September 2025 OBS-Discussion centered NYC subforum

[STORMANLI]

44°

[wdrag]

No thread attm--maybe something delayed now til  late Tuesday???:  need more ensemble support but still looking at widespread 1-3 rainfall totals Tuesday afternoon-next Sunday with iso 5+ POSSIBLE.  Depends on evolution and track of developing UA low Ohio Valley middle and end of next week... ie stall the showery late Tuesday surface CFP just to our south Wed-Sunday with weak waves of low pressure.  LONG Ways off but am not too alarmed by the recent dryness... happens and then a blast of rain. We do need that OH Valley Upper Level (5H for example) LOW to form and eject across NJ next Sunday as it finally weakens.   Otherwise wait til October. 

All ensembles 1+.  My greatest doubt is Fri-Sun...whether the tilt to the trough is more positive than what I thought yesterday, not permitting the Fri-Sun portion of the qpf into our area but shunting it further south across the Delmarva??

Yes, am aware that this OH Valley trough and eventual eastward progress might build the w ATLC ridge enough to permit a tropical threat late Sun-next Tuesday=this paragraph said with little confidence but awareness. 

For now... lets get some beneficial rain in here Tue-Thu.  I haven't checked on the svr threat.

Have a day. 

[LibertyBell]

44 minutes ago, bluewave said:

It’s pretty wild how shallow those radiational cooling inversions are. The low was only 57° at 50 meters up just above the treetops. That’s what the urban areas experienced this morning due to UHI around NYC.

 

Who had our coldest temperature this morning -- was it FOK or MJX? It's usually one of the two.  MVY in SE NE is also very cold on such mornings.

 

[LibertyBell]

2 hours ago, donsutherland1 said:

With the rapid drop in temperatures last night, White Plains had its first mean temperature below 60° (59.5°) yesterday since June 2. The first such mean temperature last year occurred on September 24. The 1991-2020 normal first such mean temperature occurred on September 9.

This morning, the temperature fell to 49° in White Plains. That was the second reading in the 40s this month. The last time there were at least two such days occurred in 2022 when there were four. The 1991-2020 average is 4.4 days.

Frost in the Poconos (MPO) Don?

 

[FPizz]

43 minutes ago, Sundog said:

I mean isn't all radiational cooling shallow? I always called it fake cold as a joke but boy would I love to have some of that fake cold in summer when those locations might cool into the 60s overnight while I continue to bake near 80. 

Fake cold like other places are fake warm (anthony)  

47 here this morning

[LibertyBell]

16 hours ago, donsutherland1 said:

Lack of precipitation is one variable. Temperature is another. At higher temperatures, more soil moisture is lost to evaporation. Here's a comparison of September 1984-August 1985 vs. September 2024-August 2025 for the Northeast Region:

1984-1985:

Temperature: 49th warmest (2.0°F cooler than 2024-2025)

Precipitation: 35.23" (6th driest)

Palmer Z-Index: -0.90 (13th driest)

2024-2025:

Temperature: 13th warmest (2.0°F warmer than 1984-1985)

Precipitation: 37.97" (23rd driest)

Palmer Z-Index: -1.12 (7th driest)

Numerous locations in New England with 0 days of missing data have seen < 35.00" precipitation over the 12-month period. Three such locations have seen < 30.00" precipitation.

Bridgeport (27.62"), Islip, JFK Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Newark, and White Plains have all seen <35.00" of rain during the same period.

Wow Don, I see there's a lot of years between 1984-1985 and 2024-2025 even though the rainfall amounts were only off by about 2.5 inches.  Was September 1984-August 1985 the driest such period during the 1980s decade?

 

[LibertyBell]

16 hours ago, donsutherland1 said:

Lack of precipitation is one variable. Temperature is another. At higher temperatures, more soil moisture is lost to evaporation. Here's a comparison of September 1984-August 1985 vs. September 2024-August 2025 for the Northeast Region:

1984-1985:

Temperature: 49th warmest (2.0°F cooler than 2024-2025)

Precipitation: 35.23" (6th driest)

Palmer Z-Index: -0.90 (13th driest)

2024-2025:

Temperature: 13th warmest (2.0°F warmer than 1984-1985)

Precipitation: 37.97" (23rd driest)

Palmer Z-Index: -1.12 (7th driest)

Numerous locations in New England with 0 days of missing data have seen < 35.00" precipitation over the 12-month period. Three such locations have seen < 30.00" precipitation.

Bridgeport (27.62"), Islip, JFK Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Newark, and White Plains have all seen <35.00" of rain during the same period.

The patterns are astonishingly similar, dryness on both the east and west coast and wetness in between.

winter 1984-1985 was cold and dry too (until February when we warmed up very quickly after a frigid January with one of our strongest arctic shots in my lifetime.)

