Jump to content
  • Member Statistics

    17,606
    Total Members
    7,904
    Most Online
    ArlyDude
    Newest Member
    ArlyDude
    Joined

Severe Weather - New Years Eve 2010


David Reimer

Recommended Posts

Since this upcoming system has the potential to bring a variety of impacts, both in winter and severe weather areas, I figured we might as well get a severe weather thread going in order to keep each specific topic clean. The 18Z GFS showed an ominous tornado outbreak over MS on New Years Eve. CAPE values over 1,000 j/kg with the wind patterns you would expect for a winter pattern. I'm definitely watching this system for a potential chase day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 405
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Looks like a conditional severe threat possible as far north as eastern Missouri over into southern/central IL on Friday. Not all that optimistic on any clearing and with mid level lapse rates progged to be fairly modest, it's going to be tough to realize much instability. But shear profiles are strong with decent turning noted in the low levels. Seems like a setup which may support isolated strong/severe wind gusts and possibly a tornado if any instability can be realized.

Still some questions with how this setup evolves as model differences remain on exactly when and to what extent the surface low begins to rapidly deepen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Holy ****...

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS

304 PM CST TUE DEC 28 2010

...SEVERE WEATHER EVENT POSSIBLE NEW YEARS EVE...

.DISCUSSION...

THE FIRST SECTION OF THIS DISCUSSION WILL COVER THE SEVERE WEATHER

EVENT POTENTIAL FOR LATE WEEK...AND WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A DISCUSSION

COVERING THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.

NEW YEARS EVE...

SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW: LATER THIS WEEK...A LARGE...DEEP-LAYER CYCLONE

WILL BE BARRELING EAST OF THE ROCKIES AS A DEEP-LAYER RIDGE AMPLIFIES

OVER THE EAST COAST AND WRN ATLC. THE TROUGH WILL HAVE GAINED

CONSIDERABLE AMPLIFICATION ON THURSDAY FROM STRONG UPPER-LEVEL JET

ENERGY DIVING INTO THE BACKSIDE OF THE TROUGH. A SW-NE-ORIENTED JET

MAX / 115 KT AT H2 / WILL BE PUSHING THROUGH THE TROUGH AXIS OVER THE

SOUTHERN PLAINS ON FRIDAY. THIS WILL OCCUR AS A MID-LEVEL CYCLONE

CUTS OFF IN THE BASE OF THE TROUGH AND RACES NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD OVER

THE CENTRAL PLAINS...DEEPENING TO A NEAR-518-DECAMETER H5 LOW BY 00Z

ON JANUARY 1 2011. THE MOST INTENSE MID/UPPER-LEVEL FORCING AND DEEP-

LAYER Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THESE FEATURES IS FORECAST

TO REMAIN NW OF THE CWA AS THE UPPER TROUGH LIFTS NEWD. HOWEVER...

TRAILING MID/UPPER-ASCENT EMBEDDED WITHIN A LONG FETCH OF

DIFFERENTIAL POSITIVE VORTICITY ADVECTION IN SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT

IS FORECAST TO SUPPORT THE INITIATION OF CONVECTION ON

FRIDAY...PARTICULARLY AFTER NOON...COMPLEMENTED BY LOW-LEVEL

CONVERGENCE INVOF A POWERFUL COLD FRONT PROGGED TO CROSS THE REGION

NEW YEARS EVE.

MOISTURE OVERVIEW: AN ELONGATED SYNOPTIC FRONT OVER THE WRN AND

CNTRL ATLC CURRENTLY EXTENDS FROM NEAR NOVA SCOTIA TO NEAR 30N53W TO

JUST EAST OF PUERTO RICO. THE FRONT EXTENDS FURTHER SWWD ACROSS THE

CNTRL CARIBBEAN SEA TO THE COAST OF COLOMBIA AS A STATIONARY FRONT.

