Tell me your worst weather extremes experiences?

I've always been fascinated by the weather. I have seen approximately -40 degrees F or slightly colder (It's rare to get THAT cold) growing up in Northern Vermont. Just a couple of weeks ago, we went over a hundred degrees in Eastern MA one day, the first time that has happened in over 20 years. I'm sure at least Mr. Ramsey can beat me on the first and many can beat me on the second but I'm curious to find out the different extremes where people live. BTW, -40 was still not an excuse to cancel school. It took a real lot of snow or ice to do that. Unlike my parent's though I didn't have to walk three miles uphill both ways, to get to and from school.

Funny you should ask that. It reminded me of the coldest day I remember here in Michigan, in two ways. It was about ten years ago and it got down to -21F I was doing a job at a Church and had my Mag Charger with me. Well that was the last day I ever saw that light.

Coldest I've experienced was -22°F in Juneau Alaska. I also remember going trick-or-treating in many feet of snow up there. Now it hardly snows at all in Juneau anymore - it just rains, all winter long. And all spring, and all fall, and all summer too.

Hottest I've experienced was 115°F at Richardson's Grove, just outside of Garberville California. Although it was roasting, the humidity was very low so it felt like standing in front of an open oven door, rather than inside a sauna.

Since moving to Seattle, the extremes are less extreme. I've seen lows in single-digits, and I've seen the all-time record high set (100°F, July 20, 1994). Summer average high is in the mid 70s, winter average high is in the low 40s.

I like the temperatures of Seattle, I just don't like all the rain you guys get. It rains most every day in the winter, doesn't it? From what I read, it appears that San Diego has a near ideal climate but I'm sure the whole scene is too congested for my tastes.

It was 106F in my backyard last week.

On Memorial Day I was chasing storms for the NWS and found what we call a religous storm....when you see it you're apt to say "Holy S**T! Visiblity dropped to less than 10 feet in rain and hail moving at 67 mph (Measured at my house).
My Dodge Intrepid was jumping up and down on it's springs! A situation with a high pucker factor.

If interested you can see the last five days of weather at my house at: wx.findu.com/n5tam

Originally posted by geepondy:
I've always been fascinated by the weather. I have seen approximately -40 degrees F

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Just a note - -40 F and -40 C are the same temp.

Not being funny here, it really is the same temp!

Well, I have more than one that're unusual:

August, 1963. Cimarron, New Mexico. Caught in a high pass, above treeline, in a golf-ball-sized hail storm with no cover but backpacks. After 30 minutes, when it was over, the hail was 6" deep on the ground and we were bruised from head to toe, but no blood or serious injuries. Cold, wet, painful and loud.

April, 1997. Outside Bartlesville, OK. 4 am. 90 mph gust front with a huge thunderstorm right behind tears through campsite. Tent destroyed. As the thunderstorm passed, a tornado hovered directly overhead for what seems hours (maybe a couple minutes) without touching down. Wet, miserable, loud and very weird at the end with a sound like a turbine spooling up.

May 3rd, 1999. Oklahoma City. Too close for comfort, far enough away to be safe. A life changing experience all the same. Indescribable.

July 21st, 2000. 15 miles off the coast of Islamorada, Florida on a 44' sailboat. A large, solid waterspout came at us from the stern port quarter to within less a tenth of a mile. What a ride! Have you ever seen flying fish? No ... not the kind with fins like wings ... just all kinds of different small bait fish being sucked up out of the water and tossed through the air onto the deck? Wet, chilly and eerily quiet.

About the hottest I have ever seen it was several years ago when it got up to +110F. Then there was the time we had a thunderstorm, and the wind blew upwards of 80, yes 80 miles an hour! While I realise that the wind blows much harder than this in a hurricane, I live in Nebraska a looooooong way from the ocean. That particular storm also blew the side off of one of our barns, which happened to land on a T-post just right to bend it like a spring, so when my dad and I went to pick up the wall, the post sprang out, and whacked me right in the shin! Man that hurt! I had a black and blue mark there for weeks.

On the other extreme, I have seen temps in the negative 20 F range, which is not that great, untill you add the 20 to 25 MPH winds sending the wind chill to below -60F.

huh, including this summer, the last 3 have had temps in the 100+ range in new england. over by lowell mass, my car showed 105 three years ago, i managed to get a photo of 103. woo. multiple hundreds last year, and MORE this year. wow.

we get RIPPING thunderstorms and amazing burts of weather on occasion. sadly, hurricanes have been few and far between lately. up here in NH, we have mt washington with the highest recorded wind speeds and some of the nastiest most miserable weather "on record"... it's more extreme someplace, but they apparently haven't measured it.

in the winter, with the good storms, people go up to the mountain observation station, and they STAY there until it's over. wild. i'd almost love to do that :>

when i was a lad, on a lake in maine, we had a waterspout... shortly later, we had ball lightning that entered the lake house and went out the front door. scary!

