JULY   01ST 1792 A tremendous storm (a tornado or hurricane) hit Philadelphia and New York City. Many young people were drowned while out boating on that Sunday. (David Ludlum) (Ref. WxDoctor) 1814 A tornado crossed Saint Helena Sound in South Carolina, drowning 23 people who were out on the sound in ships. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1876 In the Douglas, WI area, a 25 square mile ice field was still in existence at the head of Lake Superior. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1891 The U.S. Weather Bureau was born as the equipment, stations and personnel of the U.S. Army Signal Service were passed to the new agency, which was part of the Department of Agriculture. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1911 The high of just 79 degrees at Phoenix, AZ was their coolest daily maximum of record for the month of July. The normal daily high for July 1st is 105 degrees. (The Weather Channel) 1915 Pawtucket, RI received a deluge of rain containing 5.10 inches in 24 hours, beginning a very wet July for the area. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1933 Lightning struck the Texas Oil Company plant near Elizabeth, NJ causing 300,000 barrels of oil to go up in flames. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1953 A severe thunder squall struck parts of Grand Island, the Tonawandas, and north Buffalo, NY during the evening. Destructive winds at the airport of 59 mph, heavy rain with one inch in a 10-minute period, and hail caused damage estimated around $2 million dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1972 The Lake Creek community, just north of Granite in Greer County, Oklahoma was pounded by a severe thunderstorm. The storm produced 2.5 inch diameter hail, winds 75 mph, and 2.25 inches of rain. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1974 Larimer County, Colo.--A girl was killed by lightning at the Iceberg Lake parking area at 12,000 feet above mean sea level on Trail Ridge Road. (Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf) 1979 It snowed almost half a foot (5.8 inches) at Stampede Pass, WA, a July record. (The Weather Channel) 1981 Tropical storm Bret formed well off the North Carolina coast, but moved toward the west then northwest across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and into Virginia. Philadelphia, PA received 0.49 inches of rain. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1986 Chadron, NE was struck by a severe thunderstorm with large hail and 80 mph winds. An automobile dealership had its windows blown out and many buildings had large holes punched in their roofs by the hailstones. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Lake Charles, LA was drenched with a month's worth of rain during the early morning. More than five inches of rain soaked the city, including 2.68 inches in one hour. A thunderstorm in the southern Yakima Valley of Washington State produced high winds that downed trees up to six feet in diameter. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1988 DCA low 54° ties daily record and sets all-time low for July at National Airport. Twenty-six cities in the north central and northeastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date. Lows of 48 degrees at Providence, RI, 48 degrees at Roanoke , VA, 49 degrees at Stratford, CT, and 48 degrees at Wilmington, DE, were records lows for the month of July. Boston, MA equaled their record for July with a low of 50 degrees. Five inches of snow whitened Mount Washington, NH. (The National Weather Summary) Boston, MA recorded its lowest temperature of 50 °F for July. (Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events) 1989 Showers and thunderstorms associated with the low-pressure system, which was once Tropical Storm Allison, continued to drench parts of Mississippi, Louisiana and eastern Texas. Late night thunderstorms produced 12.58 inches of rain at Biloxi, MS in six hours, and 10.73 inches at Gulfport, MS. Flooding in Mississippi over the first six days of the month caused 55 million dollars damage. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1991 Two inches of rain fell in 30 minutes about 3.5 miles south southeast of Trousdale, KS. The heavy rain washed out roads and left water holes that measured 100 feet long. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1993 Not a good place to be. Hail as large as 2 inches in diameter plummeted the Bismarck North Dakota vicinity for more than 20 minutes. Three girls were stranded in the swirling waters of the Missouri River during the vicious hailstorm. All three were injured by the hailstones. (Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2007 Accord Pub. 2006, USA) (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 1994 A microburst over the south side of Cheyenne, WY blew windows out of 15 cars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1995 A 53-year-old male golfer was killed instantly at the Ibis Golf & Country Club 9 miles northwest of Palm Beach, FL, when lightning struck his 7-iron on the follow through, after a foursome had halted play because of lightning in the area. The lightning struck when the group resumed play. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1998 The temperature at Tallahassee, FL reached 100° for the 13th time during the year, establishing a new record. The previous record was 12 days in 1931. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2001 A Fredericksburg, VA man was injured by a bolt of lightning that struck his home. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) 2002 San Antonio, TX recorded 9.52 inches of rain on this day to set a new record for its greatest rainfall for the entire month of July. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2003 A few secondary roads were under 6 inches of water 5 miles north east of Rose Hill in Jasper County, MS. Several secondary roads were underwater along with a few streets flooded in Stonewall and Quitman. Heavy rains caused several streams to flood and cover portions of a few roads in Meridian, MS. These events were associated with Tropical Storm Bill. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2004 A roofer, working at Providence Road Elementary School in Virginia Beach, VA was struck by lightning and later died. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History)

JULY   2ND 1833 An unusually large New England tornado, one half to three quarters of a mile wide, went from Salem Pond to Norton Pond , VT, and then into Canada. It "prostrated" nearly everything in its path. (The Weather Channel) (Ref. WxDoctor) 1843 An alligator reportedly fell from the sky onto Anson Street in Charleston, SC during a thunderstorm. (David Ludlum) 1944 Today began the longest dry spell in Las Vegas, NV history which lasted until October 10th, a total of 101 days. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1932 Boston, Massachusetts recorded its lowest pressure 29.21 inches of mercury for the month of July. (Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events) 1965 A cool morning 50° at Sterling, 61° at DCA. A cool 51° minimum temperature equaled July record low on 15th in 1940 in Richmond, VA. (Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC) 1972 Large hail and damaging winds accompanied severe thunderstorms across parts of central Oklahoma. Baseball-size hail fell in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, and winds reached 75 to 100 mph. The wind took down power lines and damaged or destroyed at least 23 mobile homes. Winds gusted to 100 mph at Lindsay, and 80 mph at Norman. The wind in these areas mainly damaged trees and blew down power lines, but also damaged a few roofs. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1980 Wichita Falls, TX broke their old record by 10 degrees as the temperature hit 114°. This was the 9th consecutive day of temperatures above 100°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1986 Amazingly, an F2 tornado at Jacksonville, NC that killed three people was the deadliest twister of the year as the United States experienced only 15 tornado deaths during the year. This was an all-time low since records began in 1916. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Thunderstorms in Colorado produced hail as large as golf balls northwest of Kiowa, which accumulated to a depth of twelve inches. Hail two and a half inches in diameter was reported at Black Forest. Hail damaged 900 acres of crops south of the town of Wiggins. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 Twenty-six cities in the eastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date. The morning low of 47 degrees at Roanoke , VA broke the July record set the previous day. (The National Weather Summary) (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1989 Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the south central U.S., with 158 reports of large hail and damaging winds through the day. Evening thunderstorms in northeastern Texas produced softball size hail that caused more than five million dollars damage at Allen, and wind gusts to 90 mph at Dallas, which injured eight persons and caused seven million dollars damage. Winnfield, LA reported 29.52 inches of rain in six days, for a total of 62.50 inches for the first six months of the year. Midland, TX reported an all-time record high of 112 degrees. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1992 An usually cold air mass for the time of year was in place across northern New York and Vermont. Saranac Lake, NY dipped to 30°. An observer in West Charleston, VT dropped to 30° as well with widespread frost and a frozen garden hose. A total of six cooperative observer stations in Vermont reported freezing low temperatures with East Haven reporting the lowest with 29°. Burlington, VT set a record low with 40°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1994 A US Air jet crashed near Charlotte, NC during a thunderstorm. The cause of the crash was officially listed as wind shear. Major efforts to understand and avoid wind shear have resulted in a dramatic reduction in the number of air accidents involving this deadly phenomenon. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2001 In Michigan, frost and freezing temperatures were observed in some locations with Grant dropping to 29°. Muskegon reported their coldest July temperature on record with 39°. Other daily record lows included: Lansing, MI: 38°, Muskegon, MI: 39°, Flint, MI: 40°, Youngstown, OH: 40°, Grand Rapids, MI: 43°, Baltimore, MD: 51 °F. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 2003 Thunderstorm wind gusts to 75 mph at Bigfork, MN, blew off the top of a tree, which went through the windshield of a car and impaled the driver in his seat; he lived. At Basswood Lake, a storm gust toppled a tree onto a tent; 1 camper killed and 1 hurt. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 2004 It was about a half hour into the storm that my grandmother recalls hearing what she calls a "blood curtailing scream" coming from me. She looked over to see me lifted from about 6 inches off the ground and dropped back down again. At first she though I had just become scared and jumped as she could tell that the lightning had struck not to far away. Read the full story at the following Ref. (Ref. A Lightning Survivor) 2007 All-time record dew point depression set at las vegas today June 27, 2011 at 432 PM PDT today the dew point depression at Mccarran International Airport in Las Vegas reached 129 degrees. The dew point depression is defined as the difference between the air temperature and the dew point temperature. In the case of today the air temperature was 107 degrees at 432 PM and the dew point temperature was -22 degrees. This made for a relative humidity of 1 percent at the time. The previous all-time record dew point depression for Las Vegas was 120 degrees set on July 2, 2007. The above information is preliminary and is subject to a final review before being certified by the national climatic data center. (Ref. NWS - A New Record To Be Certified) 2019 Measurable rain fell at the Richmond International Airport for the first time in 13 days. The drought began on June 20th and ended on July 3, 2019. (Ref. NWS - The Richmond International Airport Records)

JULY   3RD 1873 Hancock County, Illinois: A tornado destroys several farms. A child dies after being carried 500 yards; ten others are injured. (Ref. WxDoctor) 1933 Very cool 52° equaled the July minimum at DC; the "Dog Days" traditionally begin this day of the year. The hot weather period received its name from Sirius, the brightest visible star in the sky and known as the Dog Star. Sirius rises in the east at the same time as the sun this time of the year. (The Weather Channel) 1956 Lightning set off a dynamite charge near Brooksville, FL, killing one woman. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1960 A major hail storm caused $1.5 million dollars in damage across the Denver, CO metro area. The heaviest damage occurred in south Denver, Englewood, Littleton and Golden from wind-driven hail as large as golf balls. Winds were estimated between 60 and 70 mph. Heavy rainfall was estimated at 2 to 3 inches. Hail carried flood waters drifted 3 to 4 feet deep. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1966 The northeastern U.S. was in the midst of a sweltering heat wave. The temperature at Philadelphia reached 104 degrees. Afternoon highs of 102 degrees at Hartford, CT, 105 degrees at Allentown, PA, and 107 degrees at LaGuardia Airport in New York City established all-time records for those two locations. Also Dulles Airport, VA: 103°, Roanoke, VA: 96° - - - (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel) (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1974 The world record for a 30 minute rainfall total was set in Sikeshugou, Hebei, China. 11.10 inches of rain fell in this period of time. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1975 Up to 3 inches of rain caused flash flooding throughout Las Vegas, NV. The main damage occurred to vehicles at Caesars Palace with approximately 700 damaged or destroyed with several cars found miles away. North Las Vegas was hardest hit with $3.5 million in damage. Two people drowned in the flood waters. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Lightning struck and killed three men playing golf on a course near Kingsport, TN. The three men had sought shelter from the rain under a tall tree on a small hill. Showers and thunderstorms produced heavy rain in New Jersey, with 5.2 inches reported at Trenton State College. (The National Weather Summary) Kiowa, Colorado: Hail as large as golf balls accumulates to a depth of 12 inches. (Ref. WxDoctor) 1988 Thunderstorms around Fort Worth, TX produced wind gusts to 76 mph at Burleson, along with two inches of rain in thirty minutes. The record low of 46 degrees at Youngstown, OH was their sixth in a row. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989 Showers and thunderstorms produced locally heavy rain in the eastern U.S. Bowling Green, KY was soaked with 4.99 inches of rain during the morning hours, and up to ten inches of rain deluged Oconee County, SC. The temperature at Alamosa, CO soared to a record warm reading of 91 degrees, following a record low of 35 degrees the previous day. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1992 A 27-mile-long 18 foot high rogue wave rolled onto the Volusia County Beach in eastern Florida. The wave's extent was from Ormond Beach on the north, to New Smyrna Beach on the south. The crest was centered at Daytona Beach. Sailboats crashed ashore onto cars and many people suffered cuts and bruises from glass and debris. Two people required hospitalization and 200 vehicles were damaged. 75 injuries reported. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1994 Alberto center crossed the Florida Panhandle near Destin on this date. At landfall the minimum central pressure was 993 millibars or 29.32 inches of mercury with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and gusts unofficially estimated at 86 mph. Alberto weakened to a depression before moving into southeast Alabama the evening on this date, then meandered around east central Alabama and west central Georgia for 72 hours dropping rains that locally exceeded 20 inches in southwest Georgia. Rainfall totals as high as 21.1 inches in 24 hours was observed at Americus, GA. Macon, GA was deluged with over 10 inches. Flood crests exceed 100-year events on the Apalachicola and Chipola Rivers. The first flood crest on the Apalachicola River occurred on July 10th to the 12th. Overall, flooding caused by the rainfall from Alberto took 33 lives, destroyed thousands of homes, including some entire communities, forced approximately 50,000 people evacuated, and caused property damage (including lost crops) estimated as high as $750 million dollars. Damage to buildings, roads, water systems and other public property was estimated at $40 million dollars. Insured losses to buildings and vehicles were estimated at $15 million dollars. Agricultural losses were estimated at $25 million dollars including up to 50% of the peanut, cotton, soybean, and corn crops. It would be the worst natural disaster in the history of the state of Georgia. 30 counties were declared disaster areas. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2000 Severe thunderstorms deluged Vanguard, Saskatchewan Canada with 14.8 inches of rain in 8 hours. This was the greatest 8-hour rainfall ever recorded in the Canadian Prairies. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2014 TOP 10 U.S. Weather Events 2014 Hurricane Arthur: July 3. Arthur, which struck North Carolina, was the only hurricane to make landfall in the continental United States this year. Although damage was relatively minor along the East Coast, Arthur was notable as the earliest hurricane on record to make landfall in North Carolina and the first Category 2 storm to make United States landfall since 2008 (Ike). Ref. (Weatherwise MAY- JUNE 2015, page 14)

JULY   4TH 1776 Thomas Jefferson paid for his first thermometer and signed the Declaration of Independence. According to his weather memorandum book, at 2 PM it was cloudy and 76 degrees. (David Ludlum) (Ref. WxDoctor) 1816 In Savannah, Georgia the temperature dropped into the 40's on July 4th. (p. 33 Washington Weather Book 2002 by Ambrose, Henry, Weiss) Chauncey Jerome of Plymouth, Conn. saw several men pitching quoits in the middle of the day with thick overcoats on, and the sun shining bright at the time. (Scientific American, "The Year without a Summer" p. 48) 1874 Tornadoes hit the Baltimore, MD/Washington, DC area, causing minor damage, but a major tornado hit Lewistown, PA, killing eight people. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1876 Centennial Maximum temperature 95° in Washington, DC. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) Severe thunderstorms hit the Midwest and a dam failed at Rock Dale, IA. The flood destroyed a railroad bridge and swept through the town. 42 people were killed. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1891 Sixteen horses were killed by hail, and many more had to be put to death due to injuries from a hailstorm at Rapid City, SD. (The Weather Channel) 1911 The northeastern U.S. experienced sweltering 100-degree heat. The temperature soared to 105 degrees at Vernon, VT and North Bridgton, ME, and to 106 degrees at Nashua, NH, to establish all-time records for those three states. North Bridgton, ME also had 105 °F on July 10, 2011. Afternoon highs of 104 at Boston, MA, 104 at Albany, NY, and 103 at Portland, ME, were all-time records for those three cities. Boston, MA recorded its highest temperature of 104 °F. (all time) (Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events) (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) (The Weather Channel) 1919 Hottest 4th of July was 100° at Washington Weather Bureau Office. (Ref. Washington Weather Records) 1932 Washington, KS was struck by a huge F4 tornado. 5 people were killed. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1956 A world record for the most rain in one minute was set at Unionville, MD with a downpour of 1.23 inches. (The Weather Channel) (The National Severe Storms Forecast Center) (Ref. For More Information) 1960 Unnatural fireworks - 2 men were working on a gasoline storage tank in El Paso, TX, when it was struck by lightning. The resulting explosion of the tank and nearby chemical supply building killed both men. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 1967 Canadian high pressure behind a strong cold front brought record chill to the northern Plains. Record lows for July included: Decorah, IA: 41°, Elkader, IA: 46°, and Genoa, WI: 46°. Other daily record lows included: Bismarck, ND: 36°, International Falls, MN: 36°, Fargo. ND: 37°, Waterloo, IA: 43°, Rockford, IL: 46 °F. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1969 "The Ohio Fireworks Derecho" States that were affected, MI, OH, PA, WV Severe thunderstorms accompanied by wind gusts of 100 mph dumped heavy rains of 4 to 15 inches across parts of northern Ohio causing major flash flooding. 41 deaths, 359 injuries resulted and damage exceeded $66 million dollars. In southwest Lower Michigan, More than 60 people were injured, most of them from a tornado that hit Flat Rock in southern Wayne County. The tornado destroyed a tile factory, carrying sheet metal over a mile. Another tornado injured 11 people about four miles east of Jackson as it damaged a dozen mobile homes. (Ref. For More Information) 1972 Chilly Canadian high pressure brought record cold to parts of the northern Plains and Midwest. Jump River, WI dropped to 27° and Blair, WI fell to 36° setting a record for their coldest July temperature. Also, Jump River had the coldest temperature ever recorded in July for Wisconsin. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1974 Memphis, Tenn.--Lightning struck three youths running across a playground; killed one, injured two. Waitwell, Tenn.--Lightning struck two youths who were playing in a wooded area; killed one, injured the other. (Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf) 1977 "The Independence Day Derecho of 1977" States that were affected --- ND, MN, WI, MI, OH A severe thunderstorm produced vicious downburst winds of up to 135 mph across parts of northern Wisconsin. Damage was extensive in Price, Sawyer, and Oneida Counties with a downburst damage path of 166 miles long and up to 17 miles wide. One person was killed and 35 were injured. Total damage was $24 million dollars. A widespread severe weather outbreak hit Lower Michigan with tornadoes and downbursts. Two people were injured and almost a million dollars damage was done. A tornado injured one person and destroyed two mobile homes and one barn near Maple Ridge in Arenac County. Another person was inured by a tornado at Otisville in Genesee County as four mobile homes were destroyed there. (Ref. For More Information) 1978 A squall line developed in east central South Dakota during the late afternoon. Winds of 90 mph leveled a number of farm buildings in southern Beadle County although no one was injured. A tornado touched down in southern Minnehaha and northern Lincoln counties although the tornado did little damage. All told the squall lines' high winds and numerous tornadoes did $7.5 million dollars in damage. A violent F4 tornado moved slowly through Grant County in North Dakota. The tornado tracked 28 miles in about one hour. Five people were killed in the town of Elgin. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1980 Extremely humid weather was found across central Illinois. Springfield reported 11 consecutive hours with a dew point temperature of 80° or higher before a line of severe thunderstorms brought cooler air to the region. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Thunderstorms around the country provided extra fireworks for Independence Day. Thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 82 mph at Clearwater, KS, eight inches of rain in four hours at Menno, SD, and three inches of rain in just fifteen minutes at Austin, KY. Morning thunderstorms drenched Oneonta, AL with 8.6 inches of rain, their greatest 24 hour total in thirty years of records. The heavy rain caused mudslides and serious flooding, claiming two lives. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 Thunderstorms produced heavy rain over the Central Gulf Coast Region for the second day in a row. Monroe, LA was deluged with 3.75 inches in two hours. Aberdeen, SD and Rapid City, SD reported record high temperatures for the date with readings of 105 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 Independence Day was "hot as a firecracker" across parts of the country. Nineteen cities, mostly in the north central U.S., reported record high temperatures for the date, including Williston, ND with a reading of 107 degrees. In the southwestern United States all-time record highs of 93° at Alamosa, CO, 114° at Tucson, AZ, and 118° at Phoenix, AZ. (The National Weather Summary) 1994 Tropical Storm Alberto formed in the southeast Gulf of Mexico on July 1st and moved north at 10 mph. The center crossed the panhandle near Destin at 0900z on July 3rd. At landfall the minimum central pressure was 993 millibars (29.32 inches of mercury) with maximum sustained winds of 63 mph and gusts unofficially estimated at 86 mph. Alberto weakened to a depression before moving into southeast Alabama the evening of July 3rd, then meandered around east central Alabama and west central Georgia for 72 hours dropping rains that locally exceeded 20 inches in southwest Georgia. River flooding in Georgia and Alabama spread into the Florida panhandle on July 5th, and along with six to 14 inches of additional rain from the remnants of Alberto, caused extensive flooding. Flood crests exceed 100-year events on the Apalachicola and Chipola Rivers. Damage to buildings, roads, water systems and other public property was estimated at $40 million dollars. Insured losses to buildings and vehicles were estimated at $15 million dollars. Agricultural losses were estimated at $25 million dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1995 19 members of a single family were struck by a lightning bolt during a Fourth of July fireworks display in Visalia, NC. A bolt of lightning struck a construction crane, crossed wet ground and surged through a fence, affecting 70 people altogether. Fortunately, no one was killed or seriously injured. It is believed to be the most people ever struck by a single bolt of lightning. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2001 A severe hailstorm struck Scottsbluff, NE producing hail up to 3 inches in diameter. About 12 people were injured with damage estimated at $50 million dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2004 Lightning struck and injured four individuals at Alton Pool along Harmony Road in Turbeville (Halifax County, VA ). Two of her friends were hospitalized and two men near-by playing croquet were also injured. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) 2007 St. George, Utah: St. George hits an unofficial temperature reading of 118°F, which would top the state’s all-time record of 117°F, set in St. George in 1985. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2009 Lakeland, Florida: About 100 people from a church group at a Fourth of July gathering are playing soccer and volleyball when a lightning bolt or series of strikes hit nearby. The lightning strike kills one person and hospitalizes 18 others. (Ref. WxDoctor)

