ArchivesWeather Wise
Edited by May 17, 2006 9:09 pm
What's the WEATHER doing in your corner of the world??
So many of our conversations and our daily decisions are affected by WEATHER... it's so hot, it's so wet, it's so dry... How much rain did you get? and so on!!
HERE, you can share some weather facts, what the weather's doing where you live, etc. It will be interesting to see what the different weather patterns are across the board...
For temperature conversions (ºC, ºF etc.), you can click here for an easy conversion tool.
Click above for the Canadian Weather Office
(there are also links to WORLD WEATHER you can follow from the CDN Weather Office site)
(593 previous messages)
- Jun 25, 2006 11:52 am (#594 of 659)
Edited by Jun 25, 2006 4:54 am
June 16...
1806 Total eclipse of the sun visible from Massachusetts to Southern California.
1917 The temperature at Mecca CA soared to 124ºF, marking the zenith of California's most destructive heat wave on record.
1944 Tornadoes usually travel northeast, but not the one that occurred on this date in 1944 in Sioux City IA. It spun in one place for twenty minutes, then traveled southeast, made a U-turn, and eventually headed in every direction on the compass before dissipating.
1965 Severe floods in Colorado. 12-14 (304.8mm - 355.6mm) inches of rain fell on portions of the east slopes of the Rockies and the plains east of Denver. 14 inches (355.6 mm) fell at Palmer Lake and Larkspur. A wall of water roared down Plum Creek and into the South Platte River near Littleton. Flood waters spread to a width of 1/2 mile in Denver. Many homes and businesses were destroyed. Damage totaled $230 million. 8 people were killed. Colorado registered its record maximum 24 hour precipitation as 281.4mm (11.1 inches) of rain falls at Holly.
1972 Agnes was born on this date, forming as a tropical storm east of the Yucatan Peninsula. Agnes would be a storm with two distinct lives. She would move north over the Gulf of Mexico and strike the Florida Panhandle as a minimal hurricane. A few days later, the remnants of Hurricane Agnes would be rejuvenated over the Northeast, dumping heavy amounts of rain and causing record flooding across area from the 20th through the 24th.
1992 65 tornadoes reported across the central U.S. on this date, the second highest one day total in history. 27 occurred in Minnesota. An F5 tornado leveled half of the town of Chandler, Minnesota, where one person was killed. The two-day count of twisters was 123, second only to the Superoutbreak of April 3-4, 1974.
2004 A 2-hour rainstorm deluges southwest Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with 7.79 inches (198 mm) of rain, flooding streets and homes. The Big Sioux River overflows closing several parks and bike trails.
2004 June 16-17 In Lagos, Nigeria, heavy thunderstorm rains produced flash flooding stranding thousands of commuters at bus stops as public transportation is halted.
- Jun 25, 2006 1:15 pm (#595 of 659)
Edited by Jun 25, 2006 6:15 am
June 17...
1838 The barque Sir Archibald Campbell, bound from Miramichi, NB, to Prince Edward Island, struck hard on the North Cape reef in heavy fog. The crew made it safely to shore, ontly to have a Yankee fishing schooner plunder the wreck.
1946 Windsor's Killer Tornado -- The third worst killer tornado in Canadian history reared up across the Detroit River, tracking from near Detroit, Michigan, via Windsor to Tecumseh, Ontario, killing 17 people and demolishing or damaging 400 homes in Windsor and the surrounding county. The tornado also took down 150 barns and farm buildings, and uprooted hundreds of orchard trees and full-grown woodlots. Damage was conservatively estimated at $1.5 million.
2002 24mm rain fell in the 12 hours to 12 GMT on the 17th in Fort St. John, BC. This a little more than a third of the average June rainfall of 63mm here. It was also the wettest day here since April 14th 2002 when 24mm also fell, but before that you'd have to go back to July 16th and 17th 2001 to find similarly wet days here. Interestingly, before the rain came there was a stark change in temperature; highs peaked at 28C on the 15th, the hottest day here since August 16th 2001, but Sunday was much cooler at 14th. And then came the rain!
- Jun 25, 2006 1:21 pm (#596 of 659)
June 17...
1859 Hot Santa Ana winds were hot enough to roast fruit on one side at Santa Barbara CA.
1882 Town of Grinell, Iowa, was destroyed by a tornado. The path of the family of twisters was 105 miles long. Total storm fatalities were 68. 39 were killed in the town of Grinnell. 2 people were killed on a train west of Grinnell. Observers reported seeing two twin funnels as the storm passed through Grinnell.
1960 Heavy rains just west of Binghamton, NY, produced 3 inches of rain in less than a half an hour. Flash flooding was reported in Johnson City, Vestal, and northern sides of Endicott.
1965 11.08 inches of rain fell at Holly CO, establishing the state's 24 hour rainfall record.
1978 The "Whippoorwill" Disaster -- A weak tornado struck a showboat on Pomona Lake KS, with 58 people aboard as it left the dock for a dinner cruise. 16 people drowned as the boat capsized, making the twister the deadliest tornado of the year.
1988 Thunderstorms produce large hail and damaging winds across Georgia and the Carolinas. Thunderstorm winds gust to 75 mph (120 km/h) at Eden, North Carolina.
1991 Record cold over the Pacific Northwest -- New record low temperature marks were established in Burna, Oregon, with 31ºF and Yakima, Washington, with 36ºF.
1997 What a difference a few miles and an ocean makes! A daily record low temperature was broken at the Atlantic City Airport at 5:50 this morning. The old record was 48ºF, set back in 1995 and previous years. On the other hand, the state marina in Atlantic City, NJ, was a balmy 61ºF, far from the record of 52ºF, set in 1964.
- Jun 25, 2006 1:28 pm (#597 of 659)
June 18...
1890 A married couple from Moncton, NB, died when lightning ignited their home. The rapid progress of the fire prevented others from helping. Their neighbours were horrified by what they saw through the window. The woman, in shock, lay down by her burning husband, who was sick in bed. The charred remains of the husband and wife were found in the ruins.
1927 A tornado picked up a house in Elfros, SK, killing one person. The tornado cut an 11km path of damage.
1973 A storm over eastern Nova Scotia produced around 10cm (3.9 inches) of snow over the higher ground west of Sydney. High winds caused some damage as well, the worst of which was over Cape Breton Island.
1995 The mercury soared to 39ºC (102.2°F) in Thunder Bay, Ontario, the hottest June day recorded here.
2002 The average June rainfall in Fort Nelson, British Columbia is 64.3mm (2.5 inches), but in just 6 hours in the late afternoon and evening 22mm (.9 inches) rain fell as a depression moved over the region. 2002 June 6 & 7 were just as wet, but then you'd have to go back to 2001 September 26 to find a day as wet here.
- Jun 25, 2006 1:33 pm (#598 of 659)
Edited by Jun 25, 2006 6:48 am
June 18...
1870 $5 million in damage from wind, rain and hail in Oberlin KS. The hail piled up to a depth of 7 inches.
1875 A Hurricane or coastal storm strikes Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Nova Scotia. A wind gust to 57 mph was recorded at Eastport ME.
1958 Hailstones up to four inches (10 cm) in diameter killed livestock from Joliet to Belfry in Carbon County MT as a storm passed through.
1987 The third straight day of record heat in Marquette MI saw temperatures hit 90ºF.
1991 Atlanta GA recorded a new record for the amount of rainfall in one hour: 3.47 inches falling between 6:52 PM and 7:52 PM EDT.
2002 Much of central Europe enjoyed a very hot day; temperatures in the Netherlands peaked close to 35ºC (95ºF) in Arcen, whilst over the border in Koblenz, Germany, the high of 39.4ºC (102.9ºF) was a new record June high. Meanwhile, the day before Auxerre in France reached 37ºC (98.6ºF).
- Jun 25, 2006 1:44 pm (#599 of 659)
June 19...
1898 Amidst foul weather and thousands of offshore icebergs, ships were blockaded from comng ashore with provision for the destitute fishers and their families at Twillilngate, White Bay, and St. Anthony, NL. Seven died of hugner in St. Anthony. A Catholic Priest dispatched a messenger to Tilt Cove with this desparate telegram: "Send provisions at once; if not, boards to make a coffin."
1989 8 tornadoes touched down over central Saskatchewan. Winds gusted up to 130km/h and hail shredded crops at Blaine Lake, SK.
2001 A weak tornado lasting a mere 30 seconds struck near Alma, in the Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec. With winds exceeding 180 km/h, the tornado completely destroyed two houses, a barn and a garage. The high winds also damaged several roofs and uprooted trees. Remarkably, no one was hurt. Three weeks later, a second funnel cloud in the same region ripped the roof off a house and knocked out power to several areas.
- Jun 25, 2006 1:53 pm (#600 of 659)
June 19...
1835 A tornado hit New Brunswick, New Jersey killing 5 people. Debris falling from the tornado was reported as far away as Manhattan. Other smaller tornadoes were reported at Patterson, New Jersey, Kinderhook, New York, and Pine Plains, New York.
1938 A cloudburst caused a railroad bridge to collapse near Custer Creek, MT killing 48 people. 7 passenger cars and the locomotive all plunged off the bridge. One sleeper car was completely submerged. 4 - 7 inches of rain led to the disaster.
1972 Hurricane Agnes began life as a tropical disturbance off the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on June 14, 1972. The Hurricane Agnes moved ashore in the Florida panhandle with the highest wind reported being a gust to just 56 mph at Apalachicola, Florida. Agnes' main damage would come two days later as the remnants of the storm brought tremendous rains and flooding to parts of the Northeast. Hurricane Agnes' 5-day romp through the Atlantic seaboard made the storm the costliest natural disaster in the United States at that time. Damage was estimated at $3.5 billion and 122 deaths were reported from Florida to New York. Agnes would produce more damage than all tropical cyclones in the previous six years, including Camille.
1987 Debunking another lightning myth -- A woman was struck by lightning while in her car in Know County, TX.
1990 A derecho hits Wichita, Kansas, during the late evening hours its 187 km/h (116 mph) winds reached topple trees, rip apart small buildings, and knock down over 1,000 power poles. The storm causes more than $50 million in damage.
1992 One of the worst thunderstorm disasters ever to hit Kansas -- Two massive hailstorms across south central Kansas dumped hailstones as large as 4.5 inches in diameter in the area around Sedgwick and surrounding counties. Over 10,000 homes were damaged. Property damage totaled $500 million and crop damage exceeded $100 million. The wheat crop was nearly totally destroyed.
2004 At Annette Island, Alaska, an all-time record high temperature is set at 93°F (33.9°C).
- Jun 25, 2006 2:00 pm (#601 of 659)
Edited by Jun 25, 2006 7:03 am
June 20...
1874 Seven people were killed in an eight hour long intesnse thunderstorm in Southern Manitoba. The storm brought heavy rain and incredible lightning. Lightning stampeded a herd of 250 police horses.
1959 Fishing Fleet Disaster --- A north-easterly gale off Esuminac, NB which suddenly sprung up sank 22 salmon boats, drowning more than 30 fishermen in what is the Gulf of St.Lawrence fishing fleets worst disaster.
1991 Nearly 140 mm (5.5 inches) of rain deluges Waterton Lakes National Park in the far Southwest corner of Alberta.
1995 Thunderstorms rumbled for 7 hours over Mantioba producing 90 km/h winds which blew trees and power lines over. The storm even produced a weak tornado.
2003 For the third time, a South African couple fought for permission to live in rainy Prince Rupert, B.C., the cloudiest city in Canada. They won a crucial federal court victory against Canada Immigration, entitling them to another hearing. The family suffered from a severe form of porphyria, a rare genetic conditon that makes them unable to tolerate sunlight.
2004 June 20-21 Like It Warm? Go North! An incredible heat wave engulfed most of Yukon Territory in June, including a temperature of 33.2°C on June 21 at the Whitehorse Airport - its third warmest temperature ever in 62 years. Further, the Airport doubled its longest stretch of +30°C temperatures from four consecutive days to eight. With most Canadians shivering in June, Yukoners were roasting in an unprecedented heat wave. Swift River on the Alaska Highway became the hottest spot ever recorded in the Yukon with an unofficial temperature of 37°C. Among the other warm summer weather highlights: Old Crow had its warmest June on record; Dawson had its warmest day ever on June 20 at 34.5°C (records go back to 1976); and Whitehorse had nine new daily maximum temperature records and nine new minimum temperature records. The rest of the summer didn't disappoint either. July was in the top ten of warmest and August in the top five of the warmest on record for the Yukon.
- Jun 25, 2006 2:24 pm (#602 of 659)
June 20...
1682 A major tornado hit Southwestern Connecticut. The cities of New Haven, Stratford and Milford were affected before the twister passed out into Long Island Sound.
1890 The Deacon Hunt School near Paw Paw, IL was struck by an F4 tornado near midafternoon. Most of the children had been sent home, but the twister killed all the 6 remaining pupils and teacher. A total of 13 fatalities and 60 injuries were reported along the storm's path which extended 25 miles across Lee and DeKalb counties.
1921 The town of Circle, Montana, was deluged by 11.5 inches (292 mm) of rain in 24 hours, a record for the state. Circle received a total of 16.79 inches (426 mm) of rain that month to establish a Montana rainfall record in for any month of the year.
1957 A violent F5 tornado tore through Fargo, North Dakota. 10 people were killed (including 6 children in one family), 103 were injured, and more than 1300 homes were damaged or destroyed. The twister tore a 56 mile-long, 800 yards wide path through the city. The tornado caused $10 million damage. There might well have been more casualties had the media not been able to announce the imminent arrival of the tornado. This also led to large numbers of photographers going outside to meet and capture the tornado on film. Later scientists were able to study these pictures (stills and motion).
1964 A series of squall lines moved through central Illinois on the 20th and early on the 21st. Major hailstorms produced hailstones as large as grapefruit. There was heavy damage to structures, trees and utility lines. Damage totaled $9 million.
1964 Ken Venturi won golf's U.S. Open at Washington, D.C., playing under almost unbearable conditions of heat and humidity. The high on this date was today's high was 92°F (humidity was 85%). The day before, the high was 95°F. Ice for the golfers' use was allowed for the final round.
1970 Norway's hottest day on record was at Nesbyen, when the temperature peaked at 35.6ºC (96.1ºF).
1988 104ºD at Chicago IL and 97ºF at Flint MI were both records for the month of June at each respective location. 38 U.S. Cities reported record highs for the date.
1989 Hot thunderstorm winds raised the temperature at Pierre SD from 86ºF at midnight to 96ºF at 1:00 AM to an amazing 104 degrees at 2am.
1991 A record high of 86ºF in Annette, AK easily beat the old record of 79ºF set in 1958.
1992 Snow mixed with rain was reported in Alpena, Michigan, in spite of the fact that it was the first day of summer here.
1993 Tropical Storm Arlene dumped 9-10 inches of rain on Corpus Christi, TX.
1995 Unusually large hail for New England with baseball sized hail at Vernon, Manchester, Deep River and Old Saybrook, CT. The hail lasted for 20 minutes at Deep River where $$hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage were caused. Automobiles were totaled off.
1997 Parts of eastern Nebraska woke up to a real hot morning. After low temperatures overnight in the upper 70ºF's, the temperature spiked up to at least 89ºF at Lincoln at 5:00 AM, 90ºF at the western suburbs of Omaha and to 93ºF degrees near Gretna. The biggest warm up was at Millard, where the temperature soared to 97ºF. By 6:00 AM CDT, the warming reached Eppley Airfield, with the temperature up to 88ºF from 81ºF at 4:00 AM. This heating was caused by a layer of hot air aloft which was pulled to the surface by thunderstorms in the area. It was accompanied by gusty southerly winds.
1997 Jackson, Mississippi, finally reached 90ºF for the first time in 1997. This is the latest ever for the first 90ºF reading. The old record for the first 90ºF day was June 19,1974. There had only been 14 years out of 102 years that the temperature has not reached 90ºF at Jackson by June 1st.
2000 The first thunderstorm on record at Barrow, on Alaska's North Slope, dumped 4.1mm (0.16 inches) of rain on the town in just a couple of minutes.
- Jun 25, 2006 2:27 pm (#603 of 659)
Edited by Jun 25, 2006 7:27 am
June 21...
1984 69.8mm rain fell in Winnipeg, MB, the wettest June day on record there.
2002 Two people are injured by lightning during a thunderstorm in Toronto.
2003 Blame it on the weather!! An Edmonton, AB, golf pro failed in his third attempt to break the world's record for the most holes golfed in a 24-hour perod, set in 1990. He had completed 817 holes in miserable weather when time ran out. To break the record, h e needed to golf at least 847 holes, averaging 18 holes a half hour. Twelve hours of rain had made the grass too treacherous for driving his souped-up golf cart.
2004 In Whitehorse, Yukon, the mercury soared to 33.3°C (92°F) the hottest day in over 50 years, and breaking the old record for the day by 6.7ºC (12ºF). In addition, the Airport doubles its longest stretch of 30°C-plus (87°F) temperatures from four consecutive days to eight.
- Jun 25, 2006 2:51 pm (#604 of 659)
June 21...
1791 A hurricane, called El Temporal de Barreto (the storm of Barreto) generated a huge monster wave carrying off the coffin of a rich but hated count as he lies in state in his mansion near Havana, Cuba. The coffin and body were never again seen.
1886 A destructive hurricane hit the Tallahassee/Apalachicola area of Florida, resulting in extensive damage in the southeast and along the Florida coast. The storm caused extremely high tides.
1893 Dodge City, KS, and the central U.S. Plains were in the middle of a blistering heat wave. The mercury soared to 106ºF (41°C). The heat wave would precede a three-year drought that severely affected all of the Central Plains. But in the Mississippi Valley, heavy rains were flooding the Mississippi Rover, causing it to swell to its highest level on record at New Orleans.
