Weather History for May 4

Explore significant weather events that occurred on this date throughout history, including hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, floods, and extreme temperature records.

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8 Historical Weather Events on May 4
1812 — A storm produced snow from Philadelphia to Maine. A foot of snow fell near Keene NH, and in Massachusetts, nine inches fell at Waltham, located near Boston. (David Ludlum)
1917 — A late season snowstorm in northwest Texas produced up to eight inches of snow in Potter County and Armstrong County. (David Ludlum)
1922 — Austin, TX, was hit twice by tornadoes which struck within thirty minutes of each other. Twelve persons were killed in the tornadoes. (The Weather Channel)
1977 — A tornado 500 yards in width struck Pleasant Hill, MO, severely damaging the high school and grade school. Only minor injuries were reported among the more than 1000 teaches and students due to excellent warnings and prior tornado drills. (The Weather Channel)
1987 — Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the southeastern U.S., with South Carolina hardest hit. Thunderstorm winds toppled trees seventy feet high in Spartanburg County SC, and knocked homes off their foundations near Bishopville SC. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
1988 — Thunderstorms produced large hail in North Carolina, but brought welcome rains to much of the rest of the eastern U.S. Residents of New England finally saw sunshine after about a week of clouds and rain. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1989 — Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the Southern Plains Region and the Lower Mississippi Valley. Thunderstorms spawned fifteen tornadoes, and there were 340 reports of large hail and damaging winds. Hail three inches in diameter, and 9.39 inches of rain, resulted in more than 130 million dollars damage at Monroe LA. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 100 mph at Epps LA and Fort Worth TX. A thunderstorm north of Mineral Wells TX produced high winds which unroofed a nightclub, turning it into a "topless club." (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1990 — Thunderstorms produced severe weather from the Lower Ohio Valley to Virginia and the Carolinas. A tornado at Augusta Springs VA killed two people and injured ten others, and another tornado caused 1.7 million dollars damage at Colonial Heights VA. Temp-eratures soared into the 90s in northern California. The high of 98 degrees in downtown Sacramento was their hottest reading of record for so early in the season. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

About Weather History

Weather has always played a significant role in shaping human history. From devastating hurricanes and tornadoes to record-breaking temperatures and historic blizzards, extreme weather events have left lasting impacts on communities across the United States and around the world.

This collection documents notable weather events that occurred on May 4 throughout recorded history. These events include tropical storms and hurricanes, tornado outbreaks, severe thunderstorms, winter storms and blizzards, flooding events, heat waves and cold snaps, and other significant meteorological phenomena.

Types of Events Documented

  • Tropical Systems: Hurricanes, tropical storms, and their impacts
  • Severe Weather: Tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and damaging winds
  • Winter Weather: Blizzards, ice storms, and record snowfall
  • Temperature Extremes: Heat waves, cold outbreaks, and record temperatures
  • Flooding: Flash floods, river flooding, and coastal flooding
  • Other Events: Droughts, wildfires influenced by weather, and unique phenomena

Understanding historical weather patterns helps us appreciate the power of nature and the importance of weather preparedness. Browse through different dates to discover what weather events shaped history on any given day of the year.