Friday Daily Weather Summary

ONLINE DAILY WEATHER SUMMARY

Friday, 19 February 1999

ONE STORM SYSTEM DEPARTS THE NORTHEAST
MIXED PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE MIDWEST
STORMY WEATHER CONTINUES OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
YESTERDAY'S TEMPERATURE EXTREMES IN THE LOWER 48
ALASKAN WEATHER
HAWAIIAN WEATHER
HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS

ONE STORM SYSTEM DEPARTS THE NORTHEAST -- A slow moving storm system was responsible for a large region of moderate to heavy rains across the Middle Atlantic and New England states on Thursday. By late Thursday the storm system had moved offshore and the precipitation ended over the Northeast. However, the southern section of the trailing cold front crossed northern Florida, accompanied by some rainshowers.

MIXED PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE MIDWEST -- A relatively compact storm system moved across the Plains toward the mid Mississippi Valley on Thursday, accompanied by a band of snow on its north side and rain to the south. As of late Thursday night the low pressure center was located over Arkansas, surrounded by a precipitation shield that stretched northward into southern Iowa, where snow continued to fall. The heaviest snowfall from this storm was fairly localized in a relatively narrow band that stretched from eastern Nebraska to south central Iowa near Ottumwa. By midafternoon, Omaha, NE had received 6 inches of snow.

As cold air was drawn into the system during the evening hours, snow began to mix with the rain at Kansas City and St. Louis in Missouri. This storm system is expected to move toward the southeast on Friday reaching northern Alabama during the morning. By afternoon, snow from this system should fall over the southern Appalachians of the Carolinas, while rain is anticipated over the Tennessee Valley . A winter storm watch was posted for the mountains of North Carolina with as much as 4 inches of snow possible. Eventually, the system is forecast to reach the Atlantic Seaboard, where it could reintensify and affect the Northeast later in the weekend.

STORMY WEATHER CONTINUES OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST -- The third Pacific storm of the week made landfall on Thursday. As of late evening, the center of low pressure was situated over the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, with an occluded front that stretched to the southeast into central Oregon. A warm front extended eastward into the Great Basin, while the cold front curved to the southwest, crossing central California. Precipitation accompanying this storm extended eastward to the Idaho Panhandle and southward to the San Joaquin Valley of central California. Snow was falling at the higher mountain elevations, while rain continued over coastal regions. Up to 14 inches of new snow were expected over the central Sierra. Earlier in the day heavy rain fell across northern California. Flood warnings were posted for the Sacramento River as a result of the heavy precipitation.

The storm system was also accompanied by windy conditions, especially in southern sectors of the storm as the winds behind the cold front shifted to a westerly or onshore direction. Gale warnings were continued for the coast of the Pacific Northwest northward from Point St. George, CA, to include the Strait of Juan de Fuca and portions of Puget Sound. Heavy surf advisories were also in effect for the coast extending from Cape Shoalwater, WA to Fort Bragg, CA. as a 25 foot swell was reported by offshore buoys late Thursday afternoon.

By Friday morning the low pressure system is expected to have traveled eastward reaching the mountains of northwestern Montana. Heavy snow was expected in the Rockies, extending from the Sawtooths of Idaho and the Bitterroots of Montana southward to the Wasatch of Utah. Various snow advisories were posted for these mountainous areas into Friday for as much as 8 inches of additional accumulation.

YESTERDAY'S TEMPERATURE EXTREMES IN THE LOWER 48 -- The lowest temperature on Thursday was 15 degrees below zero at Roseau, MN, while the day's high was 88 degrees at Laughlin AFB and Laredo, TX.

ALASKAN WEATHER -- A trough of low pressure was found across the northern Gulf of Alaska and coastal regions of south central Alaska. A frontal band stretched eastward into western Canada. Clouds and precipitation associated with this trough and frontal system were found across south central and southeast Alaska. Light snow was reported at Anchorage, Kenai, Valdez, Sitka and Annette, while a mixture of ran and snow fell at Yakutat. Another low located over the Bering Sea was accompanied by a front that extended southeastward across the Aleutians. A weak trough of low pressure was also situated near Barrow.

The state's overnight lowest temperature as of Thursday morning was 20 degrees below zero at Prudhoe Bay. The midafternoon statewide high was 41 degrees at Annette, Klawock and Port Alexander.

