Saturday, December 31, 2022

Buffalo Blizzard Pushed City To Over 100 Inches This Season, A Record Snowy Start

 Jonathan Erdman

Published: December 28, 2022





B​uffalo, New York, has already picked up over 100 inches of snowfall this season, a record pace for the snow-prone city, due to a trio of storms since mid-November.

T​he Christmas blizzard dumped up to 51 inches of snow in the Buffalo metro area and buried roads, trapped motorists and shut down the city's airport.

(NEWS: Latest On Buffalo Impacts)

A​s of late Tuesday night, the official observation at Buffalo-Niagara International Airport tallied 101.6 inches of snow so far this season.

T​hat's Buffalo's snowiest start to any season by over a foot in records dating to 1884. T​he previous record snowiest "fall through Dec. 27" start to the season was 88.2 inches in 2000, according to data from NOAA.

Article imageSeasonal snowfall-to-date in Buffalo, New York, through Dec. 26, 2022 (blue line), compared to average (brown line).

B​ut doesn't Buffalo always get buried in lake-effect snow?

N​ot to this extent.

Their average season-to-date snowfall through Dec. 27 is only 30.2 inches. That means they've picked up over 71 inches more snow than average so far this season. It's also more than their entire season's average of 95.4 inches.

I​n fact, their snowfall surplus (again, over 71 inches) is greater than an average full season's snowfall in Portland, Maine (68.7 inches), Great Falls, Montana (66.1 inches), and Cheyenne, Wyoming (62.9 inches).

T​hree Storms And An Open Lake

Buffalo piled up this 100-inch-plus snow total from three separate storms in only six weeks.

Article imageThe three snowstorms that have hammered Buffalo (and other lake-effect snowbelts) from mid-November through late December 2022).

F​irst came the November snowstorm that dumped up to 81 inches of snow in the metro area the week before Thanksgiving.

A​bout a month later, Winter Storm Diaz dumped feet of snow in the Plains and Rockies, but also managed to squeeze out about a foot of snow in Buffalo in its cold wake.

O​ne week after that, Winter Storm Elliott became a bomb cyclone and pulled much colder air over Lake Erie, producing whiteout conditions and a lake snow band that waffled over the city for almost 72 hours.

W​eather historian Christopher Burt pointed out the Christmas blizzard (22.3 inches on Dec. 23, then 17.9 inches the following day) and mid-November (21.5 inches on Nov. 19) snowstorm produced three of the 13 heaviest calendar-day snowfalls on record in Buffalo.

These three snowstorms were generated by the perfect mix of a relatively ice-free Lake Erie with near-average water temperatures and a steady flow of cold air on southwest winds over the eastern Great Lakes.

A​ Break, Finally

Fortunately, the snowy pattern is ending.

W​armer air is headed into western New York. That includes highs in the 40s, even 50s, with some morning lows remaining near or above freezing into the first week of January.

T​here is a threat of rain into next week, but amounts appear to be on the light side to raise widespread, serious flood concerns.

H​owever, in a Tuesday morning forecast discussion, the National Weather Service did mention the gradual melting of snow could lead to some basement flooding in the coming days.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

Another Severe Weather Outbreak Is Possible In The Tornado-Weary South

 weather.com meteorologists

Published: December 31, 2022





S​evere thunderstorms, including tornadoes, are likely in parts of the South in the first week of January in what could be the region's fourth outbreak in the past two months.

W​ith the historic Christmas cold snap long gone, one ingredient – warm and more humid air – is already in place in the South.

A​fter New Year's Day, a frontal system will strengthen in the central U.S., accompanied by a powerful jet stream punching out over the Plains. The combination of wind shear and warm, humid air will team up to spawn severe thunderstorms Monday into Tuesday.

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A​s usual for any severe thunderstorm forecast several days out, the key details – precise locations, timing, how many tornadoes and if there may be stronger twisters – are not yet in focus. Check back frequently for important updates as the forecast becomes clearer in the coming days.

F​or now, here is the latest forecast.

M​onday

Severe thunderstorms are expected from parts of eastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas into the lower Mississippi Valley.

The majority of this severe weather is expected to develop in the afternoon and could continue well into the evening or overnight.

These severe storms could be numerous, possibly an outbreak, with t​ornadoes, damaging thunderstorm winds and hail.

Article imageMonday's Severe Thunderstorm Forecast

(​MORE: Safety Tips For Nighttime Tornado Threat)

Tuesday

Severe thunderstorms are once again possible in parts of the Deep South from Tuesday morning through Tuesday evening, including southeast Louisiana, parts of Mississippi, Alabama, the western Florida Panhandle and perhaps extreme western Georgia.

Once again, tornadoes and damaging thunderstorm winds are possible, along with hail.

Article imageTuesday's Severe Thunderstorm Forecast

There's A Flood Threat, Too

Some parts of the South are still in drought.

However, given the number of recent soaking rainfalls, including in the last week of 2022, local flash flooding is possible where lines of thunderstorms move slowly, or in areas that see repeated rounds of thunderstorms.

A​ broad area of the South from eastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas to the western Carolinas has a high chance to pick up at least 2 inches of rain from Monday through Wednesday.