1942 Asia and Israel's, hottest day on record with highs reaching 53.9ºC (129°F)at Tirat Tsvi, Isreal.
1954 Wichita KS suffered $9 million in damage from a major hailstorm.
1972 1.64 inches of rain fell in Phoenix AZ on June 21st and 22nd, easily surpassing their previous June rainfall record.
1988 69 cities in the Northern and Central Plains and Ohio Valley reported record highs for the date on this first day of summer. 110ºF at Sioux Falls SD was an all-time record.
1989 The first day of summer saw up to 18 inches of snow at Dickensen Park west of Lander, Wyoming. Heavy snow was reported all along the northern and central Rockies.
1989 Huntsville, Alabama's monthly precipitation total reached 11.65 inches, establishing a new monthly record for June. What a contrast to the year before, when Huntsville only picked up 0.17 inches of rainfall.
1998 A nighttime severe storm plowed through central Moscow in Russia during the early morning hours, killing 10, injuring almost 200, and causing over $150 million in damage. Traffic was snarled early Sunday due to widespread damage. The event also ignited tensions between the mayor's office and the Russian weather service. Talk about pressure on the weatherman!
2004 The Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, was unusually warm as the mercury reached a high of 20.6°C (69°F), well above June's average daily high of 12.2°C (54°F).
2005 A slow-moving, intense thunderstorm dumped as much as a foot (30 cm) of hail in southeastern areas of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The city used snowplows to clear a major thoroughfare. Heavy rainfall associated with the storm flooded city streets with up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) of water, trapping dozens of motorists.
- Jun 25, 2006 3:05 pm (#605 of 659)
June 22...
1891 A couple and their 2 children from Kildonan, MB, had a narrow escape with death when what was reported to be an "amateur cyclone" swept away the upper half storey of their log cabin. The family, asleep upstairs, was thrown out upon the ground. A close relative found the father and two children lying unconscious among pieces of bedroom furniture and building materials.
1922 Multiple Tornadoes hit Southern Manitoba!! Hot and humid air led to the development of several tornadoes in the area. 5 deaths and hundreds of injuries were attributed to the event which caused $2 million in 1922 dollars. Portage La Prarie was hit at 2:00 AM. "Homes and business buildings collapsed like packs of cards." The storm, originally identified as a tornado, started in the Qu'Appelle Valley (SK) the previous evening and travelled through southern Manitoba before coming to an end in the Kenora, ON, area.
2003 On the first day of summer, southern Ontario began its first and only true heat wave of the year. Moosonee had already had five days above 30°C, including a peak at 35°C (95°F) on June 22, which was a record high for June. By then, Toronto hadn't any days above 30°C! On June 22, Ontario issued its first smog advisory - the latest ever first advisory. On June 25, the mercury again rose to a sizzling 35°C and a sticky 42 on the humidex scale.
- Jun 25, 2006 3:20 pm (#606 of 659)
June 22...
1919 59 people were killed as an F5 tornado ripped through the town of Fergus Falls, Minnesota. 400 buildings were destroyed. A blank check was found over 60 miles away and lumber was carried 10 miles.
1947 12 inches (305 mm) of heavy rain fell in 42 minutes at Holt, Missouri to set a new world record for intense rainfall. The record would be tied in January 24-25, 1956 in Hawaii at the Kilauea Sugar Plantation.
1970 5.01 inches of rain fell in 24 hours at Buffalo NY to establish an all-time record for the location.
1972 The remnants of Hurricane Agnes caused tremendous rains of 10-20 inches across Maryland, Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania. Tremendous flooding occurred in Pennsylvania. Much of Wilkes-Baare, Pennsylvania was destroyed when floodwaters breached a dike and a wall of water inundated the town. $3.5 billion in damage and 122 killed as a result of the floods.
1988 Tucson AZ reported their all time record high with a reading of 114ºF. The high temperature broke the previous record all-time high, which had just been set the day before.
1989 39ºF at Rapid City, South Dakota was a record low for June 22. In contrast, the temperature just two days earlier was a record 102ºF.
2003 At Aurora, Nebraska, a hail stone measuring 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) in diameter with a circumference of 17.3 inches (43.9 cm) and weighing 1.33 pounds (0.60 kg) fell. The National Weather Service reported this is the second largest hail stone ever documented in the U.S. by weight, and the largest by size.
- Jun 25, 2006 3:27 pm (#607 of 659)
Edited by Jun 25, 2006 8:28 am
June 23...
1941 Temperatures reached 38.3ºC at Lethbridge, AB, the hottest June day on record here and just short of the hottest day on record here, 39.4ºC recorded on July 10th 1973.
2001 An evening thunderstorm over Maugerville, New Brunswick caused localized damage as hail ranging from pea to golf ball size fell and winds gusted to more than 80km/h.
2002 A weak tornado touched down at Fallowfield, Ontario.
2002 June 23-24 - 150 to 175 mm of rain near Arcola, SK.
2003 In southern Ontario, summer arrived on cue with warm, sunny weather. Toronto issued its first smog advisory and started what was to be its first and only heat wave that summer. It was so hot in the Toronto area that roads buckled. Amid responses of derision, Ontario's enviroment minister asked residents to curtail barbecuing and delay grass cutting to improve air quality.
- Jun 25, 2006 3:36 pm (#608 of 659)
June 23...
1586 Sir Francis Drake ran into the Roanoke Island Hurricane off the Mid Atlantic coast. The result of the three-day storm and the settlers complaining about thunderstorms with hail the size of hen's eggs and great spouts at sea, caused Drake to evacuate the settlers back to England.
1902 Volcano Springs, California lived up to its name on this date as the mercury reached 129ºF (53.9°C), the highest ever in the United States in June.
1944 A tornado outbreak in Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania with 3 F4 tornadoes causing most of the destruction. 100 people were killed in Shinnston. WV, which was leveled. A total of 154 people were killed and 966 were injured. The tornadoes defied previous meteorological thought by crossing mountainous terrain.
1954 Nebraska recorded its hottest temperature ever at 122ºF.
1957 21 people were injured by softball size hail when they were caught outside at Fort Stockton in West Texas.
1969 During the morning, over 9 inches of rain soaked the Salt Lick Creek watershed. In Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, a wall of water 7 feet high tumbled, swirled, and crushed houses, vehicles, street pavement, and small buildings as though they were "children's' toys in a ditch". Two people died.
1972 The remnants of Hurricane Agnes were stalled over Pennsylvania causing massive flooding. Heavy rains (12 inches / 305 mm) from ex-hurricane Agnes flooded parts of Pennsylvania and New York resulting much damage and many deaths. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania reports 122 dead, $2.1 billion in damage.
1980 First day of a string of 100ºF ++ maximum temperatures in Dallas Texas that did not end until August 4. Over 1200 people succumbed to the heat and died during the summer in the American southwest.
1982 The all time record low at South Pole Weather Station of -83 °C (-117 °F) was recorded. (This is not the record low for the Antarctic Continent. It was -128.6ºF/ -89.22ºC, set on July 21, 1983.)
1997 Texas Deluge...an upper-level low-pressure system that had brought extreme amounts of rain to parts of Texas began to lift north. In its wake, extensive flooding has crippled many small towns and made some roads impassable. Doppler storm total rainfall estimates west of San Antonio showed a maximum of 22.4 inches in southwestern Kendall and northeastern Bandera counties. San Antonio itself saw 4.28 inches of rainfall in the past two days, bringing its total to 6.08 inches for the month, which is 206 percent more than normal. The capital of the Lone Star State, Austin, had received 293 percent of its normal June precipitation to date, after receiving 2.86 inches over the past two days. In Texas, hundreds of families evacuated their homes along swollen river and lakebeds from Hondo, west of San Antonio, to Lakeway, west of Austin. After driving weekend rain, the Llano River rose to its highest point, 38.59 feet, on Sunday night near the town of Llano. That broke the record of 32.60 feet set on Sept. 10, 1952, and caused the worst flooding in 100 years along the Llano. Three people perished in the flooding and many roads were impassable.
2002 Temperatures at Milan, Italy dropped no lower than 27.9ºC (82.2ºF), the highest minimum temperature on record here since at least 1980.
2004 Micheln, Germany: Severe thunderstorms associated with a strong cold front affected regions of Germany. A tornado hit the village of Micheln injuring at least 6 people and tearing roofs from homes.
- Jun 25, 2006 4:21 pm (#609 of 659)
June 24...
1972 A rare eastward moving tornado races through Maniwaki, Quebec. The twister was spawned amid the remnants of Hurricane Agnes.
1988 Hot days in Southwestern Ontario!! The mercury soared to 40.2°C (104.4°F) in Windsor and 38.2°C (100.8°F) in London, both the hottest day ever recorded in these cities.
1992 Tornadoes, large hail and torrential downpours affected southern Manitoba. Tennis ball sized hail fell near Morden and winds gusting to 154km/h were recorded at Pilot Mound. There were also five confirmed tornado touchdowns and numerous funnel clouds. The region had been affected by severe weather the day before too.
2001 Humidex values of 46ºC affected Winnipeg, MB producing sauna like conditions.
2002 A stormy day in eastern Ontario triggered a series of mishaps. Lightning either struck a 62-year old motorcyclist or he fell off his bike when a nearby tree was struck in Stittsville. One of five parachutists caught in the storm soared upwards instead of down and landed in Orleans. A rain-fed wall of water slammed over a 10-metre high cliff near Calabogie, killing a mother and her son.
- Jun 25, 2006 7:06 pm (#610 of 659)
Edited by Jun 25, 2006 12:26 pm
June 24...
1816 99ºF at Salem, MA, was significant because the 90ºF readings represented a major break from the cold weather of early June that year.
1904 A tornado hit the Karachatov Village area of Moscow, killing 24 people.
1924 Six men at a quarry in Winston-Salem, NC sought shelter in a structure that was storing dynamite. Lightning struck a tree near the building causing the dynamite to explode. The men were killed.
1929 A hailstorm at Durban, South Africa, produced hailstones the size of baseballs. The rattle produced by the storm is described as sounding like "machine gun fire."
1946 11.72 inches (297.7mm) of rain fell at Mellen, Wisconsin, during a 24 hour period. This is the greatest 24-hour precipitation ever recorded in Wisconsin. There was flooding on the Bad and White Rivers.
1951 A major hailstorm dumped twelve inches of hail along a 200 mile path from Kansas into Missouri. The Wichita area was hard hit. The storm would be one of the most destructive ever recorded in Kansas.
1952 Hail up to 10 inches in circumference was reported in South Dakota. The large hailstones killed livestock and many people were hurt.
1954 Hurricane Alice dumps 27 inches (686 mm) of rain on the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas causing floods which leave the U.S. 90 highway under 30 feet (9.1 m) of water.
1957 On the basis of meteorological data and a radio report froma shrimp boat, the Weather Bureau in New Orleans issued the first advisory on a tropical depression in the Bay of Campeche at 10:30 PM. The depression was located 300 miles south of Brownsville TX. The storm would become Hurricane Audrey, moving northward over the next 3 days and striking near the Louisiana/Texas border causing extreme loss of life.
1960 A tornado at Schenectady, NY destroyed 16 homes. Over 300 homes suffered major damage.
1972 Washington state's Rainier Pass Ranger Station recorded 4.4 inches of snow on this date, marking the last snowfall of an incredible snow season that saw 1122 inches fall, a record for any snowfall season in the U.S.
1975 Eastern Airlines Boeing 727 crashes at JFK airport in New York City. 113 of the 124 people on board the aircraft died. Researcher Theodore Fujita studies the incident and discovers that the crash was caused by a microburst. His research leads to improved air safety. The tower never experienced the microburst, which was held back by a seabreeze front. The plane crashed 2400 feet short of the runway.
1991 3.50 inches of rain fell in 28 minutes at Scranton North Dakota. There were also 1.50 foot drifts of marble sized hailstones. Front end loaders were needed to clear the streets.
1996 Severe weather pounded much of the mid-Atlantic Coast late in the afternoon. The Nation's Capital was especially hard hit. Numerous reports of tornadoes, funnel clouds, damaging winds, large hail and heavy rain. Tornadoes were reported in Upperville, Middleburg, Manassas, Centreville and Fairfax City VA. Reports of numerous downed trees and damage to structures across Northern Virginia and the Eastern Shore Area.
1997 Charleston, WV, finally hit 90ºF for the first time in the summer of 1997. The last 90ºF day had been back on May 19, 1996, totaling 400 days in which it stayed below 90ºF. That is now the longest this century between 90ºF days at Charleston. The high of 90ºF was far from the record of 103ºF set in 1930.
1998 An unusually damaging wind event occurred during the late night hours on the 23rd and the early morning hours of the 25th in southwest Iowa. Winds were sustained at 30-50 mph for over an hour at several locations, including Creston, Shenandoah, Clarinda and Red Oak. The wind gusted to 80mph at Shenandoah at 11:23 PM. Two factors are surmised to have caused the event. First, light showers had moved through the area left lots of hot, dry air aloft between 4000-10,000 feet. When rain falls through the dry air, it cools evaporatively, which makes it heavier and results in strong downdrafts and high winds. Secondly, winds between 600-5000 feet were quite strong and the momentum of these winds dropped to the surface causing higher winds. The wind event was accompanies by dramatic rises in temperature.
1998 The Davis-Beese Nuclear Power plant on the shores of Lake Erie in western Ohio was shut down automatically as a tornado broke power lines. 30 people were injured in the Green Cove Resort area.
- Jun 25, 2006 7:11 pm (#611 of 659)
June 25...
1915 A tornado swept through Redcliff, AB, killing 2, injuring 10, and inflicting property damage of $500,000. The storm damaged nearly every private house and building in town. A tornado also struck the small town of Grassy Lake, tearing the roof off the hotel, wiping out two lumber yards, wrecking the drug store, and blowing a whole freight train off the track.
1988 Temperatures reach 40.2ºC in Windsor, ON, the hottest day ever recorded here. At 38.2ºC it was also the hottest day on record in London, ON.
1996 Cooler weather and some precipitation over several days helped fire crews extinguish the Wasaw fire, which had been burning in Prince Albert National Park for two weeks. The blaze, thought to have been started by a lightning strike on June 12, consumed 2,170 hectares in the northeastern portion of the park.
1999 A massive, violent thunderstorm raced across southern Manitoba and into northwestern Ontario. The rainstorm dumped a record 144 mm of rain in 13 hours on Kenora. The storm and ensuing floods washed out roads and railway lines, flooded basements and damaged graves. Some 350 insurance claims amounting to almost $4 million were filed in the days following the storm.
2000 46.4mm rain fell in Ottawa flooding basements and stranding motorists.
2001 Temperatures reach 38.9ºC in Lethbridge, Alberta, the hottest June day on record here. The old record - 38.3ºC - was set on 1943 June 23.
2003 And Now for Something Hot.... By the final week of June, Quebec was in the throes of a lengthy and torrid heat wave. Both Montreal and Quebec City set some new daily records for high temperatures with some pretty oppressive humidity. At Bagotville, the maximum temperature exceeded 30°C for seven consecutive days - a record for duration at that weather station. At La Tuque, the temperature soared to 36.5°C on June 26, the hottest temperature of the summer in Quebec. The next day in Gaspé, the mercury climbed above 36°C breaking the city's highest temperature on record. A week later, Kuujjuarapik recorded three days in a row with temperatures above 30°C. It was only the second time since the weather station's 1925 opening that temperatures exceeded 30°C for a stretch of three consecutive days.
- Jun 25, 2006 7:25 pm (#612 of 659)
June 25...
1749 Drought in Massachusetts called for desperate measures. The people were called on to fast. Villages and fields burned from the dry weather.
1925 Portland, Oregon, recorded their earliest 100ºF reading ever.
1953 In Anchorage, Alaska, the temperature soared to 86°F (30°C), their hottest reading on record to that date.
1957 At noon, the tropical depression in the southwest Gulf of Mexico was upgraded to a hurricane and christened Audrey. Air Force reconnaissance investigating Hurricane Audrey over the southwest Gulf of Mexico found a central pressure of 973 mb. Audrey would eventually achieve Category 4 status before devastating the Cameron LA area on the 27th.
1967 Two of the Netherlands most powerful tornadoes ever touched down at Chaam and Tricht killing 6 people and injuring at least 18 people. Over the border in Belgium 2 people were killed at Oostmalle near Antwerp by a tornado. The day before tornadoes had killed 8 people at Palluel and Pommereuil in France.
1987 The third of six straight days of record heat for Miami, FL as mercury soared to 97ºF.
1988 Until this date, Erie, Pennsylvania, was one of the few non-mountainous spots in the Lower 48 States that had never reached 100°F. Today's high of 100°F, after a morning low of 64°F, broke Erie's previous all-time record of 99° (Sept. 3, 1953). Erie's records date back to 1873. Cleveland established their all-time record high with a reading of 104 degrees.
- Jun 27, 2006 2:56 am (#613 of 659)
June 26...
1930 St. Lawrence River: Lightning strikes the bow of the John B. King drillship in the St. Lawrence River, igniting a store of dynamite onboard. The resulting explosion kills 30 and injures 11 others.
1930 A destructive hailstorm burst over Lumsden, NL, panicking the citizens of the tiny Trinity Bay fishing community. Three men drowned as their boat sank, battered by huge hailstones or by lightning. Thirty boats anchored in the harbour went down in the storm. Eyewitnesses pegged the weight of conglomerates of ice at 4 kg (8.8 lb).
1999 It was very hot in Newfoundland and Labrador. Goose Bay was the hot spot, both provincially and nationally, reaching 35ºC.
2002 A squall line crossing southwestern Ontario produced gusts up to 100km/h in London, a funnel cloud in West Garafaxa, 49 mm rain in just 2 hours in Bancroft and 17 mm rain in just 20 minutes in Guelph.
