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More (Heavy?) Rain/T-Storms 8/18-8/21 Discussion/OBS


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The high res models, like the HRRR and SPC WRF, are not doing well at all with this convection thus far. Nothing like forecast updating just using radar trends and instability variables. Fun day at the office I sense. Will be interesting to see how this impacts convection this afternoon, but I still think it will be active given the large scale ascent that is forecast to arrive along with increasing shear and instability. NWS LWX's 12z sounding looks interesting especially once you erode the low-level inversion.

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The high res models, like the HRRR and SPC WRF, are not doing well at all with this convection thus far. Nothing like forecast updating just using radar trends and instability variables. Fun day at the office I sense. Will be interesting to see how this impacts convection this afternoon, but I still think it will be active given the large scale ascent that is forecast to arrive along with increasing shear and instability. NWS LWX's 12z sounding looks interesting especially once you erode the low-level inversion.

Mike, in reference to later on, SPC had talked about the tornado threat being conditional on mesoscale features/boundaries. I'm thinking these storms could set down boundaries for later on. Thoughts?

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DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

0745 AM CDT SUN AUG 21 2011

VALID 211300Z - 221200Z

...THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS OVER THE NERN STATES AND

MID-ATLANTIC REGION...

...NERN STATES TO MID-ATLANTIC REGION...

BUSY WEATHER DAY ON TAP FOR THE REGION. WATER VAPOR SHOWS

TWO-STREAM FLOW WITH PRIMARY WLYS AND STRONG UPR TROUGH DIGGING

ACROSS THE CNTRL GREAT LAKES. SEPARATE UPR JET WAS MOVING THROUGH

THE MIDWEST WITH A FORMIDABLE SHORTWAVE TROUGH MIGRATING ACROSS THE

MID-OH VLY AND A WEAKER PERTURBATION MOVING INTO THE LWR GREAT LAKES

REGION.

ONGOING TSTM CLUSTERS TIED TO THE LWR GREAT LAKES DISTURBANCE WILL

CONTINUE TO PROGRESS EWD...REACHING CNTRL/ERN NY BY 15-18Z.

DOWNSTREAM AIR MASS HAS BEEN MOISTENING OVERNIGHT AND DAYBREAK SATL

IMAGES SUGGEST MODEST DIABATIC HEATING WILL OCCUR THIS MORNING WITH

MLCAPES 1000-1500 J/KG BY AFTN. EXPECT EXISTING TSTMS TO GROW

STRONGER THIS MORNING WITH ADDITIONAL STORMS DEVELOPING WITHIN THE

INSTABILITY AXIS. THIS WILL RESULT IN BKN-BANDS OF STG-SVR STORMS

THAT TRANSLATE ENE INTO WRN NEW ENGLAND/ERN NY BY MID/LATE AFTN.

LOWER-AMPLITUDE WAVE MIGRATING EWD FROM THE MID-OH VLY WILL BE

INSTRUMENTAL IN INSTIGATING MORE STORMS FROM ERN PA SWD INTO

NRN/CNTRL VA. STRONGER THERMAL BUOYANCY WILL EXIST HERE AS SATL

SHOWS POTENTIAL FOR STRONG HEATING AMID COMPARATIVELY MORE MOIST

BOUNDARY LAYER.

VERTICAL SHEAR...WHILE SOMEWHAT WEAK THIS MORNING...WILL BE

INCREASING AS 40-60 KT WNW MID-LVL FLOW/STEEPER MID-LVL LAPSE RATES

ARRIVE THIS AFTN PER UPSTREAM RAOBS. THIS WILL RESULT IN MULTICELLS

AND A FEW SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF DMGG WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. ISOLD

TORNADOES CANNOT BE RULED OUT...ESPECIALLY FROM NRN VA/MD NWD WHERE

FCST HODOGRAPHS SHOW STRONGEST 0-1KM SHEAR VCNTY LEE TROUGH/WEAK SFC

LOW.

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Mike, in reference to later on, SPC had talked about the tornado threat being conditional on mesoscale features/boundaries. I'm thinking these storms could set down boundaries for later on. Thoughts?

I agree. As the low-level flow increases some through the day, that could help with the damaging wind threat plus some backing of the low-level flow could occur (especially if a lee side trough becomes better defined). Any boundary will enhance the low-level shear. One of the storms in eastern Maryland earlier had some weak rotation in the lower velocity scan. There is an inversion in place near the surface, although signs of this weakening now as surface temperatures warm.

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wow this is about as good as it gets for your part of the country

post-1820-0-35530100-1313942057.png

post-1820-0-17973000-1313942079.png

SPC Mesoanalysis for 15z had a little nub of >200 0-3km helicity over extreme NE MD and >150 over all of EPA (east of I-81 anyway). Suffice to say...I'm jealous

Watch out for anywhere that surface winds start backing just a little bit more for decent tornado potential. Although, imo, I would take the 30% hail out if I were SPC. Lapse rates are somewhat unimpressive, despite the large and deep area of instability. (I mean yeah, its August, so what do you expect?)

