Monday Evening's Storm Report

[ShipMaven]

Good evening, @ddicts. Another less-than-perfect day...


STORM WATCH


East Re-Surging Heat Will Not Last

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

Jul 26, 2010


Temperatures and humidity levels will climb back to steamy levels at midweek in the East, but it won't last as another push of cooler, less humid air will arrive ahead of the coming weekend.

Thunderstorms broke the deadly heat wave Sunday along the Atlantic Seaboard.

Once again, thunderstorms and an associated cool front are expected to break the back of a mini heat wave set for the middle of the week in the I-95 zone and other areas of the mid-Atlantic.

The front and its showers and thunderstorms are expected to roll through the Great <NOBR style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana, arial, sans-serif; COLOR: darkblue; FONT-WEIGHT: bold" id=itxt_nobr_3_0>Lakes</NOBR> region Wednesday. Some storms may survive the overnight hours, reaching the northern Appalachians and the Ohio Valley by Thursday morning.



The storms should get new life from daytime heating along the Atlantic Seaboard Thursday afternoon.

High pressure will approach on a northwesterly flow of air Thursday and should stick around Friday into the weekend in most places.


Here We Go Again

Even though temperatures were shaved by 10 to 15 degrees this past Sunday afternoon, a southwest flow will allow temperatures and humidity to build Tuesday into Thursday.

According to WPVI-TV and AP, the weekend heat claimed the lives of four people in the Philadelphia area alone.

Extreme heat is one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths in the U.S. annually, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Fortunately, the midweek swelter will not be as extreme as that
experienced by tens of millions this past weekend.

However, hot is hot and fans and air conditioners will get a workout for a several-day stretch. Highs will be close to 90 in the New York City-Philadelphia area on one or more days.

Temperatures will surge into the middle 90s south of the Mason-Dixon line to North <NOBR style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana, arial, sans-serif; COLOR: darkblue; FONT-WEIGHT: bold" id=itxt_nobr_12_0>Carolina</NOBR>.

Unfortunately, for the Deep South, no relief is in sight for the sweltering conditions. Temperatures in Birmingham, Ala., have averaged 4.5 degrees above normal for the month so far. The normal high in the Magic City in late July is 90 degrees.

Combined with increasing humidity levels, conditions will reach the danger zone all over again as far north as southern New England.

In the meantime, Tuesday through Thursday, people are urged to avoid direct exposure to the sun and strenuous activity during the afternoon, when temperatures are also at their highest levels.

Be sure to drink plenty of liquids to stay hydrated.

While, the elderly and young children are most susceptible to hyperthermia, it can occur at all ages.



Drenching Storms to Wipe Out Extreme Heat in Carolinas

By Meghan Evans, Meteorologist

Jul 26, 2010

A slow-moving cold front in the Southeast will be the focal point for drenching and locally severe storms this afternoon. The <NOBR style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana, arial, sans-serif; COLOR: darkblue; FONT-WEIGHT: bold" id=itxt_nobr_0_0>thunderstorms</NOBR> will help to wipe out the extreme and oppressive heat in the southern mid-Atlantic and much of the Carolinas.

Northern Alabama to the Carolinas will be at risk for storms with locally damaging wind gusts and flash flooding, while torrential <NOBR style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana, arial, sans-serif; COLOR: darkblue; FONT-WEIGHT: bold" id=itxt_nobr_1_0>downpours</NOBR> from storms in the lower Mississippi Valley will also cause flooding concerns in some communities.



Atlanta, Augusta and Columbia are among the cities at risk for potentially damaging thunderstorms. Motorists and airline passengers should expect some delays in these cities.

Although the heat relief will come at a price with the threatening storms, many people will welcome the relief from the extreme heat in the Carolinas, following several days of highs in the upper 90s and 100s.

In Richmond, Va., daily record highs of 105 degrees were set on both Saturday and Sunday.

After climbing into the mid-90s and even 100s in a couple of locations today, highs will be cut back to the upper 80s and low 90s on Tuesday.

The storms can even slice the temperature by several degrees this afternoon. On Sunday, a storm caused the temperature to drop from 94 degrees to 77 degrees in just 15 minutes in Wilmington, Del.

The temperature also plummeted 24 degrees in one hour on Sunday in Washington, D.C., as thunderstorms rumbled through.

Further west from the lower Mississippi Valley into the Tennessee Valley, a deep flow of humid air will help to fuel heavy storms, especially over eastern Texas and Louisiana. From 1 to 3 inches of rain can pour down over some areas in the matter of hours.

Houston and Tyler, Texas, as well as Shreveport and New Orleans, La., will be soaked by storms that can result in some travel disruptions and flash flooding.