2002 June 26-27 Record high temperatures engulfed Alberta and Saskatchewan at the end of June. In Edmonton, the thermometer rose to 34°C (93°F) on June 26 and 33°C (91°F) on the 27th. The city decided to cancel the Canada Day fireworks for the first time in history due to tinderbox conditions in city ravines and woodlots. In June, firefighters had to respond to more than 350 brush fires within city limits. In Saskatchewan, temperatures soared to 37°C (98.6ºF), prompting health officials to warn about heat-related problems such as heat stroke, cramping and heat exhaustion.
- Jun 27, 2006 2:59 am (#614 of 659)
Edited by Jun 26, 2006 8:21 pm
June 26...
1888 - New York was suffering through a major heat wave. Average temperatures were above 80 degrees for fourteen straight days. Earlier that same year, New York had been buried under a severe blizzard.
1957 Residents of Cameron, LA went to bed believing that they had plenty of time to evacuate the following morning in advance of what was then a Category Two Hurricane Audrey. Official bulletins from the U.S. Weather Bureau stated that the storm would not come ashore until late the next day. They would be very surprised the next morning to find water covering much of their parish as a twelve foot storm surge was already impacting the area and the center waas just offshore. Also, Audrey had intensified rapidly during the night, with the central pressure dropping 35 mb from the last reconnaissance fix during the day. Winds correspondingly increased to 145 mph and the storm surge rose from an expected 5-8 feet to a devastating 12 feet or higher. Additionally, the forward movement of the hurricane increased from 6 mph to 15 mph, and residents were told that the hurricane would not strike until the following afternoon. 390 people would die and another 192 would never be found.
1983 Alpena MI hit 98 degrees as record heat prevailed from Texas to Michigan.
1985 A spectacular waterspout develops at 5:20 AM (MST) from a thunderstorm stationary over the south end of the Great Salt Lake, Utah. The Spout was visible 20 miles (32 km) away and lasted four minutes.
1986 Hurricane Bonnie made landfall on the upper Texas coast. A wind gust to 98 mph occurred at Sea Rim State Park. 13 inches of rain fell in the town of Ace.
1987 High at Boston MA was just 60ºF.
1989 Lightning killed a woman at Junction City KS who had gotten out of her car to photograph the electrical display.
1997 "Human Lightning Conductor" Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning for the seventh time.
- Jun 27, 2006 11:23 am (#615 of 659)
June 27...
1901 The hottest day of the year in Toronto -- when temperatures reached 36.2ºC. By way of comparison August 8th was the hottest day of the year here in 2001 and temperatures then reached around 38ºC. Meanwhile, Toronto's hottest day on record is 38.3ºC recorded on 25th August 1948.
1931 A bolt of lightning struck a home in North Vancouver, B.C. The electric charge travelled down the side of the house and tore a large hole in the ground. The electric meter and basement windows vanished without a trace. But most mysterious of all was the disappearance of the copper wiring in one circuit, the rubber insulation showed no trace of char or burn.
2001 On June 27, Neepawa, MB received more than 125 mm of rain in a six-hour period. The deluge created a flash flood emergency that forced the evacuation of 35 residents.
2002 The squall line that crossed southwestern Ontario on the 26th affected south central and eastern Ontario on the 27th. In the Ottawa area there were reports of funnel clouds, hail and rainfall rates close to 50mm/h. In Burlington winds gusted to 85km/h, pea sized hail fell in Nepean, in Fallowfield funnel clouds were seen, in Ottawa 48mm rain fell in just 67 minutes whilst in Cornwall dime sized hail fell, as well as 75mm rain in 2 hours. Meanwhile marble sized hail fell in Thorold.
- Jun 27, 2006 11:49 am (#616 of 659)
June 27...
1901 - Fish fell from the sky at Tiller's Ferry. Hundreds of fish were swimming between cotton rows after a heavy shower.
1915 Alaska records its hottest temperature ever -- 100°F (37.8°C), at Fort Yukon.
1947 The Netherlands recorded its hottest June day on record when highs reached 38.4ºC in Maastricht.
1957 Hurricane Audrey strengthened rapidly just before landfall on the Gulf Coast near Cameron LA on the Texas/Louisiana border. The storm's central pressure dropped from 973 to 930 millibars in just 5 hours. Winds reached 150 mph. The hurricane generated a storm surge of at least 12 feet above normal. 390 people died in Louisiana (127 of them unidentified) with another 192 were reported missing. The loss of life was the greatest in the United States since the 1938 Hurricane in New England. Areas as far as 25 miles inland were inundated by the storm tides. As much as percent of the homes in the area from Cameron to Grand Cheniere, Louisiana were destroyed or floated off their foundations. A brick courthouse and cement block icehouse was the only structures standing in Cameron after the hurricane. Just 4 buildings were left standing in Crede. A 78 ton fishing boat was tossed up and onto an offshore oil drilling platform. 14 people were injured in tornadoes in Alabama after landfall. $130 million in damage resulted from the hurricane. Citizens brought an unsuccessful lawsuit against the U.S. Weather Bureau for not warning them properly, since forecasts the night before were for a much weaker and slower moving hurricane.
1978 Worst thunderstorm in 20 years wind gust greater than 70 mph. And over 1000 trees down in DC and 100,000 with no power.
1987 Thunderstorms moving out of Nebraska produced severe weather in north central Kansas after midnight. Thunderstorm winds gusting to 100 mph damaged more than fifty camping trailers at the state park campground at Lake Waconda injuring sixteen persons. Thunder- storm winds gusted to 80 mph at Beloit and Sylvan Grove.
1988 The afternoon high of 107ºF at Bismarck ND was a record for the month of June, and Pensacola FL equaled their June record with a reading of 101ºF. Temperatures in the Great Lakes Region and the Ohio Valley dipped into the 40ºF's.
1988 Although Erie, Pennsylvania's weather records date back to 1873, the high this date was its first recording of 100°F (37.8°C). It was, until this date, one of the few non-mountainous locations in the Lower 48 States not to have reached 100°F.
1989 Thunderstorms produced severe weather from the Ohio Valley to western New England. Thunderstorm spawned six tornadoes, and there were 98 reports of large hail and damaging winds. Tropical Storm Allison spawned six tornadoes in Louisiana, injuring two persons at Hackberry. Fort Polk LA was drenched with 10.09 inches of rain in 36 hours, and 12.87 inches was reported at the Gorum Fire Tower in northern Louisiana.
1991 A record warm night in Minneapolis, MN, with a low of 79ºF -- the normal high for this date is 81ºF.
1991 Fritch, Texas was struck by a devastating tornado (F4) which did over $35 million in damage. Some of the most dramatic tornado video footage ever was recorded by a resident of Fritch who was able to keep the camera rolling until the twister was right on top of him.
1994 Temperatures reach 48.9ºC in Tipton, Oklahoma, the state's hottest day on record. It's also the hottest day on record in New Mexico where highs reach 50ºC at Lakewood.
1995 - 8.65 inches of rain in Gordonsville, FL.
1998 - Winds in excess of 100 mph struck Monroe County WI as a squall line moved across western Wisconsin and southast Minnesota. Widespred wind damage occurred.
2003 France records its hottest June day on record; temperatures reached 41.5ºC in Lezignan-Corbieres.
2004 Tropical Storm Tingting deluges the island of Guam with 16 inches of rain (406 mm), shattering the daily rainfall record of 3.16 inches (80.3 mm) set in 1962.
- Jun 27, 2006 11:50 am (#617 of 659)
June 27, 1995 Flash Flood
The Madison County Flood of June 27, 1995 was the worst flash flood that Virginia had seen since the remnants of Camille dropped up to 30 inches of rain one night in Nelson County in August 1969. The Nelson County flood ranks as one of the nation's worst flash floods of this century. The floods and landslides led to the death of 117 people. Nelson County/Camille Flood, August 1969 The Madison County event was chosen because it is closer to the Baltimore-Washington region. The fact that only one person died versus over 100 in Nelson County can be attributed to three significant factors. 1) It was well forecasted. Flash Flood Warnings did not even exist in 1969. The National Weather Service in Sterling contacted the State Emergency Operations Center early that morning informing them that a significant flood was likely. 2) Early response and heroic actions by emergency responders made a big difference. Early warning by NWS to the state allowed them to call in resources before the flooding began to threaten lives. One Coast Guard helicopter came all the way from Elizabeth City, NC. As conditions worsened through the day, the operators of the helicopters risked their lives flying in low visibility into mountain valleys to pluck people from rooftops and carry them to safe shelter. Some 80 people were rescued! In 1969, there was little preparation for disasters and response to such situations took time to organize and gear up. State and local emergency management has evolved greatly since 1969 and they are far more prepared to deal with such disasters before they even start. The Madison County flood occurred in daylight when people could see rising water and attempt to move to safety and emergency responders could see people on rooftops and pluck them off. In Nelson County, people were asleep and awoke as their houses floated off their foundations. The weather that set up the flood included a semi-tropical air mass over the region; an upper level low over the Mississippi Valley which sent impulses/disturbances to the northeast across the area helping to trigger thunderstorms; slow moving cold front sliding south along the front range of the Appalachians and over the coastal plain which helped to focus where the thunderstorms were occurring; and the high pressure to the north which set up a westward flow of moist air from the oceans into the mountains. The mountains helped to lift the air where it condensed into clouds and rain. The focus for thunderstorm development on June 27 was the intersection of the weak cold front, which stalled across the area, and the upslope (east side) of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A large thunderstorm complex developed early that day over Rappahannock County and slowly moved south over Madison County becoming nearly stationary over the southwest corner where it dumped 20 or more inches of rain in a relatively short period of time. Other heavy thunderstorms also occurred that day with additional flash flooding and some damaging mud/landslides (debris flows) in Nelson and Albemarle Counties in Virginia and the Keyser/Westernport area of Mineral County, West Virginia and Allegany County, Maryland. These areas as well as Madison and Rappahannock County saw rainfall rates of as much as 5 inches per hour, which after a couple hours is enough to cause land to give way. Areas susceptible to these landslides are where the ground slopes at 30° or more from the horizon. Soil conditions were already wet from earlier rains during the week. Therefore, rain that was absorbed caused the ground to become unstable in some areas. Most of the rain turned to runoff, which created a rapid rise on small streams and creeks and eventually into the smaller rivers. Soon water was out of its banks flooding roads, homes, and businesses and cutting off communication lines. While Doppler radar indicated that rainfall amounts suggested that major flooding would occur, the first "ground truth" report came from a Skywarn Amateur Radio observer. Skywarn is a volunteer network of people who pass reports of severe weather onto the National Weather Service. He reported that 10 inches of rain had fallen between 10 am and 2 PM in the town of Etlan in the north part of the county. During the heaviest rain, radar was estimating 3.2 inches an hour for portions of the county. This ground truth report told us that our radar was under estimating rainfall by as much as one half. Indeed, conditions were bad. Nearly all roads and every bridge in the county were damaged or washed away. Half the farms sustained damage. The entire hay crop was lost and half the corn crop. Hundreds of livestock were killed and 500 to 1000 miles of fencing was damaged or washed away. In Madison County alone, total damages were estimated at $64 million with an additional $29 million in agricultural losses. The estimated cost of recovery to get the farmland suitable once more for crops may be as high as $1000 per acre. There was only one death in the county, which was due to a home collapsing on a woman. An additional death occurred with flooding in Rappahannock County and one in Warren County. The rainfall and floodwaters from Madison and Orange Counties flowed into the Rapidan River. The Rapidan gets its name from the fact that it responds quickly (water rises rapidly) and it exceeded flood stage during the morning hours. The crest occurred around 2 PM in the afternoon. The USGS stream gauge near Ruckersville in Greene County was destroyed by the raging water. The flood crest was estimated from high water marks to have reached 31.6 feet. This is a 500-year flood for that gauging point. This exceeded the old record of 20.8 feet set at that point in October 1942 by almost a foot. Downstream at the Culpeper gauge, the river crested at 30.4 feet, which exceeded the previous record of 30.3 feet set back on October 16, 1942. This is equivalent to a 100-year flood at Culpeper. The Rapidan River flows into the Rappahannock River, which was also accumulating rains from northern Madison County, Rappahannock and Culpeper Counties. On the 28th, the river crested 5 feet above flood stage at Remington. Farther downstream on the 29th, the river crested in the city of Fredericksburg at 7 feet above flood stage.
June 27th, 1995 Other Flash Flooding
Other flash flooding caused road closures from rockslides, mudslides, and bridge washouts in Allegany County Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia. On June 27th, near one million dollars in damage occurred to 200 buildings in Allegany County near Westernport. Total damage estimates including roads was $1.76 million. In adjacent Mineral County, $1.1 million in damages were estimated with 66 homes and 8 businesses damaged. Heavy rains in the mountains caused mudslides and washed debris up against bridges. Temporary debris dams backed up water then broke causing additional flooding downstream. In Piedmont (Mineral County), over five and a half inches of rain fell on the 27th with most of it falling between 2 and 4 PM. Flooding occurred in both Piedmont and Keyser. Up to 17 inches of rain also fell in Augusta County, Virginia. Earthen dams in southeastern Augusta County were perilously close to failure at one point, but survived as the rain areas shifted away.
- Jun 29, 2006 12:02 pm (#618 of 659)
June 28...
1965 In an otherwise dry month thunderstorms deposit more than 75mm rain in just a few hours in parts of the Toronto metropolitan area.
1988 33.6mm rain falls at Yellowknife, NT, the wettest June day on record here.
2001 A construction crew setting up a crane to do maintenance on the Champlain Bridge in Montreal, QC, watched in horror as strong gusty winds toppled the structure 30 metres over a guardrail, taking two workers with it into the St. Lawrence River. One man inside the cabine of the crane managed to free himself. The other victim, walking beside the crane, fell into 6 metres of water and drowned
- Jun 29, 2006 12:31 pm (#619 of 659)
June 28...
1778 The Battle of Monmouth in central New Jersey was fought in sweltering heat. The temperature was 96ºF in the shade, and there were more casualties from the heat than from bullets.
1865 24 people are killed by a tornado which cut a 40 mile swath through Southwest Wisconsin.
1892 The temperature at Orogrande, Utah soared to 116ºF (46.7ºC) to establish a record for the state of Utah.
1924 An F4 tornado hits Sandusky, Ohio then moved across Lake Erie to strike Lorain, Ohio. It will never be known whether the storm was actually one or two tornadoes. 15 of the 64 deaths at Lorain occurred in the State Theatre, where a silent film was being shown. The tune "Sacrifice" was being played on the piano when the twister struck. The tornado produced a massive wave on Lake Erie. 85 people were killed and total damage was $12.5 million.
1954 South Carolina's hottest day on record. Temperatures in Camden reach 111ºF (43.9ºC).
1960 Kentucky registers its record maximum 24 hour precipitation as 264.2mm rain falls at Dunmor.
1968 Unseasonably heavy snow from the Cascades to the Northern Rockies, with 3 inches at Odell Lake, Oregon, and 2 inches at Mt. Rainier, Washington between the 28th and 29th. Snow fell on Jackson, Wyoming (29th), with 8 inches at Mystic Lake, Montana (elevation 6558 feet). Some western Wyoming roads above 9000 feet were closed for several hours.
1975 Lee Trevino and two other golfers were struck by lightning at the Western Open golf tournament at Oak Brook, Illinois.
1976 The UK records its joint hottest June day on record when highs reached 35.6°C (96°F) in Mayflower Park, in Southampton, England.
1980 117ºF (47.2ºC) at Wichita Falls TX still stands as the hottest temperature of record for that city.
1988 Some much needed rainfall in parts of the central U.S. Madison, WI picked up their first measurable rain since Mother's Day (May 8).
1989 Evening thunderstorms deluged Winnfield, LA with eleven inches of rain in four hours and 15 minutes.
1992 Very heavy rains fall over southwest Florida as the result of a slow moving tropical depression. Up to 25 inches of rain fell in the Venice area during the four day period 25th-28th. 8 to 14 inches of rain wee common over Sarasota and Manatee counties. The flooding killed two.
1994 Laughlin, Nevada reaches 124ºF (51.1ºC), the highest temperature on record in Nevada.
1998 Amarillo, TX and Dodge City, KS both set their all-time record high temperatures with 108ºF (42.2ºC) and 110ºF (43.3ºC).
- Jun 30, 2006 3:20 am (#620 of 659)
Edited by Jun 29, 2006 8:20 pm
June 29...
1897 A tornado in London, Ontario destroyed barns and orchards.
1963 111.8cms (44 inches) of snow fell in 24 hours at Livingstone Ranger Station Lookout Tower, in Alberta. The heaviest summer snowfall in Canadian history, and until January 1974 this was Canada's biggest 24 hour snowfall. (Mount Livingstone, a Rocky Mountain Peak in Alberta, is located in the Livingstone River Valley north of Beaver Creek and south of Mean Creek; north buttress of Beaver Pass. Livingstone Range, Park, Alberta Major headwaters Bow & Oldman rivers.)
2001 -- On June 29, Toronto City issued its first ever "heat alert", warning of a 65 to 90% chance of increased mortality due to heat. The program puts emergency services on watch to assist those most vulnerable to heat spells - the homeless, elderly and the infirm. The program was just in time for one of the hottest summers on record for the city. The airport had 24 days above 30°C. More significantly, however, were the hot nights - there were 14 nights when the temperature stayed above 20°C -- the normal is five per year.
2002 Widespread wind damage from thunderstorms across Saskatchewan and Manitoba knocked down farm buildings.
2003 A violent thunderstorm packing wind gusts of 140 km/h struck Belle River, ON. The storm downed trees, knocking out power for several hours, dumped marble-sized hail, and caused flooding in some areas. The winds bent a solid steel flag pole over the stem of a flower and overturned lawn furniture.
- Jun 30, 2006 3:31 am (#621 of 659)
June 29...
1878 The weather observer on top of Colorado's Pike's Peak noticed that a major storm remained stationary over South Park, some 50 miles away. The observer also noted that the whitened ground from hail could be seen until sunset.