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Severe Weather Fatigue

A​s we alluded to above, parts of the South have been hit by one or multiple severe weather outbreaks over the past two months.

Outbreaks on Nov. 4, Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 13-15 spawned at least a combined 112 confirmed tornadoes from Oklahoma and Texas to Florida and Georgia, according to National Weather Service damage surveys.

Article imageThis animation shows both confirmed and reports of tornadoes, along with thunderstorm winds/damage and large hail reports in the three severe weather outbreaks Nov. 4, Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 13-14. (Note: Not all confirmed tornadoes may necessarily appear on these maps.)

I​f you're in the severe weather threat area, have multiple ways of receiving National Weather Service watches and warnings, including via smartphoneNOAA weather radio, local TV and radio. Make sure your smartphone or NOAA weather radio is able to wake you up at night if a warning is issued.

M​ake sure you know where to seek safe shelter if a tornado or severe thunderstorm warning is issued for your area.

I​f you live in a manufactured or mobile home, you need to identify a safe place to go long before the severe weather threat and how to get there.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

New Year's Winter Storm To Spread From California To Plains And Upper Midwest

 Published: December 31, 2022





A​ winter storm tracking into California with potentially flooding rain and Sierra snow this weekend will eventually turn into a snowstorm from parts of the Rockies and Plains into the upper Midwest for the start of 2023.

T​his storm system, named Winter Storm Hudson by The Weather Channel, could also produce severe weather in the South.

H​ere's a look at what to expect from this storm in the West, and then in the Plains and upper Midwest.

W​est Forecast

T​iming out the storm

M​oisture from the storm is already streaming in across California, where it's producing rain and higher-elevation Sierra snow.

Landslides were reported in the San Francisco area on Friday and some local roads were closed in the Sierra foothills.

T​he main slug of heavier rain and mountain snow will arrive Saturday and continue into early Sunday in California. Rainfall and gusty winds from this system could interrupt New Year's Eve plans in parts of the state, including Los Angeles and San Diego.

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R​ainfall might be heavy enough in California and western Nevada that at least some flooding is possible through Saturday night or early Sunday.

F​lood watches have been posted by the National Weather Service because of this concern, as depicted in green on the map below.

There could be flooding in urban and poor-drainage areas, as well as on some rivers, creeks and streams. Rockslides and mudslides are also a possibility in areas of steep terrain.

(​MORE: Why Debris Flows Are Dangerous)

Article image

Much of the storm's rain and snow will shift eastward into the Rockies and Southwest Sunday into Sunday night. Salt Lake City, Utah, and Flagstaff, Arizona, are two of the cities that could see rain change to accumulating snow.

R​ainfall could soak the Las Vegas and Phoenix metro areas on the first day of 2023.

How much snow, rain to expect

This storm has a warm origin since it's tapping into an atmospheric river of moisture, which means it will produce its heaviest snow in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada. Feet of snow will fall in areas above 7,000 feet in elevation, with lesser totals below that once colder air arrives and helps drop snow levels.

M​any lower elevations of California will pick up 1 to 3 inches of rain. Areas of higher terrain below the elevation where snow is falling could see heavier rainfall totals of 3 inches or more.

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I​t should be noted that California will see additional storms in the first week of 2023 after this one passes through. That could further increase the threat of flooding and pile up additional feet of Sierra snow.

P​lains, Midwest Forecast

T​iming out the storm

S​nowfall from this storm will begin to spread into the Front Range of the Rockies and High Plains by Sunday night, including Denver and Cheyenne, Wyoming.

O​n Monday, we expect snow to continue in Colorado and Wyoming and spread into parts of western and northern Nebraska and South Dakota, as well as central and southern Minnesota. There could be a narrow band of freezing rain or sleet on the southern periphery of this area of snowfall from the Central Plains into the upper Mississippi Valley. This area may include Sioux City, Iowa, and Rochester, Minnesota.

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S​now and gusty winds from the storm could impact much of the upper Midwest, possibly including Minneapolis-St. Paul and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Tuesday.

T​he track and timing of this storm through the central states is still a bit uncertain, so this forecast for Monday and Tuesday could shift in future updates.

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H​ow much snow to expect

R​ight now, the best chance of moderate accumulations of snowfall, roughly 5 inches or more, is from parts of northern Nebraska and South Dakota into central Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

A​s mentioned before, the storm's future track is not set in stone yet, so be sure to check back for updates to snow totals.

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The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

Southwest Airlines Cancels More Flights Wednesday, Thursday

 Jan Wesner Childs and Dina Knightly

Published: December 28, 2022




Southwest Airlines has canceled more than 2,500 flights today and more than 2,300 tomorrow, continuing days of flight woes that are drawing anger from passengers and scrutiny from the federal government.

The airline canceled 2,600 flights Tuesday, blaming backups from last week's bad weather.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says the rate of cancellations is unacceptable and plans to look into the issue.

Today's Southwest cancellations account for 62% of the airline's scheduled flights, according to according to airline tracker FlightAware. Tuesday's Southwest cancellations accounted for 64% of the airline's scheduled flights. Monday, Southwest canceled nearly 4,000 flights, or 71% of those scheduled.

