SACRUS

1996: THE BLIZZARD OF JANUARY 7-8, 1996 The storm began on Saturday the 6th and continued at an amazingly steady rate until mid-afternoon Sunday, January 7th. By that time, 13 to 17 inches of snow had accumulated in most areas with up to 20 inches in the distant western suburbs. The snow bands were accompanied by lightning, thunder and whiteout conditions at times. Monday morning January 8th, the snow squalls had tapered off leaving the Washington metro area buried in 15 to 25 inches of snow. The blizzard of 1996 was just the first of 3 snowstorms to hit the Washington area during the snowy week of January 7-12. On the 9th an Alberta clipper storm center passed directly over the region, dropping another quick shot of surprising heavy snowfall in the area. The western suburbs were dusted with only an inch of snow while up to 6 inches of snow fell in eastern areas such as Prince George's and Charles Counties. January 10th was a nice sunny day with high temperatures reaching a rather balmy 34 degrees at National Airport. The third and final snow took place on the 12th as a quick moving coastal storm dropping 5 to 12 inches of snow across the region. This storm was incredibly massive and truly historic in its scope as many all-time snow records were broken over a large area. Records included 24.9 inches in Roanoke, Virginia; 30.7 inches in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 27.8 inches Newark, New Jersey; and 14.4 inches as far away as Cincinnati, Ohio. The snowfall at National Airport measured 17.1 inches while the snowfall at Dulles accumulated to 24.6 inches. Other snowfall totals included 21 inches in Fredericksburg, Virginia; 22.5 inches in Baltimore, Maryland; and 25.7 inches in Rockville, Maryland. Generally snowfall amounts between Washington and Boston were between 17 to 30 inches. (p. 96-101 Washington Weather Book 2002 by Ambrose, Henry, Weiss)

Records: Highs: EWR: 72 (2007) NYC: 72 (2007) LGA: 72 (2007) JFKK : 71 (2007) Lows: EWR: 6 (2018) NYC: -2 (1896) LGA: 8 (2018) JFK: 7 (2018) Historical: 1821: A major snowstorm finally came to a end across the Mid-Atlantic States into southern New England. 18 inches of snow fell at Philadelphia, PA, 14 inches at New York City, NY and 12 inches at Washington, DC. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1856: Thoreau’s 'long and snowy winter' continued with the season’s deepest snowfall. 18 inches fell at Providence, RI and 12 inches of snow fell at Boston, MA. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1880 - Seattle, WA, was in the midst of their worst snowstorm of record. Hundreds of barns were destroyed, and transportation was brought to a standstill, as the storm left the city buried under four feet of snow. (David Ludlum) 1884 - The temperature dipped to one degree below zero at Atlanta, GA. It marked the final day of a severe arctic outbreak in the South and Midwest. (David Ludlum) 1886: The "Great Blizzard of 1886" struck the Midwest with high winds, subzero temperatures, and heavy snowfall. These conditions caused as many as 100 deaths, and 80% of the cattle in Kansas perished. 1918: A major snowstorm hit parts of the Midwest. Officially Chicago, IL recorded 14.4 inches of snow with 1.44 inches of liquid equivalent. This established a new daily precipitation record. This contributed to January 1918 as having the greatest monthly snowfall with a total of 42.5 inches, nearly four times their monthly average. This storm gave Rockford, IL one of their largest snow amounts ever recorded. A record 16.3 inches blanketed the town, their greatest single storm total. This contributed to their snowiest January on record with 36.1 inches just 0.2 inches shy of an entire normal winter season. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1942: Not a good pothole day in Pipestone, MN. Temperature rose from 32 °F below zero to 41 °F above a 73 °F temperature rise in 24 hours. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1950: The maximum temperature for the date in Washington, DC is 72°F. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1968: International Falls, Minnesota: The all-time record low is set in International Falls. Temperatures on this day drop to a bone-chilling minus 46° F. (Ref. Wx. Doctor) 1983: All 50 states had at least one location that was below freezing on this date, an unusual occurrence.(Ref. Wilson Wx. History) (Bob Ryan's 2000 Almanac) (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1987 - A storm moving across the western U.S. spread heavy snow into the Central Rockies. Casper WY received 14 inches of snow in 24 hours, a January record for that location. Big Piney WY reported 17 inches of snow. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 - It was a bad day for chickens. Heavy snow in Arkansas, with totals ranging up to 16 inches at Heber Springs, claimed the lives of 3.5 million chickens, and snow and ice up to three inches thick claimed the lives of another 1.75 million chickens in north central Texas. Up to 18 inches of snow blanketed Oklahoma, with Oklahoma City reporting a record 12 inches of snow in 24 hours. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989 - A "bonafide blizzard" ripped through south central and southeastern Idaho. Strong winds, gusting to 60 mph at the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, whipped the snow into drifts five feet high, and produced wind chill readings as cold as 35 degrees below zero. The blizzard prompted an Idaho Falls air controller to remark that "the snow is blowing so hard you can't see the fog".(National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1990 - Rain and gale force winds prevailed along the Northern Pacific Coast. Winds at Astoria OR gusted to 65 mph. Unseasonably warm weather prevailed over Florida. Five cities reported record high temperatures for the date, including Miami with a reading of 86 degrees. The hot spot in the nation was West Palm Beach with a high of 87 degrees. (National Weather Summary) 1992: The sun peeks out in Milwaukee, WI, for the first time since December 21, 1991, setting a city record for consecutive cloudy days. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1993: A nearly continuous 5-day snowstorm brought a record 23.3 inches of snow to Salt Lake City, UT, and left a record 26 inches of snow on the ground. A state of emergency was declared. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1994: 55.5 inches of snow fell in twenty-four hours at Alta UT, setting a new record for the location. A total of seventy inches fell between the 4th and the 6th. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1996: A severe nor'easter paralyzed the East Coast from January 6 to the 8. In Washington D.C., this storm is also known as the "Great Furlough Storm" because it occurred during the 1996 federal government shutdown. Snowfall amounts from this event include 47 inches in Big Meadows, Virginia; 30.7" in Philadelphia; 27.8" in Newark; 24.6" at the Dulles International Airport; 24.2" in Trenton; 24" in Providence; 22.5" in Baltimore; 18.2" in Boston; 17.1" in D.C.; and 9.6" in Pittsburgh.

