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MayWeather Events: Canada | United States | WorldQuote of the Month
Significant Weather EventsCanada1 May 1988, Vancouver, British Columbia: A small tornado races through the eastern sections of Greater Vancouver. 2 May 1967, Regina, Saskatchewan: Extremely cold May night in Regina sees the low dropped down to -13.3°C (8.1°F). 3 May 1922, Fort Lawrence, Nova Scotia: A lightning bolt knocks a couple and their horse unconscious, but all survive the shock. 4 May 1971, St-Jean-Vianney, Quebec: Tragedy strikes the village of St-Jean-Vianney, when heavy rains caused a sinkhole 600 m (1800 ft) wide and 30 m (92 ft) deep to appear in a residential area. The crater/mudslide killed 31 people and swallowed up 35 homes, a bus and several cars. 4-5 May 2003, Alberta: Spring snow is not uncommon, but rarely so heavy across the province. This storm buries the Iddesleigh area under an astounding 55 cm (22 inches). Other totals include Brooks, Suffield and Jenner areas receiving 20 to 35 cm (8-14 inches) of snow. Medicine Hat have received 22 cm (8.7 inches), Lethbridge 11 cm (4.3 inches), Red Deer 12 cm (5 inches) and Edmonton 7 cm (3 inches). 5 May 1945, Yukon River, Yukon: The US Air Forces vainly attempts to destroy ice jam near Bishop Rock with 33 250-kg bombs and 44 50-kg bombs. 6 May 2002, Calgary, Alberta: A spring blizzard dumps nearly 30 cm (12 inches) of snow on Alberta's heartland, snarling the morning commute and forcing airlines to cancel flights due to whiteout conditions. 7 May 1915, Lethbridge, Alberta: A powerful wind storm strikes the clock on the Lethbridge post office tower breaking off the hour hand on the north face. The falling steel hand narrowly misses a passing pedestrian. 8 May 1999, Hull, Quebec: A tornado strikes Hull and tears roofs off buildings, causing $2 million in damage. 9 May 1971, Terrace, British Columbia: Temperature drops to May record low -2.2°C (28°F) at Terrace. 10 May 1966, Windsor, Ontario: Record low temperature for May: -2.8°C (27°F) at this Ontario city. 11 May 1986, Morden, Manitoba: A tornado strikes south of town, destroying farm buildings and ripping off tree tops. Beams from one shed roof are blown 100 m (330 ft) and driven 30 cm (12 inches) into the ground. 12 May 2000, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario: A strong, two-minute downburst slams into Niagara-on-the-Lake, bringing hail, 140 km/h (85 mph) winds and 40 to 50 mm (1.6-2.0 inches) of rain. The storm disrupts a performance at the Shaw Festival and knocks out power to the floral clock in nearby Queenston. 14 May 2001, Halifax, Nova Scotia: A storm stalled south of Nova Scotia drenchs Halifax with 98.7 mm (3.89 inches), the greatest daily May rainfall since records began in 1871. 14-15 May 1986, Southern Alberta: Late season blizzard whips knee-deep snow on 80 km/h (50 mph) winds. Considered worst Spring snowstorm in Alberta history. 16 May 1876, Rondeau, Ontario: A lightning bolt explodes at the schoolhouse and knocks down nearly a dozen students playing in the schoolyard killing one boy. 17 May 1998, Dryden and Fort Francis, Ontario: Hail the size of tennis balls pelt two northwestern Ontario communities in a 5-minute blitz. Much damage to auto glass and house roofs. 18 May 1950, Winnipeg, Manitoba: 100,000 people evacuated as the Red River crests at 9.2 metres (30.3 ft) above normal water level. Flood waters damage 5,000 homes and buildings. 18 May 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: Three tornadoes approach close to the western limits of Saskatoon. 19 May 2001, Between Red Deer and Calgary, Alberta: Drivers face blackout conditions, as the wind whips topsoil off farmers' fields over the roads, reducing visibility. A blinding wall of soil contributes to a 15-car pileup near Carstairs. Two hours later, a freak snowstorm pounds Calgary, changing blackouts to whiteouts. 19 May 2004, Southwestern Ontario: Two tornadoes strike southwestern Ontario within minutes of each other and just a few kilometres apart. One touches down at Gads Hill, near Stratford, likely the strongest to hit Ontario in eight years. The other hit near Mitchell. 20 May 1964, Newbrook, Alberta: A small outbreak of weak tornadoes swirl across Newbrook causing property damage. In one incident, a chimney cap from the hardware store resembled a frisbee as it sailed through a nearby window. 