Tuesday Night Storm Reports

Last night ended up being a wild night. Strong winds accompanied heavy rain and a few thunderstorms as Kira mentioned. Many reporting stations around Delmarva had wind gusts in the upper 50 and low 60 mph range. Here are the official wind damage storm reports from the Storm Prediction Center submitted by the local National Weather Service offices. Some of our weather watchers also reported strong wind gusts over 50 mph with some property damage.

UNKNOWN WIND SPEED 5 MILES SE CAMBRIDGE DORCHESTER MD: DAMAGE TO HOUSE AND CHIMNEYS AND A LARGE TREE DOWN. (AKQ)

UNKNOWN WIND SPEED 1 MILE N HURLOCK DORCHESTER MD: HOUSE AND FENCE DAMAGE. (AKQ)

UNKNOW WIND SPEED CENTREVILLE QUEEN ANNE'S MD: NUMEROUS POWER LINES DOWN IN CENTRAL QUEEN ANNES COUNTY IN THE VICINITY OF CENTREVILLE (PHI)

UNKNOWN WIND SPEED MARION STATION SOMERSET MD: POSSIBLE TORNADO. 6 LARGE TREES SNAPPED IN HALF. (AKQ)

UNKNOWN WIND SPEED WHITESBURG WORCESTER MD: SEVERAL TREES DOWN ALONG WHITESBURG AND DIVIDING CREEK ROADS. SIGNIFICANT BUILDING DAMAGE AND 2 BARNS COLLAPSED NEAR SOMERSET/WORCESTER BORDER. (AKQ)

UNKNOWN WIND SPEED 8 MILE SSW MILLSBORO SUSSEX DE: WIRES DOWN IN GUMBORO. (PHI)

UNKNOWN WIND SPEED GEORGETOWN SUSSEX DE: HANGAR DAMAGED AT SUSSEX COUNTY AIRPORT. (PHI)
63 MPH GUST GEORGETOWN SUSSEX DE: A 63 MPH WIND GUST WAS MEASURED AT THE GEORGETOWN AIRPORT ASSOCIATED WITH A SQUALL LINE. (PHI)

Storm Aftermath

Crazy start to the day!! A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Sussex County and the entire area was included in a severe thunderstorm watch. A strong squall line pushed through Delmarva between 1-3 am. Rain rates at up to .5" an hour, frequent thunder and lightning, and strong winds accompanied those storms. Most impressively, Georgetown's airport had a wind gust of 63 mph at 2:08 am...that is tropical storm force!! Thousands of people were without power, debris covered the roads, and water completely inundated the roads. It was a crazy commute to work this morning, to say the least! Rain totals across Delmarva were anywhere from .5" to over 1".
As quick as the storms pushed in, they pushed out. The rain quickly ended by about 4-5 am and then the clouds started to break up. Judging by this afternoon and the mostly sunny skies, it's hard to imagine the stormy start to the day. Though it's still breezy now, the winds will diminish tonight as high pressure takes control of our weather. Sunshine sticks around for Thursday as well, but then more rain looks to head our way for Friday into Saturday. More details in the coming days...

Tuesday Storm Update

Here's a quick update on tonight’s rain. A strong low pressure system over West Virgina with a trailing cold front all the way down to Florida will bring the chance for some heavy showers and a possible thunderstorm after midnight. Most of the unstable air is to the West and South of Delmarva. There is even a tornado watch for West of the Chesapeake Bay until 3AM including Baltimore and Washington. Right now thunderstorm parameters do not look good for development of storms but there still is a chance. We continue to be under a slight risk for severe storms for tonight, mainly for wind damage potential.

As far as severe weather for today, there has only been one tornado officially reported but numerous wind damage reports across the Southern mid-Atlantic. Winds seem to be the main issue with this storm system. The winds are very strong from the surface and ever stronger all the way up through the mid and column of the atmosphere. So during any heavy rain showers or storms that develop, some of the strong winds from the upper atmosphere can be transferred down to the surface. A severe thunderstorm can produce winds over 60 mph. The good news is that the rain should be over by 7am on Wednesday. Breezy conditions still continue on Wednesday with West winds 15-20 mph and then finally subside Wednesday night.

Spring Weather Continues

If you missed out on today's nice weather, you will get a second chance on Tuesday. It just may be a good day to use some sick time, but don't let me influence you on that decision. I am actually still trying to get over a cold, it's been a week now and I am slowly getting better. Ok, now to the weather. Today's high was 65 degrees and that is tough to complain about for early March. High pressure aloft in the atmosphere and at the surface, and Southerly winds will allow for sunshine and high temperatures in the upper 60's tomorrow for the inland locations. I would not be surprised to see some 70 degree temperatures in the warmer locations if we get enough sunshine. The record high temperature tomorrow for Salisbury is 76 degrees.

However, temperatures this warm in early March do not last very long. A cold front will approach the area overnight Tuesday providing some rain. Right now, it looks like the best chance for steady rain would be from 2AM until 7AM Wednesday. Some of these showers could be heavy and a thunderstorm is possible. Right now, it looks like conditions for thunderstorms are not the best. But as Ashley talked about in the post below, the Storms Prediction Center continues to have us in a slight risk for severe weather for mainly wind damage potential. Winds will be strong throughout the entire atmosphere tomorrow so any storms that do develop could produce wind gusts over 60 mph. Even if no thunderstorms develop, strong wind gusts can still occur in heavy showers that develop. Again, it looks like the best time period for any strong winds that could develop would be overnight. Enjoy the mild weather!!! Also, Spring is less than 3 weeks away (March 20).

Severe Weather Potential

Our next storm system is expected to arrive late Tuesday night into Wednesday, bringing us showers and storms, and it is already bringing a mess of weather to the Midwest. Yesterday two tornadoes were reported, one in Kansas and one in Oklahoma, along with several wind and hail reports. So far today, there have only been reports of damaging winds in Texas and Arkansas, but tornado and severe thunderstorm watches are in effect for areas in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. Right now the National Weather Service actually has us in the slight risk area for Tuesday into Wednesday. There is a chance some of the thunderstorms may turn severe, but the largest threat at this point is damaging winds. Keeping checking back at our Blog and tune in to our Weathercasts for more details as the storm approaches.

Northern Lights Part 2

I just wanted to add a few more pictures I found looking online at auroras. The first image was taken in Russia. The second picture was taken in Norway. Both were from the aurora that was visible this weekend. Finally, the last is a picture of an aurora taken in Oklahoma, so you do not always have to be near the poles to see an aurora.

Oklahoma Picture: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap031113.html
Other Pictures: www.spaceweather.com

The Northern Lights

Everyone has a list of things they would like to see in their lifetime. Being a meteorologist, mine may be a little biased toward weather events, but one just happens to be going on this weekend… the Aurora Borealis (named after the Roman goddess Aurora, of the dawn and the Greek name for north wind, Boreas.) The Aurora Borealis, also called the Northern Light, is usually observed at night, near the poles. It can be green or sometimes red. An aurora in the southern hemisphere is called an Aurora Australis.

Wikipedia does a good job explaining how an aurora occurs. “Auroras are produced by the collision of charged particles, mostly electrons but also protons and heavier particles, from the magnetosphere, with atoms and molecules of the Earth's upper atmosphere (at altitudes above 80 km).” How exactly an aurora is originated is not completely understood yet.

According to NOAA forecasters, there is a 30% chance of more geomagnetic activity tonight.

References:
http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary/search?p=1&query=aurora
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_(astronomy)
http://www.spaceweather.com/