This week in weather and science

Here is a brief look at a few of the events that happened the third week of January. In this history throwback, we look at rare snow in some unusual places, winter tornado outbreaks and crazy wintertime temperatures.

Severe storms and tornadoes are possible across the South and Mid-South in January. On January 17, 1999, tornadoes rolled through Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. The biggest one, a F4 tornado struck nearly Jackson, Tenn. It flattened more than 200 structures, killing 6 and injuring more than 100 more. Total tornado related death toll from the outbreak was 8 and damage estimates reached $40 million.

On January 18, 1978, after a week of snow and ice accumulation, the roof of the relatively new Hartford, Conn., Civic Center collapsed. The arena was empty, and no one was injured. Although the weight of the snow was considered a contributing factor, investigators determined engineering flaws related to undersized support columns bearing the roofs weight and expected load were major factors in the collapse.

On this day in 1977, a rare event occurred — snow fell in the Miami area.

For the first time in recorded history, snow was observed as far south as Homestead, Fla., with snowflakes seen in Miami Beach. Tampa reported almost a quarter inch of accumulation while interior Plant City saw an inch of snow.

The arctic blast that brought the snow brought freezing temperatures across Florida, devastating certain citrus and vegetable crops. An estimated $350 million in damage was reported across Florida with Miami-Dade County reporting $100 million on its own.

Moving to another U.S. warm weather spot. On this day in 1933, Phoenix received an inch of snow, the first time for the city. The city would also see an inch of snow on January 21 and 22, 1937.

Four days after a Mid-South tornado outbreak, the start of a Mid-Mississippi Valley tornado outbreak occurred on January 21, 1999. This three-day event produced 127 tornadoes, killing 9 people, injuring 168 others, and causing more than $90 million damage.

The outbreak produced one F4 tornado and nine F3 tornadoes. An F3 tornado hit Little Rock, Ark., that evening, killing 3 people and destroying more 200 buildings, including a grocery store.

A record-setting temperature spike occurred on this day in 1973. A chinook, a strong wind rolling downslope off the Rockies that can compresses and produces dramatic warm-ups, in tandem with a warm front hit Spearfish, S.D., early on January 22, 1973.

In just two minutes during the overnight hours, the temperature rose from minus-4 degrees to 45 degrees, a jump of 49 degrees. The thermometer reversed course about 90 minutes later when denser and colder arctic air pushed the warm front south and the temperature plummeted from 54 degrees to minus-4 degrees in 27 minutes, a drop of 58 degrees!

Brrrr!! On this day in 1971, the coldest U.S. temperature was recorded. A reading of minus-80 was recorded in Prospect Creek, Alaska, at a construction camp for the Trans-Alaska pipeline.