Friday Daily Weather Summary

ONLINE DAILY WEATHER SUMMARY

Friday, 26 March 1999

UNSETTLED WEATHER MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST
HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES THE WEATHER IN THE MIDWEST
MORE RAINY WEATHER FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
AND IT DOES RAIN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
YESTERDAY'S TEMPERATURE EXTREMES IN THE LOWER 48
ALASKAN WEATHER
HAWAIIAN WEATHER
HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS

UNSETTLED WEATHER MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST -- Rains accompanied a weak storm system as it moved eastward across the Southeast along a front. By late Thursday the low pressure system was located along the Atlantic Seaboard near Savannah, GA. Rain stretched from Tidewater Virginia southwestward to the Florida Panhandle. Several tenths of an inch of badly needed rain fell across the northern Gulf Coast and into interior sections of the Southeast, where drought conditions have prevailed. Earlier, scattered thunderstorms produced large hail and high winds with some damage across Georgia and South Carolina.

The surface low is expected to move northeastward along the Eastern Seaboard, reaching to near Mrytle Beach, SF by dawn on Friday. The precipitation shield accompanying this system is expected to continue across the Carolinas and Virginia. Portions of the Appalachians could get some light snow overnight.

HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES THE WEATHER IN THE MIDWEST -- A large ridge of high pressure was situated across southern Wisconsin on Thursday night. As a result of this high pressure cell, essentially cloud-free conditions were found across the country from the Atlantic Seaboard to the Rockies, with the one major exception being the clouds over the Carolinas. Seasonal temperatures were also found across much of this region. However, unseasonably warm conditions continued over the high Plains and northern Rockies. Southwesterly downslope winds helped boost temperatures. Record high temperatures were set on Thursday afternoon in Montana at Billings (74 degrees), Glasgow (70 degrees) and Miles City (76 degrees); in Wyoming at Casper (70 degrees), Sheridan (75 degrees) and Worland (74 degrees) and in Idaho at Pocatello, ID (72 degrees). Only slight eastward movement of the ridge is expected overnight.

MORE RAINY WEATHER FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST -- Several weather systems moving across the Northwest were responsible for widely scattered precipitation across Washington State, Oregon, Idaho and northwest Montana on Thursday night. A cold front trailed southward across Montana and Idaho from a low pressure system in Saskatchewan A second cold front along coastal Washington and Oregon was associated with a storm located near British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands. These systems are expected to move eastward by Friday morning. Snow advisories were posted for the Cascades and the Olympics of Washington State. Valley rain and mountain snow should spread eastward into Montana, as the leading cold front bisects the state. A high wind watch was posted for portions of Montana and northern Wyoming for winds exceeding 60 mph as the second front passes late Friday.

Because of the winds associated with the second storm, gale warnings were in effect for the Washington State coast line from the west entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Cape Shoalwater. Farther south, offshore buoys indicated that storm generated ocean swells reaching the California coast continued to have heights reaching 14 feet. Hence, a heavy surf advisory remained in effect for the California coast from Point Conception north to Point Arena.

AND IT DOES RAIN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA -- As much as an inch of rain fell across portions of Southern California on Thursday as a low pressure system moved onshore. Some flooding occurred in Los Angeles. By late evening, a complex surface low pressure system with one center was located over the lower Colorado Valley of western Arizona, and another low was remained along the Southern California coast near the Channel Islands. Snow fell on the Southern California mountains at elevations above 6000 feet, with two inches reported at Mount Wilson. The precipitation should spread eastward across Southern California into southern Arizona by Friday morning.

YESTERDAY'S TEMPERATURE EXTREMES IN THE LOWER 48 -- The lowest temperature on Thursday was 5 degrees at Ely, MN while the day's high was 89 degrees at McAllen, TX.

ALASKAN WEATHER -- A strong low pressure system with a central pressure of approximately 974 mb moved east across the Bering Sea toward Bristol Bay on Thursday afternoon. A front associated with this storm system stretched eastward across Kodiak Island into the Gulf of Alaska. This storm system was accompanied by high winds, clouds and precipitation High winds continued across the eastern Aleutians. Cold Bay had a peak gust of 45 mph. A wind advisory was posted for Cold Bay. Rain and snow were reported along the Aleutians. Snow fell on Kodiak Island, the Alaska Peninsula and the southwestern portion of the mainland. A weaker storm system moved across the Gulf of Alaska toward the British Columbia coast. Rain fell across the southern portion of the Panhandle, while a mixture of rain and snow fell along portions of the Gulf Coast, to include Prince William Sound.

A large high pressure cell constituting an arctic air mass was located over the Arctic Ocean. A strong pressure gradient between this dome of high pressure and lower pressure across the southern portions of the state continued to generate strong winds across the Arctic coast. Wind gusts to 48 mph at Wainwright produced blizzard conditions as the blowing snow reduced visibility. As a result, a blizzard warning continued for the western Arctic coast.