JULY   5TH 1643 A violent windstorm hit the Plymouth Colony. The "sudden gust" downed trees and killed one Native American. This may have been the first documented American tornado or microburst. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1816 In parts of New England and the Middle Atlantic, crop damage was severe and fruit trees were killed. In PA ice was found the thickness of window glass. In Savannah, Georgia the temperature dropped into the 40's on July 4th. (p. 33 Washington Weather Book 2002 by Ambrose, Henry, Weiss) 1882 A trace of snow was observed at Newton, NJ and other locations in the northeast. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1891 Sixteen horses were killed by hail, and many more had to be put to death due to injuries from a hailstorm at Rapid City, SD. (The Weather Channel) 1900 A spectacular three day fire began when a bolt of lightning struck a refinery in Bayonne, NJ. (David Ludlum) 1905 Washington Weather Bureau Office had 2.77 inches rain in one hour, 3.33 inches in two hours and 4.01 inches in 12 hours. The storm total was 4.64 inches in Baltimore, MD (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1916 A hurricane produced 82 mph winds, an 11.6-foot tide, and a barometric pressure of 28.92 inches at Mobile, AL. The pressure at Fort Morgan, AL was measured at 961 millibars or 28.38 inches of mercury. (David Ludlum) 1925 An immense hailstone weighing 0.5 lb fell at Plumstead, just outside of London, England. This was the heaviest hailstone ever recorded in the United Kingdom. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1936 South Dakota recorded its hottest temperature ever with a reading of 120° at Gannvalley. This same day Sioux Falls reached 109°, their second hottest temperature on record. Three of the 4 hottest days on record in Sioux Falls occurred during the Dust Bowl summer of 1936. (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) 1937 The temperature at Medicine Lake, MT soared to 117 degrees to establish a new state record. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987) (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) Midale and Yellow Grass in Saskatchewan hit 113 degrees to establish an all-time record high for Canada that same day. (The Weather Channel) 1967 Canadian high pressure continued to bring record lows to parts of the upper Midwest. Daily record lows included: Duluth, MN: 36°, Rochester, MN: 42°, Rockford, IL: 43°, Asheville, NC: 46°, Bristol, TN: 48°, Richmond, VA: 52°, Knoxville, TN: 54°, Wallops Island, VA: 56°, Charlotte, NC: 57 °F. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1970 The morning low at Death Valley, CA was 103 degrees and the high that afternoon was 120 degrees. (The Weather Channel) 1972 Temperatures fell to record lows in the upper 30s and lower 40s across the Great Lakes region. The 37° at Lansing, MI was their coldest July reading of the 20th century. Other daily records included: Alpena, MI: 37°, Casper, WY: 38°, Sioux Falls, SD: 39°, Ste. St. Marie, MI: 39°, Huron, SD: 40°, Madison, WI: 40°, North Platte, NE: 42°, Topeka, KS: 43 °F. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1974 Connecticut--A line of thunderstorms moved southeastward across the state. Lightning caused two deaths, one at Brookfield in Fairfield County and one at Bloomfield in Harford County. New Jersey--A line of thunderstorms moved eastward across the state in the afternoon. One man in Trenton was killed by lightning. New York City--A thunderstorm passed northeastward across the south and central sections of the city. Lightning struck three girls in Central Park, killing one and injuring two. Wilmington, Del.--A mother was killed by lightning while standing on her porch. (Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf) 1980 July 4th and 5th - "The 'More Trees Down' Derecho" States that were affected ...NE, IA, MO, IL, WI, IN, MI, OH, PA, WV, VA, MD (Ref. For More Information) 1985 The temperature at Saint George, Utah soared to 117 degrees to establish a new state record. (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) 1986 The early morning temperature at Boise, ID dropped to 35° to set a daily record and a record for the month of July. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Severe thunderstorms raked south central Kansas for the second morning in a row. Thunderstorm winds again gusted to 80 mph at Clearwater, and in the Wichita area reached 100 mph. Twenty-five persons were injured at a trailer park at El Dorado Lake. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 Afternoon and evening thunderstorms spawned eleven tornadoes in Montana and three in North Dakota. Baseball size hail was reported at Shonkin, MT, and wind gusts to 85 mph were reported south of Fordville, ND. Twenty cities in the north central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, including Fargo, ND with a reading of 106 degrees. Muskegon, MI equaled their July record with a high of 95 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989 Moisture from what once was Tropical Storm Allison triggered thunderstorms over the Middle Atlantic Coast Region, which deluged Wilmington, DE with a record 6.83 inches of rain in 24 hours, including 6.37 inches in just six hours. Up to ten inches of rain was reported at Claymont, northeast of Wilmington. July 1989 was thus the wettest month in seventy years for Wilmington, with a total of 12.63 inches of rain. Alamosa, CO reported an all-time record high of 94 degrees, and Pierre, SD hit 113 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1994 Thunderstorms, mainly packing high winds, erupted over north central Nebraska into south central South Dakota. As the storms moved east, 60 to 70 mph winds were common across the tri-state area. In Iowa, 65 mph winds were clocked in Monona County wrecking havoc with power lines. In Crawford County, 80 mph winds broke windows out of houses and caused some barn damage southwest of Charter Oak. Winds of 75 mph also swept into Sioux County causing significant damage to buildings on a farmstead near Hawarden. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1999 July 4th and 5th ........"The Boundary Waters-Canadian Derecho" States that were affected --- ....ND, MN, ON, QB, NH, VT, ME (Ref. For More Information) 2001 International Falls, MN set a record low with 34°. 2.20 inches of rain fell in just 15 minutes at Pine Mountain, CA in Kern County. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2003 Rockford, Illinois: An early morning band of severe thunderstorms blows across Northern Illinois with peak winds reported at 104 mph. Over 80,000 people are without power for various durations after the storm. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2004 For the second day in a row a derecho, a line of thunderstorms that produces widespread damaging winds, tracked from southeast Kansas into central Missouri across the Lake of the Ozarks region. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2008 A streak of 26 consecutive days of 90°+ heat beginning on June 13th ended on this date at Denver, CO, shattering the previous record of 18 consecutive days established in 1874 & 1901. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

JULY   6TH 1879 Boston, MA recorded its lowest temperature of 50 °F for the month of July. (Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events) 1893 A violent tornado killed 71 persons on its forty-mile track across northwestern Iowa. Forty-nine persons were killed around Pomeroy, where eighty percent of the buildings were destroyed, with most leveled to the ground. Photos showed most of the town without a wall or tree left standing. (The Weather Channel) 1928 A hailstorm at Potter, NE produced a stone that was 5.5 inches in diameter, and seventeen inches in circumference, weighing a pound and a half. (David Ludlum) 1936 The temperature at Moorhead, MN, soared to 114 °F to establish a new state record and the temperature at Steel, ND, soared to 121 °F to establish a new state record (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) 1972 Unusually strong Canadian high pressure pushed a cold front into the central Gulf of Mexico bringing record chill to the central states. Richland Center, WI and St. Louis, MO set July record lows of 38° and 51° respectively. Other daily records: Lansing, MI: 39°, Detroit, MI: 42°, Columbus, OH: 43°, Toledo, OH: 43°, Dayton, OH: 44°, Springfield, MO: 44°, Peoria, IL: 48°, Springfield, IL: 48°, Lexington, KY: 49 °F. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1977 The Highest temperature ever recorded for July was 105 °F which has occurred on two other dates. (Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC) 1978 Severe thunderstorms developed over eastern South Dakota during the afternoon and moved quickly to the northeast. Winds of up to 80 mph were reported and hail as big as baseballs pounded some areas. A tornado produced widespread damage to crops and personal property across Turner and Lincoln counties. Total property and crop damage from the storms was near $20 million dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1982 A severe thunderstorm which produced extremely high winds pummeled Sioux Falls, SD. The thunderstorm produced winds of 125 mph which swept across the city causing damage in a path ten blocks wide and three miles long. The National Weather Service office at the airport reported a gust of 82 mph. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1983 Cool high pressure settled over the Great Lakes bringing record lows. The 41° at Grand Rapids, MI is the lowest ever recorded during the month of July. Chicago, IL set a daily record low with 46° and the low of 45° the next morning set the record low for July. Other daily record lows included: Ste. St. Marie, MI: 36°, Muskegon, MI: 41° and La Crosse, WI: 48°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1985 Lightning struck a large transformer in Salt Lake County sending a 200-foot fireball into the air and blacking out almost the entire state for up to five hours. (The Weather Channel) 1986 Thunderstorm rains during the mid morning hours, and again during the evening, produced major flash flooding at Leavenworth, KS. The official rainfall total was 10.37 inches but unofficial totals exceeded twelve inches. At nearby Kansas City, the rainfall total of 5.08 inches was a daily record for July. (Storm Data) 1987 Thunderstorms produced severe weather in twenty-one states east of the Rockies, with severe weather reported in Kentucky and Indiana for the second day in a row. A thunderstorm produced more than five inches of rain in one hour near Reynolds, IL. Rochester, NY was soaked with 3.25 inches, a record 24 hour total for the month of July. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 Thirty-six cities in the north central and northeastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Afternoon highs of 98 degrees at International Falls, MN and 101 degrees at Flint, MI equaled all-time records. Highs of 96 degrees at Muskegon, MI and 97 degrees at Buffalo, NY were records for July. (The National Weather Summary) (Ref. Wilson - Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1989 Unseasonably hot weather prevailed in the southwestern U.S. Ten cities reported record high temperatures for the date, including Las Vegas, NV with a reading of 115 degrees. Hanksville, UT reached 112 degrees, Bullhead City, AZ hit 120 degrees, and Death Valley, CA soared to 126 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) 1994 Heavy rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto produced major flooding across central and northern Georgia, one of the worst ever for the state. Three day rainfall totals exceeded 15 inches in the Atlanta metro area. 21.10 inches was recorded at Americus. Macon was deluged with 9.73 inches in 24 hours. Massive road closings were common, along with numerous bridge washouts. Over 800,000 acres of land in Georgia and Alabama were flooded. 30 people lost their lives and 50,000 people were forced from their homes. Total damage exceeded $750 million dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1996 The hottest July temperature ever recorded in Oklahoma City, OK is 110°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1999 Record heat occurred across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Record highs for the date included: Washington, DC: 103°, Raleigh-Durham, NC: 102°, Newark, NJ: 102°, Harrisburg, PA: 102°, Baltimore, MD: 101°, NYC-Central Park, NY: 101°, NYC-LaGuardia, NY: 101°, Salisbury, MD: 100°, Roanoke, VA: 100°, Allentown, PA: 100°, Reading, PA: 100°, Trenton, NJ: 100°, Atlantic City, NJ: 99°, NYC-Kennedy, NY: 99°, Hartford, CT: 99°, Lynchburg, VA: 98°, Philadelphia, PA: 98 °F. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 2006 From June 22nd to July 6th a total of 15.52 inches of rain occurred averaging more than one inch a day over one-half of a summer month period, amazing! (Ref. Annandale Weather Records) 2007 Death Valley, California: Death Valley reaches 129°F the fourth time it has been so hot at this site since 1913. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2009 In Twisp, WA, a couple took shelter in a car due to a thunderstorm. Lightning struck the car and blew out 2 of its tires. After the incident, the engine would not start. The couple was unhurt. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 2010 On the 6th, BWI soared to 105 °F; 2nd hottest day ever in Baltimore (107 °F, 7/10/36); at or above 100 °F at BWI on 5 days, most on record. BWI recorded record high temperatures on 4 days: 6th (105 °F), 7th (101 °F), 24th (101 °F) and 25th (100 °F). DCA soared to a record 102 °F on the 7th and 101 °F on the 24th. Ref. July PRESTO Page 1

JULY   7TH 1892 Record high barometer of 30.52 inches was observed in Washington, DC. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) Boston, Massachusetts recorded its highest pressure 30.51 inches of mercury for the month of July. (Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events) 1905 The mercury soared to 127 degrees at Parker, AZ to tie the state record established at Fort Mohave on the 15th of June in 1896. The current record for AZ is 128 °F set at Lake Havasu City on 6-29-1994. (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) 1915 A severe wind and thunderstorm caused heavy damage and 38 deaths in and near Cincinnati, OH. Many older buildings were demolished. The steamship "Dick Fulton" was overturned. (The Weather Channel) 1947 The world's most substantial cloudburst delivered 8.10 inches of rain in just 20 min. This event took place in Curtea-de-Arges, Romania. (Extreme Weather p. 121, by Christopher C. Burt) 1974 Shields, ND --a man was struck and killed by lightning while working in a hayfield. (Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf) 1981 Montana was in the midst of a snowstorm that dumped ten inches at Glacier National Park, and produced winds to 90 mph. Meanwhile, Denver, CO set a record high with a reading of 101 degrees. (The Weather Channel) (Ref. WxDoctor) 1984 A 90 foot excursion boat carrying employees of the SCI Corporation on an outing capsized during a severe thunderstorm on the Tennessee River near Huntsville, AL, killing 11 people. The disaster was caused by a microburst. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Thunderstorms spawned eight tornadoes in Colorado and three in West Texas. Thunderstorms also produced softball size hail at Bula, TX. In the midst of a record thirty-nine day string of 100 degree days, the temperature at Tucson, AZ dipped to 66 degrees, marking their third straight record low for the date. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) A strange temperature fluctuation occurred at Greensburg, KS. The 7 AM temperature was 75 °F. Within a few minutes, the mercury shot up to 95°, then fell back to 86° by 8 AM. This was accompanied by dust devils. An approaching cold front was suspected to be the cause. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1988 Thirty-eight cities in the north central and northeastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date. Youngstown, OH hit 100 degrees, and for the second day in a row, Flint, MI reached 101 degrees, equaling all-time records for those two cities. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 Thunderstorms produced severe weather during the day, with more than 100 reports of large hail and damaging winds from Ohio to Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Thunderstorm winds reached 90 mph in Sullivan County, NH, and golf ball size hail was reported in Pennsylvania. Twenty-four cities, mostly in the southwestern U.S., reported record high temperatures for the date. Afternoon highs of 105 degrees at Cedar City , UT and 114 degrees at Moab , UT were all-time records for those locations. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1991 July 7-8, 1991..."The Southern Great Lakes Derecho of 1991" States that were affected --- ....SD, IA, MN, WI, MI, IN, OH, ON, NY, PA Tornadoes struck across southern Lower Michigan. More damage occurred near Okemos in Ingham County and a home and some outbuildings were damaged as a tornado moved northeast of Rockford in Kent County. A tornado also briefly touched down northwest of Plainwell in Allegan County but did no damage. Overall, $30 million dollars in damage resulted with wind gusts over 85 mph. Over 850,000 people were without electricity following the storms; some for up to a week. (Ref. For More Information) 1993 The day after lightning started several fires, strong non-thunderstorm winds blew across much of northern Oklahoma. Winds gusted to 70 mph and lasted for several hours. A 1,200 pound bale of hay was rolled a quarter mile by the winds that also blew down many trees. Highway 51, near Hennessey, was closed until the downed trees could be cleaned up. When clusters of thunderstorms collapse and dissipate rapidly, they sometimes produce a downburst of very warm air, called a "heat burst ". A collapsing thunderstorm in the northeast part of the Texas Panhandle produced a heat burst that reached Arnett and Gage, OK just before midnight. Winds gusted to 67 mph at Arnett, as the temperature rose from 82° to 97° in 30 minutes. At Gage, the wind gusted to 70 mph, while the temperature rose from 85° to 102° in one hour. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2004 This information is for those that think tornadoes can not occur in mountain areas. Tornado expert Roger Edwards from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center at Norman, Oklahoma believes the highest observed U.S. tornado was photographed by a hiker at the 12,000 foot level in Sequoia National Park, California on July 7, 2004. Edwards also noted that the nation's strongest high-altitude twister was an F4 storm that struck in Wyoming between the 8,500 and 11,000 foot level on July 21, 1987. Another high-level twister rated F3, touched down at the 11,000 foot level in Utah's Uinta Mountains on August 11, 1993. Edwards believes that there are probably a lot of high-level twisters that go undetected and unreported in the sparsely-populated mountains of the western United States. (Ref. Roger Edwards from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center at Norman, Oklahoma) A 9 year old boy was struck by lightning while at a playground in Arvada, CO. An umpire at a nearby baseball game, along with two-passers-by administered CPR and resuscitated the boy who had quit breathing. The boy suffered first and second degree burns but was released from the hospital in less than 24 hours. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2010 BWI recorded record high temperatures on 4 days: 6th (105 °F), 7th (101 °F), 24th (101 °F) and 25th (100 °F). DCA soared to a record 102 °F on the 7th and 101 °F on the 24th. Ref. July PRESTO Page 1

JULY   8TH Today is one of just two days in the late Spring and Summer season (May through August) that hail has not officially been recorded at Cheyenne, WY. The only other day in that time period is August 21st. (Ref. Wilson - Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1788 Hail piled up to a depth of 34 inches at Canterbury, CT. The melting ice caused significant flooding. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1816 Frost was reported in low places throughout New England. (David Ludlum) 1886 Sleepy Eye, Minnesota: Nearly every home in the small community are moved off its foundation by the severe thunderstorms which come in the night. Across Swift and Brown Counties, the storms produce high winds and intense hail. (Ref. WxDoctor) 1916 The remnants of the July 5th hurricane that struck the Gulf Coast drifted north and east near Birmingham, AL. The Magic City received 8.84 inches of rain in 24 hours, which is their all-time record. Another hurricane would make landfall near Pensacola, FL later in the month and dump more heavy rain on Birmingham, where the monthly rainfall total reached 20.16 inches, a monthly record that still stands. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1936 The greatest heat wave on record gets underway across Michigan. Grand Rapids saw high temperatures at or above 100° on six of the next seven days, including an all-time record high of 108° on the 13th. Lansing, MI maximum temperature was 101° on the 14th. Temperatures soared to 105° at Toronto, Ontario Canada on three consecutive days through the 10th. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1950 The town of York, NE was deluged with 13.15 inches of rain in 24 hours to establish a state record. (The Weather Channel) 1975 Three people were killed and six others were injured when lightning struck a walnut tree near Mayo, FL. The nine people were stringing tobacco under a tin shed when the bolt hit the nearby tree. (The Weather Channel) 1984 Cool Canadian air settled in across the Great Lakes region. Many record low temperatures were set including: Alpena, MI: 38°, Youngstown, OH: 44°, Muskegon, MI: 45°, Cleveland, OH: 45°, Detroit, MI: 45°, Pittsburgh, PA: 45°, Grand Rapids, MI: 46°, South Bend, IN: 47°, Buffalo, NY: 47°, Chicago, IL: 48°, Columbus, OH: 49°, Dayton, OH: 49°, Erie, PA: 50°, Indianapolis, IN: 51° and Cincinnati, OH: 51°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Thunderstorms in the central U.S. produced wind gusts to 90 mph at Waterloo, IA, 6.38 inches of rain at Tescott, KS, and twenty-five minutes of ping-pong ball size hail at Drummond, OK. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 Thirty cities in the north central and northeastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Beckley, WV equaled their all-time record with a high of 93 degrees. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms spawned seven tornadoes in Adams and Logan counties of eastern Colorado, and hail caused 2.3 million dollars damage in Adams, Logan and Washington counties. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989 Sixteen cities in the central and western U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. The high of 103 degrees at Denver, CO equaled their record for July, and a 110 degree reading at Rapid City, SD equaled their all-time record high. Denver reported a record five straight days of 100 degree heat, and Scottsbluff, NE reported a record eight days in a row of 100 degree weather. (The National Weather Summary) 1991 DCA high temperature was 97° - severe thunderstorms with winds to 62 mph; 0.95 rain in only 15 minutes and one-inch hail in parts of Northern Virginia. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1992 Severe thunderstorms produced a very long downburst at Concordia, KS. Peak one minute sustained winds reached 108 mph at Concordia Airport and exceeded 60 mph for over 20 minutes. Six people were injured and damage was estimated at $25 million dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1993 New record high temperature was recorded at DCA of 100° and a minimum of 78°. The old record was 98° set in 1890. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) Iowa: A wild weather night in the middle of the Great Flood of 1993 across Iowa as the State records its 37th day of rain in the last 40 days. Many tornado sightings reported. Manilla, Iowa records 7.5 inches of rain; 7.83 inches in Jefferson. Massive flooding rocked portions of eastern South Dakota. Residents were cleaning up from tremendous flooding which occurred from July 3rd to July 7th. Flash flooding resulted from thunderstorms which moved across southeast South Dakota dumping 3 to 6 inch rains on already saturated ground. (Ref. WxDoctor) (Ref. More Information on This Storm) 1999 One of the worst flash flood events in Las Vegas, NV history occurred on this date damaging roads and buildings, sweeping away vehicles and bringing the entire city almost to a standstill from late morning through late afternoon. Thunderstorms formed over the elevated west side of the valley and began dumping heavy rain between 10 and 11 AM PDT. The storms slowly drifted to the east producing rainfall amounts over 1.5 inches across a substantial part of the metro area and some localized amounts topping 3 inches. Electricity was knocked out for a few hours to 2,500 customers and some gas lines were broken by the force of the water. An estimated $25 million dollars in damage occurred to both public and private property. On July 20th, President Clinton declared the event a federal disaster. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2003 What may be the world's highest dew point temperature was recorded at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, on the Persian Gulf. A dew point of 95°F was recorded at 3 PM while the air temperature was 108°F. The apparent temperature at that time would have been 172°F. (Extreme Weather, p28 by Christopher C. Burt) 2004 This information is for those that think tornadoes can not occur in mountain areas. Tornado expert Roger Edwards from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center at Norman, Oklahoma believes the highest observed U.S. tornado was photographed by a hiker at the 12,000 foot level in Sequoia National Park, California on July 7, 2004. Edwards also noted that the nation's strongest high-altitude twister was an F4 storm that struck in Wyoming between the 8,500 and 11,000 foot level on July 21, 1987. Another high-level twister rated F3, touched down at the 11,000 foot level in Utah's Uinta Mountains on August 11, 1993. Edwards believes that there are probably a lot of high-level twisters that go undetected and unreported in the sparsely-populated mountains of the western United States. 2006 In Tonopah, Nevada a man and his son stepped out of their pickup truck to check the tires. Lightning struck, killing the boy and throwing the father to the ground. The boy's mother and sister were in the pickup and were not hurt. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2007 Accord Publishing, USA) 2008 A strong microburst produced straight line wind damage in the Hurricane Deck and Osage Beach areas of Camden County in central Missouri. The winds were estimated at 80 to 90 mph and did extensive damage to docks and boats in the area. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2009 A tornado passed through the city of Dickinson, ND, on the far south side, mainly just south of the Heart River. From their eye witness accounts, and from video obtained by the Dickinson Police Department, it is likely that this was a rain-wrapped tornado, and very difficult if not impossible to see. The tornado occurred before sunset, yet it was described as being as dark as night during the event. Over 450 structures were damaged, of which nearly 100 were declared completely destroyed or beyond repair. Numerous vehicles were damaged or destroyed, some were on their roofs. From that it was determined that peak wind speeds in the tornado were on the order of 150 mph. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) Baseballs weren't the only objects to hit the field at the Wichita (KS) Wingnuts baseball game. Hail to baseball size fell for approx. 30 minutes at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium – bruising some fans and turning the field white. The Wingnuts lost the storm-shortened game. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA)

