer and may not gain adequate body fat to survive the winter. Also, moose cows may not calve without adequate summer weight gain. Moose require access to both young forest for browsing and mature forest for shelter and cover. Forest disturbed by fire and logging promotes the growth of fodder for moose. Moose also require access to mineral licks, safe places for calving and aquatic feeding sites so they do move from season to season. The autumn season of 2003 was quite mild across northern Canada and on November 15 as the moose started their migration trek from Northern Quebec to the Labrador Sea it stalled car and truck traffic. Moose had to use the highways because the ground was not frozen due to unusually warm weather. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, November 15, 2021
2006: Tornado outbreak in the Gulf Coast
As autumn approaches winter the severe weather season usually grinds to a halt. Hot and humid weather is pushed south into Mexico and the Gulf and the dynamics to spawn severe thunderstorms and tornados is quickly on the wane. Temperature contrasts from the Earth’s surface to the upper atmosphere take on a winter time aspect. But still, severe weather outbreaks occasionally happen and often times just as people are letting down their guard. On November 15, 2006 there was such a Tornado Outbreak. A tornado with a total path length of just over 6 miles long and 250 yards wide, damaged several buildings in Montgomery, Alabama. Six people were reported injured in East Montgomery. Several other tornados were reported across southeast Alabama into southwest Georgia. Moderate damage occurred in Fort Benning, Georgia along a path 1.5 miles long and 150 yards wide; six people injured. A tornado in Riegelwood, North Carolina demolished several homes with eight fatalities reported. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, November 14, 2021
1969: Lightning impacts the launch of Apollo 12
Apollo 12 was the sixth crewed flight in the United States Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon. It was launched on November 14, 1969. Apollo 12 launched on schedule from Kennedy Space Center, under completely overcast rainy skies, encountering wind speeds of 174.6 mph during ascent, the highest of any Apollo mission. Lightning struck the Saturn V rocket 36.5 seconds after lift-off, triggered by the vehicle itself, discharging down to the Earth through the ionized exhaust plume. Protective circuits detected overloads and took all three fuel cells offline, along with much of the command service module or CSM instrumentation. A second strike at 52 seconds knocked out more equipment. However, the Saturn V continued to fly normally; the strikes had not affected the guidance system, which functions independently from the CSM. The loss of all three fuel cells put the CSM entirely on batteries, which were unable to maintain normal 75-ampere launch loads on the 28-volt DC bus. These power supply problems lit nearly every warning light on the control panel and caused much of the instrumentation to malfunction. Electrical manager John Aaron remembered the telemetry failure pattern from an earlier test when a power supply malfunctioned in the CSM signal conditioning electronics which converted raw signals from instrumentation to standard voltages for the spacecraft instrument displays and telemetry encoders. Aaron made a call which switched the SCE to a backup power supply. The switch was fairly obscure, but Lunar Module Pilot Alan Bean, flying in the right seat as the spacecraft systems engineer, remembered the SCE switch from a training incident a year earlier when the same failure had been simulated. Aaron's quick thinking and Bean's memory saved the mission. Bean put the fuel cells back on line, and with telemetry restored, the launch continued successfully. The lightning strikes had caused no serious permanent damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, November 13, 2021
2014: 7-day cold streak comes to an end in Chicago, IL
Wintry cold is certainly a feature of November, especially across the northern plains, Rockies and Great Lakes in the United States. Usually though, persistent arctic cold is not the rule. In fact, the average is for temperatures in that region to remain cold in the first half of the month of November for a short time of just a day or two, perhaps three. On November 13, 2014 an amazing stretch of early winter cold came to an end. Readings on that day reached a high temperature of 32 degrees in Chicago ending a 7-consecutive-day streak of sub 32 Degrees high temperatures. The below freezing cold lasted 180 consecutive hours, or more than 7 days in a row, that stands as a record for November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, November 12, 2021
1911: Buffalo, NY sets record high and low on the same day
On average less than 10 record high and low temperatures are set in any one location each year and for most locations the average is less than 5. Of course, the length of time that records have been kept has a major impact on this. Many locations in the United State have kept high and low temperature records for more than a century. Philadelphia’s records are about 150 years old. The longest continuous record keeping of record high and low temperatures belongs to Hadley Centre in England. In 1659 they first started the record daily high and low temperatures and have not stopped since. In the United states a record for heat or cold is set once every other month. It is an unusual occurrence. But on November 12, 1911 in Buffalo, New York a remarkable thing happened, a record high and low on the same day. 69 degrees just after midnight on the 12th was the highest ever recorded on that date, then a strong cold front came through and dropped the temperature to 22 degrees late that evening. Both records. Two in one day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, November 11, 2021
1987: The Veterans Day Storm
On November 11, 1987 and major snowstorms struck the nations' capital. During the Veteran's Day Storm almost a foot of snow fell at National Airport. Prince Georges County, MD was hard hit with up to 13 inches of snow falling in a short amount of time. It caught motorists off guard and stranded cars on the Capital Beltway. There were so many cars that snow plows could not get through to open the clogged arteries. Cars littered the roadway for more than 24 hours. The event precipitated the development of the Washington Metropolitan Area Snow Plan to facilitate preparedness and response to future storms. The storm struck before the days of lightning detection networks and Doppler weather radar. Thunderstorms began dumping heavy snow over Fredericksburg VA, then the storm moved northeast across the southern Metropolitan area and fast accumulating snow hit Camp Springs. The result was a singular localized event. Outside of the Washington DC immediate area not more than a few inches of snow fell from the storm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, November 10, 2021
2009: Tropical Storm Ida's impact on gas prices
Tropical Storm Ida made landfall near Mobile, Alabama during the morning hours of November 10, 2009. According to the U.S. Minerals Management Service, about 30 percent of oil production in the Gulf was shut down on the 9 as Ida neared the Gulf Coast. Port Alabama, AL reported a wind gust of 62 mph while West Mobile, Al and Destin, FL had wind gusts of 43 mph as Ida came ashore. Soaking rain from Ida spread from Alabama into Southern Virginia and the Carolina’s. The following are some daily rainfall records were set. But the biggest impact occurred because of those shutdown oil rigs causing the price of oil to spike for the next week or so as gasoline prices soared. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, November 09, 2021
1913: The Great Lakes Storm
On November 9, 1913 the Famous Great Lakes Storm hit and 270 lives lost. Buffalo had 80 mph winds; Cleveland 22.2" of snow; Pickens, WV had a 36" snowfall; Pittsburgh 12.5" of snow. The Great Storm of November 1913 has been celebrated as the "Freshwater Fury" in several books and many articles as the most disastrous in the area’s history. The storm began at Port Huron, MI at 2am on November 9, 1913 and reached maximum force around 4pm when the wind rose to an extreme speed of 62 mph from the north. At Cleveland, OH the wind averaged 50-mph for most of the day, and the extreme was 79 mph. Buffalo had a peak wind of 80 mph from the southwest. The depth of the storm was indicated by the lowest barometer of 28.61" at Erie, PA. Ten large ships of 300 feet or more lost, seven more were total wrecks on reefs, and ten additional were severely damaged in a grounding across the Great Lakes. At least 270 sailors were lost, and countless others were badly injured or crippled by exposure. The storm was accompanied by below freezing temperatures and gave Cleveland its biggest single snowstorm - 22.2". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, November 08, 2021
1870: The First-issued storm warning in US history
The history of weather observations and weather information in North America is certainly older than the arrival of Europeans to the western Hemisphere. Native indigenous peoples had been astute observers of the weather for centuries. Building seasonal clocks and monuments to help track the changes in temperatures and rainfall, Native peoples across the Southern part of what would become the united States were prodigious farmers and relied heavily of seasonal patterns. Founders of the Republic from Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Jefferson were keen recorders of the weather and tried their hand at weather forecasts. More organized approaches were left for a later era. Starting in 1849 the Smithsonian Institution supplied weather instruments to telegraph companies and establishes extensive observation network. Observations submitted by telegraph to the Smithsonian, where weather maps are created. By 1860, 500 stations are making regular observations. In 1869, Telegraph service, instituted in Cincinnati, began collecting weather data and producing weather charts. The ability to observe and display simultaneously observed weather data, through the use of the telegraph, quickly led to initial efforts toward the next logical advancement, the forecasting of weather. However, the ability to observe and forecast weather over much of the country, required considerable structure and organization, which could be provided through a government agency. In 1870, A Joint Congressional Resolution requiring the Secretary of War "to provide for taking meteorological observations at the military stations in the interior of the continent, and at other points in the States and Territories...and for giving notice on the northern lakes and on the seacoast, by magnetic telegraph and marine signals, of the approach and force of storms" was introduced. Congress passed the resolution and on February 9, 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed it into law. A new national weather service had been born within the U.S. Army Signal Service’s Division of Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit of Commerce that would affect the daily lives of most of the citizens of the United States through its forecasts and warnings for years to come. The on November 8, 1870 the First storm warning by U.S. Signal Corps weather service was issued for Great Lakes area by Prof. Latham of Milwaukee marking the first ever official weather forecasted warning issued in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, November 07, 2021
1940: The Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows bridge
The first Tacoma Narrows bridge was locally known as “Galloping Gertie,” since its slender design lacked stabilizing girders, causing it to twist and bounce in the wind. The bridge opened on July 1, 1940, after 29 months of construction and $18 million invested. On the first day of operations, 2,053 crossed the bridge after an inaugural parade of vehicles led by Gov. Clarence D. Martin and Tacoma Mayor Harry P. Cain. But Gertie’s life would be short-lived. A little over four months later, on Nov. 7 of the same year, the bridge collapsed during a massive windstorm. The high winds struck the Tacoma-Narrows Bridge at a critical angle and caused vibrations to set up, which eventually collapsed the bridge. Maximum wind speed, 31 mph in downtown Tacoma; probably higher over Puget Sound. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, with a main span of 2,800 feet was the third-longest suspension bridge in the world at that time, Because planners expected fairly light traffic volumes, the bridge was designed with two lanes, and it was just 39 feet wide. This was quite narrow, especially in comparison with its length. With only the 8-foot-deep plate girders providing additional depth, the bridge's roadway section was also shallow. The decision to use such shallow and narrow girders proved to be the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge's undoing. With such minimal girders, the deck of the bridge was insufficiently rigid and was easily moved about by winds; from the start, the bridge became infamous for its movement. A mild to moderate wind could cause alternate halves of the center span to visibly rise and fall several feet over four- to five-second intervals. This flexibility was experienced by the builders and workmen during construction, which led some of the workers to christen the bridge "Galloping Gertie". The nickname soon stuck, and even the public felt these motions on the day that the bridge opened on July 1, 1940. The failure of the bridge occurred when a never-before-seen twisting mode occurred, from winds at 40 miles per hour. This is a so-called torsional vibration mode, whereby when the left side of the roadway went down, the right side would rise, and vice versa simply put the two halves of the bridge twisted in opposite directions, with the center line of the road remaining motionless. This vibration was caused by aeroelastic flutter. Fluttering is a physical phenomenon in which a structure becomes coupled in an unstable oscillation driven by the wind. Eventually, the amplitude of the motion produced by the fluttering increased beyond the strength of a vital part, in this case the suspender cables. As several cables failed, the weight of the deck transferred to the adjacent cables, which became overloaded and broke in turn until almost all of the central deck fell into the water below the span. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, November 06, 2021
1953: Sudden snowstorm strikes Philadelphia
On the morning of November 6, 1953, AccuWeather Founder and CEO Joel Myers peddled his bicycle to school in Philadelphia wearing only a thin jacket. He said that “Just a few days before the temperature had been in the seventies but then it was about 50 degrees. The radio mentioned colder weather and chance of a snow flurry in the afternoon ... well it began to snow by noontime and by mid-afternoon we were in the midst of a tremendous snowstorm ... big flakes and gusty winds. After school I pushed my bicycle home through heavy blowing snow as winds gusted to 50 miles an hour, and temperatures fell below freezing. By the next morning... snow accumulations across eastern Pennsylvania ranged from 3-30". Officially a little less than 4” of snow fell in Philadelphia but that was still enough to make it a record snowfall for so early in the season, the far northern and western suburbs were paralyzed by almost 30” of heavy wet snow that took a week to clean up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, November 05, 2021
1992: Verkhoyansk, Russia records a high of -46°F
Verkhoyansk, Russia is notable chiefly for its exceptionally low winter temperatures and some of the greatest temperature differences on Earth between summer and winter. Average monthly temperatures range from 50 below zero F in January to almost 62 F in July. Average monthly temperatures are below freezing from October through April but climb above 50 °F from June through August, with the intervening months of May and September constituting very short transitional seasons. Verkhoyansk is located within the Arctic Circle. The lowest temperature recorded there, in February 1892, was 90.0 °F below zero, recorded on February 5 and 7. Only Antarctica has recorded lower temperatures than Verkhoyansk. In this area temperature inversions consistently form in winter due to the extremely cold and dense air, so that temperatures increase rather than decrease with higher altitude. In Verkhoyansk it sometimes happens that the average minimum temperatures for January, February, and December are below −58 ° F. Verkhoyansk is one of the only two permanently populated places in the world that have recorded temperatures below −76.0 °F every day of January. In its short summer, daytime temperatures over 86 °F are not uncommon. On June 20, 2020, Verkhoyansk recorded a temperature of 100.4 °F, yielding a record temperature range of 190.4 °F based on reliable records, and that is the greatest temperature range in the world. It was also the highest temperature above the Arctic Circle ever recorded. Only a handful of towns in Siberia and Canada have temperature ranges of 180 °F or more. Verkhoyansk has never recorded a temperature above freezing between November 10 and March 14. On November 5, 1992 warm weather in Verkhoyansk was a fleeting thought with a morning low of -51 degrees, high of -46 degrees. The daily average temperature was 27 degrees below normal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, November 04, 2021
1927: The greatest natural disaster in Vermont history
The flood of November 3-4, 1927, stands as the greatest natural disaster in Vermont history. Devastation occurred throughout the state, with 1,285 bridges lost, countless homes and buildings destroyed, and hundreds of miles of roads and railroad tracks swept away. The flood waters claimed 84 lives, including that of the Vermont Lieutenant Governor at the time, S. Hollister Jackson. Rainfall during the month of October averaged about 150 percent of normal across the state. In northern and central sections, some places received 300 percent of normal. Heavy rainfall periods during October were separated enough so flooding did not occur. Instead, the rain caused the soil to become saturated. Combined with the lateness in the year and the fact that most vegetation was either in, or near, seasonal dormancy, any further rainfall would runoff directly into the rivers. This is exactly the scenario that led to Vermont's greatest disaster. Rain began on the evening of November 2, as a cold front moved into the area from the west. Rainfall continued through the night with light amounts being recorded by the morning of the 3rd. Rainfall intensity increased during the afternoon of the 3rd as a storm moved up along the east coast. This storm contained huge amounts of moisture associated with the remnants of a former tropical storm. A strong southeast flow developed off the Atlantic Ocean. This moisture-laden air was forced to rise as it encountered the Green Mountains, resulting in torrential downpours along and east of the Green Mountains on November 4. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, November 03, 2021
2002: Dense fog causes traffic accidents in S. California
Southern California is often subject to thick moist flows off the Pacific Ocean. The contrast of chilly ocean waters and relatively warm and dry land, especially in the autumn months often brings a marine layer of low laying and thick fog. Often times this can blow in off the ocean quickly. Sometimes the mist and fog are able to burn off fairly quickly if the temperature inversion – or what is defined as a warmer layer of air trapped above cooler moist air at the surface is able to break . Sometimes that doesn’t happen and it remains murky and damp with very low visibility. On November 3, 2002 dense marine fog rolled into the Los Angeles area just before sunrise and the result was an awful morning compute. 194 vehicles were involved in 2 pileups on I-710, with that dense fog to blame. Remarkably, no deaths occurred, bit it took the better part of the day to clean up the pile up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, November 02, 2021
1819: 7" of snow falls in New York City
In early America and even in the first half century of the establishment of the Republic the ability to move around in snow was fraught with obstacles. The best way was with sleighs, wagons wheels were removed and long strips of metal or more usually wood, were attached to the wagons to run along the ground. Deeper powdery snow was ideal for movement just like for a skier. This idea worked well in the countryside and even along most rural roads where there was little traffic. This kind of transport worked even if the snow was slushy, icy or even muddy. In cities, not so much, because of the traffic ripping us the still mainly unpaved streets. What was most hoped for then was that powdery snowfall. On November 1, 1819, 7” of snow fell across New York City. New York at the time was the largest city in the United State and the only US city with more than 100,000 in population topping out at 120,000. It had become the center of American life and business, so it was important to get around. The powdery snowfall was ideal – except for one thing – it came too early in the season. No part of the transportation system was ready for such an early season snowfall – powdery or not – and wagon and carriages were not able to make to switch from wheels to tracks and so transportation came to a halt for several days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, November 01, 2021
1972: Autumn storm brings cold and snow to central plains
November typical brings the first widespread wintry weather of the season to the United Stated and in 1972 the month didn’t waste any time getting started. A severe autumn storm moved out of the Southern Rockies into the central plains leaving in its wake heavy snow, flooding and zero degree cold. Heavy snow fell in Denver. More than 10” on rain in 3 days pushed the Hickory Creek out of its banks in the Neosho area of southwestern Missouri. Residents of low-lying areas in the town of 8,000 were evacuated. One person drowned at Poplar Bluff, in SE Missouri, when a 3 1/2-inch downpour triggered local flooding. The mercury dropped to near zero in the mountains of Arizona and New Mexico where snows measured a food and a half deep impeding travel. Temperatures dropped to near freezing in the deserts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, October 31, 2021
1963: Philadelphia reaches 28 consecutive days without rain
1963 was a relatively dry year in the City of Philadelphia. Rainfall was less than 35” or more than 5” below normal. Usually the autumn along the eastern seaboard is dry with few showers or largescale storm systems. Caught in between the thunderstorm season of the Spring and Summer and the strong cold fronts and wintry storms, October can feature warmish to chilly days with plenty of sunshine. In fact, the major source of rain in the autumn is the occasional tropical system that will move up the east coast with rain thrown westward into the Delaware Valley where Philadelphia is located. When Tropical storms or Hurricanes don’t materialize the autumn can be very dry indeed. On October 3, 1963, Philadelphia did receive a few rain showers as a storm moved by to the south, then for the rest of the month – not a drop of rain. When the books closed on the month on October 31, 1963 it marked the end of 28 consecutive days with no rain in the City of Brotherly Love – a record that stands to this day. On November first, it rained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, October 30, 2021
1948: The "Donora Smog"
According to the Donora, Pennsylvania Historical Society and Smog Museum’s web site: “As the week of October 24, 1948 began, the nearly 14,000 people of Donora paid little attention to the dense heavy fog covering the town. The cool to cold autumn nights combined with warm water from the Monongahela river and smoke from the local steel mill, namely the Zinc Works blast furnace and open hearth, as well as thousands of coal furnaces in local homes, would typically limit visibility until afternoon. As the week wore on, residents began to realize this fog was anything but typical. By Thursday, October 28, streetlights were on during mid-day and people walking the streets were struggling to find their way. Soon, many elderly people began to complain of breathing difficulty, thousands were ill, and houseplants began to shrivel. Then, on October 30 1948, people began to die. Donora physicians worked around the clock, treating victims as best they could against a mysterious pathogen. The Donora Board of Health set up an emergency aid station and temporary morgue in the basement of the Community Center. Volunteer firemen felt their way door to door, administering oxygen and attempting to get people help. Management at the mill refused to believe or admit that the waste they were emitting caused the problem; after all, it was the same thing they had been doing for over thirty years. In less than three days, thousands of people were impacted, hundreds of people fell sick, twenty-six people were dead, along with dozens of animals. Who knows how many more followed in the weeks, months and years to come that are not counted among the twenty-six. On October 31, rains finally dispersed the killer fog, but left the nation in shock. The dead and sick were not only from Donora but also from the neighboring communities of Webster and Sunnyside that were down wind and across the river. The Federal, State and Local governments, along with numerous universities and scientists, investigated. Sulfur dioxide emissions from U.S. Steel's Donora Zinc Works and its American Steel & Wire plant were frequent occurrences in Donora. What made the 1948 event more severe was a temperature inversion, in which a mass of warm, stagnant air was trapped in the valley. The pollutants in the air mixed with fog to form a thick, yellowish, acrid smog that inhibited the normal process where the sun would burn off the fog. This smog hung over Donora for five days. The sulfuric acid, nitrogen dioxide, fluorine and other poisonous gases that usually dispersed into the atmosphere were caught in the inversion and continued to accumulate until rain ended the weather pattern.. The best way to sum up the event is a quote by W. Michael McCabe "Before there was an Environmental Protection Agency, before there was an Earth Day before Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring, there was Donora." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, October 29, 2021
2012: Hurricane Sandy
On October 29, 2012 Hurricane Sandy slammed ashore north of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Hurricane Sandy's devastating storm track is a rare one among hurricanes; a new statistical analysis estimates that the track of the storm — which took a left-hand turn in the Atlantic before slamming into the East Coast — has an average probability of happening only once every 700 years. The storm's near-perpendicular strike on the coast was a major factor in the severe flooding seen in New York, New Jersey and other nearby states. But the rareness of the storm's track doesn't mean that the coast is safe from other severe storms. Don’t have a misimpression that we don't have to worry, that it's going to be 700 years until we have another surge, it’s just an average and could happen again next year or next decade. Hurricane Sandy caused about 150 deaths, along with billions of dollars in damage when it hit the Caribbean and the U.S. East Coast in late October 2012. The storm's power came from a combination of factors, including its large size while out at sea and a full moon that made tides 20 percent higher than normal, both of which ramped up Sandy's storm surge. Researchers also pointed to weather patterns that affected Sandy's track. A region of high pressure blocked Sandy from taking a more common track out over the western North Atlantic, forcing the storm into the coast. Sandy also interacted with a mid-level, low-pressure system in the atmosphere, which helped push the storm along its unusual track. To study the rarity of Sandy's track, Columbia University mathematicians had to use a model to generate synthetic tropical cyclones. The researchers could not rely on previously recorded data, as Sandy's trajectory and near-direct impact on New Jersey was unprecedented in the historical record. The researchers' statistical model generated millions of these synthetic hurricanes, which were then used to determine rates for landfall. Most of the tracked landfalls in the model grazed the coast before veering out into the Atlantic. Sandy, by contrast, hit the coast at an angle of just 17 degrees from perpendicular, almost perfectly crisscrossing the typical storm track. The sustained winds toward the coast from the direct path is continually pushing a wall of water onto the coast, and results in a greater surge magnitude, compared to more typical in-land winds sweeping along the coast. This large surge pushed huge amounts of water onto streets in Manhattan. The peak water level, the surge plus the tide at the Battery, Manhattan's southern tip, was 14 feet above the average low tide level. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, October 28, 2021
2008: Powerful storm dumps snow on Northeast
A potent coastal storm slammed the Northeast with strong winds, soaking rains and burying snow on October 28, 2008. The snow fell from New Jersey to Vermont with the heaviest amounts exceeding a foot. The weight of the snow, combined with the howling winds brought down tree limbs and power lines. The winds, alone knocked down trees from southern New England to the New York area. Snow totals reached 20 at Slide Mountain New York, a foot at Middleburgh, Pennsylvania and 16” at Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. Wind gusts reached 66 mph at Cape May New Jersey, 54 mph at Harrisburg, PA and 52 mph at Syracuse New York. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, October 27, 2021
1692: 6" of snow falls in Paris, France
Accumulating snow is a fairly rare event in Paris, France. Snow is recorded on an average of just 15 days a winter and when it does snow it usually does not accumulate. Moisture heavy enough to produce more than an inch or two of snow occurs when a major storm sweeps in off the Atlantic ocean – but those storms are usually powerful and bring in mild air from off the ocean in addition to the moisture. Colder air must be in place from the east - usually originated in Russia. Occasionally in the middle of the winter that occurs and every few years a couple inches of snow fall. The Parisians say no city looks prettier than Paris in the snow. On October 27, 1692, 6” of snow fell on the City of Light – in one of the earliest measured snowfall before or since. I am sure the city looked great – but with no way to remove the snow I am sure it was quite messy ad hard to move about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, October 26, 2021
1919: Temperature reaches -10°F in Bismarck, ND
In October, as the length of sunlight begins to fade across the upper reaches of the Northern Hemisphere, cold air begins to build across the arctic. Snow is not uncommon and the depth and coverage of the snowpack is an important element in helping to build a reservoir of cold air across the region. The cold air strengths and is triggered southward by large wave patterns in the high atmosphere. In the later days of October 1919 heavy snows fell across the Yukon and other areas of northern Canada. Cold air built quickly and was released southward in the last week of the month. And so, it came to pass that on October 26, 1919 that arctic blast reached Bismarck, North Dakota and the mercury plunged to 10 below zero, the coldest temperature ever recorded in Bismarck in the month of October and the earliest, up to that time that the temperature dropped below zero. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, October 25, 2021
1918: The sinking of the SS Princess Sophia
The SS Princess Sophia sank on Oct. 25, 1918, with estimates of the death toll ranging up to 367. No one on board survived, save one pet dog who swam to shore. The ship was one of four coastal liners operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway, all named for princesses. The Princess Sophia had departed Skagway, Alaska, on Oct. 23, 1918, with stops planned in Juneau, Wrangell and Ketchikan before going to Prince Rupert, Alert Bay and eventually Vancouver. The following day at 2 a.m., just south of Skagway and 40 miles north of Juneau, the Princess Sophia struck a reef. Slightly off course in bad weather of fog and snow, it was going full steam, rode up onto the rocks and struck aground. The great ship remained stuck for 40 hours, enough time for rescue boats to arrive. But stormy conditions and high tides made it too risky to abandon ship. Rescue boat crews chose to return to port and come back the following day, the 26th, when weather was expected to improve – when the rescue boats returned – the ship was gone – only bits of wreckage floated on the surface. The Princess Sophia had been lifted off the reef and sank, leaving no survivors. The bad weather had not only caused the wreck, but prevented the rescue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, October 24, 2021
2005: Hurricane Wilma
Hurricane Wilma made landfall as a Category 3 system near Key West, and later near Everglades City, Florida On October 24, 2005. Wilma had earlier made landfall on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 4 system. Wilma, the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, reached a low pressure of 26.04 inches, surpassing the previous Atlantic record holder of Gilbert. Wilma, the first Atlantic storm to use the letter “W” formed as a Tropical Depression southwest of Jamaica on October 15th, becoming a hurricane on October 18th and later becoming the 5th Category 5 hurricane of the season. Wilma produced a storm surge of 4’ to 8’, flooded portions of the Keys dropped 10 tornadoes over Florida and yielded 3” to 7” of rain across Florida. Wilma directly was attributed to 5 deaths in Florida, knocked power out to 98 percent of South Florida and produced an estimated $12.2 billion in damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, October 23, 2021
1978: The Gale of '78
In 1878, a storm formed near Jamaica then became a Category 2 hurricane and moved right up the East coast. The center passed east of Florida, then came ashore in eastern North Carolina on October 23, 1878 and stayed inland until it turned almost straight east over the southern parts of Vermont and New Hampshire. There was extensive damage from the Carolinas to New England, and more than 71 people were killed. This storm came to be known as the Gale of '78. A storm in modern times with a track like the Gale of ‘78 would be disastrous in the Middle Atlantic states, threatening death and serious injury and causing billions of dollars in damage. Hurricane Hazel in 1954 took a similar track, all the rest of the hurricanes with somewhat similar tracks occurred in the 19th century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, October 22, 2021
1969: Early-season heavy snow strikes New England
Late October often brings northern New England its first taste of the winter season with cold weather and snow. Even though some of the mountainous regions may receive a few inches of snow it’s usually not much more than a nuance. On October 22, 1969 cold air was firmly in place as a storm moved up the east coast of the United States. The result was an early season heavy snowstorm; the heaviest and earliest in New England in almost 50 years. Rochester, Vermont had 12"; with even more in mountain areas. Some Vermont ski resorts actually had limited skiing on the 23rd. The 5.1" at Burlington, VT was a 24-hour October record. Portland, ME had an early season record of 3.6". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, October 21, 2021
1988: Hurricane Joan causes locusts to cross Atlantic
An area of thunderstorms formed on the west coast of Africa in mid-October 1988 just as swarms of locusts were inundating the region. The storms had loosely held together until they reached the central Atlantic Ocean a few days later were conditions where favorable for further tropical development. The system rapidly developed into Tropical storm and then Hurricane Joan. Winds high in the atmosphere carried Hurricane Joan across the Atlantic to Dominica, St. Lucia, Jamaica, and other nearby islands. In addition to heavy rains, Joan brought those islands something else from the sky on October 21, 1988, locusts. Apparently carried into the atmosphere by winds blowing from those thunderstorms that formed on the African coast days earlier, the locusts survived the trip across the Atlantic and found a new home in the Caribbean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, October 20, 2021
1991: The Diablo Fire
On October 20, 1991, the hills across the bay from San Francisco were cloaked in smoke. Flames moved up the steep slopes of Oakland and Berkeley, California, What became known as the Diablo Fire had started on Saturday, October 19, from an incompletely extinguished grass fire in the Berkeley Hills. Firefighters fought the 5-acre fire on a steep hillside and by Saturday night they thought it was under control. The fire re-ignited as a brush fire shortly before 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 20 and rapidly spread southwest, driven by wind gusts up to 65 mph. It quickly overwhelmed local and regional firefighting resources. By 11:30 a.m., the fire had spread to the nearby Parkwoods Apartments. Shortly before noon, the fire had been blown up to the top of Hiller Highlands to the west, from where it began its sweep down into the Hiller Highlands development and the southern hills of Berkeley. Burning embers from houses and vegetation were carried ahead of the fire line by torrid winds and started new blazes ahead of the original burn. Within thirty minutes the fire had crossed both Highway 24, an eight-lane freeway, and Highway 13, a four-lane freeway, eventually igniting hundreds of houses in the Forest Park neighborhood. The hot, dry northeasterly winds, dubbed as “Diablo winds” " in reference to the Diablo Mountain range and surrounding geography of same name, periodically occur during the early fall season. These are similar to the Santa Ana wind in Southern California, and have been the cause of numerous devastating fires. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, October 19, 2021
1961: Heavy snow over the southern West Virginia mountains
Heavy rain fell across West Virginia on October 19, 1961 as a strong storm moved up the east coast. At the same time cold air was moving southward through the Great Lakes region and into the Ohio valley. Because the storm was moving slowly the cold air moved in behind the storm before it moved away and out to sea. The rain changed to a record early, heavy, wet snow over the southern mountains of West Virginia – several places in the high terrain got more than a foot of the white stuff. Leaves were still on the trees, resulting in the worst forest disaster since forest fires in the state in 1952. Reports from the time said that “It got on the power lines and froze and broke some of those. The trees had such heavy loads of snow and leaves on them. They fell down across the roads and across the power lines.” Thousands had no power for weeks until it was restored. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, October 18, 2021
1910: The opposite of a "Storm Surge" occurs
A strong Hurricane battered western Cuba in the middle of October 1910. The system then headed northeastward across southern Florida dumping heavy rain and causing high water to inundate southeastern Florida with water many feet above sea level. Many of the barrier islands that today house cities like Miami Beach where covered over with water – but there was little built up on those islands and so damage was minimal. One strange impact of the hurricane was that because it moved very slowly with strong constantly blowing winds from the direction of the northeast all across the region, that on the west coast of Florida the wind then was blowing away from the land and so the opposite of a storm surge occurred. On October 18, 1910 the wind actually blew the water out of Tampa Bay and the Hillsboro River and pushed it into the Gulf of Mexico. The water level lowered to 9 feet below average low water; and there was little water left for several hours in the river and Tampa Bay, 40 ships were grounded. It was the exact opposite of a storm surge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, October 17, 2021
1781: A sudden storm hastens British defeat at Yorktown
Early on the morning of October 17, 1781, Lieutenant General Charles, Lord Cornwallis, found himself hunkered down in a cave near the southern shoreline of the York River. Above him was the disintegrating town of Yorktown, Virginia, now being systematically bombarded into rubble by American and French cannon fire. Cornwallis understood that imminent surrender was the certain fate of his entrapped military force, an army that consisted of about 8,000 British, Hessian, and loyalist soldiers, in addition to their wives and even children. An attempted breakout had failed just hours before. A sudden storm disrupted an effort to move his army northward across the York River to Gloucester Point—and possible escape. Now with the ground continually shaking all around him, Cornwallis prepared to order a white flag hoisted above his battered entrenchments. The weather most certainly did not determine the entire outcome of the battle, but it hastened the British defeat. This was not the first time that the weather impacted the Revolution and almost each time in favor of the rebels. From the sudden fog that provided cover and allowed Washington and his troops to evade capture after the battle of Long Island, to the victories in the snow at Trenton and the mud of Saratoga. By the afternoon of October 19, the British officers and soldiers laid down their arms. Their drummers and fifers, with black ribbons attached to their instruments, played various tunes. Legend has persisted that one was the mournful melody “The World Turned Upside Down.” Whether true or not, Yorktown turned the world upside down for the colonists’ former masters and, as such, represented a defining moment of triumph in the American experience. The war continued in the West Indies and other parts of the globe into 1783, but Yorktown set in motion a train of diplomatic events that resulted in Britain’s official recognition of American independence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, October 16, 2021
2009: Early snowstorm dumps several inches on Northeast US
An early snowstorm dropped several inches of snow through portions of the Northeast on October 16, 2009. Normally snow during this time of year easily melts on most surfaces with ground and air temperatures usually above the freezing mark. To overcome this, in order for snow to pile up, it has to snow very hard and that is what it did. In Coudersport, PA 10” of snow fell. Other Pennsylvania cities like Wellsboro and Haneyville had 8” of snow. Nearly 3” fell in South Vestal, NY. Lesser amounts fell in other places, but in most of these areas early snowfall records were broken. Since the snow arrived this early there were still leaves on the trees leading to several power outages and downed tree limbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, October 15, 2021
1954: Hurricane Hazel
It has been 67 years since powerful Hurricane Hazel made landfall close to the North Carolina/South Carolina border near Myrtle Beach, S.C., on the morning of Oct. 15, 1954. The storm wreaked havoc across the eastern United States and Canada on its way to the record books. Hazel is considered one of the worst natural disasters in North Carolina's history, and one of the most destructive hurricanes to impact the U.S.. The National Hurricane Center, says Hazel made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with wind gusts up to 150 mph. Records for the most rain ever received in one calendar day in October were set in Greensboro, N.C., with 6.24 inches and in Pittsburgh, Pa., with 3.56 inches. Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and New York City all recorded their highest wind gusts on record at 94 mph, 98 mph and 113 mph respectively. Winds were actually sustained above hurricane force in Washington DC at 78 mph. Wind gusts were measured at 100 mph on the shore of Lake Ontario in northern New York. The storm's winds remained so strong inland as it traveled north at an amazing 55 mph and reached Ontario, Canada, that night. The hurricane was the strongest ever to strike so far to the north. All fishing piers from Myrtle Beach to Cedar Island, N.C., were destroyed and 15,000 homes and structures were destroyed in North Carolina alone. The devastation along the North Carolina beaches was enhanced as Hazel made landfall during the full moon of October, which was the highest lunar tide of the year. Storm surge reached a remarkable 18 feet in some locations, wiping out beaches. Dozens of people were killed in the U.S. and Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, October 14, 2021
1988: Thick ice hinders migration of gray whales
Very cold weather had firmly established itself across the Arctic in the late summer and early autumn of 1988. Ice began forming almost 45 days earlier than normal on the regions close to the Alaskan and Siberian coast lines. This impeded coastal travel much earlier than in a normal season. It also disrupted the seasonal migration of wildlife. On October 14, 1988 off the coast of Alaska, a thick layer of ice had already formed along the north shore that blocked the southward migration of California gray whales near Point Barrow, Alaska and could have had disastrous effects on those whales. So, on that day American and Russian rescuers worked together and cleared a passage to the open sea and prevented the whales from drowning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, October 13, 2021
1777: The Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga occurred in September and October, 1777, during the second year of the American Revolution. It included two crucial battles, fought eighteen days apart, and was a decisive victory for the Continental Army and a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary War. After a failed Canadian invasion left much of the Continental Army beaten, sick and in retreat, the British hoped to quash rebellion once and for all by isolating the New England colonies. They also hoped to discourage potential American allies such as France from joining the fight. To accomplish this, the British Redcoats needed to take upstate New York and then control the Hudson River. In the spring of 1777, the British ordered three of their armies to merge in Albany, New York. Only one army, however, commanded by General John Burgoyne, made the final push toward its destination. Waiting for them was the heavily-fortified Northern Department of the Continental Army, commanded by General Horatio Gates. The opposing armies came face to face on September 19. Known as the Battle of Freeman’s Farm or the First Battle of Saratoga, the fierce fighting lasted for several hours. Momentum changed sides several times, but neither side gained significant ground until Burgoyne ordered his column of German troops to support the faltering British line and forced the Americans to pull back. Still, the British suffered twice the number of casualties than the Americans and couldn’t continue their drive to Albany. Burgoyne decided to stay put and wait for reinforcements from New York City. In the meantime, the number of Gates’ American troops increased to over 13,000 and continued to grow. By October 7, with supplies dwindling fast, Burgoyne realized waiting for backup was in vain. He sent out a reconnaissance force to attack the American’s left flank in the wooded area of Bemis Heights, south of Saratoga. The Americans got wind of the movement, however, and beat back the British and sent them into retreat – winning the day. Burgoyne decided to take his army north to safety, but heavy rain and frigid temperatures slowed their retreat On October 13, 1777. Within two days, Gates’ soldiers surrounded what remained of Burgoyne’s army and they surrendered. The news of the first defeat of a large British army sent shockwaves around the world and ultimately brought the French into the War on the side of the Americans turning the tide and helping secure American independence – all aided by nasty weather. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, October 12, 2021
2006: Buffalo, NY pounded by lake-effect snow
For roughly 16 hours on October 12 2006, the city of Buffalo, NY, was pounded by an unprecedented lake-effect snow event. An unusually cold air mass flowing over the warm waters of Lake Erie set up the small-scale, but severe event. The waters of Lake Erie were a mild 62 degrees, three degrees above normal for October 12. After the snow ended the morning of the 13th the final snowfall tally at the Buffalo airport was 22.6“. That amount of snow easily surpassed the previous all-time October record of 6“ set in 1909 and went down in history as the 7th greatest snowfall total ever in Buffalo. Other snowfall totals included 24“ at Depew and Alden, 22“ in Amherst, 15“ in Downtown Buffalo and 14“ in West Seneca. The heavy weight of the snow caused the worst tree damage in memory across the region, especially in the many historic parkways and parks in Buffalo. Almost a million residents lost power. Some people had to sit in the dark for as long as a week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, October 11, 2021
1737: Hurricane and earthquake strike India
On October 11, 1737 a furious hurricane hit the mouth of the Ganges river near Calcutta, India. At the same time there was a violent earthquake, which threw down a great many houses along the river just as the hurricane approached, many communities nearby had most of their buildings destroyed by the earthquake and then the hurricane hit. Because of the damaged infrastructure and wreckage from the earthquake, the hurricane was devastating. Estimates were made that the water was pushed up the Ganges river all the way into Calcutta at a height of 40 feet – totally destroying the city that at the time numbered more than 25,000 people. Most ships in the river were capsized and then washed well inland. The flood waters from the hurricane spread over the vast inland plain of what is now parts of India and Bangladesh. The result of hurricane and earthquake was one of the greatest natural disasters in world history. More than 300,000 people are thought to have perished. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, October 10, 2021
1989: Temperature falls 20 degrees in 10 minutes in Alberta
Winter often comes early to the plans of western Canada. Cold air builds up in the artic regions and plunges southward unhindered through the vast flatlands. Many times this leads to quick changes in temperatures and more importantly the weather. On October 10, 1989 across the Canadian province of Alberta Temperatures dropped from the middle 60’s into the 40’s in just 10 minutes with the passage of a strong cold front. Powerful winds with the front took down trees and power lines. Reduced visibility due to windblown dust led to a 14-car pileup in near zero visibility near Bassano. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, October 09, 2021
The 1804 "Snow Hurricane"
The 1804 Snow hurricane was the first tropical cyclone in recorded history known to produce snowfall. An unusual late-season storm in 1804 it produced vast amounts of snow, rain, and powerful winds across the northeastern United States. Prior to its approach to the East Coast of the US, it passed through the Caribbean on October 4th, and later tracked just off the South Carolina coast. By early on October 9th, the storm turned up the coast and toward New England as it did so its tropical moisture was pushed across New England just as very cold air came plunging southward from Canada. While located off the Massachusetts coast, it reached its peak intensity wind of 110 . Due to its unusual nature, both heavy snowfall and strong winds caused a swath of devastation stretching from the Mid-Atlantic states to northern New England. In the Middle-Atlantic region, moderate damage occurred at sea coast but little was noted inland. In New England, strong gusts inflicted significant damage to numerous churches. Thousands of trees were knocked over, obstructing roads and damaging the timber industry throughout the region. Cold temperatures, wet snow, and high winds downed numerous branches in fruit orchards and froze crops, flattened dozens of barns, and killed cattle. In general, the agriculture, shipping, timber, and livestock trades suffered most acutely following the passage of the snow hurricane, while structural damage was widespread but generally inconsequential. The storm's most severe effects were concentrated at sea and led to a majority of the hurricane's deaths. Winds swept dozens of watercraft and multiple ships ashore, while high waters capsized many others. Several wharves were destroyed, subsequently harming local shipping businesses as a consequence. Snow and rainfall totals varied widely. Parts of Massachusetts received up to 7 in of rain, in contrast to snow totals upward of 48 in was measured in Vermont. In all, the hurricane caused more than 15 deaths at sea and one inland. The snow hurricane of 1804, generally described as the most severe storm in the United States since the Great Colonial Hurricane of nearly 200 years earlier, set several major precedents which have only infrequently occurred since. It was the first known tropical cyclone to generate significant snowfall, and its early and extensive accumulations throughout New England were unprecedented and unusually heavy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, October 08, 2021
1901: 12" of rain falls in 6 hours in Galveston, TX
September 1900 brought to Galveston, Texas the worst natural disaster in U S history. A massive hurricane hit the city head on. Destroying most of what was then the 2nd leading port on the Gulf of Mexico, after New Orleans and leaving between 6 and 12,000 dead. Galveston had been the scene of two prior hurricanes, one in 1837 and then again in 1867 that caused severe damage. The city was rebuilt each time – but with little change to the structure of Galveston Island, which basically is a sand bar that sits off the Texas coast southeast of Houston in the Gulf of Mexico. After the 1900 storm the citizens had enough and pumped in sand off the nearby floor of the Gul and by the fall of 1901 were in the midst of raising the island by as much as 12 feet in some locations for protection. But on October 8, 1901 A deluge produced nearly 12" of rain in about a six-hour period. The torrential rains came to Galveston precisely 13 months following the day of that famous 1900 Galveston Hurricane disaster and caused much damage. More hurricane disasters would follow in Galveston during the next 20 years – but the raising of the island well above the level of the Gulf and a 20-foot-high seawall protected the city enough to stave off any more horrendous loss of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, October 07, 2021
1970: Devastating flooding in Puerto Rico
A slow-moving tropical depression in early October 1970 centered on October 7, resulted in rainfall over multiple days across Puerto Rico and set the stage for the devastating floods. The focus of the rainfall core shifted from day to day, but some areas experienced copious amounts of rainfall on consecutive days, causing rainfall amounts that could be measured in feet. The highest total over those 6 days was 38.42 inches at Jayuya and 41.68 inches at a station nearby.. Flooding was widespread during the period. One of the hardest hit areas was the densely populated San Juan area. There were reports of bridge washouts, stranded vehicles, flooded homes, electrical outages and road closings due to both flood inundations and landslides. The volume of runoff was a record for Puerto Rico since there were numerous peaks at various times during the flood duration. With the small basin sizes and the typical rains that occur across the region, rivers usually flood within 6 to 12 hours of the heaviest rain. These floods lasted days, creating unique challenges for the affected communities. There were 18 confirmed fatalities, 34 people missing, $65 million (equivalent to more than ½ billion 2021 dollars worth of damage, 10,000 were left homeless, 600 houses destroyed and another 1,000 damaged. The damage to agriculture alone was approximately $8 million with $12 million tallied for road and bridge damage. President Nixon declared the territory a disaster area; the worst in Puerto Rico’s history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, October 06, 2021
1967: 19” of rain in 24 hours in Ucluelet, BC
Ucluelet, British Columbia is located on the west coast of Canada on Vancouver Island. It has an oceanic climate like that of Ireland, with mild, rainy winters and cool summers owing to its coastal location. As such, precipitation is high, averaging around 132 inches per year, with most of it concentrated in the winter months. Even so, precipitation is significant in all months with no month averaging below 3 in of precipitation. Although it has an average snowfall of 12.8 inches, the median is 0, meaning more than 50% of years do not experience a single snowfall; this makes this climate unique in Canada. The region is prone to massive storms that sweep in off the Pacific Ocean, mainly in the winter. One reason it does not get much snow is because of the influence of the warming of the Pacific waters on the atmosphere. In October 1967 an early season winter-type storms blasted southward from the Gulf of Alaska and brought the region 19.61” of rain in 24 hours on October 6. That total of close to 20” in a day is the greatest 24 hours rainfall total ever in Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, October 05, 2021
1786: The Great Pumpkin Flood
The late summer of 1786 had been ideal for the growing of pumpkins and corn in Pennsylvania. In fact, pumpkin patches in central Pennsylvania, especially around the Susquehanna Valley were brimming with pumpkins. The ground was moist from a wet summer and the soil somewhat saturated. Then in early October torrential rainfall caused the Susquehanna River to flood. Reports from that time stated the river was anywhere between six and 10 feet higher than normal. These flood waters washed away the usual debris, in addition to homes and unharvested crops like corn and pumpkins. Large numbers of pumpkins were seen floating down the river on October 5, 1786, and people of the time dubbed it the 'Great Pumpkin Flood.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, October 04, 2021
1867: Category 2 Hurricane hits the Gulf Coast
Late on October 2, 1867 a hurricane formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Holding its intensity, the storm system paralleled the Texas coastline, causing "many" deaths. A storm tide value of 7 feet was reported in Ludlum, and it is possible that Brownsville, Texas, was in the western eyewall of the hurricane at the storms closest approach. Turning toward Louisiana, the storm made landfall in the state with winds of 100 mph, as a Category 2 storm on October 4. Moving to the east and weakening, the storm made landfall on the state of Florida during the day on October 6. Holding its strength while crossing the Sunshine state, the tropical storm re-emerged into Atlantic waters. Taking a slight turn to the north, it dissipated off the coast of North Carolina on October 9. The hurricane struck Texas, near the mouth of the Rio Grande, and devastated Brownsville and Matamous. Because of the devastating effects in these three, state authorities sought help from the governors of two Mexican states. Relief was also sent from Veracruz, Mexico. The entire population of Bagdad Texas fled, while Matamoros was left nearly in ruins. The official death toll in the area was unknown, but local accounts stated there were at least 26 dead. Entire families disappeared from the area. Most buildings in Brazoa Santiago were leveled. Clarksville, two miles inland, was also devastated and shortly later abandoned. Galveston, had suffered mightily in an intense hurricane just 30 years earlier and would be hit by the worst natural disaster in American history a little more than 30 years later when the 1900 hurricane killed 6-12,000 people. The city was already in the midst of a yellow fever epidemic, was flooded by a storm surge. The mainland rail bridge, a hotel and hundreds of homes in the city were washed away. Twelve schooners and a river steamboat were wrecked in the bay there and wharves destroyed. On October 3 high seas and heavy rains flooded New Orleans. Bath houses and a saw mill there were blown away. High winds and heavy rainfall continued across southeast Louisiana until October 6, inflicting great damage on crops. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, October 03, 2021
1769: The earliest covering of snow in Philadelphia, PA
Like everyone else, Benjamin Franklin was affected by weather; but unlike most people of his time, he tried to explain the reasons for various weather-related phenomena, and even discovered some ways to predict the weather. One of Franklin's first recorded observations of weather patterns occurred in October of 1743, when he planned to observe an eclipse of the moon. As Franklin prepared to watch the eclipse in Philadelphia, a storm moved in and clouds obscured the moon. Later he learned that people in Boston, hundreds of miles northeast of Philadelphia, were able to see the eclipse because the storm didn't arrive there until several hours after the eclipse. Franklin became intrigued and continued gathering observations and eventually determined the direction of movement for storms. He was the first to observe that storms can move in an opposite direction from the direction of the wind. In other words, although the winds in a nor'easter blow from the northeast, the storm is actually moving from the southwest. In trying to explain how this weather pattern worked, Franklin accurately theorized about the existence of high and low pressure and proposed one of the first correct explanations for storm movement in the northern hemisphere. Franklin was interested in climate-related phenomena throughout his life. Just six years before his death, he published a number of "Meteorological Imaginations and Conjectures." For example, he was puzzled that hail and ice could occur in the summer time. While having no way to test his ideas, he correctly deduced that the upper atmosphere was much colder than the air below it. Moist air flowing into the upper atmosphere could produce ice that could fall to earth before it melted. He also wrote about fog, wind direction, insulation, and heat radiation. He kept extensive daily records pf the weather wherever he was. In 1751 he was one of the founders of the Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia and urged that they keep records of the weather each day. On October 3, 1769 it was recorded that snow fell in Philadelphia and covered the ground the buildings. This still stands as the earliest covering of snow in Philadelphia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, October 02, 2021
1983: Destructive flooding across Arizona
Moisture from Tropical Storm Octive led to destructive flooding across Arizona on October 2, 1983. Floodwaters that left 10 people dead or missing surged through normally bone-dry land, washing out bridges road and power forcing thousands from their homes, and turning a slice of desert Southwest into “a raging river”. Rivers swollen to record levels burst their banks amid heavy rains swallowing buildings and bridges causing millions of dollars in damage across a 200-mile swath of Arizona. Business districts and thousands of houses in Tucson, Clifton, Safford, Nagolas, and Marana were under several feet of water. A 4-foot high wall of water hit Tucson on as the Santa Cruz River crested closing all but one of the city’s bridges and knocking out major power lines to more than 20,000 homes and businesses. More than 4“ of rain fell in a 36-hour period. The peak flow estimated in the Santa Cruz River was 40,000. The greatest recorded previously, around 30,000 cfs or cubic feet per second, was in 1977. A 5- month-old, $500,000 office building was swept downstream when the banks of the Rillito River crumbled. Twenty-five miles downstream in Marana, the water spread out in a 3- mile swath, filling 100-foot-wide riverbed that usually stands dry. Clifton, about 100 miles northeast of Tucson on the San Francisco River, already had been hit so hard that there was little left to be damaged by further flooding. More than half the town been swept away, leaving the 4,200 residents without electricity, water, or phone service. Some businesses in downtown Clifton were under as much as 8 feet of water. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, October 01, 2021
1837: Destructive hurricane strikes Texas coast
Texas won its independence from Mexico and officially became the Republic of Texas on March 2, 1836, remaining an independent nation until February 19, 1846 when it entered the Union. On October 1, 1837 a year and a half after independence, the new nation had to struggle with its first large-scale national disaster. A hurricane formed off the coast of Africa and took more than a week to make the journey into the gulf of Mexico. Then on October 1 the storm wrought destruction along the entire coast of Texas. The settlement at Brazos Santiago was almost totally destroyed, with only a few buildings left standing, while all ships there were sunk or driven aground. Communities along the shores of Matagorda Bay were heavily damaged, with buildings and wharves swept away. Farther north, a 7 ft storm surge flooded Galveston Island, where nearly every building was lost, along with all supplies and provisions. Of the 30 vessels present in the harbor at Galveston when the storm began, only one remained moored following its passage. In one case, a ship was driven against a three-story warehouse, causing the building to collapse. Among the ships destroyed at Galveston were two Texas Navy Schooners. In a scene of "utter desolation", and a scene that would be played out many more times in Galveston during the next 100 years, and especially during the 1900 hurricane, some individuals in Galveston survived the flooding by holding on to floating debris for days. Floodwaters rushed over coastal prairies for up to 20 miles inland drowning livestock. The storm surge deposited ships in fields several miles inland, heavy surf action significantly altered the coastline at the entrance to Galveston Bay and Houston experienced a 4 ft rise in water levels. Despite the damage throughout coastal Texas, only two people are known to have died there. The storm then moved onto the east along the Gulf Coast of the United States and produced flooding in New Orleans of 8 feet and brought heavy rains all the way into the Carolinas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, September 30, 2021
1970: The Laguna Fire
The Laguna Fire, was a 175,425-acre wildfire that burned from September 22, 1970 to October 4, 1970, and reached its height on September 30th in the Laguna Mountains and East County region and San Diego County in Southern California. It was the third-largest wildfire in the history of California at that time, after the Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889, and the Matilija Fire of 1932. It was one of many wildfires in a massive conflagration that spanned across the state from September 22 to October 4, 1970. The Laguna Fire of 1970 caused at least $234 million in 1970 USD in damages. The Laguna fire was started by downed power lines during Santa Ana winds in the Kitchen Creek area on the morning of September 26, 1970. In only 24 hours, it burned westward about 30 miles to the outskirts of El Cajon and Spring Valley. The fire devastated the communities of Harbison Canyon and Crest. In the end, the fire burned 175,425 acres and 382 homes, killing 16 people, before it was contained on October 4, 1970. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, September 29, 2021
1988: Cold front causes severe weather in Missouri
On September 29, 1988 a strong cold front that blasted southward from central Canada in across the great plans of the United States. It produced flooding rains and severe weather across Missouri. Kansas City received 4" of rain and 60 mph winds during the late night and early morning hours, trapping rush hour commuters in their cars under 6’ of water. Lawrence, Kansas had golf ball sized hail and 80 mph winds. Extensive tree damage and power outages in the Kansas City metro area; 60 mph wind gusts at Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals, but no major damage was reported at the ballpark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, September 28, 2021
1896: The Cedar Keys Hurricane
The 1896 Cedar Keys hurricane was a powerful and destructive hurricane that devastated much of the East Coast of the United States, starting with Florida’s Cedar Keys, near the end of September 1896. The storm's rapid movement allowed it to maintain much of its intensity after landfall and cause significant damage over a broad area; as a result, it became one of the costliest United States hurricanes at the time. It formed by September 22, before crossing the Caribbean Sea just south of the Greater Antilles. It entered the Gulf of Mexico as the equivalent of a major hurricane on the, and struck the Cedar Keys—an offshore island chain that includes the island and city of Cedar Key—late on the night of September 28, 1896 with winds of 125 mph. The area was inundated by a devastating 10.5 ft storm surge that undermined buildings, washed out the connecting railroad to the mainland, and submerged the smaller, outlying islands, where 31 people were killed. The hurricane still had considerable strength when it entered southeastern Georgia. The winds brought down telephone, telegraph, and electric wires throughout the region, severing communications. Southern South Carolina also saw the damaging effects of the storm, which was accompanied by estimated winds of up to 100 mph. As the cyclone expanded and accelerated, it entered Virginia with renewed violence, and produced what still stands as the most severe windstorm in Richmond’s history. More destruction was occurred in the Washington DC area as well as Maryland and Pennsylvania. The system merged with a storm moving out of Canada and across the Great Lakes region producing gales and sinking ships in the Great Lakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, September 27, 2021
1816: The Black Frost
The year 1816 is known as the "Year Without a Summer", also the "Poverty Year" and "Eighteen Hundred and Froze To Death" because of severe climate abnormalities that caused average global temperatures to decrease by almost a degree and a half. Summer temperatures in Europe were the coldest on record between the years of 1766–2000. This resulted in major food shortages across the Northern Hemisphere. Evidence suggests that this was caused predominantly what is called a volcanic winter event caused by the massive 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in April in the Dutch East Indies known today as Indonesia. This eruption was the largest in at least 1,300 years. In China the result was a massive famine. As a result of the series of prior volcanic eruptions, crops had been poor for several years; the final blow came in 1815 with the eruption of Tambora. Europe, still recuperating from the Napoleonic Wars, suffered from food shortages. The impoverished especially suffered during this time. Low temperatures and heavy rains resulted in failed harvests in Britain and Ireland. Families in Wales traveled long distances begging for food. Famine was prevalent in north and southwest Ireland, following the failure of wheat, oat, and potato harvests. In Germany, the crisis was severe. Food prices rose sharply throughout Europe and lead to peasant revolutions. In the spring and summer of 1816, a persistent "dry fog" was observed in parts of the eastern United States. The fog reddened and dimmed the sunlight, such that sunspots were visible to the naked eye. Neither wind nor rainfall dispersed the "fog". Because it was really not a fog at all – but the result of the dirt and debris hurled into the high atmosphere – the fog – so to speak was literally above the weather. The weather was not in itself a hardship for those accustomed to long winters. The real problem lay in the weather's effect on crops and thus on the supply of food and firewood. At higher elevations, where farming was problematic in good years, the cooler climate was not able support agriculture at all. On June 6, snow fell in Albany New York, frost was reported five nights in a row in late June, causing extensive crop damage as far south as Pennsylvania. New England also experienced major consequences from the eruption of Tambora. Though fruits and vegetable crops survived, corn was reported to have ripened so poorly that no more than a quarter of it was usable for food. This moldy and unripe harvest wasn't even fit for animal feed. The final blow came on September 27, 1816 when a killing frost and freeze ended the growing seas from the Mid-Atlantic State northward. The Black Frost as it become known ushered in a terrible winter of famine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, September 26, 2021
2004: Hurricane Jeanne
Hurricane Jeanne comes ashore near Hutchinson Island just to the east of Stuart, Florida on September 26, 2004 as a Category 3 storm. The storm passed over Polk County, Florida. Winds at Fort Pierce Inlet gusted to 126 mph, and gusts to 104 mph were recorded at Vero Beach. 1 million people without power. Many houses had been blown off of their foundations. The centers of Charley, Frances, and finally on September 26, Jeanne all passed over Polk County in the 2004 Hurricane season. This is the first time since 1950 that the entire eye of two Category 3 hurricanes impacted Florida in the same year. Many people became unnerved by having all 3 hurricanes hit the same place and 2 of them so powerful and this led to a decline in the population in that region for the next several years as people simply moved away from the hurricane prone area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, September 25, 2021
1939: “El Cordonazo” or “The Lash of St. Francis”
On September 25, 1939 “El Cordonazo” or “The Lash of St. Francis” a tropical storm, hit Southern California and causes the greatest September rainfall ever. The storm lost hurricane status shortly before moving onshore at San Pedro as a tropical storm. Torrential rains hit, with Los Angles getting 5.42” in 24 hours, and Mt. Wilson 11.60” both records for the month of September. 3.62” fell in Needles, 1.51” Palm Springs. Needles measured 8 and half inches of rain for the month of September 1939, about double the seasonal average. 45 were killed in floods all over Southern California, and 48 more were lost at sea with $2 million damage to structures along the coast and to crops. Rain from tropical systems are unusual but not rare in southern California, but this storm brought rains never seen before and it was the only tropical storm to make landfall in California in the twentieth century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, September 24, 2021
1888: Frost causes growing season in South to end prematurely
1888 was a cold year in the eastern half of he United States. The Great Blizzard of '88, or the Great White Hurricane in March 1888 was one of the most severe recorded blizzards in American history. The storm paralyzed the East Coast as well as the Atlantic provinces of Canada. Snow fell from 10 to 58 inches in parts of New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, and sustained winds of more than 45 miles per hour produced snowdrifts in excess of 50 feet. Railroads were shut down and people were confined to their homes for up to a week. Railway and telegraph lines were disabled, and this provided the impetus to move these pieces of infrastructure underground. The winter leading up to the Blizzard had been quite cold with one bitter blast after another. The summer of 1888 returned to more normal temperatures especially in the southern states with usual bouts of heat and humidity. But on September 24, 1888 a sever frost struck South Carolina, Georgia and even reached into northern Florida effectively putting an end to the growing season at least a month and a half early. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, September 23, 2021
1993: 35" of rain falls in the summer for Cedar Rapids, IA
Over the course of a three-month period in the summer of 1993, a slow-moving and historic flooding disaster unfolded across the midwestern United States, leaving economic ramifications that would be felt for years to come. More than 17 million acres were flooded across nine states in the Midwest during the summer of 1993, starting in June and lasting through August. This is an area larger than the entire state of West Virginia. “The magnitude and severity of this flood event was simply overwhelming, and it ranks as one of the greatest natural disasters ever to hit the United States,” said the Hydrologic Research Laboratory. This long-duration river flooding caused hundreds of levees failures, 50 fatalities and an estimated $15 billion in damages. While the worst of the flooding occurred in the summer of 1993, impacts across the region lasted for years. In St. Louis, the Mississippi remained above flood stage for 144 days between April 1 and September 30, 1993. Of the 17 million acres that were flooded, a majority was being used as farmland. This had a long-term impact on the industry as some of the land was not able to be used again for farming for several years after flood waters had receded. Shipping and transportation industries were also severely impacted during the height of the flooding. High water also rendered some bridges that spanned across the Mississippi River unusable for weeks, disrupting travel across the region. In some cases, this meant taking a detour of over 100 miles just to make it to the other side of a flooded river. The historic flooding was not caused by one single rainfall event, but rather an extended period of above-normal rainfall across the same region. On September 23, 1993 the summer was over, indicative of the rainfall was Cedar Rapids, Iowa that measured 35 inches of rain for the summer, the 3 summer months brought them the average rainfall for the entire year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, September 22, 2021
1989: Hurricane Hugo (Part 2)
Hugo was still at hurricane strength as the storm advanced quickly north-northwest across central SC and into western NC during the early morning hours of September 22, 1989. Considerable damage occurred in Sumter, SC where winds gusted over 100 mph. Winds gusted to 90 mph in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg County, NC area, which was declared a disaster area. 90% of Charlotte was without power. Tornado touchdowns were reported in Burke and Caldwell counties in NC. Charlotte airport recorded 3.16" of rain. Hickory recorded an 82-mph wind gust, while Greensboro had a 54-mph gust. Hugo was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm while crossing western NC during the mid-morning hours of the 22nd. Tropical Storm Hugo advanced rapidly northward at about 50 mph during the afternoon, moving across southwest VA and western WV. By 6:00 PM EDT, Hugo was downgraded and was located just east of Youngstown, OH. Storm reports during the day included Shenandoah, VA - gust to 67 mph; Snow Shoe, WV -gust to 60 mph. 6" of rain at Poor Mountain, VA. 1.5-3" of rain across Dickenson, Russell, Tazewell and Buchanan counties of VA in a 3-hour time period. Hugo turned out to be the costliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland until Andrew in 1992, with damage totaling over $7 billion dollars. 82 deaths were attributed to Hugo, 27 were in SC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, September 21, 2021
1989: Hurricane Hugo - Part I
Hurricane Hugo intensified on September 21, 1989 as the storm moved northwestward toward Charleston, South Carolina. Hugo made landfall just prior to midnight over Sullivan’s Island, north of Charleston, with winds estimated between 130 and 150 mph northeast of the storm's center. A reconnaissance aircraft measured the pressure at 27.58" when Hugo made landfall. Wind gusts up to 119 mph were recorded in downtown Charleston, with extensive damage along with low-lying flooding. Most buildings on the barrier islands northeast of Charleston were destroyed due to a storm surge of up to 20'. All bridges to the barrier islands were washed out. The Charleston airport, miles inland from the city, had an 84-mph wind gust, while Sumter, SC had a 106-mph gust. A storm survey team estimated that the swath that had 100 mph plus winds extended from Charleston northeastward about 50 miles up the coast. The band of 100 mph or greater winds pushed inland 5-8 miles before the friction of land broke the winds into shorter, but often just as powerful, gusts. The area that had wind gusts over 100 mph extended as far as Sumter, which is 80 miles inland. Damage was extreme in the areas which experienced sustained 100 mph winds and severe in areas where gusts hit 100 mph. Damage was much less severe south of the storm's center where top winds were just over 75 mph. Hugo was the strongest hurricane to landfall on the contintenal United State in two decades. Along the coast of South Carolina, Hugo set new records for storm surge heights along the US east coast, reaching 20.2 ft near McClellanville, SC. The surge and winds wrought extensive damage across South Carolina's barrier islands, destroying many beachfront homes and other coastal installations. Hugo's northward acceleration at landfall led to unusually large and significant impacts to forests between South Carolina and Virginia, inflicting further damage to property; in South Carolina alone the loss of timber was estimated at $1.04 billion. Flood and wind impacts followed Hugo across much of the eastern United States and into eastern Canada. The cleanup and recovery efforts that followed were extensive throughout the areas affected by Hugo. There were at least 39 fatalities during the post-storm recovery phase; more people died in South Carolina in the hurricane's aftermath than during its passage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, September 20, 2021
1972: Snow falls across northern Pennsylvania
Snow fell on September 20, 1792 across northern Pennsylvania, in and early season storm that all but put an end to the growing season. A blast of cold air from Canada arrived just before a storm system moved up along the Atlantic seaboard. Life was a hardscrabble mixture of hunting, trapping and faming across the region and everything needed to go just right to make it through each coming winter. The autumn of 1792 was cold and harsh in the agricultural valleys of northern Pennsylvania. Mary B. Lantx, Historian in Milton, PA, reported that on September 20, 1792 "A very cold morning. It was surprising to see so much snow on the ground at this season of the year. The limbs of the peach trees broke, and large limbs of the oaks broke down, and saplings bent across the road. It began to snow last night before we went to bed". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, September 19, 2021
1992: Lightning bolt strikes a high school football player
Lightning is a major cause of storm related deaths in the United States. A lightning strike can result in a cardiac arrest at the time of the injury, although some victims may appear to have a delayed death a few days later if they are resuscitated but have suffered irreversible brain damage. According to the National Weather Service Storm Data, over the last 30 years the U.S. has averaged 43 reported lightning fatalities per year. Only about 10% of people who are struck by lightning are killed, leaving 90% with various degrees of disability. More recently, in the last 10 years, the U.S. has averaged 27 lightning fatalities. On September 19, 1992 a lightning bolt struck a high school football player on the practice field in Silver Springs, Maryland and smashed his football helmet. 40 other players felt the shock. Amazingly no one was seriously injured. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, September 18, 2021
1926: Category 4 Hurricane hits South Florida
By September, 1926, the population of Dade County and the City of Miami had blossomed to well over 100,000; more than doubling from the census figure of 42,753 in 1920 - construction was everywhere. New buildings were constantly starting on Miami Beach, which had been built across Biscayne Bay on a series of barrier islands, bulldozed from their mangrove beginnings. Most of the new residents were unfamiliar with tropical storms and hurricanes. According to the National Weather Service, On September 11, 1926 a few ships in the central Atlantic reported on a tropical system moving west. It passed north of the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico on the 14th, 15th, and 16th, avoiding normal channels of Caribbean information. In those days before satellite pictures and reconnaissance aircraft, the hurricane remained somewhat of a mystery, with only a few ship reports to tell of its existence. As late as the morning of September 17, less than 24 hours before the category 4 storm's effects would begin in South Florida, no warnings had been issued. At noon, the Miami Weather Bureau Office was authorized to post storm warnings. When barometric pressure began to fall rapidly around 11 PM the night of September 17, hurricane warnings were issued. The eye of the hurricane passed over downtown Miami and parts of Cocoanut Grove and South Miami around 6:30 AM on September 18. The residents of the city, unfamiliar with hurricanes, thought the storm was over and emerged from their places of refuge out into the city streets. People even began returning to the mainland from Miami Beach. The lull lasted only about 35 minutes, during which the streets became crowded with people. The worst part of the hurricane, with onshore southeasterly winds bringing a 10-foot storm surge onto Miami Beach and the barrier islands, began around 7 AM and continued the rest of the morning. At the height of the storm surge, the water from the Atlantic extended all the way across Miami Beach and Biscayne Bay and into the City of Miami for several blocks. On October 9, well after the hurricane, the Red Cross reported that 372 persons had died in the storm and over 6,000 persons were injured. Damages in 1926 dollars were estimated at $105 million, which would be more than $164 billion in 2021 dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, September 17, 2021
1923: "Diablo winds" spread fire to Berkeley, CA
On the afternoon of September 17, 1923, just about everyone in Berkeley California had taken note of the uncommonly warm, dry wind blowing in from the northeast. What they didn’t know was that a small grass fire over the hill in Wildcat Canyon was growing fast, leaping from grass to brush to tree—and it was about to crest the hills of North Berkeley. When it did, near Berryman Reservoir, the fire was a half mile wide. A thick black cloud came pouring over the hill, followed by surging flames pressed low by warm, gale-force winds, known as Diablo winds. The fire raced and bore down on the Northside neighborhood. Just a few decades earlier, at the turn of the century, the area had been sparsely developed pastureland known as Daley’s Scenic Park. But, spurred in part by immigration across the bay after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, there was a surge of subdivision and construction. As the fire roared downhill, the homes literally exploded in flames. Berkeley’s small contingent of firefighters was forced to repeatedly abandon their positions as the wind-propelled fire speedily advanced. The entire city, it seemed, might be consumed. But just as the flames reached the shopping district, the wind reversed direction and the fire was blown back onto itself. With nothing left to consume, it died out. When North Berkeley residents returned, there was nothing to salvage. It was a naked landscape of charred tree trunks and freestanding chimneys surrounded by bare foundations. At final tally, more than 500 homes were destroyed. Miraculously, no one was killed, but 4,000 people were left homeless, including more than 100 University employees and faculty and over 1,000 students. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, September 16, 2021
1928: The Okeechobee Hurricane
The Okeechobee hurricane of 1928, also known as the San Felipe Segundo hurricane, was one of the deadliest hurricanes in the recorded history of the North Atlantic basin, and the second deadliest hurricane in the United States, only behind the 1900 Galveston hurricane. The hurricane killed an estimated 2,500 people in the United States; most of the fatalities occurred in the state of Florida, particularly in Lake Okeechobee. The storm developed off the west coast of Africa in early September. About 72 hours later, the storm strengthened and became a Category 1. Still moving westward, the system reached Category 4 intensity before striking Guadeloupe on September 12, where it brought great destruction and resulted in 1,200 deaths. Around midday on September 13, the storm strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane and peaked with sustained winds of 160 mph. About six hours later, the system made landfall in Puerto Rico where strong winds resulted in severe damage in Puerto Rico, leaving over 500,000 people or 1/3 of the entire population homeless. Heavy rainfall also led to extreme damage to vegetation and agriculture. While crossing the island and emerging into the Atlantic, the storm weakened slightly, falling to Category 4 intensity. It began crossing through the Bahamas on September 16, where it resulted in 18 fatalities. The storm made landfall near West Palm Beach, Florida, later that night, with winds of 145 mph. In the city, more than 1,711 homes were destroyed; the effects were most severe around Lake Okeechobee. The storm surge caused water to pour out of the southern edge of the lake, flooding hundreds of square miles to depths as great as 20 feet. Numerous houses and buildings were swept at least 2,500 people drowned, while damage was estimated at $25 million. Overall, the hurricane caused $100 million in damage and killed at least 4,112 people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, September 15, 2021
1752: A Mid-September Cyclone in South Carolina
The Preservation Society of Charleston, South Carolina reports from the South-Carolina Gazette, September 19, 1752 the following description: “The mid-September, 1752, cyclone was "the most violent and terrible hurricane that ever was felt in this province." Strong winds began the evening of September 14, becoming more violent as the storm blew closer. Rain sluiced down steadily through the early morning, and a terrifying night gave way to a horrifying day. The storm surge poured in about 9:00 AM, overflowing seawalls and creek beds. Before 11 o'clock, nearly all the vessels in Charleston Harbor were on shore, some driven into the marsh, some riding the flood to crash into wharves and buildings. A ship blew up Vanderhorst’s Creek as far as Meeting Street, carrying away a corner of the “new Baptist house” near the creek. Only the HMS Hornet, a fourteen-gun sloop of war, rode out the storm. Water had risen more than ten feet above the normal high-water mark, the sea covering the entire peninsula, and high tide was not expected for another two hours. With many houses flooded neck deep, panicked people fled to the upper floors and "contemplated a speedy termination of their lives." Their reprieve was deemed an act of Providence. The wind shifted, the tide ebbed, and the water flowed out as quickly as it had come in (the South-Carolina Gazette reported it fell five feet in ten minutes). By three o'clock Friday afternoon, September 15, the wind had died completely and the storm was gone. The hurricane "reduced this Town to a very melancholy situation." Although there are no accurate figures of the deaths or injuries, many drowned; others were killed or dangerously injured when houses fell apart. An estimated five hundred buildings were destroyed completely; broken chimneys, lost roofing tiles and slates, shattered windows, and dislodged foundations were universal. All the wharves and piers were smashed, every building upon them beaten down and carried away. Likewise, fortifications along the waterfront sustained heavy damage, most of their cannon dismounted. Granville's Bastion was "much shaken, the upper part of the wall beat in, the platform with the guns upon it floated partly over the wall." In the account just reported it can be concluded that the eye of the storm, mostly likely a hurricane can very close to Charleston. The rapid rise of the water pushed into the town from a storm surge near the storm’s center and then as the storm passed the wind shifted from the southeast off the ocean to the northwest and pushed the water out to sea rapidly are all indications of a direct hit by the eye of the storm. September 15, 1752 when one of the one of the first accounts of the direct hit of a hurricane was reported in North America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, September 14, 2021
1700: The Rising Sun Hurricane
The Rising Sun Hurricane struck Charleston, South Carolina in mid- September in 1700. Typical of a powerful hurricane making landfall, the storm cut a swath of devastation through the region. This hurricane, however, is best remembered for the eyewitness account detailing the destruction of the storm’s namesake: the Scottish warship, Rising Sun. The Rising Sun was on a return trip to Scotland. The passengers were the remnants of a failed Scottish colony in Panama. The ship ran afoul of a hurricane, while sailing through the Gulf of Mexico. The fierce weather dismasted the Rising Sun, and the ship limped northward, seeking a port to repair the damage. On September 3, the Rising Sun arrived outside of the Charleston Bay, but an underwater sandbar prevented the heavy warship from entering. The Captain dropped anchor, set the crew to lightening the ship. The hurricane arrived as repairs were underway. Edward Hyrne, resident of Charleston, detailed the events that followed in a letter to his wife. Safe in a home overlooking the bay, Hyrne watched as the storm wreaked havoc among the ships throughout the bay, writing, “the greatest mischief fell amongst the shipping, of which about a dozen sail of all sorts were riding at anchor before the town, some of which were driven on shore and broke all in pieces, some were carried a great way up into the marshes and one driven clear over the point of land which parts two rivers into Ashley River, in her way breaking down a pair of gallows from which eight pirates at once were hanged since my coming here.” The fate of the Rising Sun, was covered in Hyrne’s description, and he wrote, “The greatest and most deplorable loss of all was that of a great Scotch ship called the Rising Sun, which … was riding at anchor outside the sand bar, with design to come in here and refit…. The storm rose and she foundered at anchor, the captain and all the Scots on board, being about 100, miserably perishing.” The hurricane had sent the warship up onto the beach, slammed it into pieces, and all of the Rising Sun’s passengers and crew swept out to sea and drowned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, September 13, 2021
1857: Cyclone makes landfall near Wilmington, NC
By August of 1857 is was evident that something was going very wrong in the American economy. U. S. banks had invested heavily in businesses that were failing. Not only were investors beginning to panic by even small depositors were getting very nervous. The investors were losing heavily in the stock market and railroads were unable to pay their debts. Land speculators who had counted on the construction of new railroad routes were also losing money. People feared financial ruin. Everyone ran to the banks to withdraw their money, people demanded that the debit be paid not in paper money, they wanted gold. A huge shipment of gold was due to reach the banking centers in New York City arriving on a steamer from the gold fields of California by mid-September allowing the banks to pay off some of the debit and steaming the tide of the financial panic. Meanwhile a tropical storm was first observed east of the Bahamas on September 6. It moved slowly northwestward toward the coast of the United States and attained hurricane strength early on September 9. The storm continued travelling northwest along the US coast, becoming a Category 2 hurricane off the coast of Georgia on September 11. On September 13 the cyclone made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina, but then quickly weakened to a tropical storm and turned eastward into the Atlantic on September 14. Meanwhile, on September 11, the hurricane struck the steamer Central America which sprung a leak and eventually sank in the early morning hours of September 13, 1857 with the loss of 424 passengers and crew. Also, on board the ship were 30,000 pounds of gold bound for the banks of New York City to pay off the depositors. It contributed to what would follow. More than 5,000 American businesses failed within a year, and unemployment was accompanied by protest meetings in urban areas. Eventually the panic and depression spread to Europe, South America and the Far East. No recovery was evident in the northern parts of the United States for a year and a half, and the full impact did not dissipate until the American Civil War revived the economy in the north – and the south took a hundred years to recover. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, September 12, 2021
1960: Hurricane Donna
On August 29, 1960, the storm that would become Hurricane Donna formed near the Cape Verde Islands off the African coast. It would go on to cause 150 deaths from Puerto Rico to New England over the next two weeks. On August 31, Donna attained hurricane status and headed west toward the Caribbean. It was a Category 4 hurricane by the time it reached the Leeward Islands on September 4. Donna left a path of destruction across on Puerto Rico and a portion of the Bahamas before turning northeast toward Cuba and the Florida Keys. Donna punished Cuba, one hundred and twenty people lost their lives in there when evacuation plans were not carried out properly. On September 9, winds with speeds of up to 200 miles per hour battered the Florida Keys before Donna skipped back to the Atlantic Ocean. The storm then rode the Florida coastline, causing 13 deaths in Fort Myers and Daytona Beach. The state’s grapefruit and orange crops also took devastating blows and almost half of the largest mangrove tree forest in the United States was lost. It was the strongest storm to hit Florida until Andrew in 1992. On September 12, Donna battered the Outer Banks on North Carolina and was still a Category 3 hurricane. It stared to move quickly, it hit the New England coast on the night of September 12, 1960, still with hurricane force winds. Blue Hill Observatory, MA, had a wind gust of 145 mph. It is the only hurricane on record to produce hurricane force winds in every state that has a coast line on the Atlantic Ocean. Florida received the most damage from Hurricane Donna. Portions of southern and western Florida received over 10 in of rainfall from the hurricane. In the state of Florida, the storm destroyed 2,156 homes and trailers, severely damaged 3,903, and inflicted minor impact on 30,524 others. Winds as strong as 100 mph were observed along the coast of New Jersey. Damage from the storm was most severe in Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth and Ocean counties, where numerous boats, docks, boardwalks, and cottages were damaged or destroyed. A resort area in Cliffwood beach, New Jersey saw its boardwalk and tourist attractions destroyed by the hurricane, and the area has never recovered to this day, 61 years later. Losses to agriculture were significant, with damage to apple and peach trees "considerable", the former of which lost about one-third of its crops. Wind damage to corn and sorghum resulted in a delay in their harvest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, September 11, 2021
2001: The 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks
September 11, 2001 was a horrific day for the United States and the world. The day of the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. It was also a heroic day when passengers fought back and prevented even more destruction and loss of life. The visuals of it all were made possible by the weather. It was a bright, blue and pristine day across the eastern United States. Humidify was low with no haze or clouds. Visibility was unlimited, clear to the horizon. Those that seized the controls in the cockpits that day where easily able to see their targets. The ensuing crashes and destruction were also visible from afar and the horror easily seen. Because the next few days remained clear as a large high-pressure system perched itself over the east coast toxic dust was able to hang in the air much longer than if rain fell and washed the air clean. The plumes of smoke and dust in New York City and Washington DC continued to be seen. Those that died that day and those that worked to find victims and clean up and then suffered, and those that ran into the collapsing buildings are remembered again today. They are no less honored than those that also gave their last measure as American soldiers on battlefields across the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, September 10, 2021
1976: Hurricane Kathleen
Tropical systems do not typically bring high winds or heavy rain to the southwestern United States. Most Pacific Tropical storms and Hurricanes are embedded in easterly winds, and move westward—away from large land masses—until they dissipate over cold waters. Rare is the tropical system to impact Los Angeles. A large area of thunderstorms, with a diameter of about 500 miles formed 270 miles southwest of Acapulco in early September, 1976. Moving rapidly west-northwest, the formed into tropical depression on September 7. While turning and moving toward the east, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Kathleen. On September 9, Tropical Storm Kathleen was barely a tropical storm. Shortly thereafter, Kathleen turned north-northeast into warmer waters and the tropical storm began to re-strengthen. Despite moving rapidly north, it strengthened into Hurricane Kathleen. Kathleen's forward motion accelerated to speeds of 35 mph on September 10, 1976. Unlike the few tropical systems that make it as far as California, Kathleen weakened only slowly as it moved northward over the state. It moved across Death Valley and on September 11, entered western Nevada. Its impacts were significant and, in some places, devastating. In a region not prone to heavy rain and especially not accompanied by strong winds the damage was severe. On September 10–11, gale-force winds caused considerable damage to the city of Yuma. For a time, the sustained winds exceeded 50 mph. California received record rainfall, with almost 15” falling in the mountains of Southern California. Officials evacuated 175 people from the flooded area of Ocotillo and the nearby communities that surround the Salton Sea; the sea rose 8 feet in 3 hours. A quarter mile of Interstate 8 and a 60-foot bridge were destroyed by the flood, which also washed away mobile homes, trucks, and cars. In Los Angles, two people died of injuries suffered from slippery roads. Palm Desert received more than a year's worth of rainfall in a matter of days. Flash flood warnings were also issued for parts of California, as well as nearby states Nevada and Arizona. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, September 09, 2021
1944: The Great Atlantic Hurricane
The 1944 Great Atlantic hurricane was destructive and powerful and swept across a large portion of the US east coast in September 1944. An area of tropical thunderstorms was first identified well east of the Lesser Antilles on September 4, the disturbance only became well organized to be considered a tropical storm on September 9 northeast of the Virgin Islands. Moving west-northwest, the storm gradually intensified and reached peak intensity as a Category 4-equivalent hurricane on September 13 north of the Bahamas after curving northward. A day later, the storm passed by the Outer Banks and later made landfall on Long Island as a weaker hurricane on September 15. Passing close to the Outer Banks, strong winds were reported across eastern North Carolina, and knocked out telecommunications networks on the Outer Banks. Small homes were leveled by the winds. The hurricane was infamous for the amount of damage it caused along the New Jersey coastline. The shore towns on Long Beach Island, Atlantic City and Cape May all suffered major damage. Long Beach Island, Barnegat Island and Brigantine all lost their causeways to the mainland in the storm effectively cutting them off from the rest of New Jersey. Additionally, both islands lost hundreds of homes. In Atlantic City the hurricane's storm surge forced water into the lobbies of many of the resorts famous hotels. The Atlantic City boardwalk suffered major damage and in some places was deposited several blocks inland from the beaches. My mother-in-law and her family rode out the storm in a rooming house 2 blocks from the beach, protected by pieces of the boardwalk that logged against the structure. Both the famed Steel Pier and Heinz Pier were partially destroyed by the hurricane with only the Steel Pier subsequently rebuilt. Rain totals of 7 inches occurred in Hartford Connecticut and the city of Bridgeport saw the greatest official total at 10.7 inches. Tobacco and fruit damage in Connecticut totaled to about $2 million, with similar overall damage costs occurring in Rhode Island. A total of 28 people died throughout New England as a result of the storm. On September 9, 1944, the storm that was officially upgraded to a tropical system would, in the next week result in one of the greatest destructive hurricanes on record for the resort beach towns of New Jersey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, September 08, 2021
1900: The Galveston Hurricane
One of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history hit Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900, killing at least 6,000 people, many more likely perished, that is because the storm caused so much destruction on the Texas coast that reliable estimates of the number of victims are difficult to make. Some believe that as many as 12,000 people perished, which would make it the deadliest day in American history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, September 07, 2021
1881: The Great September Heat Wave of 1881
The summer of 1881 had been be brutally hot and dry across the Mid-west and into the eastern states. Because of the conditions and other factors massive forest fire had erupted in parts of Michigan early in September culminating in the Great Thumb fire in Michigan on 5 and 6th. It resulted in a yellow sky in the major eastern cities on September 6 because of the smoke and haze in the air. Strong, dry winds fueled the fire. No notable fires broke out in the east on September 7, 1881, but it sure felt like something was burning. Record heat scorched most of the big cities up and down the eastern seaboard setting record that still stand today 140 years later. The mercury soared to 101 degrees in New York City; 102 degrees in Boston, MA; 104 degrees in Washington DC a September record; 102 degrees in Philadelphia also a September record and the latest 100 degrees ever. Modern air conditioning wouldn’t be invented for almost another 20 years in 1902 by Willis Carrier and it wasn’t until the mid 1920’s that mass viable air conditioning was truly available. Prior to that, people have to rely on more conventional methods to cool off like going to the beach or a pool and as those folks did in the great September heat wave of 1881 – wait for autumn to arrive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, September 06, 2021
1881: The Thumb Fire
The Thumb Fire took place on September 5, 1881, in the Thumb area of Michigan. The fire burned over a million acres in less than a day, was the result of drought, hurricane forces winds, heat and that after effects of the Port Huron Fire of 1871 and the ecological damage wrought by the era's logging techniques. The blaze, also called the Great Thumb Fire, the Great Forest Fire of 1881 and the Huron Fire, killed 282 people in 4 counties in northeastern Michigan. The damage estimate was more than $2 million dollars or $100 million in 2021 dollars. The fire sent enough soot and ash up into the atmosphere that sunlight was partially obscured at many locations on the East Coast of the United States. In New England cities, the sky appeared yellow and projected a strange luminosity onto buildings and vegetation. Twilight appeared at 12 noon. September 6, 1881 immediately became known as Yellow Tuesday or Yellow Day due to the ominous nature of this atmospheric event. August and the first days of September 1881 were hotter than usual, and the Thumb had had a rain deficit since April. There were forest fires beginning in mid-August. On Monday, September 5, the town of Bad Axe in Huron county burst into flames. Winds spread the fire on September 6 consuming most of Huron and surrounding counties. In 1881 Clara Barton, founded the American Red Cross. The organization's first official disaster relief operation was its response to the Michigan "Thumb Fire" of 1881. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, September 05, 2021
1925: Temperature reaches 112°F in Alabama
1925 was extremely dry across the southeastern part of the nation. In fact, the summer of 1925 was the driest on record in Alabama. The drought would only be equaled in some places by the Dust bowl days of the 1930. The atmosphere heats up when the sun heats the ground and then the ground radiates or transfers the heat created by the sun back into the low atmosphere, heating the air. Normally some of the sun’s energy is used not to heat the ground but rather to evaporate any moisture in the soil. Since the ground was dry and dusty all that happened was that the ground baked away. The stage was set for the greatest September heatwave in Alabama history. Many cities would see their highest temperatures ever that September. That included Centreville, which set the state's all-time high temperature record at 112° F on Sept. 5, 1925. An incredible feat for the month of September. No other state has an all-time record high temperature set in September, most are in July or early August. By September the length of daylight is shortening and it’s harder for the sun to do it’s work – but not that exceptional year. In fact, on September 5, 1925 every reporting station in Alabama had a high temperature above 100°, a feat that has never been repeated. All across the state daily high temperatures set records. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, September 04, 2021
1970: The Great Labor Day Storm
Tropical storm Norma formed off the west coast of Mexico just after the page of the calendar turned to September in 1970. By September 3rd it had reached minimal tropical storm force then was pulled inland after moving briefly up through the gulf of California. Its impacts were minimal in Mexico and many though the worst was over. It lost its circulation, but not it’s moisture. Heavy tropical moisture deep through the atmosphere came streaming northward into Arizona. The result was what is known as The Great Labor Day Storm of 1970.Severe flooding hit Arizona on September 4, 1970 that extended into the 5th. This storm dropped the most rain ever along the Mogollon Rim, near Payson, stretching from Workman Creek to Parker Creek to Crown King. The most rainfall in 24 hours reported in one range gauge outside of Globe was 11.92 inches.. Phoenix received 2.43 inches and Scottsdale 4 inches from the storm. Many were out and bout that Labor Day weekend at one of the many campgrounds in the area. Never before in the state’s recorded history had it rained so hard or so much in one day and never before had so many mountain streams and normally dry washes risen so rapidly or filled so fast with raging torrents of water. All-time previous high-water marks were exceeded. 23 lives were lost making it the greatest natural disaster in the history of the state. All who lost their lives were away from home and all but 4 were in automobiles. 14 died attempting to flee campgrounds in the headwaters of the Tonto Creek. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, September 03, 2021
Strongest storm of the 1935 Hurricane Season
The strongest Hurricane of the 1935 Atlantic hurricane season formed from a slow-moving, weak disturbance east of the Bahamas on or around August 28, 1935. On 31 August, the U.S. Weather Bureau issued its first storm advisory. The report indicated that a tropical system of small size but noteworthy strength existed about 60 miles east of Long Island, Bahamas. The depression encountered the Great Bahama Bank later that day where warm, shallow waters combined with the storm’s slow movement, allowed it to intensify quickly. Early on 1 September, the depression reached hurricane status and continued to strengthen as it made its way through the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. On September 2, 1935, the hurricane reached its greatest intensity and made landfall later that night as a Category 5 storm, crossing the Florida Keys between Key West and Miami, FL. As it made landfall, it was packing sustained winds of 185 mph. After passing the Keys, the hurricane slowly recurved northward and closely paralleled Florida’s west coast. The then weakened hurricane made a second landfall as a Category 2 storm near Cedar Key, FL on the afternoon of 4 September. The hurricane quickly weakened as it moved inland across Georgia and the Carolinas on 5 September. By the morning of September 6, the center of storm passed again into the Atlantic near Norfolk, Virginia. It quickly regained hurricane strength and continued northeast until it became non-tropical south of Greenland on 10 September. Practically all losses from the hurricane were suffered in Florida, with most occurring in the Florida Keys. According to hurricancescience.org: “A swath of destruction 40 mi wide occurred across the Keys. Most structures were destroyed by the hurricane’s Category 5 winds, which gusted at times to over 200 mph, and the complete inundation of the islands by a 20 ft storm surge. On Metacumbe Key, every single building and tree was destroyed. The tracks of the Florida East Coast Railroad, the main transportation route linking the Keys to mainland Florida, were shifted off their roadbed and completely destroyed. The tracks were never rebuilt, as the railway now terminates in Miami. Fatalities throughout the Keys were significant. At least 409 people perished. Initial predictions of the storm indicated the storm would pass through the Florida Straight and into the Gulf of Mexico. When it was discovered these predictions were incorrect, as the storm was moving much slower than forecasted, the forecast was modified to predict an impact on Cuba. The true path of the storm was realized too late to allow sufficient amount of time for evacuation, and because of this late warning, many people did not leave the Keys. Among those who did not evacuate were World War I veterans working on a project to connect the railway to the Keys, 259 of whom perished.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, September 02, 2021
1775: The "Independence Hurricane"
According to the website, The Revolutionary War and beyond, “On, September 2, 1775, the Independence Hurricane hit the American colonies as the American Revolution was beginning. It would be the 8th deadliest Atlantic hurricane of all time. After dumping rain for a week, the hurricane landed in North Carolina and continued up the coast through Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The storm was particularly devastating to the region's economy because it was harvest season. Many crops were still in the field and were completely destroyed. In addition, the Continental Congress had enacted a ban on trade with Britain to take effect on September 10th. This meant a flurry of activity was taking place in every east coast port, as merchants and farmers tried to get out one last shipment before the trade ban went into effect. Ships and warehouses were overflowing with tobacco, corn, salt, sugar and other goods. North Carolina suffered the worst effects of the Independence Hurricane, so named because it took place at the start of the War of Independence. The Outer Banks were destroyed and entire settlements swept away. Coastal cities were flooded, crops destroyed and many ships and their crews were lost. It is believed that over 200 people died in North Carolina alone. As the storm continued to rage across the Chesapeake, towns such as Norfolk, Hampton and Yorktown had their ports destroyed. Warehouses full of goods were blown away. Ships were deposited on shore. The roof of the State House in Annapolis was blown away.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, September 01, 2021
1950: Temperature reaches 123°F in Yuma, AZ
