Weather History: November 12: Record Heat, Snow, Wind, Cyclone, Severe Storms & Flooding

November 11, 11:26 PMWilmington Weather ExaminerCharlie Wilson

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Meteorological events that happened on November 12th:

You may have heard the saying "it was even 100 degrees in shade." Well, to be accurate thermometers must be read in the shade. This is so because an incredible number of air molecules constantly bombard the thermometer transferring energy to or away from it. If the air is warmer than the thermometer the liquid in the bulb expands and rises up the tube and if the air is colder the liquid contracts and sinks in the tube. It is impossible to measure air temperature accurately in direct sunlight because the thermometer will absorb radiant energy from the sun as well as energy from the air molecules. The additional energy from the sunlight will cause the liquid to continue to rise giving an improper reading. So, to accurately measure air temperature the thermometer must be kept in the shade.

1863
A severe windstorm toppled an outhouse into the Moira River at Belleville, Ontario Canada.  No trace was ever found of the woman who occupied it at the time.

1906
The mercury soared to 106° at Craftonville, CA (now Crafton Hills, near Redlands), a November record for the United States.

1959
Between Noon on the 11th and Noon on the 12th, a winter storm buried Helena, MT under 21.5 inches of snow, which surpassed their previous 24 hour record by 7 inches.

1967
A surprise snow and ice coating paralyzed Boston, MA during the evening rush hour.

1968
A severe coastal storm produced high winds and record early snows from Georgia to Maine.  Areas in northern Virginia saw 4 to 6 inches.  Winds reached 90 mph in Massachusetts, and 10 inches of snow blanketed interior Maine.

1970
The infamous "Bangladesh Cyclone" struck the Bay of Bengal of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).  An estimated 300,000 people were killed as a wall of water 20 feet high swept across the low islands and settlements in the Ganges Delta.

1974
A great Alaska storm in the Bering Sea caused the worst coastal flooding on record at Nome, AK with a tide of 13.2 feet.  The flooding caused $12 million dollars damage, however no lives were lost.

Santa Ana conditions warmed up Imperial Beach to 96°, the hottest in the nation that day.  Other record highs included: Long Beach, CA: 95°, Los Angeles (LAX), CA: 94°, Downtown Los Angeles, CA: 93°, Santa Ana, CA: 92°, San Diego: 91°, Big Bear Lake, CA: 69°, Eugene, OR: 69°-Tied and Portland, OR: 66°.
***See Slideshow***
1980
A rain band from Hurricane Jeannie dropped 23.38 inches of rain in 24 hours at Key West, Florida for an all-time 24 hour record.

1987
Heavy snow spread across much of New England.  Totals in Massachusetts ranged up to 14 inches in Plymouth County.  The 7-inch total at the Logan Airport in Boston, MA was their highest on record for so early in the season, and the 9.7 inch total at Providence, RI was a record for November.  Roads were congested with traffic and made impassable as snowplow operators were caught unprepared for the early season snowstorm.
***See Slideshow***
1988
Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front produced severe weather in the Lower Mississippi Valley during the afternoon and early evening hours.  Thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 80 mph at Bovina, MS. 

Morning thunderstorms drenched Atlanta, TX with more than 4 inches of rain.

1989
Many cities reported record high temperatures for the date as readings soared into the 70s and 80s from the Southern and Central Plains to the Southern and Middle Atlantic Coast Region.  The afternoon high of 80° at Scottsbluff, NE was a record for November, and highs of 81° at Chattanooga, TN were the warmest on record for so late in the season.  Other record highs for the date included: Borrego Springs, CA: 94°, Columbia, SC: 86°, Augusta, GA: 85°, Wilmington, NC: 85°, Victorville, CA: 84°, Charleston, SC: 84°, Macon, GA: 83°, Nashville, TN: 82°, Pueblo, CO: 82°, Athens, GA: 81°, Greenville-Spartanburg, SC: 81°, Charlotte, NC: 81°, Atlanta, GA: 80°, Pensacola, FL: 80°-Tied, Roswell, NM: 80°-Tied, Knoxville, TN: 79°, Greensboro, NC: 79°-Tied, Raleigh, NC: 79°-Tied, Goodland, KS: 78°, Oak Ridge, TN: 78°, Paducah, KY: 78°-Tied, Rapid City, SD: 76°, Valentine, NE: 76°, Topeka, KS: 76°, Denver, CO: 76°, Stockton, CA: 75°-Tied, Colorado Springs, CO: 74°, Jackson, KY: 73°-Tied, Alamosa, CO: 65° and Lander, WY: 65°-Tied.

1990
14 typhoons hit the Philippines during this intense tropical season.  Late season Typhoon Mike was the worst, striking on this date with winds of up to 145 mph.  436 people perished.

1992
Intense low pressure over Eastern Canada brought high winds across the Great Lakes to the Northeast.  The intense winds created a 3 foot “seiche” (standing wave) on Lake Erie.

1998
Heavy rains in Texas plagued many of the same areas that had been struck by severe flooding in late October.  8.44 inches of rain fell between the 12th and 14th in Victoria TX, adding to their monthly total of 10.11 inches which established a new November record.  The San Bernard River surged to a record flood stage of 24.7 feet, 5 feet above the pervious record stage.

1999
Record warmth occurred in parts of the Western U.S.  The World Cup ski races at Park City, UT had to be moved because of a lack of snow.  Sheridan, WY hit 81° to set an all-time November record.  Other all-time November records were set at Miles City, MT: 81, Pendleton, OR: 80°, Glasgow MT: 79°, Havre, MT: 78°, Lewiston, ID: 77°, Billings, MT: 77°-Tied and the warmest for so late in the year, Helena, MT: 75°, Missoula, MT: 73° and Kalispell, MT: 69°.
Other daily record highs included: Phoenix, AZ: 93°, Tucson, AZ: 90°, Galveston, TX: 84°, Tulsa, OK: 83°, Valentine, NE: 80°, Oklahoma City, OK: 80°, Springfield, MO: 80°, Glasgow, MT: 79°, Rapid City, SD: 78°-Tied, Columbia, MO: 78°-Tied, Williston, ND: 75°, Medford, OR: 75°, Hanford, CA: 74°, Great Falls, MT: 74°, Madera, CA: 73°, Grand Island, NE: 73°, Norfolk, NE: 73°, Bismarck, ND: 73°, Cheyenne, WY: 73°, Eureka, CA: 73°-Tied, Winnemucca, NV: 72°, Merced, CA: 71°, Ely, NV: 71°, Casper, WY: 70°, Boise, ID: 70°, Pocatello, ID: 70°, Sioux Falls, SD: 68°, Spokane, WA: 67°, Yakima, WA: 67°, Burns, OR: 67° and Lander, WY: 66°.
***See Slideshow***
2003
On this date through the 13th, an intense storm system started with a line of severe thunderstorms and damaging winds the evening of the 12th in Southwestern Ontario Canada.  By the next morning, the howling, polar winds gusted in excess of 68 mph driving snow squalls over Southwestern Ontario Canada, damaging buildings and trees and cutting power to thousands.

An intense rush-hour rainstorm dropped up to 5 inches of rain in just 2 hours in Los Angeles County, CA, snarling traffic with flooded roads.