Top 10 Worst Thanksgiving Storms: MyWeather.com Prepares Travelers for Holiday Weekend

MADISON, Wis., Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- This Thanksgiving, there will be an estimated 42.5 million people traveling across the United States. With a history of tumultuous weather ranging from tornados to snow and dust storms, MyWeather is reminding travelers to keep the weather top of mind when making their holiday plans this week.

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MyWeather.com and its popular apps for the iPhone, iPad 2 and Android devices feature personalized weather forecasts that are six times more precise than the competition -- accurate down to your block, not just your zip code. This means that whether your in-laws are in Manchester, New Hampshire or Manchester, England, MyWeather has you covered.

This Thanksgiving, travelers nationwide will be hoping for blue skies and clear roads during a season known for some of the worst weather -- and traffic -- in history. Here are ten of the worst Thanksgiving storms on record:

• 2001 -- A tornado outbreak occurred across the southeastern U.S. early on Thanksgiving morning in Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas. Three of the twisters were classified F4 on the Fujita scale. Hundreds of homes and buildings were destroyed and 13 people lost their lives.

• 1993 -- Texas experienced a Thanksgiving Day "Blue Northerner," the local name for a cold front that occurs during the winter, bringing a characteristic blue-black color to the sky. The Thanksgiving football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins was played in sleet and icy conditions that led to a slip of Leon Lett during the last seconds of the game, giving Miami the win.

• 1991 -- Travelers heading home after the holiday were impacted by a dust storm in drought-stricken Coalinga, California on Interstate 5. Winds gusting at nearly 40 mph swept dust over the highway limiting visibility and creating a mile-long chain reaction of collisions. 17 people were killed and 150 were injured in the storm.

• 1989 -- New York City's Thanksgiving Day parade took place in 4" of snow leaving a few floats unable to withstand the weather.

• 1987 -- Northern New England was hit with heavy snow as 18" coated New Hampshire and up to 20" fell in Maine.

• 1983 -- Following two weeks of high winds in the Pacific Northwest, Thanksgiving Day saw peak gusts of 62 mph in Seattle, Washington and Astoria, Oregon. The storm downed trees and power lines throughout the region.

• 1983 -- Also in 1983, Denver was hit with 20" of snow. The system was one of the biggest storms to ever hit a major U.S. city on Thanksgiving.

• 1975 -- Chicago had more than 8" of snow at Midway Airport on Thanksgiving, severely impacting holiday travel. Despite its famously harsh winters, records show that Chicago has only had 11 white Thanksgivings since 1884.

• 1971 -- New York State saw some of the heaviest November snowfalls on record as more than 22" fell in Albany. Other areas across the Empire State saw up to 30" of snow.

• 1950 -- Also known as "The Great Thanksgiving Storm of 1950," most of eastern Ohio had 20-30" of snow and winds of over 40 mph. In the face of the storm, the Ohio State v. Michigan football game took place as scheduled on Saturday. The "Snow Bowl" was played in 5 degree weather with the Wolverines defeating the Buckeyes 9-3 in a game that saw 45 collective punts.

A weather application for the Facebook generation, MyWeather.com delivers the most personal and precise suite of weather products for consumers anywhere on the globe. MyWeather offers users completely personalized weather reports tailored for their lives, locations, and interests, whether they're online or on the go.

About MyWeather & Weather Central, LP:

MyWeather was created by Weather Central, LP (WXC.com), to provide consumers with personalized, precise, portable weather data and graphics online and on mobile devices. Weather Central, founded in 1974 by broadcasters and meteorologists based in Madison, Wisconsin, is the leading provider of professional on‐air, online, print, mobile, and enterprise weather solutions and forecasting in North America and to major customers worldwide. Utilizing the company's dynamic weather graphics, precise forecast models and data, and patented technology, more than 1000 partners and hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide benefit from Weather Central's attention to weather presentation, detail and insight. For more information please visit MyWeather.com, like facebook.com/myweather, watch youtube.com/myweather and follow @myweather.

SOURCE MyWeather.com