Away From Vermont, Some Destructive, Sometimes Weird Weather Keeps Hitting

While we get ready to roast in a heat wave here in
New England, it is snowing in parts of the northern
Rockies and elsewhere near summits in the Pacific
Northwest. This is Willamette Pass in Oregon
around 5,000 feet above sea level on
 Friday during the summer solstice. 

There's been lots of weather news around the nation in the past week or so, with devastating flash floods, severe storms and tornadoes, and now, a widespread heat wave.  

The United States has  had more than our share of weather weirdnesses, and cases of bad weather hitting places that have already had far too much of it. 

Here's some examples of some of the weirdness that's been going on lately.  

JUNEAU SEVERE STORM

Juneau, Alaska is not a place for severe thunderstorms. It's hemmed in by the Pacific Ocean on one side, steep hills and mountains on the other. It's not a conducive landscape to encourage intense thunderstorms. 

But on Monday, Juneau residents found themselves under their first-ever severe thunderstorm warning, and that warning verified. A top wind gust of 60 mph was measured in the city's downtown.

The storm caused a cruise ship to break away from its moorings, which nearly made it collide with another cruise ship. The winds toppled trees in at least one Juneau neighborhood and destroyed a canopy next to building.  

Juneau averages only one thunderstorm every other year. Until now, all those storms amounted to little  more than a rumble or two of thunders.  

NORTHERN ROCKIES SNOW

While it will be hot nearly everywhere,  you will be able to find one little cold spot.

Apparently, the area around Glacier National Park in Montana is celebrating the summer solstice with a winter storm of all things 

A winter storm warning is in effect for high elevations of northwest Montana, including around Glacier National Park. 

The popular Going To The Sun Road could be blocked by six to as much as 14 inches of snow. Some mountain peaks around Glacier National Park could receive up to two feet of snow.

Winter weather advisories for somewhat lighter snow are in effect for the rest of the Rocky Mountains in western Montana. 

Snow was reported Friday in high mountain passes of Oregon. 

Heavy snow also struck some  high elevations of British Columbia and Alberta. 

This might seem wild for the summer solstice weekend, but this sort of thing happens every once in awhile this time of year in those cold, high Montana mountains. This bout of winter weather is a little bit more extreme than usual, though even by Montana Rocky Mountain standards. 

 INTERSTATE 40

Tennessee DOT released this photo of flooding and
mudslides that blocked Interstate 40 near the
Tennessee/North Carolina border.  This area
had been being rebuilt after extensive 
damage in Hurricane Helene back in September.

Large sections of Interstate 40 in western North Carolina and in neighboring Tennessee were destroyed in Hurricane Helene flooding last September.

The Interstate has been slowly getting rebuilt. But the major highway got another big setback Wednesday. A mud and rock slide, and flash flood blocked both lanes of Interstate 40 near the Tennessee/North Carolina border once again.  

Several vehicles got trapped in the landslide and flood, though nobody was hurt.

However, the Interstate in that region is once again closed, and might remain closed for up to two weeks. This is right in the same area that saw sections of the Interstate wiped out by Hurricane Helene.

The damage is not as extensive this time, though, 

The National Weather Service told Tennessee DOT that 2.5 to 3.5 inches of rain fell in a short amount of time on Wednesday. Slopes in the wake of Hurricane Helene in the region are now less stable and can easily slide or move in heavy rains. 

HURRICANE ERICK

The first couple weeks of the Atlantic hurricane season has been quiet, but not so on the Pacific side.

Category 3 Hurricane Erick hit the Mexican coast early Thursday about 100 miles east of Acapulco.  It was the earliest in the season such a strong hurricane hit the western Mexico coast.

It also continued a disturbing trend seen in hurricanes over the past few years. It strengthened super rapidly. Erick's top winds offshore grew from 65 mph to 145 mph in just 21 hours.  Climate change may be allowing hurricanes like Erick to gain strength pretty instantaneously, which can take both forecasters and people where the storms hit by surprise.

Recent hurricanes like Otis that devastating Acapulco in 2023, and Beryl last year that exploded into an early season Category 5 hurricane in the Caribbean , are among a fast-growing list of recent hurricanes that went from nothing burgers to monsters in a flash. 

STALLED, BEAUTIFUL TORNADO

There's been quite a few tornadoes around the United States and southern Canada this June. Including sadly, a twister that killed three people in North Dakota late Friday, 

One noteworthy and rather odd tornado  developed on June 16 near Wellfleet, Nebraska. It was  "perfect" tornado as it was visually stunning.  It made for great videos and still photos. 

See some of those videos here and here. 

Either that tornado, or a series from the same supercell thunderstorm,   lasted a long time, and moved only very slowly, traveling as little as two miles in a half hour.  

It was also remote, meaning it did not hit any homes or businesses, sparing anyone injuries or property damage. The tornadoes did damage some power lines.