NATIONAL STORM SUMMARY

 

MARCH 2010

 

7^th-13^th…A twister occurred in Hammon, Oklahoma when a low-pressure system in the Pacific Northwest kicked a strong storm system out of the Rocky Mountains and into the southern Plains.

Several weather systems produced unsettling weather activity throughout the nation on Wednesday. In the West, a dissipating front produced pockets of light rain and high elevation snow from portions of central California through the Pacific Northwest during the morning and afternoon hours. In the Midwest, a quasi-stationary low pressure system produced unsettling weather activity from the Northern Plains through the Great Lakes. Wrap-around moisture from this system combined with cold air to produce a mix of rain, snow, and ice. A swath of increasing rainfall and thunderstorms developed from eastern Mississippi to South Carolina. Some thunderstorms in eastern Mississippi and Alabama ran the risk of turning strong to severe with hail and locally damaging winds. The risk of heavy rainfall and flash flooding throughout these states increased through the afternoon as showers and thunderstorms became more widespread.

 

14^th-20^th…Widespread clouds covered the northeastern quadrant of the nation on Monday as a strong nor'easter centered to the south of Long Island continued to produce wet and windy weather across New England and portions of the nearby Mid-Atlantic coast. Periods of heavy rainfall, damaging winds continued to pound the saturated region through the afternoon and created local flooding issues, blowing snow, and possible power outages.

 

21^st-27^th…The Northeast saw another rainy day with flooding on Tuesday. A low pressure system spinning over the Mid-Atlantic states continued to pull ample moisture onshore, which triggered periods of heavy rain over the Northeast. Widespread scattered showers extended over most of New England and down the Ohio River Valley. Taunton, Massachusetts saw a midday total of 1.71 inches of rain, while 1.14 inches was reported in Berlin, New Hampshire. Albany, New York saw 0.85 inches of rain, while most of the Ohio Valley saw less than a quarter of an inch. Highs ranged from the mid-40s to lower 50s over the region.

An intense low pressure system moved into the Lower Mississippi Valley on Thursday and brought intense thunderstorms to the region. One of the more organized lines of storms pushed through the Florida Panhandle and brought heavy rain and gusty winds. Thunderstorms also developed in the Mississippi Valley along a cold front associated with the low pressure system. These storms were expected to gain strength throughout the afternoon, and eventually produce supercell thunderstorms containing large hail, strong winds and possible tornadoes. More steady rain was found to the north and east of the storm, as a stationary front extended into the Northeast.

 

28^th-31^st…Widespread clouds covered the Eastern Seaboard on Monday as a trough of low pressure continued to support stormy weather along the East Coast through the afternoon. A moisture packing storm over the Northeast fueled swaths of mixed precipitation throughout New England. The heaviest amounts of precipitation soaked areas along the New England coastline and created increased flood risks through the afternoon. To the south, waves of low pressure located off the Mid-Atlantic Coast continued to spark scattered rain showers and thunderstorms across the Mid-Atlantic during the early morning. Most of the precipitation and thunderstorms over this region moved offshore into the nearby Atlantic waters by the afternoon. Finally to the south, heavy rainfall and strong thunderstorms associated with a cold front over the Florida Peninsula brought severe weather activity to southern Florida. A tornado touched down in Oakland Park, just north of Fort Lauderdale between 8:00 and 8:30 am. While, the twister left behind debris and property damage, no immediate injuries were reported. In the West, a large low pressure system in the Gulf of Alaska swung a frontal boundary toward the Pacific Northwest Coast on Monday. Moist onshore flow and energy from this system created heavy rain and high elevation snowfall across the Pacific Northwest. Precipitation reached southward across areas of northern California and spread eastward across the Northern Intermountain West and the Northern Rockies. Meanwhile, high pressure over the Four Corners kept the Central Great Basin, the Southwest, and southern California under dry weather conditions.

Rain associated with the complex low pressure system off the East Coast finally weakened Tuesday. Rain that lasted in the Mid-Atlantic over the last few days finally came to an end Tuesday morning. However, steady rain continued to pound through the Northeast as the low pressure system moved up to the coast and transported massive amount of Atlantic moisture across the region. 3 to 5 inches of rain fell in Connecticut, and the Bristol and Norfolk County in Massachusetts received 4 to 7 inches of rain Tuesday. This steady rain set a few daily maximum rainfall records. For example, as of 2p.m., Providence of Rhode Island received 4.39 inches, which exceeded the previous record 2.57 inches. The total rainfall on both Monday and Tuesday reached nearly 8 inches in Providence. Apart from the steady rain, strong winds 30 to 40 mph with up to 50 mph gusts also occurred in parts of the Northeast Tuesday afternoon.

 

 

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