[LibertyBell]

15 minutes ago, IrishRob17 said:

 

It is an interesting microclimate phenomenon for those that appreciate weather as a whole. The fake cold thing is a term made up by those who must rely on Canada for their cold and can't generate their own.   Only got down to 46 this morning, the dews are up a bit and clouds moved in. 

I think it also has to do with how quickly the cold gets scoured out after the sun comes up.

And sometimes we get this kind of cold just before a storm comes in during the winter and a place like FOK goes from the lowest temperatures in the area to being the first ones to change from snow to rain lol.

 

[bluewave]

22 minutes ago, IrishRob17 said:

 

It is an interesting microclimate phenomenon for those that appreciate weather as a whole. The fake cold thing is a term made up by those who must rely on Canada for their cold and can't generate their own.   Only got down to 46 this morning, the dews are up a bit and clouds moved in. 

Especially in places like the Adirondacks. I remember wondering as a kid how Old Forge made it down to -52° in February 1979. The Arctic high settled right over that region for perfect radiational cooling.

 

Data for February 18, 1979 through February 18, 1979
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

OLD FORGE	COOP	-52
STILLWATER RESERVOIR	COOP	-44
WANAKENA RNGR SCHOOL	COOP	-41
HINCKLEY 2 SW	COOP	-40

 

 

[MANDA]

WPC usually on the conservative side so if you are looking / hoping for meaningful rain you gotta like the look of this.  As Walt said still a ways off and details not solid but nice starting point.

[SACRUS]

 

62  / 54 clouds dividing the area in half SNJ / NYC/NNJ.   Warmer the next two days before clouds and more onshore bring the next chance of mod - hvy rainfall with cut off bumping into the Atlantic ridge. Once passed the weekend ridge into the east keep is ovrall warmer beyond.

 

 

[Stormlover74]

8 minutes ago, MANDA said:

WPC usually on the conservative side so if you are looking / hoping for meaningful rain you gotta like the look of this.  As Walt said still a ways off and details not solid but nice starting point.

Seems like they models have zeroed in on Thursday as the day we could see up to inch

[IrishRob17]

23 minutes ago, bluewave said:

Especially in places like the Adirondacks. I remember wondering as a kid how Old Forge made it down to -52° in February 1979. The Arctic high settled right over that region for perfect radiational cooling.

 

Data for February 18, 1979 through February 18, 1979
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

OLD FORGE	COOP	-52
STILLWATER RESERVOIR	COOP	-44
WANAKENA RNGR SCHOOL	COOP	-41
HINCKLEY 2 SW	COOP	-40

 

 

My house it at 385' but I typically have to drive over a hill that is just over 500' to get to the main road. To the point of how shallow the inversion can be it always cool to drive through it and have the car windows instantly fog up. There are times with freezing rain when I still have ice on everything and most of it has melted on the hill, which is only a half mile from my yard.  

[forkyfork]

lol

 

[forkyfork]

45 minutes ago, LibertyBell said:

 

And sometimes we get this kind of cold just before a storm comes in during the winter and a place like FOK goes from the lowest temperatures in the area to being the first ones to change from snow to rain lol.

 

people fall for that every time a changeover is looming

[psv88]

48.4 this morning. 
 

As for the shallow nature of fake cold, my old house was in a low spot in the area and radiated very well. My current house is on top of a hill and doesn’t radiate nearly as well. Not as fun 

[SACRUS]

 

Records:

Highs:

EWR: 94 (1970)
NYC: 95 (1914)
LGA: 93 (1970)
JFK: 91 (1980)

Lows:

EWR: 44 (1997)
NYC: 41 (1904)
LGA: 47 (1962)
JFK: 41 (1962)

Historical:
 

1890 - A severe hailstorm struck Strawberry, AZ. Fives days after the storm hail still lay in drifts 12 to 18 inches deep. (The Weather Channel)

1913 - Des Moines, IA, experienced their earliest freeze of record. (The Weather Channel)

1946: A trace of snow fell at Denver, CO. This marked the start of their longest snow season on record at 263 days through 6/11/1947 when a trace of snow fell. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1956: Hurricane Flossy nears the Texas Coast

1961 - Hurricane Esther made a near complete circle south of Cape Cod. The hurricane then passed over Cape Cod and hit Maine. Its energy was largely spent over the North Atlantic Ocean, however, heavy rains over Maine resulted in widespread local flooding of cellars, low roads, and underpasses. (David Ludlum)

 