JULY   9th 1876 The minimum temperature of 80° or above on the 9th and 10th were the warmest two consecutive nights ever in Washington, DC. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1860 A hot blast of air in the middle of a sweltering summer pushed the mercury up to 115 degrees at Fort Scott, KS and Lawrence, KS. (David Ludlum) 1882 Ice froze on the streets of Cheyenne, WY during a rare summer cold spell. (David Ludlum) (Ref. WxDoctor) 1936 The temperature hit an all-time record high of 106 degrees at the Central Park Observatory in New York City, a record that lasted until LaGuardia Airport hit 107 degrees on July 3rd in 1966. (The Weather Channel) (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1938 A deadly, estimated F4 tornado moved east-southeast across the eastern edge of Andover, SD to north of Bristol, SD. 17 buildings were destroyed at Andover, and at least one home was completely swept away. An elderly person was killed at the western edge of Andover and a couple died in a home at the southern edge of town. About two hours later, another estimated F4 tornado moved east-northeast from two miles northeast of White, South Dakota in Brookings County to Hendricks, MN. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1959 A severe thunderstorm crossed from France into England leaving a 130-mile hail swath across southeast England. The town of Wokingham was pelted with baseball size hail. The storm passed over an intensive field research program allowing it to be one of the most intensely studied supercell storms at the time. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1968 Columbus, MS received 15.68 inches of rain in 24 hours to establish a record for the state. (The Weather Channel) 1979 Hurricane Bob was born in the Gulf of Mexico, becoming the first Atlantic Hurricane to be given a male name. Severe thunderstorms struck the western parts of north Texas. The worst storms were in Foard County, and in the Vernon area. Near Vernon, 80 mph winds blew cars off Highway 287, while in Foard County Highway 70 was temporarily closed when a tractor trailer was blown over onto its side. A second tractor trailer was turned over near Crowell by winds estimated at 80 mph. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1982 Wind shear caused the crash of Pam Am flight 759 after takeoff from New Orleans International Airport in Louisiana. 145 people on the plane and 8 people on the ground were killed. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Thunderstorms produced severe weather in Michigan. A tornado near Munising, MI destroyed part of a commercial dog kennel, and one of the missing dogs was later found unharmed in a treetop half a mile away. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) It was the 33rd consecutive 100 plus degree day at Tucson, AZ, breaking the record. Strangely enough, the morning low was a record 68° was the 4th record breaking low in the past five days. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1988 Twenty-three cities in the eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Alpena, MI and Buffalo, NY suffered through their sixth straight day of record heat. The percentage of total area in the country in the grips of severe to extreme drought reached 43 percent, the fourth highest total of record. The record of 61 percent occurred during the summer of 1934. (The National Weather Summary) (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1989 Morning thunderstorms produced very heavy rain in southern Lower Michigan and northern Indiana. Up to 5.6 inches of rain was reported in Berrien County, MI. Scottsbluff, NE recorded their last of 9 consecutive days with a high temperature of at least 100°, Scottsbluff’s longest 100 degree streak on record. Sioux Falls, SD reported a record high of 108°. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1992 Severe thunderstorms produced a swath of very large and damaging hail and damaging winds. Golf ball-size hail and 60 mph winds were reported on the west side of Decatur, IL with numerous roofs and automobiles damaged by the hail. Hail grew to nearly the size of baseballs by the time the storms reached the Charleston/Mattoon areas. Total damage from the storms was estimated around $5 million dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1993 One of the strongest and most long-lived wind events of recorded history in the Midwest pounded portions of Nebraska and Iowa. The wind event, called a Derecho, actually started near Goodland, KS and raced across southern Nebraska and into Iowa traveling at 60 mph. In the Omaha metro area, tree and property damage was heavy as 70 to 100 mph winds caused $7 million dollars in damage. Also in Nebraska, power line damage alone totaled $30 million dollars and total property damage was estimated near $100 million dollars. This wind storm even spawned a tornado in the city of Lincoln, NE causing damage to the north end of town. As the derecho moved into southwest Iowa, 13 high-tension power line poles were downed on the east side of Council Bluffs. Winds continued in the 85 mph range as far as east as Fremont County, Iowa before finally subsiding in the central part of the Hawkeye State. 11 inches of rain fell overnight in Scranton, IA. Much of the downtown of Davenport, IA was under water as the Great Flood of 1993 raged on. Across the east, record daily high temperatures were set at: Newark, NJ: 104°, NYC-Kennedy Airport, NY: 101°, Greensboro, NC: 101°, Atlantic City, NY: 100°, Wallops Island, VA: 100°, Dulles Airport, VA: 99°, NYC-LaGuardia, NY: 98°, Concord, NH: 95° and Islip, NY: 93°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2001 The temperature at New York City reached 103°, their hottest day in 24 years. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2003 A new July maximum temperature record was set as Anchorage, AK hit 84°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2007 Death Valley, California : Death Valley records its 32nd consecutive day over 100°F with a 121°F reading. (Ref. WxDoctor)

JULY   10TH of 1776) 1776 A strong gale played a role in a battle between the Royal Governor of Virginia, Dunmore, and General Lewis of the rebel forces. The royal fleet had been injured prior to the storm by General Lewis' forces and was sailing from Gwynn's Island toward St. George's Island, in the Potomac. The British crew was without water and enduring smallpox when the gale struck. A flour-laden supply ship ran aground. One ships foundered at the Mouth of the Rappahannock, while another was stranded on the Eastern shore (Shomette). The H.M.S. Otter, the Governor's ship, was rescuing another ship in distress. They were rescued just in time. After loading the distressed ship's cargo, the ship sunk. The governor later left Virginia for good on August 5th. Many ships in the area suffered damage to their rigging, sails, and anchors. Two vessels were driven ashore in St. Mary's county (Shomette). (Ref. Hurricane of 1776) 1911 The mercury hit 105 degrees at North Bridgton, Maine the hottest reading of record for Maine. (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) 1913 The mercury hit 134 °F at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, CA the hottest reading of record for the World. Sandstorm conditions accompanied the heat. The high the previous day was 129° following a morning low of 93 degrees. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel) Will Herron, a businessman, dreamed of a huge thermometer for 25 years before he made it a reality in California's high desert. The World's Largest Thermometer is 134-ft.-tall, symbolic of the record high temperature in the US, in Death Valley 134 degrees Fahrenheit on July 10, 1913. (Ref. Worlds Highest Thermometer) The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)committee concluded that "the most compelling scenario for the 1922 event was that a new and inexperienced observer, not trained in the use of an unsuitable replacement instrument that could be easily misread, improperly recorded the observation and was consequently in error by about seven degrees Celsius." Death Valley is now the Earth's Highest Temperature Record 1926 A lightning bolt struck an ammunition magazine in northern New Jersey, and a big red ball of fire leaped into the air triggering a series of explosions. All buildings within a half-mile radius were destroyed, and debris fell as far as twenty-two miles away. Sixteen persons were killed, and property damage was seventy million dollars. (David Ludlum) The worst lightning incident (so far) in the U.S. was in New Jersey on July 10, 1926. On July 10, 1926, lightning struck one of the explosives storage structures during a thunderstorm and started a fire. As a result, several million pounds of explosives detonated over a period of 2–3 days. Otto Dowling was in charge at the time, and received a Distinguished Service Cross for his handling of the situation. This left not only structural devastation (187 of 200 buildings destroyed), but military and civilian casualties as well. Close to One Hundred Are Injured as Explosion Spreads Havoc Within Radius of 15 Miles in New Jersey; Hundreds of Soldiers and Marines Rushed to Scene to Guard Devasted Area. The explosion at Lake Denmark Naval Ammunition Depot on July 10, 1926 leveled much of Picatinny, The explosion killed 19 people. AMMUNITION DEPOT IS WIPED OUT WITH $80,000,000 LOSS (2008 dollars) (Ref. Dover, NJ Ammunition Depot Explosion, by Stu Beitler) 1936 Hottest day in eastern United States had afternoon highs of 112 degrees at Martinsburg, WV, 109 degrees at Cumberland, MD and Frederick, MD, 110 degrees at Runyon, NJ, and 111 degrees at Phoenixville, PA, established all-time record highs for those four states. It was the hottest day of record for the Middle Atlantic Coast Region. (The Weather Channel) (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) (Ref. Many Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1955 On July 10th Boston had severe thunderstorms producing the highest 1 hour precipitation total of 2.10 inches. (Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events) 1959 Yuma, AZ reached 118°, the hottest reading during an extended heat wave that saw temperatures rise to over 100° for an entire month. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1974 Central Ohio--One person was killed and another injured by a lightning strike on a golf course in Morrow County. Tequesta, Palm Beach County, Fla.--Two employees of the Tequesta Water Company were struck by lightning while working on a water meter at a private residence. One was killed and the other knocked unconscious. Western Pennsylvania--One man was killed by lightning while cleaning up mud on a road; another died of a heart attack. (Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf) 1975 Manassas, VA a nine-year-old girl playing under a tree is struck and killed by lightning. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) Baltimore, MD picked up 4.66 inches of rain in 24 hours. 1979 The temperature at El Paso, TX hit 112 degrees, an all-time record for that location. The next day was 110 degrees. (The Weather Channel) 1980 The temperature in downtown Kansas City, MO hit 109 degrees, following a sultry overnight low of 89 degrees. The daily low of 89 degrees was the warmest of record for Kansas City, and overall it was the hottest July day of record. It was the seventh of a record seventeen consecutive days of 100° heat, and the mean temperature for the month of 90.2 degrees was also an all-time record for Kansas City. (Ref. Many Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1984 An F2 tornado touched down in the Dellwood subdivision along Castle Rock Lake, WI. A total of 59 homes were hit and 14 were destroyed. More than 2,000 trees were downed. Winds from the accompanying thunderstorm also flattened a potato warehouse 12 miles north of Friendship. An F1 tornado touched down south of Decorah, IA and wrought significant damage to more than one farmstead. The storm turned a 40,000 bushel grain bin inside out and wrapped it around a chicken house. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 An early morning thunderstorm in Minnesota produced wind gusts to 91 mph at Waseca. Later that day, thunderstorms in South Dakota produced wind gusts to 81 mph at Ipswitch, and baseball size hail near Hayes and Capa. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 Thunderstorms brought welcome rains to parts of the central U.S., but produced severe weather along the New England coast, in the Great Lakes Region, in North Carolina, and in the Southern Plateau Region. Strong thunderstorm winds gusting to 80 mph at Bullfrog , UT sank three boats on Lake Powell. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1989 Severe thunderstorms spawned seventeen tornadoes in the northeastern U.S. A powerful (F-4) tornado struck Hamden, CT and New Haven, CT, causing 100 million dollars damage at Hamden, and another 20 million dollars damage around New Haven. Forty persons were injured in the tornado. Seventy persons were injured in a tornado which traveled from Watertown, CT to Waterbury, CT, and another powerful (F-4) tornado touched down near Ames, NY injuring twenty persons along its 43.5 mile track. It was the strongest tornado of record for eastern New York State. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1993 Seven inches of rain fell in one hour at Adrian, MN. During normal summers, such incredible downpours might cause flash flooding, but not widespread river flooding. But during the spring and summer of 1993, such events were commonplace and the resulting flooding was catastrophic. Meanwhile, more record heat occurred across the east. Record highs included: Newark, NJ: 105°, NYC-Central Park, NY: 102°, Atlantic City, NY: 101°, NYC-Kennedy, NY: 100°, Providence, RI: 100°, Wilmington, NC: 100°, NYC-LaGuardia, NY: 99°, Dulles Airport, VA: 99°, Raleigh, NC: 99°, Portland, ME: 98°, Concord, NH: 98° and Islip, NY: 98°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2000 Thunderstorms brought heavy rain and strong winds to northeast Illinois, during the early morning hours. Flash flooding occurred in parts of La Salle, De Kalb, Kendall and Kankakee Counties, where rainfall of 4 to 7 inches was reported. Nearly 15,000 people were without power for 12 hours. Flooding ripped up 50 feet of pavement in downtown Kankakee. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2004 Kodiak, Alaska: The daily high ties the highest July temperature for Kodiak: 82°F. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2005 Although Dennis re-intensified into a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 145 mph early on July 10 over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, it weakened to Category 3 strength before making landfall over the western Florida Panhandle near Navarre Beach late that day. Dennis degenerated to a low pressure area over the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys, and it was eventually absorbed by an extratropical low over southeastern Canada on July 18. Dennis' Storm Track and other info.- NOAA.Gov.-N.H.C. 2009 More like a sizzling hot day in a desert location, instead of NW OK. Nonetheless, with highs of 115 degrees, Freedom broke its all-time record. On this record-setting day, Buffalo heated to 90 degrees by 6:00 a.m. and 107 by 11:00 a.m. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 2020 (Tropical storm Fay kills four people. The main damage was in NJ and was from flooding.)

JULY   11TH 1888 Heavy snow reached almost to the base of Mt Washington, NH, and the peaks of the Green Mountains were whitened. (David Ludlum) Bennett, Colorado : The highest temperature ever recorded in Colorado: 118 °F. (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) 1909 A deadly, estimated F2 tornado moved ESE across the Simpson Park section of Big Stone City in South Dakota. A bus was thrown from the road and the driver was killed. Two homes and several barns were destroyed. As the tornado crossed the foot of Big Stone Lake, it tore apart a railroad yard and killed four of the 26 Armenian laborers who were living in box cars at Ortonville, MN. 19 people were injured. A tornado in the eastern St. Louis metropolitan area in Missouri began as a waterspout on the Mississippi River, drove a steamer into a bridge. On land, the tornado destroyed several barns and damaged 15 homes and two factories in the west part of Alton. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1912 Boston, MA recorded the end of the longest heat wave ever. It was 9 consecutive days with 90 °F or more. (Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events) 1936 Unbelievable heat occurred across the Mid Atlantic states and the deadliest heat wave ever in parts of Canada. Ontario, Canada recorded its hottest temperature ever as the town of Atikokan hit 108°. On the same day in Manitoba, Winnipeg also reached 108°, the highest recorded temperature there since records began in the 1870's. St. Albans set Manitoba’s all-time record as they soared to 112°. In the United States, the all-time record high was set at Rochester, MN with 108°. Other daily record highs were set at Lincoln, NE: 109°; Peoria, IL: 108°; Rockford, IL: 108°, Grand Forks, ND: 108°, Decatur, IL: 107°, Moline, IL: 107°, Dubuque, IA: 107°, Minneapolis, MN: 106°, St. Cloud, MN: 106°, Fargo, ND: 106°, Springfield, IL: 105°, Champaign, IL: 105°, (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1939 All-time record highs of 110 °F and 106 °F were set for the city of Scottsbluff, NE and Kimball, NE, respectively, while Cheyenne, WY tied their all-time record high of 100°. Sioux City, IA also tied their all-time record high with 111°. Chadron, NE recorded its 3rd warmest day on record with a record high of 110°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1970 Seminole County in Oklahoma was hit hard by severe weather during the evening hours. Thunderstorm winds, estimated between 90 and 100 mph, damaged several buildings and blew out several plate-glass windows. Up to 5 inches of rain was also reported producing isolated flash flooding. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1980 Hot weather prevailed from the southeast to the Plains. Daily records included: Wichita, KS: 111°, Columbia, MO: 108°, Dodge City, KS: 108°, Topeka, KS: 107°, DFW Airport, TX: 107°, Macon, GA: 104°, Savannah, GA: 103°, Memphis, TN: 103°, Houston, TX: 103°, Columbus, GA: 102°, Paducah, KY: 102°, Atlanta, GA: 101°, Chattanooga, TN: 100 °F. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1981 Severe thunderstorms moved eastward across the entire length of South Dakota along the northern portion of the state. The storms produced large storms and an incredible amount of wind damage. Hail chicken egg size and up to 9 inches in circumference resulted in 100% crop loss in some areas. Many farmers reported that their crops were devastated by the storms winds and hail. Many trees were stripped of their leaves and large limbs were frequently lost. Winds exceeded 70 mph in many areas. Damage was so extensive that damage estimates were not even attempted. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Early morning thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 90 mph at Parkston, SD, and wind gusts to 87 mph at Buffalo, MN. Later in the day strong thunderstorm winds at Howard, WI collapsed a circus tent injuring 44 persons. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) Severe thunderstorms produced strong winds and tornadoes across portions of southeast South Dakota. Downburst winds estimated at 80 mph produced a damage path about 24 miles long extending from 6 miles west of Parkston to near Alexandria (both in Hutchinson County). The strong winds heavily damaged several farm buildings and houses. The storm was also responsible for destroying two airport hangars, a small airplane, and numerous sheds. 1988 Thunderstorms produced heavy rain in southern Texas, with totals ranging up to 13 inches near Medina. Two men drowned when their pick-up truck was swept into the Guadalupe River, west of the town of Hunt. Ten cities in the eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Baltimore, MD reported a record high reading of 102 degrees for the second day in a row. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) Flash flooding on the Monongehela River in western Pennsylvania caused the river to rise 32 feet in less than 24 hours. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1988 Severe thunderstorms in Montgomery County, MD produced 60 mph winds and left 40,000 without power. It was the worst thunderstorm in 8 years. 1989 Afternoon and evening thunderstorms produced severe weather from North Dakota to Indiana. Thunderstorms in North Dakota produced tennis ball size hail at Carson. Thunderstorms in Indiana produced wind gusts to 75 mph at Fort Wayne. Five cities in the Southern Atlantic Coast Region reported record high temperatures for the date, including Lakeland, FL with a reading of 100 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1990 The costliest hailstorm in U.S. history occurred along the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies. (Denver, Colorado): Softball-sized hail destroyed roofs and cars, causing more than $600 million in total damage. (Ref. Hail Events by Michael Mogil) (Ref. Additional Information at This Link) 1992 An isolated thunderstorm developed over northeast Nebraska and moved into west-central Iowa. Windows were blown out at a store in downtown Onawa and high winds downed trees about 6 miles northwest of Onawa. Golf ball size hail also produced crop damage in Monona County and 3.50 inches of rain fell in a short period of time. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1993 The Great Midwest Flood continued as flood waters came close the Des Moines, IA water treatment plant, leaving the city's 250,000 residents without water for 12 days. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1995 Winds gusted to 86 mph at Barstow, FL damaging several small airplanes and buildings. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) Shortly before 2 a.m. a house in Danielsville, PA, was hit twice by lightning. The chimney and roof were damaged and debris from the house damaged 3 cars. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 2004 A severe thunderstorm struck Edmonton, Alberta Canada with 7.88 inches of rain and damaging hail that piled over 3 feet high in the streets. The storms caused tens of millions of dollars damage to the city's famous West Edmonton Mall. Tornadoes and funnel clouds were seen around the city. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

JULY   12TH 1842 One of the most severe hurricanes in the history of the coastal Carolinas struck the Outer Banks of North Carolina on the evening of the 12th into the 13th. The entire village of Portsmouth was destroyed except for one building. The storm apparently passed inland near Norfolk, VA and caused massive flooding from Virginia into Pennsylvania. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1936 The hottest three-day periods up to this time in United States history occurred beginning on this date as the average temperature was 88.5°; the second warmest such period occurred three days earlier. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1951 The Kaw River flood occurred. The month of June that year was the wettest of record for the state of Kansas, and during the four days preceding the flood much of eastern Kansas and western Missouri received more than ten inches of rain. Flooding in the Midwest claimed 41 lives, left 200 thousand persons homeless, and caused a billion dollars property damage. Kansas City was hardest hit. The central industrial district sustained 870 million dollars property damage. (The Kansas City Weather Almanac) 1974 Philmont Scout Ranch, Colfax County, N. Mex.-- Lightning struck a group of scouts and leaders who had gathered beneath a nylon dining canopy to avoid heavy rain; killed one, injured six. (Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf) 1975 A nearly stationary front north to south over Pennsylvania caused rain and thunderstorms over the region for 3 days beginning on this date. Amounts of two inches plus in 24 hours and 4 inches plus for the 3 days were common. In Pennsylvania, Perkasie reported 7 inches, Lansdale: 5.11 inches, West Chester: 6.94 inches through the 13th; and Schwenksville reported 6 inches in 30 hours. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1979 First 90° day of year was very late in the year. This was the latest 90°F day ever recorded in Washington, DC. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1980 Lightning struck a large broiler house in Branford, FL, and the ensuing fire broiled 11,000 nearly ready broilers. Firemen were able to save a few thousand chickens, however. (The Weather Channel) 1984 (Munich, Germany): One of the most costly hailstorm events with damage estimated at $1-5 billion. (Ref. Hail Events by Michael Mogil) Rain was not falling at the golf course in Tucson, AZ where a golfer was struck and killed by an isolated lightning bolt from a storm three miles away. His partner was also hit but not injured. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Cool air invaded the High Plains Region. Eight cities reported record low temperatures for the date, including Sheridan, WY with a reading of 37 degrees. Thunderstorms developing along the cold front in the central U.S. produced 6.5 inches of rain at Fort Dodge, IA, and 2.5 inches in one hour at St Joseph, MO. (The National Weather Summary) 1988 Evening thunderstorms produced severe weather over the Dakotas, including baseball size hail at Aberdeen, SD, and softball size hail near Fullerton, ND. Thunderstorms produced heavy rain in Arkansas and northeastern Texas, with 6.59 inches reported at Mesquite, TX in just an hour and fifteen minutes. Garland, TX reported water up to the tops of cars following a torrential downpour. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989 Early morning thunderstorms over eastern Kansas deluged McFarland with more than six inches of rain. Afternoon thunderstorms in Wyoming produced up to eighteen inches of dime size hail near Rock Springs, along with torrential rains, and a three-foot high wall of mud and water swept into the town causing more than 1.5 million dollars damage. Evening thunderstorms produced severe weather in Oklahoma and Arkansas, deluging Dardanelle, AR with 3.50 inches of rain in less than twenty minutes. About seventy cows were killed when lightning struck a tree in Jones County, TX. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1993 Thunderstorms dumped up to 4 inches of rain in 30 minutes in the Pierre and Ft. Pierre areas in South Dakota. As golf ball size hail also pounded the area the runoff from the heavy rains piled the hail into drifts five feet high. On the same day a severe thunderstorm dumped large hail and heavy rains in the Lantry area in Dewey County. The water which could not be absorbed by already saturated ground ran four to five feet deep through some buildings in town. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1995 An intense heat wave affected much of the Midwest for a 4-day period beginning on this day. The worst effects of the heat were noted in the Chicago metropolitan area, where 583 people died from the heat. Temperatures across the area reached as high as 105°, overnight lows on falling to the upper 70s to low 80s. Dewpoint temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s created heat indexes peaking at 125°. Electricity and water usage reached record levels, causing periodic outages. July 12-13, "The Right Turn Derecho"....MT, ND, MN, WI, MI, ON, OH, PA, WV (Ref. For More Information) 1996 Hurricane Bertha makes landfall near Wrightsville Beach, NC with maximum winds of 105 mph, but the storm surge dealt the most devastation. The U.S. Virgin Islands, along with North Carolina, were declared federal disaster areas. Surveys indicate that Bertha damaged almost 2,500 homes on St. Thomas and St. John. For many, it was a second hit in the ten months since Hurricane Marilyn devastated the same area. The primary effects in North Carolina were to the coastal counties and included storm surge flooding and beach erosion, roof damage, piers washed away, fallen trees and damage to crops. Over 5,000 homes were damaged, mostly from storm surge. Storm total rainfall amounts ranged from 5 to 8 inches along a coastal strip from South Carolina to Maine. Overall, as many as 12 deaths resulted with 8 in the U.S. and territories. Damage totaled $270 million dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1997 Lightning can hit the ground 15+ miles from the thunderstorm. Two golfers at a Tampa Florida course were hit by the first observed lightning bolt of a distant thunderstorm; it came from the storms cirrus anvil. The sun was shining at their location and one of the two men was killed. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2007 Accord Publishing, USA) 1998 The temperature at the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport in Texas rose to 100°. Dallas saw the temperature go to 100° or hotter on 56 days during the summer of 1998. There were 39 nights that the mercury never dropped below 80°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2004 Hail up to the size of softballs fell in and around Onaka, SD damaging vehicles, farm equipment, and homes. High winds along with hail up to the size of baseballs caused some structural, vehicle, crop, and tree damage in and around Astoria, SD and Toronto, SD. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2005 July 12th to July 20th Reno, Nevada: A record string of days with temperatures above 101°F: nine straight days. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2011 High humidity levels and dew points were higher during the summer 2011 compared with 2010, resulting in unusually warm nighttime temperatures. A low temperature of 81 at Richmond on July 12th was the first ever daily low of 80 and above. A steady southwest wind overnight also contributed to this event. (Ref.NWS, Wakefield, Virginia - A New Record High Minimum Temperature) 2022 On the evening of July 12 between 8PM and 10 PM around 4.50 inches of rain fell in the Buchanan County, Virginia area. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

