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JUNE Benjamin Franklin did his famous experiment flying a kite during a thunderstorm in June 10, 1752 according to some published accounts. JUNE 01ST  1812Apple trees at New Haven CT did not blossom until the first of June, the latest such occurrence during the period beginning in 1794. Snow whitened the ground in Cleveland OH and Rochester NY. (David Ludlum) 1903A strong tornado just 50 to 75 yards in width killed many persons around the Gainesville GA Cotton Mill. The tornado strengthened and widened near the end of its four mile path, killing 40 persons at New Holland GA. A total of 104 persons were killed in the tornado. (The Weather Channel) 1980A man from Falmouth ME was struck by lightning restoring his eyesight. The man had been blind and partially deaf since a truck accident in 1971. (The Weather Channel) 1987Severe thunderstorms in the Upper Mississippi Valley and the Lower Ohio Valley produced wind gusts to 81 mph at Albert Lea Airport in southern Minnesota, and baseball size hail around Otterbein IN, Sarona WI, and Danville IL. Two inches of hail totally destroyed 5000 acres of corn and soybean north of Danville. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988Thunderstorms drenched north central Texas with torrential rains, with more than 14 inches reported in Commanche County. Afternoon thunderstorm in New Jersey and Pennsylvania produced wind gusts to 70 mph. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989Thunderstorms developing during the afternoon over the Southern Plains Region produced severe weather through the evening and the night spawning nine tornadoes. Thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 80 mph at Alpine TX, and baseball size hail at Balmorhea TX, Fluvanna TX, and in Borden County TX. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1991DCA low temperature is 74° tying a record high minimum then and eighth consecutive record high minimum tied or broken. |
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JUNE 2ND 1889GREAT POTOMAC FLOOD-WATER AS HIGH AS EVER BEFORE - A great flood on the Potomac River in Washington D.C. took out a span of Long Bridge and flooded streets near the river. The flood stage reached was not again equaled until 1936. (David Ludlum) 1897MIN. OF 43° SETS A JUNE RECORD LOW FOR DC. 1917The temperature at Tribune KS dipped to 30 degrees to establish a state record for the month of June. (The Weather Channel) 1949A tornado northeast of Alfalfa OK circled an area one mile in radius. (The Weather Channel) 1985Lightning struck a house, broke a bedroom window, and jumped to a metal frame bed. A man was killed but his wife was unharmed by the lightning. (The Weather Channel) 1987Thunderstorms spawned seven tornadoes in West Texas and six tornadoes in Illinois. Thunderstorms in Illinois produced wind gusts to 70 mph at McComb and Mattoon. Thunderstorms in southern Texas produced 5.5 inches of rain south of Seguin and up to eight inches of rain in Washington County. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1988Severe thunderstorms in Texas and Oklahoma produced hail more than three inches in diameter near Stilwater OK, and softball size hail in Jones County of north central Texas. Baseball size hail and 70 mph winds caused an estimated 100 million dollars damage around Abilene TX. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989Thunderstorms produced severe weather across much of the south central U.S. through most of the day and night. Thunderstorms spawned a dozen tornadoes, and there were 123 reports of large hail and damaging winds. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 78 mph at Russell KS, and baseball size hail was reported at Denver CO, Cuthbert TX, and in Reeves County TX. Afternoon thunderstorms in southern New England produced wind gusts to 120 mph at Fitchburg MA causing five million dollars damage. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) JUNE 2, 1998 Violent Tornado: Frostburg, Maryland on June 2, 1998 at 9:45 PM - This was part of a killer outbreak of tornadoes that moved southeast from Pennsylvania. The tornado entered Garrett County, Maryland striking the town of Finzel. It then moved up and over Big Savage Mountain in Allegany County and ripped through the northern portion of Frostburg. It reached its peak strength as it crossed the ridge. Winds were estimated between 210 and 250 mph (F4 on the Fujita Tornado Damage Scale). This was the first tornado to "officially" be rated a "F4" in the State of Maryland. The National Weather Service adopted the Fujita Damage Scale in 1973. The total damage path of the Frostburg tornado was over 25 miles long (8 miles in Allegany County) and up to a half mile wide. Along most of its path it was producing winds over 125 mph (F2 or stronger). The