NATIONAL STORM SUMMARY

 

JULY 2009

 

5^th-11^th…A strong system developed over western Canada and pulled warm and moist air northward. This produced a strong warm front that swept over the Northern Plains and Northern Rockies, and brought scattered showers and thunderstorms with it. A half inch of rain fell over Deer Lodge, Montana, with 18 mph winds and gusts up to 35 mph. Some of these storms turned severe with golf ball size hail reported in Frazer, Montana. Further east, persistent stationary front lingered over the Gulf states, which continued to kick up scattered showers and thunderstorms. Some areas saw periods of severe weather with heavy downpours. Penny sized hail was reported and strong winds blew down large tree limbs in Clanton, Alabama. In Albany, Georgia, 0.78 inches of rain fell in one hour.

The Northern Plains and Upper Mississippi River Valley saw active weather on Friday, while scattered showers and thunderstorms persisted in the Southeast. A strong low pressure system tracked eastward through central Canada and created an intense cold front that swept through the Central US. The system pulled moist air into the region from the Gulf of Mexico, which allowed for scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop ahead of the front. Some of these storms turned severe with 64 mph wind gusts reported to have torn down a tree limb of 1 foot in diameter in Story City, Iowa. In Ames, Iowa, 0.40 inches fell in one hour, while Davenport, Iowa reported a total of 1.67 inches of rain and 23 mph winds with gusts up to 31 mph.

 

12^th-16^th…The Northern US saw unsettled weather on Monday as a low pressure system dipped in from Canada. The system finally advanced over the Pacific Northwest from British Colombia and pushed a frontal boundary through the Northern Rockies and into the Northern Plains. This system tracked eastward along the Canadian border and counter-clockwise flow created a warm front ahead and a cold front behind this system. The warm front kicked up showers and thunderstorms with periods of heavy rain and severe weather over the Dakotas. In Bismark, North Dakota, 0.60 of an inch of rain was reported while quarter size hail fell over Dupree, South Dakota. Also, 60 mph winds and 1/2 inch in diameter hail was reported in Mission Ridge, South Dakota.

 

19^th-25^th…Plenty of weather disturbances produced active weather across the nation on Monday. In the Central U.S., several waves of energy combined with significant moisture flow to produce areas of scattered showers and thunderstorms throughout the Plains. Post frontal showers, thunderstorms, and areas of hail developed across the Dakotas this morning as a cold front pushed through the Northern Plains. A wave of low pressure along this front enhanced instability across this region and produced additional showers and thunderstorms in South Dakota. To the south, strong northwesterly flow streamed into the Central Plains and combined with a wave of low pressure over this region as well as afternoon warming. This translated into a batch of showers and thunderstorms throughout eastern Kansas. Meanwhile, waves of energy moving through northern/central Texas also triggered scattered precipitation and thunderstorms throughout the afternoon. Increasing instability throughout the Plains put the regions at risk for severe weather activity with damaging winds and large hail throughout the afternoon. In the East, showers and thunderstorms sparked up across areas of the Mid-Atlantic as a frontal boundary remained positioned along the Mid-Atlantic Coast. Strong winds accompanied storms in central Virginia and led to a few minor damages thus far. Elsewhere, lines of showers, thunderstorms, and hail developed throughout areas of central and southern Florida as waves of energy moved through the base of a trough of low pressure that extended through the southeastern gulf waters.

The country saw multiple areas of active weather on Friday. A low pressure system continued to track through the Northeast and pulled a cold front with it which turned into a stationary front and hovered over the East Coast. This front kicked up scattered showers throughout the day, with heavy rain and severe thunderstorms that popped up in some areas. Most areas saw less than a half of an inch of rain, while golf ball to baseball size hail was reported in Pantego, North Carolina. Also, strong winds blew tree limbs down in Camp LeJeune, North Carolina.

In the Central U.S., a trough of low pressure dipped into the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest from Canada and brought scattered showers and thunderstorms with it on Friday, some of which turned severe. Rochester, MN saw 1.20 inches of rain and pea to penny size hail fell over Mantorville, Minnesota. In Cresco, Iowa, strong and damaging winds blew down multiple trees and power lines, one tree fell on a woman in a park and caused multiple injuries.

 

26^th-31^st…The East Coast saw severe weather again on Monday as a cold front lingered over the region. A low pressure system over eastern Canada produced two frontal boundaries over the U.S. One cold front extended from New England, down the Ohio River Valley, and into the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Strong flow from the Gulf of Mexico changed the front into a warm front as is extended into the Southern Plains. This is where it kicked up heavy showers and thunderstorms as ample Gulf moisture fed into this system. Ahead of this front, a trough of low pressure extended from the low pressure system in Canada and pushed through the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states, which triggered severe storms. Significant rainfall was not reported, but two inch in diameter hail was reported in Glendon, North Carolina, while strong winds blew multiple trees down and flipped boats over in Reed Bingham State Park, Georgia. In the Northeast, the cold front also triggered severe weather, with reports of hail in Fenwick Island, Delaware and a billboard was blown down in Pittsburgh, Massachusetts.

Severe weather persisted in parts of the Eastern part of the nation on Wednesday due to a relatively stagnant low pressure system over eastern Canada. The system produced a stationary frontal boundary that extended from the Northeast, down the East Coast, and into the Southern Plains. The system pulled moisture in from the Gulf and allowed for humid conditions across the Southeast. This kicked up scattered showers and thunderstorms throughout the day, which turned severe across New England. Ping pong size hail fell over Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, while strong winds blew multiple trees and power lines down over most of the region. Areas with strong thunderstorm development saw periods of heavy rainfall. Custer City, Pennsylvania reported just over a half of an inch of rain. The tail end of this front also kicked up severe weather with 72 mph winds reported at Midland International Airport, Texas.

A tornado ripped through nearly seven miles of this Sussex County town Wednesday, uprooting thousands of trees, twisting guardrails and decimating acres of farmland and rural property, according to weather officials. The tornado, which officials estimate hit speeds as high as 120 mph, hit ground shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday, starting in Carbon County, Pa., making its way east to Monroe County, Pa., crossing the Delaware river and into Sussex County, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Miketta. Severe thunderstorms pounded New Jersey with flash floods and fierce winds.

The most active weather in the country was pushed into the eastern third of the country by a long front that moved across the Appalachians and towards the eastern seaboard on Friday. A significant amount of moisture streamed ahead of this front and instigated widespread showers and thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast and through much of the Southeast. More substantial rain fell in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. There were several reports of wind damage from eastern Georgia through southern New York due to the widespread thunderstorms activity.

 

 

Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.geocities.com/jimmunleywx