The Nations Weather

NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY:

In the East, pleasant weather returned to the northeastern states behind a cold front with partly cloudy skies and comfortable mid-summer temperatures. The back end of the front trailed south from Virginia and northern North Carolina to the Tennessee Valley. Strong to severe thunderstorms erupted during the afternoon hours across southeast Virginia where there were several reports of wind damage from estimated 60-70 mph winds. Early morning storms dissipated across eastern Tennessee but numerous thunderstorms affected most of central and eastern Tennessee and northern Georgia again during the afternoon and evening hours. A lot of this activity was severe from south central Kentucky through central Tennessee with a lot of felled trees reported. Scattered thunderstorm clusters were also common across southern Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida peninsula through the afternoon hours.

Across the central states, Canadian high pressure brought dry conditions and cool temperatures to the Great Lakes region. A new record low was established at International Falls, Minnesota at 35 and two additional record lows were tied in Wisconsin. Across the South it was a very different story with very hot weather continuing. Temperatures soared to over 100 again in most areas from southern Kansas through Texas with upper 90s over much of Arkansas and Louisiana. In between these two air masses, storms continued from the high Central Plains through the mid Mississippi Valley. One complex of storms moved from eastern Kansas through Missouri and southern Illinois with another area of storms advancing south from southeast South Dakota through eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

In the West, thunderstorms developed along the Front Range from Colorado to southern Wyoming late in the day bringing hail to a lot of the area. Hail was reported to be as big as golf balls in some areas and in Douglas, Wyo., the ground was completely white after hail fell for 30 minutes. Scattered thunderstorms were common throughout the northwest states with a few severe reports during the afternoon from eastern areas of Washington and Oregon to western Montana. It was mainly dry over the southwest with very hot temperatures continuing over the Deserts. Phoenix tied a record high for the day at 115.

WEATHER EXTREMES FOR YESTERDAY:

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)............121 Death Valley, CA

HIGHEST HEAT INDEX (DEGREES F).............121 Death Valley, CA

LOWEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)..............35 International Falls, MN

LOWEST WIND CHILL (DEGREES F)...............35 International Falls, MN

HIGHEST WIND GUST (MPH).....................68 Ely, NV

HIGHEST PRECIPITATION (INCHES)............1.40 Atlantic City, NJ

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY:

In 1895, a tornado descended over Cherry Hill, N.J. causing $50,000 damage and killing three people. The twister later moved into the Harlem and Woodhaven areas of New York City killing another person before ending as a waterspout over Jamaica Bay.

In 1980, a very hot day across the south had temperatures in Memphis, Tenn., soaring to 108, a new all-time record. Atlanta tops out at 105, Macon, Ga., at 108 and Birmingham, Ala., at 106. Newington, Ga., was the hottest with an afternoon high of 110.

In 1995, a record heat wave continues across the Midwest with all-time record highs set at Chicago (106) and La Crosse, Wis., (108). The heat combined with extreme humidity and apparent temperatures of 130 were reached at both Chicago and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

DTN/Meteorlogix: J Sullivan

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