HISTORICAL WEATHER EVENTS - 29 June

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

• ...1826...Thomas Jefferson made his last entry in his weather observation log on this date, just six days before he died (on the 4th of July). The weather held a fascination for Jefferson as he made regular weather observations. He bought his first thermometer while working on the Declaration of Independence and his first barometer shortly thereafter. (National Weather Service files)
• ...1931...The temperature at Monticello, FL hit 109 degrees to establish an all-time record for the Sunshine State. (The Weather Channel)
• ...1954...Hurricane Alice dumped as much as 27 inches of rain on the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The Rio Grande River at Laredo reached a level 12.6 feet above its previous highest mark, and the roadway of the U.S. 90 bridge was thirty feet below the high water. (David Ludlum)
• ...1975...Litchville, ND recorded 8.10 inches of rain for a state 24-hour precipitation record. (NCDC)
• ...1987...Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the Ohio Valley and the Great Lakes Region, with reports of large hail and damaging winds most numerous in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. Thunderstorms spawned four tornadoes in Michigan. A tornado near Clare, MI was accompanied by softball size hail. In Colorado, an untimely winter-like storm blanketed Mount Evans with six inches of snow. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• ...1988...Alpena, MI reported a record low of 39 degrees while Jackson, MS equaled their record for the month of June with an afternoon high of 105 degrees. Thunderstorms in the central U.S. soaked Springfield, MO with 3.62 inches of rain, a record for the date. (The National Weather Summary)
• ...1989...Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the Southern and Central High Plains Region. Thunderstorms in Colorado produced softball size hail at Kit Carson, while pea to marble size hail caused ten million dollars damage to crops in Philips County, CO. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• ...1994...The mercury hit a scorching 128 degrees at Lake Havasu City, AZ to set a new all-time record high temperature for the Grand Canyon State. This reading also tied the one at Death Valley, CA on the same day for the US June record. The previous state record for Arizona was 127 degrees set at Parker on 7 July 1905. (NCDC) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• ...1998..."The Corn Belt Derecho of 1998" originated in far southeast South Dakota and moved eastward across Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky. During the afternoon and evening the derecho crossed Illinois and continuing as far east as Ohio by the next morning. Every county in central Illinois sustained some sort of damage, as these severe thunderstorms passed. Winds gusted in the 60 to 80 mph range, with some localized microbursts producing winds in excess of 100 mph. Significant damage occurred in the microburst areas, including the towns of Morton, McLean, LeRoy, and Tolono. In Tolono, 22 cars of a southbound 101-car Illinois Central freight train were blown off the tracks. It was unknown how many cars were picked up by the wind, but 16 cars were turned over and another 6 derailed but remained upright. The train was en route to Centralia from Chicago with a load of mixed freight, including plastic pellets and meal. The freight cars empty weighed about 60,000 pounds, while a full one weighs about 260,000 pounds. Overall, 12 people were injured, and damage was estimated around $16 million dollars. (National Weather Service files)
• ...2006...Thick fog ruled out any play on the first day of the U.S. Women's Open at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island. With visibility of less than 100 yards on parts of the course, officials had little choice but to reschedule the entire first round. (National Weather Service files)
• ...2012...A cluster of thunderstorms developed southwest of Chicago and quickly exploded into a derecho that tore eastward all the way to Washington, DC. Thunderstorm winds reached 100 mph! (National Weather Service files)