1974: Canadian high pressure brought record chill from the upper Midwest to the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. Temperatures dropped below freezing for three consecutive nights damaging crops in areas. In Illinois, frost killed almost all of the soybean crop and 40% of the corn crop north of I-80. Total statewide damage was estimated between $200 and $400 million dollars.
Necedah and Mauston, WI recorded their coldest September temperatures on record with 18° and 20° respectively. Other daily record lows included: St. Cloud, MN: 18°, Grand Forks, ND: 20°, Fargo, ND: 23°, Duluth, MN: 23°, Sioux Falls, SD: 24°, Rochester, MN: 24°, Madison, WI: 25°, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN: 26°, Waterloo, IA: 26°, Green Bay, WI: 27°, Ste. St. Marie, MI: 28°, Toledo, OH: 29°, Detroit, MI: 30°, Dubuque, IA: 31°, Rockford, IL: 31°, La Crosse, WI: 32°, Milwaukee, WI: 32° °F. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link)

1975: Hurricane Eloise made landfall in the Florida panhandle with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and a minimum central pressure of 955 millibars or 28.20 inches of mercury. Panama City, FL reported a gust of 155 mph. Storm surge of 6 to 12 feet extended eastward to Port St. Joe, and tides 2 to 3 feet above normal were observed as far south as Tampa and Naples. The highest reported rainfall was 14.90 inches at Eglin AFB. Rainfall elsewhere to the west of the Apalachicola River ranged from 4 to 8 inches. Damage in northwest Florida was estimated at $150 million. About 20,000 people were evacuated in advance. Two weak tornadoes and several waterspouts were reported in the Panhandle. As the storm moved north, high winds and heavy rains led to power outages, damage and flooding. Parts of Alabama were without electricity for two weeks. The remnants moved through the Mid-Atlantic bringing flooding rains of 3 to 10 inches. Two miles south-southeast of Westminster, MD picked up 14.23 inches. The highest rainfall was a week before when Eloise passed north of Puerto Rico. Dos Bocas received 33.29 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1983 - Forty-one cities reported record cold temperatures during the morning. Houston, TX, hit 50 degrees, and Williston ND plunged to 19 degrees. (The Weather Channel)

1987 - Hurricane Emily, the first hurricane to roam the Carribean in nearly six years, made landfall over the Dominican Republic late in the day, packing 125 mph winds. Emily killed three persons and caused thirty million dollars damage. A record high of 92 degrees at Miami FL was their fifth in a row. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1988 - An early morning thunderstorm produced baseball size hail at Plainview, in Hale County TX. Late in the evening more thunderstorms in the Southern High Plains Region produced wind gusts to 75 mph at Plainview TX and Crosby TX. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1989 - Hurricane Hugo quickly lost strength over South Carolina, but still was a tropical storm as it crossed into North Carolina, just west of Charlotte, at about 7 AM. Winds around Charlotte reached 69 mph, with gusts to 99 mph. Eighty percent of the power was knocked out to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Property damage in North Carolina was 210 million dollars, and damage to crops was 97 million dollars. The strongest storm surge occurred along the southern coast shortly after midnight, reaching nine feet above sea level at ocean Isle and Sunset Beach. Hugo killed one person and injured fifteen others in North Carolina. Strong northwesterly winds ushered unseasonably cold air into the north central U.S., in time for the official start of autumn, at 8" 20 PM (CDT). Squalls produced light snow in northern Wisconsin. Winds in Wisconsin gusted to 52 mph at Rhinelander. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

 

1994: A nor’easter wreaked havoc on coastal MD. 50-mph winds (gusts to 79 mph) destroyed 100’s of tents/vending areas at the end-of-summer Sunfest in Ocean City. Windblown fires burned several shops along the boardwalk; 9 foot waves flooded other areas. Damage up to $5 million. (Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA)

1995: A strong cold front pushed across the Midwest, bringing with it one of the earliest freezes on record. In Iowa, temperatures dipped to as low as 24° over the northwest and sub-freezing temperatures lasted nearly eight hours. Crop maturation was behind schedule so this freeze caused significant damage, with soybeans the hardest hit. About $195 million dollars worth of soybeans were lost. Drought had already taken its toll on the corn crop so the freeze did not aversely affect the corn too much.
Chicago, IL experienced their earliest freeze on record as the mercury dipped to 32°. The low of 29° tied the record low for the month of September at Dodge City, KS. Further north, Jump River and Cashton, WI head their earliest measurable snowfall on record with 1.5 inches and 0.5 of an inch respectively. Other daily record lows included: Rapid City, SD: 19°, Bismarck, ND: 20°, Aberdeen, SD: 20°, Valentine, NE: 23°, Fargo, ND: 23°-Tied, Huron, SD: 24°, North Platte, NE: 24°, Scottsbluff, NE: 24°, Grand Island, NE: 25°, Sioux City, IA: 25°, Norfolk, NE: 26°, Lincoln, NE: 27°, Concordia, KS: 29°, Goodland, KS: 30°-Tied, Omaha, NE: 31°, Topeka, KS: 31°, Des Moines, IA: 31°, Kansas City, MO: 31 °F. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link)

1998: Hurricane Georges moved across Hispaniola killing over 580 people, mainly due to flash flooding and subsequent mud slides in high terrain regions. Damage estimates from the storm exceeded $1 billion dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2005 - For the first time in the historical record, two hurricanes reached category-5 intensity in the Gulf of Mexico in a single season as Hurricane Rita intensified before making landfall (Katrina and Rita).

