Weather History For May 9

1894
Portland, OR had its latest freeze when the temperature fell to 32°. This is the only May freeze in Portland's history.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1918
An F4 tornado moved across Floyd, Chickasaw, and Winneshiek Counties in northeast Iowa from two miles north of Pearl Rock to Calmar. Two people died just east of Calmar, when the tornado was a mile wide. Losses in and near Calmar totaled $250,000. Overall, this tornado killed 7 people and injured 15 others.

1922
Yosemite Valley, CA received 7.5 inches of snow, their biggest May snowfall on record.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1923
TRACE OF SNOW FELL AT WBO AND BAL.

1927
A major tornado outbreak occurred from Texas to Michigan. There were 28 tornadoes rated F2 or greater. Nine separate tornadoes killed five or more people. A tornado touched down 5 miles east of Morrisonville, IL, then moved northeast to Decatur. In Christian County, the tornado killed one person and caused 67 injuries. The tornado widened in the Decatur area, did minor damage to over 1,000 homes, and injured 50 people. Popular Bluff, MO was devastated by an F4 tornado. 98 people were killed and 300 were injured. 31 business and residential blocks were destroyed in the city. Strong, AR was leveled by another F4 tornado with 24 people killed. St. Louis, MO reported a wind gust of 75 mph.Behind the storm, Chadron, NE reported two inches of snow.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1933
A tornado causing F4 damage moved through Monroe, Cumberland, and Russell Counties in Kentucky along a 60-mile path. The town of Tompkinsville, KY was the hardest hit with 18 people killed. Overall, 36 people lost their lives.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1947
The record Minimum temperature for Washington, DC for the date is 34 °F.
(Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA)

1956
The record Minimum temperature for May in Richmond, VA is 31 °F.
(Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC)

1959
An outbreak of tornadoes occurred in central and eastern Oklahoma with more than 10 tornadoes. The most significant tornado, an F4, touched down near Harden City in Pontotoc County, and produced a path of devastation before lifting north of Stonewall. Seven people were killed and another 12 injured by the twister. Many head of cattle were killed and 20 oil derricks north of Harden City were destroyed.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1963
The record Maximum temperature for Washington, DC for the date is 96 °F.
(Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA)

1964
A supercell thunderstorm formed over eastern Greer County, in southwest Oklahoma. This storm then proceeded to drop hail larger than baseballs along its entire 135 mile path into the south central parts of the state. The damage was enormous. An Air Force plane that flew into the storm near Cooperton, in Kiowa County, disintegrated and crashed due to the barrage of hail, killing six people. Large hail damaged every roof in the community of Fletcher, just northeast of Fort Sill.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1966
Record snows fell in the northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania, including 3.1 inches at Pittsburgh PA and 5.4 inches at Youngstown OH. Snow also extended across parts of New York State with eight inches reported in the southern Adirondacks.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1977
A late season snowstorm hit parts of Pennsylvania, New York State, and southern and central New England. Heavier snowfall totals included 27 inches at Slide Mountain, NY and 20 inches at Norwalk, CT. At Boston it was the first May snow in 107 years of records. The heavy wet snow caused extensive damage to trees and power lines. The homes of half a million persons were without power following the storm. (9th-10th)
(Ref. David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)

1979
A heat wave occurred across the east coast: Notable afternoon highs included 95° at Boston, MA and 94° at New York City.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1985
Lightning struck some trees about 150 yards away from a home in Alabama and followed the driveway to the home. The charge went through the house and burned all the electrical outlets, ruined appliances, and blasted a hole in the concrete floor of the basement.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1986
Strong thunderstorms produced high winds and copious rainfall amounts in eastern South Dakota. Rainfall amounts were more impressive as 2 to 4 inches of rain were common over much of eastern South Dakota including a 7.5 inch total at Redfield. The heavy rainfall caused extensive flooding, with Walworth and Potter counties reporting the most damage. In Lyman County, a dam on Lake Byre broke leaving water waist deep in the town of Kennebec. 7 inches of rain in three hours caused severe flooding in Des Moines, IA. The flooding damaged 530 homes and did $16 million dollars in damage.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Unseasonably warm weather spread from the Pacific Northwest to the Upper Mississippi Valley. Fifteen cities reported record high temperatures for the date. It was the fourth day of record warmth for Eugene, OR and Salem, OR.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1988
A massive cyclone in the central U.S. produced severe thunderstorms from eastern Texas to the Upper Ohio Valley. A strong (F-3) tornado ripped throughMiddleboro, KY causing more than 22 million dollars damage. Thunderstorms in east central Texas produced hail three and a half inches in diameter at Groesbeck and near Fairfield.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front in the south central U.S. produced golf ball size hail and wind gusts to 62 mph at Mira LA, and during the morning hours drenched Stuttgart, AR with five inches of rain.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the central U.S. during the evening hours, mainly from southeastern Missouri to southwestern Indiana. Severe thunderstorms spawned four tornadoes, including two strong (F-2) tornadoes in southern Illinois. Strong thunderstorm winds gusted to 85 mph at Orient IL and to 100 mph at West Salem. Thunderstorms drenched northeastern Illinois with up to 4.50 inches of rain.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1993
Roanoke, VA a young child was injured at a window when lightning struck a nearby tree.
(Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History)

1995
A 7-year-old girl was killed when a lightning bolt directly struck her as she played softball in a park at Lighthouse Point in Broward County, Florida. The thunderstorm was about 5 miles northwest of the park when the lightning struck in the midst of 10 children and coaches. The park is surrounded by trees.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1996
In western Kansas, hail and wind cut a path 2 miles wide along highway 96 across all of Lane County. Hail was piled 6 inches deep and was visible for several days. Property damage across the county was more than $2.5 million dollars. Siding was extensively damaged on many homes, roofs were damaged, and trees had the bark stripped off. Eight power poles were broken along highway 96.Also in western Kansas, an 8 mile wide area of hail and wind moved across Ness County along and near highway 96. Golf ball size hail and 80 mph winds were produced by a vicious thunderstorm that moved all the way from Scott County during the late evening hours. Damage across the county topped $1 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2000
About 160 of the 200 homes in Tontogany, Ohio were damage by hail to the size of softballs; some of the stones were shaped like “candy bars”. The hail fell for 10 minutes and more than 100 homes had holes knocked into their interior walls by hail and 60 mph winds.
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2012 Accord Pub. 2011, USA)

2003
A Roanoke, VA woman was struck and injured by lightning.
(Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History)