Some Interesting U.S. Weather
Facts and Extremes
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Top 10 cities with least weather variety Based on temperature variation, precipitation, wind, severe weather |
1. San Francisco, California |
2. San Diego , California |
3. Los Angeles , California |
4. Santa Barbara , California |
5. Eureka , California |
6. Long Beach , California |
7. Honolulu , Hawaii |
8. Santa Maria , California |
9. San Luis Obispo , California |
10. Kahului , Hawaii |
Top 10 hail prone cities Based on frequency and severity of hail |
1. Tulsa , Oklahoma |
2. Amarillo , Texas |
3. Oklahoma City , Oklahoma |
4. Wichita , Kansas |
5. Dallas / Fort Worth , Texas |
6. Arlington , Texas |
7. Denver , Colorado |
8. Colorado Springs , Colorado |
9. Shreveport , Louisiana |
10. Kansas City , Missouri / Kansas |
Top 10 Tropical storm / Hurricane prone cities Average # of years with no storm. Totals based on data from 1871- 2007, hitting within 60 miles of the city |
|
1. Cape Hatteras, North Carolina |
2.49 |
2. Delray Beach , Florida |
2.54 |
3. Hollywood , Florida |
2.58 |
4. Deerfield Beach , Florida |
2.58 |
5. Boca Raton , Florida |
2.58 |
6. Florida City , Florida |
2.63 |
7. Grand Isle, Louisiana |
2.63 |
8. Ft. Pierce , Florida |
2.69 |
9. Miami , Florida |
2.69 |
10. Ft. Lauderdale , Florida |
2.69 |
Top 10 Tornado states Avgnumber of tornadoes per 10,000 square miles, occurring from 1953-2004 |
|
1. Florida |
9.4 |
2. Oklahoma |
8.2 |
3. Kansas |
6.7 |
4. Iowa |
6.6 |
5. Illinois |
6.2 |
6. Indiana |
6.1 |
7. Mississippi |
5.7 |
8. Maryland |
5.7 |
9. Louisiana |
5.6 |
10. Texas |
5.2 |
Top 10 Thunderstorm cities Avg annual number of thunderstorms |
|
1. Fort Myers , Florida |
89 |
2. Tampa , Florida |
87 |
3. Tallahassee, Florida |
83 |
4. Gainesville , Florida |
81 |
5. Orlando , Florida |
80 |
6. Mobile , Alabama |
79 |
7. W. Palm Beach , Florida |
79 |
8. Lake Charles , Louisiana |
76 |
9. Daytona Beach , Florida |
75 |
10. Vero Beach , Florida |
75 |
Top 10 Tornado prone cities Ranked by tornadoes per 1,000 miles |
1. Oklahoma City , Oklahoma |
2. Tulsa , Oklahoma |
3. Dallas - Ft. Worth , Texas |
4. Wichita , Kansas |
5. Springfield , Missouri |
6. Kansas City , Kansas / Missouri |
7. Ft. Smith , Arkansas |
8. Little Rock , Arkansas |
9. Jackson , Mississippi |
10. Birmingham , Alabama |
Top 10 Earthquake prone states # of earthquakes in the last 30 years centered in the state |
1. Alaska |
2. California |
3. Hawaii |
4. Nevada |
5. Washington |
6. Idaho |
7. Wyoming |
8. Montana |
9. Utah |
10. Oregon |
10 all-time hottest temperatures Obtained from state temperature records, NCDC |
|
1. Death Valley , California |
134 |
2. Lake Havasu , Arizona |
128 |
3. Laughlin , Nevada |
125 |
4. Lakewood , New Mexico |
122 |
5. Alton , Kansas |
121 |
6. Steele , North Dakota |
121 |
7. Ozark , Arkansas |
120 |
8. Tipton , Oklahoma |
120 |
9. Seymour , Texas |
120 |
10. Usta, South Dakota |
120 |
10 all-time coldest temperatures Obtained from state temperature records, NCDC |
|
1. Prospect Creek , Alaska |
-80 |
2. Rogers Pass , Montana |
-70 |
3. Peters Sink, Utah |
-69 |
4. Riverside , Wyoming |
-66 |
5. Maybell , Colorado |
-61 |
6. Tower, Minnesota |
-60 |
7. Parshall , North Dakota |
-60 |
8. Island Park Dam, Idaho |
-60 |
9. McIntosh , South Dakota |
-58 |