2006 - The tristate area of Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky was struck by the worst tornado outbreak in the recorded history during the month of September. One supercell produced a long-track F4 tornado across southeastern Missouri into southwestern Illinois. This tornado traveled 27.5 miles.

[donsutherland1]

1 hour ago, LibertyBell said:

Frost in the Poconos (MPO) Don?

 

No. The low at Mount Pocono was 48° as clouds moved in.

1 hour ago, LibertyBell said:

Wow Don, I see there's a lot of years between 1984-1985 and 2024-2025 even though the rainfall amounts were only off by about 2.5 inches.  Was September 1984-August 1985 the driest such period during the 1980s decade?

 

Yes. For the Northeast it was the driest, but not for New York City. September 1, 1980-August 31, 1981 was the driest such period in New York City during the 1980s with 34.83" of rain.

[steve392]

1 hour ago, bluewave said:

The shallow nature is what makes it such an interesting phenomenon.

I radiate much better here by a wooded area just north of the sound. You really notice the temperature falling pretty quickly when the sun goes down.

My old area back on the South Shore didn't radiate very well. So I had to rely more on strong CAA and the winds staying strong for my colder mornings near the ocean and bays.

As soon as the sun started ducking behind the tree's by me yesterday, temps started to drop enough to warrant a hoodie while being outside with the breeze.

[SACRUS]

 

 

Were some pokes of sun but now mostly cloudy

[LibertyBell]

9 minutes ago, donsutherland1 said:

No. The low at Mount Pocono was 48° as clouds moved in.

Yes. For the Northeast it was the driest, but not for New York City. September 1, 1980-August 31, 1981 was the driest such period in New York City during the 1980s with 34.83" of rain.

1980 was also one of our hottest summers and also extremely hot nationally.

Which was the driest summer during the 1980s Don?

 

[LibertyBell]

5 minutes ago, SACRUS said:

 

 

Were some pokes of sun but now mostly cloudy

it's been mostly sunny here today, very deep blue skies

[LibertyBell]

14 minutes ago, SACRUS said:

 

Records:

Highs:

EWR: 94 (1970)
NYC: 95 (1914)
LGA: 93 (1970)
JFK: 91 (1980)

Lows:

EWR: 44 (1997)
NYC: 41 (1904)
LGA: 47 (1962)
JFK: 41 (1962)

Historical:
 

1890 - A severe hailstorm struck Strawberry, AZ. Fives days after the storm hail still lay in drifts 12 to 18 inches deep. (The Weather Channel)

1913 - Des Moines, IA, experienced their earliest freeze of record. (The Weather Channel)

1946: A trace of snow fell at Denver, CO. This marked the start of their longest snow season on record at 263 days through 6/11/1947 when a trace of snow fell. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1956: Hurricane Flossy nears the Texas Coast

1961 - Hurricane Esther made a near complete circle south of Cape Cod. The hurricane then passed over Cape Cod and hit Maine. Its energy was largely spent over the North Atlantic Ocean, however, heavy rains over Maine resulted in widespread local flooding of cellars, low roads, and underpasses. (David Ludlum)

 

1974: Canadian high pressure brought record chill from the upper Midwest to the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. Temperatures dropped below freezing for three consecutive nights damaging crops in areas. In Illinois, frost killed almost all of the soybean crop and 40% of the corn crop north of I-80. Total statewide damage was estimated between $200 and $400 million dollars.
Necedah and Mauston, WI recorded their coldest September temperatures on record with 18° and 20° respectively. Other daily record lows included: St. Cloud, MN: 18°, Grand Forks, ND: 20°, Fargo, ND: 23°, Duluth, MN: 23°, Sioux Falls, SD: 24°, Rochester, MN: 24°, Madison, WI: 25°, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN: 26°, Waterloo, IA: 26°, Green Bay, WI: 27°, Ste. St. Marie, MI: 28°, Toledo, OH: 29°, Detroit, MI: 30°, Dubuque, IA: 31°, Rockford, IL: 31°, La Crosse, WI: 32°, Milwaukee, WI: 32° °F. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link)