Last week, several airlines canceled or delayed what added up to thousands of flights due to weather, including snow, wind and blistering cold from Winter Storm Elliott. Major cities including New York, Chicago and Denver were affected during one of the busiest travel times of the year.

But none have had as many problems as Southwest.

The DOT tweeted late Monday night that it is "concerned by Southwest’s unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays and reports of lack of prompt customer service." The agency says it will look into the issue.

Southwest spokesman Jay McVay said at a press conference in Houston that cancellations mounted as bad weather moved across the country, leaving flight crews and planes scattered at different airports.

“So we’ve been chasing our tails, trying to catch up and get back to normal safely, which is our number one priority as quickly as we could,” McVay said, according to The Associated Press. "And that’s exactly how we ended up where we are today.”

Article imageA flight board shows canceled flights at the Southwest Airlines terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, Monday, Dec. 26, 2022, in Los Angeles.

T​he airline is waiving change fees at dozens of airports through Jan. 2, with exact days varying by location. But travelers say they're encountering difficulties rebooking.

In a​ video shared to Twitter from inside Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, an intercom is heard announcing that passengers will not be able to get a flight out for at least four days.

Ahead of Winter Storm Elliott last week, both air and road travelers were advised to remain flexible and have a backup plan. That's good advice for any time of the year.

Here's a look at some important things to know and travel tips during the holiday season.

M​ore than 112 million people were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home from the day before Christmas Eve through Jan. 2, according to AAA. Most of them were expected to drive. AAA estimates this holiday season will be the third busiest for travel overall since the auto club began tracking numbers in 2000.

M​ost states post road closures, conditions and other travel updates online, either via the 511 system or highway safety departments. Social media pages of county sheriff's offices and emergency management are also good resources.

A​lways have an emergency kit in your vehicle and know where you are on the road.

T​he busiest pre-Christmas travel day at airports nationwide was expected to be Thursday, according to the Transportation Safety Administration. Numbers were expected to be at or near pre-pandemic levels.

S​outhwest waived change fees last week for flights to and from more than 60 airports across the U.S. Dates varied by location and ranged from Dec. 20 through Dec. 26. Major cities impacted include Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Boston and New York.

D​elta Airlines did the same at many of the same locations, affecting about three dozen airports. Dates also varied by location.

O​ther airlines, like United, no longer charge change fees on most flights but advised passengers to consider adjusting their itineraries and to be prepared for flight delays and cancellations.

Article imageBaggage waits to be claimed after canceled flights at the Southwest Airlines terminal at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday, Dec. 26, 2022, in Los Angeles.

Keep important things like medications and phone chargers with you and not packed while flying. That way if your luggage doesn't make it, you have the most important things.

Be aware if you have airport connections and which cities they are in. The same stands for travel by road. Be sure the check the forecast and conditions often and along your entire route.

Try to take an early flight or the first one out. Usually, that aircraft is at the airport and ready to go, not getting stuck in other cities.

Layer clothing, especially if you are traveling from a warm city to a cold city or vice versa via plane. It's also more comfortable for car rides.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

January's Tornado Outbreak Threat Is Typically Highest In The South

 Chris Dolce

Published: December 30, 2022




January's reputation for bone-chilling cold usually doesn't make you think of damaging tornadoes, but they happen most years, and sometimes there can be large outbreaks.

The South sees the most January tornadoes

The South is the region most likely to experience tornadoes in January, but occasionally, tornadoes can spin up farther north.

It's also the same general area that is typically most prone to tornadoes in other colder months from fall into early spring.

(​MORE: Tornadoes Aren't Just For Spring And Summer)

Article imageThe red area is where there is at least a 0.1% probability of a tornado within 25 miles of a point in January. Based on 1982-2011 averages.

Proximity to Gulf moisture is why the region is most favored

A near-perfect marriage between warmer, more humid air and potent atmospheric triggers, like a low-pressure system and strong jet stream, must exist for tornado-producing thunderstorms to form in winter.

Because the South is closest to the milder, more humid air of the Gulf of Mexico, it's the most favored location for these ingredients to overlap in January.

The biggest question when forecasting severe weather this time of year: Will sufficiently humid air move far enough north to destabilize the atmosphere and allow thunderstorms to form?

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Tornado activity in January is highly variable from year to year

Over the last 20 years, an average of 36 tornadoes have occurred in the U.S. in January. That's the fewest of any month but is roughly the same as December and February.

A January record of 212 tornadoes hit the U.S. in 1999. There have also been years without a single January tornado, most recently in 2003.

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January's recent and past tornado history

Tornado activity last January was right around average, with just over three dozen twisters confirmed.

January 2017 is the most recent very active year with 137 tornadoes. The largest outbreak that month was Jan. 20-22, when 79 tornadoes were spawned in the SouthTwenty people were killed in Georgia and Mississippi.

Article imageA vehicle sits in a debris field in the aftermath of a tornado in Adel, Georgia, in January 2017.

J​anuary 2020 was also active with 87 confirmed tornadoes, including three that killed a combined seven people in Alabama, Louisiana and Texas.

January's largest single outbreak happened over the course of two days when 129 tornadoes were spawned, mostly in the South, in the record year of 1999.

