NEWS: 2016

As 2016 begins, it's cloudy and 42 degrees F at Baltimore's National Weather Service station at BWI Airport. The wind is from the west-northwest at 5 miles an hour.

It's the start of the International Year of Pulses, as declared by the United Nations.

In support of her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton’s campaign states it has raised $37 million in the most-recent 3-month period, and $112 million during all of 2015.

In the Rose Bowl, Stanford defeats Iowa 45-16.

In the Fiesta Bowl, The Ohio State University defeats Notre Dame 44-28.

In the Sugar Bowl, Mississippi defeats Oklahoma State 48-20.

Dale Bumpers dies at age 90 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was a lawyer and politician who served as the 38th Governor of Arkansas (1971–1975) and in the United States Senate (1975–1999). He was a member of the Democratic Party. He was born Dale Leon Bumpers on August 12, 1925 in Charleston, Arkansas.

Mike Oxley dies at age 71 in McLean, Virginia. He was a Republican politician and attorney who served as a U.S. Representative from the 4th congressional district of Ohio (1981-2007). Earlier, he served in the Ohio House of Representatives (1973-1981). He was born Michael Garver Oxley on February 11, 1944 in Findlay, Ohio.

Vilmos Zsigmond dies at age 85 in Big Sur, California. He was a Hungarian-American cinematographer. His work in cinematography helped shape the look of American movies in the 1970s, making him one of the leading figures in the American New Wave movement. He was born on June 16, 1930 in Szeged, Hungary.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy, then cloudy to mostly cloudy, then clear, then partly cloudy, then clear; beezy form mid-morning through afternoon (26-mph gusts max.); High temp. 45° F; Low temp. 28° F; Precipitation: None.  No snow on the ground.

The campaign of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont says it has raised more than $33 million in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. This amount is $4 million less than the $37 million his rival Hillary Clinton raised during the same period.

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon is seized and occupied by an armed group led by brothers Ammon Bundy and Ryan Bundy. They are protesting the imprisonment of two men accused of setting fires on public land, and are demanding that the federal government turn over public lands to local control. (This begins a 41-day standoff.)

Gisela Mota, the mayor of Temixco, Mexico, is assassinated just one day after being sworn into office.

Forty-seven prisoners are executed by Saudi Arabia, including a prominent Shiite cleric.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear; occasional clouds in the morning; breezy at midday (24-mph gust at 12:54 pm); High temp. 47° F; Low temp. 26° F; Precipitation: None.

Donald Trump, a Republican presidential candidate, brushes off a video that shows him calling for Muslims to be banned from coming to the U.S. He says he won't be dissuaded from saying what he thinks.

Saudi Arabia says it is cutting diplomatic relations with Iran. Tensions are escalating between the Sunni kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Shiite country of Iran, one day after the execution of a prominent Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear; breezy at midday (21-mph gust at 11:54 pm); High temp. 52° F; Low temp. 26° F; Precipitation: None.

San Bernardino County Department of Public Health workers return to their offices at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, about a month after a married couple shot and killed 14 people, seriously injured 22 others, and attempted a bombing in a terrorist attack.

The U.S. Department of Justice sues Volkswagen over software installed in their vehicles that allows them to cheat when being tested for emissions. The software allows the cars to exceed emissions standards when traveling on roads, to improve power and performance, but then makes them run within emissions standards, with less power, when they are being emissions-tested.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then partly cloudy to mostly cloudy, then clear; breezy from late morning onward (28-mph gust at 3:54 pm); High temp. 37° F; Low temp. 16° F; Precipitation: None.

With Congress refusing to pass tougher gun restrictions, U.S. President Barack Obama uses his presidential power to outline plans for expanded background checks and some other measures to tighten sales of firearms in the U.S.

Pierre Boulez dies at age 90 in Baden-Baden, Germany. He was a French composer, conductor, writer and founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of the post-war classical music world. He was born on March 26, 1925 in Montbrison, France.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear most of the day, then cloudy, then clear; breezy at times in the early morning (20-mph gust at 2:54 am); High temp. 33° F; Low temp. 13° F; Precipitation: None.