Yuma, Arizona is noted for its weather extremes. Of any populated place in the contiguous United States, Yuma is the driest, the sunniest, and the least humid, has the lowest frequency of precipitation, and has the highest number of days per year—175—with a daily maximum temperature of 90. Yuma features a hot desert climate, with extremely hot summers and warm winters. Atmospheric humidity is usually very low except during what are called Gulf Surges, ", when a maritime tropical air mass from the Gulf of California is drawn northward, usually in connection with the summer monsoon or wet period or the passage of a tropical storm to the south. The sun is said to shine during about 90% of the daylight hours, making Yuma one of the sunniest places in the world. The city receives the most recorded average sunshine of anywhere on Earth. The area's first settlers for thousands of years were Native American cultures and historic tribes. In 1540, Spanish colonial expeditions under visited the area and immediately recognized the natural crossing of the Colorado River as an ideal spot for a city. But it wasn’t until the 1860s that the city gradually grew. Slow growth were the watchwords until the advent of air conditioning because of its hot climate. On September 1, 1950 the temperature in Yuma reached 123 degrees – the highest temperature ever recorded in the United states in the month of September. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, August 31, 2021
1772: Hurricane strikes Island of St. Croix
During the summer of 1772 a young 17-year-old clerk was toiling in the West Indies on the Island of St. Croix. He had been born in poverty, but even at his young age had risen to be given responsibilities of management at the firm he clerked for. On August 31, 1772 as a powerful hurricane roared through the region. The clerk wrote a letter describing the storm that said in part: “It’s impossible for me to describe, or you to form any idea of it. It seemed as if a total dissolution of nature was taking place. The roaring of the sea and wind, fiery meteors flying about it in the air, the prodigious glare of almost perpetual lightning, the crash of the falling houses, and the ear-piercing shrieks of the distressed, were sufficient to strike astonishment into Angels. A great part of the buildings throughout the Island are levelled to the ground, almost all the rest very much shattered; several persons killed and numbers utterly ruined; whole families running about the streets, unknowing where to find a place of shelter; the sick exposed to the keenness of water and air without a bed to lie upon, or a dry covering to their bodies; and our harbors entirely bare. In a word, misery, in all its most hideous shapes, spread over the whole face of the country.” Once the letter was published in the British Colonies of North America the businessmen of St. Croix were so moved by account of the tragedy that they demanded to know who wrote the letter and took up a collection to send him to America to be educated. This was incredible given the state of the island, which was ravaged by the storm and wouldn’t recover for years. Sometime in late 1772 or early 1773, the clerk boarded a ship to the Colonies, never to return to the West Indies. That clerk was Alexander Hamilton. He would enter Columbia University in New York and then, at the start of the Revolution, become an officer in the Continental army. He helped turn the tide in the battle of Trenton, was on the general staff of Washington and led the final assault on Yorktown that all but ended the Revolutionary War. He was one of the authors of the Federalist papers that helped turn opinion to adopt the Constitution and then served as the first Secretary of the Treasury producing a brilliant plan to stabilize the new American Currency and thus set the nation on firm financial footing. Recognized as one the founding fathers Alexander Hamilton may never have come to the Colonies had it not been for the hurricane that struck St. Croix and his description of it from August 31, 1772 and who knows was impact that might have had on the future of the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, August 30, 2021
1839: A Snow Hurricane
This Date in Weather History is often filled with stories of Hurricanes this time of the year. These monster storms all across the globe leave a trail a destruction and despair. They can change history and the fate of millions. Almost every storm’s impacts are a result of heavy rain, powerful wind and pounding rampaging sea and surf. On August 28, 1839, such a storm struck Charleston South Carolina with strong force to flood the streets and nearby farms. It moved quickly up the coast dumping more heavy rain in North Carolina and there are reports of some damage in Norfolk, Va. The system then headed northeast and off the coast. It was still powerful enough to sink a floating lighthouse off the coast of New Jersey. On Sunday August 30 as the storm headed for the open waters south of Cape Cod a surge of unseasonably cold air blasted out of eastern Canada and into New York state. Across the Catskill mountains temperatures plunged to near freezing, yet moisture was still being hurled inland. The result was one of those rare occurrences across the uplands of eastern New York – a snow hurricane. Several inches of the white stuff mounted up – the wind was still howling and the heavy wet snow plastered itself to everything in what could be describe as a hurricane white-out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, August 29, 2021
2005: Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a large Category 5 Atlantic Hurricane that caused more than 1,200 deaths and $125 billion in damage in August 2005, particularly hard hit was the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time, the costliest tropical cyclone on record, and is now tied with 2017's Hurricane Harvey. The storm was the third major hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, and the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in the lower 48 states. Katrina began to develop on August 23, 2005 as a tropical depression. Early the following day, the depression intensified into a tropical storm as it headed generally westward toward Florida, strengthening into a hurricane two hours before making landfall at Hallandale Beach on August 25. After briefly weakening to tropical storm strength over southern Florida, Katrina emerged into the Gulf of Mexico on August 26 and began to rapidly intensify. The storm strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It made landfall over southeast Louisiana and Mississippi on August 29. There is controversy to this day as to the strength of the storm when it came ashore. The National Hurricane Center determined that the system weakened as it crossed the coastline to a Catagory 3, yet evidence and surveys after the storm and the complete and utter destruction lead some to suggest that it was still a Cat 5. Flooding, caused largely as a result of fatal engineering flaws in the flood protection system known as levees around the city of New Orleans, caused the greatest loss of life. Eventually, 80% of the city, as well as large tracts of neighboring parishes were under water for weeks. The flooding also destroyed most of New Orleans' transportation and communication facilities, leaving tens of thousands of people who had not evacuated the city prior to landfall stranded with little access to food, shelter or basic necessities. Many of those left behind were people of color and others in working class neighborhoods. The scale of the disaster in New Orleans provoked massive national and international response efforts; federal, local and private rescue operations evacuated displaced persons out of the city over the following weeks, but to many the response was too slow. Multiple investigations in the aftermath of the storm concluded that the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, that had designed and built the region's levees decades earlier, was responsible for the failure of the flood-control systems. The emergency response from federal, state and local governments was widely criticized, resulting in the resignations of FEMA director Michael Brown. Many government officials were criticized for their responses, especially the New Orleans Mayor and the Louisiana Governor, and President George W. Bush. The congressional elections the following year brought about a 31-seat swing from the GOP to the Democrats and control of the U. S. House of Representatives t
Sat, August 28, 2021
1990: The Plainfield Tornado
The 1990 Plainfield tornado was a devastating tornado that occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 28, 1990. The violent tornado killed 29 people and injured 353. It is the only F5 tornado ever recorded in August and the only F5 tornado to strike the Chicago area. Between 3:15 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. CDT on August 28th, 1990, a violent F5 tornado ripped through Kendall and Will counties. The tornado left a 16.4 miles-long damage which ranged from 600 yards to a half a mile in width. An estimated total of $160 million dollars in damages was added up with a total of 470 homes destroyed and 1000 damaged. Before the Enhanced Fujita Scale was put in use in 2007, the tornado damage was assessed by using the Fujita Scale. On the Fujita Scale, an F5 tornado has estimated wind speeds of 261-318 mph and is defined as having incredible damage in which strong frame houses can be leveled and swept off of foundations, automobile-sized objects can be lifted up into the air, and trees are usually debarked. The Plainfield tornado was the first ever tornado greater than an F3 rating, since records began in 1950, to occur during the month of August in the state of Illinois. It was the second killer tornado since 1950 to occur during the month of August in Illinois. 31 years later this tornado remains the only F5/EF5 rated tornado documented in the United States during the month of August. The tornado had low clouds and rain surrounding it, making it difficult to see. Because of this, no known photographs or videos of this tornado exist. The tornado approached from the northwest; most tornadoes approach from the southwest. Because of these factors and others there was little or no warning. Wikipedia reports that: “In the months following the tornado, the National Weather Service was heavily criticized for providing no warning of the approaching tornado. The NOAA Disaster Survey Report was highly critical of the forecast process within the Chicago office as well as coordination with local spotter networks and the preparedness of these groups. Prior to 1990, the National Weather Service in Chicago was responsible for providing forecasts for the entire state of Illinois. As the Chicago office was overwhelmed with its workload, no warnings were issued by the office until 2:32 p.m. – nearly an hour after the first tornado was sighted southeast of Rockford. A second severe thunderstorm warning was issued almost an hour later at 3:23 p.m., but this provided no indication that a tornado was on the ground and did not mention the area where the tornado had tracked. No tornado warning was issued until after the tornado lifted.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, August 27, 2021
1893: The Sea Island Hurricane
On August 27, 1893, a major hurricane which came to be known as the Sea Island Hurricane struck the United States near Savanah, Georgia. It was one of three deadly hurricanes during the 1893 Atlantic Hurricane Season; the storm killed an estimated 1,000–2,000 people, mostly from storm surge. .On August 15, 1893, a tropical storm formed off the west coast of Africa. It became a hurricane on the 19th, while crossing the Atlantic. The hurricane continued to strengthen, attaining Category 3 status on August 22 while located northeast of the Lesser Antilles. By the evening of the 25th, the storm was approaching the Bahamas. It is believed that the first effects of the storm were beginning to be felt in the Sea Islands area off the Georgia coast, with the winds steadily increasing during the night of the 25th. Landfall occurred near Savanah, Georgia, on August 27. Reports from the time say that wind during landfall was around 120 mph, making it a category 3 storm. Pressure in Savannah was measured at 28.00” modern estimates put the pressure as low as 27.50” out at sea. This would have made the hurricane most likely stronger than a Category 3 storm. The hurricane carried with it a heavy storm surge of at least 16 feet, although the modern hurricane models calculates that some areas may have been inundated up to 30 feet that caused great destruction along the coastline and offshore. An estimated 1,000 to 2,000 people were killed mostly by drowning, putting it on-par with 2005’s Hurricane Katrina as the sixth-deadliest hurricane in US history. St. Helena was estimated to have 6,000 African-Americans living there with the majority owning their own land and homes in a time when most Black people were prevented from doing so. Most structures in that area were not elevated higher than 2 feet; therefore, they were covered by the first waves that went above the normal water mark. Although the hurricane was devastating, the American Red Cross did not arrive until October 1, possibly because of ongoing efforts following another hurricane that hit South Carolina in June. Others claimed it was neglect because most of those impacted where Black Americans. Damage was reported as far north as Maine. Damage was heavy all along the New Jersey coast and breakers were described as the biggest ever witnessed. Railroad tracks were under four feet of water. Crops were heavily damaged in Pennsylvania and upstate New York. At Coney Island, roofs were lifted off big buildings and carried for blocks. Waves topped the seawall by 15 feet at Battery Park. Damage was heavy at resorts on Long Island and it was the worst storm on the New England coast in 20 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, August 26, 2021
1883: The Eruption of Krakatoa
The eruption of Krakatoa, in August 1883 was one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions of modern history. It is estimated that more than 36,000 people died. Many died as a result of thermal injury from the blasts and many more were victims of the tsunamis that followed the collapse of the volcano into the sea. The eruption also affected the climate and caused temperatures to drop all over the world. The island of Krakatau is in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. In May 1883, the captain of the Elizabeth, a German warship, reported seeing clouds of ash above Krakatau. He estimated them to be more than 6 miles high. For the next two months, commercial vessels and chartered sightseeing boats frequented the strait and reported thundering noises and incandescent clouds. At 12:53 p.m. on August 26, 1883, the initial blast of the eruption sent a cloud of gas and debris an estimated 15 miles into the air. The following morning, four tremendous explosions, heard as far away as Perth, Australia, some 2,800 miles away cracked the dawn. The initial explosion ruptured the magma chamber and the water flash-boiled, creating a cushion of superheated steam that carried the pyroclastic flows up to 25 miles at speeds in excess of 62 mph. The eruption is estimated to have had the explosive force of 200 megatons of TNT, or nearly ten thousand times more explosive than the nuclear bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. Volcanic rock fragments and hot volcanic gases overcame many of the victims in western Java and Sumatra, and thousands more were killed by a devastating tsunami. The wall of water, nearly 120 feet tall, was created by the volcano's collapse into the sea. It completely overwhelmed small nearby islands. Inhabitants of the coastal towns on Java and Sumatra fled toward higher ground. One hundred sixty-five coastal villages were destroyed. The steamship Berouw was carried nearly a mile inland on Sumatra; all 28 crewmembers were killed. Another ship, the Loudon, had been anchored nearby. The ship's captain Lindemann succeeded in turning its bow to face the wave, and the ship was able to ride over the crest. The explosions hurled an estimated 11 cubic miles of debris into the atmosphere, darkening skies up to 275 miles from the volcano. In the immediate vicinity, the sun light did not return for three days. Ash fell as far away as 3,775 miles (landing on ships to the northwest. Barometers around the globe documented that the shock waves in the atmosphere circled the planet at least seven times. Within 13 days, a layer of sulfur dioxide and other gases began to filter the amount of sunlight able to reach Earth. The atmospheric effects made for spectacular sunsets all over Europe and the United States. The impact of the weather was profound as average global temperatures were as much as 1.2 degrees cooler for the next five years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, August 25, 2021
1635: The Great Colonial Hurricane
The Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635 hit the Jamestown Settlement in Virginia and the Massachusetts Bay Colony during August 1635. It is considered to be one of the earliest hurricanes to have struck New England, occurring just 15 years after the settlement at Plymouth rock. Although the hurricane’s exact track remains unknown, several historical accounts describe the storm. The storm is first mentioned on August 24, 1635, as it moved rapidly to the east of the Jamestown Colony in Virginia, but did not cause any damage. Massachusetts Bay Governor, John Winthrop, kept a running journal of his experiences in the Boston area at that time. On August 25 he described a storm arriving before midnight on August 25, blowing with “such violence” and “an abundance of rain”. Historian and writer William Bradford, who lived in Plymouth Plantation, stated that the hurricane “was such a mighty storm of wind and rain as none living in these parts, ever saw… It caused the sea to swell to the southward [of this place] above 20 feet right up and down…” Reverend Richard Mather, who was traveling on the ship the James at the time of the storm, recounted strong, shifting winds while aboard the vessel. The hurricane produced a storm surge of 20 ft in Narragansett Bay. Due to strong winds, heavy rainfall, and high tide, hundreds of trees were toppled, homes were destroyed, and ships were blown off their anchors. An estimated 46 people died. The damage to structures and the losses described were similar to the descriptions from the 1938 New England Hurricane, so, historians believe the intensity of the Great Colonial Hurricane was comparable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, August 24, 2021
1992: Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was a powerful and destructive Category 5 hurricane that struck the Bahamas, Florida and Louisiana in August 1992. It is the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida in terms of structures damaged or destroyed, and was the costliest in financial terms until Hurricane Irma surpassed it 25 years later. It was the strongest landfalling hurricane in decades and the costliest hurricane to make landfall anywhere in the United States, until it was surpassed by Katrina in 2005. In addition, Andrew is one of only four Category 5 hurricanes to make landfall in the United States. Andrew caused major damage in the Bahamas and Louisiana, but the greatest impact was felt in South Florida, where the storm made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane, with sustained wind speeds as high as 165 mph. Passing directly through the city of Homestead south of Miami, Andrew stripped many homes of all but their concrete foundations. In total, Andrew destroyed more than 63,500 houses, damaged more than 124,000 others, caused $27.3 billion in damage, and left 65 people dead. Andrew began as a tropical depression over the eastern Atlantic Ocean on August 16. After spending a week without significantly strengthening itself in the central Atlantic, it rapidly intensified into a powerful Category 5 hurricane while moving westward towards the Bahamas on August 23. Though it briefly weakened to Category 4 status while traversing the Bahamas, it regained Category 5 intensity before making landfall in Florida on Elliot Key and then Homestead on August 24 1992. With a barometric pressure of 27.23’ of mercury at the time of landfall in Florida, Andrew is the sixth most-intense hurricane to strike the United States. Several hours later, the hurricane emerged over the Gulf of Mexico at Category 4 strength. After turning northwestward and weakening further, Andrew moved ashore near Morgan City Louisiana, as a low-end Category 3 storm. After moving inland, the small hurricane curved northeastward and rapidly lost its intensity. Andrew first inflicted structural damage as it moved through the Bahamas, lashing the islands. About 800 houses were destroyed, and there was substantial damage to the transport, water, sanitation, agriculture, and fishing sectors. Andrew left four dead and $250 million in damage throughout the Bahamas. In parts of southern Florida, Andrew produced severe winds; a wind gust of 177 mph was observed. The cities of Florida City and Homestead received the brunt of the storm. As many as 1.4 million people lost power at the height of the storm; some for more than one month. In the Everglades, 70,000 acres of trees were downed. Rainfall in Florida was substantial, peaking at 13.98 inches in western Dade County. In Florida, Andrew killed 44 and left a record $25 billion in damage. Prior to making landfall in Louisiana on August 26, Andrew caused extensive damage to oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to $500 million in losses for oil companies.
Mon, August 23, 2021
1724: "Great Gust of 1724"
During the first few centuries of European settlement in North America the English Colonies were known to experience the direct and indirect impacts of tropical storms and hurricane. The collective memories of the indigenous people who originally inhabited the region warned the Europeans of the huge storms that could create massive flooding and strong, powerful and damaging winds. Then, as now, preparations still cannot stave off certain massive impacts of the tropical systems. On August 23, 1724 and event known as the "Great Gust of 1724" occurred. Almost all tobacco and much of the corn crops were destroyed by this violent tropical storm, which struck the Chesapeake Bay. Intense floods of rain and a huge gust of wind were seen on the James River. Just as recovery was underway to salvage what crops they could, a week later another tropical system inundated the region with more heavy rain and flooding leading to an almost total failure of the corn crop and the suspension of the export of corn from the region for the next 12 months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, August 22, 2021
1992: 8-12” of snow falls in parts of Alberta
Cut Bank, Montana is located in eastern Glacier County, located in extreme northwestern Montana just 30 miles south of the US Canadian border, just east of the cut bank of gorge along Cut Bank Creek. Cut Bank experiences a semi-arid climate with long, cold, dry winters and short, warm, wetter summers. In winter, bitterly cold arctic air masses move south and impact the eastern side of the American Continental Divide – right where Cut Bank is situated. During such invasions Cut Bank, with its comparatively high elevation and topography is frequently the coldest location in the lower 48 U.S. States. Being close to the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains also makes the area subject to occasional Chinook winds that blow down of the Rockies and heat up the air rapidly increasing the local temperature. This can also lead to rapid change in temperatures, especially in the spring and autumn. August 19 1992 was a typical summer day as the mercury soared to 90 in Cut Bank Montana, not a record, but still very high. But extremely cold air though had been building in Alaska and it came barreling down the Canadian plains and right into Cut Bank by the early morning hours of August 22, 1992. The high temperature that day only reached 33 degrees. 8-12” of snow fell just to the north in parts of Alberta. Glacier Park Mt. had 12” of snow and 8.3" of snow covered the ground at Cut Bank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, August 21, 2021
1984: Vicious hailstorm shuts down Colorado State Fair
When Colorado became a state in 1876, its state fair was already earning its place in history. The first recorded gathering was in 1869, when approximately two thousand people converged on what is now Pueblo for a horse exhibition; from that meager beginning was born the Colorado State Fair. The Colorado State Fair is an event held annually in late August in Pueblo. The state fair has been a tradition officially since October 9, 1872. The fairgrounds also host a number of other events during the rest of the year. Organizationally, the fair is one of the divisions of the Colorado Department of Agriculture. On August 21, 1984 for the first time ever the Fair was closed after a vicious hailstorm struck. 9 people were injured; 500 light bulbs were broken by golf ball sized hail; 1 person among the injured was knocked unconscious. Damage totaled $40 million. In 2020 because of COVID gone were the concerts, the rodeo and the shopping exhibitions, The Colorado State Fair board canceled a majority of the events and concerts. In 2021 the fair is back to in person events held August 27 to September 6. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, August 20, 2021
1910: Hurricane-force winds spread fires
The wildfire season started early in 1910 in the western U S because the winter of 1909–1910 and the spring and summer of 1910 were extremely dry, and the summer sufficiently hot to have been described as "like no others." The drought resulted in forests that were teeming with dry fuel, which had previously grown up on abundant autumn and winter moisture. Hundreds of fires were ignited by hot cinders flung from locomotives, sparks, lightning, and backfiring crews. By mid-August, there were 1,000 to 3,000 fires burning in Idaho, Montana, and Washington. August 20, 1910 brought hurricane-force winds to the interior northwest, whipping the hundreds of small fires into one or two much larger blazing infernos. Such a conflagration was impossible to fight; there were too few men and supplies. The National Forest Service was only five years old at the time and unprepared for the possibilities of the dry summer or a fire of this magnitude, though all summer it had been urgently recruiting as many men as possible to fight the hundreds of fires already burning, many with little forestry or firefighting experience. Earlier in August President Taft had authorized the addition of military troops to the effort, and 4,000 troops, including seven companies from the U S Army’s 25th Regiment known as the Buffalo Soldiers, were brought in to help fight the fires burning in the northern Rockies. The arrival of the Black regiment of Buffalo Soldiers helped stem the tide for a while, but they were not enough and Smoke from the fire was said to have been seen as far east as Watertown, New York and as far south as Denver Colorado. It was reported that at night, five hundred miles out into the Pacific Ocean, ships could not navigate by the stars because the sky was cloudy with smoke. The fire burned after the strong winds caused those numerous smaller fires to combine into a firestorm of unprecedented size. It killed 87 people, mostly firefighters, destroyed numerous structures, including several entire towns, and burned more than three million acres of forest with an estimated billion dollars' worth of timber lost. It is believed to be the largest, although not the deadliest, forest fire in U.S. history. The extensive burned area was approximately the size of the state of Connecticut. In the aftermath of the fire, the Forest Service received considerable recognition for its firefighting efforts, including a doubling of its budget from Congress. The outcome was to highlight firefighters as public heroes while raising public awareness of national nature conservation. The fire is often considered a significant impetus in the development of early wildfire prevention and suppression strategies. In Idaho, one third of the town of Wallace was burned to the ground. Passenger trains evacuated thousands of Wallace residents to Spokane and Missoula. Another train with 1,000 people from Avery took refuge in a tunnel after racing across a burning trestle. The fire was finally extin
Thu, August 19, 2021
1896: One of the best-documented waterspout sightings
In this age, where everyone has a cell phone, and almost every kind of event on planet Earth is recorded it is sometimes hard to harken back to the days when interesting events were missed entirely of if not missed, not recorded or remembered. But on August 19, 1896 one of the best documented sightings ever recorded of a waterspout occurred. It was visible by thousands of people about 8 miles north of Chappaquiddick Island, off the coast of Massachusetts. Three spouts altogether occurred between 12:45PM and 1:25PM. The largest of the 3 lasted 18 minutes with a diameter estimated at 240'. Water was agitated to a height of 400' and column was 3600' high. Rev. Crandall J. North reported; "the Whirlwind lashed the sea into foam, spray and vapor...it stood for many minutes before the wondering gaze of thousands, a variable pillar of cloud by day" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, August 18, 2021
1955: Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane was one of three hurricanes to hit the North Carolina coast during the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season. The system began as a tropical wave over the Atlantic Ocean, then developed into a tropical depression on August 7, 1955. Moving west-northwest, the depression became Tropical Storm Diane two days later. The storm turned north-northeast on August 11 and quickly developed into a hurricane about 400 miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The hurricane reached its peak intensity at Category 3 status on August 12 with 120 mph sustained winds. It remained at Category 3 status for three days until cooler air behind Hurricane Connie, a Category 1 hurricane that struck the Outer Banks of North Carolina on August 12, became entangled in Diane’s circulation. As a result, Hurricane Diane weakened to Category 1 strength with winds of 74 mph before making landfall near Wilmington, NC on August 17, 1955. Diane’s landfall occurred just 150 miles southwest from Hurricane Connie’s point of landfall that was near Cape Lookout five days earlier, leaving residents of these areas with little time to prepare due to the close proximity of the two storms. Tides ran 6 to 8 feet above normal near Wilmington, and waves of up to 12 feet struck the southeast North Carolina coast. The resultant storm surge damaged beach houses, flooded coastal roads, and destroyed seawalls partially damaged by Hurricane Connie a few days earlier. Rainfall was most significant inland, where Hurricane Connie had saturated the ground and significantly raised water levels as it moved along the central North Carolina coast five days prior to the arrival of Hurricane Diane. Nationally, although Connie did not produce significant flooding, it set the stage for Hurricane Diane to create some of the most destructive floods the river valleys of eastern Pennsylvania, northwest New Jersey, southeast New York and southern New England had ever seen on August 18, 1955. Rainfall amounted to 20 inches in New England over the two-day period when Diane was a tropical storm off the Northeast coast. The state of Connecticut received the most rainfall, especially in areas north and west of Hartford, with up to 12 inches of rainfall in 24 hours. As a result, losses from Hurricane Diane were greatest in Connecticut, where damages amounted to $350 million or more than $3 billion in 2021 dollars, in Connecticut alone and 77 lives were lost. The city of Woonsocket, Rhode Island was heavily damaged as a dam broke to the north west of the city, pushing a 20-foot wall of water down the Blackstone River. Overall, between 180 and 200 total fatalities were estimated to be a result of Hurricane Diane. Although it was difficult to estimate total damages stemming from Hurricane Diane, it was determined that the floods and other impacts from the hurricane caused $1 billion in damage or almost 10 billion in 2021 dollars, making it the costliest hurricane in U.S. history at the time. Learn more about your ad ch
Tue, August 17, 2021
1969: Hurricane Camille
On August 17, 1969, more than a half a century ago, Hurricane Camille slammed into the Mississippi coast, the storm still remains one of the most powerful and costly hurricanes on record to make landfall in the United States. Camille was the second-most-intense hurricane to hit the U.S. and remains one of only 4 category 5 hurricanes to strike the mainland U.S. The storm resulted in at least 259 fatalities and caused nearly $1.4 billion in damages at the time, which equates to more than $10 billion 2021 dollars. The hurricane formed in the Cayman Islands on Aug. 14 and continued to intensify rapidly before making landfall on Aug. 17, 1969, near Waveland, Mississippi. "Most hurricanes weaken as they approach landfall, but Camille is the exception," AccuWeather Forensic Meteorologist Steve Wistar explained. "That's unusual." Camille's intensity at landfall was 26.5 inches of mercury making it the second-strongest hurricane to make landfall in the continental U.S., exceeded only by 1935's Labor Day hurricane that ravaged the Florida Keys. The storm was slightly stronger than Hurricane Andrew and Hurricane Michael. The storm caused a devastating 24.6-foot storm surge, the greatest for the U.S. until Hurricane Katrina, and winds gusted to more than 170 mph along the coast. However, the actual maximum sustained winds of Hurricane Camille are not known as the hurricane destroyed all the wind-recording instruments in the landfall area. A number of residents along the Gulf coast underestimated just how powerful this hurricane was becoming and either lost their life or suffered injuries. “It’s unlikely that those who stayed had any idea that a Category 5 storm was coming,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Dale Mohler said, adding that the government did not forecast hurricane categories at the time. It wasn't until the 1973 hurricane season that Saffir-Simpson scale was available to the public. Camille was a two-part disaster, as the storm's deadly impacts affected both coastal and inland areas. Following Camille's landfall, the storm weakened as it moved inland over the next several days. However, the slow-moving system wreaked havoc on the mid-Atlantic, especially Virginia. In Virginia, the storm dumped more than 27 inches of rain. With most of the rain falling in three to four hours in the southwestern mountains of Virginia, more than 100 people died due to disastrous flooding and landslides. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina eclipsed Camille as the most destructive hurricane ever to strike Mississippi's Gulf coast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, August 16, 2021
1909: 884 days of dry weather kicks off in CA
San Bernardino, CA sits between Los Angles and the Sierra that run to the east. Located in an almost desert like region San Bernardino, California still manages to get 13 inches of rain, on average, per year from a combination of showers that drift westward from the mountains and large-scale winter storms that move in off the Pacific Ocean. In the period from 2018-2020 several inches of rain have fallen in the city each year after a very dry decade that led to water restrictions across the state of California, that of course was before this extreme drought year of 2021. But back on August 16, 1909, dry weather ensued after a rain shower the day before. The next day the residents of San Bernardino saw rain was May 6, 1912. A total of 884 days, or almost 2 1/2 years later in one of the driest periods in California history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, August 15, 2021
1979: An Unusual August Chill
The winter of 1978-1979 had been particular cold and snowy across the mid-west and eastern states. The summer remained cool and autumn seemed to come early on August 15 1979 when an unusual August chill hit – the temperature in Detroit, MI dropped to 46 degrees - new record low, breaking an 1885 record. Kansas City, MO reached down to 56 degrees and broke a 1929 record low. Also, on August 15 the high temperature only reached 63 degrees in Kansas City the lowest August high temperature ever in the city. Cincinnati, OH reached a low of 49 degrees, Indianapolis, IN - 45 degrees, Fargo, ND – 43. Many folks in that part of the county we left wondering if the cold was here to stay, after all the previous few summers had also been chilly and now this record cold on August 15. The winter that followed was also on the cold side – but the chill did not continue in what would become one the greatest reversals in United States climate history – just months later the summer of 1980 turned out to be one the hottest ever recorded in America, rivaling the intense heat of the Dust Bowl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, August 14, 2021
1890: 3.15" of rain falls in an hour in Colorado Springs
Huge billowing thunderstorms are commonplace across the Great Plains and often times just to the east of the Rockies. Fueled by tropical moisture flooding northeastward out of the Gulf of Mexico the humid weather provides the moisture needed for the storms the build. The catalyst is chilly air in the high atmosphere that has its origins in the artic regions. That cold air high aloft comes spirting down along the east slopes of the Rockies out of Canada. The swirling and twisting motion in the high atmosphere where they clash is fertile ground for storms. Many times, winds blowing down off the Rockies tend to suppress the biggest storms – but when those winds subside monster storms can form. On August 14, 1890 Thunderstorms with torrential rain and massive hail hit Colorado Springs, Colorado; 3.15” of rain fell in a little over an hour, hail lasted 15 minutes and covered the ground to 6”. The mercury plunged from 75 to 47 degrees in just 4 minutes after the hail began. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, August 13, 2021
1831: Rare "Blue Sun" observed in southern U.S.
The appearance of a blue sun is triggered by volcanic dust, smoke from forest fires, desert dust, smog and other forms of pollution. Wavelengths of visible light that are blue in color become scattered from the rays of the sun reflected off of smog, smoke, or ash particles. The phenomena are extremely rare because the particles suspended in the air scatter blue wavelengths only when they are of a particular size. Smoke, volcanic ash and smog often provide clouds that are gray in color, setting the perfect backdrop for blue light to scatter off the particles composing the cloud. The size of these particles must be less than 0.85 micrometers, which is very tiny (0.03 thousandths of an inch!). The sun can take on a greener hue when the particles are larger than 1.1 micrometers. Reports of a blue sun have occurred in Egypt in December 2006, as a result of smoke from farmers burning brush. According to the AccuWeather.com Almanac, that notes historical weather events, the southern U.S. observed a blue sun that continued for several days in August of 1831 centered on August 13. This event likely happened as a result of local forest fires in Virginia, but the August 13 blue sun is said to have been "a signal" taken by Nat Turner to begin his rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia. Nathanial “Nat” Turner was an enslaved man who led the rebellion of enslaved people on August 21, 1831. His action set off a massacre of up to 200 black people and a new wave of oppressive legislation prohibiting the education, movement, and assembly of enslaved people. The rebellion also stiffened proslavery, anti-abolitionist convictions that persisted in that region until the American Civil War. The blue sun that prompted the rebellion, hardened positions and helped hasten the conflict between slaver holder and abolitionists that brought about the Civil War and ultimately emancipation. Reports of a blue sun came from Egypt in 2006, as a result of smoke from farmers burning brush. In 1978, dust storms in Mongolia are said to have caused a blue sun to be visible in Beijing, China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, August 12, 2021
1933: Temperature reaches 134° at Furnace Creek, CA
Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert. It is one of the hottest places on Earth, along with deserts in the Middle East and the Sahara. Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the point of lowest elevation in North America, at 282 feet below sea level. Interestingly it is only 85 miles east-southeast of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States, with an elevation of 14,505 feet. On the afternoon of August 12, 1933, the mercury reached 127 degrees making it the highest temperature ever recorded in the United States in the month of August, but it was not close to the hottest it has ever been there. On July 10, 1913, a recorded and verified a high temperature of 134 ° was reached at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, that stands as the highest air temperature ever recorded at the surface of the Earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, August 11, 2021
1980: Hurricane Allen
Hurricane Allen was a rare and extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that struck the Caribbean, eastern and northern Mexico, and southern Texas in August 1980. The first named storm and first tropical cyclone of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season, it was the fifth most intense Atlantic Hurricane on record in terms of barometric pressure, behind Hurricane Rita, the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, Hurricane Gilbert, and Hurricane Wilma. It was one of the few hurricanes to reach Category 5 status on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale on three separate occasions, and spent more time as a Category 5 than all but two other Atlantic hurricanes. Allen is the only hurricane in the recorded history of the Atlantic basin to achieve sustained winds of 190 mph thus making it the strongest Atlantic hurricane by wind speed. Until Hurricane Patricia in 2015, these were also the highest sustained winds in the Western Hemisphere. In Texas, the storm surge was reported as high as 12 feet at Port Mansfield, though it may have been higher elsewhere along the Texas coast. A peak wind gust of 129 mph was also measured at Port Mansfield. Tropical storm-force winds in Corpus Christi, Texas blew roof gravel through the city, which led to substantial glass breakage to the 18-story Guarantee Bank Building and a 12-story wing of Spohn hospital. The storm caused seven deaths in Texas and 17 in Louisiana, most resulting from the crash of a helicopter evacuating workers from an offshore platform. Allen spawned several tornadoes in Texas. One tornado caused $100 million in damage when it hit Austin, Texas, making it the costliest tropical cyclone-spawned tornado in recorded history. Overall, however, the storm caused limited damage in the United States due to its suddenly diminished power and because its highest tides and winds hit a sparsely-populated portion of the Texas coast when it came ashore on August 11, 1980. Allen dumped 10 inches to 20 inches of rain in south Texas, ending a summer-long drought during the Heat Wave of 1980. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, August 10, 2021
1778: Hurricane changes outcome of French/British naval battle
The Battle of Saratoga occurred in September and October, 1777, during the second year of the American Revolution. It included two crucial battles, fought eighteen days apart, and was a decisive victory for the Continental Army and a critical turning point in the Revolutionary War. It was the first major victory for the colonists and led to the signing of The Treaty of Alliance with France on February 6, 1778, creating a military alliance between the United States and France against Great Britain. Benjamin Franklin had been in Paris working to secure the alliance and the Battle had help swing opinion to the side of the Americans and exhibited their ability to take the fight to the British. So, it then happened that on August 10, 1778 a slow moving hurricane headed up the east coast of the Colonies. The storm resulted in extensive damage in eastern NC, and then moved up the coast offshore. At the time the French and British were ready to square off in a pitched naval battle off the coast near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. This is was to be one of the first battles that the French took an active part in after the signing of the French-American alliance. As the Hurricane battered the ships the French ships were larger and sustained the heaviest damage. The smaller British ships had a chance to capitalize on the situation avoiding the worst of the storm by their greater maneuverability but because of the severity of the storm they were blown away from the French fleet and had to re-group over the next few days. The severity of the hurricane cost the British precious time to press their advantage of maneuverability and greater numbers. By the time the British squadron had come back together on the 13th more French ships had arrived on the scene and an opportunity lost,. The French now controlled that part of the coast in a significant aide to the American Revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, August 09, 2021
1976: Hurricane Belle
Hurricane Belle was a Category 3 Atlantic Hurricane in August 1976. The storm, at one point, had winds around 120 miles per hour before it moved northward up the East Coast of the United State. The storm formed on August 6; it became Tropical Storm Belle on August 7. Later on, August 7, it became a hurricane. On August 9, Belle's winds peaked at 120 miles per hour. Because of Hurricane Belle's proximity to the United State, hurricane watches were issued from Georgia all the way up to Maine. The hurricane brushed the North Carolina coast with. Unlike most storms that threaten the Northeastern United States, Belle didn't accelerate as it came closer to land. In the late-night hours of August 9, Belle came ashore as a minimal hurricane near Jones Beach on Long Island then crossed Long Island Sound and hit New England, with gusts hit 87 mph at Bridgeport, CT. Belle took twelve lives when it struck the East Coast of the United States. Damage was $100 million ore almost half a billion in 2021 dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, August 08, 2021
1812: The sinking of USS Hamilton and Scourge
The War of 1812 that is often called the Second War of American Independence and is viewed as an American invasion by Canada. Americans recall the “Star Spangled Banner,” and the Battle of Fort McHenry and the Battle of New Orleans. But there were significant naval actions on the Great Lakes. The catastrophic sinking of USS Hamilton and Scourge 200 years ago by a sudden squall turned the advantage to the British for a time. Both ships came to rest intact on their keels in 90 meters below the surface of Lake Ontario. On 7 August 1813 on Lake Ontario, the British and American forces engaged in a deadly maneuvering. Commodore Chauncey commanded the American squadron of at 13 sailing ships – many poorly re-outfitted formed commercial vessels, and Sir James Yeo commanded six British vessels; both maneuvered their ships to gain the weather advantage. While outnumbered by the Americans, Yeo had the advantage of commanding purpose-built naval vessels crewed by seasoned men and commanders. He was however, at the disadvantage of being armed primarily with carronades, leaving him half the firing range of his American opponent. Yeo sought to cut off one or two of Chauncey’s schooners, while his opponent sought to engage him with full force. Neither succeeded, however and only a few shots were actually exchanged. The winds shifted and failed throughout the day; Scourge’s crew employed sweeps to maintain position in the line. At nightfall, Chauncey grouped his fleet, and kept men at quarters in case of attack. With the wind from westward, Chauncey took his ships up wind to avoid falling in with the enemy during the dark. This indicates that both schooners Hamilton and Scourge had some sail employed when the squall came upon them, the just after midnight on August 8 1813, as the sudden squall ensued and hit the squadron it sunk both the USS Hamilton and Scourge and turned the tide of domination to the favor of the British on the lake for several months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, August 07, 2021
1918: Extreme heat halts war material production lines
On August 7, 1918 World War I was stalemated in Europe. The Allies, including the United States, Britain and France and the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary had been deadlocked in trench warfare for several years. The fields of northeast France were no-man’s lands. Unbeknown to the Germans the flood of a million American troops who had recently entered the war were preparing with their Allies to launch the great 100 days offensive that would sweep the Germans before them and end of the war by November. It had been hot summer across Europe, but that did not compare to the heat building in the northeastern United States that August. Factories had been running at breakneck speed in the US to produce war material, but for a few days at the end of the first week in August 1918 those production lines were put on hold as extreme heat held the region in its blast furnace grip. On August 7, 1918 the mercury topped out at 107 in Wilmington, DE, the hottest ever there and 106 in Philadelphia, also the highest temperature ever recorded in the City of Brotherly love. Flemington NJ reached 108 degrees, an August state record. Cooling didn’t arrive for several more days when the factories resumed production to supply the armies that were fighting at what was called at the time “the war to end all wars.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, August 06, 2021
1983: Butterflies "carried" more than 625 miles in storm
Storms often times carry birds and insects over long distances. Some people often believe that they carry odors as well. Those hundreds of miles inland in the northeast can swear they can smell the ocean when a brisk east wind brings moisture in from the Atlantic Ocean or when a tropical system sweeps up from the Gulf of Mexico people believes that it’ seems tropical. We certainly all know the impacts of dust and dirt that can be deposited hundreds of miles from a correct fire or dirt raised up from parched farm lands. On August 5, 1983 A powerful storm moved west from India all the way to the Arabian Peninsula. 3 species of Indian butterflies were observed at Abu Dhabi several days later. The butterflies were "carried" more than 625 miles across the open water by the storm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, August 05, 2021
The "Great Flood" of 1843
The rain started in the morning of August 5, 1843 around 7:30 AM and increased in intensity all day in southeastern Pennsylvania. Area residents reported that by 3:00 PM winds had reached gale force and the rain continued at a furious pace. In the evening about 7:00 PM a wall of water, fueled by water levels that rose 5.5 inches in 40 minutes, came rushing down both the Crum and Ridley Creeks without warning. The water overflowed the banks of Crum Creek by more than 20 feet and Ridley Creek by 21 feet. From reconstructed records it appears that a hurricane or strong tropical storm hit the region and was responsible for the rain and wind. An excerpt from George Smith’s History of Delaware County from 1862 states: “At daybreak, the sky indicated rain, and about seven o’clock a moderate fall set in, which, while it slackened, never entirely ceased until between the hours of two and six o’clock that afternoon, when the extraordinary opening of “the windows of heaven” took place which made such extended ruin and misery in a brief period of time. The rain, when falling most abundantly, came down in such showers that the fields in that part of the county removed several miles back from the river are said to have been flooded with water almost immediately, and where the road was lower than the surface of the ground on either side, the water poured into the highway in a constant stream of miniature cascades. The lightning played incessantly through the falling torrents, reflected from all sides in the watery mirrors in the fields producing a weird and spectral appearance, such that those who witnessed it could evermore recall.” As most of the area’s commerce was centered around waterways the storm wreaked havoc with the many mills located along the creeks, and it was reported that no mill or milldam escaped destruction or severe damage. As many as 52 county bridges were swept away by torrents of water. The water carried away homes, dams, bridges, factories, livestock and people, in total 19 Delaware County residents perished during the storm. Delaware County has been visited by monster storms with names like Irene, Agnes, Hugo and Gloria over the years. But none, it seems, was more destructive than the Great Flood of 1843 that was also likely the result of a tropical system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, August 04, 2021
1881: Temperature reaches 122°F across Europe
Seville, Spain has a climate that features very hot, dry summers and mild winters with moderate rainfall. Like most Mediterranean climates, Seville is drier during summers and wetter during winters. Summer is the dominant season and lasts from May to October. Seville has the hottest summer in continental Europe among all cities with a population over 100,000 people, with average daily highs in July of 97 °F. Average daily lows in July are 67F and every year the temperature exceeds 104 °F on several occasions. A historical record high for all of Europe of 50.0 °C (122 °F) was recorded on 4 August 1881. This record is somewhat disputed as several in the science community believe that the thermometer used wasn’t officially calibrated and measured. Some say a high of 118 in Athens in the summer of 1977 was really the all-time record. I know that was a hot season in Europe first hand, as my wife and I, spent the summer months there that year. Interestingly in the summer of 2019 more national temperature records where reached than any other year when among other countries the temperature maxed out at 102 in Cambridge England, 109 in Lingen, Germany and also 109 in Paris France for an all-time city record. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, August 03, 2021
1915: 5.77" of rain falls in Erie, PA
A succession of storms unleashed 5.77 inches of rain in the Erie area between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Aug. 3, 1915. Four inches of rain fell between 4 and 7 p.m. All of that water was funneled from the Mill Creek watershed into Mill Creek, which flowed through central Erie. As its waters rose, Mill Creek overflowed its banks into farmlands and yards in the Glenwood Hills area, according to historical accounts. Saturated soil along the creek’s banks collapsed, sending trees, barns, chicken coops, outhouses and other structures into the rapidly rising Mill Creek. Debris collected near a culvert at 26th and State streets, where Mill Creek flowed under State Street. Soon, a reservoir formed that extended south for several blocks. Police and firefighters unsuccessfully tried to clear the dam with dynamite. At about 8:45 p.m., the culvert broke and a wall of water, estimated in newspaper accounts as high as 25 feet, tore through the central city, moving in a northeasterly direction toward Presque Isle Bay. Written accounts estimate the floodwaters’ path of destruction at four blocks to six blocks wide and nearly 3 miles long. The wave knocked trains and street cars off their tracks. During the height of the flood, every available firefighter and police officer frantically worked to save lives in the stricken areas. Men, women and children were taken from endangered buildings by rope, ladders and pieces of lumber thrown together. Erie Fire Chief John McMahon and firefighter John Donovan lost their lives from the flood. The Mill Creek flood destroyed about 250 houses, damaged about 300 other buildings and left several hundred families homeless. A final death toll was never settled, but casualty reports ranged from 36 to more than 40. It wasn’t until dawn arrived the next day, that stunned Erieites caught their first glimpses of the scope of destruction: Streets clogged with mud, remnants of houses and barns, twisted and smashed automobiles, broken machinery, tree trunks, clothing, cattle and chicken carcasses, and human remains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, August 02, 2021
1922: The Swatow Typhoon
The 1922 Swatow Typhoon was a devastating tropical cyclone that caused thousands of deaths in the Chinese city of Swatow, less than 200 miles north of Hong Kong on the Pacific Coast of China, in August 1922. Striking the city on August 2, 1922. The death totals make it one of the deadliest known typhoons in history. A tropical depression located near the Caroline Islands was first spotted July 27. It moved slowly to the northwest, gradually intensifying. On July 31, it crossed northern Luzon, in the Philippines. Due to the typhoon passing through a lightly-inhabited part of the Philippines, no reports of significant impact were received. In Swatow in China, the typhoon caused a storm surge of at least 12 ft above normal on August 2. The rain was heavy, and left enough water to leave the land saturated for a few days. Swatow was an unfortunate city, as around 50,000 people out of a population of about 65,000 perished in the storm. Some nearby villages were totally destroyed. Several ships near the coast were totally wrecked. Other ones were blown as far as two miles inland. The area around the city had around another 50,000 casualties. The total death toll was above 60,000. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, August 01, 2021
1985: 6" of rain falls in 24 hours in Cheyenne, WY
On August 1, 1985 severe thunderstorms formed over the high plans of Wyoming as a result of a southeast flow of warm and humid air all the way from the Gulf of Mexico and a cold front slicing southward out of Canada and through Montana. Cheyenne, Wyoming received just over 6” of rain on that day more than 1/3 their average rainfall for an entire year. Many areas were flooded and power and telephone outages were widespread. Before the heavy rain, funnel clouds and tornadoes spotted in about every direction although no damage resulted. 1" of hail fell, that made parts of the city look like winter with hail covering the ground in drifts. Twelve people were killed including 10 along Dry Creek as people were swept away in cars while trying to cross flooded roads. The 6.06" that fell in Cheyenne broke the 24-hour state record. The resulting floods were reported as the costliest in state history - of more than $65 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, July 31, 2021
1861: Cherrapunji, India records a total of 366.14" of rain in July
As the month of July 1861 came to a close on July 31 Cherrapunji, India recorded a total of 366.14" of rain during July 1861, a world record for 1 month. Cherrapunji also holds world record rainfall for a 12-month period; 1,041.78" from August 1, 1860 to July 31, 1861. To put that into perspective, the rainest major city in the United states, New Orleans, record for one year’s worth of rain is 102” in 1991 or slightly more than 25% of the record rainfall for one month in Cerrapunji. Cerrapunji sits as the base of the Himalayas at an elevation of 5000 feet. The prevailing wind from the Bay of Bengal brings an almost constant stream of tropical moisture northward and as the air is lifted over the foot hills leading from the vast plans of Bangladesh that sit below it cools, and the moisture is squeezed out in copious amounts. Cherrapunji occupies a unique geographical position in the world because of this and the rainfall that would normally cause widespread disastrous flooding is actually drained without the impacts, because of the lay of the land and the natural drainage systems that have built up over the eons. On July 31, 1861 the record books were closed on the rainiest month in recorded world history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, July 30, 2021
1933: The Florida-Mexico Hurricane
The 1933 Florida–Mexico hurricane was the first of two Atlantic hurricanes to strike the Treasure Coast region of Florida in the very active 1933 Atlantic hurricane season. It was one of two storms that year to inflict hurricane-force winds over South Texas, causing significant damage there. The fifth tropical cyclone of the year, it formed east of the Lesser Antilles on July 24, rapidly strengthening as it moved west-northwest. As it passed over the islands, it attained hurricane status on July 26, producing heavy rains and killing at least six people. Over the next three days, it moved, paralleling the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas. The storm produced extensive damage and at least one drowning as it crossed the Bahamas. On July 29, the cyclone came under the influence of changing steering currents in the atmosphere, which forced the storm into Florida on July 30, 1933. A minimal hurricane at landfall, it caused negligible wind damage as it crossed Florida, but generated heavy rain along its path, causing locally severe flooding across the state. The storm turned west, weakened to below hurricane status, and later exited the state. Once over the eastern Gulf of Mexico the storm shifted its course to the west-southwest and gradually recovered its intensity. The path of the storm brought it close to the mouth of the Rio Grande River in early August. Few ships encountered the small storm as it regained hurricane status on August 4, just a day before striking northern Mexico with winds of 90 mph —making it close to a modern-day Category 2 hurricane. Striking close to the border between the US and Mexico, the storm caused extensive damage in both countries. Winds caused heavy losses to citrus production in the Rio Grande Valley. While only one person died in the United States, heavy rains led to catastrophic flooding that claimed at least 31 lives in northern Mexico. The storm that struck Florida on July 30 took one of the most unusual paths for a hurricane in the last 100 years crossing the state and then heading southwest to strike extreme southern Texas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, July 29, 2021
1878: "Rainy Day" in Waynesburg, PA
July 29th is traditionally known as a “Rain Day” in Waynesburg, PA. It all began in 1878 when a farmer casually told drug store clerk William Allison that it always seemed to rain on July 29th in this southwestern PA town. The clerk made a note of it and started keeping a yearly tabulation. It has rained 112 out of the past 136 years. The day is celebrated in Waynesburg each year with a Rainy-Day Festival including banquets and a pageant. On average it rains every 3rd day in July in the town, the late spring months are the rainiest – but the humidity is highest on average in July. Rain 82% of the time on the same date is unusual for this climate – odds would be against such an occurred – yet the is no explanation that – well – holds water. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, July 28, 2021
1898: Heavy hailstorm strikes Chicago
Hail storms regularly strike the mid-west in the summertime. Most modern office buildings in Downtown areas are fitted with glass that can withstand the weight and destruction of the ice balls from the sky. This has not always been the case and paths of destruction were experienced as the storms producing the hail moved though. Years of suffering the consequences have led to new safety standards and technology for the glass. One the most notorious hail storms to hit an American city before the advent of better glass techniques occurred on July 28, 1898 in Chicago. According to the Morning Herald-Dispatch “Thousands of windowpanes were broken during a heavy hailstorm in the city. The rain which fell in torrents for an hours after the hail stones had done their work did great damage to the interiors of apartment building and school houses. Most of the damage to windows and skylights occurred on the north and west side where north windows of nearly every prominent building were broken. Horses pelted by the hail rain away in ever direction but no person was seriously injured. The shrubbery in Lincoln and Washington parks was cut up and greenhouses badly damaged. The building in the Downton district had glass broke in the upper stories. In the suburbs the trolley wires were down in many places and the streets made impassable by backwater from the sewers. Many horses were killed by contact with live wires.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, July 27, 2021
1943: The first "Hurricane Hunters"
The 1943 Surprise hurricane was the first hurricane to be entered by a reconnaissance aircraft. The first tracked tropical cyclone of the 1943 Atlantic hurricane season, this system developed as a tropical storm while situated over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico on July 25. The storm gradually strengthened while tracking westward and reached hurricane status late on July 26. Early on July 27, it became a Category 2 hurricane on the modern-day Saffir-Simpson scale and peaked with winds of 105 mph. Because the storm occurred during World War II, information and reports were censored by the US government and news media. Advisories also had to be cleared through the Weather Bureau office in New Orleans, resulting in late releases. This in turn delayed preparations ahead of the storm. In Louisiana, the storm produced gusty winds and heavy rains, though no damage occurred. The storm was considered, at the time, the worst in Texas since the 1915 Galveston Hurricane. Wind gusts reach 132 mph in the Galveston-Houston area, buildings and houses were damaged or destroyed. The storm caused 19 fatalities. Overall, damage reached approximately $17 million. This was the first hurricane to be intentionally flown into by a reconnaissance aircraft. During the morning hours of July 27, British pilots were training at Bryan Field in Bryan, Texas and were alerted about a hurricane approaching the Galveston area. Upon becoming informed that the planes would need to be flown away from the storm, they criticized this policy. Instead, US Colonel Joe Duckworth made a bet with the British pilots that he could fly his AT-6 Texan trainer directly into the storm. Duckworth requested that Lt. Colonel Ralph O'Hair, the only navigator at the field, fly into the hurricane with him. Because neither Duckworth nor O'Hair believed that the headquarters would approve the flight, they decided to proceed without permission. Thus, Duckworth and O'Hair became the first hurricane hunters, on July 27, 1943. Their impact of their flight would pave the way for today’s Hurricane hunters. According to AccuWeather.com "Hurricane hunter pilots risk their lives as they obtain information that is critical in determining the intensity of a tropical system by directly sampling the storm. The data that they collect, including radar information, wind speed, temperature, pressure, etc. are instrumental in the forecasting process.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, July 26, 2021
1890: The "Great Cyclone" strikes S. Lawrence, MA
The Boston Globe reported on July 26, 1890 that "At first the trees swayed a little and the grain bent down on the hills. Then shingles flew off from old roofs and the orchards sent down their unripe fruit. After about 30 seconds of an avalanche of wind broke and came tearing down upon the tenement houses and workshops and stores with the force of a Niagara. Big elms and maples that were planted with care away back in the days of the Salem witches, bowed their graceful tops to the streets, and snapped off near the roots as if they had been of chalk. Fences were lifted from trimly kept gardens and taken away to the estate of neighbors, 200 yards distant, and outhouses fell like grain before the reaper.” On July 26, 1890, what was described as a tornado or cyclone swept down upon South Lawrence, Massachusetts. This event can be described in today's terms as a brief tornado or a powerful microburst, which is a sudden downdraft of air over a small geographic area. The Lawrence tornado, called the “Great Cyclone,” struck South Lawrence at 9:10 to 9:15 AM on Saturday, July 26, 1890. It took about two minutes to pass through any point. Damages were estimated at about $60,000. Eight people were killed and 65 were injured. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, July 25, 2021
1956: Sinking of the Andrea Doria
As Stockholm and Andrea Doria were approaching each other head-on in the heavily used shipping corridor on the night of July 25, 1956, the westbound Andrea Doria had been traveling in heavy fog for hours. The captain had reduced speed slightly had activated the ship's fog warning whistle and had closed the watertight doors. However, the eastbound Stockholm had yet to enter what was apparently the edge of a fog bank, and was seemingly unaware of it and the movement of the other ship hidden within the fog. The waters of the North Atlantic south off Nantucket Island are frequently the site of intermittent fog, as the cold Labrador Current encounters the Gulf Stream. As the two ships approached each other at a combined speed of 40 knots, in failing light, each was aware of the presence of another ship, but guided only by radar, they apparently misinterpreted each other's course. No radio communication was made between the two ships at first. In the last moments before impact, Stockholm turned hard to starboard and was in the process of reversing her propellers, attempting to stop. Andrea Doria, remaining at her cruising speed of almost 22 knots engaged in a hard turn to port , her captain hoping to outrun the collision. Around 11:10 p.m., the two ships did collide, Stockholm striking the side of Andrea Doria. When Andrea Doria and Stockholm collided at almost a 90° angle, Stockholm's sharply raked ice breaking prow pierced Andrea Doria's starboard side about one-third of her length from the bow. It penetrated the hull to a depth of nearly 40 feet. Below the waterline, five fuel tanks on Andrea Doria's starboard side were torn open, and they filled with thousands of tons of seawater. Meanwhile, air was trapped in the five empty tanks on the port side, causing them to float more readily, contributing to a severe list. On the Andrea Doria, the decision to abandon ship was made within 30 minutes of impact. In the first hours after the collusion, many survivors transported by lifeboats from both ships were taken aboard Stockholm. Unlike the Titanic tragedy 44 years earlier, several other nonpassenger ships that heard Andrea Doria's SOS signal steamed as fast as they could, some eventually making it to the scene. In all, 1,663 passengers and crew had been rescued from Andrea Doria. The great ship sank 12 hours after the collusion; 52 killed by impact or drowned during rescue attempts. The collusion would most likely never have occurred if not for the dense fog back that the Andrea Doria, one of the largest ocean liners of the day had not been steaming through. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, July 24, 2021
1930: Strongest tornado in Europe on record
The European continent is not free from tornado events. While in the USA, some 1,200 tornadoes could be observed annually, on the European continent only 300 events every year are recorded. Europe experiences less frequent events than USA, but storms can be really devastating. Storms occur when warm humid air near the surface lay under drier air aloft with temperatures decreasing rapidly with height, providing energy for the storms through the production of instability. Large changes in wind with height or ‘‘wind shear’’ over both shallow and deep layers—combined with the instability and high humidity near the surface—create a situation favorable for tornadoes to form. Midwestern American areas are an incredible basin that in summer fills with hot air and humidity, provided by the Gulf of Mexico; the drier air comes from Canada, providing energy for the storms through the production of instability. In Europe the northeast of Italy is often the place in which cold air coming from the Alps encounter warm and humid air coming from the Adriatic Sea and Africa, and cause widespread severe thunderstorms across the plains of northern Italy. On July 24, 1930 the vicinity of Montello in the Po river valley of northeastern Italy, just south of the southern foot of the Alps was hit by the strongest tornado in Europe on record. The tornado maxed out on the Fujita scale at F5 rating, producing extreme damage – even destroying strong masonry like churches. The area was devastated with more than 20 fatalities and whole villages wiped off the map. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, July 23, 2021
1788: Hurricane over George Washington's Mt. Vernon
On July 23, 1788 after causing ship disasters southeast of Bermuda, a hurricane moved northwestward over the tidewater area of Virginia, and right over George Washington's Mt. Vernon Plantation. At Ocracoke Inlet, southwest of Cape Hatteras, 6 ships were wrecked and 11 were driven ashore with 2 dismasted. As the storm center passed just to the east of this point, the wind shifted. This caught ships unaware and added to the disaster. An account from Norfolk stated that: "at 3am the wind suddenly shifted from northeast to south and blew a perfect hurricane - tearing up large trees by the roots, removing houses, throwing down chimney, fences, and laying the greatest part of the corn level." The following day on July 24th, George Washington wrote in his diary: "about noon the wind suddenly shifted from northeast to southwest and blew the remaining part of the day violently from that quarter. The tide this time rose higher than it was ever known to do, driving boats, etc. into fields where no tide had ever been heard of before, and must, it is apprehended, have done infinite damage on their wharves at Alexandria, Norfolk, Baltimore, etc. At home all day." It would take more than a year to repair the damage to those ports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, July 22, 2021
1498: Columbus' third voyage affected by excessive heat
On Christopher Columbus' third voyage after leaving the Cape Verde Islands, his 4 ships drifted WSW in the equatorial current. A ship’s account from July 22, 1498 states that "The wind stopped so suddenly the heat was so excessive and immoderate that there was no one who dared to go below after the casks of wine and water which burst, snapping the hoops of the pes; the wheat burned like fire; the bacon and salted meat roasted and putrefied." This calm area known to sailors around the world as the doldrums, is a belt around the Earth extending approximately five degrees north and south of the equator. Here, the prevailing trade winds of the northern hemisphere blow to the southwest and collide with the southern hemisphere’s driving northeast trade winds. Due to intense solar heating near the equator, the warm, moist air is forced up into the atmosphere like a hot air balloon. The rising air mass finally subsides in what is known as the horse latitudes, where the air moves downward toward Earth’s surface and the is often little surface wind in this region. That is why sailors well know that the area can becalm sailing ships for weeks. Columbus was caught in the doldrums or horse latitudes. The term horse latitudes came later, after Columbus, when ships sailing to the western hemisphere were sometimes stranded for weeks and as they baked, sailors reportedly pushed the horses they were transporting overboard to keep from running out of scarce water. Occasionally the ships were stranded and for longer periods and became ghost ships as entire crews perished, from heat and lack of food and water. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, July 21, 2021
1861: The first Battle of Bull Run
On July 21, 1861, a hot and dry summer Sunday, Union and Confederate troops clashed outside Manassas, Virginia, in the first major engagement of the Civil War, the First Battle of Bull Run. Union General McDowell hoped to march his men across a small stream called Bull Run in the vicinity of Manassas, Va. that was well-guarded by a force of Confederates under General Beauregard. McDowell needed to find a way across the stream and through the Southern line that stretched for over six miles along the banks of Bull Run. McDowell launched a small diversionary attack at the Stone Bridge while marching the bulk of his force north around the Confederates’ left flank. The march was slow, but McDowell’s army crossed the stream easily because the weather leading up the the battle had been dry and the stream was running at a low level. Some of Beauregard’s troops, recognizing that the attack at Stone Bridge was just a diversion, fell back just in time to meet McDowell’s oncoming force. The battle raged for several hours on top of Henry Hill, with each side taking control of the hill more than once. Slowly, more and more Southern men poured onto the field to support the Confederate defense, and Beauregard’s men pushed the Northerners back. At this point in the battle, Confederate General Barnard Bee attempted to rally his weary men by pointing to Brigadier General Thomas Jackson who stood his ground in the face of the Union assault. Bee cried, “There stands Jackson like a stone wall!” From that moment on, Thomas Jackson was known as “Stonewall” Jackson. As the day wore on, the strength of McDowell’s troops was sapped by the continuous arrival of fresh Southern reinforcements and the intense heat of the summer day with temperatures in the 90s and Union troops in heavy wool uniforms. Eventually, the Northerners began to retreat across Bull Run. The Union pullout began as an orderly movement. However, when the bridge over Cub Run was destroyed, cutting off the major route of retreat, it degenerated into a rout. The narrow roads and fords, clogged by the many carts, wagons, and buggies full of people who had driven out from Washington, D.C., to see the spectacle, hampered the withdrawal of the Union Army. The heat had done in the Union tr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, July 20, 2021
1977: Devasting flash flood strikes Johnstown, PA
On July 20, 1977 a flash flood devastated Johnstown, Pennsylvania, killing 84 people and causing millions of dollars in damages. This flood happened 88 years after the Horrible Flood of 1889 that was one of the worst weather-related disasters in US history that killed more than 2,000 people. Johnstown sits in a deep valley, hard against the Conemaugh river. In that earlier flood, the dams in the Conemaugh Valley failed, bringing disaster to Johnstown and as fate would have it the combination of the weather and those human made dams would once again bring catastrophe. The flood occurred when an extraordinary amount of rain came down in the Conemaugh Valley in a short period of time. Nearly 12 inches were measured in 10 hours. The National Weather Service later estimated that this amount of rain in that location should happen less than once every 1,000 years. Dams started bursting upstream from Johnstown. The largest dam that burst was at Laurel Run. This 10-year-old earthen dam held back 100 million gallons of water. Despite having a 42-foot-high spillway, the dam failed and the resulting flood devastated the town of Tanneryville. Five other dams in the area also burst, releasing another 30 million gallons of water. The failure of the dams was a shock. Johnstown had constructed an entire system designed to completely eliminate the flood risk after the devasting flood of 1889 and a destructive flood in 1936. Many safely measures were in place along with inspections. Still, the dams were no match for the thunderstorm that stalled over the area on July 20. In addition to the 84 people who lost their lives to the flood, $300 million or more than $1.2 Billion in 2021 dollars in damages were suffered and hundreds of people lost their homes. President Carter declared the region a federal disaster area and the National Guard was sent to assist in the relief efforts. Despite millions spent to rehabilitate the Johnstown area, the economy never recovered. The city’s population decreased nearly 15 percent in the aftermath of the flood, as people moved away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, July 19, 2021
1993: Mississipi River rises to 46' and floods St. Louis, MO
Over the course of a three-month period in the summer of 1993, a slow-moving and historic flooding disaster unfolded across the midwestern United States, leaving economic ramifications that would be felt for years to come. Over 17 million acres were flooded across nine states across the Midwest during the summer of 1993, starting in June and lasting through August. This is an area larger than the entire state of West Virginia. “The magnitude and severity of this flood event was simply overwhelming, and it ranks as one of the greatest natural disasters ever to hit the United States,” said Lee Larson, chief at the Hydrologic Research Laboratory. This long-duration river flooding caused hundreds of levees failures, 50 fatalities and an estimated $15 billion in damages. While the worst of the flooding occurred in the summer of 1993, impacts across the region lasted for years. Of the 17 million acres that were flooded, a majority was being used as farmland. This had a long-term impact on the industry as some of the land was not able to be used again for farming for several years after flood waters had receded. Shipping and transportation industries were also severely impacted during the height of the flooding. Barge traffic on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers was stopped for nearly two months. The inability for ships and barges to navigate the waters of these major waterways resulted in an economic loss of $2 million per day, according to the National Weather Service. High water also rendered some bridges that spanned across the Mississippi River unusable for weeks, disrupting travel across the region. In some cases, this meant taking a detour of over 100 miles just to make it to the other side of a flooded river. The historic flooding was not caused by one single rainfall event, but rather an extended period of above-normal rainfall across the same region. The stage was set in 1992 with a wet fall which resulted in above-normal soil moisture and reservoir levels in the Missouri and Upper Mississippi river basins. The wet autumn was followed by above-average snowfall during the winter. When all of this snow melted in the spring, it left the ground across the region saturated and prone to flooding. The focus of the flooding on July 19, 1993 was St Louis Mo, where the Mississippi river rose to 46.8 feet at were flood stage is only 30'. It was the high-water mark in St Louis and flooding extended from the Gateway Arch to the suburbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, July 18, 2021
1942: Heavy rain and storms in PA causes flooding and damage
Late in the evening of Friday, July 17, 1942 heavy rain began falling in southern New York. The weather system producing the heavy rain and thunderstorms intensified and moved into Pennsylvania. The storm stalled out over Smethport and Port Allegany PA, on Saturday, July 18th. Most of the rain, incredibly feel in just a 5-hour period. People living in the region reported in the local press after the storm that the electrical storm was the worst they had ever witnessed. Water quickly began to accumulate and rise rapidly, many thought that they would drown. In the Austin, PA, many people were quoted as saying that “the rain did not come down in drops, it came down in streams.” The dam at the Williamson Pulp and Paper Company at Austin was breached and immediately flooded the town of Austin. There were reports of massive quantities of gravel and rock being washed down small gullies and even reports of bedrock being ripped out and carried downstream as the relentless rain continued. In Emporium, Pennsylvania, the estimated rainfall rate was more than 10 inches per hour. There was massive flooding over a short period of time. There were many accounts of an “almost instantaneous rise” in the water from 5 to 8 or 10 feet. Buildings in Austin were being knocked off their foundations and the water was 4 to 5 feet deep on the main street. The heaviest rain fell in Smethport, Pennsylvania. Some locations received an incredible 34.50 inches of rain from the event. A rainfall total of 30.7 inches of rain in a 4 1/2-hour period set a world record at Smethport. Monday, July 19 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, July 17, 2021
1996: The 2nd most-costly weather disaster in Illinois history
Heavy rain on July 17, 1996, produced several rainfall records and was the second most costly weather disaster in Illinois history. The 16.94 inches recorded at Aurora still stands as the statewide record for the most rain from a single 24-hour period. The 10.99 inches on the west side of the Chicago metro area was the most ever recorded in the Chicago urban area. Just as impressive as the point values was the size of the area covered by heavy rainfall. It was estimated that 16.3 inches fell over the wettest 100 square mile area of the storm, 12.6 inches over the wettest 1000 square mile area, and 5.2 inches over the wettest 10,000 square mile area. Another way to look at it is that an area of 1350 square miles exceeded the expected 100-year, 24-hour storm while 4650 square miles exceeded the expected 10-year, 24-hour storm for northeast Illinois. The widespread heavy rains led to excessive flooding. Damage estimates were on the order of 700 million dollars or more than 1.1B in 2020 dollars. FEMA estimated that more than 35,000 residences were flooded. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, July 16, 2021
1945: The first nuclear device detonates in New Mexico
July 16, 1945 the first nuclear devise ever detonated in Earth history occurred at the Trinity site near Alamogordo, New Mexico. From a weather perspective, scientists wanted good visibility, low humidity, light winds at low altitude, and westerly winds at high altitude for the test. The best weather was predicted between July 18 and 21, but the Potsdam Conference near the end of WWII between the Allies was due to start on July 16 and President Truman wanted the test to be conducted before the conference began. It was therefore scheduled for July 16, the earliest date at which the bomb components would be available. The detonation was initially planned for 4am Mountain War Time but was postponed because of rain and lightning from early that morning. It was feared that the danger from radiation from and fallout would be increased by rain, and lightning had the scientists concerned about a premature detonation. A crucial favorable weather report came in at 4:45am and the final countdown began at 5:10. By 05:20 the rain had gone. At 5:29am the device exploded with an energy equivalent to around 22 kilotons of TNT. The desert sand, largely made of silica, melted and became a radioactive light green glass. At the time of detonation, the surrounding mountains were illuminated "brighter than daytime" for one to two seconds, and the heat was reported as "being as hot as an oven" at the base camp. The roar of the shock wave took 40 seconds to reach the observers. It was felt over 100 miles away, and the mushroom cloud reached 7.5 miles in height. John Lugo was flying a U.S. Navy transport at 10,000 feet, 30 miles east of Albuquerque en route to the west coast. "My first impression was, the sun was coming up in the south. What a ball of fire! It was so bright it lit up the cockpit of the plane." Lugo radioed Albuquerque. He got no explanation for the blast but was told, "Don't fly south." Because the rain cleared and the test went off successfully Truman was able to tell Soviet leader Stalin then an ally, of a terrible new weapon the US had in its possession as it became, at that moment, the only nuclear power in the world. After the blast and the initial euphoria of witnessing the explosion had passed, Bainbridge one of those working on the project told Robert Oppenheimer, the director of the project, "Now we are all sons of bitches." Oppenheimer later recalled that, while witnessing the explosion, he thought of a verse from a Hindu holy book, the Gita, 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, July 15, 2021
1643: One of the first reports on weather's impacts in America
Weather reporting up until the mid-1700’s was sketchy at best across North America. Colonial leaders who formed the path to independence of our country were avid weather observers. Thomas Jefferson purchased a thermometer from a local Philadelphia merchant while in town for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. He also purchased a barometer — one of the only ones in America at the time — a few days later from the same merchant. Jefferson made regular observations at Monticello from 1772-78, and participated in taking the first known simultaneous weather observations in America. George Washington also took regular observations; the last weather entry in his diary was made the day before he died. During the early and mid-1800's, weather observation networks began to grow and expand across the United States. Although most basic meteorological instruments had existed for over 100 years, it was the telegraph that was largely responsible for the advancement of operational meteorology during the 19th century. With the advent of the telegraph, weather observations from distant points could be "rapidly" collected, plotted and analyzed at one location in real time. In 1870 a Joint Congressional Resolution required the Secretary of War "to provide for taking meteorological observations at the military stations in the interior of the continent”. And so, a national weather service had been born within the U.S. Army Signal Service’s Division of Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit of Commerce. The first systematic weather observations didn't start in colonial America until 1644 in what would become the state of Delaware. Occasional observations of the weather were reported a bit before that and on July 15, 1643, John Winthrop from Newberry, MA entered in his in diary; “There arose a sudden gust at NW; so violent for half an hour as it blew down multitudes of trees. It lifted up their meeting house at Newberry, the people being in it, but only killed (one person) with the fall of a tree”. It was one of the first ever reports of weather’s impact in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, July 14, 2021
1886: Twenty-four hundredths of an inch of rain falls in L.A.
Rainfall in Southern California in the summertime is almost non-existent. In fact, the climate takes on desert-like conditions. The average rainfall in June, July and August in Los Angles is less than a quarter of an inches of rainfall – 2 tenths of an inch to be exact. July is the driest month with barely more than a spritz of rain at an average of one hundredth of an inch – the lowest measurable total of rainfall that is officially observed. In contrast New Orleans is generally regarded as the rainiest big-city in the US and averages more than 6 inches of rain for the month of July. It’s not always dry in LA with the months of January, February and March all averaging more than 3 inches of rain each month. Certainly, though there are two distinct seasons in LA, a wet season and a dry season. To give you an idea of just how dry it is in Southern California in July, on this date in weather history on July 14, 1886, twenty-for hundredths of an inch of rain – just shy of a quarter of an inch fell in LA, the most ever on a single day in July in the region in recorded history. Not much impact was felt in the region – today of course a rainfall like that on a July day would result very slippery freeways because the accumulated oil dripping off of cars and onto the highway would mix with the water and cause the roads to become slippery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, July 13, 2021
1816: Snow falls in New England
The year 1816 featured unprecedented cold conditions throughout the United States and Europe. The key cause was the eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Tambora in April 1815, the largest volcanic explosion in recorded history. “Mount Tambora ejected so much ash and aerosols into the high atmosphere that the sky darkened and the sun was blocked from view in many places around the world that year. The eruptions killed up to 100,000 people – some immediately from the blasts – and tens of thousands of others as a result of starvation and the resulting crop failures and disease. “It might have been millions who died in total, across the globe in the next year” said AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel Myers. The smaller particles spewed by the volcano were light enough to spread into the stratosphere and eventually had a worldwide impact on the climate by reflecting solar radiation back into space. The Earth’s average global temperature dropped 5 degrees Fahrenheit, and in some areas, the drop was more than 10 degrees. The uncharacteristic cold ruined agricultural production in the United States, Europe and China, which led to drastic increases in food prices, as well as famine and epidemics of cholera and other diseases. The U.S. consisted of just 18 states in 1816 and five were in New England, which was devastated by the frigid temperatures and the lack of food. Frost throughout May killed crops in several Northeast states, snow fell in June in wide areas from New York to Maine, and heavy frosts and ice storms occurred as late as July in parts of New England. There were freezing temperatures in all 12 months of the year in New England, many of the crops failed, causing famine and triggering a western migration from New England where there was a depression and starvation. In 1815, before the effects of the volcano were known, the typesetter of the Old Farmer's Almanac jokingly printed "snow, and hail" across eastern North America for this date of July 13, 1816. The editor missed it, and the publication went to print. But because of the severe climate change; snow, and hail did fall across parts of New England on July 13. Even though later editions of the Almanac had the "correct" forecast in place, those who received the earlier editions "swore" by the Almanac the rest of their lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, July 12, 2021
1984: Rapidly-developing storm pounds Munich, Germany
Munich, the German state of Bavaria’s capital, is home to centuries-old buildings and numerous museums. The city is known for its annual Oktoberfest celebration and its beer halls, including the famed Hofbräuhaus, founded in 1589. Munich lies on the elevated plains of Upper Bavaria, about 30 miles north of the northern edge of the Alps at an altitude of almost 2,000 feet. The proximity to the Alps brings heavy thunderstorms and high volumes of rainfall than other parts of Germany. Showers and thunderstorms bring the highest average monthly precipitation in late spring and throughout the summer. The most precipitation occurs in July, on average. Winter tends to have less precipitation, the least in February. On July 12 1984 a rapidly developing storm pounded the Munich area with hailstones the size of tennis balls, high winds and heavy rains, injuring 300 people and causing extensive damage. The Red Cross said the storm injured about 200 people in Munich and 100 in surrounding south-east Bavaria, most of them hit on the head by ice balls, cut by glass shattering from windows, or hurt in car crashes. 1 person was killed and damage reached nearly $100 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, July 11, 2021
1888: A day of extremes across the United States
1888 was a year of extremes across the United States, of course the famed Blizzard of ’88 in March in the Northeast brought heavy snow and blinding visibility and hundreds of deaths in the worst March snowstorm in that region since unofficial records began before the Revolutionary War. The wild weather continued and not only in the northeast. It would come to pass that on July 11, 1888 a high amplitude or high wave pattern would establish itself in the upper atmosphere where the Jetstream steers storms and other weather systems. In the western states the jet stream pulled way north into Canada and pumped up high heat and humidity all the way from Mexico. Meanwhile in the East the Jetstream plunged southward toward Georgia and brought record cold and storminess. On July 11, under that western heat, the temperature in Bennet Colorado reached 118 degrees, still listed as a state record. In the East heavy rains on the Monongahela River caused a flash flood as the water rose a whopping 32 feet in less that 24 hours. Meanwhile on the same day, July 11, 1888, along the Presidential range in New Hampshire heavy snow blanked the peaks like Mt Washington and some snow reached all the way down to the base of those mountains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, July 10, 2021
1926: Lightning strike causes NJ ammunition dump explosions
A bolt of lightning at the Picatinny Army Arsenal in northern NJ triggered a massive explosion in an ammunition dump there on July 10, 1926, triggering three major explosions within half an hour in the early evening hours that killed 22 people and injuring dozens more. The Morris County, NJ News reports that the historic fire of 1926 raged throughout the night, fueled by exploding military shells that set more fires across the landscape surrounding the 6,400-acre base in Morris County. For the next three days, a series of minor explosions followed as the blaze devoured much of the base. The remaining flames were finally doused by rain on July 13. The initial blasts at the Arsenal depot, could be felt as far as 30 miles away. Every building within a half mile was leveled by the blast. Debris landed as far as 22 miles away and over 100 million of 2021 dollars of damage was done. This is the costliest damage ever due to lightning in the United States. In an odd twist an "unexploded ordnance" unearthed in late February of 2020 at a Picatinny Arsenal site was a relic from a deadly explosion that rocked the military munitions base nearly a century ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, July 09, 2021
1936: Temperature reaches 106°F at Central Park, NYC
1936 was the epicenter of the worst heatwave in American history. The Old Farmers Almanac reports that even on the “cool” eastern seaboard in July of 1936, it was the heat wave that made the news. The heat wave had interesting impacts. In Boston, the price of cream skyrocketed as the combination of the drought in the Midwest and the hot weather in the East made for a “very short cream market.” Wholesale prices rose from $11 for a 40-quart can of cream in 1935 to $17.28 a can in July of 1936. Central Park in New York City hit 106°F on July 9. That still stands as the all-time record today. The next day, Waterbury, Connecticut, saw 103°F, while many other New England towns hit over 100°F. Those who could, left the steaming asphalt of the cities. Others stood under sprinklers or slept on roofs. In New York City, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia declared public beaches open all night for the duration, promising not to arrest anyone. City swimming pools lengthened their hours. Nearly 1,000 deaths occurred nationwide—76 in New York City were attributed to the 10-day heat wave, some from heat stroke or lung ailments, others from accidental drownings as non-swimmers desperately attempted to cool off. Canadian towns and cities also felt the severity of the sun. Ontario alone marked over 500 deaths from the heat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, July 08, 2021
1936: Record temperatures across Pennsylvania
The "Dust Bowl" years of 1930-36 brought some of the hottest summers on record to the United States, especially across the Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lake States. For the Upper Mississippi River Valley, the first few weeks of July 1936 provided the hottest temperatures of that period, including many all-time record highs the string of hot, dry days was also deadly. Nationally, around 5000 deaths were associated with the heat wave. In La Crosse, WI, there were 14 consecutive days (July 5th-18th) where the high temperature was 90 degrees or greater, and 9 days that were at or above 100°F. Six record July temperatures set during this time still stand, including the hottest day on record with 108°F on the 14th. The average high temperature for La Crosse during this stretch of extreme heat was 101°F. Several factors led to the deadly heat of July 1936; A series of droughts affected the U.S. during the early 1930s. The lack of rain parched the earth and killed vegetation, especially across the Plains states. Poor farming techniques across the Plains furthered the impact of the drought, with lush wheat fields becoming barren waste lands. Without the vegetation and soil moisture, the Plains acted as a furnace. The climate of that region took on desert qualities, accentuating its capacity to produce heat. On the night of July 8th, 1936 temperatures across most of the state did not drop below 90, setting records for the highest, low temperatures. Indicative of summer heat and dryness impact on farming was a report from near Erie PA where it was reported that 40 acres produced only 1 load of hay all summer when a normal year can produce 7-10 loads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, July 07, 2021
1976: Two tornadoes rip through northern New Jersey
After a sweltering heat wave held the Eastern United States in its grip for Bi-Centennial celebrations in early July of 1976 a strong frontal system approached the region on July 7th. Severe thunderstorms developed and ripped across the New York City area. Two tornadoes tore through the heavily populated area of northern New Jersey, skirting the Statue of Liberty where days before tens of thousands of people had gathered for July 4th and near 11 tall ships still at anchor for the Bi-Centennial celebration. One of the tornadoes lasted nearly 8 minutes before it dissolved back into a thunderstorm. Only 3 people were injured, but property damage ranged from over turned tractor-trailers to torn roofs, and entire walls ripped away from buildings. Another funnel cloud was reported near Coney Island. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, July 06, 2021
1928: "Grapefruit-sized" hail strikes Potter, Nebraska
The Village of Potter, Nebraska was established as the railroad progressed westward. In 1870, Union Pacific built a station house and it served as the post office, the schoolhouse and the land development office. It was the only building build for several years. Potter has grown slowly over the last 150 years with less than 400 residents in 2020. Nature.com reports that a remarkable hailstorm occurred on July 6, 1928 in Potter during which hailstones “as large as grapefruit” fell, one of which measured 17 inches in circumference and weighed 1½ pounds. The stones could be heard hissing through the air, and when they fell on ploughed or soft ground they completely buried themselves. Luckily the hailstorm just missed the town itself – impacting fields and grazing land. Very little damage was done by these stones beyond the unroofing of a few houses, as they fell 10–15 feet apart. For many years, the largest hailstone officially verified in the United States was that "Potter Hailstone" .The Potter record stood until September 3, 1970, when a hailstorm of astounding proportions ravaged Coffeyville, Kansas. Hailstones smashed small craters in the soil of plowed farm fields outside Coffeyville and left lawns in town pitted and gouged, and the town itself was a shambles. But a new hail record emerged: the "Coffeyville Hailstone" weighed in at 1.67 pounds with a circumference of 17.5 inches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, July 05, 2021
1900: The Standard Oil refinery fire
New Jersey.com reports that The Standard Oil refinery fire, at Constable Hook in Bayonne, began during a thunderstorm at 12:30 a.m. on July 5, 1900. Lightning reportedly struck the Bay View tavern and boarding house, sending flames to the nearby oil fields and setting off explosions in three storage tanks, each having a capacity of 40,000 barrels of oil. High-reaching flames and dark smoke soared to the sky with a 20-mile range of visibility. Firefighting materials and water had been under stress due to the fact that the leading up to the fire had featured 90-degree temperatures, sweltering humidity, and shifting winds that had started on July 4th. Within minutes after the fire began, the company siren sounded, bringing its own fire department and tugboats into action. Their strategy was to contain the fire, allowing the spillover of heated oil from the storage tanks to burn off. As firemen directed their hoses to cool the burning tanks with streams of water, employees at pumping stations siphoned off the oil into empty storage tanks. The tugboats moved the company ships and oil-filled barges away from its burning docks to safe waters. The placement of log "booms," forming a floating barrier, to protect New York Bay and the digging of trenches to receive the flowing burning oil were among the other tactics used to stem the fire. Bayonne's entire volunteer fire department joined in the exhausting effort with re-enforcements from Jersey City and Staten Island. Despite the constant intense heat, thousands of spectators flocked to the hazardous site arriving by foot, bicycles, crowded cars, trolleys and ferries. Finally, after 70 hours, on July 7 at 10:30 p.m., the fire burned out. It left behind a reported 19 injured and costs amounting to $2.5 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, July 04, 2021
1776: Independence Day
The Declaration of Independence was formally adopted by the Continental Congees on July 4th 1776 in Philadelphia. It was a relatively pleasant summer day in Philadelphia. The normal high temperature is 87, but observations recorded that day showed no temperature above 76. We can primary thank Thomas Jefferson for the weather report of the day, in addition to his other duties of helping to write the Declaration and work for its adoption of the 4th. According to the website Monticello.org, Thomas Jefferson liked to take at least two weather observations per day. One would happen around sunrise, so he could log the low temperature of the day, and another was between 3 and 4 p.m. when the high temperature usually occurred. He would also list remarks like cloud cover, precipitation and whether or not it was humid. According to the American Museum of Natural History, Jefferson recorded in his weather journal for July 4, 1776, that he woke up to find that the temperature at 6 a.m. was 68 degrees. At 9 a.m., the temperature was up to 72 degrees, and at 1 p.m. it was 76 degrees. When Jefferson arrived in Philadelphia he was unhappy with the thermometer he brought with him from Virginia and the story goes that he purchased a new one in the early days of July 1776. The weather recorded leading up the July 4th, had been hot and humid with temperatures well up in the 80s, but the cooler weather prevailed on the 4th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, July 03, 2021
1863: The Battle of Gettysburg
Considered one of the turning points of the American Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg is said to be the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil. Fought in Gettysburg, Pa., July 1 through 3 in 1863, historians put the number of causalities and missing Union and Confederate soldiers at 46,286. Bayonets, rifled muskets, cannons and infections all contributed to the carnage. AccuWeather.com reports that the weather, however, created causalities as well. A Gettysburg man, Dr. Michael Jacobs, a math professor at what was then called Pennsylvania College, had a strong interest in weather and recorded his observations three times a day, every day, even during the battle. Ben Neely, Executive Director at the Adams County, Pennsylvania Historical Society, emphasized that the most damaging aspect of the weather actually occurred July 4, the day after the battle. Rain fell across the area for most of the day, Rev. Dr. Jacobs put the total at more than an inch. While wounded still lay on the field, some may have felt welcomed by the break in action. Some wounded soldiers had still not been moved from low-lying areas by the Plum Run Creek, however, which overflowed its banks. The wounded soldiers who were near the flood waters, reportedly all Confederate, drowned. According to Civil War historian and retired AccuWeather team member, Dr. Lee Rainey, an even larger issue that was faced as a result of the rain was the retreat attempts made by the Confederate Army on July 4. "They had to move a 17-mile long train of wagons filled with wounded soldiers over the dissolving dirt roads back to Virginia, " he said. "And the rains caused the Potomac River - easily fordable on the march north - to flow so high that the army was trapped on the north side with the Union forces in pursuit. The Confederates dug in for a desperate battle, but in the end were able to escape across the river on the 13th, the day before Meade's planned attack." The days leading up to that point were not without tragedy as fighting consumed the fields of the Pennsylvania town. For its part, the weather was more cooperative at the battle's start. July 1, the first day fighting began, had a sky covered by puffy white clouds all day. The breeze was southerly at only 2 mph; the afternoon temperature was a comfortable 76 degrees. The second day started with similar cloud cover, but clouds increased by the afternoon, when temperatures went up to 81. Likewise, the cloud cover started the third day, July 3rd and cleared considerably by the afternoon. The clouds that remained, however, was the "massive thunder-cloud of summer." A thunderstorm started around 6 p.m. EDT. "The thunder seemed tame, after the artillery firing of the afternoon," Rev. Dr. Jacobs wrote. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, July 02, 2021
The 1980 Heat Wave
The 1980 United States heat wave was a period of intense heat and drought that wreaked havoc on much of the Midwestern United States and the Southern Plains throughout the summer of 1980. It is among the most devastating natural disasters in terms of deaths and destruction in U.S. history, claiming at least 1,700 lives and because of the massive drought, agricultural damage reached $20 billion or more than $60 billion in 2021 dollars. The Heat Wave got started in the end of June 1980 and by July 2nd was in full swing. In Wichita Falls, Texas the temperatures reached 114 degrees, breaking old record by an incredible 10 degrees. It was the 9th consecutive day of 100 degrees plus. Many other cities in Texas reached or exceeded 100 degrees every day for more than a week. In fact, in Dallas a new record high was set for the month of July at 110 degrees. July 2, 1980 marked the 10th consecutive day of record high temperatures in Dallas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, July 01, 2021
1975: Heavy rain causes Red River to flood
Heavy rains in eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota on July 1, 1975 caused disastrous flooding of the Red River of the North. The river crested 16' above flood stage at Fargo. It was the worst flooding in North Dakota history and caused $1 billion property damage or almost $5 billion in 2021 dollars, bridges washed out and transportation through much of the region became impossible. A local newspaper reported that "Much of the farmland is one big ocean with white caps on farm fields under 2-3 feet of water." In Lisbon, North Dakota a tree fell over, but not from any wind, the soil was so soaked; it couldn't support a tree. Most farmers were unable to get into their fields for month and the wheat and other grain crops were a total loss for that year causing prices of commodities in the United States and around the world to rise aiding in the inflation that would plague much of the world for the next 5 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, June 30, 2021
2009: Temperature reaches 112 in Los Angeles, CA
As the month of June 2009 went into the record books on June 30, Los Angles reported that temperatures remained below normal every day in June, both at the airport and downtown; the first and only time that ever happened. The cool weather was a result of almost constant flow of air off the Pacific Ocean. At the airport, the warmest high temperature on any day in June 2009 was 71; this is the first time that temperatures ever failed to rise above 75 in June. The hottest June temperature ever recorded at the airport, that sits right on the Pacific coast, is 104 degrees. In Downtown Los Angeles the average daily high temperature is about 75°, the hottest temperature ever recorded was on June 26, 1990, when residents and visitors suffered through a sweltering 112-degree day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 29, 2021
1954: Hurricane Alice
Hurricane Alice was the second-strongest Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in the month of June since reliable records began in the 1850s. While not a major hurricane, the storm was linked to catastrophic flooding in southern Texas and northern Mexico, especially along the Rio Grande and its tributaries. The third tropical cyclone and first hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season, Alice was one of two storms to receive the same name that year, the other being an unusual Hurricane that formed in the Caribbean in December 1954 and persisted into the new year of 1955, becoming one of only two January hurricanes on record. The first Alice developed rather suddenly on June 24 off the coast of Mexico, though it may well have formed earlier but went undetected due to limited observation before the age of weather satellites. Moving northwestward, Alice strengthened rapidly as it neared the Mexican coastline, becoming a hurricane early the next day. By midday on June 25, the hurricane reached peak winds of 110 mph before moving inland well south of the U.S.–Mexico border. The storm struck an area with few inhabitants and caused relatively minimal impacts from wind near the point of landfall and in southern Texas. As it moved inland, however, Alice produced heavy rain along and near the Rio Grande, resulting in some of the worst flooding ever seen in parts of northern Mexico and southern Texas; in some areas, the flooding amounted to a one-in-1,000-year event. The floods destroyed bridges and dikes and flooded many cities along the inner reaches of the river, which reached its highest water levels since 1865. Communities in Mexico reported significant flood damage. In the United States, damage was heaviest in Ozona, Texas, where on June 29 1954, the floods killed 15 people. In all, flooding from Hurricane Alice killed at least 55 people, including 17 in the U.S. and 38 in Mexico, though many deaths in rural Mexico may have gone unreported; the total death toll could have exceeded 150. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 28, 2021
1969: The Stonewall Uprising
Gay Americans have long faced a system rigged against them by both cultural and legal means. With very few places traditionally to gather in the 1950s and 60s, many from the LGBTQ community gravitated to night clubs and bars where their sexual orientations were at sometimes celebrated or at least accepted. Still even in these places, those present were more times than not subject to discrimination, harassment and even violence by those nearby. This often occurred at the hands of the police who were ordered to invade these places and make a certain number of arrests and close down the establishments. In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City, the patrons of that bar had had enough of the long-term systematic abuse and marginalization. When the police attempted to enter the bar those there resisted. The Stonewall uprising became more pronounced when reports circulated that early morning that the police became violent in those attacks on the LGBTQ community. Crowds gathered and came to the aid of those at Stonewall. Tensions between the New York City police, and gay residents of Greenwich Village erupted into more protests the next evening and again several nights later. Within weeks, Village residents quickly organized into activist groups to concentrate efforts on establishing places for gay men and lesbians to be open about their sexual orientation without fear of being arrested. It marked the beginning of the Pride movement. Today, LGBTQ Pride events are held annually throughout the world toward the end of June to mark the Stonewall uprising. In June 2019, the 50th anniversary of Stonewall more than 5 million people participated in the celebrations in New York Coty alone, and on June 6, 2019, New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill rendered a formal apology on behalf of the New York Police Department for the actions of its officers at Stonewall in 1969. June 27, 1969, had been a scorching hot and humid day in New York City with a high temperature of 96 and in the early morning hours of June 28 the mercury was still in the 80s. The Stonewall Inn, like many Gay bars of the time were run down and not well maintained, it was poorly air-conditioned, and some patrons were outside the bar trying to cool off. This helped lead to the first wave of resistance outside the bar. Would the initial resistance have occurred if the was not so steamy that night, perhaps not – but the just fight for LGBTQ rights would undoubtably broken through at another time and place as the expansion of human rights continues to move forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, June 27, 2021
1957: Hurricane Audrey
