Historical Weather Events

HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS - 19 January

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

...1786...The temperature at Hartford, CT fell to 24 degrees below zero. Up to this time, it was the lowest ever known on a thermometer.
...1810...The famous "cold Friday" in New England. Gale force winds wrecked homes, and accompanied a sudden overnight drop in temperature of 50 degrees to below zero readings. Tragedy struck Sanbornton, NH where three children froze to death. (David Ludlum)
...1862...The Great Flood of 1862 inundated much of the western United States west of the Rockies. California was hardest hit, with two to three feet of rain falling in about four weeks' time. Some locations received more than their normal annual rainfall between Christmas 1861 and the end of January 1862. The flooding was catastrophic, and one modern researcher has called it a 30,000-year flood event. (National Weather Service files)
...1892...The temperature jumped 42 Fahrenheit degrees in 15 minutes at Fort Assiniboine, MT (near Havre), rising from -5 to 37 degrees. (National Weather Service files)
...1925...The record low temperature for the state of Maine was set at Van Buren when the temperature fell to 48 degrees below zero. (Intellicast)
...1933...Giant Forest, CA received 60 inches of snow in just 24 hours, a state record, and the second highest 24-hour total of record for the U.S. (David Ludlum)
...1961...Eight inches of snow fell and caused crippling traffic jams around the Washington D.C. area on the eve of John Kennedy's inauguration. The president-elect had to cancel dinner plans and, in a struggle to keep other commitments, is reported to have had only 4 hours of sleep. Former President Herbert Hoover was unable to fly into Washington National Airport due to the weather and he had to miss the swearing-in ceremony. (National Weather Service files)
...1977...Snowflakes were observed at Homestead, Miami and Miami Beach in extreme southern Florida. (David Ludlum)
...1987...A storm tracking toward the northeastern U.S. produced up to 14 inches of snow in northern Indiana. Peru, IN reported a foot of snow. Six cities in Florida reported new record high temperatures for the date. The afternoon high of 88 degrees at Miami equaled their record for the month of January. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1988...A powerful storm hit the central U.S. producing blizzard conditions in the Central High Plains, and severe thunderstorms in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Snowfall totals ranged up to 36 inches at Wolf Creek Pass, CO, with 31 inches at Elsmere, NE. A total of 14 tornadoes struck Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. A violent (F4) tornado hit Kosciusko, MS but fortunately, it tracked through mostly woodlands. Tornadoes claimed five lives in Tennessee, including an F3 tornado in Fayette County, TN that killed 3 people and injured 24. A tornado at Cullman, AL injured 35 persons. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) (Intellicast)
...1989...The high temperature for the day at Fairbanks, AK was a frigid 41 degrees below zero, and the morning low of 24 degrees below zero at Anchorage, AK was their lowest reading in fourteen years. (National Weather Summary)
...1990...Thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds in eastern Texas and Louisiana. Tornadoes at Garland, TX and Apple Springs, TX each injured one person. Heavy snow spread from the Southern and Central Rockies into the Great Plains. Storm totals in New Mexico reached 36 inches at Gascon. Totals in the Central Plains ranged up to 15 inches near McCook, NE and Garden City, KS. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
...1994...An extremely cold arctic airmass set 67 new record temperature lows from Minnesota to Virginia, including 10 cities that recorded their lowest temperatures ever. The following cities set all-time record lows: Indianapolis, IN (27 degrees below zero), Akron, OH, Clarksburg, WV, and Zanesville, OH (25 below), Pittsburgh, PA, Louisville, KY, Columbus, OH and Youngstown, OH (22 below), Cleveland, OH (20 below), and Erie, PA (18 below). The mercury plunged to 36 below zero at New Whiteland, IN to set a new record low temperature for the Hoosier State. In Kentucky, a statewide record low temperature was set at Shelbyville with a reading of 37 degrees below zero. A low of 52 degrees below zero was reported in the community of Amasa -- the state's lowest temperature on record. In the bitter cold, intense lake effect snow squalls continued in the lee of Lake Ontario. Parish, NY reported 42 inches of new snow accompanied by several hours of lightning and thunder. (Intellicast)
...1995...Columbia, MO was buried under 19.7 inches of snow in 24 hours for its greatest 24-hour snowfall and snowstorm ever. Wind gusts up to 45 mph produced blizzard conditions and thunderstorms occurred several times during the heavy snow. Interstates 70, US 63, and US 54 were closed down. The same storm produced 15 inches of snow at Moline, IL and 14 inches at Blue Jacket, OK. (Intellicast)
...2002...The AFC 2001 divisional playoff game was played during a heavy snowstorm, pitting the Oakland Raiders against the New England Patriots. With less than two minutes left to play, the Patriots were trailing 13-10. New England QB Tom Brady dropped back to pass but dropped the ball after being hit by Oakland's Charles Woodson. The play was originally ruled a fumble, but that call was reversed upon review and was instead declared an incomplete forward pass because Brady lost the ball as he was attempting to tuck it back toward his body. Possession then went to New England, who went on to kick a field goal to send the game into overtime. New England ended up winning 16-13 on another field goal, and eventually went on to win Super Bowl XXXVI. The game has come to be known as the Tuck Rule Game. (National Weather Service files)