damage path was continuous as it moved up and down over 2000-foot mountain ridges. The fact that no one was killed in Maryland was attributed to 5 to 10 minutes warning that was well communicated to people in Frostburg over television, radio, scanners, telephones and sirens and people took quick action to move to their basements. A mother and child rode out the storm as it destroyed their house hiding under a table in the basement. They were shaken but unharmed. A jacket from Frostburg homes was found 25 miles away. A diploma was found near Winchester, Virginia, 60 miles away and a bill was found near Sterling Virginia (about 100 miles away). Frostburg Tornado Link A supercell thunderstorm produced a long-lived tornado that was on the ground for about 48 miles. The tornado began near Mount Pleasant, PA and then tracked southeast into Maryland. It hit Finzel in Garrett County first, rose up and over Big Savage Mountain in Allegany County and headed for Frostburg. The tornado traveled up and down over several mountain ridges and valleys varying intensity between F2 and F3. Its intensity peaked at a low end F4 in Frostburg. Frostburg sits up on the Allegany Plateau at an elevation of around 2000 feet and the homes hit the hardest were exposed on the ridge tops to the tornado=s full force. A fire crew from the Frostburg Fire Department saw the tornado coming over Big Savage Mountain. They were posted there after the 911 Center was given the tornado warning. The warning was issued about 10 minutes before the tornado arrived. It appeared as three funnels...a multi-vortex tornado. They put the word out over the radio as they headed for cover. The tornado hit the northern outskirts of the city and continued east to Eckhart Mines. Eckhart Mines had heavy damage to both homes and businesses. The tornado crossed over Route 40 just east of Clarysville. It crossed Interstate 68, traveled over Dan’s Mountain, flattening more trees. On the other side, the tornado ended just before hitting some residences along Route 53 about 2 miles north of Cresaptown. In all, 29 homes were destroyed, 29 homes had major damage, 67 homes had minor to moderate damage. Threes businesses were damaged and one was destroyed. Frostburg Elementary School had heavy damage and a church was also damaged. Thousands of trees were destroyed. |
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JUNE 3RD 1921A cloudburst near Pikes Peak CO killed 120 people. A twenty-five foot crest of the Arkansas River, killing 70 persons, flooded Pueblo County. Fourteen inches of rain was reported at Boggs Flat, where a hard surface road through nearly level country was washed out to a depth of seven feet. (The Weather Channel) 1959Thunderstorms in northwestern Kansas produced up to eighteen inches of hail near Salden during the early evening. Crops were completely destroyed, and total damage from the storm was about half a million dollars. Hail fell for a record eighty-five minutes. The temperature sunped from near 80 degrees prior to the storm to 38 degrees at the height of the storm. (David Ludlum) 1987Six days of flooding in South Texas culminated with five to six inch rains from Bexar County to Bandera County, and five to nine inches rains in Gonzalez and Wilson Counties. Total crop damage was estimated at 500 million dollars. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1987Four tornadoes in Virginia and Quantico Virginia got 2.40 inches of rain in one-hour. Potomac, MD got 1.50 inches in 30 minutes. 1988Early morning thunderstorms in southern Texas produced wind gusts to 86 mph at Port Isabel and wind gusts to 83 mph at South Padre Island. Unseasonably hot weather prevailed from the Southern Plateau Region to the Northern High Plains. Fourteen cities reported record high temperatures for the date. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1989Thunderstorms developing over the Southern Plains Region during the afternoon hours produced severe weather into the night. Thunderstorms spawned eleven tornadoes, and there were 169 reports of large hail and damaging winds. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 80 mph at Newcastle Ok and Wilson OK. Softball size hail was reported at Monahans TX, Childress TX and Groesbeck TX. Monahans TX reported six million dollars damage. Five inches of rain deluged Geronimo OK. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) |