1899 Great flood along Brazos River in Texas. It was 12 miles wide and caused $10 million in damage.
1904 Two tornadoes hit Moscow, killing at least 30 people.
1931 The temperature at Monticello, Florida hit 109°F (42.8°C) to establish an all-time record for the state.
1947 Sweden's joint hottest day on record; temperatures reach 38.0ºC (100.4ºF) in Målilla.
1954 - Hurricane Alice dumped up to 27 inches of rain on the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The river at Laredo TX was 12.6 feet higher than its previous highest water level. The U.S. 90 bridge would be 30 feet below the high water.
1957 The UK records its joint hottest June day on record when highs reach 35.6ºC (96ºF) at Camden Square, London.
1975 North Dakota registers its record maximum 24 hour precipitation as 8.1 inches (205.8mm) of rain falls at Litchville.
1987 Mount Evans, Colorado saw 6 inches of snow fall in an unusual winter-like storm.
1988 105ºF at Jackson, MS was a record for June. 39ºF at Alpena, MI was also a record.
1989 A thunderstorm brought hail 4.5 inches in diameter to Kit Carson, Colorado.
1994 Lake Havasu City AZ records a blistering 128 degree temperature for the hottest reading ever in that state.
1994 Temperatures reach 128ºF (53.3ºC) in Lake Havasu, Arizona, the state's hottest day on record -- the previous Arizona high temperature record was 127ºF (52.8ºC) at Parker on July 7, 1905. Over the stateline, in Nevada it's also the hottest day on record here as highs peak at 125ºF (51.7ºC) in Laughlin.
1994 ...On the same day Australia measures its coldest night on record when lows drop to -9.4ºF (-23.0ºC) at Charlotte's Pass in New South Wales.
1998 High winds that some described as a tornado on June 29 picked up and toppled 22 cars of a southbound 101-car Illinois Central freight south of Tolono, Ill., which is just south of Champaign. It was unknown how many cars were picked up by the wind, but 16 cars turned over and another 6 derailed but remained upright. The train was en route to Centralia from Chicago with a load of mixed freight, including plastic pellets and meal. IC spokesmen said a freight car empty weighs about 60,000 pounds, while a full one weighs about 260,000 pounds.
2004 Temperature reaches a 73-year high temperature of 39.3°C (104°F) in Madrid, Spain, while Cordoba, Spain, climbed to 42.3°C (108°F).
- Jun 30, 2006 11:53 am (#622 of 659)
June 30...
1792, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario --- the first recorded tornado in Canadian history hit the Niagara Peninsula between Fonthill and Port Robinson, leveling some houses and uprooting trees between the communities.
1912 Known more popularly as the "Regina Cyclone" this tornado was the deadliest in Canadian history in terms of deaths. 28 people died, hundreds were injured, and property damage totalled $4 million dollars with 500 buildings damaged or destroyed, leaving a quarter of the population homeless. The late afternoon tornado started 18 kilometres south of the city, slashed through 6 City blocks in Regina, and continued for another 12 kilometres north before dissipating. The tornado lasted three minutes, while within the City of Regina, but it took 46 years to pay for the damages. The city didn't finish paying for the damage from this tornado until 1958.
2001 Severe afternoon thunderstorms over Fredericton, New Brunswick produce microbursts which damage and fell trees. A gust of 96 km/h is measured at the airport whilst damage suggests gusts may have topped 120km/h. On the same day storms affected the O'Leary and Wellington area of western Prince Edward Island dumping 30mm rain in a very short time causing some localized flooding.
2001 A brief but nasty thunderstorm with wind gusting up to 100 km/h struck Fredericton, New Brunswick, snapping tree trunks, downing power lines and cutting electricity to 10,000 customers. The heavy rain and strong winds reduced visibility to only a metre in some areas.
2002 66mm rain fell in the 18 hours up to mid-morning in Argentia, Newfoundland. The average June rainfall here is 61.2mm. This was also the wettest weather here since 4th May 2002 when 60-70mm rain fell. 2003 A severe storm, first thought to be a tornado but later confirmed as a smaller but just as fierce microburst, destroyed parts of Grimshaw, AB on June 30. The tiny but mighty storm ripped up trees, moved a large building and destroyed the town's arena. Power lines were downed all over town and every building on Main Street had most of its windows blown out causing officials to declare a state of emergency. Environment Canada said winds in the nearby town of Peace River reached 90 km/h. Amazingly, there were no serious injuries; however, the same storm system struck west of Banff in Kootenay National Park felling some spruce trees and killing two little girls hiking in the mountains with their parents.
2003 A fierce microburst destroyed parts of Grimshaw, AB. The tiny but mighty storm ripped up trees, moved a large building, destroyed the town's arena, and blew the windows out of every building on Main Street. The same storm system struck west of Banff, in Kootenay National Park, felling spruce trees and killing 2 little girls hiking in the mountains with their parents.
- Jun 30, 2006 12:05 pm (#623 of 659)
June 40...
1931 Portland, Oregon: Portland's temperature peaks at 102°F (38.9°C) to establish an all-time record for the city.
1968 A cloudy June came to an end in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Not one clear day was observed during the month of June.
1976 Northern Ireland's joint hottest day on record; temperatures reach 30.8ºC (87.4ºF) at Knockarevan, Co. Fermanagh.
1978 Havre, Montana measured a wind gust to 138 mph from a severe thunderstorm.
1983 Tasmania's coldest night on record. Lows at Shannon drop down to -13.0ºC (8.6ºF).
1989 Victoria State, Australia -- The worst tornado or family of tornadoes on record travel 43 miles (69 km) from Poolajeilo to Merino, killing sheep and cattle, stripping thousands of large gum trees bare, flattening miles of fence and reportedly even burying some birds head-first in the ground.
1989 Shreveport, Louisiana, finishes its wettest June ever with 17.11 inches of rain during the month. The previous mark was 14.67 inches, set in 1986. Some areas received as much as 24 inches. The excessive rainfall was primarily the result of the remnants of Tropical Storm Allison. 29.52 inches of rain fell in 6 days at Winnfield, Louisiana.
1989 3.9 inches of rain in less than 2 hours in Jewell, Kansas.
1991 5-inch diameter hailstones bombarded a spot near the town of Hathaway, Montana.
1994 Tropical Storm Alberto moved inland near Panama City, Florida, causing virtually no damage. The storm then stalled over south Georgia. Over 20 inches of rain fell in some areas, causing extensive flooding that drove 30,000 people from their homes.
- Jun 30, 2006 12:13 pm (#624 of 659)
2002 June was Ottawa's wettest month ever when a whopping 224.9 mm (8.9 inches) of rain fell, nearly three times the normal monthly total. Rising water levels led city officials to close sections of the Rideau Canal for safety reasons. Following another torrential rainfall on June 27, drivers were shocked to see boats passing them on city streets in the west end, as firefighters using rescue boats plucked stranded motorists from their submerged vehicles.
- Jun 30, 2006 12:15 pm (#625 of 659)
2005 In Calgary, June was the wettest month ever recorded. Total rainfall was 247.6 mm (9.7 inches) compared to a normal of 79.8 mm (3.1 inches). Outside the city, monthly rainfalls approached 400 mm (15.7 inches). When the Glenmore Reservoir overflowed for the first time in memory, the normally placid Elbow River peaked about ten times its usual June flow, prompting unprecedented evacuation plans for numerous riverside communities. More than 2,000 Calgary residents, from millionaires to boarders, abandoned their residences. Floodwaters filled basements to the ceiling with foul-smelling, raw sewage. Concern was also raised over Calgary's supply of clean water. By the opening of the Calgary Stampede, Southern Albertans had seen enough rain to last a lifetime.
- Jun 30, 2006 12:15 pm (#626 of 659)
June 1997, Edmonton, Alberta --- The city records 21 rainy days, tying the record for the most wet days originally set in 1915 and tied again in 1980. In total, 126.2 mm (4.97 inches) of rain fall, compared to a normal amount of 79.8 mm (3.14 inches).
- Jun 30, 2006 12:15 pm (#627 of 659)
JUNE 1996 Unusual cold and snowy conditions in parts of South Africa prevail all month. 21 people die. Snow drifts up to 183 cm (6 ft) reported south of Johanesburg.
- Jul 2, 2006 1:55 pm (#628 of 659)
2004 Summer's Cold Shoulder
Across much of Canada, the weather during the May long weekend - our unofficial start to summer - was "the pits". It rained often and a lot almost everywhere except the Yukon, which enjoyed a pleasant Victoria Day holiday. As it turned out, that weekend would set the tone for the season ahead: "The Summer that Never Was."
By Labour Day, Canadians from Calgary to Corner Brook were asking the same thing, "What happened to summer?" It was either too cool, too wet, or too cloudy during a May to October that seemed to bypass summer altogether. To make matters worse, Environment Canada had predicted yet another warm and dry summer. Rightly or wrongly, Canadians felt cheated. Enduring our long, dark winters makes most of us feel entitled to a decent summer, but no one ever said nature was fair. To remind us of what we were missing, Mother Nature did throw in the occasional stretch of good summer weather but nothing that lasted longer than three days. It may help to know that we were in good company, however. July was the coldest worldwide since 1992. That year's coolness was precipitated by the eruptions of the Philippine volcano Mount Pinatubo. For 2004, the culprit was a residual of cold Arctic air in the Canadian tundra - the third coldest spring in 57 years of records - that became a ready supply of cool air driven south by an upper air Arctic vortex that was stationary for much of the spring and summer over Hudson Bay. East of the Rockies, a persistent northwesterly flow effectively blocked any warm air streams penetrating from the south.
In actuality, it wasn't that it was so cold but rather that it wasn't very hot! Torrid days with maximum temperatures above 30°C generally numbered one or two at most. And the lack of sunshine gave the impression of much cooler temperatures. At times in June, places north of the Arctic Circle were warmer than those in southern Ontario. As it happened, the longest heat wave was in the Yukon. Whitehorse had eight consecutive days in June above 30°C, about all that Ottawa, Toronto and London could muster collectively all summer.
Summer plainly forgot residents of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Across the West, it was the coldest May to August on record over the past 57 years. In fact, Winnipeg's summer was the coldest since probably the last ice age. With records dating back to 1872, May to August averaged 13.4°C in the Manitoba capital, almost a full degree colder than the previous record. The summer's worst moment might have been on August 18, when snow pellets fell in downtown Winnipeg and winds blew at 80 km/h. But, by then, most Winnipegers had given up on summer anyway. Luckily, September turned out to be warmer than either June or August - a first for Winnipeg! Summer also was disappointing in the East. In Ottawa, the summer's warmest day was 30.7°C. That was on May 14! In Toronto, total sunshine between May and August was down by almost 200 hours and wet days outnumbered the dry.
Canadians were at first restless, then frustrated, and finally resigned that summer was missing in action. The frustration factor came from weather that was so inconsistent it was maddening. For the majority of cities, precipitation totals were down while the number of wet days was way up. Incredibly, the number of days when it was both sunny and wet on the same day was a record high - making them the rule rather than the exception. For example, between late May and mid-September, Montreal had 128 days with some sunshine but only five without sun, yet more than half of those "sunny" days were wet. If it wasn't raining, it was threatening.
The mixed bag of weather seemed to change often, even by Canadian standards, making it difficult to plan the day. Campers and beach bums stayed away in droves. People spent more time indoors and were generally less active. In urban areas, bars and eateries felt the heat of fewer sunny days that translated into less customers spending money. It was not a great year for air conditioners or swimsuit sales either. On the other hand, video rentals, movie theatres and tanning salons had many repeat customers. And while the weather was lousy for vacationers and day trippers, it was good for those with breathing difficulties who tend to suffer during smog and heat alerts. Gardens and lawns stayed lush and green and nobody had to turn on the sprinkler. For Christmas tree farms, it was one of the best growing seasons in years.
Did summer really pass us by this year? Not if you talk to residents on the far coasts. Pacific British Columbia enjoyed long bouts of sunny, mild and dry weather with record warmth and dryness for much of the summer. On the east coast, St. John's had one of the nicest summers in Canada - almost a degree warmer than normal - and half of its normal precipitation (the driest summer since 1967).
- Jul 2, 2006 11:48 pm (#629 of 659)
Edited by Jul 2, 2006 5:36 pm
July 1...
1888 In a story published in the Montreal Star, "...a party of immigrants reaching Winnipeg, MB, on Dominion Day (Canada Day) were astonished to find about a foot of snow on the ground. This was, of course, a freak, but it shocked the settlers, for they turned right around and started back east by the next train without waiting a day to see if the snow wiped away again."
1903 A thunderstorm affecting Moose Jaw, SK deposited fish on the town.
1911 Temperatures close to 40ºC were recorded during a heatwave in Ontario and Quebec. In Montreal at least 183 died as a result of this heatwave.
July 1, 1944 (Lebret, Sk) and Aug 9, 1944 (Kamsack, Sk): Two devastating tornadoes hit in the same year killing four people at Lebret and three at Kamsack. In addition almost 75 percent of Kamsack's homes and 100 businesses were wrecked.
1962 A small tornado is observed near Vancouver, B.C.. The weather office here opened in 1929 and at that time this was the third tornado they'd seen here in the then 33-year history of the Vancouver Weather Office.
2001 Summer holidays this year began on a cold snowy note in northern and central Ontario and in Quebec, forcing the cancellation of many Canada Day firework celebrations (including those on Parliament Hill). At Kapuskasing, Ontario, 3 cm (1.2 inches) of snow fell on July 1 and it snowed for 3 hours in Timmins, ON.
- Jul 3, 2006 12:34 am (#630 of 659)
Edited by Jul 2, 2006 8:52 pm
July 1...
1792 A tremendous storm hits Philadelphia and New York City. Many young people are drowned while on a Sunday boating excursion.
1891 - The U.S. Weather Bureau is born as the equipment, stations and personnel of the U.S. Army Signal Service is passed to the new agency, which was part of the Department of Agriculture.
1911 The high of only 79ºF at Phoenix, Arizona was the coolest daily maximum for the month of July and well below the normal high of the date of 105ºF
1915 Pawtucket, Rhode Island received a deluge with 5.1 inches of rain in 24 hours.
1933 Lightning struck Texas Oil Company plant near Elizabeth NJ causing 300,000 barrels of oil to go up in flames.
1942 Portland, OR hits 107ºF, an all-time record for the city.
1979 It snowed almost half a foot (5.8 inches) at Stampede Pass WA, a July record.
1986 Chadron NE is struck by a severe 20 minute thunder and hailstorm with large hail and 80 mph winds. The resulting damage was extensive, with large holes made in the roofs of 100 houses & buildings, and an automobile dealership had its windows blown out. 6 people were hurt by flying glass.
1987 Lake Charles LA was drenched with a month's worth of rain during the early morning. More than five inches of rain soaked the city, including 2.68 inches in one hour. A thunderstorm in the southern Yakima Valley of Washington State produced high winds that downed trees up to six feet in diameter.
1988 Mt. Washington, NH received 4 inches on snow and Barre Falls, MA dropped to 34ºF, an unusual cool, wintery spell in what turned out to be one of the hottest summers on record.
1988 26 cities in the north central and north U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date. The morning low of 47ºF at Roanoke VA broke the July record set the previous day. Lows of 48ºF at Providence RI, 49ºF at Stratford CT, and 48ºF at Wilmington DE, were records for the month of July. Boston MA equaled their record for July with a low of 50ºF.
1989 Thunderstorms associated with the low-pressure system, which was once Tropical Storm Allison, produced severe weather in the south central U.S., drenching parts of Mississippi, Louisiana and eastern Texas. There were 158 reports of large hail and damaging winds through the day. Evening thunderstorms in northeastern Texas produced softball size hail that caused more than $5 million dollars damage at Allen, and wind gusts to 90 mph at Dallas, which injured eight persons and caused $7 million dollars damage. Winnfield LA reported 29.52 inches of rain in six days, for a total of 62.50 inches for the first six months of the year. Late night thunderstorms produced 12.58 inches of rain at Biloxi MS in six hours, and 10.73 inches at Gulfport MS. Flooding in Mississippi over the first six days of the month caused 55 million dollars damage. Midland TX reported an all-time record high of 112ºF.
1996 July was cool and wet across the east with a persistent trough of low pressure providing lots of clouds and rainfall. Temperatures at New York and Philadelphia never reached 90ºF during the month, which is highly unusual. It was the first time that that had happened in The Big Apple in over 100 years and the first time at Phillly since 1906!
1998 The temperature at Tallahassee, FL reached 100ºF for the 13th time during the year 1998, establishing a new record and summer had just barely begun. The previous record was 12 days in 1931.
- Jul 3, 2006 12:36 am (#631 of 659)
2004 -- Storm Drowns and Pounds Edmonton
During the first week of July, two slow-moving weather systems soaked Edmonton. That paved the way for a storm the next week that was to become the province's worst over-land flooding event in history. Rains on July 2 and 3 exceeded 50 mm in places, with most falling in just a short time. Four days later, another cold summer storm dropped an equal amount of rain on an already sodden city. Then, in mid-afternoon on July 11, the atmosphere unleashed the biggest deluge and hailer ever seen in the Alberta capital. The storm, which began over southwestern British Columbia, intensified as it moved into central Alberta. It even spawned a couple of tornadoes north and east of the city. At its worst, the small but spectacular storm dumped more than 150 mm of rain in the southern and western parts of Edmonton in less than an hour (as detected by radar), likely making it the wettest moment in the city's history. With all that rain, flooding seemed inevitable but it was actually the golf ball-sized hail that clogged city storm sewer drains with ice, leaves and broken branches. Icy drifts lined city streets and turned backyards into snowbanks. Snowplows had to be called out to remove the piles of hail 6 cm deep.
