A new record for the lowest pressure ever measured on the U.S. Mainland from a non-tropical system was set yesterday as a massive low pressure moved across the Upper Midwest. The pressure dropped to 954.95 mb or 28.20” of mercury in Big Fork, MN. This beats the previous record of 958 mb or 28.28” of mercury during the Blizzard of 1978. To put this number in prospective, this low pressure is about the same you would find in a land falling category 3 hurricane. Hurricane Ike had a pressure of 950 mb or 28.05” of mercury. Now this record is preliminary until all the data can be measured. One thing is for certain, this system was a tremendous wind and severe weather producer. Wind gusts over 70 mph were common near the low pressure and a strong line of severe storms raced across the Ohio and Tennessee river valley causing tornadoes and wide spread wind damage.
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