DATASTREME DAILY SUMMARY
Tuesday, 21 November 2000
This week is Thanksgiving Week recess. This DataStreme Daily Summary
contains the Historical Weather Events for this date. Current
weather data are available on the homepage as usual. The Week
10 Activity files will remain available through this week. If
you are looking for an alternative description of daily weather,
you could try
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/ wlead.htm
CONCEPT FOR THE DAY - WINTER STORMS
NOTE: This Concept for the Day is a repeat of that which appeared
in the previous week's Tuesday Weather Summary.
Has winter arrived yet? The answer depends upon whom you ask.
Most of us would say no, since the popular definition of winter
would require us to wait until the winter solstice, in about five
weeks. A climatologist would say that winter would begin on 1
December, two weeks from today. We have already seen several storms
move into the Pacific Northwest and across the Rockies during
the last several weeks that have produced considerable snowfall
and freezing rain.
A winter storm is a widespread set of weather conditions
with winter-type precipitation - snow, ice pellets or freezing
rain - often accompanied by strong winds and cold temperatures.
They may form any time from late autumn through spring and affect,
not just the northern states, but everywhere from the West to
the Gulf Coast. They can range from a minor annoyance to the "Storm
of the Century" that paralyzed the Gulf and East Coast in
March 1993. In 1997, the year with the most recent reliable statistics,
141 deaths across the United States and territories were attributed
to winter weather (84 winter storms, 6 ice storms, 51 cold-related
deaths). The 90 deaths due to winter storms (snow and blizzards)
and ice storms were second that year to the 118 lives lost due
to floods. Winter storms also caused 573 injuries, second only
to tornadoes (1,033 injuries).
Low pressure systems in the cooler season of the year may include
precipitation that can fall as snow, often heavy, that is accompanied
by high winds and wind-chill equivalent temperatures cold enough
to be life-threatening. The winds and falling or blowing snow
may produce blizzards with poor visibility. Hazards range from
roof collapses to transportation gridlock. Slightly warmer temperature
patterns may bring rain that freezes after contacting cold surfaces
(freezing rain or drizzle). The build-up of ice during freezing
rain can paralyze impacted areas for days from loss of power,
communications disruptions and blocked roadways.
For a description of the terminology used in the official statements
issued by the National Weather Service to inform the public of
adverse winter weather conditions, please read the Tuesday optional
electronic Supplemental Information.
QUESTIONS:
To be submitted on the lines for Tuesday on the Study Guide, Part
B, Applications, Week 10 Chapter Progress Response Form, under
section B. Daily Summary.
- Winter storms [(are) (are not)] limited to the
Northern States.
- The weather conditions associated with winter storms may include
[(freezing rain) (cold temperatures) (heavy snow) (all of
the above)].
HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS - 21 November
From the files of the Aviation Weather Center, Kansas City,
MO and Intellicast
- ...1798...A four day storm (the "Long Storm") was
in progress in the northeastern U.S. The storm dropped 18 inches
of snow on New York City, more than a foot of snow New Haven,
CT and as much as three feet in Maine and New Hampshire. The snow-storm
ushered in a long and severe winter, in some places the ground
remained covered with snow until the following May. (David Ludlum)
- ...1967...Excessive rains in southern California caused the
most severe flooding and the most damaging mudslides in 33 years.
Downtown Los Angeles received 7.96 inches of rain, and 14 inches
fell in the mountains. (David Ludlum)
- ...1984...Over 4 inches of rain fell in less than 4 hours
making for a wet Thanksgiving at Palm Beach, FL. Much street and
urban flooding occurred. (Intellicast)
- ...1985...Hurricane Kate made landfall during the evening
hours near Mexico Beach, FL. Wind gusts to 100 mph were reported
at Cape San Blas, FL. This was the sixth landfalling storm in
the U.S. that year, a record and it was the latest known hurricane
to hit the U.S. so far north. (The Weather Channel) (Intellicast)
- ...1987...Squalls in the Lower Great Lakes Region and the
Upper Ohio Valley produced 14 inches of snow at Snowshoe, WV,
and nearly eight inches at Syracuse, NY. Eleven cities in the
eastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date. Record
lows included 21 degrees at Pinson, AL, 9 degrees at Syracuse,
NY, and 8 degrees at Binghamton, NY. Gale force winds lash the
Middle and Northern Atlantic Coast, and the strong northwesterly
winds produced wind chill readings as cold as 30 degrees below
zero. Winds gusting to 60 mph at Trumansburg, NY toppled a chimney
onto a nearby truck. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
- ...1988...High winds accompanied rain and snow in the northeastern
U.S. Caribou, ME received eight inches of snow in six hours, and
Fort Kent, ME was blanketed with a total of fourteen inches of
snow. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
- ...1989...The storm which produced thunderstorms and high
winds in the northeastern U.S. the previous day, produced snow
and high winds in New England, with blizzard conditions reported
in Maine. Winds gusted to 55 mph at Boston, MA, and reached 58
mph at Augusta, ME, and hurricane force winds were reported off
the coast of Maine. Snowfall totals ranged up to 18 inches at
Vanceboro, ME, with 17 inches at South Lincoln, VT. There were
thirty-five storm-related injuries in Maine. (The National Weather
Summary) (Storm Data)
- ...1992...Severe thunderstorms spawned 6 tornadoes within
70 minutes in the Houston metro area. At one time three tornadoes
were on the ground in Harris County. The strongest, an F4, tracked
20 miles through the eastern suburbs of Houston destroying 200
homes and damaging 1000 more. In total, 23 tornadoes struck Mississippi
and Alabama. An F4 tornado killed 12 on a 128 mile track through
7 Mississippi counties. (Intellicast)
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URL Address: datastreme/learn/t_sum.html
Prepared by Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
© Copyright, 2000, The American Meteorological Society.