United States weather of 2006

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The United States' weather in 2006 was generally hot and dry, with severe drought spreading across the Great Plains, the Southwest, and the Southeast. However, fall was generally cool and wet, although December ushered in a warm start to winter. Drought eased in the western and central Gulf Coast states and in the Southwest but intensified in Texas and Oklahoma and developed in the northern Plains. Several flooding events impacted southeast Texas and the northeastern states during the summer, and flooding occurred in March and April in California and across the Pacific Northwest in November. An active storm pattern led to several major tornado outbreaks in March and April in the Midwest, although the peak months of May and June were unusually quiet. The monsoon season was active in the Southwest and caused flooding in several major cities, including El Paso and Albuquerque, while a record-breaking heat wave affected the country during the last half of July and into early August. Throughout the summer the 2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season was unexpectedly tranquil in terms of landfalls. One of the largest ever areas of severe to exceptional drought overspread the country during summer, stretching from the Desert Southwest through the entirety of the High Plains, the southern Plains, and the central Gulf Coast. An early season lake-effect snow event buried Buffalo in October, with other early snows seen across portions of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina during November. A "superstorm" moved across the country in late November, sparing almost no part of the country from snow, ice, and severe thunderstorms, while two major blizzards hit the Front Range and central Plains area in late December, burying such cities as Denver and Albuquerque.

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[edit] January

Mid-February 2006 Nor'easter
Mid-February 2006 Nor'easter
  • January 2006 was, by a large margin, the warmest January on record in the country as the jet stream remained unusually far north. Meanwhile, record rain fell west of the Cascade Mountains in Washington and Oregon. In sharp contrast, the Southwest received hardly any precipitation.
  • Severe drought affected parts of the Corn Belt, the Ark-La-Tex region, and eastern Texas at the beginning of the month and gradually intensified in these areas.

[edit] February

[edit] March

Damage from the March tornado outbreak
Damage from the March tornado outbreak
  • Temperatures across the United States during March were fairly close to or slightly above normal overall.
  • Throughout March, severe drought areas remained approximately the same, with areas of scattered improvement and intensification from the southern Plains through the Southwest.
  • March 9 to 12 – A Pacific storm moved onshore and brought massive snow and rain accumulations to the West Coast and Southwest. Sleet occurred in San Francisco, snow was recorded at unusually low elevations in the mountains above Los Angeles, San Diego, and Phoenix, and 2-4 feet of snow fell in the mountains of Arizona and southern Utah. Phoenix saw its record dry streak come to an end on March 11 at 143 days.
  • March 9 to 13 – The largest March tornado outbreak in history hit the Midwest, with at least 84 confirmed tornado touchdowns. Missouri and Illinois were the hardest hit states in this outbreak. From March 11-12, the largest two-day outbreak in history occurred. In total, the storms caused 12 deaths (with 10 of them attributed to tornadoes) and at least $250 million in damage.
  • March 18 to 21 – A massive, wet snowstorm hit the High Plains of Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota, with up to 30 in (76 cm) of snow reported in central Nebraska. Grand Island reported its largest 1-day and 2-day snowfall totals in its history.

[edit] April

One of the tornadoes from the April 2 outbreak
One of the tornadoes from the April 2 outbreak
  • April 2006 was the warmest April on record in the United States.
  • Drought spread across Texas and intensified northward into the southern High Plains, while easing considerably in the Corn Belt. Severe drought also developed in the southern Appalachian region and the Carolinas.
  • April 2 – Another massive tornado outbreak occurred in the Midwest, causing at least 56 tornadoes, mostly in Illinois, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Many of the most powerful tornadoes occurred in northeastern Arkansas and northwestern Tennessee, where 25 people were killed. Caruthersville, Missouri and Marmaduke, Arkansas were essentially flattened, while a single tornado killed 16 people in northwestern Tennessee. One additional death occurred in Illinois, while 2 additional non-tornado-related deaths were attributed to the storms, bringing the death toll to 28 total.
  • April 6 to 8 – Yet another deadly tornado outbreak occurred in the Midwest, causing at least 64 tornadoes. The deadliest day was April 7, when Tennessee was again hit by deadly tornadoes. Overall, 13 people were killed by these tornadoes; 12 in Tennessee and 1 in Alabama.
  • April 17 to 20 – Heavy snow fell in the Black Hills area of South Dakota, dumping more than 5 feet on snow on Lead.
Rainfall from Mid-May across New England
Rainfall from Mid-May across New England

[edit] May

  • May 2006 was the fifth warmest may on record in the United States thanks to unusually warm weather across the West and parts of the Central United States.
  • During May, drought spread further northward into the High Plains and intensified further in southern Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. It spread eastward along the Gulf Coast while weakening considerably in the Carolinas and parts of Texas.
  • May 11 to 18 – Record-breaking flooding overspread western New England and the northern Mid-Atlantic, bringing heavy flooding. Record-breaking rains were observed in northeastern Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, and southwestern Maine. Overall, tens of thousands of people were displaced and tens of millions of dollars in damage occurred.