The deadliest January tornadoes on record both killed 55 people. One happened on Jan. 3, 1949, in Warren, Arkansas, and the other on Jan. 11, 1898, in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The 22 Strangest Things About 2022’s Weather

 Jonathan Erdman

Published: December 30, 2022




2022's weather will be remembered largely for a pair of destructive strikes in Florida during an otherwise off-kilter hurricane season, areas repeatedly hit by tornadoes, and some bizarre record heat and drought.

But those were just a few of the weather oddities.

With that in mind, we ranked the 22 most bizarre things we saw in the year's weather, mainly in the United States. We also have a sizable list of honorable mentions below our top 22 list, simply because we love weird weather.

(PREVIOUS YEARS: 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018)

22. Giant Snow Drifts Of South Dakota

Blizzards are a fact of life in the Plains. But in mid-December, Winter Storm Diaz produced blizzard conditions over parts of the Dakotas, eastern Montana, western Nebraska, eastern Wyoming and eastern Colorado for five straight days.

Combined with high winds, the snow was whipped into massive drifts over 10 feet high, reaching the roofs of some homes near Rapid City, South Dakota.

A​nd if that wasn't enough, another blizzard – Winter Storm Elliott – struck some of the same areas in the days leading up to Christmas, producing whiteout conditions that stranded motorists on Interstate 90 in South Dakota.

21. Frozen Sand Sculptures

On a lighter note, we saw some amazing examples of nature's handiwork shortly after the new year rang in.

A​t a location better known for the spectacular frozen lighthouse, we instead noticed this photo of frozen sand sculptures after a January cold front blasted through.

I​t's not an exhibit at an art museum, but these bizarre formations resembled a miniature version of hoodoos in Utah or perhaps your child's clay sculpture made in art class.

20. Gustnado On The Ohio River

Waterspouts are common in summer along the Southeast coast, including Florida.

But in May, a boater on the Ohio River near Cincinnati was surprised by what appeared to be a waterspout crossing the river behind him.

I​t turned out this was instead a gustnado – a quick spinup along a thunderstorm's leading edge of outflow winds – rather than a full-fledged tornado.

A​ccording to the National Weather Service, this gustnado eventually produced significant tree damage in Sayler Park, Ohio, with some trees uprooted and "thrown onto homes and power lines."

19. Floodwaters Pour Into Las Vegas Casinos

In the Desert Southwest's summer monsoon, it's not unusual to see day after day of thunderstorms flare up each afternoon and evening.

This past summer, flooding rain swamped the Las Vegas Strip to the extent that it poured into some casinos twice in a span of two weeks – first on the night of July 28, then again two weeks later on Aug. 11.

We should have bet the over on Vegas rain in July and August.

18. The Greenest Sky We've Seen

I​f a derecho roaring through the Northern Plains and upper Midwest with winds over 90 mph wasn't attention-grabbing enough, a bizarre, green sky was seen over Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as the squall line moved through on July 5.

T​his eerie, green hue was caused by a large amount of hail and water in the line of thunderstorms coupled with the late afternoon sky, as explained by NWS meteorologist Cory Martin.

Winds of at least 58 mph blasted Sioux Falls for 45 minutes, according to the NWS.

17. Giant Washout In North Dakota Field

You may have seen a section of road or a bridge wash out in torrential rain, b​ut the size of this washout in eastern North Dakota was on another level.

A​fter a mid-April blizzard dumped up to 30 inches of snow in parts of North Dakota, a spring rainstorm nine days later dumped over 3 inches of rain. That rain on top of the wet, heavy snowpack was simply too much water to handle.

Near the town of Hatton, the resulting floods carved a 30-foot-deep chasm that was about the length of a football field.

N​orth Dakota's storm fatigue continued into fall and early winter. Through late December, it was Bismarck's snowiest start to any snow season on record.

16. Lightning 1, Toilet 0

We've written about the damage potential of lightning, but it's always jarring to see a new example of its power.

O​n May 4, lightning struck an apartment complex in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. It went straight through the ceiling into an exhaust fan, and then obliterated a toilet in one apartment unit.

The strike triggered a brief attic fire that was quickly put out by firefighters.

I​t reminded us of another instance in August 2019 when a Florida lightning strike ignited methane gas that formed in a home's septic tank, shattering the toilet.

15. August, November Switch Places In Hurricane Season

By some measures, the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season was average. B​ut that masked a lot of oddities during the season.

First and foremost, the season seemed to have calendar confusion.

August, typically one of the most active months, had zero storms form during the month for the first time in 25 years and only the third time since 1950.

I​nstead, November's activity wrapping up hurricane season more closely resembled a typical August. Hurricane Nicole was the latest-in-season hurricane to strike Florida's Atlantic coast on record, and a damaging one at that.

Article imageThis map showed the two areas the NHC was monitoring for possible development (in yellow), and the tracks histories of both Lisa and Martin as of Nov. 3, 2022. Nicole eventually formed within the yellow area in the Bermuda Triangle on Nov. 7.

14. Church Laid On Its Side In EF3 Tornado

Usually, tornado damage we see is sobering. People's lives are upended, their belongings scattered to the wind.

I​n what was the nation's fourth tornado outbreak in four weeks,​ one thing in the wreckage of the April 12 Salado, Texas, EF3 tornado particularly caught our eye.