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The high res models, like the HRRR and SPC WRF, are not doing well at all with this convection thus far. Nothing like forecast updating just using radar trends and instability variables. Fun day at the office I sense. Will be interesting to see how this impacts convection this afternoon, but I still think it will be active given the large scale ascent that is forecast to arrive along with increasing shear and instability. NWS LWX's 12z sounding looks interesting especially once you erode the low-level inversion.

The SPC WRF sucked on placement but had the idea of crap firing ahead of the front...missed the placement and coverage by a good deal though.

hhttp://www.emc.ncep.noaa.gov/mmb/mpyle/cent4km/conus/00/nmmwrf.refd1000_animate_1h.html#picture

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802

WWUS30 KWNS 211649

SAW4

SPC AWW 211649

WW 794 SEVERE TSTM CT DC DE MD NJ NY PA VA WV CW 211655Z - 220100Z

AXIS..90 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..

45NNE ABE/ALLENTOWN PA/ - 55SSW DCA/WASHINGTON DC/

..AVIATION COORDS.. 80NM E/W /27WNW SAX - 37N RIC/

HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.

MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27035.

LAT...LON 41247337 38097576 38097906 41247683

THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A

COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS

FOR WOU4.

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Statement as of 12:55 PM EDT on August 21, 2011

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of

western Connecticut

District of Columbia

Delaware

Maryland

New Jersey

extreme southeast New York

central and eastern Pennsylvania

northern Virginia

the eastern West Virginia Panhandle

coastal waters

Effective this Sunday afternoon and evening from 1255 PM until

900 PM EDT.

Hail to 2 inches in diameter... thunderstorm wind gusts to 70

mph... and dangerous lightning are possible in these areas.

The Severe Thunderstorm Watch area is approximately along and 90

statute miles east and west of a line from 45 miles north

northeast of Allentown Pennsylvania to 55 miles south southwest

of Washington district of colum. For a complete depiction of the

watch see the associated watch outline update (wous64 kwns wou4).

Remember... a Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are

favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch

area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for

threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements

and possible warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally

do produce tornadoes.

Discussion... thunderstorms will increase in coverage/intensity this

afternoon in conjunction with continued daytime heating... and as a

midlevel trough and cold front move ewd/sewd across the region.

Additionally... a surface Lee trough from nrn VA to ern PA/se NY will

help focus thunderstorm development. Moderate-strong instability

/MLCAPE aoa 2000 j per kg/ and increasing vertical shear through the

afternoon will be favorable for storms to produce damaging winds and

large hail. A couple of supercells may also develop this afternoon

near the Lee trough... and an isolated tornado will be possible where

low-level shear will be somewhat stronger.

Aviation... a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft

to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60

knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm

motion vector 27035.

... Thompson

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Statement as of 12:55 PM EDT on August 21, 2011

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of

western Connecticut

District of Columbia

Delaware

Maryland

New Jersey

extreme southeast New York

central and eastern Pennsylvania

northern Virginia

the eastern West Virginia Panhandle

coastal waters

Effective this Sunday afternoon and evening from 1255 PM until

900 PM EDT.

Hail to 2 inches in diameter... thunderstorm wind gusts to 70

mph... and dangerous lightning are possible in these areas.

The Severe Thunderstorm Watch area is approximately along and 90

statute miles east and west of a line from 45 miles north

northeast of Allentown Pennsylvania to 55 miles south southwest

of Washington district of colum. For a complete depiction of the

watch see the associated watch outline update (wous64 kwns wou4).

Remember... a Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are

favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch

area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for

threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements

and possible warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally

do produce tornadoes.

Discussion... thunderstorms will increase in coverage/intensity this

afternoon in conjunction with continued daytime heating... and as a

midlevel trough and cold front move ewd/sewd across the region.

Additionally... a surface Lee trough from nrn VA to ern PA/se NY will

help focus thunderstorm development. Moderate-strong instability

/MLCAPE aoa 2000 j per kg/ and increasing vertical shear through the

afternoon will be favorable for storms to produce damaging winds and

large hail. A couple of supercells may also develop this afternoon

near the Lee trough... and an isolated tornado will be possible where

low-level shear will be somewhat stronger.

Aviation... a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft

to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60

knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm

motion vector 27035.

... Thompson

why was a tornado watch not posted for these areas? Tornado development is a real possibility this afternoon

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why was a tornado watch not posted for these areas? Tornado development is a real possibility this afternoon

The potential is there, however during the SPC conference call it was decided to go with a severe thunderstorm watch as confidence was not all that high tornadoes would actually occur. It was felt the larger threat at that time would be damaging straight line winds.

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Looks to be a 'Nado warning in the State College area now. Will be interesting to see how that areas forms or expands once it gets closer to the LV.

The potential is there, however during the SPC conference call it was decided to go with a severe thunderstorm watch as confidence was not all that high tornadoes would actually occur. It was felt the larger threat at that time would be damaging straight line winds.

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