February 28 Weather History

...1900... A massive storm spread record snows from Kansas to New York State. Snowfall totals rangeD up to 17.5 inches at Springfield IL and 43 inches at Rochester NY, with up to 60 inches in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State.

...1949... At Newport, Rhode Island 4.4 inches of snow was recorded, breaking the record of 4.1 inches, set last year (1948). Also the wind gusted to 55 miles per hour, breaking the record of 46 miles per hour set in 1906.

...1952... An intense storm brought coastal sections of southeastern Massachusetts to a halt, stranding 3000 motorists on Lower Cape, and leaving ten thousand homes on the Cape without electricity. Winds gusting to 72 mph created mountainous snowdrifts of the 18 inches of snow which buried Nantucket and Hyannis. A barometric pressure reading of 29.02 inches was reported at the center of the storm.

...1972... Unseasonably mild weather prevailed throughout the central U.S. Temperatures soared to 83 degrees in Kansas city, Missouri, setting an all-time high record for the month of February.

...1976... The high temperature record was broken on this date at Newport, Rhode Island when the temperature rose to 62 degrees, breaking the record of 54 degrees that was set back in 1903.

...1987... A powerful storm produced severe thunderstorms in Louisiana and Mississippi early in the day. About mid morning a monstrous tornado touched down near Moselle MS and grew to a width of two miles as it passed near Laurel MS. The tornado traveled a distance of 40 miles killing six persons, injuring 350 others, and causing 28.5 million dollars damage. The tornado swept homes right off their foundations, and tossed eighteen wheel trucks about like toys. Strong straight line winds associated with the powerful storm system gusted to 70 mph at Jonesboro AR and Carbondale IL.

...1988... Thunderstorms in California produced severe weather during the early morning hours. Strong thunderstorm winds, gusting to 74 mph, downed trees in the Sacramento area. Unseasonably mild weather prevailed in the northwestern U.S. The afternoon high of 71 degrees at Portland OR was a February record.

...1989... Thunderstorms in the southeast corner of the nation produced winds gusts to 58 mph at Fort Lauderdale FL, and a total of seven inches of rain. Heavy snow whitened parts of the Northern Plateau and the Northern Rockies, with ten inches reported at Marion MT.

...1990... Showers and thunderstorms over the Southern Plains Region capped a record wet February for parts of Oklahoma. Totals for the month ranged up to 9.11 inches at McCurtain, with 4.63 inches reported at Oklahoma City. Snow and sleet fell across northern Oklahoma, with four inches reported at Freedom and Jefferson. Snow also spread across southern Kansas into Missouri and Arkansas, with six inches of snow reported at Harrison AR. In Alaska, February temperatures at Nome averaged 21 degrees below normal, ranging from -38 degrees to 29 degrees during the month.

...1993... This past month was the coldest February on record at Caribou, Maine. The average temperature for the month was only 4.2 degrees. The old record was 4.7 degrees set back in 1948. -Flagstaff, Arizona concluded its wettest month ever. 10.05 inches of precipitation was recorded.

...1994... Chicago, Illinois recorded .8 inches of snow on this day to bring its monthly snowfall to 26.2 inches -- the city's snowiest February ever.

...1997... The low temperature was 2 degrees at Newport, Rhode Island, which broke the previous record of 2 degrees set in 1997.

...2005... Las Vegas, Nevada had its wettest winter (Dec-Feb) on record with 6.62 inches of rain falling.

...2009... A small but potent upper level low dumped heavy snow over western Tennessee and northeastern Arkansas. 18 inches was recorded at Oakland, Tennessee, 14 inches at Maury City, Tennessee, 11 inches at Blytheville, Arkansas, and 7 inches at Memphis, Tennessee.

...2012... The first confirmed February tornado in Nebraska state history struck Lincoln and Logan Counties shortly after 4PM. The EF-0 tornado was on the ground intermittently for up to six minutes and traveled 3 miles before dissipating in southwest Logan County. The path of the tornado was over open rangeland and cropland where limited damage occurred. Patches of snow were still on the ground at the time.

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