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50MPH beats Isabel here

Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2003 11:08 pm
by Scott_inVA
I've had sustained 42MPH winds with PWG to 50 today. Fall and winter FROPAs often bring the strongest winds here and that's the case with this event. More winds, more sustained wind and more wind damage than Izzy. Thankfully, rain yesterday not a factor and nothing except some LES in PA and WV.

Wind is noisier tonight than with Isabel. Were it not for the wood stove cranking out heat, I'd thing it's a TC blowing thru :eek:

Scott

Re: 50MPH beats Isabel here

Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2003 11:22 pm
by Stormsfury
Scott_inVA wrote:I've had sustained 42MPH winds with PWG to 50 today. Fall and winter FROPAs often bring the strongest winds here and that's the case with this event. More winds, more sustained wind and more wind damage than Izzy. Thankfully, rain yesterday not a factor and nothing except some LES in PA and WV.

Wind is noisier tonight than with Isabel. Were it not for the wood stove cranking out heat, I'd thing it's a TC blowing thru :eek:

Scott


Scott, are you in an area subject to wind tunneling effects?

SF

Re: 50MPH beats Isabel here

Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2003 11:58 pm
by Scott_inVA
Stormsfury wrote:
Scott, are you in an area subject to wind tunneling effects?

SF


No. I'm along the eastern slope of the foothills at ~ 1,200'. NW or WNW winds such as this event don't downslope due to CAA. The eastern slopes can get wailed on with downsloping winds in summer. Only time we tunnel is when strong NE or NNE winds come straight down the Valley which can happen with passing deep coastal hugging Nor'easters.

Oddly, Isabel took 12 hrs to come thru VA and came in nearly perpendicular to the Blue Ridge so she was largely shut down here (PWG 39MPH).

A few years ago we had 2 derechos on 1 day. They hit the Apps broadside and downsloped here producing gusts to 80MPH. Winds did tunnel in the Valley and produced no TORs but the most impressive rotation I've seen here. Check these loops:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/rnk/derechoaug00/nowradloop.gif
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/rnk/derechoaug00/IRloop.gif
Awesome :D

scott