Weather History

This Day In Weather History

In 1936, the hideous heat of the Dust Bowl Era invaded the Eastern U.S. when Martinsburg, West Virginia was torched by a temperature of 112 degrees; Phoenixville, Pennsylvania by a feverish 111; Runyon, New Jersey at 110; while Cumberland and Frederick, Maryland both reached 109. These temperatures set all time record highs for each state.

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In 1926, lightning struck an ammunition magazine in Northern New Jersey, igniting a red ball of fire that, in turn, triggered a series of explosions. The explosions destroyed every building within a half mile radius and sent debris airborne that landed as far as 22 MILES AWAY. The explosions caused around $70 million damage and injured 16.

In 1913, Furnace Creek Ranch, located in Death Valley, California, was definitely a furnace when it reached a broiling 134 degrees. This was not only a national record, but a world record as well. The all time record high temperatures in Kansas history are both 121 degrees, set in Fredonia on July 18, 1936, and in Alton on July 24, 1936.

This Day in Weather History Archive