From tornadoes to blizzards: Wild weather that happened on a Leap Day
In addition to wild weather events, Leap Day has also been a time when weather records have been broken.
FILE: Likely tornado illuminated by lightning near Hinckley, Illinois
Video recorded near Hinckley, Illinois, shows what appears to be a tornado being illuminated by lightning during severe weather on Tuesday night.
While Leap Day 2024 will be on the quiet side, past Leap Days have been plagued by severe – and sometimes deadly – weather events.
Deadly tornado outbreak in the South during Leap Day 1952
FILE: Tornado in the distance.
(Sean Waugh / NOAA / FOX Weather)
More than 70 years ago, on Feb. 29, 1952, eight tornadoes touched down across southern Tennessee, northern Alabama and northern Georgia, according to the National Weather Service.
The strongest tornado was an F-4 that was 300 yards wide, and it barreled through Lincoln County, Tennessee. It caused 2 deaths and 150 injuries.
Another deadly tornado during the outbreak devastated parts of Marshall County, Tennessee. While only measuring an F-1 twister, it killed 3 people and injured 166.
The other five tornadoes of this outbreak measured as F-2 and F3 twisters, injuring 15.
WHICH US COUNTIES ARE MOST AT RISK OF TORNADO DAMAGE?
Deadly tornado outbreak in the Midwest on Leap Day 2012
A man picks through debris after a tornado touched down February, 29, 2012 in Harrisburg, Illinois.
(Whitney Curtis / Getty Images)
On Feb. 29, 2012, a line of severe thunderstorms produced 11 tornadoes across southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, southwest Indiana and western Kentucky, the NWS said.
Much like the tornado outbreak on Leap Day 1952, the strongest of the tornadoes during this outbreak was measured as an EF-4. The NWS said it barreled through the towns of Harrisburg and Ridgway.
It had peak wind speeds of about 180 mph and a path of 275 yards wide on average and 26.5 miles long. It damaged hundreds of homes and businesses, injured between 100 and 110 people and caused 8 fatalities.
The 10 other tornadoes of this outbreak measured between EF-1 and EF-3, causing one fatality and several injuries.
WHY TORNADO ALLEY IS SHIFTING EAST
Winter storm in Wisconsin and Minnesota on Leap Day 2012
FILE: Snowflake.
(Aaron Burden / Unsplash / FOX Weather)
From Feb. 28-29, 2012, a winter storm brewed across parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota.
According to the NWS, the storm produced widespread snowfall between 8 and 16 inches, with some areas seeing more significant amounts of snow. They noted that some areas saw 2–3 inches of snowfall per hour.
Wind was also a significant factor during the storm, with wind gust speeds exceeding 30 mph, the NWS said. Storm spotters even measured wind speeds as high as 46 and 55 mph. Combined with the heavy snowfall, the powerful winds caused up to 14,000 homes and businesses to lose power.
Weather records broken on Leap Day
FILE - A pedestrian stays protected from the rain with a clear umbrella.
(Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle / Getty Images)
Some of the wild weather events on Leap Days led to some records being broken, according to the NWS.
In San Diego, California, Feb. 29, 1884, rounded out the wettest February on record for the southern California city with 9.05 inches of rain.
Leap Day in Thompson Pass, Alaska, ended the month of February 1964 with the highest monthly total of snow for the Last Frontier, with 346.1 inches, or nearly 29 feet, of snow.
BEFORE ‘FROSTY’: THE ORIGIN STORY OF THE MODERN SNOWMAN
The world’s tallest snowperson was unveiled in Bethel, Maine, on Leap Day 2008. Named "Olympia SnowWoman" after one of the state’s senators, Olympia Snowe, the snowwoman measured about 122 feet tall, putting her into the Guinness World Records.