A huge outbreak of severe thunderstorms hit the nation on Thursday, causing damage in fifteen states and knocking out power to over 250,000 customers. Two people were killed, one by a falling tree in Pennsylvania, and one due to a lightning strike in New York. Two possible tornadoes touched down: one in Elmira, New York and another in Brookville, PA. The severe storms covered an unusually large area, erupting along a 1,500-mile long swath of the country from Texas to Connecticut. The intensity of the thunderstorms was increased by a very hot and moist airmass; temperatures in the mid to upper 90s were common across the region Thursday. A number of record highs for the date were set, including a 98° reading at Washington D.C.'s Dulles Airport. The threat of severe weather continues for Friday afternoon over portions of the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic, as NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has placed these regions in their "Slight Risk" area for severe thunderstorms.
Figure 1. A rare sight: at 7 pm EDT on July 26, 2012, severe thunderstorm warnings were in effect for 132 counties in 15 states along a swath 1,500 miles long.
Figure 2. Visible satellite image taken at 7:02 pm EDT July 26, 2012, of the line of severe thunderstorms that extended from Texas to Connecticut. Image credit: NASA/GSFC.
Figure 3. An imposing sight: A squall line of severe thunderstorms with two bowing segments takes aim at New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey on July 26, 2012. The tip of a bow echo typically has the most violent winds in a severe thunderstorm.
Was Thursday's outbreak a derecho?
Thursday's outbreak of severe thunderstorms was not nearly as violent as the June 29 - 30 Mid-Atlantic and Midwest derecho, since the atmosphere wasn't as unstable. The June 29 storm was one of the most destructive and deadly severe thunderstorm complexes in North American history. It killed 22 people, knocked out power to at least 3.7 million customers, and did hundreds of millions in damage. There were 871 reports of damaging winds logged by the next day, and 36 of the thunderstorms had wind gusts in excess of hurricane force--74 mph. In contrast, yesterday's event had only two thunderstorms with wind gusts in excess of 74 mph, and 383 reports of damaging winds. We can probably classify yesterday's severe thunderstorm event as a weak derecho, since it met the main criteria, as defined by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center: "A derecho is a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. Although a derecho can produce destruction similar to that of tornadoes, the damage typically is directed in one direction along a relatively straight swath. As a result, the term "straight-line wind damage" sometimes is used to describe derecho damage. By definition, if the wind damage swath extends more than 240 miles (about 400 kilometers) and includes wind gusts of at least 58 mph (93 km/h) or greater along most of its length, then the event may be classified as a derecho."
Figure 4. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center logged 374 reports of damaging winds from Thursday's severe thunderstorms. Two of these thunderstorms had winds in excess of hurricane force (65 knots, or 74 mph.)
Figure 5. The climatology of derecho events over the U.S. Image credit: NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
Quiet in the Atlantic
There are no tropical cyclone threat areas to discuss in the Atlantic. A strong tropical wave is expected to bring heavy rains to the Lesser Antilles Islands and Puerto Rico on Monday and Tuesday, but none of the models are developing the wave. The NOGAPS computer model is suggesting development of a second tropical wave between Africa and the Lesser Antilles Islands August 2 - 3.
Have a great Olympic weekend, everyone, and I'll be back Monday with a new post.
Jeff Masters
We had high winds and heavy rain, but fortunately not serious damage. Prayers for everyone in the path of this massive storm.
Lightning from storms that slammed the Northeast today. This is at Charlestown Beach in Charlestown, Rhode Island.
at times there were gust of wind that would stir up the dirt as you can see to the right in this photo. We finally got a real good rain that lasted a while. Was under one Severe Thunderstorm Warning.
As the strom approaches the clouds are rolling over themselves and swirling into each other. Rapidly!
Taken just before thunderstorm.
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poof right back
because El Nino occurring and decreasing the number of storms this season makes you sad?
Its no secret that El Nino is coming, its just delayed; when it does occur is going to be a huge factor as to what kind of impact it has on the 2012 hurricane season. Tazs' theories on El Nino are not unfounded
216 hour
240 hour
288 Hour
LOL
Dont think anyone was talking to you, poof
LMAO, so childish, also Taz was not talking to you when he made his original statement. I'm moving on
Oh yes we did. That "Oh Dear" exclamation makes it sound as if we're in the Danger Zone. Don't mind though I enjoy this time of year. All I do is prepare for what is to be and check the information gleaned from this blog and give it to those who depend on me for updates on the weather. I am kinda like their source of information during the hurricane season. I tell them where I get my information and always have high praise for persons on this blog
you neeed too look back at the 2009 and 2006 hurricane season and look where they ended
2006 ended in SEP
why 2009 hurricane season endded in NOV even no we did not see a hole lot in SEP or OCT that year still got one more name storm on nov
am thinking if things play out this right with a weak or MOD EL Nino this season may likey end in SEP this like it did in 2006 or it we may not see marh in SEP or OCT like in 2009 and we may get one more storm in NOV
so you nevere no when it comes too EL nino not evere EL Nino will be the same and not evere season will be the same
you are asking mc to move in with you? Thought you were engaged.
The Azores Bermuda high will be in command... will dictate the path that these CV systems will take....
Despite the fact that the actual GFS model takes it into the Caribbean, the ensemble mean shows it headed towards the NE Caribbean islands and eventually the SE Coast.
WEAK SURFACE RIDGING AROUND A 1021 MB HIGH
NEAR 28N71W...AND A 1023 MB HIGH NEAR 31N56W COVERS THE
REMAINDER OF THE W ATLC PROVIDING MOSTLY FAIR CONDITIONS.
HOWEVER...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW CENTERED NEAR 26N66W IS SUPPORTING
A SURFACE TROUGH FROM 27N64W TO 23N67W. SCATTERED
SHOWERS/ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE W OF THE AXIS FROM 24N-27N
BETWEEN 65W-68W. ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL LOW IS CENTERED OVER THE
FLORIDA STRAITS...BUT IS NOT CAUSING ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
OVER THE BASIN.
What are the chances we get another rainy weekend on the basis of interaction between that Twave coming int the Car basin and that ULL? I'm thinking similar to what we saw last weekend.
Also I am noticing this is the weakest the high / ridge has been for weeks... down to 1024 over the Azores as well... another sign of the times [they are a-changing]?
hi is this for the gfs fl storm or is the one gfs is showing for fl the 1009 low behind it tia
The drought in Africa was caused by aerosol pollution coming from the United states before the anti-acid rain campaigns of the mid '80s. It's come to be understood that the aerosols had a cooling effect on the ocean, thus the ITCZ was weaker in the Northern Hemisphere & didn't travel as north as it does now. It's well documented. Here's not the best of sources, gives the basics, but look around there is papers & such on this subject.
I dont see a cane coming for now
año no Ano!
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