Low pressure 28.20" (record)

[URC]

KFOZ 262213Z AUTO 06005KT 5SM -RA OVC005 11/10 A2820 RMK AO2 P0004

October 26, 2010. KFOZ is BigFork airport, Minnesota.

Apparently 28.20 inches is the lowest ever altimeter setting ever recorded in continental North America (not associated with a Hurricane).

What's the lowest setting that can be set on a typical aircrafts altimeter ?

[Dagwood]

What's the lowest setting that can be set on a typical aircrafts altimeter ?

Without currently being in an aircraft, or ever needed to use the full range, I think they can be set from 28.00" to 31.00", but I could be wrong.

[Siddley Hawker]

The lowest I've ever seen was in Wabush Labrador, 27.98. It was below the setting range on the aircraft altimeter.

[snoopy]

Maybe you should let those Yankees know so they don't keep thinking they're first all the time.
Cheers,
Kirsten B.

[Siddley Hawker]

That was the result of a double-barrelled winter low, one low came up the St. Lawrence River, the other up the eastern seaboard through the Gulf of Maine. They joined forces just east of Baie Comeau and then headed off across western Labrador. The FSS employees were stuck at the airport for a day and a half and nothing moved downtown during the same period. Winds in Wabush hit 75 knots at one point. I was talking to a USAF met man later that winter, and he said the only places he could remember with that low a pressure was Hurricane Hugo, back in the 1960's I believe, and the occasional low in the Gulf of Alaska.

[cggnl]

I've seen 27.96 in Deer Lake (CYDF) about 6-7 years ago.

[BibleMonkey]

I seen a low pressure of 0.2 when all the ladies playing bridge with my wife sucked in their breath all at once that one time I fell down the stairs nekid and hit my drunken head on their card table .

That was in a room though so doesn't count. Anthropological pressure drop

Also it's just a estimate

Siddley, was your low around 1978? I think that's when there was a big low-couple years after the smaller storm that got the Edmond Fitzgerald onna Great lakes....

[Tim]

man i love it when pilots get together and trade low pressure system stories

[albertdesalvo]

I seen a low pressure of 0.2 when all the ladies playing bridge with my wife sucked in their breath all at once that one time I fell down the stairs nekid and hit my drunken head on their card table .

That was in a room though so doesn't count. Anthropological pressure drop

Also it's just a estimate

Classic, man!

[Bushav8er]

Hugo was in '89 (I remember this because I was on a C130 in the Caribbean doing Hurricane Relief), female names were still being used in the 60's but we get your point.

Yesterday’s records in context
Yesterday’s 28.20″ (955 mb) low pressure reading in Minnesota breaks not only the 28.28″ (958 mb) previous “USA-interior-of-the-continent-record” from Cleveland, Ohio during the Great Ohio Storm of Jan. 26, 1978 (a lower reading in Canada during this event bottomed out at an amazing 28.05″/950 mb), but also the lowest pressure ever measured anywhere in the continental United States aside from the Atlantic Coast.

[Siddley Hawker]

Siddley, was your low around 1978? I think that's when there was a big low-couple years after the smaller storm that got the Edmond Fitzgerald onna Great lakes....

Yeah, it was either 1978 or 1979. As for Hugo, I may have been wrong on the name, but it began with H, Hazel or maybe Helen. I was talking to the met guy in 1980 when I was on course at Flight Safety so the H was before then.

[albertdesalvo]

'78 was "Hope", '79 was "Henri".

You can find anything on da internet: http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/

[bcrosby]

I guess this would be a good time to bring up: "what do you do if the pressure is so low/high you can't properly set your altimeter?"

Check out RAC 12.12

Interesting how there is no procedure for pressures below 28.00" of mercury. I guess that's not a big deal, since it will always over read your altitude anyways?

[High Flyin]

I seen a low pressure of 0.2 when all the ladies playing bridge with my wife sucked in their breath all at once that one time I fell down the stairs nekid and hit my drunken head on their card table .

That was in a room though so doesn't count. Anthropological pressure drop

Also it's just a estimate

Siddley, was your low around 1978? I think that's when there was a big low-couple years after the smaller storm that got the Edmond Fitzgerald onna Great lakes....

You spelled naked wrong.

[Caracrane]

the lowest one I got was on the quebec lower north shore 28.40. The higest ones where in YYR, YGL and CSE5 winter 98-99 I think... Anyway ev ery time the FSS would reply "altimeter setting not available, overscale" and yes it ranges between 28-31 in.

[RVgrin]

Interesting how there is no procedure for pressures below 28.00" of mercury. I guess that's not a big deal, since it will always over read your altitude anyways?

Apparently our friends to the south consider the risk of slamming into the ground above decision height a big deal. Here's what their US AIM has to say:

7-2-5. Low Barometric Pressure

When abnormally low barometric pressure conditions occur (below 28.00), flight operations by aircraft unable to set the actual altimeter setting are not recommended.

NOTE-
The true altitude of the aircraft is lower than the indicated altitude if the pilot is unable to set the actual altimeter setting.

Perhaps Transport figures that after flying through conditions one might expect approaching such a low the pilot will be too frazzled to consult the AIM anyway.

[Rudy]

You guys are confusing me. Wouldn't a reported altimeter setting lower than what you are able to be set in the Kollsman window be more dangerous than an very high one? ie. Your actual altitude is going to be lower than what the altimeter is indicating?

[RVgrin]

You guys are confusing me. Wouldn't a reported altimeter setting lower than what you are able to be set in the Kollsman window be more dangerous than an very high one?

Yes, and think my comments were consistent with that. I chose to assume bcrosby was being sarcastic and provided information instead of jumping down his throat. I can see how that would be confusing on AVCANADA.