Hi everybody and welcome! The other night while browsing the web for weather news and related weather topics, I found some information that was indeed interesting and entertaining. I am talking about Mount Washington. Mount Washington is the highest summit in New England and is located in New Hampshire. This summit is known to have the worlds worst weather and it lives up to its reputation almost daily. The weather is so bad there that a permanent weather observatory has been built right at the summit and has been in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week since 1932! In fact, in 1934, the highest wind gust ever recorded on the surface of the earth was observed here. On April 12, 1934, a wind gust of 231 mph was recorded. The record still stands today. All the structures built on the summit are able to withstand winds of 300 mph. This observatory was the first of it’s kind anywhere in the world.
I think one of the most intriguing things about the observatory is the adventurous lifestyle the meteorologists who work at the station lead, especially during the winter. Winter on the mountain can be brutal. With wind gusts at 100 mph and wind chills well below zero being the norm, it takes a special team of well-trained meteorologists to man the station. The crew of the station takes weekly shifts and during the winter months, must be transported up and down the mountain by special snow vehicles called Snow Cats. There is only one road leading to the summit and during the winter months, the only way to stay on the road or should I say find the road, is by the use of large poles that mark the roads borders. Since the drifts can get as high as 20 feet, these poles have to be quite large.
Here are some interesting weather facts about the mountain. The elevation of Mount Washington is 6,288 feet above sea level. The lowest temperature recorded there was –47 degrees in January of 1934. The highest temperature was 72 degrees set in August of 1975. The average yearly temperature is 26.5 degrees. The average annual snowfall is 256 inches! Wow! The most snowfall recorded on the mountain was 566.4 inches in the winter of 1968 – 1969. Yes, you read it correctly; I did not mistakenly add any extra numbers. The winds at the summit exceed hurricane force {75 mph} on average of 104 days a year. Fog is also reported over 300 days a year at the summit. It’s sounds like a cool place to visit but I definitely don’t think I would want to live there!
If you plan on visiting, do so during the summer months. Even during the summer months, the road leading to the summit can become iced. There are two ways to get to the top of the mountain. You can drive yourself on the Mount Washington Auto Road or you can use the Mount Washington Clog Railroad. Both ways are engineering marvels and will offer breath taking views and weather conditions that can change by the second.
Now, on to The Time Capsule….
February 28, l954 -- morning -- south Florida/Keys -- Severe Thunderstorm winds damaged docks and small boats in West Palm Beach. Hail was heavy and reported as big as hen's eggs in Tavernier and Islamorada.
February 28, l989 -- Broward Co., Ft. Lauderdale -- Thunderstorms
produced l/2" hail and 7" rainfall that caused a mud slide at a
construction site that blocked traffic for several hours.
March 1, l980 -- Broward Co., Ft. Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Pompano Beach -- A tornado damaged apartments, businesses, schools, and homes. A woman was blown off her 6th floor balcony and killed. A fishing boat was found hanging from the power lines. Thirty-three injuries.
March 1 – 2, l994 -- Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Leon Counties -- Thunderstorms produced rainfall of five to 8 inches over the Florida panhandle. The 8.22 inches at Tallahassee was the sixth highest 24-hour total in the city's history. The rain caused widespread street and small stream flooding with damage to cars, mobile homes and a school. Four vehicles in Tallahassee were swept off roads, but no one was injured.
March 2, 1941 -- Freezing temperatures spread into south central Florida.
March 2, l972 -- Jackson Co., Mariana -- Thunderstorm winds capsized a boat and two men drowned. Tornadoes also struck Pensacola, Jay, and Port St. Joe.
March 2, 1994 -- central and south Florida -- Severe thunderstorms ahead of a strong low-pressure system and cold front spread over the peninsula. Tornadoes were reported in Polk, Charlotte, Collier, Broward, and Monroe Counties. Severe thunderstorm winds were reported in Sarasota, Pinellas, Polk, Volusia, Highlands, St. Lucie, Dade, and Duval Counties. The tornadoes were weak and thunderstorm wind gusts were in the 55 to 65 mph range. As a result there was no widespread property damage. The only injuries occurred in Collier Co. when a weak tornado rolled an unanchored mobile home injuring a man and woman inside. The woman was hospitalized.
March 3, l960 -- Lake/Orange Co. -- Tornado hit l0 homes in Orange Co. l small home was leveled and four people injured near Groveland.
March 3, l962 -- Palm Beach Co., Boynton Beach -- Wind driven waves washed l man off a fishing vessel and he drowned.
March 3 -- Outbreaks of four or more tornadoes have struck the Florida Peninsula on March 3rd in l97l, l978, and l99l, more than any other day.
March 3, l971 -- West Central Florida -- Tornado Outbreak -- Severe thunderstorms and seven tornadoes touched down from Ft. Myers and Sarasota to Tampa to Gainesville as a squall line crossed central Florida. Only l injury directly resulted from storms. A man drowned when his boat capsized in high winds.
March 3, l978 -- Central and South Florida -- Tornado outbreak - five tornadoes and l3 severe thunderstorms were reported from Tampa and Ft. Myers to West Palm Beach and Miami as a squall line crossed the peninsula ahead of a fast-moving cold front. Despite widespread minor property damage, only l injury was reported at Belle Glade.
March 3, l99l -- Statewide -- Severe Weather Outbreak. Many severe thunderstorms and at least eight tornadoes struck from Apalachicola to West Palm Beach as an intense squall line ahead of a cold front swept across the State. Thirty-four severe storm reports were received, but property damage was minor. This outbreak is noteworthy because the only injury was caused by 2.5" hail that crashed through the window of a car, knocking the driver unconscious in Volusia County at Ormond by the Sea. This is believed to be the only serious injury from hail in Florida since l959.
March 4, l972 -- Broward Co., Ft. Lauderdale -- Tornado damaged about l34 homes in the Pembroke Pines retirement area injuring six.
March 5, l970 -- Brevard Co., Titusville -- Tornado ripped through two subdivisions, damaging about 35 homes injuring seven.
March 6, l954 -- northern Florida -- Snow - Accumulated depths: -- Milton 4 inches; Niceville 3 inches; Pensacola 2 inches; Caryville l inch. Southern and eastern limits of reports of snow or sleet were Panama City, Live Oak, and Jacksonville.
March 6, l982 -- Pinellas, Dade, Highlands Co. -- A tornado moved through St. Petersburg, overturning four airplanes, damaging others, causing roof damage and downing power lines. A tornado in Miami damaged l00 homes, cars, and miles of power lines. A tornado in Sebring damaged l0 homes.
March 6, l992 -- Central Florida -- Hail up to l.75" covered the ground up to a foot deep in southwest Seminole County. 1.75" hail fell in Lake County and l.25" hail fell in Orange County. Severe Thunderstorm winds caused damage in Orange, Seminole, Brevard, and Indian River Counties. Damage ran into the millions, but there were no serious injuries.
March 7- 9, l962 -- Florida East Coast -- Beach Erosion -- Large waves generated by winds of an intense Atlantic storm pounded beaches along entire east Florida coast during three day period. Tides along the coast at time of high tide ranged two to 3 feet above normal. Superimposed wave action caused considerable erosion and several beach roads and properties were inundated. Greatest damages occurred between Melbourne and Miami Beach. One death in Miami Beach occurred while fighting an electrical fire caused when rising waters created a short circuit. Nearly all damages resulted from heavy ground swells rather than high tides.