21 May 1953, Lambton and Middlesex Counties, Ontario: Tornadoes rage across southwestern Ontario leaving five dead and property damage of $8 million in the Sarnia region. 22 May 1980, Winnipeg, Manitoba: Winnipeg's temperatures rises to 37.0°C (98.6°F), setting a record high for May. 23 May 1977, Chatham, New Brunswick: Chatham's temperatures soars to 35.3°C (95.5°F), setting a record high. It will also be the highest temperature measured anywhere in Canada that May. 24 May 1953, Prince Edward Island: A wind storm reaching 90 km/h (55 mph) damages lobster traps and fishing equipment around PEI. 26 May 2001, St John's, Newfoundland: The 2000-2001 snowfall season finally comes to an end in St John's, during which time a grand total of 648.4 cm (255.3 inches) of snow fell. The total snow, which broke a century-old mark, is estimated to have weighed 500 million tonnes! 25 May 1944, Dawson, Northwest Territories: A gravel dam at the local powerplant collapses during spring flooding causing tons of ice, 3 m (118 inches) deep, to clog the main street of town. 27 May 1948, Victoria, British Columbia: The 38.1 mm (1.5 inches) rain of rainfall at Victoria, sets the record for the wettest May day observed. 29 May 1914, St Lawrence River, 300 km from Quebec City: Shallow river fog contributes to the collision of the CP Liner Empress of Ireland and a Norwegian coal ship, The Storstad. The liner sinks in 25 minutes drowning 1,024 passengers. 28 May 1921, Bradford, Ontario: An intense cloudburst wipes out four bridges near Bradford. A farmer wades through neck-deep water, strips off his red flannel underwear and uses the cloth to flag down the Orillia train thus avoiding a trainwreck. 29 May 1986, Montreal, Quebec: Hailstones up to 8 cm (3.2 inches) in diameter pound South Shore causing over $65 million in damage. 30 May, 1961, Buffalo Gap, Saskatchewan: Thunderstorm drops over 250 mm (10 inches) of rain in less than an hour, breaking long drought. 30 May, 1990, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island: Heavy rain over Charlottetown sets a daily record accumulation for the month: 70.4 mm (2.77 inches). 31 May 1973, Eureka, Northwest Territories: Canada's sunniest month ends as Eureka records 621 hours of sunshine. 31 May 1985, Barrie, Ontario region: Swarm of tornadoes leave 8 dead, 155 injured and $100 million in damage.
United States1 May 1857, Washington, DC: The Washington Evening Star publishes the first US national weather summary using observations from volunteers to the Smithsonian Institution's cooperative network. 1-2 May 1935, Minneapolis, Minnesota: Snow, ice and sleet blanket parts of southeast Minnesota. Minneapolis receives 3 inches (7.5 cm) of snow. 1-10 May 2003, South and Central United States: More tornadoes, 412, strike the United States during this stretch than any other ten-day period since records began in 1950. A total of 42 storm-related deaths are reported. 2 May 1899, Havre, Montana: A late-season snowstorm buries Havre under 24.8 inches (63 cm) of snow, an all-time record for the city. 2 May 1989, Juneau, Alaska and Honolulu, Hawaii: A day of contrast as Juneau sets a record high with a reading of 72 °F (22.2 °C), while Honolulu drops to record of 60 °F (15.6 °C). 3 May 1982, Kanab, Utah: Sinbad the Sailor, the horse which US President Ronald Reagan's rode in the Death Valley Days TV show, is struck by lightning and killed . 3 May 2001, Portland, Maine: Maximum temperature reaches 92 °F (33.3 °C) destroying the old record of 74 °F (23.3 °C) set in 1969. The airport station also set the warmest low and warmest average with temperatures of 57 °F (13.9 °C) and 75 °F (23.9 °C), respectively 4 May 1915, Northwest Texas: A late-season snowstorm drops up to eight inches (20 cm) of snow on Potter and Armstrong Counties. 4 May 2007, Greensburg, Kansas: A devastating EF5 twister demolishes nearly every structure in Greensburg around 9:30 pm (CDT) and kills ten. The mammoth wedge tornado cuts a swath 1.7 miles (2.7 km) wide and 22 miles (35 km) long across the Kansas landscape. It is the worst single tornado to touch down in the US in eight years. 