JULY   13TH 1895 A tornado struck Cherry Hill in New Jersey causing fifty thousand dollars damage. It also descended into the Harlem and Woodhaven areas of New York City killing one person, and finally ended as a waterspout in Jamaica Bay. (David Ludlum) 1922 The mercury hit 134 °F at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, CA on July 10, 1913 the hottest reading of record for the World. The old world record has been revoked. Sandstorm conditions accompanied the heat. The high the previous day was 129° following a morning low of 93 degrees. The previous world record of 136 °F at El Azizia, Libya has been revoked The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)committee concluded that "the most compelling scenario for the July 13,1922 event was that a new and inexperienced observer, not trained in the use of an unsuitable replacement instrument that could be easily misread, improperly recorded the observation and was consequently in error by about seven degrees Celsius." Death Valley is now the Earth's Highest Temperature Record 1936 Mio, Michigan : The highest temperature ever recorded in Michigan: 112 °F. Dells, Wisconsin : The highest temperature ever recorded in Wisconsin : 114 °F. (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1951 The worst flooding since 1903 in Topeka, KS produced the highest Kansas River stage in Topeka history at 41.3 feet. Massive, widespread, and unprecedented damage occurred across North Topeka. The river was above flood stage for 10 straight days, breaking dikes and resulting in the evacuation of 24,000 people. Nearly 7,000 Topeka buildings were damaged or destroyed. A railroad locomotive was washed down the river when a bridge collapsed. Very heavy spring rains continued into June and July, pushing all rivers to very high levels. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1955 Hundreds of homes and businesses in Las Vegas, NV are damaged by floodwaters that were 4 feet deep in the Twin Lakes subdivision. Property damage is estimated at $3 million dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1964 Clouds, rain and a cool northeast wind holds the high temperatures in the upper 50s to mid 60s across West Michigan. The high of 59° at Grand Rapids, MI was only the second time in over a hundred years of record that the temperature did not reach 60° on a July day. Early morning lows dropped in ot the lower and middle 30’s across parts of the northern Plains. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1975 An F2 tornado hit Seabrook, NJ, unroofing a school and a frozen food packaging plant. Dover, DE was deluged with 8.50 inches of rain to establish a 24 hour record for the state. (The Weather Channel) (Ref. WxDoctor) 1977 Lightning struck a key electrical transmission line near Indian Point Westchester County of southeastern New York State and caused a 24-hour New York power blackout. (David Ludlum) 1980 The maximum temperature ever recorded in Memphis, TN was 108 °F on this date. (Extreme Weather p. 277 by Christopher C. Burt) (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1982 Lightning struck a woman in Chesterfield County, VA . She was sitting on a metal swing set in her back yard, and though she could hear thunder, she did not go indoors. She heard a loud noise and felt pain. Lightning struck the swing set and traveled through her body to the ground. Her shoes were blown off her feet and she received burns on her back and legs. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) 1987 Unseasonably cool weather prevailed across the Midwest. Ten cities reported record low temperatures for the date, including Casper, WY with a reading of 39 degrees. By way of contrast, record heat was reported in the eastern U.S., with highs of 93 degrees at Burlington , VT, and 101 degrees around Miami, FL. (The National Weather Summary) 1988 "Mother Nature" took a day off. There were just three reports of severe weather across the country, and just one record high temperature reported. Thunderstorms brought much needed rains to the Tennessee Valley area, producing nine inches at Senatobia, MS. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 A thunderstorm at Albany, GA produced 1.40 inches of rain in forty minutes, along with wind gusts to 82 mph. Afternoon highs of 98 degrees at Corpus Christi, TX, 110 degrees at Tucson, AZ and 114 degrees at Phoenix, AZ equaled records for the date. Greenwood, MS reported 55.65 inches of precipitation for the year, twice the amount normally received by mid July. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1993 Heavy rains of 3 to 5 inches in an hour caused flooding of streets and roads at Dodge City, KS. Standing water of one and a half to two feet was reported in southwestern Dodge City. In south central Kansas, heavy rains in Kiowa County caused widespread flooding and as much as 8 inches of rain was reported in portions of the county. The Rattlesnake Creek was out of its banks throughout the county and was reported to be as wide as five miles near the Edwards county line. Railroad tracks were washed out south of Kiowa County Lake. The water subsided around 5 AM the next day. Major flooding on the Mississippi River produced a record river crest at Quincy, IL of 32.3 feet; eclipsing the old record of 28.9 feet set in April 1973. At mid-month, only 5 of 28 bridges that cross the river into Illinois were open. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1995 Many daily record high temperatures and three all time record highs were recorded as the deadly July 1995 heat wave continued unabated from the Midwest to the Atlantic coast. All time highs set included: Genoa, WI: 109°, Milwaukee, WI: 108°, La Crosse, WI: tied at 108°, Chicago, IL: 106°, Necedah, WI: 104°, Trempealeau, WI: 103°, Decorah, IA: 102° and Guttenberg, IA: 102°. Heat indices soared to well over 120° in many areas and close to 130° at Chicago, IL & Cedar Rapids, IA as dew point temperatures were in the upper 70’s to low 80’s. 553 people died in Chicago alone from the heat. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1996 Annandale Weather Center had 2.11 inches rain in 24 hours from Hurricane Bertha. (Ref. Annandale Weather Records - KRIC) (Ref. More information about Hurricane Bertha) 2002 Winds up to 80 mph swept through Kingman, AZ damaged or destroyed dozens of homes. Four people were also injured from flying debris. In Chloride, winds were estimated at 100 mph which caused significant damage. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2004 A violent tornado quickly developed across Woodford County, Illinois during the mid afternoon. This tornado was at F4 intensity as it demolished a manufacturing plant four miles west of Roanoke. Although 140 people were inside at the time, all escaped injury by reaching storm shelters a few minutes before the tornado's arrival. Steel beams and metal siding from the plant were found approximately three quarters of a mile east in a farm field. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2008 A streak of 24 consecutive days (ending August 5th) of 90° or higher began on this date at Denver, CO. This shattered their previous record of 18 days established in 1901 and 1974. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

JULY   14TH 1872 Washington experiences the last of 18 consecutive days of 90 °F or more heat. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1911 Asia's greatest 24-hour rainfall occurred from this date through the 15th as Baguio, Luzon in the Philippines received 46 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1935 The highest temperature ever recorded in Chicago is an unofficial 109°F on July 24, 1935. The highest official temperature ever recorded is 105°F on July 14, 1995 during the Chicago Heat Wave. (Ref. Wiki.Answers.Com) 1936 Collegeville, Indiana: The highest temperature ever reported in Indiana is 116 °F. The average temperature of 81.1° is the fifth highest ever recorded from June 27 to July 14th 1936. Extreme heat prevailed across the central U.S. as severe drought raged from Texas to the Dakotas. Record high temperatures were established in sixteen states that summer, including readings as high as 120 degrees in the Great Plains Region. On this particular date, afternoon highs for 113 stations across the state of Iowa averaged 108.7 degrees. (David Ludlum) (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1954 East St. Louis, Illinois: The highest temperature ever reported in Illinois is 117 °F. Union, Missouri: The highest temperature ever reported in Missouri is 118 °F. (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1957 Hail, with some stones up to an inch in diameter, covered the ground to a depth of three inches ruining crops in the Bath area of New Hampshire. (The Weather Channel) 1966 Bakersfield, CA set a record low maximum of 90 °F. This is the only day of the entire year where Bakersfield has always had a high temperature of at least 90 °F in every year since records began in 1893. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1970 A line of severe thunderstorms raced across southeast South Dakota into northwest Iowa causing extensive damage. The line of thunderstorms produced widespread high winds and large hail. The hail averaged quarter to hen egg size although some areas received stones the size of softballs and winds in excess of 70 mph were not uncommon. Apparently, the most extensive damage from the storms extended from Mitchell through Parker to near Beresford. Spotty areas reported 100% crop damage. In Lincoln County, the hail caused an estimated $8 million dollars in crop damage and $2 million dollars in property damage. In the town of Marion the hail was so large that it actually punched holes in some roofs. Northwest Iowa didn't fair much better as the storms caused $5 million dollars in crop damage in Sac County. The storm was labeled the worst in 65 years in Sac County as 70 to 100 mph winds tore through the area. Amazingly enough almost every home in Sac City was damaged by the storm. Numerous structures also lost their roofs in Sioux county. Several fatalities in both South Dakota and Iowa were directly related to the severe weather. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1974 Connecticut--a 9-year-old girl was killed by lightning while camping. She was sleeping in a metal-frame tent. Jefferson Davis Parish, La.--A man riding a tractor on his farm near Woodlawn was killed by lightning. Near Redfield, Ark.--Lightning struck and killed a motorcyclist while he was standing in an open field. His two companions were slightly injured. Owego, NY -- One person was killed and two were injured by lightning during an evening thunderstorm. No further details. (Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf) 1987 Severe thunderstorms in Iowa produced eight inches of golf ball size hail near Grafton, IA, completely stripping corn stalks in the area. Hail caused more than a million dollars damage to crops in Worth County and Mitchell County, and another million dollars damage in Ada County and Crawford County. Unseasonably cool weather prevailed in the Great Plains Region. Eight cities reported record low temperatures for the date, including Duluth, MN with a reading of 37 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 Severe thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds in the Northern Atlantic Coast Region during the afternoon and evening hours. Thunderstorms also spawned a rather strong tornado near Westtown, NY, and drenched Agawam, MA with four inches of rain. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989 Afternoon and evening thunderstorms produced severe weather from eastern New Mexico to central Nebraska. One hundred soldiers were injured by flying debris and collapsing tents during a thunderstorm near Trinidad, CO. Thunderstorms in Colorado produced wind gusts to 77 mph at La Junta. Early morning thunderstorms produced torrential rains over parts of Louisiana, with 7.50 inches at Carencro, and 5.85 inches at Morgan City. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1993 Windsor, Ontario recorded a heat index temperature of 122°, the highest ever reported in Canada. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1995 Boston, MA recorded 100F or higher for the 22nd time in history ant it was the first time since July 21, 1977, when 102 °F was recorded. (Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events) July 14-15, 1995 "The Ontario-Adirondacks Derecho"....MI, ON, NY, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI (Ref. For More Information) Chicago/Midway Airport, IL recorded a maximum temperature reading of 108 °F. Other highs were: Sparta, WI: 105° and Blair, WI 105° (tied – 8/23/1948). Record highs for the date included: Toledo, OH: 104°, Mauston, WI: 103°, South Bend, IN: 100° and Owen, WI: 99°. Grand Rapids, MI set an all-time record high minimum of 81°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1996 Rockingham County, VA a 20-year-old male soccer player was struck and killed at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds. The soccer match had been called due to the storm, but the player had not yet sought shelter. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) 1998 Rescuers searched for victims and survivors of flash flooding from the night before in parts of Tennessee. The training thunderstorms dumped 7 inches of rain in 6 hours in and around Lawrenceburg, TN. Bridges were washed out and vehicles swept away. At least two people were killed. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2000 An F3 tornado (deadlier than any 2000 US tornado) hit the Green Acres camp ground at Pine Lake in South Central Alberta Canada; 12 were killed 140 injured. Up to 50 mobile homes were blown into Pine Lake but no one drowned. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2007 Accord Publishing, USA) 2002 A hot period in Billings, MT with a 108 °F maximum; the highs the previous two days were 107° and 106°. The record for the city is 112 °F on July 31, 1901. (Extreme Weather p. 275, by Christopher C. Burt) (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2005 Death Valley, California: Death Valley records 6 consecutive days (July 14-19) with high temperatures above 125°F. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2006 Severe thunderstorm produced grapefruit size hail near Colstrip, MT; nearly an hour later an 82 mph wind gust was observed at Miles City, MT. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

JULY   15TH 1643 (July 5th on old Julian calendar) 1643, Plymouth Colony: A violent windstorm hits the Plymouth Colony, the "sudden gust" fells trees and kills one Native American. May have been first documented American tornado or microburst. (Ref. WxDoctor) 1901 The city of Marquette, MI set their all-time record high temperature with 108 °F reading. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1916 A dying South Atlantic Coast storm produced torrential rains in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Altapass, NC was drenched with more than 22 inches of rain, a 24-hour rainfall record for the state. Flooding resulted in considerable damage, particularly to railroads. (David Ludlum) 1936 Perhaps the hottest night ever recorded in the US outside of the desert Southwest, occurred at Lincoln, Nebraska when the minimum temperature fell to only 91°F. The citizens of that city spent the night outdoors trying to sleep on the lawn of the state capitol. (Nebraska State Historical Society) (Extreme Weather p. 30, by Christopher C. Burt) All-time record highs were set at the following cities: Quincy, IL: 114°, Peoria, IL: 113°, Lincoln, IL: 113° and Rockford, IL: 112°. Champaign, IL hit 107°. This stood as their all-time record until 1954. 1940 A cool 51° minimum temperature equaled July's record low on July 2nd in 1965 in Richmond, VA. (Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC) 1954 The temperature at Balcony Falls , VA soared to 110 degrees to establish a new state maximum temperature record for Virginia. (The Weather Channel) 1976 Thunderstorms caused 76 mph winds at DCA and the highest since 98 mph winds were recorded in Hurricane Hazel in October 15, 1954. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1980 Minneapolis, MN was plagued by severe thunderstorms that produced hail and tornadoes. Nearly 100,000 people were without power. Damage totaled over $43 million dollars. The city of Memphis, TN set their all-time record high temperature record with 108 °F and Albany, GA also set their all-time record high with 107 °F. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1981 Daytona Beach, FL set their all-time record high with 102 °F. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1983 The Big Thompson Creek in Colorado flooded for the second time in seven years, claiming three lives, and filling the town of Estes Park with eight to ten feet of water. (The Weather Channel) 1987 Unseasonably cool weather spread into the south central and eastern U.S. Fifteen cities reported record low temperatures for the date, including Houghton Lake, MI with a reading of 37 degrees. The high temperature for the date of 58 degrees at Flint, MI was their coolest of record for July. Thunderstorms spawned several tornadoes in Illinois and Indiana, injuring a cow near Donovan, IL. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 Twenty-six cities east of the Mississippi River reported record high temperatures for the date. Charleston, WV established an all-time record high with a reading of 103 degrees, and Chicago, IL reported a record fifth day of 100 degree heat for the year. A severe thunderstorm moving across Omaha, NE and the Council Bluffs area of west central Iowa spawned three tornadoes which injured 88 persons, and also produced high winds which injured 18 others. Winds at the Omaha Eppley Airport reached 92 mph. Damage from the storm was estimated at 43 million dollars. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1989 Thunderstorms drenched Kansas City, MO with 4.16 inches of rain, a record for the date. Two and a half inches of rain deluged the city between noon and 1 PM. Afternoon thunderstorms in South Carolina deluged Williamstown with six inches of rain in ninety minutes, including four inches in little more than half an hour. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1995 Upstate New York: A extremely severe derecho sweeps across upstate New York. Wind gusting to 106 mph devastates over one million acres (400,000 hectares) of trees, felling tens of millions. Five campers are killed by the falling timbers. (Ref. WxDoctor) Danbury, Connecticut: The highest temperature ever reported in Connecticut is 106 °F. (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) Dew points >80 degrees, with a date record high of 103 degrees gave Philadelphia, PA a heat index of 129 degrees. 40 people died from heat in SE PA; approx. 1 million PA chickens succumbed to the heat. Some highways (including I-83 in York County) closed due to heat buckling. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 2003 Phoenix, Arizona: A daily maximum temperature above 90°F is usually considered a hot day, but this date, the official minimum temperature at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport never dipped below 96°F. It is the highest low temperature in Phoenix history. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2006 Kelly Ranch/Usta set South Dakota’s ties high temperature record for SD with 120 °F. Pierre and Rapid City, SD sets their new all-time daily maximum temperature records with 117 °F and 111 °F respectively. Chadron, NE also set their all-time record high with 112 °F. Alliance, NE reported their second hottest day on record with 107 °F. Denver, CO set daily record highs on this date and the 16th with 101 °F and 103 °F respectively. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

JULY   16TH 1915 First 90° day of year in Baltimore in 1915 was July 16th the latest 90°F day ever recorded in the year. The latest 90°F day ever recorded in Washington, DC. was July 12, 1979. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1916 Beginning on the 15th ending on this date, North Carolina registered its record maximum 24 hour precipitation record as 22.22 inches fell at Altapass. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1920 A severe hailstorm over parts of Antelope and Boone counties in Nebraska stripped trees of bark and foliage, ruined roofs, and broke nearly every window facing north. (The Weather Channel) 1946 The temperature at Medford soared to set an all-time high of 115 degrees to begin a two-week heat wave. During that Oregon heat wave the mercury hit 100 degrees at Sexton Summit for the only time in forty years of records. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel) 1969 An unusual tornado touched down at Churdan, IA and moved west-northwest slowly after touchdown. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1975 An early afternoon thunderstorm raked the east side of Tucson, AZ with gale force winds, heavy rain, and numerous lightning strikes. A thirteen-year old boy was swept through a forty-foot long culvert by raging waters before being rescued. (The Weather Channel) 1979 The strongest and most destructive tornado known in Wyoming history struck Cheyenne. The F4 tornado initially touched down just northwest of the airport and proceeded to move east over residential areas along Buffalo Ridge. A young boy was killed while 57 others residents were injured. Approximately 140 homes were destroyed along with the local elementary school, while approximately 200 other homes were damaged. Total damage was $22 million. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1980 Millions of dollars in damage was done by a strong microburst and blinding rain that hit the south side of Chicago, IL during the morning. Winds were estimated to be as high as 100 mph in the microburst. Further west, the same storm system produced a tornado near the town of Hampshire, destroying two silos containing 48,000 pounds of corn. Bensalem, PA reported a wind gust of 102 mph. Philadelphia, PA measured a sustained wind speed of 47 mph with a gust to 70 mph. Thousands of trees were uprooted or broken apart, falling on automobiles, houses and other buildings. Up to 24 people were injured, mostly the result of flying debris, such as glass from blown out windows, portions of buildings or roofs, and falling or blowing limbs or trees. Hail up to the size of golf balls fell, and heavy downpours caused up to 3 inches of rain in spots. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1983 All time warmest morning in Washington, DC or highest minimum temperature ever recorded in Washington, DC. 84 °F. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1987 Showers and thunderstorms in the southwestern U.S. ended a record string of thirty-nine consecutive days of 100 degree heat at Tucson, AZ. A thunderstorm at Bullhead City, AZ produced wind gusts to 70 mph reducing the visibility to near zero in blowing dust. Southerly winds gusting to 40 mph pushed temperature readings above 100 degrees in the Northern Plains. Rapid City, SD reported a record high of 106 degrees, following a record low of 39 degrees just three days earlier. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 Thirty-seven cities in the eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Highs of 96 degrees at Bluefield, WV and 104 degrees at Charleston, WV were all-time records, and afternoon highs of 98 degrees at Binghamton, NY, 99 degrees at Elkins, WV, and 103 degrees at Pittsburgh, PA, tied all-time records. Highs of 104 degrees at Baltimore, MD and 105 degrees at Parkersburg, WV were records for July, and Beckley, WV equaled their record for July with a high of 94 degrees. Martinsburg, WV was the hot spot in the nation with a reading of 107 degrees. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms raked the northeastern U.S. with large hail and damaging winds. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 Showers and thunderstorms developing along a stationary front drenched the Middle Atlantic Coast States with heavy rain, causing flooding in some areas. More than five inches of rain was reported near Madison , VA and Ferncliff , VA. Hot weather prevailed in Texas. San Angelo reported a record high of 106 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) 1993 The Great Midwest Flood continued as all bridges across the Mississippi River between Burlington, IA and St. Louis, MO; a stretch of 212 miles were closed by the flooding and would be shut down until the 20th. Across eastern South Dakota from the 16th through the 18th, flooding continued to wreak havoc. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 7 inches fell across portions of the northeast resulting in devastating flooding. Several dams and many roads were washed out in Marshall County. In the towns of Groton and Claremont at least 90% of the homes had water in the basements and city streets were breaking apart due to the weight of the water and water undermining the roads. An emergency dike broke near Milbank which sent water into the town. The breach forced the evacuation of over 200 people as 120 mobile homes and over 25 houses were affected by floodwater. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1995 A Mesoscale Convective Complex crossed the Adirondack Mountains and much of eastern New York during the early morning hours and bolted southeast, producing a very damaging derecho. The Adirondack Derecho was produced by thunderstorms which rose to heights of 70,000 feet, moved at forward speeds of 70 mph, produced winds to 106 mph and causing as many as 3,000 lightning strikes per hour. Hardest hit were the counties of Jefferson and Lewis where states of emergency were declared. Power was knocked out in all of Jefferson and Lewis counties for at least 12 hours, and in some cases, for days. The North Country was declared a disaster area by the Governor of New York State. Thousands of trees covering over one million acres were blown down in the Adirondacks. Five people were killed. Otis, MA recorded a wind gust of 92 mph. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1997 Henry County, VA a 42-year-old man in his yard was struck and killed by lightning. Lightning also killed 19 cattle at a farm. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) 1998 Death Valley/Furnace Creek, CA reached 127°. This is only one degree lower than their record high of 128° since 1913. Death Valley/Greenland Ranch had five daily maximums ranging from 129° to 134° in July, 1913, but these extremely high observations are not supported by the maximums at surrounding stations during the same period. Trustworthy readings of 128° were attained in Death Valley in July 1972, and in June 1994. In June, 1994, a park ranger measured 131° at Badwater in Death Valley with a sling psychrometer. Badwater is typically a few degrees hotter than Furnace Creek on summer afternoons. Other memorable readings from this very hot day: 126° at Bullhead City, AZ. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2005 Casper, WY tied their daily record high at 104°. Denver, CO soared to a record of 102°. This record high was broken the next year. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2006 Valentine, Nebraska: Mercury soars to daily maximum temperature of 113 °F. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2009 On 3 August 2009, the ad-hoc State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) voted unanimously to approve a new hail stone record for the state of Vermont. The NCDC approved the decision of the SCEC and recognize the 3.3 inch diameter, 6.8 inch circumference, 2.1 ounce hail stone which fell near Westford, VT on the evening of 16 July, 2009. Record Size Hail for Vermont - NWS