HAWAIIAN WEATHER -- The fair weather pattern of Thursday is expected to change on Friday as a very slow moving shear line should pass across the islands, clearing the Big Island by Saturday. As of late Thursday afternoon this shear line, a remnant of a midlatitude cold front, was located to the north of Kauai. Showers and a change in winds are associated with passage of this shear line. On Friday a high pressure system should pass to the north of the islands, helping push the showers southward and causing the winds on the north side of the shear line to turn to a more northerly direction, and becoming gusty with speeds ranging between 15 and 20 mph. High surf advisories remained for the north, west and south shores of the islands.

HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS - 19 February

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

...1884... Severe thunderstorms spawned at least 50 tornadoes in the southeastern U.S including the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. Estimates indicate that 182 people were killed and 1056 were injured. Thirty seven tornadoes were rated F2 or greater on the Fujita scale. No town was directly hit but damage totaled $4 million, a very large sum for the rural South for this time period. Georgia and the Carolinas hardest were hit in the tornado outbreak. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
...1888...A tornado, rated F4, struck Mount Vernon, IL. The tornado killed twenty four persons and injuried 80 along its 20 mile path. Approximately 300 homes and 50 businesses were either damaged or destroyed. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
...1954...High winds across the southern half of the Great Plains, gusting to 85 mph, caused the worst duststorms since the 1930s. Graders were needed in places to clear fence high dirt drifts. (The Weather Channel)
...1972...A vicious coastal storm dumped 10 to 20 inches of snow over interior sections of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast states and caused some of the worst coastal damage this century in New England. Twenty three inches of snow fell at McHenry, MD, 23 inches piled up at Williamsport, PA, and Syracuse, NY recorded 20 inches. Twenty foot drifts were reported in northeastern Pennsylvania. Storm surges up to 4.5 feet and winds gusting over 80 mph along coastal Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine resulted in extensive property damage and tremendous beach erosion. Twenty seven houses were destroyed and 3000 damaged in Massachusetts alone. (Intellicast)
...1979...The "President's Day snowstorm" struck the mid-Atlantic states. This storm was grossly under-forecasted by the computer models and surprised many forecasters as well. Dover, DE recorded 25 inches of snow and Baltimore, MD was buried under 20 inches. (Intellicast)
...1987...A winter storm over the southern and central Rockies produced 28 inches of snow at Echo Lake, CO, and two feet of snow at Gascon, NM and Los Alamos, NM. Mora County, NM was declared a disaster area following the storm. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1988...Showers and thunderstorms in the southeastern U.S. drenched Valdosta, GA with more than five inches of rain, and the 24 hour rainfall total of 7.10 inches at Apalachicola, FL more than doubled their previous 24 hour record for February. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1990...A moist Pacific storm worked its way into New Mexico and southern Colorado. Up to 36 inches of snow blanketed the Wolf Creek and Red Mountain passes of southwest Colorado, and up to 15 inches of snow was reported around Trinidad. In New Mexico, the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains were blanketed with 9 to 28 inches of snow, and 50 to 60 mph wind gusts were reported from Taos to Albuquerque. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