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JUNE 4TH 1825A hurricane struck Long Island NY leveling trees and causing damage to ships. The early season hurricane, which originated around Cuba, caused major damage along the Atlantic coast from Charleston SC to New York City. Many were lost at sea. (David Ludlum) 1860Iowa's "Commanche Tornado", with wind speeds estimated in excess of 300 mph was unquestionably one of the worst experienced by early settlers, with nearly a million dollars damage. (The Weather Channel) 1982A four-day storm began over New England, which produced up to 14 inches of rain in southern Connecticut breaching twenty-three dams and breaking two others. Damage was estimated at more than 276 million dollars. (David Ludlum) 1987Early morning thunderstorms in south Texas produced 6.5 inches of rain at Hockheim, and five inches at Hallettsville in just a few hours. Afternoon thunderstorms in Virginia deluged northern Halifax County with 5.5 inches of rain in two hours. Thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 76 mph at Dusty WA, and wind gusts to 88 mph at Swanquarter NC. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988A dozen cities in the eastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date, including Atlantic City NJ with a reading of 40 degrees. Fifteen cities in the north central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, including Glasgow MT and Havre MT with readings of 102 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) 1989Thunderstorms produced severe weather from the Southern Plains Region and the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Southern Atlantic Coast Region during the day and into the night. Just four tornadoes were reported, but there were 87 reports of large hail and damaging winds. (The National Weather Summary)(Storm Data) 1993 Lynchburg had 70 mph winds, 95% of city lost power, 25 million damage |
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JUNE 5TH 1859Frost was reported from Iowa to New England. The temperature dipped to 25 degrees in New York State and up to two inches of snow blanketed Ohio. The cold and snow damaged the wheat crop. (David Ludlum) 1908Helena MT was deluged with 3.67 inches of rain to establish their all-time 24-hour rainfall record. (4th-5th) (The Weather Channel) 1916A tornado struck the town of Warren AR killing 83 persons. There were 125 deaths that day in a tornado outbreak across Missouri and Arkansas. (David Ludlum) 1917Residents near Topeka KS reported disk-shaped hailstones six to ten inches in diameter and two to three inches thick. The hailstorm was accompanied by a tornado. (The Weather Channel) 1925EARLIEST 100° IN WASHINGTON, DC 1987International Falls MN dipped to a record low reading of 34 degrees during the morning. Williston ND and Glasgow MT reported record warm afternoon highs of 94 degrees. Major flooding was reported along the Guadelupe River in South Texas, with the water level at Cuero reaching 18 feet above flood stage. (The National Weather Summary)(Storm Data) 1988Twenty cities in the south central and eastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date, including Asheville NC with a reading of 40 degrees. Fifteen cities in the north central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. The high of 108 degrees at Glasgow MT was a record for June. (The National Weather Summary) 1989Thunderstorms produced severe weather from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Southern Atlantic Coast during the day and into the night. Four tornadoes were reported and there were 87 reports of large hail and damaging winds. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 2002The Wye Oak, estimated to be 460 years old, was toppled by a severe thunderstorm with winds greater than 60 mph. The tree was located at Wye Mills MD and was over 100 feet tall and had a 31 foot circumference. |
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JUNE 6TH 1816The temperature reached 92 degrees at Salem MA during an early heat wave, but then plunged 49 degrees in 24 hours to commence the famous "year without a summer". (David Ludlum) Temperatures plummeted from near 90°F in many eastern cities into the 30's and 40's. (p.33 Washington Weather Book 2002 by Ambrose,Henry,Weiss) 1894Maximum of 52° was lowest ever in June in Washington DC. 1894One of the greatest floods in U.S. history occurred as the Williamette River overflowed to inundate half of the business district of Portland OR. (David Ludlum) 1975A tornado, reportedly spinning backwards (spinning clockwise), was sighted near Alva OK. (The Weather Channel) 1977Severe thunderstorms with large hail and winds to 100 mph caused one million dollars damage around Norfolk VA. A forty-two foot fishing boat capsized near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel drowning 13 of the 27 persons on board. (The Weather Channel) 1987Thunderstorms in southern California produced one-inch hail at Mount Pinos, and marble size hail at Palmdale. Thunderstorms in southeastern Arizona produced heavy rain leaving some washes under four feet of water. Six cities in the north central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date as readings soared into the upper 90s. (The