JULY   17TH 1902 Temperature range was 38° from 58° minimum to 97° maximum in Baltimore City, MD. 1934 One of the worst heat waves in the history of the nation commenced. During the last two weeks of the month extreme heat claimed 679 lives in Michigan, including 300 in Detroit alone. (The Weather Channel) 1941 A prolonged heat wave over Washington State finally came to an end. Lightning from untimely thunderstorms was responsible for 598 forest fires. (David Ludlum) 1942 Early morning excessive rain deluged parts of north-central Pennsylvania. A total of 30.80 inches fell in 4.5 hours along parts of the Pennsylvania/New York border. 15 people were killed damage was set at $10 million dollars. Smethport, PA received 34.3 inches in a 24-hour period, setting the state record. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1943 Col. James Duckworth became the first person to fly an airplane into a hurricane. Duckworth took his AT-6 trainer right into the eye of a category 1 hurricane off the Texas coast. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1952 Thunderstorms helped the temperature at Key West, FL to dip to 69 degrees, to equal their July record established on the first of July in 1923. (The Weather Channel) 1957 On a warm and sunny day at Wilmington, DE, with a high of 86 degrees, a strong dust devil suddenly appeared. It tore most the roof off one house, and stripped shingles from a neighboring house. A TV aerial was toppled, and clothes were blown off clotheslines. (The Weather Channel) 1978 Severe thunderstorms ripped across southwest sections of South Dakota. One storm which dumped hail larger than golf balls and had winds which exceeded 80 mph was labeled as one of the most destructive to strike several western counties. Bennett County alone lost 20,000 acres and 600,000 bushels of unharvested winter wheat. The storms also did considerable property damage. Total price tag for the storms was near $28 million dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1980 The maximum temperature ever recorded in Atlanta, GA was 105 °F on this date. The maximum temperature ever recorded in Macon, GA was 108 °F on this date. The high of 110 degrees at Newington, GA was just two degrees shy of the state record. (Extreme Weather pp. 22, 273, by Christopher C. Burt) 1981 Severe thunderstorm winds ripped a 10,000 square foot hole in a 90 foot high pavilion at Sea World in Orlando, FL. The storm panicked a crowd of 550 tourists. One death occurred due to injury and heart attack and 15 people were injured. The canopy was made of fiberglass and Teflon, designed to withstand 120 mph winds. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1985 An F1 tornado touched down, 10 miles east of Raymond, SD destroying two cattle sheds and several buildings. Heavy rains, strong winds and hail up to 2.75 inches in diameter produced considerable damage to farm buildings between Raymond and Garden City. Rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches caused additional crop losses from erosion. A thunderstorm near Kennebec produced wind gusts to 80 mph and small hail was observed. Several car windows were broke from wind and small hail. A damage path from wind and hail continued to Clear Lake, to south of Gary and into Minnesota to the east of Canby. Winds gusted to 70 mph and hail ranged from one to almost two inches in diameter. Highway 77, south of Clear Lake was impassable due to hail on the ground. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Slow moving thunderstorms caused flooding on the Guadalupe River in Texas resulting in tragic loss of life. A bus and van leaving a summer youth camp stalled near the rapidly rising river, just west of the town of Comfort, and a powerful surge of water swept away 43 persons, mostly teenagers. Ten drowned in the floodwaters. Most of the others were rescued from treetops by helicopter. An unseasonable cold core upper level storm system produced snow showers across the higher elevations of Yosemite National Park in California with up to 4 inches in some areas. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 A dozen cities in the eastern U.S., and six others in California, reported record high temperatures for the date. Downtown San Francisco, CA, with a high of 103 degrees, obliterated their previous record high of 82 degrees. Philadelphia, PA reported a record five straight days of 100 degree heat, and Baltimore, MD reported a record eight days of 100 degree weather for the year. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms produced severe weather along the Middle Atlantic Coast, and over southern New England. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 Thunderstorms produced severe weather from South Dakota to Louisiana, with 126 reports of large hail and damaging winds during the day and night. Thunderstorms in Nebraska produced hail four inches in diameter in Frontier County, and at North Platte, causing millions of dollars damage to crops in Frontier County. Thunderstorms in Oklahoma produced wind gusts to 90 mph at Peggs. Tahlequah, OK was drenched with 5.25 inches of rain. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1993 All-time monthly record rainfall established already at Concordia, KS as rainfall records continued to fall across the Midwest during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1993. Total rainfall so far was 13.26”; this broke the old record of 11.19”. On this date, two inches of rain fell in 12 minutes in parts of Montgomery County, Iowa. 12 inches fell in just three hours near Bamboo, WI. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1994 Atlanta, GA experienced 14 days in a row with rain; tying a record. The entire month of July had 17.71 inches, the wettest month ever in the Georgia capital. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1995 A 15-year-old boy was injured by lightning while touching an outdoor light switch at a swim and tennis club just outside Charlottesville, VA . He had been playing tennis and was leaving the courts due to the storm when he was struck. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) 1997 Tropical Storm Danny strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico off of the Louisiana Coast and moved slowly toward land. This marked only the third time in 126 years that four tropical storms had formed so early in the season (1886, 1959 were the other years). The storm would eventually stall over Mobile Bay, dumping incredible amounts of rain on the Alabama coast. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2000 Intense storms produced a vivid lightning display in the early a.m. over Kansas City, KS/MO. 2,000+ cloud-to-ground bolts hit Johnson County between 2-3 a.m.; the number of intracloud bolts may have exceeded 20,000 in the same time span. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 2003 Denali National Park, Alaska: One inch of snow falls at Denali National Park Headquarters, the first occurrence of measurable snow ever recorded in July. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2005 Needles, CA reached a high temperature of 125°, recording their hottest temperature ever. Other daily records included: Palm Springs, CA: 121°, Borrego Springs, CA: 120°, Yuma, AZ: 117°, Las Vegas, NV: 116°, Phoenix, AZ: 116°, Kingman, AZ: 113°, Tucson, AZ: 111° and Winslow, AZ: 105°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2007 During the evening thunderstorms began forming over parts of northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin and continued well through the overnight hours dumping nearly 10 inches of rain from far northern Clayton County, Iowa into Crawford and Grant Counties in Wisconsin. . Significant flash flooding developed during the overnight hours in drainage areas. Some rainfall totals included: McGregor, IA: 9.47 inches, Marquette, IA: 8.09 inches, Prairie du Chien, WI: 7.31 inches, Ion, IA: 4.89 inches, Burton, WI: 3.52 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

JULY   18TH 1889 A cloudburst in West Virginia along the small creeks in Wirt County, Jackson County and Wood County claimed twenty lives. Rockport, WV reported nineteen inches of rain in two hours and ten minutes that Thursday evening. Tygart Creek rose 22 feet in one hour, and villages were swept away on Tygart, Slate, Tucker, and Sandy Creeks. (The Weather Channel) 1936 This day marked the end of the hottest period on record for La Crosse, WI. From the 5th through the 18th, temperatures climbed to 90° or better everyday, and at or above 100° eight times. During this time six record temperatures were set and the average high temperatures for the period was 101.0°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1942 A record deluge occurred at Smethport in northern Pennsylvania, with 30.7 inches in just six hours. The downpours and resultant flooding in Pennsylvania were devastating. The following U.S. records were set at Smethport, PA: rainfall in three hours: 28.50 inches, rainfall in 4 hours and 30 minutes: 30.70 inches and 12-hour rainfall: 34.30 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1942 Record deluge at Smethporth in northern PA gave 30.70 inches of rain in 6 hours and 34.30 inches in 24 hours. The downpours and resultant flooding in Pennsylvania were devastating. (David Ludlum) (Ref. WxDoctor) 1970 A tropical depression formed east of the Yucatan Peninsula. As the system developed into Tropical Storm Becky, it provided National Hurricane Center forecasters their first opportunity to study the evolution of a tropical cyclone with the aid of time-lapse movies of ATS (Applications Technology Satellite) photographs in real time, or, The Movie Loop. Becky moved into the Florida panhandle as a tropical storm. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1972 Heavy rain, unofficially measured at 10 to 11 inches, fell in the Mooreland and Mutual areas of Woodward County Oklahoma. The heavy rain caused severe soil erosion, but crop damage was minimal, as wheat already had been harvested. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1986 One of the most "photogenic" tornadoes touched down in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis, MN during the late afternoon. The very slow moving tornado actually appeared live on the evening news by way of an aerial video taken by the KARE-TV helicopter crew. The tornado, unlike most, was quite the prima Donna, staying visible to tens of thousands of persons for thirty minutes. It was moderate in intensity, with winds of 113-157 mph, and caused 650 thousand dollars damage. (Storm Data) 1987 Cool weather prevailed in the western U.S. Seven cities reported record low temperatures for the date, including Alamosa, CO with a reading of 38 degrees. The low of 52 degrees at Bakersfield, CA was a record for July. Up to eight inches of snow covered the Northern Sierra Nevada Range of California from a storm the previous day. During that storm, winds gusting to 52 mph at Slide Mountain, NV produced a wind chill reading of 20 degrees below zero. Susanville, CA reached 17 degrees that previous day, Blue Canyon, CA dipped to a July record of 36 degrees, and the high of 44 degrees at Klamath Falls, OR smashed their previous record for July by ten degrees. (The National Weather Summary) 1988 Sweltering heat continued in California, with record highs of 111 degrees at Redding and 112 degrees at Sacramento. Death Valley, CA hit 127 degrees. Late afternoon and evening thunderstorms in the Central Plains Region produced baseball size hail at Kimball, NE, wind gusts to 79 mph at Colby, KS, and six inches of rain near Lexington, NE. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989 Thunderstorms produced severe weather in Oklahoma, northern Texas and Arkansas during the afternoon and into the night. Thunderstorms produced baseball size hail at Stamford, TX, and wind gusts to 92 mph near Throckmorton, TX. Record heat continued in the southwestern U.S. Phoenix, AZ reported a record high of 115 °F, and a 111 °F reading at Midland, TX was second only to their all-time record high of 112 °F established sixteen days earlier. (The National Weather Summary) 1992 On this date through the 18th, Thunderstorms crossed Wayne County in western New York State dumping heavy rains over already saturated grounds and swollen streams. Rainfall amounts exceeded six inches in two hours on the 17th. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1993 In south central Kansas, heavy rains in and around Stafford County caused flooding of the normally dry Antelope Creek. Flooding of roads and streets began in Radium during the morning hours. The flooding continued until the morning hours on the 19th. This was the worst flooding in Radium since the spring of 1973. Flooding continued until about 9 am on the 19th. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1996 An F5 tornado struck Oakfield, WI during the evening, injuring 17 people and destroying 47 of the 320 homes in the town. Damage estimates totaled over $40 million dollars. In addition, 56 homes as well as numerous businesses and churches sustained heavy damage. A massive rainstorm in north central and northeast Illinois led to widespread flooding. Aurora reported 16.91 inches of rain, establishing a state record for the most rain in a single day. Other heavy totals included 13.60 inches at Joliet, 9.24 inches in Wheaton, 8.09 inches in DeKalb, and 7.82 inches at Elgin. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1997 Hurricane warnings were posted along the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Alabama as Hurricane Danny headed toward shore, first brushing southeastern Louisiana where tropical storm force winds and high tides caused severe erosion. Grand Isle, LA recorded a wind gust to 95 mph shortly before midnight. 100 mph winds and torrential rains, downed power lines, damaged or sunk boats and left flooding in its wake. Thunderstorms developed ahead of a strong cold front and brought high winds and large hail to the western southern tier, Niagara frontier and Genesee Valley in western New York State. A 74 mph gust was recorded in Orchard Park. Hail, as large as golf balls, damaged crops in Niagara and Orleans counties. Several fires were reported as a result of lightning strikes. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2003 Miles City, MT set their all-time high temperature record with 113°. Highs of 100° or higher occurred 6 times between the 12th through the 19th. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) . 2008 A man and a woman went outside a home in Standish, ME to get a pair of sunglasses the family dog had taken from 1 of the 3 young children inside. Unfortunately, lightning hit a nearby tree, then traveled through the ground, killing both people. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 2010 Thunderstorm winds gusted to 72 mph at BWI late evening on 18th. Ref. July PRESTO Page 1

JULY   19TH 1850 Tropical storm to the east of DC caused trees and signs to be blown down and some buildings were damaged. (Ref. WxDoctor) 1886 A hurricane from the Gulf of Mexico crossed Florida causing great damage from Cedar Keys to Jacksonville. Three early season hurricanes striking Florida made the Hurricane Season of 1886 one of the busiest on record. (David Ludlum) 1935 Boston, Massachusetts recorded the highest average one minute wind velocity from the northwest at 52 mph. (Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events) 1960 Cow Creek and Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, CA reported morning lows of 102 degrees. The afternoon high at Greenland Ranch was 124 degrees, and the high at Cow Creek that afternoon was 126 degrees. The coolest low for the entire month for both locations was 82 degrees. (The Weather Channel) (Ref. WxDoctor) Boise, ID recorded their hottest day on record as the high peaked at 111° and this record was tied on August 4, of 1961. (Extreme Weather p. 273, by Christopher C. Burt) 1972 The record coldest July temperature was tied at Billings, MT at 41° (also occurred 7/4/1972). The high for the day was a chilly 47°, the only occurrence of a July high temperature less than 50°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1974 A severe thunderstorm with winds to 80 mph and up to two inches of rain washed out four to five foot deep sections of roadway in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Three persons in a station wagon died as it was carried 3000 feet down a wash by a ten foot wall of water. (The Weather Channel) Laurinburg, NC - a 20-year-old man was killed by lightning and two small children were injured. (Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf) 1977 Thunderstorms produced torrential rains over parts of southwestern Pennsylvania. 88 years after the Great Johnstown flood, the supposedly "flood proof" city of Johnstown, PA was struck again with a wall of water as the earthen Laurel Run Dam gave way in the face of 12 inches of rain in 7 hours. The heavy rains caused flash flooding along streams resulting in widespread severe damage. The cloudburst flooded Johnstown with up to ten feet of water resulting in 76 deaths, countless injuries, and 424 million dollars damage. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel) 1983 July 19, ........"The I-94 Derecho"....ND, MN, IA, WI, MI, IL, IN (Ref. For More Information) 1987 Fifteen cities in the western and the southeastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date, including Winnemucca, NV with a reading of 33 degrees. Flagstaff, AZ reported a record low of 34 degrees. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms produced severe weather in New York State and New Jersey. High winds and hail two inches in diameter injured two persons and caused considerable damage to crops in the Pine Island area of central New York State. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 Thunderstorms in Nebraska produced more than five inches of rain at Red Cloud, including two inches in fifteen minutes. Torrid temperatures continued over California, with record highs of 115 degrees at Red Bluff and 116 degrees at Redding. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989 Early morning thunderstorms in the Lower Mississippi Valley produced 5.50 inches of rain south of Alexander, AR in just ninety minutes, and flash flooding which resulted claimed the life of one woman. Thunderstorms in Indiana produced 4.95 inches of rain in twelve hours east of Muncie. Eight cities in the southwestern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, including Las Vegas, NV with a reading of 115 degrees, and Phoenix, AZ with a high of 116 degrees. The low that night at Phoenix of 93 degrees was the warmest of record for that location. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1997 Hurricane Danny lashed the Alabama Gulf Coast with winds of 80 mph as the storm stalled over the southern end of Mobile Bay, dumping 30 inches of rain on Coastal Mobile and Baldwin Counties. 36.71 inches of rain fell during the storm at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (25.98 inches of which fell in just seven hours). The incredible rainfall caused extensive flooding. Two people were killed in preparations for the storm. A four story condominium complex under construction in Gulf Shores, AL was leveled by the storm. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2002 (Henan Province, People’s Republic of China): 25 people were killed and hundreds injured during a hailstorm. (Ref. Hail Events by Michael Mogil) 1993 In Winnsboro, SC, lightning hit a nearby tree and resulting debris fell on a car. The driver left the car to sweep debris away, saying “lightning never strikes twice in the same spot.” He was wrong. CPR saved him. The soles of his wife's shoes were also blown off. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 2006 A severe thunderstorm complex with winds to 80 mph struck St. Louis Missouri area. At Busch Stadium 30 people were hurt by flying debris such as trash cans and vendor stands, infield tarp was torn. 500,000 customers were without power some for a week with heat index of 115 the following day. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2007 Accord Publishing, USA) 2016 The peak of the power outages appeared to be about 7:30 p.m., when almost 71,000 customers were without power in the Richmond and Tri-Cities area. At 11 p.m., about 45,000 customers were still without electricity, according to the Dominion Virginia Power website. Jeff Orrock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wakefield, said the storm’s strongest winds were 70 mph. The winds topped out at 58 mph at Richmond International Airport. The biggest hail reported — 1¼ inches in diameter — was in the Tuckahoe area. The storm produced 1,500 lightning strikes that hit the ground. The storm moved in a southeastern direction at about 30 to 35 mph. It was in Louisa County about 3 p.m., Richmond about 4:30. It didn’t pass out of Chesterfield County and Hopewell until about 6:30, Orrock said. The most severe swath of the storm ran from Oilville across Chesterfield, then Hopewell and Prince George County. (More about the storm and pictures-Richmond Times Dispatch)

JULY   20TH 1915 An all-time record high temperature of 115° was set at Yosemite Valley at the National Park Headquarters, California (around 4,000 feet elevation). This was the warmest day in a streak of 7 consecutive days of 110° or higher at Yosemite Valley from the 19th through the 25th. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1921 Montana registered its record maximum 24 hour precipitation as 11.50 inches of rain fell at Circle. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1930 106° Washington's highest temperature ties August 6, 1918. The temperature at Washington, DC soared to an all-time record of 106°. The next day Millsboro reached 110 degrees to set a record for the state of Delaware. July 1930 was one of the hottest and driest summers in the U.S., particularly in the Missouri Valley where severe drought conditions developed. Toward the end of the month state records were set for Kentucky with 114 degrees and Mississippi with 115 degrees. (David Ludlum) 1934 The temperature at Keokuk, IA soared to 118 degrees to establish a new state record maximum temperature. (The Weather Channel) (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) 1946 The temperature at Medford, OR soared to an all-time high of 115° to begin a two week heat wave. During that Oregon heat wave the mercury hit 100° at Sexton Summit for the only time in 40 years of records. (Extreme Weather p. 276, by Christopher C. Burt) 1953 Twenty-two inches of hail reportedly fell northeast of Dickinson, ND. (The Weather Channel) (Ref. WxDoctor) 1975 Annandale, Fairfax County, VA 16 people were struck and injured while picnicking. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) 1986 Savannah, GA tied their hottest day on record as the mercury soared to 105° (7/12/1879). The temperature at Charleston, SC was 104° for the second day in a row to tie their all-time record high at that time. The new record high for Charleston, SC is 105 °F on August 1, 1999. (Extreme Weather pp. 273, and 277, by Christopher C. Burt) 1987 Thunderstorms produced severe weather across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 87 mph at Mosinee, WI, and strong thunderstorm winds capsized twenty-six boats on Grand Traverse Bay drowning two women. Thunderstorms produced nine inches of rain at Shakopee, MN, with 7.83 inches reported in six hours at Chaska, MN. Thunderstorms in north central Nebraska produced hail as large as golf balls in southwestern Cherry County, which accumulated to a depth of 12 inches. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 The temperature at Redding, CA soared to an all-time record high of 118 °F. Showers and thunderstorms produced much needed rains from New England to southern Texas. Salem, IN was deluged with 7.2 inches of rain resulting in flash flooding. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 Showers and thunderstorms in the Middle Atlantic Coast Region soaked Wilmington, DE with 2.28 inches of rain, pushing their total for the period May through July past the previous record of 22.43 inches. Heavy rain over that three-month period virtually wiped out a 16.82 inch deficit, which had been building since drought conditions began in 1985. Thunderstorms in central Indiana deluged Lebanon with 6.50 inches of rain in twelve hours, and thunderstorms over Florida produced wind gusts to 84 mph at Flagler Beach. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1993 Heavy rains caused flash flooding in the Black Hills of South Dakota. 2.5 inches of rain fell within 30 minutes causing flash flooding in the Lead/Deadwood area and the northern Black Hills. The rapid runoff from the rains also caused numerous mudslides. The mudslides were as deep as three feet on area highways and even washed out a few roads. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1993 Seattle, WA recorded their record maximum temperature of 100 °F which was also recorded on June 9, 1955. (Extreme Weather p. 278, by Christopher C. Burt) 1994 Several separate lightning bolts struck Camp Pickett, VA injuring seven officers. Two suffered serious injuries and had to be resuscitated several times. Most of the men were injured while inside tents with metal poles. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) 1997 32.54 inches of rain fell at Dauphin Island Sea Lab during the slow passage of Hurricane Danny. This set Alabama’s record 24-hour maximum precipitation record. In total 36.74 inches of rain was dumped by Danny here, 26 inches of which fell in just 7 hours the previous day. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2003 A hailstorm (had ping-pong to baseball size) damaged most houses and vehicles on the east side of North Platte Nebraska; $7 million damage. A woman was struck on her head by a large hailstone in the Wal-Mart parking lot. She had to be taken to the hospital for stitches. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2007 Accord Publishing, USA) 2004 Portales, New Mexico: Two New Mexico State Police officers are struck by a lightning while helping motorists on a road flooded during a thunderstorm. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2005 Hurricane Emily made landfall in northern Mexico. When the central pressure fell to 29.43 inches of mercury and its sustained winds reached 160 mph on the 16th, Emily became the strongest hurricane ever to form before August, breaking a record set by Hurricane Dennis just six days before. It was also the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin (beating Hurricane Allen's old record by nearly three weeks) and the only Category 5 hurricane ever recorded before August. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