Hurricane Audrey’s latest movements were fresh on the minds of families in Cameron, Louisiana, before bedtime on June 26, 1957, according to AccuWeater.com. Broadcasters that evening announced that the storm, that had strengthened into a Hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico the day before, would make landfall at the Texas and Louisiana border late the next day. In a time before satellites, meteorologists relied on aircraft reconnaissance, ship reports and minimal radar to monitor the storm’s whereabouts. The United States Weather Bureau’s 10 p.m. report placed Audrey 235 miles south of Lake Charles, a Louisiana town 52 miles inland. The advisory warned that those living in low exposed areas should move to higher ground as the storm crept northward toward the coast at 10 mph. Assuming that they had ample time to escape Audrey’s impact, Cameron residents had packed their vehicles in preparation for an early morning evacuation. In its final six hours before landfall, a strong flow in the Jetstream dropped southward and helped the intensifying hurricane rapidly accelerate as it barreled toward the southern U.S. and by 1am its winds had increased to more than 150 mph. By that time, however, broadcasters had gone off the air and residents were fast asleep. Audrey came ashore and pounded the southern U.S. coast and destroyed coastal communities with intense winds and flooding. People woke up around 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning with 6 feet of water coming into their houses. About 1,000 people made it safely into Cameron’s three-story courthouse. However, those unable to escape the powerful hurricane drowned in Gulf waters pushed inland by a storm surge of at least 12 feet. Audrey, was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the month of June, and killed at least 500 people and caused an estimated $150 million in damage in the U.S. It was the 7th deadliest hurricane in modern history. The storm’s impact and intense storm surge were felt 25 miles inland, many of the victims were never found. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, June 26, 2021
2007: The Great European Heat Wave
In June 2007 the Great European heat wave impacted most of Southern Europe. The extreme heat began affecting Italy and Turkey on June 17 and expanded into Greece and the Balkans along with Hungary and Ukraine on June 18. Up until June 21, temperatures generally topped out between 97–102 in most of the region; however, starting on June 22, temperatures wratched up even higher in the entire region. During the 3-day period from June 23 to June 25, temperatures soared to 109–111 . By June 26, 2007, Greece seemed to bear the brunt of the heatwave with temperatures in Athens reaching 115. The same day, Greece's national power consumption set a new record. Parts of Greece, including neighborhoods in Athens, suffered from power outages due to high electricity demand and heat damage to the grid. Explosions from overheating transmission towers were implicated in forest fires that started to rage across the country. There was no relief either in the night of June 26 when the mercury failed to drop below 90. More than 200 people were hospitalized for heat-related treatment and 18 people died from heat exhaustion. By June 28 northerly winds started blowing and temperatures finally began falling, but still managed to reach 102. The damage was done by the Heat Wave that climaxed on June 26 and by the time the temperatures finally started to lower more than100 fires were burning across Greece. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, June 25, 2021
1966: Soviet Union launches first weather satellite
As early as 1946, the idea of cameras in orbit high above the Earth to observe the weather was being developed. One advantage this would bring was in regions that had sparse data observation coverage. But the expense of using cameras on rockets was very high and the rockets unreliable. By 1958, the early prototypes for TIROS and Vanguard, developed by the Army Signal Corps, were created. The first weather strictly satellite, Vanguard 2, was launched on February 17, 1959. It was designed to measure cloud cover and resistance, but a poor axis of rotation and its elliptical orbit kept it from collecting much of any useful data. The first weather satellite to be considered a success launched by any nation in the world, was TIROS-1, or Television Infrared Observation Satellite, launched by NASA on April 1, 1960. TIROS operated for 78 days and proved to be much more successful than Vanguard 2. TIROS paved the way for the Nimbus program, whose technology and findings are the heritage of most of the Earth-observing satellites NASA and NOAA have launched since then. Beginning with the Nimbus 3 satellite in 1969, temperature information through the entire atmosphere began to be retrieved by satellites from the eastern Atlantic and most of the Pacific Ocean, which led to significant improvements in weather forecasting. Weather satellites collect data for climate, and environmental monitoring applications including precipitation, sea surface temperatures, atmospheric temperature and humidity, sea ice extent, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, global vegetation analysis, hurricane information and cloud cover. The United States was the only country the have a weather satellite in space until June 25, 1966 when the Soviet Union launched it’s first. As of 2020 there are more than a dozen weather satellites in orbit around the Earth, operated by several different counties who all share the weather information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, June 24, 2021
1991: 3.5" of rain falls in 28 minutes in Scranton, ND
Violent thunderstorms racked across the northern plains state on the evening of June 24 1991. Hot humid conditions had held sway across a vast part of the nation’s midsection during the middle of June, while chilly air built up over Alaska and the Yukon. On June 23 that cold air was unleased southward by a strong current in the Jetstream. As it pushed into the early summertime heat thunderstorms began to grown. By June 24, 1991, aided by moisture streaming northward from the Gulf of Mexico heavy thunderstorms erupted across the Dakotas as the cold air mass cut into the region. The warm steamy air holding near the grounds surface was enough to supply plenty of moisture – but the cold air moving in high in the atmosphere was enough to cause large hail to form and in the town of Scranton, North Dakota 3.5” of rain in 28 minutes along with 1.5-foot drifts of marble sized hail. Front-end loaders were needed to clear the streets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, June 23, 2021
1586: Hurricane strikes settler colony on Roanoke Island
Attempts by European’s to settle in North America were spotty in the 1500’s. Most groups large enough to establish a permanent base did not really take hold until the 1580s and later. Most of those that arrived where men in search of fortune and adventure, often times at the expense and persecution of the Native American inhabitants. It wasn’t until the 1600’s that waves of European’s came to escape mainly religious persecution and in a striking twist of irony they also built their settlements exhibiting some of the same behaviors they were escaping from Europe. One of the earlies colonies set up was on Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina. First settled in 1585 by Ralph Lane it was re-supplied by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1586. Raleigh stayed for some weeks, but as he was set to return to England a powerful Hurricane hit on June 23. The storm wrecked most of the colony and it had to be abandoned and those surviving evacuated back to England. The following year another group of settlers arrived in the same spot. They were dropped off and the ships returned to England. No contact was maintained with the colony and 3 years later when a supply ship arrived no trace was found of the second colony. Some thought hard times caused those there to abandon the site or simply perish. Some believed the 1586 hurricane that destroyed the infrastructure left no base for the new colony to build on. It would another 2 decades before the English would establish a permanent site on the Mid-Atlantic coast in Jamestown Virginia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 22, 2021
1972: Hurricane Agnes
The AccuWeather.com archives report that almost 50 years ago in 1972 of one of the first billion-dollar hurricanes in the history of the United States struck. Total damage from Agnes was over $3.0 billion in the U.S. Adjusted to today's dollars, this would be well over $20 billion. Agnes also caused extensive damage to railroad lines in the region, already taxed by bankruptcy. While the Agnes disaster has been eclipsed by more powerful and costlier storms during recent decades, it still ranks in the top 10 costliest hurricanes in the U.S., adjusted to today's dollars. Because of its impact the name Agnes has been retired from the list of Atlantic hurricanes, by the World Meteorological Organization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 21, 2021
The Depression of 1893
The Depression of 1893 was one of the worst in American history with the unemployment rate exceeding ten percent for half a decade. The Depression of 1893 can be seen as a watershed event in American history. It was accompanied by violent strikes, the climax of the Populist and free silver political crusades, the creation of a new political balance, the continuing transformation of the country’s economy, major changes in national policy, and far-reaching social and intellectual developments. Between 1870 and 1890 the number of farms in the United States rose by nearly 80 percent, to 4.5 million. Farm property value grew by 75 percent, to $16.5 billion. The advancing checkerboard of tilled fields in the nation’s heartland represented a vast indebtedness. Nationwide about 29% of farmers were encumbered by mortgages. One contemporary observer estimated 2.3 million farm mortgages nationwide in 1890. But farmers in the plains were much more likely to be in debt. Kansas croplands were mortgaged to 45 percent of their true value. Under favorable conditions the millions of dollars of annual charges on farm mortgages could be borne, but a declining economy brought foreclosures, tax sales and adverse weather could tip the balance over the edge. Railroads opened new areas to agriculture, linking these to rapidly changing national and international markets. Mechanization, the development of improved crops, and the introduction of new techniques increased productivity and fueled a rapid expansion of farming operations. The output of staples skyrocketed. Yields of wheat, corn, and cotton doubled between 1870 and 1890 though the nation’s population rose by only two-thirds. Grain and fiber flooded the domestic market. The depression, which was signaled by a financial panic in 1893, has been blamed on the deflation dating back to the Civil War. The economy exhibited other weaknesses in early 1893. Then in the summer of 1893 agriculture was hit with drought. The drought started in June 1893 with a blistering heat wave that got underway on June 21 1893 when the mercury topped out at 106 degrees in Dodge City, Kansas and the drought didn’t break for 3 years. The boom to bust cycle would repeat itself 4 decades later during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl in almost the same exact location. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, June 20, 2021
1921: 11.5" of rain falls in McCone County, MT
On June 20, 1921 the Billings Gazette reported that a man and a baby drowned and barns, granaries, houses and a bridge were swept away before an unprecedented downpour tapered off in McCone County. The 11.5 inches of rain that fell in 24 hours at Springbrook, near Circle, established a state record. That record stands today. Hot and humid air covered the great plans as winds all the way from the Gulf of Mexico pushed the summertime heat and moisture northward. Circle sits on the vast high flatlands that rise toward the Rockies and often times it gets covered with stifling heat and humidity. Temperatures can sometimes top 110 degrees. At the same time cold air can sweep down from Canada, even in the summertime and this causes violent clashes in the atmosphere. Those dynamics lead to the cloudburst and heavy thunderstorms that inundated the region on June 20, 1921. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, June 19, 2021
1865: Juneteenth
In the years leading up to the Civil War, Galveston Texas was a bustling port and the main United States port west of New Orleans. When New Orleans was captured by Union forces early in the Civil War, Galveston became, along with Mobile, Alabama the main Confederate ports on the Gulf. When Mobile fell in 1864, Galveston was THE main port on the Gulf. As such it was well fortified, but it was also cut off from the rest of the confederacy once the Union gained control of the Mississippi with the fall of Vicksburg. Galveston’s importance diminished as the war went on. So, it came to pass that at the end of the war, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, finally landed at Galveston, with news that the war had ended and that enslaved people were now free. This was 2.5 years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation — which had become official January 1, 1863. Contrary to popular belief, the Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new executive order. When Granger’s regiment arrived, forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance. Specific weather records are scarce from that June day in 1865 in Galveston. But given the location of the docks in proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, it was clear that the day was relatively calm with sunshine and light breezes. The information that General Granger brought quickly spread and led to joyous celebrations among the now emancipated enslaved people and it all happened with no adverse weather conditions on that now rightfully celebrated day now known as Juneteenth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, June 18, 2021
1992: Airport control tower evacuated due to heavy thunderstorms
On June 18, 1992 heavy thunderstorms formed across the Mississippi River valley and headed eastward. Those storms reached Indiana late in the evening of June 18 producing heavy rains, gusty winds and hail. Flights all across the mid-west were already being diverted from some of the airports as the storms came closer. As one of the strongest storms approached Indianapolis, the control tower at the airport was evacuated as the severe thunderstorm moved in. 1” diameter hailstones fell, a 62-mph wind gust was reported, and a tornado was spotted 2 miles northwest of the airport. Flights were sent on to other airports and traffic controllers in other cities had to take over the duties of those in Indianapolis for several hours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, June 17, 2021
1859: Temperature reaches 133 in Santa Barbara, CA
Sundowners — the equivalent of Southern California’s Santa Ana winds — blow over the ridgetops and through the passes of the Santa Ynez Mountains to flow downslope onto the coastal plains around Santa Barbara. These winds also occur in the Middle East where they are known as a “simoon” and is a strong, superheated and dust-laden wind its name derives from the Arabic verb ‘to poison,’ presumably because exposure to such temperatures could cause heat stroke. The bane of firefighters, they heat the air by compression as they push it downward against the land below, squeezing out its moisture and helping wildfires ignite and spread. Earning their name because they frequently appear in late afternoon and early evening, mild Sundowner winds can result in slight increases in temperature. But a few times a year, stronger Sundowners can bring sharp spikes in temperature, extremely low relative humidity and gale-force winds that force-feed wildfires. Half a dozen times a century, Super sundowners blast superheated air across the coastal plains at higher than gale-force speeds. Perhaps the most powerful Sundowner, was reported June 17, 1859, by the Coastal Pilot Newspaper of California. According to the report, the morning air temperature of 75 to 80 degrees rose steadily until about 1 p.m., when a series of superheated waves of wind blasted the Santa Barbara area. By 2 p.m., the air temperature reached 133 degrees and hovered there for three hours, killing small animals, destroying fruit, ruining gardens and heavily damaging trees before eventually falling to 122 around 5 p.m. People reportedly took refuge behind the 3-foot-thick walls of the Daniel Hill adobe, the casa grande at Dos Pueblos Ranch, and the adobe winery at San Jose Vineyard among other places. Rabbits, cattle, snakes, and deer died on their feet according to a government report, and fruit fell from trees to the ground, scorched on the windward side. Birds fell dead from the sky and others flew into wells in search of cooler air and drowned. The 133-degree temperature held the North American continental record for heat for decades until 1913 when Death Valley recorded a temperature of 134 degrees. 133 currently stands as the 3rd hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, June 16, 2021
1939: Frogs fall from sky before rain in Towbridge, England
National Geographic reports that “Animal rain” is a real weather phenomenon that happens when small animals get swept up in waterspouts or updrafts, and then fall to Earth with raindrops. Reported rains of bats, fish, snakes, birds, frogs, and jellies stretch back for centuries. The phenomena most associated with animal rain are waterspouts, although many meteorologists are skeptical that waterspouts can actually cause animal rain. Waterspouts form as violent storm clouds swirl above a large body of water. These clouds form a tornado-like whirlwind that dips into the ocean, lake, or pond. Waterspouts can spin up to 100 miles per hour, and may pull up small objects in their funnel—water, pebbles, and small aquatic animals. A waterspout is not a swirling column of water—the water in a waterspout is the result of condensation, not liquid "sucked up" from a body of water. Strong updrafts may also pull animals into their swirling vortices. Updrafts can sweep up much larger animals than waterspouts—traveling birds and bats, as well as frogs, snakes, and insects. As waterspouts and updrafts move over land, they lose their swirling energy. The storm clouds that formed the waterspouts are forced to dump their heavy loads. The heaviest objects are dumped first, and the lightest objects usually simple raindrops are dumped last. This explains why reports of animal rain usually describe only one type of animal raining down. A cloud will dump all objects of a similar weight at the same time—fish heavy, followed by insects lighter, followed by rain. On June 16 1939 in Towbridge, England, such a rain occurred with reports that hundreds of tiny frogs fell before a heavy shower. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 15, 2021
1879: 7" of rain falls in McKinney, ND
McKinney, ND is a collection of hard scrabble farms just a few miles south of the Canadian border on the dusty high plains of North Dakota. Hard to find on any map, it’s barely an intersection where two farm highways meet. The vast flat land bakes in the summertime with temperatures often exceeding 100 and in the winter the mercury routinely dips below zero. Rainfall averages less than 20” a year. But on June 15, 1879 7.07” of rain fell establishing a record, incredibly on the same date of June 15 in 1897 almost 8” of rain fell establishing yet another record. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 14, 2021
1903: Massive, destructive flood strikes Heppner, OR
According to the Oregon Encyclopedia the spring of 1903 was among the warmest and driest in memory for eastern Oregon. Sunday, June 14, was another hot day as the residents of Heppner, Oregon prepared for family suppers. By mid-afternoon, dark clouds were building in the hills southwest of town. At 4:30 pm, rain, and then hail, began to fall. The storm produced such a noise people could not hear the roar of the wall of water and debris that descended on the town. The Heppner Gazette reported: "Without a second's warning, a leaping, foaming wall of water, 40 feet in height, struck Heppner at about 5 o'clock Sunday afternoon, sweeping everything before it and leaving only death and destruction in its wake." The silt-laden floodwaters carried away everything in their path. The thick mass acted more like a battering ram than a flood of liquid. Homes floated off foundations and crashed into other structures, breaking apart and adding their debris to the flowing mass. By the time the flood waters receded, most of Heppner's residential area was destroyed and two-thirds of its homes were gone. The town's business district was wrecked with all but three of the town's businesses demolished. Newspaper reports gave disparate figures for the loss of life from the disaster. Early reports placed the death count as high as 500 persons. Eventually, 247 bodies were recovered. Many surviving residents left Heppner following the disaster. The 1910 census showed a population of 880, down from the 1,400 living there in 1903. It was not until the 1990 that Heppner's population rebounded to pre-flood levels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, June 13, 2021
1907: Temperature reaches -2°F in Tamarack, CA
Temperature extremes are not unusual in the state of California. After all the highest reliably recorded temperature in the world, 134 was recorded in Death Valley on July 10, 1913. Temperatures of 130 or higher have been recorded as recently as 2005. The lowest temperature recorded in California was at Boca, in Nevada County, when a reading of -45° F was observed on January 20, 1937. That’s a difference of 179 degrees – but it’s not the great difference of any state, it only ranks 3rd, the record belongs to Montana, with a state record high of 117 and a record low of 70 below zero. But on June 13, 1907 in Tamarack, California the mercury plunged to 2 degrees above zero making it the coldest temperature ever observed in the U Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, June 12, 2021
2014: Hail storm causes $400 million in damage in Abilene, TX
On June 12, 2014 a hail storm that hit Abilene produced more than $400 million in insured losses to vehicles, homes and commercial property. "This is the worst storm damage I've seen in my 41 years in the insurance business," Leroy Perkins of the Perkins Insurance Agency in Abilene, told the largest state insurance trade association in the United States. the storm, packing baseball-sized hail, moved directly south across Abilene pounding the city's north side and downtown area. Commercial buildings downtown received millions of dollars in damage to roofs, windows and structures. Total uninsured losses are also expected to be high, Perkins adds. "Downtown looks like autumn because all of the trees have been stripped of their leaves and many limbs down in the street," Karla Martin with the Taylor County Sheriff's Office said the day after the storm. Hundreds of vehicles, many of them new cars, were declared totaled from the beating they took. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) notes that hail causes approximately 1$ billion in damage to crops and property each year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, June 11, 2021
2008: F3 tornado strikes Scout camp near Little Sioux, IA
June 11, 2008 marks the tragic loss of 4 teenagers at a Boy Scout camp near Little Sioux, Iowa; 48 more were injured. The tragedy struck at the 1,800-acre camp about an hour north of downtown Omaha. An EF3 tornado, with 145 mph winds, descended on the remote camp, striking and leveling a cabin where campers had sought shelter as warnings of the storm circulated through the camp. A chimney at the cabin collapsed, sending heavy concrete blocks onto the Scouts. This was the worst of the storms that hit the Northern Plains that day. There were also two farms damaged from two different tornadoes, one near Spencer, Iowa and the other near Springfield, Minnesota. A nursing home was also damaged by a tornado in southern Salina, Kansas. There were over 300 reports of severe weather across the nation with 64 of those reports from tornado activity. There had been no basement or in-ground shelter at the camp when the tornado hit. The following year, the Boy Scouts Mid-America Council launched a major fundraising campaign to build emergency shelters at all of its camps. By 2013, two tornado shelters had been built at the camp, and a siren was added. The new structures have concrete walls, steel shutters and doors and emergency power backup, and were built to withstand an EF5 tornado.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, June 10, 2021
1752: Ben Franklin famously flies kite in thunderstorm
Benjamin Franklin, inventor of bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove, one of those that wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, ambassador, Governor of Pennsylvania, on June 10 1752 in Philadelphia, flew a kite during a thunderstorm and collected an ambient electrical charge in a Leyden jar, enabling him to demonstrate the connection between lightning and electricity. According to the Franklin Institute, Franklin had been waiting for an opportunity like this. He wanted to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning, and to do so, he needed a thunderstorm. He had his materials at the ready: a simple kite made with a large silk handkerchief, a hemp string, and a silk string. He also had a house key, a Leyden jar (a device that could store an electrical charge for later use), and a sharp length of wire. His son William assisted him. Franklin had originally planned to conduct the experiment atop a Philadelphia church spire, according to his contemporary, British scientist Joseph Priestley (who, incidentally, is credited with discovering oxygen), but he changed his plans when he realized he could achieve the same goal by using a kite. Franklin and his son “took the opportunity of the first approaching thunder storm to take a walk into a field,” Priestley wrote in his account. “To demonstrate, in the completest manner possible, the sameness of the electric fluid with the matter of lightning, Dr. Franklin, astonishing as it must have appeared, contrived actually to bring lightning from the heavens, by means of an electrical kite, which he raised when a storm of thunder was perceived to be coming on.” Despite a common misconception, Benjamin Franklin did not discover electricity during this experiment—or at all, for that matter. Electrical forces had been recognized for more than a thousand years, and scientists had worked extensively with static electricity. Franklin’s experiment demonstrated the connection between lightning and electricity. To dispel another myth, Franklin’s kite was not struck by lightning. If it had been, he probably would have been electrocuted. Franklin became interested in electricity in the mid-1740s, a time when much was still unknown on the topic, and spent almost a decade conducting electrical experiments. He coined a number of terms used today, including battery, conductor and electrician. He also invented the lightning rod, used to protect buildings and ships. By the time he died in 1790 he was arguably the most famous man in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, June 09, 2021
1984: Violent tornado outbreak in Russia
The tornado outbreak of 9 June 1984 is among the most important tornado events in Russia’s history because it was associated with substantial loss of life with 400 deaths, and contained one of two F4 tornadoes ever recorded for in that country. Very little information is available on a violent tornado outbreak that swept through areas north of Moscow in the summer of 1984. The Soviet Union had not yet disbanded and few details were leaked to the international media. The outbreak was the result of a series of violent supercell thunderstorms that travelled north-northeast at speeds greater than 50mph. Local newspapers reported that massive hailstones, some over 2lbs in weight, fell over the affected areas. 400 people were killed, with most of the fatalities likely the result of a single tornado that tore through the town of Ivanovo. A French research article describes how the tornado threw cars long distances, lifted a 350-ton operating crane and leveled “steel-reinforced” buildings. According to the same article, the Russians unofficially awarded the tornado an F4 rating, although some of the damage was indicative of F5 strength. Reports describe how the tornado scoured pavement from a highway and hurled a 120,000lb water tank several blocks. Satellite images at the time showed an strong severe weather set up reminiscent of large outbreaks in tornado alley in the US. If the reports are all true, then the outbreak was an unprecedented event and astoundingly violent for an area generally accustomed to tornadoes only capable of inflicting F1 and F2 damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 08, 2021
1953: Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak
The 1953 Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak was a devastating tornado outbreak sequence spanning three days, two that featured tornadoes each causing at least 90 deaths—an F5 occurring in Flint, Michigan on June 8, 1953, and an F4 in Worcester, Massachusetts the next day. The Worcester storm stayed on the ground for nearly 90 minutes, traveling 48 miles across Central Massachusetts. In total, 94 people were killed, making it the 21st deadliest tornado in the history of the US. In addition to the fatalities, over 1,000 people were injured and 4,000 buildings were damaged. The tornado caused $52 million in damage, which translates to more than $350 million in today’s dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 07, 2021
1984: F5 tornado destroys 90% of Barneveld, IA
On June 7 1984, nine people died and 200 were injured when a tornado slammed into the Iowa County, Wisconsin community of Barneveld. The F5 twister destroyed 90% of the town of 580 residents. What made Barneveld’s tornado rare is it hit overnight. A majority of tornadoes occur between 3 and 9 p.m., and violent tornadoes almost never happen late at night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, June 06, 2021
1944: How weather forecasting impacted D-Day
The story of how weather forecasting impacted the Allies invasion of Normandy on D-Day in 1944. https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/d-day-anniversary-how-the-weather-forecast-changed-the-tide-of-war/359733 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, June 05, 2021
1925: Temperature reaches 100 degrees in Washington DC
Rainfall totals in the northeastern United States from January through the end of May 1925 had only reached half the normal total in most cities. This meant, at least for the first 5 months of the year the climate was more like patched central Texas than the lush and green landscape of the eastern seaboard. Heating of the lower atmosphere takes place when the ground is heated and transfers that heat to the air closest to the ground. When the ground is moist some of the sun’s energy goes into evaporating the moisture rather than heating the ground. When the ground is dry that doesn’t happen and the ground heats up quickly. It’s one reason why it’s so much hotter in Texas and New Mexico and Arizona then the East. An unusual warm air mass moved over the eastern part of the nation in the first week of June 1925 and that coupled with the already dry ground lead to extraordinary early summertime heat. On June 5 the mercury reached 100 in Washington DC – the earliest on record in fact that was in the middle on a string of high temperatures in DC that reached 97 or higher for 5 consecutive days.. On June 5 1925 Philadelphia also reach 100 for the earliest ever there as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, June 04, 2021
1976: Strong tropical cyclone and 40' storm surge hits India
On June 4, 1976 a strong Tropical Cyclone, known in the US as a Hurricane, hit the port cities just north of Mumba on the west coast of India. In the decades prior to the storm, massive Tropical Cyclones has battered both the west and east coasts of India with huge waves and heavy rains resulting in massive flooding and tremendous loss of life. Along the Indian east coast, especially in the northern part of the Bay of Bengal, the area is flat, almost at sea level for hundreds of square miles and ocean water is often pushed far inland because of the flat land. Significant warning times are needed to evacuate people out of harm’s way. Prior to the late 1960s and early 1970’s and the advent of satellite coverage very little warning lead time occurred. But by 1976 new technology had allowed for enough notice, in certain situations, for people to get out of the way. On June 4, 1976 despite a 40-foot storm surge ample notice was given and most people were able to evacuate, despite this 70 people still perished. Th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, June 03, 2021
1921: Cloudburst causes 10' of flooding in Pueblo, CO
What started out as just another day in June in Colorado in 1921, rapidly turned into one that would never be forgotten in the town of Pueblo, Colorado. A cloudburst enveloped the town the afternoon of June 3, 1921. During a typical cloudburst, over half an inch of rain may fall in a matter of minutes, and that is exactly what happened in Pueblo, creating devastating consequences for the heart of the town where the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek meet. At about the same time the rains were drenching the downtown area, there was another downpour about 30 miles north over Fountain Creek. As the torrential rains fell, the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek quickly began to swell, reaching over 15 feet in some areas before they began to recede. Within two hours from the start of the storm, the business district of Pueblo was flooded with water 10 feet deep. The entire Arkansas Valley, from 30 miles west of Pueblo to the Colorado–Kansas state line, was severely impacted. Hundreds of people died, with some death toll estimates as high as 1,500. The flood destroyed almost all of the downtown Pueblo area and decimated the city. Once the floodwaters receded, the immense damage became all the more visible. The flood, which covered over 300 square miles, carried away over 600 homes and caused upward of $25 million $350 million in 2021 dollars. Railroad passenger coaches and freight cars were swept away in every direction or smashed. A fire broke out in a lumberyard and burning lumber was carried throughout the city’s streets by the flood. The floodwaters also carried away entire buildings and businesses. Many of the dead were likely carried far down river and never recovered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, June 02, 2021
1889: Flooding of the Potomac River
On June 2, 1889, the same heavy rains caused that had helped cause massive flooding in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, overwhelmed the South Fork Dam several days before, hit the Washington, DC, area. Most of the roads in DC at the time where unpaved and unlike some other major cities of the time not even covered in cobblestones, their surface consisted mainly of dirt. As a result, when the Potomac River flooded and areas around Pennsylvania Avenue and the White House the whole region was under several feet of water the flooding was made worse by sewers that became clogged with dirt from unpaved roads and began overflowing, causing the water to rise faster than expected. The water on city streets because so deep that the only access between the east and west of the city was by boat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 01, 2021
1965: Tropical system causes 30k fatalities in Bangladesh
The World Health Organization reports that nation of Bangladesh is especially vulnerable to tropical cyclones, known as hurricanes near the United States, because of its location at the triangular shaped head of the Bay of Bengal, the sea-level geography of its coastal area, its high population density and the lack of coastal protection systems. During the pre-monsoon season in April and May or post-monsoon season in October and November, cyclones frequently hit the coastal regions of Bangladesh. About 40% of the total global storm surges are recorded in Bangladesh, and the deadliest cyclones in the past 50 years, in terms of deaths and casualties, are those that have struck Bangladesh. In 1965, just as the pre-monsoon season was winding down disaster struck the region. A tropical cyclone blasted northward and pushed a wall of water storm surge across the flat low lands of the region. Because the land only rises a few feet above sea levels for scores of miles inland, flood waters quickly inundate the region, sweeping away everything in their path and giving no quarter for people to escape, the result can be and has been a massive loss of life. On June 1, 1965 such a tropical system struck the region with a death toll estimated near 30,000. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, May 31, 2021
1889: The Johnstown Flood
Johnstown, Pennsylvania, lies hard against the Conemaugh River in its deep valley in the western part of the state. Founded in 1770, it grew quickly as the Civil War approached, fortunes were made in iron, coal and steel. By 1860, the Cambria Iron Company of Johnstown was the leading steel producer in the United States, outproducing steel giants in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. After the war it became the center of America’s growing industrial might and the site of many struggles by workers for recognition. High above the city, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania built a dam between 1838 and 1853, as part of a cross-state canal system, creating Lake Conemaugh, the reservoir behind the dam. As railroads superseded canal barge transport, the Commonwealth abandoned the canal and sold it to the Pennsylvania Railroad. The dam and lake were part of the purchase, and the railroad sold them to private interests. A group of speculators, from Pittsburgh purchased the abandoned reservoir, modified it, and converted it into a private resort club for some of those that had made their fortunes in local industry. Development included lowering the dam to make its top wide enough to hold a road, and putting a fish screen in the spillway that also trapped debris. These alterations are thought to have increased the vulnerability of the dam. Moreover, a system of relief pipes and valves, a feature of the original dam, previously sold off for scrap, was not replaced, so the club had no way of lowering the water level in the lake in case of an emergency. Floods were almost a yearly event in the Conemaugh valley during the 1880s. On the afternoon of May 30, 1889, following a quiet Memorial Day, it began raining in the valley. The next day May 31, 1889 water filled the streets, and rumors began that a dam holding an artificial lake in the mountains to the northeast might give way. It did, and an estimated 20 million tons of water began spilling into the Conemaugh River valley that led to Johnstown 14 miles away. The destruction in Johnstown occurred in only about 10 minutes. What had been a thriving steel town with homes, churches, saloons, a library, a railroad station, electric street lights, was buried under mud and debris. Out of a population of approximately 30,000 at the time, at least 2,209 people are known to have perished in the disaster. Compounding the disaster and contributing to the death toll was a major fire that burned much of what was left of the city. The flood established the American Red Cross as the pre-eminent emergency relief organization in the United States. Founder Clara Barton, came to Johnstown with 50 doctors and nurses and set up tent hospitals as well as temporary "hotels" for the homeless, and stayed on for five months to coordinate relief efforts. The people of Johnston were resilient and the town came back from the brink. The people never forgot the aid the nation gave to them and when the great Galveston Hurricane hit Texas and killed more th
Sun, May 30, 2021
1879: The real-life inspiration behind "The Wizard of Oz"
On May 30, 1879 the town of Irving, Kansas in the northeastern part of the state was a growing farm community with several hundred residents. Today, though Irving is a ghost town. On May 30, 1879, two tornadoes destroyed most of the town, leaving 19 dead and many more injured. Some residents left Irving, but the town was rebuilt, and new businesses arrived, allowing Irving to regain its prominence as a local agricultural center. During the summer of 1903, the Big Blue River flooded and destroyed homes, crops and bridges. The river threatened to do it again in 1908 but the townspeople were prepared and were able to keep the river within its banks. In 1910 the population was estimated at 403 and boasted "good banking facilities, a weekly newspaper, telegraph and express offices, grade schools, a public library, and churches. After plans for the construction of the Tuttle Creek Dam were announced, the population declined and many businesses, including the post office, closed. The townsite was abandoned in 1960 after the dam was constructed. The town fell victim to the ways of the weather on the great plans and what some would term – progress. Still the town lives on. It turns out that one of those who unfortunately died in the 1879 tornado was a young woman named Dorothy Gale, who was found without her shoes. Passing through the region just after the tornado was traveling salesman-turned-author L. Frank Baum. He would use the story to inspire him to write a book and the name of Dorothy would live on in his famous work, "The Wizard of Oz" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, May 29, 2021
1914: Empress and Storstad ships collide
From 1900 until 1914 almost 100,000 passengers in ocean liners, crossed the Atlantic to Canada, mainly from Great Britain. The main port of entry and embarkation to and from Canada was Quebec City, on the St Lawrence River. Many of the ocean-going passenger ship were huge, not quite rivaling the Titanic, but able to transport almost 1,500 passengers back and forth across the Atlantic. On the morning of May 29, 1914, a thick river fog formed quickly on the surface of the St Lawrence and extending almost 100 feet in the air. River fog can form when the sun heats the air just above the surface of the river all day long. The air near the river becomes much cooler on clear nights especially in the spring because the water is still rather chilly from the winter season, so it condenses into a fog cloud. That happened on the morning of May 29 just as the Ocean Liner, Empress of Ireland steamed on the river. Visibility had rapidly decreased and it was hard to see other river traffic as it headed for the open sea. In short order it was struck another ship The Storstad. In this horrific maritime disaster, over a thousand passengers on route from Quebec to Liverpool were lost in just fifteen minutes—the length of time it took for the ocean liner to sink to the bottom of the Saint Lawrence River. There was a misunderstanding between the two captains about their respective ships’ positioning and direction, leading to the fatal collision. The Storstad hit The Empress of Ireland broadside, tearing a 350 square foot hole in her hull. With water pouring in at 60 gallons per second, the ship sank rapidly. Hundreds of sleeping passengers were trapped, and the second- and third-class passengers had much less of a chance at survival than the first-class passengers, as first class was higher up on the ship. Out of 1,477 passengers, only 465 survived. And out of 138 children that were on board, only four survived. Overshadowed by the breakout of World War I two months later, known as Canada’s Titanic, the tragedy of The Empress was almost swept under the rug. Today, The Empress of Ireland is accessible to divers, at only 130 feet below the surface. It has been visited by those experienced enough to dive in such cold temperatures hundreds of times since the ship’s rediscovery in the mid-1980s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, May 28, 2021
1880: 1' of rain falls in less than 2 hours in Brackettville, TX
Brackettville, the county seat of Kinney County in Texas, is on U.S. Highway 90 twenty-two miles northeast of the Rio Grande and 125 miles west of San Antonio. It is named after Oscar Brackett, who established the first general dry goods store near the site of Forth Clark in 1852. Brackett, as it was called originally, was established on the San Antonio-El Paso Road, and by 1857 its Sargent Hotel and small restaurant were a regular stop for the San Antonio-San Diego stage line. The Texas State Historical Association reports that the community experienced a period of steady growth after the Civil War, attracting cattle rustlers, buffalo hunters and gamblers a true town of the wild west. In 1868 Brackett had ten homes and a population of fifty. It was designated the county seat of Kinney County when the county was established in 1876. Brackettville enjoyed a period of exceptional prosperity during the period by 1878, as nearby Fort Clark swelled with thousands of soldiers. The town grew rapidly, and many businesses, constructed of limestone blocks quarried nearby, were established. The population soared to near 1,500 and seemed on the way to prosperity. But on May 28, 1880 dry air sweeping in from New Mexico met up with moisture streaming out of the Gulf of Mexico. The dynamics of the weather system produced a cloudburst that dumped more than a foot of rain in less than 2 hours devastating the town. Much of the town was rebuilt on higher ground nearby , but it would never be the same again. Despite the population of Texas increasing from 1.5M in 1880 to almost 30M today, 20 times increase, Brackettville’s population remains close to its total from 140 years ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, May 27, 2021
1896: The third most deadly tornado in U.S. history strikes St. Louis
In 1896 St. Louis was listed as the 5th largest city in the United States, trailing only New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and what was then the separate city of Brooklyn. More than half a million people lived there on the banks of the Mississippi River. The morning of May 27, 1896 dawned calm and steamy and belied what was coming that afternoon. One of the greatest natural disasters to strike one of the largest US cities was awaiting residents in the afternoon. In what remains the third most deadly tornado in U.S. history struck St. Louis, on the afternoon of May 27, 1896. According to the National Centers for Environmental Education; shortly before five o’clock that Wednesday afternoon, May 27, the devastating tornado struck the city from the southwest, near the Compton Heights district. From there, the tornado made its way down the Mill Creek Valley, destroying countless homes as it headed toward the Mississippi River. Once the tornado made it to the Mississippi, it decimated the steamboats and other vessels in the harbor, breaking them to pieces and scattering them from the Missouri shore to the Illinois shore. Even the Eads Bridge, which was considered “tornado proof” as the first major bridge constructed by making use of true steel, was damaged by the powerful tornado, with nearly 300 feet of its eastern approach torn away. Much of the central portion of St. Louis was also destroyed, as were factories, saloons, hospitals, mills, railroad yards, and churches throughout the city. Across St. Louis, the tornado completely destroyed block after block of residential housing. Hundreds of miles of electric wires and thousands of telephone and telegraph poles were torn down by the fierce winds. The tornado also uprooted trees more than half a century old and hurled them a distance of several blocks. Heavy iron fences, like the one that surrounded Lafayette Park, were twisted and tangled until they were nearly unrecognizable. During the less than half an hour that the tornado was on the ground, it tracked a three-mile-wide path of destruction across St. Louis, killing 255 people, injuring 1,000, and rendering countless families homeless. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, May 26, 2021
2008: "Pneumonia Front" causes big temperature drops in Chicago
The term Pneumonia front, first coined by Milwaukee Weather Bureau Office in the 1960s, is used to describe a rare meteorological phenomenon observed on the western Lake Michigan shoreline during the warm season. These fronts are defined as lake-modified small scale cold fronts that result in one-hour temperature drops of 16 °F or greater. They do not necessarily have to be large scale, cold fronts to bring weather changes to an entire region. Very often in the spring to early summer the temperature difference between the cold lake waters and the warmer air over land can be as much as 35–40 °F . Under weak prevailing winds, an air current can often develop in the form of a lake breeze that moves from that water to the adjacent shoreline to as much as several miles inland. This "lake-breeze cold front" can drop temperature in places like Chicago, Milwaukee and Green Bay significantly as they cross the area. There has been many a spring day at Wrigley Field that surprises Cub fans who may have travelled from an inland location toward the shore to take in an afternoon game at Wrigley just a few blocks from the lakeshore, only to feel the effects of the "pneumonia front" as that cold blast of air comes through. On May 26, 2008 such a front caused temperatures to drop in Chicago from 72 at 10 pm to 55 an hour later. Winds had gone from light and westerly to northeasterly with gusts up to 40 mph along the lake. Other areas along the lake dropped from the mid 76 to the upper 40s Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 25, 2021
1987: Man fishing in Louisiana gets struck and killed by lightning
The number of people killed by lightning in recent years is a far cry from annual lightning deaths decades ago. In the 1940s, for instance, hundreds of people were killed each year by lightning. In 1943 alone, 432 people died. The sharp drop in lightning deaths over the past 75 years " coincides with a shift in population from rural to urban regions," wrote meteorologist Ronald Holle in an article in the Journal of Applied Meteorology. In the 1940s, "there were many, many more small farmers who were out working in fields," which meant many more chances to be struck by lightning. In addition to better lightning safety awareness and medical advances, all phones were corded decades ago, leading to quite a few deaths due to people speaking on the phone. Additionally, there has been better lightning protection, suppression and grounding in electrical and phone lines. But on May 25, 1987 as a line of heavy thunderstorms crossed Louisiana a group of men fishing in Lake struggled to get to shore out of harm’s way as they approached the shore a man standing in a ski boat was struck and killed by lightning. News reports claim the man had said, "Here I am, come get me" when he was suddenly struck. 4 companions were not injured. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, May 24, 2021
1986: Severe and destructive storm strikes Texas
Another Spring Day and another round of wild weather in the state of Texas. Severe weather is most prevalent in Texas in the Spring and May 24, 1986 was no different, severe thunderstorms blasted the area. Damage was heaviest from just north of Downtown Fort Worth and across the east side of town to southwest of Arlington where a roof collapsed over portions of a bowling alley injuring seven people. Windows were blown in with roof damage at motel across the street. Hail as large as golf balls blew in drifts two feet deep in spots. 3-5“ of rain fell in one hour, flooding many city streets in Arlington. A 29-year-old woman and her 6-year-old daughter drowned in their car, which was found submerged in an underpass. Other reports indicated that more than 3” of rain fell in one hour at Newark in Wise County. 95 mph winds were reported at WBAP Radio, Tarrant County. Baseball size hail fell near Ivan, Stephens County. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, May 23, 2021
1908: Record flooding impacts north and central Texas
By May 23, 1908 4-8" of rain fallen across much of northern and central Texas in the preceding days on already saturated land especially on the upper Trinity and Brazos River Basins. The rise in the rivers continued for several days toward the end of the month. Large crowds of onlookers gathered on bridges all over Texas the view the unusual site of rising rivers. Most times the rivers were almost dry trickles or brief raging white water torrents spurred on by brief cloudbursts from thunderstorms. But the days and days of steady rains in the part of the state brought something unusual in the form of broad rising rivers not seen by most of the growing populace of Texas. Record floods resulted from the rain at Grand Prairie, Dallas and Rosser (38.0'). 3 people drowned in Fort Worth and 8 in Dallas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, May 22, 2021
1933: 600-yd wide tornado destroys town of Liberal, KS
The Dust Bowl was one of the greatest natural disasters to ever befall the United States, it devastated the Great Plains states in the 1930s. It is considered the worst drought to impact North America in 1,000 years. Unsustainable farming practices worsened the drought’s effect, killing the tall grasses that kept the soil in place. When winds blew, they raised enormous clouds of dust. It deposited mounds of dirt on everything, even covering houses. Dust suffocated livestock and caused pneumonia in children. Huge billowing clouds and dust were raised as dry storms ravaged the region. Some of the dust and dirt travelled thousands of miles blackening skies as far away as New York City and Boston. These so call Black Blizzards were usually caused by powerful storms that blew through the region. Most of any rain or snow associated with the storms fell far to the south along the gulf coast or spent itself over the Rockies. Occasionally though, a strong enough system would spawn a squall line of thunderstorms. Because strong winds usually raised clouds and dust ahead of the weather systems, the sky not visible. On one such occasion on May 22, 1933 a line of severe thunderstorms blew through Liberal Kansas. Tornados were imbedded in the storm’s clouds but those in its path were not aware and caught by surprise. In today’s time – warnings would have been issued because of current technology like radar, even if there were dust clouds. But no such early warning system existed then and a powerful tornado hidden in the total darkness of the dust storm moved into the town. The tornado was 600 yards wide at times. The business district of Liberal was devastated. 44 buildings and 165 homes were obliterated. 4 people were killed and 150 hurt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, May 21, 2021
1957: The Ruskin Heights Tornado
The May 1957 tornado outbreak took place across the US Central Plains from May 19 to May 21, 1957. An F5 tornado, the strongest on the tornado intensity scale, on May 21 was the most significant in the outbreak and is known as the the Ruskin Heights Tornado where the area where the worst of the damage occurred, a suburb and housing development south of Kansas City. 57 tornadoes were reported from Colorado to the Mississippi Valley and 59 people were killed during the outbreak. But in the Kansas City area and specifically Ruskin Heights the impact was devastating. The Kansas City Star reported in its story from the next day that “At least 31 persons were reported killed, at least 200 persons were injured and many were made homeless by a tornado which struck the southern part of the metropolitan area shortly after 7pm. Everywhere there were scenes of jumbled debris, death and chaos as rescue workers struggled in the darkness to rescue the injured and maintain some semblance of emergency aid. Observers at the disaster scene in Ruskin Heights said there could be no count of the number killed, missing or injured until daylight. Rescue workers had only flashlights and motor car lights to search through the wreckage. With roads blocked with debris and cars, workers were doing well to get ambulances out of the disaster area. Glenn Rapp, director of the American Red Cross disaster unit in Jackson County, said hospitals in the metropolitan area had reported more than 200 injured, and efforts were being made to compile the names as rapidly as possible. Witnesses told of cowering in what shelter they could find as the winds ripped away houses and buildings. Cars were piled in tangled masses of metal in streets, in parking lots and in used car lots.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, May 20, 2021
1918: Tornadoes strike town for 3 consecutive years
Tornadoes are a weather reality that millions of Americans have learned to live with. Those living in the Midwest and Southeast regions of the United States have come to expect at least a few twisters every year. Depending on the intensity, the path, tornadoes result in varying degrees of damage, and sometimes, most tragically, even in death. According to statistics from NOAA the odds of being killed in a tornado in a given year are 1 in 5,693,092. Only 2% of tornadoes result in the loss of human life. 1 in 1,000 tornadoes documented in the United States are the strongest level, Category 5 tornadoes. While the combined totals of EF4 and EF5 tornadoes make up less than 1% of all tornadoes, together, though, they contribute nearly 70% of all of the deaths caused by tornadoes. Odds focusing on a particular location getting hit by a tornado more than once are hard to come by. Some would argue that the odds never change, that’s it like flipping a coin and each separate weather situation presents the same odds. But don’t talk to the folks in Cordell, Kansas about tornado odds. For 3 consecutive years on May 20, 1916, May 20 1917 and May 20 1918 incredibly a tornado struck the town. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, May 19, 2021
2007: Temperature reaches 115°F in Sibi, Pakistan
Extreme heat can be rather uncomfortable. But what actually happens to the human body as the mercury rises? On humid days, when the air is already saturated with water, sweat evaporates more slowly. This explains why it feels so much hotter in high humidity. When relative humidity reaches a high enough level, the body's natural cooling system simply can't work. Sweat evaporates very slowly, if at all, and the body heats up. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most serious level of this breakdown is heat stroke, and it occurs when the body’s temperature reaches an excess of 104 degrees Fahrenheit. During heat stroke, body functions grind to a halt, the brain shuts down the body’s natural coolant system, perspiration. Without sweat, the body can no longer keep its temperature in check, heat stroke causes the brain to swell, leading to headaches and even seizures in more extreme cases. Victims also experience an altered level of consciousness. The cardiovascular system is affected as well. Heat stroke causes blood pressure to drop and the heart to beat faster and more irregularly, heightening the risk for high-output cardiac failure. Heat-related deaths are one of the deadliest weather-related health outcomes in the world, in the United States an average of 658 people a year die due to extreme heat. AccuWeather’s patented Realfeel temperature is a measure that combines the effect of temperature, humidity and other factors. On May 19, 2007 in Pakistan, severe heat and humidity created deadly RealFeel temperatures. In Sibi, northwest Pakistan, the temperature reached 115 degrees with a dew point of 90; the RealFeel was 150 degrees, one of the highest ever recorded. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, May 18, 2021
1894: Severe storms and wind sinks 9 ships on Lake Michigan
Ever since people have traveled the Great Lakes, storms have sunk ships and taken lives. In fact, the very first recorded sailing vessel on the upper lakes, was lost in 1679. Since that time, massive and historical storms have swept the lakes, most numerous in the month of November. With the coming of modern technology and stronger vessels, fewer such losses have occurred. The large surface of the lakes allows waves to build to giant heights out in the open. Strong winds can cause storm surges that lower lake levels several feet on one side while raising it even higher on the other. The shallowest lake, Lake Erie, sometimes sees storm surge rises of 8 or 10 feet. On May 18, 1894 one such storm and wind event struck the Lakes. On lake Michigan off of Chicago 9 vessels were sunk with an uncounted loss of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, May 17, 2021
1814: Logs in swollen Maine rivers cause destruction
The state of Maine is known for many things, including my favorite, Maine lobsters. But one of the longest running industries in North America, dating back until the early 1600s is logging. The British Royal Navy quickly claimed the best stands of light and strong Eastern White Pine for the masts, spars, and planking for their fast and maneuverable ships. England's competitors, the French, the Dutch, and the Spanish, were left to build from the heavier Baltic Fir. It was Revolutionary War debt which boosted the first large scale harvests. To raise money, Massachusetts sold land to the District of Maine. Logging operations grew in proportion to the national demand for lumber products, which grew in proportion to the expansion of the nation itself over the 19th and well into the 20th centuries. The industry became extensive and complex employing surveyors to identify likely stands of trees, lumbermen to cut timber, teamsters and their draft animals to haul logs, scalers to measure the timber's worth, and river drivers to float logs to the mills. Most trees were felled in the late fall and winter and then floated downstream on Maine’s rivers to ports at the coast. These golden rivers, as they were called, because of their color appearance because of the logs and the money the wood would represent on delivery were covered from bank to bank with floating timber. Most of the time they were controlled by crews working the river. But as they floated downstream in the spring they would sometimes get loose and out of control. The result could be, and often times was disaster as the timber acted like a battering ram destroying anything in its path. On May 17, 1814 after a soggy April and early May the rivers were all swollen and the logs did their work wiping out anything in their path, destroying bridges and docks and any structures near the shore. It would take years to recover. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, May 16, 2021
1874: The Mill River Flood
In 1865, a group of mill owners from the Northampton area of Massachusetts constructed a dam on the Mill River north of the town of Williamsburg, it was constructed by using a design drawn by one of the owners, a man with no training in engineering. The dam was poorly constructed and leaked as soon as it was filled, still it was in place for 9 years. But on May 16, 1874 after several days of heavy rain, the dam completely failed. Almost all off of the water held behind the earthen dam burst out like a wall of water. 139 people died in the towns downstream to the south. The flood destroyed much of the villages of Williamsburg, Skinnerville and Northampton itself. Even though so many died, the death toll might had been much higher, but the dam keeper George Cheney, rode his horse at a gallop to Williamsburg to raise the alarm as the dam began to fail. Other riders took off from Williamsburg and were able to warn residents in towns to the south. Despite an inquest and the negligence of the mill owners, no one was punished for the disaster. Even today, people still visit the site of the tragedy by hiking on a public trail to the former site of the Williamsburg Reservoir. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, May 15, 2021
1968: Five tornadoes strike Iowa
During the late afternoon and early evening of May 15, 1968, five tornadoes, two F1s, one F2, and two F5s occurred in Iowa. These tornadoes were part of the May 15-16, 1968 outbreak with a total of 39 tornadoes which affected ten states; Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee. The tornadoes in Iowa caused 18 fatalities and 619 injuries of which 450 occurred in Charles City alone. The huge tornado, approximately a half mile wide passed directly through Charles City from south to north. The tornado destroyed, 372 homes and 58 businesses, 188 homes and 90 businesses sustained major damage, and 356 homes and 46 businesses sustained minor damage. Eight churches, 3 schools were damaged or destroyed, the police station was heavily damaged, and 1,250 vehicles were destroyed. About 60 percent of the city was damaged by the tornado. The, Iowa Governor requested federal assistance to repair damage to public facilities resulting from the and on May 29, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared the state of Iowa as a disaster area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, May 14, 2021
1834: Late-season storm brings snow from Ohio to New England
Late season snowstorms, like those in the autumn can cause havoc in a different way than those in the middle of winter. Many trees in both seasons are in full or partial leaf, as are bushes and other shrubby. In the middle of winter, snow’s greatest impact is on the inability to travel due to impassible roads or severe drifting that blocks doorways and even makes walking difficult. In the fall and spring, because of more sunlight it is hard for the snow to accumulate on the warmer streets and sidewalks so that usually isn’t much of a problem. The bigger issue is falling tree limbs caused by the weight of the snow on those limbs as the snow plasters itself on all those leaves. In modern times those limbs not only are hazardous to those that might be walking underneath them but they also take down powerlines. It is a rare storm in the late spring that combines both. This usually happens when the snow falls so hard and fast it piles up on everything. One such a storm happened on May 14, 1834. A Northeast coastal storm spread snow from Ohio to New England. 6" fell at Erie, 10" at Bradford, 4" at Rochester, 12" at Burlington, VT. Marshfield, in Washington County northeast of Montpelier, picked up more than 2 feet and Haverhill, NH had 36" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, May 13, 2021
1930: One of the few hail deaths in the US occurs
Hailstorms are notorious for inflicting costly damage upon property and crops every year in the United States. Annually, the destruction from these frozen rain pellets that travel dozens of miles per hour through the atmosphere results in $1 billion in damage, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration – NOAA. Hail also poses a safety threat to both humans and animals. NOAA estimates that 24 people in the U.S. are injured each year, with some injuries significant enough to land them in the hospital. In May , 1995, severe storms brewing over the Dallas-Fort Worth metro-plex in Texas produced damaging winds, heavy rain and extremely large hail. The storms, which remain some of the costliest in history, also impacted an outdoor festival called Mayfest, where over 10,000 people were caught out in the open with little to no shelter from the hail. More than 400 people were hurt after being pelted with hail up to the size of a softball. Although no one was killed, about 60 people were seriously injured. “What injuries we do see are to people who are out in the open, like farmers, golfers, landscapers – anyone that’s doing outside work that doesn’t have any means to find shelter right away in a storm,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski. However, how likely is it that a hailstorm can actually kill you? The odds are low, but it can happen, experts say. The World Meteorological Organization reported that the highest mortality associated with a hailstorm happened in India, on April 30, 1888. The deadly storm killed 246 people with pieces of hail as large as “goose eggs, oranges and cricket balls.” In the U.S., hailstorms resulting in loss of human life are quite rare. “Hail has to be really large to cause serious injury to people, or even death,” Kottlowski said. But on May 13, 1930 one of the few deaths by hail in the US. 36 miles NW of Lubbock, TX a farmer was caught in an open field and he died from his hail caused injuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, May 12, 2021
1934: Massive dust storm strikes Eastern US cities
Newspapers and radio stations East of the Mississippi on the morning of May 12, 1934 carried ominous messages and headlines of a thickening black cloud of chocking dust and dirt moving out of the Great Plains states. The cloud would envelope the Mid-west and then Eastern states on May 12, turning mid-day sunlight into an eerie darkness, that seemed like night in many major cities. What happened? Actually, the causes can be traced back decades. Favorable weather conditions in the from 1900 to the 1920s with significant rainfall and relatively moderate winters, encouraged increased population and farming in the Great Plains. But the region entered an unusually dry period in the summer of 1930. During the next decade, the Northern Plains suffered four of their driest years in almost 100 years. When this severe drought hit the Great Plains region in the 1930s, it resulted in erosion and loss of topsoil because of farming practices at the time. The drought dried the topsoil and over time it became reduced to a powdery consistency. Native high grasses that held the soil in place had been plowed under to make room for expanding crop lands, so when high winds that occur on the plains picked up the topsoil massive dust clouds and dust storms occurred, giving rise to the term Dust Bowl. The continuous dry weather caused crops to fail, leaving the plowed fields exposed to wind erosion. The fine soil of the Great Plains was easily picked up and carried east by strong winds. In November 1933, a very strong dust storm stripped topsoil from South Dakota farmlands in just one of a series of severe dust storms that year. But beginning on May 9, 1934, a strong, several days dust storm removed massive amounts of Great Plans soil in one perhaps the worst storm of the Dust Bowl. The dust clouds first blew all the way to Chicago, where they deposited 12 million pounds of dust. By May 12, 1934, the same storm reached cities to the east, such as Cleveland, Buffalo, Boston, New York City and Washington, D. C. turning day to night and chocking millions of people as dirt all the way from the plains states was deposited more than 1000 miles away on the streets and in the homes of major cities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, May 11, 2021
2003: Record tornado outbreak impacts 25 US states
The first week of May in 2003 had one of the worst tornado outbreaks on record in the United States reports indicate that 384 tornadoes occurred in 25 states, causing 42 deaths with at least 23 tornadoes on each day. Hardest hit were Missouri, where tornadoes occurred on 6 of the 7 days and 19 died; and Tennessee, where tornadoes occurred on 5 days and 11 died during the week-long outbreak that ended on May 11, 2003. The outbreak was so important that an entire paper was published on it in the American Meteorological Society magazine. There were also an incredible 723 wind reports and 1,782 hail reports that week! Oklahoma City suffered multiple twisters... from the National Weather Service report: "One day after and F4 tornado struct the southern Oklahoma City metropolitan area on May 8, 2003, a single supercell thunderstorm produced ten tornadoes in central Oklahoma, including one F3 and three F1 tornadoes in the northern Oklahoma City metropolitan area." A total of six F4 tornadoes struck during the week, including one around Kansas City and another near Memphis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, May 10, 2021
1889: Destructive tornado touches down in Reading, PA
May of 1889 was particularly warm and humid across the eastern United States. The jet-stream that steers weather system had lifted far north into Canada and air from the steam Gulf of Mexico has surged northward into the void. By May 9th chilly weather has re-established itself across the mid-west and was heading eastward as the jet stream dipped southward to push the chilly weather along. As the cold front marking the leading edge of the change moved into the east on the afternoon of May10, 1889 a rash of violent thunderstorms erupted and brought extensive damage to a corridor in Pennsylvania through Williamsport, Shamokin, Pottsville, Reading, Pottstown, Philadelphia and to Atlantic City, New Jersey. A tornado cut a large swath through Berks County, including the city of Reading, which was the second twister to cut through the city that year. The damage was very extensive and at least of par with that of major midwestern tornadoes. Dozens narrowly escaped death. Visibility lowered to less than 10 feet at times in blinding, wind-driven rain. Temperatures reached the mid to upper 90's before the storm hit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, May 09, 2021
1977: Powerful snowstorm strikes Northeast
One of the most powerful May snowstorms to strike the Northeast hit on May 9, 1977. 13" fell at Gardiner, MA; 12.7" at Worchester, MA; 1/2 million people lost power. Officially 1/2" in Boston, but thunderstorms with snow in the suburbs dumped 10" in the Wellesley area. A foot of snow fell at Foster, RI. Bare grass did not reappear in Wellesley, MA until the afternoon of the 11th and it was the heaviest snow of the entire winter there...all the plows were activated although in many cases the plows had already been removed for the season from the trucks...schools were closed in the western suburbs of Boston, it was the latest school "snow day" ever...because of the convective nature of the storm, like hit and miss thunderstorms in the summer, some weird local variations occurred...with one town getting almost a foot of snow while just 5 miles away only a couple of inches fell. Vivid lightning accompanied the snowfall in many communities. Slide Mountain, NY had 27". Heavy snow also covered parts of New York. Cooperstown picked up 12.7" and in Connecticut 20" fell at Norfolk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, May 08, 2021
1360: Massive storms impact the outcome of the Hundred Years War
The Hundred Years War between England and France began in 1337; by 1359, King Edward III of England led a huge army across the English Channel to France. The French did not engage in any pitched battles and mainly stayed behind protective walls of towns and cities. Meanwhile Edward conquered the countryside. In April 1360, Edward’s forces reached the Paris suburbs and began to move toward Chartres and its famous cathedral. While they were camped outside the town, now a suburb of Paris, in early May, a sudden storm hit. Lightning struck, killing a number of people, then large hailstones began falling hitting the soldiers. Two of the English generals were killed and panic set in among the troops, who had no shelter from the storm. Heavy losses were suffered by the English with more than 1000 estimated dead in the stampede caused by the storm. Some said it was a sign from God. King Edward of England was convinced to negotiate peace with the French. On May 8, 1360, a treaty was signed, marking the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years’ War. Edward agreed to renounce all claims to the throne of France. The hail storm and thunderstorms that produced the treaty were a direct line in the signing of the treaty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, May 07, 2021
1840: Deadly tornado strikes Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez, Mississippi was a bustling and booming river town hard against the Mississippi River in 1840, it was 20 years after Mississippi joined the union and 20 years before the Civil War. But on May 7, 1840 the second deadliest tornado in U S history struck the city. A large and powerful tornado went right through the center of town, flattening most of the buildings. But even worse was the damage on the Mississippi River, which was filled with boats, including 120 flatboats and steamboats carrying people and goods along the main transport system in the part of the nation – the Mississippi River. The powerful tornado wrecked many boats at the Natchez Landing in Mississippi as well and then plowed through the city. The tornado killed 317 people and injured 109 others. The only storm on record this destructive to kill more than it injured. Many bodies were never found. The storm is still as of May 7, 2021, the second deadliest tornado on record. The actual death toll could be higher as enslaved persons were not counted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, May 06, 2021
1937: The Hindenburg Disaster
The airship Hindenburg, the largest dirigible ever built and the pride of Nazi Germany, bursts into flames upon touching its mooring mast in Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 36 passengers and crewmembers on May 6, 1937. After opening its 1937 season by completing a single round-trip passage to, Brazil, in late March, the Hindenburg departed from, Germany, on the evening of May 3, on the first of 10 planned round trips between Europe and the United States that were scheduled for its second year of commercial service. Except for strong headwinds that slowed its progress, the Atlantic crossing of the Hindenburg was otherwise uneventful. Although carrying only half its full capacity of passengers and crew for the flight, the Hindenburg was fully booked for its return flight. The airship was hours behind schedule when it passed over Boston on the morning of May 6, and its landing at Lakehurst was expected to be further delayed because of afternoon thunderstorms. Advised of the poor weather conditions at Lakehurst, the Captain charted a course over New York City, causing a public spectacle as people rushed out into the street to catch sight of the airship. After finally being notified at 6:22 p.m. that the storms had passed, the airship headed back to Lakehurst to make its landing almost half a day late. At the time of the disaster, sabotage was commonly put forward as the cause of the fire, but in order to make up for the delay of more than 12 hours in its transatlantic flight, the Hindenburg passed through thunderstorms with high humidity and high electrical charge. Although the mooring lines were not wet when they first hit the ground and ignition took place four minutes after, it was theorized that the lines may have become wet in these four minutes. When the ropes, which were connected to the frame, became wet, they would have grounded the frame but not the skin. This would have caused a sudden potential difference between skin and frame and would have set off an electrical discharge – a spark. Seeking the quickest way to ground, the spark would have jumped from the skin onto the metal framework, igniting the leaking hydrogen, causing the explosion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, May 05, 2021
1761: 5" of snow falls in Ashford, CT
The office of the Town Clerk is the repository for the maintenance and safekeeping of records for the Town of Ashford, Conn. The Town reports that housed in the fire-proof vault in the office of the Town Clerk are all land records, Town Meeting minutes, Town Ordinances, birth/marriage/civil union/death records, land surveys, election records, trade names, liquor permits, contracts, town reports, veterans discharge filings, Town board/commission/agency agendas and minutes, listings of Notaries Public, Justices of the Peace, election records, and other historical documents. Just about everything and anything you can think of. In addition to maintaining records, the Town Clerk’s Office is the place to go for absentee ballots, copies of vital records, dog licenses, marriage licenses, voter registration forms. The Town of Ashford is not unique to New England, for centuries the Town Clerks at these hamlets great and small have dutifully recorded, not just those official papers I reported on, but other significant events. They have told the story of America, it so happens that on May 5, 1761, Ebenser Byles, Town Clerk of Ashford reported that 5" of snow fell and that it was, and I quote from his official record "A very stormy day of snow, an awful sight, the trees green and the ground white. The trees in a blow and the fields covered with snow" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, May 04, 2021
1774: 4" of snow falls in Germantown, Philadelphia
The neighborhood of Germantown in Philadelphia sits at a higher elevation than most of the rest of the city. From 250-300 feet above sea level the temperature can average a degree or two colder than the city below. During weather situations that are borderline between rain and snow, often times much of the City of Philadelphia will have a slushy mixture of rain and snow, while only wet snow falls in Germantown and its adjacent elevated neighborhood of Chestnut Hill; sometimes depositing a couple inches of snow. On May 4, 1774 Germantown was a not part of the City of Philadelphia yet, it was a prosperous town of hundreds living in long established stone houses. Germantown was founded in 1683 and awaited its fate as the location of one of the most important battles of the Revolutionary War in 1777. But on May 4, 1774 as a strong storm surged up the Atlantic seaboard, temperatures held just near freezing, and while rain fell in the City of Philadelphia below 4” of heavy wet snow blanketed Germantown in one of the latest snowfalls on record in the region, before or since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, May 03, 2021
1978: 11" of rain falls on "Sun Day" in New Orleans
Most of New Orleans, Louisiana is below the flowing water level of the Mississippi River, that also means that the city is below sea level and so both the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Pontchartrain surfaces are also above the ground level of the city. Because of that, the city does not have a natural drainage for rainwater, so pumps are required to remove rainwater from the region. On May 3, 1979 the pumping drainage system had been in operation since 1900. That system was designed to handle one inch of rain per hour for the first three hours, and one-half inch per hour thereafter. Any rainfall in excess of this limit resulted in drainage slowdown and flooding, often times during extensive thunderstorm cloudbursts or tropical systems and Hurricanes the capacity to pump out the water simply was not effective. May 3, 1978 was proclaimed 'Sun Day.' All across the United States, celebrations were planned to pay tribute to the power and potential of solar energy. No celebration occurred in New Orleans, the sun was not visible all day, in fact heavy rains fell most of the day. Almost 11” of rain fell, more and 8” of that from 8am until noon. It was more than the drainage system could handle, actually more than twice its capacity. There was severe property damage, as much of the city sat in more than 5 feet of water as a result of the heavy rains and the failure of the pumping system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, May 02, 2021
2009: Storm collapses roof of Dallas Cowboys' practice facility
Twelve people were hospitalized Saturday May 2, 2009 after the roof of the Dallas Cowboys' indoor practice facility in Frisco, Texas collapsed during a thunderstorm. The giant blue star atop the building lay crumpled on the ground. The storm knocked out power at team headquarters and splintered trees across the property. The roof was a large air- and tension-supported canopy with aluminum frames covering a regulation 100-yard football field. Approximately 70 players, coaches, staff and media were reported inside. Some of the injuries were serious, but none were considered life-threatening. Based on the national standards for determining loads and for designing structural steel buildings, the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology researchers studying the Cowboys facility found that the May 2 wind load demands on the building's framework—a series of identical, rib-like steel frames supporting a tensioned fabric covering—were greater than the capacity of the frame to resist those loads. The researchers determined that, at the time of collapse, the wind was blowing predominantly from west to east, perpendicular to the long side of the building. Maximum wind speed gusts at the time of collapse were estimated to be in the range of 55 to 65 miles per hour—well below the design wind speed of 90 miles per hour in the national standard for wind loads. The NIST report recommended building owners, operators and designers inspect all fabric-covered, steel-frame structures, evaluating them to ensure they are designed to handle appropriate wind loads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, May 01, 2021
1854: 90 consecutive hours of rain falls in New England
The winter of 1853-1854 had been a particularly snowy one across the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. Not record breaking, but it was a cold winter and the snows that fell during the winter months didn’t melt much. The cold lingered into April and so did the snow on the ground. The weather pattern broke as the month ended, winds in the high atmosphere turned from the northwest to out of the south and ushered in warm air that had been building across the Gulf states in the early spring. At the same time copious volumes of moisture were carried along in the current of air from the Gulf of Mexico and the result was an unceasing rain that developed all across New England. Along with a soaking rain and soaring temperatures cloudbursts imbedded in thunderstorms brought hour after hour of rain. By the time the rain ended on May 1, 1854 it had been raining for 90 consecutive hours. Rainfall totaled more than 5” in Worchester, Mass and more than 7 ½ inches in Southwick, Mass, a general 3-5” rainfall fell from Philadelphia all the way to Maine. The rain coupled with the warm snow melting temperatures produced record flooding all across New England. The greatest crest on the Connecticut River was at Hartford where the river reached almost 29’ above flood stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, April 30, 2021
1887: Massive flooding at China's Yellow River
The Huang He (Wang He) or Yellow River is one of the longest rivers in China, at 3,398 miles, it loops northward from the mountains in western China, then flows east, each year bringing 1.6 billion tons of fine-grained silt from the mountains to the huge flat basin of the north China plains. That rich laden dirt and silt makes the region one of the most fertile in the world, it is China’s breadbasket. The silt nourishes and replenishes the land. The Yellow River gets its name from its rich, fine-ground, golden mud. Unfortunately for the farmers, the only way the river can spread its fertilization is by flooding the fields; and the Yellow River has flooded a recorded 1,593 times in the last four thousand years, with catastrophic effects. The worst flooding occurred in 1887. For decades leading up to 1887 dikes and embankments had been built along the river to control its flooding and provide irrigation for crops. In some places, because of those levees, the river was flowing more than 20 feet higher than the surrounding countryside – a breech in the system was all that was needed for disaster. An usually snowy winter and a wet mild spring led to massive snowmelt in the mountains and heavy rains contributed more water. On April 30, 1887 the first of several massive floods erupted as the river could no longer be contained. Flooding continued off and on all summer. The flooding led to the greatest weather disaster in human history. More than 900,000 perished in the initial rounds of flooding close to the river with another estimated 1.3 million drowned from flooding away from the river as the floodwaters spread out all across northern China. A further estimated three to four million died from flood-related, waterborne diseases, with a thick deposit of muddy silt 8 ft deep, the most fertile fields in China were a desert which had to be cleared by bare hands and wheelbarrows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, April 29, 2021
1991: Tropical storm surge floods Bangladesh
On April 22, 1991 an area of tropical thunderstorms began to organize in the Bay of Bengal it would grow to become one of the deadliest tropical cyclones ever recorded. The storm hit, one of the most populated areas in Bangladesh. An estimated 200,000 people were killed by the storm, as many as 10 million people lost their homes, and overall property damage was in the billions of dollars. Once the weather system organized it began moving north. By April 24 the storm was designated Tropical Storm 02B, and by April 28 it was a tropical cyclone, or as they are known in the western hemisphere, a hurricane. One day later on April 29 the storm hit, with winds of up to 150 miles per hour. The damage was immediate, as a storm surge as high as 15 feet engulfed the flat, coastal plans of southeastern Bangladesh. The surge washed away entire villages and swamped farms, destroying crops and spreading fears of widespread hunger as well as economic woes. As a result of a storm in 1970, a few storm shelters had been built, but they were not enough. Though in 1991 some were saved by the shelters, many people had doubted warnings of the storm. Since the 1991 storm, the Bangladesh government has built thousands of elevated shelters in coastal areas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, April 28, 2021
1992: "Grapefruit-sized" hail devastates parts of Texas
1992: A hailstone begins as a water droplet that is swept up by an updraft inside of a thundercloud. Inside the cloud, there are a large number of other supercooled water droplets already present. These supercooled particles will adhere to the water droplet’s surface, forming layers of ice around it. The size the hailstone reaches depends on the amount of time it spends surrounded by supercooled water droplets, but eventually gravity causes the stone to fall to the Earth. As gravity takes over, they will fall to Earth at approximately 106 miles per hour. The exact velocity each stone falls at will vary depending on several conditions, such as weight, air friction and collisions with other suspended objects. The evening of April 28, 1992, brought with it one of the most devastating hailstorms of all time, pummeling two areas approximately 100 miles apart. For nearly five hours, residents between Waco to Fort Worth braced as hailstones the size of grapefruits 4.5 in. diameter smashed windows and decimated roofs. The worst damage was reported across Ellis, Dallas, and Tarrant counties. More than 600 pets and wild animals were killed. Damage was estimated at $750Million or almost $1.5Billion in 2020 dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, April 27, 2021
2004: Temperatures soar all across Southern California smashing records
Santa Ana Winds occur when air from an area of high pressure over the dry, desert region of the southwestern U.S. flows westward in its clockwise circulation toward the California coast. This creates dry winds that flow east to west through the mountain passages in Southern California. These winds are most common during the cooler months of the year, occurring from September through May. Santa Ana winds typically feel warm or even hot because as the cool desert air moves down the side of the mountain, it is compressed, and that causes the temperature of the air to rise at the rate of more than 5 degrees for every thousand feet in descends. These strong winds can cause major property damage. They also increase wildfire risk because of the dryness of the winds and the speed at which they can spread flames across the landscape. The winds can produce uncommon heat. On April 27, 2004 a strong Santa Ana developed causing temperatures to soar all across Southern California smashing records by more than 10 degrees in some places. Ontario, California, near Los Angles reached 100 degrees breaking the old record of 90, Riverside reached 101, the mercury at the beaches reached closed to 90. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, April 26, 2021
1986: Chernobyl - Russia nuclear disaster
The Chernobyl, Russia nuclear disaster was the worst nuclear disaster in history and occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Plant. A catastrophic eruption ripped through the power plant on April 26, 1986, spewing radioactive particles into the sky. The deadly blast was caused by the explosion of the RBMK reactor number 4, a result of human error and fualty equipment. More than 50,000 people from the nearby town of Pripyat were evacuated following the blast. But plumes of deadly radioactive matter were sent high into the atmosphere as the uranium core lay exposed in the days that followed. The particles were swept across Europe by winds. Officials in Sweden, almost 700 miles away were alerted of radiation levels within their atmosphere within 48 hours of the explosion. Soviet authorities initially denied the claims anything happened but were forced to reveal the mistake as the scale of the accident unfolded. The initial impacted areas were Ukraine, Belarus and western Russia, with some areas contaminated indefinitely and to this day are still wastelands. The World Nuclear Association said: “Most of the released material was deposited close by as dust and debris, but the lighter material was carried by the wind over Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and to some extent over Scandinavia and Europe. ”The weather was a big factor as rains and snow were responsible for bringing radiation down to the ground, where it would penetrate into the Earth. The World Health Organization says an estimated 7,722 square miles of land in Europe was affected by radiation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, April 25, 2021
1982: Lightning strike leads to 50% of a town’s water supply being lost
Most lightning strikes occur from cloud to cloud – but about 20% go from clouds to the ground. Lightening striking the ground has caused problems with pipes and water supplies.. Some people have also experienced cloudy or discolored water after a lightning storm. Due to the strike, the vibration into the earth can shake a ground water well causing any built-up minerals to fall into the water supply. When lightning strikes near a home or other structure, sending electricity shooting through the ground, the electricity, which prefers to flow through metal rather than dirt, seeks out any buried copper pipes or the home's grounding rod. Building codes require the metal grounding rod to be connected to a home's wiring and pipes. Electricity moves through the pipes until it hits a dead end, such as when the copper pipe meets a plastic service line or some other nonmetallic fitting. Lightening has also coursed through the ground and impacted tree roots and pipes close to those roots. On April 25, 1982 in Lexington, Alabama lightning struck a tree, then reached through its roots to a PVC pipe holding drinking water. Almost 50% of the town’s water supply was lost before the pipe could be repaired. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, April 24, 2021
1993: Large tornado hits Interstate 44
A large tornado slammed into a section of I-44 east of Tulsa during the early evening hours of April 24, 1993. The Washington Post reported that the storm blew cars and trucks off the interstate highway and damaged dozens of homes that evening, killing at least 10 people, injuring at least 50 and leaving hundreds homeless. "This was not a storm that stayed down and then went back up. It stayed down for several minutes and totaled the area," said Jerry Griffin, an inspector for the Tulsa County Sheriff's Department. That area was about a mile wide and two miles long, he said. At least 80 mobile homes were demolished at a trailer park in a Tulsa suburb. Two major truck stops on Interstate 44 were scattered piles of rubble. Sheets of metal were wrapped around whatever poles were left standing. Families who escaped from their vehicles at one truck stop walked around dazed, clinging to pillows, blankets and other possessions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, April 23, 2021
2013: Latest measurable snowfall on record in Wichita, Kansas
April 23, 2013 was more than a month deep into the Spring, but Old Man winter wasn’t quite done with depositing a new round of cold weather into the Great Plains. The weather during the middle of April in the mid-section of America had been mild, field work had already gotten underway. But far to the north across the arctic lands of Canada cold weather had been building for more than week. At the start of the third week of April it was unleashed southward, bringing a cold wave more typical of mid-winter. On April 23, 2013 all across Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota the mercury plunged into the single digits. Reaching down to 1 above at Big Sky Montana, 8 at Huron SD and 9 in Lander Wyoming. In Wichita, Kansas 0.2” of snow fell. This marked the latest measurable snowfall on record. The old record for the latest measurable snow was set 95 years earlier on April 20, 1918. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, April 22, 2021
1980: Temperature reaches 100°F in Waterloo, Iowa
1980 brought the United States one of the worst heat waves in its history. The intense heat and drought wreaked havoc on much of the Midwestern states and Southern plains throughout the summer of 1980. It is among the most devastating natural disasters in terms of deaths and destruction in U.S. history, claiming at least 1,700 lives and because of the massive drought, agricultural damage reached $20 billion or almost $65 billion in 2021 dollars. It is among the billion-dollar weather disasters listed by the US government. The heat wave began in June when a strong high-pressure area began to build in the central and southern United States allowing temperatures to soar to 90 degrees almost every day from June to September. The high-pressure system also acted as a cap on the atmosphere, stopping the development of thunderstorms, leading to exceptionally severe drought conditions. The heat wave broke only when the decaying Hurricane Allen disrupted the weather pattern. In some areas the spring got a jump start on what was to come. On April 22, 1980. The mercury reached 100 degrees in Waterloo, Iowa the highest temperature ever recorded in the state of Iowa in the month of April. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, April 21, 2021
1963: Rare "dust devil" strikes Reading, PA
Dust devils, are small, brief whirlwinds occurring most frequently in the early afternoon when a land surface is heating rapidly. Dust devils are occasionally made visible by the lofting of dust, leaves, or other loose matter from the ground. Dust devils form when a pocket of hot air near the ground rises quickly through cooler air above it, forming an updraft. If conditions are just right, the updraft may begin to rotate. As the air rapidly rises, the column of hot air is stretched vertically, which causes intensification of the spinning effect. Most dust devils are usually small and weak, often less than 3 feet in diameter with strongest winds averaging about 45 miles per hour, and they often dissipate less than a minute after forming. On rare occasions, a dust devil can grow very large and intense, sometimes reaching a diameter of up to 300 feet with winds in excess of 60 mph and can last for upwards of 20 minutes before dissipating. Dust devils typically do not cause injuries, but rare, severe dust devils have caused damage they typically occur in dry, arid areas with the most common being Arizona, New Mexico, Eastern California. But on April 21, 1963, the combination of prolonged dry weather along the eastern seaboard and strong southerly winds transporting hot weather from the southern United states resulted in a dust devil in Reading, Pennsylvania. The giant dust devil extended up to half a mile high, tore bricks from the side of a school, uprooted trees and downed power lines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, April 20, 2021
1982: Violent thunderstorms produce baseball-sized hail
Strong temperature contrasts and violent weather outcomes in the springtime in the United States are generally unique in the world. Vast flatlands that start as in the great coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana gently roll northwest from there into the Great Plains on the central United States and extend up into Canada. Weather systems can traverse the region unencumbered by mountains or large bodies of water. In the spring cold air is still left over from the departing winter, lurking in northwest Canada in the Yukon. Meanwhile heat from the coming summer is building across Mexico and even Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. When strong winds in the high atmosphere pick up speed and start to bend in great wave patterns and the heat is drawn northward and cold southward in a great dance and battel between the competing seasons. The result of this clash often manifests itself in wild and extreme weather. On April 20, 1982 such a setup became established. In the warm sector violent thunderstorms erupted. At Richland in central Mississippi, strong thunderstorm winds blew over trailers. In Central Texas, baseball sized hail fell at Burnett and hail the size of grapefruits pounded Cedar Park. As much as 4" of rain fell over northern Louisiana and northeast Texas, and flooding occurred around Nacogdoches, TX. A tornado touched down at Lake Travis to the west of Austin, TX. Tornadoes were sighted around Lake Charles, LA near and near Moss Bluff. Meanwhile in the cold sector Northwestern Wisconsin was covered by more than a foot of snow. Weyerhaeuser, WI received 16”, with 15” at Barron. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, April 19, 2021
1775: Paul Revere's Ride - Part II
In the early morning hours of April 19, 1775, Paul Revere was making a mad dash through Middlesex County just west of Boston. He was trying to avoid British patrols but was stopped by one briefly before making his getaway, the roads were soft and muddy from the heavy rains of the previous day and he was able to elude his captors. It was not last time the weather would play a part in that fateful day. Revere galloped from town to town, from farm to farm to warn that the British regulars were coming to seize the stores of powder and shot local militias had been hiding to defend themselves from British tyranny. Rouse them he did. As the author Rick Atkinson states in his book “The British Are Coming”, and I quote. “Across the colony, in an image that would endure for centuries, solemn men grabbed their firelocks and stalked off in search of danger” The British left Boston and rowed across the Harbor to Charlestown and started the march to Lexington. There in Lexington, they encountered a band of local militia and when the patriots assembled refused orders to disperse the British fired. The colonials were routed. The British then marched on to Concord, where thousands of militia from all over New England had gathered, warned by Revere and other riders. The British found themselves out gunned and outflanked. The first pitched battle of the revolution turned into the colonial victory. The British had planned to bring about their small cannon with them to teach the rebels a lesson. That ordnance would have come in handy that day. But the roads were still soft and muddy on April 19, 1775. Even though the sun was out, it was a chilly Spring day because the cold front that had brought that rain the day before. The canons got stuck in the mud on the road from Boston and had to be left behind. The battle perhaps turned on the muddy road and the rainy weather from the day before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, April 18, 2021
1775: Paul Revere's Ride - Part I
Revere’s task was to ride through the countryside and call out the country-folk to arms to resist British tyranny. As the poem said, Revere was across Boston Harbor in Charlestown to watch the steeple of the old north church in Boston to see if the British were going to march out of Boston on land or take boats across the harbor and through Charlestown. It would warn the local militia’s which route the British would take. If one lantern was hung, then they would march over land, but two would signal the water and across the harbor. Most of April 18, 1775 was cloudy and rainy in Boston, the visibility was not good. Revere was concerned that he wouldn’t be able to see “Old North” as it was known. But late in the evening a cold front moved across the region, and by the time of the signal, the weather cleared and the visibility was excellent. Revere saw the two lanterns clearly across on the opposite shore and rode into history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, April 17, 2021
1821: 12" of snow blankets Boston
Boston, Massachusetts averages just under 2” of snow for the month of April. Given is proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the warming effects of the water, big snowstorms in April are uncommon – but not rare. On April 17, 1821 such an uncommon event occurred as a strong storm system slowly lumbered up the eastern seaboard. Cold air held sway over New England, the storm swung northward but was far enough out to sea to prevent the warming effects of a flow of air off the ocean. The big counter-clockwise swirl of winds around the system blew from the north northeast and off the land enforcing cold air from eastern Canada rather than an east flow off the warmer ocean. The result was a foot of snow and the snowstorm prevent the Legislature from opening for several days. The storm also brought 3” of snow in New York City and 16” to Worcester, Massachusetts. Interestingly the 12” of snow in Boston is not the most snow there from a single storm in April, that record belongs to April 1, 1997 when more than 25” blanketed Beantown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, April 16, 2021
1856: "The Lighthouse Storm"
On April 16th, 1851, a strong nor'easter smashed into Cape Cod, and brought the highest waters ever seen in that area up to that the time, easily besting the high tides of 1723. The system went into the history books as "The Lighthouse Storm.” Heavy gales and high seas pounded the coasts of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The storm arrived at the time of a full moon, and the high tide was already well above what would be termed normal for the coast. That evening, the newly-constructed Minot's Ledge Lighthouse was destroyed by this massive storm. The storm weakened the tower's iron support piles, causing them to collapse and topple into the ocean off the coast. The lighthouse keeper, had been away in Boston when the storm struck. Onlookers on April 17 could only see the bent iron pilings where the lighthouse once stood. The two assistant lighthouse keepers, bravely kept the lighthouse lamp burning as late as 10:00 PM on the night of April 16th to warn ships of the nearby rocks just before they were swept away in the storm’s massive waves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, April 15, 2021
1912: The Sinking of the RMS Titanic
The ship struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. Sunday, April 14. While the seas were relatively calm, that NW flow of air behind the front end actually steered a giant ice field towards the ship that night. The ship hit the iceberg that has been estimated as possibly weighing up to 300,000 tons, and the ship’s hull was torn open. It then took less than three hours from that point on for the Titanic to sink. The temperature of the water was estimated to be as low as 28 degrees – even lower than the conventional 32-degree freezing point as salt helped to lower its freezing point. Even though many people went into the water and survived the initial crash and sinking, the extremely cold-water temperature caused almost all in the water to suffer hypothermia and die quickly. Just hours before the wind has been west and the coldest water had not been pushed around the great ship. The water temperature may have been as high as 50 which would have allowed people to survive much longer in the water. At 2:20am on April 15, 1912 the Titanic slipped below the water. The unimaginable had happened, the unsinkable ship went to the deep. Faith in the promise of technology and science was shaken. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, April 14, 2021
1986: World's heaviest hailstone falls in Bangladesh
The National Weather Service reports that Hail is a form of precipitation consisting of solid ice that forms inside thunderstorm updrafts. Hail can damage aircraft, homes and cars, and can be deadly to livestock and people. Hailstones are formed when raindrops are carried upward by thunderstorm updrafts into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere and freeze. Hailstones then grow by colliding with liquid water drops that freeze onto the hailstone’s surface. Hail falls when it becomes heavy enough to overcome the strength of the thunderstorm updraft and is pulled toward the earth by gravity. Although Florida has the most thunderstorms, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming usually have the most hailstorms. The area where these three states meet – “hail alley” – averages seven to nine hail days per year. Other parts of the world that have damaging hailstorms include China, Russia, India, Bangladesh and northern Italy. The largest hailstone recovered in the United States fell in Vivian, South Dakota, with a weight of 1 lb. 15 oz. But the world’s heaviest hailstone fell on April 14, 1986 in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. It likely fell to the ground at 90 mph and it weighed 2.25 lbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, April 13, 2021
1981: Person killed from lightning while talking on the phone
The New York Times reports that chatting on the telephone connected to a land-line during a thunderstorm can electrocute you, it is no urban legend. A bolt of lightning that strikes a telephone line can cause an electrical surge to shoot through the wires and enter a handset. The odds of this are relatively small, and most phone companies have protective measures in place. Still, the risk exists, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommends that people avoid using telephones and other appliances during electrical storms. Cases of customers' being jolted while on the phone in a storm are well documented. In fact, on April 13, 1981 a person was killed while talking on the phone in Kincaid, IL when lightning struck an outside telephone line and traveled to the house via a phone line; the phone exploded. What about cell phones? Because the danger comes from lightning traveling through outdoor wiring, cordless and cellular phones are generally safe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, April 12, 2021
1841: 12" of snow falls in Philadelphia, PA
The average annual snowfall in Philadelphia is slightly more than 22”. In April, Philly averages a half an inch of snow and there is measurable snow in April there only once every other year. 1841 was not so kind to Philadelphia. Unusual late season cold lingered for much of the month and a series of storms swept out of the Gulf of Mexico and up the East Coast of the United States bringing one snow event after the other. 6” of snow fell in the city on April 10th and 3” fell on Aril 13 and 14th, but the heaviest snowfall occurred in between those two systems when a foot of the white stuff piled up on April 12, 1841. Almost 20” of snow fell on Philadelphia in April 1841 – the average for an entire winter season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, April 11, 2021
1999: 3" of rain brings flooding to Hong Kong
On April 11, 1999 more than 3” of rain fell in Hong Kong during a cloudburst as heavy thunderstorms racked across the region. Streets were flooded and stores were forced to shut. The 3” of rain was more than Hong Kong had received in the first 3 months of 1999. As it turns out that is only half as much rain as is normal in Hong Kong from January to March when more than 6” is normal – still not a huge amount of rain. But rainfall is abundant, in Hong Kong when looked at through the lens of a full year. In fact, the normal yearly rainfall is around 94.5 inches per year. The rainiest period is from May to September, when the rainfall exceeds 12" per month in the city, while the least rainy period is from November to January, when it drops below 2 inches per month. To put that in perspective, Hong Kong’s 94.5” per year towers over places in the United States that are considered rainy like. Seattle, Washington with 38” average rainfall a year or 62” in Miami or 64” a year in New Orleans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, April 10, 2021
1996: Spring storm dumps snow on US East coast
The winter of 1995-1996 in the Northern part of the United State just didn’t seem to want to end. Cold air lingered on well past the start of Spring. April was cold in that region of the country, especially New England and the first half of the month seemed more like winter than Spring. At the start of the second week of April temperatures were below freezing most nights and even during the daytime, readings had a tough time reaching 40. Meanwhile a strong storm was organizing off the coast of South Carolina and started to make its way up the coast, but a bit offshore, but close enough to first push snow only the southern New Jersey coast dumping almost 5” of the white stuff on Atlantic City, an April record. The storm took a turn a bit to the northwest and pushed snow into New York City, JFK Airport had 4” on snow. But the heaviest snowfall was reserved for New England. By the time the snow stopped flying on the evening of April 10, 1996 Boston had 6”, Worcester, Ma 16” and Storrs, Conn 17”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, April 09, 2021
1993: Several tornadoes rip through West Bengal, India
Tornadoes have been recorded on all continents except Antarctica. The United States has the most tornadoes of any country, as well as the strongest and most violent tornadoes. A large portion of these tornadoes form in an area of the central United States. Canada experiences the second most tornadoes in the world. Other areas of the globe that have frequent tornadoes include significant portions of Europe, South Africa, Philippines, Bangladesh, parts of Argentina, Uruguay, and southern and southeast Brazil, along with northern Mexico, New Zealand, and far eastern Asia. Bangladesh and the eastern parts of India are very exposed to destructive tornadoes causing higher deaths and injuries. On April 9, 1993 several tornadoes ripped through the India in the State of West Bengal killing 100 people and injuring 400. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, April 08, 2021
1938: Blizzard leaves 20' snow drifts in Texas
In the early days of April 1938 arctic cold that had been building and bottled up in Alaska and the Yukon came crashing southward along the east slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The wintry chill reached cities like Cheyenne and Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo and then smashed eastward enveloping Omaha, Wichita and finally Amarillo. The cold modified as it headed eastward but held firm for several days from Montana to New Mexico and eastward into Nebraska, Kansas and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. Meanwhile off the coast of southern California a storm was brewing. That system headed eastward and spread a blanket of snow from Arizona and New Mexico into west Texas. The storm slowed and eventually stalled for several days in Texas. Moisture came streaming into the system from off the Gulf of Mexico and lifted up and over the cold air in place. The result was an all-out blizzard. It raged for 84 hours and when the storm finally moved eastward on the afternoon of April 8, 1938. Snow drifts reached 20 feet high. Winds at the height of the storm were clocked at 77 mph in Pampa, Texas and 8 deaths were blamed on the storm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, April 07, 2021
1977: Wintry weather won't stop the first ever Blue Jays game
April 7, 1977 marked the first home game in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays. Actually, for a while, in February 1976 , it looked as if the National League’s San Francisco Giants would move to Toronto, where there were buyers eager for the club. When the Giants were sold in March 1976 to new owners determined to keep them in San Francisco, the American League jumped in to establish Toronto as an American League city, setting up an expansion club, and announced the Blue Jays, who began play the next year. Despite being one of the northernmost cities with a baseball team. The first games of the season for the franchise were actually not played at the home of some southern American League team as you might have expected in a search for warmer temperatures – but rather in Toronto. It was not a wise choice. With a sellout crowd on hand at Exhibition Stadium, more than 44,000 fans packed the old stadium, filling not only a new section built for baseball but also the football grandstand beyond the outfield fence. It was a snowy day and the lines on the field had to be brushed off constantly during the game – but nothing short of a blizzard was going to see the first Major League Baseball game in Toronto cancelled. Temperatures were in the 20s. The wintry weather did not deter the team ether, and the Blue Jays won their first ever major league game beating the Chicago White sox 9-5. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, April 06, 2021
1936: Tornado devastates town of Gainesville, GA
