Top 10 Weather Events: 2014

[CrazyC83]

Although this list is subject to amendment if a major event happens in the last week of 2014, this is my annual top 10 list. Overall, 2014 wasn't a huge year for extreme year in the US, and many of these were tough to rank. Winter weather seemed to dominate the high parts of the list. Here it is:

1 - Extreme cold winter: The infamous "polar vortex" became the buzzword, but the winter was brutal for most of the US with extreme cold dominating, especially in early January (January to March)

2 - California drought and fires: Although some relief has taken place recently, most of the year saw a historic and epic drought in California after a desert-like winter, and many fires also occurred (entire year 2014)

3 - Southeast snow and ice storms: Two major storms in short duration led to major ice damage in the Southeast and the Atlanta traffic mess (January 28-30 and February 10-13)

4 - Buffalo area lake storm: A cold November and warm Great Lakes leads to a historic lake effect snow storm in western New York with 5, 6, 7 feet or more snow (November 18-22)

5 - Southeast tornado outbreak and flash floods: After a slow start, tornadoes and catastrophic flash flooding lead to extreme damage and dozens of fatalities across several southern states (April 27-30)

6 - March weather bomb: Although it wasn't a huge impact storm for populated areas (except for extreme headlands), it was an incredible coastal storm just offshore, dropping to about 950mb (March 24-27)

7 - Plains tornado outbreak: Tornadoes returned in mid-June, with many tornadoes in Nebraska, South Dakota and other states, including four violent tornadoes almost simultaneously (June 15-18)

8 - West Coast December storm: After the long drought, a major storm impacts the west coast, and brings heavy rain and mudslides to parched California and wind damage (December 11-13)

9 - Hurricane Arthur: An early season Category 2 hurricane hits the Carolina coast in an otherwise slow year with significant tourism losses, but damage was fairly limited (July 2-5)

10 - Arizona flash floods: An active EPAC hurricane season leads to a very wet monsoon pattern in the Southwest (especially Arizona) with heavy rain and flash floods from several storms (August and September)

[CrazyC83]

Any thoughts, agreements and disagreements?

The #1 in other recent years I have done this:

2013 - Oklahoma tornadoes
2012 - Hurricane Sandy
2011 - April Southeast tornadoes
2010 - Nashville floods
2009 - Ohio Valley ice storm
2008 - Hurricane Ike

I didn't do this before 2008, but had I done them:

2007 - Greensburg/Plains tornadoes
2006 - Southeast drought
2005 - Hurricane Katrina (also the event of the 2000-09 decade)
2004 - Hurricane Charley
2003 - California wildfires
2002 - November tornado outbreak (admittedly a tough pick)
2001 - Tropical Storm Allison
2000 - Southern drought/heat wave
1999 - Hurricane Floyd
1998 - Southern summer heat wave
1997 - Red River basin floods
1996 - Blizzard of '96
1995 - Hurricane Opal
1994 - Extreme cold winter (especially January)
1993 - Midwest flooding
1992 - Hurricane Andrew
1991 - California firestorms

[CrazyC83]

As for globally, I think the biggest event of 2014 would be the deadly flooding in India and Pakistan, followed closely by the European flooding and Typhoon Rammasun.

[Cyclenall]

Top Weather Events of 2014:

1. January 6-8 Great Lakes Lake Effect Snow Blizzard
2. Late April Major Tornado and Flash Flood Outbreak Southern US
3. Duel/Triple Wedge Tornado Event June 16 in Nebraska
4. Historic Buffalo and Southtowns Lake Effect Snow November
5. White Juan II eastern Canada Nor'easter March
6. Extreme North American Cold Outbreak Early January
7. Coleridge NE Violent Wedge Intercept and 230 Knots GTG on June 17
8. November 24 Great Lakes Windstorm with 971 mb Low
9. Hurricane Odile
10. June 17 Grey county/Angus Strong Tornado Event and Severe

Notable mentions:

11. August 11 Major Flash Flooding Event Detroit MI
12. Late January Deep South Ice/Snow Storm(s)
13. June 5 Major Derecho (Jonesboro AR) Event
14. Hurricane Amanda
15. Hurricane Arthur
16. Alberta Historic September Snowfall
17. Hurricane/Typhoon Genevieve
18. Hurricane Cristina
19. Hurricane Iselle
20. May 11 Moderate Risk Tornado Event (Blue Hill NE Tornado)
21. Australian Heatwave in January
22. Burlington Ontario Flash Flooding Early August
23. Early 2014 California Drought
24. Fort Liard, Northwest Territories 14.2ºC on Jan 23

This is a worldwide list, not a US specific one. Again, this is based on what was most interesting or unique, not damage or impact. 2014 didn't contain as many catastrophic disasters as almost all the years I'm familiar with but strangely the list is "decent".

Overall, 2014 wasn't a huge year for extreme year in the US, and many of these were tough to rank. Winter weather seemed to dominate the high parts of the list.

Yeah I think of it as the least interesting (and horrible) weather year aside from maybe 2000. It was winter's time in the spotlight which of course I hate with a passion.

4 - Buffalo area lake storm: A cold November and warm Great Lakes leads to a historic lake effect snow storm in western New York with 5, 6, 7 feet or more snow (November 18-22)

The GLs were warm after one of the coldest summers (and after one of the coldest winters) in many years?

6 - March weather bomb: Although it wasn't a huge impact storm for populated areas (except for extreme headlands), it was an incredible coastal storm just offshore, dropping to about 950mb (March 24-27)

Are you talking about White Juan II?

Any thoughts, agreements and disagreements?

Number 3 is too high on the list.

The #1 in other recent years I have done this:

2013 - Oklahoma tornadoes
2012 - Hurricane Sandy
2011 - April Southeast tornadoes
2010 - Nashville floods
2009 - Ohio Valley ice storm*
2008 - Hurricane Ike

I didn't do this before 2008, but had I done them:

2007 - Greensburg/Plains tornadoes
2006 - Southeast drought*
2005 - Hurricane Katrina (also the event of the 2000-09 decade)
2004 - Hurricane Charley
2003 - California wildfires
2002 - November tornado outbreak (admittedly a tough pick)
2001 - Tropical Storm Allison
2000 - Southern drought/heat wave*
1999 - Hurricane Floyd
1998 - Southern summer heat wave*
1997 - Red River basin floods
1996 - Blizzard of '96*
1995 - Hurricane Opal
1994 - Extreme cold winter (especially January)
1993 - Midwest flooding*
1992 - Hurricane Andrew
1991 - California firestorms*

All the events of the year that I marked with a "*" are ones I didn't know about. Mostly the heatwaves or droughts in the deep south. Here is my related list taking on a worldwide scope for the worst disaster's (all natural disasters) per year:

2014. India-Pakistan Floods
2013. Super Typhoon Haiyan
2012. Superstorm Sandy
2011. Japan Earthquake and Tsunami March
2010. Haitian Earthquake
2009. ?
2008. Cyclone Nargis
2007. ?
2006. ? Hurricane/Super Typhoon Ioke was the most interesting but not devastating
2005. Pakistan Earthquake in October killed 80,000 people and left 3 million left homeless in the mountaineous Kashmir district
2004. 9.0 Indian Ocean Tsunami
2003. Bam Iran Earthquake killing 43,000
2002. ?
2001. El Salvador Earthquake January that killed 20,000+

Notable mentions: 2008 - 7.9-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan, China killed 80,000; 2005 - Hurricane Katrina which was the worst natural disaster in US history

Surprisingly I can't find a per year worst disaster list on Google which boggles my mind. Someone has to have a list of something like that.

As for globally, I think the biggest event of 2014 would be the deadly flooding in India and Pakistan, followed closely by the European flooding and Typhoon Rammasun.

None of which stands out, which puts 2014 in an unique position of being one where I was in snooze mode 98% of the time. Every year has something insane, no matter what but when the time learning and experiencing those wild events is so tiny in a 365 day period, it's hard not to hate said year. Coming off 2013 doesn't help.