31 / 28 cloudy. Warmup commenced today with areas into the upper 30s - low 40s. 50s for many Wed - Thu and Fri ahead of a general 1 inch (ish) rainfaill Saturday. Beyond there near normal 1/12 - 1/16. Likely a back and forth below - near - above normal - tilted below beyond there 1/17 - beyond.

More on the 1904 record cold NJ/PA on this date https://thepressgroup.net/back-in-time-bergen-countys-coldest-day-ever/

Records: Highs: EWR: 66 (1993) NYC: 64 (1993) LGA: 64 (1950) JFK: 62 (1993) Lows: EWR: 8 (1996) ahead of the blizzard NYC: -4 (1904) LGA: 9 (1968) JFK: 9 (2018) Historical: 1835 - It was a record cold morning in the eastern U.S. The mercury at the Yale Campus in New Haven CT plunged to 23 degrees below zero, and reached 40 below in the Berkshire Hills of Connecticut. (David Ludlum) Jan. 5, 1835: Alexandria, VA recorded the temperature at -15°F. The Potomac River was frozen and the Chesapeake Bay froze down to the Virginia Capes for the first time in almost 50 years. (Ref. Virginia Weather History) 1877: The minimum temperature for the date is -3°F. in Washington, DC for the third day in a row. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1880: Snow began falling in Seattle, Washington, and would continue for much of the week. When it was over, more than 5 feet of snow was recorded. 1884: One of only two days in history during which the temperature at Louisville, Kentucky, never rose above zero. The low was 20 degrees below, with a high of 1 below zero. 1888: Snowfall amounts of 3.5 to 5 inches fell over Sacramento, California. The heaviest snow in recent history was two inches on February 4-5th in 1976. Click the link for a newspaper article from the Sacramento Daily Union, published on Jan 6th, 1888. 1892: From the History of Fayetteville, Georgia, "Another traumatic event occurred in Fayetteville on the evening of January 5, 1892, about six o'clock in the evening. A terrible tornado or cyclone struck the town of Fayetteville just as many had sat down for dinner. The storm killed three people and injured many more as its raging force destroyed numerous residences, outbuildings, and structures, including the academy, as well as killing abundant livestock. The event was written about as far away as Savannah." 1904 - Bitterly cold air gripped the northeastern U.S. Morning lows of -42 degrees at Smethport PA and -34 at River Vale NJ established state records. (The Weather Channel) 1913 - The temperature at the east portal to Strawberry Tunnel reached 50 degrees below zero to tie the record established at Woodruff on February 6, 1899. (David Ludlum) This record was broken on 2/1/1985. Locations that set daily record lows for the date included: Medford, OR: 13°, Yuma, AZ: 25° and San Diego, CA: 36°-Tied. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1962: Two tornadoes, about 100 yards apart and each making paths about 100 yards wide, followed parallel paths from southeast to northwest through the edge of the Crestview, Florida's residential area. These tornadoes killed one and injured 30 others. 1982 - A three day rainstorm in the San Francisco area finally came to an end. Marin County and Cruz County were drenched with up to 25 inches of rain, and the Sierra Nevada Range was buried under four to eight feet of snow. The storm claimed at least 36 lives, and caused more than 300 million dollars damage. (Storm Data) 1987 - A massive winter storm spread heavy snow from the southwestern U.S. into the Rockies. In Utah, the Alta ski resort reported a storm total of 42 inches of snow. Winds gusted to 64 mph at Albuquerque NM. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 - Thunderstorms helped produce heavy snow in the Lower Great Lakes Region. Snow fell at the rate of four to five inches per hour, and snowfall totals ranged up to 69 inches at Highmarket NY. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989 - A strong Pacific cold front produced heavy snow and high winds in Nevada. Winds gusted to 80 mph north of Reno, while up to two feet of snow blanketed the Lake Tahoe ski area. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1990 - Thunderstorms produced heavy rain in the Central Gulf Coast Region. New Orleans, LA, was drenched with 4.05 inches of rain in 24 hours. An overnight storm blanketed the mountains of northern Utah with up to eleven inches of snow. