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Interesting United States Weather Facts and Extremes

From: RN

Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 2:54 PM

Subject: Interesting USA Weather Facts and Extremes .

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Interesting United States Weather Facts and Extremes

Top 10 cities with most weather variety

Based on temperature variation, precipitation, wind, severe weather

1. Springfield, Missouri

2. Topeka, Kansas

3. Rochester, Minnesota

4. Wichita, Kansas

5. Columbia, Missouri

6. Des Moines, Iowa

7. Lincoln, Nebraska

8. Madison, Wisconsin

9. Concordia, Kansas

10. Sioux City, Iowa

Top 10 cities with

least weather varietyBased on temperature variation, precipitation, wind, severe weather

1. San Francisco, California

2. San Diego, California

3. Los Angeles, California

4. Santa Barbara, California

5. Eureka, California

6. Long Beach, California

7. Honolulu, Hawaii

8. Santa Maria, California

9. San Luis Obispo, California

10. Kahului, Hawaii

Top 10 hail prone cities

Based on frequency and severity of hail

1. Tulsa, Oklahoma

2. Amarillo, Texas

3. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

4. Wichita, Kansas

5. Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas

6. Arlington, Texas

7. Denver, Colorado

8. Colorado Springs, Colorado

9. Shreveport, Louisiana

10. Kansas City, Missouri / Kansas

Top 10 Tropical storm / Hurricane prone cities Average # of years with no storm. Totals based on data from 1871- 2007, hitting within 60 miles of the city
1. Cape Hatteras, North Carolina	2.49
2. Delray Beach, Florida	2.54
3. Hollywood, Florida	2.58
4. Deerfield Beach, Florida	2.58
5. Boca Raton, Florida	2.58
6. Florida City, Florida	2.63
7. Grand Isle, Louisiana	2.63
8. Ft. Pierce, Florida	2.69
9. Miami, Florida	2.69
10. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida	2.69

Top 10 Tornado statesAvg number of tornadoes per 10,000 square miles, occurring from 1953-2004
1. Florida	9.4
2. Oklahoma	8.2
3. Kansas	6.7
4. Iowa	6.6
5. Illinois	6.2
6. Indiana	6.1
7. Mississippi	5.7
8. Maryland	5.7
9. Louisiana	5.6
10. Texas	5.2

Top 10 Thunderstorm cities Avg annual number of thunderstorms
1. Fort Myers, Florida	89
2. Tampa, Florida	87
3. Tallahassee, Florida	83
4. Gainesville, Florida	81
5. Orlando, Florida	80
6. Mobile, Alabama	79
7. W. Palm Beach, Florida	79
8. Lake Charles, Louisiana	76
9. Daytona Beach, Florida	75
10. Vero Beach, Florida	75

Top 10 Tornado prone cities

Ranked by tornadoes per 1,000 miles

1. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

2. Tulsa, Oklahoma

3. Dallas - Ft. Worth, Texas

4. Wichita, Kansas

5. Springfield, Missouri

6. Kansas City, Kansas / Missouri

7. Ft. Smith, Arkansas

8. Little Rock, Arkansas

9. Jackson, Mississippi

10. Birmingham, Alabama

Top 10 Earthquake prone states

# of earthquakes in the last 30 years

centered in the state

1. Alaska

2. California

3. Hawaii

4. Nevada

5. Washington

6. Idaho

7. Wyoming

8. Montana

9. Utah

10. Oregon

10 all-time hottest temperaturesObtained from state temperature records, NCDC
1. Death Valley, California	134
2. Lake Havasu, Arizona	128
3. Laughlin, Nevada	125
4. Lakewood, New Mexico	122
5. Alton, Kansas	121
6. Steele, North Dakota	121
7. Ozark, Arkansas	120
8. Tipton, Oklahoma	120
9. Seymour, Texas	120
10. Usta, South Dakota	120

10 all-time coldest temperatures Obtained from state temperature records, NCDC
1. Prospect Creek, Alaska	-80
2. Rogers Pass, Montana	-70
3. Peters Sink, Utah	-69
4. Riverside, Wyoming	-66
5. Maybell, Colorado	-61
6. Tower, Minnesota	-60
7. Parshall, North Dakota	-60
8. Island Park Dam, Idaho	-60
9. McIntosh, South Dakota	-58
10. Couderay, Wisconsin	-55

10 hottest cities Average annual temperature, F
1. Key West, Florida	77.7
2. Miami, Florida	75.6
3. W Palm Beach, Florida	74.6
4. Ft. Myers, Florida	73.9
5. Yuma, Florida	73.9
6. Brownsville, Texas	73.6
7. Orlando, Florida	72.4
8. Vero Beach, Florida	72.4
9. Corpus Christi, Texas	72.1
10. Tampa, Florida	72.0

10 coldest cities Average annual temperature, F
1. International Falls, Minnesota	36.4
2. Duluth, Minnesota	38.2
3. Caribou, Maine	38.9
4. Marquette, Michigan	39.2
5. Sault Ste Marie, Michigan	39.7
6. Fargo, North Dakota	40.5
7. Williston, North Dakota	40.8
8. Alamosa, Colorado	41.2
9. Bismarck, North Dakota	41.3
10. St. Cloud, Minnesota	41.4