10. Couderay , Wisconsin |
-55 |
10 hottest cities Average annual temperature, F |
|
1. Key West , Florida |
77.7 |
2. Miami , Florida |
75.6 |
3. W Palm Beach , Florida |
74.6 |
4. Ft. Myers , Florida |
73.9 |
5. Yuma , Florida |
73.9 |
6. Brownsville , Texas |
73.6 |
7. Orlando , Florida |
72.4 |
8. Vero Beach , Florida |
72.4 |
9. Corpus Christi , Texas |
72.1 |
10. Tampa , Florida |
72.0 |
10 coldest cities Average annual temperature, F |
|
1. International Falls , Minnesota |
36.4 |
2. Duluth , Minnesota |
38.2 |
3. Caribou , Maine |
38.9 |
4. Marquette , Michigan |
39.2 |
5. Sault Ste Marie , Michigan |
39.7 |
6. Fargo , North Dakota |
40.5 |
7. Williston , North Dakota |
40.8 |
8. Alamosa , Colorado |
41.2 |
9. Bismarck , North Dakota |
41.3 |
10. St. Cloud , Minnesota |
41.4 |
10 driest cities Avg annual precipitation in inches |
|
1. Yuma , Arizona |
2.65 |
2. Las Vegas , Nevada |
4.19 |
3. Bishop , California |
5.61 |
4. Bakersfield , California |
5.72 |
5. Phoenix , Arizona |
7.11 |
6. Alamosa , Colorado |
7.13 |
7. Reno , California |
7.49 |
8. Winslow , Arizona |
7.64 |
9. El Paso , Texas |
7.82 |
10. Winnemucca , Nevada |
7.82 |
10 wettest cities Avg annual precipitation in inches |
|
1. Hilo , Hawaii |
128.00 |
2. Quillayute , Washington |
104.50 |
3. Astoria , Oregon |
69.60 |
4. Blue Canyon , California |
67.87 |
5. Mobile , Alabama |
64.64 |
6. Tallahassee , Florida |
64.59 |
7. Pensacola , Florida |
61.16 |
8. New Orleans , Louisiana |
59.74 |
9. W Palm Beach , Florida |
59.72 |
10. Miami , Florida |
59.55 |
10 snowiest cities Avg annual precipitation in inches |
|
1. Blue Canyon , California |
240.8 |
2. Marquette , Michigan |
128.6 |
3. Sault Ste Marie , Michigan |
116.7 |
4. Syracuse , New York |
111.6 |
5. Caribou , Maine |
110.4 |
6. Mount Shasta , California |
104.9 |
7. Lander, Wyoming |
102.5 |
8. Flagstaff , Arizona |
99.9 |
9. Sexton Summit , Oregon |
97.8 |
10. Muskegon , Michigan |
97.0 |
10 windiest cities Avg annual wind speed in mph |
|
1. Blue Hill Observatory, Massachusetts |
15.4 |
2. Dodge City , Kansas |
14.0 |
3. Amarillo , Texas |
13.5 |
4. Rochester , Minnesota |
13.1 |
5. Casper , Wyoming |
12.9 |
6. Cheyenne , Wyoming |
12.9 |
7. Great Falls , Montana |
12.7 |
8. Goodland , Kansas |
12.6 |
9. Boston , Massachusetts |
12.5 |
10. Lubbock, Texas |
12.4 |
10 sunniest cities Annual percent of possible sunshine |
|
1. Yuma, Arizona |
90% |
2. Las Vegas, Nevada |
85% |
3. Phoenix, Arizona |
85% |
4. Tucson, Arizona |
85% |
5. El Paso, Texas |
83% |
6. Flagstaff, Arizona |
79% |
7. Fresno, California |
79% |
8. Reno, Nevada |
79% |
9. Sacramento, California |
78% |
10. Albuquerque, N.M. |
76% |
10 cloudiest cities Avg number of cloudy days per year |
|
1. Astoria, Oregon |
240 |
2. Quillayute, Washington |
240 |
3. Olympia, Washington |
229 |
4. Seattle, Washington |
227 |
5. Portland, Oregon |
223 |
6. Kalispell, Montana |
213 |
7. Binghamton, New York |
212 |
8. Beckley, West Virginia |
211 |
9. Elkins, West Virginia |
211 |
10. Eugene, Oregon |
209 |
10 most humid cities Avg relative humidity in % |
|
1. Quillayute, Washington |
83.0 |
2. Olympia, Washington |
78.0 |
3. Port Arthur, Texas |
77.5 |
4. Lake Charles, Louisiana |
77.0 |
5. Apalachicola, Florida |
76.5 |
6. Gainesville, Florida |
76.5 |
7. Corpus Christi, Texas |
76.0 |
8. Eugene, Oregon |
75.5 |