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1993 Maui, Hawaii: Winds reaching 100 mph down power lines on Maui's Mount Haleakala laden with up to 18 inches of ice that accumulated on the summit. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1998: One of the greatest ice storms in the history of northern New England and Southern Quebec Canada brought coatings 1 to 3 inches thick across the area through the 10th. Through the 10th observations of freezing rain and drizzle in Quebec exceeded 80 hours, nearly double total average annual number of hours of freezing precipitation. The total accumulation of water equivalent of freezing precipitation, mixed at times with light snow and ice pellets, exceeded 4.3 inches at Cornwall, 3.9 inches at Montreal, 3.3 inches at Ottawa and 2.9 inches at Kingston, amounts of ice accumulation nearly twice the accumulation in notable ice storms that hit the Ottawa area in 1986 and Montreal in 1961. The thickness of ice accumulated reached 4.7 inches in places. Across northern New York and Vermont freezing rain accumulation reached 2 to 4 inches thick, and most of central Maine saw about 1 to 2 inches of freezing rain. The area of the storm receiving more 1.6 inches or more of ice held 18% of Canada's population: 56% of Quebec residents and 11% of residents from Ontario. It also accounted for 19% of all Canadian urban lands, 57% in Quebec and 19% in Ontario. At the height of the ice storm, 57 Ontario communities and 200 in Quebec declared a disaster situation. In the United States, President Clinton called the National Guard to duty in the affected areas and declared 16 counties in Maine, 9 in New Hampshire, 6 in New York and 6 in Vermont federal disaster areas. The greatest visible impact to those affected struck the power delivery systems throughout the region. The large electrical transmission towers that brought power to local communities fell as easily as the power poles that delivered the services to the residents. In Quebec alone, an estimated 1,000 transmission towers and 35,000 wooden utility poles fell or were twisted beyond recognition by the heavy ice and following winds. An additional 300 transmission towers were downed in Ontario. Over a million households in Canada lost power, some for over a month. In the U.S., the estimates from New York State, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine were of the same order, in excess of a million household affected. The storm also downed millions of trees across the region; some of them took transmission lines with them, others blocked road and damaged vehicles, homes and other buildings. In the U.S., officials compared the level of tree damage sustained to the great 1938 hurricane that struck New England. The ice storm affected 17 million acres of forest across northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, including parts of the Green Mountain and White Mountain National Forests. Another major aspect of this storm was the extremely heavy precipitation across the region, including over 5 inches of rain that caused major flooding in portions of western New York, especially the Black River Valley. Estimated damage was $3 billion dollars in Canada and $2 billion dollars in the U.S. The storm resulted in 56 deaths. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 2003: A low pressure dropped 2 to 6 inches of snow across the region. Hundreds of traffic accidents were reported, including a 35 car pileup on Interstate 695 near Baltimore. (Ref. Wilson History)

26 / 21 cloudy. Snow showers the next 2 - 3 hours. Warmer starting tomorrow with 50s by Thu in some spots continuing through what looks like a wet saturday which could be the warmest day near or to 60 for some warmer spots. Trough swings through by the 12th and the period 13 - 20 looks to net a near / slightly below normal with perhaps colder period building in after towards the 20th. 1/5 : Cold / snow showers 1/6 - 1/11 : Warmer than normal - warmest 1/8-1/10 with rain Fri-Sat 1/12 - 1/20: Near - below normal 1/21 - beyond : Looking below normal

38 for the high in line with C/NE NJ where is was clear and fully sunny most of the morning till around 1:30 New Brnswck: 37 EWR: 38

Mostly sunny here (for now) and up to 38 (warmest since Mon/ Dec 29th)