4-5 May 2003, Central United States: The deadliest outbreak of severe weather since May 1999 produces 84 tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds across eight states. At least 38 people are killed in Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee. 5 May 1930, College Park, Virginia: An unusual heat wave commences with a bang, theCollege Park temperature rockets from 43°F (6.1 °C) to 93°F (33.9 °C). 6 May 1937, Lakehurst, New Jersey: The Hindenburg Disaster; was weather to blame for infamous Zeppelin fire? Thunderstorms reported in area delay docking for two hours . 6 May 1999, Orlando, Florida: Double record day in Orlando. High temperature reaches 94 °F (34.4 °C) and late day cloudburst dumps short-period record rainfall of 1.21 inches (30.7mm) of rain. 7 May 1964, White Mountain 2, California,: The temperature drops to -15°F (-26.1 °C) to set the record May low for the continental U.S. 8 May 1784, Winnsborough, South Carolina: Deadly hailstorm in South Carolina hits the town of Winnsborough. The hailstones, measuring as much as nine inches ( 22.9 cm) in circumference, killed several persons, and a great number of sheep, lambs and birds. 8 May 1840, Natchez, Mississippi: Second deadliest tornado in US history strikes Natchez and Natchez Landing on the Mississippi, killing 317. 9 May 1966, Ohio and Pennsylvania: Record May snows fall across northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania, including 3.1 inches (7.9 cm) at Pittsburgh PA and 5.4 inches (13.7 cm) at Youngstown OH. Snow also covers parts of New York State with 8 inches (20 cm) in the southern Adirondacks. 10 May 1905, Snyder, Oklahoma: A deadly tornado hits the town of Snyder killing 87 persons and leveling 100 homes. The large, violent tornado kills 97 persons along its 40-mile (64 km) path across southwestern Oklahoma. 10 May 1987, Lillian, Alabama: Thunderstorms along the Central Gulf Coast deluge Lillian with 14.5 inches (368 mm) of rain 11 May 1953, Waco, Texas: A terrifying F5 tornado rips through downtown Waco, Texas, killing 114 people and injuring nearly 600 more. More than 850 homes, 600 businesses, and 2,000 cars are destroyed or severely damaged. Losses have been estimated ay $41 million ($275 million in 2002 dollars). The tornado is the deadliest in Texas history and the tenth deadliest in the US. 11 May 2003, Nashville, Tennessee: A total of 4.63 inches (117.6 mm) of rain fall, breaking the previous 24-hour record for the month. 11 May 2004, Hartley, Texas: A tornado derails a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train, sending 15 empty coal cars and two locomotives off the tracks near this Panhandle town. 12 May 1971, Casa Grande, Arizona: A duststorm drops visibility on Interstate Highway 10 near Casa Grande to near zero, causing chain reaction accidents that kill seven persons. 13 May 1930, Lubbock, Texas: A severe hailstorm kills a man caught in an open field northwest of Lubbock TX. It was the first authenticated death by hail in U.S. weather records. 14 May 1896, Climax, Colorado: The mercury plunges to -10°F (-23.3°C), at the time an American cold record for May. 15 May 1968, Anchorage, Alaska: Only tornado of record to have ever touched down in Alaska strikes near Anchorage. 16 May 1997, Sioux City, Iowa: Sioux City sets daily high and low records on same day: 91°F (32.8 °C) and 22°F (-5.6 °C), respectively. The record is fortuitous as on no earlier spring date was the record low temperature so high, and on only one May date was the record high any lower. 17 May 1979, Mauna Kea, Hawaii: All time record low for the state of 12 °F (-11 °C) is observed at Mauna Kea Observatory. 18 May 1960, Salt Lake City, Utah: Salt Lake City receives an unexpected inch of snow, the latest measurable snowfall recorded to date. 19 May 1780, New England States: A smoky blackness settles over New England, possibly due to massive forest fires burning in western states. It is so dark that by noon, people have to light candles and lamps to see. 19 May 1955, Lake Maloya, New Mexico: Lake Maloya records 11.28 inches (28.65 cm) of rain in 24 hours, the state record. 20 May 1916, 1917, 1918, Codell, Kansas: Codell is hit by a tornado on May 20th for three consecutive years. Each successive one is more damaging. The tornadoes are estimated to be F2, F3 and F4 respectively on the Fujita Scale. 21 May 1860, Ohio Valley: A swarm of tornadoes strike the cities of Louisville, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Ohio, Chillicothe, Ohio, and Marietta, Ohio, causing an estimated million dollars in damage. 