Latest news with #ChrisDolce
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
On This Date: Weather Forecast Plays Role In Shaping History Of D-Day Invasion
Weather forecasting played a pivotal role in the World War II D-Day invasion 81 years ago in an era when meteorologists had access to sparse amounts of data, including no satellite observations. Very specific conditions were needed for D-Day to happen including a full moon, low tides, light winds and calm seas. The full moon and low tide conditions lined up with June 4, 5 and 6, 1944, so it was a matter if weather conditions would cooperate with one of those specific days. The operation was planned for June 5, but it was postponed by a prediction for poor weather conditions based on observations taken in western Ireland on June 3, according to the Royal Meteorological Society. That forecast came to fruition with rough seas and winds of 25-30 mph in the English Channel on June 5. Forecasters noted June 6 could be a window of opportunity to launch the operation based on rising barometric pressure, or higher pressure, reported on a ship 600 miles west of Ireland on June 4. Weather conditions weren't perfect for D-Day on June 6 since winds were higher and clouds thicker than what would be considered optimal, but they were good enough to allow Allied forces to land in northern France, setting the stage for a defeat of Nazi Germany. Had conditions not cooperated, the entire operation would have to be delayed for a couple of weeks. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for nearly 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
On This Date: Tropical Storm Allison's Landfall Sets Stage For Houston Flood Disaster
Tropical Storm Allison made landfall in southeast Texas nine hours after it formed nearly 25 years ago on June 5, but that was unremarkable in comparison to its legacy of catastrophic flooding that its remnants caused in Houston over the days that followed. After making landfall near Freeport, Texas, on the afternoon of June 5, 2001, Allison quickly weakened to a tropical depression. Its remnants then lingered for days, causing a slow-moving band of rain to unleash totals that measured in feet across parts of southeast Texas. Port of Houston saw over 3 feet of rain and the top storm total came in at over 40 inches in northwest Jefferson County between Houston and Beaumont. Allison caused an estimated $15.1 billion (CPI-adjusted) in damage. More than 14,000 homes were destroyed or sustained major damage, according to the National Hurricane Center report. The death toll from the storm and its remnants was 41 across six states, with 23 of those occurring in Texas. Allison also holds the distinction of being one of just two tropical storms to have their named retired from further use. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for nearly 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
How Rare Are June Hurricane Landfalls In the US? It's Been Nearly 40 Years Since The Last One.
June is the start of hurricane season; however, it's rare to see storms hit the U.S. at hurricane strength in the month. The last one happened nearly four decades ago. Although, as we've seen many times, tropical storms can still be menacing. It's Been 39 Years: The last June U.S. hurricane landfall happened in 1986 when Bonnie struck the upper Texas coast. It came ashore as a Category 1 and produced moderate damage from near Port Arthur, Texas, to southwest Louisiana. Just 4 U.S. Hurricane Landfalls Since 1950: The other three were Agnes (1972), Alma (1966) and Audrey (1957). All of those also made landfall on the Gulf Coast after forming either in the northwest Caribbean or the Gulf. More Have Occurred Farther Back In History, Even One In May: NOAA has documented over a dozen additional unnamed hurricanes that made a U.S. landfall in June from 1851 through 1949. A 2013 study even discovered a U.S. hurricane landfall along the Gulf Coast in late May of 1863. Audrey Was The Strongest June U.S. Landfall: It roared ashore as a Category 3 on June 27, 1957, near the border between Louisiana and Texas. The hurricane rapidly strengthened just before landfall and pushed a destructive storm surge of 8 to 12 feet into southwest Louisiana. Audrey killed 416 people in the U.S. and many of those deaths were from storm surge. Agnes Was Another Very Deadly June Storm: While it made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in the Florida Panhandle, it was a second chapter of Agnes as a tropical storm that was most impactful since it produced disastrous flooding in the Northeast. The most severe flooding from Agnes occurred in areas from Virginia to Pennsylvania and New York. A majority of the 122 deaths from Agnes were because of this flooding. June Tropical Storms Have Been Impactful Many Times: Allison's multi-billion-dollar, deadly flood disaster across the Houston metro area in early June 2001 is probably the starkest example of major impacts from a tropical storm. Last year, Tropical Storm Alberto tracked into eastern Mexico on June 20 but still produced 2 to 4 feet of storm surge on the Texas coast and brought 5 to 8 inches of rain to South Texas. Claudette (2021) and Cristobal (2020) are also examples of recent impactful tropical storms to hit the Gulf Coast in the month. June Atlantic Basin Hurricanes Are Also Infrequent: When zooming out beyond the U.S., the month in general doesn't produce many hurricanes. Beryl is the last one in 2024 and was a rarity since it became the first June Category 4 on record as it approached the Caribbean on the month's last day. Before that, you have to go back to Chris in 2012 to find another Atlantic hurricane in June. Major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) In June Are Extremely Rare: The month has accounted for just 1% of all the Atlantic majors since 1851, according to Dr. Phil Klotzbach, a tropical scientist at Colorado State University. That emphasizes how rare hurricane Beryl was for June. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for nearly 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
On This Date: Southeast Colorado, Including Pueblo, Decimated By Early-June Flood Disaster
A major flood disaster in early-June 1921 contributed to catastrophic damage along the Arkansas River in southeast Colorado, including Pueblo, killing hundreds as violent, fast-moving waters carried away homes and businesses. The flooding played out over multiple days June 3-6 and affected a stretch of the Arkansas River from 30 miles west of Pueblo eastward to the Kansas border. Floodwaters covered more than 300 square miles in the Arkansas River Valley. In Pueblo, the worst of the flooding developed late June 3, with the Arkansas River reaching a crest around midnight on June 4. The floodwaters inundated the city of just over 42,000 at the time with water that was 10 feet deep in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. The flood wave continued downstream on the Arkansas River across southeast Colorado through communities like La Junta on June 4 to Lamar and Holly near the Kansas border June 5-6. It's estimated 600 homes were carried away by the floods. The exact death toll is unknown since some bodies were never recovered, but the National Weather Service says at least a few hundred people were killed by the disaster. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for nearly 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
On This Date: 'Night Of The Twisters' Strikes Grand Island, Nebraska
A terrifying evening of tornadoes struck Grand Island, Nebraska, 45 years ago in what's sometimes called the "night of the twisters". The city was hit by a slow-moving supercell thunderstorm complex that contributed to the spin-up of an unbelievable seven tornadoes near or in Grand Island in just 2 hour and 45 minutes. It's described as "arguably an unparalleled event in meteorological history" by the National Weather Service in Hastings, Nebraska. Some of the tornadoes were intense to violent, with one rated F4 and three others rated F3 on the original Fujita Scale. The twisters killed 5 people, injured 200 and destroyed more than 500 hundred homes and businesses. Another interesting fact is that three of the tornadoes were rare anticyclonic ones, meaning winds rotated clockwise as opposed to counterclockwise. It's estimated just 1% of all tornadoes rotate in this clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere where we live. The swarm of tornadoes also inspired a book, television movie and tornado and engineering research, the National Weather Service says. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for nearly 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