April 6, 1936 , brought one of the worst weather-related disasters in Georgia history. A series of strong tornados struck the southern United States but none was deadlier than the one that struck Gainesville, Georgia on April 6 1936. It was part of a devastating outbreak of 17 tornadoes across the South. And it wasn’t the first for Gainesville - another tornado killed more than 100 people in January 1903. In 1936, not one, but two tornadoes tore through the heart of town, destroying much of the business district and the county courthouse, trapping hundreds in debris. The funnel fueled fires all over the area, including the Cooper Pants manufacturing company, where 60 employees were killed. The storm left more than 200 dead, 1,600 injured, 2,000 homeless and millions of dollars in damage in Gainesville and 454 people were killed by the tornado outbreak across the south in the second deadliest ever recorded in US history. President Franklin Roosevelt toured the city three days later, and returned in 1938 to rededicate the courthouse and city hall after a massive citywide rebuilding effort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, April 05, 2021
1816: The Eruption of Mount Tambora
The summer of 1816 was not like any summer people could remember. The National Center for Atmospheric Research reported that, snow fell in New England and gloomy, cold rains fell throughout Europe. It was cold and stormy and dark. 1816 became known in Europe and North America as “The Year Without a Summer.” The year before on April 5, 1815, Mount Tambora, a volcano, started to rumble with activity. Over the following four months the volcano exploded - the largest volcanic explosion in recorded history. Many people close to the volcano lost their lives in the event. Tambora ejected so much ash and dust into the atmosphere that the sky darkened and the Sun was blocked from view. The large particles spewed by the volcano fell to the ground nearby, covering towns with enough ash to collapse homes. Smaller particles spewed by the volcano were light enough to spread through the atmosphere over the following months and had a worldwide effect on climate. They made their way high into the stratosphere, where they could distribute around the world more easily. Earth’s average global temperature dropped more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit. The Year Without a Summer had many impacts in Europe and North America. Crops were wiped out - either by frost or a lack of sunshine. This caused food to be scarce. The lack of successful crops that summer made the food which was grown more valuable, and the price of food climbed. Because the price of oats increased, it was more expensive for people to feed their horses. Horses were the main method of transportation, so with expensive oats, the cost of travel increased. The gloomy summer weather also inspired writers. During that summer-less summer, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, a horror novel set in an often stormy environment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, April 04, 2021
1933: The Akron airship disaster
In the 1930s, lighter than air ships, or dirigibles where the rage for long distance flight. Trans-ocean flight by airplanes was virtually impossible, especially as a passenger service. Planes would have to hop and skip from one re-fueling station to another across the north Atlantic. Long distance non-stop flight was still a way off not coming into practical availability until well after world War II. So, the big balloons where the rage. Many of them would ultimately meet with disaster including the US Shenandoah and the famous explosion and crash of the German air ship, Hindenburg in Lakehurst New Jersey in 1937. The Shenandoah had crashed 12 years earlier than the Hindenburg in 1925 when it flew through a thunderstorm. But the big ships kept flying. The Akron made many flights across the US as a promotion for the US Navy. The Akron was on such a flight on the early morning of April 4, 1933 off the coast of New jersey. It soon encountered severe weather, which did not improve when the airship passed over Barnegat Light, New Jersey. The Akron broke up rapidly and sank in the stormy Atlantic. The crew of a nearby German merchant ship saw lights descending toward the ocean at about 12:23 a.m. and altered course to investigate. The Akron slowly sunk in the ocean, the accident left 73 dead, and only three survivors. The day of the lighter than air ships would continue for several more years only to meet with one disaster after another almost all fueled by encounters with violent weather. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, April 03, 2021
1974: The "Super Tornado Outbreak"
The last few days of March 1974 and the first couple of days of April 1974 brought unseasonable warmth to much of the nation east of the Mississippi River. Across Ohio and northern Kentucky, the daffodils were blooming, and grass had turned a bright green, and, in some places, there was a hint of blue, that marks many types of grasses in Kentucky. Birds had already started to build their nests as the unseasonable warmth lasted for several days. But it was a false sign of spring and trouble was brewing in the vast frozen hinterlands of arctic Canada. Bitter cold from the departed winter still held sway up in the great north and when the jet stream that had pulled up toward the Canadian border to transport the out of season warmth to the Ohio valley buckled, the cold was unleashed. Once the cold spilled over that region record low temperatures would wreak havoc with the blossoming buds and leave a skiff of snow on the ground. But before that happened, a violent cold front marking the leading edge of the bitter blast would rake across the region. It spanned killer twisters that went into the record books as the "Super Tornado Outbreak " - In 18 hours mostly on April 3, 1974, 148 tornadoes struck 13 states from Georgia to the Canadian border. 315 were killed and 6100 injured. Damage reached 1/2 billion dollars or almost 3 billion in 2021 dollars. Brandenburg, KY was completely destroyed with 28 killed and half of Xenia, OH was leveled with 33 dead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, April 02, 2021
1837: 17" of snow falls in St. Louis, MO
The city of St. Louis, Missouri, is known as the “Gateway to the West.” It has this nickname because it was the starting point for the westward movement of people in the United States during the early to mid-1800s. It was a traveling hub for many settlers, hunters and others migrating west. The Gateway Arch now in St. Louis symbolizes the city’s nickname. St. Louis was where many wagon trains got organized that first began to head west on the Oregon Trail and to California. Even though Kansas City and Independence Missouri where other jumping off points, St. Louis was the last big city that many settlers encountered. The "Gateway to the West" was where these travelers could load up on supplies they couldn’t find elsewhere before heading through the vast open western wilderness. April was a time or organization before waiting a few more weeks for the snow in the Rockies to melt. It all had to be timed just right because leaving too late in the spring might mean getting stuck in the mountains by the snow of the coming winter, and that could result in disaster. Nice Spring weather was the key to a good start. On April 2, 1837 the weather failed to cooperate dumping 17” of snow in St. Lois and as much as 24” in nearby towns just to the west delaying the start of many wagon trains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, April 01, 2021
1997: The "Great April Fools Day Snowstorm"
April snowfalls in the northeastern section of the United States are not unusual, but heavy snowfalls are rare. April snowfall totals average less than 5% of the season average in places like Boston. In fact, the normal snowfall in the month of April in Boston is less than 2”. In 1997 what would go into the books at the Great April Fools Day Snowstorm blasted up the East Coast. Cold air was already firmly in place across the region and this system pounded New England on April 1, 1997. 25.4” of snow fell at Boston’s Logan Airport, and broke the all-time 24-hour snowfall record of 23.6" set 1n February 1978. 100,000 people were left without power. This storm also made April 1997 the snowiest on record, easily surpassing the 13.3” that fell in April 1982. Winds gusted to 72 mph on Blue Mountain, Massachusetts, and to 54 mph in Boston. In a 2-day period from March 31 to April 1 Milford, Massachusetts picked up 36”, and Worcester, Mass was buried under 33”. Parts of the Catskills in New York State had up to 40”. In parts of Northwestern NJ, as much as 2’ of snow fell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, March 31, 2021
1807: Early chronicled winter storm strikes upstate New York
One of the earliest chronicled winter storms to strike upstate New York after the Revolution, was the strong system that impacted the region on March 31, 1807. The Herald in Cooperstown , NY reported, and I quote “The wind roared in the forests similar to the sound of the great cataract, the air was alternately filled with snow and transient gleams from the sun.” Along the Atlantic coast high winds and rain was the scene in New York Harbor, The New York Post described the situation. From its pages it said: “Amidst the bustle along the ports, in securing vessels and getting out fenders, were seen hundreds with their dogs, killing rats, which had been routed by the high tide. Hardly a terrier in the city was unemployed; and we may safely say, not less than 1000 rats were destroyed on the eastside of town. Though this remark may, by some, be considered unworthy of notice, it will be of use, if a proper use of it – that is, by removing the carcasses of the animals before the sun operates on them.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, March 30, 2021
1843: 2' of snow falls in Indiana
In the 1820’s and 1830s just after Maine became a state, after separating from Massachusetts, crop failures combined with cold weather caused some in New England to dream of warmer climates to the west. About this time Newspaperman Horace Greely was purported to have said “Go west, young man, and grow up with the country”? Many started the exodus for the Midwest. A major cradle of Midwestern settlement was Maine, Maine’s stony soil and the decline of its shipping trade pushed thousands of Mainers to get out just after it achieved statehood in 1820. The exodus was so bad that many newspaper editors in Maine wrote about the fear that the new state would actually be depopulated by “Illinois Fever” and the rush to lumbering towns along the Great Lakes — and then Oregon. Many of those Mainers and New Englanders settled in Indiana in addition to Illinois. They were greeted by a period of mild winters for a decade or so, but I was not to remain that way. The weather pattern shifted back to more typical Midwest cold and snowy winters. On March 30, 1843 2 feet was measured on the ground across much of Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. Until this point, farmers and loggers of the region had thought the climate to be better than New England – where many had just originated. The winter of 1842-43 dashed their hopes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, March 29, 2021
1848: Ice jam causes Niagra Falls to run dry
According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, ice jams on bodies of water are caused by melting snow and ice in the springtime. Warm temperatures and spring rains cause snow and ice to melt very rapidly. All this extra water causes frozen rivers and streams to swell up, and the layer of ice on top of the river begins to break up. The rushing river carries large chunks of ice downstream, and sometimes a group of ice chunks get stuck in a narrow passage of a river or stream. The ice chunks form an ice jam or ice dam, that blocks the natural flow of the river. Ice jams can be dangerous for people living in towns nearby. Because the river is blocked, the rushing water has nowhere to go and it can cause flooding in the surrounding area. On March 29th, 1848 a very unusual ice jam formed. Centered on that day for about 24 hours, Niagara Falls ran dry. The Niagara River was reduced to a trickle as a massive ice jam formed near Buffalo. Strong winds has blown ice from Lake Erie into the River entrance and completely blocked it. It was only when the ice shifted the next day that the water resumed its flow over the falls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, March 28, 2021
2005: Storms along East coast brings heavy rain and flooding
A strong storm developed in the southeastern United States on the 27th of March 2005 and grew even more dangerous as it moved up the East Coast on March 28th before moving out to sea off the New England Coast. Heavy rain fell across the Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan areas on the 28th and set the stage for a one-two punch of flooding when a second storm arrived in early April. Poor drainage and urban flooding resulted from the storm on the 28th and some rivers also experienced flooding, especially in New Jersey, notably along the Passaic and Ramapo Rivers. Rainfall totals exceeded 3” in New York City and much of New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Most of the ground was still covered in snow from the winter season adding to the flooding woes. Further to the south on the tail end of the storm system, severe weather broke out dumping 4” diameter hail in Raleigh North Carolina and striking Florida with heavy thunderstorms that produced several inches of rain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, March 27, 2021
1980: Winnipeg, Manitoba reaches March record-high
The prairies and plains of west central Canada, like those on the plains of the central United States are subject to wide swings of weather. Geographic barriers like mountains and large bodies of water can block or deflect even large-scale weather systems. Ocean temperatures and currents impact the track of storms. The influence of abnormally warm or cold waters, known as El Nino and La Nina, off the west coast of the Americas results in abnormal snow and rainfall patterns across much of the North American continent. Sometimes, as slow-moving storms come toward ocean shorelines, those storms almost bounce a bit off the coast directed away by the friction that winds encounter with landmasses. On the vast open plains of North America, no such impediments exist. That often times manifests itself in temperature extremes not expected at southern and northern latitudes. For example, Texas sees much colder weather than Florida. Canada will often see high temperatures not usually associated with that northern clime at certain times. On March 27, 1980 such and occurrence happened when Winnipeg, Manitoba reached an all-time March record high temperature of 74 degrees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, March 26, 2021
2014: Powerful Nor'Easter strikes New England
Late season Nor’easters in March are often times the most powerful storms to strike the northeast. On March 26, 2014 one such storm struck New England. The strong late season winter storm brought howling winds and heavy snow to Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Winds gusted as high as 82 mph on Nantucket, and more than 100 mph just off shore. The wind drove snow against buildings and homes plastering doors shut. Drifts of snow several feet high impeded emergency vehicles from removing trees and power poles brought down by the hurricane force winds. Most of the major cities in New England missed out on the heavy snow from the storm, but some offshore islands received almost a foot of snow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, March 25, 2021
1948: Tornado strikes Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City
Tornado Alley is that area in the United States that has more tornados than anywhere else in the world. Stretching from central Texas to Eastern South Dakota. Tornados are more likely in Texas and Oklahoma in the Spring, and then they are more numerous in the northern plains in the summertime. Fed by the contrast between moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and super dry air that blows down off the Rockies, and the contrast in temperatures between the ground surface and midlevels in the atmosphere, severe weather development is primed. This is most common in Tornado Alley, and more common in southern areas early in the season. Oklahoma’s most active month is May, but March is the 4th most active of the year. Averaging almost as many tornados as July, August and September put together. It’s not unusual then for tornado to strike the same part of Oklahoma more than once in March. But what happened on this date in weather history on March 25, 1948 was unusual. A tornado struck Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City destroying 35 airplanes. Just 5 days earlier a tornado had also struck the air base destroying 50 airplanes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, March 24, 2021
1912: 25" of snow falls in Kansas City, MO
It had been fairly snowy across Kansas and Missouri in the 1911-1912 winter season. By the later stages of March, Kansas City already had recorded more than 40” of snow including 15” earlier in March alone. Average snowfall for an entire season is about 15” so the city already had well above it’s normal snowfall. Milder weather had made several attempts to move into that part of the nation during March, but cold air held firm and so it was cold on March 23, 1912 as a storm spun up in the southern Rockies. That’s system moved eastward pulling moisture from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of it and skirted along the southern edge of the cold air mass that was in place across the Plains states. As the storm moved through Texas, Kansas City was deep in the cold air. Snow began to fall in the afternoon of the 23rd and by the time it ended on the evening of March 24, 1912 Kansas City experienced its greatest snowstorm on record. 25” fell in 24 hours bringing the total snowfall there to more than 40” for March and 67” for the winter more than 4 times normal. Both the March and seasonal snowfall totals were records for Kansas City. Not far away in Olathe, KS 38” fell during that storm, a single storm state record. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, March 23, 2021
1913: The Great Flood
On March 23, 1913 the rain started falling across the Mid-west and it didn’t stop for 4 days and 4 nights. The deluge resulted in epic flooding unequaled in American history before and after. Known as the Great Flood. The storm system that produced the flood in late March 1913 began with a typical winter storm pattern, but developed characteristics that promoted heavy rain and at times sleet and snow. Strong winds in the high atmosphere cut off from the jet stream, caused a high-pressure system to stall off Bermuda and blocked the eastward movement of the storm. In the meantime, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico moved northward into the Midwest. The storm that formed in the nation’s mid-section had nowhere to move for several days, causing heavy rain over the four-day period between March 23 and March 26. As the storm gained strength on Sunday, March 23, high winds, hail, sleet, and tornadoes settled in across a vast swath of the nation’s mid-section. Major tornadoes hit Omaha, Nebraska where 94 died; also hit were Lone Peach, Arkansas; and Terre Haute, Indiana. On Monday and Tuesday, March 24 and 25, 3 to 8 inches of rain fell in Ohio, Indiana, and southern Illinois. Major rivers in Indiana and Ohio experienced heavy runoff. Downstream, where the Ohio River enters the Mississippi River, the water level broke record highs. By Tuesday, March 25, the Ohio River and its tributaries flooded cities such as Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Youngstown and Columbus. Dayton, Ohio, was particularly hard-hit. On Wednesday, March 26, the storm moved east into Pennsylvania and New York, while heavy rain continued in the Ohio valley. The heaviest rainfall, 6 to 9, covered an area from southern Illinois into northwestern Pennsylvania. As the storm continued eastward, flooding began in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Virginia. The Potomac River overflowed its banks in Maryland. 467 died in the floods and damage reached $147 million or almost $4 billion in 2021 dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, March 22, 2021
1936: Melting snow leads to massive flooding
The winter of 1935-1936 was a severe one with lower than normal temperatures in the eastern half of the United States. As of early March, it was estimated that the snowpack in Northern New England contained an average of about 7.5 inches of water – the equivalent of almost 100” of snow. Deep snow also covered the ground across Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York state. Early in March 1936, a warm, moisture-laden storm moved into the area from the Ohio Valley to New England and stalled producing heavy rainfall. As the snow started to melt and the rains fell, streams and rivers began to fill, and the ground became soggy and saturated. A second moisture laden storm moved into the same region on March 18th and continued into the 20th. Again, the combination of heavy rain and melting snow resulted in more flooding. But this time almost the entire snow cover in New England melted, and with the ground already water-logged and the rivers full, severe flooding ensued. In many locations, this was the most severe flooding that has ever been experienced. The height of the flood, when the waters peaked, was March 22, 1936. The flood in Pittsburgh was more than 6 feet, higher than ever recorded, almost 9 feet higher in Hartford, Conn. and many other locations on that day would see flooding records not surpassed since. 107 lives were lost and $270 million dollars in damage or more than $5 billion in 2021 dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, March 21, 2021
1868: Late-March snowstorm slams East coast
March 1868 started out relatively mild across the Eastern states. The winter of 1867-1868 had been a uniformly cold winter. Life was finally starting to get back to normal in the aftermath of the Civil War in the Northeastern states and the break in the winter, early in March was welcomed as the harbinger of an early spring. In the middle of the month though, a storm took form across the nation’s midsection and as it rolled eastward arctic air moved out of western Canada, across the Great Lakes into the Northeast. With cold weather firmly in place the storm moved in, and snow began to fall and quickly. Reports form the day indicated that 15-20” of snow fell at Philadelphia on March 21, Georgetown DE has an incredible 32” in just 16 hours. Many other parts of Delaware and New Jersey had close to 2 feet of the white stuff. The winter itself would go into the record books as the snowiest recorded up to that time. The storm on March 21, 1868 would bring seasonal snowfall totals to more than 80” in both New York City and Boston. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, March 20, 2021
1948: 32.5" of heavy snow falls in Juneau, AK
Often times wave patterns develop in the high atmosphere, the strongest winds in these waves are represented by the jet stream. These waves in the air, like waves in the ocean, have high and low points over time and space. From a geographical perspective the high point usually supports high pressure and the low points low pressure or storms. On the western side of the high pressure or ridging it’s usually warm and winds blow from the south, close to the center of the low point or trough of the wave there is storminess. When patterns like this develop to the extreme, with great definition contrast in the waves, in the wintertime there can be awesome extremes. One such extreme case happened On March 20, 1948. A trough or dip in the wave caused a massive storm to hit Alaska dumping heavy snow in Juneau, the states capitol, where 32.5” of snow fell the heaviest ever there from one storm. Meanwhile far to the east in the eastern part of the US, a ridge, or rise in the jet stream, resulted in record warmth across the Carolinas. In some places like Raleigh and Greensboro, NC the mercury barely dipped below 70 for a low temperature setting records for the warmest March night ever recorded there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, March 19, 2021
1958: The Eve of Spring Snowstorm
On March 19, 1958, Rain began falling along the eastern seaboard as a weak storm moved across the Ohio Valley. As that system approached the East Coast cold air was drawn into the storm from eastern Canada. The storm exploded. As it strengthened rapidly and the cold air was pulled southward all the way into the Mid-Atlantic states, the rain changed to snow and more and more moisture was fed into the system from a strong jet stream that reached all the way down into the Gulf of Mexico. When the rain started in March 19th temperatures were well up into the 40s. By the night of the 19th temperatures had sagged down to near freezing. The snow picked up in intensity and continued for the next several days. Most of the time the ratio of water content to the amount of the mid-Atlantic states is 10 to 1. That is for every inch of water there is about 10” of snow. In this situation though, later in March, with temperatures at or above freezing that ratio was more than 4 to 1 or even 3 to I. That meant the snow was much heavier than usual the result would soon play itself out with collapsed roofs and buildings as they yielded to the sheer weight of the snow. When the snowfall was over more than foot of the white stuff covered many of the big northeastern cities from Philadelphia to Boston. Many of the northern and eastern suburbs received almost 2 feet of snow from the storm that would go into the History books as the “Eve of Spring Snowstorm”. Just south of the snow area in Washington DC and Baltimore had record rainfall of almost 4” and flooding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, March 18, 2021
1925: The Tri-State Tornado
Early spring often brings the most violent weather to the nation’s midsection of the entire year. High in the atmosphere, up where the jet stream is, temperatures can still be almost as cold as they are in mid-winter, yet down on the ground temperatures can soar to at times close to summer-time levels. The extreme temperature contrast, that occurs at no other time of the year, combined with turning winds from the surface up into higher levels of the air leads to the formation of severe thunderstorms and multiple tornados. On March 18, 1925 perhaps the greatest severe weather event in the last two centuries was brewing. By the time the day was over what would be known as the Tristate tornado produced the single most devastating tornado ever. The tornado began near Ellington, Missouri and averaged 62 mph in forward speed as it moved northeastward. The tornado was 1 mile wide and was on the ground for 219 miles the longest continuous tornado path ever observed. 85 farms were destroyed near Owensville, Indiana, and the entire town of Griffin, Indiana, was totally destroyed. A total of 695 deaths were reported with 2,027 injured there alone from that single tornado alone. There was $16.5 million worth of damage or almost a quarter of a billion in 2021 dollars. 11 other tornadoes the same day killed 50 more elsewhere, including 33 at a school in Desoto, IL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, March 17, 2021
1776: Weather turns the tide in the Revolutionary War
On March 4 and into March 5, 1776 American forces moved the guns onto Dorchester Heights that overlooked Boston from the south. It gave the Colonials a commanding position that the British could not counter. But British General William Howe wanted to give it a go anyway, he gathered some of his force of 11,000 troops onto ships to cross Boston harbor and attack the gun placements before they could be firmly established. Just as the troops had been loaded into the ships a huge storm hit and caused them to turn back. It gave the Americans time to firm up the guns and their advantage was established. The weather turned the tide. The British soon abandoned Boston, never to return during the rest of the Revolution. They evacuated on March 17, 1776, a day still celebrated in Boston. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, March 16, 2021
1843: Snow from the Gulf of Mexico to Maine
On March 16, 1843 one the first winter storms to be documented swept out of the Gulf of Mexico and impacted most of the eastern part of the nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, March 15, 2021
1935: "Black Blizzard" strikes Amarillo, Texas
During the drought of the 1930s, un-anchored soil turned to dust, which the prevailing winds blew away in huge clouds that sometimes blackened the sky. These choking billows of dust were named "black blizzards". On March 15, 1935 one of the worst of these black blizzards, stuck Amarillo, Texas with Suffocating dust; 6 people died, many livestock starved or suffocated. Dust lay 6 feet deep in places. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, March 14, 2021
1870: The coining of the term "Blizzard"
The term blizzard has found a significant spot in our language. A blizzard is officially defined as a storm with "considerable falling or blowing snow" and winds in excess of 35 mph with visibilities of less than 1/4 mile for at least 3 hours. The term has been applied to many snowstorms in American history, most notably the Blizzard of ’88. The term has also been used for snow events that did not meet the criteria – but where big snowstorms none the less. But the term wasn’t even invented until March 14 1870. The Editor of the Dakota Republican of Vermillion South Dakota described the storm: "A violent snowstorm, driven by a heavy NW wind, and continued three whole days and nights. The weather was intensely cold and the heavy fall, flying before a furious wind - blowing as only the prairie winds can blow - rendered traveling exceedingly uncomfortable and dangerous, if not almost impossible." This storm referred to as a blizzard. A baseball team was named after it: The "Northern Blizzards", of Estherville Iowa. The manager said that "We confess to a certain liking for it, because it's at once startling, curious and positively suggestive of the furious and all victorious tempests which are experienced in this northwestern clime." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, March 13, 2021
1888: The Blizzard of '88
Records show that early settlers to what would become the Mid-Atlantic and New England states report of huge snowstorms dating back to the 1600s. Native American tales tell of deep snow and powerful winds from well before that time in the region. But modern city life and dense population was not yet established. By the 1880s though the population of Northeast cites had skyrocketed. In Philadelphia the population went from 120,000 in 1850 to 850,000 in 1880. NYC from 700,000 in 1850 to almost 2 million in 1880. With all those people packed into now modern rising cities and dependent on public services to allow people to get around and supply lines for basics like food major snow storms had a profound impact. In the decades prior to 1888 there had been no large snowstorm to impact the cities in the area. That all changed starting on March 11, 1888 and reached it’s height on March 13. In what would go down in history as the fabled Blizzard of ’88. The storm was slow to organize on the mid-Atlantic coast with 10” in Philadelphia, then it strengthened rapidly turning into a bomb cyclone. When the snow stopped flying the damage was done; more than 20” in New York 45” in Albany and New Haven Conn. New York City ground to a near halt in the face of massive snow drifts and powerful winds from the storm. Wind gusts were recorded at 85 miles per hour in New York City. Along with heavy snow, there was a complete whiteout in the city. Despite drifts that reached the second story of some buildings, many city residents trudged out to New York’s elevated trains to go to work, only to find many of them blocked by snow drifts and unable to move. Up to 15,000 people were stranded on the elevated trains. In addition to the elevated trains; telegraph lines, water mains and gas lines were also located above ground making them prone to freezing, which they did because record cold accompanied the storm, temperatures plunged into the teens as far south as North Carolina. At the time, approximately one in every four Americans lived in the area between Washington DC and Boston, more than 400 people perished in the storm. Even though it happened more than 130 years ago it is still the benchmark that all other storms are measured by in the region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, March 12, 2021
1990: Record high temperatures in Eastern US
The winter of 1989-1990 in the eastern 2/3rds of the nation had been brutal. November 1989 started mild in the western part of the nation, and a bit cooler in the East it was nothing out of the ordinary. The weather, however changed dramatically in late November. It turned very cold with frequent snowstorms in the central states and the east. In the Midwest temperatures averaged, in some places more than 15 degrees below normal, and it ranked as one of the 5 coldest Decembers on record, and the fierce winter was just getting started. At the end of December, just a day before Christmas one of the greatest coastal snowstorms every recorded struck South and North Carolina. By Christmas morning 1989 snow reached almost 4” in depth in Charleston, SC, 15” in Wilmington NC and more than a foot all the way out on Cape Hatteras, NC. Snow covered the ground as far south as Tampa and Daytona Beach. In January and February of 1990 temperatures began to moderate somewhat – but it remained cold and snowy in many places in the East. In mid-March winter broke and it did so by completely flipping the script. Warm air started to build across the Plains states and by March 10th the jet stream, that had dropped far south in the United States and brought cold air with it had retreated quickly northward into Canada. That allowed the warm air out west to pour into the East. March 12 , 1990 saw unheard of record high temperatures. The mercury reached 90 in Raleigh, NC, 87 in Norfolk, Va. 86 on the beaches of Atlantic City. And amazing 95 in Baltimore Md, breaking a record that had stood for 100 years. Meanwhile cool air still held out over New England and Long Island. While readings in northern New Jersey soared into the upper 80s, central Long Island was chilly. LaGuardia Airport, a mere 60 miles away in New York City reached no higher than 47. But the winter was clearly on the run on March 12, 1990 and no more artic air reached into the Eastern states until the following winter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, March 11, 2021
1911: Snow depth record for US in Tamarack, CA
Tamarack, California sits up in the Sierras of that state at an elevation of 6,913 feet. Located just south of Reno and Lake Tahoe it is home to one of the premiere ski venues in the United States and even the world for that matter, and for good reason. Snowfall averages an incredible 443” a year. Because of its location in the high Serra it is prone to getting hit by one strong pacific storm after another loaded with copious amounts of moisture that sometimes stream all the way from the central pacific. That moisture stream, often known as the Pineapple Express is a direct link all the way from the Hawaiian Islands and beyond. During the winter of 1911 the central part of California was impacted by one snowstorm after another. By March 11, 1911 snow on the ground measured an incredible 471” – the greatest snow depth ever measured in one place in the United States, a record that still holds today. Tamarack also holds the record for greatest seasonal snowfall in California: during the winter of 1906−1907, it received 883”. It’s no wonder so many skiers make the trip there every winter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, March 10, 2021
1869: Reddish snow falls across central France
Dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa is the main source of dust in the atmosphere on a yearly basis across the world. The dust has its origins principally in the remains of centuries old dry lake beds, mainly in the country of Chad. This dust is presentient and often times lifts into the low atmosphere creating a general haze across north central Africa. Because of its presence, storms and seasonal, or trade winds often pick up huge amounts of the dust and dirt and send it thousands of miles away from Africa – sometimes halfway around the world. The presence of the dust in Hurricane season can often act as a deterrent to the formation of tropical systems suppressing the formation of water droplets and clouds. Sometimes this dust makes it all the west into the Caribbean. It can cause travel disruptions diverting aircraft and interfering with radio waves. The most pronounced visible manifestation of the dust is in Europe. Often lifted high into the atmosphere from storms approaching the northwest coast of Africa or Portugal. The dust often settles into the lower atmosphere causing red sunrises and sunsets – but sometimes it’s washed out of the sky by rain and even more striking by snow. Such events, in the past, have resulted in superstitious approaches to the weather events. On March 10 1869 a reddish snow fell all day across central France. Some locals panicked because they thought it was colored in blood. Africans and scientists knew what the source of the red appearance was. The origin of the red color was the dust raised from the dry lake beds of Chad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, March 09, 2021
1862: The Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack
The Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack occurred on March 9, 1862,. It was the first battle between ironclad warships. The Northern-built Merrimack, a conventional steam frigate, had been salvaged by the Confederates from the Norfolk navy yard. With her upper hull cut away and armored with iron, this 263-foot improvisation that resembled, according to one contemporary source, “a floating barn roof.” The ship had destroyed a fleet of wooden warships off Newport News, Virginia in the days leading up to the battle. The Union ironclad Monitor arrived the night of Marsh 8. This 172-foot “Yankee Cheese Box on a raft,” with its water-level decks and armored revolving gun turret, represented an entirely new concept of naval design. Thus the stage was set for the dramatic naval battle of March 9, with crowds of Union and Confederate supporters watching from the decks of nearby vessels and the shores on either side. They passed back and forth on opposite courses. Both crews lacked training; firing was ineffective. The Monitor could fire only once in seven or eight minutes but was faster and more maneuverable than her larger Confederate opponent. Both ships suffered some damage and retired. Because of the sheer weight of the ship and lack of maneuverability the previous days success of the Merrimac and the battle itself was only possible because of calm weather that allowed for smooth waters. In fact weather reports indicate the sky was clear and sunny with no wind. Even though the battle was inconclusive - it showed the superiority of the iron clad or metal covered ships and the engineering improved rapidly. Historians said that the battle made all navies that existed in the world at the time obsolete, and brought into existence modern naval warfare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, March 08, 2021
2008: Major storm moves across Tennessee Valley
Cold air had been holding across the Mid-west during the first week of March in 2008. Storms had been frequent in that region during that time, but none of them particularly strong. That changed on March 8, 2008. A major storm moving across the Tennessee Valley brought snow to the Midwest, strong thunderstorms to the Southeast and heavy rain and flooding the Northeast. Columbus, OH set a 24-hour maximum heavy snowfall record of 15.4“. The storm total reached more than 20 “. Memphis, TN received 1.4“ of snow, breaking the daily record. Jackson, TN also had an inch, breaking their daily record. Trenton, NJ had a daily rainfall record 1.49“, with a record of 1.47“ in Philadelphia. Flooding occurred all along the Neshaminy Creek in the Philadelphia suburbs causing people to flee their homes. Damage occurred in parts of a VA from powerful thunderstorm generated winds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, March 07, 2021
2017: Powerful tornado rips through Oak Grove, KS
It was an active weather start to the month of March across the United States in 2017. But the most prominent event was a storm that moved out of the Rockies and into the Plains on March 7th. This system developed thunderstorms from southwest Minnesota to eastern Nebraska in the midafternoon of the 7th, then the system expanded from northeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin and southward to Oklahoma by the early evening. It was during this time that the storms were very powerful producing very strong winds, large hail and even several tornadoes. One wind gust of 90 mph hit the region of Belle Plain, Iowa. A powerful tornado also ripped through Oak Grove, Kansas, an outlying suburb of Kansas City. The tornado and attending thunderstorms tore apart the region damaging or destroying nearly 500 homes and building and causing 12 injuries. Fortunately, there were no deaths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, March 06, 2021
1962: Massive beach erosion along the New Jersey Coast
In early March of 1962 a massive storm developed along the Carolina capes, but instead of riding up and along the coast as usually occurs, that system was blocked by a large and building high pressure system over New England. The storm stalled and got stronger, the result was a strengthening pressure difference known as a pressure gradient, between that high pressure area over New England and the storm. The result of such a pressure difference is usually a strenghting wind flow. Sunch a situation developed in 1962. The result was an East wind that traveled hundreds of miles across the Atlantic Ocean. That flow push massive amounts of water to the coast, not unlike a Hurricane. The water had no place to go – but to sweep over the beaches an bays along the mid-atlantc coast. This weather situation held relentlessly for days and the result was massive beach erosion, especially along the New Jersey coast. Waves reached 40’ high and many resort islands, like Long beach Island New Jersey were cut in several places and new inlets opened up. It would take years for the Army Corps of Engineers to make the Islands whole again. The USS Monssen was being towed down the east coast at the time and on March 6, 1962 the towline broke in the heavy seas during the storm. With seas running 15 feet and wind gusting to 65 mph, it went aground on March 6th at Beach Haven Inlet, New Jersey on that same Long Beach Island. There was more than $400 million damage from the storm in 1962 dollars – more than $3.5 Billion in todays dollars. Many beach resort areas didn’t fully recover until the mid 1960s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, March 05, 2021
1899: Cyclone Mahina
Tropical systems that reach Hurricane strength in a region near Australia are known as Cyclones. Cyclones that impact the northern and east coast of Australia are fairly common, but the strongest systems usually steer north of the Island Continent. But on March 5, 1899 one of the most powerful Tropical Cyclones ever to strike the region caused unimaginable damage. Cyclone Mahina was the deadliest cyclone in recorded Australian history, and also likely the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. A pearling fleet, based at Thursday Island, Queensland, anchored in the bay before the storm. Within an hour, the storm drove much of the fleet ashore or onto the Great Barrier Reef. An eyewitness reported that a 48-foot storm surge swept over their camp at Barrow Point atop a 40-foot high ridge and reached 3 miles inland, the largest storm surge ever recorded. The exact number of those that died is unknown – but was probably close to 500. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, March 04, 2021
1909: Weather's impact on President Taft's inauguration
On March 4 1909, William Howard Taft was to be sworn in as the 27th President of the United States. The night before a fierce storm struck the East Coast and all but shut down travel. With Temperatures well below freezing snow began on the afternoon of March 3 in Washington DC and continued into the after dawn hours of Inauguration Day, which at the time was still held on March 4th. The blizzard left more than 10” of snow. The inauguration ceremony was moved indoors, into the Senate Chamber, limiting the number of persons who could attend. Despite the adverse weather conditions, the inaugural parade was not cancelled. 6,000 city workers used 500 wagons to remove 58,000 tons of snow to clean the parade route. For the first time in inauguration history, the incoming First Lady joined her husband in leading the parade from the Capitol to the White House. Before heading off that evening with his wife, to an inaugural ball at the Pension Building, Taft hosted a celebratory dinner at the newly opened Metropolitan Club for those fellow members of his Yale Class of 1878 who had come to the event. In his remarks he said that . “I always said it would be a cold day when I got to be president,” and so it was. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, March 03, 2021
1994: Massive snowstorm dumps 30" in Central PA
On March 3 1994, a major storm belted the eastern states, heavy rains fell along the east coast and heavy snow piled up in the interior. As much as 30” of snow buried parts of central PA. This intense storm resulted in the establishment of many seasonal snowfall records in the region. The snow was accompanied by frequent thunder and lightning in some locations. These thunder snows, acting much like downpours of rain in the summertime – gave downpours of snow that mounted up, in some places to 4-5 inches in a single hour. Along the East Coast, on the I-95 corridor, there was more than 2” of rain accompanied by wind gusts over 60 mph and urban street flooding and flooding along streams; 25 foot waves crashed on to Cape Hatteras, NC. A snow avalanche buried 5 cars under 20 feet of snow, trapping the occupants for 28 hours before rescue in the Pennsylvania Mountains of Clinton County. 28" of snow fell at State College PA; 24" at Lock Haven, PA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, March 02, 2021
1975: Tornadoes in Georgia leave a trail of destruction
The morning of March 2, 1975 dawned warm and humid across Georgia. As the day wore on in Atlanta temperatures continued to climb, meanwhile across the Mississippi Valley a strong cold front was heading eastward. As that frontal system gathered momentum and pushed into the warmer weather, a strong line of severe thunderstorms erupted across Alabama. By afternoon violent weather was approaching Atlanta and tornados developed. One Tornado took direct aim on the Georgia governor’s mansion in Atlanta. First the twister touched down in a housing development known as Perry Homes, then lifted up after leaving at least 100 apartments there severely damaged and a small shopping center destroyed. Displaced residents were moved to nearby schools, motels and other buildings. Soon the Governor’s Mansion was in its site, The Mansion, newly built and only 8 years old, sat roughly midway on the eight‐mile‐long path of destruction caused by the tornado. In some places, they path was more than a quarter of a mile wide. According to the New York Times, Gov. George Busbee was forced to flee to safety in the center section of the Mansion. Elsewhere around the city, disaster officials reported, about 500 homes and businesses were badly damaged, 50 persons were injured and 3 people died. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, March 01, 2021
2007: Clash of air masses results in violent weather
In late February 2007 artic cold had most of the western half of nation in its’ grip, at the same time warm and humid weather covered the eastern states. It was a classic set up of a clash of air masses, that usually results in a violent weather outcome. By the early morning of March 1st a powerful storm was organizing in the southern Rockies. That system would take a route across New Mexico and Oklahoma and then head toward the Ohio Valley. Snow began to fly in the central Rockies and then it headed out into the plans states. That strong storm brought blizzard conditions to Nebraska. Omaha had a foot a snow with 58 mph winds that reduced visibility to less than half a mile. Snowfall extended north and east with a foot and a half of the white stuff in parts of Iowa and a foot or more from Minnesota and South Dakota all the way to Michigan. Further south, where warm air held sway, severe thunderstorms brought hail and deadly tornadoes. Fifteen people were killed when a tornado hit Enterprise High School in Alabama, and two were killed when a tornado hit Americus, Georgia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, February 28, 2021
1994: Record cold grips parts of Pacific Northwest
Mild weather had been the rule across the Pacific Northwest for most of the winter of 1994. In fact, when the winter was over it turned out to be the 10th warmest winter in more than 100 years. But in the later days of February an arctic airmass that had been building across the Yukon and in the last days of the month began to slide southward. By the morning of February 28, 1994 it has settled in over Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Record cold gripped the region. Burns Oregon recorded a low temperature of 22 below zero smashing the old record of 2 above. In Pocatello, Idaho the mercury reached 17 below, another record. The cold lingered on for a few more days – but that was to be the last bitter cold of the warm winter of 1994. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, February 27, 2021
1997: Several inches of snow on the summits of Hawaiian mountains
For folks suffering in the throes of a harsh winter thoughts often turn to warmer climates and the dream of laying out on the beaches of Hawaii. In fact, the normal high temperature on February 27 is close to 80 in Honolulu. But there are high mountains on the Hawaiian Islands, 3 volcanic peaks extend well above 9,000 and because temperatures can drop as much as 5 ½ degrees for every 1000 feet of elevation that’s a difference from the ground at sea level to that 9,000-foot elevation of about 50 degrees. So that normal 80 for a high temperature can be 30 or even colder. When storms strike in the rainy, winter season from December to February, snow and ice can accumulate on the mountains and even though the snow doesn’t stay around too long it can certainly keep those peaks white. In fact, some adventurous Hawaiians even try their hand at skiing. Such a winter event occurred of February 27, 1997, when several inches of snow fell on the summits of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Haleakala. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, February 26, 2021
1645: Several feet of snow accumulates across New England
The winter of 1645 had been relatively mild across New England. Population growth of European settlers in the region had been slow with only 3,000 living in the area in 1630. But by 1640 14,000 lived in the region and mild winter had encouraged more to come from England and other European lands and by 1645 close to 20,000 where spreading through the area. On February 26 some thought they might get through the winter with no real harsh weather. But it was not to be. A storm churning up the Atlantic seaboard dumped several feet of snow across the region on February 26, 1645. With little to help clean up the snow or for that matter pack down the snow, so sleighs and sleds could glide over the snow, it was reported that travel was virtually impossible for 3 weeks. Courts and public meetings where suspended to almost the end of March. That winter storm or other harsh winters did nothing to deter more settlers and by 1680 almost 70,000 Europeans or their descendants occupied New England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, February 25, 2021
1961: One of the worst ice storms in North American history
From the morning of February 25, 1961 until the next day sheets of rain pounded the Montreal area, at the same time cold air hugged the lowest several thousand feet of the atmosphere, and the result was one of the worst ice storms in history to strike North America. With temperatures in the 20s and winds gusting between 50 and 70mph through the day the rain was pushed into every nook and cranky of the city and suburbs, causing ice to form everywhere that got wet. Ice accumulated as much as 2 ½ inches thick on wires. Power and communication lines snapped and, in many areas, it took more than a week to restore power. Many homes had no heat for more than a week. Water lines were impacted as well and many suburban areas were unable to get water because of the lack of power and because of lack of heat pipes burst – just as they did in Texas last week. Government authorities set up shelters in area schools to house thousands of people who had no heat, no water and no communication. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, February 24, 2021
1969: New England gets hit with a 5-day snowstorm
In February 1969 arctic cold had been holding New England in its grip for most of the month and a series of storms had brought snow all across the region. In some places 1-3 feet of snow had already been reported in the first 3 and a half weeks of the month. It was only the beginning. On February 24, 1969 at 1:35am snow began in Boston. The snow continued, almost without let up for 5 days. By the time the snow ended just after noontime on February 28, 26.3” was measured at Boston’s Logan airport right along the water. But much heavier amounts were recorded just inland, from areas in Boston, from places like Roxbury to Malden and also Lexington and Concord of Revolutionary war fame, the storm brought 40-50” of the white stuff. 77” was recorded at Pinkham Notch in New Hampshire, bringing the February snowfall total to 130” and the total snow depth to 164”. It took New Englanders the better part of the next week to dig out from the great 5-day snowstorm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, February 23, 2021
1802: Massive snowstorm dumps up to 4' in New England
On February 23, 1802 a great snowstorm raged across New England, by nightfall when the snow stopped flying, drifts in places near Boston piled up to 4 feet high. In those early days of the republic how did people get around in cities? How were the streets cleaned? According to Marketplace.org; before the mid-1800s, there wasn’t really any effort to get snow off roads. Before 1862, people didn’t use snow plows, they used snow rollers. The way people travelled through snow was by attaching skis to their horse-drawn carts and carriages. Snow rollers were huge, horse-drawn wheels that would flatten out the snow, making it easier for the carts with skis to move on the winter roads. But by the mid-19th century, as cities were rapidly growing in population, city streets needed to be entirely clear of snow for the business of the city to continue. And with this, came snow plows, first used by the city of Milwaukee in 1862. Early snow plows were horse-drawn, and would deposit the compacted snow in huge piles on the city’s streets and sidewalks. Not all cities used plows though. Some just used shovels. In New York, clearing the snow was the responsibility of the Police Department and officers would have to shovel. On February 23, 1802 in Boston, people where then left to fend for themselves in dealing with a massive snowstorm and it took more than a week to literally dig out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, February 22, 2021
1901: Heavy fog causes ship to crash and sink near San Francisco
Fog and low clouds have been the bane of travelers since the beginning of time. As more people travel in groups and because of modern technology those going from place to place sometimes find themselves at the mercy of the low clouds and fog with no way to escape. From the recent tragic helicopter crash involving Kobe Bryant and his companions to a pile up of cars on an interstate highways, low visibility or lack of visibility at all, contributes to the horrible outcome. Despite the best efforts of those involved and modern technology, sudden loss of visibility can, in an instant, turn clear skies to total lack of vision. Those traveling the interstates of the northeast near snow squall areas know this well when white-outs occur and lead to massive pile ups. This type of event can also happen on the seas and especially near the coastline. Such a tragedy struck on February 22 1901 when a Pacific mail steamer struck a rock in near San Francisco as it attempted to enter the bay during a dense fog, visibility was almost zero and those piloting the ship where unable to see where they were headed. The ship went down claiming 128 lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, February 21, 2021
1971: Clash of airmasses causes vicious tornado outbreak
1971 had been a relatively mild winter east of the Mississippi. Many areas had been bathed in warmth and humidity for much of February. Such was the situation on the morning of February 21. Meanwhile bitter cold that had been locked in the Arctic hinterlands of Canada was finally able to break free as the jet stream, that up to the point in the winter has remained far north, finally plunged southward. As the brutal cold moved into the nation’s heartland it came into direct conflict with the early springtime conditions. In areas where the cold became quickly established snow developed and tuned into an all-out blizzard. By the morning of February 22, 1-3 feet of snow-covered areas from Texas to Iowa, including drifts to 20 feet high. But the most violent impact of the clash of airmasses occurred in the warm sector where a vicious tornado outbreak killed 212 people. Three long track tornados accounted for all but three of the deaths. The longest track of a single tornado was more than 200 miles long from Louisiana-Mississippi boarder to Tennessee during the mid-day hours of February 21. The other two twisters had tracks of 90 and 70 miles. The outbreak ended on the night of February 21 as the arctic cold swept rapidly across the region and eventually off the east coast ending the severe weather threat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, February 20, 2021
1805: After 2 months, Potomac River thaws and ice jams break
In 1805 the nations’ capital had only been established at its current site on the Potomac for a few years, having moved from Philadelphia. Originally know during its construction as Federal City, Congress met in newly named Washington City, as it was then known, for the first time in November 1800, the man for whom the city was named had died in December of the previous year, and in February 1801 the District of Columbia, which at the time also included the cities of Alexandria and Georgetown, was placed under the control of Congress. In January 1791, President George Washington had announced his choice for the federal district: 100 square miles of land ceded by Maryland and Virginia, in 1846, the Virginia land was returned to the state, shrinking the district by a third. The Potomac River, at that time, especially in the area around Washington, was shallow and its shores consisted of large areas of mud flats, where the water was only inches deep. During harsh winters the shallow waters easily froze putting an end to navigation until the spring. On February 20, 1805, after being frozen over for more than 2 months, leaving those in Washington City in desperate straits because of lack of supplies the Potomac River was once again deemed fit for navigation as the ice jams broke and commerce resumed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, February 19, 2021
1980: Pineapple Express leads to over 10" of rain falling in LA
The Pineapple Express is a non-technical term for a meteorological phenomenon characterized by a strong and persistent flow of moisture and associated with heavy rain and snow from the waters near the Hawaiian Islands and extending to locations along the Pacific coast of North America, mainly California. Such weather patterns set up every few years during the winter, the winter is actually the rainy season on the west coast of the US. In February of 1980 an extreme version of this pattern set up and lasted for almost a week reaching its height on February 19. Rain had been falling in Los Angles on Feburary 13th, in the first in a series of storms pushed along by the Pineapple Express. Downtown L.A. recorded more than 12" of rain from the 13th to the 19th. In the mountains south of Monterey, more than 22 inches of rain totaled by the 19th. Unofficially, 19 deaths were attributed to the storms in Southern California alone, with more than $100 million in damage, $325 million in today’s dollars. Estimates in Arizona indicate at least 4 storm related deaths and an additional $35 million in damage. There was also flooding in Arizona, especially in Phoenix. Shortly after 2:00 PM on February 19, 1980 a tornado touched down at the Fresno Airport, which broke the plate glass windows and damaged the roof at the terminal building. Trees were uprooted and cars overturned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, February 18, 2021
2016: Massive winter storm from Appalachians to New England
A massive storm developed in Georgia, on February 18th, 2016 spreading snow up the Appalachians and into New England. Blizzard conditions developed in Pennsylvania by the 19th. These conditions forced a closing of Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania. Winds clocked at up to 50 mph during the storm shipped snow into drifts as deep as 20 feet in some sections of north Central Pennsylvania. Drifting snow stranded thousands of motorists, as radio stations remained at full power during the night relaying information and requesting help from 4-wheel drive vehicles and snowmobiles. Tides of 6-8' above normal caused severe flooding at coastal areas along the east coast north of Virginia. Thousands became homeless in New England due to coastal flooding. Breakers moved 8-ton concrete seawall blocks in across coastal roadways in Maine. Winds clocked to 110 mph at Eastham on Cape Cod. This massive storm said to have some hurricane characteristics, such as an eye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, February 17, 2021
1936: Temperature reaches -58 degrees at McIntosh, SD
The Dust Bowl is generally associated with extreme drought and heat. The "Dust Bowl" years of 1930-36 brought some of the hottest summers on record to the United States, especially across the Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lake States. For the Upper Mississippi River Valley, the first few weeks of July 1936 provided the hottest temperatures of that period, including many all-time record highs The string of hot, dry days was also deadly. Nationally, around 5000 deaths were associated with the heat wave. Several factors led to the deadly heat of July 1936. A series of droughts affected the U.S. during the early 1930s. The lack of rain parched the earth and killed vegetation, especially across the Plains states. Poor land management and farming techniques across the Plains furthered the impact of the drought, with lush wheat fields becoming barren waste lands. Without the vegetation and soil moisture, the Plains acted as a furnace. The climate of that region took on desert qualities, accentuating its capacity to produce heat. But also, like hot desserts there are also cold desert climates – the lack of vegetation and drought allows for cold air to sweep across these regions, unchecked and hold creating unheard of cold extremes. The situation that set up for several years in the plans states in the 1930’s created these extremes of both hot and cold. So, it was on the morning of February 17, 1936 when the mercury dipped to -58 degrees at McIntosh, SD... the state record low temperature. Later that very same year, at the height of the Dust Bowl on, July 5, 1936 the state record high temperature of 120 degrees was set at Gann Valley, SD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, February 16, 2021
1958: Massive snowstorm results in $550 million in damage
February 16, 1958 marked the end of a massive snowstorm that had developed in the lower Mississippi Valley a few days earlier. The system moved slowly eastward all day on the 14th gathering moisture from the Gulf of Mexico rain fell along the Gulf Coast with increasing intensity. Just as the storm was moving into position to turn up the eastern seaboard an injection of bitter arctic air moved out of eastern Canada and down the coast settling as far south and North Carolina. As the storm moved northward snow began falling on the 14th in southern Virginia and by the time night fell Washington DC was already shut down, by the morning of the 16th already more than a foot of snow was on the ground in DC.. 2’ pf snow clogged Boston by the evening of the 16 with an incredible 30-36” from the Catskills in New York to the White Mountains of New England. After the storm moved out to sea later that night the toll was staggering; 43 had died and more than $500 million dollars of destruction, more than $4.5 billion in today’s dollars was totaled. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, February 15, 2021
1895: The greatest snowfall event to hit Gulf Coast
The Texas Gulf coast is known for hot steamy weather and has been the site of some of the most destructive and deadly hurricanes ever to strike the United States, but on February 15, 1895 a weather extreme of another sort struck the region. In the days leading up to the February 15th arctic cold plunged into the south with a vengeance. At the same time a storm was spinning inland in southern California. The cold weather was firmly established by the 14th and that western storm was forced southward into northern Mexico. It set the scene for the greatest snowfall event to ever hit the Gulf coast. Snow began to fall in some places on the evening of the 14th and by the time it stopped in the afternoon of February 15, 1895 record snowfall was measured from Texas to Alabama: Rayne, Louisiana recorded 22" a state record; Houston, also had, 22"; an incredible 15.4” feel on the beaches of Galveston, Texas, there was 8.2” in New Orleans, Louisiana, 6” in Brownsville, Texas and Mobile, Alabama. All land travel came to a halt for days and the extreme cold and snow killed many livestock. No accurate accounting of the impact on the people of the region was recorded, but estimates are than many perished in the cold and snow that was more usual for the northern plains states. Most homes had inadequate heating and people attempted to heat their homes with fires inside and that led to further disaster. The scale of winter weather was unprecedented. Nothing like it has been seen since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, February 14, 2021
1958: 16" of snow falls in Haleyville, AL
On February 14, 1958 in Haleyville, AL 16” of snow fell, an extreme snow event for that area of the country. Because of the snow’s high water equivalent, that is the total water content of the snow, the weight was extremely heavy and it caused many chicken coops in the poultry region to collapse leading to the crushing of many of the chickens inside. The coops were not constructed to withstand the heavy wet snow that fell, since the entire average winter’s snowfall in the region was a mere 1-2”. Following the snow storm many chicken coops in the poultry rich region where rebuilt to higher standards. In the north, chicken coop building standards have been and remain much more sturdy due to snowfall. In addition in many places housing poultry that don’t need coops, foul are kept in wire cages. The only impact is that when snow is heavy enough people must be called out to knock the snow off the wire confinements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, February 13, 2021
1899: Much of US suffers from arctic outbreak
By February 13, 1899 much of the nation had been suffering under the icy grip of the worst arctic outbreak since the founding of the republic. Records that stand even to today had been set in the days previous to February 13, 1899 and more were to fall in the next few days. Because of the persistent week long cold, Ice flows had formed in Gulf of Mexico causing a hazard to navigation. The temperature on the morning of February 13, 1899 along the Gulf coast sat at incredibly low readings; -16 degrees Minden, LA a record for state, in New Orleans the mercury was 6.8 degrees; at in Mobile -1 degree; Pensacola 7 degrees; Brownsville Texas was 12 degrees an all time low for the city. Temperatures all the way southward to Ft Myers were in the 20s and snowflakes where observed all across Florida. But father up the East Coast the brunt of the outbreak was being felt as a Great Blizzard paralyzed the region on the 13th and 14th: 36" of snow fell at Cape May, New Jersey. 20.5" at Washington, D.C. and many other areas along the coast saw snowfall totals at more than a foot. The cold finally broke in the following days, after a week of misery, and with the warmup came several inches of rain that on top of melting snow produced flooding in the Northeast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, February 12, 2021
1899: The coldest airmass to move into the US
February 1899 marked the arrival of perhaps the coldest airmass in move into the United States in recorded history. For more than a week the bitter arctic cold ravaged North America with Blizzards and ice. Records were established that hold even today more than century later. By February 12, 1899 the cold was already firmly established. In previous days the mercury had already dipped to minus 20 in Columbus and Pittsburgh. The day before on the 11th parts of Montana had seen temperatures below minus 60. In Tallahassee 2 below was recorded, a state of Florida record. A foot and a half of snow had not only fallen in Philadelphia and Baltimore, but Richmond and Raleigh. By February 12 the storm was in full swing, in Boston winds gusted to 65 mph and maintained an average of 50 mph throughout the entire day. 24-36" of snow just north of Boston in Beverly. The Boston Herald declared: "Rarely, if ever, has Boston been so completely snowbound as it has been by this blizzard." At the end of the storm, the snow depth measured 23" in Boston. But the snow extended far southward bringing unheard of snow totals including 4 in Charleston SC and 2.8” in Tallahassee. The cold persisted well behind the storm, Tulia, Texas recorded a morning temperature of minus 23, a state record. The arctic grip was not lessening, far from it, some places would suffer even more from the cold in coming days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, February 11, 2021
1994: Airmass brings 1-2' of snow to the I-95 corridor
February 11, 1994 dawned cold across the Tennessee Valley, an air mass that originated in the arctic snow fields of the Yukon had in previous days blasted across the northern plains state and by the 11th had settled into much of the nation east of the Rockies. Far to the south a storm was brewing on the Texas Gulf coast and pulling plenty of moisture northward out ahead of it. The cold air was holding on stubbornly in the lowest several thousand feet of the atmosphere in the Tennessee and Ohio valleys even as it began to warm up higher up in the air. As the moisture form the Gulf of Mexico was forced to rise up and over that cold layer of air near the ground it began to rain – but with temperatures still well below freezing at the surface the rain froze on everything. The result was Severe ice storm across parts of Tennessee, Alabama, and much of Kentucky. 1.45" of rain fell at Memphis --all with a temperature below freezing. Power was knocked out in many areas as ice accumulated on tree limbs and wires. In some cases, power was not restored for as much as 2 weeks. As the storm turned northward and into deeper cold air snow broke out on a wide front along the I-95 corridor and dumped heavy snow reaching depths of close to 1-2’ from Harrisburg and Allentown Pa into New England, including New York City, snarling traffic and closing airports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, February 10, 2021
1972: Torrential downpours cause flooding in Calama, Chile
Calama, Chile is one of the driest cities in the world with average annual precipitation of just 0.20”. Located on the Atacama Desert, a plateau in South America. The desert is one of the driest places in the world, as well as the only true desert to receive less precipitation than polar regions. In many locations in the desert it rains but once every 10 years and then in small amounts. But on February 10, 1972 a torrential downpour depositing several inches of rain caused catastrophic floods and landslides, isolating the town and cutting off electricity. Prior to this event, the town had been known as THE driest place on earth, having had virtually no rain for 400 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, February 09, 2021
1969: The Mayor Lindsay Storm
On February 9 1969 the fortunes of New York City Mayor John Lindsay were riding high. Mentioned often as possible Presidential contender in the upcoming decade of the 70’s he had done much to win the support of Democrats and Republicans, serving a Democratic city as a Republican. His policies where often hailed as progressive and finically responsible. But his future in politics was about to be undone by the weather. Warned in advance of an impending storm his administration was ill prepared. Budget cuts had slashed the available snowplows by 40% and a recent strike with city workers has not been fully overcome. What became known as the Mayor Lindsay Storm" dumped 15.3" at New York City; Central Long Island 12-18"; Scarsdale, NY 24"; Falls Village, CT 35"; Bridgeport, CT 17.7"; Hartford, CT 15.8"; Bedford, MA 25"; Blue Hill 21"; Boston 11.1"; Portland, ME 21.5"; 800 cars stranded on Tappan-Zee Bridge. Property damage totaled in New England more than $10 million. Thousands of homes lost utility service. Drifts reached 10-20' deep. Thousands were stranded on highways, the New York Thruway was closed from New York City to Albany. The storm was named for Mayor Lindsay's failure to clear the streets of New York City and more than 40 New Yorkers died as a result of the storm. Worst hit was the NYC borough of Queens where 21 people died. The storm came to a swift end late in the day of February 9 and with it came the end of Mayor Lindsey political career, despite being re-elected in 1969 he never held political office again after leaving office as Mayor, despite unsuccessful runs for senate and president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, February 08, 2021
1835: Bitter cold kills orange trees in Florida
Citrus, namely oranges have been farmed commercially in Florida groves since the early 1800s. The first citrus was brought to the Western Hemisphere in 1493 by Christopher Columbus. In the mid-1500s one of the early Spanish explorers, most likely Ponce de Leon, planted the first orange trees around the current location of St. Augustine, Florida. Florida's unique sandy soil and subtropical climate proved to be ideal for growing the seeds that the early settlers planted and have flourished ever since. Today it is a $9 billion industry, employing nearly 76,000 Floridians. In 1835 the citrus industry was just getting on it’s feet, but it almost ended before it got going. On February 8, 1835 a bitter cold arctic blast reached into the southern part of the United States and produced low temperatures unknown in that region. The mercury reached below zero as far south as Savannah Georgia and on the morning of February 8 the temperature read 8 degrees in Jacksonville killing most of the orange trees and setting back the citrus industry more than 10 years. The first groves were originally planted in northern Florida far from where they currently exist. As time went on and more killing freezes occurred the groves were moved further and further south and are now hundreds of miles south of their original loculation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, February 07, 2021
2008: Powerful storm strikes Western US
The first week of February 2008 was a tough one for the western US as a powerful storm moved onshore. The storm’s height culminated on February 7. There were several areas of very heavy rain with some places having nearly 10“ while winds gusted to more than 100 mph. Loma Prieta, CA had nearly 10“ of rain and Marysville, Ca had just over 9“. Winds gusted to 163 mph near Tahoe City, CA with a 149 mph wind gust at Mammoth Mountain. Snow was also impressive with a whopping 132“ in Kirksville, CA and 62“ in Wolf Creek Pass Colorado. At height of the storm it was estimated that nearly 2 million people were without power through California, Nevada and Utah. Roads were blocked by snow, flooding was a problem not only from the rainfall but because of pounding waves and storm surge along the northern California coast. The heavy snow, rain and powerful winds caused huge airline delays that rippled across the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, February 06, 2021
The Blizzard of 2010
February 6, 2010 marked the culmination of a coast to coast storm that brought parts of the Central United States snow and ice and snarled traffic and caused flight delays for the days leading up to the 6th. As the storm approached the East Coast on the afternoon of February 5, 2010 snow started to fall along the I-95 corridor in the Mid-Atlantic region. Already warned of the impending storm airlines had cancelled hundreds of flights and moved planes out of the snowfall zone. The storm intensified aided by a strengthening pocket of artic cold settling in over New England. The result was a bomb cyclone – so called because of extreme strengthening, not unlike an explosion or bomb going off. By the time the snow was done flying on the afternoon of February 6, 28.5” of snow had fallen in Philadelphia making it the 2nd greatest snowfall in that city’s history. Baltimore totaled 24.8” an all-time record and in the nation’s capital 32.4” of measured smashing the old the record for the heaviest single season fall by almost 10”. Airports, roads and schools were closed for a week and as crews battled bitterly cold temps and strong winds in the aftermath of what would be termed the Blizzard of 2010. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, February 05, 2021
1892: Temperature reaches -90.4 in Verkhoyansk, Russia
Weather records can be spotty when looking back more than 100 years ago and sometimes not as accurate as todays modern standards, but carefully recorded records of extreme events usually are on the mark. On February 5, 1892 record cold held most of the north Asia in it’s icy grip. In the Siberian town of Verkhoyansk in Tsarist Russia the mercury plunged to 90.4 degrees F below zero, making it the coldest temperature ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere. Interestingly just two days later on February 7 of 1892 the thermometer once again hit that extreme low level. Verkhoyansk is notable chiefly for its exceptionally low winter temperatures and some of the greatest temperature differences on Earth between summer and winter. It holds the Guinness World Record for the greatest temperature range on Earth, from that 90.4 below zero to in winter to an all-time high temperature in that city of 99 the in summer, an incredibly high tempera for being located above the Arctic Circle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, February 04, 2021
The Super Tuesday Severe Weather Outbreak
On February 4, 2008 record warmth was surging northward from Mexico at the same time 14 states prepared to hold primary elections for the 2008 Presidential election cycle. Known as Super Tuesday, it was the biggest number of state presidential primaries held on the same day up to that point. As the heat pulsed into the country a strong storm roared out of the plains states and warmth added fuel to what would become known as the Super Tuesday Severe Weather Outbreak. Temperatures soared into the 80s and beyond all across the southern states. The mercury reached 85 in San Antonio, 82 in Austin, 83 in Baton Rouge and 81 in Augusta George – all records. As the heat reached its peak the storm from the west started to act on the hot air and also moisture moving out of the Gulf of Mexico as the storm started to do it’s work it sparked an outbreak of severe storms from northeast Texas to the lower Ohio valley. The strongest thunderstorms spawned deadly and destructive tornadoes, which resulted in numerous injuries and at least 55 fatalities. One of the strongest tornadoes measured and EF4 on the enhanced Fujita scale, tore through eastern Jackson County, Alabama late that election Tuesday night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, February 03, 2021
1961: Massive snowstorm strikes Northeastern states
The winter of 1960-1961 was one of the harshest on record for the northeastern states. Winter came early with a massive snowstorm in the beginning of December then was punctuated by the John K Kennedy Inauguration storm of January 20, 1961. The last of 3 monumental snowstorms that winter hit on February 3, 1961. The deepest snow fell from just north of Baltimore to New England and paralyzed the region for days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, February 02, 2021
The 1952 Groundhog Day Storm
The extraordinary 1952 Groundhog Day Storm was the only Atlantic tropical cyclone on record in February. First observed in the western Caribbean Sea on February 2, it moved rapidly throughout its duration and struck southwestern Florida early the next day as a gale-force storm. The 1952 Atlantic hurricane season was the last Atlantic hurricane season in which tropical cyclones were named using the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet. It was a near normal Atlantic hurricane season, although it was the least active since 1946. The season officially started on June 15; however, that pre-season storm formed on Groundhog Day, becoming the only storm on record in the month of February. February 2 1952, a low-pressure area formed in the western Caribbean two months after the end of the1951 hurricane season. It moved quickly north-northwestward and acquired gale-force winds as it brushed the northern coast of Cuba. Early on February 3, the storm struck Cape Sable, Florida and quickly crossed the state. The Miami National Weather Bureau office recorded a wind gust of 68 mph during its passage. The winds damaged windows and power lines. The storm also dropped 2–4 inches of rain along its path, causing crop damage in Miami-Dade County. Then the storm continued rapidly northeastward, reaching peak winds of 70 mph. On February 4 it moved by off the coast of North Carolina. Later that day, it passed over Cape Cod, and dissipated after crossing into Maine. The storm caused scattered power outages and gusty winds across all across New England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, February 01, 2021
2011: Massive storm dumps snow on plains states
On February 1, 2011 a massive storm moved across the northern and central plains states to start off February on a very wintry note. Oklahoma City was pounded with heavy snow that accumulated almost a foot. This crushed the 5.5” record for the date set in 1913. It was also the snowiest February day on record in Oklahoma City. Chicago, Illinois also had the snowiest February day ever with 13.6”. Other ”big” snowfall winners were Claremore, Oklahoma at 20” and Hannibal, Missouri also at 20”. As this system spread moisture eastward there was significant icing in the Ohio Valley and snow continued to develop over New England and the Northeast although not as high accumulations as Oklahoma to Illinois. Most roads like Interstate 80 became impassable from Chicago eastward to Pennsylvania and most truck traffic from Missouri to Chicago was halted for several days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, January 31, 2021
1911: Tamarack, CA records 32.5' of snowfall in one month
On January 31, 1911 the weather records show that Tamarack, California, closed the books for the month on snowfall there with 390 inches or 32.5 feet of snow that had fallen. That established a record that still holds well more than a hundred years later as the most snow in a calendar month in the United States. Tamarack, formerly known as Camp Tamarack, is an unincorporated community in Calaveras County, California, in the United States. It was founded in the 1920s. It sits at an elevation of 6,913 feet, on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada near Bear Valley and south of Lake Tahoe. It is prone to getting huge snowfalls as storms blow into northern California from off the Pacific ocean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, January 30, 2021
1966: The most intense cold arctic outbreak to strike southern states
The most intense cold arctic outbreak to strike the southern states in modern times plunged into that region on January 29 1966 and by the morning of January 30 set record unrivaled in the history of the region before or since. The mercury in Corinth. Mississippi dipped to 19 below zero the lowest in state history. New Market Alabama reached a morning reading of 27 below also a state record. In Greensboro, North Carolina the afternoon temperature reached just 13 and lowest high temp ever seen. Many homes were not insulated for that kind of cold and water pipes burst all across the deep south – in some places it took weeks to restore the water. Many automobiles and trucks did not have proper ant-freeze and engine blocks froze and where ruined. The cold made it into Florida and significantly damaged the citrus crops there. This cold air has swing into the region behind a massive storm that was moving up the eastern seaboard and as the cold gained form control in the south in the wake of the storm up the east coast heavy snow was falling that would reach deeps of 10” of more in Philadelphia and Harrisburg and as much as 20” in and around Washington DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, January 29, 2021
1921: The Great Olympic Blowdown
The Great Olympic Blowdown of January 29, 1921 , also called the Big Blow, was a compact, intense windstorm that struck the coast of Washington. The storm is remembered for the massive number of trees destroyed. At the time, it was the greatest loss of timber in the country, according to the Forest Service. Hurricane-force. winds destroyed billions of board-feet of timber across the Olympic Peninsula. More than 40 percent of the trees on the southwest side of the Olympic Mountains were blown down. The Great Olympic Blowdown felled eight times more trees than the eruption of Mount St. Helens. The old-growth timber that was destroyed created a fire hazard, and fire suppression crews were deployed by the U. S Forest Service, the state of Washington, and the Washington Forest Fire Association. Air patrols to support the fire suppression crews were provided by the U.S. Army. A herd of 200 elk were killed near the town of Forks by tree branches and flying debris and hundreds of domestic farm animals were also killed. Power and telephone lines were downed. Moored boats were dashed on the beaches. Twenty-one barges were adrift in Puget Sound after breaking from their mooring lines. Smokestacks and chimneys collapsed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, January 28, 2021
2014: Historic winter storm moves through Southern US
What would be termed a "historic winter storm" moved through the southern part of the United States on January 28 2014. Snow and ice stretched from far eastern Texas into Florida and the Carolinas. Heavy sleet and freezing rain led to power outages, including in Pensacola FL. and Charleston SC. Ice and snow in Atlanta GA. led to an incredible gridlock that left thousands of stranded motorists on I-75. People were trapped in their cars through the day and night, Heavy snow fell farther north from Columbia SC to Norfolk VA, and Temperatures were mainly in the teens. Some stranded in the Atlanta area overnight slept in grocery store aisles for warmth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, January 27, 2021
1922: The Knickerbocker Storm
Late January of 1922 saw the Virginia and North Carolina experience one of the greatest snowstorms ever recorded in the region. Automobile and truck traffic had just become established as the main mode of transport for people and goods in the region and the storm of January 27 1922 brought that traffic to a complete halt for more than a week. With virtually no way to clean off the roads connecting farms and towns over a wide expanse of the countryside, travel just stopped. Almost 20” of snow fell in Richmond, Virginia; two feet in Washington DC and Baltimore and in Roxboro, North Carolina an incredible 36” of snow fell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, January 26, 2021
1978: One of the greatest blizzards in North American history
On January 25, 1978 one of the greatest blizzards in North American history struck a wide area from the great Lakes and Mid-west all the way toward the east coast of the United States and northward into parts of Canada. The bitter cold artic air had been holding across the large region for more than a week and had been reinforced by successive waves of air from the Yukon and Siberia. Then a storm developed on the Gulf coast and came sweeping northward right into the cold air. Significant support gathered in the high levels of the atmosphere for the storm and resulted in a system that some said rivaled a hurricane in strength. Pittsburgh reached its lowest barometric pressure ever at 28.49” – just like that in a hurricane. The Paralyzing blizzard that ensued killed more than 100. Winds gusted to 100 mph producing 25’ drifts. Many roofs collapsed from heavy snow. 28.14” was the pressure reading at Cleveland, the lowest recorded at an inland US station. 120,000 cars and trucks were abandoned in Michigan. In Canada the Ravaging winter storm caused $41 million in damage and contributed to 9 deaths. Hurricane force winds blew out windows in Toronto’s skyscrapers, where the air pressure plunged to 27.80”; also, an all-time low reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, January 25, 2021
1990: The Burns Day Storm
On January 25, 1990 at least 39 people, some of them children, died in the worst weather to hit England and Wales in decades. Hurricane-force winds gusting in from the south-west brought chaos with many railway stations, roads and ports forced to close and some flights to major airports in England were diverted. The severe weather also affected other parts of Europe, killing at least 21 people in France, the Netherlands and Belgium, and caused disruption and damage in western Germany. Police in Britain described the situation as "chaotic", with cars and overturned lorries blocking motorways, buildings collapsing and power and telecommunications lines being blown down. At least half a million homes are without electricity. The storm was marginally less powerful than its better known predecessor of 1987. But no storm had caused such loss of life in the UK since the East Coast Flood disaster in 1953. The trail of destruction from the British Isales to Denmark left 100 people dead. The centre of the storm crossed the birthplace of Robbie Burns on his birthday and became known as the "Burns Day Storm". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, January 24, 2021
1925: Solar eclipse causes rapid temperature drop in New Jersey
During the total solar eclipse in December 1834, the Gettysburg, PA Republican Banner reported that in some places, the eclipse caused the temperature to drop by as much as 28 degrees Fahrenheit, from 78 degrees F to 50 degrees F. During a total solar eclipse on the Norwegian island of Svalbard in March 2015, temperatures dropped from 8 degrees F to minus 7 degrees F. The change in temperature during a total eclipse will vary based on location and time of year. The temperature change created by the loss of light from the sun's disk will be similar to the difference between the temperature at midday and the temperature just after sunset, except the change will occur more suddenly, which is why this is often one of the very noticeable effects of a total solar eclipse. On January 24, 1925 a total solar eclipse over the far northern part of New Jersey, under clear skies, the temperature fell significantly during the afternoon to near 0. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, January 23, 2021
1916: The world record 24-hour temperature variation
On January 23, 1916 the World record 24-hour variation in temperature was set. Browning, Montana, in the northern part of the state, hard against the Canadian border reached a temperature of 44 degrees F in the late morning hours as warm air surged in from the southeast. The air mass that held sway in the region came all the way from the Gulf of Mexico and the folks in Browning that morning were looking forward to a relatively balmy day. The average high temperature on January 23 is 33 and the record high is near 50 – so it was quite warm for that time of the year. But the weather was about to turn a “Siberian Express” cold front came through, quickly dropping the temperature below freezing. The temperature continued to drop, reaching 56 degrees below zero F. A one-day variation of exactly 100 degrees and also the greatest 24-hour temperature drop in history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, January 22, 2021
1943: Temperature in Black Hills, SD falls 50 degrees in minutes
The Black Hills area of South Dakota can experience spectacular temperature variations. Day-to-day changes occur as cold and warm fronts cross the northern Plains. However, temperature ranges across the area at a given time can be just as great. They happen rapidly as the wind direction changes, most notably the warming Chinook winds. Other temperature differences are caused by inversions, when warm air flows over a shallow pool of cold air. Because the Black Hills rise above the plains like an island in a body of water, they are in the warm air layer. The most notable temperature fluctuations occurred on January 22, 1943 when temperatures rose and fell almost 50 degrees in a few minutes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, January 21, 2021
1863: General Burnside's Army gets stuck in mud due to heavy rains
On January 21, 1863, Union General Ambrose Burnside’s Army of the Potomac begins an offensive against General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia that quickly bogs down as several days of heavy rain turn the roads of Virginia into a muddy quagmire. The campaign was abandoned a few days later. The Union army was still reeling from the disastrous Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, on December 13, 1862. Burnside’s force suffered more than 13,000 casualties as it assaulted Lee’s troops along hills above Fredericksburg. Lee suffered around 5,000 casualties, making Fredericksburg one of the most one-sided engagements in the Eastern theater of operations. Morale was low among the Yankees that winter. In mid-January, Burnside sought to raise morale and seize the initiative from Lee. His plan was to swing around Lee’s left flank and draw the Confederates away from their defenses and into the open. Speed was essential to the operation. January had been a dry month to that point, but as soon as the Federals began to move, a drizzle turned into a downpour that lasted for four days. Logistical problems delayed the laying of a pontoon bridge across the Rappahannock River, and a huge traffic jam snarled the army’s progress. In one day, the 5th New York moved only a mile and a half. The roads became unnavigable, and conflicting orders caused two corps to march across each other’s paths. Horses, wagons, and cannons were stuck in mud, and the element of surprise was lost. Jeering Confederates taunted the Yankees with shouts and signs that read “Burnside’s Army Stuck in the Mud.” Burnside turned his Army around and abandoned the fight due primarily because of the weather. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, January 20, 2021
1937: The wettest Presidential Inauguration on record
The Constitution of the United States had established March 4 as Inauguration Day in order to allow enough time after Election Day for officials to gather election returns and for newly-elected candidates to travel to the capital. On April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated in New York City as our first president. Washington was scheduled to be inaugurated on March 4, however, weather prevented Congress from being able to make quorum, and thus the beginning of our nation under the original Constitution was delayed almost two months. On March 4, 1801, Thomas Jefferson was the first president inaugurated in Washington, D.C., our new federal capital. After New York, Philadelphia had become our nation’s capital. Though, in order to appease Southern slave holders fearing a northern capital would be inordinately influenced by Northern Abolitionists, the nation’s capital was moved south to its current location. Inauguration was initially held inside the House and Senate chambers of the Federal Congress. James Monroe, the newly elected president in 1817, began the tradition of holding the inauguration outside, in front of Congress. The outdoor inauguration would prove fatal in 1841. With great hubris, the newly elected President William Harrison decided to ride on horseback, without a coat, to his inauguration – despite the winter weather. Harrison then delivered the longest inauguration speech in American history — a two-hour-long oration, which led to the shortest Presidency in American history as Harrison subsequently caught pneumonia and died 31 days later. The twentieth amendment of the Constitution, took effect before Franklin D. Roosevelt’s second term began. The twentieth amendment specified that the elected president would become president through inauguration at noon on Jan. 20, two months, instead of four, after the presidential election. The twentieth amendment also clarified the presidential secession plan. The first inauguration held on the new date of January 20, 1937 turned out to be the wettest inauguration ever with 1.77" rain in 24 hours. It was quite windy with temperatures just above freezing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, January 19, 2021
1961: Snowstorm strikes DC the day before JFK's inauguration
A strong snowstorm struck the Northeastern part of the United States on January 19, 1961. It was the day before the inauguration of President John K Kennedy, temperatures held steady during the 19th at 20 and snowfall fell at 1–2 inches per hour and a total of 8 inches fell during the night, causing transportation and logistical problems in Washington and serious concern for the inauguration. On inauguration day, January 20, 1961, the skies began to clear but the snow had created chaos in Washington, almost canceling the inaugural parade. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was put in charge of clearing the streets during the evening and morning before the inauguration, and were assisted by more than 1,000 District of Columbia employees and 1,700. This task force employed hundreds of dump trucks, front-end loaders, sanders, plows, rotaries, and even flamethrowers to clear the route. Over 1,400 cars which had been stranded due to the conditions and lack of fuel had to be removed from the parade route. The snowstorm dropped visibility at Washington area airports to less than half a mile, preventing former President Herbert Hoover from flying into Washington and attending the inauguration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, January 18, 2021
1930: Temperature in Watts, OK reaches -27°F
During the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s much of the Great plains of the United States was bone dry. Because there was little rainfall the ground was dry. Daytime heat is derived from the ground heating up from the sun and then heating the lowest level of the atmosphere from the warming ground. The amount of moisture in the ground has a great impact on this heating. A large percentage of the sun’s energy goose into evaporating the moisture on the ground surface. When the ground is dry to begin with the sun just gets to work warming things up. It’s not the sole reason that temperatures climb to record high levels – but it helps. During the 30’s in places like Oklahoma a significant number of high temperature records were set in part because of this dry weather phenomenon. Lack of moisture also has an impact of lowering temperatures. Moisture in the ground leads to higher humidity near the ground and that prevents temperatures from getting below the saturation point of moisture in the air. When there is little moisture temperatures can drop more. So, in additions to the extreme heat that we all hear about from the Dust Bowl – there was also extreme cold. On January 18, 1930 in Watts Oklahoma the mercury dipped to -27 degrees the coldest ever in state. It was the 1st day of string of 33 days when temperature averaged -2.8 degrees. 7.7 degrees colder than any other period since records commenced. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, January 17, 2021
1994: Driver in Edmonton gets car stuck under moving truck
In Edmonton, Alberta a massive snowstorm struck on January 17, 1994. Snow was whipped into huge drifts and visibility was severely limited. When storm like this strike they have widespread and even historic impacts. But all such events are personal and there are individual stories that amaze or are harrowing and don’t rise to the level of historic reporting – yet are extremely important to those involved. During this storm, blinded by blowing snow, a motorist drove her small car into the back of a tractor-trailer. The unsuspecting truck driver drove off with her vehicle stuck beneath the tanker. For 30 minutes, the coupled vehicles stayed together despite the woman’s frantic efforts to break free. Blowing snow kept other drivers from noticing. The truck driver stopped after he heard the car’s tires exploding. Luckily the driver of the car suffered only minor injuries in this storm fueled drive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, January 16, 2021
1916: Storm brings several inches of snow to San Francisco
January 16, 1916 brought a massive storm to California. Sweeping in off the Pacific Ocean the storm was pulling plenty of moisture northward all the way from Hawaii in what is often called the Pineapple Express. The storm struck with a vengeance with powerful gusts of wins that toppled trees and ripped off roofs from the San Francisco Bay area all the way to the Central Valley of California. Perhaps the most spectacular impact of the storm was the several inches of snow that feel in San Francisco and surrounding communities. With no way to clean off the snow on the hilly streets in the region those roads became slippery nightmares and travel halted for several days until the snow melted and transport was once again able to move. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, January 15, 2021
1780: New York Harbor and rivers freeze solid
The winter of 1779-1780 had been fairly cold in the New York City area, with ice flows recorded on the North River – now known as the Hudson and the East River through the start of January 1780. But on January 15 the ice flows started to harden and merge together all the way out to the south of the city in the main harbor of New York freezing solid. The rivers and New York Harbor would see the ice thicken and hold firm all the way through the end of February. In fact, the ice became so thick that not only could sleigh and wagons move from Long Island to Manhattan and from Manhattan to Staten island and to New Jersey. With the Revolutionary War still in full swing the ice was even strong enough to support the movement of heavy cannons from place to place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, January 14, 2021
1882: Snowfall brings 8-15" to parts of Southern California
Southern California's greatest snow occurred on this date. Fifteen inches blanketed San Bernardino, and even San Diego reported a trace of snow. According to the “History of Riverside, California” by Edgar Wallace Holmes, Jan. 11,1882 was a beautiful day. But the temperature dropped that night, it became overcast and snow began falling around daybreak. The snow fell all day on Jan. 12 and into the next day. By the 14th, Riverside and San Bernardino counties were totally snow-covered. The bitter winter weather extended up and down California and brought snow to all kinds of places that saw it very rarely, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. In Riverside, snow fell to a depth of 8 to 12 inches. So much snow blew into area canals that they became blocked in places and severe breaks occurred. Only a minor amount of damage occurred to the citrus fruit still on the trees, as the snow acted as an insulator. However, many trees were damaged when the weight of the snow, combined with the weight of the fruit, caused branches to break and trees to split. The city of San Bernardino, being at a higher elevation than Riverside, got more snow. The city had an estimated 12 to 15 inches. All transport came to a halt in the region for a week in what went into the history books as the greatest snowfall ever seen, before or since in Southern California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, January 13, 2021
1997: Ice storm strikes Houston, TX and parts of Louisiana
Ice along the Texas Gulf coast is not unknown, but it is a rarity to accumulate more than a thin ice coating, mainly on bridges and overpasses. Usually when that icing does occur it happening in the early morning hours and the common practice is simply to let it melt as the sun rises and heats up the roadways enough to raise the temperature above freezing to melt that ice and end the slippery conditions. On January 13, 1997 an ice storm glazed the Houston, TX area as well as parts of Louisiana. This time, temperatures were not just a degree of two below freezing but rather in the mid 20’s, so 1/2” thick ice formed from Beaumont, TX to Lake Charles, LA. The normal method of simply letting the ice melt would not work unless those in the region waited for several days. With little salt on hand, like the stockpiles in the northern states, the local highway departments needed to improvise using road graders and front loaders to dump gravel used in road construction and cinders from local incinerators to cover the highways to allow motorists to gain traction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 12, 2021
2008: Massive winter storm blasts Afghanistan with snow and ice
Afghanistan is no stranger to winter cold and snow. Much of the country is mountainous and the higher terrain is conducive to bitter cold winter temperatures and snow. Major snow storms are not common – but not terribly unusual either. On January 11, 2008 a massive winter storm blasted the country with a wind wiped heavy snowfall. Dozens killed by the heavy snow and freezing weather as Snow blocked roads connecting remote areas to many of the cities and towns in the country. Around 35 employees of a construction company were trapped in an avalanche in Herat. The clean-up and resources from that avalanche and several others was problematic at best. The war-ravaged nation was still in the midst of bitter conflict and the ability to clean up the snowfall and protect against the cold was virtually impossible as those normal resources were consumed by the ongoing conflict – just another terrible by-product of war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, January 11, 2021
1918: Bitter cold immobilizes mail delivery in Midwest for 2 weeks
The first week of January 1918 brought a persistent bitter cold the upper Midwest and the great lakes region. In many places high temperatures barely reached the freezing mark. Already storages brought on by World War I were being felt in the region with scarcity of fuel to heat homes. Then an even colder air mass that had been building across the arctic regions of Canada plunged southward into the northern tier of the United States. Meanwhile a storm was brewing in the southern states, as that system swept northward bringing plenty of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico along with it. The result was a Vast storm of blizzard proportions moved through Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. Toledo had 63 mph winds and a temperature drop from +28 degrees to -15 degrees as the storm pulled the arctic air southward behind it. The result was a Complete immobilization and no mail for 2 weeks in many parts of the Midwest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, January 10, 2021
1982: Severe blizzard in Edinboro, PA
Snow, continuous and heavy with sustained winds estimated at 30-35 mph, gusting to 50-60 mph struck Edinboro, PA on January 10, 1982 as bitter cold air moved out of Canada and across the Great Lakes resulting in a massive diplay of Lake-effect snowfall. Mountainous drifts caused roads to be shut down. Between 3 and 4 feet of new snow, well above the waist on the level was reported. One report of a devastating “snow devil”. Miniature vortexes of wind can stir up snow in a formation known as a snow devil. Similar to a dirt devil, snow devils are spinning columns of snow. The reported stated that “It became dark at 4 pm, and a sudden strong gust of wind picked up a wall of snow and blew it about. It cleared somewhat, but then a definite funnel shaped vortex, swirling about at a rapid rate, knocked over an apple tree. The snow devil then proceeded to rip a 6-inch diameter cherry tree right out of the ground with the roots lying on top of the snow. The snow devil was about 20-25 feet in diameter and at least 100 feet tall. This was one of the most severe blizzards in this region in memory.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, January 09, 2021
1975: Blizzard conditions shut down Winnipeg
January 9, 1975 marked one of the coldest days across the parries of western Canada. Arctic cold had move out of Siberia and across Alaska and the Yukon and then southward. Along the southern fringes of the cold weather a storm laden with moisture from the Pacific Ocean had slammed into the pacific northwest of the United States and was moving eastward across Idaho and Montana. As the bitter cold air surged into the places like Winnipeg, Manitoba snow broke out. Fueled by the cold and that Pacific storm blizzard conditions quickly developed. As the snow piled up the airport in Winnipeg was forced to close and remained out of service for almost 2 days. Travel across the entire region ground to a halt as the blizzard reduced the visibility in Winnipeg to zero. People couldn’t even see a foot or two in front of them. The white-out continued for more than 12 hours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, January 08, 2021
1981: Snow accumulates in parts of Greece and Tunisia
Bitter cold air moved westward out of Siberia in the first week of January 1981 and settled in across much of the European continent. Temperatures remained below freezing night and day in Germany and France and across the British isles and southward to the Mediterranean coast . Northern Italy and Greece were not spared the artic chill. On the southern end of the Siberian airmass a large storm formed in north Aricia and moved eastward. By the time the powerful storm reached the southern part of Greece it resulted in 4 days of wild weather from January 8-11. Snow fell in parts of Greece as well as Tunisia where 2" accumulated. This was the first snow in Tunisia in 26 years. There were floods in Turkey and dust storms in Libya. Travel in those areas that experienced snow on the Mediterranean coast experienced travel disruptions for days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, January 07, 2021
The Blizzard of '96
The “Blizzard of ‘96'” wreaked havoc across the eastern third of the United States. A powerful storm moved up the eastern seaboard and ran into very frigid air helping to produce traffic-stopping, life-disrupting snowfall totals. The major cities of Boston, MA, New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA & Washington DC became completely paralyzed. Philadelphia received a record 31" of snow, smashing the old record snowfall of 21.3" set in Feb. 1983. In parts of southern PA, snowdrifts were as high as 10'. As much as 4' of snow fell in the West Virginia Mountains. Nearly 2' of snow buried New York City. 29" was measured in Boston, MA. Winds gusted over 80 mph on the New Jersey shore. A total ban on travel was in put in effect in the eastern half of PA for 48 hours to aid in the clean-up and recuse stranded motorists. 35" fell in White Horse, NJ to set a state snowfall record. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, January 06, 2021
2006: Tropical Storm Zeta dies off in Central Atlantic
Tropical Storm Zeta, the 26 and last storm of the 2005- 2006 hurricane season, died off in the central Atlantic on January 6, 2006. This was the second storm to span two calendar years, the first being Hurricane Alice in 1954-1955. In current times the start of the Hurricane season triggers the re-start of the alphabet. The season officially kicks off on June 1st in the Atlantic basin. Sometimes tropical systems form in May or even April. In fact, there has been a named storm in every month of the year when compiling all the storms that have formed through history. Usually then when there is a natural break in the season and there has been no storm for a while the alphabet is restarted. Most of these modern protocols here established by the WMO, the World Meteorological Organization in the 1950s and 60’s with some refinements after that. That is why in the 2005-2006 season was still using the end of the alphabet with Zeta, but 1954-1955 before the rules where worked out the alphabet was already re-started with Alice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, January 05, 2021
1988: Heavy lake-effect snow on E. side of Lake Ontario
Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when a cold air mass moves across long expanses of warmer lake water. The lower layer of air, heated up by the lake water, picks up water vapor from the lake and rises up through the colder air above; the vapor then freezes and is deposited on the downwind shores. But Lake-effect snow can actually occur when a lake is partially or even total frozen. That is because directional winds shear is one of the most important factors governing the development of squalls; environments with weak directional shear typically produce more intense squalls than those with higher shear levels. Frictional convergence is the major factor in producing the squally. When the wind blows over t expanse of water – or even frozen lake is flowing unimpeded, when it reaches the shore line it slows as it comes into contact with the land and causes friction. There is only once place for the air to go and that is up. The lifting causes clouds and precipitation. When the wind blows in such a way that is turns counter-clockwise, the same direction as large-scale storms – that also aids in lift. When the lake is now frozen the added element of temperature contrast and available moisture is added to the mix. This is most common around the Great Lakes in the United States and Canada. The snowfall totals can be prodigious, in a short period of time. On January 5, 1988 Heavy lake effect snows on the east side of Lake Ontario in upstate New York. So much snow fell that Interstate 81 was closed from Pulaski to Watertown for a week. As much as 45” of snow fell in less than 12 hours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, January 04, 2021
1780: The Hard Winter
The absolute worst winter in the 18th century was the “hard winter” of 1779-1780. The winter that year was bad. Over the course of the winter, New Jersey had 26 snowstorms and 6 of those are considered to be blizzards! Every saltwater inlet from North Carolina to Canada froze over completely. In fact, New York Harbor froze over with ice so thick that British soldiers were able to march from Manhattan to Staten Island. George Washington decided to place his army at Morristown, New Jersey for winter quarters. When they arrived at the encampment site in November 1779 there was already a foot of snow on the ground. The worst of the snowfalls dropped more than four feet of snow with snow drifts over six feet on January 4, 1780. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, January 03, 2021
1961: The North American ice storm
The North American ice storm of January 1961 was a massive ice storm that struck areas of northern Idaho in the United States at the start of January 1961. The storm set a record for thickest recorded ice accumulation from a single storm in the United States, at 8 inches. The storm covered areas from Grangeville, in north central Idaho, to the US-Canadian border. A combination of dense fog, sub-freezing temperatures, and occasional freezing rain led to the heavy ice accretions. Catastrophic damage to trees and utilities resulted, resulting in widespread power outages. Prior to this storm, previous records of between 4 and 6 inches of ice were recorded in New York and Texas. Imagine if you will ice that is 8” thick. That is thicker than several ice cubes stacked end to end. Imagine it covering everything, consider its sheer weight. It caused almost all the tress in the region to break apart. All wires fell, roofs and other structures caved in. Consider how long it would take all that ice to melt – it was weeks and many were without power for even longer. It caused the power industry to devise new ways of not only restoring power, but new ways to distribute power including more sub stations to generate power and the burying of wires and utility lines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, January 02, 2021
1740: Delaware river freezes over