10 driest citiesAvg annual precipitation in inches
1. Yuma, Arizona	2.65
2. Las Vegas, Nevada	4.19
3. Bishop, California	5.61
4. Bakersfield, California	5.72
5. Phoenix, Arizona	7.11
6. Alamosa, Colorado	7.13
7. Reno, California	7.49
8. Winslow, Arizona	7.64
9. El Paso, Texas	7.82
10. Winnemucca, Nevada	7.82

10 wettest cities Avg annual precipitation in inches
1. Hilo, Hawaii	128.00
2. Quillayute, Washington	104.50
3. Astoria, Oregon	69.60
4. Blue Canyon, California	67.87
5. Mobile, Alabama	64.64
6. Tallahassee, Florida	64.59
7. Pensacola, Florida	61.16
8. New Orleans, Louisiana	59.74
9. W Palm Beach, Florida	59.72
10. Miami, Florida	59.55

10 snowiest cities Avg annual precipitation in inches
1. Blue Canyon, California	240.8
2. Marquette, Michigan	128.6
3. Sault Ste Marie, Michigan	116.7
4. Syracuse, New York	111.6
5. Caribou, Maine	110.4
6. Mount Shasta, California	104.9
7. Lander, Wyoming	102.5
8. Flagstaff, Arizona	99.9
9. Sexton Summit, Oregon	97.8
10. Muskegon, Michigan	97.0

10 windiest cities Avg annual wind speed in mph
1. Blue Hill Observatory, Massachusetts	15.4
2. Dodge City, Kansas	14.0
3. Amarillo, Texas	13.5
4. Rochester, Minnesota	13.1
5. Casper, Wyoming	12.9
6. Cheyenne, Wyoming	12.9
7. Great Falls, Montana	12.7
8. Goodland, Kansas	12.6
9. Boston, Massachusetts	12.5
10. Lubbock, Texas	12.4

10 sunniest cities Annual percent of possible sunshine
1. Yuma, Arizona	90%
2. Las Vegas, Nevada	85%
3. Phoenix, Arizona	85%
4. Tucson, Arizona	85%
5. El Paso, Texas	83%
6. Flagstaff, Arizona	79%
7. Fresno, California	79%
8. Reno, Nevada	79%
9. Sacramento, California	78%
10. Albuquerque, N.M.	76%

10 cloudiest cities Avg number of cloudy days per year
1. Astoria, Oregon	240
2. Quillayute, Washington	240
3. Olympia, Washington	229
4. Seattle, Washington	227
5. Portland, Oregon	223
6. Kalispell, Montana	213
7. Binghamton, New York	212
8. Beckley, West Virginia	211
9. Elkins, West Virginia	211
10. Eugene, Oregon	209

10 most humid cities Avg relative humidity in %
1. Quillayute, Washington	83.0
2. Olympia, Washington	78.0
3. Port Arthur, Texas	77.5
4. Lake Charles, Louisiana	77.0
5. Apalachicola, Florida	76.5
6. Gainesville, Florida	76.5
7. Corpus Christi, Texas	76.0
8. Eugene, Oregon	75.5
9. New Orleans, Louisiana	75.5
10. Houston, Texas	75.0

10 least humid cities Avg relative humidity in %
1. Las Vegas, Nevada	30.5
2. Phoenix, Arizona	37.0
3. Yuma, Arizona	38.0
4. Tucson, Arizona	39.0
5. El Paso, Texas	42.5
6. Albuquerque, New Mexico	44.5
7. Winslow, Arizona	46.0
8. Grand Junction, Colorado	48.0
9. Winnemucca, Nevada	48.5
10. Reno, Nevada	50.5

10 rainiest cities Number of days per year with rain
1. Hilo, Hawaii	277
2. Quillayute, Washington	210
3. Astoria, Oregon	191
4. Elkins, West Virginia	171
5. Syracuse, New York	171
6. Buffalo, New York	169
7. Marquette, Michigan	168
8. Sault Ste Marie, Michigan	166
9. Erie, Pennsylvania	165
10. Binghamton, New York	162

10 least rainiest cities Number of days per year with rain
1. Yuma, Arizona	17
2. Las Vegas, Nevada	26
3. Bishop, California	29
4. Santa Barbara, California	30
5. Long Beach, California	32
6. Los Angeles, California	35
7. Great Falls, Montana	35
8. Phoenix, Arizona	36
9. Bakersfield, California	37
10. San Diego, California	42

Largest annual temperature variation Change in average temperature between summer and winter
1. Fairbanks, Alaska	90.8
2. Bettles, Alaska	90.0
3. International Falls, MN	88.8
4. Fargo, North Dakota	87
5.Williston, North Dakota	86.6
6. Aberdeen, South Dakota	86.5
7. McGrath, Alaska	86.2
8. Bismarck, North Dakota	86.1
9. Alamosa, Colorado	85.9
10. St. Cloud, Minnesota	85