20 February

...1805...The Potomac River was opened after being closed by ice for a period of two months. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987)
...1898...Eastern Wisconsin experienced their biggest snowstorm of record. Racine received thirty inches, and drifts around Milwaukee measured fifteen feet high. (David Ludlum)
...1912...An F3 tornado tracked 15 miles from Shreveport to Abner, Louisiana, killing 8 people and injuring 50. (Intellicast)
...1934...A severe blizzard was in its second day across southern New England. The snowfall was one of Connecticut's worst in modern times with 20 inch accumulations, high winds, and temperatures that dropped from near 32 to 5 degrees during the course of the storm. (Intellicast)
...1953...A snowstorm in Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota produced drifts ten feet high which derailed trains. (David Ludlum)
...1988...Snow and strong northerly winds ushered arctic air into the Great Lakes Region. The temperature at Sault Ste Marie, MI plunged from 30 degrees at 5 AM to one below zero by 3 PM, with a wind chill reading of 40 degrees below zero. Five cities in Florida reported record high temperatures for the date. The afternoon high of 90 degrees at Lakeland was just a degree shy of their February record. (The National Weather Summary)
...1989...Thunderstorms developing during the early afternoon produced severe weather from eastern Texas to Alabama and northwest Florida. Thunderstorms spawned a dozen tornadoes during the afternoon and evening. Thunderstorms also produced 90 mph winds around Vicksburg, MS, and 100 mph winds around Jackson, MS. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1990...Heavy snow spread into southwestern Kansas and the panhandle region of Oklahoma and Texas. Heavier snowfall totals included 12 inches at Boise City, OK, 11 inches at Liberal KS, and 10 inches at Spearman, TX. Blowing and drifting snow closed roads in the Oklahoma panhandle. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1993...Two strong areas of low pressure, one over Colorado and the other off the coast of Washington State, produced high winds, heavy rain, and heavy snow across the west. Winds gusted to 85 mph at Fort Carson, CO and to 96 mph at Rock Springs, WY. Flagstaff, AZ was deluged with 3.93 inches of rain in 24 hours -- its greatest 24 hour rainfall on record. Duck Creek, UT was buried under 49 inches of snow over a 48 hour period and the Sierra Ski Ranch in California recorded 74 inches of snow over a four day period to raise its snow cover to 200 inches. Farther to the east, a strong overrunning pattern developing ahead of the Colorado low blitzed Sioux City, IA with 14 inches of snow in just 6 hours. (Intellicast)
...1994...Caribou, ME soared to 59 degrees, despite a deep snow cover, to set a new record for its warmest winter (Dec-Feb) temperature ever. The previous record was 58 degrees. (Intellicast)
...1995...The temperature at the Civic Center in Los Angeles, CA hit 95 degrees for the highest temperature ever recorded for the month of February. (Intellicast)

21 February

...1918...A spectacular chinook wind at Granville, ND caused the temperature to spurt from a morning low of 33 degrees below zero to an afternoon high of 50 degrees above zero. (David Ludlum)
...1935...Frequent duststorms occurred in eastern Colorado during the month, forcing schools to close and people to stay indoors. A fatality occurred on this date when two section cars collided on the railroad near Arriba, CO, due to poor visibility. (The Weather Channel)
...1936...The temperature at Langdon, ND climbed above zero for the first time in six weeks. Readings never got above freezing during all three winter months. (David Ludlum)
...1971...An outbreak of tornadoes hit northeastern Louisiana and northern and central Mississippi. The tornadoes claimed 121 lives, including 110 in Mississippi. Three tornadoes accounted for 118 of the deaths. There are 1600 persons injured, 900 homes were destroyed or badly damaged, and total damage was 19 million dollars. (David Ludlum)
Elk City, OK was buried under 36 inches of snow to establish a 24 hour snowfall record for the state. (David Ludlum)
...1987...Low pressure over central California produced gale force winds along the coast, and produced thunderstorms which pelted Stockton, Oakland and San Jose with small hail. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1988...A storm tracking across southern Canada produced high winds in the north central U.S., with gusted to 90 mph reported at Boulder, CO. The high winds snapped trees and power lines, and ripped shingles off roofs. The Kentucky Fried Chicken Bucket was blown off their store in Havre, MT. An eighteen foot fiberglass bear was blown off its stand along a store front in west Cody, WY, and sailed east into downtown Cody before the owners were able to transport their wandering bear back home in a horse trailer. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1989...Thunderstorms developing during the morning hours spread severe weather across Georgia and the Carolinas. Strong thunderstorm winds caused one death and thirteen injuries in North Carolina, and another four injuries in South Carolina. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1990...Overnight thunderstorms produced heavy rain in central Texas. Rainfall totals ranged up to 2.80 inches at Camp Verde, with 2.20 inches reported at Leakey. Thunderstorms early in the day produced high winds in southern Texas, with wind gusts to 60 mph reported at Alice. Daytime thunderstorms in eastern Texas drenched Rosenberg with four inches of rain. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1992...Today marked the 16th consecutive day that Sacramento, CA recorded measurable rain, breaking the old record of 15 consecutive days set back in February 1936 and again in November 1970. Total rainfall over the 16 day period was 6.41 inches. (Intellicast)
...1996...Very hot temperatures for the time of year prevailed across South Texas. All-time February highs were set at Del Rio (103 degrees, San Antonio (100 degrees), Austin and College Station (99 degrees), and Waco (96 degrees). (Intellicast)