During Colonial times, Philadelphia was one of the major ports in North America. Lying and the confluence of the mighty Delaware river and the smaller Schuylkill rivers it carried a significant amount of commerce back and forth from Europe to the New World. The Delaware River was deep enough for most of the huge sailing shops of the day to connect right up the docks and easily load or off-load their cargo. Navigation was usually clear from the Atlantic ocean to the great port. Unlike present day, the presence of some ice on the river could lead to a slowing of the ability of ships to navigate any ice fields on the river. Unlike today if bitter cold struck there was no way to break the ice and the wooden ships hulls were vulnerable to damage and even ships of sinking in from significant ice. When the river froze over solid commerce stopped. January 2 was a day of great activity in the Port of Philadelphia in these times gone by after Christmas and New year’s Day, but it came to pass that on January 2, 1740 the Delaware became completely frozen over and shipping came to a halt for the winter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, January 01, 2021
1864: Bitter cold on New Year's Day
New Years Day 1864 brought an intense day of suffering from the Mid-west into the Tennessee Valley, especially for Union and Confederate soldiers who were camped in tents and other structures not made for permanent living and therefore prepared against the cold. Times where especially tough on confederate prisoners of war, who were not used to the extreme cold. The New Year’s Day cold in Midwest was the worst in decades as a snowstorm and gale force winds struck; Minneapolis had a high of the -25 degrees; Chicago’s high was -16 degrees, with a morning ow -25 degrees minimum. The south was not spared the bitter cold, temperatures dropped from 47 degrees to -19 degrees in 21 hours at Louisville, KY. Newspaper reports from the day reported Intense suffering for Civil War soldiers and prisoners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, December 31, 2020
1978: Severe ice storm strikes N. Texas
In Dallas, Texas and across north Texas in the month of December the daily high temperatures decrease by 6°F, from 62°F to 56°F, rarely falling below 40°F or exceeding 74°F. Daily low temperatures decrease by 6°F, from 44°F to 39°F, rarely falling below 26°F or exceeding 58°F. It does get cold on occasion though, with record low temperatures at the end of the month in the single digits and even a little below zero on same days. Snowfall can reach a couple inches. Cold air is easily pushed down the plains from Canada in the winter season. Often times this cold air only manages to penetrate the lowest several thousand feet – so it is close to the ground. When this happens and storms push moisture in from the Gulf of Mexico it falls as rain – yet with temperatures near the ground below freezing the rain freezes on all surfaces and causes ice. On December 31, 1978 a severe ice storm struck leaving 1” to 2" of ice over a 100-mile swath from Gainesville to Paris, Texas. Electricity was off for 10 days in parts of Dallas County. More than 2,000 people were treated for frostbite, automobile or falling accidents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, December 30, 2020
1880: Negative temperatures and bitter cold hit East coast
The winter of 1880–1881 is widely considered the most severe winter ever known in parts of the United States. Many children—and their parents—learned of "The Snow Winter" through the children's book The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder, in which the author tells of her family's efforts to survive. The snow arrived in October 1880 and blizzard followed blizzard throughout the winter and into March 1881, leaving many areas snowbound throughout the entire winter. For the most part the snow by passed the big cities on the East coast that winter. The cold was only sporadic but on December 30, 1880 bitter cold hit the east coast the mercury dropped to 3 below in Washington D. C. the earlier below zero reading there ever, records were also set in Charlotte North Carolina at 5 below and in Philadelphia the temperature also dropped to negative 5 and the afternoon high temperature despite bright sunshine only reach 5 above zero. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 29, 2020
1830: "Winter of the Deep Snow" begins
The heaviest observed and accurately measured snowfall in more than a hundred years, across the plains plans states, hit on December 29, 1830. Many of the cities in the region had just experienced a growth spurt as a jumping off pint for westward travel. Farming was taking hold in the nations’ mid-section. Many immigrants from Europe had moved into the region and brought their farming techniques and strains of wheat that would lead to American becoming the nation’s breadbasket. The push was on to seize the land of Indigenous people and also send settlers on treks to the west coast that was not part of the United States, in places like California and Oregon. All that was stalled for a while as the massive snowstorm struck. Very heavy snow struck 36” was recorded in Kansas City and 30” in Peoria 30". it began the ”Winter of the Deep Snow" with more than 30" on ground in parts of Missouri and Illinois until mid-February. People began to re-think the move west as being too harsh. But the continue influx of refugees from the across the Atlantic continued to push people in search of more land and soon “the Winter of Deep Snow” was forgotten and the movement continued within a few years the great wagon train treks began with the opening of the Oregon Trail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, December 28, 2020
1879: 17" of snow falls in Tel Aviv, Israel
Snowfall in Israel is a common sight during the months of January and February, especially on Mount Hermon. In fact, Mount Hermon Ski Resort is Israel's only winter ski and snowboard resort located in the Golan Heights in the far north of the country. Apart from the mountain range, the Golan Heights, Upper Galilee region, Safed and Jerusalem receive snowfall every year. At just under 2,700 feet above sea level, snow is not uncommon in the winter in Jerusalem. On average, at least a few flakes fall 7-8 days each year. So, snowfalls are not uncommon and some have buried the city if Jerusalem in almost a foot of snow. Because of its high elevation it certainly is colder than cities like Tel Aviv on the coast of the Mediterranean. From December through January high temperatures in the city average about 53 degrees and low temperatures 44. But on December 28, 1879 the city was hit with one of it’s largest snowstorms ever when 17” accumulated. It shut down the region for travel for more than a week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, December 27, 2020
1992: Bitter cold strikes the Carolinas
Bitter cold weather moved into the Carolinas on Christmas day of 1992 and held for several days aided by a persistent north wid. During the evening hours of December 26 those winds close to the ground turned to the northeast as a storm formed in southern Georgia. Meanwhile higher in the atmosphere the wind turned to the south and increased bringing warm air into the region several thousand feet above the ground level. Still the winds the at surface remained northeast and kept cold air with temperatures in the 20s in the lowest several thousand feet. Colder air is more dense and heavier than warm air and has to retreat and is not pushed out of the way by light warmer air which is forced to rise up and over the cold air. This situation played out across the Carolinas on December 27, 1992, As the storm rolled northward rain broke out across the region – but because temperatures were below freezing at the ground the rain froze on everything. Soon ice covered all surfaces cause tree limbs and wires to come down and turning highways into skating rinks. Hundreds of thousands lost power and, in some places, it took more than a week to restore electricity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, December 26, 2020
2010: Major winter storm barrels up East coast
A major winter storm barreled up the East Coast on December 26, 2010. The mid- Atlantic and New England coastlines bore the brunt of the storm’s fury. Snowfall totals eclipsed a foot in some cities and towns from eastern Virginia to Massachusetts, with accumulations tipping 18” in New Jersey. Winds also howled past 60 mph in parts of New England, creating whiteout conditions in spots. More than 45,000 customers had lost power across the region. Flight delays and cancellations plagued holiday travelers at many of the East Coast’s busy air hubs. All New York City airports were forced to close. The impending storm also prompted the NFL to postpone the Sunday night matchup between the Eagles and Vikings in Philadelphia before the storm even arrived. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, December 25, 2020
1775: Washington's historic crossing of the Delaware
The story of George Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas, 1775. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, December 24, 2020
1966: Christmas Eve coastal storm strikes East coast
A coastal storm developed in Gulf States and moved up East Coast on December 24, 1966. A widespread white Christmas resulted for many. Thunder and vivid lightning were reported along with heavy rain and snow from Baltimore north to Rhode Island. JFK Airport closed for 24 hours because of drifting snow. Nantucket Sound saw seas up to 40' - boat trips were cancelled and people were unable to get to Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket for the Christmas Holiday. Philadelphia had more than a foot of snow. Baltimore more than 8 and Atlantic City more than 6", Washington DC had 6.5" the most ever on Christmas Eve. Highpoint State Park, NYC 19", Central Park, NY 7.1", Pittsfield, MA 17" - all time snow record, 24 hours. In Boston, MA, 67 mph winds blew down Christmas decorations. Storm was of great benefit to holiday skiers; up to 20" of snow in VT and NH mountains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, December 23, 2020
1775: The Snow Campaign
Regiments of Patriot soldiers in the fall and early winter of 1775, under Col. Richard Richardson, set out to attack a Loyalist unit that had camped in present-day Greenville County for safety. The Patriots marched through several feet of snow in December to accomplish this. The Loyalists, abiding by the terms of a treaty, had disbanded most of their forces. Col. Richardson refused to abide by the treaty and rounded up their leaders and sent them to Charlestown under arrest. On December 22nd, Col. Richardson detached 1,300 troops to attack the Loyalist camp of Capt. Patrick Cunningham that had stopped to rest on Cherokee lands. Capt. Cunningham warned his men to fend for themselves and they all ran into the woods. He was able to escape on horseback. After Capt. Cunningham had been defeated, Col. Richardson considered the upcountry to be pacified and turned his army homeward. He couldn't stay because winter was coming and his army had no tents, their shoes were worn out, and they were badly clothed. Along the way home, it snowed for thirty hours ending on December 23, 1775, dumping nearly two feet on the weary Patriots, thus ending what became known as The Snow Campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 22, 2020
1989: Severe cold strikes nation's midsection
In mid-December 1989 a severe arctic outbreak of bitter cold plunged out of the Yukon, across the plains of Canada and right into the nation’s midsection. The morning of December 22, 1989 brought record cold across a wide area. Notable low temperature records reached down to 23 below in Indianapolis, breaking the old record by 6 degrees, Cincinnati’s temperature dropped to minus 20, breaking the record by 7, it was 12 below in Pittsburg and 1 below in Tupelo, Mississippi. Kanas City dropped to 23 below the colder ever there. On the southern fringes of the cold a storm churned through the Gulf of Mexico bringing snow to the Gulf coast with 2” in Houston and Galveston Texas and an inch in New Orleans. At the same time as the cold departed the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains warming Chinook winds took over and in Cut Bank, Montana after a morning low temperature of 34 below zero the afternoon temperature topped out at plus 40. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, December 21, 2020
2006: Blizzard strands 5,000 passengers at Denver Int.
Thousands of travelers were stranded at airports and shelters on December 21, 2006 after a blizzard paralyzed Colorado and parts of other Western states. Snowfall measured over 50 inches in the Rocky Mountain foothills, and drifts reached more than five feet on airport runways. Gov. Bill Owens of Colorado declared a state of emergency, calling in National Guard troops to help stranded motorists reach home, a hotel or Red Cross shelters. Denver International Airport, where nearly 5,000 people were stuck overnight, the airport remained closed for 3 days. 30- to 40-mile-per-hour winds with falling snow, prevented cleanup. The snow was accumulating too fast to keep up with it. Cities along Colorado’s Front Range could not plow roads fast enough as the snow kept falling for over 24 hours, leaving 20 to 30 inches in Denver. Light-rail trains and bus service were canceled for days, and it was a week before side streets in Denver were plowed. Mail delivery was canceled and most businesses, including malls, were closed during the busiest shopping time of the year. With cars, trucks and buses abandoned on the roads, the cleanup was hindered. At Denver International Airport, thousands of passengers were bused to hotels and many others slept on the floor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, December 20, 2020
1836: "The Sudden Freeze"
On December 20, 1836, occurred what Illinois pioneers called “The Sudden Freeze.” About eight inches of snow fell Dec. 19, but it got warm enough for the snow to turn to rain the next day, which melted the snow on the ground into slush and water. At 2 p.m. Dec. 20, the sky darkened, and a heavy, black cloud rolled in from the northwest. Early settlers recorded that then a strong, icy-cold wind, estimated to be blowing at 70 mph, swept over the landscape, instantly freezing everything in its path. Jacksonville, Illinois resident John Lathrop described the sudden freeze. “The cold wave struck me, and as I drew my feet up the ice would form on my boots. When I reached the square, the ice bore me up, and when I returned to Mr. Turner’s, a half hour afterwards, I saw his chickens and ducks frozen into the ice.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, December 19, 2020
The 1948 NFL Championship Game
At least one person thought the 1948 NFL championship game between the host Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Cardinals was going to be snowed out. Eagles running back Steve Van Buren looked out his window that morning at a raging blizzard and went back to bed. His coach had to call to tell him the game was on, so he caught three trolleys and walked several blocks in the storm to make the game, which started with 4 inches of accumulation that only got worse. It remains the second-lowest scoring postseason game in NFL history, with the Eagles winning 7-0 on a Van Buren TD run, as neither team could do much in the storm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, December 18, 2020
2013: Record warmth spreads across Plains states
Forays’ of cold air had been frequent across the Plains states in the fall of 2013; snow had even accumulated in places across Montana and the Dakotas. But the middle of December brought somewhat milder weather as winds across the region shifted from the north to the southwest and south and air came surging up out of Mexico. The change in the wind brought and marked change in the weather and on December 18, 2013 Record warmth spread across the Plains. Boulder, MT. tied the record of 54 set in 1979. Denver, CO. reached 68, breaking the record of 66 last recorded in 1979. Imperial, NE broke their record of 65 from 1979 by reaching 69. All across the region people welcomed the break in the early season cold that had held sway earlier in the month – it was not to last – just a couple of days later temperatures in parts of the region dipped into the teens and single digits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, December 17, 2020
1903: The Wright Bros. historic flight in Kitty Hawk, NC
The archives of the National Weather Service report that Wilbur and Orville Wright made four brief flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with their first powered aircraft on December 17, 1903. After having success with their 5-foot biplane kite, the brothers realized the weather conditions in Dayton, OH, where their bicycle workshop was located and where they worked on heavier than air, aircraft were not ideal for their flying experiments. They wrote the National Weather Bureau in Washington, D.C. requesting a list of suitable places on the east coast of the United States where winds were constant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, December 16, 2020
1835: "Cold Wednesday"
Wednesday, December 16, 1835 was a bitterly cold day, known as ”cold Wednesday”. Hanover, NH only reached a high temperature of - 17 degrees. It was -12 degrees at Boston by sunset. But it was in New York City that the cold did it’s most damage. It was so cold that the East River was frozen: Fire fighter couldn’t access the water, The Great NYC Fire of 1835 leveled 17 blocks that night, including Wall Street. The fire began on the evening of December 16, 1835, in a five-story warehouse at 25 Merchant Street, now known as Beaver Street at the intersection of Hanover Square and Wall Street. As it spread, gale-forces winds blowing from the northwest toward the East Rivers the spread the fire. The conflagration was visible from Philadelphia, approximately 80 miles away. At the time of the fire, major water sources including the East River and the Hudson Rover were frozen in temperatures as low as −17 °F . Firefighters were forced to drill holes through ice to access water, which later re-froze around the hoses and pipes. Attempts were made to deprive the fire of fuel by demolishing surrounding buildings, but at first there was insufficient gunpowder in Manhattan. Later in the evening, a detachment of U. S. Marines and sailors returned at 3 o'clock in the morning, with gunpowder from the Brooklyn Navy Yard and began to blow up buildings in the fire's path. An investigation found that a burst gas pipe, ignited by a coal stove, was the initial source; no blame was assigned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 15, 2020
1945: Intense lake-effect snow dumps 36-70" over W. New York
Mild weather had persisted in western New York and indeed all across the Great Lakes region well into December in 1945. With the end of World War II, it seemed like the nice autumn weather was allowing people to enjoy peace of mind and carefree mild days for the first time in years. Great Lake water temperatures were also on the warm side when compared against long-term seasonal averages. Then on December 15 time ran out. A bitter blast of artic air – the first of the season arrived and blasted that cold air across the warm lakes setting an intense lake effect snow event. The city of Buffalo, New York got pounded with more than 36” of snow and areas south of the city in what are known as the snowbelts had twice as much snow – some places upwards of 70” of the white stuff. The region had some removal equipment – but heavy snow removal equipment was still sparse as many of the trucks and earthmoving type equipment was in use in the war effort and still had not been returned to many cities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, December 14, 2020
1779: "The Hard Winter"
The autumn of 1779 had been relatively mild across the 13 colonies as they struggled against the British for independence, but on December 14, 1779 and cold wave hit as arctic air spilled out of Canada and into the Colonies. It was a portend of what was to come. The winter of 1779–1780 has been called among the harshest in the eighteenth century. The so-called Hard Winter. A total of twenty-eight snowstorms hit the soon to be United States, some dropping snow for several days in succession. The temperature rarely rose above freezing as the Delaware and Hudson Rivers froze over. Sledges moved regularly across ten miles of ice between Annapolis and the opposite shore of the Chesapeake. Wild animals were almost exterminated. General Alexander (Lord Stirling) marched over a saltwater channel to make his unsuccessful Staten Island raid—even his artillery passed over the six miles of open water safely. Washington's main army suffered much more, because of this weather, in their Morristown winter quarters than they had at Valley Forge two years earlier, with snow lying six feet deep. The British in New York suffered almost as much as the economy in North America ground to a halt and food became scarce everywhere. As inflation took off, Washington found it ever more difficult to obtain much needed supplies for his shrinking Continental army. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, December 13, 2020
1878: Bitter cold impacts S. California and citrus trees
California's citrus heritage has deep roots in what is now downtown Los Angeles. In the 1840s, it was the site of the state's first commercial citrus farm. "When the Gold Rush of 1849 hit, there was a huge demand for oranges in the gold country because it was well established that fresh citrus was useful in combating scurvy," a vitamin-C deficiency, said Vince Moses, a historian on California citrus and former director of the Riverside Metropolitan Museum. But long before citrus became a viable commercial crop, Spanish missionaries who settled in Southern California during the 1700s were already cultivating a variety of citrus fruit. Cold temperatures are not good for the sensitive fruit trees and devastating freezes had previously ravaged the Florida citrus industry. Causing groves to the planted and re-planted farther and farther south in Florida. Those in southern California thought they were immune to the cold, but on December 13, 1878 a bitter cold wave was able to push over the mountains from the east and the temperature dropped to 30 degrees in LA, in outlying areas it was even colder, in the 20s and did some damage to the trees. Still not quite as devastatingly cold as often had occurred in Florida where temperatures in the northern groves had dropped into the teens and lower running all the trees numerous times in the 1800’s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, December 12, 2020
1995: "Monster storm" slams Pacific Northwest
During the winter huge storms form in the Gulf of Alaska south of the 49th state and pushed southward by the jet-stream often slam into the region from the Pacific Northwest to central California. Often times powerful winds batter the region as they blow in off the Pacific Ocean and produce massive rainfall amounts. On the east side of the mountain ranges that run through are area significant snowfalls often occur. On December 12, 1995 A ”monster storm” slammed Washington, Oregon, northern and central California. The storm brought flooding rains and hurricane force winds. Wind gusts were recorded as high as 119 mph at Sea Lion Caves, OR. The central barometric pressure dropped to 28.45". 12.27" of rain fell at Marin, CA and 80 mph wind gusts were recorded at San Francisco, CA. 1.5 million people were without power. In some ears power was off for weeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, December 11, 2020
1905: Temperature reaches in 120°F Rivadavia, Argentina
On December 11, 1905, the highest temperature in South American history recorded at 120°F in Rivadavia, Argentina. Rivadavia is located in northern Argentina, just south of the Paraguayan border in the Gran Chaco and east of the Andes. This coastal province sees a wide range of temperatures due to its position along the sea. In Rivadavia, the heat is intense from November to February, with average highs generally of 95 °F, In winter, from May to mid-August, the daytime high temperatures drop to around 75 °F. However, the daily temperature range can be remarkable, it can get hot even in winter, but it can sometimes get cold at night, especially when the Pampero blows a cold wind coming from the southern lands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, December 10, 2020
1699: One of the first major ice storms in New England history
On December 10, 1699 in one of the first major ice storms in New England history, ice shut down the city of Boston for a week – there was no salt or anything else to cause the ice to melt as temperatures remain very cold for days. In addition, the ice caused massive damage to orchards in the region as the heavy frozen rain brought down many tree limbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, December 09, 2020
1977: Massive snowstorm dumps 40" on S. Ontario
December 9, 1977 brought a massive snowstorm accompanied by powerful winds and blindly low visibility to southern Ontario as an intense storm system to move across the Ohio Valley in the United States. The total snowfall for the storm averaged about a foot in most places, but some areas received much more as enhanced snowfall was created by additional lake effect snowfall combined with the large-scale storm system. The blizzard was made unique by the sustained winds, gusting up to 70 mph which picked up the snowdrifts already accumulated earlier in the season and dumped that snow load in western New York and southern Ontario. 2-day snow brought close to 40 inches of snow. The combination of roads drifted shut and the powerful wind that continued unabated for several days caused the city of London, Ontario to be isolated for days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 08, 2020
The 1703 Windstorm
The December 7-8, 1703 Windstorm (November 26-27 on the old calendar still used in England at the time) was the most damaging to have affected the southern part of Britain for at least 500 years. The fame of the storm owes much to the fact that it cut a swathe of damage through London. 123 people were killed on land in England and Wales, due to the collapse of roofs and chimneys. 21 people were killed by falling stacks of chimneys in London, with 200 severely wounded and maimed. At least another 20 died in damage in continental Europe. Around 80 people are known to have drowned in their cottages in the marshlands. Even these totals are dwarfed by the estimated 8,000 killed in more than 100 shipwrecks at sea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, December 07, 2020
1941: The weather conditions at Pearl Harbor, HI
For much of the country, the weather Hawaii was experiencing in the late stages of autumn 1941 would have been considered unseasonably warm, but in Hawaii, the mild temperatures and partially cloudy skies were common at that time of year. Nobody on the island of Oahu on December 7, 1941 expected there to be any significance to the weather conditions, but little did they know that the beautiful weather would lead to the start of a terrible morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, December 06, 2020
1970: Strong winds topple National Christmas Tree in DC
The National Christmas Tree is a large evergreen tree located in the northeast quadrant of The Ellipse near the White House in Washington, D. C. Each year since 1923, the tree has been decorated as a Christmas tree. Every year, early in December, the tree is traditionally lit by the President of the United States Every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt has made formal remarks during the tree lighting ceremony. In 1970 the 78-foot tall blue spruce from South Dakota’s Black Hills was carried to Washington, D.C. on a train. While en route, the train derailed twice. Then the weekend before the tree lighting ceremony, on December 6, 1970, the tree blew over in high winds and several cut branches had to be attached to the tree to replace damaged ones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, December 05, 2020
1953: Tornado outbreak strikes Vicksburg, MS
On December 5, 1953, Vicksburg, Mississippi was visited by a tornado outbreak that was a deadly severe weather event that affected northeastern Louisiana, southeastern Arkansas, and western Mississippi. At least four confirmed tornadoes touched down. One of the tornadoes produced F5 damage as it moved through the city of Vicksburg, causing 38 deaths and injuring at least 270 along the seven-mile path of devastation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, December 04, 2020
2002: The North Carolina ice storm
The North Carolina ice storm of 2002 caused up to an inch of freezing rain from December 4 into December 5 in central North Carolina. A total of 24 people were killed, and as many as 1.8 million people were left without electricity. Power outages began December 4, and power was not completely restored until December 14. Raleigh got the most freezing rain from a single storm since 1948, and Bristol, Tennessee received the most ice it had seen in 28 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, December 03, 2020
The Great Smog of 1952
The Great Smog of London, or Great Smog of 1952, was a severe air pollution event that affected the British capital in early December 1952. A period of unusually cold weather, combined with a large region of high pressure and windless conditions, collected airborne pollutants—mostly arising from the use of coal—to form a thick layer of smog over the city. It lasted from December 3 to December 9, 1952, then dispersed quickly when the weather changed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, December 02, 2020
1896: Snow breaks out and accumulates in Southern US states
Unusual early winter cold moved out of Canada in the last week of November 1896. Few low temperature records were set but the cold was persistent and held sway from Mississippi and Alabama across Georgia and all the way to the Carolina. Fortunately for the first few days of the cold outbreak there was no precipitation. On December 1, 1896 a reinforcing surge of air reached the region all the way from the Arctic, at the same time a storm was gathering strength on the Gulf coast near New Orleans. That storm system moved east northeastward across the southern portions of Alabama and pulled moisture out of the Gulf. Snow began to break out all across Dixie. When the storm departed on the evening of December 2, 1896 records for snowfall had been set in many southern cites for the month of December. 4 inches fell in Raleigh with more than half a foot of snow in Atlanta and 10 inches in Charlotte, North Carolina and Greeneville, South Carolina. Without any means to clear the snow from city streets commerce came to a halt for several days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 01, 2020
1876: Northern half of CA records zero rain for month
Rain fell in San Francisco often in the first half of November 1876 and it would seem that the winter or rainy season along the west coast of the united States might turn out rather wet. December averages almost a dozen days of rain in the month with rainfall totals close to 4inches on the average. No rain fell on December 1, 1876, not on the second. In fact, not one drop of rain fell for the entire month as a persistent area of high pressure camped along the west coast for the entire month and into January deflecting storms to its north. No rain fell in area all across the northern half of California, not only in San Francisco but also Sacramento and even up in rainy Portland Oregon less than an inch feel for the entire month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 30, 2020
2001: Buffalo, NY records zero snowfall for all of November
In Buffalo, New York, during November, snow falls an average of 4.9 days and averages 7.9" of snow. In Buffalo, during the entire year, snow falls for 61 days, and averages 94.7". On November 30, 2001 the weather record books closed for the month in Buffalo. Amazingly no snow, not even a trace was reported for the entire month. This was the first time that happened for the city in the month of November since records first stared to be kept in 1871. Interestingly the previous November of 2000 was a record-breaking snowfall November for Buffalo with 45.6” recorded in the month, two Novembers in succession, one with the greatest November snowfall the next year, the least. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, November 29, 2020
1975: 34" of snow falls in Red River, NM
Red River, New Mexico area has a rich history. Indigenous Apaches established settlements in the region hundreds of years ago. Fur trappers and prospectors moved into the area as they put River City, as Red River was first called, on the map. Hundreds of gold, silver and copper mines were carved into the mountain with names like Golden Treasure, Silver King and Black Copper. Red River's population soared. There were stores, a livery stable, two newspapers, a sawmill, blacksmith shop, barber shop, more than a dozen saloons, several hotels and boarding houses, a dance hall and a hospital. The mines played out eventually, but soon homesteaders outnumbered prospectors. Town gained new momentum by renting abandoned mining cabins to flatland visitors seeking refuge from the heat. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, ski areas soon started to develop. In those days without artificially made snow Red River and indeed ski resorts across the world relied on natural snowfall. Some locations fared well – but others would suffer from snow droughts and be ruined. Snow making in the United States started mainly in the eastern states after World War II. In the west, in places like Red River, snowmaking was still a novelty in 1975. On November 29, 1975 the ski season started off with a bang when 34” of snow fell setting up a great start to the ski season and also setting a New Mexico state record for a 24-hour snowfall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, November 28, 2020
1973: Violent weather breaks out in southern US
On November 28, 1973, warm, humid air moving northward from the Gulf of Mexico out ahead of a strong cold front fed violent weather in the lower Ohio Valley and all across the southern United States. Tornadoes and flash floods killed 3 people and injured more than 600 during the day. 9 twisters touched down in southern Louisiana, northern Alabama, and Tennessee. Hundreds of houses and trailer homes were destroyed as the cold front blasted into Georgia and the Carolinas. Huntsville, Alabama was hardest hit - winds were clocked at 94 mph before the weather instruments broke. Extensive flooding occurred in southern West Virginia. Warm air surged northward ahead of the storm system as temperature readings reached close to 70 as far north as Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, November 27, 2020
1898: The Portland Storm
The famous "Portland" storm struck off Cape Cod on November 27, 1898 with loss of 200 lives in strong winds and heavy wind whipped snowfall across southern New England. Many others were lost in 50 small vessels to the raging sea off the coast. 27” of snow fell in New London, CT. 15" at Waterbury, CT. The peak wind was 72 mph at Boston. Boston received more than 12” of snow... then 5” more fell on November 30th to give them their deepest ever Nov. snow depth at 16". Boston Harbor filled up with shipwrecks. Block Island had an estimated gust to 98 mph. Docks in Boston Harbor where also torn up disrupting shipping commerce for weeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, November 26, 2020
1983: Icy conditions lead to pileups on the Queen Elizabeth Way
The Queen Elizabeth Way – better known as the QEW is the major super highway that runs from Niagara Falls across southern Ontario to Toronto, Canada’s largest city and one the world’s major metropolises. Each day hundreds of thousands of travelers, computers and others travel the highway. On November 26, 1983 a bitter cold airmass had settled in over the region. Lingering moisture held close to the ground from a storm just a few days earlier. Meanwhile a bank of low clouds formed, it was the perfect setup for fog to form. Fog began to appear just as rush hour started. The fog formed a thin layer of moisture that quickly froze, the result was black ice – inviable to the drivers at first. Treacherous morning rush hour conditions resulted caused a more than 100-car pile-up and closing the highway for hours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, November 25, 2020
1950: The Great Appalachian Storm
On November 25, 1950, one of the greatest November storms in recorded North American History blasted the eastern half of the United States and Canada with unprecedented early season snow and cold paralyzing the region for more than a week and causing untold damage and suffering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 24, 2020
1863: The Battle Above the Clouds
Lookout Mountain rises 1,700 feet above the Tennessee Valley, its steep sides protruding to the sky. On the northern end the mountain is surrounded on three sides by a near vertical rock wall that has afforded protection to the occupants of the top for hundreds of years. The mountain is known for a weather phenomenon that occurs from 3-5 times a year. A layer of fog forms around the bottom of the Mountain then begins to rise, sometimes engulfing the entire mountain. This rising fog has been written about since the first settlers visited the area before 1735. On November 24, 1863 this weather situation set in, just as Union forces were closing in on the city Of Chattanooga nearby set up what would be known as the Battle of Lookout Mountain or more famously known as The Battle Above the Clouds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 23, 2020
2010: Golf ball-sized hail causes massive damage in Chicago area
On the night of November 22, 2010 violent thunderstorms erupted from Chicago, IL to Springfield, MO. These storms raged into November 23, 2010 and downed trees and power lines with some wind gusts in excess of 60mph. Some of the hail that fell was as big at golf balls, causing massive damage to parked cars and car lots housing used and new autos, resulting in millions of dollars of damage to windshield and car bodies. Torrential downpours plagued the Chicago area with more than an inch of rain, triggering flash flooding. Tornadoes tore through northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, heavily damaging several buildings. Three people were injured from damage several miles east of Loves Park, IL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, November 22, 2020
1963: The Assassination of JFK
President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas on Friday, November 22, 1963. There was a chance that the horrific events of that day might not have happened at all had the weather been different. The day started out grey and overcast as the President arrived at the Airport in Dallas early that morning. A small amount of rain had fallen first thing in the morning with more forecast likely later in the day. That would have likely meant that a plexiglass bubble would have been used on the Presidents 1961 Lincoln Convertible to keep him and the First Lady dry. Those coverings were generally bullet-proof. As the motorcade was set to leave for the cross-town journey at 11:50am the weather turned bright and sunny and even warm for late November. The temperature climbed to near 70. Because of the break in the weather and the crowds that where lining the street the President decided not to go with the Plexiglas covering. Since the ride would only take less than an hour President Kennedy wanted to be able for the crowds to see him. Just as the motorcade slowed as it drove through Dealey Plaza at 12:30pm before turning onto a road that would allow the motorcade to speed up shoot rang out killing the 35th President of the United States and seriously injuring Texas Governor John Connally. Had the weather remined cloudy with light rain the whole scenario might never have taken place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, November 21, 2020
1970: Double-barreled storm brings snow and thunderstorms
A double-barreled autumn storm hurled snow over the northern Midwest and unleashed violent thunderstorms from the Ohio Valley to the Gulf Coast on November 20, 1970. 5" of snow fell in Rochester, MN. 4” fell in Mason City, IA. heavy snow and drove temperatures to near 0 along the Canadian border. Up to 10” of snow blanketed Cut Bank, MT where the mercury sank to 3 above zero at midnight. Blowing and drifting snow hampered travel in eastern Washington and northern Oregon. Meanwhile, high winds in western New York State caused window breakage and widespread power outages. In the Buffalo area, winds felled trees and electrical wires. Three radio stations in Buffalo suffered a 32-minute interruption of service. One person was hospitalized after being struck by an up-rooted tree. Wind driven waves from Lake Erie spilled onto Route 5 in Athol. Seneca Falls was without power for 2 hours. A severe thunderstorm watch involved portions of a half-dozen states from Kentucky to Georgia. Funnel clouds were sighted during the night at two locations in the Memphis area. Hail pelted Evansville, IN. Tornadoes skipped across parts of Arkansas causing considerable damage, and 16 persons were hospitalized when a tornado swept through Moro and Oak Forest, AR in Lee County. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, November 20, 2020
2016: Major lake-effect event strikes East coast
A major lake-effect event set up starting late on November 19, 2016 and continuing more prominently through the 20th. The heaviest total reported was in Redfield, New York at 54.5 inches. Other significant totals include Osceola at 48 inches, Binghamton at 27.6 inches, Syracuse at 25.1 inches and Watertown at 18.0 inches. Interestingly this event was preceded by record warmth. Watertown hit 72 on the 19th breaking the record of 70. But the heavy snowfall put an end to thoughts of a lingering warm autumn, roads were closed in many areas for a better part of the week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, November 19, 2020
Arctic cold outbreak leads to record temperatures in East US
An early-season arctic cold outbreak lead to records being broken, both for overnight lows and daytime highs all across the eastern part of the United States. Worcester, MA had a high of only 29 degrees. Even as far south as Saint Simons Island, GA there was a record cold day, with a high of only 50 degrees. Killing frost and freezes were felt in the deep South and with a strong wind accompanying the cold many marginal plants and vegetation didn’t stand a chance putting an abrupt end to the growing season all the way to the Gulf coast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, November 18, 2020
1421: Storm on European coastline causes 10k fatalities
On November 18, 1421, a storm in the North Sea slammed into the European coastline. Over the next several days, approximately 10,000 people in what is now the Netherlands died in the resulting floods. History.com tells us the lowlands of the Netherlands near the North Sea were densely populated at the time, despite their known vulnerability to flooding. Small villages and a couple of cities had sprung up in what was known as the Grote-Waard region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 17, 2020
2013: Severe weather outbreak in Great Lakes region and Midwest
November 17, 2013 was a difficult day for many people across the Midwest and Great Lakes region with a major outbreak of severe weather that is usually associated with the Spring season. All told there were over 750 reports of severe weather incidents and of those 136 reports were from tornados. Of the remaining reports there were 579 from wind and 42 from hail. The storm damage extended far and wide from eastern Iowa and Missouri eastward to New Jersey. The worst of this day was in Washington Illinois, a suburb to the east of Peoria. This is where an EF4 tornado moves through destroying several homes. This tornado was responsible for 122 injuries and 1 fatality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 16, 2020
2003: Mild temperatures alter moose migration
The moose is the largest of all deer species, standing about five to six and a half feet tall. Moose require habitat with adequate edible plants; grasses, young trees and shrubs, cover from predators, and protection from extremely hot or cold weather. Moose travel or migrate among different habitats with the seasons to address these requirements. Moose are cold-adapted mammals with thickened skin, dense, heat-retaining coat, and a low surface volume ratio, which provides excellent cold tolerance but poor heat tolerance. Moose survive hot weather by accessing shade or cooling wind, or by immersion in cool water. In hot weather, moose are often found wading or swimming in lakes or ponds. When heat-stressed, moose may fail to adequately forage in summer and may not gain adequate body fat to survive the winter. Also, moose cows may not calve without adequate summer weight gain. Moose require access to both young forest for browsing and mature forest for shelter and cover. Forest disturbed by fire and logging promotes the growth of fodder for moose. Moose also require access to mineral licks, safe places for calving and aquatic feeding sites so they do move from season to season. The autumn season of 2003 was quite mild across northern Canada and on November 15 as the moose started their migration trek from Northern Quebec to the Labrador Sea it stalled car and truck traffic. Moose had to use the highways because the ground was not frozen due to unusually warm weather. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, November 15, 2020
2006: Tornado outbreak in the Gulf Coast
As autumn approaches winter the severe weather season usually grinds to a halt. Hot and humid weather is pushed south into Mexico and the Gulf and the dynamics to spawn severe thunderstorms and tornados is quickly on the wane. Temperature contrasts from the Earth’s surface to the upper atmosphere take on a winter time aspect. But still severe weather outbreaks occasionally happen and often times just as people are letting down their guard. On November 15, 2006 there was such a Tornado Outbreak. A tornado with a total path length of just over 6 miles long and 250 yards wide, damaged several buildings in Montgomery, Alabama. Six people were reported injured in East Montgomery. Several other tornados were reported across southeast Alabama into southwest Georgia. Moderate damage occurred in Fort Benning, Georgia along a path 1.5 miles long and 150 yards wide; six people injured. A tornado in Riegelwood, North Carolina demolished several homes with eight fatalities reported. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, November 14, 2020
1969: Lightning impacts the launch of Apollo 12
Apollo 12 was the sixth crewed flight in the United States Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon. It was launched on November 14, 1969. Apollo 12 launched on schedule from Kennedy Space Center, under completely overcast rainy skies, encountering wind speeds of 174.6 mph during ascent, the highest of any Apollo mission. Lightning struck the Saturn V rocket 36.5 seconds after lift-off, triggered by the vehicle itself, discharging down to the Earth through the ionized exhaust plume. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, November 13, 2020
2014: 7-day cold streak comes to an end in Chicago, IL
Wintry cold is certainly a feature of November, especially across the northern plains, Rockies and Great Lakes in the United States. Usually though, persistent arctic cold is not the rule. In fact, the average is for temperatures in that region to remain cold in the first half of the month of November for a short time of a day or two, perhaps three. On November 13, 2014 an amazing stretch of early winter cold came to an end. Readings on that day reached a high temperature of 32 degrees in Chicago ending a 7-consecutive-day streak of sub 32 Degrees high temperatures. The below freezing cold lasted 180 consecutive hours, ore more than 7 days in a row, that stands as a record for November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, November 12, 2020
1911: Buffalo, NY sets record high and low on the same day
On November 12, 1911 in Buffalo, New York a remarkable thing happened, a record high and low on the same day. 69 degrees just after midnight on the 12th, then a strong cold front came through and dropped the temperature to 22 degrees late that evening. Both records. Two in one day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, November 11, 2020
1987: The Veterans' Day Storm
On November 11, 1987 a major snowstorms struck the nations' capital. During the Veteran's Day Storm almost a foot of snow fell at National Airport. Prince Georges County, MD was hard hit with up to 13 inches of snow falling in a short amount of time. It caught motorists off guard and stranded cars on the Capital Beltway. There were so many cars that snow plows could not get through to open the clogged arteries. Cars littered the roadway for more than 24 hours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 10, 2020
2009: Tropical Storm Ida's impact on oil production
Tropical Storm Ida made landfall near Mobile, Alabama during the morning hours of November 10, 2009. According to the U.S. Minerals Management Service, about 30 percent of oil production in the Gulf was shut down on the 9 as Ida neared the Gulf Coast. Port Alabama, AL reported a wind gust of 62 mph while West Mobile, Al and Destin, FL had wind gusts of 43 mph as Ida came ashore. Soaking rain from Ida spread from Alabama into Southern Virginia and the Carolina’s. The following are some daily rainfall records were set. But the biggest impact occurred because of those shutdown oil rigs causing the price of oil to spike for the next week or so as gasoline prices soared. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 09, 2020
1913: The Great Lakes Storm
On November 9, 1913 the Famous Great Lakes Storm hit and 270 lives lost. Buffalo had 80 mph winds; Cleveland 22.2" of snow; Pickens, WV had a 36" snowfall; Pittsburgh 12.5" of snow. The Great Storm of November 1913 has been celebrated as the "Freshwater Fury" in several books and many articles as the most disastrous in the area’s history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, November 08, 2020
1870: The First-issued storm warning in US history
In 1870, A Joint Congressional Resolution requiring the Secretary of War "to provide for taking meteorological observations at the military stations in the interior of the continent, and at other points in the States and Territories...and for giving notice on the northern lakes and on the seacoast, by magnetic telegraph and marine signals, of the approach and force of storms" was introduced. Congress passed the resolution and on February 9, 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed it into law. A new national weather service had been born within the U.S. Army Signal Service’s Division of Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit of Commerce that would affect the daily lives of most of the citizens of the United States through its forecasts and warnings for years to come. The on November 8, 1870 the First storm warning by U.S. Signal Corps weather service was issued for Great Lakes area by Prof. Latham of Milwaukee marking the first ever official weather forecasted warning issued in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, November 07, 2020
1940: The Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows bridge
The first Tacoma Narrows bridge was locally known as “Galloping Gertie,” since its slender design lacked stabilizing girders, causing it to twist and bounce in the wind. The bridge opened on July 1, 1940, after 29 months of construction and $18 million invested. On the first day of operations, 2,053 crossed the bridge after an inaugural parade of vehicles led by Gov. Clarence D. Martin and Tacoma Mayor Harry P. Cain. But Gertie’s life would be short-lived. A little over four months later, on November 7 of the same year, the bridge collapsed during a massive windstorm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, November 06, 2020
1953: Sudden snowstorm strikes Philadelphia
On the morning of November 6, 1953, AccuWeather Founder and CEO, Joel Myers, peddled his bicycle to school in Philadelphia wearing only a thin jacket. He said that “Just a few days before the temperature had been in the seventies but then it was about 50 degrees. The radio mentioned colder weather and chance of a snow flurry in the afternoon ... well it began to snow by noontime and by mid-afternoon we were in the midst of a tremendous snowstorm ... big flakes and gusty winds. After school I pushed my bicycle home through heavy blowing snow as winds gusted to 50 miles an hour, and temperatures fell below freezing. By the next morning... snow accumulations across eastern Pennsylvania ranged from 3-30". Officially a little less than 4” of snow fell in Philadelphia but that was still enough to make it a record snowfall for so early in the season, the far northern and western suburbs were paralyzed by almost 30” of heavy wet snow that took a week to clean up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, November 05, 2020
1992: Verkhoyansk, Russia records a high of -46°F
Verkhoyansk, Russia is notable chiefly for its exceptionally low winter temperatures and some of the greatest temperature differences on Earth between summer and winter. Average monthly temperatures range from 50 below zero F in January to almost 62 F in July. On November 5, 1992 warm weather in Verkhoyansk was a fleeting thought with a morning low of -51 degrees, high of -46 degrees. The daily average temperature was 27 degrees below normal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, November 04, 2020
1927: The greatest natural disaster in Vermont history
The flood of November 3-4, 1927, stands as the greatest natural disaster in Vermont history. Devastation occurred throughout the state, with 1,285 bridges lost, countless homes and buildings destroyed, and hundreds of miles of roads and railroad tracks swept away. The flood waters claimed 84 lives, including that of the Vermont Lieutenant Governor at the time, S. Hollister Jackson. Rainfall during the month of October averaged about 150 percent of normal across the state. In northern and central sections, some places received 300 percent of normal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 03, 2020
2002: Dense fog causes traffic accidents in S. California
Southern California is often subject to thick moist flows off the Pacific Ocean. The contrast of chilly ocean waters and relatively warm and dry land, especially in the autumn months often brings a marine layer of low laying and thick fog. Often times this can blow in off the ocean quickly. Sometimes the mist and fog are able to burn off fairly quickly if the temperature inversion – or what is defined as a warmer layer of air trapped above cooler moist air at the surface is able to break . Sometimes that doesn’t happen and it remains murky and damp with very low visibility. On November , 2002 dense marine fog rolled into the Los Angeles area just before sunrise and the result was an awful morning commute. 194 vehicles were involved in 2 pileups on I-710, with that dense fog to blame. Remarkably, no deaths occurred, bit it took the better part of the day to clean up the pile up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 02, 2020
1819: 7" of snow falls in New York City
On November 1, 1819, 7” of snow fell across New York City. New York at the time was the largest city in the United State and the only US city with more than 100,000 in population topping out at 120,000. It had become the center of American life and business so it was important to get around. The powdery snowfall was ideal – except for one thing – it came too early in the season. No part of the transportation system was ready for such an early season snowfall – powdery or not – and wagon and carriages were not able to make to switch from wheels to tracks and so transportation came to a halt for several days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, November 01, 2020
1972: Autumn storm brings cold and snow to central plains
November typical brings the first widespread wintry weather of the season to the United Stated and in 1972 the month didn’t waste any time getting started. A severe autumn storm moved out of the Southern Rockies into the central plains leaving in its wake heavy snow, flooding and zero degree cold. Heavy snow fell in Denver. More than 10” on rain in 3 days pushed the Hickory Creek out of its banks in the Neosho area of southwestern Missouri. Residents of low-lying areas in this town of 8,000 were evacuated. One person drowned at Poplar Bluff, in SE Missouri, when a 3 1/2-inch downpour triggered local flooding. The mercury dropped to near zero in the mountains of Arizona and New Mexico where snows measured a food and a half deep impeding travel. Temperatures dropped to near freezing in the deserts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, October 31, 2020
1963: Philadelphia reaches 28 consecutive days without rain
1963 was a relatively dry year in the City of Philadelphia. Rainfall was less than 35” or more than 5” below normal. Usually the aurum along the eastern seaboard is dry with few showers or largescale storm systems. Caught in between the thunderstorm season of the Spring and Summer and the strong cold fronts and wintry storms October can feature warmish to chilly days with plenty of sunshine. In fact, the major source of rain in the autumn is the occasional tropical system that will move up the east coast with rain thrown westward into the Delaware valley where Philadelphia is located. When Tropical storms or Hurricanes don’t materialize the autumn can be very dry indeed. On October 3, 1963 Philadelphia did receive a few rain showers as a storm moved by to the south, then for the rest of the month – not a drop of rain. When the books closed on the month on October 31, 1963 it marked the send of 28 consecutive days with no rain in the City of Brotherly Love – a record that stands to this day. On November first, it rained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, October 30, 2020
1948: The Donora Smog
The 1948 Donora smog killed 20 people and caused respiratory problems for 7,000 people of the 14,000 population of Donora, Pennsylvania, a mill town on the Monongahela River 24 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, October 29, 2020
2012: Hurricane Sandy
On October 29, 2012 Hurricane Sandy slammed ashore north of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Hurricane Sandy caused about 150 deaths, along with billions of dollars in damage when it hit the Caribbean and the U.S. East Coast in late October 2012. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, October 28, 2020
2008: Powerful storm dumps snow on Northeast
A potent coastal storm slammed the Northeast with strong winds, soaking rains and burying snow struck on October 28, 2008. The snow fell from New Jersey to Vermont with the heaviest amounts exceeding a foot. The weight of the snow, combined with the howling winds brought down tree limbs and power lines. The winds, alone knocked down trees from southern New England to the New York area. Snow totals reached 20 at Slide Mountain New York, a foot at Middleburgh, Pennsylvania and 16” at Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. Wind gusts reached 66 mph at Cape May New Jersey, 54 mph at Harrisburg, PA and 52 mph at Syracuse New York. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 27, 2020
1692: 6" of snow falls in Paris, France
Accumulating snow is a fairly rare event in Paris, France. Snow is recorded on an average of just 15 days a winter and when it does snow it usually does not accumulate. Moisture heavy enough to produce more than an inch or two of snow occurs when a major storm sweeps in off the Atlantic ocean – but those storms are usually powerful and bring in mild air from off the ocean. Colder air must be in place from the east the usually originated in Russia. Occasionally in the middle of the winter that occurs and ever few years a couple inches of snow fall. The Parisians say no city looks prettier than Paris in the snow. On October 27, 1692 6” of snow fell on the City of Light – in one of the earliest measured snowfall before or since. I am sure the city looked great – but with no way to remove the snow I am sure it was quite messy ad hard to move about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, October 26, 2020
1919: Temperature reaches -10°F in Bismarck, ND
In October, as the length of sunlight begins to fade across the upper reaches of the Northern Hemisphere, cold air begins to build across the arctic. Snow is not uncommon and the depth and coverage of the snowpack is an important element in helping to build a reservoir of cold air across the region. The cold air strengths and is triggered southward by large wave patterns in the high atmosphere. In the later days of October 1919 heavy snows fell across the Yukon and other areas of northern Canada. Cold air built quickly and was released southward in the last week of the month. And so, it came to pass that on October 26, 1919 that arctic blast reached Bismarck, North Dakota and the mercury plunged to 10 below zero, the coldest temperature ever recorded in Bismarck in the month of October and the earliest, up to that time that the temperature dropped below zero Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, October 25, 2020
1918: The sinking of the SS Princess Sophia
The SS Princess Sophia sank on Oct. 25, 1918, with estimates of the death toll ranging up to 367. Nobody on board survived, save one pet dog who swam to shore. The ship was one of four coastal liners operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway, all named for princesses. The Princess Sophia had departed Skagway, Alaska, on Oct. 23, 1918, with stops planned in Juneau, Wrangell and Ketchikan before going to Prince Rupert, Alert Bay and eventually Vancouver. The following day at 2 a.m., south of Skagway and 40 miles north of Juneau, the Princess Sophia struck a reef. Slightly off course in bad weather of fog and snow, it was going full steam, rode up onto the rocks and struck aground. The great ship remained stuck for 40 hours, enough time for rescue boats to arrive. But stormy conditions and high tides made it too risky to abandon ship. Rescue boat crews chose to return to port and come back the following day, the 26th, when weather was expected to improve. But in the meantime, the Princess Sophia was lifted off the reef and sank, leaving no survivors. The bad weather had not only caused the wreck, but prevented the rescue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, October 24, 2020
2005: Hurricane Wilma
Hurricane Wilma made landfall as a Category 3 system near Key West, and later near Everglades City, Florida On October 24, 2005. Wilma had earlier made landfall on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 4 system. Wilma, the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, reached a low pressure of 26.04 inches, surpassing the previous Atlantic record holder of Gilbert. Wilma, the first Atlantic storm to use the letter “W” formed as a Tropical Depression southwest of Jamaica on October 15th, becoming a hurricane on October 18th and later becoming the 5th Category 5 hurricane of the season. Wilma produced a storm surge of 4’ to 8’, flooded portions of the Key’s dropped 10 tornadoes over Florida and yielded 3” to 7” of rain across Florida. Wilma directly was attributed to 5 deaths in Florida, knocked power out to 98 percent of South Florida and produced an estimated $12.2 billion in damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, October 23, 2020
1878: "The Gale of '78"
In 1878, a storm formed near Jamaica then became a Category 2 hurricane and moved right up the East coast. The center passed east of Florida, then came ashore in eastern North Carolina on October 23 1878 and stayed inland until it turned almost straight east over the southern parts of Vermont and New Hampshire. There was extensive damage from the Carolinas to New England, and more than 71 people were killed. This storm came to be known as the Gale of '78. A storm in modern times with a track like the Gale of ‘78 would be disastrous in the Middle Atlantic states, threatening death and serious injury and causing billions of dollars in damage. Hurricane Hazel in 1954 took a similar track, all the rest of the hurricanes with somewhat similar tracks occurred in the 19th century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, October 22, 2020
1969: Early-season heavy snow strikes New England
On October 22, 1969 cold air was firmly in place as a storm moved up the east coast of the United States. The result was an early season heavy snowstorm; the heaviest and earliest in New England in almost 50 years. Rochester, Vermont had 12"; with even more in mountain areas. Some Vermont ski resorts actually had limited skiing on the 23rd. The 5.1" at Burlington, VT was a 24-hour October record. Portland, ME had an early season record of 3.6". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, October 21, 2020
1988: Hurricane Joan
An area of thunderstorms formed on the west coast of Africa in mid-October 1988 just as swarms of locusts were inundating the region. The storms had loosely held together until they reached the central Atlantic Ocean a few days later were conditions where favorable for further tropical development. The system rapidly developed into Tropical storm and then Hurricane Joan. Winds high in the atmosphere carried and Hurricane Joan across the Atlantic to Dominica, St. Lucia, Jamaica, and other nearby islands. In addition to heavy rains, Joan brought those islands something else from the sky on October 21, 1988, locusts. Apparently carried into the atmosphere by winds blowing from those thunderstorms that formed on the African coast days earlier, the locusts survived the trip across the Atlantic and found a new home in the Caribbean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 20, 2020
1991: The Diablo Fire
On October. 20, 1991, the hills across the bay from San Francisco were cloaked in smoke. Flames moved up the steep slopes of Oakland and Berkeley, California, What became known as the Diablo Fire had started on Saturday, October 19, from an incompletely extinguished grass fire in the Berkeley Hills. Firefighters fought the 5-acre fire on a steep hillside and by Saturday night they thought it was under control. The fire re-ignited as a brush fire shortly before 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 20 and rapidly spread southwest, driven by wind gusts up to 65 mph. It quickly overwhelmed local and regional firefighting resources. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, October 19, 2020
1961: Record early, heavy, wet snow over the southern mountains
Heavy rain across West Virginia on October 19, 1961 as a strong storm moved up the east coast. At the same time cold air was moving southward through the Great Lakes region and into the Ohio valley. Because the storm was moving slowly the cold air moved in behind the storm before it moved away and out to sea. The rain changed to a record early, heavy, wet snow over the southern mountains – several places in the high terrain got more than a foot of the white stuff. Leaves were still on the trees, resulting in the worst forest disaster since forest fires in 1952. Reports from the time said that “It got on the power lines and froze and broke some of those. The trees had such heavy loads of snow and leaves on them. They fell down across the roads and across the power lines.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, October 18, 2020
1910: The opposite of a "Storm Surge" occurs
A strong Hurricane battered western Cuba in the middle of October 1910. The system then headed northeastward across southern Florida dumping heavy rain and causing high water to inundate southeastern Fla with water many feet above sea level. Many of the barrier islands that today house cities like Miami Beach where covered over with water – but there was little built up on those islands and so damage was minimal. One strange impact of the hurricane was that because it moved very slowly with strong constantly blowing winds from the direction of the northeast all across the region, that on the west coast of Florida the wind then was blowing away from the land and so the opposite of a storm surge occurred. On October 18, 1910 the wind actually blew the water out of Tampa Bay and the Hillsboro River and pushed it into the Gulf of Mexico. The water level lowered to 9 feet below average low water; and there was little water left for several hours in the river and Tampa Bay, 40 ships were grounded. It was the exact opposite of a storm surge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, October 17, 2020
1781: A sudden storm hastens British defeat at Yorktown
Early on the morning of October 17, 1781, Lieutenant General Charles, Lord Cornwallis, found himself hunkered down in a cave near the southern shoreline of the York River. Above him was the disintegrating hamlet of Yorktown, Virginia, now being systematically bombarded into rubble by American and French cannon fire. Cornwallis understood that imminent surrender was the certain fate of his entrapped military force, an army that consisted of about 8,000 British, Hessian, and loyalist soldiers, in addition to wives and even children. An attempted breakout had failed just hours before. A sudden storm disrupted an effort to move his army northward across the York River to Gloucester Point—and possible escape. Now with the ground continually shaking all around him, Cornwallis prepared to order a white flag hoisted above his battered entrenchments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, October 16, 2020
2009: Early snowstorm dumps several inches on Northeast US
An early snowstorm dropped several inches of snow through portions of the Northeast on October 16, 2009. Normally snow during this time of year easily melts on most surfaces with ground and air temperatures usually above the freezing mark. To overcome this, it has to snow very hard and that is what it did. In Coudersport, PA 10” of snow fell. Other Pennsylvania cities like Wellsboro and Haneyville had 8” of snow. Nearly 3” fell in South Vestal, NY. Lesser amounts fell in other places, but in most of these areas early snowfall records were broken. Since the snow arrived this early there were still leaves on the trees leading to several power outages and downed tree limbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, October 15, 2020
1954: Hurricane Hazel
It has been 66 years since powerful Hurricane Hazel made landfall close to the North Carolina/South Carolina border near Myrtle Beach, S.C., on the morning of Oct. 15, 1954. The storm wreaked havoc across the eastern United States and Canada on its way to the record books. Hazel is considered one of the worst natural disasters in North Carolina's history, and one of the most destructive hurricanes to impact the U.S.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, October 14, 2020
1988: Thick ice hinders migration of gray whales
On October 14, 1988 off the coast of Alaska, a thick layer of ice had already formed along the north shore that blocked the southward migration of California gray whales near Point Barrow, Alaska and could have disastrous effects on those whales. So, on that day American and Soviet rescuers worked together and cleared a passage to the open sea and prevented the whales from drowning and continue on a migration path. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 13, 2020
1777: The Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga occurred in September and October, 1777, during the second year of the American Revolution. It included two crucial battles, fought eighteen days apart, and was a decisive victory for the Continental Army and a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, October 12, 2020
2006: Buffalo, NY pounded by lake-effect snow
For roughly 16 hours on October 12 2006, the Buffalo, NY, area was pounded by an unprecedented lake-effect snow event. An unusually cold air mass flowing over the warm waters of Lake Erie set up the small-scale but severe event. The waters of Lake Erie were a mild 62 degrees, three degrees above normal for October 12. After the snow ended the morning of the 13th the final snowfall tally at the Buffalo airport was 22.6“. That amount of snow easily surpassed the previous all-time October record of 6“ in 1909 and went down in history as the 7th greatest snowfall total ever in Buffalo. Other snowfall totals included 24“ at Depew and Alden, 22“ in Amherst, 15“ in Downtown Buffalo and 14“ in West Seneca. The heavy weight of the snow caused the worst tree damage in memory across the region, especially in the many historic parkways and parks in Buffalo. Almost a million residents lost power. Some people had to sit in the dark for as long as a week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, October 11, 2020
1797: Hurricane and earthquake strike India
On October 11, 1737 a furious hurricane hit the mouth of the Ganges river near Calcutta, India. At the same time there was a violent earthquake, which threw down a great many houses along the river just as the hurricane approached, many communities nearby had most of their buildings destroyed and then the hurricane hit. The because of the damaged infrastructure and wreckage from the earthquake, the hurricane was devastating. Estimates were made that the water was pushed up the Ganges river to Calcutta at a height of 40 feet – totally destroying the city that at the time numbered more than 25,000 people. Most ships in the river were capsized and then washed well inland. The flood waters from the hurricane spread over the vast inland plain of what is now parts of India and Bangladesh. The result of hurricane and earthquake was one of the greatest natural disasters in world history. More than 300,000 people are thought to have perished. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, October 10, 2020
1989: Temperature falls 20 degrees in 10 minutes in Alberta
Winter often comes early to the plans of western Canada. Cold air builds up in the artic regions and plunges southward unhindered through the vast flatlands. This often leads to quick changes in temperatures and more importantly the weather. On October 10, 1989 across the Canadian province of Alberta Temperatures dropped from the middle 60’s into the 40’s in just 10 minutes with the passage of a strong cold front. Powerful winds with the front took down trees and power lines. Reduced visibility due to windblown dust led to a 14-car pileup in near zero visibility near Bassano. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, October 09, 2020
The 1804 "Snow Hurricane"
The 1804 Snow hurricane was the first tropical cyclone in recorded history known to produce snowfall. An unusual late-season storm in 1804 it produced vast amounts of snow, rain, and powerful winds across the northeastern United States. It was the first known tropical cyclone to generate significant snowfall, and its early and extensive accumulations throughout New England were unprecedented and unusually heavy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, October 08, 2020
1901: 12" of rain falls in 6 hours in Galveston, TX
September 1900 brought to Galveston, Texas the worst natural disaster in U S history. A massive hurricane hit the city head on. Destroying most of what was then the 2nd leading port on the Gulf of Mexico, after New Orleans and leaving between 6 and 12,000 dead. Galveston had been the scene of two prior hurricanes, one in 1837 and then again in 1867 that cause severe damage. But on October 8, 1901 A deluge produced nearly 12" of rain in about a six-hour period. The torrential rains came to Galveston precisely 13 months following the day of that famous 1900 Galveston Hurricane disaster and caused much damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, October 07, 2020
1970: Devastating flooding in Puerto Rico
A slow-moving tropical depression in early October 1970 centered on October 7, resulted in rainfall over multiple days across Puerto Rico and set the stage for the devastating floods. The focus of the rainfall core shifted from day to day, but some areas experienced copious amounts of rainfall on consecutive days, causing rainfall amounts that could be measured in feet. There were 18 confirmed fatalities, 34 people missing, $65 million (equivalent to more than ½ billion 2020 dollars worth of damage, 10,000 were left homeless, 600 houses destroyed and another 1,000 damaged. The damage to agriculture alone was approximately $8 million with $12 million tallied for road and bridge damage. President Nixon declared the territory a disaster area; the worst in Puerto Rico’s history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, October 06, 2020
1967: 19” of rain in 24 hours in Ucluelet, BC
Ucluelet, British Columbia is located on the west coast of Canada on Vancouver Island. It has an oceanic climate like that of Ireland, with mild, rainy winters and cool summers owing to its coastal location. As such, precipitation is high, averaging around 132 in per year, with most of it concentrated in the winter months. In October 1967 an early season winter-type storms blasted southward from the Gulf of Alaska and brought the region 19.61” of rain in 24 hours on October 6. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, October 05, 2020
1786: The Great Pumpkin Flood
The late summer of 1786 had been ideal for the growing of pumpkins and corn in Pennsylvania. In fact, pumpkin patches in central Pennsylvania, especially around the Susquehanna Valley were brimming with pumpkins. The ground was moist from a wet summer and the soil somewhat saturated. Then in early October torrential rainfall caused the Susquehanna River to flood. Reports of the time stated the river was anywhere between six and 10 feet higher than normal. These flood waters washed away the usual debris in addition to homes and unharvested crops like corn and pumpkins. Large numbers of pumpkins were seen floating down the river on October 5, 1786, and people of the time dubbed it the 'Great Pumpkin Flood.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, October 04, 2020
1867: Category 2 Hurricane hits the Gulf Coast
Late on October 2, a hurricane formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Holding its intensity, the storm system paralleled the Texas coastline, causing "many" deaths. A storm tide value of 7 feet was reported in Ludlum, and it is possible that Brownsville, Texas, was in the western eyewall of the hurricane at the storms closest approach. Turning toward Louisianan, the storm made landfall on the state with winds of 100 mph, a Category 2 storm. Moving to the east and weakening, the storm made landfall on the state of Florida during the day on October 6. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, October 03, 2020
1769: The earliest covering of snow in Philadelphia, PA
Like everyone else, Benjamin Franklin was affected by weather; but unlike most people of his time, he tried to explain the reasons for various weather-related phenomena, and even discovered some ways to predict the weather. In 1751 he was one of the founders of the Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia and urged that they keep records of the weather each day. On October 3, 1769 it was recorded that snow fell in Philadelphia and covered the ground and buildings. This still stands as the earliest covering of snow in Philadelphia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, October 02, 2020
1983: Destructive flooding across Arizona
Moisture from Tropical Storm Octive led to destructive flooding across Arizona on October 2, 1983. Floodwaters that left 10 people dead or missing surged through normally bone-dry land, washing out bridges road and power forcing thousands from their homes, and turning a slice of desert Southwest into “a raging river”. Rivers swollen to record levels burst their banks amid heavy rains swallowing buildings and bridges causing millions of dollars in damage across a 200-mile swath of Arizona. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, October 01, 2020
1837: Destructive hurricane strikes Texas coast
Texas won its independence from Mexico and officially became the Republic of Texas on March 2, 1836, remaining an independent nation until February 19, 1846 when it entered the Union. On October 1, 1837 a year and a half after independence, the new nation had to struggle with its first large-scale national disaster. A hurricane formed off the coast of Africa and took more than a week to make the journey into the gulf of Mexico. Then on October 1 the storm wrought destruction along the entire coast of Texas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, September 30, 2020
1970: The Laguna Fire
The Laguna Fire, was a 175,425-acre wildfire that burned from September 22, 1970 to October 4, 1970, and reached its height on September 30th in the Laguna Mountains and East County region and San Diego County in Southern California. It was the third-largest wildfire in the history of California at that time, after the Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889, and the Matilija Fire of 1932. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 29, 2020
1988: Cold front causes severe weather in Missouri
On September 29, 1988 a strong cold front that blasted southward from central Canada in across the great plans of the United States. It produced flooding rains and severe weather across Missouri. Kansas City received 4" of rain and 60 mph winds during the late night and early morning hours, trapping rush hour commuters in their cars under 6’ of water. Lawrence, Kansas had golf ball sized hail and 80 mph winds. Extensive tree damage and power outages in the Kansas City metro area; 60 mph wind gusts at Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals, but no major damage was reported at the ballpark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, September 28, 2020
The 1896 Cedar Keys hurricane
The 1896 Cedar Keys hurricane was a powerful and destructive hurricane that devastated much of the East Coast of the United states, starting with Florida’s Cedar Keys, near the end of September 1896. The storm's rapid movement allowed it to maintain much of its intensity after landfall and cause significant damage over a broad area; as a result, it became one of the costliest United States hurricanes at the time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, September 27, 2020
1816: The Black Frost
The year 1816 is known as the Year Without a Summer, also the Poverty Year and Eighteen Hundred and Froze To Death because of severe climate abnormalities that caused average global temperatures to decrease by almost a degree and a half. Summer temperatures in Europe were the coldest on record between the years of 1766–2000. This resulted in major food shortages across the Northern Hemisphere. The final blow came on September 27, 1816 when a killing frost and freeze ended the growing seas from the Mid-Atlantic State northward. The Black Frost as it become known ushered in a terrible winter of famine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, September 26, 2020
2004: Hurricane Jeanne
Hurricane Jeanne comes ashore near Hutchinson Island just to the east of Stuart, Florida on September 26, 2004 as a Category 3 storm. The storm passed over Polk County, Florida. Winds at Fort Pierce Inlet gusted to 126 mph, and gusts to 104 mph were recorded at Vero Beach. 1 million people without power. Many houses have been blown off of their foundations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, September 25, 2020
1939: “El Cordonazo” or “The Lash of St. Francis”
On September 25, 1939 “El Cordonazo” or “The Lash of St. Francis” a tropical storm hit Southern California and causes the greatest September rainfall ever. The storm lost hurricane status shortly before moving onshore at San Pedro ad a tropical storm. Torrential rains hit with Los Angles getting 5.42” in 24 hours, and Mt. Wilson 11.60” both records for the month of September. 3.62” fell in Needles, 1.51” Palm Springs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, September 24, 2020
1888: Frost causes growing season in South to end prematurely
1888 was a cold year in the eastern half of he United States. The Great Blizzard of '88, or the Great White Hurricane in March 1888 was one of the most severe recorded blizzards in American history. The summer of 1888 returned to more normal temperatures especially in the southern states with usual bouts of heat and humidity. But on September 24, 1888 a severe frost struck South Carolina, Georgia and even reached into northern Florida effectively putting an end to the growing season at least a month and a half early. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, September 23, 2020
1993: 35" of rain falls in the summer for Cedar Rapids, IA
Over the course of a three-month period in the summer of 1993, a slow-moving and historic flooding disaster unfolded across the midwestern United States, leaving economic ramifications that would be felt for years to come. Over 17 million acres were flooded across nine states across the Midwest during the summer of 1993, starting in June and lasting through August. This is an area larger than the entire state of West Virginia. “The magnitude and severity of this flood event was simply overwhelming, and it ranks as one of the greatest natural disasters ever to hit the United States,” said the Hydrologic Research Laboratory. On September 23, 1993 the summer was over, indicative of the rainfall was Cedar Rapids, Iowa that measured 35 inches of rain for the summer, the 3 summer months brought them the average rainfall for the entire 12 months Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 22, 2020
1989: Hurricane Hugo (part 2)
Hugo was still at hurricane strength as the storm advanced quickly north-northwest across central SC and into western NC during the early morning hours of September 22, 1989. Considerable damage occurred in Sumter, SC where winds gusted over 100 mph. Winds gusted to 90 mph in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg County, NC area, which was declared a disaster area. 90% of Charlotte was without power. Tornado touchdowns were reported in Burke and Caldwell counties in NC. Charlotte airport recorded 3.16" of rain. Hickory recorded an 82-mph wind gust, while Greensboro had a 54-mph gust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, September 21, 2020
1989: Hurricane Hugo (Part 1)
Hurricane Hugo intensified on September 21, 1989 as the storm moved northwestward toward Charleston, South Carolina. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, September 20, 2020
1792: Early season storm puts an end to the growing season
Snow fell on September 20, 1792 across northern Pennsylvania, in and early season storm that all but put an end to the growing season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, September 19, 2020
1992: Lightning bolt strikes a high school football player
On September 19, 1992 a lightning bolt struck a high school football player on the practice field in Silver Springs, Maryland and smashed his football helmet. 40 other players felt the shock. Amazingly no one was seriously injured. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, September 18, 2020
1926: Category 4 Hurricane hits South Florida
On the morning of September 18, 1926 the eye of category 4 hurricane passed over downtown Miami and parts of Cocoanut Grove and South Miami. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, September 17, 2020
1923: Diablo winds spread fire to Berkeley, CA
On the afternoon of September 17, 1923, just about everyone in Berkeley California had taken note of the uncommonly warm, dry wind blowing in from the northeast. What they didn’t know was that a small grass fire over the hill in Wildcat Canyon was growing fast, leaping from grass to brush to tree—and it was about to crest the hills of North Berkeley. When it did, near Berryman Reservoir, the fire was a half mile wide. A thick black cloud came pouring over the hill, followed by surging flames pressed low by warm, gale-force winds, known as Diablo winds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, September 16, 2020
1928: The Okeechobee hurricane
The Okeechobee hurricane of 1928, also known as the San Felipe Segundo hurricane, was one of the deadliest hurricanes in the recorded history of the North Atlantic basin, and the second deadliest hurricane in the United States, only behind the 1900 Galveston hurricane. The hurricane killed an estimated 2,500 people in the United States; most of the fatalities occurred in the state of Florida, particularly in Lake Okeechobee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 15, 2020
1752: Mid-September Cyclone
The Preservation Society of Charleston, South Carolina reports from the South-Carolina Gazette, September 19, 1752 the following description: “The mid-September, 1752, cyclone was "the most violent and terrible hurricane that ever was felt in this province." Strong winds began the evening of September 14, becoming more violent as the storm blew closer. Rain sluiced down steadily through the early morning, and a terrifying night gave way to a horrifying day. The storm surge poured in about 9:00 AM, overflowing seawalls and creek beds. Before 11 o'clock, nearly all the vessels in Charleston Harbor were on shore, some driven into the marsh, some riding the flood to crash into wharves and buildings. By three o'clock Friday afternoon, September 15, the wind had died completely and the storm was gone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, September 14, 2020
1700: Rising Sun Hurricane
The Rising Sun Hurricane struck Charleston, South Carolina in mid- September in 1700. Typical of a powerful hurricane making landfall, the storm cut a swath of devastation through the region. This hurricane, however, is best remembered for the eyewitness account detailing the destruction of the storm’s namesake: the Scottish warship, Rising Sun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, September 13, 2020
1857: Cyclone makes landfall near Wilmington, NC
A tropical storm was first observed east of the Bahamas on September 6, 1857. It moved slowly northwestward toward the coast of the United States and attained hurricane strength early on September 9. The storm continued traveling northwest along the US coast, becoming a Category 2 hurricane off the coast of Georgia on September 11. On September 13 the cyclone made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina, but then quickly weakened to a tropical storm and turned eastward into the Atlantic on September 14. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, September 12, 2020
1960: Hurricane Donna
On August 29, 1960, the storm that would become Hurricane Donna formed near Cape Verde off the African coast. It would go on to cause 150 deaths from Puerto Rico to New England over the next two weeks. On August 31, Donna attained hurricane status and headed west toward the Caribbean Sea. The storm then rode the Florida coastline, causing 13 deaths in Fort Myers and Daytona Beach. The state’s grapefruit and orange crops also took devastating blows and almost half of the largest mangrove tree forest in the United States was lost. It was the strongest storm to hit Florida until Andrew in 1992. On September 12, Donna battered the Outer Banks on North Carolina and was still a Category 3 hurricane. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, September 11, 2020
September 11, 2001
September 11, 2001 was a horrific day for the United States and the world. The day of the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. It was also a heroic day when passengers fought back and prevented even more destruction and loss of life. The visuals of it all were made possible by the weather. It was a bright, blue and pristine day across the eastern United States. Humidify was low with no haze or clouds. Visibility was unlimited, clear to the horizon. Those that sized the controls in the cockpits that day where easily able to see their targets. The ensuing crashes and destruction were also visible from afar and the horror easily seen. Because the next few days remained clear as a large high-pressure system perched itself over the east coat toxic dust was able to hang in the air much longer than if rain fell and washed the air clean. The plumes of smoke and dust in New York City and Washington DC continued to be seen. Those that died that day and those that worked to find victims and clean up and then suffered and those that ran into the collapsing buildings are remembered again today. They are no less honored than those that also gave their last measure as American soldiers on battlefields across the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, September 10, 2020
1976: Hurricane Kathleen
On September 9, 1976, Tropical Storm Kathleen was barely a tropical storm. Shortly thereafter, Kathleen turned north-northeast into warmer waters and the tropical storm began to re-strengthen. Despite moving rapidly north, it strengthened into Hurricane Kathleen. Kathleen's forward motion accelerated to speeds of 35 mph on September 10, 1976. Unlike the few tropical systems that make it as far as California, Kathleen weakened only slowly as it moved northward over the state. It moved across Death Valley and on September 11, entered western Nevada. Its impacts were significant and, in some places, devastating. In a region not prone to heavy rain and especially not accompanied by strong winds the damage was severe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, September 09, 2020
The 1944 Great Atlantic hurricane
The 1944 Great Atlantic hurricane was destructive and powerful and swept across a large portion of the US east coast in September 1944. The hurricane was infamous for the amount of damage it caused along the New Jersey coastline. The shore towns on Long Beach Island, Atlantic City and Cape May all suffered major damage. Rain totals of 7 inches occurred in Hartford Connecticut and the city of Bridgeport saw the greatest official total at 10.7 inches. Tobacco and fruit damage in Connecticut totaled to about $2 million, with similar overall damage costs occurring in Rhode Island. A total of 28 people died throughout New England as a result of the storm. The storm that was officially upgraded to a tropical system on September 9, 1944 would, in the next week result in one of the greatest destructive hurricanes on record for the resort beach towns of New Jersey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 08, 2020
1900: The Galveston Hurricane
One of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history hit Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900, killing more than 6,000 people, many more likely perished, that is because the storm caused so much destruction on the Texas coast that reliable estimates of the number of victims are difficult to make. Some believe that as many as 12,000 people perished, which would make it the deadliest day in American history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, September 07, 2020
1881: Record heat scorches Eastern seaboard
The summer of 1881 had been be brutally hot and dry across the Mid-west and into the eastern states. Because of the conditions and other factors massive forest fire had erupted in parts of Michigan early in September culminating in the Great Thumb fire in Michigan on 5 and 6th. It resulted in a yellow sky in the major eastern cities on September 6 because of the smoke and haze in the air. Strong, dry winds fueled the fire. No notable fires broke out in the east on September 7, 1881, but it sure felt like something was burning. Record heat scorched most of the big cities up and down the eastern seaboard setting record that still stand today almost 140 years later. The mercury soared to 101 degrees in New York City; 102 degrees in Boston, MA; 104 degrees in Washington DC a September record; 102 degrees in Philadelphia also a September record and the latest 100 degrees ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, September 06, 2020
1881: Yellow Tuesday
The Thumb Fire took place on September 5, 1881, in the Thumb area of Michigan. The fire burned over a million acres in less than a day, was the result of drought, hurricane forces winds, heat and that after effects of the Port Huron Fire of 1871 and the ecological damage wrought by the era's logging techniques. The blaze, also called the Great Thumb Fire, the Great Forest Fire of 1881 and the Huron Fire, killed 282 people in 4 counties in northeastern Michigan. The damage estimate was more than $2 million dollars or $100 million in 2020 dollars. The fire sent enough soot and ash up into the atmosphere that sunlight was partially obscured at many locations on the East Coast of the United States. In New England cities, the sky appeared yellow and projected a strange luminosity onto buildings and vegetation. Twilight appeared at 12 noon. September 6, 1881 immediately became known as Yellow Tuesday or Yellow Day due to the ominous nature of this atmospheric event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, September 05, 2020
1925: Temperature reaches 112°F in Alabama
1925 was extremely dry across the southeastern part of the nation. In fact, the summer of 1925 was the driest on record in Alabama. The drought would only be equaled in some places by the Dust bowl days of the 1930s. The stage was set for the greatest September heatwave in Alabama history. Many cities would see their highest temperatures ever that September. That included Centreville, which set the state's all-time high temperature record at 112° F on Sept. 5, 1925. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, September 04, 2020
1970: The Great Labor Day Storm
Tropical storm Norma formed off the west coast of Mexico just after the page of the calendar turned to September in 1970. By September 3rd it had reached minimal tropical storm force then was pulled inland after moving briefly up through the gulf of California. Its impacts were minimal in Mexico and many though the worst was over. It lost its circulation, but not it’s moisture. Heavy tropical moisture deep through the atmosphere came streaming northward into Arizona. The result was what is known as The Great Labor Day Storm of 1970.Severe flooding hit Arizona on September 4, 1970 that extended into the 5th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, September 03, 2020
Strongest storm of the 1935 Hurricane Season
The strongest Hurricane of the 1935 Atlantic hurricane season formed from a slow-moving, weak disturbance east of the Bahamas on or around August 28, 1935. .On September 2, 1935, the hurricane reached its greatest intensity and made landfall later that night as a Category 5 storm, crossing the Florida Keys between Key West and Miami, FL. As it made landfall, it was packing sustained winds of 185 mph. The tracks of the Florida East Coast Railroad, the main transportation route linking the Keys to mainland Florida, were shifted off their roadbed and completely destroyed. The tracks were never rebuilt, as the railway now terminates in Miami. Fatalities throughout the Keys were significant. At least 409 people perished. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, September 02, 2020
1775: The Independence Hurricane
On, September 2, 1775, the Independence Hurricane hit the American colonies as the American Revolution was beginning. It would be the 8th deadliest Atlantic hurricane of all time. After dumping rain for a week, the hurricane landed in North Carolina and continued up the coast through Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The storm was particularly devastating to the region's economy because it was harvest season. Many crops were still in the field and were completely destroyed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 01, 2020
1950: Temperature reaches 123 °F in Yuma, AZ
Yuma, Arizona is noted for its weather extremes. Of any populated place in the contiguous United States, Yuma is the driest, the sunniest, and the least humid, has the lowest frequency of precipitation, and has the highest number of days per year—175—with a daily maximum temperature of 90. Yuma features a hot desert climate, with extremely hot summers and warm winters. On September 1, 1950 the temperature in Yuma reached 123 degrees – the highest temperature ever recorded in the United states in the month of September. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, August 31, 2020
1772: Hurricane Strikes St. Croix
During the summer of 1772 a young 17-year-old clerk was toiling in the West Indies on the Island of St. Croix. He had been born in poverty, but even at his young age had risen to be given responsibilities of management at the firm he clerked for. On August 31, 1772 as a powerful hurricane roared through the region. The clerk wrote a letter describing the storm that said in part: “It’s impossible for me to describe or you to form any idea of it. It seemed as if a total dissolution of nature was taking place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, August 30, 2020
1839: A Snow Hurricane
A powerful storm hit South Carolina and quickly moved its way up the coast. On Sunday August 30, 1839, as the storm headed for the open waters south of Cape Cod a surge of unseasonably cold air blasted out of eastern Canada and into New York state. Across the Catskill mountains temperatures plunged to near freezing, yet moisture was still being hurled inland. The result was one of those rare occurrences across the uplands of eastern New York – a snow hurricane. Several inches of the white stuff mounted up – the wind was still howling and the heavy wet snow plastered itself to everything in what could be described as a hurricane white-out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, August 29, 2020
2005: Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a large Category 5 Atlantic Hurricane that caused more than 1,200 deaths and $125 billion in damage in August 2005, particularly hard hit was the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time, the costliest tropical cyclone on record, and is now tied with 2017's Hurricane Harvey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, August 28, 2020
The 1990 Plainfield Tornado
The 1990 Plainfield tornado was a devastating tornado that occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 28, 1990. The violent tornado killed 29 people and injured 353. It is the only F5 tornado ever recorded in August and the only F5 tornado to strike the Chicago area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, August 27, 2020
1893: The Sea Island Hurricane
On August 27, 1893, a major hurricane which came to be known as the Sea Island Hurricane struck the United States near Savanah, Georgia. It was one of three deadly hurricanes during the 1893 Atlantic Hurricane Season; the storm killed an estimated 1,000–2,000 people, mostly from storm surge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, August 26, 2020
1883: The eruption of Krakatoa
The eruption of Krakatoa, in August 1883 was one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions of modern history. It is estimated that more than 36,000 people died. Many died as a result of thermal injury from the blasts and many more were victims of the tsunamis that followed the collapse of the volcano into the sea. The eruption also affected the climate and caused temperatures to drop all over the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 25, 2020
The Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635
The Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635 hit the Jamestown Settlement and the Massachusetts Bay Colony during August 1635. It is considered to be one of the earliest hurricanes to have struck New England, occurring just 15 years after the settlement at Plymouth Rock. Although the hurricane’s exact track remains unknown, several historical accounts describe the storm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, August 24, 2020
1992: Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was a powerful and destructive Category 5 hurricane that struck the Bahamas, Florida and Louisiana in August 1992. It is the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida in terms of structures damaged or destroyed, and was the costliest in financial terms until Hurricane Irma surpassed it 25 years later. In total, Andrew left 65 dead and caused $27.3 billion in damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, August 23, 2020
1724: "Great Gust of 1724"
On August 23, 1724 and event known as the "Great Gust of 1724" occurred. Almost all tobacco and much of the corn crops were destroyed by this violent tropical storm, which struck the Chesapeake Bay. Intense floods of rain and a huge gust of wind were seen on the James River. Just as those as recovery was underway to salvage what crops they could a week later another tropical system inundated the region with more heavy rain and flooding leading to an almost total failure of the corn crop and the suspension of the export of corn from the region for the next 12 months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, August 22, 2020
1992: 8-12” of snow falls in parts of Alberta
August 19 1992 was a typical summer day as the mercury soared to 90 in Cut Bank Montana, not a record, but still very high. But extremely cold air though had been building in Alaska and it came barreling down the Canadian plains and right into Cut Bank by the early morning hours of August 22, 1992. The high temperature that day only reached 33 degrees. 8-12” of snow fell just to the north in parts of Alberta. Glacier Park Mt. had 12” of snow and 8.3" of snow covered the ground at Cut Bank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, August 21, 2020
1984: Vicious hailstorm shuts down Colorado State Fair
On August 21, 1984 for the first time ever the Colorado State Fair was closed after a vicious hailstorm struck. 9 people were injured; 500 light bulbs were broken by golf ball sized hail; 1 person among the injured was knocked unconscious. Damage totaled $40 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, August 20, 2020
1910: Hurricane-force winds spread fires
By mid-August, there were 1,000 to 3,000 fires burning in Idaho, Montana, and Washington. August 20, 1910 brought hurricane-force winds to the interior northwest, whipping the hundreds of small fires into one or two much larger blazing infernos. Such a conflagration was impossible to fight; there were too few men and supplies. The National Forest Service was only five years old at the time and unprepared for the possibilities of the dry summer or a fire of this magnitude, though all summer it had been urgently recruiting as many men as possible to fight the hundreds of fires already burning, many with little forestry or firefighting experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, August 19, 2020
1896: One of the best-documented waterspout sightings
On August 19, 1896 one of the best documented sightings ever recorded of a waterspout occurred. It was visible by thousands of people about 8 miles north of Chappaquiddick Island, off the coast of Massachusetts. Three spouts altogether occurred between 12:45PM and 1:25PM. The largest of the 3 lasted 18 minutes with a diameter estimated at 240'. Water was agitated to a height of 400' and column was 3600' high. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 18, 2020
1955: Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane was one of three hurricanes to hit the North Carolina coast during the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season. The system began as a tropical wave over the Atlantic Ocean, which developed into a tropical depression on August 7, 1955. Overall, between 180 and 200 total fatalities were estimated to be a result of Hurricane Diane. Although it was difficult to estimate total damages stemming from Hurricane Diane, it was determined that the floods and other impacts from the hurricane caused $1 billion in damage or almost 10 billion in 2020 dollars, making it the costliest hurricane in U.S. history at the time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, August 17, 2020
1969: Hurricane Camille
On August 17, 1969, a half a century ago, Hurricane Camille slammed into the Mississippi coast, the storm still remains one of the most powerful and costly hurricanes on record to make landfall in the United States. Camille was the second-most-intense hurricane to hit the U.S. and remains one of only 4 category 5 hurricanes to strike the mainland U.S. The storm resulted in at least 259 fatalities and caused nearly $1.4 billion in damages at the time, which equates to more than $10 billion 2020 dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, August 16, 2020
1909: 884 days of dry weather kicks off in CA
On August 16, 1909, dry weather ensued after a rain shower the day before. The next day the residents of San Bernardino saw rain was May 6, 1912. A total of 884 days, or almost 2 1/2 years later in one of the driest periods in California history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, August 15, 2020
1979: Unusual August Chill
The winter of 1978-1979 had been particular cold and snowy across the mid-west and eastern states. The summer remained cool and autumn seemed to come early on August 15, 1979 when an Unusual August Chill hit - Detroit, MI dropped to 46 degrees - new record low, breaking 1885 record. Kansas City, MO reached down to 56 degrees and broke a 1929 record low. Also, the lowest August high temperature ever at only 63 degrees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, August 14, 2020
1890: 3.15" of rain falls in an hour in Colorado Springs
On August 14, 1890 Thunderstorms with torrential rain and massive hail hit Colorado Springs, Colorado; 3.15” of rain fell in a little over an hour, hail lasted 15 minutes and covered the ground to 6”. The mercury plunged from 75 to 47 degrees in just 4 minutes after the hail began. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, August 13, 2020
1831: "Blue Sun" observed in southern U.S.
The appearance of a blue sun is triggered by volcanic dust, smoke from forest fires, desert dust, smog and other forms of pollution. Wavelengths of visible light that are blue in color become scattered from the rays of the sun reflected off of smog, smoke, or ash particles. The phenomena are extremely rare because the particles suspended in the air scatter blue wavelengths only when they are of a particular size. Smoke, volcanic ash and smog often provide clouds that are gray in color, setting the perfect backdrop for blue light to scatter off the particles composing the cloud. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, August 12, 2020
1933: Temperature reaches 127 degrees at Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert. It is one of the hottest places on Earth, along with deserts in the Middle East and the Sahara. On the afternoon of August 12, 1933, the mercury reached 127 degrees making it the highest temperature ever recorded in the United States in the month of August, but it was not close to the hottest it has ever been there. On July 10, 1913, a recorded and verified a high temperature of 134 ° was reached at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, that stands as the highest air temperature ever recorded at the surface of the Earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 11, 2020
1980: Hurricane Allen
Hurricane Allen was a rare and extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that struck the Caribbean, eastern and northern Mexico, and southern Texas in August 1980. The first named storm and first tropical cyclone of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season, it was the fifth most intense Atlantic Hurricane on record in terms of barometric pressure, behind Hurricane Rita, the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, Hurricane Gilbert, and Hurricane Wilma. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, August 10, 2020
1778: Hurricane changes outcome of French/British naval battle
On August 10, 1778, a slow moving hurricane moved up the east of the Colonies. The storm resulted in extensive damage in eastern NC, and then moved up the coast offshore. As the Hurricane battered the ships the French ships were larger and sustained the heaviest damage. The smaller British ships had a chance to capitalize on the situation avoiding the worst of the storm by their greater maneuverability but because of the severity of the storm they were blown away from the French fleet and had to re-group over the next few days. The severity of the hurricane cost the British precious time to press their advantage of maneuverability and greater numbers. By the time the British squadron had come back together on the 13th more French ships had arrived on the scene and an opportunity lost. The French now controlled that part of the coast in a significant aid to the American Revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, August 09, 2020
1976: Hurricane Belle
Hurricane Belle was a Category 3 Atlantic Hurricane in August 1976. The storm, at one point, had winds around 120 miles per hour before it moved northward up the East Coast of the United States. The storm formed on August 6; it became Tropical Storm Belle on August 7. Later on, August 7, it became a hurricane. Belle took twelve lives when it struck the East Coast of the United States. Damage was $100 million ore almost half a billion in 2020 dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, August 08, 2020
1812: The sinking of USS Hamilton and Scourge
The War of 1812 that is often called the Second War of American Independence is viewed as an American invasion by Canada. Americans recall the “Star Spangled Banner,” and the Battle of Fort McHenry and the Battle of New Orleans. But there were significant naval actions on the Great Lakes. The catastrophic sinking of USS Hamilton and Scourge 200 years ago by a sudden squall turned the advantage to the British for a time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, August 07, 2020
1918: Extreme heat halts production lines at Allied factories
On August 7, 1918 World War I was stalemated in Europe. The Allies, including the United States, Britain and France and the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary had been deadlocked in trench warfare for several years. It had been hot summer across Europe, but that did not compare to the heat building in the northeastern United States that August. Factories had been running at breakneck speed in the US to produce war material, but for a few days at the end of the first week in August 1918 those production lines were put on hold as extreme heat held the region in its blast furnace grip. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, August 06, 2020
1983: Butterflies "carried" more than 625 miles in storm
On August 6, 1983 A powerful storm moved west from India all the way to the Arabian Peninsula. 3 species of Indian butterflies were observed at Abu Dhabi several days later. The butterflies were "carried" more than 625 miles across the open water by the storm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, August 05, 2020
The Great Flood of 1843
The rain started in the morning of August 5, 1843 around 7:30 AM and increased in intensity all day. Area residents reported that by 3:00 PM winds had reach gale force and the rain continued at a furious pace. In the evening about 7:00 PM a wall of water, fueled by water levels that rose 5.5 inches in 40 minutes, came rushing down both the Crum and Ridley Creeks without warning. The water overflowed the banks of Crum Creek by more than 20 feet and Ridley Creek by 21 feet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, August 04, 2020
1881: Temperature reaches 122 across Europe
A historical record high for all of Europe of 50.0 °C (122 °F) was recorded on 4 August 1881. This record is somewhat disputed as several in the science community believe that the thermometer used wasn’t officially calibrated and measured. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, August 03, 2020
1915: 5.77" of rain falls in Erie, PA
A succession of storms unleashed 5.77 inches of rain in the Erie area between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Aug. 3, 1915. Four inches of rain fell between 4 and 7 p.m. All of that water was funneled from the Mill Creek watershed into Mill Creek, which flowed through central Erie. As its waters rose, Mill Creek overflowed its banks into farmlands and yards in the Glenwood Hills area, according to historical accounts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, August 02, 2020
1922: The Swatow Typhoon
The 1922 Swatow Typhoon was a devastating tropical cyclone that caused thousands of deaths in the Chinese city of Swatow, less than 200 miles north of Hong Kong on the Pacific Coast of China, in August 1922. Striking the city on August 2, 1922. Th death totals make it one of the deadliest known typhoons in history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, August 01, 2020
1985: 6" of rain falls in 24 hours in Cheyenne, WY
On August 1, 1985 severe thunderstorms formed over the high plans of Wyoming as a result of a southeast flow of warm and humid air all the way from the Gulf of Mexico and a cold front slicing southward out of Canada and through Montana. Cheyenne, Wyoming received just over 6” of rain on that day more than 1/3 their average rainfall for an entire year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, July 31, 2020
1861: Cherrapunji, India records a total of 366.14" of rain in July
As the month of July 1861 came to a close on July 31 Cherrapunji, India recorded a total of 366.14" of rain during July 1861, a world record for 1 month. Cherrapunji also holds world record rainfall for a 12-month period; 1,041.78" from August 1, 1860 to July 31, 1861 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, July 30, 2020
1933: The Florida-Mexico hurricane
The 1933 Florida–Mexico hurricane was the first of two Atlantic hurricanes to strike the Treasure Coast region of Florida in the very active 1933 Atlantic hurricane season. It was one of two storms that year to inflict hurricane-force winds over South Texas, causing significant damage there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, July 29, 2020
