Top 10 Weather Events: 2014
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 12:23 pm
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)
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)