Records: Highs: EWR: 68 (2000) NYC: 66 (2023) LGA: 66 (2023) JFK: 62 (1950) Lows: EWR: 1 (1981) NYC: -3 (1918) LGA: 4 (1981) JFK: 3 (2014) Historical: 1641: According to historical records, Mount Parker, a stratovolcano on Mindanao Island in the Philippines, erupted on this day. The eruption caused the formation of a crater lake called Lake Maughan. 1780: A major snowstorm buried George Washington and his troops at their headquarters in Morristown, NJ. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1859: A powerful winter storm across New England buried Hartford, CT under 36 inches of snow and 26 inches at Middletown, CT. 30 inches fell in 12 hours at Goffstown, NH. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1877: The minimum temperature for the date is -3°F. in Washington, DC again today after -3°F yesterday. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1888 - Sacramento, CA, received 3.5 inches of snow, an all-time record for that location. The heaviest snow in recent history was two inches on February 5th in 1976. (4th-5th) (The Weather Channel) 1917: A tornado with estimated F3 damage cut a 15-mile path and struck a school at Vireton in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, killing 16 people. It ranks as the 4th worst school tornado disaster in U.S. history. You can read more about this tornado from the Sweetwater Daily Reporter in Sweetwater, Texas, published on January 10, 1917 The deadliest U.S. tornado struck the Choctaw Indian Baptist School at Vireton, OK; 16 students killed (some carried 100 yards) and 10 injured. The building disintegrated as the teacher (whose jaw was broken) tried to keep the school’s door shut. (Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA) 1918: The coldest period of the winter of 1917 and 1918 occurred from December 29th to January 4th. The temperatures for this date were a high of 20 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of +4 degrees Fahrenheit at the captial. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1946: A series of tornadoes struck northeast Texas, killing 30 people. The deadliest tornadoes struck near Palestine and Nacogdoches. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1949: A blizzard continued its onslaught across parts of the Rockies and northern Plains but finally began to wane late in the day. By the time it was over, 41 inches of snow had buried Chadron, NE while 30 to 40 inches of snow fell over in and around Cheyenne, WY. Cheyenne was hit hard by 60 hours of snow and near-hurricane force winds. Between 20 and 30 inches was recorded at Laramie, WY. 17 lives were lost in the storm while many were marooned for days due to impassable roads and huge drifts. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1971 - A blizzard raged from Kansas to Wisconsin, claiming 27 lives in Iowa. Winds reached 50 mph, and the storm produced up to 20 inches of snow. (David Ludlum) 1980: On January 4 and 5, 1980 a heavy wet snow fell over eastern Virginia with as much as 18 inches reported at Williamsburg. Richmond had 1.6 inches of snow on the 4th and 13.3 inches on the 5th for a total of 14.9 inches which was the third largest January snow for Richmond. (Ref. Virginia Weather History) 1982 - Milwaukee, WI, was shut down completely as a storm buried the city under 16 inches of snow in 24 hours. It was the worst storm in thirty-five years. (David Ludlum) 1987 - A storm moving off the Pacific Ocean spread wintery weather across the southwestern U.S., with heavy snow extending from southern California to western Wyoming. Up to 15 inches of snow blanketed the mountains of southern California, and rainfall totals in California ranged up to 2.20 inches in the Chino area. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 - Frigid arctic air invading the central and eastern U.S. left Florida about the only safe refuge from the cold and snow. A storm in the western U.S. soaked Bodega Bay in central California with 3.12 inches of rain. (National Weather Summary) 1989 - Up to a foot of snow blanketed the mountains of West Virginia, and strong winds in the northeastern U.S. produced wind chill readings as cold as 60 degrees below zero in Maine. Mount Washington NH reported wind gusts to 136 mph along with a temperature of 30 below zero! (National Weather Summary) 1990 - A winter storm moving out of the southwestern U.S. spread heavy snow across Nebraska and Iowa into Wisconsin. Snowfall totals in Nebraska ranged up to 7 inches at Auburn and Tecumseh. Totals in Iowa ranged up to 11 inches at Carlisle. In Iowa, most of the snow fell between midnight and 4 AM. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1992: A low pressure area with sub-tropical characteristics developed explosively over the Gulf Stream waters east of Cape Hatteras, NC and apparently deepened 18 millibars in just 3 hours. The central pressure dropped from 994 (29.35 inches of mercury) to 976 millibars (28.82 inches of mercury) and bottomed out at 968 millibars (28.68 inches of mercury) 3 hours later. An offshore buoy recorded a pressure drop of 9.2 millibars in just one hour. Major coastal flooding and beach erosion occurred along the New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia coasts as the storm made landfall. A wind gust to 89 mph occurred at Chincoteague, VA and 83 mph was recorded at Indian River, DE. Ocean city, MD was hit very hard with winds sustained at 50 mph and gusts to 70 mph. At the Ocean City airport, the runways were flooded at their worst ever. Substantial beach erosion was reported at Rehoboth Beach, DE which rivaled damage one by the great March 1962 storm. Total damage reached $45 million in New Jersey alone. Rainfall at inland locations over the Mid-Atlantic was very heavy in some places with Witts Orchard, VA checking in with a 24 hour total of 7.56 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1994 - A major winter storm blanketed much of the northeastern U.S. with heavy snow. More than two feet was reported in northwestern Pennsylvania, with 33 inches at Waynesburg. There were ten heart attacks, and 185 injuries, related to the heavy snow in northwest Pennsylvania. Whiteout conditions were reported in Vermont and northeastern New York State. A wind gusts to 75 mph was clocked at Shaftsbury VT. In the Adirondacks of eastern New York State, the town of Tupper reported five inches of snow between 1 PM and 2 PM. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 2003: Des Moines, Iowa: A record dry spell –53-days long – ends in Des Moines. (Ref. Wx. Doctor) 2008: One of the most powerful Pacific storms in years brought high winds, locally heavy rains and significant high elevation snow to interior Central California through the 5th. The heaviest rain fell in the foothills and in the southern Sierra Nevada up through about 7,000 feet in elevation where rainfall amounts reached as much as 9.41 inches at Wawona. In the High Sierra above 8,000 feet, the storm produced significant snowfall amounts in the Sierra with Aspendell reporting a total of 3 feet in 48 hours. Strong winds of 50 to 70 mph also destroyed the roof of a school and flipped over two glider planes in Avenal. Other wind gusts clocked included 75 mph at Crane Flat, 67 mph at Inyokern and 66 mph at Kettleman Hills. Bishop, CA reported 4 inches of rain, setting their all-time greatest one day rain total. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2018: NOAA's GOES-East satellite caught a dramatic view of the Bombogenesis 'Bomb Cyclone' moving up the East Coast on the morning of January 4, 2018. The powerful nor'easter is battering coastal areas with heavy snow and strong winds, from Florida to Maine. Notice the long line of clouds stretching over a thousand miles south of the storm. The storm is drawing moisture all the way from deep in the Caribbean.