A PLUME OF DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE HAS BEEN STEADILY BUILDING DURING

THE LAST FEW DAYS INVOF THE FRONT AND SURFACE LOW NEAR THE COAST OF

COLOMBIA AS A SERIES OF WEAK TROPICAL IMPULSES HAVE DRIFTED WWD AND

BECOME ABSORBED INTO THE FRONT. AMSU/SSMI TOTAL PRECIPITABLE WATER

PRODUCT DEPICTS A NEARLY 180-MILE WIDE ZONE OF 2.0-2.2-INCH PWAT

VALUES POOLING INVOF THE FRONT OVER THE CARIBBEAN...MARKING THE DEEP

MOISTURE BREWING WELL TO THE SOUTH...DESPITE THE COLD/DRY AIRMASS

ENTRENCHED ACROSS THE ARKLAMISS.

THIS MOISTURE WILL BE A KEY PLAYER IN THE EVENTUAL EVOLUTION OF

SEVERE CONVECTION POSSIBLE LATER THIS WEEK. THIS WILL OCCUR AS A

DEEP-LAYER RIDGE TRANSLATES FROM THE SERN CONUS AND GULF OF MEXICO

INTO THE SW NORTH ATLC. SRLY RETURN FLOW WEST OF RIDGE AXIS IS

FORECAST TO PUMP COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE...WITH TROPICAL

ORIGINS...INTO THE CWA FOLLOWING THE INITIAL MID-WEEK MOISTURE

SURGE. MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS IS FOR SURFACE DEWPOINTS TO CLIMB INTO

THE MIDDLE 60S ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA ON FRIDAY AHEAD OF A

POWERFUL COLD FRONT PROGGED TO CROSS THE REGION FRIDAY EVENING INTO

FRIDAY NIGHT...WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE 64-66F RANGE NOSING UP TO THE

INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR. PREFRONTAL PWAT VALUES OF 1.30-1.35 INCHES

ARE PROGGED TO BE RUNNING UP TO 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL...WITH H85

THETA-E VALUES REACHING THE 325-327K RANGE IN RESPONSE TO STRONG AND

PROLONGED LLVL SOUTHERLY MOISTURE TRANSPORT AT 30-40 KT DURING THE

PRECEDING COUPLE OF DAYS. THESE MOISTURE PARAMETERS ARE WELL ABOVE

NORMAL THIS DEEP INTO THE COLD SEASON.

MESOSCALE PARAMETERS: NWP CONSENSUS SUGGESTS THAT THE COMBINATION OF

THE AFOREMENTIONED MOISTURE PARAMETERS AND MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES OF

6.3-6.5 C/KM WILL SUPPORT A RELATIVELY WIDE ZONE OF UPWARDLY BUOYANT

PARCELS...WITH AN AXIS OF SBCAPE/MLCAPE VALUES OF 600-1100 J/KG

AHEAD OF THE FRONT. WITH SREF MEDIAN EFFECTIVE BULK SHEAR MAGNITUDES

OF 40-50 KT...THE JUXTAPOSITION OF THE AFOREMENTIONED INSTABILITY

AND MODERATE/STRONG DEEP-LAYER SHEAR WILL SUPPORT ORGANIZED

CONVECTION. THE CURRENT THINKING IS THAT MULTIPLE CONVECTIVE

MORPHOLOGIES COULD BE SUPPORTED. GIVEN THE ANTICIPATED DISPLACEMENT

OF THE STRONGEST DEEP ASCENT NORTHWEST OF THE CWA...THERE WILL BE

THE POTENTIAL FOR DISCRETE SUPERCELLS TO EVOLVE AHEAD OF THE FRONT.

STRONG LINEAR FORCING ALONG THE FRONT COULD ALLOW FOR CONVECTION TO

EVOLVE TOWARD A MORE QUASILINEAR CONVECTIVE SYSTEM MODE LATER IN THE

EVENT AS THE FRONT CROSSES THE REGION. ULTIMATELY...IT IS TOO EARLY

TO PIN DOWN THE EXACT DETAILS ON CONVECTIVE MORPHOLOGY...THOUGH

ORGANIZED CONVECTION IS LOOKING INCREASINGLY LIKELY.

