The Top U.S. Weather Events of 2013

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Here is my annual list of the top weather events in the U.S. this year:

1. El Reno Tornado:  Massive tornado cut a track 16 miles long west and southwest of Oklahoma City.  The tornado killed eight people including veteran stormchaser Tim Samaras, his son Paul and chase partner Carl Young.  The tornado expanded to 2.6 miles making it the widest tornado on record.  Originally rated EF5, the tornado was re-rated as an EF3 in a controversial move because there were no appropriate damage indicators for the higher rating.

2. Colorado Flood:  A stalled cold front led to Biblical flooding along the Front Range of Colorado in September.  The resulting flooding covered a large part of 17 counties.  A new record was established when 9.08 inches of rain fell in 24 hours in Boulder on the 11th and 12th.  Rainfall records were set on five of seven days in Boulder during the event.  The resulting floods across the Front Range washed out over 50 bridges and numerous roads.  Damages totaled $1 billion.  Eight people were killed and six were missing.

3. Newcastle/Moore Tornado:  The first EF5 tornado since May 24, 2011 struck Newcastle and Moore, Oklahoma, killing 24 people.  It was the deadliest tornado in the U.S. since Joplin.  Seven children were killed at the Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore when a wall fell on them as they sheltered.  This led to increased debate about severe weather safety and schools.

4. Firefighters Killed:  Nineteen members of an elite firefighter crew from Prescott, Arizona were killed when the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona blew up on June 30th.   It was the greatest loss of firefighters in a U.S. wildfire since 1933.   It was also the deadliest U.S. wildfire since the 1991 East Bay Hills fire killed 25 people.

5. November Illinois Outbreak:  On November 17th, 73 tornadoes struck Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee, killing seven.  It was the worst November outbreak in Illinois history.   There were two EF4 tornadoes, including one that struck Washington, IL.

6. Back to Back Derechos:  On two days in a row, June 12th and 13th, large derechos converged on the Mid-Atlantic States.  The June 12 derecho followed a similar path to the June 2012 super-derecho that had knocked out power to millions for 7-10 days.  The June 13th derecho had its genesis from southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky into Alabama and Georgia during the morning hours of June 13th.  A total of four people died in the two events.  Unlike the 2012 event, both 2013 derechos were well forecasted up to three days in advance.

7. Record Streak of Days without Tornado Fatalities Ends:  The January 29th and 30th outbreak produced 60 tornadoes across the South, including an EF3 at Adairsville, GA that killed one.  It was the first tornado fatality since June 24, 2012, a streak of 219 days that is a record.

8. Low Tornado Count:  The SPC’s preliminary tornado count for 2013 will end up at 941.   The actual number will probably be pretty close to that.  The previous year, 2012, finished with 939 tornadoes, making the two very similar in count, but significantly below the rolling ten year average of 1,342.

9. Tame Hurricane Season:  There were thirteen named storms in the Atlantic in 2013, but only two hurricanes.  There were no major hurricanes.  There have only been 33 such seasons since 1851. The 2013 North Atlantic Hurricane Season will go down as the 14th slowest since 1851 with an Accumulated Cyclone Energy index (ACE) of 30. It is the lowest ACE value since 1983, when a 17 was posted.

10. Record May Snows over the Upper Midwest.  An unprecedented spring snowstorm dumped over a foot of snow over Minnesota and Wisconsin. That had never happened in May. The 17.2 inches of snow at Dodge Center, MN may hold up as an all time single storm record for the Gopher State.

Honorable Mentions

…Hattiesburg Tornado (2/10): EF4 tornado injured 60, but good warnings led to no deaths.

…Virginia Fog Chain Reaction (3/31): Easter Sunday fog event on I-77 resulted in 95 vehicle crash that killed 3.

…Powerful October Winter Storm in Upper Midwest (10/4): Second biggest snow ever at Rapid City. Also produced EF4 tornado at Wayne NE.

…New Connecticut State Snow Record (2/9): 36.0″ of snow in Ansonia, CT may be state record.

…Loveland Avalanche (4/20): Colorado’s deadliest avalanche since 1962 killed five people outside the Loveland Ski Resort.

…Plains Drought Eases in Some Areas

FEEDBACK
Please give your feedback below by commenting! It’s been a fun 2013. Looking forward to a great year next year!

Also, I am working on my list of the top ten Alabama weather events. Send your suggestions!

Category: Headlines, Met 101/Weather History