Tranquil weather conditions continued across the central and eastern interior regions of Alaska on Thursday. Record high temperatures were set on Thursday at Nome when the temperature reached 38 degrees and at McGrath where the high was 48 degrees, aided by sunny skies coupled by chinook winds from off the Alaska Range.

The state's lowest temperature on Thursday was 11 degrees below zero at Wainwright. The highest statewide temperature by midafternoon was 52 degrees at Eielson AFB.

HAWAIIAN WEATHER -- The dry trade weather pattern of this week was beginning to change. An east-west oriented shear line located just north of Kauai on Thursday evening was poised to drift southward and produce increased clouds and showers across the islands that would continue through Friday. A large ridge of high pressure located to the west of the Dateline was forecast to move eastward, arriving at a position to the north of the islands on the weekend. With an increased pressure gradient, a corresponding increase in the speed of the trade winds is expected.

Small craft advisories remained in effect for all state waters. Since the moored buoy continued to report an ocean swell with height of 10 feet, high surface advisories were extended for the north and west shores of the islands.

HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS - 26 March

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

...1913...The Ohio River Basin flood reached a peak. Ten inch rains over a wide area of the Ohio River Basin inundated cities in Ohio, drowning 467 persons, and causing 147 million dollars damage. The Miami River at Dayton reached a level eight feet higher than ever before. The flood, caused by warm weather and heavy rains, was the second mostly deadly of record for the nation. (David Ludlum)
...1930...19.2 inches of snow fell at Chicago, IL in 2 days. This is greatest modern snowfall on the record books at Chicago. (Intellicast)
...1954...The temperature at Allaket, AK plunged to 69 degrees below zero, setting a record for the lowest temperature ever for March.. (The Weather Channel)
...1971...Parts of northern and central Georgia experienced their worst snow and ice storm since 1935. Two day power outages ruined two million eggs at poultry hatches. Two persons were killed when a tree landed on their car. (25th-26th) (The Weather Channel)
...1983....A heavy snowstorm struck from eastern Nebraska to southwestern Minnesota. A general 10 to 20 inches of snow fell. Lyons, Nebraska recorded 24 inches. The 13.3 inches that fell at Omaha, Nebraska set a new record for the heaviest spring snowfall on record. (Intellicast)
...1987...A cold front crossing the Plateau Region produced high winds in Utah causing some property damage. Winds gusted to 51 mph at Salt Lake City. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1988...Twenty cities in the southwestern U.S. reported new record high temperatures for the date. Afternoon highs of 73 degrees at Flagstaff, AZ, 90 degrees at Sacramento, CA, 95 degrees at Santa Maria, CA, 95 degrees at Los Angeles, CA, 99 degrees at Tucson, AZ, and 100 degrees at Phoenix, AZ set records for March. (The National Weather Summary)
...1989...The "Easter Bunny" brought record warm temperatures to the central U.S. while such records were still welcome. A dozen cities reported record warm readings, including Dodge City, KS with an afternoon high of 88 degrees. Strong southerly winds gusted to 51 mph at Dodge City, and reached 55 mph at Salina, KS. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1990...Fair weather prevailed across the nation for the second day in a row. Freezing temperatures were reported in the Middle Atlantic Coast Region in the wake of an early spring snowstorm. Afternoon highs were again in the 70s and 80s in the southeastern U.S., and for the ninth day in a row, temperatures in the southwestern U.S. reached the 90s. (The National Weather Summary)