If you come across a flooded roadway, turn around and find an alternate route. Doing so can save your life.


Severe Storm Threat in the Northern Plains

By Meghan Evans, Meteorologist

Jul 26, 2010

Severe thunderstorms will rumble across portions of the northern Plains later today into tonight. Besides threatening to spoil outdoor plans and making travel messy at times, the storms threaten to cause damage and endanger lives.

Storm Threat in the Plains Today
An area of low pressure is developing over northeastern Montana along the tail end of a cold front dropping southward across the Canadian Prairies. This will serve as the triggering mechanism for the storms, which will develop during the afternoon, while hot and humid air surging into the region acts as fuel.



The thunderstorms will erupt across portions of northeastern Montana, northern South Dakota and northern Minnesota as well as southern portions of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, Canada.

Severe thunderstorms can also erupt further south during the evening in southeastern Montana, western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming, but the storms will be much more isolated.

Threats will include damaging winds gusts over 60 mph, golf ball-sized hail and even larger and a few <NOBR style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana, arial, sans-serif; COLOR: darkblue; FONT-WEIGHT: bold" id=itxt_nobr_4_0>tornadoes</NOBR>.

Flash flooding can also occur in heavy downpours, especially in low-lying and poor drainage areas.

Grand Forks and Jamestown, N.D., and International Falls, Minn., are among the cities and towns at risk.

Storm Threat to Shift East into Midweek
Storms will spread further south and east as the week goes on, bringing the threats of damaging storms to communities from South Dakota to Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin and portions of the Upper Peninsula of <NOBR style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana, arial, sans-serif; COLOR: darkblue; FONT-WEIGHT: bold" id=itxt_nobr_7_0>Michigan</NOBR> on Tuesday.

Parts of northern Ontario will also be under the gun of storms.
Again, the most violent storms will ignite during the peak heating hours of the afternoon.

Thunderstorms will spread back into flood-ravaged portions of the Midwest, including portions of Iowa, northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin by Wednesday, following a dry break to start the week.

Chicago and Detroit may be at risk on Wednesday afternoon.


Thunderstorms Target Arizona, Much of Interior West

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

Jul 26, 2010

Moisture funneling northward from Mexico will continue to fuel locally drenching <NOBR style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana, arial, sans-serif; COLOR: darkblue; FONT-WEIGHT: bold" id=itxt_nobr_0_0>thunderstorms</NOBR> over Arizona, New Mexico and much of the interior West this week.

Not only will the thunderstorms occur over the mountains, but also some desert areas can be doused by a quick-hitting downpour.

The strongest thunderstorms can produce blinding downpours and powerful wind gusts. The greatest danger from the storms is flash flooding.

A thunderstorm clobbered Las Cruces, N.M. Sunday evening. Over 2 inches of rain poured down, inundating streets, homes and businesses in the city along the Rio Grande River in the southern part of the state.

Flash flooding also occurred 50 miles further north in Truth or Consequences, N.M. the same day.

Dry stream beds, known locally as arroyos, can become raging torrents in a matter of minutes. The storms do not have to hit the immediate location but can occur miles upstream.

In some cases, only a quick half an inch of rain can lead to dangerous flash flooding. The storms during the late afternoon and evening hours, assisted by the heating of the day, have the potential to dump 3 to 4 times that amount in an hour.

People are urged to be especially careful this week and not to camp or seek refuge in the arroyos or canyons, where rapid runoff can occur.

The storms are taking place this week as scores of illegal immigrants leave Arizona amidst a new state law, SB 1070 crackdown, according to Reuters.

The moisture from the storms is being flung all the way from northern Mexico to interior California and western Texas, northward to eastern Oregon and much of <NOBR style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana, arial, sans-serif; COLOR: darkblue; FONT-WEIGHT: bold" id=itxt_nobr_10_0>Idaho</NOBR>.

The seasonal wind from Mexico is referred to by local residents as the "Monsoon" and leads to a period of thunderstorms that can last weeks during the mid- to late-summer.



The thunderstorms during the monsoon are also accompanied by higher humidity compared to the rest of the year. It is the higher humidity that allows rain from the storms to reach the ground and also adds to the discomfort of the already hot air.

Many of the storms will "not" bring a soaking rain.

The lightning strikes from the mainly dry thunderstorms can spark wildfires.



The rainfall is needed in the area. Phoenix normally receives around an inch of rain during July. This month, however, only a few hundredths of an inch have fallen.

The thunderstorms can hit other cities in the West including Las Vegas, Reno, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Boise, Flagstaff, Tucson and El Paso.

[ShipMaven]

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for the report Mary Ann.. Enjoy seeing the Buck Moon right now.