1878: "Rainy Day" in Waynesburg, PA
July 29th is traditionally known as a “Rainy Day” in Waynesburg, PA. It all began in 1878 when a farmer casually told drug store clerk William Allison that it always seemed to rain on July 29th in this southwestern PA town. The clerk made a note of it and started keeping a yearly tabulation. It has rained 111 out of the past 135 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 28, 2020
1898: Heavy hailstorm strikes Chicago
One the most notorious hail storms to hit an American city before the advent of better glass techniques occurred on July 28, 1898 in Chicago. According to the Morning Herald-Dispatch “Thousands of windowpanes were broken during a heavy hailstorm in the city. The rain which fell in torrents for an hours after the hail stones had done their work did great damage to the interiors of apartment building and school houses." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, July 27, 2020
1943: The first hurricane hunters
During the morning hours of July 27, British pilots were training at Bryan Field in Bryan, Texas and were alerted about a hurricane approaching the Galveston area. Upon becoming informed that the planes would need to be flown away from the storm, they criticized this policy. Instead, US Colonel Joe Duckworth made a bet with the British pilots that he could fly his AT-6 Texan trainer directly into the storm. Duckworth requested that Lt. Colonel Ralph O'Hair, the only navigator at the field, fly into the hurricane with him. Because neither Duckworth nor O'Hair believed that the headquarters would approve the flight, they decided to proceed without permission. Thus, Duckworth and O'Hair became the first hurricane hunters, on July 27, 1943. Their impact of their flight would pave the way for today’s Hurricane hunters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, July 26, 2020
1890: The "Great Cyclone" strikes S. Lawrence, MA
July 26, 1890: The Lawrence tornado, called the “Great Cyclone,” struck South Lawrence, Massachusetts at 9:10 to 9:15 AM on Saturday, July 26, 1890. It took about two minutes to pass through any point. Damages were estimated at about $60,000. Eight people were killed and 65 were injured. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, July 25, 2020
1956: Sinking of the Andrea Doria
July 25, 1956: As Stockholm and Andrea Doria were approaching each other head-on in the heavily used shipping corridor, the westbound Andrea Doria had been traveling in heavy fog for hours. The Andrea Doria collided with the Stockholm in dense fog 21 miles off the coast of Nantucket. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-date-in-weather-history/id1497536322 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, July 24, 2020
1930: Strongest tornado in Europe on record
The European continent is not free from tornado events. While in the USA, some 1.200 tornadoes could be observed annually, on the European continent only 300 events every year are recorded. Europe experiences less frequent events than USA, but., storms can be really devastating. Storms occur when warm humid air near the surface lay under drier air aloft with temperatures decreasing rapidly with height, providing energy for the storms through the production of instability. Large changes in wind with height or ‘‘wind shear’’ over both shallow and deep layers—combined with the instability and high humidity near the surface—create a situation favorable for tornadoes to form. Midwestern American areas are an incredible basin that in summer fills with hot air and humidity, provided by the Gulf of Mexico; the drier air comes from Canada, providing energy for the storms through the production of instability. In Europe the northeast of Italy is often the place in which cold air coming from the Alps encounter warm and humid air coming from the Adriatic Sea and Africa, cause widespread severe thunderstorms across the plains of northern Italy. On July 24, 1930 the vicinity of Montello in the Po river valley of northeastern Italy, just south of the southern foot of the Alps was hit by the strongest tornado in Europe on record. The tornado maxed out on the Fujita scale at F5 rating, producing extreme damage – even destroying strong masonry like churches. The area was devastated with more than 20 fatalities and whole villages wiped off the map. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, July 23, 2020
1788: Hurricane over George Washington's Mt. Vernon
On July 23, 1788 after causing ship disasters southeast of Bermuda, A hurricane moved northwestward over the tidewater area of Virginia, and right over George Washington's Mt. Vernon Plantation. At Ocracoke Inlet, southwest of Cape Hatteras, 6 ships were wrecked and 11 were driven ashore with 2 dismasted. As the storm center passed just to the east of this point, the wind shifted. This caught ships unaware and added to the disaster. An account from Norfolk stated that: "at 3am the wind suddenly shifted from northeast to south and blew a perfect hurricane - tearing up large trees by the roots, removing houses, throwing down chimney, fences, etc. and laying the greatest part of the corn level." The following day on July 24th, George Washington wrote in his diary: "about noon the wind suddenly shifted from northeast to southwest and blew the remaining part of the day violently from that quarter. The tide this time rose higher than it was ever known to do, driving boats, etc. into fields where no tide had ever been heard of before, and must, it is apprehended, have done infinite damage on their wharves at Alexandria, Norfolk, Baltimore, etc. At home all day." It would take more than a year to repair the damage to those ports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, July 22, 2020
1498: Columbus' third voyage
On Christopher Columbus' third voyage, after leaving the Cape Verde Islands, his 4 ships drifted WSW in the equatorial current. A ship’s account from July 22, 1498 states that "The wind stopped so suddenly the heat was so excessive and immoderate that there was no one who dared to go below after the casks of wine and water which burst, snapping the hoops of the pipes; the wheat burned like fire; the bacon and salted meat roasted and putrefied." This calm area known to sailors around the world as the doldrums, is a belt around the Earth extending approximately five degrees north and south of the equator. Here, the prevailing trade winds of the northern hemisphere blow to the southwest and collide with the southern hemisphere’s driving northeast trade winds. Due to intense solar heating near the equator, the warm, moist air is forced up into the atmosphere like a hot air balloon. The rising air mass finally subsides in what is known as the horse latitudes, where the air moves downward toward Earth’s surface. Because the air circulates in an upward direction, there is often little surface wind in this region. That is why sailors well know that the area can becalm sailing ships for weeks. Columbus was caught in the doldrums or horse latitudes. The term horse latitudes came later, after Columbus when ships sailing to the western hemisphere were sometime stranded for weeks and as they baked, sailors reportedly pushed the horses they were transporting overboard to keep from running out of scarce water. Occasionally the ships were stranded and for longer periods and became ghost ships as entire crews perished, from heat and lack of food and water. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 21, 2020
1861: First Battle of Bull Run
On July 21, 1861, a hot and dry summer Sunday, Union and Confederate troops clashed outside Manassas, Virginia, in the first major engagement of the Civil War, the First Battle of Bull Run. Union General McDowell hoped to march his men across a small stream called Bull Run in the vicinity of Manassas, Va. that was well-guarded by a force of Confederates under General Beauregard. McDowell needed to find a way across the stream and through the Southern line that stretched for over six miles along the banks of Bull Run. McDowell launched a small diversionary attack at the Stone Bridge while marching the bulk of his force north around the Confederates’ left flank. The march was slow, but McDowell’s army crossed the stream easily because the weather leading up the the battle had been dry and the stream was running at a low level. Some of Beauregard’s troops, recognizing that the attack at Stone Bridge was just a diversion, fell back just in time to meet McDowell’s oncoming force. The battle raged for several hours on top of Henry Hill, with each side taking control of the hill more than once. Slowly, more and more Southern men poured onto the field to support the Confederate defense, and Beauregard’s men pushed the Northerners back. At this point in the battle, Confederate General Barnard Bee attempted to rally his weary men by pointing to Brigadier General Thomas Jackson who stood his ground in the face of the Union assault. Bee cried, “There stands Jackson like a stone wall!” From that moment on, Thomas Jackson was known as “Stonewall” Jackson. As the day wore on, the strength of McDowell’s troops was sapped by the continuous arrival of fresh Southern reinforcements and the intense heat of the summer day with temperatures in the 90s and Union troops in heavy wool uniforms. Eventually, the Northerners began to retreat across Bull Run. The Union pullout began as an orderly movement. However, when the bridge over Cub Run was destroyed, cutting off the major route of retreat, it degenerated into a rout. The narrow roads and fords, clogged by the many carts, wagons, and buggies full of people who had driven out from Washington, D.C., to see the spectacle, hampered the withdrawal of the Union Army. The heat had done in the Union troops who had marched a greater distance to get to the battle and then choked in the dry, dusty roads as they made their way back to Washington City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, July 20, 2020
1977: Flash flood devastates Johnstown, Pennsylvania
On July 20, 1977 a flash flood devastated Johnstown, Pennsylvania, killing 84 people and causing millions of dollars in damages. This flood happened 88 years after the Horrible Flood of 1889 that was one of the worst weather-related disasters in US history that killed more than 2,000 people. Johnstown sits in a deep valley, hard against the Conemaugh river. In that earlier flood, the dams in the Conemaugh Valley failed, bringing disaster to Johnstown and as fate would have it the combination of the weather and those human make dams would once again bring catastrophe. The flood occurred when an extraordinary amount of rain came down in the Conemaugh Valley in a short period of time. Nearly 12 inches were measured in 10 hours. The National Weather Service later estimated that this amount of rain in that location should happen less than once every 1,000 years. Dams started bursting upstream from Johnstown. The largest dam that burst was at Laurel Run. This 10-year-old earthen dam held back 100 million gallons of water. Despite having a 42-foot-high spillway, the dam failed and the resulting flood devastated the town of Tanneryville. Five other dams in the area also burst, releasing another 30 million gallons of water. The failure of the dams was a shock. Johnstown had constructed an entire system designed to completely eliminate the flood risk after the devasting flood of 1889 and a destructive flood in 1936. Many safely measure were in place along with inspections. Still, the dams were no match for the thunderstorm that stalled over the area on July 20. In addition to the 84 people who lost their lives to the flood, $300 million or more than $1.2 Billion in 2020 dollars in damages were suffered and hundreds of people lost their homes. President Carter declared the region a federal disaster area and the National Guard was sent to assist in the relief efforts. Despite millions spent to rehabilitate the Johnstown area, the economy never recovered. The city’s population decreased nearly 15 percent in the aftermath of the flood, as people moved away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, July 19, 2020
1993: Mississipi River rises to 46' and floods St. Louis, MO
Over the course of a three-month period in the summer of 1993, a slow-moving and historic flooding disaster unfolded across the midwestern United States, leaving economic ramifications that would be felt for years to come. Over 17 million acres were flooded across nine states across the Midwest during the summer of 1993, starting in June and lasting through August. This is an area larger than the entire state of West Virginia. “The magnitude and severity of this flood event was simply overwhelming, and it ranks as one of the greatest natural disasters ever to hit the United States,” said Lee Larson, chief at the Hydrologic Research Laboratory. This long-duration river flooding caused hundreds of levees failures, 50 fatalities and an estimated $15 billion in damages. While the worst of the flooding occurred in the summer of 1993, impacts across the region lasted for years. Of the 17 million acres that were flooded, a majority was being used as farmland. This had a long-term impact on the industry as some of the land was not able to be used again for farming for several years after flood waters had receded. Shipping and transportation industries were also severely impacted during the height of the flooding. Barge traffic on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers was stopped for nearly two months. The inability for ships and barges to navigate the waters of these major waterways resulted in an economic loss of $2 million per day, according to the National Weather Service. High water also rendered some bridges that spanned across the Mississippi River unusable for weeks, disrupting travel across the region. In some cases, this meant taking a detour of over 100 miles just to make it to the other side of a flooded river. The historic flooding was not caused by one single rainfall event, but rather an extended period of above-normal rainfall across the same region. The stage was set in 1992 with a wet fall which resulted in above-normal soil moisture and reservoir levels in the Missouri and Upper Mississippi river basins. The wet autumn was followed by above-average snowfall during the winter. When all of this snow melted in the spring, it left the ground across the region saturated and prone to flooding. The focus of the flooding on July 19, 1993 was St Louis Mo, where the Mississippi river rose to 46.8 feet at were flood stage is only 30'. It was the high-water mark in St Louis and flooding extended from the Gateway Arch to the suburbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, July 18, 2020
1942: Heavy rain and storms in PA causes flooding and damage
July 18, 1942: Late in the evening of Friday, July 17, 1942 heavy rain began falling in southern New York. The weather system producing the heavy rain and thunderstorms intensified and moved into Pennsylvania. The weather system stalled out over Smethport and Port Allegany PA, on Saturday, July 18th. Most of the rain, incredibly feel in just a 5-hour period. People living in the region reported in the local press after the storm that the electrical storm was the worst they had ever witnessed. Water quickly began to accumulate and rise rapidly, many thought that they would drown. In the Austin, PA, many people were quoted as saying that “the rain did not come down in drops, it came down in streams.” The dam at the Williamson Pulp and Paper Company at Austin was breached and immediately flooded the town of Austin. There were reports of massive quantities of gravel and rock being washed down small gullies and even reports of bedrock being ripped out and carried downstream as the relentless rain continued. In Emporium, Pennsylvania, the estimated rainfall rate was more than 10 inches per hour. There was massive flooding over a short period of time. There were many accounts of an “almost instantaneous rise” in the water from 5 to 8 or 10 feet. Buildings in Austin were being knocked off their foundations and the water was 4 to 5 feet deep on the main street. The heaviest rain fell in Smethport, Pennsylvania. Some locations received an incredible 34.50 inches of rain from the event. A rainfall total of 30.7 inches of rain in a 4 1/2-hour period set a world record at Smethport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, July 17, 2020
1996: The 2nd most-costly weather disaster in Illinois history
Heavy rain on July 17, 1996, produced several rainfall records and was the second most costly weather disaster in Illinois history. The 16.94 inches recorded at Aurora still stands as the statewide record for the most rain from a single 24-hour period. The 10.99 inches on the west side of the Chicago metro area was the most ever recorded in the Chicago urban area. Just as impressive as the point values was the size of the area covered by heavy rainfall. It was estimated that 16.3 inches fell over the wettest 100 square mile area of the storm, 12.6 inches over the wettest 1000 square mile area, and 5.2 inches over the wettest 10,000 square mile area. Another way to look at it is that an area of 1350 square miles exceeded the expected 100-year, 24-hour storm while 4650 square miles exceeded the expected 10-year, 24-hour storm for northeast Illinois. The widespread heavy rains led to excessive flooding. Damage estimates were on the order of 700 million dollars or more than 1.1B in 2020 dollars. FEMA estimated that more than 35,000 residences were flooded. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, July 16, 2020
1945: The first nuclear device detonates in New Mexico
On July 16, 1945 the first nuclear device ever detonated in Earth history occurred at the Trinity site near Alamogordo, New Mexico. From a weather perspective, scientists wanted good visibility, low humidity, light winds at low altitude, and westerly winds at high altitude for the test. The best weather was predicted between July 18 and 21, but the Potsdam Conference near the end of WWII between the Allies was due to start on July 16 and President Truman wanted the test to be conducted before the conference began. It was therefore scheduled for July 16, the earliest date at which the bomb components would be available. The detonation was initially planned for 4am Mountain War Time but was postponed because of rain and lightning from early that morning. It was feared that the danger from radiation in the form of fallout would be increased by rain, and lightning had the scientists concerned about a premature detonation. A crucial favorable weather report came in at 4:45am and the final countdown began at 5:10. By 05:20 the rain had gone. At 5:29am the device exploded with an energy equivalent to around 22 kilotons of TNT. The desert sand, largely made of silica, melted and became a radioactive light green glass. At the time of detonation, the surrounding mountains were illuminated "brighter than daytime" for one to two seconds, and the heat was reported as "being as hot as an oven" at the base camp. The roar of the shock wave took 40 seconds to reach the observers. It was felt over 100 miles away, and the mushroom cloud reached 7.5 miles in height. John Lugo was flying a U.S. Navy transport at 10,000 feet, 30 miles east of Albuquerque en route to the west coast. "My first impression was, the sun was coming up in the south. What a ball of fire! It was so bright it lit up the cockpit of the plane." Lugo radioed Albuquerque. He got no explanation for the blast but was told, "Don't fly south." Because the rain cleared and the test went off successfully Truman was able to tell Soviet leader Stalin then ally, of a terrible new weapon the US had in its possession as it became the only nuclear power in the world. After the blast and the initial euphoria of witnessing the explosion had passed, Bainbridge one of those working on the project told Robert Oppenheimer, the director of the project, "Now we are all sons of bitches." Oppenheimer later recalled that, while witnessing the explosion, he thought of a verse from a Hindu holy book, the Gita, 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, July 15, 2020
1643: One of the first reports on weather's impacts
July 15, 1643: Weather reporting up until the mid-1700’s was sketchy at best across North America. Colonial leaders who formed the path to independence of our country were avid weather observers. Thomas Jefferson purchased a thermometer from a local Philadelphia merchant while in town for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. He also purchased a barometer — one of the only ones in America at the time — a few days later from the same merchant. Jefferson made regular observations at Monticello from 1772-78, and participated in taking the first known simultaneous weather observations in America. George Washington also took regular observations; the last weather entry in his diary was made the day before he died. During the early and mid-1800's, weather observation networks began to grow and expand across the United States. Although most basic meteorological instruments had existed for over 100 years, it was the telegraph that was largely responsible for the advancement of operational meteorology during the 19th century. With the advent of the telegraph, weather observations from distant points could be "rapidly" collected, plotted and analyzed at one location in real time. In 1870 a Joint Congressional Resolution required the Secretary of War "to provide for taking meteorological observations at the military stations in the interior of the continent”. And so, a national weather service had been born within the U.S. Army Signal Service’s Division of Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit of Commerce. The first systematic weather observations didn't start in colonial America until 1644 in what would become the state of Delaware. Occasional observations of the weather were reported a bit before that and on July 15, 1643, John Winthrop’s from Newberry, MA entered in his in diary; “There arose a sudden gust at NW; so violent for half an hour as it blew down multitudes of trees. It lifted up their meeting house at Newberry, the people being in it, but only killed (one person) with the fall of a tree”. It was one of the first ever reports of weather’s impact in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 14, 2020
1886: Twenty-four hundredths of an inch of rain falls in LA
July 14, 1886: Rainfall in Southern California in the summertime is almost non-existent. In fact, the climate takes on desert-like conditions. The average rainfall in June, July and August in Los Angles is less than a quarter of an inches of rainfall – 2 tenths of an inch to be exact. July is the driest month with barley more than a spritz of rain at an average of one hundredth of an inch – the lowest measurable total of rainfall that is officially observed. In contrast New Orleans is generally regarded as the rainiest big-city in the US and averages more than 6 inches of rain for the month of July. It’s not always dry in LA with the months of January, February and March all averaging more than 3 inches of rain each month. Certainly, though there are two distinct seasons in LA a wet season and a dry season. To give you an idea of just how dry it is in Southern California in July, on this date in weather history on July 14, 1886, twenty-four hundredths of an inch of rain – just shy of a quarter of an inch fell in LA, the most ever on a single day in the region in recorded history. Not much impact was felt in the region – today of course a rainfall like that on a July day would result in slippery freeways because the accumulated oil dripping off of cars and onto the highway would mix with the water and cause the roads to become slippery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, July 13, 2020
1816: Snow falls in New England
July 13, 1816: The year 1816 featured unprecedented cold conditions throughout the United States and Europe. The key cause was the eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Tambora in April 1815, the largest volcanic explosion in recorded. “Mount Tambora ejected so much ash and aerosols into the atmosphere that the sky darkened and the sun was blocked from view in many places around the world that year. The eruptions killed up to 100,000 people – some immediately from the blasts – and tens of thousands of others as a result of starvation and the resulting crop failures and disease. “It might have been millions who died in total, across the globe in the next year” said AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel Myers. The smaller particles spewed by the volcano were light enough to spread into the stratosphere and eventually had a worldwide impact on the climate by reflecting solar radiation back into space. The Earth’s average global temperature dropped 5 degrees Fahrenheit, according, and in some areas, the drop was more than 10 degrees. The uncharacteristic cold ruined agricultural production in the United States, Europe and China, which led to drastic increases in food prices, as well as famine and epidemics of cholera and other diseases. The U.S. consisted of just 18 states in 1816 and five were in New England, which was devastated by the frigid temperatures and the lack of food. Frost throughout May killed crops in several Northeast states, snow fell in June in wide areas from New York to Maine, and heavy frosts and ice storms occurred as late as July in parts of New England. There were freezing temperatures in all 12 months of the year in New England, many of the crops failed, causing famine and triggering a western migration from New England where there was a depression and starvation. In 1815, before the effects of the volcano were known, the typesetter of the Old Farmer's Almanac jokingly printed America "snow, and hail" across eastern North America for this date of July 13, 1816. The editor missed it, and the publication went to print. But because of the severe climate change; snow, and hail did fall across parts of New England on July 13. Even though later editions of the Almanac had the "correct" forecast in place, those who received the earlier editions "swore" by the Almanac the rest of their lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, July 12, 2020
1984: Rapidly developing storm pounds Munich
On July 12, 1984 a rapidly developing storm pounded the Munich area with hailstones the size of tennis balls, high winds and heavy rains, injuring 300 people and causing extensive damage. The Red Cross said the storm injured about 200 people in Munich and 100 in surrounding south-east Bavaria, most of them hit on the head by ice balls, cut by glass shattering from windows, or hurt in car crashes. One person was killed and damages reached nearly $100 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, July 11, 2020
1888: A year of extremes across the United States
1888 was a year of extremes across the United States, of course the famed Blizzard of ’88 in March in the Northeast brought heavy snows and blinding visibility and hundreds of deaths in the worst March snowstorm in that region since unofficial records began before the Revolutionary War. The crazy weather continued and not only in the northeast. It would come to pass that on July 11, 1888 a high amplitude or high wave pattern would establish itself in the high atmosphere where the jet stream steers storms and other weather systems. In the western states the jet stream pulled way north into Canada and pumped up high heat and humidity all the way from Mexico. Meanwhile in the East the jet stream plunged southward toward Georgia and brought record cold and storminess. On July 11, under that western heat, the temperature in Bennett, Colorado reached 118 degrees, still listed as a state record. In the East heavy rains on the Monongahela River caused a flash flood as the water rose a whopping 32 feet in less that 24 hours. Meanwhile on the same day, July 11, 1888, along the Presidential range in New Hampshire heavy snow blanked the peaks like Mt Washington and some snow reached all the way down to the base of those mountains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, July 10, 2020
1926: Lightning strike causes NJ ammunition dump explosions
July 10, 1926: A bolt of lightning at the Picatinny Army Arsenal in northern NJ triggered a massive explosion in an ammunition dump on July 10, 1926, triggering three major explosions within half an hour in the early evening hours that killed 22 people and injuring dozens more. The Morris County, NJ News reports that the historic fire of 1926 raged throughout the night, fueled by exploding military shells that set more fires across the landscape surrounding the 6,400-acre base in Morris County. For the next three days, a series of minor explosions followed as the blaze devoured much of the base. The remaining flames were finally doused by rain on July 13. The initial blasts at the Arsenal depot, could be felt as far as 30 miles away. Every building within a half mile was leveled by the blast. Debris landed as far as 22 miles away and over 100 million of 2020 dollars of damage was done. This is the costliest damage due to lightning in the United States. In an odd twist an "unexploded ordnance" unearthed in late February of 2020 at a Picatinny Arsenal site was a relic from a deadly explosion that rocked the military munitions base nearly a century ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, July 09, 2020
1936: Temperature reaches 109°F at Central Park, NYC
July 9, 1936: 1936 was the epicenter of the worst heatwave in American history. The Old Farmers Almanac reports that even on the “cool” eastern seaboard in July of 1936, it was the heat wave that made the news. The heat wave had interesting impacts, In Boston, the price of cream skyrocketed as the combination of the drought in the Midwest and the hot weather in the East made for a “very short cream market.” Wholesale prices rose from $11 for a 40-quart can of cream in 1935 to $17.28 a can in July of 1936. Central Park in New York City hit 106°F on July 9. That still stands as the all-time record today. The next day, Waterbury, Connecticut, saw 103°F, while many other New England towns hit over 100°F. Those who could left the steaming asphalt of the cities. Others stood under sprinklers or slept on roofs. In New York City, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia declared public beaches open all night for the duration, promising not to arrest anyone. City swimming pools lengthened their hours. Nearly 1,000 deaths occurred nationwide—76 in New York City—were attributed to the 10-day heat wave, some from heat stroke or lung ailments, others from accidental drownings as non-swimmers desperately attempted to cool off. Canadian towns and cities also felt the severity of the sun. Ontario alone marked over 500 deaths from the heat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, July 08, 2020
1936: Record high temperatures across Pennsylvania
July 8, 1936: The "Dust Bowl" years of 1930-36 brought some of the hottest summers on record to the United States, especially across the Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lake States. For the Upper Mississippi River Valley, the first few weeks of July 1936 provided the hottest temperatures of that period, including many all-time record highs the string of hot, dry days was also deadly. Nationally, around 5000 deaths were associated with the heat wave. In La Crosse, WI, there were 14 consecutive days (July 5th-18th) where the high temperature was 90 degrees or greater, and 9 days that were at or above 100°F. Six record July temperatures set during this time still stand, including the hottest day on record with 108°F on the 14th. The average high temperature for La Crosse during this stretch of extreme heat was 101°F. Several factors led to the deadly heat of July 1936; A series of droughts affected the U.S. during the early 1930s. The lack of rain parched the earth and killed vegetation, especially across the Plains states. Poor land management (farming techniques) across the Plains furthered the impact of the drought, with lush wheat fields becoming barren waste lands. Without the vegetation and soil moisture, the Plains acted as a furnace. The climate of that region took on desert qualities, accentuating its capacity to produce heat. On the night of July 8th, 1936 temperatures across most of the state did not drop below 90, setting records to high, low temperatures. For the summer as a while near Erie PA is it reported that 40 acres produced only 1 load of hay all summer when a normal year can produce 7-10 loads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, July 07, 2020
1976: Two tornadoes rip through northern New Jersey
July 7, 1976: After a sweltering heat wave held the Eastern United States in its grip for Bi-Centennial celebrations in early July of 1976 a strong frontal system approached the region on July 7th. Severe thunderstorms developed and ripper across the New York City area. Two tornadoes tore through the heavily populated area of northern New Jersey, skirting the Statue of Liberty where days before tens of thousands of people had gathered for July 4th and near 11 tall ships at anchor for the Bi-Centennial celebration. One of the tornadoes lasted nearly 8 minutes before it dissolved back into a thunderstorm. Only 3 people were injured, but property damage ranged from over turned tractor-trailers to torn roofs, and entire walls ripped away from buildings. Another funnel cloud was reported near Coney Island. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, July 06, 2020
1928: Grapefruit-sized hail falls in Potter, Nebraska
July 6, 1928: The Village of Potter, Nebraska was established as the railroad progressed westward. In 1870, Union Pacific built a station house and it served as the post office, the schoolhouse and the land development office. It was the only building build for several years. Potter has grown slowly over the last 150 years with less than 400 residents in 2020. Nature.com reports that a remarkable hailstorm occurred on July 6, 1928 in Potter during which hailstones “as large as grapefruit” fell, one of which measured 17 inches in circumference and weighed 1½ pounds. This appears to be the largest single hailstone of which there is authentic record. The stones could be heard hissing through the air, and when they fell on ploughed or soft ground they completely buried themselves. Luckily the hailstorm just missed the town itself – impacting fields and grazing land. Very little damage was done by these stones beyond the unroofing of a few houses, as they fell 10–15 feet apart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, July 05, 2020
1900: The Standard Oil refinery fire
New Jersey.com reports that The Standard Oil refinery fire, at Constable Hook in Bayonne, began during a thunderstorm at 12:30 a.m. on July 5, 1900. Lightning reportedly struck the Bay View tavern and boarding house, sending flames to the nearby oil fields and setting off explosions in three storage tanks, each having a capacity of 40,000 barrels of oil. High-reaching flames and dark smoke soared to the sky with a 20-mile range of visibility. Firefighting materials and water had been under stress due to the fact that the leading up to the fire had featured 90-degree temperatures, sweltering humidity, and shifting winds that had started on July 4th. Within minutes after the fire began, the company siren sounded, bringing its own fire department and tugboats into action. Their strategy was to contain the fire, allowing the spillover of heated oil from the storage tanks to burn off. As firemen directed their hoses to cool the burning tanks with streams of water, employees at pumping stations siphoned off the oil into empty storage tanks. The tugboats moved the company ships and oil-filled barges away from its burning docks to safe waters. The placement of log "booms," forming a floating barrier, to protect New York Bay and the digging of trenches to receive the flowing burning oil were among the other tactics used to stem the fire. Bayonne's entire volunteer fire department joined in the exhausting effort with re-enforcements from Jersey City and Staten Island. Despite the constant intense heat, thousands of spectators flocked to the hazardous site arriving by foot, bicycles, crowded cars, trolleys and ferries. Finally, after 70 hours, on July 7 at 10:30 p.m., the fire burned out. It left behind a reported 19 injured and costs amounting to $2.5 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, July 04, 2020
1776: Independence Day
July 4, 1776: The Declaration of Independence was formally adopted by the Continental Congees on July 4th 1776 in Philadelphia. It was a relatively pleasant summer day in Philadelphia. The normal high temperature is 87, but observations recorded that day showed no temperature above 76. We can primary thank Thomas Jefferson for the weather report of the day, in addition to his other duties of helping to write the Declaration and work for its adoption of the 4th. According to the website Monticello.org Thomas Jefferson liked to take at least two weather observations per day. One would happen around sunrise, so he could log the low temperature of the day, and another was between 3 and 4 p.m. when the high temperature usually occurred. He would also list remarks like cloud cover, precipitation and whether or not it was humid. According to the American Museum of Natural History, Jefferson recorded in his weather journal for July 4, 1776, that he woke up to find that the temperature at 6 a.m. was 68 degrees. At 9 a.m., the temperature was up to 72 degrees, and at 1 p.m. it was 76 degrees. When Jefferson arrived in Philadelphia he was unhappy with the thermometer he brought with him from Virginia and the story goes that he purchased a new one in the early days of July 1776. The weather recorded leading up the July 4th, had been hot and humid with temperatures well up in the 80s, but the cooler weather prevailed on the 4th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, July 03, 2020
1863: The Battle of Gettysburg
Considered one of the turning points of the American Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg is said to be the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil. Fought in Gettysburg, Pa., July 1 through 3 in 1863, historians put the number of causalities and missing Union and Confederate soldiers at 46,286. Bayonets, rifled muskets, cannons and infections all contributed to the carnage. AccuWeather.com reports that the weather, however, created causalities as well. A Gettysburg man, Dr. Michael Jacobs, a math professor at what was then called Pennsylvania College, had a strong interest in weather and recorded his observations three times a day, every day, even during the battle. Ben Neely, Executive Director at the Adams County, Pennsylvania Historical Society, emphasized that the most damaging aspect of the weather actually occurred July 4, the day after the battle. Rain fell across the area for most of the day, Rev. Dr. Jacobs put the total at more than an inch. While wounded still lay on the field, some may have felt welcomed by the break in action. Some wounded soldiers had still not been moved from low-lying areas by the Plum Run Creek, however, which overflowed its banks. The wounded soldiers who were near the flood waters, reportedly all Confederate, drowned. According to Civil Way historian and retired AccuWeather team member, Dr. Lee Rainey, an even larger issue that was faced as a result of the rain was the retreat attempts made by the Confederate Army on July 4. "They had to move a 17-mile long train of wagons filled with wounded soldiers over the dissolving dirt roads back to Virginia, " he said. "And the rains caused the Potomac River - easily fordable on the march north - to flow so high that the army was trapped on the north side with the Union forces in pursuit. The Confederates dug in for a desperate battle, but in the end were able to escape across the river on the 13th, the day before Meade's planned attack." The days leading up to that point were not without tragedy as fighting consumed the fields of the Pennsylvania town. For its part, the weather was more cooperative at the battle's start. July 1, the first day fighting began, had a sky covered by puffy white clouds all day. The breeze was typically southerly at only 2 mph; the afternoon temperature was a comfortable 76 degrees. The second day started with similar cloud cover, but clouds increased by the afternoon, when temperatures went up to 81. Likewise, the cloud cover started the third day and cleared considerably by the afternoon. The clouds that remained, however, was the "massive thunder-cloud of summer." A thunderstorm started around 6 p.m. EDT. "The thunder seemed tame, after the artillery firing of the afternoon," Rev. Dr. Jacobs wrote. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, July 02, 2020
The 1980 Heat Wave
The 1980 United States heat wave was a period of intense heat and drought that wreaked havoc on much of the Midwestern United States and the Southern Plains throughout the summer of 1980. It is among the most devastating natural disasters in terms of deaths and destruction in U.S. history, claiming at least 1,700 lives and because of the massive drought, agricultural damage reached $20 billion or more than $60 billion in 2020 dollars. The Heat Wave got started in the end of June 1980 and by July 2nd was in full swing. In Wichita Falls, Texas the temperatures reached 114 degrees, breaking old record by an incredible 10 degrees. It was the 9th consecutive day of 100 degrees plus. Many other cities in Texas reached or exceeded 100 degrees every day for more than a week. In fact, in Dallas a new record high was set for the month of July at 110 degrees. July 2, 1980 marked the 10th consecutive day of record high temperatures in Dallas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, July 01, 2020
1975: Heavy rain causes Red River to flood
Heavy rains in eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota on July 1, 1975 caused disastrous flooding of the Red River of the north. The river crested 16' above flood stage at Fargo. It was the worst flooding in North Dakota history to date causing $1 billion property damage or almost $5 billion in 2020 dollars, bridges washed out and transportation through much of the region became impossible. A local newspaper reported that "Much of the farmland is one big ocean with white caps on farm fields under 2-3 feet of water." In Lisbon, North Dakota a tree fell over, but not from any wind, the soil was so soaked; it couldn't support a tree. Most farmers were unable to get into their field for month and the wheat and other grain crops were a total loss for that year causing prices of commodities in the United State and around the world to rise aiding in the inflation that would plague much of the world for the next 5 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 30, 2020
1990: Temperature reaches 112 in Los Angeles, CA
As the month of June 2009 went into the record books on June 30, Los Angles reported that temperatures remained below normal every day in June, both at the airport and downtown; the first and only time that ever happened. The cool weather was a result of almost constant flow of air off the Pacific Ocean. At the airport, the warmest high on any day in June 2009 was 71; this is the first time that temperatures ever failed to rise above 75 in June. The hottest June temperature ever recorded at the airport, that sits right on the Pacific coast, is 104 degrees. In Downtown Los Angeles the average daily high temperature is about 75°, the hottest temperature ever recorded was on June 26, 1990, when residents and visitors suffered through a sweltering 112-degree day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 29, 2020
1954: Hurricane Alice
June 29. 1954: Hurricane Alice was the second-strongest Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in the month of June since reliable records began in the 1850s. While not a major hurricane, the storm was linked to catastrophic flooding in southern Texas and northern Mexico, especially along the Rio Grande and its tributaries. The third tropical cyclone and first hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season, Alice was one of two storms to receive the same name that year, the other being an unusual Hurricane that formed in the Caribbean in December 1954 and persisted into the new year of 1955, becoming one of only two January hurricanes on record. The first Alice developed rather suddenly on June 24 off the coast of Mexico, though it may well have formed earlier but went undetected due to limited observation before the age of weather satellites. Moving northwestward, Alice strengthened rapidly as it neared the Mexican coastline, becoming a hurricane early the next day. By midday on June 25, the hurricane reached peak winds of 110 mph before moving inland well south of the U.S.–Mexico border. The storm struck an area with few inhabitants and caused relatively minimal impacts from wind near the point of landfall and in southern Texas. As it moved inland, however, Alice produced heavy rain along and near the Rio Grande, resulting in some of the worst flooding ever seen in parts of northern Mexico and southern Texas; in some areas, the flooding amounted to a one-in-1,000-year event. The floods destroyed bridges and dikes and flooded many cities along the inner reaches of the river, which reached its highest water levels since 1865. Communities in Mexico reported significant flood damage. In the United States, damage was heaviest in Ozona, Texas, where on June 29 1954, the floods killed 15 people. In all, flooding from Hurricane Alice killed at least 55 people, including 17 in the U.S. and 38 in Mexico, though many deaths in rural Mexico may have gone unreported; the total death toll could have exceeded 150. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, June 28, 2020
1778: The Battle of Monmouth Court House
June 28, 1778: The Battle of Monmouth Court House, the current modern-day Freehold Township New Jersey, was fought on June 28, 1778, during the American Revolution. The Continental Army, commanded by George Washington fought against the British commanded by General Sir henry Clinton. The Continentals had spent the previous winter in Valley Forge rebuilding the army as Washington defended his position against political enemies who favored his replacement as commander-in-chief. In February 1778, an alliance with the French had tilted the strategic balance in favor of the Americans, forcing the British to abandon hopes of a military victory and adopt a defensive strategy. Clinton was ordered to evacuate Philadelphia and consolidate his army. The Continental Army shadowed the British as they marched hard across New Jersey to Sandy Hook, from where the Royal Navy would ferry them to New York. Washington's senior officers urged varying degrees of caution, but it was politically important for him not to allow the British to withdraw unscathed. Washington detached around a third of his army under General Lee and sent it to attack, hoping to land a heavy blow on the British without becoming embroiled in a major engagement. The battle began badly for the Americans when Lee botched an attack on the British rearguard at Monmouth Court House. A counter-attack by the main British column forced Lee to retreat until Washington arrived with the main body. Clinton disengaged when he found Washington in an unassailable defensive position and resumed the march to Sandy Hook. The battle was tactically inconclusive and strategically irrelevant; neither side landed the blow they hoped to on the other, Washington's army remained an effective force in the field and the British escaped to New York. The Continental Army inflicted more casualties than it suffered, and it was one of the rare occasions on which it retained possession of a battlefield. It had proven itself to be much improved after the training it underwent over the winter, and the professional conduct of the American troops during the battle was widely noted by the British. Because of the American success and that of Washington his position as commander-in-chief became unassailable. The fact that Washington was able to fight the British successfully and they had to yield the field was due in no small part to the awful early summertime heat on June 28, 1778. High humidity hung in the air and the temperature topped 100 degrees. The British had been marching for several days and Clintons troops were exhausted and had to yield in the fact of the Americans and the heat, as there were estimates that the British lost more men to heat stroke than battle wounds. The hot weather may have turned the tide of battle and saved Washington’s position as commander of Continental forces and thereby also saved the Revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, June 27, 2020
1957: Hurricane Audrey
June 26, 1957: Hurricane Audrey’s latest movements were fresh on the minds of families in Cameron, Louisiana, before bedtime on June 26, 1957, according to AccuWeater.com. Broadcasters that evening announced that the storm, that had strengthened into a Hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico the day before, would make landfall over the Texas and Louisiana border late the next day. In a time before satellites, meteorologists relied on aircraft reconnaissance, ship reports and minimal radar to monitor the storm’s whereabouts. The United States Weather Bureau’s 10 p.m. report placed Audrey 235 miles south of Lake Charles, a Louisiana town 52 miles inland. The advisory warned that those living in low exposed areas should move to higher ground as the storm crept northward toward the coast at 10 mph. Assuming that they had ample time to escape Audrey’s impact, Cameron residents had packed their vehicles in preparation for an early morning evacuation. In its final six hours before landfall, a strong flow in the Jetstream suddenly dropped southward and helped the intensifying hurricane rapidly accelerate as it barreled toward the southern U.S. and by 1am its winds had increased to ore than 150 mph. By that time, however, broadcasters had gone off the air and residents were fast asleep. Audrey came ashore and pounded the southern U.S. coast and destroyed coastal communities with intense winds and flooding. People woke up around 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning with 6 feet of water coming into their houses. About 1,000 people made it safely into Cameron’s three-story courthouse. However, those unable to escape the powerful hurricane drowned in Gulf waters pushed inland by an unexpected storm surge of at least 12 feet. Audrey, was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the month of June, and killed at least 500 people and caused an estimated $150 million in damage in the U.S. It was the 7th deadliest hurricane in modern history. The storm’s impact and intense storm surge were felt 25 miles inland, many of the victims were never found. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, June 26, 2020
2007: The Great European Heat Wave
June 26. 2007: In June 2007 the Great European heat wave impacted most of Southern Europe. The extreme heat began affecting Italy and Turkey on June 17 and expanded into Greece and the Balkans along with Hungary and Ukraine on June 18. Up until June 21, temperatures generally topped out between 97–102 in most of the region; however, starting on June 22, temperatures wratched up even higher in the entire region. During the 3-day period from June 23 to June 25, temperatures soared to 109–111 . By June 26, 2007, Greece seemed to bear the brunt of the heatwave with temperatures in Athens reaching 115. The same day, Greece's national power consumption set a new record. Parts of Greece, including neighborhoods in Athens, suffered from power outages due to high electricity demand and heat damage to the grid. Explosions from overheating transmission towers were implicated in forest fires that started to rage across the country. There was no relief either in the night of June 26 when the mercury failed to drop below 90. More than 200 people were hospitalized for heat-related treatment and 18 people died from heat exhaustion. By June 28 northerly winds started blowing and temperatures finally began falling, but still managed to reach 102. The damage was done by the Heat Wave that climaxed on June 26 and by the time the temperatures finally started to lower more than100 fires were burning across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, June 25, 2020
1966: Soviet Union launches its first weather satellite
June 25, 1966: As early as 1946, the idea of cameras in orbit high above the Earth to observe the weather was being developed. One advantage this would bring was due to sparse data observation coverage and the expense of using cloud cameras on rockets. By 1958, the early prototypes for TIROS and Vanguard, developed by the Army Signal Corps, were created. The first weather strictly satellite, Vanguard 2, was launched on February 17, 1959. It was designed to measure cloud cover and resistance, but a poor axis of rotation and its elliptical orbit kept it from collecting much of any useful data. The first weather satellite to be considered a success launched by any nation in the world, was TIROS-1, or Television Infrared Observation Satellite, launched by NASA on April 1, 1960. TIROS operated for 78 days and proved to be much more successful than Vanguard 2. TIROS paved the way for the Nimbus program, whose technology and findings are the heritage of most of the Earth-observing satellites NASA and NOAA have launched since then. Beginning with the Nimbus 3 satellite in 1969, temperature information through the entire atmosphere began to be retrieved by satellites from the eastern Atlantic and most of the Pacific Ocean, which led to significant improvements in weather forecasting. Weather satellites collect data for climate, and environmental monitoring applications including precipitation, sea surface temperatures, atmospheric temperature and humidity, sea ice extent, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, global vegetation analysis, hurricane information and cloud cover. The United States was the only country the have a weather satellite in space until June 25, 1966 when the Soviet Union launched its first. As of 2020 there are more than a dozen weather satellites in orbit around the Earth, operated by several different counties who all share the weather information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, June 24, 2020
1991: 3.5" of rain falls in 28 minutes in Scranton, ND
June 24, 1991: Violent thunderstorms racked across the northern plains state on the evening of June 24 1991. Hot humid conditions had held sway across a vast part of the nation’s midsection during the middle of June, while chilly air built up over Alaska and the Yukon. On June 23 that cold air was unleashed southward by a strong current in the Jetstream. As it pushed into the early summertime heat thunderstorms began to grow. By June 24, 1991 aided by moisture streaming northward from the Gulf of Mexico heavy thunderstorms erupted across the Dakotas as the cold air mass cut into the region. The warm steamy air holding near the grounds surface was enough to supply plenty of moisture – but the cold air moving in high in the atmosphere was enough to cause large hail to form and in the town of Scranton, North Dakota 3.5” of rain in 28 minutes along with 1.5-foot drifts of marble sized hail. Front-end loaders were needed to clear the streets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 23, 2020
1586: Hurricane strikes settler colony on Roanoke Island
June 23. 1586: Attempts by European’s to settle in North America were spotty in the 1500’s. Most groups large enough to establish a permanent base did not really take hold until the 1580s and later. Most of those that arrived where men in search of fortune and adventure, often times at the expense and persecution of the Native American inhabitants. It wasn’t until the 1600’s that waves of European’s came to escape mainly religious persecution and in a striking twist of irony they also built their settlements exhibiting some of the same behaviors they were escaping from Europe. One of the earliest colonies set up was on Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina. First settled in 1585 by Ralph Lane it was re-supplied by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1586. Raleigh stayed for some weeks, but as he was set to return to England a powerful Hurricane hit on June 23. The storm wrecked most of the colony and it had to be abandoned and those surviving evacuated back to England. The following year another group of settlers arrived in the same spot. They were dropped off and the ships returned to England. No contact was maintained with the colony and 3 years later when a supply ship arrived no trace was found of the second colony. Some thought hard times caused those there to abandon the site or simply perish. Some believed the 1586 hurricane that destroyed the infrastructure left no base for the new colony to build on. It would another 2 decades before the English would establish a permanent site on the Mid-Atlantic coast in Jamestown Virginia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 22, 2020
1972: Hurricane Agnes
June 22, 1972: The AccuWeather.com archives report that almost 50 years ago in 1972 of one of the first billion-dollar hurricanes in the history of the United States struck. A mass of clouds over the Yucatan grew more organized on June 14, 1972. What would soon become a hurricane of minimal strength in terms of wind and storm surge would soon lead to, according to President Nixon, "The greatest natural disaster in the history of the United States." Nixon made the statement after viewing the damage in Agnes' wake firsthand. Agnes occurred only a few years after billion-dollar hurricanes Betsy in 1965 and Camille in 1969. Damage from Agnes would not be exceeded by a hurricane in the U.S. until 20 years later. After making landfall on the Florida Panhandle on June 19 as a minimal hurricane, Agnes weakened to a tropical depression over the southeastern U.S. However, the storm was able to survive and strengthen to a tropical storm once again by moving off the mid-Atlantic coast. A non-tropical weather system soon captured Agnes and caused the storm to loop northwestward over Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. The topography, tropical moisture and energy resulted in up to 19 inches of rain and massive flooding spanning centered on June 22 1973, following an already wet spring for the region. The Susquehanna River, which feeds into the Chesapeake Bay, bore the brunt of Agnes' rainfall. The amount of fresh water flowing into the bay during a several-day period, on the order of trillions of gallons, negatively affected local marine life and the seafood industry for several years. Record flooding swept much of the east. Total damage from Agnes was over $3.0 billion in the U.S. Adjusted to today's dollars, this would be well over $20 billion. Agnes also caused extensive damage to railroad lines in the region, already taxed by bankruptcy. While the Agnes disaster has been eclipsed by more powerful and costlier storms during recent decades, including hurricanes Andrew and Katrina, it still ranks in the top 10 costliest hurricanes in the U.S., adjusted to today's dollars. The name Agnes has been retired from the list of Atlantic hurricanes, by the World Meteorological Organization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, June 21, 2020
The Depression of 1893
The Depression of 1893 was one of the worst in American history with the unemployment rate exceeding ten percent for half a decade. The Depression of 1893 can be seen as a watershed event in American history. It was accompanied by violent strikes, the climax of the Populist and free silver political crusades, the creation of a new political balance, the continuing transformation of the country’s economy, major changes in national policy, and far-reaching social and intellectual developments. Between 1870 and 1890 the number of farms in the United States rose by nearly 80 percent, to 4.5 million. Farm property value grew by 75 percent, to $16.5 billion. The advancing checkerboard of tilled fields in the nation’s heartland represented a vast indebtedness. Nationwide about 29% of farmers were encumbered by mortgages. One contemporary observer estimated 2.3 million farm mortgages nationwide in 1890. But farmers in the plains were much more likely to be in debt. Kansas croplands were mortgaged to 45 percent of their true value. Under favorable conditions the millions of dollars of annual charges on farm mortgages could be borne, but a declining economy brought foreclosures, tax sales and adverse weather could tip the balance over the edge. Railroads opened new areas to agriculture, linking these to rapidly changing national and international markets. Mechanization, the development of improved crops, and the introduction of new techniques increased productivity and fueled a rapid expansion of farming operations. The output of staples skyrocketed. Yields of wheat, corn, and cotton doubled between 1870 and 1890 though the nation’s population rose by only two-thirds. Grain and fiber flooded the domestic market. The depression, which was signaled by a financial panic in 1893, has been blamed on the deflation dating back to the Civil War. The economy exhibited other weaknesses in early 1893. Then in the summer of 1893 agriculture was hit with drought, and the overproduction during the preceding half-dozen years had reversed the remarkable agricultural prosperity and expansion of the early 1880s in the wheat, corn, and cotton belts. The drought started in June 1893 with a blistering heat wave that got underway on June 21 1893 when the mercury topped out at 106 degrees in Dodge City, Kansas and the drought didn’t break for 3 years. The boom to bust cycle would repeat itself 4 decades later during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl in almost the same exact location. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, June 20, 2020
1921: 11.5" of rain falls in McCone County, MT
June 20, 1921: On June 20, 1921 the Billing Gazette reported that a man and a baby drowned and barns, granaries, houses and a bridge were swept away before an unprecedented downpour tapered off in McCone County, Montana. The 11.5 inches of rain that fell in 24 hours at Springbrook, near Circle, established a state record. That record stands today. Hot and humid air covered the great plans as winds all the way from the Gulf of Mexico pushed the summertime heat and moisture northward. Circle sits on the vast high flatlands that rise toward the Rockies and often times it gets covered with stifling heat and humidity. Temperatures can sometimes top 110 degrees. At the same time cold air can sweep down from Canada, even in the summertime and this causes violent clashes in the atmosphere. Those dynamics lead to the cloudburst and heavy thunderstorms that inundated the region on June 20, 1921. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, June 19, 2020
1865: Juneteenth
June 19, 1865: In the years leading up to the Civil War, Galveston Texas was a bustling port and the main United States port west of New Orleans. When New Orleans was captured by Union forces early in the Civil War, Galveston became, along with Mobile, Alabama the main Confederate ports on the Gulf. When Mobile fell in 1864, Galveston was THE main port on the Gulf. As such it was well fortified, but it was also cut off from the rest of the confederacy once the Union gained control of the Mississippi with the fall of Vicksburg. Galveston’s importance diminished as the war went on. So, it came to pass that at the end of the war, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, finally landed at Galveston, with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This was 2.5 years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation — which had become official January 1, 1863. Contrary to popular belief, the Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new executive order. When Granger’s regiment arrived, forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance. Specific weather records are scarce from that June day in 1865 in Galveston. But given the location of the docks in proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, it was clear that the day was relatively calm with sunshine and light breezes. The information that General Granger brought quickly spread and led to joyous celebrations among the now emancipated enslaved people and it all happened with no adverse weather conditions on that now rightfully celebrated day now known as Juneteenth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, June 18, 2020
1992: Severe storm forces airport evacuation in Indianapolis, IN
June 18, 1992: On June 18, 1992 heavy thunderstorms formed across the Mississippi River valley and headed eastward. Those storms reached Indiana late in the evening of June 18 producing heavy rains, gusty winds and hail. Flights all across the mid-west were already being diverted from some of the airports as the storms came closer. A one of the strongest storms approached Indianapolis the control tower at the airport was evacuated as the severe thunderstorm moved in. 1” diameter hailstones fell, a 62-mph wind gust was reported, and a tornado was spotted 2 miles northwest of the airport. Flights were sent on to other airports and traffic controllers in other cities had to take over the duties of those in Indianapolis for several hours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, June 17, 2020
1859: Temperature reaches 133 in Santa Barbara, CA
June 17. 1859: Sundowners — the equivalent of Southern California’s Santa Ana winds — blow over the ridgetops and through the passes of the Santa Ynez Mountains to flow downslope onto the coastal plains around Santa Barbara. These winds also occur in the Middle East where they are known as a “simoon” and is a strong, superheated and dust-laden wind its name derives from the Arabic verb ‘to poison,’ presumably because exposure to such temperatures could cause heat stroke. The bane of firefighters, they heat the air by compression as they push it downward against the land below, squeezing out its moisture and helping wildfires ignite and spread. Earning their name because they frequently appear in late afternoon and early evening, mild Sundowner winds can result in slight increases in temperature. But a few times a year, stronger Sundowners can bring sharp spikes in temperature, extremely low relative humidity and gale-force winds that force-feed wildfires. Half a dozen times a century, Super sundowners blast superheated air across the coastal plains at higher than gale-force speeds. Perhaps the most powerful Sundowner, was reported June 17, 1859, by the Coastal Pilot Newspaper of California. According to the report, the morning air temperature of 75 to 80 degrees rose steadily until about 1 p.m., when a series of superheated waves of wind blasted the Santa Barbara area. By 2 p.m., the air temperature reached 133 degrees and hovered there for three hours, killing small animals, destroying fruit, ruining gardens and heavily damaging trees before eventually falling to 122 around 5 p.m. People reportedly took refuge behind the 3-foot-thick walls of the Daniel Hill adobe, the casa grande at Dos Pueblos Ranch, and the adobe winery at San Jose Vineyard among other places. Rabbits, cattle, snakes, and deer died on their feet according to a government report, and fruit fell from trees to the ground, scorched on the windward side. Birds fell dead from the sky and others flew into wells in search of cooler air and drowned. The 133-degree temperature held the North American continental record for heat for decades until 1913 when Death Valley recorded a temperature of 134 degrees. 133 currently stands as the 3rd hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 16, 2020
1939: Frogs fall from sky before rain in Towbridge, England
June 16, 1939: National Geographic reports that “Animal rain” is a real weather phenomenon that happens when small animals get swept up in waterspouts or updrafts, and then fall to Earth with raindrops. Reported rains of bats, fish, snakes, birds, frogs, and jellies stretch back for centuries. The phenomena most associated with animal rain are waterspouts, although many meteorologists are skeptical that waterspouts can actually cause animal rain. Waterspouts form as violent storm clouds swirl above a large body of water. These clouds form a tornado-like whirlwind that dips into the ocean, lake, or pond. Waterspouts can spin up to 100 miles per hour, and may pull up small objects in their funnel—water, pebbles, and small aquatic animals. A waterspout is not a swirling column of water—the water in a waterspout is the result of condensation, not liquid "sucked up" from a body of water. Strong updrafts may also pull animals into their swirling vortices. Updrafts can sweep up much larger animals than waterspouts—traveling birds and bats, as well as frogs, snakes, and insects. As waterspouts and updrafts move over land, they lose their swirling energy. The storm clouds that formed the waterspouts are forced to dump their heavy loads. The heaviest objects are dumped first, and the lightest objects usually simple raindrops are dumped last. This explains why reports of animal rain usually describe only one type of animal raining down. A cloud will dump all objects of a similar weight at the same time—fish heavy, followed by insects lighter, followed by rain. On June 16 1939 in Towbridge, England, such a rain occurred with reports that hundreds of tiny frogs fell before a heavy shower. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 15, 2020
1879: 7" of rain falls in McKinney, ND
June 15, 1879: McKinney, ND is a collection of hard scrabble farms just a few miles south of the Canadian border on the dusty high plains of North Dakota. Hard to find on any may, it’s barely am intersection where two farm highways meet. The vast flat land bakes in the summertime with temperatures often exceeding 100 and in the winter the mercury routinely dips below zero. Rainfall averages less than 20” a year. But on June 15, 1879 7.07” of rain fell establishing a record, incredibly on the same date of June 15 in 1897 almost 8” of rain fell establishing yet another record. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, June 14, 2020
1903: Massive, destructive flood strikes Heppner, OR
June 14, 1903: According to the Oregon Encyclopedia the spring of 1903 was among the warmest and driest in memory for eastern Oregon. Sunday, June 14, was another hot day as the residents of Heppner, Oregon prepared for family suppers. By mid-afternoon, dark clouds were building in the hills southwest of town. At 4:30 pm, rain, and then hail, began to fall. The storm produced such a noise people could not hear the roar of the wall of water and debris that descended on the town. The Heppner Gazette reported: "Without a second's warning, a leaping, foaming wall of water, 40 feet in height, struck Heppner at about 5 o'clock Sunday afternoon, sweeping everything before it and leaving only death and destruction in its wake." The silt-laden floodwaters carried away everything in their path. The thick mass acted more like a battering ram than a flood of liquid. Homes floated off foundations and crashed into other structures, breaking apart and adding their debris to the flowing mass. By the time the flood waters receded, most of Heppner's residential area was destroyed and two-thirds of its homes were gone. The town's business district was wrecked with all but three of the town's businesses demolished. Newspaper reports gave disparate figures for the loss of life from the disaster. Early reports placed the death count as high as 500 persons. Eventually, 247 bodies were recovered, though many reports still list the casualty count at 251. Many surviving residents left Heppner following the disaster. The 1910 census showed a population of 880, down from the 1,400 living there in 1903. It was not until the 1990 that Heppner's population rebounded to pre-flood levels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, June 13, 2020
1907: Temperature reaches -2°F in Tamarack,CA
June 13, 1907: Temperature extremes are not unusual in the state of California. After all the highest reliably recorded temperature in the world, 134 was recorded in Death Valley on July 10, 1913. Temperatures of 130 or higher have been recorded as recently as 2005. The lowest temperature recorded in California was at Boca, in Nevada County, when a reading of -45° F was observed on January 20, 1937. That’s a difference of 179 degrees – but it’s not the great difference of any state, it only ranks 3rd, the record belongs to Montana, with a state record high of 117 and a record low of 70 below zero. But on June 13, 1907 in Tamarack, California the mercury plunged to 2 degrees above zero making it the coldest temperature ever observed in the US I the month of June. By the way 140” of snow were still on the ground in that Mountain community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, June 12, 2020
2014: Hail storm causes $400 million in damage in Abilene, TX
June 12, 2014: On June 12, 2014 a hail storm that hit Abilene produced more than $400 million in insured losses to vehicles, homes and commercial property. "This is the worst storm damage I've seen in my 41 years in the insurance business," Leroy Perkins of the Perkins Insurance Agency in Abilene, told the largest state insurance trade association in the United States. the storm, packing baseball-sized hail, moved directly south across Abilene pounding the city's north side and downtown area. Commercial buildings downtown received millions of dollars in damage to roofs, windows and structures. Total uninsured losses are also expected to be high, Perkins adds. "Downtown looks like fall because all of the trees have been stripped of their leaves and many limbs down in the street," Karla Martin with the Taylor County Sheriff's Office said the day after the storm. Hundreds of vehicles, many of them new cars, were declared totaled from the beating they took. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) notes that hail causes approximately 1$ billion in damage to crops and property each year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, June 11, 2020
2008: F3 tornado strikes Scout camp near Little Sioux, IA
June 11, 2008: June 11, 2008 marks the tragic loss of 4 teenagers at a Boy Scout camp near Little Sioux, Iowa; 48 more were injured. The tragedy struck at the 1,800-acre camp about an hour north of downtown Omaha. An EF3 tornado, with 145 mph winds, descended on the remote camp, striking and leveling a cabin where campers had sought shelter as warnings of the storm circulated through the camp. A chimney at the cabin collapsed, sending heavy concrete blocks onto the Scouts. This was the worst of the storms that hit the Northern Plains. There were also two farms damaged from two different tornadoes, one near Spencer, Iowa and the other near Springfield, Minnesota. A nursing home was also damaged by a tornado in southern Salina, Kansas. There were over 300 reports of severe weather across the nation with 64 of those reports from tornado activity. There had been no basement or in-ground shelter at the camp when the tornado hit. The following year, the Boy Scouts Mid-America Council launched a major fundraising campaign to build emergency shelters at all of its camps. By 2013, two tornado shelters had been built at the camp, and a siren was added. The new structures have concrete walls, steel shutters and doors and emergency power backup, and were built to withstand an EF5 tornado. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, June 10, 2020
1752: Benjamin Franklin famously flies kite in thunderstorm
June 10, 1752: Benjamin Franklin, inventor of bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove, one of those that wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, ambassador, Governor of Pennsylvania, on June 10 1752 in Philadelphia, flew a kite during a thunderstorm and collected an ambient electrical charge in a Leyden jar, enabling him to demonstrate the connection between lightning and electricity. According to the Franklin Institute, Franklin had been waiting for an opportunity like this. He wanted to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning, and to do so, he needed a thunderstorm. He had his materials at the ready: a simple kite made with a large silk handkerchief, a hemp string, and a silk string. He also had a house key, a Leyden jar (a device that could store an electrical charge for later use), and a sharp length of wire. His son William assisted him. Franklin had originally planned to conduct the experiment atop a Philadelphia church spire, according to his contemporary, British scientist Joseph Priestley (who, incidentally, is credited with discovering oxygen), but he changed his plans when he realized he could achieve the same goal by using a kite. Franklin and his son “took the opportunity of the first approaching thunder storm to take a walk into a field,” Priestley wrote in his account. “To demonstrate, in the completest manner possible, the sameness of the electric fluid with the matter of lightning, Dr. Franklin, astonishing as it must have appeared, contrived actually to bring lightning from the heavens, by means of an electrical kite, which he raised when a storm of thunder was perceived to be coming on.” Despite a common misconception, Benjamin Franklin did not discover electricity during this experiment—or at all, for that matter. Electrical forces had been recognized for more than a thousand years, and scientists had worked extensively with static electricity. Franklin’s experiment demonstrated the connection between lightning and electricity. To dispel another myth, Franklin’s kite was not struck by lightning. If it had been, he probably would have been electrocuted. Franklin became interested in electricity in the mid-1740s, a time when much was still unknown on the topic, and spent almost a decade conducting electrical experiments. He coined a number of terms used today, including battery, conductor and electrician. He also invented the lightning rod, used to protect buildings and ships. By the time he died in 1790 he was arguably the most famous man in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 09, 2020
1984: Violent tornado outbreak in Russia
June 9, 1984: The tornado outbreak of 9 June 1984 is among the most important tornado events in Russia’s history because it was associated with substantial loss of life of 400 deaths, and contained one of two F4 tornadoes ever recorded for in that country. Very little information is available on a violent tornado outbreak that swept through areas north of Moscow in the summer of 1984. The Soviet Union had not yet disbanded and few details were leaked to the international media. The outbreak was the result of a series of violent supercell thunderstorms that travelled north-northeast at speeds greater than 50mph. Local newspapers reported that massive hailstones, some over 2lbs in weight, fell over the affected areas. 400 people were killed, with most of the fatalities likely the result of a single tornado that tore through the town of Ivanovo. A French research article describes how the tornado threw cars long distances, lifted a 350-ton operating crane and leveled “steel-reinforced” buildings. According to the same article, the Russians unofficially awarded the tornado an F4 rating, although some of the damage was indicative of F5 strength. Reports describe how the tornado scoured pavement from a highway and hurled a 120,000lb water tank several blocks. Satellite images at the time showed an impressive severe weather set up reminiscent of large outbreaks in tornado alley in the US. If the reports are all true, then the outbreak was an unprecedented event and astoundingly violent for an area generally accustomed to tornadoes only capable of inflicting F1 and F2 damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 08, 2020
1953: Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak
June 8, 1953: The 1953 Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak was a devastating tornado outbreak sequence spanning three days, two of which featured tornadoes each causing at least 90 deaths—an F5 occurring in Flint, Michigan on June 8, 1953, and an F4 in Worcester, Massachusetts the next day. The Worcester storm stayed on the ground for nearly 90 minutes, traveling 48 miles across Central Massachusetts. In total, 94 people were killed, making it the 21st deadliest tornado in the history of the US. In addition to the fatalities, over 1,000 people were injured and 4,000 buildings were damaged. The tornado caused $52 million in damage, which translates to more than $350 million in todays dollars. These tornadoes are among the deadliest in U S history and were caused by the same storm system that moved eastward across the nation. The tornadoes are also related together in the public mind because, for a brief period following the Worchester tornado, it was debated in the U.S. Congress whether recent atomic bomb testing in the upper atmosphere had caused the tornadoes. Congressman James Van Zandt (R-Penn.) was among several members of Congress who expressed their belief that the June 4th bomb testing created the tornadoes, which occurred far outside the traditional tornado alley. They demanded a response from the government. Meteorologists quickly dispelled such an assertion, and Congressman Van Zandt later retracted his statement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, June 07, 2020
1984: F5 tornado destroys 90% of Barneveld, IA
June 7, 1984: On June 7 1984, nine people died and 200 were injured when a tornado slammed into the Iowa County, Wisconsin community of Barneveld. The F5 twister destroyed 90% of the town of 580 residents. What made Barneveld’s tornado rare is it hit overnight. A majority of tornadoes occur between 3 and 9 p.m., and violent tornadoes almost never happen late at night. Many tornadoes show a telltale “hook” shape on radar, but Barneveld’s tornado did not. Meteorologists could see fast-moving storms on radar heading northeast through Grant and Lafayette counties but without the hook, they did not know a tornado was forming. Most people in Barneveld were in bed and didn’t know about the warning unless they happened to be watching television and saw the scrawl on their TV screens. Because power went out a few minutes before the twister hit, Barneveld’s tornado siren never sounded. Lightning flashed so often — more than 200 strikes per minute — that the sky looked like a strobe light, according to the National Weather Service in Madison. The tornado traveled 36 miles for 59 minutes. At its peak, it was nearly a quarter-mile wide. Destroyed were all three of Barneveld’s churches, 93 homes, 17 of the community’s 18 businesses including the library, fire station, bank, post office and municipal building. Barneveld’s water tower was marked by blue paint about halfway up, possibly from a twirling car. A couple sleeping on the upper floor of their house ended up in the basement with their truck on top; they survived. Paper debris including checks, letters, bills and invoices in an area 23 miles wide and 110 miles away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, June 06, 2020
1944: How weather forecasting impacted D-Day
June 6, 1944: One of the most important weather forecasts in world history would occur in early June 1944, as Allied meteorologists prepared to deliver the final word for the long-awaited D-Day invasion of Normandy. From the AccuWeather.com archives the reporting goes that thousands of lives and the tide of the war depended entirely on teams of Allied meteorologists who determined what constituted suitable weather conditions for the invasion in a small-time window. The Allies had decided that they wanted to go in at low tide on the landing beaches and that the airborne needed basically a full moon to have the proper dropping conditions,” Historian and Author John McManus said. High winds and rough seas could impede the amphibious assault and low clouds could block vital air support. The weather factors that would play a significant role in the invasion would be wind, visibility and cloud cover. “On the Allied side, six meteorologists working in three different teams were responsible for the D-Day forecasts,” according to a report by James R. Fleming, president of the International Commission on History of Meteorology. By June 3, the forecasting team determined the June 5 would not be an ideal day for the invasion as high pressure over France and low-pressure northwest of Ireland would maintain strong southwesterly winds in the [English] Channel, meaning seas too rough for landings and cloud coverage too thick for bombing operations. Years of preparation were at stake, but on June 4, hours before the launch of D-Day operations amid an approaching storm, British Group Captain James Stagg urged General Eisenhower for a last-minute delay, according to the History Channel. According to History Channel, only a few invasion dates were possible because of the need for a full moon for illumination and for a low tide at dawn to expose underwater German defenses; June 5 was the first date in a narrow three-day window. “The American team used an analogue method that compared the current weather with past conditions. Their forecast was overly optimistic and would have resulted in disaster on June 5, 1944,” Fleming said. At the last minute, following Stagg’s advice and the other British forecasters’, Eisenhower postponed the invasion. “June 5 becomes quickly off the table because of a terrible storm that is coming in and it’s going to make any invasion basically impossible,” McManus said. “So, Ike has to postpone it a day and then he has to sift through dozens of weather reports to ultimately decide on June 6 as a kind of an opening in the system that allows weather that’s at least good enough, while nowhere near ideal.” German forecasters also predicted the hostile weather conditions; however, they did not expect the high winds or rough seas to weaken until mid-June. The German forecasters did not have the same amount of forecast information as the Allied forces. The German Navy had few remaining vessels in the Atlantic and their weather stations in Greenland
Fri, June 05, 2020
1925: Temperature reaches 100 degrees in Washington DC
June 5, 1925: Rainfall totals in the northeastern United States from January through the end of May 1925 had only reached half the normal total in most cities. This meant, at least for the first 5 months of the year the climate was more like patched central Texas than the lush and green landscape of the eastern seaboard. Heating of the lower atmosphere takes place when the ground is heated and transfers that heat to the air closet to the ground. When the ground is moist some of the sun’s energy goes into evaporating the moisture rather than heating the ground. When the ground is dry that doesn’t happened the ground heats up quickly. It’s one reason why it’s so much hotter in Texas and New Mexico and Arizona then the East. An unusual warm air mass moved over the eastern part of the nation in the first week of June 1925 and that coupled with the already dry ground lead to extraordinary early summertime heat. On June 5 the mercury reached 100 in Washington DC – the earliest on record in fact that was in the middle on a string of high temperatures in DC that reached 97 or higher for 5 consecutive days.. On June 5 1925 Philadelphia also reach 100 for the earliest ever there as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, June 04, 2020
1976: Strong tropical cyclone and 40' storm surge hits India
June 4, 1976: On June 4, 1976 a strong Tropical Cyclone, known in the US as a Hurricane hit the port cities just north of Mumba on the west coast of India. In the decades prior to the storm, massive Tropical Cyclones has battered both the west and east coasts of India with huge waves and heavy rains resulting in massive flooding and tremendous loss of life. Along the Indian east coast, especially in the northern part of the Bay of Bengal, the area is flat, almost at sea level for hundreds of square miles and ocean water is often pushed far inland because of the flat land. Significant warning times are needed to evacuate people out of harm’s way. Prior to the late 1960s and early 1970’s and the advent of satellite coverage very little warning lead time occurred. But by 1976 new technology had allowed for enough notice in certain situations for people to get out of the way. On June 4, 1976 despite a 40-foot storm surge ample notice was given and most people were able to evacuate, despite this 70 people still perished. That was a far cry however from the hundreds or thousands that had died in previous storms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, June 03, 2020
1921: Cloudburst causes 10' of flood waters in Pueblo, CO
June 3, 1921: What started out as just another day in June in Colorado in 1921, rapidly turned into one that would never be forgotten in the town of Pueblo, Colorado. A cloudburst enveloped the town the afternoon of June 3, 1921. During a typical cloudburst, over half an inch of rain may fall in a matter of minutes, and that is exactly what happened in Pueblo, creating devastating consequences for the heart of the town where the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek meet. At about the same time the rains were drenching the downtown area, there was another downpour about 30 miles north over Fountain Creek. As the torrential rains fell, the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek quickly began to swell, reaching over 15 feet in some areas before they began to recede. Within two hours from the start of the storm, the business district of Pueblo was flooded with water 10 feet deep. The entire Arkansas Valley, from 30 miles west of Pueblo to the Colorado–Kansas state line, was severely impacted. Hundreds of people died, with some death toll estimates as high as 1,500. The flood destroyed almost all of the downtown Pueblo area and decimated the city. Once the floodwaters receded, the immense damage became all the more visible. The flood, which covered over 300 square miles, carried away over 600 homes and caused upwards of $25 million $350 million in 2020 dollars. Railroad passenger coaches and freight cars were swept away in every direction or smashed into kindling. A fire even broke out in a lumberyard and burning lumber was carried throughout the city’s streets by the flood. The floodwaters also carried away entire buildings and businesses. Many of the dead were likely carried far down river and never recovered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, June 02, 2020
1889: Flooding of the Potomac River
June 2, 1889: On June 2, 1889, the same heavy rains caused that had helped cause massive flooding in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and overwhelmed the South Fork Dam several days before hit the Washington, DC, area. Most of the roads in DC at the time where unpaved and unlike some other major cities of the time not even covered in cobblestones, their surface consisted mainly of dirt. As a result, when the Potomac River flooded and areas around Pennsylvania Avenue and the White House the whole region was under several feet of water the flooding was made worse by sewers that became clogged with dirt from unpaved roads and began overflowing, causing the water to rise faster than expected. The water on city streets because so deep that the only access between the east and west of the city was by boat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 01, 2020
1965: Tropical system causes 30,000 fatalities in Bangladesh
June 1, 1965: The World Health Organization reports that nation of Bangladesh is especially vulnerable to tropical cyclones, known as hurricane near the United State, because of its location at the triangular shaped head of the Bay of Bengal, the sea-level geography of its coastal area, its high population density and the lack of coastal protection systems. During the pre-monsoon season in April and May or post-monsoon season in October and November, cyclones frequently hit the coastal regions of Bangladesh. About 40% of the total global storm surges are recorded in Bangladesh, and the deadliest cyclones in the past 50 years, in terms of deaths and casualties, are those that have struck Bangladesh. In 1965, just as the pre-monsoon season was winding down disaster struck the region. A tropical cyclone blasted northward and pushed a wall of water storm surge across the flat low lands of the region. Because the land only rises a few feet above sea levels for scores of miles inland flood waters quickly inundate the region, sweeping away everything in their path and giving no quarter for people to escape, the result can be and has been a massive loss of life. On June 1, 1965 such a tropical system struck the region with a death toll estimated near 30,000. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, May 31, 2020
1889: The Johnstown Flood
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Working from home for the very first time and wondering how to cope? We’ve got you covered! Remarkably Remote will help you bring organization to your work — and sanity to your day! Head to gotomeeting.com/tips or listen on your favorite podcasting platform. May 31, 1889: Johnstown, Pennsylvania, lies hard against the Conemaugh River in its deep valley in the western part of the state. Founded in 1770, it grew quickly as the Civil War approached, fortunes were made in iron, coal and steel. By 1860, the Cambria Iron Company of Johnstown was the leading steel producer in the United States, outproducing steel giants in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. After the war it became the center of America’s growing industrial might and the site of many struggles by workers for recognition. High above the city, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania built a dam between 1838 and 1853, as part of a cross-state canal system, creating Lake Conemaugh the reservoir behind the dam. As railroads superseded canal barge transport, the Commonwealth abandoned the canal and sold it to the Pennsylvania Railroad. The dam and lake were part of the purchase, and the railroad sold them to private interests. A group of speculators, from Pittsburgh purchased the abandoned reservoir, modified it, and converted it into a private resort club for some of those that had made their fortunes in local industry. Development included lowering the dam to make its top wide enough to hold a road, and putting a fish screen in the spillway that also trapped debris. These alterations are thought to have increased the vulnerability of the dam. Moreover, a system of relief pipes and valves, a feature of the original dam, previously sold off for scrap, was not replaced, so the club had no way of lowering the water level in the lake in case of an emergency. Floods were almost a yearly event in the Conemaugh valley during the 1880s. On the afternoon of May 30, 1889, following a quiet Memorial Day, it began raining in the valley. The next day May 31, 1889 water filled the streets, and rumors began that a dam holding an artificial lake in the mountains to the northeast might give way. It did, and an estimated 20 million tons of water began spilling into the Conemaugh River valley that led to Johnstown 14 miles away. The destruction in Johnstown occurred in only about 10 minutes. What had been a thriving steel town with homes, churches, saloons, a library, a railroad station, electric street lights, was buried under mud and debris. Out of a population of approximately 30,000 at the time, at least 2,209 people are known to have perished in the disaster. Compounding the disaster and contributing to the death toll was a major fire that burned much of what was left of the city. The flood established the American Red Cross as the pre-eminent emergency relief organization in the United States. Founder Clara Barton, came to Johnstown with 50 doctors and
Sat, May 30, 2020
1879: The real-life inspiration for the "Wizard of Oz"
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Having trouble adjusting to your new remote work routine? In just a few minutes we’ll help you make working from home, work for you. Available on all podcasting platforms or head to gotomeeting.com/tips for more. May 30, 1879: The town of Irving, Kansas in the northeastern part of the state was a growing farm community with several hundred residents. Today, though Irving is a ghost town. On May 30, 1879, two tornadoes destroyed most of the town, leaving 19 dead and many more injured. Some residents left Irving, but the town was rebuilt, and new businesses arrived, allowing Irving to regain its prominence as a local agricultural center. During the summer of 1903, the Big Blue River flooded and destroyed homes, crops and bridges. The river threatened to do it again in 1908 but the townspeople were prepared and were able to keep the river within its banks. In 1910 the population was estimated at 403 and boasted "good banking facilities, a weekly newspaper, telegraph and express offices, grade schools, a public library, and churches. After plans for the construction of the Tuttle Creek Dam were announced, the population declined and many businesses, including the post office, closed. The townsite was abandoned in 1960 after the dam was constructed. The town fell victim to the ways of the weather on the great plans and what some would term – progress. Still the town lives on. It turns out that one of those who unfortunately died in the 1879 tornado was a young woman named Dorothy Gale, who was found without her shoes. Passing through the region just after the tornado was traveling salesman-turned-author Frank Baum. He would use the story to inspire him to write a book and the name of Dorothy would live on in his famous work, The Wizard of Oz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, May 29, 2020
1914: Empress and Storstad ships collide
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Webinars to staff meetings. Clients calls and virtual coffees. Listen to Remarkably Remote for tips on hosting meetings of all varieties. Head to gotomeeting.com/tips and listen in on how to make remote work...work. May 29, 1914: From 1900 until 1914 almost 100,000 passengers in ocean liners, crossed the Atlantic to Canada, mainly from Great Britain. The main port of entry and embarkation to and from Canada was Quebec City, on the St Lawrence River. Many of the ocean-going passenger ship were huge, not quite rivaling the Titanic, but able to transport almost 1,500 passengers back and forth across the Atlantic. On the morning of May 29, 1914, a thick river fog formed quickly on the surface of the St Lawrence and extending almost 100 feet in the air. River fog can form when the sun heats the air just above the surface of the river all day long. The air near the river becomes much cool on clear nights especially in the spring because the water is still rather chilly from the winter season, so it condenses into a fog cloud. That happened on the morning of May 29 just as the Ocean Liner Empress steamed on the river. Visibility had rapidly decreased and it was hard to see other river traffic as it headed for the open sea. In short order it was struck another ship The Storstad. In this horrific maritime disaster, over a thousand passengers on route from Quebec to Liverpool were lost in just fifteen minutes—the length of time it took for the ocean liner to sink to the bottom of the Saint Lawrence River. There was a misunderstanding between the two captains about their respective ships’ positioning and direction, leading to the fatal collision. The Storstad hit The Empress of Ireland broadside, tearing a 350 square foot hole in her hull. With water pouring in at 60 gallons per second, the ship sank rapidly. Hundreds of sleeping passengers were trapped, and the second- and third-class passengers had much less of a chance at survival than the first-class passengers, as first class was higher up on the ship. Out of 1,477 passengers, only 465 survived. And out of 138 children that were on board, only four survived. Overshadowed by the breakout of World War I two months later, known as Canada’s Titanic, the tragedy of The Empress was almost swept under the rug. Today, The Empress of Ireland is accessible to divers, at only 130 feet below the surface. It has been visited by those experienced enough to dive in such cold temperatures hundreds of times since the ship’s rediscovery in the mid-1980s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, May 28, 2020
1880: 1' of rain falls in 2 hours in Brackettville, TX
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Worried about conference crashers and your meeting security? Listen in to Remarkably Remote on ways to stay safe online. Head to gotomeeting.com/tips or listen on your favorite podcasting platform. May 28, 1880: Brackettville, the county seat of Kinney County in Texas, is on U.S. Highway 90 twenty-two miles northeast of the Rio Grande and 125 miles west of San Antonio. It is named after Oscar Brackett, who established the first general dry goods store near the site of Forth Clark in 1852. Brackett, as it was called originally, was established on the San Antonio-El Paso Road, and by 1857 its Sargent Hotel and small restaurant were a regular stop for the San Antonio-San Diego stage line. The Texas State Historical Association reports that the community experienced a period of steady growth after the Civil War, attracting cattle rustlers, buffalo hunters and gamblers a true town of the wild west. In 1868 Brackett had ten homes and a population of fifty. It was designated the county seat of Kinney County when the county was established in 1876. Brackettville enjoyed a period of exceptional prosperity during the period by 1878, as nearby Fort Clark swelled with thousands of soldiers. The town grew rapidly, and many businesses, constructed of limestone blocks quarried nearby, were established. The population soared to near 1,500 and seemed on the way to prosperity. But on May 28, 1880 dry air sweeping in from New Mexico met up with moisture streaming out of the Gulf of Mexico. The dynamics of the weather system produced a cloudburst that dumped more than a foot of rain in less than 2 hours devastating the town. Much of the town was rebuilt on higher ground nearby , but it would never be the same again. Despite the population of Texas increasing from 1.5M in 1880 to almost 30M today, 20 times increase, Brackettville’s population remains close to its total from 140 years ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, May 27, 2020
1896: The third most deadly tornado in U.S. history strikes St. Louis
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Looking for a few pointers on keeping you and your team motivated? Head to gotomeeting.com/tips or listen on your favorite podcasting platform. 1896: In 1896 St. Louis was listed as the 5th largest city in the United States, trailing New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and what was then the separate city of Brooklyn. More than half a million people lived there on the banks of the Mississippi River. The morning of May 27, 1896 dawned calm and steamy and belied what was coming that afternoon. One of the greatest natural disasters to strike one of the largest US cities was awaiting residents in the afternoon. In what remains the third most deadly tornado in U.S. history struck St. Louis, on the afternoon of May 27, 1896. According to the National Centers for Environmental Education; shortly before five o’clock that Wednesday afternoon, the devastating tornado struck the city from the southwest, near the Compton Heights district. From there, the tornado made its way down the Mill Creek Valley, destroying countless homes as it headed toward the Mississippi River. Once the tornado made it to the Mississippi, it decimated the steamboats and other vessels in the harbor, breaking them to pieces and scattering them from the Missouri shore to the Illinois shore. Even the Eads Bridge, which was considered “tornado proof” as the first major bridge constructed by making use of true steel, was damaged by the powerful tornado with nearly 300 feet of its eastern approach being torn away. Much of the central portion of St. Louis was also destroyed, as were factories, saloons, hospitals, mills, railroad yards, and churches throughout the city. Across St. Louis, the tornado completely destroyed block after block of residential housing. Hundreds of miles of electric wires and thousands of telephone and telegraph poles were torn down by the fierce winds. The tornado also uprooted trees more than half a century old and hurled them a distance of several blocks. Heavy iron fences, like the one that surrounded Lafayette Park, were twisted and tangled until they were nearly unrecognizable. During the less than half an hour that the tornado was on the ground, it tracked a three-mile-wide path of destruction across St. Louis, killing 255 people, injuring 1,000, and rendering countless families homeless. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 26, 2020
2008: "Pneumonia Front" causes big temperature drops in Chicago
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Wondering if your virtual hosting skills are up to par or if eating lunch on a call is ok? Then check out Remarkably Remote on your favorite podcasting platform or head to gotomeeting.com/tips for more. May 26, 2008: The term Pneumonia front, first coined by Milwaukee Weather Bureau Office in the 1960s, is used to describe a rare meteorological phenomenon observed on the western Lake Michigan shoreline during the warm season. These fronts are defined as lake-modified small scale cold fronts that result in one-hour temperature drops of 16 °F or greater. They do not necessarily have to be large scale, cold fronts to bring weather changes to an entire region. Very often in the spring to early summer the temperature difference between the cold lake waters and the warmer air over land can be as much as 35–40 °F . Under weak prevailing winds, an air current can often develop in the form of a lake breeze that moves from that water to the adjacent shoreline and several miles inland. This "lake-breeze cold front" can drop temperature in places like Chicago, Milwaukee and Green Bay significantly as they cross the area. There has been many a spring day at Wrigley Field that surprises Cub fans who may have travelled from an inland location toward the shore to take in an afternoon game, only to feel the effects of the "pneumonia front" as that cold blast of air comes through. On May 26, 2008 such a front caused temperatures to drop in Chicago from 72 at 10 pm to 55 an hour later. Winds had gone from light and westerly to northeasterly with gusts up to 40 mph along the lake. Other areas along the lake dropped from the mid 76 to the upper 47. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, May 25, 2020
1987: Man fishing in Louisiana gets struck and killed by lightning
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Are you juggling family and work under the same roof? In 3 minutes or less, we’ll help you divide and conquer so you can stay productive. Check out Remarkably Remote wherever you listen to podcasts or head to gotomeeting.com/tips! May 25, 1987: The number of people killed by lightning in recent years a far cry from annual lightning deaths decades ago: In the 1940s, for instance, hundreds of people were killed each year by lightning. In 1943 alone, 432 people died. The sharp drop in lightning deaths over the past 75 years " coincides with a shift in population from rural to urban regions," wrote meteorologist Ronald Holle in an article in the Journal of Applied Meteorology. In the 1940s, "there were many, many more small farmers who were out working in fields," which meant many more chances to be struck by lightning, Jensenius said. In addition to better lightning safety awareness and medical advances, all phones were corded decades ago, leading to quite a few deaths due to people speaking on the phone. Additionally, there has been better lightning protection, suppression and grounding in electrical and phone lines, he said. But on May 25, 1987 as a line of heavy thunderstorms crossed Louisiana a group of men fishing in Lake struggled to get to shore out of harm’s way as they approached the shore a man standing in a ski boat was struck and killed by lightning. News reports claim the man had said, "Here I am, come get me" when he was suddenly struck. 4 companions were not injured. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, May 24, 2020
1986: Severe and destructive storms strike Texas
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Working from home for the very first time and wondering how to cope? We’ve got you covered! Remarkably Remote will help you bring organization to your work — and sanity to your day! Head to gotomeeting.com/tips or listen on your favorite podcasting platform. May 24, 1986: Another Spring Day and another round of wild weather in the state of Texas. Severe weather is most prevalent in Texas in the Spring and May 24, 1986 was no different, severe thunderstorms blasted the area. Damage was heaviest from just north of Downtown Fort Worth across the east side of town to southwest of Arlington where a roof collapsed over portions of a bowling alley injuring seven people. Windows blown in and roof damage at motel across the street. Hail as large as golf balls blew in drifts two feet deep in spots. 3-5“ of rain fell in one hour, flooding many city streets in Arlington as well. A 29-year-old woman and her 6-year-old daughter drowned in their car, which was found submerged in an underpass. Other reports indicated that more than 3” of rain fell in one hour at Newark in Wise County. 95 mph winds were reported at WBAP Radio, Tarrant County. Baseball size hail fell near Ivan, Stephens County. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, May 23, 2020
1908: Record flooding impacts north and central Texas
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Having trouble adjusting to your new remote work routine? In just a few minutes we’ll help you make working from home, work for you. Available on all podcasting platforms or head to gotomeeting.com/tips for more. May 23, 1908: By May 23, 1908 4-8" of rain fallen across much of northern and central Texas in the preceding days on already saturated land especially on the upper Trinity and Brazos River Basins. The rise in the rivers continued for several days toward the end of the month. Large crowds of onlookers gathered on bridges all over Texas the view the unusual site of rising rivers. Most times the rivers were almost dry trickles or brief raging white water torrents spurred on by brief cloudbursts from thunderstorms. But the days and days of steady rains in the part of the state brought something unusual in the form of broad rising rivers not seen by most of the growing populace of Texas. Record floods resulted from the rain at Grand Prairie (30.6'), Dallas (52.6'), and Rosser (38.0'). 3 people drowned in Fort Worth and 8 in Dallas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, May 22, 2020
1933: 600-yd wide tornado destroys town of Liberal, KS
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Webinars to staff meetings. Clients calls and virtual coffees. Listen to Remarkably Remote for tips on hosting meetings of all varieties. Head to gotomeeting.com/tips and listen in on how to make remote work...work. May 22, 1933: The Dust Bowl was one of the greatest natural disasters to ever befall the United States, it devastated the Great Plains states in the 1930s. It is considered the worst drought to impact North America in 1,000 years. Unsustainable farming practices worsened the drought’s effect, killing the tall grasses that kept the soil in place. When winds blew, they raised enormous clouds of dust. It deposited mounds of dirt on everything, even covering houses. Dust suffocated livestock and caused pneumonia in children. Huge billowing clouds and dust were raised as dry storms ravaged the region. Some of the dust and dirt travelled thousands of miles blackening skies as far away as New York City and Boston. These so call Black Blizzards were usually caused by powerful storms that blew through the region. Most of any rain or snow associated with the storms fell far to the south along the gulf coast or spent is self over the Rockies. Occasionally though, a strong enough system would spawn a squall line of thunderstorms. Because strong winds usually raised clouds and dust ahead of the weather systems, the sky not visible. On one such occasion on May 22, 1933 a line of severe thunderstorms blew through Liberal, Kansas. Tornados were imbedded in the storm’s clouds but those in its path were not aware and caught by surprise. In today’s time – warnings would have been issued because of current technology like radar, even if there were dust clouds. But no such early warning system existed then and a powerful tornado hidden in the total darkness of the dust storm moved into the town. The tornado was 600 yards wide at times. The business district of Liberal was devastated. 44 buildings and 165 homes were obliterated. 4 people were killed and 150 hurt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, May 21, 2020
The May 1957 Central Plains tornado
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Worried about conference crashers and your meeting security? Listen in to Remarkably Remote on ways to stay safe online. Head to gotomeeting.com/tips or listen on your favorite podcasting platform. May 21, 1957: The May 1957 Central Plains tornado outbreak took place across the US Central Plains from May 19 to May 21, 1957. An F5 tornado, the strongest on the tornado intensity scale, on May 21 was the most significant in the outbreak and is known as the the Ruskin Heights Tornado where the area as the worst of the damage occurred, a suburb and housing development south of Kansas City. 57 tornadoes were reported from Colorado to the Mississippi Valley and 59 people were killed during the outbreak. But in the Kansas City area and specifically Ruskin Heights the impact was devastating. The Kansas City Star reported in its story from the next day that “At least 31 persons were reported killed, at least 200 persons were injured and many were made homeless by a tornado which struck the southern part of the metropolitan area shortly after 7pm. Everywhere there were scenes of jumbled debris, death and chaos as rescue workers struggled in the darkness to rescue the injured and maintain some semblance of emergency aid. Observers at the disaster scene in Ruskin Heights said there could be no count of the number killed, missing or injured until daylight. Rescue workers had only flashlights and motor car lights to search through the wreckage. With roads blocked with debris and cars, workers were doing well to get ambulances out of the disaster area. Glenn Rapp, director of the American Red Cross disaster unit in Jackson County, said hospitals in the metropolitan area had reported more than 200 injured, and efforts were being made to compile the names as rapidly as possible. Witnesses told of cowering in what shelter they could find as the winds ripped away houses and buildings. Cars were piled in tangled masses of metal in streets, in parking lots and in used car lots.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, May 20, 2020
1918: Tornadoes strike Cordell, KS on the same day for three years
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Looking for a few pointers on keeping you and your team motivated? Head to gotomeeting.com/tips or listen on your favorite podcasting platform. May 20, 1916, 1917 and 1918: Tornadoes are a weather reality that millions of Americans have learned to live with. Those living in the Midwest and Southeast regions of the United States have come to expect at least a few twisters every year. Depending on the intensity, the path, tornadoes result in varying degrees of damage, and sometimes, most tragically, even in death. According to statistics from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration the odds of being killed in a tornado in a given year are 1 in 5,693,092. Only 2% of tornadoes result in the loss of human life. 1 in 1,000 tornadoes documented in the United States are the strongest level, Category 5 tornadoes. While the combined totals of EF4 and EF5 tornadoes make up less than 1% of all tornadoes, together they contribute nearly 70% of all of the deaths caused by tornadoes. Odds focusing on a particular location getting hit by a tornado more than once are hard to come by. Some would argue that the odds never change, that’s it like flipping a coin and each separate weather situation presents the same odds. But don’t talk to the folks in Cordell, Kansas about tornado odds. For 3 consecutive years on May 20, 1916, May 20 1917 and May 20 1918 incredibly a tornado struck the town. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 19, 2020
2007: Temperature reaches 115 in Sibi, Pakistan
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Wondering if your virtual hosting skills are up to par or if eating lunch on a call is ok? Then check out Remarkably Remote on your favorite podcasting platform or head to gotomeeting.com/tips for more. May 19, 2007: Extreme heat can be rather uncomfortable. But what actually happens to the human body as the mercury rises? On humid days, when the air is already saturated with water, sweat evaporates more slowly. This explains why it feels so much hotter in high humidity. When relative humidity reaches a high enough level, the body's natural cooling system simply can't work. Sweat evaporates very slowly, if at all, and the body heats up. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most serious level of this breakdown is heat stroke, and it occurs when the body’s temperature reaches an excess of 104 degrees Fahrenheit. During heat stroke, body functions grind to a halt, the brain shuts down the body’s natural coolant system, perspiration. Without sweat, the body can no longer keep its temperature in check, heat stroke causes the brain to swell, leading to headaches and even seizures in more extreme cases. Victims also experience an altered level of consciousness. The cardiovascular system is affected as well. Heat stroke causes blood pressure to drop and the heart to beat faster and more irregularly, heightening the risk for high-output cardiac failure. Heat-related deaths are one of the deadliest weather-related health outcomes in the world, in the United State an average of 658 people a year die due to extreme heat. AccuWeather’s patented Realfeel temperature is a measure that combines the effect of temperature, humidity and other factors. On May 19, 2007 in Pakistan Severe heat and humidity created deadly RealFeel temperatures. In Sibi, northwest Pakistan, the temperature reached 115 degrees with a dew point of 90; the RealFeel was 150 degrees, one of the highest ever recorded. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, May 18, 2020
