Weather History For October 29
1693
Delmarva Peninsula changed by Acomack storm -A "most violent storm in Virginia" stopped the course of old channels and created new ones from Virginia northward to Long Island.The great storm was violent as it passed through Acomack, which was located on the Delmarva peninsula between Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic, sixty miles northeast of Norfolk. This storm may have created Fire Island Cut, to the east of New York City.
(Ref. for Storm of 1693)
1917
Soda Butte, WY the mercury plunged to -33 °F degrees below zero, a U.S. record for the month of October.
(Ref. David Ludlum The American Weather Book p. 234)
The all-time lowest recorded temperature in October for Denver, CO is -2 °F below zero and is also the earliest below zero reading of the season.
(Ref. Denver Weather History)
(Ref. WxDoctor)
1925
The high temperature of 46 degrees today remains the coolest high temperature on record for October in Baltimore.
Lowest October High temperature for Baltimore
1942
A tornado struck the town of Berryville in northwest Arkansas killing 20 persons and causing half a million dollars damage.
(David Ludlum)
1956
A violent tornado, or series of tornadoes, moved along a path more than 100 miles in length from south of North Platte, NE into Rock County, NE. It was an unusually late occurrence so far north and west in the U.S. for such a storm.
(The Weather Channel)
1987
Severe thunderstorms in Arizona produced wind gusts to 86 mph at the Glendale Airport near Phoenix, baseball size hail and 70 mph winds at Wickenburg, and up to an inch of rain in fifteen minutes in Yavapai County and northwest Maricopa County. Arizona Public Service alone reported 2.5 million dollars damage from the storms.
(The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1985
Hurricane Juan, a rather large category 1 storm, meandered on near the Louisiana coast until the 31st when it finally made landfall on the Alabama coast. The slow movement of the storm resulted in excessive rains in Louisiana with many places receiving over 10 inches. Galliano, LA checked in with a storm total of 17.73 inches. Inland flooding combined with an 8 foot storm surge resulted in damage well over $500 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
1988
Wintry weather prevailed in the Upper Midwest. South Bend, Indiana equaled their record for October with a morning low of 23 degrees. International Falls, MN reported a record low of 11 degrees in the morning, and then dipped down to 8 degrees above zero late in the evening.
(The National Weather Summary)
1989
Thunderstorms developing along a cold front produced severe weather in Oklahoma and north central Texas during the late afternoon and evening hours. Thunderstorms in Oklahoma produced weak tornadoes near Snyder and Davidson, and produced hail two inches in diameter at Altus. Large hail damaged 60 to 80 percent of the cotton crop in Tillman County, OK. Nine cities in the northeastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date as readings warmed into the 70s. For Marquette, MI it marked their fifth straight day of record warmth. Arctic cold invaded the western U.S. Lows of 7 degrees at Alamosa, CO and 9 degrees at Elko, NV were records for the date.
(The National Weather Summary)
1991
Bismarck, ND set their October snowfall record as 15.9 inches of snow fell through this date, bringing the total for the month to 23.5 inches.
(Ref. AccWeather Weather History)
A deep upper level trough behind a frontal boundary brought record low temperatures for the date including:Chinook, MT: -24°, Havre, MT: -21°, Conrad, MT: -16°, Chester, MT: -15°, Valentine, MT: -15°, Cut Bank, MT: -14°, Stanford, MT: -11°, Butte, MT: -9°, Great Falls, MT: -5°, Sheridan, WY: -4°, Glasgow, MT: -2°, Helena, MT: -2°, Miles City, MT: -2°, Billings, MT: 1°, Rapid City, SD: 1°, Scottsbluff, NE: 3°, Valentine, NE: 5°-Tied, Burns, OR: 6° and Denver, CO: 7° with a record low maximum of 21°.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
1996
A fast moving squall line producing wind gusts of 50 to 80 mph across parts of northern and central Illinois. The storms downed power lines and trees, which in turn damaged buildings that they fell on. The highest wind gusts were recorded in northeastern Illinois, with a reading of 80 mph at McHenry, 80 mph at Chicago Heights, 79 mph at Carpentersville, 68 mph on the west side of Chicago, 65 mph at Plano, 61 mph at O’Hare Airport, 60 mph at Yorkville and 60 mph at Orlan Park.
