It was a below average year for global tropical cyclone activity, and the destructive power of these storms was close to the lowest levels observed since since reliable records began in the early 1980s. However, the the total number of global deaths from tropical cyclones was the highest since 1991, thanks to the estimated 140,000 people killed in Myanmar from Tropical Cyclone Nargis. The total number of storms world-wide was 90, slightly lower that the average from
Weather Underground Forecast for Friday, January 09, 2009.
The jet stream will dip southward across the Eastern US on Friday bringing some very chilly weather to the region, especially interior portions of New England where high elevation areas could see temperatures top out in the single digits. While the east just begins to see these frigid temperatures, the Mid-West and Northern Plains will continue to feel the freezing weather that has been in place for the last few days.
In the Mid-West, cold temperatures will be accompanied by snow as a second trough in the Jet pushes east out of the Rockies. This trough will bring widespread cloud cover into the Northern Plains as well as act as a reinforcing shot of cold air for many locations.
While a parade of troughs march across the country east of the Rockies, the West will see the Jet stream push northward into Canada, allowing warm air to surge northward along the Pacific coast. Temperatures in the region that have recently been relatively cold will get a boost from Southern California northward into the Northwest. Another benefit of the ridging Jet Stream will seen as Washington begins to dry out from the recent onslaught of rain and snow setting records in the region.
Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Thursday ranged from a low of -20 degrees at Flag Island, Minn to a high of 86 degrees at Weslaco, Texas.
Two remarkable records came to a close on this date in history. First, the sky observation for Minneapolis, Minn. reported something other than completely cloudy for the first time in 350 hours (two weeks) in 1992. Second, Houghton, Mich. did not report any snow for this day to break a streak of 53 consecutive days with measurable snow in 2000.