Friday Daily Summary

DATASTREME ATMOSPHERE DAILY SUMMARY

Friday, 14 January 2005

This DataStreme Atmosphere Daily Summary contains Historical Weather Events for this date. A sample DataStreme Daily Summary similar to those that appear when the DataStreme course is being offered is available via the homepage. Current weather data are available on the homepage as usual. If you are looking for an alternative description of daily weather, you could try:

http://asp.usatoday.com/weather/weatherfront.aspx (USA Today)
or
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/fcstsummary.html (The Weather Channel)

DataStreme Atmosphere Daily Summaries and Investigation files will return with the Spring 2005 DataStreme Atmosphere course during Preview Week on Monday, 17 January 2005.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

Today (14 January 2005) would be the first of January according to the Julian calendar. This calendar was used before the Gregorian calendar reform of 1582 and was ultimately dropped from use except for some Eastern Orthodox religious observances since the calendar that inserts one day once every four years overestimates the time for the earth to orbit the sun by 11 minutes 14 seconds. Consequently, a difference in approximately 14 days has accrued since the time of Julius Caesar.

HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS - 14 January

From the files of the Aviation Weather Center, Kansas City, MO and Intellicast

...1863...The greatest snowstorm of record for Cincinnati, OH commenced, and a day later twenty inches of snow covered the ground. That total has remained far above the modern day record for Cincinnati of eleven inches of snow in one storm. (David Ludlum)
...1882...Southern California's greatest snow occurred on this date. Fifteen inches blanketed San Bernardino, and even San Diego reported a trace of snow. (David Ludlum)
...1888...A cold wave hit California, with temperatures of 20 degrees at Eureka and 29 degrees at San Francisco. (Intellicast)
...1974...After 2 weeks of very cold temperatures, unseasonably warm temperatures accompanied by Chinook winds and heavy rains, as much as 10 inches in a 4 day period, resulted in disastrous flooding over northern and central Idaho. The severe flooding was called the worst natural disaster in the history of the state. Mudslides blocked and washed out sections of U.S. 95, Idaho's main north-south highway. Total damage was about $50 million. (Intellicast)
...1979...Chicago, IL was in the midst of their second heaviest snow of record as, in thirty hours, the city was buried under 20.7 inches of snow. The twenty-nine inch snow cover following the storm was an all-time record for Chicago. (David Ludlum)
...1987...Arctic cold invaded the north central U.S. By evening blustery northwest winds and temperatures near zero at Grand Forks, ND were producing wind chill readings of 50 degrees below zero. (National Weather Summary)
...1988...A powerful Pacific storm produced rain and high winds in the western U.S. In Nevada, the strongest wind gust ever recorded at Reno Cannon International airport was reported at 11:24 PM, 78 knots or 90 mph, resulting in considerable damage around the area. Wind gusts reached 106 mph southwest of Reno and a wind gust to 94 mph was recorded at nearby Windy Hill. Rainfall totals in Oregon ranged up to six inches at Wilson River. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) (Intellicast)
...1989...A winter storm spread snow and sleet and freezing rain from the Middle Mississippi Valley to the northeastern U.S. Freezing rain in West Virginia caused fifteen traffic accidents in just a few minutes west of Charleston. Tennessee was deluged with up to 7.5 inches of rain. Two inches of rain near Clarksville, TN left water in the streets as high as car doors.
...1990...A winter storm in the southwestern U.S. blanketed the mountains of southwest Utah with 18 to 24 inches of snow, while sunshine and strong southerly winds helped temperatures warm into the 60s in the Central Plains Region. Five cities reported record high temperatures for the date, including North Platte, NE with a reading of 63 degrees. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1992...A low pressure area deepened 18 millibars in only 12 hours (a land bomb) and bottomed out at 969 millibars (28.62 inches) as it tracked from the Tennessee Valley to northern New York State. It produced quite a range of nasty weather. Heavy snow with blizzard conditions prevailed in Ohio and eastern Michigan. Detroit, MI reported thunder and lightning with heavy snow and received a total of 11 inches -- the biggest single storm snowfall in nearly 10 years. An unusual severe weather outbreak for the time of the year so far north occurred in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and southeastern New York. Tornadoes touched down at Moosic and Lumberville, PA. Dime size hail fell at Orange, New Jersey and thunderstorm winds gusted to 87 mph at Gettysburg, PA. Small hail fell at the National Weather Service office in Newark, NJ -- the first time hail had ever fallen at this location in January. (Intellicast)

