Wednesday Daily Weather Summary

ONLINE DAILY WEATHER SUMMARY

Wednesday, 27 January 1999

A WINTER STORM TAKES AIM ON THE UPPER MIDWEST
THE NEXT STORM IN THE PARADE
TRANQUIL WEATHER ACROSS THE EAST
YESTERDAY'S TEMPERATURE EXTREMES ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL US
ALASKAN WEATHER
HAWAIIAN WEATHER
HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS

WELCOME TO ONLINE WEATHER - The Daily Weather Summary file will describe the current weather pattern across the U.S. Additional Supplemental Information Files will provide optional background material when appropriate.

A WINTER STORM TAKES AIM ON THE UPPER MIDWEST -- A storm system moved quickly northeastward across the Plains after moving from near the Four Corners region of the Southwest early on Tuesday. By late Tuesday evening the low pressure center had reached eastern Nebraska. A broad flow of strong winds from the southwest were drawn across the southern Plains. A warm front marking the advance of this warm air extended southeastward across northern Missouri. A cold front trailed to the southwest toward the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles was the leading edge of cooler air.

Strong winds accompanied this storm system, especially across the Colorado Front Range. A site in Boulder, CO reported a gust of 82 mph on Tuesday afternoon, while four other sites in the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area had gusts exceeding 57 mph. The tightly packed isobars (lines of equal pressure) on the surface weather analysis charts indicate a region of strong pressure contrasts, and would represent a region where strong winds are to be expected As the system moves eastward, the anticipated winds of 35 mph could cause drifting and blowing snow.

An area of precipitation in the form of freezing rain and snow was found to the north of the surface low pressure center. A cold front that drifted southward into the northern Dakotas before coming stationary helped to enhance the precipitation across the region. The freezing rain was found along the cold front across southern Minnesota, from the Twin Cities metropolitan area westward into the Dakotas. Snow was found to the north in the colder air across northern Minnesota. This storm system is expected to continue moving to the northeast, reaching the upper Mississippi Valley by Wednesday morning and the Great Lakes by later in the day. Heavy snow, with as much as a foot of new accumulation near Lake Superior, is expected across the northern portion of this region, while freezing rain could produce an ice storm to the south. A variety of winter storm warnings have been issued for the Dakotas across northern Minnesota, northwest Wisconsin and into Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

THE NEXT STORM IN THE PARADE -- A second storm moved south then eastward across southern California, closely following on the heels of an early system that had been responsible for winter weather across the Southwest. This next system was situated over southern Nevada on Tuesday evening. Precipitation associated with this system was found across southern California and along a cold front that stretched southward from the surface low and paralleled the lower Colorado.

Like its predecessor, this storm contained cold air. Across much of the West high temperatures on Tuesday were below the average high temperatures for this time of year, with highs across southern California reaching about 10 degrees below the average. Snow fell at Mt. Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains north of the Los Angeles Basin.

TRANQUIL WEATHER ACROSS THE EAST -- A large high pressure cell that was located over the Carolinas on Tuesday night was responsible for relatively pleasant weather across the East, from New England to the Southeast and Gulf Coast. Tuesday's high temperatures across much of the country east of the Rockies were either at or above the 30 year climatological high temperatures for late January. Some locales across the southern Plains were nearly 20 degrees above average. Joplin, MO reported a record high temperature of 68 degrees on Tuesday. A broad flow of air from the Gulf around the western flank of the high pressure cell contributed to the warm conditions.

YESTERDAY'S TEMPERATURE EXTREMES ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL US --Tuesday morning's lowest temperature was 10 degrees below zero at Wolf Point, MT, while the highest temperature on Tuesday was 83 degrees at Laredo, TX and Lakeland, FL.

