The Nation's Weather

Yesterday in the East, Tropical Storm Fay moved into southwestern Florida during the early morning hours just east of Naples, Florida. The storm did not reach hurricane intensity prior to landfall. Fay continued to move north-northeastward through the day and was located about 30 miles south-southwest of Melbourne, Florida yesterday evening. Rainfall totals of 2 to six inches were common across Florida yesterday, although 7.19 inches of rain fell at Avon Park, Florida. Sustained winds of 25-45 mph occurred across Florida in association with Fay, with gusts as high as 60 mph. Fay also spawned five tornadoes in central and southern Florida over the course of the day. Elsewhere, an upper-level low centered in over the southern Plains produced scattered showers and thunderstorms in the Deep South. Rainfall totals generally ranged from 0.10 to 0.50 inches, but isolated areas received over one inch of rain. Scattered showers and thunderstorms also moved across the Northeast in association with a cold front; rainfall was generally between 0.10 and 0.50 inches. A cluster of severe thunderstorms with large hail and damaging wind gusts affected southeastern Massachusetts yesterday afternoon. One storm in Acushnet, Massachusetts produced golf ball sized hail.

In the central United States, heavy rainfall fell yesterday over much of Oklahoma and central/eastern Texas in association with a stalled upper-level low. Rainfall totals of 1 to two inches were common, but locally higher amounts occurred. Flooding was reported yesterday morning from the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area southward through south central Oklahoma into extreme north central Texas. Over 10 inches of rain swamped locations near the Texas and Oklahoma border east of Wichita Falls, Texas. The upper-level low also triggered isolated showers and storms in western Texas yesterday, but rainfall totals were much lighter. Elsewhere, with the exception of a few stray showers in the Upper Midwest, the remainder of the central United States experienced fair weather yesterday.

Yesterday in the West, a cold front produced scattered showers and thunderstorms from western Montana through Washington and Oregon. Rainfall totals were generally 0.25 inches or less. Some storms in northwestern Montana became severe. A severe storm in Teton County in Montana generated 70 mph wind gusts, which split several small trees in half. Meanwhile, afternoon showers and thunderstorms developed in southern New Mexico and southern Arizona due to monsoonal moisture. Patchy fog affected the California coast yesterday morning, and a few stray showers occurred in northern California. Otherwise, the remainder of the West experienced fair weather yesterday.

WEATHER EXTREMES SO FAR TODAY:

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)............109 Thermal, CA

.............................................. Blythe, CA

HIGHEST HEAT INDEX (DEGREES F).............109 Thermal, CA

.............................................. Blythe, CA

LOWEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)..............34 Bryce Canyon, UT

LOWEST WIND CHILL (DEGREES F)...............28 Leadville, CO

HIGHEST WIND GUST (MPH).....................70 Moore Haven, FL

HIGHEST PRECIPITATION (INCHES)...........10.50 Waurika, OK

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY:

In 1939, 14.81 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period in Tuckerton, New Jersey, establishing a state rainfall record.

In 1969, the remnants of Hurricane Camille dumped 27 inches of rain on Nelson County in Virginia in just eight hours.

In 1996, heavy rain in the Wasatch Mountains in northern Utah caused portions of Salt Lake City, Utah to be covered by two feet of floodwaters.

DTN-Meteorlogix

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