• December 2015 National Storm Summary

    From jgmunley55@gmail.com@21:1/5 to All on Mon Jan 25 15:41:29 2016
    NATIONAL STORM SUMMARY

    DECEMBER 2015


    1-5: An early week storm blanketed the upper Midwest with heavy snow and produced significant rain across the interior Southwest. On November 30 - December 1, widespread snowfall totals of 4 to 10 inches or more were reported in the northwestern Corn
    Belt. During the same period, rainfall totaled at least 2 to 4 inches in a broad area centered on the southern Appalachians. Heavy showers lingered through week's end in southern
    Florida.
    Wet weather returned to the Northwest, especially along the northern Pacific Coast. Nevertheless, inland sections of the Northwest received beneficial moisture for winter grains, while showers spread as far south as northern California.
    As the calendar turned to December, a significant snow storm unfolded across the upper Midwest. November 30 - December 1 snowfall reached 10.4 inches in Huron, SD; 9.8 inches in Sioux City, IA; 6.3 inches in St. Cloud, MN; 5.1 inches in Grand Forks, ND;
    and 5.0 inches in Norfolk, NE. In South Dakota, record-setting snowfall totals for November 30 included 8.7 inches in Sioux Falls and 7.2 inches in Mitchell. Heavy rain fell farther south. Record-setting rainfall totals for November 29 included 2.54
    inches in Crossville, TN; 1.58 inches in Huntsville, AL; and 1.44 inches in Longview, TX. Chattanooga, TN, received 5.13 inches of rain from November 29 - December 2, including a daily-record total (2.32 inches) on the 1st. The wettest November on record
    drew to a close in locations such as Apalachicola, FL (14.38 inches, or 409 percent of normal); Vichy-Rolla, MO (10.11 inches, or 261 percent); and Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX (9.86 inches, or 364 percent). In addition, Dallas-Ft. Worth's January-November
    precipitation total of 58.78 inches (175 percent of normal) easily surpassed its 1991 annual record of 53.54 inches. During the second half of the week, significant precipitation was confined to southern Florida and the Northwest. Omak, WA, received
    precipitation totaling 1.76 inches during the first 5 days of the month, aided by daily record amounts (0.98 and 0.65 inch, respectively) on December 3 and 5.
    (Omak's normal December precipitation is 2.54 inches.) Windy weather accompanied the Northwestern storminess, with Oregon gusts on December 3 clocked to 73 mph on Cape Blanco and 58 mph in Klamath Falls. Meanwhile in southern Florida, Miami Executive
    Airport received 13.27 inches of rain during the first 5 days of December, including 3.33 inches on the 4th and 8.82 inches on the 5th. Miami, FL, experienced its fifth-wettest December day on the 4th, when 3.73 inches fell. Farther north, Buffalo, NY,
    continued to await its first measurable snowfall, breaking a record originally set on December 3, 1899.

    6-12: Wet weather persisted across the northwestern quadrant of the country on Tuesday, while a stationary front parked itself over southern Florida.
    A cold frontal boundary approached the coasts of Washington and Oregon. Moisture pooled ahead of this frontal boundary, which aided in the development of moderate to heavy rain across northwest Oregon and western Washington. Flood warnings and high wind
    warnings were issued over the region on Tuesday. Shelton, Wash., reported a midday total of 1.73 inches of rain. Astoria, Ore., reported a midday total of 1.00 inch of rain. Just to the east, avalanche warnings were issued in northeast Oregon, southern
    Idaho and southwest Montana. Additionally, winter storm watches were issued across the Sierra Nevada in anticipation of heavy snow.
    A wet weather pattern persisted over the Northwest on Wednesday, while thunderstorms fired up over Florida.
    A low pressure system moved onshore over British Columbia. A cold frontal boundary associated with this system extended southwestward over Washington, Oregon and northern California. A plume of moisture interacted with this frontal boundary, which aided
    in the development of light to moderate rain over the Pacific Northwest, the upper Intermountain West, the northern Great Basin and northern California. Flood warnings were issued for portions of Washington, Oregon, northern Idaho and western Montana.
    Crescent City, Calif., reported a midday total of 1.42 inches of rain. Roseburg, Ore., reported a midday total of 1.17 inches of rain. High wind warnings were also issued for much of the Pacific Northwest and the upper Intermountain West. Livingston,
    Mont., recorded wind gusts of 74 mph. additionally, winter storm warnings were issued across the Sierra Nevada. High pressure influenced dry conditions across the Southwest and the lower Intermountain West.
    Meanwhile, a stationary front lingered over The Bahamas and the Florida Keys. Showers and thunderstorms developed along and near this frontal boundary over southern Florida and the Greater Antilles. The southern Plains and the Deep South stayed clear of
    precipitation on Wednesday.
    A wet weather pattern persisted over the Northwest on Wednesday, while thunderstorms fired up over Florida.
    A low pressure system moved onshore over British Columbia. A cold frontal boundary associated with this system extended southwestward over Washington, Oregon and northern California. A plume of moisture interacted with this frontal boundary, which aided
    in the development of light to moderate rain over the Pacific Northwest, the upper Intermountain West, the northern Great Basin and northern California. Flood warnings were issued for portions of Washington, Oregon, northern Idaho and western Montana.
    Crescent City, Calif., reported a midday total of 1.42 inches of rain. Roseburg, Ore., reported a midday total of 1.17 inches of rain. High wind warnings were also issued for much of the Pacific Northwest and the upper Intermountain West. Livingston,
    Mont., recorded wind gusts of 74 mph. Additionally, winter storm warnings were issued across the Sierra Nevada. High pressure influenced dry conditions across the Southwest and the lower Intermountain West.

