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Upstate NY/North Country and Canadien/VT Borders Spring 2015


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The 30th anniversary of this outbreak coming up soon.

 

iUnBeYb.jpg

 

This year marks the 30th anniversary of May 31st 1985 tornado outbreak that affected parts of Ohio (OH), Pennsylvania (PA) and Western New York (WNY) producing 43 tornadoes.  This event was fueled by a very unstable atmosphere favorable for tornadic activity as storms formed along and ahead of a potent late spring cold front. Tornado activity across WNY was confined to Southern Chautauqua County with multiple reports of large hail and wind damage all across WNY with the frontal passage. A total of two tornadoes were produced as the cold front swept across WNY producing an F3 and F4 and were part of the worst outbreak in this area since 1944.

     The National Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City, Missouri (now the Storm Prediction Center (SPC)) issued Tornado Watch #211 prior to the severe weather outbreak across the region. Later that evening, the first of the two tornadoes (F4) entered Chautauqua County. The tornado passed by to the south of the town of Clymer and then moved northeast before dissipating near Panama, NY. This tornado covered a total of 28 miles with most of the significant damage occurring towards the end of the path. The tornado had winds in excess of 200 mph at times as it traveled across the area. Along its path, this tornado averaged 250 yards wide and briefly expanded to a quarter mile wide as it moved over the rough terrain of Chautauqua County.  The second tornado (F3) formed near Busti, NY and moved northeast before dissipating near the town of Poland.

     Eye witness accounts of the tornado detailed several smaller vortices circling about the main funnel. There were multiple accounts noting an anticyclonic rotation (clockwise). Damage from the tornado was estimated at over 3 million dollars to structures, excluding the damages to vehicles, livestock, a church (which was reduced to rubble), several businesses and personal property. In addition, thousands of trees were destroyed. There were no deaths associated with this tornado outbreak in WNY but there were several injuries.

     Following the tornado several eyewitness reported some interesting accounts and stories:

  • Report of U.S Government Saving Bonds falling from the sky in Olean, NY (Cattaraugus County) with an Ohio address.

  • Papers from Albion, PA falling over Bemus Point on Chautauqua Lake.

  • Tree debris (leaves) falling out of the sky over Jamestown, NY.

              

     The National Weather Service (NWS) in Buffalo, NY used radar, spotter reports and upstream tornado history to issued timely warnings.  During the course of the evening hours, 7 additional warnings were issued across Buffalo’s area of responsibility. Numerous reports of large hail (up to 2 inches), high winds, down trees, and power lines were also reported. It was noted that at least 90% of those that were interviewed during the storm survey heard either the Watch or Warning issued by the NWS.

–One individual in the hard hit village of Busti stated: the warning may have saved her life and her children because they knew it was coming and took shelter in the interior room. Furthermore, she stated that the low injury and zero deaths might largely be due to the advanced warning!

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Tornado warning just south of me.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A* TORNADO WARNING FOR...  SOUTHEASTERN ERIE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...  CENTRAL WYOMING COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...* UNTIL 1115 AM EDT* AT 1029 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED  NEAR SPRINGVILLE...OR 12 MILES SOUTH OF HAMBURG...AND MOVING EAST  AT 45 MPH.
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Tornado warning just south of me.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A* TORNADO WARNING FOR...  SOUTHEASTERN ERIE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...  CENTRAL WYOMING COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...* UNTIL 1115 AM EDT* AT 1029 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED  NEAR SPRINGVILLE...OR 12 MILES SOUTH OF HAMBURG...AND MOVING EAST  AT 45 MPH.

Beat me to the punch - was just about to post this.  Looks pretty wild down that way on radar.  

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Beat me to the punch - was just about to post this.  Looks pretty wild down that way on radar.  

 

Slight risk tomorrow for our region.

