Historical Weather Events

HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS - 1 December

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

WELCOME TO DECEMBER -- Today is the first day of the month of December, named from the Latin word "Decem", for the number ten, representing the tenth month of the year in an early Roman calendar that commenced at the vernal equinox in March. Today also marks the beginning of meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the standard three-month interval (December, January and February) used by meteorologists for describing seasonal events.

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

...1831...The coldest December of record in the northeastern U.S. commenced. Temperatures in New York City averaged 22 degrees, with just four days above freezing, and at Burlington, VT the temperature never did get above freezing. The Erie Canal was closed the first day of December, and remained closed the entire month. (David Ludlum)
...1876...Since beginning in 1871, official government forecasts made by the US Army Signal Service had been called "probabilities" (rather than forecasts). On this day the term probabilities was replaced with the term "indications." (National Weather Service files)
...1896...The temperature at Kipp, MT rose 30 degrees in just seven minutes, and 80 degrees in a matter of a few hours. A thirty-inch snow cover was melted in half a day. (The Weather Channel)
...1913...A six day Front Range snowstorm began, ultimately producing 45.7 inches of snow at Denver, CO, the biggest single snowstorm on record for that city It produced a record total of 46 inches at Denver, CO. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
...1918...The U.S. Weather Bureau issued its first aviation forecast for pilots. (National Weather Service files)
...1985...A storm produced more than six inches of snow from the Northern and Central Plains to parts of Michigan, with 36.4 inches reported at Marquette, MI. Many roads were blocked by snow. A family was stranded for 25 hours south of Colome, SD. Drifts twelve feet high were reported in north central Nebraska. (The Weather Channel)
...1987...A powerful storm hit the northwestern U. S. Winds gusted to 80 mph at Cape Disappointment, WA, and reached 94 mph at Cape Blanco, OR. Thunderstorms in western Washington State produced wind gusts to 60 mph, and dime size hail at Hoquiam. Stevens Pass, in the Cascade Mountains of Washington, received seven inches of snow during the morning hours. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1988...Squalls in the Great Lakes Region produced up to a foot of snow in Ashtabula County, OH, up to ten inches in Erie County, PA, and up to a foot of snow in western New York State. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
...1989...Heavy snow blanketed the mountains of New Mexico, with 12 inches reported at the Angel Fire Ski Basin. Strong northerly winds ushering cold air into the north central U.S. gusted to 55 mph at Devils Lake, ND. Low pressure over the Gulf of Alaska produced wind gusts to 69 mph at Kodiak Island. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
...2006...An early winter storm produced more than 6 inches of snow along a 1,000-mile long path from central Oklahoma to northern Michigan. This storm also produced significant freezing rain which impacted the St. Louis, MO area. An estimated 500 or more homes and businesses were without power in the St. Louis area after this storm. (National Weather Service files)