DATASTREME ATMOSPHERE DAILY SUMMARY
Friday, 15 January 2016
This DataStreme Atmosphere Daily Summary contains Historical Weather Events for this date. 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://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/hpcdiscussions.php?disc=pmdspd (The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center)
or
http://www.weather.com/news (The Weather Channel)
In addition, new items will appear in this week's Weekly Weather and Climate News for other weather and climate information from this past week. DataStreme Atmosphere Daily Summaries and Investigation files will return with the Spring 2016 DataStreme Atmosphere course during Preview Week on Monday, 18 January 2016.
HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS - 15 January
From the files of the Aviation Weather Center, Kansas City, MO and Intellicast
- ...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
HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS - 16 January
From the files of the Aviation Weather Center, Kansas City, MO
and Intellicast
- ...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)
- ...2000...Since 1950, fewer tornadoes have occurred on the 16th of January than any other calendar date. The most significant was an F1 that struck the south side of Dayton, WA in 2000. A mobile home was flipped and many trees were felled, one of which fell on a house. (National Weather Service files)
17 January
- ...1817...A "luminous snowstorm" occurred in Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire. Saint Elmo's fire appeared as static discharges on roof peaks, fence posts, and the hats and fingers of people. Thunderstorms prevailed over central New England. (David Ludlum)
- ...1867...A severe wind and snowstorm paralyzed the northeast with 12 inches of snow and hurricane force winds. The old colony railroad was snow bound for 10 days. (Intellicast)
- ...1893...The mercury dipped to 17 degrees below zero at Millsboro, DE to establish a state record. (The Weather Channel)
- ...1972...A single storm unloaded 77.5 inches of snow at Summit, MT to establish a state record. (The Weather Channel)
- ...1982...The "Cold Sunday" in the United States. The coldest in the nation that day was 52 degrees below zero near Tower, MN with International Falls, MN following closely at 45 below and Chicago, IL at 25 below. Buffalo, NY had a high for the day of 2 below and Princeton, NJ reached 2 above zero at 2 PM. New January records were set at Buffalo at 16 below zero, Milwaukee, WI at 26 below (coldest in 111 years), and Washington, DC at 5 below (coldest since 1934). Montgomery, AL dropped to 2 below zero and Jackson, MS fell to 5 below zero. Florida escaped the freeze. (Intellicast)
Strong chinook winds caused severe wind damage in Boulder, CO. Wind gusts to 118 mph was recorded on the roof of the Environmental Research Laboratories (ERL), and a wind gust to 137 mph was measured atop the roof of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) building (in the southwest part of the city, 600 feet above ground level). The high winds uprooted trees and damage roofs. (Storm Data)
- ...1987...A winter storm spread snow from the Southern Rockies into the Middle Mississippi Valley and southwestern sections of the Great Lakes Region, and freezing rain across Texas and Oklahoma. Snowfall totals ranged up to 16 inches at Tulia, TX, with 12 inches at Wellington, KS. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
- ...1988...A Pacific storm battered the southern coast of California. Winds gusting to 65 mph uprooted trees in San Diego. Los Angeles reported an all-time record low barometric pressure reading of 29.25 inches. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
- ...1989...Strong chinook winds along the eastern slopes of the Rockies gusted to 90 mph near Rollinsville, CO, and reached 94 mph near Big Timber, MT. Heavy snow blanketed parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley, with eight inches reported in Douglas County, WI. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
- ...1990...Twenty cities across the southeastern half of the country reported record high temperatures for the date. Record highs included 61 degrees at Williamstown, PA and 85 degrees at Brownsville, TX. Evening thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds from eastern Texas to Mississippi. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
- ...1994...Louisville, KY was blitzed with 15.9 inches in 24 hours for not only its greatest 24 hour snowfall ever, but also its greatest snowstorm ever, as a massive overrunning pattern developed over the frigid arctic air that was entrenched across the eastern U.S. Lucasville, OH was buried under 30 inches and up to 23 inches was reported in Robertson County in Kentucky. (Intellicast)
- ...1996...High winds behind a powerful low-pressure system battered southern high plains. Sustained winds hit 105 mph with gusts to 128 mph at Guadeloupe Pass, TX. Winds gusts hit reached 89 mph at White Sands, NM and 75 mph at El Paso, TX. One person was killed and three were injured when the high winds collapsed a food mart roof in Anthony, TX. El Paso recorded its lowest barometric pressure ever with 29.22 inches of mercury (989.5 millibars). (Intellicast)
- ...1999...Tornadoes swarmed from Arkansas into Tennessee and Mississippi. This was the first outbreak of several that would take place between this date and the 22nd from the Ozarks into the Lower Mississippi Valley. (National Weather Service files)
Return to DataStreme Atmosphere RealTime Weather Portal
Prepared by Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@aos.wisc.edu
© Copyright, 2016, The American Meteorological Society.