Tornado Potential for August 19, 2005
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 10:54 am
Moderators, if you want to move or delete this topic, then well, feel free to do so.
Anyway, today's situation looks particularly volatile, in fact, similar to yesterday. SPC paints a MOD risk and a 15% chance of tornadoes. Storm-relative helicity (SRH), like yesterday, will be quite high, and a dry slot is already moving into the area. The best dynamics will be to the north, but a warm front and the ULL will provide sufficient turn to trigger some tornadoes south of the border, to the east of Cleveland. Any outflow boundaries will enhance SRH and increase the chance of a strong tornado. Of course, once the storms cross the warm front in central PA, they will quickly die out, daytime heating and the mountains will be hindering development later this evening also. But the key to today's tornado potential will be if storms remain discrete and supercellular, like yesterday, or will congeal into a squall line quickly, thus limiting the tornadoes.
But this is not the only place where tornadoes are possible. IA has a chance for tornadoes, though low level flow is quite meager, but other parameters, such as LCL's, and good SRH. Speed shear is more than enough for supercells, >45 kt. Large hail appears to be the main danger here, but tornadoes cannot be ruled out, and SPC is considering a moderate risk over this area.
The latest RUC shows a jet streak moving into IA and another moving into the lower Great Lakes, and some good SRH in western NY/western PA and in southeastern SD, around where initiation should begin.
http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/model/ruc09hr_500_wnd.gif
http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/model/ruc09hr_sfc_sreh.gif
Latest NAM shows great amounts of SRH in NY and PA, with lesser amounts over IA and eastern NE.
http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/model/eta12hr_sfc_sreh.gif
Public Severe Weather Outlook is out, be careful for those living in the affected areas.
Anyway, today's situation looks particularly volatile, in fact, similar to yesterday. SPC paints a MOD risk and a 15% chance of tornadoes. Storm-relative helicity (SRH), like yesterday, will be quite high, and a dry slot is already moving into the area. The best dynamics will be to the north, but a warm front and the ULL will provide sufficient turn to trigger some tornadoes south of the border, to the east of Cleveland. Any outflow boundaries will enhance SRH and increase the chance of a strong tornado. Of course, once the storms cross the warm front in central PA, they will quickly die out, daytime heating and the mountains will be hindering development later this evening also. But the key to today's tornado potential will be if storms remain discrete and supercellular, like yesterday, or will congeal into a squall line quickly, thus limiting the tornadoes.
But this is not the only place where tornadoes are possible. IA has a chance for tornadoes, though low level flow is quite meager, but other parameters, such as LCL's, and good SRH. Speed shear is more than enough for supercells, >45 kt. Large hail appears to be the main danger here, but tornadoes cannot be ruled out, and SPC is considering a moderate risk over this area.
The latest RUC shows a jet streak moving into IA and another moving into the lower Great Lakes, and some good SRH in western NY/western PA and in southeastern SD, around where initiation should begin.
http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/model/ruc09hr_500_wnd.gif
http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/model/ruc09hr_sfc_sreh.gif
Latest NAM shows great amounts of SRH in NY and PA, with lesser amounts over IA and eastern NE.
http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/model/eta12hr_sfc_sreh.gif
Public Severe Weather Outlook is out, be careful for those living in the affected areas.