TalcottWx Posted September 1, 2014 Author Share Posted September 1, 2014 Haha this is awesome. Downpour incomingGonna be interesting to see the scene after these commercials Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weatherMA Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Gonna be interesting to see the scene after these commercialsAnd could be many hours of bad weather once it starts...what will they do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanStWx Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Gonna be interesting to see the scene after these commercials St. Joe gusted to 49 knots, MCI has already gusted to 39 knots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tornadotony Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 That's exactly the scan time I was looking at. CC and velocity would say yes, ZDR is less clear. But it does move with time in the direction of the storm motion, and has vertical continuity. So I'm pretty confident that's not an artifact. We're finding more and more ZDR is not appropriate for determining a TDS signature. Size sorting by shear tends to leave a higher number of large oblate hydrometeors near the updraft, which can be easily entrained into the circulation and skew ZDR high. This is especially the case for QLCSs, HP supercells, or supercells embedded in precip. Schultz et al. 2012a and b do not use ZDR for any identification purposes beyond "added confidence." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina311 Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Confirmed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Nice. PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 115 AM EDT MON SEP 1 2014 ...TORNADO CONFIRMED IN WORCESTER MA ON AUGUST 31 2014... LOCATION...WORCESTER IN WORCESTER COUNTY MA DATE...AUGUST 31 2014 ESTIMATED TIME...810-814 PM EDT MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF0 ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...85 MPH MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...0.1 MILES PATH LENGTH...1.7 MILES BEGINNING LAT/LON...42.24N / 71.80W ENDING LAT/LON...42.26N / 71.77W * FATALITIES...0 * INJURIES...0 * THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN NWS STORM DATA. ...SUMMARY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON MA HAS CONFIRMED THAT A A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN THE CITY OF WORCESTER MA ON AUGUST 31 2014. A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TEAM INVESTIGATED THE DAMAGE WITH THE HELP OF A MEMBER OF THE WORCESTER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY LATE THIS EVENING. NUMEROUS REPORTS FROM AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS AND SKYWARN SPOTTERS HELPED FOCUS WHICH AREAS WERE IN NEED OF INVESTIGATION. THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF PERRY AVENUE AND FAIRFAX ROAD...JUST TO THE EAST OF INTERSTATE 290 AND NORTH OF ROUTE 146. THERE WAS A WELL-DEFINED NARROW PATH OF DAMAGE THAT EXTENDED NORTHEASTWARD FOR NEARLY 1.7 MILES...PASSING JUST EAST OF SAINT VINCENT HOSPITAL AND ENDING ON GORDON STREET... JUST NORTH OF HAMILTON STREET AND WEST OF HARRINGTON WAY. NO DAMAGE WAS SEEN NEAR NORTH HIGH SCHOOL. OVERALL...THE DAMAGE WAS MOSTLY TO TREES...SOME OF WHICH WERE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED. THE SNAPPING OCCURRED 40-50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND IN SOME LOCATIONS AND CLOSER TO THE BASES AT OTHER LOCATIONS. SOME TREES LANDED ON CARS CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE CARS. A COUPLE OF TREES ALSO LANDED ON HOMES. HOWEVER THERE WAS LITTLE IF ANY STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO HOMES IN AN AREA THAT IS RELATIVELY DENSELY POPULATED WITH HOMES. A FEW WINDOWS WERE BROKEN...BUT BY BRANCHES HITTING THEM AND NOT BY BEING BLOW OUT. ON HEYWOOD STREET TO THE EAST OF SAINT VINCENT HOSPITAL...A FEW NARROW METAL POLES WERE SNAPPED BUT THE POLES HAD NETTING ATTACHED TO THEM WHICH COULD HAVE ACTED SOMEWHAT AS A SAIL. A SOCCER NET WAS ENTANGLED IN TREES. IN A FIELD...A FEW LARGE BRANCHES WERE FOUND THAT APPARENTLY HAD BEEN AIRBORN AND DEPOSITED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD...FAR FROM ANY TREES. THERE WAS DISTINCT EVIDENCE OF TORNADIC FLOW...WITH TREES BLOWN DOWN FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ON ONE SIDE AND NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST ON THE OTHER SIDE AT THAT LOCATION. ACCORDING TO THE DEGREES OF DAMAGE PORTION OF THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE...THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE WAS AT THE VERY HIGH END OF THE EF0 SCALE...WHICH CORRESPONDS TO WIND SPEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 85 MPH. DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADIC DEBRIS SIGNATURE AT 811 PM AND THUS WE ESTIMATE THAT THE TORNADO BEGAN AT 810 PM AND WAS ON THE GROUND UNTIL 814 PM. RADAR INDICATED THAT THE DEBRIS SIGNATURE CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL MORE MINUTES WITH ROTATION CONTINUING ALOFT...BUT THERE WAS NO MORE EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE ON THE GROUND AFTER 814 PM. AGAIN...