NCDC / Climate Resources / Climate Research / Climate of 1998 / Annual / Search / Help

---

January 1999 Selected City/State Extremes

Source NOAA/NWS Forecast Offices and compiled by NCDC. Last Update 2/2/99

Temperature

1.  As of Jan 14, Grand Rapids had 8 consecutive days with maximum temp
< 20 degrees...setting a record for consecutive days < 20. Period of record
began in 1948.

2.  *****   Corrected report.......NOTE: The record event listed below has been
revised as of 2/4/99. The NWS office in Portland, ME has advised NCDC
that the -55 new state record in Maine is in error and was
off by approximately 13 degrees (instrument problem).
 A full report will follow at a later date...

Maine all-time (and January) state minimum temperature record (-55)  set
on Jan 14 at Allegash. (Highlighted in report)

3.  Illinois all-time (and January) state minimum temperature record (-36) set
on Jan 5 at Congerville. (Highlighted in report)

4.  London, KY tied a January maximum temperature record with 74 degrees
on Jan 22 and set a January high minimum record with 61 degrees on Jan 22.
Period of record began in 1954.

5. Asheville, NC  set a new record January maximum temperature record
of 80 degrees on Jan 27 which also is a new January high maximum
record. Period of record began in 1964. The downtown Asheville, NC station
reached 78 degrees on the same date, which is also a record for the date and
month. Period of record for the downtown station began in 1902.


6. Alaskan Chill........FIRST 70 BELOW OF THE SEASON IN ALASKA...

The low temperature on Thursday January 28th, 1999 at Chandalar Lake was -74(F)
below zero- a new all time record low.  Chandalar Lake is located about
35 miles east of the Dalton highway in the Brooks Mountain range.



Precipitation

1.  A powerful January winter storm blasted the midwest from New Year's Day through
January 2nd. Across Northern Illinois...storm total snow accumulations ranged from 9
to 22 inches! Strong northeast winds gusting well over 30 mph...and to over 60 mph
along the Lake Michigan shoreline caused considerable blowing and drifting of the
light powdery snow.

The official three day storm-total snowfall at O'Hare was 21.6 inches. This ranks as
the second biggest snow in Chicago history, behind the 23.0 inch snow of January
26-27 1967. The January 13-14 1979 storm is now third, with a storm total of 18.8
inches.  This storm did set a new record for snowfall in a single calendar day, with
18.6 inches falling at O'Hare on January 2nd 1999. The old record was 16.5 inches,
on January 13th 1979.


2. Grand Rapids, MI set a January snowfall record as of Jan 25 with 46.1" inches.

3. Bakersfield, CA measured 3.0" snow on Jan 25 for their greatest snowfall on record.
Period of record began in 1889. Also, a series of storms helped push the monthly rainfall
total to a record 3.90 inches. The previous record monthly precipitation was 3.87 inches set
in 1933.


4. Amarillo, TX measured 2.67 inches, a new monthly record, old record was 2.51 inches
set in 1939.

5. Shreveport, LA measured 12.96 inches of precipitation for the month. That is a new record
breaking the old record of 12.11 set back in 1885, records began back in 1871.




Pressure

1. Brownsville, TX recorded their record low January pressure with 29.39" inches on
Jan 22.

Top of Page

---

NCDC / Climate Resources / Climate Research / Climate of 1998 / Annual / Search / Help