North Korea states that it has tested a powerful hydrogen bomb, but there is much skepticism about the claim.

Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr. are elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

Pat Harrington Jr. dies at age 86 in Los Angeles, California.  He was an Emmy Award-winning stage and television actor, best known for his role as building superintendent Dwayne Schneider on the sitcom One Day at a Time (1975–1984). He was born Daniel Patrick Harrington Jr. on August 13, 1929 in New York, NY.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then cloudy, then clear, then mostly cloudy; High temp. 41° F; Low temp. 12° F; Precipitation: None.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Partly cloudy, then clear, then partly cloudy, then mostly cloudy; breeay until late afternoon (28-mph gusts max.); High temp. 37° F; Low temp. 23° F; Precipitation: None.

At 2:38 in the afternoon, snow begins to fall at BWI Marshall Airport, the official weather station location for Baltimore. It's the beginning of a blizzard that drops about 30 inches of snow on the Baltimore area, with higher amounts in the northern and western sections. Snowfall for the day in Baltimore is about 5 inches.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy, then clear, then becoming cloudy; light snow beginning at 2:38 pm, becoming moderate at times; heavy snow in late evening (total snow 3.7 inches); breezy/windy with increasing winds from late morning onward (24-mph sustained wind and 30-mph gust at 9:54 pm); High temp. 28° F; Low temp. 19° F; Precipitation: 0.33 inch (liquid).  4 inches of snow on the ground.

Baltimore receives 25.5 inches of snow in a blizzard. There is precipitation all day, mixed with sleet at times in the morning. Total snowfall from the blizzard, which began the previous day, is about 30 inches. The 25.5 inches is the greatest snowfall in one day for BWI Airport (the official Baltimore weather station) in 2016.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Heavy snow, then snow and sleet, then heavy snow, then moderate snow, then light snow (total snowfall for this day is 25.5 inches); windy until late evening (23-mph sustained wind and 37-mph gust at 12:11 pm); High temp. 28° F; Low temp. 22° F; Precipitation: 1.80 inches (liquid).  26 inches of snow on the ground.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died at Cibolo Creek Ranch in Texas at age 79. He was born on March 11, 1936.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 82 degrees F, the highest temperature ever recorded in Baltimore on any March 9th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear;, then cloudy, then clear, then mostly cloudy, then cloudy, then clear, then mostly cloudy; High temp. 82° F; Low temp. 40° F; Precipitation: None.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 37 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any May 16th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then mostly cloucy, then clear, then partly cloudy, then coudy, then mostly cloudy; breezy from late morning to early afternoon (18-mph sustained wind and 26-mph gust at 11:54 pm); High temp. 66° F; Low temp. 37° F; Precipitation: None.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 100 degrees F, a tie for the highest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any July 25th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871. This high temperature ties the 100 degrees F that was recorded in Baltimore on July 25, 2010.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Mostly cloudy to cloudy; hazy; then partly cloudy, then cloudy, then partly cloudy; High temp. 100° F; Low temp. 77° F; Precipitation: None.

At the Rio de Janiero Olympics, U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte and three teammates report being robbed at gunpoint. (However, police later say the men were not robbed, and instead vandalized a gas-station bathroom.)

Catonsville weather: Partly cloudy, High temp. 95 F, Low temp. 74 F

Catonsville weather: Partly cloudy, then an evening thunderstorm with heavy rain, High temp. 96 F, Low temp. 72 F

Baltimore receives 1.64 inches of rain, the most precipitation recorded in Baltimore on any August 15th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

The Republican nominee for U.S. president, Donald Trump, announces a shakeup of his campaign leadership, naming Steve Bannon of the conservative Breitbart News website as chief executive officer.

Catonsville weather: Mostly cloudy, then an evening thunderstorm, High temp. 89 F, Low temp. 72 F

Astronaut Jeffrey Williams marks a U.S. record-breaking 521st day in orbit, accumulated over four spaceflights.