The city's super-saturated clay soil and beleaguered sewer system could not take any more water. Mud and water poured down streets and through windows. The record flash flood, estimated to be a 1-in-200 year event, washed out roads, filled underpasses, and flooded basements to the rafters. Rising water made instant rivers out of streets and turned countless intersections into lakes as water lapped up to the door handles of many vehicles. The enormous water pressure blew hundreds of manhole covers sky high and pinned several trees to the ground.
Of special interest, the pounding storm ripped holes in the roof of the West Edmonton Mall's indoor amusement and ice rink, sending water cascading to the floor. For the first time in its history, officials evacuated the entire 800-store complex at Canada's largest shopping centre. Remarkably, there was no loss of life, yet there were countless close calls. Insurers paid out close to $160 million in over 12,000 claims. For the rest of the city, uninsurable damage to residences and small businesses, and infrastructure losses to roads and bridges were pegged at an additional $16 million. For many water-weary Edmontonians, it was the second or third time in less than 10 days they had to deal with nature's wrath.
- Jul 3, 2006 12:39 am (#632 of 659)
Edited by Jul 2, 2006 5:42 pm
July 2...
1909 Lightning struck within a metre of a man and a teenage boy near the exhibition grounds in Edmonton, AB, shattering a telegraph pole and striking both victims unconscious. The blast threw the man a few metres into the air. He was badly burned about the neck and chest, and assumed dead, when, 45 minutes later, came a faint flickering of the eyelids followed by groans of anguish.
1991 Prince George, BC was affected by a severe thunderstorm. In the city, hail and heavy rains hamper traffic and resulted in flooding. At the airport, 15.4 mm (0.61 in) of rain falls in 25 minutes.
At nearby Clucluz Lake a tornado, spawned from the thunderstorm, uprooted trees.
2002 Severe thunderstorms affected Quebec's Eastern Townships region causing heavy flooding in many towns. Among the worst affected places was Sherbrooke where 20mm rain fell in about an hour whilst in Bromptonville some streets flooded up to a metre deep. It was the wettest weather in Sherbrooke since August 31st in 2001 when close to 50mm rain fell.
2003 On July 2, an F2 level tornado with winds above 180 km/h ripped through Narrow Hills Provincial Park northeast of Prince Albert, SK. It was a massive twister - 1.4 km in width with a path 26.5 km long - that mowed down 11 square kilometres of forest and stripped pavement from highways. The twister also rolled a semi and destroyed a logging camp.
- Jul 3, 2006 4:12 am (#633 of 659)
July 2...
1833 Northern Vermont -- A tornado, 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile (0.8 to 1.2 km) wide — unusually large for New England — leaves a path of destruction from Salem Pond to Norton Pond before crossing into Canada. It "prostrated" nearly everything in its path.
1843 Alligator falls from sky onto Anson Street during a thunderstorm at Charleston, SC.
1900 Wyoming's hottest day ever --- 114ºF at Basin.
1908 Scotland's second hottest day on record; temperatures reach 32.8ºC (91.0°F) at Dumfries, Dumfries & Galloway. Taking the UK as a whole, this was also the hottest day of the year in 1908. Similar temperatures were reached on occasion in Scotland during the 19th century.
1942 Portland, Oregon's joint hottest day on record --- temperatures reach 41.7ºC.
1966 The temperature at Philadelphia, PA soared to 104ºF.
1968 36 mm of rain fell in just 9 minutes at Leeming, UK; this is one of the most intense sub-10 minute storms on record in the UK.
1980 114ºF in Wichita Falls, TX, breaking old record by 10ºF. This is the 9th consecutive day of 100ºF plus.
1985 It has never been hotter in Santa Barbara CA than on this date when the mercury topped out at 109ºF
1986 Amazingly, an F2 tornado at Jacksonville NC that killed 3 people was the deadliest twister of the year in 1986 as the United States experienced only 15 tornado deaths during the year (an all-time low since records begain in 1916).
1987 Thunderstorms in Colorado produced hail as large as golf balls northwest of Kiowa, which accumulated to a depth of twelve inches. Hail two and a half inches in diameter was reported at Black Forest. Hail damaged 900 acres of crops south of the town of Wiggins.
1989 Midland TX recorded their all-time record high with a reading of 112ºF. Meanwhile, the morning low of 35ºF in Alamosa CO was a record for the date, but the mercury would rise to 88 the same day to record a new high temperature mark for the date - all in the same day!
1989 Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the south central U.S., with 158 reports of large hail and damaging winds through the day. Evening thunderstorms in northeast Texas produced softball size hail that caused more than $5 million damage at Allen and wind gusts to 90 mph at Dallas which injured 8 persons and caused $7 million damage. Winnfield LA reported 29.52 inches of rain in six days, for a total of 62.50 inches for the first six months of the year.
1992 There was unusual summertime cold at Saranac Lake NY where the mercury fell to 30ºF, 30ºF West Charleston, VT, and 29º Fin East Haven VT.
1994 Heavy rains from the remains of Tropical Storm Alberto produces major flooding across northern and central Georgia. Three day rains exceeded 15 inches at Atlanta., GA, 21.10 inches at Americus, GA. Numerous road closures and bridge washouts. 30 people were killed and 50,000 were forced from their homes as 800,000 acres were flooded. Total damage exceeded $750 million
1997 Many record lows set or tied over the West including 30 in Alamosa CO, 31 in Ely NV and 34 in Casper WY. The 44ºF at Denver broke on of the oldest records on the books in the Mile High City. Official readings for Denver began in January 1872 at a site located near 16th and Larimer Streets.
1998 Italy's hottest day on record, when highs reached 45.2ºC (108.5°F) in Catania.
- Jul 3, 2006 2:14 pm (#634 of 659)
Edited by Jul 3, 2006 7:17 am
2000 JULY 3 Flash Flood Drowns Saskatchewan Town
There is a certain irony about one of the driest places getting the greatest rainfall, and yet that is exactly what happened at usually rain-sparse Vanguard, Saskatchewan on July 3 when a carwash-like downpour flooded the community of 200 people, some 65 km southeast of Swift Current. As much as 375 mm (14.76 inches) of rain fell in 8 hours, the greatest storm for that duration on the Canadian Prairies and one of the largest rainfall intensities ever recorded in Canada.
The spectacular thunderstorm produced more cloud-to-ground lightning strikes than that part of southern Saskatchewan would expect in two years. A year's amount of rain left crops in the field drowning and rotting, and roads and rail-lines under water. The force of the water crushed cars and farm implements, swept away grain bins and soaked large bales. Stranded residents had to be rescued by boat, which rapidly became the carrier of choice on the main street in Vanguard. The flash flood also carried away herds of cattle and drowned dozens of deer and antelope. Some further irony, when millions of litres of contaminated water submerged the water-treatment plant and backed up into homes and businesses, officials had to ship in bottled water from Swift Current.
The flood caused a number of serious problems for residents. Roads were washed out, fields flooded and cropland severely damaged. The community water supply was contaminated and most houses in the village were flooded, as were farm wells, dugouts and sewage systems. There were immediate problems with water availability for farm residents and for livestock. Many of the problmes created that night were long-lasting and life changing!
Even now... 6 years later, the damage is still affecting people -- some houses were beyond repair and had to be abandoned. Some people even just picked up and left the small town...
- Jul 3, 2006 2:20 pm (#635 of 659)
July 3...
2003 The day was hot and humid across New Brunswick. Late in the afternoon, a thunderstorm brought funnel clouds and hail. Lightning struck a transmission line just south of Newcastle, knocking out electricity to 100,000 customers. Environment Canada said it was a "micro burst" -- small bursts of wind a few hundred metres wide but packing tornadic strength winds.
2005 Waterways recorded their highest summer flows on record. In the north, the huge Churchill River hit its all-time high river level. In the south, the Red River in downtown Winnipeg rose to 6.1 m on July 3 - the second highest river level recorded in the city since major flood control works began in 1969. Nearly 200 local authorities requested disaster assistance and 22 municipalities declared a state of emergency. Over 5,000 private flood damage claims were filed, not including agricultural losses, and totalled more than $50 million. The number of claims was the second highest on record, topped only by those from the flood of 1997.
- Jul 3, 2006 2:36 pm (#636 of 659)
July 3...
1873 In Hancock County, Illinois, a tornado destroyed several farms. A child died after being carried 500 yards (455 metres) and 10 others were injured.
1933 A very cool 52°F equaled the July minimum at DC; the "Dog Days" traditionally begin this day of the year. The hot weather period received its name from Sirius, the brightest visible star in the sky and known as the Dog Star. Sirius rises in the east at the same time as the sun this time of the year.
1956 Lightning sets off dynamite charge near Brooksville FL, killing one woman.
1966 July 3rd marked the official beginning of the Dog Days of Summer. The Dog Days are named for the Eqyptian belief that during the period of time from July 3 through August 11 when the Dog Star Sirius rises and falls with the sun, that the star added to the heat of the Sun. On this date in 1966, the Dog Days were in full force in the Northeast when a sweltering heat wave hit... New York City recorded its hottest temperature ever with 107ºF at LaGuardia Airport. It was a sizzling 105ºF in Allentown, PA, and 104ºF at Philadelphia, PA. It was 102ºF in Hartford, CT.
1975 At Shangdi, Nei Monggol, China -- the greatest 1-hour rainfall ever recorded on Earth fell -- 401 mm (15.78 inches).
1987 Hail as large as golf balls accumulates to a depth of 12 inches (30 cm) fell at Kiowa, Colorado.
1987 Lightning struck and killed three men playing golf on a course near Kingsport, TN. The three men had sought shelter from the rain under a tall tree on a small hill. Showers and thunderstorms produced heavy rain in New Jersey, with 5.2 inches reported at Trenton State College.
1988 Thunderstorms around Fort Worth TX produced wind gusts to 76 mph at Burleson, along with 2 inches of rain in 30 minutes. The record low of 46ºF at Youngstown, OH was their sixth in a row.
1989 Showers and thunderstorms produced locally heavy rain in the eastern U.S. Bowling Green KY was soaked with 4.99 inches of rain during the morning hours, and up to ten inches of rain deluged Oconee County SC. The temperature at Alamosa, CO soared to a record warm reading of 91ºF, following a record low of 35ºF the previous day.
1992 An 18 foot high rogue wave crashed into the coast of Eastern Florida affecting a 27 mile stretch of coastline from New Smyrna Beach to Ormond Beach. 75 people were injured and 200 cars were damaged.
1994 Tropical Storm Alberto made landfall near Destin, FL with top winds of 65 mph and a central pressure of 995 mb. After landfall, the motion of the storm slowed and precipitation increased. The storm moved slowly through Alabama into Georgia, stalling just south of Atlanta. Over the next few days it reversed its course and then looped back on its previous course before ultimately dissipating. During that period it dumped copious amounts of rain across the area. Amounts as high as 21.1 inches in 24 hours were observed at Americus, Georgia. and Macon GA was deluged with over 10 inches. This rainfall produced record and near-record flooding along the Flint, Ocmulgee, Chattahoochee,Choctawhatchee, and Apalachicola Rivers. Overall, flash flooding and flooding caused by the rainfall from Alberto took 33 lives, destroyed thousands of homes (including some entire communities), forced approximately 50,000 people to be evacuated, and caused property damage (including lost crops) estimated as high as $750 million. It would be the worst natural disaster in the history of the state of Georgia. 30 counties were declared disaster areas.
1995 Coldest temperature ever recorded in New Zealand was -21.6°C (-6.9°F) at Ophir, New Zealand.
1998 A severe wildfire outbreak continued across Florida as severe drought contributed to wildfires that consumed 480,000 acres of land, destroyed 356 structures and caused over $270 million in damages. On this date, smoke from the vicious Florida fires caused a pall of smoke to spread all the way into the Florida Straits, to Cuba and even to the Bahamas. Visibility was down to only one mile in both Havana, Cuba and at Freeport in the Bahamas. The Pepsi 400 NASCAR race at Daytona was cancelled because of fires in area. Track officials did not want to put any more pressure on the already harried local residents. At least 30,000 people evacuated coastal Flagler County, Florida as fires in three sections of the area threatened to converge into one big fire.
2003 The temperature drops to -9.4°C (15°F) -- the coldest morning ever on Macquarie Island, Australia.
- Jul 3, 2006 3:00 pm (#637 of 659)
The Dog Days of Summer
Everyone knows that the “dog days of summer” occur during the hottest and muggiest part of the season. Webster defines “dog days” as...
1: the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere
2: a period of stagnation or inactivity
But where does the term come from? Why do we call the hot, sultry days of summer “dog days?”
In ancient times, when the night sky was unobscured by artificial lights and smog, different groups of peoples in different parts of the world drew images in the sky by “connecting the dots” of stars. The images drawn were dependent upon the culture: The Chinese saw different images than the Native Americans, who saw different pictures than the Europeans. These star pictures are now called constellations, and the constellations that are now mapped out in the sky come from our European ancestors.
They saw images of bears, (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor), twins, (Gemini), a bull, (Taurus), and others, including dogs, (Canis Major and Canis Minor).
The brightest of the stars in Canis Major (the big dog) is Sirius, which also happens to be the brightest star in the night sky. In fact, it is so bright that the ancient Romans thought that the earth received heat from it. Look for it in the southern sky (viewed from northern latitudes) during January.
In the summer, however, Sirius, the “dog star,” rises and sets with the sun. During late July Sirius is in conjunction with the sun, and the ancients believed that its heat added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather. They named this period of time, from 20 days before the conjunction to 20 days after, “dog days” after the dog star.
The conjunction of Sirius with the sun varies somewhat with latitude. And the “precession of the equinoxes” (a gradual drifting of the constellations over time) means that the constellations today are not in exactly the same place in the sky as they were in ancient Rome. Today, dog days occur during the period between July 3 and August 11. Although it is certainly the warmest period of the summer, the heat is not due to the added radiation from a far-away star, regardless of its brightness. No, the heat of summer is a direct result of the earth's tilt.
- Jul 5, 2006 10:58 am (#638 of 659)
July 4...
1939 Between Lampman, Sk., and the U.S. Canada border, a 15-minute hailstorm, described as the worst in living memory, flattened crops, smashed windows, damaged buildngs, and killed hundreds of turkeys. So much glass was broken in the region affected that shipments of glass were rushed in. Hail smashed all 200 panes in the hospital, and every pane on the west side of all buildings!
1944 Goose Bay, Labrador the maximum temperature reached 37.8°C (100°F).
1996 The Saskatoon, Maymont and Osler areas of Saskatchewan were struck by a severe weather outbreak which produced an estimated 9 tornadoes, extremely strong plow winds and softball sized hail. Power lines were destroyed in the Maymont area by an F3 tornado, homes and property in the Osler area were damaged by tornadoes, wind and golf ball sized hail, while Saskatoon experienced severe winds which damaged many trees and properties, particularly in the east end. Winds gusts of 120 km/h (75 mph) and 141 km/h (88 mph) were measured by meteorological instruments in the Saskatoon area (Saskatoon airport and Kernan Farms respectively). There was $15 million in property damage as a result from this storm.
1998 Calgary saw thunderstorms on 8 of the first 10 days in July during its famous Calgary Stampede. On July 4, a record 43 mm (1.7 inches) of rain fell in 6 hours, breaking the record for the heaviest one-day July rainfall since 1966. Records began here in 1909.
1999 On July 3rd and 4th 65cm (25.6 inches) of snow fell at Saskatchewan Crossing, high in the mountains between Lake Louise and Jasper, Alberta.
2001 Quebec and southeastern Ontario had some severe weather. There was heavy rain, strong winds and 2cm (.8 inches) of hail. Tornadoes touched down in Ayr, Argyle, Campbellville and Fenelon Falls (all in Ontario).
2002 a weak tornado near Ste-Jacques, NB uprooted hundreds of trees and damaged several buildings in northwestern New Brunswick. Winds were estimated up to 180 km/h. Trees fell across power lines cutting hydro to 10,000 people. The main storm system struck Charlottetown dumping 74 mm of rain in less than two hours. The heavy rain flooded streets and basements, and knocked out 60 to 100 power transformers.
- Jul 5, 2006 11:37 am (#639 of 659)
July 4...
1776 In Philadephia, Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson paid for his first thermometer then goes on to sign the Declaration of Independence. Temperature at 2:00 PM was 76°F (26°C) and cloudy according to Jefferson's diary.
1816 In Savannah, Georgia the temperature dropped into the 40ºF's.
1874 There were 8 people killed in a tornado at Lewistown PA. Other tornadoes caused minor damage in the Washington and Baltimore area.
1876 Severe thunderstorms hit the Midwest and a dam failed at Rockdale, IL. The resulting flash flood destroyed a railroad bridge and swept through the town. 42 people were killed.
1891 There were 16 horses killed by hail, and many more had to be put to death due to injuries from a hailstorm at Rapid City SD.
1895 Queensland in Australia records its coldest night on record when lows at Stanhope drop down to -11.0ºC.
1898 - Hampton Beach NH was struck by a tornado which killed 3 and injured 120.
1911 The northeastern U.S. experienced sweltering above 100ºF++ heat. Vermont, New Hampshire, & Maine recorded their hottest temperatures ever. Temperatures reached 105ºF (40.6ºC) in Vernon, Vermont, and just across the state line the highs peaked at 106ºF (41.1ºC) in Nashua, NH. The temperatues hit 105ºF (40.6ºC) at North Bridgton, Maine. Also, temperatures hit 104ºF (40ºC) at Albany, NY and Boston, MA, and 103ºF (39.4ºC) at Portland, ME -- all-time record highs for these three cities
1932 A massive F4 tornado struck Washington, KS destroying 50 homes and killing 5 people.
1956 1.23 inches of rain fell in one minute at Unionville, Maryland, setting a world record for most rainfall recorded in one minute!
1969 Severe thunderstorms accompanied by wind gusts of 100 mph, 3 tornadoes, and very heavy rains dumped 4-15 inches across parts of northern Ohio in the late evening and into the morning of the 5th. Major flash flooding resulted, causing 41 deaths and 359 injuries. Damage exceeded $66 million dollars.
