This Day in Weather History: March 4th

On This Day In

                   Weather History

March 4th

Local and Regional Events:

March 4, 1994:

Two to five inches of snow fell across northeast and part of central South Dakota from the 3rd into the 4th. This new snowfall, combined with the already deep and expansive snowpack and winds of 20 to 40 mph, brought widespread blowing and drifting snow. Visibilities were reduced to near zero at times, making travel treacherous. Many roads were blocked by snowdrifts. Many schools, as well as several highways, were closed. Several vehicles became stuck and had to be pulled out. Some snowfall amounts included 4 inches at Clear Lake, Britton, Waubay, and Wilmot; and 5 inches at Onida, Blunt, Highmore, Miller, and Milbank.

Local Climate Information:

Click HERE for daily climate information for Aberdeen, Mobridge, Pierre, Sisseton, and Watertown.

Click HERE for daily climate information for Sioux Falls, Huron, Mitchell, and Sioux City.

U.S.A and Global Events for March 4th:

1873: The second inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant remains Washington, DC's, record cold March day. The low was 4 degrees, and by noon with the sunshine, the temperature was 16 degrees. Wind chills were around 30 degrees below zero. The 40 mph winds made his inaugural address inaudible to most on the platform with him.

The image above is courtesy of the Library of Congress.

1899: Cyclone Mahina, aka "The Bathurst Bay Hurricane" in Australia was credited with having produced the highest storm surge on record in the world. The cyclone, with an estimated central pressure of 911 millibars or 26.90 inches of mercury caused a 42.6-foot surge when it came ashore on the coast of northern Australia. The storm killed as many as 400 people and is currently Australia's deadliest cyclone.

This map, taken from the book 'The Pearling Disaster, 1899: A Memorial', shows how Mahina intensified into a category 5 Cyclone as it heads towards the Queensland coast, where it met Monsoonal Disturbance Nachon.

The image of the Memorial Stone at Cape Melville is courtesy of the book 'The Pearling Disaster, 1899: A Memorial'. Click HERE for the book from the National Library of Australia.

1983: Brownsville, Texas recorded a high of 100 degrees, the earliest the city has ever hit the century mark. 

Click HERE for more This Day in Weather History from the Southeast Regional Climate Center.