National Weather Summary)(Storm Data) 1988Seventeen cities in the north central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, including Williston ND with a reading of 104 degrees. Thunderstorms in Florida produced wind gusts to 65 mph which damaged two mobile homes northwest of Melbourne injuring six people. (The National Weather Summary) 1989Thunderstorms developing during the late morning hours produced severe weather through the afternoon and night. Thunderstorms spawned 13 tornadoes, and there were 154 reports of large hail and damaging winds. A strong (F-3) tornado injured six persons at Lorenzo TX, and thunderstorm winds gusting to 100 mph killed one person at Glasscock City TX. Softball size hail was reported at Lipscomb TX and Glen Cove TX. (Storm Data)(The National Weather Summary) |
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JUNE 7TH 1816FAMOUS JUNE SNOWSTORM; "YEAR WITHOUT A SUMMER" -- 20 inch snowdrifts in Danville, VT flurries in Salem and Boston, MA A famous June snow occurred in the northeastern U.S. Danville VT reported drifts of snow and sleet twenty inches deep. The Highlands were white all day, and flurries were observed as far south as Boston MA. (David Ludlum) Upstate NY received 3 inches of snow (p.33 Washington Weather Book 2002 by Ambrose,Henry,Weiss) 1972Richmond VA experienced its worst flood of record as rains from Hurricane Agnes pushed the water level at the city locks to a height of 36.5 feet, easily topping the previous record of thirty feet set in 1771. (The Weather Channel) 1987Thunderstorms in the Laramie Mountains of eastern Wyoming produced golf ball size hail and up to five inches of rain in just one hour. Half a dozen cities in the Upper Mississippi Valley reported record high temperatures for the date including La Crosse WI with a reading of 97 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988Snow whitened some of the mountains of northern California and northwestern Nevada. Twenty-six cities in the central and eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, including Rapid City SD with a reading of 104 degrees and Miles City MT with a high of 106 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) 1989Thunderstorms produced severe weather from southern Oklahoma and eastern Texas to northwestern Florida through the day and night. Thunderstorms spawned 22 tornadoes, including a dozen in Louisiana, and there were 119 reports of large hail and damaging winds. A strong (F-2) tornado at Gross Tete LA killed two persons, injured thirty others, and another strong (F-2) tornado injured 60 persons at Lobdell LA. Softball size hail was reported at Hillsboro TX. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) |
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JUNE 8TH 1953The worst tornado of record for the state of Michigan killed 116 persons. Flint MI was hardest hit. The tornado, half a mile in width, destroyed 200 homes on Coldwater Road killing entire families. (The Weather Channel) 1966A tornado ripped right through the heart of the capitol city of Topeka KS killing sixteen persons and causing 100 million dollars damage. The tornado, which struck during the evening, cut a swath of near total destruction eight miles long and four blocks wide. It was the most destructive tornado of record up until that time. (David Ludlum) 1974Severe thunderstorms spawned at least twenty-three tornadoes in Oklahoma during the afternoon and evening hours. One of the tornadoes struck the town Drumright killing sixteen persons and injuring 150 others. A tornado struck the National Weather Service office in Oklahoma City, and two tornadoes hit the city of Tulsa. Thunderstorms in Tulsa also produced as much as ten inches of rain. Total damage from the storms was around thirty million dollars. It was the worst natural disaster of record for Tulsa. (Storm Data) 1977FROST 31° AT NAKED CREEK, VA and LURAY and 36° AT DULLES 1987Thunderstorms in the northeastern U.S. produced large hail and damaging winds in Vermont injuring two persons. Thunderstorms in Ohio produced wind gusts to 75 mph near Akron and deluged Pittsfield with two inches of rain in thirty minutes. (The National Weather Summary)(Storm Data) 1988Overnight thunderstorms in Iowa produced 5.20 inches of rain at Coon Rapids. Thunderstorms in the Florida Keys drenched Tavernier with 7.16 inches of rain in 24 hours. Eleven cities in the central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. (The National Weather Summary) 1989Thunderstorms produced severe weather over the Central Gulf Coast Region during the day and evening. Severe thunderstorms spawned 17 tornadoes, including one which injured ten persons and caused a million dollars damage at Orange Beach AL. Thunderstorm winds gusting to 90 mph killed three persons and injured four others at Mobile AL. Thunderstorms also deluged Walnut Hill FL and Avalon Beach FL with eight inches of rain. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) |