Originally posted by geepondy:
I've always been fascinated by the weather. I have seen approximately -40 degrees F or slightly colder (It's rare to get THAT cold) growing up in Northern Vermont. Just a couple of weeks ago, we went over a hundred degrees in Eastern MA one day, the first time that has happened in over 20 years. I'm sure at least Mr. Ramsey can beat me on the first and many can beat me on the second but I'm curious to find out the different extremes where people live. BTW, -40 was still not an excuse to cancel school. It took a real lot of snow or ice to do that. Unlike my parent's though I didn't have to walk three miles uphill both ways, to get to and from school.

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Madison WI, 1980 -- 'till 3 AM ---- "worst winter in 60 years" (is there a way to check that out ?) traffic banned from roads, but no no one told the pizza delivery guy about it...yours truly :>).

I think I can top you all. After all, I do live in the hottest spot in the nation over the past decade. Lake Havasu City, AZ.

The year was 1990. The date was June 28th. The temperature officially hit 131 degrees F. I was 8 and 1/2 months pregnant. And my father-in-law refused to turn off the swamp cooler and turn on the AC. I remember sitting in a chair in front of two fans (was all I could find), watching the warnings on TV for people to stay inside with their AC on. I also remember cussing alot at the TV and my father-in-law.

Phoenix AZ - back about 92, was out riding my motorcycle on the record 122 degree day. Two things stand out in my mind from that day: one, the clutch and brake levers are too damned hot to touch, and two, it's actually more comfortable to ride with a jacket on - you gain less heat than without one.

Also Phoenix, about '98. The gust fronts from two thunderstorms collide over north Phoenix as I am again riding my motorcycle home. 100 mph straight line winds, the air is full of asphalt shingles from all of the houses. It wasn't so bad when I was riding straight into the wind, but when I got off the freeway and was trying to ride cross-wind in the rain, it was pretty intense.

/frank

Once, and only once, back in the seventies (man I feel old) here in Florida it snowed. Throughout the Tampa Bay area there was an overnight freeze. In the morning there was a layer of snow about 1-2 inches. People were building little Florida snowmen in their front yards. That had to be about 20 years ago. Hasn't happened since.

Originally posted by leddite:
huh, including this summer, the last 3 have had temps in the 100+ range in new england. over by lowell mass, my car showed 105 three years ago, i managed to get a photo of 103. woo. multiple hundreds last year, and MORE this year. wow.
.

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When I quoted New England temperatures, I'm quoting what the weather service gives. Boston hit 101 for one day, the first time in over 20 years. I'm sure in a few local spots, people might get individual readings that varied from that. I assume the weather service uses calibrated instruments placed in ideal locations. I never trust those "bank" temperatures because I see them vary several degrees from bank to bank in the same town.

You lot are using "F" values for temperature. I have no idea what that's all about. Anyway...

In Dubai last September, the air temperature at 1230 was touching 50C for the first two weeks I was there. I know this because I took a thermometer with me to lunch. One time the temperature was 52C. I could handle about 5 minutes in the open before I felt I'd had enough!
I was there for two months and the temperatures calmed down a little towards the end of my stay - only mid 40s at lunchtime. 30C at 0300. Basically 100% humidity with whicked fog at night.
The shock was going from a 25C climate controlled 'otel outside to 45C heat, then being very quickly cooled back to about 23C in the car!

Al

Here is a handy temp convertor. C to F & F to C This year in Alabama I have seen +101F=+38C.

Size 15 said:
[qb]You lot are using "F" values for temperature. I have no idea what that's all about. [qb]

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I know, it's terrible isn't it. 12 inches=1 foot 3 feet=1 yard--Who came up with this system...and why are we still using it?!?

I guess I havent really had any super extreme weather experiences...other than being irritated the US uses the imperial system

You lot are using "F" values for temperature. I have no idea what that's all about.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Blame it on your ancestors, Al!

Extreme weather experiences? Worst cold I had to deal with was 5 days in upstate NY where the temp never went above -20 deg F. for 5 straight days. Suprisingly the 5 year old battery in my car was still able to turn over the engine!

Generally I tend to follow the philosophy "A strong man likes the feel of nature on his face, but a wise man knows to get in out of the rain (cold, heat, storm, snow, etc...)!"

Furlong, stone, fathom, rod, ounce, pint, quart, gallon, litre, meter, mile, yard, foot, inch. Like who cares as long as we understand each other. Conversion charts galore out there on the web. Try to enjoy the diversity in the world.

Oh, the imperial system is from our friends the Brits.
Do a search on "The Metric Martyrs".

I still like metric charts best... Guess I'm lazy...