January 3 Weather History

...1777... An overnight freeze enabled George Washington and his troops to flank the British at Trenton, cross their lines at Princeton, and seek security in the hills of northern New Jersey.

...1904... 7.1 inches of snow fell at Newport, Rhode Island, breaking the record of 1.6 inches set in 1902.

...1911... Bakersfield, California recorded a chilly morning low of 23 degrees to set a record low for the date. Southwest winds developed over the San Joaquin valley later in the day, setting up down slope conditions over the Kern County mountains. The temperature soared to a record high of 75 degrees -- only one of four cities ever to have a record high and low in the same calendar day.

...1913... The barometer at Canton, New York read 28.20 inches, which is the lowest ever recorded at an inland station in the U.S.

...1930... Bakersfield, California recorded both a record high temperature for the day (75 degrees) and a record low temperature for the day (23 degrees) -- one of only a handful of locations to record a record high and low temperature in the same calendar day.

...1948... There were 21 inches of snow on the ground recorded at Newport, Rhode Island, breaking the record of 8 inches set last year (1947).

...1949... Warren, Arkansas was hit by a F4 tornado. 55 people were killed and 435 were injured. Total damage was $1.3 million.

...1960... A high wind gust of 62 miles per hour was recorded at Newport, Rhode Island, setting the record of 41 miles per hour in 1951.

...1961... A three day long ice storm was in progress over northern Idaho which produced an accumulation of ice eight inches thick, a U.S. record. Heavy fog, which blanketed much of northern Idaho from Grangeville to the Canadian border, deposited the ice on power and phone lines causing widespread power outages.

...1970... An exceptionally high barometer reading of 31.43 inches was recorded at Barrow, Alaska.

...1987... A powerful Pacific coast storm blasted the western U.S. with high winds, heavy rain and heavy snow. Winds gusted to 96 mph at Cape Blanco OR, and snowfall totals reached 20 inches in the Sierra Nevada Range of California.

...1988... After a day of rest, ":Old Man Winter": came back as a triple threat, hitting both coasts with winter storms, and blasting the central U.S. with cold arctic air. Snow and ice in the eastern U.S. caused 4.5 million dollars damage to homes and vehicles in North Carolina, the storm in the western U.S. produced two feet of snow in the Lake Tahoe area of Nevada, and temperatures in North Dakota plunged to 30 degrees below zero, with wind chill readings as cold as 95 degrees below zero.

...1989... Thirteen cities in the southeastern U.S., and five more in Washington and Oregon, reported new record high temperatures for the date. Highs of 78 degrees at Galveston TX and 82 degrees at Lake Charles LA were records for the month of January.

...1990... A winter storm in the southwestern U.S. spread snow across Colorado and New Mexico. Heavy snow fell in southwestern Colorado, with 13 inches reported at Wolf Creek Pass. Snow spread into the Central Plains Region during the day, with six inches reported at Garden City KS.

...1994... A heavy wet snow blanketed much of the state of Ohio, with 12 to 18 inches reported in counties along the Ohio River. Newport received 21 inches. Thunder and lightning accompanied the snow, with five inches reported in Washington County and Noble County between 7 AM and 8 AM Tuesday. Parts of Washington County were without electricity for eight days following the storm.

...1996... The first in the series of snowstorms to strike the eastern U.S. over the next ten days was in progress over New England, New York, and Pennsylvania. Rochester, New York was buried under 23 inches of snow in 24 hours for the city's greatest 24 hour snowfall on record. 21 inches was recorded at Oswego, New York and 18 inches fell at Batavia, New York. Other snowfall totals included 16 inches at Milton, Massachusetts, 14 inches at Montpelier, Vermont, 13.3 inches at Montrose, Pennsylvania, and 13.1 inches at Boston, Massachusetts.

...2000... The temperature at Newport, Rhode Island soared to 62 degrees, breaking the record of 56 degrees set in 1913 and establishing the high daily record for January.


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