W​hile some homes were destroyed or damaged, one church was pushed off its foundation and tipped at roughly a 45-degree angle. You can see that 15 seconds into the video below.

T​he tornado damaged 61 homes and injured 23 along its 13-mile path in Bell County. It also produced a 5.5-inch diameter hailstone, larger than a grapefruit.

13. Grapefruit-Size Hail Smashes National Record

C​anada might not come to mind first when you think of giant hail, but August kicked off with a damaging hailstorm in Alberta that was later found to be a record-breaker.

A​ supercell thunderstorm between Edmonton and Calgary pelted the ground with hailstones up to grapefruit size on Aug. 1. Dozens of vehicles were damaged and some motorists were forced to crouch down as the massive hailstones smashed their car windows.

S​cientists with the Northern Hail Project captured several bags full of giant hailstones and later found one hailstone set a new national record for both weight (about 0.65 pounds) and diameter (4.84 inches).

“It wasn’t until I returned and started sifting through the bags that I found the record-breaking stone,” said Francis Lavigne-Theriault, NHP field team leader, in the final report. “It was bagged with other stones without realizing what we had in our possession!”

12. Ski Or Sand Slopes?

In mid-March, skiers and snowboarders in the Pyrenees of southern France were treated to a surreal experience. It wasn't deep, fresh powder, but rather a coating of dust from the Sahara Desert lofted by winds into western Europe.

W​ith the dust coating many of the slopes, it looked like snowboarding down sand dunes instead of mountains.

11. Plane's Nose Gone After Flying Through Thunderstorms

You might have flown through turbulence or around thunderstorms, but that likely didn't come close to the nightmare passengers on a flight over Paraguay experienced in October.

T​he Airbus 320 flew through a line of thunderstorms, subjecting passengers to violent drops in altitude, which required an emergency landing in Asunción, Paraguay, on Oct. 27.

O​nce it landed, photos showed the plane was missing its nose, and its windshield was peppered with pockmarks from large hail.

A​s of mid-November, the investigation was still ongoing.

10. EF4 Tornado In Iowa, In Early March

Tornadoes usually aren't top of mind in the upper Midwest in early March.

On March 5, the combination of unusually warm, humid air and a strong jet stream ignited severe thunderstorms which produced 13 tornadoes in Iowa alone.

O​ne supercell spawned an EF4 tornado ​that was on the ground for 70 miles across central Iowa, killing six.

I​t was Iowa's first EF4 tornado since Oct. 4, 2013, and the state's longest tornado track since 1984, according to the NWS. Only twice before – in 1979 and 1990 – had such an intense tornado struck the Hawkeye State in March.

I​t could have been even worse if its track was about 5 to 10 miles farther north, which would have taken it into the heart of Des Moines.

B​ecause it was early March, several inches of snow covered many of the tornado-damaged areas the following evening. A​nd since a cold snap followed the tornadoes, there was even a sighting of hail still on the ground nine days after the severe weather outbreak.

Article imageRed dots were initial reports of tornadoes on March 5, 2022. The contours denote estimated snowfall from the night of March 6-7, 2022.

9. Yellowstone National Park's Massive Flood

Among the destructive flash floods we witnessed in the U.S. in 2022, including the St. LouisKentucky, and Dallas-Fort Worth disasters, perhaps none was quite as shocking as what happened in the northern Rockies.

I​n the second week of June, heavy rain from an atmospheric river soaked the northern Rockies just as warmer weather was melting the area's heavy snowpack from winter, triggering "flooding rarely or never seen before across many area rivers and streams," according to the NWS in Billings, Montana.

Flooding, washed-out roads, rockslides and mudslides forced the closure of Yellowstone National Park on June 13; Over 10,000 visitors were evacuated from the park.

Nine days later, the park's west, south and east entrances reopened. However, the northern entrance would remain closed until repair work was completed on Oct. 30.

C​ooke City and Gardiner, Montana, were heavily impacted, with homes, roads and bridges either flooded or washed away. Historic flooding swept through Red Lodge, Montana, where homes were either flooded or collapsed into the swollen Rock Creek.

Flood crest records were obliterated along stretches of the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone, Stillwater and Yellowstone rivers. A record crest of the Yellowstone River forced the water treatment plant in Billings, Montana, to shut down for a day.

S​trangely, much of this area was in drought just days before the heavy rain arrived, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Article imageA house sits in Rock Creek after floodwaters washed away a road and a bridge in Red Lodge, Montana, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. The same flood forced the closure of nearby Yellowstone National Park.

8. Fiona, The Record-Smasher

The first impactful hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season appeared to have set records in two vastly different places.

F​iona first soaked the northern Leeward Islands, then Puerto Rico in mid-September. Fiona knocked out power to all of Puerto Rico, and up to 32 inches of rain triggered destructive flooding on the island. Fiona may have topped Puerto Rico's all-time 24-hour rainfall record of 23.75 inches set in Oct. 1985.

W​hile it became a post-tropical cyclone before landfall, Fiona was Canada's record-strongest storm by central pressure when it pushed into Nova Scotia on Sept. 24 with destructive storm surge and winds.

Fiona was the costliest weather event on record in Atlantic Canada ​and is expected to be at least a billion-dollar disaster in Puerto Rico, according to NOAA.

