WINTER 1996 THE WEATHER REPORT - WINTER 1996 A Weather Research Center newsletter Houston, Texas WINTER WEATHER CRAZY ACROSS MUCH OF THE NATION The Winter of 1996 will go down into the history books as one of craziest winter seasons to date. First there was the Blizzard of '96 which paralyzed much of the Northeast U.S. in the early part of January. This winter storm had its origins in the Gulf of Mexico, then tracked northeastward to a position off the Carolina capes. Many residents of the Northeast know that when a storm is in that area with temperatures below freezing, it can only mean one thing: snow, and plenty of it. Upwards of two feet of snow fell from portions of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, New York and points northeastward. But that was not the only snowfall to occur. More snow fell later in the month and again in February. As a result, a few locations set new all-time season records for snowfall amounts. The problem worsened for a while when a period of warmer weather arrived and with it, heavy rains. The combination of the rain, warmer temperatures and melting snow led to severe flooding conditions, especially over portions of Central Pennsylvania. While some locations did experience flooding, many of the rivers reached bankfull stage, but did not cause any major problems. As for the Gulf Coast, the first real threat of cold weather arrived on February 1 when an Arctic blast worked southward toward the coast. By February 2, temperatures in the Houston area were close enough to freezing that many bridges and overpasses, especially north of the city, froze as a result of light overrunning rain that had been falling. There were even a few reports of snow flurries! The forecast for the next couple of days called for temperatures to remain below freezing for about 48 hours. This sent plant and refinery personnel into an alert mode as freezing temperatures can cause havoc with operations. Fortunately, the bark was worse than the bite as daytime temperatures warmed to above freezing, thus eliminating the possibility of numerous consecutive hours of sub-freezing temperatures. Temperatures were a bit cooler over in Louisiana where the mercury just hit the freezing mark during the daytime on February 3 at Baton Rouge and New Orleans. After the short spell of freezing weather, Mother Nature rebounded and allowed temperatures to warm to well above normal in the weeks to come. Daytime readings in the 70s and 80s were common along the Gulf Coast by the second and third weeks of February. In Houston, a few record high temperatures were broken, especially on February 22 when the temperature reached 90 degrees. The unseasonably warm weather combined with no rainfall to produce one of the worst cases of brush and wild fires to strike the state of Texas. Rainfall amounts were running four to five inches below normal which caused the ground to be very dry and brittle. Numerous bans on outdoor burning were put into effect, but the wild fires still ignited, destroying thousands of acres of property. Just a reminder: COME BEAT THE WEATHERMEN!! The Weatherman's Classic Golf Tournament Monday, April 15, 1996 The Willowisp Country Club, Missouri City, Texas To Benefit the Weather Museum and Education Center CENTER HAPPENINGS AND PROJECTS The annual Weather Camp will be held again this summer, but with a different twist. The day camp which is designed for school children will feature specific topics to be covered over a three day period. Children can choose which topic they wish to attend, or can attend all three days! This year's lineup includes: Tropical Storms and Hurricanes, July 9, 16 or 23 Severe Weather and Tornadoes, July 10, 17 or 24 Weather Forecasting and Observations, July 11, 18 or 25 Each session begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. The cost for each session is $45 and includes all materials which will be distributed to the children. Space is limited, so those who are interested should call ahead for a reservation. Sessions which are not filled, will be combined with others. Dates and times are subject to change, especially during times of critical weather. TEN MOST RECENT BILLION DOLLAR U.S. WEATHER DISASTERS Here is a listing of the ten most recent billion-dollar weather disasters from 1993 to the present. This information is courtesy of the National Climatic Data Center. The remainder of the list will be published in the next issue. 1. Blizzard of '96, January 1996. Very heavy snowstorm over the Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast U.S. Preliminary estimates of over $2.0 billion in damages; 100 deaths. 2. Hrricane Opal, October 1995. Hurricane strikes Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Western Georgia, Eastern Tennessee and the Western Carolina's. Estimated $2.0-$3.0 billion in damages; 27 deaths. 3. Hurricane Marilyn, September 1995. Hurricane devastates U.S. Virgin Islands. Estimated $1.5 billion in damages; eight deaths. 4. Texas/Louisiana/Mississippi Flooding, May 1995. Torrential rains across the Dallas area, New Orleans and Southern Mississippi. Estimated $4.0 billion in damages; 27 deaths. 5. California Flooding, January-march 1995. Frequent winter storms caused flooding. Estimated $3.0 billion in damages; 27 deaths. 6. Texas Flooding, October 1994. Heavy rains and thunderstorms produced flooding across much of Southeast Texas. Estimated $1.0 billion in damages; 19 deaths. 7. Tropical Storm Alberto, July 1994. Remnants of a slow-moving Alberto produced heavy 1-25 inch rains, widespread across Georgia, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Estimated $1.0 billion in damages; 32 deaths. 8. Southeast Ice Storm, February 1994. Intense ice storm with extensive damage across portions of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. Estimated $3.0 billion in damages; nine deaths. 9. California Wildfires, Fall 1993. Lack of rain caused numerous wildfires across Southern California. Estimated $1.0 billion in damages, four deaths. 10. Midwest Flooding, Summer 1993. Heavy rains over the Central U.S. Estimated $15-20 billion in damages; 48 deaths. DO YOU NEED A HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS TALK OR PLANS UPDATED? During this time of the year, the theme of many safety meetings is hurricane preparedness. Meteorologists are available to go out to an office and give a preparedness presentation. This includes a review of what to do and what not to do when a hurricane threatens. It also includes a video tape of a spectacular situation when a hurricane struck. Or maybe your site is in desperate need of having its hurricane response plans updated. It would be foolish to wait until the next storm hits to see what you weaknesses are. The Center can evaluate your needs and requirements and implement a plan of response. If you would like more information about updating your plans or would like a presentation, please call Mike Arellano at the Center. THE WEATHER MUSEUM AND EDUCATION CENTER: UPDATE Meteorologists at the Center are close to meeting their goal of raising $50,000 to purchase the property for the Weather Museum and Education Center. The National Weather Service Office in Lake Charles, Louisiana, is donating the console of a WSR-57 weather radar and some old weather records. This museum will be a great place to learn about the weather. If you know of anyone who would like to become a founding member have them contact the Center.