    13-19: Seemingly relentless storminess continued to ease or eradicate drought in the Northwest. In western Oregon, the latest round of heavy rain led to flooding. Meaningful precipitation spread as far south as the Sierra Nevada. A few favored locations
    downwind of the lower Great Lakes received 1 to 3 feet of late week snow, but Buffalo was located on the northern fringe of a snow band. Still, it was Buffalo's latest first accumulation, previously set with a 0.2-inch snowfall on December 3, 1899. An
    extremely heavy winter rainfall occurred on December 13 across parts of the upper Midwest. With a 3.32-inch total on the 13th,
    Waterloo, IA, experienced its wettest day on record during any month from October to April (previously, 3.05 inches on April 25, 2008). Waterloo's previous wettest December day had been December 5, 1982, when 1.68 inches fell. December 13 was also the
    wettest December day on record in locations such as Des Moines, IA (1.79 inches), and La Crosse, WI (1.71 inches). It was also Des Moines' second wettest winter day, behind only 2.13 inches on January 12, 1960. Meanwhile, daily-record amounts for
    December 13 in Kansas included 2.30 inches in Salina and 2.07 inches in Dodge City. The precipitation in Dodge City included 7.9 inches of snow. By December 14, a round of snow arrived across the northern Plains, where Great Falls, MT, reported daily
    records for precipitation (0.77 inch) and snowfall (8.2 inches). It was Great Falls' wettest December day on record (previously, 0.74 inch on December 29, 2010), and snowiest day since November 8, 2012, when 9.9 inches fell. In Wyoming, December 14-15
    snowfall included 10.4 inches in Casper and 7.3 inches in Cheyenne. In Nebraska, record-setting snowfall totals for December 15 reached 8.0 inches in Scottsbluff and 4.8 inches in Valentine. In South Dakota, daily-record snowfall amounts for the 15th
    totaled 4.3 inches in Rapid City and 4.2 inches in Pierre. From December 13-16, snowfall included 10.4 inches in Salt Lake City, UT, and 9.2 inches in Duluth, MN. On December 17, heavy showers overspread the East, where locations such as Athens, GA (2.01
    inches), and Trenton, NJ (1.05 inches), reported daily record amounts. Farther west, a new Pacific storm led to flooding in western Oregon. Record-setting totals in Oregon for
    December 17 climbed to 3.16 inches in North Bend; 3.08 inches in Newport; and 1.87 inches in Portland. By the 21st, Portland set a December precipitation record, surpassing its 1996 standard of 13.35 inches. In northwestern California, weekly rainfall in
    Crescent
    City totaled 7.85 inches. Farther north, Yakima, WA, tallied record setting precipitation (0.39 inch) and snowfall (5.5 inches) totals for December 17.

