Severe Storms Sweep East Coast, Arctic Air Returns To Midwest, Calif Drought Worsens!

Written by on February 21, 2014 in United States of America with 0 Comments

The strong storms, heavy rain, snow and flooding which impacted the Midwest and South yesterday is focusing on the East and Southeast today.

The storm has a cold side of course and it was an all out blizzard across parts of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin last night. Between 10-20 inches fell over parts of NE Minnesota and northern Wisconsin while an impressive 9.9 inches fell in Minneapolis which was the biggest single storm accumulation of the winter so far. Winds with the system cranked to 50-60 mph shutting roads due to blowing and drifting.

Here was the scene this morning in Minneapolis.

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The powerful line of heavy rain and thunderstorms with areas of strong rotation are currently barrelling through Metro Richmond, DC and Baltimore as of this writing. Tornado watches and warnings are currently in effect across large swathes of eastern Virginia, Maryland and the Delmarva.

Here’s a current satellite view.

Source: NOAA

Source: NOAA

Here’s the current watches, warnings and radar from the SPC.

Source: SPC

Source: SPC

This strong cold front is also supporting a large temperature contrast over Virginia right now.

Check out this great map showing temperature and radar as well as snow cover and it’s where that snow remains on the ground that temperatures are noticeably cooler. via Ralph Fato.

Courtesy of Ralph Fato (follow him @WeatherNut27)

Courtesy of Ralph Fato (follow him @WeatherNut27)

Yep, it’s 34 in the far west mountains of Virginia while some spots near coastal Virginia is eying 80.

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Here was the severe weather reports from yesterday.

Source: Storm Prediction Center

Source: Storm Prediction Center

 

Further Lobes Of Arctic Air Are Poised To Rotate Into Lower 48 Next Week

Source: AccuWeather

Source: AccuWeather

Arctic air has been reloading this past week over Alaska and Canada and is poised to dive south this weekend and into next week as the Hudson Bay vortex sends pieces of bitter cold back down through the Great Lakes and East. All thanks to return of the Alaska ridge.

Here’s the ECMWF upper chart and 850 temps through the next 7 days.

72 hrs

Geopotential3250032hPa32and32Temperature32at3285032hPa_North32America_72

120 hrs

Geopotential3250032hPa32and32Temperature32at3285032hPa_North32America_120

168 hrs

Geopotential3250032hPa32and32Temperature32at3285032hPa_North32America_168

Looks like Minneapolis gets another day, maybe two BELOW 0 for a high with night time lows back into -10 to -15 territory. Chicago should see a night or two below zero which gets them ever closer to an all-time record for most nights below zero. Could also go back below 10 in the Big Northeast cities but a lot depends on snow cover.

The SPC 6-10 day outlook sure is a cold one.

610temp_new

Check out these temperatures off the ECMWF next Friday AM.

Source: AccuWeather Pro

Source: AccuWeather Pro

Upper Midwest

Source: AccuWeather Pro

Source: AccuWeather Pro

Northeast

Source: AccuWeather Pro

Source: AccuWeather Pro

The CFSv2 is getting colder and colder with each run for early March!

Week 1-2

wk1_wk2_20140220_NAsfcT

Even worse Week 3 then a pullback.

wk3_wk4_20140220_NAsfcT

California Drought Worsens

Based on data from the MODIS instrument aboard both the Terra and Aqua satellites, this map contrasts plant health from Jan. 17 to Feb. 1, 2014, against average conditions for the same period over the past decade. (Source: NASA Earth Observatory)

Based on data from the MODIS instrument aboard both the Terra and Aqua satellites, this map contrasts plant health from Jan. 17 to Feb. 1, 2014, against average conditions for the same period over the past decade. (Source: NASA Earth Observatory)

The new drought monitor map shows improvements over Northwest California thanks to recent heavy rains but the Central coast has worsened.

Source: NWS

Source: NWS

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