10 most uncomfortable cities

Average combination of summer heat and humidity

1. Phoenix, Arizona

2. Corpus Christi, Texas

3. San Antonio, Texas

4. Dallas, Texas

5. West Palm Beach, Florida

6. Miami, Florida

7. Waco, Texas

8. Houston, Texas

9. Montgomery, Alabama

10. New Orleans, Louisiana

Top 10 clean air cities Based on long-term particle pollution

1.Cheyenne, Wyoming

2. Santa Fe, New Mexico

3. Honolulu, Hawaii

4. Great Falls, Montana

5. Tucson, Arizona

6. Anchorage, Alaska

7. Farmington, New Mexico

8. Bismarck, North Dakota

9. Albuquerque, New Mexico

10. Rapid City, South Dakota

Top 10 dirty air cities

Based on long-term particle pollution

1. Los Angeles, California

2. Bakersfield, California

3. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

4. Visalia, California

5. Fresno, California

6. Detroit, Michigan

7. Hanford, California

8. Cleveland, Ohio

9. Atlanta, Georgia

10. Chicago, Illinois

Best cities for allergies Based on pollen counts from 1999-2002

1. Grand Rapids, Michigan

2. Milwaukee, Wisconsin

3. Seattle, Washington

4. San Francisco, California

5. Minneapolis, Minnesota

6. Chicago, Illinois

7. Syracuse, New York

8. Salt Lake City, Utah

9. Los Angeles, California

10. Denver, Colorado

Worst cities for allergies

Based on pollen counts from 1999-20002

1. Kansas City, Mo/Ks

2. Louisville, Kentucky

3. Tampa/St. Pete, Florida

4. Tulsa, Oklahoma

5. Atlanta, Georgia

6. Austin, Texas

7. St. Louis, Missouri

8. Sacramento, California

9. Orlando, Florida

10. Indianapolis, Indiana

Chart data sources: The National Climatic Data Center, Riskmeter Online, Hurricane City, Weatherpages.com,

National Lung Association, Sperling's Best Places

Fastest warming
12 hour warm-up: 83 degrees. From -33 in the morning to 50 by late afternoon in Granville, ND
on February 21, 1918
15 minute warm-up: 42 degrees. From -5 to 37 degrees in Fort Assiniboine, Montana on January 19, 1893
7 minute warm-up: 34 degrees in Kipp, Montana in 1896
Fastest Cooling24 hour chill: 100 degrees. From 44 to -54 below zero in Browning, Montana on January 23-24, 1916.
12 hour chill: 84 degrees. From 63 to -21 below zero in Fairfield, Montana on December 24, 1924.
2 hour chill: 62 degrees. From 49 at 6:00am to -13 at 8:00am in Rapid City, South Dakota on January 10, 1911
15 minute chill: 47 degrees. From 55 at 7:00am to 8 at 7:15am in Rapid City, South Dakota on January 10, 1911.

Interesting U.S. weather facts

Through August 2007, the U.S. experienced its hottest year ever. During the month of August, more than 8,000 new heat maximum and minimum records were set or tied across the country.
In Hawaii, where surface temperatures are always above 50F, there is snow. Between 1 and 2 feet of snow falls each year in the mountains above 5,000 feet.
The coldest football game ever played was the NFL Championship Game on December 31, 1967 in Green Bay, Wisconsin between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys when the temperature fell to -13. The 2007 NFC Championship game in Green Bay between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers was the third coldest game in history with a temperature of -1 and wind chill of -23.
The longest rain-free period in the United States was 767 days (2 years, 37 days), from October 3, 1912 to November 8, 1914 at Bagdad, California.
A world record rainfall occurred at Holt, Missouri on June 22, 1947 when it rained 12 inches in just 42 minutes. This averages to over 1/4 of an inch of rainfall per minute. On July 4th, 1956 In Unionville, Maryland 1.23 inches of rain fell in 1 minute.
The average yearly temperature of New York, St. Louis and San Francisco differs by only 1.8F degrees.
Which is the least rainy city - Seattle, New York City or Miami? Although on average Seattle is cloudy 227 days a year, it only receives 39 inches of rain per year, compared to New York City (42 inches) and Miami (60 inches)
Is Chicago really "The Windy City?" Of the 262 major weather reporting stations in the United States, 27% or 72 stations average higher annual wind speeds than Chicago, which averages 10.3 mph. For example, New York City's annual wind speed is 12.2 mph.
Due to Florida's proximity to the equator, the state receives more than a hundred times the UV exposure that Maine does.
Cheyenne, Wyoming averages the most hail storms in the United States per year with 10.
The United States leads the world with an average of over 1,000 reported tornadoes each year. A distant second is Canada with an average of approximately 100 reported tornadoes.
Kansas has received the most F5 tornadoes since 1880. Oklahoma receives the highest number of significant and violent tornadoes per square mile.
Of of the reported tornadoes in the United States each year, 20 can be expected to be F5 tornadoes with winds over 200 mph and nearly complete destruction.

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