1977 Straight line winds from a severe thunderstorm downburst created havoc along a 166 mile long path, up to 17 miles wide, in Wisconsin. Winds reached 135 mph. There were 1 fatality and 35 injuries. Total damage was $24 million.
1978 A violent F4 tornado tracked across 28 miles through Grant County in North Dakota in one hour killing 5 people in the town of Elgin.
1987 Thunderstorms around the country provided extra fireworks for Independence Day. Thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 82 mph at Clearwater KS, eight inches of rain in four hours at Menno SD, and three inches of rain in just fifteen minutes at Austin KY. Morning thunderstorms drenched Oneonta AL with 8.6 inches of rain, their greatest 24 hour total in thirty years of records. The heavy rain caused mudslides and serious flooding, claiming two lives.
1988 Thunderstorms produced heavy rain over the Central Gulf Coast Region for the second day in a row. Monroe LA was deluged with 3.75 inches in two hours. Aberdeen, SD and Rapid City, SD reported record high temperatures for the date with readings of 105ºF (40.6ºC).
1989 Independence Day was "hot as a firecracker" across parts of the U.S. 19 cities, mostly in the north central U.S., reported record high temperatures for the date, including Williston ND with a reading of 107ºF (41.7ºC). In the southwestern United States all-time record highs of 93°F (33.9ºC) at Alamosa CO, 114°F (45.6ºF) at Tucson AZ, and 118°F (47.8ºC) at Phoenix AZ.
1998 Thousands of evacuated Florida residents would never forget this Fourth of July as they spent the holiday uncertain if they would have a home to return to. More than 120,000 people were ordered to evacuate from homes in Flagler, Brevard and Volusia counties as fire officials closely watched the winds to see which direction the wildfires may head next. More than 480,000 acres of land would be scorched the wildfires and 356 structures would be destroyed by fire. Damages totalled $270 million. The fires were caused by extreme drought across the South from Texas to Florida. Estimated damages exceeded $6 billion and at least 200 people died because of the dry conditions.
- Jul 5, 2006 11:54 am (#640 of 659)
Edited by Jul 5, 2006 4:55 am
July 5...
1936 Canada's Deadliest Heat Wave in History, which would last until July 17th, began. Temperatures of more than 44ºC (111ºF) in Manitoba and Ontario would kill 1180 people (mostly the elderly and infants) . Around one-third (400) of these deaths were caused by people drowning as they tried to escape the heat by seeking refuge in whatever water they could find. In fact, the heat was so intense that steel rail lines and bridge girders twisted, sidewalks buckled, crops wilted and fruit baked on trees
The Dirty Thirties (~1929 - 1938): Widely considered to be the most significant drought in Saskatchewan - although many would state that the eighties were just as dry. The years of 1936 to 1938 were the worst with 12,831 of the province's farms being abandoned in 1936 alone. Dust sorms lasted for days during this period, and the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada was reached at both, Midale and Yellowgrass, in southern Saskatchewan when the mercury soared to 45°C (113ºF) -- 1937 July 5. In Regina, the same day, the mercury hit 43.3ºC (110ºF), the highest temperature ever recorded in the Provincial capital.
1939 A furious wind and rain storm struck parts of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Conklin Show was in town and suffered extensive damage. Flying timbers and tents creted a minor panic among employees. The wind moved a row of Ferris wheels and a motorcycle ride called the Globe of Death more than 2 metres. A crew of 300 men immediately began repairing the damage to prepare for the next day's visitors.
1998 A storm over Calgary saw heavy rain and golf ball sized hailstones cause some heavy flooding. As much as 50mm rain fell in just one hour over the north-western suburbs of the city and hail several centimetres deep covered the ground.
1999 Stifling heat and humidity in central Canada triggered a spectacular line of severe thunderstorms that stretched across eastern Ontario, the Laurentians and the Eastern Townships of Quebec. The storm packed winds of 100 to 120 km/h with gusts to 160 km/h and heavy rains, cutting a wide swath and felling tall trees, crushing vehicles, tearing down power lines and shearing off roofs. More than 600,000 households in Montreal and the Eastern Townships were without power - some for up to a week. Hydro Quebec reported the wind and rain storm cost the utility about $15 million.
2005 On June 14, a downpour from the remains of tropical depression Arlene dropped a rainfall total of 40 mm - 30 mm of it in one hour. The sudden thunderstorm at morning rush hour flooded parts of Highway 40's interchanges leaving some motorists stranded for more than an hour. Cars rapidly filled with raw sewage. The rains also triggered several landslides. Over the next three days more than 88 mm of rain fell in Montreal, adding to more water problems for motorists and residents. Three weeks later, on July 5, another brief but soaking storm inundated Montreal with 64 mm of rain, wreaking havoc on sections of the city's road network for the third time in less than a month. This time the storm disrupted afternoon rush-hour traffic, leaving some cars wading in water up to their roof lines. The Decarie Expressway was closed in both directions
- Jul 5, 2006 12:30 pm (#641 of 659)
July 5...
1643 July 5 (15 July on current calendar) A violent windstorm hits the Plymouth Colony, the "sudden gust" felled trees and killed one Native American. This may have been first documented American tornado or microburst.
1816 In parts of New England and the Middle Atlantic U.S. states, crop damage was severe and fruit trees were killed. In PA ice was found the thickness of window glass.
1882 There was a trace of snow at Newton, NJ and other locations in the the northeast U.S. States.
1891 A severe hailstorm hit Rapid City, SD. Hail killed 16 horses, and injured many others. Many more had to be put to death due to injuries from the hailstorm.
1900 Lightning set off a 3-day fire at Standard Oil refinery in Bayonne, New Jersey. 1 person was killed and damage was rated at $2 million.
1904 Violent thunderstorm over Boston Harbor caused tremendous damage -- estimated at $1 million.
1905 WBO had 2.77 inches rain in one hour, 3.33 inches in two hours and 4.01 inches in 12 hours. The storm total was 4.64 inches in Baltimore, MD.
1916 Very destructive early season hurricane hit the Mobile and Pensacola areas of Alabama. 7 deaths resulted. Winds reached 82 mph. Tides were 11.6 feet above normal. Barometric Pressure at Fort Morgan AL measured at 28.38 inches and 28.92 inches at Mobile AL.
1925 An immense hailstone weighing 227 gram (0.5 lb) fell at Plumstead, in London, England. This is the heaviest hailstone ever recorded in the United Kingdom.
1936 Temperatures reach 48.9ºC (120ºF) in Gann Valley, South Dakota, the state's hottest day on record. Meanwhile, Canada's deadliest heatwave, which would last until July 17th, began. Temperatures of more than 44ºC (111ºF) in Manitoba and Ontario would kill 1180 people.
1937 Canada's hottest day on record; temperatures reach 45.0ºC (113ºF) in Midale and Yellow Grass, both in southern Saskatchewan. It was also the hottest day on record in Montana where highs soared to 47.2ºC (117ºF) at Medicine Lake.
1970 Who says it gets cold in the desert at night? Usually, the extreme heat of desert days is followed by relatively chilly night time readings. Not on this date: Death Valley CA records high of 120ºF (48.9ºC) after morning low of 103ºF (39.4ºC).
1985 Utah records its hottest temperature ever at St. George, Utah when temperatures soared to 117ºF (47.2ºC).
1986 Summer??? Boise, Idaho dropped to a crisp 35ºF (1.7ºC), the coldest ever for the month of July.
1987 Severe thunderstorms raked south central Kansas for the second morning in a row. Thunderstorm winds again gusted to 80 mph at Clearwater, and in the Wichita area reached 100 mph. Twenty-five persons were injured at a trailer park at El Dorado Lake.
1988 Afternoon and evening thunderstorms spawned eleven tornadoes in Montana and three in North Dakota. Baseball size hail was reported at Shonkin MT, and wind gusts to 85 mph were reported south of Fordville ND. Twenty cities in the north central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, including Fargo ND with a reading of 106 degrees. Muskegon MI equaled their July record with a high of 95 degrees.
1989 Moisture from what once was Tropical Storm Allison triggered thunderstorms over the Middle Atlantic Coast Region, which deluged Wilmington DE with a record 6.83 inches of rain in 24 hours, including 6.37 inches in just six hours. Up to 10 inches of rain was reported at Claymont, northeast of Wilmington. July 1989 was thus the wettest month in 70 years for Wilmington, with a total of 12.63 inches of rain. Alamosa CO reported an all-time record high of 94ºF, and Pierre SD hit 113ºF.
1989 Denver recorded the second straight day of 100ºF temperatures when temperatures rose to 101ºF (38.3ºC), only the second time that had happened in weather records (the first time was in 1972).
1993 Big rains deluged the Central Plains as the one of the greatest floods in U.S. history began to unfold. 24 hour totals included 5.90 inches at Columbia, IA , 5.15 at Centralia, KS, and 4.80 inches at Haddam, KS.
1998 Hopeful Floridians, harried by the scourge of out-of-control wildfires turned the eyes toward a tropical weather system in the Caribbean as a potential source of much-needed rainfall. About 110,000 residents were still under evacuation orders on this date.
2003 An early morning band of severe thunderstorms blows across Northern Illinois with peak winds reported at 104 mph. Over 80,000 people are without power for various durations after the storm in the Rockford, Illinois area.
2003 July 5-7: The worst snowstorm in 50 years strikes across New Zealand, causing thousands of power outages to homes and businesses and stranding hundreds of motorists. In some areas, 30 cm (12 inches) of snow fell.
- Jul 7, 2006 12:15 pm (#642 of 659)
July 6...
1921 In both Temiscamingue, Quebec & Ville Marie, Quebec, the mercury hit 40°C (104°F), Quebec's hottest temperature on record.
1936 Full barrels of gasoline, missing 2 days from a farm near Smiley, Sk. following a killer tornado, were found more than 3 km from the touchdown. The twiter also carried a farmer's house 2 km before it was thrown down in a field. Other wreckage included a large barn, 2 machine sheds, 9 metal granaries, and several engines and separators.
1975 A hailstone weighing 249 grams (0.55 lbs) fell during a 13 minute long hailstorm at Wetaskiwin, AB. This is one of Canada's heaviest recorded hailstones and it weighed about the same as an empty beer bottle.
1997 July 6-8 SW Coast, British Columbia: More than 7000 lightning strikes in 90-minutes light up the skies over Greater Vancouver and southern Vancouver Island on the 6th. During the evening of July 7 and early morning on the 8th, Vancouver receives more than 37 mm (1.46 inches)of rain, the second heaviest one-day rainfall ever recorded in July. Total exceeds the normal rainfall for the month: 36 mm (1.42 inches).
1985 A tornado in Mississauga, ON injured 10 and caused $400,000 damage.
- Jul 7, 2006 12:44 pm (#643 of 659)
July 6...
1893 A violent F5 tornado killed 71 people on its forty-mile track across northwestern Iowa. 49 people were killed around Pomeroy, where eighty percent of the buildings were destroyed, with most leveled to the ground. Photos showed most of the town without a wall or tree left standing.
1906 Zeithain/Kr. Riesa, Germany -- Heavy rainfall in Sachsen totaled 260 mm (10.2 inches) over 24 hours.
1928 The Famous Potter Hailstorm hit Potter, Nebraska, when sever thundertorms dropped huge hailstones setting a record with the largest hailstone ever officially documented of
13.7 cm (5.4 inches) in diameter, a circumferance of 17 inches, and weighed about 0.68 kilograms (1.5 lb). This record was broken when a hailstone fell in Coffeyville, Kansas on September 3, 1970. weighing in at 0.75 kilograms (1.67 pounds), and spanned 14.4 centimetres (5.67 inches). In the Potter storm, eyewitness accounts reported individual hailstones fell far apart, about 3 to 4.5 metres (10 to 15 ft) from each other. This seems to indicate large areas of hail were swept together to form the large stones.
1936 Temperatures reach 49.4ºC (120.9ºF) in Steele, North Dakota, the state's hottest day on record. It's also Minnesota's hottest day on record as highs reach 45.6ºC (114ºF) in Moorhead.
1977 The peak of a 10-day heat wave in Washington, DC peaked with 100ºF in the Capital city.
1982 Georgia registered its record maximum 24 hour precipitation as 535.9mm (21 inches) of rain fell at Americus. On the same day temperatures in Milan, Italy reached 37.6ºC (99.7ºF), the second hottest day since 1980 here.
1985 Lightning struck a large transformer in Salt Lake County, in Utah, sending a 200-foot fireball into the air and blacking out almost the entire state for up to five hours.
1986 Thunderstorm rains during the mid morning hours, and again during the evening, produced major flash flooding at Leavenworth KS. The official rainfall total was 10.37 inches but unofficial totals exceeded twelve inches. At nearby Kansas City, the rainfall total of 5.08 inches was a daily record for July.
1987 Thunderstorms produced severe weather in 21 states east of the Rockies, with severe weather reported in Kentucky and Indiana for the second day in a row. A thunderstorm produced more than 5 inches of rain in one hour near Reynolds IL. Rochester NY was soaked with 3.25 inches, a record 24 hour total for the month of July.
1988 36 cities in the north central and northeastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Afternoon highs of 98ºF (36.7ºC) at International Falls MN and 101ºF (38.3ºC) at Flint MI equaled all-time records. Highs of 96ºF (35.9ºC) at Muskegon MI and 97ºF (36.1ºC) at Buffalo NY were records for July.
1989 Unseasonably hot weather prevailed in the southwestern U.S. Ten cities reported record high temperatures for the date, including Las Vegas NV with a reading of 115ºF (46.1ºC). Hanksville UT reached 112º(44.44ºC), Bullhead City AZ hit 120ºF (48.9ºC), and Death Valley CA soared to 126ºF (52.2ºC)!!!
1994 - A raging forest fire in Colorado killed 4.
1997 Juneau, Alaska: The remnants of a western Pacific tropical storm dump a 24-hour record July rainfall of 2.14 inches (544 mm).
- Jul 7, 2006 1:31 pm (#644 of 659)
July 7...
1949 In St. John's, Newfoundland, the mercury soared to 30.6°C (87°F), the city's hottest day on record.
1967 63.5mm (2.57 inches) of rain fell in 5 hours in Winnipeg, MB.
1999 A tornado left 4,000 without power and 200 in need of temporary shelter in Bertheirville, Yamaska and Drummondville (all in Quebec).
2000 Southern Manitoba had a few gully washers. The biggest deluge occurred on July 7, when a torrential downpour dumped a month's worth of rain, between 75 (2.95 inches) and 110 mm (4.33 inches), in just a few hours. The flooding affected 44 municipalities. Thousands of Winnipeg residents had to bail out flooded basements and rescue submerged cars when sewers could not keep pace with the rainfall intensity. The water level in the Red River gushed 3 metres (9.84 ft) above normal - a record for the summer. Disaster assistance claims from homeowners far exceeded the $9 million in relief moneys the government had set aside following the storm.
2002 104mm (4.1 inches) of rain fell in the 2 days up to the morning of the 7th in St. Antony, Newfoundland. The average July rainfall here is 76mm (3 inches).
2003 On his approach to Toronto Island Airport, ON, a private pilote from Chicago, IL, died when his plane dove into Lake Ontario. At the time, visibility was limited in haze, fog, and occassional rain. The poor weather created problems for searchers. The pilot survived the initial impact but was stunned and drowned while attempting to escape his rapidly-sinking plane.
- Jul 7, 2006 1:59 pm (#645 of 659)
July 7...
1889 206mm (8.1 inches) of rain fell in just 20 minutes at Curtea-de-Arges in Romania, the world's wettest 20 minutes on record.
1892 Record high barometer of 30.52 inches was observed in DC.
1905 The mercury soared to 127ºF (52.8ºC) at Parker, Arizona, to tie the state record established at Fort Mohave, AZ, on 1896 June 15.
1915 A severe wind and thunderstorm caused heavy damage and 38 deaths in and near Cincinnati, Ohio. Many older buildings were demolished. The steamship "Dick Fulton" was overturned.
1937 It was North Island, New Zealand's coldest night on record when lows dropped to -13.6ºC (7.5ºF) at Chateau Tongariro.
1954 Germany registers its joint second maximum 24 hour precipitation as 260mm rain falls at Stein/Kr. Rosenheim in Oberbayern.
1981 A rare snowstorm with winds to 90 mph (145 km/h) dumped 10 inches (25 cm) on Glacier National Park, Montana. Meanwhile, Denver, Colorado, set a record high with a reading of 101ºF (38.3ºC).
1982 France's hottest day on record occured at Le Luc near St. Tropez when high reached 42.7°C (108.9°F).
1987 Weird weather when temperatures fluctuated at Greensburg, KS from 75ºF (23.9ºC) at 7:00 AM to 95ºF (35ºC) in a few minutes then drop back to 86ºF (30ºC) by 8:00 AM. This strange fluctuation in temperatures was accompanied by dust devils and strange clouds.
1987 Thunderstorms spawned 8 tornadoes in Colorado and 3 tornadoes in West Texas. Thunderstorms also produced softball size hail at Bula TX. In the midst of a record thirty-nine day string of 100ºF (37.8ºC) days, the temperature at Tucson, AZ dipped to 66ºF (18.9ºC), marking their third straight record low for the date.
1988 38 cities in the north central and northeastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date. Youngstown OH hit 100ºF (37.8ºC), and for the second day in a row, Flint MI reached 101ºF (38.3ºC), equaling all-time records for those two cities.
1989 Thunderstorms produced severe weather during the day, with more than 100 reports of large hail and damaging winds from Ohio to Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Thunderstorm winds reached 90 mph in Sullivan County, NH, and golf ball size hail was reported in Pennsylvania. 24 cities, mostly in the southwestern U.S., reported record high temperatures for the date. Afternoon highs of 105ºF (40.6ºC) at Cedar City, UT, and 114ºF (45.6ºC) at Moab, UT, were all-time records for those locations.