1975: Hurricane Eloise made landfall in the Florida panhandle with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and a minimum central pressure of 955 millibars or 28.20 inches of mercury. Panama City, FL reported a gust of 155 mph. Storm surge of 6 to 12 feet extended eastward to Port St. Joe, and tides 2 to 3 feet above normal were observed as far south as Tampa and Naples. The highest reported rainfall was 14.90 inches at Eglin AFB. Rainfall elsewhere to the west of the Apalachicola River ranged from 4 to 8 inches. Damage in northwest Florida was estimated at $150 million. About 20,000 people were evacuated in advance. Two weak tornadoes and several waterspouts were reported in the Panhandle. As the storm moved north, high winds and heavy rains led to power outages, damage and flooding. Parts of Alabama were without electricity for two weeks. The remnants moved through the Mid-Atlantic bringing flooding rains of 3 to 10 inches. Two miles south-southeast of Westminster, MD picked up 14.23 inches. The highest rainfall was a week before when Eloise passed north of Puerto Rico. Dos Bocas received 33.29 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1983 - Forty-one cities reported record cold temperatures during the morning. Houston, TX, hit 50 degrees, and Williston ND plunged to 19 degrees. (The Weather Channel)

1987 - Hurricane Emily, the first hurricane to roam the Carribean in nearly six years, made landfall over the Dominican Republic late in the day, packing 125 mph winds. Emily killed three persons and caused thirty million dollars damage. A record high of 92 degrees at Miami FL was their fifth in a row. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1988 - An early morning thunderstorm produced baseball size hail at Plainview, in Hale County TX. Late in the evening more thunderstorms in the Southern High Plains Region produced wind gusts to 75 mph at Plainview TX and Crosby TX. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1989 - Hurricane Hugo quickly lost strength over South Carolina, but still was a tropical storm as it crossed into North Carolina, just west of Charlotte, at about 7 AM. Winds around Charlotte reached 69 mph, with gusts to 99 mph. Eighty percent of the power was knocked out to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Property damage in North Carolina was 210 million dollars, and damage to crops was 97 million dollars. The strongest storm surge occurred along the southern coast shortly after midnight, reaching nine feet above sea level at ocean Isle and Sunset Beach. Hugo killed one person and injured fifteen others in North Carolina. Strong northwesterly winds ushered unseasonably cold air into the north central U.S., in time for the official start of autumn, at 8" 20 PM (CDT). Squalls produced light snow in northern Wisconsin. Winds in Wisconsin gusted to 52 mph at Rhinelander. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

 

1994: A nor’easter wreaked havoc on coastal MD. 50-mph winds (gusts to 79 mph) destroyed 100’s of tents/vending areas at the end-of-summer Sunfest in Ocean City. Windblown fires burned several shops along the boardwalk; 9 foot waves flooded other areas. Damage up to $5 million. (Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA)

1995: A strong cold front pushed across the Midwest, bringing with it one of the earliest freezes on record. In Iowa, temperatures dipped to as low as 24° over the northwest and sub-freezing temperatures lasted nearly eight hours. Crop maturation was behind schedule so this freeze caused significant damage, with soybeans the hardest hit. About $195 million dollars worth of soybeans were lost. Drought had already taken its toll on the corn crop so the freeze did not aversely affect the corn too much.
Chicago, IL experienced their earliest freeze on record as the mercury dipped to 32°. The low of 29° tied the record low for the month of September at Dodge City, KS. Further north, Jump River and Cashton, WI head their earliest measurable snowfall on record with 1.5 inches and 0.5 of an inch respectively. Other daily record lows included: Rapid City, SD: 19°, Bismarck, ND: 20°, Aberdeen, SD: 20°, Valentine, NE: 23°, Fargo, ND: 23°-Tied, Huron, SD: 24°, North Platte, NE: 24°, Scottsbluff, NE: 24°, Grand Island, NE: 25°, Sioux City, IA: 25°, Norfolk, NE: 26°, Lincoln, NE: 27°, Concordia, KS: 29°, Goodland, KS: 30°-Tied, Omaha, NE: 31°, Topeka, KS: 31°, Des Moines, IA: 31°, Kansas City, MO: 31 °F. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link)

1998: Hurricane Georges moved across Hispaniola killing over 580 people, mainly due to flash flooding and subsequent mud slides in high terrain regions. Damage estimates from the storm exceeded $1 billion dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2005 - For the first time in the historical record, two hurricanes reached category-5 intensity in the Gulf of Mexico in a single season as Hurricane Rita intensified before making landfall (Katrina and Rita).