[edit] June

Rainfall from the morning of June 23 to June 28 which led to the flooding across the Mid-Atlantic states
Rainfall from the morning of June 23 to June 28 which led to the flooding across the Mid-Atlantic states
  • June 2006 was the second warmest June on record in the United States with warmer to much warmer than average conditions in all but parts of the Midwest and Southeast.
  • During June, drought intensified further in the Southwest, southern Texas, and the High Plains, creeping northward to meet with another developing drought in South Dakota. After drought began to increase again in the southern Appalachian region, heavy rains from Tropical Storm Alberto obliterated it completely in the area. Heavy rains also significantly weakened the drought along portions of the Texas coastline.
  • June 13 - 14 – Tropical Storm Alberto made landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida, bringing heavy rains to the southeastern part of the country and breaking a drought across the southern Appalachian region; 1 person was killed in the storm, and 16 tornadoes were reported.
  • June 25 - July 5 – Another record-breaking flood event hit the Northeast, this time impacting the Mid-Atlantic States from northern Virginia to southern New York. The District of Columbia was especially hard hit. Overall, the floods, described as the worst flooding in the country since Hurricane Katrina, caused at least $100 million in damage and killed 16 people.

[edit] July

High temperatures from July 20
High temperatures from July 20
  • July 2006 was the second-hottest July on record across the country as a record-breaking heat wave spread across the country in the latter half of the month.
  • The Mid-Atlantic flooding continued early into the month until July 5.
  • During July, drought was weakened considerably in portions of the Southwest, especially New Mexico, due to heavy monsoonal moisture. The severe drought, however, spread across the entire High Plains region and began moving eastward again, and extreme drought developed in the Upper Midwest. While drought was eliminated entirely along the Texas coastline, most of Texas and Oklahoma remained in the severe to exceptional category, and the central Gulf Coast developed severe conditions.
  • Beginning July 15, a searing, record-breaking heat wave overspread the nation. Temperatures approached 120°F (49°C) in the Desert Southwest, and several all-time record high temperatures were set in the northern High Plains, especially in South Dakota, which tied its all time record high temperature of 120°F (49°C) in Perkins County.[1] The heat wave retreated to the West Coast later in the month, contributing to record-breaking heat in California and the Southwest, and progressed back across the nation late in the month. Spearfish, South Dakota tied its all-time record high temperature that had been set just 2 weeks before. Several all-time record high low temperatures also occurred throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. The nationwide heat wave finally ended in early August. The heat was exacerbated by widespread power outages in Saint Louis and Queens. In total, at least 225 people were killed in the heat wave, including 164 in California.
  • July 17 to 21 – Severe thunderstorms broke out across much of the Midwest and Northeast, which led to several distinct derecho events and massive power outages in the midst of the heat wave. At least 2 million people were left without power and 3 deaths were recorded due to the derecho in the U.S.
  • July 21 – Tropical Storm Beryl made landfall in Nantucket, causing little damage and dropping a few inches of rain.

[edit] August

Rainfall from Tropical Storm Ernesto
Rainfall from Tropical Storm Ernesto
  • The heat wave in July continued into early August across the eastern states, but retreated to the southern Plains states early in the month, where the heat persisted late into the month. The heat wave once spread back into the central Plains and once into the western U.S. before a cold front ended the heat wave nationwide near the end of the month. Overall, it was the United States' 11th warmest August on record.
  • During August, drought intensified over the interior of Texas, reaching exceptional conditions, while severe drought spread from Colorado all the way north to North Dakota and west into Wyoming. Heavy monsoon rains continued to ease the drought in the Southwest, while the drought along the Gulf Coast weakened.
  • August 1 – Heavy monsoon rains hit El Paso, bringing the worst flooding to hit the city in at least 50 years.
  • August 29 to September 3 – Tropical Storm Ernesto made landfall near the southern tip of Florida on August 29, moving up the East Coast and into North Carolina on August 31 after strengthening to near hurricane strength. It dropped up to a foot of rain in the Mid-Atlantic States and killed at least 3 people. Minor flooding and wind damage was reported.

[edit] September

  • After five consecutive significantly above normal months, this very warm streak ended abruptly in September as a series of troughs progressing across much of the nation throughout the month resulted in slightly below normal national temperatures overall (31st coolest September on record).
  • Drought improvement was noted among much of the country. Severe drought was eliminated entirely from the Gulf Coast states, and the areas of extreme and exceptional drought in Texas and Oklahoma shrunk considerably. However, severe drought expanded westward through most of Wyoming and intensified in northern Minnesota.
  • Ernesto continued to move through the Mid-Atlantic after making landfall in North Carolina on August 31. It became extratropical as it moved through Virginia on September 2, but continued to drop heavy rain as its remnants moved north.
  • September 21 to September 23 – A major tornado and severe weather outbreak hit the Midwest, killing 12 people (remarkably, none were related to tornadoes). At least 41 tornadoes occurred in the event, although severe weather in Kentucky, Arkansas, and Illinois killed at least 12 people (with an additional 2 people reported missing). Of these 12 deaths, 8 were due to flooding in Kentucky.
Rainfall across the Western Gulf coast from October 14 through October 16
Rainfall across the Western Gulf coast from October 14 through October 16

