June 17-20 Weather History

[Mid-Atlantic Weather Station (MAWS) Mailing List]

NOTE:  Still waiting for the AMS to resume issuing Weekly Weather & Climate News, as they continue their website upgrades.

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               ...HISTORICAL WEATHER FACTS FOR JUNE 17TH...
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1859...   Hot Santa Ana winds roasted fruit on one side at Santa
          Barbara CA. 

1882...   A tornado traveled more than 200 miles across the state
          of Iowa killing 130 persons.  The tornado touched down
          about ninety miles west of Grinnell, and struck the town
          and college around sunset, killing sixty persons, and
          causing more than half a million dollars damage.
          Traveling at nearly 60 mph, the tornado hit Mount
          Pleasant about 11 PM causing another half a million
          dollars damage.

1965...   Holly CO was deluged with 11.08 inches of rain to
          establish a state 24 hour rainfall record. 

1987...   Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the south
          central U.S.  Thunderstorms in Kansas produced wind gusts
          to 76 mph at Lyons, and baseball size hail at Garden
          City.  The Edwards Aquifer, which supplies water to
          San Antonio TX, reached a record level of 699.2 feet
          following a record 18.43 inches of rain in thirty days.
          Torrential rains between the mid May and mid June sent
          8.8 million acre feet of water down the rivers of
          southern Texas, the largest volume in 100 years of
          records. 

1988...   Thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds in
          Georgia and the Carolinas.  Thunderstorm winds gusted to
          75 mph at Eden NC. 

1989...   Unseasonably cool air, responsible for 37 record lows in
          the central U.S. on the 15th and 16th, including a low of
          33 degrees at Valentine NE on the 15th, overspread the
          eastern U.S. ending a three day seige of severe weather.

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               ...HISTORICAL WEATHER FACTS FOR JUNE 18TH...
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1875...   A severe coastal storm (or possible hurricane) struck the
          Atlantic coast from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia.  Eastport ME
          reported wind gusts to 57 mph. 

1958...   Hailstones up to four inches in diameter killed livestock
          as a storm passed from Joliet to Belfry in Carbon County
          MT. 

1970...   Wind and rain, and hail up to seven inches deep, caused
          more than five million dollars damage at Oberlin KS.

1987...   It was a hot day in the Upper Great Lakes Region.  Nine
          cities in Michigan and Wisconsin reported record high
          temperatures for the date.  The high of 90 degrees at
          Marquette MI marked their third straight day of record
          heat.  Severe thunderstorm in the Northern and Central
          High Plains Region spawned half a dozen tornadoes in
          Wyoming and Colorado.  Wheatridge CO was deluged with 2.5
          inches of rain in one hour. 

1988...   Severe thunderstorms in eastern North Dakota and northern
          Minnesota produced hail three inches in diameter and
          spawned four tornadoes in Steele County.  Thunderstorms
          also produced wind gusts to 80 mph at Clearbrook MN.

1989...   Unseasonably hot weather prevailed in the southwestern
          U.S.  In Arizona, afternoon highs of 103 at Winslow, 113
          at Tucson, and 115 at Phoenix were records for the date.

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               ...HISTORICAL WEATHER FACTS FOR JUNE 19TH...
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1835...   A tornado tore through the center of New Brunswick NJ
          killing five persons and scattering debris as far as
          Manhattan Island.  The tornado provided the first
          opportunity for scientists to study firsthand the track
          of such a storm. 

1938...   A cloudburst near Custer Creek MT (near Miles City)
          caused a train wreck killing forty-eight persons.  An
          estimated four to seven inches of rain deluged the head
          of the creek that evening, and water flowing through the
          creek weakened the bridge.  As a result, a locomotive and
          seven passenger cars plunged into the swollen creek.  One
          car, a tourist sleeper, was completely submerged.

1972...   Hurricane Agnes moved onshore near Cape San Blas FL with
          wind gusts to 80 mph, and exited Maine on the 26th.
          There were 117 deaths, mainly due to flooding from North
          Carolina to New York State, and total damage was
          estimated at more than three billion dollars.  Up to 19
          inches of rain deluged western Schuylkill County PA.  The
          rains of Hurricane Agnes resulted in one of the greatest
          natural disasters in U.S. history.  Agnes caused more
          damage than all other tropical cyclones in the previous
          six years combined (which included Celia and Camille).

1987...   It was a warm June day, with plenty of thunderstorms east
          of the Rockies.  Lightning knocked out power at
          Throckmorton TX, and ignited an oil tank battery.
          A woman in Knox City TX was struck by lightning while in
          her car, and a man was struck by lightning near his home
          in Manatee County FL.  Strong thunderstorm winds
          overturned several outhouses near Bixby OK, but no
          injuries were reported.

1988...   Temperatures soared above 100 degrees in the central U.S.
          for Father's Day.  Fifteen cities reported record high
          temperatures for the date.  Severe thunderstorms in
          Minnesota and Wisconsin produced softball size hail near
          River Falls WI, and wind gusts to 80 mph at Menomonie WI.

1989...   Fourteen cities reported record high temperatures for the
          date as searing heat spread from the southwestern deserts
          into the High Plains Region.  Record highs included 98 at

          Billings MT, 107 at Valentine NE, and 112 at Tucson AZ.

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