9. New Orleans, Louisiana |
75.5 |
10. Houston, Texas |
75.0 |
10 least humid cities Avg relative humidity in % |
|
1. Las Vegas, Nevada |
30.5 |
2. Phoenix, Arizona |
37.0 |
3. Yuma, Arizona |
38.0 |
4. Tucson, Arizona |
39.0 |
5. El Paso, Texas |
42.5 |
6. Albuquerque, New Mexico |
44.5 |
7. Winslow, Arizona |
46.0 |
8. Grand Junction, Colorado |
48.0 |
9. Winnemucca, Nevada |
48.5 |
10. Reno, Nevada |
50.5 |
10 rainiest cities Number of days per year with rain |
|
1. Hilo, Hawaii |
277 |
2. Quillayute, Washington |
210 |
3. Astoria, Oregon |
191 |
4. Elkins, West Virginia |
171 |
5. Syracuse, New York |
171 |
6. Buffalo, New York |
169 |
7. Marquette, Michigan |
168 |
8. Sault Ste Marie, Michigan |
166 |
9. Erie, Pennsylvania |
165 |
10. Binghamton, New York |
162 |
10 least rainiest cities Number of days per year with rain |
|
1. Yuma, Arizona |
17 |
2. Las Vegas, Nevada |
26 |
3. Bishop, California |
29 |
4. Santa Barbara, California |
30 |
5. Long Beach, California |
32 |
6. Los Angeles, California |
35 |
7. Great Falls, Montana |
35 |
8. Phoenix, Arizona |
36 |
9. Bakersfield, California |
37 |
10. San Diego, California |
42 |
Largest annual temperature variation Change in average temperature between summer and winter |
|
1. Fairbanks, Alaska |
90.8 |
2. Bettles, Alaska |
90.0 |
3. International Falls, MN |
88.8 |
4. Fargo, North Dakota |
87 |
5.Williston, North Dakota |
86.6 |
6. Aberdeen, South Dakota |
86.5 |
7. McGrath, Alaska |
86.2 |
8. Bismarck, North Dakota |
86.1 |
9. Alamosa, Colorado |
85.9 |
10. St. Cloud, Minnesota |
85 |
10 most uncomfortable cities Average combination of summer heat and humidity |
1. Phoenix, Arizona |
2. Corpus Christi, Texas |
3. San Antonio, Texas |
4. Dallas, Texas |
5. West Palm Beach, Florida |
6. Miami, Florida |
7. Waco, Texas |
8. Houston, Texas |
9. Montgomery, Alabama |
10. New Orleans, Louisiana |
Top 10 clean air cities Based on long-term particle pollution |
1.Cheyenne, Wyoming |
2. Santa Fe, New Mexico |
3. Honolulu, Hawaii |
4. Great Falls, Montana |
5. Tucson, Arizona |
6. Anchorage, Alaska |
7. Farmington, New Mexico |
8. Bismarck, North Dakota |
9. Albuquerque, New Mexico |
10. Rapid City, South Dakota |
Top 10 dirty air cities Based on long-term particle pollution |
1. Los Angeles, California |
2. Bakersfield, California |
3. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
4. Visalia, California |
5. Fresno, California |
6. Detroit, Michigan |
7. Hanford, California |
8. Cleveland, Ohio |
9. Atlanta, Georgia |
10. Chicago, Illinois |
Best cities for allergies Based on pollen counts from 1999-2002 |
1. Grand Rapids, Michigan |
2. Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
3. Seattle, Washington |
4. San Francisco, California |
5. Minneapolis, Minnesota |
6. Chicago, Illinois |
7. Syracuse, New York |
8. Salt Lake City, Utah |
9. Los Angeles, California |
10. Denver, Colorado |
Worst cities for allergies Based on pollen counts from 1999-20002 |
1. Kansas City, Mo/Ks |
2. Louisville, Kentucky |
3. Tampa/St. Pete, Florida |
4. Tulsa, Oklahoma |
5. Atlanta, Georgia |
6. Austin, Texas |
7. St. Louis, Missouri |
8. Sacramento, California |
9. Orlando, Florida |
10. Indianapolis, Indiana |
Chart data sources: The National Climatic Data Center, Riskmeter Online, Hurricane City, Weatherpages.com, National Lung Association, Sperling's Best Places