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JUNE 9th 1874MAX. OF 102° HIGHEST ON RECORD FOR JUNE 1953A tornado hit the town of Worcester MA killing ninety persons. The northeastern states usually remain free of destructive tornadoes, however, in this case a low pressure system responsible for producing severe thunderstorms in Michigan and Ohio the previous day, brought severe weather to New Hampshire and central Massachusetts. The tornado, up to a mile in width at times, tracked 46 miles through Worcester County. It mangled steel towers built to withstand winds of 375 mph. Debris from the tornado fell in the Boston area and adjacent Atlantic Ocean. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel) 1972A cloudburst along the eastern slopes of the Black Hills of South Dakota produced as much as 14 inches of rain resulting in the Rapid City flash flood disaster. The rains, which fell in about four hours time, caused the Canyon Lake Dam to collapse. A wall of water swept through the city drowning 237 persons and causing more than 100 million dollars property damage. (David Ludlum) 1987Lightning struck "Tire Mountain" near Denver CO, destroying two million tires out of a huge pile of six million tires. Thunderstorms spawned three tornadoes around Denver, and a man was killed at Conifer CO when strong thunderstorm winds lifted up a porch and sunped it on him. A thunderstorm near Compton MD produced two-inch hail and high winds which destroyed twenty barns and ten houses injuring five persons. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 1988Thunderstorms produced severe weather from North Carolina to the Central Gulf Coast Region. Hail in North Carolina caused more than five million dollars damage to property, and more than sixty million dollars damage to crops. Hail three and a half inches in diameter was reported at New Bern NC. Thunderstorms in the Central High Plains produced eighteen inches of hail at Fountain CO. The temperature at Del Rio TX soared to an all-time record high of 112 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989Severe weather abated, however, showers and thunderstorms continued to drench the eastern U.S. with torrential rains. Milton FL was deluged with 15.47 inches in 24 hours. Record heat and prolonged drought in south central Texas left salt deposits on power lines and insulators near the coast and when nighttime dew caused arcing, the city of Brownsville was plunged into darkness. (The National Weather Summary) |
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JUNE 10TH 1752It is believed that this was the day Benjamin Franklin narrowly missed electrocution while flying a kite during a thunderstorm to determine if lightning is related to electricity. (David Ludlum) 1816A severe frost blackened fields of beans and cucumbers from VA to New England. In some areas of the NE, trees remained leafless well into June due to the long and cold spring. (p.33 Washington Weather Book 2002 by Ambrose,Henry,Weiss) 1957A dust devil at North Yarmouth ME lifted a 600 to 1000 pound chicken shelter into the air and carried it 25 feet. It landed upright with only slight damage. It is unknown whether any eggs were scrambled. (The Weather Channel) 1958A woman was sucked through the window of her home in El Dorado KS by a powerful tornado and was carried sixty feet away. Beside her was found a broken phonograph record entitled "Stormy Weather". (The Weather Channel) 1987Thunderstorms produced 2 to 4 inch rains in southern Texas. Two and a half inches of rain at Juno TX caused flooding and closed a nearby highway. Flooding on the northwest side of San Antonio claimed one life as a boy was swept into a culvert. Thunderstorms in the north central U.S. produced an inch and a half of small hail at Monida Pass MT. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988Three-dozen cities, mostly in the eastern U.S., reported record low temperatures for the date, including Elkins WV with a reading of 33 degrees. Unseasonably hot weather continued in the Northern High Plains Region. The record high of 105 degrees at Williston ND was their seventh in eight days. (The National Weather Summary) 1989Thunderstorms produced severe weather through the day and night across much of the southern half of the Great Plains Region. Thunderstorms spawned 14 tornadoes, and there were 142 reports of large hail and damaging winds. Hail three inches in diameter caused three millions dollars damage at Carlsbad NM. Hail four inches in diameter was reported at Estelline TX and Stinnett TX. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 80 mph at Odessa TX. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) |