April 2009 National Weather Summary
- From: Jim <jamesmunley@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 5 May 2009 16:07:26 -0700 (PDT)
NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY
APRIL 2009
1st-4th…The Northeast saw active weather on Friday as a strong low
pressure system moved up the Ohio River Valley. The system produced a
warm front that extended eastward over the Mid-Atlantic states and a
cold front that swept through the Southeast. Meanwhile, another
frontal boundary tracked over the Eastern Great Lakes region. These
fronts triggered periods of moderate to heavy rain and windy
conditions. Cayuta, New York reported 0.44 inches of rain while
Marianna, Pennsylvania reported 18 mph winds with gusts up to 38 mph.
To the south, Greensboro, North Carolina saw gusts up to 38 mph and
Cave Spring, Virginia saw 0.29 inches of rain. The Southeast saw light
rain in the early morning hours with total rainfall accumulation less
than a tenth of an inch. Meanwhile, a small ridge of high pressure
built in over the Plains on Friday. This allowed for a short break in
active weather as another low pressure system approached from the
West. The Northern Plains saw highs in the mid-40s while the Southern
Plains reached into the 80s. The system in the West hovered over the
Central Rockies and brought light snowfall to the region. New snowfall
accumulation ranged around 2-4 inches at the high elevations of Utah
and Colorado. The Pacific Northwest saw light rain as a trough slowly
moved eastward and out of the region on Friday. Less than a tenth of
an inch was reported in Portland, Oregon. Meanwhile, California and
the Southwest continued to see warm and dry conditions.
5th-11th…The nation's main weather events occurred over the Southeast
and the central U.S. on Sunday. In the Southeast, strong to severe
convective activity developed over Georgia and Alabama. A residual
trough triggered numerous bands of rainfall, thunderstorms, high
winds, hail, and tornadoes. Thus far, there have been 3 tornado
reports from southern Georgia, numerous reports of hail from Alabama
and Georgia, and 1 strong wind report from southwestern Georgia.
Tornadoes were spotted in Berrien, Atkinson, and Pierce counties.
These states remained at risk for additional severe storm development
throughout the afternoon. In the central U.S., another storm system
produced strong convective activity across Illinois, Indiana, and
Kentucky. Moderate to heavy rainfall and isolated thunderstorms
developed across the states as the system trekked eastward through
southern Illinois. Storms that extended from Illinois to western
Kentucky produced brief periods of torrential rains, gusty winds, and
small hail. Strong convective activity caused areas of southeastern
Illinois, southern Indiana, and western Kentucky to be placed under a
Tornado Watch. As this system trekked eastward, cold Canadian air
filled in behind the storm. Lowered temperatures across Iowa supported
the changeover between rain and snow showers. Light snow showers over
Iowa were accompanied by northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts up
to 45 mph.
The nation's most significant weather activity occurred over the
Eastern US today. A strong storm system produced numerous bands of
mixed precipitation across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and the
Northeast as it became positioned over Lake Huron by the afternoon.
Strong, westerly winds of 20 to 30 mph accompanied precipitation and
yielded to lowered temperatures across the aforementioned regions. The
most severe weather events occurred behind an associated cold front
that swept through the Mid-Atlantic and the Southeast today. Strong
convective activity yielded to large areas of rain and snow showers,
hail, severe thunderstorms, strong winds, and tornado activity. A
tornado was reported in Bladen County, North Carolina, 5 miles
southeast of Clarkton. Maximum sustained wind speeds of about 115 mph
caused significant damages to homes across the county. Strong winds
were also reported across Orangeburg County, South Carolina and Nash
and Beaufort Counties, North Carolina. Winds caused significant
structural and tree damages. Meanwhile, numerous hail incidents were
reported from the eastern regions of North Carolina, Virginia, New
Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Hail sizes ranged from penny sized
in North Carolina to golf ball sized in Maryland.