Fastest warming
12 hour warm-up: 83 degrees. From -33 in the morning to 50 by late afternoon in Granville, ND
on February 21, 1918
15 minute warm-up:
42 degrees. From -5 to 37 degrees in Fort Assiniboine, Montana on January 19, 1893
7 minute warm-up: 34 degrees in Kipp, Montana in 1896
Fastest Cooling
24 hour chill: 100 degrees. >From 44 to -54 below zero in Browning, Montana on January 23-24, 1916.
12 hour chill: 84 degrees.. >From 63 to -21 below zero in Fairfield, Montana on December 24, 1924.
2 hour chill: 62 degrees. From 49 at 6:00am to -13 at 8:00am in Rapid City, South Dakota on January 10, 1911
15 minute chill: 47 degrees. >From 55 at 7:00am to 8 at 7:15am in Rapid City, South Dakota on January 10, 1911
Interesting U.S. weather facts
Through August 2007, the U.S. experienced its hottest year ever. During the month of August, more than 8,000 new heat maximum and minimum records were set or tied across the country.
In Hawaii, where surface temperatures are always above 50F, there is snow. Between 1 and 2 feet of snow falls each year in the mountains above 5,000 feet.
The coldest football game ever played was the NFL Championship Game on December 31, 1967 in Green Bay, Wisconsin between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys when the temperature fell to -13. The 2007 NFC Championship game in Green Bay between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers was the third coldest game in history with a temperature of -1 and wind chill of -23.
The longest rain-free period in the United States was 767 days (2 years, 37 days), from October 3, 1912 to November 8, 1914 at Bagdad, California.
A world record rainfall occurred at Holt, Missouri on June 22, 1947 when it rained 12 inches in just 42 minutes.. This averages to over 1/4 of an inch of rainfall per minute. On July 4th, 1956 In Unionville, Maryland 1.23 inches of rain fell in 1 minute.
The average yearly temperature of New York, St. Louis and San Francisco differs by only 1.8F degrees.
Which is the least rainy city - Seattle, New York City or Miami? Although on average Seattle is cloudy 227 days a year, it only receives 39 inches of rain per year, compared to New York City (42 inches) and Miami (60 inches)
Is Chicago really "The Windy City?" Of the 262 major weather reporting stations in the United States, 27% or 72 stations average higher annual wind speeds than Chicago, which averages 10.3 mph. For example, New York City's annual wind speed is 12.2 mph.
Due to Florida's proximity to the equator, the state receives more than a hundred times the UV exposure that Maine does.
Cheyenne, Wyoming averages the most hail storms in the United States per year with 10 and Tulsa, Oklahoma experiences the most severe hail storms annually.
The United States leads the world with an average of over 1,000 reported tornadoes each year. A distant second is Canada with an average of approximately 100 reported tornadoes.
Kansas has received the most F5 tornadoes since 1880. Oklahoma encounters the highest number of significant and violent tornadoes per square mile.
Of the total reported tornadoes in the United States each year, 20 can be expected to be F5 tornadoes with winds over 200 mph and nearly complete destruction.
Interesting European weather facts and extremesand weather reference and events
June 6, 2011