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR AMATEUR RADIO SKYWARN SPOTTERS AND THE WORCESTER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY FOR ENABLING US TO RAPIDLY INVESTIGATE THE DAMAGE FROM THIS STORM. THIS INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/BOX. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weather.St Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Nice. PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 115 AM EDT MON SEP 1 2014 ...TORNADO CONFIRMED IN WORCESTER MA ON AUGUST 31 2014... LOCATION...WORCESTER IN WORCESTER COUNTY MA DATE...AUGUST 31 2014 ESTIMATED TIME...810-814 PM EDT MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF0 ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...85 MPH MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...0.1 MILES PATH LENGTH...1.7 MILES BEGINNING LAT/LON...42.24N / 71.80W ENDING LAT/LON...42.26N / 71.77W * FATALITIES...0 * INJURIES...0 * THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN NWS STORM DATA. ...SUMMARY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON MA HAS CONFIRMED THAT A A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN THE CITY OF WORCESTER MA ON AUGUST 31 2014. A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TEAM INVESTIGATED THE DAMAGE WITH THE HELP OF A MEMBER OF THE WORCESTER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY LATE THIS EVENING. NUMEROUS REPORTS FROM AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS AND SKYWARN SPOTTERS HELPED FOCUS WHICH AREAS WERE IN NEED OF INVESTIGATION. THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF PERRY AVENUE AND FAIRFAX ROAD...JUST TO THE EAST OF INTERSTATE 290 AND NORTH OF ROUTE 146. THERE WAS A WELL-DEFINED NARROW PATH OF DAMAGE THAT EXTENDED NORTHEASTWARD FOR NEARLY 1.7 MILES...PASSING JUST EAST OF SAINT VINCENT HOSPITAL AND ENDING ON GORDON STREET... JUST NORTH OF HAMILTON STREET AND WEST OF HARRINGTON WAY. NO DAMAGE WAS SEEN NEAR NORTH HIGH SCHOOL. OVERALL...THE DAMAGE WAS MOSTLY TO TREES...SOME OF WHICH WERE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED. THE SNAPPING OCCURRED 40-50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND IN SOME LOCATIONS AND CLOSER TO THE BASES AT OTHER LOCATIONS. SOME TREES LANDED ON CARS CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE CARS. A COUPLE OF TREES ALSO LANDED ON HOMES. HOWEVER THERE WAS LITTLE IF ANY STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO HOMES IN AN AREA THAT IS RELATIVELY DENSELY POPULATED WITH HOMES. A FEW WINDOWS WERE BROKEN...BUT BY BRANCHES HITTING THEM AND NOT BY BEING BLOW OUT. ON HEYWOOD STREET TO THE EAST OF SAINT VINCENT HOSPITAL...A FEW NARROW METAL POLES WERE SNAPPED BUT THE POLES HAD NETTING ATTACHED TO THEM WHICH COULD HAVE ACTED SOMEWHAT AS A SAIL. A SOCCER NET WAS ENTANGLED IN TREES. IN A FIELD...A FEW LARGE BRANCHES WERE FOUND THAT APPARENTLY HAD BEEN AIRBORN AND DEPOSITED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD...FAR FROM ANY TREES. THERE WAS DISTINCT EVIDENCE OF TORNADIC FLOW...WITH TREES BLOWN DOWN FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ON ONE SIDE AND NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST ON THE OTHER SIDE AT THAT LOCATION. ACCORDING TO THE DEGREES OF DAMAGE PORTION OF THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE...THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE WAS AT THE VERY HIGH END OF THE EF0 SCALE...WHICH CORRESPONDS TO WIND SPEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 85 MPH. DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADIC DEBRIS SIGNATURE AT 811 PM AND THUS WE ESTIMATE THAT THE TORNADO BEGAN AT 810 PM AND WAS ON THE GROUND UNTIL 814 PM. RADAR INDICATED THAT THE DEBRIS SIGNATURE CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL MORE MINUTES WITH ROTATION CONTINUING ALOFT...BUT THERE WAS NO MORE EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE ON THE GROUND AFTER 814 PM. AGAIN...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR AMATEUR RADIO SKYWARN SPOTTERS AND THE WORCESTER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY FOR ENABLING US TO RAPIDLY INVESTIGATE THE DAMAGE FROM THIS STORM. THIS INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/BOX. We had noticed an additional bit of rotation into Connecticut earlier today as spotted by velocity scans. http://weather-talk.net/?attachment_id=6775 <---- Velocity Scan showing rotation. Although I am under the idea that no tornado had actually developed from this particular rotation, I am surprised once again at the number of tornado-type incidents we have been having up here into New England. I am starting to wonder if this will become more common as we head into the later days of summer and early autumn, and if this could carry over into next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalWx Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 We had noticed an additional bit of rotation