28 / 18 and partly cloudy pushing to the mid 30s. Cloudds and scattered snow showers and flurries monday before and 4 day warm up Tue - Fri where max temps should get most of the area into the 50s between Thu - Sat. Trough back into the northeast 1/11 - 1/19 overall - colder and perhaps more storm / snpw totals tracking. Beyond there a bit back and forth to close out the month as it seems now probably near normal to below normal that period 1/20 - 1/31 and as a whole the month finishes below normal but not as strong as last month.

Trough looks to build in just beyond here / the 11th

Daylight: 9:h20:m added about 5 mins since the Winter solstice Sunrise is at its latest 7:20 (the next 6 days) Sunset : 4:41 about 12 mins past the earliest sunset of 4:28 in early Dec Gaining about 60 seconds to more than 2 mins a day by the 31st.

Records: Highs: EWR: 65 (2000) NYC: 64 (2000) LGA: 63 (2000) JFK: 60 (2000) Lows: EWR: 8 (2014) NYC: -4 (1879) LGA: 10 (2014) JFK: 9 (2014) Historical: 1777 - An overnight freeze enabled George Washington and his troops to flank the British at Trenton, cross their lines at Princeton, and seek security in the hills of northern New Jersey. (David Ludlum) 1824: The oldest known weather information in Oklahoma begins on this today at Fort Gibson in 1824. Now known as Muskogee County. 1877: The minimum temperature for the date is -3°F. in Washington, DC. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1883: A remarkably brilliant meteor display occurred on the night of January 3rd. The phenomenon was observed at stations in Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. This meteor was described as having resembled a large, bright ball of fire. 1886: A severe ice storm struck portions of northeastern Iowa when heavy accumulations of freezing rain brought down trees and branches across the area. An observer near Garnavillo in Clayton County wrote that "the rain...mostly froze as it fell, and coated twigs of trees with ice an inch thick, and many trees were seriously broken. Our telephone wires were broken in many places. Large old trees and large limbs broken. In the woods, many trees bent their tops, so the ground and the roads were impassible until the treetops were cut off." In Fayette County, it was reported that "ice formed on the trees so thick that many limbs, from four to eight inches through, were broken and the tops of the trees, thirty feet high, rested on the ground in many instances blockading the roads." An observer at Waukon noted that "ice formed on the trees to such an extent that in very many cases our shade trees were ruined. All afternoon and night, it was a continual crash." 1911: Brutal record cold prevailed from the Plains to the West Coast. Locations reporting record lows for the date included: International Falls, MN: -35°, St. Cloud, MN: -31°, Grand Forks, ND: -31°, Aberdeen, SD: -30°, Duluth, MN: -30°, Huron, SD: -29°, Rochester, MN: -28°, Norfolk, NE: -27°, Valentine, NE: -24°, Sioux Falls, SD: -23°-Tied, North Platte, NE: -22°, Scottsbluff, NE: -22°, Sioux City, IA: -20°, La Crosse, WI: -20°-Tied °F. (Ref. Wilson - Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1918: The coldest period of the winter of 1917 and 18 occurred from December 29th to January 4th. The temperatures for this date were a high of 15 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of +4 degrees Fahrenheit at KDCA. Extreme cold recorded in Western Maryland -30° at Oakland, -18° Hagerstown and -1°F in Frederick. Also a light snow falls in Frederick.(Bob Ryan's 2000 Almanac) (Ref. Wilson - Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link) 1921: The first radio broadcasts of weather forecasts began as the University of Wisconsin began using the new medium. Within two years, over 140 radio telephone stations would be broadcasting weather reports by radio. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1949: During the late afternoon hours, an estimated F4 tornado destroyed Warren, Arkansas. The tornado killed 55 people and injured more than 250 others. The destruction of the Bradley mill displaced 1,000 employees. 1949: The Great Blizzard of 1949 continued and grew in intensity with heavy snow, strong winds and bitter cold temperatures. On this day Cheyenne, WY recorded their highest daily precipitation total ever in January with 1.32 inches. Many areas recorded all-time daily record snowfalls including 26.7 inches at Chadron, NE with snowfall estimated at 25 to 30 inches burying Cheyenne and much of southeast Wyoming. This combined with temperatures at or below zero all day and wind gusts over 50 mph paralyzed the region. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1961 - A three day long icestorm was in progress over northern Idaho which produced an accumulation of ice eight inches thick, a U.S. record. Heavy fog, which blanketed much of northern Idaho from Grangeville to the Canadian border, deposited the ice on power and phone lines causing widespread power outages. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel) 1970: The barometer at Barrow, AK soared to a reading of 31.43 inches of mercury. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1971: The temperature reached a scorching 96° at Cotulla, TX, just two degrees shy of the U.S. record for January. Other locations in Texas that reported record highs for the date included: Corpus Christi: 88°, San Antonio: 86°, Austin (Bergstrom): 84° and Austin (Camp Mabry): 83°. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1977: 14.2 inches of snow falls on Mankato, MN. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1987 - A powerful Pacific coast storm blasted the western U.S. with high winds, heavy rain and heavy snow. Winds gusted to 96 mph at Cape Blanco OR, and snowfall totals reached 20 inches in the Sierra Nevada Range of California. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 - After a day of rest, "Old Man Winter" came back as a triple threat, hitting both coasts with winter storms, and blasting the central U.S. with cold arctic air. Snow and ice in the eastern U.S. caused 4.5 million dollars damage to homes and vehicles in North Carolina, the storm in the western U.S. produced two feet of snow in the Lake Tahoe area of Nevada, and temperatures in North Dakota plunged to 30 degrees below zero, with wind chill readings as cold as 95 degrees below zero. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989 - Thirteen cities in the southeastern U.S., and five more in Washington and Oregon, reported new record high temperatures for the date. Highs of 78 degrees at Galveston TX and 82 degrees at Lake Charles LA were records for the month of January. (National Weather Summary) 1990 - A winter storm in the southwestern U.S. spread snow across Colorado and New Mexico. Heavy snow fell in southwestern Colorado, with 13 inches reported at Wolf Creek Pass. Snow spread into the Central Plains Region during the day, with six inches reported at Garden City KS. (National Weather Summary) 1994 - A heavy wet snow blanketed much of the state of Ohio, with 12 to 18 inches reported in counties along the Ohio River. Newport received 21 inches. Thunder and lightning accompanied the snow, with five inches reported in Washington County and Noble County between 7 AM and 8 AM Tuesday. Parts of Washington County were without electricity for eight days following the storm.(National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1999: A powerful area of low pressure and deep Arctic high pressure brought almost all winter elements to central and northeast South Dakota as well as west central Minnesota from the afternoon on this date to the morning of the 5th. Late during the evening on this date, the freezing rain changed to sleet and then snow, with substantial snowfall accumulations of 6 to as much as 27 inches by late on the 4th. As the deep Arctic high pressure pushed in through the morning and afternoon of the 4th, northwest winds increased to 25 to 45 mph gusting to 55 mph creating widespread blizzard conditions, drifts up to 20 feet, and wind chills from -40 °F to -70 °F. The heavy accumulation of ice and snow across parts of central and mainly across northeast South Dakota resulted in the ROOF COLLAPSE OF OVER 150, MAINLY RURAL, BUILDINGS. The collapse of so many buildings from snow and ice was believed to be the first in this area. On most other buildings, the snow had to be shoveled or blown off. One man was killed in west central Minnesota as he was trying to shovel snow off the roof of a building. A few homes during the storm were buried by the huge snow drifts near Lake Poinsett. Some people were without power for several days in the extreme cold conditions. At Aberdeen, SD heavy snow blocking a furnace exhaust vent, sent 3 family members to the hospital for carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, the snowmobile club, the drift busters were called upon for the first time in several years to deliver medicine, take patients to the hospital, and carry essential workers to work and home. Interstates 29 and 90 were both closed for a few days along with most state highways. Area airports were closed or flights were canceled or delayed. The heavy snowfall from this storm brought the widespread snowpack up to 2 to 5 feet. For the winter season so far, the area had record snowfall and record cold. Snowfall amounts of 1 to over 2 feet included, 27 inches at Wheaton, SD, 24 inches at Sisseton, SD, 22 inches at Britton, SD, 20 inches at Webster, SD, 18 inches at Faulkton, SD. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2000: Two F3 tornadoes struck northwest Kentucky late in the afternoon of January 3. Owensboro, Kentucky, sustained the most severe damage and the highest number of injuries. Click HERE for more information from the NWS Office in Paducah, Kentucky. 2000: The maximum temperature for the date in Washington, DC is 68 °F. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 2002: You know the weather is bad when The Weather Channel closes their offices for the day. Parts of the Deep South ground to a standstill as a rare 2 day winter storm brought snow to the area, including Atlanta, where only essential personnel reported for work at the network. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 2018: The first time in 28 years, light snowfalls in Tallahassee, Florida. The NWS Office in Tallahassee measured 0.1" of snow/sleet at 8:30 am.