(​MORE: Full Fiona Recap)

Article imageA badly damaged home is seen after it was washed away by Hurricane Fiona at Villa Esperanza in Salinas, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. The storm knocked out power to the entire island.

7. Ian Matched Charley's Landfall Location

Category 4 Hurricane Ian slammed into Southwest Florida on Sept. 28 as one of the strongest hurricanes by wind speed to landfall in the state with devastating storm surge flooding, high winds and rainfall flooding. It is likely to be among the deadliest and costliest hurricanes in U.S. history.

(​FULL RECAP: Hurricane Ian)

A​mong the most bizarre things we saw in Ian: its initial landfall location near Cayo Costa, Florida, was exactly the same landfall location as Hurricane Charley 18 years ago,​ with the exact same maximum winds and nearly identical central pressure. That said, Ian and Charley were much different, as a piece we wrote broke down in detail.

O​ther oddities with Ian included Orlando's 24-hour rainfall record (12.49 inches), shocking inland flooding along the St. Johns River that in one location lasted until after Christmas due also to rain from Hurricane Nicole. Instead of a life-threatening storm surge, Tampa Bay witnessed a blowout tide as Ian's center curled well south.

6. Two Different Parts Of New Orleans Metro Hit Twice In 2022

In the March 22 severe weather outbreak over the Deep South, an EF3 tornado tore through the eastern New Orleans metro, including Terrytown and Arabi, tossing a home while a family was inside.

L​ess than nine months later, another tornado, rated EF2, also tore through parts of Terrytown and Arabi. As the tweet from the NWS below showed, the March and December tornado tracks crossed in Arabi.

W​DSU-TV reported a brewery that was destroyed by the March tornado had just replaced its roof weeks before the December tornado destroyed it again.

T​hat wasn't the only double tornado occurrence in Southeast Louisiana in 2022.

A​ pair of weak tornadoes, rated EF1 and EF0, struck nearly the same location near Lacombe, Louisiana, within a week's time in late March. An NWS damage survey found different tree damage in the same yard from each tornado.

5. When 40 Degrees Pummeled A Record

Forty degrees may not sound warm to most of you, even in winter.

B​ut in early December, it happened north of the Arctic Circle, and that was one of the most bizarre records we saw in 2022.

A​merica's northernmost town, Utqiagvik (formerly known as Barrow), Alaska, soared to 40 degrees on the morning of Dec. 5.

T​hat not only smashed the town's December record, but it was their warmest day anytime from Oct. 20 to April 22, according to the NWS. And it happened during a time of year with no sunshine above the horizon to provide warmth.

A​laska climate specialist Rick Thoman explained this was due to strong southerly winds breaking up the normal winter temperature inversion, bringing warmer air to the ground. Thoman also suggested ice-free water southwest of Utqiagvik may have kept the air warmer than usual that morning.

T​he average high in Utqiagvik on Dec. 5 is only 3 degrees.

Article imageThe all-time December record set in Utqiagvik, Alaska, on Dec. 5, 2022.

4. Three Years Of Rain In Eight Hours

While those in America were celebrating Thanksgiving, a city in the Middle East was hit by a historic rainfall event.

O​n Nov. 24, about 7 inches of rain fell in just eight hours in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, their heaviest rainfall on record, according to Saudi Arabia's National Center For Meteorology.

As you might imagine, when a desert city picks up almost three times its yearly average rain in just a few hours, ​the flooding was severe and deadly. At least two were killed and water rescues were needed as city streets were inundated.

J​eddah averages only 13 days with rain each year. Nov. 24, 2022, was one day few will ever forget.

3. Planet's Most Anomalous Temperature On Record

Temperatures 20 or 30 degrees from average happen often in both heat waves and cold outbreaks.

B​ut the warm temperature anomalies we witnessed in March 2022 over Antarctica were of a magnitude not previously seen by meteorologists nor climate scientists anywhere on Earth.

A​ multi-day heat wave spanned over half the continent in mid-March, pushing temperatures up to 70 degrees warmer than usual for that time of year.

S​ince it happened in Antarctica, that meant temperatures were near 14 degrees instead of mid-March averages around minus 58.

In a Twitter thread following the event, B​erkeley Earth lead scientist Robert Rohde explained an atmospheric river of moist air intruding from the Southern Ocean, then a stalled pattern to trap the warm air, were responsible for this exceptional warmth.

R​ohde also said it was unclear at the time how much of a role climate change played in this exceptional heat wave.

2. Shockingly Low Mississippi River

W​e've covered many Mississippi River floods over the years, including the Great Flood of 1993.

I​n 2022, it was record low levels along stretches of the river that offered some of the most surreal sights we saw during the year.

F​ollowing a generally dry summer in the Plains, then one of the driest Septembers on record from Louisiana to Missouri, Mississippi River levels plummeted to record lows in October from southeast Missouri to Mississippi.

A​mong the locations that set record low river levels were Caruthersville, Missouri; Osceola, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; and Greenville, Mississippi. All four of these river gauges dipped below previous records that stood from the early 20th century.