into Connecticut earlier today as spotted by velocity scans. http://weather-talk.net/?attachment_id=6775 <---- Velocity Scan showing rotation. Although I am under the idea that no tornado had actually developed from this particular rotation, I am surprised once again at the number of tornado-type incidents we have been having up here into New England. I am starting to wonder if this will become more common as we head into the later days of summer and early autumn, and if this could carry over into next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneypitmike Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Crazy stuff for some people. Congrats to all who were able to enjoy things, and good thoughts to those who now need to deal with their car insurance companies. We pulled off a whopping .02" of rain with absolutely no thunder. GC, ftl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalWx Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Crazy stuff for some people. Congrats to all who were able to enjoy things, and good thoughts to those who now need to deal with their car insurance companies. We pulled off a whopping .02" of rain with absolutely no thunder. GC, ftl. Maybe .1" at home. I can't buy even a third of an inch of rain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damage In Tolland Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 .26 here. Not much but we take. Looks like another round of big bangs today esp from about ORH south. Earlier than yesterday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalWx Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 .26 here. Not much but we take. Looks like another round of big bangs today esp from about ORH south. Earlier than yesterday Probably a south coast special today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damage In Tolland Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Probably a south coast special today. Nah plenty of juice for pike south..RPM looks good again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalWx Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Nah plenty of juice for pike south..RPM looks good again I don't think so. You and I are on the nrn edge I think, but this is more south. Maybe if weenies are crossed you'll get something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damage In Tolland Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 I don't think so. You and I are on the nrn edge I think, but this is more south. Maybe if weenies are crossed you'll get something.The coast is gonna be cloudy and foggy all day. We see sun inland. Coast won't see much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalWx Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 The coast is gonna be cloudy and foggy all day. We see sun inland. Coast won't see much They'll be fine. Best juice is PYM-PVD-MMK area on south. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damage In Tolland Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Seems like storms fire over Berks and move e/se Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalWx Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Latest RPM looks horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guvna Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 That tornado in ORH was close to the wind mill generator at Holy Name.....that thing must've been spinning! Although I'm sure they have some kind of braking mechanism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 That tornado in ORH was close to the wind mill generator at Holy Name.....that thing must've been spinning! Although I'm sure they have some kind of braking mechanism.Most shut down above 45 mph. There is also a Walmart on Rte 146 with a bunch of small turbines in the parking lot. Wonder if those were affected Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanStWx Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 We're finding more and more ZDR is not appropriate for determining a TDS signature. Size sorting by shear tends to leave a higher number of large oblate hydrometeors near the updraft, which can be easily entrained into the circulation and skew ZDR high. This is especially the case for QLCSs, HP supercells, or supercells embedded in precip. Schultz et al. 2012a and b do not use ZDR for any identification purposes beyond "added confidence." Last night it seemed to be bolded case. I actually wasn't aware of that research but I'm glad to hear it, as it makes total sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanStWx Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 It's a nice PNS write up with the added tidbit about dual-pol. I like seeing that information being put out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Does BOX or any other source tabulate the number of severe reports/events per year somewhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT Rain Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 It's a nice PNS write up with the added tidbit about dual-pol. I like seeing that information being