Weather History For April 20

1901
Warren, Ohio had a late season snowfall of 35.5 inches in 36 hours.
(Bob Ryan's 2000 Almanac)

1904
The minimum temperature for the date is 28°F. in Washington DC.
(Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA)

1912
A tornado moved north northeast from 5 miles southeast of Rush Center, KS across the east half of Bison, KS. Farms were wiped out near Rush Center. The loss at Bison was $70,000 dollars as half of the town, about 50 homes, were damaged or destroyed. There were 15 injuries in town. A dozen farms were nearly wiped out. Debris from the farm houses were carried for 8 miles. An elderly man who made light of the storm was killed with his granddaughter on a farm 2 miles southwest of Bison.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1920
Tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama killed 219 persons. 6 tornadoes of F4 intensity were reported. Aberdeen, MS was hard hit by an F4 tornado that killed 22 people. This same tornado killed 20 in Marion County, Alabama. 9 people in one family died in Winston County, Alabama.
(David Ludlum)
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1941
The maximum temperature for the date is 94°F. in Washington DC.
(Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA)
(Ref. Wilson - Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link)

1952
The tankers Esso Suez and Esso Greensboro crashed in a thick fog off the coast of Morgan City LA. Only five of the Greensboro's crew survived after the ship burst into flame.
(David Ludlum)

1965
The Upper Mississippi River Valley from April 17th to the 30th:
The Mississippi River reaches a flood crest at Saint Paul Minnesota four feet higher than any previous mark. During the next two weeks, record levels are reached along the Mississippi between Saint Paul and Hannibal, Missouri. Flooding causes more than 100 million dollars damage, but timely warnings keep the death toll down to just twelve persons.
(Ref. WxDoctor)

1966
Canadian high pressure brought very cold air to the Rockies and northern Plains. Record lows included: Scottsbluff, NE: -3°, Cheyenne, WY dropped to -2°, Casper, WY: -2°, Lander, WY: 1°, Rapid City, SD: 2°, Sheridan, WY: 3°, Valentine, NE: 6°, Fargo, ND: 11°, Williston, ND: 11°, Aberdeen, SD: 11°, Colorado Springs, CO: 13°, Denver, CO: 13°, Huron, SD: 15°, Billings, MT: 17°, Bismarck, ND: 17 °F.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1967
A tornado struck 5 miles north of Cyril, OK. A pickup truck driving along State Highway 8, stalled because of the wind, and then was lifted by the tornado, turned around to face the opposite direction, and set down again, without damage. The driver, who described the funnel as being "full of mud", was uninjured.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1972
Severe thunderstorms struck the western parts of north Texas. Near Bonita in Montague County, flat hailstones, four to five inches in diameter, and one inch thick, did extensive damage to autos, roofs, and windows.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1973
At Ada, Oklahoma a tornado spun a 33 RPM photograph record smack into a crack in a telephone pole.
(Ref. Click here to see the record in the telephone pole)

1980
Billings, MT reached 90°; tying a record high for April and is the earliest 90 degree reading on record.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1984
A temperature of 106° at Del Rio, TX set a new record high for the month of April.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Fifty-two cities in the central and eastern U.S. reported new record high temperatures for the date. The high of 92 degrees at Memphis TN was a record for April, and the high of 94 at Little Rock AR equaled their April record.
(The National Weather Summary)

1988
A storm in the western U.S. brought heavy rain to parts of California. Mount Wilson was soaked with 4.15 inches of rain in 24 hours. The heavy rain caused some flooding and mudslides in the Los Angeles area, and a chain reaction collision of vehicles along the Pomona Freeway that resulted in 26 injuries.
(Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1989
Hot weather spread from the southwestern U.S. into the Great Plains Region. Twenty-three cities reported new record high temperatures for the date. The afternoon high of 104 degrees at Tucson AZ was an April record, and highs of 87 at Provo UT, 90 at Pueblo CO, and 85 at Salt Lake City UT, equaled April records.
(The National Weather Summary)

1990
A fast moving Pacific storm produced heavy snow in the central mountains and the Upper Arkansas Valley of Colorado, with a foot of snow reported at Leadville. Thunderstorms in the south central U.S. produced wind gusts to 76 mph at Tulsa OK, and heavy rain that caused flooding of Cat Claw Creek in the Abilene TX area. Lightning struck the building housing a fish farm in Scott AR killing 10,000 pounds of fish. Many of the fish died from the heat of the fire.
(The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2012 Accord Pub. 2011, USA)

1991
5.89 inches of rain fell in 24 hours at Norfolk, VA, setting a record for April.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1992
A blizzard beginning on the 18th lasted through this date across the Black Hills of South Dakota. Heavy wet snow and strong winds created blizzard conditions in the northern Black Hills that led to a major power outage. About 2,000 households were without power for over 4 hours in some areas around Lead/Deadwood. Snow amounts of 2 feet were common with 30 inches falling at Lead causing major traffic problems. Northwest winds gusted to over 65 mph at Rapid City, SD and to around 50 mph in the Hills. 9.2 inches of snow at Omaha, NE (8.7 inches at the airport) set several records, including the heaviest April snow.The same storm dumped 2.7 inches of snow at Kansas City, MO for their heaviest snowfall ever so late in the season. Ahead of the storm, an F1 tornado destroyed a 40x50 foot shed and damaged a nearby garage and home two miles south of Hillsboro, WI.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1993
A late season snowstorm struck parts of Nebraska and Iowa. Low pressure developed over the south central United States and tracked into southwest Missouri and finally between Des Moines and Ottumwa. Heavy snow began to fall around noon with the heaviest amounts over eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa. 14 inches of snow fell at Hamburg and 12 inches in Sidney. 8 to 15 inches were common over eastern Nebraska and 4 to 8 inches in southwest Iowa. The snow was very wet and heavy causing tree and power line damage. In addition, some livestock losses were reported mostly with young calves.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2000
Severe thunderstorms rolled from west to east across central Illinois throughout the morning. These storms produced tornado touchdowns near Illiopolis and Forsyth, and another tornado tracked from near Oreana to Argenta. This latter tornado lifted the roof off a home 2 miles northeast of Oreana, and part of a roof in Argenta was lifted off. Earlier in the morning, the storms produced winds up to 85 mph in Cass, Tazewell and Menard Counties, causing damage to buildings, trees and power lines. In Tazewell County, a radio tower in Groveland was blown over, causing $500,000 dollars damage, and near Washington, an airport hangar was destroyed, damaging 3 planes.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2004
A strong F3 tornado moved across the town of Utica, near LaSalle-Peru in north central Illinois. This tornado destroyed several homes, a machinery building, and a tavern. The roof of the tavern collapsed, killing eight people inside; many of these people had come into town from nearby mobile homes, seeking sturdier shelter. The tornado dissipated on a steep bluff on the northeast side of town. Another tornado developed shortly afterward, crossing I-80 near Ottawa. Several other tornadoes developed across north central and northeast Illinois, affecting areas around Joliet and Kankakee.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2006
The Dakotas on 19th and 20th:
An intense spring snowstorm sweeps across the region, dumping up to 5 feet of snow. The heaviest snow falls in the Black Hills, with 59.4 inches at Lead, South Dakota. Bowman, North Dakota, accumulates about 18 inches. The storm closes highways including I-94 in North Dakota, cuts power to thousands and is blamed for at least four deaths.
(Ref. WxDoctor)