Category: Posts EN

Major Western Cities Boiling in Early Summer Heat Wave!

Written by Team Morecast

 

High temperature records are falling on a daily basis across many areas of the west. A strong, persistent ridge of high pressure is responsible for the unseasonably early heat. The hot temps have lead to excessive demand on electrical power grids, leading to widespread power outages. Public transit systems have been delayed and air quality has degraded.

 

 

The high temperature on Monday soared to 100 deg F (38 deg C) at San Francisco International Airport, the only time in the station’s history that the century mark has been reached in the months of June, July, or August. Nearby Salinas reported a high temperature of 106 deg, surpassing the previous record for the day by 18 degrees! Numerous other cities have reported daily temperature maxes being broken, including Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington. The upper level ridge in place has kept cooler temperatures bottled up over western Canada and the Plains eastward. Clear high pressure has allowed land surfaces to rapidly warm, and persistent offshore winds have prevented the much cooler maritime air from penetrating inland. The ridge is expected to break down later this week, restoring a more normal early summer temperature pattern.

Fog Possibly a Factor in Deadly NYC Helicopter Crash

Written by Team Morecast

 

A helicopter crashed into the top of a 54-story skyscraper in mid-town Manhattan on Monday afternoon in foggy, rainy conditions. The pilot was the only person on board and did not survive.

 

 

The pilot took off from an East River helipad about 1:30 p.m. He told workers on the pad that he was attempting to take off during what he surmised was a break in the otherwise prohibitive weather. The weather station at Central Park at the time of the incident was reporting moderate to heavy rain with a visibility of 1.25 miles. However, cloud ceilings were very low – visibilities at the level of skyscraper rooftops were only a few hundred feet at most. Minutes after takeoff the pilot radioed in that he may have to turn back. Eyewitnesses describe the helicopter as moving “erratically” over the river and the adjacent city buildings, nosediving at high speeds before coming almost to a dead stop. The pilot reportedly attempted to make an emergency landing on top of the building at 787 7th Avenue but was unsuccessful. That particular building has no helipad on which to land. The wrecked helicopter caught fire and was totally destroyed.

 

 

Occupants of the building felt a hard thump and were then told to evacuate. No one besides the pilot was injured. Hundreds of firefighters responded to the emergency and quickly doused the flames. Officials say the pilot, a volunteer firefighter in his down time, had just dropped off a company executive on the East River helipad and may have been attempting to return to an airport in New Jersey. Lead photo courtesy Wikipedia contributor Andres Nieto Porras.

Record Flood Waters Surging Towards the Mississippi!

Written by Team Morecast

 

Months of torrential rainfall have affected much of the Mississippi River watershed. Major tributaries have been setting new record crests in recent weeks. Now those flood waters are entering the already swollen Mississippi, creating major headaches for downstream locations.

 

 

The map above shows deviations from normal rainfall over the past six months. As you can see, excess rainfall of 10-20 inches has fallen across much of the Mississippi River watershed from the Plains through the Midwest to the Ohio Valley. Numerous gauges along the Mississippi have been in the major flood stage for weeks if not months. Unfortunately, moisture from a tropical low moving slowly north in the western Gulf won’t help (see map below). Expect widespread showers and storms in the coming days that will add up to an additional 4-5 inches (100-125 mm) of rain in some areas.

 

 

Ironically, considering the magnitude of river flooding in the area, much of southeast Louisiana has actually seen near-normal rainfall over the past several months. However, the tremendous surge of flood waters from upstream have kept the river well above flood stage for months. River levels are so high, in fact, that officials have announced plans to open the Morganza Spillway as early as this weekend. If they were to open it, it would be for only the third time since the construction of the spillway in 1954. Likewise, the Bonnet Carre Spillway has been opened multiple times in the same calendar year for the first time ever. Lead photo courtesy US Air Force.

Deadly Two-Week Tornado Outbreak Across the Central USA!

Written by Team Morecast

 

A pattern of rich, warm Gulf moisture surging into an area of strong upper level winds over the Plains and Midwest has persisted since mid-May. The result has been waves of severe storms developing on a daily basis, hammering the same regions time and time again. These severe cells have put down over 200 tornadoes in the past two weeks.

 

 

The record for consecutive days with at least eight tornado reports was broken on May 28th. More tornadic storms on Wednesday (29-May) extended the record to 13 days. Of these tornadoes, 47 have been classified as EF-2 intensity after careful analysis by National Weather Service meteorologists. The EF (Enhanced Fujita) scale is based on the nature and severity of the damage the tornado causes. Those rated EF-2 and EF-3 are considered “strong” tornadoes, while EF-4 and EF-5 rated twisters are classified as “violent”. Only one tornado so far in the outbreak has been rated EF-4, the one that leveled Linwood, Kansas on Tuesday (28-May). However, even EF-2 and EF-3 tornadoes produce devastating wind speeds of 111-165 mph (180-265 kph)!

 

 

 

This outbreak has been historic not only for its persistence, but for the major population centers that have been directly impacted. Over the past few weeks the following cities have been hit by EF-3 storms:

  • Jefferson City, MO (pop 42,838) on 22-May
  • Dayton, OH (pop 140,640) on 27-May
  • Lawrence, KS (pop 96,892) on 28-May

The Jefferson City and Dayton tornadoes were made all the more dangerous by the fact that they struck late in the evening, potentially catching some residents asleep and off-guard. Damage estimates are still being tallied, but costs will likely run at least into the tens of millions of dollars. One saving grace has been that warnings have been timely and accurate from the National Weather Service. As a result, despite the devastation to homes and businesses, relatively few lives have been lost, likely less than ten for the entire outbreak.