The Western U.S. saw areas of light precipitation on Wednesday due to
a low pressure system over California. This system pushed moisture in
from the Pacific Ocean, which kicked up scattered clouds and a few
light showers over California. This system triggered light snowfall
over the Cascades, with 1 to 2 inches reported in Medford, Oregon
above the 4500 foot level. This low pressure system also brought light
snowfall to the Northern and Central Rockies, with total accumulations
less than a half of an inch. Meanwhile in the Eastern US, a low
pressure system hovered northeast of the Great Lakes. This continued
to pull moisture off the Great Lakes and triggered light and scattered
snowfall over the Northeast. Clayton Lake, Maine reported 1 inch of
new snow, while northeastern New York reported less than a half of
inch of a combination of snow and rain showers. This system pulled
cool air in from Canada, thus, the Northeast saw highs in the lower
30s and the Ohio River Valley reached into the 50s. The Mid-Atlantic
and Gulf States remained cooler than normal with highs in the 60s. The
Central US saw mild weather as high pressure continued to dominate the
region. This allowed for mostly sunny skies and warm conditions. The
Northern Plains saw highs in the upper 40s, the Central Plains reached
into the 60s, and fires continued to threaten the Southern Plains with
breezy conditions and highs near 90.
The most dangerous weather activity roared through the East as a low
pressure system progressed from the Middle Mississippi Valley through
the Tennessee Valley. A tremendous amount of moisture streamed ahead
of the storm's associated cold front and instigated dangerous weather
including severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the Southeast.
Multiple tornadoes formed in a wide swath of the Tennessee Valley and
caused a lot of damage in the area. These tornadoes do not include a
tornado that roared through Arkansas earlier in the life of the storm.
As the storm moved to the east, precipitation streamed through the
Ohio Valley and southern New England. A much smaller low pressure
system moved through the Southwest, while a cold front moved through
the West Coast states. These features instigated scattered rain and
snow showers in the West Coast states and Great Basin. The middle of
the country remained dry as the severe storm moved into the eastern
third of the country. The Northeast rose into the 40s, 50s, and 60s,
while the Southeast saw temperatures in the 60s and 70s. The Northern
Plains rose into the 30s and 40s, while the Northwest saw temperatures
in the 40s and 50s.
12-18th…The Eastern US saw severe weather again on Monday as an
intense storm system moved across the Mid- and Lower Mississippi River
Valley. This system pulled warm and moist air in from the Gulf of
Mexico and created a warm front that moved trough southern Alabama and
Georgia. As this front tracked eastward throughout the day, it
produced strong winds, heavy downpours, hail, and 3 tornadoes. In
Baxley, Georgia, a tornado caused major damage to homes and produced
nickel sized hail. Meanwhile, 3.59 inches of rain was reported in
Samson, Alabama and quarter sized hail and wind gusts up to 55 mph
were reported in Blountstown, Florida. Just to the north, the low
pressure system created another warm front that tracked up the Ohio
River Valley. This front produced a wide area of heavy rain and large
hail. Medora, Indiana saw 0.62 inches of new rainfall. This system
also triggered light rain over the Upper Great Lakes region with no
significant accumulation reported. Behind this system, the Plains saw
clouds diminish as high pressure built in from the West. This allowed
for the Southern Plains to reach into the 80s and 90s, while the north
remained in the 50s and 60s. Further West, a low pressure system
dipped into the Pacific Northwest and tracked through the Northern
Rockies and Great Basin on Monday. This system pulled cool air in from
Canada and produced a cold front that triggered light precipitation,
with snow at higher elevations. The Cascades saw snow levels lower to
2000 ft with total accumulation between 3 to 5 inches and less than an
inch of rain fell at low elevations across Oregon and Washington. Most
areas of the Northern Rockies and Great Basin saw no more than an inch
of new snowfall. To the south, California and the Southwest saw cooler
conditions with cloudy skies on Monday.
There were two big weather stories on Tuesday. The first one was the
moist Pacific system that swept across the Pacific Northwest, Northern
California, Intermountain West and Rockies. This system not only
brought widespread rain and high elevation snow across the region, but
also strong gusty winds 30 to 55 mph. These strong north and northwest
winds caused areas of blowing and drifting snow. Snow levels were
around 4000 to 4500 feet, and snow accumulations reached 6 to 12
inches on Tuesday.
