Last week, we had a 73-degree snow day. This week, sleet is falling a few hours after a tornado warning. What does next week hold—a literal interpretation of “raining cats and dogs”? At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised.
In honor of this weird weather week, I figured it’d be fun to take a look back at extreme weather events over the past 90-some years. And, hey, if we have any newsletter readers born before 1930 (when the article below starts its tracking), let me know and I’ll personally hunt down the weirdest weather from your birth year. Stay safe out there and remember, I’m so glad you’re here.
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The blizzard of 1977. (United States Department of Transportation/Wikimedia Commons/Stacker)
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By Stacker
Here’s what you need to know: Stacker consulted historical, climatologic, and other news sources to find the most notable weather events each year since the Great Depression.
Our top picks:
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1930—During an excruciating stretch from July 19 to July 29, the nation’s capital saw temperatures exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 consecutive days. Thirty people in DC died during the heatwave; the extremely hot summer killed more than 1,000 people across the country.
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1976—Summer brought with it the warmest three-month stretch then in British recorded history. Unfortunately, it also brought the worst drought in 150 years. The drought caused rivers to dry up, crops to fail, and permanently changed Britain’s forests. Finally, an incredibly wet September and October brought an end to the drought.
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2022—More than 60% of the US was affected by a bomb cyclone—a large storm with a low-pressure center— placing 200 million people under winter weather warnings and advisories. Across the country, more than 1 million homes and businesses were left without power.
Want more weird weather? We’ve got records from 1930 to 2022 at the link below.
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Sallie Holley and Caroline F. Putnam. (CC0 1.0)
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By Aila Boyd
Caroline F. Putnam, born in Massachusetts in 1826, was a dedicated abolitionist and educator who made significant contributions to the welfare of freed slaves in Virginia. A graduate of Oberlin College, she became close friends with fellow abolitionist Sallie Holley, and together they traveled the northern United States to advocate for abolition.
In 1868, Putnam founded the Holley School in Lottsburg, named in honor of Holley, where she taught African American children during the day and freed slaves in the evening. Her school offered vital education in reading, writing, and arithmetic, providing opportunities for empowerment during the post-Civil War period.
Putnam ran the school until her retirement in 1903 and spent the rest of her life in Lottsburg, where she passed away in 1917, leaving behind a lasting legacy in Virginia’s educational and abolitionist history.
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Local news is essential for democracy.
Our reporting cuts through false narratives, documents what’s actually happening in our communities, and provides voters with the clear, factual information they need—especially when the stakes are high.
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(YouTube screenshot/Uncle Apple)
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This might not be quite what you expected to see in this space. It’s not quite what I expected to hear this past Sunday, while enjoying a picnic, either. That said, please allow me to introduce you to Uncle Apple.
For my fellow millennials here, that’s Kyle Lucas. Yes, the same Kyle Lucas who collaborated multiple times with post-hardcore rock singer Jonny Craig a decade ago. Now, he’s creating educational kids bops—with his signature hip-hop flair.
They’re catchy. They’re fun. They’re also what my husband, Kody, chose to play when our 8-year-old, Colton, and I couldn’t decide what type of music we wanted to hear on the picnic. Kody selected Uncle Apple in an effort to get us to hurry up and pick something good; we ended up jamming to those tunes for half an hour.
Want to learn about dinosaurs? It’s there. The importance of drinking water? Right here. Birds? Boom. It might not be my usual bluegrass mix, but I’ve enjoyed it so much over the past few days, I thought your ears might like the surprise, too.
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Job Type: Senior Human Services Specialist
Location: Prince William County Government in Manassas
Salary: $65,910 to $119,905.50/year
Qualifications:
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Required: High school diploma or GED and 4 years of experience determining eligibility for public assistance programs in VaCMS
- Preferred: 3 or more years of experience determining eligibility for SNAP using VaCMS3 or more years of experience determining eligibility for MAGI and Families & Children Medicaid using VaCMS
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2 years of experience independently troubleshooting and successfully resolving VaCMS system issues
Job description on Indeed: “The Public Assistance Division of the Prince William County Department of Social Services is seeking a full-time Senior Human Services Specialist to join our Public Assistance team. In this role, you will have the opportunity to work directly with individuals and families, guiding them through the eligibility determination process for SNAP and Medical Assistance programs.”
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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Amie Knowles. Amie is a lifelong Virginia resident and mom to a fantastic 8-year-old who loves Pokémon. This edition includes stories from Stacker and Aila Boyd. It was edited by Brook Bolen.
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