2006 - The tristate area of Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky was struck by the worst tornado outbreak in the recorded history during the month of September. One supercell produced a long-track F4 tornado across southeastern Missouri into southwestern Illinois. This tornado traveled 27.5 miles.

1995: A strong cold front pushed across the Midwest, bringing with it one of the earliest freezes on record. In Iowa, temperatures dipped to as low as 24° over the northwest and sub-freezing temperatures lasted nearly eight hours. Crop maturation was behind schedule so this freeze caused significant damage, with soybeans the hardest hit. About $195 million dollars worth of soybeans were lost. Drought had already taken its toll on the corn crop so the freeze did not aversely affect the corn too much.
Chicago, IL experienced their earliest freeze on record as the mercury dipped to 32°. The low of 29° tied the record low for the month of September at Dodge City, KS. Further north, Jump River and Cashton, WI head their earliest measurable snowfall on record with 1.5 inches and 0.5 of an inch respectively. Other daily record lows included: Rapid City, SD: 19°, Bismarck, ND: 20°, Aberdeen, SD: 20°, Valentine, NE: 23°, Fargo, ND: 23°-Tied, Huron, SD: 24°, North Platte, NE: 24°, Scottsbluff, NE: 24°, Grand Island, NE: 25°, Sioux City, IA: 25°, Norfolk, NE: 26°, Lincoln, NE: 27°, Concordia, KS: 29°, Goodland, KS: 30°-Tied, Omaha, NE: 31°, Topeka, KS: 31°, Des Moines, IA: 31°, Kansas City, MO: 31 °F. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link)

 

1995-96 was showing its hand about how historic that winter was about to become....

 

JFK: 91 (1980)

 

1980's historic heat ended on a high note!

 

 

[LibertyBell]

37 minutes ago, forkyfork said:

people fall for that every time a changeover is looming

Yeah and it's almost comical how quickly the changeover comes in.

[LibertyBell]

1 hour ago, bluewave said:

Especially in places like the Adirondacks. I remember wondering as a kid how Old Forge made it down to -52° in February 1979. The Arctic high settled right over that region for perfect radiational cooling.

 

Data for February 18, 1979 through February 18, 1979
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

OLD FORGE	COOP	-52
STILLWATER RESERVOIR	COOP	-44
WANAKENA RNGR SCHOOL	COOP	-41
HINCKLEY 2 SW	COOP	-40

 

 

1978-79 was one of the coldest winters on record nationally, we might never see that kind of extensive cold ever again.

 

[LibertyBell]

21 minutes ago, SACRUS said:

 

Records:

Highs:

EWR: 94 (1970)
NYC: 95 (1914)
LGA: 93 (1970)
JFK: 91 (1980)

Lows:

EWR: 44 (1997)
NYC: 41 (1904)
LGA: 47 (1962)
JFK: 41 (1962)

Historical:
 

1890 - A severe hailstorm struck Strawberry, AZ. Fives days after the storm hail still lay in drifts 12 to 18 inches deep. (The Weather Channel)

1913 - Des Moines, IA, experienced their earliest freeze of record. (The Weather Channel)

1946: A trace of snow fell at Denver, CO. This marked the start of their longest snow season on record at 263 days through 6/11/1947 when a trace of snow fell. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1956: Hurricane Flossy nears the Texas Coast

1961 - Hurricane Esther made a near complete circle south of Cape Cod. The hurricane then passed over Cape Cod and hit Maine. Its energy was largely spent over the North Atlantic Ocean, however, heavy rains over Maine resulted in widespread local flooding of cellars, low roads, and underpasses. (David Ludlum)

 

1974: Canadian high pressure brought record chill from the upper Midwest to the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. Temperatures dropped below freezing for three consecutive nights damaging crops in areas. In Illinois, frost killed almost all of the soybean crop and 40% of the corn crop north of I-80. Total statewide damage was estimated between $200 and $400 million dollars.
Necedah and Mauston, WI recorded their coldest September temperatures on record with 18° and 20° respectively. Other daily record lows included: St. Cloud, MN: 18°, Grand Forks, ND: 20°, Fargo, ND: 23°, Duluth, MN: 23°, Sioux Falls, SD: 24°, Rochester, MN: 24°, Madison, WI: 25°, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN: 26°, Waterloo, IA: 26°, Green Bay, WI: 27°, Ste. St. Marie, MI: 28°, Toledo, OH: 29°, Detroit, MI: 30°, Dubuque, IA: 31°, Rockford, IL: 31°, La Crosse, WI: 32°, Milwaukee, WI: 32° °F. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link)