15 January

...1780...New York Harbor froze over completely during this famous hard winter. The harbor was sealed for 5 weeks. The heaviest of cannons were able to cross the ice. (Intellicast)
...1852...Between 15 January and 24 February, a total of 1378 railroad cars were drawn by horses across the frozen Susquehanna River on ice bridge to engines waiting at Havre De Grace, MD. (The Weather Channel)
...1932...Up to two inches of snow whitened the Los Angeles basin of California. The Los Angeles Civic Center reported an inch of snow, and even the beaches of Santa Monica were whitened with snow, in what proved to be a record snowstorm for Los Angeles. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
...1952...A six-day snowstorm was in progress in the western U.S. The storm produced 44 inches of snow at Marlette Lake, NV, 52 inches at Sun Valley, ID, and 149 inches at Tahoe, CA, establishing single storm records for each of those three states. In addition, 24-hour snowfall totals of 22 inches at the University of Nevada, and 26 inches at Arco, ID, established records for those two states. The streamliner, 'City of San Francisco' was snowbound in the Sierra Nevada Range, near Donner Summit. (David Ludlum)
...1987...A powerful storm over the Southern Plateau and the Southern Rockies produced 24 inches of snow at Colorado Springs, CO, including 22 inches in 24 hours, a January record. High winds in the southwestern U.S. gusted to 65 mph in the Yosemite Valley of California. This vicious storm belted most of New Mexico with as much 4 feet of snow. The storm lasted until the 18th and several counties were declared disaster areas. Travel in Albuquerque was brought to a standstill from blizzard conditions. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1988...A small storm over the Atlantic Ocean produced heavy snow along the coast of North Carolina. The five inch total at Wilmington, NC was their third highest for any storm in January in 117 years of records. (National Weather Summary)
...1989...A storm in the northwestern U.S. produced up to 14 inches of snow in the Cascade Mountain Range. Light snow in the north central U.S. was just enough to push the snowfall total for January at Fargo, ND past their previous all-time monthly record of 30.7 inches, bringing the season total to 57.2 inches. The previous record for most snow within a month occurred back in 1896, when 30.4 inches fell. (Intellicast)
...1990...While one Pacific storm crossed the Central Rockies, another approached the west coast. The northern mountains of Utah were buried under 17 to 35 inches of snow while the mountains of southern Utah received another 12 to 16 inches. Eighteen cities in the central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date as readings warmed into the 50s and 60s. Wichita, KS reported a record high of 68 degrees. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1995...Williston, ND recorded 12.6 inches of snow in 24 hours for its greatest 24-hour snowfall on record. (Intellicast)

16 January

...1831... The "great snowstorm" that raged from Georgia to Maine ended. This storm produced the heaviest snowfall over the largest area of any storm studied by weather historian David Ludlum. Accumulations exceeded 10 inches from the Ohio Valley across much of the Atlantic coast north of Georgia. Washington, DC reported 13 inches with 18 inches at Baltimore, MD, 18 to 36 inches near Philadelphia, PA, 15 to 20 inches at New York City, and 20 to 30 inches over southern New England. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
...1916...San Francisco, CA had the greatest storm. Extensive wind damage occurred throughout central California. (Intellicast)
...1964...Fort Worth, TX received 7.5 inches of snow, and Dallas reported a foot of snow. (David Ludlum)
...1982...The second severe arctic outbreak of the year hit as a vast arctic anticyclone sprawled from British Columbia to Louisiana. The zero degree line dropped into Texas with the temperature at Amarillo falling from 55 degrees to one degree below zero and Oklahoma City dropping from 62 degrees to 10 degrees. (Intellicast)
...1987...A winter storm produced a total of 61 inches of snow at Rye, CO, and wind gusts to 100 mph in Utah. The storm then spread heavy snow from the Texas Panhandle to Indiana. Tulia, TX received 16 inches of snow, and up to 14 inches was reported in western Oklahoma. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1988...A powerful Pacific storm battered the coast of southern California. Winds gusting to 65 mph uprooted trees in the San Diego area, while Los Angeles recorded a barometric pressure reading of 29.25 inches of mercury (990.6 millibars) -- the lowest in 100 years of official record keeping. A foot of snow fell and wind gusted to 70 mph in the Lake Tahoe Basin of Nevada. Showers and thunderstorms produced 2.28 inches of rain at Brownsville, TX, their third highest total for any day in January. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) (Intellicast)
...1989...Strong chinook winds plagued much of the state of Wyoming. Winds gusted to 80 mph at Cody, and wind gusts to 100 mph were reported in eastern and northwestern Wyoming. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1990...Heavy snow fell across the Prince William Sound area and the Susitna Valley of southern Alaska. Valdez was buried under 64.9 inches of snow in less than two days, including a record 47.5 inches in 24 hours. Up to 44 inches of snow was reported in the Susitna Valley. The heavy snow blocked roads, closed schools, and sank half a dozen vessels in the harbor. (Storm Data)
...1994...Bitterly cold air prevailed across the Great Lakes and the northeast. Alpena, MI dipped to 28 degrees below zero to tie its record low for January. Rochester, NY plunged to 17 degrees below zero for a new record low temperature for January. Boston, MA mean temperature for the day was only 2 degrees -- the city's coldest day in 26 years. Watertown, NY was the cold spot in the nation, with a morning low of 43 degrees below zero. (Intellicast)