22 May 1911, Lewiston, Maine: The temperature soars to 101 °F (38.3 °C), the hottest temperature recorded to date in New England during May. 22-23 May 1996, Ninnekah, Oklahoma: A heat burst sends the temperature soaring from the low 80s F (~28 °C) to 105 °F (40.6 °C), between 11 pm and 3 am. 23 May 1882, Washington, Iowa: An unusual late season snowfall blankets Washington area with 4-6 inches (10-15 cm). 24 May 1894, Kentucky: Second major snowfall in less than a week whitens parts of Kentucky. 25 May 1955, Blackwell, Oklahoma: Two tornadoes strike the town within a few minutes. The late-evening tornadoes kill 18 persons and injure over 500. 25-26 May 2003, Hilo, Hawaii: Daily high and low records both fall on consecutive days in Hilo. May 25 records record low of 60 °F (15.6 °C) and record high of 91 °F (32.8 °C), the next day records of 60 °F (15.6 °C) and 88 °F (31.1 °C) are registered. 26 May 1955, Udall, Kansas: An early-morning a tornado virtually obliterates the small community of Udall killing 80 persons and injuring 270. 26-27 May 2005, Seattle-Tacoma, Washington: PNW heat times two. High temperatures of 89 °F (31.7 °C) on the 26th and 27th at SeaTac International Airport breaks daily maximum records. The first breaks a 58-year-old record, the second a 33-year-old record for the date. 27 May 1896, St Louis, Missouri: Massive tornado strikes Saint Louis killing 306 persons and causing thirteen million dollars damage. The tornado path is short, but cut across a densely populated area. The tornado was the most destructive of record in the U.S. up until that time. 27 May 1931, Clay County, Minnesota: Tornado broadsides the Great Northern Railway's transcontinental passenger train The Empire Builder heading eastbound from Seattle to Chicago. 57 injured, and one killed. 27 May 2003, Broward Counties, Florida: As much as 11 inches (280 mm) of rain fall during the afternoon and evening hours in eastern Broward County, flooding streets with up to two feet (0.6 m) of water. 28 May 1947, Gay Mills, Wisconsin:Ten inches (25 cm) of snow down trees and power lines. 28 May 2003, Battle Mountain, Nevada: A new Nevada maximum temperature record for May is set when the high temperature rises to 102 °F (38.9 °C). 28-29 May 1877, Yuma Arizona: Two-day long sandstorm blasts Yuma. 28-29 May 1947, Wisconsin: An unprecedented late-spring snowstorm blasts portions of the Midwest from northern Iowa to eastern Upper Michigan. Hardest-hit is southwest Wisconsin where 10 inches (25 cm) of snow fell just south of La Crosse. The heavy snow causes severe damage to power and telephone lines and the already-leafed-out vegetation. 29 May 1988, Austin, Nevada: A powerful cold front brings snow and high winds to Nevada, blanketing Austin with 10 inches (25 cm) of snow 29 May 2000, Death Valley, California: A new national maximum temperature record for May is set when the high temperature in Death Valley soars to 122 °F (50 °C). 30 May 1879, Irving, Kansas: Severe weather rolls across Kansas and western Missouri. Two tornadoes devastate the town of Irving, virtually wiping the small Kansas community off the map. Thirty die. The second tornado, perhaps two miles wide, exhibits multiple vortices. 31 May 1889, Johnstown, Pennsylvania: Great flash flood kills over 2200 residents as dam bursts. 31 May 1998, Southeast Michigan: During the early morning hours, a derecho strikes southeast Michigan across the Saginaw Valley, Thumb and Flint areas. Its 70 mph (112 km/h) winds result in two deaths, two injuries and widespread damage. The storm had formed over Wisconsin late the previous night where damage totalled about $60 million to property and $1.82 million to crops. For More Extreme Weather Events,
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The Weather Doctor's | |
| On rare occasions, the minimum daily temperature reading in the US has occurred south of the location of where the maximum temperature for that day was observed. One such event happened on 14 May 2002, when the high temperature in the US was 105°F (42 °C) in Death Valley, California, and the low was 16°F (-9°C) at Happy Jack, Arizona, about 2 degrees of latitude south of Death Valley. | |
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