Catonsville weather: Partly cloudy, then cloudy, High temp. 84 F, Low temp. 61 F

Gene Wilder dies at age 83 in Stamford, Connecticut. He was an actor, writer, and filmmaker. Wilder is known mainly for his comedic roles, and is remembered for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), his work with Mel Brooks on the films The Producers (1967), Blazing Saddles (1974) and Young Frankenstein (1974), and for his four films with Richard Pryor: Silver Streak (1976), Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989), and Another You (1991). He was born Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1933 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Catonsville weather: Mostly cloudy, then partly cloudy, High temp. 91 F, Low temp. 69 F

Catonsville weather: Mostly cloudy, then partly cloudy, High temp. 89 F, Low temp. 67 F.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during August 2016 is 3.96 inches.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 95 degrees F, the highest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any September 9th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy, then mostly cloudy; breezy in the late morning and early afternoon; High temp. 95° F; Low temp. 77° F; Precipitation: None.

Edward Albee dies at age 88 in Montauk, New York. He was a playwright known for works such as The Zoo Story (1958), The Sandbox (1959), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962), A Delicate Balance (1966), and Three Tall Women (1994). Some critics have argued that some of his work constitutes an American variant of what Martin Esslin identified and named the Theater of the Absurd. Three of his plays won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and two of his other works won the Tony Award for Best Play. He was born on March 12, 1928 in Virginia.

At Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, the first U.S. presidential debate is held between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Clinton says Trump keeps his tax returrns and business dealings secret, and Trump labels Clinton a "typical politician."

The goverment of Colombia and the country's leftist Farc rebels sign a peace agreement in an attempt to end more than 50 years of conflict.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 84 degrees F, the highest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any October 18th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then partly to mostly cloudy, then clear; High temp. 84° F; Low temp. 56° F; Precipitation: None.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 87 degrees F, the highest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any October 19th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then partly to mostly cloudy, then clear, then mostly cloudy; High temp. 87° F; Low temp. 64° F; Precipitation: None.

Following his October 5 arrest, U.S. federal prosecutors in Baltimore charge Harold T. Martin III, a former National Security Agency contractor, for violating the Espionage Act, specifically, with felony theft of government property. Prosecutors state that, over a 20-year time period, Martin stole at least 50 terabytes of data and "six full bankers boxes" of classified and other documents. The prosecutors state that Martin had an “arsenal” of weapons in his home.

Typhoon Haima, the second tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines in less than a week, kills at least seven people and causes flooding, landslides, and power outages before heading out to sea.

Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte says he plans to cut ties with his country's former colonial ruler, the United States, while strengthening ties with China.

Turkish jets hit Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia with 26 airstrikes in three recently-captured-from-ISIL villages west of al-Bab and northeast of Aleppo. The Turkish General Staff says between 160 and 200 have been killed, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports 11 dead and dozens of people wounded.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy to mostly cloudy, High temperature 80 degrees F, Low temperature 66 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 83 degrees F, a tie for the highest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any October 30th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871. This high temperature ties the 83 F that was recorded in Baltimore on October 30, 1946.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Mostly cloudy to cloudy, then partly cloudy, then cloudy, then light rain in the late afternoon, then cloudy, then mostly cloudy; briefly windy in the late afternoon (35-mph gust at 5:25 pm); High temp. 83° F; Low temp. 59° F; Precipitation: Trace.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says that he will offer the position of Secretary of Defense to James Mattis, a retired U.S. Marine Corps general.

President Francois Hollande of France says that he will not run for a second term.

Former NFL and CFL running back/return specialist Joe McKnight is shot to death at age 28 in Terrytown, Louisiana, in a road rage shooting.

A fire in an illegally converted warehouse in Oakland, California, kills 36 people attending a dance party.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks with the President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during December 2016 is 2.77 inches, including melted snow and ice.

Total precipitation for Baltimore in 2016 is 40.52 inches, about one inch below normal.