JULY   21ST 1911 The temperature at Painter, WY (elevation 6,749 feet) dipped to 10 degrees to equal the record low for July for the continental U.S. (The Weather Channel) 1930 The state record for Delaware was established that day with a reading of 110 °F at Millsboro, Delaware. (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) 1934 The temperature reached 109 degrees at Cincinnati, OH to cap their hottest summer of record. The state record for Ohio was established that day with a reading of 113 degrees near the town of Gallipolis. (David Ludlum) (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) 1939 Richmond, Virginia had a high temperature for the day of 65 °F making it the coolest July day on record (records since 1897). (Ref. Richmond Weather Records) 1942 This is the only occurrence Miami, FL has ever seen 100°. (Extreme Weather p. 273, by Christopher C. Burt) 1947 Holt, MO records world record 12 inches of rain in only 42 minutes. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1975 Six inches of rain fell across Mercer County, NJ in just ten hours causing the worst flooding in twenty years. Assunpink Creek crested eleven feet above flood stage at Hamilton and Trenton, the highest level of record. Traffic was brought to a standstill, and railway service between New York City and Washington, DC was cut off for two days. Flooding left 1000 persons homeless, and caused an estimated 25 million dollars damage. (David Ludlum) 1979 Parts of Lancaster County into the west central Chester County, Pennsylvania region was hit with torrential rain during the morning, with most of the rain falling in about 5 hours. In Chester County, Newlinville received 8.11 inches and Valley Township 7.56 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1983 WORLD'S LOWEST TEMPERATURE was set today in 1983 -128.6 °F VOSTOK, ANTARCTICA (elev. 11,200 feet). Though unconfirmed, readings could have been as low as -132 °F in their winter of 1997. 1986 A tremendous heat wave continued across the South. This was the 15th day in a row with 100° plus degree readings at Columbia, SC. Macon, GA topped out at 106 °F. It was also the 10th consecutive day with 100° degree plus heat at Macon. (Extreme Weather p. 273, by Christopher C. Burt) (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Thunderstorms produced severe weather from Utah to North Dakota, spawning a dozen tornadoes in North Dakota. Thunderstorms in North Dakota also produced baseball size hail at Clifford which caused four million dollars damage, and high winds which toppled a couple of eighty foot towers cutting off power to the town of Blanchard. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) Teton Wilderness and Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming: An F4 tornado ravages the Teton Wilderness and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming . Its violent winds destroy millions of trees on a 24.3-mile (38.9 km) track that traverses the Continental Divide at an elevation of 10,170 feet. (Ref. WxDoctor) This information is for those that think tornadoes can not occur in mountain areas. Edwards also noted that the nation's strongest high-altitude twister was an F4 storm that struck in Wyoming between the 8,500 and 11,000 foot level on July 21, 1987. Tornado expert Roger Edwards from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center at Norman, Oklahoma believes the highest observed U.S. tornado was photographed by a hiker at the 12,000 foot level in Sequoia National Park, California on July 7, 2004. Another high-level twister rated F3, touched down at the 11,000 foot level in Utah's Uinta Mountains on August 11, 1993. Edwards believes that there are probably a lot of high-level twisters that go undetected and unreported in the sparsely-populated mountains of the western United States. (Ref. Roger Edwards from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center at Norman, Oklahoma) 1988 While cool air invaded the central U.S., unseasonably hot weather continued over the western states. The temperature at Spring Valley, NV soared from a morning low of 35 degrees to an afternoon high of 95 degrees. Fallon, NV reported an all-time record high of 108 degrees, and Death Valley, CA reported their sixth straight day of 120° heat. (The Weather Channel) (The National Weather Summary) 1989 Afternoon thunderstorms over Florida produced wind gusts to 92 mph at Jacksonville, damaging thirteen light planes at Herlong Field. Five cities in Texas reported record low temperatures for the date. Corpus Christi, TX equaled their record low for the date with a reading of 71 degrees, and then tied their record high for the date that afternoon with a reading of 97 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1991 Boston, MA recorded 81 °F for the warmest low temperature. 100 degree readings are not common in Rhode Island, but the mercury topped out at 102° at Providence on this day, the second day in a row that the thermometer reached the century mark. (Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events) 1993 The Mississippi River crested at 46.9 feet at St. Louis, MO, easily breaking the old record of 43.2 feet established in the 1973 flood. The 11 mile long, 52 foot high flood wall kept water out of the city center. In spite of all the damage the flood did, it is estimated that without all of the flood-control measures in place today, the price tag from the flood would have easily doubled its astronomical $20 billion total. The record crest would be topped again on August 1st. The heavy rainfall that occurred earlier in the month set the stage for what became the flood of the century in Iowa. The city of Des Moines was very hard hit. At the peak of the flooding, nearly 35,000 households were without electricity and 50,000 were without power. Water service was out for 250,000 people, which is the largest water outage in United States history. Losses to the businesses in Des Moines were estimated at $800 million dollars, from physical damage to the buildings and lost business. Other damage in Des Moines included $30 million dollars to homes, $75 million dollars to the levee system and $20 million dollars to the water treatment plant. Damage to West Des Moines was also well over $30 million dollars. Crop damage was extensive as 6.5 million acres of cropland were damaged by the flood. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1995 A camper at Colonial Beach in Westmoreland County, VA took refuge under a tree during a thunderstorm. The tree was struck by lightning, which in turn caused second degree burns over 20 percent of the camper's body. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) 1997 Extreme flooding occurred over Baldwin County, Alabama as the remnants of Hurricane Danny drifted slowly northeastward after dumping 30 inches of rain over coastal Alabama. The worst flooding occurred around the Fish River where 500 homes were damaged. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1999 The Cedar River in Charles City, IA reached its all-time crest of an estimated 22.8 feet. Approximately 100 homes had flood damage in Charles City. Almost 12 inches of rain fell in a 48 hours period over these counties. Rainfall totals that day: New Hampton, IA: 7.10 inches (wettest day on record), Charles City, IA: 6.65 inches, West Union, IA: 4 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2001 A DC–9 operated by Scandinavian Airlines that even had its own board radar damage by hail while approaching the airstrip at Helsinki – Finland. However, the plane landed safely without any reported injuries. (Ref.Extreme Weather by H. Michael Mogil Text Copyright 2007)- Extreme Global Hail Events p. 152 2003 Have to assume it was the highest object in the vicinity? Lightning struck and killed a giraffe at Disney Animal Kingdom in Orlando, FL. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 2006 Western Washington: An unusual heat wave in western Washington breaks five maximum temperature records: Vancouver at 104°F, Olympia at 100°F, Seattle at 97°F, and Hoquiam at 90°F. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2011 at 4:50 PM Chicago bakes in first back-to-back 100-degree days in 16 years since deadly heat wave in July 1995 The mercury hit 101 degrees at Midway Airport at 4:40 pm Thursday afternoon marking the second straight day of triple-digit heat there. This was the city's first encounter with back- to-back 100-degree days in 16 years since the deadly heat wave of July 1995. Back then the mercury soared to 106 degrees on July 13 and was followed by a 102 degree high on July 14. The city's official site at O'Hare Airport has fallen just short of triple-digit heat for the second straight day. Today official high there was 99 degrees recorded at 1:58 pm. On Wednesday the 20th the city's official high at O'Hare international Airport was also 99 degrees. (Ref. WGN Chicago Weather Center - Tom Skilling)

JULY 22ND 1918 A single bolt of lightning struck 504 sheep dead in their tracks at the Wasatch National Forest in Utah. Sheep often herd together in storms, and as a result the shock from the lightning bolt was passed from one animal to another. (David Ludlum) (Ref. WxDoctor) 1999 The Cedar River in Charles City, IA reached its all-time crest of an estimated 22.8 feet. Approximately 100 homes had flood damage in Charles City. Almost 12 inches of rain fell in a 48 hours period over these counties. Rainfall totals that day: New Hampton, IA: 7.10 inches (wettest day on record), Charles City, IA: 6.65 inches, West Union, IA: 4 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1926 State maximum temperature record was set today at Troy, New York which was 108 °F. Also the maximum temperature of 105 °F was recorded at Waterbury, Connecticut but their state record is now 106 °F in 1995. (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) 1959 Two one-hundredths of an inch of rain was recorded ending a streak of 150 days with no measurable precipitation at Las Vegas, NV. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1972 One person in Virginia was killed by lightning while playing softball. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) Minnesota registered their record maximum 24 hour precipitation as 10.84 inches of rain fell at Fort Ripley. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1986 Hurricane Estelle passed 120 miles south of the Hawaiian Islands creating ten to twenty feet surf. The large swells resulted from a combination of high tides, a full moon, and 50 mph winds. The hurricane also deluged Oahu Island with as much as 6.86 inches of rain on the 24th and 25th of the month. (Storm Data) 1987 Barrow, AK received 1.38 inches in 24 hours on the 21st and 22nd, an all-time record for that location. The average annual precipitation for Barrow is just 4.75 inches. Thunderstorms in Montana produced 4 to 6 inches of rain in Glacier County causing extensive flooding along Divide Creek. Missoula, MT received 1.71 inches of rain in 24 hours, a record for the month of July. (The National Weather Summary) (The Weather Channel) 1988 Six cities in the south central U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date, including Pueblo, CO with a reading of 48 degrees. Thunderstorms over the Atlantic Coast Region drenched Wilmington, NC with 6.49 inches of rain in about eight hours. (The National Weather Summary) Dust devils are not a unique phenomenon, but usually they stay extremely small. This was not the case in Dickinson County, Iowa where a very strong dust devil developed on the edge of LakeOkoboji. It picked up whole sections of several docks and swept away all of the loose dirt in the area. Winds were estimated in excess of 60 mph. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1989 Showers and thunderstorms prevailed across the southeastern third of the country. Afternoon thunderstorms in Florida produced wind gusts to 86 mph at Zephyrhills and gusts to 92 mph at Carrollwood and Lutz. Thunderstorm winds gusting to 69 mph at Crystal Lake damaged nineteen mobile homes. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1992 Lightning hit on or near a concrete mixing truck near Walla Walla, WA; a man was knocked off the truck. 10 minutes later a 2nd strike knocked him away from the truck again. He was fortunate he was only slightly hurt. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 2003 "The Mid-South Derecho of 2003" States affected....AR, TN, MS, AL, GA, SC (Ref. For More Information) 2006 Palm Springs, California: Mercury soars to 121 °F. (Ref. WxDoctor) Widespread damaging winds, estimated around 90 mph, raked most of Jefferson County in south central Illinois. The city of Mt. Vernon was especially hard hit, where about 14% of all homes received at least minor damage. In Mt. Vernon, damage assessments indicated 1,107 homes were affected by some type of damage. 491 homes received minor damage such as roofs blown off, 152 received major damage, and 18 were destroyed. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2011 A low of 82 degrees Fahrenheit on the 22nd at Norfolk tied for the second highest minimum temperature ever recorded there. Also the highest temperature for 2011 was 103 °F at Norfolk and 102°F at Richmond both on July, 22nd. (Ref.NWS, Wakefield, Virginia - A Near Record High Minimum Temperature for Norfork) 2017 Glen Allen tied the record at 17 days without measurable precipitation. The 17 day period was from July 6th to July 22nd including both days of the 6th and 22nd.

JULY   23RD 1788 A weather diary kept by George Washington recorded that the center of a hurricane passed directly over his Mount Vernon home. The hurricane crossed eastern North Carolina and Virginia before moving into the Central Appalachians. Norfolk, VA reported houses destroyed, trees uprooted, and crops leveled to the ground. This storm originated near Bermuda on the 19th before making landfall in Virginia. It passed directly over the Lower Chesapeake Bay and Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. This track is very similar to the track of the Chesapeake-Potomac hurricane of 1933. At Norfolk, winds increased at 5 p.m. on the 23rd with the wind originating from the northeast. At 12:30 a.m., the wind suddenly shifted to the south and "blew a perfect hurricane, tearing down chimneys, fences"...some corn was also leveled. In addition, large trees were uprooted and houses were moved from their foundations. Houses and trees fell in great numbers across Northumberland, Lancaster, Richmond, and Westmoreland counties. Crops were destroyed and many livestock perished in Lower Mathews county. Many plantations saw their houses leveled. Homes were flooded with water six feet deep... several inhabitants drowned. Gloucester county was inundated, $400,000 in damage was incurred. George Washington noted the sinking of the small ship Federalist and uprooted trees. Colonel James Madison, father of the future president, experienced the passing of great winds and rains near Orange. In Alexandria, damage to wheat, tobacco, and corn was "beyond description" (David Ludlum). (Ref. George Washington's Hurricane) 1898 A two hour thunderstorm deluged Atlanta, GA with 4.32 inches of rain. More than a foot of water flooded Union Depot. Many streetcar motors burned out while trying to run through flooded streets. It grew so dark before the afternoon storm that gaslights were needed. (The Weather Channel) 1919 Eleven cloudy days in a row from 12th to 23rd and measurable rainfall from 15-23 was a total of 5.59 inches. 1923 Sheridan, WY was drenched with 4.41 inches of rain, an all-time 24-hour record for that location. Associated flooding washed out 20 miles of railroad track. (22nd-23rd) (The Weather Channel) 1975 Severe thunderstorms affected parts of northern and central Illinois. In Peoria, winds gusting to 85 mph knocked over trees. Two tornadoes affected Fulton County. The first passed through mainly rural areas. The second tornado caused major damage in Canton, where 127 businesses and 100 homes were destroyed. 300 other homes and 100 trailers were damaged; total damages were around $20 million dollars. Two people were killed as the tornado moved through a mobile home park. Power lines were downed during the storm; some areas were without power until the 28th. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1979 Intense thunderstorms dumped copious amounts of rainfall over the western parts of Oklahoma. Rainfall amounts were quite impressive, including reports of up to 7 inches just north of Arapaho, in Custer County. Four inches of rain fell in just one hour east of Arapaho and two inches of rain fell in only 30 minutes in Clinton. Many creeks and rivers were quickly forced out of their banks by the heavy rainfall. Floods covered the Arapaho-Weatherford Road with as much as 4 feet of water. More than 5 inches of rain fell in the Taloga area of Dewey County, causing Highway 183 to be inundated by one to two feet of flood water. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1985 Tropical Storm Bob moved across south Florida from Ft. Myers to just north of Palm Beach. The storm then turned north and moved northeast of Florida. The storm did minor damage to roofs and downed some trees, mainly on Florida's west coast. Rainfall amounts ranged up to 13 inches at Naples. Several beaches suffered erosion from Port Charlotte to Marco Island. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Thunderstorms produced a record 10 inches of rain in 6.5 hours at Minneapolis, MN, including 5.26 inches in two hours. Flash flooding claimed two lives and caused $21.3 million dollars damage. Streets in Minneapolis became rushing rivers, parking lots became lakes, and storm sewers spouted like geysers. A tornado hit Maple Grove, MN causing $5 million dollars damage. Baseball size hail was reported at Olivia, MN. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1988 Thunderstorms produced severe weather in Lower Michigan and northern Ohio, over eastern sections of the Dakotas, and over the Central High Plains Region. Showers and thunderstorms soaked Wilmington, NC with another two inches of rain, following six and a half inches the previous day. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 Morning thunderstorms in the central U.S. drenched central Oklahoma with up to six inches of rain. Afternoon thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 85 mph at Fort Smith, AR. Evening thunderstorms over Florida spawned a tornado, which touched down three times in south Fort Myers causing nearly three quarters of a million dollars damage. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1995 At Dodge City, KS thunderstorm winds to 100 mph caused extensive damage to fences. One filling station canopy was downed and it landed on two occupied vehicles but there were no injuries. One roof was taken off a house with debris scattered several hundred yards. A large storage shed was heavily damaged with two motor homes inside receiving extensive damage. Debris was carried one quarter of a mile. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1997 Tornadoes hit South Carolina in wake of dying Hurricane Danny, including one that leveled a duplex apartment and killed one person. A Charlotte, NC, railroad trestle gave way, plunging a CSX locomotive into Little Sugar Creek. Crew members escaped unharmed. 6.88 inches of rain fell in Charlotte, breaking the 24 hour record of 5.91 inches in July 1944. A record 6.14 inches fell between midnight and 2 PM Up to 10 inches fell in other parts of south-central North Carolina. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1998 Thunderstorms produced a record ten inches of rain in six and a half hours at Minneapolis, MN, including 5.26 inches in two hours. Flash flooding claimed two lives and caused 21.3 million dollars damage. Streets in Minneapolis became rushing rivers, parking lots became lakes, and storm sewers spouted like geysers. A tornado hit Maple Grove, MN causing five million dollars damage. Baseball size hail was reported at Olivia, MN. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 2003 Boise, Idaho: With a reading of 107°F, a new record was set for the number of consecutive days with temperatures above 100°F. July 23 marks the 9th consecutive day. (Ref. WxDoctor) (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 2006 This was the peak of an intense July heat wave that affected much of California and the NW United States thanks to an intense upper level heat ridge. Fresno, CA was the hottest since 7/27/1933. An all-time record high minimum was set with 90°. In Lemoore, 10,000 customers lost power for up to four hours. In all, 46 deaths were reported with 18 injuries. Eugene, OR tied their July record with 105°. Other daily record highs included: Phoenix, AZ: 114°, Redding, CA: 114°, Sacramento, CA: 111°, Lewiston, ID: 109°, Medford, OR: 107°, Spokane, WA: 102 °F. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2008 Rhode Island: A waterspout forms at about 4 pm just off Rumstick Point near Barrington then moves onto land as a tornado in Warren before moving into the Ocean Grove section of Swansea, Massachusetts. The tornado's path is estimated as 4.2 miles long and 40 yards wide. No injuries are reported, but damage to trees, power lines and houses is reported. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2010 After a severe thunderstorm, a Vivian South Dakota resident, Les Scott, found a hailstone with a diameter of 8.0 inches and its weight was 1.9375 pounds (1 pound, 15 ounces) with a circumference of 18.62 inches. These measurements displace the previous hailstone record for weight, previously 1.67 pounds for a stone in Coffeyville, Kan., in 1970. They also surpass the record for the greatest diameter, which was 7 inches for a hailstone found in Aurora, Neb., in 2003. But the Aurora hailstone still holds the record for the greatest circumference of 18.75 inches. (Thus the Aurora hailstone was more spherical than the Vivian hailstone.) (Ref. NOAA News Release July 30, 2010 - Record Hailstone ) (Ref. See a Picture of the World's Largest Hailstone) (Ref. Info. on the Storm Yielding Hailstone) (Ref. See a video About the World's Largest Hailstone) 2011 The total rainfall at O'Hare of 6.86 inches is the largest single-day rainfall since records began in 1871. Of that total 5.53 inches fell in just 2 hours between 12:51am and 2:51am!!! The 24-hour rainfall for O’Hare was 8.20 inches. Thunderstorm wind gust of 47 mph at O’Hare. (Ref. NWS Record Rainfall)

JULY   24TH 1886 Rain fell at Lawrence, KS for the first time in four weeks. Rain fell over much of the state of Kansas that day relieving a severe drought that began in May. The very dry weather ruined crops in Kansas. (David Ludlum) 1931 Searing heat prevailed in the San Joaquin Valley in California. Many locations saw highs of 110 °F or better from the 21st through the 26th. Highs on this date reached 114 °F at Bakersfield, 113 °F at Hanford, 112 °F at Madera and 111 °F Wasco. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1934 A terrible heat wave settled over much of the Midwest. South Bend, IN and Chicago, IL set their all-time high temperature records of 109 °F and 105 °F respectively. Lansing, MI equaled their all-time high temperature of 102°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1936 The state maximum temperature record for Kansas was equaled today at Alton, Kansas which was 121 °F. The state maximum temperature record for Nebraska was also equaled today at Minden, Nebraska which was 118 °F. (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) 1942 The temperature at Las Vegas, NV hit 117 °F. The record is 118 °F set July 26, 1931. (Extreme Weather p. 275, by Christopher C. Burt) 1947 One of the most powerful strokes of lightning ever measured yielded 345,000 amperes of electricity in Pittsburgh, PA. (The Weather Channel) 1952 The temperature at Louisville, GA soared to 112 degrees to establish a state record. The temperature also hit 112 °F in Greenville, GA on August 20, 1983. (The Weather Channel) (Extreme Weather p. 22, by Christopher C. Burt) 1979 The name Claudette has been used for six tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean. This Claudette, a weak tropical storm, deluged southeastern Texas with torrential rains. The Houston suburb of Alvin received 43 inches, a 24-hour record for the U.S. (David Ludlum) 1984 Only four days of 90 °F heat for July in Washington, DC, the least since 1962 then only two. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1987 Twenty-one cities in the eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. The high of 91 degrees at Beckley, WV was their hottest reading in 25 years of records, and marked their third straight day of record 90 degree heat. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) Bakersfield CA dipped to 60 degrees, marking their eighth straight morning of record cool weather. (The National Weather Summary) 1988 Afternoon and evening thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds in Oklahoma and over Nebraska and Wisconsin. Thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 75 mph at Brainerd, NE. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989 Afternoon thunderstorms produced some flash flooding in New Mexico. Albuquerque, NM was deluged with an inch and a half of rain in forty minutes. Evening thunderstorms soaked White Pine, PA with two inches of rain in one hour. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1993 A severe thunderstorm struck southern Hyde County, SD including the city of Highmore, with winds in excess of 60 mph and heavy rains of 2 to 4 inches. Near Stephan, an estimated 4 inches of rain fell in 20 minutes causing flood damage around a bridge. 3 to 9 inches of rain caused widespread flash flooding and flood damage to Day, Roberts, and southeastern Marshall Counties. A state of emergency was declared in Sisseton. The heavy rains overwhelmed a small creek that flows through Sisseton, swelling it to three blocks wide and up to 5 feet deep. Flood damage occurred to 70% of all buildings in Sisseton, including 100 homes. Roads and bridge damage was also extensive in Roberts, Day, and Marshall Counties with about 50 roads and bridges in Day County damaged by the flooding. HR> The line of thunderstorms exploded over southeast Nebraska then advanced into Iowa at nearly 60 mph. An amazing two inches of rain fell in 30 minutes at Council Bluffs. Winds of 70 mph or greater were widespread across western Iowa. 75 mph winds also struck southeast of Treynor. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1995 Severe thunderstorms slashed through west and south Oklahoma City, OK just after midnight, leaving 175,000 people without power. Cleanup from downed trees took several weeks. Will Rogers Airport reported a wind gust of 97 mph. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1996 A wet microburst centered over eastern Presidio, TX caused extensive damage over portions of the city. The winds destroyed 7 mobile homes and damaged up to 50 homes, businesses, and a school. Wind estimates put the speeds at up to 100 mph in the worst damage. Power was out for about 5.5 hours in parts of the city. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1998 Lightning struck five rescue personnel as they rendered aid to occupants of an overturned truck along Interstate 15 near Sloan, NV. As the storm moved north, outflow winds estimated at 65 - 70 mph were observed by a NWS meteorologist near Lake Mead Drive and Interstate 15. Before dissipating, the thunderstorm produced another lightning strike which set fire to an apartment building in Henderson. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2007 Miles City, Montana: Miles City hits 110°F. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2008 Central New Hampshire: A tornado fluctuated between the category EF1 and the more destructive EF2 strikes Northwood and Pittsfield, as well as nine other towns. It first touches down in Deerfield, then travels through Northwood, Epsom, Pittsfield, Barnstead and Alton. From there, it rages through New Durham, Wolfeboro, Freedom, Ossipee and Effingham. The storm destroys several homes, damages dozens of others and kills at least one person. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2010 The 105 °F recorded at the Richmond International Airport today ties the highest maximum temperature ever recorded in July in Richmond. The high of 105 °F and low of 79 °F today yields a daily average temp of 92.0 °F which breaks the all-time daily mean temp of 91.5. Thus making today the hottest day ever recorded in the past 113 years for Richmond. (Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC) This highest temperature ever recorded for July of 105 °F has occurred on two other dates. (Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC) DCA soared to a record 102 °F on the 7th and 101 °F on the 24th. BWI recorded record high temperatures on 4 days: 6th (105 °F), 7th (101 °F), 24th (101 °F) and 25th (100 °F) BWI had on 5 days above 100 °F making the most on record. At or above 90 °F on 44 days in 2010 at DCA, most number of days through July on record. Ref. July PRESTO Page 1 2012 Tuesday morning’s July 24, 2012 a severe thunderstorm with widespread 60-70mph winds in the Chicago area knocked out power to 300,000 at the peak. It was a bad storm with 55-70mph winds in Oak Park, IL again! From Tom Skilling’s blog - - - The line broke up over Blacksburg and Richmond and then reformed along the Eastern shore of Virginia ! Ref. Three derechos in three weeks have hit the Chicago area- See Map