I​n addition to impacts on barge traffic and saltwater intrusion from the Gulf of Mexico, the low water levels left behind some incredible scenes. Among those included a massive sand dune in the middle of the river (shown below) and an island rock that could be reached by foot.​

Also revealed by these low water levels were a late-1800s shipwreck ​and other Civil War-era relics.

1. Wildfire Outbreak Largest Since World War II On U.K.'s Record Hot Day

As it was happening, it was fairly obvious what 2022's strangest weather event would be, even though it was occurring just seven months into the year.

T​he magnitude of the European heat wave in mid-July was staggering enough. P​arts of France set their all-time heat records for a week straight beginning on July 11. On July 18, more than 100 locations in France set a new all-time record high, according to world weather records expert Maximiliano Herrera.

July was Spain's warmest month on record since at least 1961. At least one Spanish city set its all-time record high each day from July 12 to 17, including Madrid and Pamplona. Portugal also set a national heat record when Pinhão soared to 116.6 degrees on July 14.

B​ut it was what happened in the United Kingdom that pushed this staggering event to the top of our 2022 list.

O​n July 18, high temperatures in the U.K. topped 100.4 degrees for only the third time in records dating to the mid-19th century.

T​he following day blew that threshold out of the water.

F​or the first time on record, a 104-degree temperature was recorded in the U.K. at Coningsby on July 19. Not only was the all-time U.K. heat record blown away (previously 101.7 degrees in Cambridge in July 2019), but all-time records in both Scotland (95.2 degrees) and Wales (98.8 degrees) were also topped in this heat wave.

I​n all, 46 reporting stations set new all-time heat records in the U.K., according to the U.K. Met Office.

This extraordinary heat led to a surge of fires across London and England. July 19 was the busiest day for the London Fire Brigade since World War II.

Flights were suspended at Luton Airport and Brize Norton air base after heat affected the runways. A​ccording to a U.K. Met Office report, sand was spread on some roads where melting had occurred in the heat.

E​ngineers resorted to wrapping a west London bridge in silver foil to supplement its cooling system and reflect the intense heat.

It was no surprise that Europe had its hottest summer on record and the U.K. had its record hottest year in 2022.

And all that hot, dry weather led to one of the worst droughts in decades in parts of western and southern Europe, leaving riverbeds dry and reservoirs resembling those in California's multi-year drought.

Honorable Mentions

There were a number of other oddities in 2022's weather that, while not making the top 22 list, we thought deserved at least a mention. They are listed in roughly chronological order.

-​It was 99 degrees on New Year's Day at Falcon Lake, Texas, a national January heat record.

-​A snowy tarmac kept President Joe Biden stuck on Air Force One.

-​Fiji smashed its all-time 24-hour rainfall record.

-​A plane skidded off a runway and damaged an airport's wind instrument.

-​An Australian shopping center's roof collapsed due to heavy rain.

-​The strongest Arctic storm on record led to its largest known ice loss.

-​India medics waded through chest-deep snow to vaccinate residents.

-​It was so cold they froze their pants off. (Don't worry, it's safe to watch.)

-​A Florida couple accidentally drove into a tornado.

-​Boston tied its single-day snowfall record.

-​A Canadian man trekked through a blizzard for a meal but ended up with nothing.

-​This tiny snowband almost set a state snowfall record.

-​A blizzard blew snow inside this garage.

-​Spectacular ice balls showed up in this Chinese lake.

-​Watch this Icelandic "volcano-spout."

-​Australia flooding trapped vehicles and horses on a bridge.

-​When 16 feet of snow fell in Japan.

-​Four tropical cyclones in a month struck Madagascar.

-​A terrifying cloud of smoke blew into Paraguay.

-​This timelapse of flooding in Queensland was one of the most spectacular we have seen.

-​High winds knocked a Spanish pedestrian off their feet.

-​Snow damaged an Alaska Pipeline company's storage tanks.

-​A dust devil carried a paraglider into a tree.

-​Upward lightning was captured on video in Kansas.

-​A tree downed by high winds crashed through a house and narrowly missed a sleeping baby.

-​Shrinking Lake Powell was illustrated in two photos.

-​A meteorologist called his family to warn of a tornado he was covering live.

-​A dust storm invaded a Texas track meet.

-​America's earliest-in-spring 110-degree high happened at Falcon Dam, Texas, on April 6.

-​Launching a weather balloon in high winds is challenging.

-​Georgia weather instruments were damaged by a tornado but kept measuring.

-​That's not just blowing dust. There's also blowing stubble.

-​Portland, Oregon, had its first April measurable snow since 1940.

-​A sinking World War II-era ship was made worse by a seiche.

-​This baseball game was delayed by...hail.

-​Lenticular clouds and a wildfire were captured in one photo.

-​Record heat ignited landfill fires in India.

-​Binghamton, New York, had its record April and late-season snowstorm.

-​Puerto Rico had its strongest tornado on record.

-​There was flooding as far as the eye could see, except for this stretch of interstate.

-​Tornado damage: garden hoe vs. fridge.

-​A mobile research radar captured a high-resolution view of a tornado.

-​A tornado bent multiple transmission towers in Texas.

-​The drought-stricken Lake Mead revealed bodies and a long-lost boat.

-​The flooded Potomac River swept a large barge away.

-​This lightning strike threw up fiery chunks of soil.