    20-26: A low pressure system moved across the Great Lakes on Tuesday, while a separate system affected the northern Plains. An area of low pressure shifted east northeastward over the eastern Great Lakes. This system ushered a mixture of rain and snow
    across the Northeast on Tuesday. Winter weather advisories remained in place for northern Maine. Fort Fairfield, Maine, reported a midday total of 3.0 inches of snow. A cold frontal boundary associated with this system aided in the development of rain
    and thunderstorms across the Gulf Coast, the Southeast and the southern Mid-Atlantic. Greenwood, S.C., reported a midday total of 3.08 inches of rain. Panama City, Fla., reported a midday total of 2.17 inches of rain. A separate wave of low pressure
    brought light to moderate snow showers to the northern Plains and the upper Mississippi Valley. Winter storm warnings were issued for northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Sheyenne, N.D., reported a midday total of 2.5 inches of snow. A cold
    frontal boundary stretched west southwestward over the central Plains, the Intermountain West and the Great Basin. This frontal system initiated snow showers and low elevation rain across the Rockies and the Great Basin.
    Meanwhile, a Pacific cold front approached the West Coast. Light to moderate rain moved onshore across portions of Washington, Oregon and California. Snow showers also affected the Cascades and parts of the Sierra Nevada. Winter storm warnings were
    issued for the central Sierra Nevada and the Cascades on Tuesday. Alpine Meadows, Calif., reported 34.0 inches of snow in the past 24 hours. Squaw Valley, Calif., reported 36.0 inches of snow in the past 24 hours.
    At least 11 people were killed in three states across the South after a strong system of storms tore through just as final preparations for Christmas celebrations were under way. Unseasonably warm weather Wednesday helped spawn twisters from Arkansas to
    Michigan. The line of spring-like storms continued marching east Thursday, dumping torrential rain that flooded roads in Alabama and caused a mudslide in the mountains of Georgia. Authorities confirmed seven deaths in Mississippi, including that of a 7-
    year-old boy who was in a car that was swept up and tossed by a storm. In Tennessee, officials said a 22-year-old man died in Rhea County, about 75 miles southwest of Knoxville, while a man and a woman were killed in Perry County, southwest of Nashville.
    One person was killed in Arkansas. Dozens more were injured, some seriously, said Greg Flynn, spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Search teams combed damaged homes and businesses for people still missing on Thursday, a hunt made
    complicated because so many had left for the holidays. In Linden, Tennessee, Tony Goodwin ducked into a storm shelter with seven others as the storm passed. He emerged to find his house had been knocked off its foundation and down the hill. He managed to
    climb inside and fetch some Christmas gifts that had been under his tree. Goodwin's neighbors weren't so fortunate. Two people in one home were killed. "It makes you thankful to be alive with your family," he told the Associated Press. "It's what
    Christmas is all about." The storms also triggered a mudslide on a mountain in north Georgia's Fannin County, dumped up to 10 inches of rain across parts of southeast Alabama and caused hundreds of flight delays for travelers trying to get home for
    Christmas. A wide swath of Alabama's Coffee County received as much as 10 inches of rain, and a foot of rain was recorded north of Enterprise. Emergency officials say two roads in Chambers County collapsed because of rain, causing natural gas leaks. A 7-
    year-old boy died in Holly Springs, Miss., when the storm picked up and tossed the car he was riding in, officials said. Marshall County Coroner James Anderson says the boy's relatives in the car with him were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment
    Greg Flynn, a spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency management Agency, and reported more than 40 injuries in six counties. A tornado also damaged or destroyed at least 20 homes in the northwest part of the state. Clarksdale Mayor Bill Luckett said the
    only confirmed casualty was a dog killed by storm debris. Planes at a small airport overturned and an unknown number of people were injured.
    About 120 miles east of the tornado, Brandi Holland, a convenience store clerk in Tupelo, Mississippi, said people were reminded of a tornado that damaged or destroyed more than 2,000 homes and businesses in April 2014.
    In Arkansas, Pope County Sheriff Shane Jones said 18-year-old Michaela Remus was sleeping in a bedroom with her 1 1/2-year-old sister in the house near Atkins, about 65 miles northwest of Little Rock, when winds uprooted the tree that crashed through the
    roof, killing the teen. Rescuers pulled the toddler safely from the home.
    In Indiana, an an EF-1 tornado struck the south Indianapolis suburb of Greenwood, television stations showed pictures of damage, including a portion of a roof blown off a veterinary office. The threat of severe weather just before Christmas is unusual,
    but not unprecedented, Storm Prediction Center meteorologist Greg Carbin told the Associated Press.
    Twisters hit southeast Mississippi exactly a year ago, killing five people and injuring dozens of others. On Christmas Day in 2012, a storm system spawned several tornadoes, damaging homes from Texas to Alabama. Emergency officials in Tennessee worried
    that powerful winds could turn holiday yard decorations into projectiles, the same way gusts can fling patio furniture in springtime storms, said Marty Clements, director of the Madison County Emergency Management Agency in Jackson, the state's largest
    city between Memphis and Nashville.
    27-31: A strong low pressure system brought major impacts to the eastern half of the country on Monday, while scattered snow showers developed over the Intermountain west.
    A robust area of low pressure moved northeastward over the Mississippi Valley and the Midwest. This system ushered heavy snow showers and freezing rain across portions of the central Plains, the northern Plains and the upper Midwest. Winter storm
    warnings were issued for eastern Kansas, eastern Nebraska, southeast South Dakota, northern Missouri, Iowa, southern Minnesota, Wisconsin, northern Illinois, northwest Indiana and Michigan. Sussex, Wis., reported a midday total of 4.0 inches of snow.
    Fort Dodge, Iowa, reported a midday total of 5.0 inches of snow. A cold frontal boundary associated with this system stretched southward over the Deep South. Strong to severe thunderstorms fired up along and ahead of this frontal boundary from the middle
    Mississippi Valley to the Gulf Coast. Flood warnings were issued across a handful of states on Monday. Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., reported a midday total of 2.84 inches of rain. Farmington, Mo., reported a midday total of 2.33 inches of rain.
    An area of low pressure moved across the northern Mid-Atlantic. This system ushered a mixture of rain, freezing rain and snow over the northern Mid-Atlantic, New England and the upper Midwest. Winter storm warnings were issued for northern New England.
    Winter weather advisories and freezing rain advisories were issued across Upstate New York and southern New England. Gorham, Maine, reported a midday total of 6.0 inches of snow. Haverhill, Mass., reported a midday total of 2.3 inches of snow. A
    stationary front extended south southwestward over the interior Mid-Atlantic and the Southeast. Showers and thunderstorms fired up along and near this frontal boundary. Flood warnings were issued for much of the Deep South. Rutherfordton, N.C., reported
    a midday total of 1.51 inches of rain. Greenwood, S.C., reported a midday total of 1.20 inches of rain.

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