The second one was the low pressure system over the Ohio valley that
traveled northeastward across much of the Eastern U.S. The system
triggered numerous showers and thunderstorms along its path. In
addition, patches of strong to severe thunderstorms pounded through
the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. A few tornadoes touched down in Pasco
County, just north of the Tampa Bay area. Hail ranged from quarter
size to gulf ball size in northern Florida, Georgia, and North
Carolina. Residents in Columbus County, North Carolina, even saw hail
lasted for about 10 minutes. Winds were also a concern as well. Wind
gusts 60 to 70 mph pounded through areas of northern Florida and
knocked down numerous trees and power lines. A few mobile homes were
also damaged. Elsewhere, a ridge of high pressure built across the
middle section of the nation Tuesday, which provided sunny and warm
weather. Temperatures in the Plains were mostly in the 70s and 80s.
There were two main weather events that occurred across the nation
today.
In the West, a cold trough of low pressure brought colder temperatures
and mixed precipitation to the Intermountain West and the Northern and
Central Rockies. The system strengthened as it moved slowly through
the Central Great Basin during the afternoon, producing numerous
scattered rain showers and light to moderate snow showers throughout
the aforementioned regions. The heaviest amounts of precipitation fell
across northern Utah and along the Utah-Idaho border. Just east of
this system, pockets of scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms
began to spread into the western regions of the Plains. In the East,
an intricate low pressure system produced wet and chilly weather
across the Ohio Valley and the Mid-Atlantic. As the system advanced
eastward into the Atlantic, wrap-around flow continued to pumped ample
amounts of moisture across the Mid-Atlantic and the Ohio Valley. Moist
conditions triggered light to moderate rain with pockets of sleet
throughout the morning and afternoon. High winds with maximum
sustained windspeeds of 15 to 20 mph, and gusts ranging from 25 to 30
mph inland and 35 to 40 mph along the coast, accompanied wet weather
activity. Temperatures across the region remained warm enough for no
sleet accumulation during the afternoon. Persistent rain showers
caused the lower elevations of the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic to see
an increased risk for flooding.
The most active weather occurred in the middle portion of the country
Friday as a developing low pressure system moved out of the Southern
Rockies and into the Plains. This storm pulled considerable moisture
into the Plains from the Gulf of Mexico. This moisture produced
widespread heavy rain associated with strong thunderstorms in Texas
and Oklahoma. These thunderstorms produced large hail in Texas and
instigated Tornado Watches in southeastern Texas. This activity was on
the verge of moving into Louisiana and Missouri by the late afternoon.
No tornadoes were reported by late afternoon, but development remained
possible. In the cooler air behind the storm, significant snow fell in
the southern half of the Rockies. Moderate rain also fell in the
Central Plains from Kansas through Nebraska. A high pressure system
stretched from the Great Lakes through the Southeast Coast and
produced dry conditions for the eastern third of the country. This dry
weather, combined strong winds and dry soil, produced dangerous fire
conditions in parts of New England. A relatively dry cold front pushed
into the Northwest and only produced scattered showers in Washington
and Oregon. A warming trend is expected in the Southwest for the
weekend. The Northeast rose into the 60s and 70s, while the Southeast
saw temperatures in the 60s and 70s. The Rockies rose into the 30s and
40s, while the Northwest saw temperatures in the 50s and 60s.
19th-25th…Significant weather hit the Eastern US on Monday while the
Western US saw record breaking high temperatures. A low pressure
system tracked up the Ohio River Valley and into Eastern Great Lakes
region. The system produced a frontal boundary that triggered moderate
rainfall over the region with 0.64 inches reported in Lancaster, West
Virginia. The front extended into the Southeast and kicked up light
rain showers as it quickly passed eastward throughout the day. The
system also produced hail over the Mid-Atlantic States. In Norview,
Virginia, one inch in diameter hail was reported. To the north, the
back side of this system pulled cold air into the Upper Great Lakes.
Temperatures in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota dipped to near
freezing, and with moisture from the Great Lakes, these conditions
allowed for light snow over the area. Total accumulation ranged
between 2 to 4 inches. Meanwhile, the West Coast saw record breaking
high temperatures as a ridge of high pressure hovered over the region.
This brought offshore flow to the coast which kept moist and cool
conditions over the Pacific and allowed for warm and dry conditions on
land. Thus, temperatures in the Pacific Northwest approached the 80s
while central California was placed under a heat advisory with highs
reaching into the mid-90s.