1991 $30 million in damage across Lower Michigan from an unusually intense severe thunderstorm complex that produced wind gusts to 85 mph. Over 850,000 people were without electricity after the storm, some for up to a week.
2004 Sequoia National Park, California: A tornado hits Rockwell Pass in Sequoia National Park. The ground-level base of the tornado is estimated to be 12,000 feet (3660 m), making it the highest elevation tornado ever observed in the US.
2004 Xiao, China: In the eastern province of Anhui, severe thunderstorms sporting walnut-sized hailstones and strong winds damage or destroy 18,000 homes and cause three deaths and 143 injuries.
- Jul 7, 2006 2:02 pm (#646 of 659)
Hailstones
Hail is the prime warm-season species of frozen precipitation, born of severe thunderstorms. Hail stone size usually increases with the intensity of the storm cell from which they spawn. For example, a hailstone the size of a golf ball requires over ten billion supercooled droplets to be accumulated, and thus it must remain in the storm cloud for 5 to 10 minutes and be held aloft by updrafts exceeding 88 km/h (55 mph).
When sliced through their center, hailstones reveal an onion-like layering, particularly evident in the larger stones. These distinctive layers alternating between opaque ice and clear ice, indicate the manner in which ice accumulated during different stages of the hailstone's growth.
An opaque ice layer forms when the hailstone collects small, supercooled liquid water drops that freeze rapidly on impact, thereby trapping air bubbles within the ice and giving it a "milky" texture. When larger supercooled water drops impact on a hailstone, the freezing is slower, allowing the air bubbles to escape, and thus forming clear ice.
The US National Weather Service recognizes a series of descriptor terms for various hailstone diameters, ranging from pea-sized to softball-sized. The British Meteorological Office uses a slightly different set of terms.
The largest hailstone ever officially documented fell in Coffeyville, Kansas on September 3, 1970. It weighed 0.75 kilograms (1.67 pounds), and spanned 14.4 centimetres (5.67 inches). The previous record stone fell at Potter, Nebraska on July 6, 1928. It measured 13.7 cm (5.4 inches) in diameter and weighed about 0.68 kg (1.5 lb). In the Potter storm, eyewitness accounts reported individual hailstones fell far apart, about 3 to 4.5 metres (10 to 15 ft) from each other. This seems to indicate large areas of hail were swept together to form the large stones.
Note Added November 2003: The largest hailstone by dimensions ever recovered in the United States fell in Aurora, Nebraska on June 22, 2003 with a record 7-inch (17.8 cm) diameter and a circumference of 18.75 inches (37.6 cm). The NOAA National Climate Extremes Committee, which is responsible for validating national records, have formally accepted the measurements.
Viewed from the air, we can see that hail falls along paths known as hail swaths. These can be quite small — a hectare or so (a few acres) in area — or quite large, 16 kilometres (10 miles) wide by 160 kilometres (100 miles) long. Hail swaths can pile hail so deep it must be removed with a snow plow. In Orient, Iowa, for example, in August 1980, "hail drifts" were reported 2 metres (6.5 feet) deep. Large and severe hail swaths can devastate one field of crops while leaving a neighbour's untouched.
- Jul 8, 2006 3:14 pm (#647 of 659)
July 8...
1936 July 8-10 Temperatures soared to 40.6°C (105°F) in Toronto, ON, on each of three consecutive days.
1988 Temperatures at Niagara Falls reached 37ºC (98.6ºF), the hottest July day on record here. The hottest day on record here, however, is 38.3ºC (100.9ºF) on 26th August 1948.
1989 Tornado force winds and hail caused considerable damage to buildings and cars in several towns and farms in southeastern Saskatchewan. In Peebles, SK, the general store and the skating/curling rink were blown into the bush about 3 km (1.9 mi) from where they had originally stood.
2003 A mini-tornado split trees and lifted seeral buildings off their foundations when it whipped through a farm at Ste. Jeanne d'Arc, QC, in the Lac St Jean regaon. The weak F-0 tornado packed winds of 120 km/h (74.6 mph).
2004 A strong F1 (almost F2) tornado with winds around 180 km/h (112 mph) skipped through Grande Prairie, AB, tearing a wall off a downtown store, flipping over cars, cutting power to the downtown area and bending traffic lights. The very narrow but powerful tornado raised a pickup truck several metres into the air before dropping it on to the sidewalk, homes and businesses lost sections of roof and siding, and winds downed more than a dozen large trees prompting city officials to declare a state of emergency.
- Jul 8, 2006 3:44 pm (#648 of 659)
Edited by Jul 8, 2006 8:44 am
July 8...
1707 A.K.A. Hot Tuesday -- Several men and horses were killed by heatstroke as temperatures reach an estimated 38ºC (100.4ºF). This is probably the UK's hottest day since the Medieval Warm Period (1100-1250 ish).
1788 Hail fell at Canterbury, CT to a depth of 34 inches (86 cm). Serious flooding resulted when it melted.
1816 Frost was reported in low places throughout New England.
1886 Nearly every home in the small community of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota was moved off its foundation by the severe thunderstorms which come in the night. Across Swift and Brown Counties, the storms produce high winds and intense hail.
1935 10 inches (254 mm) of rain at Cortland, NY in 48 hours caused damaging floods on the Susquehanna and Hudson River Valleys
1950 York, Nebraska was deluged with 13.15 inches (334 mm) of rain in 24 hours to establish a state rainfall record
1952 July 8-9: Baltimore MD was deluged with 5.86 inches (148.8 mm) of rain.
1975 Three people were killed and six others were injured when lightning struck a walnut tree near Mayo FL. The nine people were stringing tobacco under a tin shed when the bolt hit the nearby tree.
1987 Thunderstorms in the central U.S. produced wind gusts to 90 mph (144.8 km/h) at Waterloo IA, 6.38 inches (162 mm) of rain at Tescott KS, and 25 minutes of ping-pong ball size hail at Drummond OK.
1988 Thirty cities in the north central and northeastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Beckley WV equaled their all-time record with a high of 93ºF (33.9ºC). Afternoon and evening thunderstorms spawned seven tornadoes in Adams and Logan counties of eastern Colorado, and hail caused $2.3 million dollars in damage in Adams, Logan and Washington counties.
1989 Sixteen cities in the central and western U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. The high of 103ºF (39.4ºC) at Denver, Colorado, equaled their record for July, and a 110ºF (43.3ºC) reading at Rapid City, South Dakota, equaled their all-time record high. Denver reported a record 5 straight days of above 100ºF (37.8ºC) heat, and Scottsbluff, Nebraska, reported a record 8 days in a row of 100ºF (37.8ºC) temperature readings.
1991 0.95 inches (24 mm) of rain fell in 15 minutes along with 62 mph (100 km/h) wind gusts at Washington D.C. 2.23 inches (56.6 mm) of rain fell in just 20 minutes across parts of northern Virginia.
1992 Severe thunderstorms produces very long downburst at Concordia, KS. Peak one minute sustained winds reached 108 mph (173.8 km/h) at Concordia Airport and exceeded 60 mph (96.6 km/h) for over 20 minutes. 6 people were injured and damage estimated at $25 million.
1993 A wild weather night in the middle of the Great Flood of 1993 across Iowa as the State records its 37th day of rain in the last 40 days. Many tornado sightings reported. Manilla, Iowa records 7.5 inches (19 cm) of rain; 7.83 in (19.9 cm) in Jefferson.
2001 Milan, Italy: A tornado estimated as an F3 storm strikes northeast of Milan uprooting trees, damaging cars and causing several injuries.
2003 What may be the world's highest dew point temperature was recorded at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, on the Persian Gulf. A dew point of 95°F (35ºC) was recorded at 3:00 PM while the air temperature was 108°F (42.2ºC). The apparent temperature at that time would have been 172°F (77.8ºC). A dew point above 21°C (70°F) is very humid.
- Jul 9, 2006 3:59 pm (#649 of 659)
July 9...
1926 Lightning struck the chimney of the Orange Hall in Rednersville, ON, instantly killing a father and son, and injuring 30 others. The son had just been initiated into the Orange Lodge when a terrific bolt of lighting hit. Remarkably, the father and son were sitting on opposite sides of the room, 10 metres (32.8 ft) apart, when they were struck simutaneously. Not a mark of any kind was found on them.
1936 Temperatures reached 40.6ºC (105ºF) in Toronto, ON.
1964 The mercury in Yellowknife, NT peaks at 32.2ºC (90ºF), the hottest day on record here.
2004 In Peterborough, Ontario, thunderstorms dumped nearly 190 millimetres (7.5 inches) of rain, overwhelming the city's storm sewer system and flooding about one-third of the city.
2004 A tornado swept through Grande Prairie, AB, about 450 kilometres (280 miles) northwest of Edmonton. No injuries were reported, but a car was flipped over, hydro poles snapped and shingles ripped from buildings.
- Jul 9, 2006 4:33 pm (#650 of 659)
July 9...
1860 Kansas has a hot blast of air in the middle of a sweltering summer, pushing the mercury to 115ºF (46.1ºC) at Fort Scott and Fort Lawrence, and 112ºF (44.4ºC) at Topeka.
1876 July 9-10 The minimum temperature of 80°F (26.7ºC) or above were the warmest two consecutive nights ever in DC.
1882 Ice froze on the streets of Cheyenne WY during a rare summer cold spell.
1914, Turku, Finland registered Finland's hottest day on record at 35.9°C (96.6°F).
1933 Sweden's joint hottest day on record; temperatures reach 38.0ºC (100.4ºF) in Ultuna.
1936 106ºF (41.1ºC) at the Central Park Observatory in New York City -- this reading would stand as the hottest temperature ever in New York City until 1966 July 3 when the mercury topped out at 107ºF (41.7ºC) at LaGuardia Airport.
1959 A severe thunderstorm crossed from France to England leaving a 130-mile hail swath across southeast England. The Village of Wokingham, England was pelted with near-baseball size hail. The storm passed over an intensive field research program allowing it to be one of the most intensely studied supercell storms at the time.
1968 Columbus, Mississippi recorded 15.68 inches (398.3 mm) of rain in 24 hours to set the record for maximum 24-hour precipitation in the state of Mississippi.
1979 Hurricane Bob, born in the Gulf of Mexico, became the first Atlantic Hurricane of record to be given a male name.
1982 Wind shear caused the crash of Pam Am flight 759 after takeoff from New Orleans Internatinal Airport. 145 people on the plane and 8 people on the ground were killed.
1982 An Unusual freeze at Cheyenne WY -- resulting in icy streets.
1982 Nebraska registered its record maximum 24 hour precipitation as 13.15 inches (334.0 mm) of rain fell at York.
1987 The 33rd consecutive 100ºF plus (37.8ºC) temperature day in Tucson AZ (when the temperature reached 102ºF) breaking the record for the all-time record of number of days of 100ºF+ temperatures. Strangely enough, the morning low was a record 68ºF (20ºC), the 4th record breaking low in the past five days.
1987 Thunderstorms produced severe weather in Michigan. A tornado near Munising MI destroyed part of a commercial dog kennel, and one of the missing hapless pups was later found unharmed in a treetop half a mile away.
1988 Twenty-three cities in the eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Alpena MI and Buffalo NY suffered through their sixth straight day of record heat. The percentage of total area in the country in the grips of severe to extreme drought reached 43 percent, the fourth highest total of record. The record of 61 percent occurred during the summer of 1934.
1989 Morning thunderstorms produced very heavy rain in southern Lower Michigan and northern Indiana. Up to 5.6 inches (142.2 mm) of rain was reported in Berrien County MI. Sioux Falls SD reported a record high of 108ºF (42.2ºC).
1993 11 inches (279.4 mm) of rain fell overnight in Scranton IA. Much of the downtown of Davenport IA was under water as the Great Flood of 1993 raged on.
1996 Hurricane Bertha becomes a major hurricane north of Puerto Rico, with 115 mph (185 km/h) winds, the first of six major hurricanes that year. The storm would later threaten Florida and eventually make landfall in North Carolina on July 12th, near Wrightsville Beach.
2001 Temperatures in New York City reached 103.1ºF (39.5ºC), the hottest day here in 24 years.
2003 A new July maximum temperature record is set 84°F (28.9°C) at Anchorage, Alaska.
- Jul 10, 2006 11:51 am (#651 of 659)
July 10...
1901 Hailstones measuring 8cm and weighing 140g fell on Edmonton, Alberta damaging rooves and breaking lights.
1973 Temperatures reached 39.4ºC (102.9ºF) in Lethbridge, Alberta, the hottest day on record there.
1977 A thunderstorm dumped up to 75 mm of rain in some areas of soujthern Saskatchewan, causing extensive damage in several communities. In Frankslake, a twister tore off roofs, uprooted a tree, and ripped down fences. At Wood Mountain Regional Park, the reain shortened a ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of Sioux Chief Sitting Bull's arrival in Canada.
2005 For many it was the oppressively high humidity that evoked most of the complaining and for good reason. At Toronto, the number of days with humidex values greater than an uncomfortable 35 reached 44, tying the record in 1955 and 2002. The summer also featured the longest-ever bout of jungle-like humidity lasting 13 consecutive days beginning on July 10. But while daytime sweats can be eased by swimming pools and workplace air conditioning, it was the high night-time minimum temperatures that often led to much tossing and turning. In Toronto, minimum temperatures were a sweltering four degrees warmer than normal. Further, there were 25 nights in which the minimum temperature did not drop below 20°C (i.e. tropical nights), breaking the previous record of 19 in 2002.
- Jul 10, 2006 12:32 pm (#652 of 659)
Edited by Jul 10, 2006 5:32 am
July 10...
1911 Temperatures reached 105ºF (40.6ºC) in North Bridgton, Maine, the state's hottest day on record.
1913 The highest official temperature ever recorded in the United States was observed at Greenland Ranch, Death Valley, California when the mercury hit 134ºF (56.7ºC). This is considered to be the warmest temperature ever in the Western Hemisphere. Sandstorm conditions accompanied the heat. The high the previous day was 129°F (53.9ºC) following a morning low of 93ºF (33.4ºC).
1926 Lightning exploded an ammunition magazine at the the Naval Ammunition Depot at Lake Denmark, in northern New Jersey. A big red ball of fire leaped into the air, triggering a series of explosions. The resulting explosion destroyed every building within a 1/2 mile radius and debris fell as far as 25 miles away. 16 people died in the disaster and damage totalled $70 million in what may have been the costliest lightning bolt in United States history.
1936 It was a hot day in the Mid Atlantic. Maryland recorded its hottest temperature ever 109ºF (42.3ºC) at Cumberland and Frederick as did New Jersey with 110ºF (43.3ºC) at Runyon. West Virginia recorded its hottest with 112ºF (44.44ºC) at Martinsburg as did Pennsylvania when temperatures hit 111ºF (43.9ºC) at Phoenixville. It was the hottest day of record for the Middle Atlantic Coast Region.
1959 Yuma, Arizona reaches 118ºF (47.8ºC), the hottest reading during an extended heat wave that saw temperatures rise to over 100ºF (37.8ºC) for an entire month.
1975 Baltimore MD picked up 4.66 inches of rain in 24 hours.
1979 The temperature at El Paso TX hit 112ºF (44.44ºC), an all-time record for that location. The next day was 110ºF (43.3ºC).
1980 The temperature in downtown Kansas City MO hit 109ºF (42.3ºC), following a sultry overnight low of 89ºF (31.7ºC). The daily low of 89ºF was the warmest of record for Kansas City, and overall it was the hottest July day of record. It was the seventh of a record seventeen consecutive days of 100°F (37.8ºC) heat, and the mean temperature for the month of 90.2ºF (32.3ºC) was also an all-time record for Kansas City.
1987 An early morning thunderstorm in Minnesota produced wind gusts to 91 mph at Waseca. Later that day, thunderstorms in South Dakota produced wind gusts to 81 mph at Ipswitch, and baseball size hail near Hayes and Capa.
1988 Thunderstorms brought welcome rains to parts of the central U.S., but produced severe weather along the New England coast, in the Great Lakes Region, in North Carolina, and in the Southern Plateau Region. Strong thunderstorm winds gusting to 80 mph at Bullfrog, Utah and sank three boats on nearby Lake Powell.
1989 Severe thunderstorms spawned 17 tornadoes in the northeastern U.S. A powerful F4 tornado struck Hamden CT and New Haven CT, causing $100 million dollars damage at Hamden, and another $20 million dollars damage around New Haven. 40 persons were injured in the tornado. 70 persons were injured in a tornado which traveled from Watertown CT to Waterbury CT, and another powerful F4 tornado touched down near Ames NY injuring twenty persons along its 43.5 mile track. It was the strongest tornado of record for eastern New York State. An F3 tornado caused $20 million in damage and 20 injuries as it ripped through parts of Montgomery, Schoharie, Albany and Greene Counties in New York. The town of Bantam County was nearly destroyed by another F3 tornado. An F4 tornado at Hamden CT caused $100 million in damage. Another twister was reported near New York City. The thunderstorm complex that produced the tornadoes produced over 12,500 lightning strikes.
1993 7 inches of rain fell in one hour at Adrian MN. During normal summers, such incredible downpours might cause flash flooding, but not widespread river flooding. But during the spring and summer of 1993, such events were commonplace and the resulting flooding was catastrophic.
2002 During a record heat wave across the western USA that saw many daily records tumble, Reno, Nevada set a new all time record high when temperatures reached 108ºF (42.2ºC) surpassing the old record of 106ºF (41.1ºC) set on 1931 July 20. On July 11 this record was equalled again. A few other sites in Nevada set new all time records, including Carson City where highs reached 104ºF (40.0ºC) just pipping the old record of 103ºF (39.4ºC) set on 1950 September 3.
2004 The daily high tied the highest July temperature for Kodiak, Alaska at 82°F (27.8°C).
- Jul 12, 2006 2:23 am (#653 of 659)
Edited by Jul 11, 2006 7:24 pm
July 11...