JULY   25TH 1609 The Jamestown expedition nearly came to an untimely end as the fleet of ships encountered a tropical storm while sailing northwest through the Bahamas. One of the nine ships sunk and the rest of the fleet scattered as far north as Bermuda. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1891 The mercury hit 109 degrees at Los Angeles CA marking the peak of a torrid heat wave. (David Ludlum) 1936 Lincoln, Nebraska: An all-time record high temperature: 115 °F. Nighttime low only dips to 91°F, and the average temperature for the day is 103°F. Omaha, NE also set their all-time record high of 114°. (Extreme Weather p. 275 by Christopher C. Burt) 1952 The State of Alabama was in the midst of a critical heat wave and drought. During an 8-day stretch, the "coolest" high temperature in Birmingham was 99°. The heat peaked on this date in Birmingham at 106°. This was just one degree short of the highest temperature ever recorded at Birmingham on 7/29/1930. During that heat wave and drought, some wells in Alabama went dry for the very first time. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1956 The Andrea Doria sank in dense fog near Nantucket Lightship, MA. The Swedish-American liner, Stockholm, hit the ship forty-five miles off the coast of Massachusetts. Fifty-two persons drowned, or were killed by the impact. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel) 1959 The depression meandered westward while steadily intensifying, becoming a Tropical Storm Debra on July 24. A turn towards the northwest became evident as it attained Category 1 hurricane status on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale on the following day. Strength was maintained as the hurricane curved northward at a slow forward speed, and it approached the coast of Texas as a minimal hurricane. Debra made landfall between Freeport and Galveston, Texas early on July 25. Debra rapidly weakened into a tropical storm and later a depression as it moved inland, and it dissipated on July 28. The remnant moisture later sparked upper-level thunderstorms in late July and early August.[2] Torrential rains were produced in southeastern Texas, peaking at 15.89 inches in Orange. This led to widespread flooding on highways, including portions of Farm Road 518, Highway 6, Highway 146, and U.S. Route 75. Sea vessels took the brunt of the storm, with many becoming stranded or damaged. Air, rail, and road transportation were significantly interrupted or even shut down. High winds from the storm caused expansive damage to buildings, windows, signs, and roofs. The hurricane resulted in 11 injuries but no human deaths, although approximately 90 cattle drowned. Damage in Brazoria, Galveston, and Harris counties surmounted $6.685 million. Additionally, impact in other areas increased the total losses to $7 million. (Ref. Wikipedia) (Ref. Daily News Record Newspaper - Harrisonburg, Virginia) 1972 Killing heat from 13th to 25th resulted in 185 deaths in Baltimore and 85 in the rest of MD. This heat wave in New York and Northeastern United States was significant as almost 900 people perished; the heat conditions lasted almost 16 days. (1972 Heat Wave - Wikipedia.org) 1974 Brownsville, Minn.--Lightning killed a 17-year-old youth as he slept in a tent. A companion was injured. Western Texas--Lightning struck and fatally injured a woman during a thunderstorm. (Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf) 1979 Flooding continues from Tropical Storm Claudette produced phenomenal rainfall totals in southeast Texas. 43 inches fell in 24 hours around Alvin; setting a U.S. record. Freeport reported a total of 30 inches. Total damage from flooding was over $400 million dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1984 The hardest hit area was the state capital of Pierre of SD. Winds gusting to 83 mph demolished 13 planes and several hangers at the Pierre airport. The thunderstorm also produced very heavy rains as 4 inches of rain fell in 30 minutes flooding streets across town. Winds in excess of 70 mph caused crop and property damage in many areas across central South Dakota. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1986 Tremendous hailstones pounded parts of South Dakota damaging crops, buildings and vehicles. Hail piled two feet deep at Black Hawk and northern Rapid City. Hail an inch and a quarter in diameter fell for 85 minutes near Miller and Huron, piling up to depths of two feet. (The Weather Channel) 1987 Sixteen cities in the eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Beckley, WV equaled their all-time record high of 91 degrees, established just the previous day. It marked their fourth day in a row of 90° heat, after hitting 90 degrees just twice in the previous 25 years of records. The water temperature of Lake Erie at Buffalo, NY reached 79 degrees, the warmest reading in 52 years of records. (The National Weather Summary) 1988 Thunderstorms produced severe weather from central Kansas to western Kentucky and southern Illinois during the day. Thunderstorms produced tennis ball size hail at Union, MO, and wind gusts to 65 mph at Sedalia, MO. Five cities in Washington and Oregon reported record high temperatures for the date. Medford, OR hit 107 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989 Early afternoon thunderstorms over west central Missouri drenched the town of Ferguson with four inches of rain. Early evening thunderstorms in Pennsylvania produced more than two inches of rain north of Avella in one hour. (The National Weather Summary) 1990 Intense, slow-moving thunderstorms, dumped up to 11 inches of rain in just 6 hours at Lawton, OK. The flash flooding closed many roads, and 50 to 60 motorists had to be rescued when they became stranded in the high water. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1992 Grapefruit sized hail knocked windshields out of several cars about 9.5 miles northeast of Scott City, KS. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1993 Lightning prevalent in north and eastern GA - 12 homes hit in Cobb County (2 destroyed). A police officer in Augusta survived a strike while working a traffic accident. On the 26th, 10 people at the Atlanta Zoo were injured by lightning while sheltering under a gazebo. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 1997 Campbell County, VA a lightning strike injured a man at Timberlake. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) 1998 Kansas City was especially hard hit by heavy rain with the suburb of Independence reporting 6.5 inches of rain, most of it falling in a matter of a few hours. Thunderstorms produced 2 to 3 inches of rain over parts of Banner and Cheyenne counties of the Nebraska panhandle, with local amounts around 4.5 inches. This produced flash flooding which closed some county roads, and put 6 to 18 inches of water on some streets in Sidney, NE. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2000 An F4 tornado at Granite Falls, MN caused one fatality and $20 million dollars in damage. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2003 Lightning struck a home during an overnight thunderstorm southwest of Oslo, Norway. The charge moved into the bedroom and through an iron bed, as a Norwegian couple was sleeping on it. The couple was unharmed, but the lightning strike burned out all of the electric sockets. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2005 Sand Point, Alaska: Residents of Sand Point, population 908, looking across Popof Strait to nearby Unga Island watch a very rare tornado touch its uninhabited mountains. Sand Point is on Popof Island, one of a dozen or so Shumagin Islands at the start of the Aleutian Chain, 570 miles southwest of Anchorage near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2006 It was the hottest day during the current heat wave in central California. Some record highs included: Delano: 116°, Three Rivers: 116°, Wasco: 114°, China Lake Naval Air Station: 113°, Fresno: 113°, Bakersfield: 112 °F. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2010 The 105 °F recorded at the Richmond International Airport on the 24th and 25th also ties the highest maximum temperature ever recorded in July in Richmond. The high of 105 °F and low of 79 °F on these two dates yields a daily average temp of 92.0 °F which breaks the all-time daily mean temp of 91.5. Thus making these two dates the hottest days ever recorded in the past 113 years for Richmond. (Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC) This highest temperature ever recorded for July of 105 °F has occurred on two other dates. (Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC) On the 25th, damaging straight line thunderstorm winds with widespread gusts 60-75 mph and isolated gusts to 90 mph across parts of Fairfax and Loudoun Counties in Virginia and Montgomery, northern Prince Georges, Ann Arundel and Charles counties in Maryland and in Washington, DC. The storm resulted in 3 deaths from wind and one from lightning, widespread damage from downed trees and power lines, and loss of power to more than 300,000 customers. Ref. July PRESTO Page 1

JULY   26TH 1819 Twin cloudbursts of fifteen inches of rain struck almost simultaneously at Catskill, NY and Westfield, MA. Flash flooding resulted in enormous erosion. (David Ludlum) 1874 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: 30-minute cloudburst results in flash floods which kills more than 133 people. (Ref. WxDoctor) 1875 A windstorm, possibly a tornado, ripped through Erie, PA killing 134 people and causing $500,000 dollars damage. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1890 Lawrence, MA tornado stayed on the ground for 11 miles and killed 8 people and injured 50. (Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events) 1897 Jewell, MD received 14.75 inches of rain; a 24-hour rainfall record for Maryland. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1943 Tishomingo, OK baked in the heat as the mercury soared to 120 degrees, a state record. (Mike Mogil ) The all-time record high for the state of Oklahoma, 120 degrees, has been reached six times in our past. The most recent was in 1994 at a Mesonet station at Tipton: Tipton 6/27/1994, Tishomingo, 7/26/1943, Poteau, 8/10/1936, Altus 7/19/1936, Altus, 8/12/1936, Alva, 7/18/1936 ( Bryan Painter ) 1960 The temperature at Salt Lake City , UT hit 107 degrees, an all-time record high for that location. (The Weather Channel) 1974 Cleghorn, La.--A 27-year-old man was killed by lightning while working near a metal tool shed. (Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf) 1977 Canadian high pressure brought record cold temperatures to parts of the Great Lakes region. Record lows included: Madison, WI: 46°, Muskegon, MI: 46°, Green Bay, WI: 47°, Flint, MI: 48, Toledo, OH: 50°, Detroit, MI: 50° and Springfield, IL: 52°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1979 On July 25th and 26th in Alvin, Texas: The heaviest 24-hour rainfall ever recorded in the United States 43 inches falls on Alvin, Texas. (Ref. WxDoctor) 1986 Strong thunderstorms hit north central South Dakota. One of these storms was a very efficient rain producer as it dumped 2.25 inches of rain in 10 minutes near McLaughlin. Strong thunderstorm winds did damage near Mitchell on that same day. The strong winds destroyed a barn, a roof, and windmill in the Mitchell area. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Thunderstorms developing along a cold front produced hail two inches in diameter in McHenry County, IL, and wind gusts to 70 mph at Auburn, ME. A wind gust of 90 mph was recorded at Blairstown, NJ before the anemometer broke. The high winds were associated with a small tornado. The record high of 88 degrees at Beckley, WV was their sixth in a row. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 Thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds in the Mid-Atlantic Coast Region, and in the south central U.S. Eight cities in the northwestern and north central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Salem, OR hit 103 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 Morning thunderstorms produced heavy rain in southeastern Texas, with more than three inches reported at the Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Chambers County. Evening thunderstorms produced severe weather in Montana, with wind gusts to 62 mph reported at Helena. Eight cities from Maine to Minnesota reported record high temperatures for the date, including Newark, NJ with a reading of 99 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1993 Pueblo, Colorado: Record high for date, 101°F and record low for date 52°F, set on same day! (Ref. WxDoctor) The Great Mississippi River Flood of 1993: Rising water stopped all rail traffic through Kansas City, MO. A tornado moved along a 4 mile track across parts of northwest Scottsbluff, NE. The tornado destroyed a furniture store and about 8 homes, with about $3 million dollars in damage. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2000 A line of thunderstorms developed in Iowa and pushed southward into northwest Missouri. The early storms produced large hail in the northwest corner of Missouri. Wind gusts in excess of 70 mph and widespread wind damage occurred from the St. Joseph area southward to the Kansas City metro and other locations in west central Missouri. The highway department reported downed trees up to 4 feet in diameter. A building under construction in an industrial park sustained over $1 million dollars in damage. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2001 Two Boy Scouts were injured by lightning while at a campsite during the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County, VA. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) Up to 8 inches of rain fell in about 3 to 4 hours across Copiah County, Mississippi. Various portions of Rankin County had significant flooding. In Pearl, several roads had to be closed. Water also covered several roads in Brandon where up to six inches of rain fell in a few hours. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2006 Death Valley National Park, California: The low temperature for the day bottoms out at a scorching 104°F. The day's high was only 116°F. Fresno, CA recorded their 5th straight night with a minimum temperature of 80° or better. This is their longest such streak on record. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2009 Rio Grande Valley, Texas: Since June 12th, San Antonio has registered 31 days with temperatures in the 100s °F. Across the Rio Grande Valley, extreme heat in McAllen this month has been staggering with 20 days of record-setting high temperatures. This day made it the 11th day in a row that new record highs were set. (Ref. WxDoctor)

JULY   27TH 1819 The Bay St. Louis Hurricane of 1819 made landfall on the Mississippi Coast very near where Hurricane Camille landed in 1969. The storm caused heavy damage all the way to Mobile, AL. 175 people perished in the storm. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1926 A hurricane came inland near Daytona Beach, FL. The hurricane caused 2.5 million dollars damage in eastern Florida, including the Jacksonville area. (David Ludlum) 1930 High minimum temperature was 81° and the maximum of 99° gave a daily mean of 90° in Washington, DC. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1939 The temperature at Lewiston, ID was 117° to establish an all-time record high for that location. (The Weather Channel) 1943 On a whim, and flying a single engine AT-6, Lieutenant Ralph O' Hair and Colonel Duckworth were the first to fly into a hurricane. It started regular Air Force flights into hurricanes. (The Weather Channel) (Ref. WxDoctor) 1959 Lieutenant Colonel William H. Rankin, ejected, from his jet fighter at 47,00 feet, the temperature outside was around 50 below zero and he was only wearing a light weight flying suit, gloves, helmet and marine field shoes. (Ref. Parachuting into a thunderstorm) 1974 Mount Hood Forest, OR -- Lightning-caused forest fires broke out in which a fire-fighting helicopter was lost with its crew of two. (Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf) 1987 Thunderstorms in Minnesota spawned a tornado, which moved in a southwesterly direction for a distance of thirty miles across Rice County and Goodhue County. Trees were uprooted and tossed about like toys, and a horse lifted by the tornado was observed sailing horizontally through the air. Thunderstorms drenched La Crosse, WI with 5.26 inches of rain, their second highest 24-hour total of record. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 Hot weather prevailed in the north central U.S. Williston, ND reported a record high of 108 degrees. Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the eastern U.S., and in southeastern Texas. Richland County, SC was soaked with up to 5.50 inches of rain. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 Thunderstorms produced locally heavy rains in the southwestern U.S. Yuma, AZ experienced their most severe thunderstorm of record. Strong thunderstorm winds, with unofficial gusts as high as 95 mph, reduced visibilities to near zero in blowing dust and sand. Yuma got nearly as much rain in one hour as is normally received in an entire year. The storm total of 2.55 inches of rain was a record 24-hour total for July. Property damage due to flash flooding and high winds was in the millions. (Storm Data) Thunderstorms produced severe weather from Wisconsin and northern Illinois to New England, with 103 reports of large hail and damaging winds through the day. Thunderstorms in Wisconsin produced hail three inches in diameter near Oshkosh, and wind gusts to 65 mph at Germantown. (The National Weather Summary) 1993 The Great Mississippi River Flood of 1993: Rising water stopped all rail traffic through Kansas City, MO. Flood crests from the Missouri and Kansas Rivers pushed toward Kansas City, MO at the same time, prompting fears that the crests would arrive simultaneously, pushing water over the city's flood control levees. Fortunately, the crests arrived six hours apart, with water levels just lapping at the very tops of the levees. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1995 Powhatan County, VA a woman received minor injuries when lightning struck her near the front door of her house. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) A heat wave began on this date across the southwest and continued through the 29th. Record highs included: Coachella, CA: 120 °F, Phoenix, AZ: 118 °F, San Jacinto, CA: 113 °F, Tucson, AZ: 113 °F, Riverside, CA: 112°, Banning, CA: 111 °F, Moreno Valley, CA: 111 °F, Sun City, CA: 111 °F and Yucaipa: 110 °F and Winslow, AZ: 103 °F. A male tourist from Ohio drowned in a rip current at Lake Worth Beach, FL. Strong easterly winds associated with the approach of Tropical Storm Erin caused the rip current. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1996 On this date 6.68 inches of rain fell at Oak Grove, AL, west of Birmingham. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1998 Across the western U.S. record highs included: Thermal, CA: 123°, Borrego Springs, CA: 119°, Yuma, AZ: 118°, Yakima, WA: 106°, Medford, OR: 106°, Eugene, OR: 105°, Olympia, WA: 99°, Seattle, WA: 95° and Quillayute, WA: 86°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2001 A severe thunderstorm produced a 100 mph wind gust 8 miles north of Hardin; MT. Several 5 to 6 foot diameter trees were blown down. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2002 A severe weather outbreak produced tornadoes and downburst wind damage across parts of Lower Michigan. A tornado with top winds around 80 mph touched down about one mile east of Augusta in Kalamazoo County. The tornado passed through Fort Custer in western Calhoun County, about one mile northwest of the Battle Creek airport. The damage path was approximately 800 yards wide and path length was 3 miles long. After the tornado ended, downburst damage continued for several more miles in Calhoun County. A severe thunderstorm struck a campground and mobile home park along Swan Lake in southern Allegan County. Trees were blown down onto mobile homes and small boats were blown out of the lake. Top winds with the downburst were estimated at 70 mph. Locally heavy thunderstorms and flash flooding affected parts of Ohio. Among the worst hit places were Dayton and Wilmington with 3.77 inches and 3.72 inches of rain respectively. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

JULY   28TH 1609 The Sea Venture was crippled by a hurricane as it headed to Jamestown, VA with provisions for the starving colonists. The 150 men, women and children found safe shelter on the Bahama Islands, which the captain named Somers Islands after the ship's captain. Most of the colonists moved into Virginia the next year, but the island still celebrates Somers Day each July 28. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1819 A small but intense hurricane passed over Bay Saint Louis, MS. The hurricane was considered the worst in fifty years. Few houses were left standing either at Bay Saint Louis or at Pass Christian, and much of the Mississippi coast was desolate following the storm. A U.S. cutter was lost along with its thirty-nine crew members. The storm struck the same area that was hit 150 years later by Hurricane Camille. (David Ludlum) (Ref. WxDoctor) 1898 A severe thunderstorm produced considerable hail (some stones to 11 ounces) in Chicago, IL; the storm was centered in the business district. A number of people were hurt, not by hail, but by several hundred runaway horses spooked by the hailstones. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 1930 The temperature at Greensburg, KY soared to 114 degrees to set a state record. (The Weather Channel) 1934 The temperature at Orofino, Idaho climbed to 118 degrees to establish a new maximum temperature record for Idaho. (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) (The Weather Channel) 1935 Sheridan, WY recorded their all-time record high minimum temperature of 77°. The afternoon high of 106° was their second hottest temperature ever. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1952 The 99° temperature at Washington, DC set date record and month's mean of 80.9 gave 2nd warmest July. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) A severe storm with hail up to an inch and a half in diameter broke windows, ruined roofs, and stripped trees of leaves near Benson, AZ. The temperature dropped to 37 degrees, as hail was three to four inches deep, with drifts 46 inches high. (The Weather Channel) 1974 Avon Park, Fla.--a 6-year old girl was killed by lightning while outside manually turning a TV-antenna pole for better reception. Fallsburg, NY - A mid-afternoon thunderstorm killed one golfer and injured another. Eastern Pennsylvania--One death and three injuries were reported to have resulted from lightning strikes. Hamilton County, Ohio--A boy was killed by lightning while walking from field to farmhouse. (Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf) 1976 A severe thunderstorm produced a tornado causing F3 damage in Madison County in Illinois The twister destroyed 11 homes, two churches, and a school in the western part of New Douglas and was responsible for 3 deaths and 30 injuries. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1986 Severe thunderstorms moving out of South Dakota across Iowa produce high winds that derailed eighteen piggyback trailer cars of a westbound freight train near Boone, IA. Sixteen of the cars fell 187 feet into the Des Moines River. The thunderstorms also spawned a number of tornadoes, including one which caused twenty-five to fifty million dollars damage at Sloan, near Sioux City, IA. (Storm Data) July 28-29, ......."The Supercell Transition Derecho" States affected ...IA, MO, IL (Ref. For More Information) 1987 Thunderstorms in Nevada produced wind gusts to 70 mph at Searchlight, reducing visibilities to near zero in blowing dust and sand. Thunderstorms in Montana drenched Lonesome Lake with 3.78 inches of rain. (The National Weather Summary) 1988 Thunderstorms drenched Wilmington, NC with 3.33 inches of rain, bringing their monthly total to 14.46 inches. Seven cities in Michigan and Minnesota reported record high temperatures for the date. Marquette, MI hit 99 degrees, and the record high of 94 degrees at Flint, MI was their tenth of the month. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 Afternoon thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds in Massachusetts. Early evening thunderstorms over Florida produced wind gusts to 68 mph at Fort Myers, and evening thunderstorms in South Dakota produced nearly two inches of rain in twenty minutes at Pierpoint. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1995 A 15-year-old girl was struck and killed in Northampton County as she walked along Smith Beach, VA. Also on this day, in Danville, VA a woman was slightly injured by lightning while standing near a window in her house. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) A heat wave prevailed across the southwestern U.S. Yuma, AZ reached its all-time high temperature reading with 124°. Palm Springs, CA hit 123° on this date and the 29th tying their all-time record high (7/10/1979 & 8/1/1993). It was 121° at Borrego Springs, CA, their highest temperature on record for July and their second highest temperature ever. Other record highs included: Riverside, CA: 107°, Idyllwild, CA: 95° and Big Bear Lake, CA: 90°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1997 Arlington, VA a man and woman were struck by lightning in the Pentagon's parking lot; the man was listed in serious condition. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) 8 to 10 inches of rain fell across the Spring Creek basin near Fort Collins, CO during the evening hours. The water pooled behind a railroad track bed that acted as a dam, building the water level to a height of 20 feet. When the water began rushing over the top of the track bed, it quickly eroded the earthen embankment, and a wall of water 10 feet to 20 feet high rushed through two trailer parks in the city. 120 mobile homes and 19 houses were destroyed. Damage totaled $200 million dollars. The disaster hit just days before the 21st anniversary of the Big Thompson River flood, which killed 145 people about 20 miles southwest of Fort Collins. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) In what was described by local residents as the worst flooding in 14 years, severe thunderstorms pounded Needles, CA with damaging winds and torrential rain. Rainfall estimates between 2 and 3 inches in less than one hour inundated and damaged part of a highway and made many local roads impassable. The strong wind gusts destroyed some car ports and downed numerous trees and power lines, further blocking traffic. No injuries were reported. 2000 16 people were injured when Pam Am flight 165, a Boeing 727 traveling from Orlando, FL to Pittsburgh, PA encountered severe clear air turbulence. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2001 Three young girls wading in knee deep water in the inlet between Rockaway and Atlantic Beach in Queens were swept away and drowned as dangerous rip currents funneled through the inlet. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2004 Heavy rain produced flash flooding across western north Texas and south-central Oklahoma. Up to 8 inches of rain fell across Archer and Knox counties, with nearly 5 inches across Wichita and Clay counties. Runoff caused several rivers to spill their banks, including the South Wichita River, which eventually crested nearly 5 feet above flood stage near Benjamin, the 3rd highest crest on record for that site. Ardmore, OK received nearly 5 inches as well, along with flash flooding at the Chickasaw National Recreation Center. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2011 122-year rainfall record for July falls, more storms coming Two passing storms overnight dumped enough rain to make this July the wettest one in the city's history. They also knocked out power to tens of thousands of area residents and raised fears of more flooding. The wave of storms, which spurred tornado and flood watches across the area, raised this month's rainfall total to 9.75 inches, drowning the previous record of 9.56 inches set in July 1889. (July 28, 2011|By William Lee a Chicago Tribune reporter)