CONVECTIVE HAZARDS: VERY STRONG LOW-LEVEL FLOW / SOUTHWESTERLY H85

WINDS OF 40-45 KT / WILL CERTAINLY RESULT IN STRONG LLVL SHEAR.

WHERE SURFACE WINDS ARE RELATIVELY BACKED AHEAD OF THE FRONT...

STRONG DIRECTIONAL SHEAR ASSOCIATED WITH STRONGLY CURVED LLVL

HODOGRAPHS WILL SUPPORT 0-1 KM STORM RELATIVE HELICITY VALUES OF

150-300 M2/S2...RESULTING IN THE POTENTIAL FOR TORNADOES. THE

QUANTITY OF LLVL MOISTURE AND LLVL BUOYANCY WILL FURTHER ENHANCE THE

POTENTIAL FOR TORNADOES. MODELS PROJECT THE SIGNIFICANT TORNADO

PARAMETER TO REACH 2-5 UNITS RANGE ACROSS A LARGE PART OF THE

CWA...WHICH STUDIES SUGGEST COULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF SIGNIFICANT

TORNADOES. AN ANALOG TO THIS EVENT...THE 26 NOVEMBER 1988

EVENT...WITH SIMILAR SYNOPTIC AND MOISTURE GEOMETRIES...SUPPORTED

MULTIPLE TORNADOES INCLUDING STRONG TORNADOES ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE

REGION. THE UPCOMING NEW YEARS EVENT IS FORECAST TO FEATURE A MORE

INTENSE CYCLONE OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST WITH MINIMUM SURFACE PRESSURES

DOWN TO NEAR 990 MB...SUGGESTING THE POTENTIAL FOR GREATER MOISTURE

TRANSPORT INTO THE CWA. DAMAGING WINDS WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN WITH

THE CONVECTION...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A WIDESPREAD... SIGNIFICANT

DAMAGING WIND EVENT IF A QLCS EVOLVES. GIVEN THE DEGREE OF

INSTABILITY AND DEEP-LAYER SHEAR...WITH H5 TEMPS FALLING TO THE -13

TO -15C RANGE...LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN. HEAVY RAINFALL

COULD ALSO BECOME A CONCERN...ESPECIALLY IF THE SYSTEM SLOWS DOWN AS

EARLIER RUNS OF THE ECMWF HAVE SHOWN.

FORECAST CHANGES: GIVEN THE POTENTIAL FOR A HIGHER-END SEVERE

WEATHER THREAT...ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS GIVEN ITS

OCCURRENCE ON NEW YEARS EVE...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL BE

RAMPING UP THE SEVERE POTENTIAL IN OFFICIAL PRODUCTS. A SPECIAL

WEATHER STATEMENT IS BEING ISSUED HIGHLIGHTING THE POTENTIAL FOR A

SEVERE WEATHER EVENT ON NEW YEARS EVE...AND ESPECIALLY THE CONCERN

FOR TORNADOES. THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO HAVE A

SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE ARKLAMISS REGION...AND EVERYONE SHOULD

CLOSELY MONITOR FUTURE FORECASTS AND OUTLOOKS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL

WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON FOR UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION. /COHEN/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

GFS showing the better conditional setup over the NAM with a stronger sfc low allowing it to pull mid 50 dews up into western IL with sfc temps reaching 66/67 allowing for a nice pocket of instability in that area under great amounts of shear.

Is that a typo? I didn't see the GFS showing that verbatim.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We all know those are too low...even in full cloud cover that will be at least a few degrees too low...models cannot handle WAA like this right after a cold snap...hell they struggle with most WAA at all in the winter...