The Northeast continued to see active weather on Wednesday. A low
pressure system slowly moving through the Lower Great Lakes and into
eastern Canada triggered light scattered rainfall over the region. As
this system is slow moving, flooding will continue to cause problems
in the Midwest and Northeast. Behind this system, a ridge of high
pressure built into the Mississippi Valley. This will allowed for
increasing temperatures over the region with highs in the 60s in the
Upper Midwest, while the Gulf States and Southern Plains will reach
into the 80s and 90s. A trough of low pressure will move through the
Northern Plains and push even warmer air into the region, along with
breezy conditions. Expect highs approaching 70 with gusts up to 29
mph. The West Coast had temperatures drop back into the seasonable
range as a low pressure system approached the Northwest on Wednesday.
Benign weather ran through much of the country on Friday. A long
frontal system draped from the West Coast through the Great Basin,
Rockies and through the Northern Plains. This feature produced the
most active weather in the country. It created widespread scattered
precipitation including rain and high elevaiton snow from Central
California and the Sierra Nevadas through the Northern Rockies and
Northern Plains. The Upper Midwest also experienced some scattered
rain from this front. A warm front tracked through the Ohio Valley and
Great Lakes, providing only a few areas of rain in the region. A high
pressure system along the eastern seaboard allowed dry conditions to
persist from the Northeast through the Southeast Coast. Meanwhile,
moisture pushed into eastern Texas from the Gulf of Mexico and
produced scattered precipitation.
The Northeast rose into the 60s and 70s, while the Southeast saw
temperatures in the 70s and 80s. The Southern Plains rose into the
80s, while the Northern Plains and Intermountain West saw temperatures
in the 30s and 40s.
26th-30th…Severe weather with heavy rain, strong winds, and hail hit
the Southern and Central Plains on Monday. A strong low pressure
system moved off the Rockies and into the Plains, which created a
strong cold front that triggered showers and thunderstorms that
stretched from Chicago into Texas. Clayton Lake, Texas reported 1.12
inches of new rainfall, while Wakarusa, Kansas saw 0.77 inches of
rain. Pea to quarter sized hail fell over Stillwater, Oklahoma, and
strong winds blew part of a roof off in Corsicana, Texas. The front
brought cool conditions to these areas as it passed and dropped
temperatures by 10 to 15 degrees in some places. To the east, a strong
ridge of high pressure brought mostly sunny skies and warm conditions
to the East Coast. New England saw record breaking temperatures as
highs reached into the mid- to upper 80s. The Ohio River Valley saw
breezy conditions as the front approached from the Plains. New Vienna,
Ohio reported 28 mph winds with gusts up to 36 mph. The Southeast
remained in the 80s and 90s with warm and dry conditions, which
allowed for fires to continue to threaten the region. The West Coast
saw cool and cloudy conditions as a low pressure system moved into the
Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. The system produced a cold
front that was expected to kick up wet conditions over the mountains,
but precipitation has not yet been reported.
Severe weather developed over the Southern Plains while areas of heavy
snow fell over the Northern Rockies on Wednesday. A low pressure
system over the Northern and Central Rockies pulled moist and warm
conditions from the Gulf of Mexico into the Central and Southern
Plains. These conditions were favorable for scattered showers and
thunderstorm development that turned into severe storms over the
Oklahoma and Texas border. A tornado watch has been issued but
tornadoes have not yet been reported. In Hamlin, Texas, however, half-
dollar sized hail was reported while strong winds blew trees onto
power lines and caused power outages in areas of Oklahoma. Also, heavy
downpours hit the region with 3.84 inches of rain reported in
Overbrook, Oklahoma. To the west, the back side of this low pressure
system pulled cool air in from Canada which created a cold front over
the Northern Rockies. This caused temperatures to drop into the 20s
and allowed for heavy snow over Montana. New snowfall accumulation
ranged from 3 to 7 inches while blowing snow was also an issue with
gusts up to 32 mph reported in Hays, Montana. The system also
triggered scattered showers over the Northern Rockies with less than a
half of an inch of rain reported in Harvey, North Dakota.
In the East, high pressure slowly moved off shore into the Atlantic
and allowed for warm temperatures to persist over the East Coast. New
England reached into the 60s while the Southeast saw highs in the 80s.
A front over the Ohio River Valley kicked up scattered clouds which
triggered light rain.
.
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