Category: Posts EN

Powerful Storm System Brings Wild Weather To End 2021

Written by Team Morecast

 

A frigid Arctic air mass has helped create bitterly cold conditions in the Pacific Northwest for the past week. Periods of snow have accumulated in major cities like Seattle in Portland which rarely see wintry weather. Now, a strong upper trough is moving out of the Southwest, pulling the Arctic chill into the Plains. The clash of warm Gulf moisture and cold Arctic air is leading to unusual and in some areas dangerous weather to close out 2021.

 

 

 

The warm, moist air has dominated the South and East for the past week. It has helped spark a few isolated severe storms, one of which spawned a brief waterspout near Texarkana, Arkansas on Wednesday. The storm produced little in the way of damage and ordinarily wouldn’t have made headlines. However, this waterspout spun across a lake, ingesting not just water but small marine life as well. The result was a rain of fish falling from the sky as the storm wound down (see video tweet above). Some residents reported as many as 30 of the unusual visitors in their yards and roofs. More widespread severe storms, including some tornadic cells, are likely on the first day of 2022, especially from the Mid-South into the Tennessee Valley (see outlook map below).

 

 

Cold air is spilling from the Mountain West into the Plains tonight. Winter storm warnings are in effect from the Central Plains to the Great Lakes. Significant accumulations of ice and snow are expected, leading to treacherous driving conditions over the holiday weekend. However, ahead of the cold front, warm and dry winds swept across the High Plains on Thursday. Gusts as high as 80-115 mph (130-185 kph) were recorded in the foothills near Denver, Colorado. Trees and powerlines were downed across the Front Range, helping to spark roaring wildfires. The fires spread quickly in a densely populated suburban area, resulting in frantic evacuations, although fortunately no casualties have been reported. Despite valiant efforts by firefighters, hundreds of homes and businesses were consumed by the flames before the winds died and the snow started to fall.Β Lead photo courtesy FEMA.

 

 

Destructive Winds and Tornadoes Race Across the Plains!

Written by Team Morecast

 

An unusually energetic storm system emerged from the Rockies into the Plains on Wednesday, bringing widespread damaging winds to portions of 14 states. Across the High Plains, these high winds picked up tons of dust and debris to create a blinding dust storm. Later in the afternoon, a squall line of severe storms raced from the Plains into the Upper Midwest, bringing destructive gusts to 100 mph (160 kph) and numerous tornadoes.

 

 

 

 

Anticipating the hurricane-force wind storm, officials in many areas preemptively closed schools and government offices. Winds ramped up in the mid-morning over eastern CO and NM. The winds picked up copious dirt and debris, resulting in a dust storm that rolled towards western KS in the early afternoon. Visibilities dropped to near zero within the dust storm. Traffic was brought to a halt (see video above), forcing the closure of Interstate 70. The satellite image shown above shows the vast area affected by the choking dust (ribbons of brown swirling into the bottom side of the circulation). Dust entrained into the system in Colorado has been deposited as far east as Missouri and Iowa.

 

 

 

By mid-afternoon, severe storms boiled up along a squall line from central Kansas into central Nebraska.Β  This squall line raced quickly east at speeds up to 100 mph (160 kph), faster than the fastest highway traffic. Brief but lightning-fast tornadoes spun up along the line, knocking down trees and barns and flipping semi trucks. Even away from the tornadoes, widespread straight-line wind gusts of 75-100 mph (120-160 kph) have resulted in thousands of power outages. In fact, more reports of gusts exceeding 75 mph were received by the Storm Prediction Center today than any other day on record.Β Lead photo courtesy Wikipedia contributor Roxy Lopez.

Deadly Tornado Outbreak Rips Across the Mississippi Valley!

Written by Team Morecast

 

Dozens are feared dead in the wake of severe tornadoes that roared over portions of six states on Friday night. One long-lived tornadic storm alone may have shredded a path of destruction nearly 230 miles (370 km) long. Just weeks ahead of Christmas, thousands are now facing a holiday season mourning the sudden loss of their businesses, homes and even loved ones.

 

 

The outbreak was unique in that it occurred in mid-December, typically a quiet time of year for severe storms. It was also exclusively a nighttime event. Fast-moving, strong tornadoes are particularly dangerous at night due to the lack of visibility and potential to catch people off guard.Β As of Saturday night, 44 tornado reports had been received by the Storm Prediction Center from the period between 7 p.m. and 2 a.m. Friday night. More will probably accumulate as National Weather Service teams continue to survey the catastrophic damage in the coming days.

 

 

 

A tornado rated EF3 on the intensity scale struck Bowling Green, Kentucky just after midnight. Another EF3 tore through Edwardsville, Illinois producing winds up to 155 mph (250 kph). It caused the partial collapse of an Amazon warehouse there, claiming six lives in the process. A candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky was completely leveled with 100 people inside. First responders have rescued 40 workers, but the rest are still missing and feared dead. The damage is still being analyzed, but early speculation suggests the Mayfield tornado could be EF4 or even EF5, the maximum end of the scale with winds over 200 mph (320 kph). It has been eight years since the last EF5 struck anywhere in the United States, and more than 45 years since there was tornado of that intensity in Kentucky.

All told, this outbreak may claim a triple-digit death toll, making it one of the most deadly outbreaks in decades. President Biden has approved an emergency declaration for Kentucky, opening up federal recovery funds. His administration stands ready to approve the same measures for the other states affected as necessary.Β Lead photo courtesy National Weather Service.

Remnants of Hurricane Ida Bring Severe Flooding and Tornadoes to the Northeast!

Written by Team Morecast

 

Hurricane Ida slammed the central Gulf Coast earlier this week, leaving behind scenes of utter devastation. Ida has weakened since then but continues to wreak havoc as it passes through the Northeast US. Several tornadoes have raked across portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast this afternoon and evening. One powerful twister moved near Annapolis, Maryland, but the strongest tornado may have struck portions of central New Jersey, just south of Philadelphia. Roofs were ripped off of many homes in the town of Mullica Hills with a few totally leveled. Tornado warnings were also in effect at different points for Philadelphia and New York City.

 

 

 

A far more widespread hazard today and tonight has been serious freshwater flooding. Rainfall in excess of five inches (125 mm) has fallen across southeastern Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, the NYC metro, and into southern New England. Some locations have seen well over ten inches (250 mm). Central Park in Manhattan saw 3.15 inches (80 mm) of rain in one hour between 8:51 and 9:51 pm. This shatters the previous hourly rainfall record set just a few weeks ago as Tropical Storm Henri moved through. Newark, New Jersey reported their wettest day on record with heavy rain continuing to fall this evening.Β Knee-deep water inundated the baggage claim area of Newark International Airport, one of the busiest hubs in the U.S. Hundreds of motorists have had to be rescued from stalled cars across the busy urban corridor. The quickly rising waters prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood emergency for the first time ever in the NYC metro area. Subway service has been suspended across the city tonight due to high water on tracks and platforms.