Further west, a windstorm blasted parts of the Colorado Rockies. Trees and power lines were downed and glass from several windshields were blown out. Property damage ran into the millions of dollars. The highest reported gusts were: Broomfield, CO: 101 mph, Golden Gate Canyon, CO: 100 mph, Coal Creek Canyon, CO: 96 mph, Boulder, CO: 87 mph and Denver International Airport: 43 mph. Insured damage totaled $5.2 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
1999
A Super Cyclone, the worst in the history of India, lashed the State of Orissa. Winds were clocked at 160 mph and torrential rains followed by a storm surge that reached as high as 33 feet pummeled the entire coastal region. 20,000 people and 700,000 cattle died, 90 million trees were uprooted or damaged, and 20 million people were left homeless. Estimated property damages exceeded $1.35 billion U.S. dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
2005
Tropical Storm Beta reached hurricane status at 1 a.m. CDT Saturday morning as sustained winds reached 75 mph. With the hurricane status, Beta became the 13th hurricane to develop in the Atlantic Basin. This breaks the record of 12 hurricanes from the year 1969. Yet another record for the books this tropical season.
Beta's Track - Weather Underground
2011
A strong storm system moving up the East Coast has already dumped more than two feet of snow in some parts of New England today, leaving more than 2 million homes and businesses without power and causing at least three deaths. The storm dumped record amounts of snow from New Jersey through New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. The governors of New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts all declared states of emergency. By early evening, West Milford, N.J., saw 15.5 inches; Bristol, Conn., had 11 inches; and Plainfield, Mass., had 14.3 inches. Approximately 125,000 customers were without power in Pennsylvania this evening, according to First Energy spokesman Scott Surgeoner. "We have about six to eight inches where I live right now and it's the first time I can remember an October snow storm," he said. "Normally when you do get into winter, the leaves have left the trees or they're shed by the trees, that's not the case this time and that's what's causing most of our problems, if not all our problems." In CT on November 7, 2011 there were still 100,000 people without power and 80,000 on Nov. 8th.
Locally here in West Henrico Co. - Glen Allen VA. area we had a trace of sleet mixed with rain. In Washington, DCA and BWI had a trace of snow on Oct 29 and IAD Dulles measured 0.6 inches and Gaithersburg, MD had 0.8 inches. Rick Holden and Kevin Shaw traveled north into the Frederick City Forest (watershed) in the Catoctin Mountains, MD (1,500 feet elevation) on Saturday afternoon, October 29, 2011 and reported 5.0 inches of snow.
The following from an e-mail from a friend living in Glastonbury, CT.
" It has been a LONG week in many ways!!!
After losing power (and water- we have a well) on Sat night 10/29 we did not regain it until the early hours of this morning 11/7 !! Over 8 lousy days! We hung in here with fire in fireplace, sleeping near fire (or up in Court's room while remaining heat rose up!) and cooking outside on gas grill and occasionally eating in another town that had some power but the cold became too miserable and we were too exhausted from it all (carrying wood in, carting wood home when we did find some for sale etc) so by the Thursday night after the earlier weeknd storm we left town and drove to Granville, MA area for 4 days, getting home last night, as school resumed today after a week off. Heat had been restored by Sun ni
2012
Sandy's historic landfall is expected tonight.
Note one year ago New England had a historic Snowstorm. --- Also see October 30th and 31st for more about Sandy a HISTORIC STORM
Hurricane Sandy continues to loom ominously off the U.S. east coast, bringing very heavy rain and tropical storm to hurricane force winds to many millions of people well before the worst arrives. The coastal flooding is already terrible, as expected (even as far south as Miami and Fort Lauderdale!). Locations from North Carolina to Maine will continue to see incredible coastal flooding/erosion, with the worst near and north of where the center crosses land (approximately southern NJ into NYC, Long Island). Inland flooding will also be a large problem in the coastal states as well as the inland states throughout the northeast. Finally, the 50-90mph winds that many places will experience can easily damage roofs, break tree limbs, and uproot trees, bringing power lines down with them.
Ref. Oct 29 Brian McNoldy at 9:29 AM
Ref. Oct 29 Brian McNoldy at 12:47 PM
Superstorm Sandy. October 28-29. Category 1 Hurricane Sandy transitioned into a monstrous extratropical storm while making landfall along the New Jersey coast, resulting in one of the most intense and damaging East Coast storms of all time. Surging Atlantic waters (8-14 feet) inundated the Jersey shore and low-lying areas of NYC and Long Island, causing estimated damages of at least $60 billion. The storm caused 72 direct deaths (87 indirect) in the United States, the loss of power to 8.5 million homes and businesses, and the cancellation of more than 18,000 airline flights.
Top 2012 Weather Events (Ref.Weatherwise May/June 2013 volumn 66 /number3 page 17)