ALASKAN WEATHER -- Windy conditions were found across much of Alaska on Tuesday afternoon as a strong storm system moved across the northern Gulf of Alaska near Middleton Island. The strong pressure gradient, or difference in pressure between the deep surface low pressure system (central pressure near 988 mb) and higher pressure over the Brooks Range, was responsible for the strong winds. Juneau reported gusts to 32 mph, while Seward and Cold Bay had gusts to 33 mph. As a consequence, wind-chill advisories and warnings were posted through Wednesday for various locations over southwest Alaska to include the coastal regions surrounding Bristol Bay and the Kuskokwim Delta, where wind-chill equivalent temperatures could fall to 75 degrees below zero. A precipitation shield accompanying this storm system spread rain and snow across southeast Alaska . Essentially all reporting stations reported less than three quarters of an inch of liquid equivalent precipitation. Snow advisories had been in effect on Tuesday for the Juneau Borough, while a winter storm warning for heavy snow had been posted for the Panhandle near Glacier Bay and the Lynn Canal. To the north, much of the interior of the state had relatively clear skies as a large cold arctic high pressure cell developed along the Arctic Circle

The state lowest overnight temperature on Tuesday morning was 49 degrees below zero at Bettles and the highest temperature by mid afternoon was 39 degrees at Annette and Sitka.

HAWAIIAN WEATHER -- The strong winds from the northeast -- commonly called the "northeast trade winds" -- continued across the islands for most of Tuesday as the strong high pressure cell pushed slowly to the southeast. Trade showers, especially along the windward slopes of the islands, were the result of humid air upstream. Gale warnings for winds between 39 and 54 mph continued for all channels between islands while small craft advisories continued for coastal waters. High surface advisories also remained for the east shores of the islands. Some slight weakening in the wind speeds may permit dropping of the gale warnings.

HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS - 27 January

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

...1772...The "Washington and Jefferson Snowstorm" occurred. George Washington reported three feet of snow at Mount Vernon, and Thomas Jefferson recorded about three feet at Monticello. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987)
...1805...Southeastern New York and New England was in the middle of a 3 day snowstorm. Snow fell continuously for 48 hours in New York City where two feet reportedly accumulated. (Intellicast)
...1940...Florida had a 3 day long freeze with the lowest temperatures ever in January. Mason, FL dropped to 8 degrees. Eleven million boxes of citrus were damaged, resulting in a 10 million dollar loss. Further north, Georgia's record low temperature of 17 degrees below zero was set near Calhoun. (Intellicast)
...1966...Oswego, NY was in the midst of a five day lake effect storm which left the town buried under 102 inches of snow. (David Ludlum)
...1967...Residents of Chicago, IL began to dig out from its greatest snowstorm which produced 23 inches of snow in 29 hours. The snow paralyzed the city and suburbs for days, and business losses were enormous. (David Ludlum)
...1989...The last half of January was bitterly cold over most of Alaska. Nearly thirty stations established all-time record low temperatures. On this date Tanana reported a low of -76 degrees. Daily highs of -66 degrees were reported at Chandalar Lake on the 22nd, and at Ambler on the 26th. (The Weather Channel)
...1987...A powerful storm moving into the western U.S. produced 13 inches of snow at Daggett Pass, NV, and 16 inches in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. Winds gusted to 63 mph at Reno, NV, and wind gusts in Oregon exceeded 80 mph. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1988...The nation got a breather from winter storms, however, cold arctic air settled into the southeastern U.S. Hollywood, FL reported a record low reading of 39 degrees. (National Weather Summary)
...1989...Low pressure in north central Alaska continued to direct air across northern Siberia and the edges of the Arctic Circle into the state. The temperature at Fairbanks remained colder than 40 degrees below zero for the eighth day in a row. Lows of 68 below at Galena, 74 below at McGrath, and 76 below at Tanana, were new records for the date. Wind chill readings were colder than 100 degrees below zero. (National Weather Summary)
...1990...Another in a series of cold fronts brought high winds to the northwestern U.S., and more heavy snow to some of the higher elevations. The series of vigorous cold fronts crossing the area between the 23rd and the 27th of the month produced up to 60 inches of snow in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1994...A frigid arctic air was in place over New England and New York as a massive 1052 millibar high pressure provided ideal radiational cooling. Crown Point, NY dipped to 48 degrees below zero and Shoreham, VT shivered with 46 degrees below zero, Burlington, VT broke its old record daily low by 9 degrees with a reading of 29 degrees below zero and Caribou, ME set a record low for the third day in a row with a temperature of 23 degrees below zero. (Intellicast)