[edit] October

  • For the second month in a row, U.S. temperatures were mainly below normal, ranking as the 29th coolest October on record. This is the first time since June-August 2004 (during a cool summer) in which 2 or more months in a row have been mainly cooler (or colder) than normal.
  • Overall drought areas changed little during October. All exceptional drought conditions in Texas were eliminated, but extreme drought remained in interior areas. Severe drought expanded across Oklahoma and northeastward into central Missouri. Drought was mostly eliminated from the Gulf Coast states, but shifted eastward to the southern Atlantic Coast. Severe drought was eliminated in central Montana, but otherwise very little change in drought coverage occurred across the northern tier of the country.
  • October 12 to October 13 – The first major winter storm of the 2006-07 season took place in and around Buffalo, New York, dropping 23 inches, the largest snowstorm ever in Buffalo in October. The wet, heavy lake effect snow left over 350,000 people without electricity and killed thirteen people in storm-related accidents. It was very localized; very little snow fell away from the narrow bands off of Lake Erie. Several cities around the Great Lakes region (notably Chicago and Detroit) recorded their earliest ever measurable snow on record, while several more cities recorded their largest snowstorms so early in the season (notably Grand Rapids, Michigan).[1]
  • October 14 to October 16 – The western Gulf coast of the United States records a significant rainfall event. It was described as the most significant rainfall event in northwest Louisiana since Tropical Storm Allison (1989). Local amounts across west-central Louisiana record over 17 inches of rainfall, which led to river flooding from east Texas through central Louisiana.[2]
  • October 17 to October 20 – The state of Florida reported unseasonably warm temperatures, with many readings above 90° F (32° C). Heat indices also breached the 100°F (38°C) mark on many occasions. This mini-heat wave event came ahead of a strong cold front. The high humidity and warm temperatures broke many record highs across the state.
Heavy rainfall on October 25 and October 26
Heavy rainfall on October 25 and October 26

[edit] November

Surface analysis from November 22, 2006 at 1200 UTC showing the cyclone moving into mainland North Carolina
Surface analysis from November 22, 2006 at 1200 UTC showing the cyclone moving into mainland North Carolina
  • Drought expanded in November. Drought intensified across interior Texas to extreme levels across the state, while drought reached exceptional levels in northern Oklahoma. Severe drought appeared in northeastern Florida, while drought was eliminated in central Montana.
  • November 2 to November 23 – Heavy rain began falling in the Pacific Northwest, and has dropped record rainfall and led to record flooding in Washington and Oregon. At least 2 feet of rain has fallen in the Cascades and at least 8 inches throughout the lower elevations west of the Cascades, with some areas recording as much as 2 feet of rain. Several areas have seen all-time record monthly rainfall, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Bridges and roads throughout the area have been washed out, and many mountain roads are closed. Widespread damage throughout Mount Rainier National Park prompted the closure of the park, the first time the park has been completely closed since 1980, after Mount St. Helens erupted. It is expected that the park will re-open by Christmas.[4] The road leading to Mount Hood, in Oregon, has also been closed. At least 3 people have been killed (2 in Washington from flooding and 1 in Oregon from high waves on the coast), while another person is missing along the Oregon coast. Rescue operations have also been undertaken for any hunters that may be stranded in the southern Washington mountains. More rain is expected this weekend, although the flooding threat will be lower due to lower snow levels in the mountains.[5] The storms have also been accompanied by powerful wind gusts, sometimes reaching near-hurricane force along the coast. The more recent storms have brought several feet of snow to the Cascades. The rainstorms finally ended around November 23, although this was soon followed by a major snowstorm (see below).
  • November 20 through November 24 – A coastal storm brings heavy rains of up to 7 inches and winds as high as 80 mph to the coast of the Carolinas and southern New England. Savannah, Charleston, and a few counties in central Florida received their earliest occurrence of snowfall on record. Small areas of Georgia and South Carolina accumulated 1-2 inches of snow. In addition, Charleston, South Carolina recorded its first occurrence of thundersnow on record.[6]
  • November 26 to December 1 – A major storm moved onshore the Pacific Northwest, bringing several inches of snow to the Puget Sound area and several feet to the Cascades. It moved across the country over the next few days, dropping up to 3 feet of snow in the Wasatch Range and dropping a swath of 10-18 inches of snow (along with some freezing rain) from Oklahoma northeastward to Wisconsin. In total, the storm killed 23 people.

[edit] December

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/WWNatSumm/WWNatSumm-10-17-2006.pdf
  2. ^ National Weather Serivce Office, Shreveport, Louisiana. October 15-19, 2006 Heavy Rainfall Events. Retrieved on 2006-10-28.
  3. ^ Sam Shamburger. WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
  4. ^ Associated Press. Storm shuts Rainier park for first time in 26 years. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.
  5. ^ Associated Press. More rain due as Northwest floods close roads. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.
  6. ^ Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. SOUTHEASTERN COASTAL STORM: Storm Summary 10. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

United States weather by year
Preceded by
2005		 US weather of
2006		 Succeeded by
2007
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