1894: Severe storms and wind sinks 9 ships on Lake Michigan
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Working from home for the very first time and wondering how to cope? We’ve got you covered! Remarkably Remote will help you bring organization to your work — and sanity to your day! Head to gotomeeting.com/tips or listen on your favorite podcasting platform. May 18, 1894: Ever since people have traveled the Great Lakes storms have sunk ships and taken lives. In fact, the very first recorded sailing vessel on the upper lakes, was lost in 1679. Since that time, massive and historical storms have swept the lakes, most numerous in the month of November. With the coming of modern technology and stronger vessels, fewer such losses have occurred. The large surfact of the lakes allows waves to build to giant heights and the open. Strong winds can cause storm surges that lower lake levels several feet on one side while raising it even higher on the other. The shallowest lake, Lake Erie, sometimes sees storm surge rises of 8 or 10 feet. On May 18, 1894 one such storm and wind event struck the Lakes. On lake Michigan off of Chicago 9 vessels were sunk with an uncounted loss of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, May 17, 2020
1814: Logs in swollen Maine rivers cause destruction
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Working from home for the very first time and wondering how to cope? We’ve got you covered! Remarkably Remote will help you bring organization to your work — and sanity to your day! Head to gotomeeting.com/tips or listen on your favorite podcasting platform. May 17, 1814: The state of Maine is known for many things, including of the longest running industries in North America, dating back until the early 1600s is logging. The British Royal Navy quickly claimed the best stands of light and strong Eastern White Pine for the masts, spars, and planking for their fast and maneuverable ships. England's competitors, the French, the Dutch, and the Spanish, were left to build from the heavier Baltic Fir. It was Revolutionary War debt which boosted the first harvests. To raise money, Massachusetts sold land to the District of Maine Logging operations grew in proportion to the national demand for lumber products, which grew in proportion to the expansion of the nation itself over the 19th and well into the 20th centuries. The industry became extensive and complex entailing surveyors to identify likely stands of trees, lumbermen to cut timber, teamsters and their draft animals to haul logs, scalers to measure the timber's worth, and river drivers to float logs to the mills. Most trees were felled in the late fall and winter and then floated downstream on Maines rivers to ports at the coast. These golden rivers as they were called because of their color appearance because of the logs and the money the wood would represent on delivery were covered from bank to bank with floating timber. Most of the time they were controlled by crews working the river. But as they floated downstream in the spring they would sometimes get loose and out of control. The result could be and often times was disaster as the timber acted like a battering ram destroying anything in its path. On May 17, 1814 after a soggy April and early May the rivers were all swollen and the logs did their work wiping out anything in their path, destroying bridges and docks and any structures near the shore. It would take years to recover. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, May 16, 2020
1874: The Mill River Flood
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Having trouble adjusting to your new remote work routine? In just a few minutes we’ll help you make working from home, work for you. Available on all podcasting platforms or head to gotomeeting.com/tips for more. May 16, 1874: In 1865, a group of mill owners from the Northampton area of Massachusetts constructed a dam on the Mill River north of the town of Williamsburg, it was constructed by using a design drawn by one of the owners, a man with no training in engineering. The dam was poorly constructed and leaked as soon as it was filled, still it was in place for 9 years. But on May 16, 1874 after several days of heavy rain, the dam completely failed. Almost all off of the water held behind the earthen dam burst out like a wall of water. 139 people died in the towns downstream to the south. The flood destroyed much of the villages of Williamsburg, Skinnerville and Northampton itself. Even though so many died, the death toll might had been much higher, but the dam keeper George Cheney, rode his horse at a gallop to Williamsburg to raise the alarm as the dam began to fail. Other riders took off from Williamsburg and were able to warn residents in towns to the south. Despite an inquest and the negligence of the mill owners, no one was punished for the disaster. Even today, people still visit the site of the tragedy by hiking on a public trail to the former site of the Williamsburg Reservoir. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, May 15, 2020
1968: Five tornadoes strike Iowa
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Webinars to staff meetings. Clients calls and virtual coffees. Listen to Remarkably Remote for tips on hosting meetings of all varieties. Head to gotomeeting.com/tips and listen in on how to make remote work...work. 1968: During the late afternoon and early evening of May 15, 1968, five tornadoes, two F1s, one F2, and two F5s occurred in Iowa. These tornadoes were part of the May 15-16, 1968 outbreak with a total of 39 tornadoes which affected ten states; Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee. The tornadoes in Iowa caused 18 fatalities and 619 injuries of which450 in Charles City alone. The huge tornado, approximately a half mile wide passed directly through Charles City from south to north. The tornado destroyed, 372 homes and 58 businesses, 188 homes and 90 businesses sustained major damage, and 356 homes and 46 businesses sustained minor damage. Eight churches, 3 schools were damaged or destroyed, the police station was heavily damaged, and 1,250 vehicles were destroyed. About 60 percent of the city was damaged by the tornado. The, Iowa Governor requested federal assistance to repair damage to public facilities resulting from the and on May 29, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared the state of Iowa as a disaster area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, May 14, 2020
1834: Late-season storm brings snow from Ohio to New England
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Worried about conference crashers and your meeting security? Listen in to Remarkably Remote on ways to stay safe online. Head to gotomeeting.com/tips or listen on your favorite podcasting platform. 1834: Late season snowstorms, like those in the autumn can cause havoc in a different way than those in the dead of winter. Many trees in both seasons are in full or partial leaf, as are bushes and other shrubby. In the middle of winter snow’s greatest impact is on the inability to travel due to impassible roads or severe drifting that blocks doorways and even makes walking difficult. In the fall and spring, because of more sunlight it is hard for the snow to accumulate on the warmer streets and sidewalks that usually isn’t much of a problem. The bigger issue is falling tree limbs caused by the weight of the snow on those limbs as the snow plasters itself on all those leaves. In modern times those limbs not only are hazardous to those that might be walking underneath them but they also take down powerlines. It is a rare storm in the late spring that combines both. This usually happens when the snow falls so hard and fast it piles up on everything. One such a storm happened on May 14, 1834. A Northeast coastal storm spread snow from Ohio to New England. 6" fell at Erie, 10" at Bradford, 4" at Rochester, 12" at Burlington, VT. Marshfield, in Washington County northeast of Montpelier, picked up more than 2 feet and Haverhill, NH had 36" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, May 13, 2020
1930: One of the few hail deaths in the US occurs
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Looking for a few pointers on keeping you and your team motivated? Head to gotomeeting.com/tips or listen on your favorite podcasting platform. 1930: Hailstorms are notorious for inflicting costly damage upon property and crops every year in the United States. Annually, the destruction from these frozen rain pellets that travel dozens of miles per hour through the atmosphere results in $1 billion in damage, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration – NOAA. Hail also poses a safety threat to both humans and animals. NOAA estimates that 24 people in the U.S. are injured each year, with some injuries significant enough to land them in the hospital. In May , 1995, severe storms brewing over the Dallas-Fort Worth metro-plex in Texas produced damaging winds, heavy rain and extremely large hail. The storms, which remain some of the costliest in history, also impacted an outdoor festival called Mayfest, where over 10,000 people were caught out in the open with little to no shelter from the hail. More than 400 people were hurt after being pelted with hail up to the size of a softball. Although no one was killed, about 60 people were seriously injured. “What injuries we do see are to people who are out in the open, like farmers, golfers, landscapers – anyone that’s doing outside work that doesn’t have any means to find shelter right away in a storm,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski. However, how likely is it that a hailstorm can actually kill you? The odds are low, but it can happen, experts say. The World Meteorological Organization reported that the highest mortality associated with a hailstorm happened in India, on April 30, 1888. The deadly storm killed 246 people with pieces of hail as large as “goose eggs, oranges and cricket balls.” In the U.S., hailstorms resulting in loss of human life are quite rare. “Hail has to be really large to cause serious injury to people, or even death,” Kottlowski said. But on May 13, 1930 one of the few deaths by hail in the US. 36 miles NW of Lubbock, TX a farmer was caught in an open field and he died from his hail caused injuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 12, 2020
1934: Massive dust storm strikes Eastern US cities
Brought to you by Remarkably Remote, a microcast from GoToMeeting. Wondering if your virtual hosting skills are up to par or if eating lunch on a call is ok? Then check out Remarkably Remote on your favorite podcasting platform or head to gotomeeting.com/tips for more. 1934: Newspapers and radio stations East of the Mississippi on the morning of May 12, 1934 carried ominous messages and headlines of a thickening black cloud of chocking dust and dirt moving out of the Great Plains states. The cloud would envelope the Mid-west and then Eastern states on May 12, turning mid-day sunlight into an eerie darkness, that seemed like night in many major cities. What happened? Actually, the causes can be traced back decades. Favorable weather conditions in the from 1900 to the 1920s with significant rainfall and relatively moderate winters, encouraged increased population and farming in the Great Plains. But the region entered an unusually dry period in the summer of 1930. During the next decade, the Northern Plains suffered four of their driest years in almost 100 years. When this severe drought hit the Great Plains region in the 1930s, it resulted in erosion and loss of topsoil because of farming practices at the time. The drought dried the topsoil and over time it became reduced to a powdery consistency. Native high grasses that held the soil in place had been plowed under to make room for expanding crop lands, so when high winds that occur on the plains picked up the topsoil massive dust clouds and dust storms occurred, giving rise to the term Dust Bowl. The continuous dry weather caused crops to fail, leaving the plowed fields exposed to wind erosion. The fine soil of the Great Plains was easily picked up and carried east by strong winds. In November 1933, a very strong dust storm stripped topsoil from South Dakota farmlands in just one of a series of severe dust storms that year. But beginning on May 9, 1934, a strong, several days dust storm removed massive amounts of Great Plans soil in one perhaps the worst storm of the Dust Bowl. The dust clouds first blew all the way to Chicago, where they deposited 12 million pounds of dust. By May 12, 1934, the same storm reached cities to the east, such as Cleveland, Buffalo, Boston, New York City and Washington, D. C. turning day to night and chocking millions of people as dirt all the way from the plains states was deposited more than 1000 miles away on the streets and in the homes of major cities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, May 11, 2020
2003: Record tornado outbreak reaches its end
2003: The first week of May in 2003 had one of the worst tornado outbreaks on record in the United States reports indicate that 384 tornadoes occurred in 25 states, causing 42 deaths with at least 23 tornadoes on each day. Hardest hit were Missouri, where tornadoes occurred on 6 of the 7 days and 19 died; and Tennessee, where tornadoes occurred on 5 days and 11 died during the week-long outbreak that ended on May 11, 2003. The outbreak was so important that an entire paper was published on it in the American Meteorological Society magazine. There were also an incredible 723 wind reports and 1,782 hail reports that week! Oklahoma City suffered multiple twisters... from the National Weather Service report: "One day after and F4 tornado struct the southern Oklahoma City metropolitan area on May 8, 2003, a single supercell thunderstorm produced ten tornadoes in central Oklahoma, including one F3 and three F1 tornadoes in the northern Oklahoma City metropolitan area." A total of six F4 tornadoes struck during the week, including one around Kansas City and another near Memphis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, May 10, 2020
1889: Violent thunderstorms in PA cause tornado in Reading
1889: May of 1889 was particularly warm and humid across the eastern United States. The jet-stream that steers weather system had lifted far north into Canada and air from the steam Gulf of Mexico has surged northward into the void. By May 9th chilly weather has re-established itself across the mid-west and was heading eastward as the jet stream dipped southward to push the chilly weather along. As the cold front marking the leading edge of the change moved into the east on the afternoon of May 10, 1889 a rash of violent thunderstorms erupted and brought extensive damage to a corridor in Pennsylvania through Williamsport, Shamokin, Pottsville, Reading, Pottstown, Philadelphia and to Atlantic City, New Jersey. A tornado cut a large swath through Berks County, including the city of Reading, which was the second twister to cut through the city that year. The damage was very extensive and at least of par with that of major midwestern tornadoes. Dozens narrowly escaped death. Visibility lowered to less than 10 feet at times in blinding, wind-driven rain. Temperatures reached the mid to upper 90's before the storm hit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, May 09, 2020
1977: Powerful snowstorm strikes Northeast
1977: One of the most powerful May snowstorms to strike the Northeast hit on May 9, 1977. 13" fell at Gardiner, MA; 12.7" at Worchester, MA; 1/2 million people lost power. Officially 1/2" in Boston, but thunderstorms with snow in the suburbs dumped 10" in the Wellesley area. A foot of snow fell at Foster, RI. Bare grass did not reappear in Wellesley, MA until the afternoon of the 11th and it was the heaviest snow of the entire winter there...all the plows were activated although in many cases the plows had already been removed for the season from the trucks...schools were closed in the western suburbs it was the latest school "snow day" ever...because of the convective nature of the storm, like hit and miss thunderstorms in the summer, some weird local variations occurred...with one town getting almost a foot of snow while just 5 miles away only a couple of inches fell. Vivid lightning accompanied the snowfall in many communities. Slide Mountain, NY had 27". Heavy snow also covered parts of New York. Cooperstown picked up 12.7" and in Connecticut 20" fell at Norfolk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, May 08, 2020
1360: Massive storms impact the outcome of the Hundred Years War
1360: The Hundred Years War between England and France began in 1337; by 1359, King Edward III of England led a huge army across the English Channel to France. The French did not engage in any pitched battles and mainly stayed behind protective walls of towns and cities. Meanwhile Edward conquered the countryside. In April 1360, Edward’s forces reached the Paris suburbs and began to move toward Chartres and its famous cathedral. While they were camped outside the town, now a suburb of Paris, in early May, a sudden storm hit. Lightning struck, killing a number of people, then large hailstones began falling hitting the soldiers. Two of the English generals were killed and panic set in among the troops, who had no shelter from the storm. Heavy losses were suffered by the English with more than 1000 estimated dead in the stampede caused by the storm. Some said it was a sign from God. King Edward of England was convinced to negotiate peace with the French. On May 8, 1360, a treaty was signed, marking the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years’ War. Edward agreed to renounce all claims to the throne of France. The hail storm and thunderstorms that caused it were a direct line the signing of the treaty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, May 07, 2020
1840: Deadly tornado strikes Natchez, Mississippi
1840: Natchez, Mississippi was a bustling and booming river town along the Mississippi River in 1840, 20 years after Mississippi joined the union and 20 years before the Civil War. But on May 7, 1840 the second deadliest tornado in U S history struck the city. A large and powerful tornado went right through the center of town, flattening most of the buildings. But even worse was the damage on the Mississippi River, which was filled with boats, including 120 flatboats and steam boats. Many bodies were never found. The powerful tornado wrecked many boats at the Natchez Landing in Mississippi as well and then plowed through the city. The tornado killed 317 people and injured 109 others. The only storm on record this destructive to kill more than it injured. The storm is still as of May 7, 2020, the second deadliest tornado on record. The actual death toll could be higher as enslaved persons were not counted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, May 06, 2020
1937: The Hindenburg Disaster
1937: The airship Hindenburg, the largest dirigible ever built and the pride of Nazi Germany, bursts into flames upon touching its mooring mast in Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 36 passengers and crewmembers on May 6, 1937. After opening its 1937 season by completing a single round-trip passage to, Brazil, in late March, the Hindenburg departed from, Germany, on the evening of May 3, on the first of 10 planned round trips between Europe and the United States that were scheduled for its second year of commercial service. Except for strong headwinds that slowed its progress, the Atlantic crossing of the Hindenburg was otherwise uneventful. Although carrying only half its full capacity of passengers and crew for the flight, the Hindenburg was fully booked for its return flight. The airship was hours behind schedule when it passed over Boston on the morning of May 6, and its landing at Lakehurst was expected to be further delayed because of afternoon thunderstorms. Advised of the poor weather conditions at Lakehurst, the Captain charted a course over New York City, causing a public spectacle as people rushed out into the street to catch sight of the airship. After finally being notified at 6:22 p.m. that the storms had passed, the airship headed back to Lakehurst to make its landing almost half a day late. At the time of the disaster, sabotage was commonly put forward as the cause of the fire, but in order to make up for the delay of more than 12 hours in its transatlantic flight, the Hindenburg passed through thunderstorms with high humidity and high electrical charge. Although the mooring lines were not wet when they first hit the ground and ignition took place four minutes after, it was theorized that the lines may have become wet in these four minutes. When the ropes, which were connected to the frame, became wet, they would have grounded the frame but not the skin. This would have caused a sudden potential difference between skin and frame and would have set off an electrical discharge – a spark. Seeking the quickest way to ground, the spark would have jumped from the skin onto the metal framework, igniting the leaking hydrogen, causing the explosion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, May 05, 2020
1761: 5" of snow falls in Ashford, CT
This episode brought to you by "Remarkably Remote" a new daily microcast from the experts at GoToMeeting. All about making work from home work for you. Add to your Flash Briefing on Alexa or subscribe on your favorite podcasting app. Listen at GoToMeeting.com/tips 1761: The office of the Town Clerk is the repository for the maintenance and safekeeping of records for the Town of Ashford, Conn. The Town reports that housed in the fire-proof vault or in the office of the Town Clerk are all land records, Town Meeting minutes, Town Ordinances, birth/marriage/civil union/death records, land surveys, election records, trade names, liquor permits, contracts, town reports, veterans discharge filings, Town board/commission/agency agendas and minutes, listings of Notaries Public, Justices of the Peace, election records, and other historical documents. In addition to maintaining records, the Town Clerk’s Office is the place to go for absentee ballots, copies of vital records, dog licenses, marriage licenses, voter registration forms. The Town of Ashford is not unique to New England, for centuries the Town Clerks at these hamlets great and small have dutifully recorded, not just those official papers I reported on, but other significant events. They have told the story of America, it so happens that on May 5, 1761, Ebeneser Byles, Town Clerk of Ashford reported that 5" of snow fell and that it was. And I quote from his official record "A very stormy day of snow, an awful sight, the trees green and the ground white. The 6th day the trees in a blow and the fields covered with snow" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, May 04, 2020
1774: Heavy, wet snow blankets Germantown, PA
This episode brought to you by "Remarkably Remote" a new daily microcast from the experts at GoToMeeting. All about making work from home work for you. Add to your Flash Briefing on Alexa or subscribe on your favorite podcasting app. Listen at GoToMeeting.com/tips 1774: The neighborhood of Germantown in Philadelphia sits at a higher elevation than most of the rest of the city. From 250-300 feet above sea level the temperature can average a degree or two colder than the rest of the city. During weather situations that are borderline between rain and snow, often times much of the City of Philadelphia will have a slushy mixture of rain and snow, while only wet snow falls in Germantown and its adjacent elevated neighborhood of Chestnut Hill; sometimes depositing a couple inches of snow. On May 4, 1774 Germantown was a not part of the City of Philadelphia yet, it was a prosperous town of hundreds living in long established stone houses. Germantown was founded in 1683 and awaited its fate as the location of one of the most important battles of the Revolutionary War in 1777. On May 4, 1774 as a strong storm surged up the Atlantic seaboard temperatures held just near freezing, and while rain fell in the City of Philadelphia below 4” of heavy wet snow blanketed Germantown in one of the latest snowfalls on record in the region, before or since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, May 03, 2020
1978: Almost 11" of rain falls on "Sun Day" in New Orleans
This episode brought to you by "Remarkably Remote" a new daily microcast from the experts at GoToMeeting. All about making work from home work for you. Add to your Flash Briefing on Alexa or subscribe on your favorite podcasting app. Listen at GoToMeeting.com/tips 1978: Most of New Orleans, Louisiana is below the flowing water level of the Mississippi River, that also means that the city is below sea level and so both the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Pontchartrain surfaces are also above the ground level of the city. Because of that, the city does not have a natural drainage for rainwater, so pumps are required to remove rainwater from the region. On May 3, 1978 the pumping drainage system had been in operation since 1900. That system was designed to handle one inch of rain per hour for the first three hours, and one-half inch per hour thereafter. Any rainfall in excess of this limit resulted in drainage slowdown and flooding, often times during extensive thunderstorm cloudbursts or tropical systems and Hurricanes the capacity to pump out the water simply was not effective. May 3, 1978 was proclaimed 'Sun Day.' All across the United States, celebrations were planned to pay tribute to the power and potential of solar energy. No celebration occurred in New Orleans, the sun was not visible all day, in fact heavy rains fell most of the day. Almost 11” of rain fell, more and 8” of that from 8am until noon. It was more than the drainage system could handle, actually more than twice its capacity. There was severe property damage, as much of the city sat in more than 5 feet of water as a result of the heavy rains and the failure of the pumping system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, May 02, 2020
2009: Roof collapses at Dallas Cowboys training facility
This episode brought to you by "Remarkably Remote" a new daily microcast from the experts at GoToMeeting. All about making work from home work for you. Add to your Flash Briefing on Alexa or subscribe on your favorite podcasting app. Listen at GoToMeeting.com/tips 2009: Twelve people were hospitalized Saturday May 2, 2009 after the roof of the Dallas Cowboys' indoor practice facility in Frisco, Texas collapsed during a thunderstorm. The giant blue star atop the building lay crumpled on the ground. The storm knocked out power at team headquarters and splintered trees across the property. The roof was a large air- and tension-supported canopy with aluminum frames covering a regulation 100-yard football field. Approximately 70 players, coaches, staff and media were reported inside. Some of the injuries were serious, authorities said, but none were considered life-threatening. Based on the national standards for determining loads and for designing structural steel buildings, the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology researchers studying the Cowboys facility found that the May 2 wind load demands on the building's framework—a series of identical, rib-like steel frames supporting a tensioned fabric covering—were greater than the capacity of the frame to resist those loads. The researchers determined that, at the time of collapse, the wind was blowing predominantly from west to east, perpendicular to the long side of the building. Maximum wind speed gusts at the time of collapse were estimated to be in the range of 55 to 65 miles per hour—well below the design wind speed of 90 miles per hour in the national standard for wind loads. The NIST report recommended building owners, operators and designers inspect all fabric-covered, steel-frame structures, evaluating them to ensure they are designed to handle appropriate wind loads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, May 01, 2020
1854: After 90 hours of rain, flooding hits New England
1854: The winter of 1853-1854 had been a particularly snowy one across the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. Not record breaking, but it was a cold winter and the snows that fell during the winter months didn’t melt much. The cold lingered into April and so did the snow on the ground. The weather pattern broke as the month ended, winds in the high atmosphere turned from the northwest to out of the south and ushered in warm air that had been building across the Gulf states in the early spring. At the same time copious volumes of moisture were carried along in the current of air from the Gulf of Mexico and the result was an unceasing rain that developed all across New England. Along with a soaking rain and soaring temperatures cloudbursts imbedded in thunderstorms brought hour after hour of rain. By the time the rain ended on May 1, 1854 it had been raining for 90 consecutive hours. Rainfall totaled more than 5” in Worcester, Mass and more than 7 ½ inches in Southwick, Mass, a general 3-5” rainfall fell from Philadelphia all the way to Maine. The rain coupled with the warm snow melting temperatures produced record flooding all across New England. The greatest crest on the Connecticut River was at Hartford where the river reached almost 29’ above flood stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, April 30, 2020
1887: Massive flooding at China's Yellow River
1887: The Huang He or Yellow River is one of the longest rivers in China, at 3,398 mi, it loops northward from the mountains in western China, then flows east, each year bringing 1.6 billion tons of fine-grained silt from the mountains to the huge flat basin of the north China plains. That rich laden dirt and silt makes the region one of the most fertile in the world, it is China’s breadbasket. The silt nourishes and replenishes the land. The Yellow River gets its name from its rich, fine-ground, golden mud. Unfortunately for the farmers, the only way the river can spread its fertilization is by flooding the fields; and the Yellow River has flooded a recorded 1,593 times in four thousand years, with catastrophic effects. The worst flooding occurred in 1887. For decades leading up to 1887 dikes and embankments had been built along the river to control its flooding and provide irrigation for crops. In some places, because of those levees, the river was flowing more than 20 feet higher than the surrounding countryside – a breech in the system was all that was needed for disaster. An usually snowy winter and a wet mild spring led to massive snowmelt in the mountains and heavy rains contributed more water. On April 30, 1887 the first of several massive floods erupted as the river could no longer be contained. Flooding continued off and on all summer. The flooding led to the greatest weather disaster in human history. More than 900,000 perished in the initial rounds of flooding close to the river with another estimated 1.3 million drowned from flooding away from the river as the floodwaters spread out all across northern China. A further estimated three to four million died from flood-related, waterborne diseases, with a thick deposit of muddy silt 8 ft deep, the most fertile fields in China were a desert which had to be cleared by bare hands and wheelbarrows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, April 29, 2020
1991: Tropical storm surge floods Bangladesh
1991: On April 22, 1991 an area of tropical thunderstorms began to organize in the Bay of Bengal it would grow to become one of the deadliest tropical cyclones ever recorded. The storm hit, one of the most populated areas in Bangladesh. An estimated 200,000 people were killed by the storm, as many as 10 million people lost their homes, and overall property damage was in the billions of dollars. One the weather system organized it began moving north. By April 24 the storm was designated Tropical Storm 02B, and by April 28 it was a tropical cyclone, or as they are known in the western hemisphere, a hurricane. One day later on April 29 the storm hit, with winds of up to 150 miles per hour. The damage was immediate, as a storm surge as high as 15 feet)engulfed the flat, coastal plans of southeastern Bangladesh. The surge washed away entire villages and swamped farms, destroying crops and spreading fears of widespread hunger as well as economic woes. As a result of a 1970 storm, a few storm shelters had been built. Though in 1991 some were saved by the shelters, many people had doubted warnings of the storm. Since the 1991 storm, the Bangladesh government has built thousands of elevated shelters in coastal areas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, April 28, 2020
1992: Devastating hailstorm strikes Texas
1992: A hailstone begins as a water droplet that is swept up by an updraft inside of a thundercloud. Inside the cloud, there are a large number of other supercooled water droplets already present. These supercooled particles will adhere to the water droplet’s surface, forming layers of ice around it. The size the hailstone reaches depends on the amount of time it spends surrounded by supercooled water droplets, but eventually gravity causes the stone to fall to the Earth. As gravity takes over, they will fall to Earth at approximately 106 miles per hour. The exact velocity each stone falls at will vary depending on several conditions, such as weight, air friction and collisions with other suspended objects. The evening of April 28, 1992, brought with it one of the most devastating hailstorms of all time, pummeling two areas approximately 100 miles apart. For nearly five hours, residents between Waco to Fort Worth braced as hailstones the size of grapefruits 4.5 in. diameter smashed windows and decimated roofs. The worst damage was reported across Ellis, Dallas, and Tarrant counties. More than 600 pets and wild animals were killed. Damage was estimated at $750Million or almost $1.5Billion in 2020 dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, April 27, 2020
2004: Santa Ana winds cause uncommon heat
2004: Santa Ana Winds occur when air from an area of high pressure over the dry, desert region of the southwestern U.S. flows westward in its clockwise circulation towards the California coast. This creates dry winds that flow east to west through the mountain passages in Southern California. These winds are most common during the cooler months of the year, occurring from September through May. Santa Ana winds typically feel warm or even hot because as the cool desert air moves down the side of the mountain, it is compressed, which causes the temperature of the air to rise at the rate of more than 5 degrees for every thousand feet in descends. These strong winds can cause major property damage. They also increase wildfire risk because of the dryness of the winds and the speed at which they can spread a flame across the landscape. The winds can produce uncommon heat. On April 27, 2004 a strong Santa Ana developed causing temperatures to soar all across Southern Calif smashing record by more than 10 degrees in some places. Ontario, near Los Angles reach 100 degrees breaking the old record of 90, Riverside reached 101, the mercury at the beaches reached closed to 90. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, April 26, 2020
1986: The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
1986: The Chernobyl, Russia nuclear disaster was the worst nuclear disaster in history and occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Plant. A catastrophic eruption ripped through the power plant on April 26, 1986, spewing radioactive particles into the sky. The deadly blast was caused by the explosion of the RBMK reactor 4, a result of human error and equipment faults. More than 50,000 people from the nearby town of Pripyat were evacuated following the blast. But plumes of deadly radioactive matter were sent high into the atmosphere as the uranium core lay exposed in the days that followed. The particles were swept across Europe by winds. Officials in Sweden 683 miles away were alerted of radiation levels within their atmosphere within 48 hours of the explosion. Soviet authorities initially denied the claims anything happened but were forced to reveal the mistake as the scale of the accident unfolded. The initial impacted areas were Ukraine, Belarus and West Russia, with some areas contaminated indefinitely and are still wastelands. The World Nuclear Association said: “Most of the released material was deposited close by as dust and debris, but the lighter material was carried by wind over Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and to some extent over Scandinavia and Europe. ”The weather was a big factor as rains and snow were responsible for bringing radiation down to the ground, where it would penetrate into the Earth. The World Health Organization says an estimated 7,722 square miles of land in Europe was affected by radiation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, April 25, 2020
1993: Lightning strike in AL causes town to lose 50% of water supply
1993: Most lightning strikes occur from cloud to cloud – but about 20% go from clouds to the ground. Lightning striking the ground has caused problems with pipes and water supplies.. Some people have also experienced cloudy or discolored water after a lightning storm. Due to the strike, the vibration into the earth can shake the well causing any built-up minerals to fall into the water supply. When lightning strikes near a home or other structure, sending electricity shooting through the ground, the electricity, which prefers to flow through metal rather than dirt, seeks out any buried copper pipes or the home's ground rod. Building codes require the metal grounding rod to be connected to a home's wiring and pipes. Electricity moves through the pipes until it hits a dead end, such as when the copper pipe meets a plastic service line or some other nonmetallic fitting. Lightning has also coursed through the ground and impacted tree roots and pipes close to those roots. On April 25, 1982 in Lexington, AL, Lightning struck a tree, then reached through its roots to a PVC pipe holding drinking water. Almost 50% of the town’s water supply was lost before the pipe could be repaired. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, April 24, 2020
1993: Large, destructive tornado strikes near Tulsa, OK
1993: A large tornado slammed into a section of I-44 east of Tulsa during the early evening hours of April 24 1993. The Washington Post reported that the storm blew cars and trucks off the interstate highway and damaged dozens of homes this evening, killing at least 10 people, injuring at least 50 and leaving hundreds homeless. "This was not a storm that stayed down and then went back up. It stayed down for several minutes and totaled the area," said Jerry Griffin, an inspector for the Tulsa County Sheriff's Department. That area was about a mile wide and two miles long, he said. At least 80 mobile homes were demolished at a trailer park in a Tulsa suburb. Two major truck stops on Interstate 44 were scattered piles of rubble. Sheets of metal were wrapped around whatever poles were left standing. Families who escaped from their vehicles at one truck stop walked around dazed, clinging to pillows, blankets and other possessions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, April 23, 2020
2013: Single-digit temperatures strike Great Plains
2013: April 23, 2013 was more than a month deep into the Spring, but Old Man winter wasn’t quite done with depositing a new round of cold weather into the Great Plains. The weather during the middle of April of the mid-section of America had been mild, field work had already gotten underway. But far to the north across the arctic lands of Canada cold weather had been building for more than week. At the start of the third week of April it was unleashed southward, bringing a cold wave more typical of mid-winter. All across Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota the mercury plunged into the single digits. Reaching down to 1 above at Big Sky Montana, 8 at Huron SD and 9 in Lander Wyoming. In Wichita, Kansas 0.2” of snow fell. This marked the latest measurable snowfall on record. The old record for the latest measurable snow was set almost 100 years earlier on April 20, 1918. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, April 22, 2020
1980: Temperature reaches 100 degrees in Waterloo, IA
1980: 1980 brought the United States one of the worst heat waves in its history. The intense heat and drought that wreaked havoc on much of the Midwestern states and Southern plains throughout the summer of 1980. It is among the most devastating natural disasters in terms of deaths and destruction in U.S. history, claiming at least 1,700 lives and because of the massive drought, agricultural damage reached $20 billion or almost $65 billion in 2020 dollars. It is among the billion-dollar weather disasters listed by the US government. The heat wave began in June when a strong high-pressure area began to build in the central and southern United States allowing temperatures to soar to 90 degrees almost every day from June to September. The high-pressure system also acted as a cap on the atmosphere, stopping the development of thunderstorms, leading to exceptionally severe drought conditions. The heat wave broke only when the decaying Hurricane Allen disrupted the weather pattern. In some areas the spring got a jump start on what was to come. On April 22, 1980. The mercury reached 100 degrees in Waterloo, Iowa the highest temperature ever recorded in the state of Iowa in the month of April. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, April 21, 2020
1963: Rare "Dust Devil" strikes Reading, PA
1963: Dust devils, are small, brief whirlwinds occurring most frequently in the early afternoon when a land surface is heating rapidly. Dust devils are occasionally made visible by the lofting of dust, leaves, or other loose matter from the ground. Dust devils form when a pocket of hot air near the ground rises quickly through cooler air above it, forming an updraft. If conditions are just right, the updraft may begin to rotate. As the air rapidly rises, the column of hot air is stretched vertically, which causes intensification of the spinning effect. Most dust devils are usually small and weak, often less than 3 feet in diameter with strongest winds averaging about 45 miles per hour, and they often dissipate less than a minute after forming. On rare occasions, a dust devil can grow very large and intense, sometimes reaching a diameter of up to 300 feet with winds in excess of 60 mph and can last for upwards of 20 minutes before dissipating. Dust devils typically do not cause injuries, but rare, severe dust devils have caused damage they typically occur in dry, arid areas with the most common being Arizona, New Mexico, Eastern California. But on April 21 1963, the combination of prolonged dry weather along the eastern seaboard and strong southerly wind transport hot weather from the southern United states resulted in a dust devil in Reading, Pennsylvania. The giant dust devil up to half a mile high, tore bricks from the side of a school, uprooted trees and downed power lines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, April 20, 2020
1982: Violent thunderstorms produce baseball-sized hail
1982: Strong temperature contrasts and violent weather outcomes in the springtime in the United States are generally unique in the world. Vast flatlands that start as in the great coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana gently roll northwest from there into the Great Plains on the central United States and extend up into Canada. Weather systems can traverse the region unencumbered by mountains or large bodies of water. In the spring cold air is still left over from the departing winter, lurking in northwest Canada in the Yukon. Meanwhile heat from the coming summer is building across Mexico and even Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. When strong winds in the high atmosphere pick up speed and start to bend in great wave patterns and the heat is drawn northward and cold southward in a great dance and battle between the competing seasons. The result of this clash often manifests itself in wild and extreme weather. On April 20, 1982 such a setup became established. In the warm sector violent thunderstorms erupted. At Richland in central Mississippi, strong thunderstorm winds blew over trailers. In Central Texas, baseball sized hail fell at Burnett and hail the size of grapefruits pounded Cedar Park. As much as 4" of rain fell over northern Louisiana and northeast Texas, and flooding occurred around Nacogdoches, TX. A tornado touched down at Lake Travis to the west of Austin, TX. Tornadoes were sighted around Lake Charles, LA near and near Moss Bluff. Meanwhile in the cold sector Northwestern Wisconsin was covered by more than a foot of snow. Weyerhaeuser, WI received 16”, with 15” at Barron Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, April 19, 2020
1775: Paul Revere's Ride - Part 2
1775: In the early morning hours of April 19, 1775, Paul Revere was making a mad dash through Middlesex County just west of Boston. He was trying to avoid British patrols but was stopped by one briefly before making his getaway, the roads were soft and muddy from the heavy rains of the previous day and he was able to elude his captors. It was not last time the weather would play a part in that fateful day. Revere galloped from town to town, from farm to farm to warn that the British regulars were coming to seize the stores of powder and shot local militias had been hiding to defend themselves from British tyranny. Rouse them he did. As the author Rick Atkinson states in his book “The British Are Coming”. Across the colony, in an image that would endure for centuries, solemn men grabbed their firelocks and stalked off in search of danger” The British left Boston and rowed across the Harbor to Charlestown and started the march to Lexington. There in Lexington, they encountered a band of local militia and when the patriots assembled refused orders to disperse the British fired. The colonials were routed. The British then marched on to Concord, where thousands had gathered, warned by Revere and other riders. The British found themselves out gunned and outflanked. The first pitched battle of the revolution turned into the colonial victory. The British had planned to bring about their small cannon with them to teach the rebels a lesson. That ordnance would have come in handy that day. But the roads were still soft and muddy on April 19, 1775. Even though the sun was out it was cold and the sun was little help to dry the roads, it was a chilly Spring day because a cold front had brought that rain the day before. The canons got stuck in the mud on the road from Boston and had to be left behind. The battle perhaps turned on the muddy road and the rainy weather from the day before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, April 18, 2020
1775: Paul Revere's Ride - Part 1
LISTEN, my children, and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; Hardly a man is now alive Who remembers that famous day and year. 5 He said to his friend, ‘If the British march By land or sea from the town to-night, Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light,— One, if by land, and two, if by sea; 10 And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm.’ Then he said, ‘Good-night!’ and with muffled oar 15 Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore, Those are the opening lines of immortal poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride”, by Henry Wadsworth LongfellowRevere’s task was to ride through the countryside and call out the country-folk to arms to resist British tyranny. As the poem said, Revere was across Boston Harbor in Charlestown to watch the steeple of the old north church in Boston to see if the British were going to march out of Boston on land or take boats across the harbor and through Charlestown. It would warn the local militia’s which route the British would take. If one lantern was hung then over land, but two would signal the water and across the harbor. Most of April 18, 1775 was cloudy and rainy in Boston, the visibility was not good. Revere wouldn’t be able to see “Old North” as it was known. But late in the evening a cold front moved across the region, and by the time of the signal, skies were clear. Revere saw the two lanterns clearly across on the opposite shore and rode into history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, April 17, 2020
1821: A foot of snow blankets Boston
1821: Boston, Massachusetts averages just under 2” of snow for the month of April. Given is proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the warming effects of the water, big snowstorms in April are uncommon – but not rare. On April 17, 1821 such an uncommon event occurred as a strong storm system slowly lumbered up the eastern seaboard. Cold air held sway over New England, the storm swung northward but was far enough out to sea to prevent the warming effects of a flow of air off the ocean. The big counter-clockwise swirl of winds around the system blew from the north northeast and off the land enforcing cold air from eastern Canada rather than an east flow off the warmer ocean. The result was a foot of snow and the snowstorm prevent the Legislature from opening for several days. The storm also brought 3” of snow in New York City and 16” to Worcester, Massachusetts. Interestingly the 12” of snow in Boston is not the most snow there from a single storm in April, that record belongs to April 1, 1997 when more than 25” blanketed Beantown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, April 16, 2020
1851: "The Lighthouse Storm"
1851: On April 16th, 1851, a strong nor'easter smashed into Cape Cod, and brought the highest waters ever seen in that area up to that the time, easily besting the high tides of 1723. The system went into the history books as "The Lighthouse Storm. Heavy gales and high seas pounded the coasts of New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts. The storm arrived at the time of a full moon, and the high tide was already well above what would be termed normal for the coast. That evening, the newly-constructed Minot's Ledge Lighthouse was destroyed by this massive storm. The storm weakened the tower's iron support piles, causing them to collapse and topple into the ocean off the coast. The lighthouse keeper, had been away in Boston when the storm struck. Onlookers on April 17 could only see the bent iron pilings where the lighthouse once stood. The two assistant lighthouse keepers, kept the lighthouse lamp burning as late as 10:00 PM on the night of April 16th to warn ships of the nearby rocks just before they were swept away in the storm’s massive waves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, April 15, 2020
1912: The Sinking of the RMS Titanic
1912: 1912 was a year of promise. The start of World War I was still two years away and science and technology were ascendant with the outlook that humans had conquered nature and their inventions could overcome anything. Albert Einstein had already been working on his theories around relativity that would revolutionize Physics. In practical terms, the first decade to the 20th century saw the invention of the vacuum cleaner , the air conditioner and the electric washing machine. It seemed like science was triumphant. It was with attitude that British White Star Line commissioned the building of the largest ship ever constructed. The Titanic. The ship would have every technological advantage and be unsinkable. It left the British Isles at Queenstown, Ireland, on Thursday, April 11, 1912 on its maiden voyage. The weather awaiting the Titanic in North America was cold. In Boston, a few thousand fans shivered in the cold and snow flurries as the Red Sox beat Harvard University 2-0 in the first game ever played at Fenway Park. On April 12, the winds were west-southwest at about 20 mph and the noon temperature was about 60 degrees where the ship was on the Atlantic Ocean. As the ship continued west, the skies got cloudier as a weak cold front approached. The noontime temperature on Saturday, April 12, was still at 60 degrees, but another cold front (associated with the previous Fenway flurries) was to the west and north of the ship. As the Titanic passed through the second cold front on Sunday, April 14, the winds switched to northwest at 25 mph. The noon temperature was 50 degrees, but by 7:30 p.m., the temperature had dropped to 39. On Sunday, nighttime temperatures dropped below freezing, and the skies cleared and the winds calmed. A large Arctic air mass was now over the area on the clear, star-lit night with subfreezing temperatures and calm winds that resulted in a sea “like glass.” Icebergs were known to be in the region, but the calm winds made spotting them difficult. To spot icebergs during the night, lookouts searched for wind-driven waves breaking around their bases, but because of the calm weather this effect did not occur. The ship struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. Sunday, April 14. While the seas were relatively calm, that NW flow of air behind the front end actually steered a giant ice field towards the ship that night. The ship hit the iceberg that has been estimated as possibly weighing up to 300,000 tons, and the ship’s hull was torn open. It then took less than three hours from that point on for the Titanic to sink. The temperature of the water was estimated to be as low as 28 degrees – even lower than the conventional 32-degree freezing point as salt helped to lower its freezing point. Even though many people went into the water and survived the initial crash and sinking, the extremely cold-water temperature caused almost all in the water to suffer hypothermia and die quickly. Just hours before the wind has been west and the coldest
Tue, April 14, 2020
1986: The World's Heaviest Hailstone Falls in Bangladesh
1986: The National Weather Service reports that Hail is a form of precipitation consisting of solid ice that forms inside thunderstorm updrafts. Hail can damage aircraft, homes and cars, and can be deadly to livestock and people. Hailstones are formed when raindrops are carried upward by thunderstorm updrafts into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere and freeze. Hailstones then grow by colliding with liquid water drops that freeze onto the hailstone’s surface. Hail falls when it becomes heavy enough to overcome the strength of the thunderstorm updraft and is pulled toward the earth by gravity. Although Florida has the most thunderstorms, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming usually have the most hailstorms. The area where these three states meet – “hail alley” – averages seven to nine hail days per year. Other parts of the world that have damaging hailstorms include China, Russia, India, Bangladesh and northern Italy. The largest hailstone recovered in the United States fell in Vivian, South Dakota, with a weight of 1 lb. 15 oz. But the world’s heaviest hailstorm fell on April 14, 1986 in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. It likely fell to the ground at 90 mph and it weighed 2.25 lbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, April 13, 2020
1981: Kincaid, IL: Person killed while talking on the phone
1981: The New York Times reports that chatting on the telephone connected to a land-line during a thunderstorm can electrocute you, it is no urban legend. A bolt of lightning that strikes a telephone line can cause an electrical surge to shoot through the wires and enter a handset. The odds of this are relatively small, and most phone companies have protective measures in place. Still, the risk exists, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommends that people avoid using telephones and other appliances during electrical storms. Cases of customers' being jolted while on the phone in a storm are well documented. In fact, on April 13, 1981 a person was killed while talking on the phone in Kincaid, IL when lightning struck an outside telephone line and traveled to the house via a phone line; the phone exploded. What about cell phones? Because the danger comes from lightning traveling through outdoor wiring, cordless and cellular phones are generally safe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, April 12, 2020
1841: 20" of snow dumps on Philadelphia
1841: The average annual snowfall in Philadelphia is slightly more than 22”. In April, Philly averages a half an inch of snow and there is measurable snow in April there only once every other year. 1841 was not so kind to Philadelphia. Unusual late season cold lingered for much of the month and a series of storms swept out of the Gulf of Mexico and up the East Coast of the United States bringing one snow event after the other. 6” of snow fell in the city on April 10th and 3” fell on Aril 13 and 14th, but the heaviest snowfall occurred in between those two systems when a foot of the white stuff piled up on April 12, 1841. Almost 20” of snow fell on Philadelphia in April 1841 – the average for an entire winter season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, April 11, 2020
1999: 3" of rain floods Hong Kong
1999: On April 11, 1999 more than 3” of rain fell in Hong Kong during a cloudburst as heavy thunderstorms racked across the region. Streets were flooded and stores were forced to shut. The 3” of rain was more than Hong Kong had received in the first 3 months of 1999. As it turns out that is only half as much rain as is normal in Hong Kong from January to March when more than 6” is normal – still not a huge amount of rain. But rainfall is abundant, in Hong Kong when looked at through the lens of a full year. In fact, it is around 94.5 inches per year. The rainiest period is from May to September, when the rainfall exceeds 12" per month in the city, while the least rainy period is from November to January, when it drops below 2 in per month. To put that in perspective, Hong Kong’s 94.5” per year towers over places in the United States that are considered rainy like. Seattle, Washington with 38” average rainfall a year or 62” in Miami or 64” a year in New Orleans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, April 10, 2020
1996: Spring snowstorm dumps snow along East coast
1996: The winter of 1995-1996 in the Northern part of the United State just didn’t seem to want to end. Cold air lingered on well past the start of Spring. April was cold in that region of the country, especially New England and the first half of the month seemed more like winter than Spring. At the start of the second week of April temperatures were below freezing most night and even during the daytime readings had a tough time reaching 40. Meanwhile a strong storm was organizing off the coast of South Carolina and started to make its way off the coast, but close enough to fist push snow only the southern New Jersey coast dumping almost 5” of the white stuff on Atlantic City, an April record. The storm took a turn a bit to the northwest and pushed snow into New York City, JFK Airport had 4” on snow. But the heaviest snowfall was reserved for New England. By the time the snow stopped flying on the evening of April 10, 1996 Boston had 6”, Worcester, Ma 16” and Storrs, Conn 17”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, April 09, 2020
1993: Several tornadoes rip through West Bengal, India
1993: Tornadoes have been recorded on all continents except Antarctica. The United States has the most tornadoes of any country, as well as the strongest and most violent tornadoes. A large portion of these tornadoes form in an area of the central United States. Canada experiences the second most tornadoes. Other areas of the world that have frequent tornadoes include significant portions of Europe, South Africa, Philippines, Bangladesh, parts of Argentina, Uruguay, and southern and southeast Brazil, northern Mexico, New Zealand, and far eastern Asia. Bangladesh and the eastern parts of India are very exposed to destructive tornadoes causing higher deaths and injuries. On April 9, 1993 several tornadoes ripped through the India in the State of West Bengal killing 100 people and injuring 400. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, April 08, 2020
1938: Blizzard leaves 20' snow drifts in Texas
1938: In the early days of April 1938 arctic cold that had been building and bottled up in Alaska and the Yukon came crashing southward along the east slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The wintry chill reached cities like Cheyenne and Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo and then smashed eastward enveloping Omaha, Wichita and finally Amarillo. The cold modified as it headed eastward but held firm for several days from Montana to New Mexico and eastward into Nebraska, Kansas and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. Meanwhile off the coast of southern California a storm was brewing. That system headed eastward and spread a blanket of snow from Arizona and New Mexico into west Texas. The storm slowed and eventually stalled for several days in Texas. Moisture came streaming into the system from off the Gulf of Mexico and lifted up and over the cold air in places. The result was an all-out blizzard. It raged for 84 hours and when the storm finally moved eastward on the afternoon of April 8, 1938. Snow drifts reached 20 feet high. Winds at the height of the storm were clocked at 77 mph in Pampa, Texas and 8 deaths were blamed on the storm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, April 07, 2020
1977: Wintry weather won't stop the first ever Blue Jays game
1977: April 7, 1977 marked the first home game in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays. For a while, in February 1976 , it looked as if the National League’s San Francisco Giants would move to Toronto, where there were buyers eager for the club. When the Giants were sold in March 1976 to new owners determined to keep them in San Francisco, the American League jumped in to establish Toronto as an American League city, setting up an expansion club, and announced the Blue Jays, who began play the next year. Despite being one of the northernmost cities with a baseball team. The first games of the season for the franchise were not played at the home of some southern American League team – but rather in Toronto. It was not a wise choice. With a sellout crowd on hand at Exhibition Stadium More than 44,000 fans packed the old stadium, filling not only a new section built for baseball but also the football grandstand beyond the outfield fence. It was a snowy day and the lines on the field had to be brushed off constantly during the – but nothing short of a blizzard was going to see the first Major League Baseball game in Toronto cancelled. Temperatures were in the 20s. The wintry weather did not deter the team ether, and the Blue Jays won their first ever major league game beating the Chicago White sox 9-5. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, April 06, 2020
1936: Tornado strikes Gainesville, GA
1936: April 6, 1936 , brought one of the worst weather-related disasters in Georgia history. A series of strong tornado struck the southern United State but none was deadlier than the one that struck Gainesville April 6 1936. It was part of a devastating outbreak of 17 tornadoes across the South. And it wasn’t the first for Gainesville- another tornado killed more than 100 people in January 1903. In 1936, not one , but two tornadoes tore through the heart of town, destroying much of the business district and the county courthouse, trapping hundreds in debris. The funnel fueled fires all over the area, including the Cooper Pants manufacturing company, where 60 employees were killed. The storm left more than 200 dead, 1,600 injured, 2,000 homeless and millions of dollars in damage in Gainesville and 454 people were killed by the tornado outbreak the second deadliest ever recorded in US history. President Franklin Roosevelt toured the city three days later, and returned in 1938 to rededicate the courthouse and city hall after a massive citywide rebuilding effort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, April 05, 2020
1815: The Eruption of Mount Tambora
1815: The summer of 1816 was not like any summer people could remember. The National Center for Atmospheric Research reported that, snow fell in New England and gloomy, cold rains fell throughout Europe. It was cold and stormy and dark. 1816 became known in Europe and North America as “The Year Without a Summer.” On April 5, 1815, Mount Tambora, a volcano, started to rumble with activity. Over the following four months the volcano exploded - the largest volcanic explosion in recorded history. Many people close to the volcano lost their lives in the event. Tambora ejected so much ash and dust into the atmosphere that the sky darkened and the Sun was blocked from view. The large particles spewed by the volcano fell to the ground nearby, covering towns with enough ash to collapse homes. Smaller particles spewed by the volcano were light enough to spread through the atmosphere over the following months and had a worldwide effect on climate. They made their way into the stratosphere, where they could distribute around the world more easily. Earth’s average global temperature dropped more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit. The Year Without a Summer had many impacts in Europe and North America. Crops were killed - either by frost or a lack of sunshine. This caused food to be scarce. The lack of successful crops that summer made the food which was grown more valuable, and the price of food climbed. Because the price of oats increased, it was more expensive for people to feed their horses. Horses were the main method of transportation, so with expensive oats, the cost of travel increased. The gloomy summer weather also inspired writers. During that summer-less summer, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, a horror novel set in an often stormy environment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, April 04, 2020
1933: The USS Akron Disaster
1933: In the 1930s, lighter than air ships or dirigibles where the rage for long distance flight. Trans-ocean flight by airplanes was virtually impossible, especially as a passenger service. Planes having to hop and skip from one re-fueling station to another. Long distance non-stop flight was still a way off not coming into practical availability until well after world War II. So, the big balloons where the rage. Many of them would ultimately meet with disaster including the US Shenandoah and the famous explosion and crash of the German Hindenburg in Lakehurst New Jersey in 1937. The Shenandoah had crashed 12 years earlier in 1925 when it flew through a thunderstorm. But the big ships kept flying. The Akron made many flights across the US as a promotion for the US Navy. The Akron was on such a flight on the early morning of April 4, 1933 off the coast of New jersey. It soon encountered severe weather, which did not improve when the airship passed over Barnegat Light, New Jersey. The Akron broke up rapidly and sank in the stormy Atlantic. The crew of the nearby German merchant ship saw lights descending toward the ocean at about 12:23 a.m. and altered course to investigate. The Akron slowly sunk in the ocean, the accident left 73 dead, and only three survivors. The day of the lighter than air ships would continue for several more years only to meet with one disaster after another almost all fueled by encounters with violent weather. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, April 03, 2020
1974: The "Super Tornado Outbreak"
The last few days of March 1974 and the first couple of days of April 1974 brought unseasonable warmth to much of the nation east of the Mississippi River. Across Ohio and northern Kentucky, the daffodils were blooming and grass had turned a bright green and, in some places, there was a hint of blue that marks many types of grasses in Kentucky. Birds had already started to build their nests as the unseasonable warmth lasted for several days. But it was a false sign of spring and trouble was brewing in the vast frozen hinterlands of artic Canada. Bitter cold from the departed winter still held sway and when the jet stream that had pulled way north to transport the out of season warmth to the Ohio valley buckled, the cold was unleashed. Once the cold spilled over that region record low temperatures would wreak havoc with the blossoming buds and leave a skiff of snow on the ground. But before that happened, a violent cold front marking the leading edge of the bitter blast would rake across the region. It spanned killer twisters that went into the record books as the "Super Tornado Outbreak " - In 18 hours mostly on April 3, 1974, 148 tornadoes struck 13 states from Georgia to the Canadian border. 315 were killed and 6100 injured. Damage reached 1/2 billion dollars or almost 3 billion in 2020 dollars. Brandenburg, KY was completely destroyed with 28 killed and half of Xenia, OH was leveled with 33 dead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, April 02, 2020
1837: 17" of snow falls in St. Louis
This episode brought to you by "Remarkably Remote" a new daily microcast from the experts at GoToMeeting. All about making work from home work for you. Add to your Flash Briefing on Alexa or subscribe on your favorite podcasting app. 1837: The city of St. Louis, Missouri, is known as the “Gateway to the West.” It has this nickname because it was the starting point for the westward movement of people in the United States during the 1800s. It was a traveling hub for many settlers, hunters and others migrating west. The Gateway Arch now in St. Louis symbolizes the city’s nickname. St. Louis was where many wagon trains got organized that first began to head west on the Oregon Trail and to California. Even though Kansas City and Independence Missouri where other jumping off points, St. Louis was the last big city that many settlers encountered. The "Gateway to the West" was where these travelers could load up on supplies they couldn’t find elsewhere before heading through the vast western wilderness. April was a time or organization before waiting a few more weeks for the snow in the Rockies to melt. It all had to be timed just right because leaving too late in the spring might mean getting stuck in the mountains by the snow of the coming winter, and that could result in disaster. Nice Spring weather was the key to a good start. On April 2, 1837 the weather failed to cooperate dumping 17” of snow in St. Lois and as much as 24” in nearby towns just to the west. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, April 01, 2020
1997: The Great April Fools Day Snowstorm
This episode brought to you by "Remarkably Remote" a new daily microcast from the experts at GoToMeeting. All about making work from home work for you. Add to your Flash Briefing on Alexa or subscribe on your favorite podcasting app. 1997: April snowfall in the northeastern sections of the United States are not unusual, but heavy snowfalls are rare. April snowfall totals average less than 5% of the season average in places like Boston. In fact, the normal snowfall in the month of April in Boston is less than 2”. In 1997 what would go into the books at the Great April Fools Day Snowstorm blasted up the East Coast. Cold air was already firmly in place across the region and this system pounded New England on April1, 1997. 25.4” of snow fell at Boston’s Logan Airport, and broke the all-time 24-hour snowfall record of 23.6" set on Feb 6-7, 1978. 100,000 people were left without power. This storm also made this April the snowiest on record, easily surpassing the 13.3” that fell in April 1982. Winds gusted to 72 mph on Blue Mountain, MA, and to 54 mph in Boston. In a 2-day period (Mar 31-Apr 1) Milford, MA picked up 36”, and Worcester, MA was buried under 33”. Parts of the Catskills in New York State picked up between 35 & 40”. In parts of Northwestern NJ, as much as 2’ of snow fell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 31, 2020
1807: Early chronicled winter storm strikes upstate New York
One of the earliest chronicled winter storms to strike Upstate New York after the Revolution was the strong system that impacted the region on March 31, 1807. The Otsego Herald in Cooperstown , NY reported, and I quite “The wind roared in the forests similar to the sound of the great cataract, the air was alternately filled with snow and transient gleams from the sun.” Along the Atlantic coast high winds and rain was the scene in New York Harbor, The New York Post described the situation. From its pages it said: “Amidst the bustle along the ports, in securing vessels and getting out fenders, were seen hundreds with their dogs, killing rats, which had been routed by the high tide. Hardly a terrier in the city was unemployed; and we may safely say, not less than 1000 rats were destroyed on the eastside of town. Though this remark may, by some, be considered unworthy of notice, it will be of use, if a proper use of it – that is, by removing the carcasses of the animals before the sun operates on them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, March 30, 2020
1843: 2' of snow falls in Indiana
1843: In the 1820’s and 1830s just after Maine became a state after separating from Massachusetts, crop failures combined with cold weather caused some in New England to dream of warmer climates to the west. About this time Newspaperman Horace Greely was purported to have said “Go west, young man, and grow up with the country”? Many started the exodus for the Midwest. A major cradle of Midwestern settlement was Maine, Maine’s stony soil and the decline of its shipping trade pushed thousands of Mainers to get out just after it achieved statehood in 1820. The exodus was so bad that many newspaper editors in Maine wrote about the fear that the new state would actually be depopulated by “Illinois Fever” and the rush to lumbering towns along the Great Lakes — and then Oregon. Many of those Mainers and New Englanders settled in Indiana in addition to Maine. They were greeted by a period of mild winters for a decade or so, but I was not to remain that way. The weather pattern shifted back to a more typical Midwest cold and snowy winter. On March 30, 1843 2 feet was measured on the ground. Until this point, farmers and loggers of the region had thought the climate to be better than New England – where many had just originated. The winter of 1842-43 dashed their hopes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, March 29, 2020
1848: Massive ice jam stops flow at Niagra Falls
According to NOAA, Ice jams are caused by melting snow and ice in the springtime. Warm temperatures and spring rains cause snow and ice to melt very rapidly. All this extra water causes frozen rivers and streams to swell up, and the layer of ice on top of the river begins to break up. The rushing river carries large chunks of ice downstream, and sometimes a group of ice chunks get stuck in a narrow passage of the river. The ice chunks form an ice jam, which blocks the natural flow of the river. Ice jams can be dangerous for people living in towns nearby. Because the river is blocked, the rushing water has nowhere to go and it can cause flooding in the surrounding area. On March 29th, 1848 a very unusual ice jam formed. Centered on that day for about 24 hours, Niagara Falls ran dry. The Niagara River was reduced to a trickle as a massive ice jam formed near Buffalo. Strong winds has blown ice from Lake Erie into the River entrance and completely blocked it. It was only when the ice shifted the next day that the water resumed its flow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, March 28, 2020
2005: Storms along East coast dumps rain and causes flooding
A strong storm developed in the southeastern United States on the 27th of March 2005 and grew even more dangerous as it moved up the East Coast on March 28th before moving out to sea off the New England Coast. Heavy rain fell across the Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan areas on the 28th and set the stage for a one-two punch of flooding when a second storm arrived in early April. Poor drainage and urban flooding resulted from the storm on the 28th and some rivers also experienced flooding, especially in New Jersey, notably along the Passaic and Ramapo Rivers. Rainfall totals exceeded 3” in New York City and much of New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Most of the ground was still covered in snow from the winter season adding to the flooding woes. Further to the south on the tail end of the storm system sever weather broke out dumping 4” diameter hail in Raleigh North Carolina and striking Florida with heavy thunderstorms that dumped several inches of rain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, March 27, 2020
1980 - Winnipeg, Manitoba reaches March record-high
The prairies and plains of west central Canada, like those on the plains of the central United States are subject to wide swings of weather. Geographic barriers like mountains and large bodies of water can block or deflect even large-scale weather systems. Ocean temperatures and currents impact the track of storms. The influence of abnormally warm or cold waters, known as El Nino and La Nina, off the west coast of the Americas results in abnormal snow and rainfall patterns across much of the North American continent. Sometimes, as slow-moving storms come toward ocean shorelines those storms almost bounce a bit off the coast directed away by the friction that winds encounter with landmasses. On the vast open plains of North America, no such impediments exist. That often times manifests itself in temperature extremes not expected at southern and northern latitudes. For example, Texas sees much colder weather than Florida. Canada will often see high temperatures not usually associated with that northern clime at certain times. On March 27, 1980 such and occurrence happened when Winnipeg, Manitoba reached an all-time March record high temperature of 74 degrees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, March 26, 2020
2014 - Powerful Nor'Easter strikes New England
Late season Nor’easters in March are often times the most powerful storms to strike the northeast. On March 26, 2014 one such storm struck New England. The strong late season winter storm brought howling winds and heavy snow to Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Winds gusted as high as 82 mph on Nantucket, and more than 100 mph just off shore. The wind drove snow against buildings and homes plastering doors shut. Drifts of snow several feet high impeded emergency vehicles from removing trees and power poles brought down by the hurricane force winds. Most of the major cities in New England missed out on the heavy snow from the storm, but some offshore islands received almost a foot of snow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, March 25, 2020
1948 - Tornadoes strike Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City
Tornado Alley is that area in the United States that has more tornados than anywhere else in the world. Stretching from central Texas to Eastern South Dakota. Tornados are more likely in Texas and Oklahoma in the Spring, and then they are more numerous in the northern plains in the summertime. Fed by the contrast between moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and super dry air that blows down off the Rockies and the contrast in temperatures between the ground surface and midlevels in the atmosphere severe weather development is primed. This is most common in Tornado Alley and more common in southern areas early in the season. Oklahoma’s most active month is May, but March is the 4th most active of the year. Averaging almost as many tornados as July, August and September put together. It’s not unusual then for tornado to strike the same part of Oklahoma more than once in March. But what happened on this date in weather history on March 25, 1948 was unusual. A tornado struck Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City destroying 35 airplanes. Just 5 days earlier a tornado had also struck the air base destroying 50 airplanes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 24, 2020
1912 - 25" of snow falls in Kansas City
It had been a fairly snowy winter across Kansas and Missouri in the 1911-1912 winter season. By the later stages of March, Kansas City already had recorded more than 20” of snow including 15” earlier in March alone. Snow began to fall in the afternoon of the 23rd and by the time it ended on the evening of March 24, 1912 Kansas City experienced its greatest recorded snowstorm. 25” fell in 24 hours bringing the total snowfall there to more than 40” for March and 67” for the winter more than 4 times normal. Both the March and seasonal snowfall totals were records for Kansas City. Not far away in Olathe, KS 38” fell during that storm, a single storm state record. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, March 23, 2020
1913 - "The Great Flood"
On March 23, 1913 the rain started falling across the Mid-west and it didn’t stop for 4 days and 4 nights. The deluge resulted in epic flooding unequaled in American history before and after. Known as the Great Flood. The storm that formed in the nations mid-section had nowhere to move for several days, causing heavy rain over the four-day period between March 23 and March 26. By Wednesday, March 26, the storm moved east into Pennsylvania and New York, while heavy rain continued in the Ohio valley. The heaviest rainfall, 6 to 9, covered an area from southern Illinois into northwestern Pennsylvania. As the storm continued eastward, flooding began in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Virginia. The Potomac River overflowed its banks in Maryland. 467 died in the floods and damage reached $147 million or almost $4 billion in 2020 dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, March 22, 2020
1936 - Melting snow leads to massive flooding
The winter of 1935-1936 was a severe one with lower than normal temperatures. As of early March, it was estimated that the snowpack in Northern New England averaged about 7.5 inches of water. Deep snow also covered the ground across Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York state. Early in March 1936, a warm, moisture-laden front moved into the area from the Ohio Valley to New England and stalled, warming temperatures as well as producing heavy rainfall. As the snow started to melt and the rains fell streams and rivers began to fill and the ground became soggy and saturated.. But this time almost the entire snow cover from New England had melted and with the ground already water logged and the rivers full serve flooding ensued. In many locations, this was the most severe flooding that has ever been experienced. The height of the flood when the waters peaked was March 22, 1936. Floods in Pittsburgh where more than 6” than ever recorded, almost 9 feet higher in Hartford and many other locations on that day would see flooding records not surpassed since. 107 lives were lost and $270 million dollars in damage or more than $5 billion in 2020 dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, March 21, 2020
1868 - Late-March snowstorm slams East coast
March 1868 started out relatively mild across the Eastern states. The winter of 1867-1868 had been a uniformly cold winter. Life was finally starting to get back to normal in the aftermath of the Civil War in the Northeastern states and the break in the winter early in March was welcomed as the harbinger of an early spring. In the middle of the month though, a storm took form across the nation’s midsection and as it rolled eastward arctic air moved out of western Canada, across the Great Lakes into the Northeast. With cold weather firmly in place the storm moved in and snow began to fall and quickly. Reports form the day indicted that 15-20” of snow fell at Philadelphia on March 21, Georgetown DE has an incredible 32” in just 16 hours. Many other parts of Delaware and New Jersey had close to 2 feet of the white stuff. The winter itself would go into the record books as the snowiest recorded up to that time. The storm on March 21, 1868 would bring seasonal snowfall totals to more than 80” in both New York City and Boston. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, March 20, 2020
1948: Extreme wave pattern leaves 32.5” of snow in Juneau, AK
Often times wave patterns develop in the high atmosphere, the strongest winds in these waves are represented by the jet stream. These waves in the air like waves in the ocean have high and low points over time and space. From a geographical perspective the high point usually supports high pressure and the low points low pressure or storms. On the western side of the high pressure of ridging it’s usually warm and winds blow from the south, close to the center of the low point or trough of the wave there is storminess. When patterns like this develop to the extreme with great definition contrast in the waves in the wintertime there can be awesome extremes. One such extreme case happened On March 20, 1948. A trough or dip in the wave caused a massive storm to hit Alaska dumping heavy snow in Juneau, the states capitol where 32.5” of snow fell the heaviest ever there. Meanwhile far to the east in the eastern part of the US a ridge or rise in the jet stream resulted in record warmth across the Carolinas in some places like Raleigh and Greensboro, NC the mercury barely dipped below 70 for a low temperature setting records for the warmest March night every recorded there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, March 19, 2020
1958 - "The Eve of Spring Snowstorm"
1958: On March 19, 1958. Rain began falling along the eastern seaboard as a weak storm moved across the Ohio Valley as that system approached the East Coast cold air was drawn into the storm from eastern Canada. The storm exploded. As it strengthened rapidly and the cold air settled southward all the way into the Mid-Atlantic states the rain changed to snow and more and more moisture was feed into the system from a strong jet stream that reached all the way down into the Gulf of Mexico. More than foot of snow covered many of the big northeastern cities from Philadelphia to Boston. Many of the northern and eastern suburbs received almost 2 feet of snow from the storm that would go into the History books as the ‘Eve of Spring Snowstorm”. Just south of the snow area in Washington DC and Baltimore had record rainfall of almost 4”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, March 18, 2020
1925 - The Tri-State Tornado
On March 18, 1925 perhaps the greatest severe weather event in the last two centuries was brewing. By the time the day was over what would be known as the Tristate tornado produced the single most devastating tornado ever. The tornado began near Ellington, Missouri and averaged 62 mph in forward speed as it moved northeastward. The tornado was 1 mile wide and was on the ground for 219 miles the longest continuous tornado path ever observed. 85 farms were destroyed near Owensville, Indiana, and the entire town of Griffin, Indiana, was totally destroyed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 17, 2020
1776 - "Evacuation Day"
The first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired in the towns of Lexington and Concord just west of Boston in April 1775. What started as a British victory as they looked for munitions stored by local militia turned into a British rout as American militia from all of New England converged on the area and drove the British back into Boston. Working all night on March 4 and into March 5, 1776 American forces moved the guns onto Dorchester heights that overlooked Boston. It gave the Colonials a commanding position that the British could not counter. British General William Howe then gathered some of his force of 11,000 troops onto ships to cross Boston harbor and attack the gun placements before they could be firmly established. Just as the troops had been loaded into the ships a huge storm hit and caused them to turn back. It gave the Americans time to firm up the guns and their advantage was established. The weather turned the tide. The British soon abandoned Boston, never to return during the rest of the Revolution. They evacuated on March 17, 1776, a day still celebrated in Boston. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, March 16, 2020
1843 - Snowstorm from Gulf of Mexico to Maine
On March 16, 1843 one the first winter storms to be documented to sweep out of the Gulf and Mexico and impact must of the eastern part of the nation was observed. At the start of the second week of March in 1843 arctic air moved southward out of the vast snowfields of the Yukon, down the east slopes of the Rockies and then spread eastward to the Atlantic seaboard. The cold air held for the next few days and on its southern flank, well south in the Gulf of Mexico a storm started to organize. That system strengthened rapidly and then blasted up the east coast, but far enough out in the ocean to keep most mild ocean air away from land. The result was snow from the Gulf of Mexico to Maine. This great snowstorm dumped 8” in Little Rock, AR; 10" in Memphis, TN and a foot of snow in Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Drifts reached 4-5 feet in New York City. Snow turned to rain then back to snow at Providence, RI. 4-6". All snow with punishing gales were recorded in Portland, ME. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, March 15, 2020
1935 - "Black Blizzard" strikes Amarillo, TX
During the drought of the 1930s, the unanchored soil turned to dust, which the prevailing winds blew away in huge clouds that sometimes blackened the sky. These choking billows of dust – named "black blizzards". On March 15, 1935 one of the worst of these black blizzards stuck Amarillo, Texas with Suffocating dust;6 people died, many livestock starved or suffocated. Dust lay 6 feet deep in places. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, March 14, 2020
1870 - The Coining of the term "Blizzard"
The term blizzard has found a significant spot in our language. A blizzard is officially defined as a storm with "considerable falling or blowing snow" and winds in excess of 35 mph with visibilities of less than 1/4 mile for at least 3 hours. But the term wasn’t even invented until March 14 1870. The Editor of the Dakota Republican Vermillion South Dakota described the storm: "A violent snowstorm, driven by a heavy NW wind, and continued three whole days and nights. The weather was intensely cold and the heavy fall flying before a furious wind - blowing as only the prairie winds can blow - rendered traveling exceedingly uncomfortable and dangerous, if not almost impossible." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, March 13, 2020
1888 - The Blizzard of '88
In the decades prior to 1888 there had been no large snowstorm to impact the cities in the area. That all changed starting on March 11, 1888 and reached it’s height on March 13. In what would go down in history as the fabled Blizzard of ’88. The storm was slow to organize on the mid-Atlantic coast with 10” in Philadelphia, then it strengthened rapidly turning into a bomb cyclone. When the snow stopped flying the damage was done; more than 20” in New York 45” in Albany and New Haven Conn. New York City ground to a near halt in the face of massive snow drifts and powerful winds from the storm. At the time, approximately one in every four Americans lived in the area between Washington DC and Boston, more than 400 people perished in the storm. Even though it happened more than 130 years ago it is still the benchmark that all other storms are measured by in the region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, March 12, 2020
1990 - Record High Temperatures in the East
In mid-March winter broke and it did so by completely flipping the script. Warm air started to build across the Plains states by March 10th the jet stream that had dropped far south in the United States bring cold air with it as it retreated quickly northward into Canada. That allowed the warm air out west to pour into the East. March 12 , 1990 saw unheard of record high temperatures. The mercury reached 90 in Raleigh, NC, 87 in Norfolk, Va. 86 on the beaches of Atlantic City. And amazing 95 in Baltimore Md, breaking a record that had stood for 100 years. Meanwhile cool air still helped out over New England and Long Island. While readings in northern New Jersey soared into the upper 80s, central Long Island was chilly. LaGuardia Airport, a mere 60 miles away in New York City reached no higher than 47. But the winter was clearly on the run on March 12, 1990 and no more artic air reached into the Eastern states until the following winter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, March 11, 2020
1911 - Snow depth record for US in California
Tamarack, California sits up in the Sierras of that state at an elevation of 6,913 feet. Located just south of Reno and Lake Tahoe it is home to one of the premiere ski venues in the United States and even the world for that matter, and for good reason. Snowfall averages an incredible 443” a year. During the winter of 1911 the central part of California was impacted by one snowstorm after another. By March 11, 1911 snow on the ground measured an incredible 471” – the greatest snow depth ever measured in one place in the United States, a record that still holds today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 10, 2020
1869 - Reddish snow falls in France
Dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa is the main source of dust in the atmosphere on a yearly basis across the world. The dust has its origins principally in the remains of centuries old dry lake beds, mainly in the country of Chad. This dust is presentient and often times lifts into the low atmosphere creating a general haze across north central Africa. Because of its presence, storms and seasonal or trade winds often pick up huge amounts of the dust and dirt and send it thousands of miles away from Africa – sometimes halfway around the world. On March 10 1869 a reddish snow fell all day across central France. Some locals panicked because they thought it was colored in blood. Africans and scientists knew better what the source of the red appearance. The origin of the red color was the dust raised from the dry lake beds of Chad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, March 09, 2020
1862 - The Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack
The Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack occurred on March 9, 1862,. It was the first battle between ironclad warships. The Northern-built Merrimack, a conventional steam frigate, had been salvaged by the Confederates from the Norfolk navy yard. With her upper hull cut away and armored with iron, this 263-foot improvisation that resembled, according to one contemporary source, “a floating barn roof.” The ship had destroyed a fleet of wooden warships off Newport News, Virginia in the days leading up to the battle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, March 08, 2020
2008 - Major storm moves across the Tennessee Valley
On March 8, 2008, a major storm moving across the Tennessee Valley brought snow to the Midwest, strong thunderstorms to the Southeast and heavy rain and flooding the Northeast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, March 07, 2020
2017 - Powerful tornado destroys nearly 500 homes
It was an active start to the month of March across the United States in 2017. But the most prominent event was a storm that moved out of the Rockies and into the Plains on March 7th. This system developed thunderstorms from southwest Minnesota to eastern Nebraska in the mid afternoon of the 7th, then the systems expanded from northeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin and southward to Oklahoma by the early evening. A powerful tornado also ripped through Oak Grove, Kansas, an outlying suburb of Kansas City. The tornado and attending thunderstorms tore apart the region damaging or destroying nearly 500 homes and building and causing 12 injuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, March 06, 2020
1962 - Massive beach erosion along the New Jersey Coast
In early March of 1962 a massive storm developed along the Carolina Capes, instead of riding up and along the coast as usually occurs, that system was blocked by a large and building high pressure system over New England. The storm stalled and got stronger, the result was a strengthening pressure difference known as a pressure gradient, between the high pressure area and the storm. The result of such a pressure difference is usually a stronger and stronger wind flow and such a situation developed in 1962. That flow piled up massive amounts of water on the coast, not unlike a Hurricane. This weather situation held relentlessly for days and the result was massive beach erosion, especially along the New Jersey coast. Waves reached 40’ high and several resort islands, like Long Beach Island, New Jersey were cut in several places and new inlets opened up. It would take years for the Army Corps of Engineers to make the Islands whole again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, March 05, 2020
1899 - Cyclone Mahina
On March 5, 1899, one of the most powerful Tropical Cyclones ever to strike Australia caused unimaginable damage. Cyclone Mahina was the deadliest cyclone in recorded Australian history, and also likely the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, March 04, 2020
1909 - Inauguration Day Blizzard
On March 4 1909, William Howard Taft was to be sworn in as the 27th President of the united States. The night before a fierce storm struck the East Coast and all but shut down travel. The blizzard left more than 10” of snow. The inauguration ceremony was moved indoors, into the Senate Chamber. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, March 03, 2020
1994 - Massive snowstorm dumps 30" in Central PA
On March 3, 1994, a major storm belted the region; as much as 30” of snow buried parts of central PA. This intense storm resulted in the establishment of many seasonal snowfall records in the region. The snow was accompanied by frequent thunder and lightning in some locations. A snow avalanche buried 5 cars under 20 feet of snow, trapping the occupants for 28 hours before rescue in the Pennsylvania Mountains of Clinton County. 28" of snow fell at State College PA; 24" at Lock Haven, PA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, March 02, 2020
1975 - Tornadoes in Georgia leave a trail of destruction
The morning of March 2, 1975 dawned warm and humid across Georgia. As the day wore on in Atlanta temperatures continued to climb, meanwhile across the Mississippi Valley a strong cold front was heading eastward. As that system gathered momentum and pushed into the warmer weather a strong line of severe thunderstorms erupted across Alabama. By afternoon violent weather was approaching Atlanta and tornadoes developed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, March 01, 2020
2007 - Clash of air masses result in violent weather
In late February 2007 arctic cold had most of the western half of nation in its’ grip at the same time warm and humid weather covered the eastern states. It was a classic set up of a clash of air masses that resulted in a violent weather outcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, February 29, 2020
February 29th - Leap Year Weather Events
You might think that the weather record books aren’t very full for a leap year day. After all it only happens every 4 years. But that’s not the case. February 29th occurs in the heart of the winter and the records are full of extremes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, February 28, 2020
1994 - Record cold in the Pacific Northwest
On February 28, 1994 an arctic air mass settled in over Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Record cold gripped the region. Burns Oregon recorded a low temperature of 22 below zero smashing the old record of 2 above. In Pocatello, ID the mercury reached 17 below, another record. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, February 27, 2020
1997 - Several inches of snow on the summits of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Haleakala in Hawaii
When storms strike in the rainy, winter season in Hawaii from December to February, snow and ice can accumulate on the mountains and even though the snow doesn’t stay around too long it can certainly keep those peaks white. Such a winter event occurred of February 27, 1997, when several inches of snow fell on the summits of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Haleakala. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, February 27, 2020
1645 - Several feet of snow across New England makes travel virtually impossible for 3 weeks
A storm churning up the Atlantic seaboard dumped several feet of snow across New England on February 26, 1645. With little help to clean or for that matter pack down the snow it was reported that travel was virtually impossible for 3 weeks. Courts and public meetings were suspended to almost the end of March. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 25, 2020
1961 - One of the worst ice storms to strike North America
From the morning of February 25, 1961 until the next day sheets of rain pounded the Montreal area, at the same time cold air hugged the lowest several thousand feet of the atmosphere, and the result was one of the worst ice storms to strike North America. Many homes had no heat for more than a week. Water lines were impacted as well and many suburban areas were unable to get water because of the lack of power. Government authorities set up shelters in area schools to house thousands of people who had no heat, water or communication. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, February 24, 2020
1969 - 5-day long New England snowstorm dumps close to 50" in some places
In February 1969 artic cold had been holding New England in its grip for most of the month and a series of storms had brought snow all across the region. In some places 1-3 feet of snow had already been reported in the first 3 and a half weeks of the month. It was only the beginning. On February 24, 1969 at 1:35am snow began in Boston. The snow continued, almost without let up for 5 days. By the time the snow ended just after noontime on February 28 26.3” was measured at Boston’s Logan airport right along the water. But much heavier amounts were recorded just inland, from areas in Boston, like Roxbury to places like Malden and also Lexington and Concord of Revolutionary war fame, the storm brought 40-50” of the white stuff. 77” was recorded at Pinkham Notch in New Hampshire, bringing the February snowfall total to 130” and the total snow depth to 164”. It took New Englanders the better part of the next week to dig out from the great 5-day snowstorm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, February 23, 2020
1802 - Massive snowstorm in New England leaves up to 4' of accumulation
On February 23, 1802 a great snowstorm raged across New England, by nightfall when the snow stopped flying, drifts in places near Boston piled up to 4 feet high. People were left to fend for themselves to dig out of places which efforts took nearly a week. This eventually led to the development of snow-removal practices. Before the mid-1800s, there wasn’t really any effort to get snow off roads. Before 1862, people didn’t use snow plows, they used snow rollers. The way people travelled through snow was by attaching skis to their horse-drawn carts and carriages. Snow rollers were huge, horse-drawn wheels that would flatten out the snow, making it easier for the carts with skis to move through the winter roads. But by the mid-19th century, as cities were rapidly growing in population, city streets needed to be entirely clear of snow for the business of the city to continue. And with this, came snow plows, first used by the city of Milwaukee in 1862. Early snow plows were horse-drawn, and would deposit the compacted snow in huge piles on the city’s streets and sidewalks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, February 22, 2020
1901 - Dense fog near San Francisco leads to sinking of freighter claiming 128 lives
Fog and low clouds have been the bane of travelers since the beginning of time. As more people travel in groups and because of modern technology those going from place to place sometimes find themselves at the mercy of the low clouds and fog with no way to escape. Such a tragedy struck on February 22 1901 when a Pacific mail steamer struck a rock in near San Francisco as it attempted to enter the bay during a dense fog. The ship went down claiming 128 lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, February 21, 2020
1971 -Arctic cold plunges southward and causes blizzard conditions and a tornado outbreak
1971 had been a relatively mild winter east of the Mississippi. Many areas had been bathed in warmth and humidity for much of February. Such was the situation on the morning of February 21. Meanwhile bitter cold that had been locked in the Arctic regions of Canada was finally able to break free as the jet stream, that up to the point in the winter has remained far north, finally plunged southward. As the brutal cold moved into the nation’s heartland it came into direct conflict with the early springtime conditions. In areas where the cold became quickly established snow developed and tuned into an all-out blizzard. By the morning of February 22 1-3 feet of snow-covered areas from Texas to Iowa, including drifts to 20 feet high. But the most violent impact of the clash of airmasses occurred in the warm sector where a vicious tornado outbreak killed 212 people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, February 20, 2020
1805 - How ice jams slowed down navigation on the Potomac river
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Wed, February 19, 2020
What is a Pineapple Express and how did it lead to over 10" of rain falling in LA?
The Pineapple Express is a non-technical term for a meteorological phenomenon characterized by a strong and persistent flow of moisture and associated with heavy rain and snow from the waters near the Hawaiian Islands and extending to locations along the Pacific coast of North America, mainly California. Such weather patterns set up every few years during the winter, that is actually the rainy season on the west coast of the US. In February of 1980 and extreme version of this pattern set up and lasted for almost a week reaching it’s zenith on February 19. Rain had been falling in Los Angeles in the first in a series of storms pushed along by the Pineapple Express first began Feb. 13th. Downtown L.A. has recorded more than 12" of rain in that time period. In the mountains south of Monterey, 22.24” of rain totaled by the 19th. Unofficially, 19 deaths were attributed to the storms of the previous week in Southern California alone, with over $100 million in damage, more than $325 million in today’s dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 18, 2020
A 2016 storm in Georgia leads to high winds, coastal flooding and high snow totals in North
A massive storm developed in Georgia, on February 18th,2016 spreading snow up the Appalachians and into New England. Blizzard conditions developed in Pennsylvania by the 19th. These conditions forced a closing of Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania. Winds clocked at up to 50 mph during the storm shipped snow into drifts as deep as 20 feet in some sections of north Central Pennsylvania. Tides of 6-8' above normal caused severe flooding at coastal areas along the east coast north of Virginia. Thousands became homeless in New England due to coastal flooding. Breakers a 8-ton concrete seawall blocks in across coastal roadways in Maine. Winds clocked to 110 mph at Eastham on Cape Cod. This massive storm said to have some hurricane characteristics, such as an eye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, February 17, 2020
1936 - Temperature reaches -58 F in McIntosh, SD
The Dust Bowl is generally associated with extreme drought and heat. The "Dust Bowl" years of 1930-36 brought some of the hottest summers on record to the United States, especially across the Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lake States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, February 16, 2020
1958 - Massive snowstorm leaves behind $550 million in damage
February 16, 1958 marked the end of a massive snowstorm that had developed in the lower Mississippi Valley a few days earlier. By the morning of the 16th already more than a foot of snow was on the ground in DC.. 2’ pf snow clogged Boston by the evening of the 16 with an incredible 30-36” from the Catskills in New York to the White Mountains of New England. After the storm moved out to sea later that night the toll was staggering 43 had died and more than $500 million dollars of destruction, more than $4.5 billion in today’s dollars was totaled. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, February 15, 2020
1895 - The greatest snowfall to ever hit the Gulf coast
The Texas Gulf coast is know for hot steamy weather and has been the site of some of the most destructive and deadly hurricanes ever to strike the United States, but on February 15, 1895 arctic cold plunged into the south with a vengeance. 15, 1895 a record snowfall was measured from Texas to Alabama: Rayne, Louisiana recorded 22" a state record; Houston, also had, 22"; an incredible 15.4” feel on the beaches of Galveston, Texas, there was 8.2” in New Orleans, Louisiana, 8.2"; 6” in Brownsville, and Mobile, Alabama. Nothing like it has ever been seen since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, February 14, 2020
How snow in Alabama led to higher chicken coop construction standards
On February 14, 1958 in Haleyville, AL 16” of snow fell, an extreme snow event for that area of the country. The weight of the snow was extremely heavy and it caused many chicken coops in the poultry region to collapse leading to the crushing of many of the chickens inside. The coops were not constructed to withstand the heavy wet snow that fell, since the entire average winter’s snowfall in the region was a mere 1-2”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, February 13, 2020
1899 - Much of the nation in the grip of an arctic outbreak
By February 13, 1899 much of the nation had been suffering under the icy grip of the worst artic outbreak since the founding of the republic. Records that stand today had been set in previous days and more were to fall in the next few days. The temperature on the morning of February 13, 1899 along the Gulf coast sat at incredibly low readings; -16 degrees Minden, LA a record for state, in New Orleans the mercury was 6.8 degrees; at in Mobile -1 degree; Pensacola 7 degrees; Brownsville Texas was 12 degrees all time low for the city. Temperatures all the way southward to Ft Myers were in the 20s and snowflakes where observed all across Florida. But father up the East Coast the brunt of the outbreak was being felt as a Great Blizzard paralyzed the region on the 13th and 14th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, February 12, 2020
1899 - The coldest airmass to move into the United States in recorded history
February 1899 marked the arrival of perhaps the coldest airmass in move into the United States in recorded history. For more than a week the bitter artic cold ravaged North America with Blizzards and ice. Records were established that hold even today more than century later. A foot and a half of snow had not only fallen in Philadelphia and Baltimore, but Richmond and Raleigh. (By February 12 the storm was in full swing, in Boston winds gusted to 65 mph and maintained an average of 50 mph throughout the entire day. 24-36" of snow just north on Boston in Beverly. The Boston Herald declared: "Rarely, if ever, has Boston been so completely snowbound as it has been by this blizzard." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 11, 2020
An airmass that brought 1-2' of snow to the I-95 corridor
February 11, 1994 dawned cold across the Tennessee Valley, an air mass that originated in the artic snow fields of the Yukon had in previous days blasted across the northern plains state and by the 11th had settled into much of the nation east of the Rockies. . The result was Severe ice storm across parts of Tennessee, Alabama, and much of Kentucky. 1.45" of rain fell at Memphis --all with a temperature below freezing. Power was knocked out in many areas as ice accumulated on tree limbs and wires. In some cases, power was not restored for as much as 2 weeks. As the storm turned northward and into deeper cold air snow broke out on a wide front along the I-95 corridor and dumped heavy snow reaching depths of close to 1-2’ from Harrisburg and Allentown Pa into New England, including New York City, snarling traffic and closing airports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, February 10, 2020
1972, the first rain in 10 years causes landslides in Calama, Chile
Calama, Chile is one of the driest cities in the world with average annual precipitation of just 0.20”. Located on the Atacama Desert, a plateau in South America. The desert is one of the driest places in the world, as well as the only true desert to receive less precipitation than polar regions. In many locations in the desert it rains but once every 10 years and then in small amounts. But on February 10,1972 a torrential downpour depositing several inches of rain caused catastrophic floods and landslides, isolating the town and cutting off electricity. Prior to this event, the town had been known as THE driest place on earth, having had virtually no rain for 400 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, February 09, 2020
The "Mayor Lindsay Storm"
On February 9 1969 the fortunes of New York City Mayor John Lindsay were riding high. But his future in politics was about to be undone by the weather. Warned in advance of an impending storm his administration was ill prepared. What became known as the Mayor Lindsay Storm" dumped 15.3" at New York City; Central Long Island 12-18"; Scarsdale, NY 24"; Falls Village, CT 35"; Bridgeport, CT 17.7"; Hartford, CT 15.8"; Bedford, MA 25"; Blue Hill 21"; Boston 11.1"; Portland, ME 21.5"; 800 cars stranded on Tappan-Zee Bridge. Property damage totaled in New England more than $10 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, February 08, 2020
1835: Bitter cold kills orange trees in Florida
On February 8, 1835 a bitter cold arctic blast reached into the southern part of the United States and produced low temperatures unknown in that region. The mercury reached below zero as far south as Savannah Georgia and on the morning of February 8 the temperature read 8 degrees in Jacksonville killing most of the orange trees and setting back the citrus industry more than 10 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fri, February 07, 2020
The 2008 Storm That Brought Heavy Rain, Snow, and High Wind Gusts
The first week of February 2008 was a tough one for the western US as a powerful storm moved onshore. The storm’s height culminated on February 7. There were several areas of very heavy rain with some places having nearly 10“ while winds gusted to more than 100 mph. Snow was also impressive with a whopping 132“ in Kirksville, CA and 62“ in Wolf Creek Pass Colorado. At height of the storm it was estimated that nearly 2 million people were without power through California, Nevada and Utah. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, February 06, 2020
The Blizzard of 2010
February 6, 2010 marked the culmination of a coast to coast storm that brought parts of the Central United States snow and ice and snarled traffic and caused flight delays for the days leading up to the 6th. By the time the snow was done flying on the afternoon of February 6, 28.5” of snow had fallen in Philadelphia making it the 2nd greatest snowfall in that city’s history. Baltimore totaled 24.8” an all-time record and in the nation’s capital 32.4” of measured smashing the old the record for the heaviest single season fall by almost 10”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, February 05, 2020
The coldest temperature ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere
On February 5, 1892 record cold held most of the north Asia in its icy grip. In the Siberian town of Verkhoyansk in Tsarist Russia the mercury plunged to 90.4 degrees F below zero, making it the coldest temperature ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, February 04, 2020
The Super Tuesday Severe Weather Outbreak
On February 4, 2008 record warmth was surging northward from Mexico at the same time 14 states prepared to hold primary elections for the 2008 Presidential election cycle. As the heat reached its peak the storm from the west started to act on the hot air and also moisture moving out of the Gulf of Mexico as the storm started to do it’s work it sparked an outbreak of severe storms from northeast Texas to the lower Ohio valley. The strongest thunderstorms spawned deadly and destructive tornadoes, which resulted in numerous injuries and at least 55 fatalities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, February 03, 2020
One of the truly great snowstorms of the mid-20th century in the US
February 3, 1961 is the date of one of the truly great snowstorms of the mid-20th century in the US. In a winter filled with huge east coast winter storms, including the JFK inauguration storm on January 19-20, 1961, The storm of February 3 was the last in the series of what up to that time turned was one of the snowiest winters in 100 years of record keeping in the east. For more, visit www.accuweather.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Date in Weather History