put out there. Yeah was nice to see. Tough storm to warn for... only one volume scan where things really tightened up. By the time the TDS appeared the tornado had almost lifted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Typhoon Tip Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 That thing was odd. No lightning, or very little by the time the TOR event took place. I'm up here in Ayer, which as the crow flies was plenty close enough for a SC's pulsing illuminations to be seen. Yet, I saw nothing...nadda. Not one flash. I was wondering if the fact that geopotential heights are around 582 to 588, with dm thickness well over 570 might have something to do with it, in that cloud tops were only partially glaciating. But that's speculation... I was also wondering if the TOR was a momentum transfer/curl thing, that had less to do with an actual updraft -- can that be identified by rad? In other words, if there was sufficient downdraft that tugged some of the mid level wind field down, and at less than meso-scale it curled around the hilly topography of Worcester, could that have mimicked a tornadic event?? There is a phenomenon known as "gustnado", which is just that ... when downburst/outflow winds curl into land-spouts, not associated with sustained updraft. I suppose in the end it wouldn't matter. At night, in sheets of horizontal wind...with transformers sparking and timbre cracking, who the hell cares. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanStWx Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Does BOX or any other source tabulate the number of severe reports/events per year somewhere? You can get a rough idea with the "by state" numbers here http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/online/monthly/2014_annual_summary.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalWx Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 LLJ really was ramping up around 00z too which the cells seemed to be on the leading edge. Low LCLs....classic setup for a brief spinderella if air can rise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanStWx Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 That thing was odd. No lightning, or very little by the time the TOR event took place. I'm up here in Ayer, which as the crow flies was plenty close enough for a SC's pulsing illuminations to be seen. Yet, I saw nothing...nadda. Not one flash. I was wondering if the fact that geopotential heights are around 582 to 588, with dm thickness well over 570 might have something to do with it, in that cloud tops were only partially glaciating. But that's speculation... I was also wondering if the TOR was a momentum transfer/curl thing, that had less to do with an actual updraft -- can that be identified by rad? In other words, if there was sufficient downdraft that tugged some of the mid level wind field down, and at less than meso-scale it curled around the hilly topography of Worcester, could that have mimicked a tornadic event?? There is a phenomenon known as "gustnado", which is just that ... when downburst/outflow winds curl into land-spouts, not associated with sustained updraft. I suppose in the end it wouldn't matter. At night, in sheets of horizontal wind...with transformers sparking and timbre cracking, who the hell cares. Gustnados are pretty small scale features, probably only detected with a very close mobile radar if you're lucky. The meso wasn't the best I've ever seen, but it was there and had height continuity. Sometimes those local effects are enough to get that circulation to the surface. The ORH area was right on the northern boundary of the highest theta-e air, so it was the right location for a stronger storm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hailstoned Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Was in that carwash of a downpour, as I ascended the Worcester Hills on the MA Pike heading west when the tornado alert sounded, and indeed there was not a flash of lightning in accompaniment. Did see occasional flashes in the Framingham area, but nada thereafter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Typhoon Tip Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Gustnados are pretty small scale features, probably only detected with a very close mobile radar if you're lucky. The meso wasn't the best I've ever seen, but it was there and had height continuity. Sometimes those local effects are enough to get that circulation to the surface. The ORH area was right on the northern boundary of the highest theta-e air, so it was the right location for a stronger storm. That's interesting... One thing I noticed is that once the anvil rains passed by us (I think we got .25 to perhaps a third of an 1" up here around Rt 2) is that the temps and DP were above 70. Was there perhaps even weakly defined warm boundary in play that was offering some SRH to boot? Yea, if the meso had a vertical representation it's hard to discount that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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