ATM OCN (Meteorology) 100
Fall 2001
DID YOU KNOW??
This Date in Weather History
20 December
- ...1836...A famous cold wave occurred in central Illinois. A cold front
with 70 mph winds swept through at Noon dropping the temperature from 40
degrees to near zero in a matter of minutes. Many settlers froze to death.
Folklore told of chickens frozen in their tracks and men frozen to saddles.
Ice in streams reportedly froze to six inches in a few hours. (David Ludlum)
(The Weather Channel)
- ...1942...An early cold wave sent the temperature plunging to 3 degrees
below zero at Nantucket, MA, and to 11 degrees below zero at Boston, MA.
(The Weather Channel)
- ...1986...An "Alberta Clipper" intensified explosively south
of New England, bringing high winds, torrential rains and heavy snows.
Up to 4 inches of rain fell in southern areas and winds gusted frequently
to 60 and 70 mph. 30 inches of snow fell in southern Vermont, 24 inches
on the higher elevations of western Massachusetts and 20 inches in New
Hampshire. (Intellicast)
- ...1987...Heavy snow fell in the northern mountains of Colorado, with
15 inches reported in the Mary Jane ski area. Strong and gusty winds prevailed
from the Northern High Plains to the Great Lakes. Winds gusted to 54 mph
at Buffalo, NY, and reached 66 mph at Livingston, MT. Rain, freezing rain,
sleet and snow fell across New England, with up to seven inches of snow
in Maine. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
- ...1988...Strong southerly winds ahead of a cold front in the central
U.S. gusted to 70 mph at Indianapolis, IN. The high winds toppled a masonry
wall killing a construction worker. Low pressure and a trailing cold front
brought rain and snow and high winds to the western U.S. Winds gusted to
90 mph at the Callahan Ranch south of Reno, NV. Soda Springs, in the Sierra
Nevada Range of California, received 17 inches of snow in less than 24
hours. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
- ...1989...Brutal northwest winds ushered bitter cold arctic air into
the north central U.S. International Falls, MN and Warroad, MN tied for
honors as the cold spot in the nation with morning lows of 34 degrees below
zero. Minot, ND reported a wind chill reading of 81 degrees below zero.
Squalls produced more heavy snow in the Great Lakes Region. Erie, PA received
21 inches of snow, including four inches in one hour, to bring their total
snow cover to 39 inches, an all-time record for that location. (Storm Data)
(The National Weather Summary)
- ...1990...Snow fell at Santa Maria, CA for the first time since records
were kept. (Intellicast)
--From the files of Weather
Facts at the Aviation Weather Center, Kansas City, MO
See also monthly almanac
files from Dr. Dewpoint of Intellicast.
Last revision 19 December 2001
Produced by Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D.
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
URL: wx-links/01-wxtrv.htm