* $96 Billion is the estimated dollar damage amount now assigned to Hurricane Katrina–a record for the USA. That could change as more and more information becomes available.
* 1st named tropical storm for the 2007 season will be Andrea. Followed by Barry, Chantal, Dean, Erin and Felix. (Felix sounds like a biggie and, of course, I am only guessing)
* 430 was the number of lightning deaths in Florida in the 45-year period 1959-2004. By far, the most in the USA.
* 198 was the number for Texas making them 2nd in the nation.
* 102 lightning deaths for Alabama for the same period. We rank 12th.
* 100 deaths for Georgia and Michigan. A bit surprised at Michigan although not only does the number of square miles enter into this, but also the population density.
* 17 below zero is the coldest temperature ever recorded in the state of Georgia. It happened on January 27, 1940 at CCC Camp F-16 at an elevation of about 1,000 feet. (I don’t know where that is) It also was during a “Super Cold Wave” that sent the temperature to 10 below zero at Birmingham Airport and people were ice skating on the Warrior River at Birmingport.
* 26.5 percent is the estimated snow-cover for the USA this morning compared to 34 percent last month.
* 202 inches was the snow depth at the north fork of Elk Creek in Western Montana. Remember, these reports come from automated reports in very report areas of the high country. They are accurate reports but are mostly from unpopulated areas.
* 22 inches is how much new snow fell in the last 24 hours in the Omalley community near Anchorage. Ten inches fell at Anchorage Airport–a record January single-day amount.
* 58 inches is how much snow Anchorage has already received this season and that is 22 inches ahead of normal.
* 29 December tornadoes in North Texas has now been described by the NWS in Fort Worth as likely the biggest December outbreak on Record. This is the same day that President and Mrs. Bush took cover at their ranch. (Listen to our last WeatherBrains broadcast for a very interesting story about that by Kevin Selle) The link: https://www.weatherbrains.com/
* 15 below zero was the low at Red Dog Airport, Alaska this morning. (Have any idea how that place got that name?)
* 74 inches of snow on the ground at Whittier, Alaska this morning.
* 58 below zero was the wind chill at Wainwright. (I often wonder what the difference is between a -58 wind chill and a -70 wind chill. Think you could tell the difference if you got caught outdoors?
* 44 below was the coldest in Alaska this morning at good ole Deadhorse and Umiat. Yesterday it was -50 in Umiat! The whole state of Alaska has very unfriendly temperatures at this time.
* 1.81 inches was how much rain Corpus Christi received in the last 24 hours. Well over an inch at Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Waco, Tyler. This is part of the big wet-weather system marching toward Alabama.
* 2 is how many dates in 2007 that I will accept doughnuts. I have decided those two days will be March 23, 24 at Mississippi State University in Starkville. It will be during the annual Southeast Severe Weather Symposium. James Span tried to force-feed me doughnuts during those events–stacking them up at my spot. This year, I will not resist. Yummy, yummy.