19 / 7 looking mainly cloudy with snow flurries / showers later this night. Colder through the 5th before warming. Still looks to be a 4 - 5 day warmup before trough and next active period starts around 1/11.

Records: HIghs: EWR: 63 (1979) NYC: 68 (1876) LGA: 60 (2022) JFK: 59 (2022) Lows: EWR: 7 (1968) NYC: 2 (1918) LGA: 9 (1968) JFK: 6 (1968) Historical: 1777: George Washington retreated across the frozen mud to escape the British at Trenton and reach safe shelter in northern New Jersey. (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1839: It is believed Louis Daguerre took the first daguerreotype of the moon. Unfortunately, in March of that same year, his entire laboratory burnt to the ground, destroying all his written records and much of his early experimental work–and that historical image of the moon. A year later, John William Draper, an American doctor, and chemist took his own daguerreotype of the moon. 1876: The maximum temperature for the date is 71°F. in Washington, DC. (Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1897: Tornadoes in January? Two tornadoes touched down on this day. The first tornado touched down in Mooringsport, Louisiana, killing five people and injuring 21 others. The second tornado occurred at Benton, Arkansas. Although this tornado was more destructive in regards to property damage, it caused one death. 1910 - A great flood in Utah and Nevada washed out 100 miles of railroad between Salt Lake City UT and Los Angeles CA causing seven million dollars damage. (David Ludlum) 1918: The coldest period of the winter of 1917 and 1918 occurred from December 29th to January 4th. The temperatures for this date were a high of 13 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of +10 degrees Fahrenheit. 1941: Grand Portage, MN gets over 4.5 inches of precipitation in 24 hours. That's roughly how much normally falls there during the winter months (Nov.-Feb). (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1948: An ice storm glazed surfaces in Chicago, IL, with ½-1” ice; it was followed by 4”+ snow. Winds to 50 mph common (approx. 100 mph estimate at Glenview Naval Air Station) 11 radio station towers destroyed/damaged. 6,000 Western Union poles down; 5,500 miles of wire broken/tangled. (Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2010 Accord Publishing, USA) 1949: For 7 weeks, blizzard after blizzard pounded the Great Plains. Temperatures plunged to -50° in some areas. Over 200 people perished. Livestock was hard hit, with over 150,000 head of sheep killed. On this date, the worst blizzard in many years struck northern Colorado. The storm produced blizzard conditions with wind gusts up to 50 mph all day on the 3rd when temperatures stayed in the single digits. That resulted in dangerous wind chill readings from -40° to -55°. The former Stapleton Airport in Denver received 13.3 inches while downtown Denver received 11.8 inches. Snow fell for 51 straight hours in downtown Denver. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1949: A blizzard raged and brought heavy snow, strong winds, and cold temperatures to South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska. 1955: Hurricane Alice passed through the Islands of Saint Martin and Saba in the Caribbean Sea on this day. Alice, which developed on December 30, 1954, is the only known Atlantic hurricane to span two calendar years. 1961 - The coldest temperature of record for the state of Hawaii was established with a reading of 14 degrees atop Haleakela Summit. (David Ludlum) 1987 - A winter storm moving up the Atlantic coast brought heavy snow and high winds to the northeastern U.S. Wind gusts reached 82 mph at Trenton NJ and Southwest Harbor in Maine. Snowfall totals ranged up to two feet at Salem NH and Waterboro ME. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 - "Old Man Winter" took a siesta, with snow a scarcity across the nation. For the second day in a row Alamosa CO reported a record low of 31 degrees below zero. (National Weather Summary) 1989 - Strong and gusty winds prevailed along the eastern slopes of the northern and central Rockies. Winds gusted to 71 mph at Colorado Springs CO and Livingston MT. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1990 - The first winter storm of the new year and decade developed in the southwestern U.S., and blanketed the northern mountains of Utah with 12 to 23 inches of snow. Up to 22 inches of snow was reported in the Alta-Snowbird area. The storm brought Las Vegas NV their first measurable precipitation in four and a half months, since the 17th of August. