The Nations Weather

NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY:

In the East, a storm system produced rain showers and thunderstorms from the Great Lakes, down through the Ohio Valley, and into the Mid-Atlantic. Severe weather wreaked havoc throughout the region, with penny to ping pong size hail and damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph reported. Michigan received the brunt of the strong to severe activity, with Holt, Michigan getting hammered by ping pong size hail and wind gusts of 69 mph causing damage in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches were also recorded across the region. To the south, rain showers and thunderstorms hit Tennessee, the Carolinas, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida in association with a frontal boundary as well as an upper level disturbance. A few strong to severe storms hit eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, producing nickel to quarter size hail and strong wind gusts. Lightning also struck and killed 1 person in Coral Springs, Florida.

Across the central United States, showers and storms were found scattered throughout the Upper Midwest, mid-Mississippi Valley, and Southern Plains as a storm system rolled through the region. Severe weather pounded the border of Wisconsin and Illinois, eastern Missouri, western Illinois, and north central Texas. A few tornadoes caused damage across southern Wisconsin and western Illinois, with hail up to 2 inches in diameter and damaging wind gusts up to 80 mph causing downed power lines and trees as well as property damage throughout the region. The highest wind gust of 79 mph was recorded at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, while the largest hail stone, the size of a hens egg, fell in Mascoutah, Illinois. Heavy rains also drenched portions of Missouri and Illinois, creating flooding and flash flooding issues with water spilling over and submerging roadways. In Glen Carbon, Illinois, 1 inch of rainfall was measured in 30 minutes. The highest rainfall was reported in Addieville, Illinois, where 2.71 inches fell in a short period of time.

To the West, rain showers and mountain snows continued to plague portions of the Intermountain West and Northern Rockies, while showers and storms tracked through the Central and Southern Rockies and the Great Basin, in association with a frontal boundary draped across the region. Several reports of pea to penny size hail and wind gusts up to 45 mph were found across Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and Wyoming. A few thunderstorms also dumped moderate to heavy rainfall at times, with 1.12 inches falling in Reno, Nevada over the course of a few hours. Carson City, Nevada received 0.61 inches in 30 minutes.

WEATHER EXTREMES FOR YESTERDAY:

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)............101 Wink, TX

HIGHEST HEAT INDEX (DEGREES F).............105 Alice, TX

LOWEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)..............28 Lewistown, MT

LOWEST WIND CHILL (DEGREES F)...............22 Bryce Canyon, UT

HIGHEST WIND GUST (MPH).....................79 Dyess Air Force Base, TX

HIGHEST PRECIPITATION (INCHES)............2.71 Addieville, IL

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY:

In 1953, an F4 tornado plowed through the town of Worcester, Massachusetts. On its 46 mile track, 90 people were killed and 1,300 people were injured. At the time, it was the most costly tornado in United States history, causing more than $53 million in damage.

In 1966, Hurricane Alma made landfall over the eastern Florida Panhandle, becoming the earliest land-falling hurricane on record to hit the United States.

In 1972, heavy rains drenched the eastern slopes of the Black Hills in South Dakota. Around 14 inches of rain fell within 4 hours, causing the Canyon Lake Dam to collapse, more than $100 million in property damage, and drowning 237 people.

Filed by: DTN/Meteorlogix

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