27 March

...1890...An outbreak of tornadoes occurred in the Ohio Valley. One of the tornadoes ( rated F-4 on the Fujita scale) struck Louisville, KY killing 78 persons and causing four million dollars damage. Forty four people were killed when the Falls City Hall was struck, making it one of the highest death tolls on record in a single building from a tornado. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
...1931...A blizzard which struck western Kansas and adjoining states was called the "worst since January 1888". The low temperature of 3 degrees below zero which was reached during the blizzard stands as the coldest recorded so late in the season. (Intellicast)
...1950...A three day snowstorm in the High Plains Region finally came to an end. The storm produced 34 inches of snow in 24 hours at Dumont, located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and a total of 50 inches in the three days. (David Ludlum)
...1984...A strong storm system traversing northern Texas pulled very hot air northeastward into southern Texas. The temperature at Brownsville, TX soared to 106 degrees, which broke not only the monthly record high temperature but the all-time record as well. Cotulla, TX reached 108 degrees, equaling the March record for the U.S. (The Weather Channel) (Intellicast)
...1987...The second blizzard in less than a week hit eastern Colorado and western Kansas. Snowfall totals ranged up to 24 inches at San Isabel, CO. Winds gusted to 50 mph at Goodland, KS. The high winds piled snow into massive drifts, closing roads for days and killing thousands of cattle. Snow drifts thirty feet high were reported in northwest Kansas. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1988...Temperatures rose quickly, then dropped just as rapidly, in the central U.S. Eight cities reported record high temperatures for the date as readings soared into the 80s. In southeastern Colorado, the temperature at Lamar, CO reached 91 degrees. Strong southerly winds gusted to 63 mph at Gage, OK. Strong northwesterly winds, gusting to 61 mph at Goodland, KS, then proceeded to usher much colder air into the area. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1989...Afternoon and evening thunderstorms produced severe weather in the south central U.S. Two tornadoes were reported, and there were 77 other reports of large hail and damaging winds. Baseball size hail was reported at Willow, OK and Bartlesville, OK. Twenty-six cities in the central and eastern U.S. reported new record high temperatures for the date, including Yankton, SD with a reading of 84 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1990...Temperatures dipped into the teens and single numbers in the northeastern U.S. Scranton, PA tied their record for the date with a morning low of 18 degrees. Temperatures warmed into the 60s and lower 70s in the Pacific Northwest. The afternoon high of 65 degrees at Astoria, OR equaled their record for the date. (The National Weather Summary)
...1991...Severe thunderstorms were widespread over the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys and the Great Lakes area with more than 300 reports of severe weather, including 28 tornadoes. Four F3 tornadoes struck Michigan. Another F3 tornado injured 18 people and did 12 million dollars in damage in the Nettle Lake area in Ohio. Huge hailstones, 4.5 inches in diameter, fell at Portage, MI and a wind gust of 89 mph was recorded at Franklin, WI. (Intellicast)
...1994...An F4 tornado tracked 50 miles through St. Clair, Calhoun, and Cherokee counties in Alabama, killing 22 people and injuring 150. Twenty people were killed when the tornado destroyed the Goshen United Methodist Church in Cherokee County. (Intellicast)

28 March

...1917...Thane Creek, AK reported a snow cover of 190 inches. (The Weather Channel)
...1920...The worst tornado disaster of record occurred in Chicago, IL as a F-4 tornado ripped through Kane, Will and Cook counties, killing 28 persons and caused three million dollars damage. (David Ludlum)
...1945...A record heat wave hit the Northeast, bringing temperatures of 90 degrees in Rhode Island and 91 degrees in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. (Intellicast)
...1980...Although springtime was starting in the Rocky Mountains, the snow just kept on coming! One foot or more of snow fell over portions of eastern Colorado, southwest Nebraska, northwest Kansas and southeastern Wyoming. Winds reached 40 mph and Valentine, NE received 13 inches of snow. North Platte, NE checked in with 15 inches. (Intellicast)
...1984...A violent outbreak of tornadoes hit the Carolinas. Thunderstorms spawned 22 tornadoes during the late afternoon and evening hours which killed 57 persons and injured 1248 others. Nearly half the deaths occurred in mobile homes. A tornado from near Tatum, SC to southern Cumberland County, NC was 2.5 miles in width at times. (The Weather Channel)
...1987...A blizzard raged from southern Nebraska to central Iowa. Snowfall totals ranged up to 17 inches at Blue Hill, NE. Winds gusted to 68 mph at Carroll, IA. High winds produced snow drifts twenty feet high in western Iowa, and produced wind chill readings as cold as 30 degrees below zero in Nebraska. The snowfall total of 9.4 inches at Omaha, NE was a record for the date. . Twelve to eighteen inches of snow were common across northwestern Kansas. Winds gusting up to 70 mph whipped drifts 20 to 30 feet high in some places. The storm took a great toll on cattle as well(Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) (Intellicast)
...1988...Severe thunderstorms in central Oklahoma produced hail up to four inches in diameter causing 35 million dollars in southern Oklahoma County. 1500 new cars at a General Motors plant were totaled. Several large aircraft were heavily damaged at Tinker Air Force Base. Baseball size hail and seven inches of rain caused another eighteen million dollars damage in Stephens County. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) (Intellicast)
...1989...Unseasonably warm weather prevailed from the Southern and Central Plains to the Atlantic coast. Eighteen cities reported new record high temperatures for the date. The afternoon high of 81 degrees at Beckley, WV was a record for March, and the high of 90 degrees in downtown Baltimore, MD tied their March record. (The National Weather Summary)
...1990...A storm system brought heavy snow to the west central and southern mountains of Wyoming, and high winds to the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah. Snowfall totals in Wyoming ranged up to ten inches at the Snowy Ski Range Area, and the storm pushed the snowfall total for the month at Cheyenne above 37 inches, surpassing their previous record for March of 35 inches. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1992...With 1.6 inches of snowfall on this date at Syracuse, NY, the seasonal snowfall total was brought to 162.8 inches which set a new all-time seasonal snowfall record for the location. The old seasonal record was 162.0 inches set back in the winter of 1989-90. (Intellicast)
...1996...Williamsport, Pennsylvania recorded .8 inches of snow on this day to bring its seasonal snowfall total to 83.9 inches -- the city's snowiest winter ever. (Intellicast)