Weekly wrap-up: June snow falls in the northwestern US, Hawaii; Heat busts roads in the Plains

By Kevin Byrne, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

June 17,2016; 8:29AM,EDT

 

 

Stifling heat and strong storms slammed the central United States and Ohio Valley this week while higher elevations in the West and East received rare June snow.
The snow caused problems for one ski resort in Oregon. At Mt. Hood Skibowl, the resort had to close its summer adventure park on Monday and Tuesday due to the winterlike weather.
Hans Wipper, a Skibowl spokesperson, told Oregon Live that they last received snow this late in the year about three or four years ago.
"You know, it's Oregon, you roll with the weather punches," Wipper said.
Snow also fell in Hawaii on Tuesday. Temperatures dropped low enough that a dusting of snow coated the upper reaches of Manua Kea. While snow is not common during the summer months on the mountain, it has fallen during the season in the past, according to the National Weather Service.
"The combination of cooler-than-normal upper-air temperatures and thunderstorms bringing in moisture was what made snow possible [on Tuesday]," the NWS said.
The summit at Mount Washington in New Hampshire received 1.4 inches of snow during the early morning hours of June 14. So far this month nearly 7 inches has fallen, making it the third snowiest June since record keeping began in 1932, according to the Mount Washington Observatory.
This webcam image shows a snowy Mount Rainier National Park on Tuesday. (Photo/Mount Rainier National Park)
Storms and heat blasted the central United States and the Ohio and Tennessee valleys this week.
The heat caused roads to buckle in parts of the Plains including Ames and Sioux City, Iowa.
(Twitter photo/AmesPolice)
AccuWeather ReelFeel® Temperatures hit 112 F in Houston on Thursday while Pittsburg, Kansas; West Memphis, Arkansas; and Dyersburg, Tennessee; each recorded ReelFeel Temperatures over 120 F.
More than 5 inches of rain fell within the span of a couple hours in Halstead, Kansas, on Wednesday night. Cars were submerged and roads became impassable leading the local fire department to conduct water rescues.
Storms caused power outages for several major cities including Indianapolis and Nashville, where tens of thousands were without power Wednesday evening.
RELATED:
Dying for the perfect shot: Mishaps highlight tourists' blatant disregard for Yellowstone's unforgiving wilderness
Watch viral videos on the AccuWeather Video Wall
Flood-prone New Orleans sinks at a rate up to 2 inches per year, study finds
An EF3 tornado brought significant damage to the town of Baker, Montana, on Saturday, June 11. The NWS in Billings, Montana, said most of the damage was from winds of 110 mph or around the rating of an EF0-EF1 tornado.
However, the strongest portion of the tornado brought winds of EF3 strength. Six homes were destroyed in Baker, and there are estimates that more than 50 homes sustained some type of damage, according to the NWS. Half a dozen injuries were reported, but none were life threatening.
Several AccuWeather meteorologists and staff writers contributed content to this article.

---

Have questions, comments, or a story to share? Email Kevin Byrne at Kevin.Byrne@accuweather.com, follow him on Twitter at @Accu_Kevin. Follow us @breakingweather, or on Facebook

Save