...LOWER GREAT LAKES REGION...   MODELS ARE SUGGESTIVE THAT LOWER/MID TROPOSPHERIC LAPSE RATES WILL   STEEPEN IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE EASTWARD ADVECTION OF ELEVATED MIXED   LAYER AIR...ON 30-50 KT WESTERLY 850-500 MB FLOW...ALONG THE   SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE SHORT WAVE TROUGH TURNING EAST OF THE   UPPER GREAT LAKES REGION.  THIS IS EXPECTED TO COINCIDE WITH THE   NARROW PLUME OF PRE-FRONTAL MOISTENING...THOUGH STRONGEST BOUNDARY   LAYER DESTABILIZATION THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON MAY BE FOCUSED ALONG AN   AXIS ACROSS PARTS THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES REGION INTO SOUTHERN   ONTARIO.  AIDED BY A FOCUSED AREA OF STRENGTHENING LARGE-SCALE   ASCENT...PERHAPS LARGELY ASSOCIATED WITH LOW-LEVEL WARM   ADVECTION...STORMS MAY PRIMARILY INITIATE ACROSS SOUTHERN   ONTARIO...POSSIBLY EVOLVING INTO ONE OR MORE LINES OR   CLUSTERS...BEFORE CROSSING TO THE LEE OF THE LOWER GREAT LAKES BY   WEDNESDAY EVENING.  SUFFICIENT DESTABILIZATION IS EXPECTED AHEAD OF   ACTIVITY TO MAINTAIN THE RISK FOR AT LEAST POTENTIAL DAMAGING WIND   GUSTS AS CONVECTION SPREADS ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHEASTERN   OHIO/NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND WESTERN NEW YORK STATE.
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WEDNESDAY...ATTENTION WILL THEN TURN TO AN ADVANCING SHORTWAVE
TROUGH AND SURFACE COLD FRONT FROM THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. SURFACE
RIDGING AND PARTLY SUNNY SKIES IN THE MORNING WILL HELP QUICKLY
BOOST SURFACE TEMPERATURES TOWARD THE 80 DEGREE MARK BY MIDDAY.
BREEZY WINDS WILL DEVELOP IN THE AFTERNOON ASSOCIATED WITH A 50KT
LOW LEVEL JET AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE COMBINATION OF SURFACE HEATING
AND THE ARRIVAL OF THE STRONGER WINDS ALOFT WILL BRING AN INCREASED
THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
MUCAPE VALUES ARE FORECAST TO RISE TO 1000-2000 J/KG WITH BULK SHEAR
FORECAST AT 40-50 KNOTS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A CAP IN PLACE
AHEAD OF THE FRONT WHICH SHOULD PREVENT STORMS FROM FIRING BEFORE
MAXIMUM SEVERE INDICIES DEVELOP. SOME STORMS WILL THEN BE TRIGGERED
ALONG LAKE BREEZE BOUNDARIES UNTIL SYNOPTIC SCALE FORCING ARRIVES
WITH THE FRONT AND SHORTWAVE. FORECAST VERTICAL WIND PROFILES FROM
BUFKIT ARE MAINLY UNI-DIRECTIONAL WHICH SUGGESTS A STORM MODE OF
MULTICELL LINES AND BOWING SEGMENTS WITH DAMAGING WINDS AS THE MAIN
THREAT. SOME LOW LEVEL VEERING OF THE WINDS MAY LEAD TO STRONGER
UPDRAFTS CAPABLE OF HAIL AND POSSIBLY A TORNADO SHOULD ANY NOTCHES
DEVELOP WITHIN THE CONVECTIVE LINES.

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With an effective warm front moving into central New York, a remnant outflow boundary to the south and locally backed winds, this appears to be a climo setup for a tornado or two this afternoon. Particularly in the Mohawk Valley east to the Capital District. SPC just jssued a mesoscale discussion mentioning a possible to probable Tornado Watch coming up.

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From KBUF...

 

THE SECOND THREAT WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. VIS
IMAGERY SHOWS THAT THE BULK OF WESTERN NEW YORK WILL RECEIVE
ABUNDANT SUNSHINE THROUGH AT LEAST MID AFTERNOON. THIS WILL SUPPORT
SBCAPES IN EXCESS OF 2000 J/KG...WHILE A 35 KT LOW LEVEL JET WILL
NOT ONLY HELP TO TRANSPORT THE AFOREMENTIONED MOISTURE INTO THE
REGION...BUT WILL GENERATE BULK SHEAR VALUES IN EXCESS OF 40 KTS.
THIS MESOSCALE ENVIRONMENT WILL BE ENHANCED BY THE REGION BEING
UNDER THE `FAVORED` JET ENTRANCE REGION OF A 120KT H25 JET OVER
QUEBEC. A SURFACE LOW WILL RIPPLE ALONG THE BAROCLINIC ZONE
SUPPORTING LOCALLY ENHANCED 0-1 KM STORM RELATIVE HELICITY VALUES OF
200 M2/S2 OR SO IN THE PRESENCE OF 40 KNOTS 0-6 KM DEEP LAYER BULK
SHEAR AND A LOWER LCL ENVIRONMENT. POTENTIAL FOR SUPERCELLS CAPABLE
OF GENERATING TORNADOES WILL EXIST...IN ADDITION TO DAMAGING WIND
AND HAIL. A STRONG MID-LEVEL FLOW OF 50 KTS ACROSS THE INITIATING
BOUNDARY WILL FAVOR SOME POTENTIAL FOR REAR INFLOW JETS/CONVECTIVE
AUGMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL WINDS SUCH THAT AN EVOLUTION TOWARD
BOWING SEGMENTS SEEMS A REASONABLE SCENARIO AS WELL.