This Date in Weather History Update

2014: Hail storm causes $400 million in damage in Abilene, TX

2008: F3 tornado strikes Scout camp near Little Sioux, IA

1752: Benjamin Franklin famously flies kite in thunderstorm

1984: Violent tornado outbreak in Russia

The 1953 Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak

1984: F5 tornado destroys 90% of Barneveld, WI

1944: How weather forecasting impacted D-Day

1925: Temperature reaches 100 degrees in Washington DC

1976: Strong tropical cyclone and 40' storm surge hits India

1921: Cloudburst causes 10' of flooding in Pueblo, CO

1889: Flooding of the Potomac River

1965: Tropical system causes 30k fatalities in Bangladesh

1889: The Johnstown Flood

1879: The Real-life inspiration for "The Wizard of Oz"

1914: Empress of Ireland and Storstad ships collide

1880: 1' of rain falls in less than 2 hours in Brackettville, TX

1896: The third most deadly tornado in U.S. history strikes St. Louis

2008: "Pneumonia Front" causes big temperature drops in Chicago

1987: A fisherman is struck and killed by lightning

1986: Severe and destructive storm strikes Texas

1908: Record flooding impacts north and central Texas

The May 1957 Tornado Outbreak

1918: Tornadoes strike Kansas town for 3 consecutive years

2007: Temperature reaches 115°F in Sibi, Pakistan

1894: Severe storms and wind sinks 9 ships on Lake Michigan

1814: Logs in swollen Maine rivers cause destruction

1874: The Mill River Flood

1968: Five tornadoes strike Iowa

1834: Late-season storm brings snow from Ohio to New England

1930: One of the few hail deaths in the US occurs

1934: Massive dust storm strikes Eastern US cities

2003: Record tornado outbreak impacts 25 US states

1889: Destructive tornado touches down in Reading, PA

1977: Powerful snowstorm strikes Northeast US

1360: Massive storms impact outcome of Hundred Years War

1840: Deadly Tornado strikes Natchez, MS

1937: The Hindenburg Disaster

1761: 5" of snow falls in Ashford, CT

1774: 4" of snow falls in Germantown, Philadelphia

1978: 11" of rain falls on "Sun Day" in New Orleans

2009: Storm collapses roof of Dallas Cowboys' practice facility

1854: 90 consecutive hours of rain falls in New England

1887: Massive Flooding at China's "Yellow River"

1991: Tropical storm surge floods Bangladesh

1992: "Grapefruit-sized" hail devastates parts of Texas

2004: High temperatures smash records across Southern California

1986: The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

1982: Lightning strike damages Alabama town's water supply

1993: Large tornado hits Interstate 44 in Tulsa

2013: Latest measurable snowfall on record in Wichita, Kansas

1980: Temperature reaches 100°F in Waterloo, Iowa

1963: Rare "Dust Devil" strikes Reading, PA

1982: Violent thunderstorms produce baseball-sized hail

1775: Paul Revere's Ride - Part II

1775: Paul Revere's Ride - Part I

1821: 12" of snow blankets Boston, MA

1851: The Lighthouse Storm

1912: The Sinking of the RMS Titanic

1986: World's heaviest hailstone falls in Bangladesh

1981: Person talking on phone killed by lightning

1841: 12" of snow falls in Philadelphia

1999: 3" of rain brings flooding to Hong Kong

1996: Spring storm dumps snow on US East coast

1993: Several tornadoes rip through West Bengal, India

1938: Blizzard leaves 20' snow drifts in Texas

1977: Wintry weather impacts first Blue Jays game

1936: Tornado devastates town of Gainesville, GA

1816: The Eruption of Mount Tambora

1933: The Akron airship disaster

1974: The "Super Tornado Outbreak"

1837: 17" of snow falls in St. Louis, MO

1997: The "Great April Fools Day Snowstorm"

1807: Early chronicled winter storm strikes upstate New York

1843: 2' of snow falls in Indiana

1848: Ice jam causes Niagara Falls to run dry

2005: Storms along East coast brings heavy rain and flooding

1980: Winnipeg, Manitoba reaches March record-high

2014: Powerful Nor'Easter strikes New England