1936 Atikokan, Ontario / Winnipeg, Manitoba -- during Canada's deadliest ever heatwave, temperatures peaked at 42.2°C (108°F) in both communities. The Ontario reading tied the highest temperature ever in the Province. The temperature was the highest recorded temperature in Winnipeg since records began in the 1870's. Also in Manitoba, temperatures reached 44.4ºC (111.9ºF) at St. Albans.
1978 Across Edmonton, a deluge droppped up to 90 mm (3.54 inches) of rain in 18 hours, causing huge water problems. Small cars floated in a metre of muddy water One motorcyclist disappeared under water when the puddle he was driving through turned out to be deeper than he expected. He emerged sputtering, pulled his stalled cycle to the sidewalk and calmly emptied his cowboy boots.
1997 Well-deserved sunshine and warmth finally arrived to the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island on July 11 for a five-week summer before rains resumed.
1998 More than 85mm (3.35 inches)fell at Halifax, NS causing widespread flooding.
2004 A severe summer storm striked Edmonton, Alberta, and environs with 200 mm (7.87 inches) of rain and damaging hail that piled metre-high in the streets. The punishing rain and golf-ball sized hail storm caused $10's of $millions of $dollars damage to the city's famous West Edmonton Mall. Tornadoes and funnel clouds were seen around the capitol city.
2004 East of Quebec City, a series of supper-hour thunderstorms caused flash flooding in four towns. The raging waters flooded a number of roads, ripped up asphalt and triggered mudslides. The next day a different weather system with similar effects flooded basements in several hundred homes and businesses in the towns of Bromont, Granby and St Hyacinthe. Three days later, heavy rains from the Peterborough storm washed out all road access to the town of Temiscamingue, 650 km (403.9 miles) northwest of Montreal. About 110 mm (4.33 inches) of rain fell in 36 hours, flooding the local arena and 20 basements. Heavy rains overwhelmed culverts on the 2-lane highway into town, washed away pavement and gravel shoulders and pushed mud and trees onto the highway. Transport authorities closed the highway between Temiscaming and North Bay, ON. And while no evacuations were necessary, town officials set up an emergency centre and issued a precautionary boil-water advisory.
- Jul 12, 2006 2:57 am (#654 of 659)
Edited by Jul 11, 2006 7:57 pm
July 11...
1825 11 Boston temperature reached 102ºF, capping a 13 day heat wave.
1888 Colorado records its hottest temperature ever of 118ºF (47.8ºC)at Bennett, CO.
1888 A heavy July snow blanketed the peaks of the Green Mountains in Vermont and snow was reported nearly to the base of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire.
1911 The highest temperature ever recorded in Maine: 105°F (40.6°C) at North Bridgton, Maine.
1936 Unbelieveable heat in the Mid Atlantic states, with the following state all-time heat records falling on this date: 111ºF (43.9ºC) at Phoenixville PA; 112ºF (44.44ºC) at Martinsburg WV; 109ºF (42.8ºC) atFrederick and Cumberland MD; and 110ºF (43.3ºC) at Runyon NJ.
1949 Thousands of fish, averaging 10cm (3.94 inches) long, fall onto a 10 acre field in Hastings, New Zealand.
1961 - The Major League Baseball All Star game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco was buffeted by strong winds. The National League won the windy contest, 5-4 in 10 innings.
1971 The Australian capital Canberra records its coldest night on record as lows drop down to -10.0ºC (14ºF).
1987 Early morning thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 90 mph at Parkston SD, and wind gusts to 87 mph at Buffalo MN. Later in the day strong thunderstorm winds at Howard WI collapsed a circus tent, sheltering 1200 people, injuring 44 persons.
1988 Thunderstorms produced heavy rain in southern Texas, with totals ranging up to 13 inches near Medina. Two men drowned when their pick-up truck was swept into the Guadalupe River, west of the town of Hunt. Severe thunderstorms in Montgomery County MD produced 60 mph winds and left 40,000 without power. It was the worst thunderstorm in 8 years. Flash flooding on the Monongehela River in western Pennsylvania caused the river to rise 32 feet in less than 24 hours. 10 cities in the eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Baltimore MD reported a record high reading of 102ºF (38.9ºC) for the second day in a row.
1989 Afternoon and evening thunderstorms produced severe weather from North Dakota to Indiana. Thunderstorms in North Dakota produced tennis ball size hail at Carson. Thunderstorms in Indiana produced wind gusts to 75 mph at Fort Wayne. Five cities in the Southern Atlantic Coast Region reported record high temperatures for the date, including Lakeland FL with a reading of 100ºF (37.8ºC).
1990 The most costly hailstorm in U.S. history and the second most destructive hailstorm on record in North America hit along the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies. The affected area extended from Estes Park to Colorado Springs. Baseball size hail stripped trees, battered cars and rooftops and knocked out utilities to thousands. Denver was hard hit. Total damage $625 million.
1993 The Great Midwest Flood continues: flood waters close the Des Moines, Iowa water treatment plant, leaving the city's 250,000 residents without water for 12 days.
1995 Winds to 86 mph damaged several small airplanes and buildings in Barstow, Florida.
- Jul 12, 2006 12:17 pm (#655 of 659)
July 12...
1920 A cloudburst at Cache Creek, B.C. generated a wall of water 2 metres high on the Thompson River, sweeping away several houses, barns, trees, and any other movable object. The raging torrent demolished a government road camp and post office, and damaged an Indian rancherie.
1926 Tornadoes are rare in British Columbia but nevertheless they do occur from time to time. On this day in 1926, a tornado hit at Lac La Hache destroying farm buildings and felling trees.
1936 For the second day in a row Atikokan, Ontario records a high of 42.2ºC (108ºF), the joint highest temperature ever recorded in Ontario.
1952 Temperatures in Prince Rupert, BC topped 30ºC (86ºF) for only the second time on record here.
2003 Lightning struck and instantly killed a 14-year old female player from Maine during a soccer tournament in Fredericton, NB. More than 20 others were injured or dazed and taken to hospital.
- Jul 12, 2006 12:47 pm (#656 of 659)
July 12...
1842 July 12-13: One of the most severe hurricanes in the history of the coastal Carolinas struck the Outer Banks of North Carolina on the evening of the 12th into the 13th. The entire village of Portsmouth was destroyed except for one building. The storm apparently passed inland near Norfolk VA and caused massive flooding in Pennsylvania and Virginia.
1900 Temperatures reached 114ºF (45.6ºC) in Basin, Wyoming, the state's hottest day on record.
1910 The wet city of Cherrapunji, India, in India's northeastern Meghalaya state — one of the rainiest places on Earth — suffered 839 mm (33 inches) of rainfall on this day.
1936 July 12-14 The hottest three-day period in United States history averaged 88.5°F (31.4°C) -- the second warmest such period was three days earlier.
1951 The Kaw River flood occurred. The month of June that year was the wettest of record for the state of Kansas, and during the four days preceding the flood much of eastern Kansas and western Missouri received more than 10 inches of rain. Flooding in the Midwest claimed 41 lives, left 200,000 persons homeless, and caused a $Billion dollars property damage. Kansas City was hardest hit. The central industrial district sustained $870 million dollars property damage.
1969 Western Australia recorded its coldest night on record when lows at Booylgoo Springs dropped down to -6.7ºC (19.9ºF).
1976 Northern Territory in Australia records its coldest night on record when lows at Alice Springs drop down to -7.5ºC (18.5ºF).
1979 The first 90°F (32.2ºC) day of year was very late in the year. The latest 90°F day ever recorded in Washington, DC.
1980 Lightning struck a large broiler house in Branford FL, and the ensuing fire broiled 11,000 nearly ready broilers. Firemen were able to save a few thousand chickens, however.
1983 Northern Ireland's joint hottest day on record, when temperatures reached 30.8ºC (87.4ºF) at Shaw's Bridge, Co.Antrim.
1984 Hail and wind pounded Munich, Germany, causing damage to 700,000 homes and 200,000 cars, estimated at more than $1 Billion.
1984 An important reminder about lightning -- It does not have to be raining where you are standing for lightning to strike. Rain was not falling at the golf course in Tucson AZ where a golfer was struck and killed by an isolated lightning bolt from a storm three miles away. His partner was also hit but was uninjured.
1987 Cool air invaded the High Plains Region. 8 cities reported record low temperatures for the date, including Sheridan WY with a reading of 37ºF (2.8ºC). Thunderstorms developing along the cold front in the central U.S. produced 6.5 inches of rain at Fort Dodge IA, and 2.5 inches in one hour at St Joseph MO.
1988 Evening thunderstorms produced severe weather over the Dakotas, including baseball size hail at Aberdeen SD, and softball size hail near Fullerton ND. Patio furniture reportedly looked like it had been beaten with a sledge hammer. Thunderstorms produced heavy rain in Arkansas and northeastern Texas, with 6.59 inches reported at Mesquite TX in just an hour and fifteen minutes. Garland TX reported water up to the tops of cars following a torrential downpour.
1988 At Mesquite, Texas, 6.59 inches (167.4 mm) of rain fell in just an hour and a quarter.
1989 Early morning thunderstorms over eastern Kansas deluged McFarland with more than six inches of rain. Afternoon thunderstorms in Wyoming produced up to 18 inches of dime size hail near Rock Springs, along with torrential rains, and a three-foot high wall of mud and water swept into the town causing 1 death and more than $1.5 million dollars damage. Evening thunderstorms produced severe weather in Oklahoma and Arkansas, deluging Dardanelle AR with 3.50 inches of rain in less than twenty minutes. About seventy cows were killed when lightning struck a tree in Jones County TX.
1993 The island of Okushiri in Japan was devastated by a tsunami created by 7.8 magnitude earthquake in the Sea of Japan. 15-30 foot waves started crashing ashore within minutes after the tremor occurred, sweeping up people, vehicles and buildings. The maximum wave would be an astounding 90 feet tall! Everything in the tsunamis' path was obliterated. 239 people died. But themiracle was that the Japan Meteorological Agency's warning was issued in a timely and effective manner, and a far greater tragedy was averted.#
1996 Hurricane Bertha makes landfall near Wrightsville Beach, NC with maximum winds of 105 mph, but the storm surge dealt the most devastation. Damage totalled $270 million.
1998 The temperature at DFW airport in Dallas/Ft. Worth TX rose to 100ºF (37.8ºC) making it the hottest day of 1998, as well as the hottest day of the 1990's. Dallas saw the temperature go to 100ºF or hotter on 56 days during the summer of 1998. There were 39 nights that the mercury never dropped below 80ºF (26.7ºC). The all-time record high for Dallas was set in 1980, when the temperature reached 113ºF (45ºC) on June 26th and 27th.
2004 July 12-18 More than 500 mm (20 inches) of rain falls in Niigata Prefecture, Japan over the week, nearly one-fifth the annual average.
2005 July 12-20 At Reno, Nevada, a record string of days with temperatures above 101°F (38.3°C) -- 9 straight days!!!!
- Jul 14, 2006 11:36 am (#657 of 659)
July 13...
1936 Fort Francis, Ontario records a high of 42.2ºC (108ºF), Ontario's joint highest temperature on record.
2000 Canada's hottest day of the year as temperatures reach 37.9ºC (100.2ºF) in Onefour, Alberta.
2003 A massive storm system packing golf ball size hailstones and fierce winds ravaged wheat crops and damaged property across south-central Saskatchewan. The worst of the storm missed Saskatoon, but even there, winds gusted to 70 km/h (43.5 mph) and 60 mm (2.4 inches) of rain fell in less than 30 minutes. In North Battleford, wind gusts around 120 km/h *74.6 mph) peeled back roots!
2003 July 13-14 Powerful thunderstorms with hail and heavy rain blew through Winnipeg on July 13 and 14, knocking out power to thousands of people and prompting forecasters to issue tornado warnings across southern Manitoba. On July 14, a medium-strength tornado struck Gretna, MB leveling fields of crops, blowing down equipment sheds and garages, and knocking down hydro poles. A dozen trees, some close to a metre in diameter, were uprooted by the sheer power of the twister. The storm also brought a massive hailstorm with softball-size hailstones farther north near Altona. The 10-minute hailer pummeled the town and surrounding area, causing millions of dollars in damage to crops, buildings and vehicles.
- Jul 14, 2006 12:31 pm (#658 of 659)
July 13...
1788 France: Hailstorms separated by about 20 kilometres (12 miles) produced unusually long swaths of damage from Touraine, France, to Belgium. One storm was 16 km (10 miles) wide by 675 km (420 miles) long; the second, 8 km (5 miles) by 800 km (500 miles). A thousand communities in France are damaged by the storms.
1895 A tornado struck Cherry Hill in New Jersey causing $50,000 damage and killing 3 people. Another twister also descended into the Harlem and Woodhaven areas of New York City killing one person, and finally ended as a waterspout in Jamaica Bay.
1936 Temperatures reach 112ºF (44.4ºC) in Mio, Michigan, the state's hottest day on record. Meanwhile, on the same day Wisconsin recorded its hottest day on record when temperatures peaked at 114ºF (45.6ºC) at Wisconsin Bells.
1949 Thousands of fish, averaging 4 inches long, fell onto a 10 acre field in Hastings, New Zealand.
1972 Lake County Florida - one man killed and two others injured by lightning as they stood in a field measuring a snake they had just killed.
1975 Delaware registered its record maximum 24 hour precipitation as 215.9mm (8.5 inches) of rain fell at Dover.
1977 Lightning struck a key electrical transmission line near Indian Point Westchester County of southeastern New York State and caused a 24-hour New York power blackout.
1977 Lightning struck a key electrical transmission line near Indian Point NY near New York City, plunging millions into darkness for 24 hours. Looting resulted in a $1 billion dollar loss.
1980 It was a HOT Day across the Deep South. Memphis TN sets their all time heat record with 108ºF (42.2ºC). Atlanta topped out at 105ºF (40.6ºC) and Macon at 108ºF (42.2ºC). Newington GA sweltered as the mercury soared to 110ºF (43.3ºC)! Birmingham experienced its hottest day of the heat wave with a reading of 106ºF (41.1ºC). Temperatures in Birmingham exceeded 100ºF (37.8ºC) for 7 days. Dallas recorded readings of 100ºF or greater on 69 days from June 23 to September 6, including 42 consecutive days. 1700 people died because of the heat in the summer of 1980.
1987 Unseasonably cool weather prevailed across the Midwest U.S. Ten cities reported record low temperatures for the date, including Casper WY with a reading of 39ºF (3.9ºC). By way of contrast, record heat was reported in the eastern U.S., with highs of 93ºF (33.9ºC) at Burlington VT, and 101ºF (38.3ºC) around Miami FL.
1988 "Mother Nature" took a day off. There were just 3 reports of severe weather across the country, and just one record high temperature reported. Thunderstorms brought much needed rains to the Tennessee Valley area, producing 9 inches at Senatobia MS.
1989 A thunderstorm at Albany GA produced 1.40 inches (35.6 mm) of rain in forty minutes, along with wind gusts to 82 mph. Afternoon highs of 98ºF (36.7ºC) at Corpus Christi TX, 110ºF (43.3º) at Tucson AZ, and 114ºF (45.6ºC) at Phoenix AZ, equaled records for the date. Greenwood MS reported 55.65 inches (1413.5 mm) of precipitation for the year, twice the amount normally received by mid July.
1990 43 members of a 45 climber mountaineering team died when an valanche buried their camp on 7,133-metre (23,406-ft) Peak Lenin, Russia.
1993 Barrow, Alaska, set an all time record high of 79ºF (26.1ºC).
1995 At least 17 daily record high temperatures and 3 all time record highs were recorded as the deadly July 1995 heat wave continued unabated from the Midwest to the Atlantic coast. All time highs set included 106ºF (41.1ºC)at Chicago and 108ºF (42.2ºC) at LaCrosse WI. Heat indices soared to well over 120ºF (48.9ºC) in many areas. 550 people died in Chicago alone from the heat. Extreme heat and humidity combined for apparent temperatures of 130ºF (54.4ºC) in Chicago, Illinois, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
1996 Annandale - Barcroft Hills Weather Center (in Virginia) had 2.11 inches (53.6 mm) of rain in 24 hours from Hurricane Bertha.
- Aug 2, 2006 1:20 am (#659 of 659)
Edited by Aug 1, 2006 6:20 pm
2000 - JULY 14 First Deadly Tornado in 13 Years Strikes Alberta
Around supper-time on Friday, July 14, in an area of Canada known for its severe summer weather, a powerful tornado spinning winds of 330 km/h slammed into the Green Acres campground about 60 km southeast of Red Deer, Alberta. For the 1,100 inhabitants in the campground, it was over in just one minute. In all, 12 people died and 140 were injured. Damage estimates were around $13 million. The Pine Lake tornado was the deadliest tornado in North America in 2000, but the first killer twister in Canada in 13 years. The last one, also in Alberta, in a trailer park, and on a Friday (1987 July 31), killed 27 people in Edmonton. The Pine Lake tornado was the fifth deadliest in Canadian history - three of which have occurred in the past 16 years.
The tornado's explosive force was both awesome and freakish. Twisting winds tossed 40 or 50 trailers into Pine Lake, yet miraculously nobody drowned. Some boats were blown right across the lake, while others were wrapped around trees. The twister bared trees and yanked others from the ground. Appliances, couches, and beds were found in the lake. On the bizarre side, the twister sucked fish from the lake and spewed them over the beach and campground. Golf balls were lodged in tree trunks, and axes were embedded in trailer walls. Yet, in the midst of the destruction, there were dinner settings left with not a plate or utensil out of place.
Throughout the summer, weather forecasters in the Prairies were extremely busy with a total of 685 severe weather events, including 91 tornadoes (the normal number is 43), 310 hailers, 130 funnel clouds, 96 heavy rain episodes and 58 damaging wind events.
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