Image source: AccuWeather.com
Unfortunately, as outlined here through much of last week, conditions came together over the weekend to produce the first big severe outbreak of spring 2013 across the Plains with very large and destructive tornadoes touching down, wiping out entire communities and costing lives. Oklahoma and Kansas saw the worst of this weekend’s action.As well as twisters, hail the sized of grapefrits pounded areas while flooding rains turned roads into rivers from North Dakota and the way to Atlanta, Georgia. The tornadic area was just a section of this much larger weather system.
This was the first time this spring season that all the right ingredients came together with the first big day tornado producing day kicking off Saturday, then it was another bad day yesterday and even today, more large and destructive tornadoes are highly likely over much of the same region.
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A deepening, eastward moving trough over the West has been pulling very warm and humid air out of the Gulf of Mexico. Air is forced to rise AHEAD of the well formed cold front (dry line). Cold air from the upper trough spreads over top of the warm, humid air which increased the upward motion and this produced the perfect ingredients for thunderstorm development.
However, what makes these systems turn severe is the powerful WSW flowing jet at 35-40,000ft blowing at 100-150 mph, a strong 40-50 low level jet racing out of the SSW and winds at the surface blowing out of the SSE. At these varying direction with heights create the spin in which turns these thunderstorms into terrifying beasts. The increasing rotation is what makes these tempests spawn tornadoes.
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From the reports I am seeing via twitter, there have been 49 tornado touchdowns in the past two days with the largest and most violent reports in Oklahoma and Kansas.
Here is the threat zone for today.
Image source: weather.com
Tomorrow’s threat zone.
Image source: weather.com
The severe threat while remaining over eastern Kansas and Oklahoma, spreads east today, with major cities including Kansas City, St Louis and even up towards Chicago within the area of concern. Tornadoes aren’t the only big threat today. Damaging straight line winds, large hail, and even flash flooding and lightning are all threats stretching from Texas to the Great Lakes.
The Northern Plains have a renewed flood risk through tomorrow with heavy, rainfall expected from this vast system.
Image source: AccuWeather.com
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIl2136I428]
Will have more on the rest of this week and next week’s US pattern later. Stay tuned.
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