1975: Hurricane Eloise made landfall in the Florida panhandle with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and a minimum central pressure of 955 millibars or 28.20 inches of mercury. Panama City, FL reported a gust of 155 mph. Storm surge of 6 to 12 feet extended eastward to Port St. Joe, and tides 2 to 3 feet above normal were observed as far south as Tampa and Naples. The highest reported rainfall was 14.90 inches at Eglin AFB. Rainfall elsewhere to the west of the Apalachicola River ranged from 4 to 8 inches. Damage in northwest Florida was estimated at $150 million. About 20,000 people were evacuated in advance. Two weak tornadoes and several waterspouts were reported in the Panhandle. As the storm moved north, high winds and heavy rains led to power outages, damage and flooding. Parts of Alabama were without electricity for two weeks. The remnants moved through the Mid-Atlantic bringing flooding rains of 3 to 10 inches. Two miles south-southeast of Westminster, MD picked up 14.23 inches. The highest rainfall was a week before when Eloise passed north of Puerto Rico. Dos Bocas received 33.29 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1983 - Forty-one cities reported record cold temperatures during the morning. Houston, TX, hit 50 degrees, and Williston ND plunged to 19 degrees. (The Weather Channel)

1987 - Hurricane Emily, the first hurricane to roam the Carribean in nearly six years, made landfall over the Dominican Republic late in the day, packing 125 mph winds. Emily killed three persons and caused thirty million dollars damage. A record high of 92 degrees at Miami FL was their fifth in a row. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1988 - An early morning thunderstorm produced baseball size hail at Plainview, in Hale County TX. Late in the evening more thunderstorms in the Southern High Plains Region produced wind gusts to 75 mph at Plainview TX and Crosby TX. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1989 - Hurricane Hugo quickly lost strength over South Carolina, but still was a tropical storm as it crossed into North Carolina, just west of Charlotte, at about 7 AM. Winds around Charlotte reached 69 mph, with gusts to 99 mph. Eighty percent of the power was knocked out to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Property damage in North Carolina was 210 million dollars, and damage to crops was 97 million dollars. The strongest storm surge occurred along the southern coast shortly after midnight, reaching nine feet above sea level at ocean Isle and Sunset Beach. Hugo killed one person and injured fifteen others in North Carolina. Strong northwesterly winds ushered unseasonably cold air into the north central U.S., in time for the official start of autumn, at 8" 20 PM (CDT). Squalls produced light snow in northern Wisconsin. Winds in Wisconsin gusted to 52 mph at Rhinelander. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

 

1994: A nor’easter wreaked havoc on coastal MD. 50-mph winds (gusts to 79 mph) destroyed 100’s of tents/vending areas at the end-of-summer Sunfest in Ocean City. Windblown fires burned several shops along the boardwalk; 9 foot waves flooded other areas. Damage up to $5 million. (Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA)

1995: A strong cold front pushed across the Midwest, bringing with it one of the earliest freezes on record. In Iowa, temperatures dipped to as low as 24° over the northwest and sub-freezing temperatures lasted nearly eight hours. Crop maturation was behind schedule so this freeze caused significant damage, with soybeans the hardest hit. About $195 million dollars worth of soybeans were lost. Drought had already taken its toll on the corn crop so the freeze did not aversely affect the corn too much.
Chicago, IL experienced their earliest freeze on record as the mercury dipped to 32°. The low of 29° tied the record low for the month of September at Dodge City, KS. Further north, Jump River and Cashton, WI head their earliest measurable snowfall on record with 1.5 inches and 0.5 of an inch respectively. Other daily record lows included: Rapid City, SD: 19°, Bismarck, ND: 20°, Aberdeen, SD: 20°, Valentine, NE: 23°, Fargo, ND: 23°-Tied, Huron, SD: 24°, North Platte, NE: 24°, Scottsbluff, NE: 24°, Grand Island, NE: 25°, Sioux City, IA: 25°, Norfolk, NE: 26°, Lincoln, NE: 27°, Concordia, KS: 29°, Goodland, KS: 30°-Tied, Omaha, NE: 31°, Topeka, KS: 31°, Des Moines, IA: 31°, Kansas City, MO: 31 °F. (Ref. Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link)

1998: Hurricane Georges moved across Hispaniola killing over 580 people, mainly due to flash flooding and subsequent mud slides in high terrain regions. Damage estimates from the storm exceeded $1 billion dollars. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2005 - For the first time in the historical record, two hurricanes reached category-5 intensity in the Gulf of Mexico in a single season as Hurricane Rita intensified before making landfall (Katrina and Rita).

2006 - The tristate area of Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky was struck by the worst tornado outbreak in the recorded history during the month of September. One supercell produced a long-track F4 tornado across southeastern Missouri into southwestern Illinois. This tornado traveled 27.5 miles.