Probably right...I just wanted to know if that's what the model was actually showing or just what he was thinking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Will be interesting to see how many folks decide to chase MS during the event. These events really worry me, especially with the threat of nocturnal tornadoes in the Deep South. Seem to always get nocturnals in the Deep South during outbreaks. Would be like sleeping on needles down there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This honestly is looking like a really dangerous outbreak potential down in the delta and westward toward E TX. I mean seriously, 65F dews on New Year's Eve? Seriously? Factor in good lapse rates (by winter standards) and typical strong wintertime shear profiles and you've honestly got a recipe for disaster. JAN's AFD, HWO, and SPS are well within reason.

As for up here, it will depend on how warm we get. This is not a typical synoptic pattern for wintertime tornadoes, but I think we can definitely eek out a good wind damage threat if we get warmer than anticipated. GFS would lean more favorably than the NAM to any severe threat this far north.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DAY 2 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

1258 AM CST WED DEC 29 2010

VALID 301200Z - 311200Z

..NO SVR TSTM AREAS FORECAST

..SYNOPSIS

A DEEP WESTERN STATES TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO ADVANCE TOWARD THE

PLAINS ON THURSDAY...WITH THE LEAD BRUNT OF THIS TROUGH/EXIT REGION

OF A STRONG POLAR JET EJECTING NORTHEASTWARD OVER THE

CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS THURSDAY NIGHT. THIS SCENARIO WILL LEAD TO

INCREASING PROSPECTS FOR DEEP CONVECTION/SEVERE POTENTIAL ACROSS THE

SOUTH CENTRAL CONUS FROM THURSDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY.

..EASTERN OK/ARKLATEX THURSDAY NIGHT

AS THE PARENT UPPER SYSTEM EJECTS/TAKES ON A MORE NEUTRAL TO

SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE TILT...DUAL ROUNDS OF PLAINS SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS

ARE EXPECTED DURING THE PERIOD WITH AN ATTENDANT LEE TROUGH/COLD

FRONT GRADUALLY DEVELOPING EASTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTH-CENTRAL PLAINS.

AT THE SAME TIME...A MODIFIED GULF AIRMASS WILL GRADUALLY RETREAT

NORTHWARD AS A RELATIVELY MOIST AIRMASS/WARM SECTOR BECOMES

INCREASINGLY ESTABLISHED THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY.

CURRENT EXPECTATIONS ARE FOR DEEP CONVECTION/TSTMS TO BECOME

INCREASINGLY PROBABLE/PREVALENT ESPECIALLY LATE THURSDAY NIGHT

/MAINLY AFTER 03Z/ ACROSS THE ARKLATEX/PORTIONS OF EASTERN OK. AS

THE LEADING EDGE OF HEIGHT FALLS/FORCING ALOFT GRAZE THE WARM

SECTOR...SUCH DEVELOPMENT WILL OCCUR BOTH IN A WARM

ADVECTION/MOISTURE TRANSPORT CONVEYOR ACROSS THE

ARKLATEX/OZARKS...AS WELL AS TOWARD THE END OF THE PERIOD NEAR A

SHARPENING TRIPLE POINT ACROSS OK/NORTH TX/SOUTHERN KS.

THE COMBINATION OF WEAK BUT ADEQUATE BUOYANCY /UPWARDS OF 500 J PER

KG MLCAPE/ AMID UPPER 50S/NEAR 60F SURFACE DEWPOINTS...COUPLED WITH

STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT AND AMPLE LOW LEVEL SHEAR /AIDED BY

A 45-50 KT SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL JET/...WILL SUPPORT AT LEAST A

CONDITIONAL POTENTIAL FOR SOME SUPERCELLS/ORGANIZED LINE SEGMENTS

CAPABLE OF A TORNADO AND/OR DAMAGING WIND RISK THURSDAY NIGHT/EARLY

FRIDAY.

UNCERTAINTIES REGARDING THE SPECIFIC EXTENT OF WARM SECTOR

MOISTENING/DESTABILIZATION...AS WELL AS THE NOCTURNAL/LATE NIGHT

TIMING OF THE PERCEIVED PRIMARY SEVERE POTENTIAL...PRECLUDE A

CATEGORICAL SLIGHT RISK AT THIS TIME.

..GUYER.. 12/29/2010

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...