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1994 - High winds buffeted the Northern Front Range of Colorado during the morning hours. Peak wind gusts included 105 mph atop Squaw Mountain near Idaho Springs and 89 mph at Fort Collins. A fast moving "Alberta Clipper" brought up to six inches of snow to Iowa. Up to a foot of snow blanketed the Snowy Range Mountains in southeastern Wyoming. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1994: High winds buffeted the Northern Front Range of Colorado during the morning hours. Peak wind gusts included 105 mph atop Squaw Mountain near Idaho Springs and 89 mph at Fort Collins. A fast moving "Alberta Clipper" brought up to six inches of snow to Iowa. Up to a foot of snow blanketed the Snowy Range Mountains in southeastern Wyoming.(National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1999: Chicago had its greatest calendar day snowfall with a total of 18.6 inches of snow on this date. Grand Rapids, MI recorded 22 inches for their greatest snowstorm ever. Detroit, MI reported a foot of snow and Milwaukee, WI was buried under 15.4 inches; the city's biggest snowstorm in 52 years. Heavy snow of 6 to 8 inches fell across part of northeast South Dakota from the late afternoon hours of the 1st to the early morning hours on this date. Strong north winds of 15 to 30 mph combined with temperatures in the single digits generated wind chills from -25° to -40° and visibilities below 1/4 of a mile at times. Thousands of holiday travelers were stranded on planes at Detroit’s Metro Airport. Many were stuck on planes for hours when snow plows were unable to clear paths to the gates.(Ref. Wilson Wx. History) (Ref. AccWeather Weather History) 1999: A powerful winter storm developed over the Texas panhandle and moved northeast through the Missouri bootheel and then north northeast through eastern Illinois and into Michigan. Snow began accumulating in east-central Illinois and areas south of Chicago during the early evening hours of New Year's Day and overspread the city and north suburbs by midnight. Snow continued through the night and much of the day Saturday, January 2. The heaviest snow fell during the daytime hours Saturday and tapered off by late afternoon or early evening and ended by late evening. Northeast winds were 20 to 30 mph with a few higher gusts during the day Saturday. Winds gusted to over 50 mph along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The strong wind coming off the lake enhanced snowfall totals within about 10 miles of the lake. Snowfall was generally 9 to 15 inches over north central and east central Illinois and in the Chicago suburbs. Snowfall in Chicago and the north suburbs in Lake County was 18 to 22 inches. Winds subsided Saturday evening as the storm center passed over southern Lake Michigan. Then strong northwest winds developed Sunday, causing considerable blowing and drifting and hampering clean-up efforts. The 21.6 inches at O'hare, the official observing site for Chicago, was the second greatest storm total snowfall. The record was 23.0 inches January 26-27, 1967. Of the 21.6 inches, 18.6 fell on January 2, setting a record for the most snowfall on a calendar day. Other snowfall amounts included; Algonquin 14.0, Aurora 14.4, Barrington 18.0, Brookfield 15.1, Bourbonnais 14.0, Channahon 13.0, Chatsworth 17.0, Coal City 13.0, Compton 9.7, Crestwood 14.2, DeKalb 12.4, Dixon 16.4, Earlville 11.3, Fairbury 13.0, Geneva 13.0, Glenwood 16.0, Harvard 9.0, Lake Villa 17.9, LaGrange Park 15.0, Midway Airport 20.6, Mundelein 10.0, Naperville 11.0, Olympia Fields 15.8, Orland Park 13.8, Rochelle 9.6, Rockford 9.0, Streamwood 14.0, Willow Springs 12.0. The heavy snow and blowing snow caused hazardous travel. Lake Shore Drive was closed down for the first time ever. State, county, and local road crews worked around the clock. The City of Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation spent 12 million dollars on snow removal efforts. Three hundred flights were canceled at O'Hare and Midway airports. 2006: Six tornadoes impacted central and northern Georgia. The tornadoes were rated from F0 to F3. 2008 - The second day of 2008 brought snow to areas of Indiana, Ohio and the Appalachians through the Northeastern United States. Parts of New England received the heaviest amounts, with some areas receiving storm totals of over 15 inches (38 cm) in several areas of central and eastern Maine. (NCDC) 2017: 36 confirmed tornadoes impacted the Deep South from Louisiana to Georgia. Many of the tornadoes came from line segments of storms known as quasi-linear convective systems. A larger convective system also created numerous wind damage reports, and in Alabama, four people died from straight-line winds.