1994: A nor’easter wreaked havoc on coastal MD. 50-mph winds (gusts to 79 mph) destroyed 100’s of tents/vending areas at the end-of-summer Sunfest in Ocean City. Windblown fires burned several shops along the boardwalk; 9 foot waves flooded other areas. Damage up to $5 million. (Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA)

 

I think I remember this-- did we have 5-5.50 inches of very heavy rainfall during this? I remember this because I was on I-80 in NJ when this happened.

I also remember an August noreaster which gave us very heavy rain during the 90s.  There was even some snow reported on Mt Washington in that one.

 

[bluewave]

9 minutes ago, LibertyBell said:

1978-79 was one of the coldest winters on record nationally, we might never see that kind of extensive cold ever again.

 

Still the coldest 14 day period at Islip.

Minimum 14-Day Mean Avg Temperature 
for ISLIP-LI MACARTHUR AP, NY
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

Period of record: 1963-09-05 to 2025-09-21
1	11.4	1979-02-06 through 1979-02-19	0
2	11.5	1979-02-07 through 1979-02-20	0
3	11.9	1979-02-05 through 1979-02-18	0
4	12.5	1979-02-08 through 1979-02-21	0
5	13.4	1979-02-04 through 1979-02-17	0
6	13.8	1979-02-09 through 1979-02-22	0
7	14.6	1967-12-31 through 1968-01-13	0
8	14.8	1967-12-30 through 1968-01-12	0
9	15.0	1979-02-03 through 1979-02-16	0
10	15.4	1979-02-10 through 1979-02-23	0
11	15.5	1968-01-01 through 1968-01-14	0
12	15.9	1979-02-02 through 1979-02-15	0
13	16.0	1967-12-29 through 1968-01-11	0
14	16.3	1968-01-02 through 1968-01-15	0
15	16.3	1968-01-04 through 1968-01-17	0
16	16.5	1979-02-01 through 1979-02-14	0
-	16.5	1968-01-05 through 1968-01-18	0
17	16.8	1968-01-03 through 1968-01-16	0
18	17.2	1977-01-11 through 1977-01-24	0
19	17.4	2017-12-26 through 2018-01-08	0
20	17.4	1981-01-01 through 1981-01-14	0
21	17.5	1981-01-03 through 1981-01-16	0
-	17.5	1981-01-02 through 1981-01-15	0
22	17.7	1980-12-31 through 1981-01-13	0
-	17.7	1967-12-28 through 1968-01-10	0

 

1979-02-06	25	13	19.0	-12.9	46	0	0.00	0.0	0
1979-02-07	22	13	17.5	-14.5	47	0	0.65	6.5	0
1979-02-08	30	17	23.5	-8.6	41	0	0.03	0.3	7
1979-02-09	19	8	13.5	-18.7	51	0	0.00	0.0	6
1979-02-10	15	-1	7.0	-25.4	58	0	0.00	0.0	5
1979-02-11	11	-2	4.5	-28.0	60	0	0.00	0.0	4
1979-02-12	15	-6	4.5	-28.2	60	0	0.09	0.9	2
1979-02-13	12	5	8.5	-24.3	56	0	T	T	3
1979-02-14	13	-1	6.0	-27.0	59	0	0.00	0.0	3
1979-02-15	20	9	14.5	-18.6	50	0	T	T	2
1979-02-16	18	8	13.0	-20.3	52	0	0.02	0.2	1
1979-02-17	10	0	5.0	-28.5	60	0	0.00	0.0	1
1979-02-18	14	-2	6.0	-27.7	59	0	0.00	0.0	1
1979-02-19	24	10	17.0	-16.9	48	0	0.88	8.8	2

[donsutherland1]

8 minutes ago, LibertyBell said:

1980 was also one of our hottest summers and also extremely hot nationally.

Which was the driest summer during the 1980s Don?

 

Driest Year during the 1980s:
National: 1988
Northeast: 1980
New York City: 1981

Driest September-August during the 1980s:
National: 1987-1988
Northeast: 1984-1985
New York City: 1980-1981

Driest Summer during the 1980s:
National: 1980
Northeast: 1983
New York City: 1981

 

[LibertyBell]

3 minutes ago, donsutherland1 said:

Driest Year during the 1980s:
National: 1988
Northeast: 1980
New York City: 1981

Driest September-August during the 1980s:
National: 1987-1988
Northeast: 1984-1985
New York City: 1980-1981

Driest Summer during the 1980s:
National: 1980
Northeast: 1983
New York City: 1981

 

1983 was definitely the hottest summer here (and hottest until 2010), but what I find incredible about 1983's summer heat was that it was also our wettest year on record.  We dried out enough for the summer for all that record heat from June through September!!!!

[SACRUS]

 

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