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Concerned with the area on either side of I-90 from the Syracuse area back to Albany. Warm front has lifted and dew-points are rising through the 60s. Winds strongly backed.

KSYR 121754Z 06006KT 10SM SCT060TCU SCT200 27/19 A2983 RMK AO2 SLP096 TCU NW T02720194 10272 20167 58030

That gets your attention in this type of a setup that far north with ENE winds, a dew-point of 67 and 2m temps cracking into the 80s.

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Concerned with the area on either side of I-90 from the Syracuse area back to Albany. Warm front has lifted and dew-points are rising through the 60s. Winds strongly backed.

KSYR 121754Z 06006KT 10SM SCT060TCU SCT200 27/19 A2983 RMK AO2 SLP096 TCU NW T02720194 10272 20167 58030

That gets your attention in this type of a setup that far north with ENE winds, a dew-point of 67 and 2m temps cracking into the 80s.

 

84 degs with 65 dew at KBUF. Cells look good ahead of the front, I like areas from Rochester to Elmira to Albany, exactly where the 5% tor. box is with SPC.

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Tornado and Severe t-storm watch.

 URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED   TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 292   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK   305 PM EDT FRI JUN 12 2015   THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A   * TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF      CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEW YORK   * EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 305 PM UNTIL     1100 PM EDT.   * PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...     A COUPLE TORNADOES POSSIBLE     SCATTERED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH LIKELY     ISOLATED LARGE HAIL EVENTS TO 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE   SUMMARY...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS NOW FORMING OVER THE FINGER LAKES   REGION AND MOHAWK VALLEY EXPECTED TO MOVE / DEVELOP EAST INTO THE   HUDSON VALLEY THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT...WHILE A SEPARATE LINE OF   STORMS DEVELOPS AND MOVES EAST ACROSS THE WATCH AREA WESTERN NEW   YORK. SOME POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR A COUPLE TORNADOES...IN ADDITION   TO DAMAGING WIND AND HAIL.   THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 95 STATUTE   MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 15 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF   BINGHAMTON NEW YORK TO 50 MILES NORTHWEST OF GLENS FALLS NEW   YORK.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED   WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).
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Definitely some decent mid-level rotation with this cell. Also a hint of a ZDR arc, though the signature is a bit elevated from the ground at ~60 km from KBGM at 0.9 degrees.

 

Low level shear probably isn't quite strong enough yet for tornadoes, which should change later. Should also note that despite the paltry mid level lapse rates, the low level lapse rates in this area today are quite impressive. There appears to be some more isolated cells west of Syracuse that should track into this environment later as well.

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Low level shear probably isn't quite strong enough yet for tornadoes, which should change later. Should also note that despite the paltry mid level lapse rates, the low level lapse rates in this area today are quite impressive.

 

Yeah, it will be interesting to see how much surface-based instability hangs around as the shear increases. It seems like any cell that forms now and traverses the frontal boundary may continue to feed on the unstable air while experiencing increased low-level shear. Depending on how quickly the low-level environment stabilizes, these boundary-crossing cells may have the best chance at producing a tornado.

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Was going to head up but ran late, andy do you think there is a legit chance for a few weak TORs?

 

Yes.

 

Looks like 40-55 kts of effective shear present with the storms around Syracuse, which bodes well for continued supercellular storm mode given spotty capping present.

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Observations from ALB show backed SSE low level flow and mid 60s dewpoints with that supercell approaching from the west, heading in the direction of Schenectady. Also seeing some consolidation of the updraft via echo tops from both KBGM and KENX.

 

Should add that KBGM shows strong rotation aloft on that storm.

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