JULY   29TH 1898 The temperature at Prineville, OR soared to 119 degrees to establish a state record, which was tied on the 10th of August at Pendleton. (The Weather Channel) (Ref. WxDoctor) 1905 Heavy rain in southwestern Connecticut caused a dam break, and the resulting flood caused a quarter of a million dollars damage at Bridgeport. As much as eleven inches of rain fell prior to the flood. (David Ludlum) 1916 Temperatures soared to record highs as a ten day heat wave reached its peak. The 102° at Lansing, MI tied the record for the hottest day ever there. Grand Rapids hit 103 °F as part of a record string of four consecutive days of 100 degrees or higher. Even the Lake Michigan shore was baking, with Muskegon hitting 95°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1930 The temperature at Holly Springs, Mississippi climbed to 115 °F to establish a new maximum temperature record for Mississippi. (Ref. Lowest and Highest Temperatures for the 50 States) 1960 Severe thunderstorms brought damaging winds, possibly as high as 100 mph to central Oklahoma. Eight planes and several hangars were damaged at Wiley Post Airfield, while two planes and additional hangars were damaged at Will Rogers World Airport. The winds caused seven injuries in the area, including two youths who were injured by flying debris. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1971 An unseasonably chilly air mass invaded the upper Plains and Rockies. Sheridan, WY dropped to 35°, their record lowest July temperature. Other record lows included: Rapid City, SD: 41°, Huron, SD: 42°, Valentine, NE: 42°, Billings, MT: 43°, Cheyenne, WY: 43 °F. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1980 Early morning thunderstorms dropped 3.53 inches of rain at Philadelphia, PA, with most between 3 AM and 6 AM, setting a daily record and resulting in considerable roadway flooding. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1974 Westchester County, NY -- Lightning associated with a brief afternoon thunderstorm killed one golfer. (Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf) 1979 Hollywood, MD was drenched by a 4 inch rain in 30 minutes. 1981 Fifty cattle, each weighing 800 pounds, were killed by lightning near Vance, AL. The lightning struck a tree and then spread along the ground killing the cattle. (The Weather Channel) 1986 Lightning struck and injured a man while he was installing drywall in his home at Berne, NY. This was the 4th time he had been hit by lightning since 1977. Intense thunderstorms over Rhode Island dumped 5.58 inches of rain and hail over a half inch in diameter at the airport in Providence. 6.26 inches of rain fell at Point Judith while Narragansett recorded 6.03 inches of rain and hail accumulated to a depth of close to 4 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Thunderstorms produced severe weather from Minnesota to Indiana and Illinois. A thunderstorm at Janesville, WI produced wind gusts to 104 mph which flipped over two airplanes, and blew another plane 300 feet down the runway. In Chicago Heights, IL, spectators at a basketball game were exiting the field through gates in a metal fence when lightning struck a tree and then jumped to the fence. 30 people were injured, two seriously. Some of the people were thrown 4 to 5 feet in the air. The northeastern U.S. experienced some relief from the heat. Nine cities reported record low temperatures for the date, including Saint Johnsbury, VT with a reading of 42 degrees. Barnet, VT reported a morning low of 33 degrees, with frost reported on vegetation. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1988 Afternoon and evening thunderstorms produced severe weather in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Hail three inches in diameter was reported south of Saint Cloud, MN. Hot weather prevailed in the western U.S. Fresno, CA reported a record thirteen straight days of 100 °F heat. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1989 Morning thunderstorms in the Upper Midwest produced more than five inches of rain west of Virgil, SD. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms deluged the foothills and adjacent plains of Colorado with heavy rain. Rains of six to seven and a half inches fell in eight hours north of Greeley. Hail and heavy rain caused several million dollars damage in Weld County. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1996 A woman was killed while attempting to cross a low water bridge over Haw Creek in her vehicle in Morgan County, Missouri after thunderstorms dropped heavy rain causing flash flooding to occur. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1999 Chicago, IL recorded its highest ever dew point temperatures 82° overnight on this date. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2002 A two year old boy picking vegetables with his parents in Blount County, Alabama was struck by lightning. The family called 911 immediately, but put the child in an automobile and started for the hospital. Paramedics caught up with the family and began CPR. An Evac helicopter was called to transport the child to the hospital, but the little boy was dead on arrival. The important thing to remember is that many lightning victims simply stop breathing. Administering CPR immediately will often resuscitate a lightning victim. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2004 A record setting flash flood occurred over part of the Greenville, SC, during the morning hours. Six to eight inches of rain fell just east of Berea, a northwestern suburb, which caused the Reedy River through downtown Greenville to crest 9 feet above flood stage. This was the highest level since 1908. A 112 year-old record was broken for the coolest high temperature in Oklahoma City, OK for September. The temperature only rose to 73°, which broke the previous record by 3 degrees. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2008 Scattered afternoon storms developed over mainly south and southeastern portions of the Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi region, a few of which became severe and produced some hail and wind damage. One cluster of storms lingered over northern Forrest County, Mississippi and caused flash flooding around Hattiesburg with rainfall rates of 3 to 4 inches per hour. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2009 The peak of a heat wave occurred today in WA State as all-time records were set at Bellingham (96), Sea-Tac Airport (103 °F -old record of 100 °F), Olympia (104 °F), and the National Weather Service Forecast Office at Sand Point-Seattle (105 °F). (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 2010 The Richmond International Airport had a maximum temperature today of 101 °F that makes the ten day in 2010 with the temperature of 100 °F or more; the old record is nine set in 1954. (Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC) 2011 Record Wettest July set at Chicago O'Hare- Another 1.40 inches of rainfall fell at Chicago-Ohare Airport Thursday 28th into Friday 29th morning...which brings the monthly rainfall total for July 2011 to 11.15 inches as of 7 am CDT. This sets a new record for the wettest July in recorded history in Chicago. The previous record was 9.56 inches in July of 1889. This also moves July 2011 up to the 7th wettest month ever in Chicago. In addition the all time record wettest month was August 1987 when 17.10 inches of rainfall was observed. (Ref. Chicago NWS )

JULY   30TH 1906 Fresno, CA recorded their 28th 100 degree or higher day for the month setting a record for the most triple digit high temperatures ever in July. This record was tied in July 1931. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1913 Violent thunderstorms hit the Washington, DC area with 55 mph winds and 1.21 inches of rain in 10 minutes and 1.51 inches in 15 minutes. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) Offshore winds negate the cooling effect of Lake Michigan as Muskegon hits 99° for its all-time record high temperature. Temperatures are actually a bit lower inland as Grand Rapids was 96° and Lansing 92°. Bloomington, IN soared to a record high of 108°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1923 The greatest daily precipitation to occur in the month of July in Richmond, Virginia was 7.24 inches. (Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC) 1949 The state record for Connecticut was established when the town of Greenville registered an afternoon high of 102 degrees. (The Weather Channel) 1955 Bakersfield, CA managed an afternoon high of only 67°, their lowest maximum temperature on record for July and the low of 45 °F is the record coldest low minimum for July at that location. This is also the only time the temperature has dropped below 50 °F in July at Bakersfield. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1965 The temperature at Portland, OR reached 107 degrees to equal their all-time record high. (The Weather Channel) 1970 Hurricane Celia was born in the northwest Caribbean Sea. The hurricane would be one of the worst ever to hit Texas and would reach Texas late on August 3. The storm reached its peak as it made landfall near Corpus Christi, Texas, as a strong Category Three hurricane. (Hurricane Celia 1970 - Ref. Wikipedia.org) 1978 Tropical Storm Amelia moved inland on the Texas coast north of Brownsville, TX and moved northward into Texas. The storm would not be known for damage along the coast, but rather for extensive flooding that it caused in the Texas Hill Country and in the Big Bend Area near Abilene, TX. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1979 A forty-minute hailstorm bombed Fort Collins, CO with baseball to softball size hail. Two thousand homes and 2500 automobiles were damaged, and about 25 persons were injured, mainly when hit on the head by the huge stones. A three month old baby died later of injuries. (The Weather Channel) 1982 4.22 inches of rain fell in Amarillo, TX setting a 24-hour July record. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 Afternoon highs of 105 degrees at Aberdeen, SD, 102 degrees at Bismarck, ND, and 102 degrees at Pueblo, CO, were records for the date. Pueblo, CO reported just .09 inch of rain for the first thirty days of the month. (The National Weather Summary) 1988 A dozen cities in the north central and northeastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Downtown Baltimore, MD hit 103 degrees, marking a record eight days of 100 degree heat for the month, and ten for the year. The high of 101 degrees at Billings, MT marked a record seventeen days of 100 degree heat for the year. Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the northeast, with nearly fifty reports of large hail or damaging winds in Pennsylvania and New York State. A tree fell on a car at Erie, PA injuring four persons. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1997 Numerous funnel clouds and waterspouts occurred across the southern Chesapeake Bay as well as over the Atlantic east of Virginia Beach and into northeastern North Carolina. Two waterspouts moved onshore in northern Virginia Beach, while one tracked into Navy Norfolk. No damage was reported. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1989 Morning thunderstorms over central Missouri deluged Columbia with 5.98 inches of rain causing flash flooding. Daytime thunderstorms in Kentucky drenched Paducah with 1.73 inches of rain in less than half an hour. Evening thunderstorms in the north central U.S. produced wind gusts to 78 mph east of Moccasin, MT. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1999 An intense heat wave began across the Midwest on the 28th and continued through the 31st. The heat peaked on this date with high temperatures in the Chicago area over 100 with heat indexes between 115 °F and 120 °F. Early morning, Chicago set their all-time highest dew point reading of 82 °F at Midway Airport. There were a total of 99 fatalities with the majority in Cook County. The overnight low of 77 °F at Rockford, IL set a record high minimum. (Ref. WxDoctor) 2000 Virginia Beach, VA a 39-year-old man was killed while doing yard work under a tree. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History) 2005 The temperature hit 101° at Denver, CO setting a new record high for the date. This was also the 7th day of the month with a high temperature of 100 or higher, which set a new record for the most 100 degree days in a month, for a season and in a year. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2008 Heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Dolly drench section of Missouri. Total rainfall amounts included 3.05 inches at Lees Summit; 2.78 inches at Kansas City; MO and 1.63 inches at St. Louis, MO. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2016 A massive rainfall caused a devastating flash flood in Ellicott City, Md., a 1-in-1,000-year event that has been happening with unprecedented frequency since 2010, meteorologists said. The storm, killed two people, dumped 6.5 inches of rain on Ellicott City in only about 3 hours, with 5.5 inches falling in just 90 minute. One nearby spot recorded 8.22 inches, amounts that weather service meteorologist Greg Carbin called 'off the charts...' A 1-in-1,000-year rain event is a statistical way of expressing the probability of such a massive rainfall occurring in any given year in a given location, according to the NCEI. In other words, it had a 1 in 1,000 chance of occurring in Ellicott City in any year." For more information on this flash flood- (Ref. The Washington Post, Capital Weather Gang, NWS and NCEI)

JULY   31ST 1769 Hail fell 12 inches deep and lasted for 30 hours at Scituate, MA. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1861 Cherrapunji, India set a world monthly rainfall record with a total of 366.14 inches. Cherrapunji also holds the world record rainfall for a 12-month period: 1,041.78 inches from August 1, 1860 to July 31, 1861. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1891 A six day streak with high temperatures at or above 110° finally came to an end at Fresno, CA. This is their longest such streak on record. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1906 Everyday this month at Bakersfield, CA the high temperature was at or above 100°. This is the only month on record where that occurred there. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1931 Fresno, CA reached triple digit highs 28 days during the month. This tied a record for the most 100 degree plus days with July 1906. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1936 A tropical storm moved in from the Bahamas and crossed extreme south Florida into the Gulf of Mexico. The storm strengthened into a hurricane and made landfall near Ft. Walton Beach, FL early on this date. Winds gusted to 125 mph and storm surge reached 6 feet. Four people died. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1945 Richmond, Virginia had 18.21 inches during July the highest monthly total rainfall on their records. (Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC) 1949 Lightning struck a baseball field at Baker, FL during a game. The shortstop and third baseman were killed instantly and the second baseman was fatally injured. 50 people out of the crowd of 300 spectators were also injured. The lightning bolt dug a 20 foot long ditch through the infield. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1969 Richmond had 13.90 inches rain third highest monthly total rainfall since 1872, Washington National Airport had 9.44 inches (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1971 Unusually cold air settled into the southern Plains. Low temperatures were 15 to 20 degrees below normal, ranging from the mid 40s in northeast Oklahoma, the lower 50s in central sections, and near 60 in the southwest. Oklahoma City recorded a low of 53°, their coldest temperature ever observed in July. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1976 Thompson Canyon Flood in Colorado A stationary thunderstorm produced more than ten inches of rain, which funneled into the narrow Thompson River Canyon in northeastern Colorado. A wall of water six to eight feet high wreaked a twenty-five mile path of destruction from Estes Park to Loveland killing 156 persons. The flash flood caught campers, and caused extensive structural and highway damage. Ten miles of U.S. Highway 34 were totally destroyed, as the river was twenty feet higher than normal at times. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel) (Ref. WxDoctor) 1980 Record heat continued across the middle of the country. Daily record highs included: Columbia, MO: 108°, Tulsa, OK: 108°, Oklahoma City, OK: 107° and Springfield, MO: 104°. Dodge City, KS recorded 22 days of 100° or higher, with 17 of those days in a row with temperatures of 102° or higher. This was the driest July of the 20th century across Oklahoma. The statewide average rainfall was less than a half an inch, with many locations receiving no rain. Along with the dry weather, it was very hot, with several high temperature records broken. An estimated 37 people died across Oklahoma due in part to the extreme heat. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1981 Springfield, IL reported a total of 10.76 inches of rain during the month, establishing a July record. Much of the total was because of two major rainstorms during the month, one of which produced 3 inches of rain, and the other, 4.33 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1983 Oklahoma is typically hot and dry during the summer, but July 1983 was extremely dry. Only a trace of rain fell in Oklahoma City, making it their driest July on record. The driest months ever recorded in Oklahoma City were January 1986 and August 2000, when not even a trace of moisture fell. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1986 The temperature at Little Rock, AR soared to 112 degrees to establish an all-time record high for that location. Morrilton, AR hit 115 degrees, and daily highs for the month at that location averaged 102 degrees. (The Weather Channel) (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1987 The deadliest tornado in 75 years struck Edmonton, Alberta, killing 26 persons and injuring 200 others. The twister caused more than 75 million dollars damage along its nineteen-mile path, leaving 400 families homeless. At the Evergreen Mobile Home Park, up to 200 of the 720 homes were flattened by the tornado. (The National Severe Storms Forecast Center) Afternoon highs of 106 degrees at Aberdeen, SD, and 102 degrees at Ottumwa, IA and Rapid City, SD established records for the date. It marked the seventh straight day of 100° heat for Rapid City. Baltimore, MD reported a record twenty-two days of 90 degree weather in July. Evening thunderstorms produced golf ball size hail at Lemmon, SD, and wind gusts to 80 mph at Beulah, ND. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1988 Twenty-one cities in the north central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, including Sioux City, IA with a reading of 107 degrees. The reading of 105 degrees at Minneapolis, MN was their hottest since 1936. Pierre, SD and Chamberlain, SD, with highs of 108 degrees, were just one degree shy of the hot spot in the nation, Palm Springs, CA. (The National Weather Summary) The hottest month on record for the Northern Hemisphere was July 1988. Nearly 40% of the contiguous United States experienced severe or extreme drought that summer. Crop losses alone topped $15 billion dollars. An estimated 10,000 Americans died as a result of medical complications from the heat. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1989 Overnight thunderstorms soaked eastern Kansas and western Missouri with heavy rain. Four and a half inches of rain was reported at Nevada, MO. Evening thunderstorms in Oklahoma produced wind gusts to 75 mph at Covington. Six cities in the north central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, including Williston, ND with a reading of 105 degrees. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1991 July became the wettest month ever with 17.46 inches of rain at Columbia, SC. The old record was 16.72 inches set in August 1949. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1992 Boston, Massachusetts this year had no 90 °F or higher temperatures for the year. (Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events) Flint, MI ended their coolest July on record, while Columbus, OH, Buffalo, NY and Williamsport, PA experienced their wettest. Columbus had a record 29 cloudy days and 17 days with thunderstorms during the month. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1993 The 30.3 inches of rain that fell during the month at Worth County, Missouri was nearly equal to the amount of rainfall that the area would receive in an entire year. Record precipitation that occurred across a good portion of the mid-Mississippi valley during the summer fell as far east as parts of central Illinois. During the month of July, Canton reported 12.66 inches of rain and Peoria reported 10.15 inches, both setting a record for the month. Springfield's 9.46 inches was good enough for the 2nd wettest July on record. Sioux Falls airport received 7.86 inches. That ranks July 1993 as the third wettest July on record in Sioux Falls. The high total of July 1993 also contributed to the wettest summer (June, July & August) on record in Sioux Falls with 17.39 inches of rain. Crop growth was very slow, with corn and soybeans two weeks to one month behind their normal growth by the end of July in Iowa. Losses in the corn crop amounted to nearly $1.389 billion, losses in soybeans were around $941 million dollars and oat damage was about $26 million dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1994 Philadelphia, PA ended the month with 10.42 inches of rain, breaking the monthly record of 10.30 inches set in July 1919. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1996 A major hailstorm struck Cheyenne, WY with hail reported up to 2.5 inches in diameter. Damage was estimated to be about $3.4 million dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1997 South Pole, Antarctica recorded their coldest July ever. The average temperature of -86.8° broke the previous record of -83.6° set in July 1965. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2009 Hail to golf ball size pummeled Prairie Dog State Park near Norton, KS. The hail shattered windows in 60 vehicles and caused significant damage to 40 RVs/campers; park cabins were also damaged. Total damage was estimated to be $1 million. (Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 2010 The heat of July 2010 was brutal and relentless !! Tied for hottest month of all time in Washington (83.1 °F) and at BWI (81.5 °F) (Until 2011 see 2011 below) Positive monthly departures at all major airports: + 3.9 °F at DCA, +5.0 °F at BWI and +3.8 °F at IAD Ref. July PRESTO Page 1 Richmond had its hottest July with an average temperature of 82.8 °F; the previous record was 82.4 °F set in 1993. The hottest month Richmond has ever felt was August of 1900 with a mean temperature of 82.9 °F which was only 0.1 °F higher. But this July was preceded by the hottest spring and hottest June on record. Richmond's average temperature for both June and July was the hottest on record at 82 °F. Norfolk also set a record for those two months at 81.6, according to the Weather Service. (Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC) July temperatures -- Richmond had 24 days 90 °F or higher and the 113 year record for July is 26 days in 1993. Richmond had 18 days 95 °F or higher setting a new 113 year record for July the most for any month on record. Norfolk, VA had 13 days 95 °F or higher tying their record for July. Richmond had 7 days with 100 °F or higher and the previous 113 year record, the most for any month, was 6 days in July 1977 and 1963. The 105 °F record temperature on the 24th and 25th also ties the highest maximum temperature ever recorded in July in Richmond. The Airport had ten days in 2010 with the temperature 100 °F or more; the old record was nine set in 1954. Rainfall total of only 2.01 inches for June and July made it the driest June and July on record. (Ref. Richmond Times-Dispatch Newspaper Thursday, August 26, 2010) (Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC) DCA soared to a record 102 °F on the 7th and 101 °F on the 24th. BWI recorded record high temperatures on 4 days: 6th (105 °F), 7th (101 °F), 24th (101 °F) and 25th (100 °F) On the 6th, BWI soared to 105 °F; 2nd hottest day ever in Baltimore (107 °F, 7/10/36); at or above 100 °F at BWI on 5 days, most on record At or above 90 °F on 44 days in 2010 at DCA, most number of days through July on record. Ref. July PRESTO Page 1 2011 Hottest average monthly temperatures on record at all three major airports: 84.5 °F at DCA (+5.3 °F); 81.7 °F at BWI (+5.2 °F); and 81.0 °F (+5.3 °F) at IAD. On 22nd, BWI’s high of 106 °F was second highest temperature on record; IAD's record maximum of 105 °F was hottest temperature on record; DCA’s 104 °F on 30th tied for the 5th highest reading in Washington; Heat Index values reached 121 °F at DCA, 118 °F at BWI and 117 °F at IAD due to oppressive humidity. DCA recorded 7 days with minimums at or above 80 °F, including a record 4 consecutive days from 21st-25th BWI observed 4 days with highs at or above 100 °F ; 3 such occurrences at DCA and IAD DCA reported 25 days with highs at or above 90 °F; BWI and IAD, 24; setting records at all three locations Ref. Taken from the Sterling Reporter Volume 10, Issue 3 National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC Forecast Office Summer 2011 Ref. July 2011 PRESTO Page 1 2017 The famously fiery national park 100 miles to the west set an unpleasant record in July with an average temperature of 107.4 degrees. That ranks as the hottest month ever measured in the Western Hemisphere, according to the National Weather Service. Christopher Burt thinks it might be a world record as well. The weather historian for Weather Underground said he only knows of one monthly average that’s higher — 107.44 degrees recorded in July 2014 at a military base in northern Saudi Arabia — but that measurement has been discredited because it apparently didn’t include overnight temperature readings. “So far nobody’s come up with another figure that’s higher than Death Valley’s,” Burt said. Andy Gorelow, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Las Vegas, said unusually hot conditions at night were largely responsible for the new monthly record in Death Valley. The average low at the park’s official weather station in Furnace Creek, California, was 95.1 in July, the warmest of any month on record by more than a full degree. The average high in Death Valley last month was 119.6 degrees. July 7 was the single hottest day, with a high of 127. The temperature never dropped below 89 all month. (Death Valley Just Had Its Hottest Month July 2017 Elizabeth Shogren NEWS Aug. 8, 2017) (The Actual Temperatures for the Hottest Month of July 2017)