-​These clouds were brought to you by the letter "G."

-​A derecho punched grain bins and ripped through a driving range.

-​This is why you should take shelter in severe thunderstorm warnings due to the danger of falling trees.

-​Shelf cloud plus "green sky" plus Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds in one photo.

-​High winds from "passing virga" blew a roof off a restaurant.

-​A trampoline tumbled down a Toronto street during a derecho.

-​"Alex" flooded South Florida before it was officially "Alex."

-​A truck was pushed out of a garage by high winds.

-​An Arizona wildfire produced a freaky smoke swirl.

-A river of hail washed through a Mexico City street.

-​A culvert in India collapsed right after someone walked over it.

-​A World War II ship emerged from the Italian drought.

-​California's biggest lightning siege in five years turned deadly.

-​Watch a Ferris wheel whipped by high winds.

-​Lightning vs. boat.

-​First deadly tornado in the Netherlands in 30 years.

-​Check out these funky waves ahead of a French shelf cloud.

-​Here's an orange, sunset shelf cloud in France.

-​A dust devil delayed a baseball game.

-​Stinky foam followed heavy rain in Colombia.

-​A goose pushed over a rain gauge.

-​A peach crop was wiped out by a hailstorm.

-​Austria's Mt. Sonnblick (9,941 feet elevation) became snow-free on July 4. The previous earliest date in summer was Aug. 13, 2003.

-​When a dust devil whips through a Las Vegas casino's pool.

-​A severe thunderstorm split a Maryland house in half.

-​Here was a particularly damaging lightning strike on an Arizona home.

-​Here was an astonishingly horizontal dust devil in Spain.

-​Huge waves surprised this wedding in Hawaii.

-​Dew points in the 80s are usually a Gulf Coast or tropics thing. In July, it happened in Canada.

-A mysterious pink glow over southern Australia had a simple explanation.

-​Lightning destroyed a wind turbine.

-​See a loopy Louisiana lightning strike.

-Behold Utqiagvik, Alaska's record rainfall.

-​Kentucky's deadly flash flood swept a home away, leaving only a slab.

-​Not a shelf cloud, but a broom cloud?

-​Heat relief in a dump truck full of water.

-​A damaging tornado happened on a tiny Maryland island.

-​Oregon homes were pummeled by wind-driven baseball hail.

-​Over 100 people were trapped by flash flooding at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

-​A Texas town was scorched by wildfire. One month later, it flooded.

-A pilot flew close to a Louisiana waterspout.

-​One of the hottest days in California history happened in September.

-​The first hurricane of the Atlantic season formed in a strange location.

-​Behold the Burning Man dust storm.

-​A debris flow from a burn-scarred area quickly cut off a California steakhouse.

-​Flooding poured into a high school auditorium.

-​An ex-typhoon became a rare September Bering Sea superstorm.

-​Count the number of simultaneous waterspouts.

-​This was a wild ride, even for the Hurricane Hunters.

-​Ian formed a new inlet under beachfront homes.

-​Wildfire-generated thunderstorms in Canada's Northwest Territoriesin October.

-​Southern Wisconsin had a "leafnado" outbreak, weak tornadoes detected since they lofted leaves.

-​Umbrellas blown off Delaware beach in August were found on a different beach two months later.

-​Tumbleweed piles trapped a resident in a Colorado home.

-​One of the planet's strongest extratropical storms on record hammered the Southern Ocean.

-​Here was our favorite weather-geeky Halloween costume.

-​When a forecast cone resembled a comic strip quotation bubble instead.

-​This satellite image resembled a dog's head.

-​Why this man proposed in the wreckage of his tornado-damaged home.

-​Blizzard warnings and hurricane warnings were in effect on the same day in the U.S.

-A potential 24-hour state record was topped in a historic lake-effect snowstorm.

-​Ice 1, driving range nets 0.

-​French villages took down ski lifts due to lack of snow.

-​A weird ocean swirl was left behind after Hurricane Nicole.

-​Mauna Loa's eruption halted decades-long carbon dioxide measurements at the observatory.

-​Tornado-scoured ground in Louisiana, but only rated an EF3.

-​ Work pants from an 1857 ship wrecked by a hurricane sold for over $100,000.

-​An Antarctic cruise was struck by a damaging rogue wave.

-​An object uncovered on a Florida beach by Hurricane Nicole was identified.

-​Students created a giant snow boulder.

-​A minus 74-degree wind chill was measured in the U.S., and it wasn't in Alaska.

-​Record one-hour temperature plunges were measured in Cheyenne and Denver.

-​A flight returned to Philadelphia after multiple lightning strikes during Winter Storm Elliott.

-It was so cold windows had to be scraped from the inside in Ohio.

-​Behold the Galveston Bay "blowout" during the pre-Christmas cold snap.

-​Christmas Day sleet was reported in Florida.

-​Buffalo Bills players had to dig out cars after the historic December blizzard.

-​Buffalo had 100 inches of seasonal snow before New Year's Eve for the first time on record.

-​A frozen pipe burst, flooding part of Ohio's statehouse.

-​A Texas car wash literally froze during the Christmas cold snap.

-​This ice-covered major highway through a Washington state pass resembled a speedskating track.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM

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