STORM SUMMARY

 

MAY 2010

 

1^st-8^th…The northern Rockies saw another wet and snowy day on Tuesday as a low pressure system skirted along the US and Canadian Border. The system created a strong cold front that extended over the Central Rockies and Great Basin, which kicked up clouds that triggered a few light snow showers. Snowfall accumulation ranged from 1-3 inches over most of the high elevations of the Northern and Central Rockies, as well as the Great Basin. Strong winds were associated with this system. Copper Mountain, Colorado reported 39 mph winds with gusts up to 56 mph. Meanwhile in the East, a strong cold front lingered over the Southeast. This pulled ample moisture in from the Atlantic Ocean and kicked up scattered showers and thunderstorms. Albany, Georgia reported 1.39 inches of rain on Tuesday. Wet weather also persisted in the Northeast as a small trough of low pressure slowly moved through the region. This also picked up moisture from the Atlantic and triggered periods of severe thunderstorms. Much of New York state saw strong winds with gusts over 60 mph with large hail reported in Ithaca, New York.

 

9^th-15^th…Severe weather persisted in the Central and Eastern US on Friday, while the rest of the country saw mild weather. A low pressure system over the Great Lakes created a frontal boundary with a warm front extending over the Northeast, while a strong cold front stretched from the Northeast, down the Ohio River Valley, over the Mid-Mississippi River Valley, and into the Southern Plains. The Mississippi River Valley remained under flood watches due to these slow moving storms. In Mount Vernon, Missouri, 0.57 inches of rain was reported, while 1.05 inches of rain fell in one hour in Bacon, Texas. The tail end of this front created a tornado, which flipped over a 53 foot trailer that was loaded with 500 gallons of diesel oil, reported from Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico. Elsewhere, the front kicked up periods of large hail with reports golf ball to baseball size hail in Britmart, Kentucky, hail ranged from marble to tennis ball size in Elmo, Kentucky, and quarter size hail in Hartsville, Tennessee. As the front passed, some areas saw significant decreases in temperatures with Dallas reported to have dropped from 80 to 66 in 10 minutes.

 

16^th-22^nd…Multiple weather features brought active weather to the nation on Friday. A low pressure system continued moving eastward from the southern Plains, over the Mississippi River Valley and into the Eastern U.S. Flow around this system created a warm front that lead the system to the east, while a cold front extended southward down the Mississippi River Valley. Ample moisture from the Gulf of Mexico filled in between these fronts, allowing for moderate to heavy showers and thunderstorms to develop over the Southeast and Midwest. Some of these storms have turned severe with a tornado reported in Hume and Metcalf, Illinois. Strong winds blew down several trees in Haleyville and Birmingham, Alabama. Also, rainfall totals surpassed an inch over many areas which caused floods to remain a threat over the lower and mid-Mississippi Valley. Birmingham, Alabama reported 1.01 inches of rain, while Tupelo, Mississippi reported 1.48 inches.

 

23^rd-31^st…A moisture-packed storm system fouled the Monday morning commute along the Wasatch Front, dumped deep snow in the mountains and produced the latest spring snow ever recorded at Salt Lake City International Airport. The storm arrived in Utah late Sunday night and produced huge, heavy snow flakes as Salt Lake City commuters arrived for work in the morning. Much of the snow on the valley roads either didn't stick or quickly melted away. The Wasatch Mountains got significant snow for this time of year. Nine inches were reported at Brighton. In Salt Lake City, a mudslide broke away Monday morning adjacent to Interstate 80, leaving behind a cut in a hillside about 20 feet deep, 30 feet wide and 50 yards long, according to Adan Carrillo, a spokesman for the Utah Department of Transportation. The integrity of the interstate was not compromised and crews were taking precautionary steps to keep the slide from spreading, Carrillo said. There were no reports of major damage or injuries associated with the storm. The storm system came from the Pacific Northwest, moved along the California coast and then swept through parts of Nevada and into Utah, traveling from the southwest to the northeast, according to Monica Traphagan, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Salt Lake City. Cedar City got a half-inch of snow Sunday night, though most of the storm's moisture fell in central and northern Utah.

Several areas got an inch or more of rain, including Bountiful, Cottonwood Heights, Tooele, Provo and Dry Fork. Other snow totals included seven inches at Suncrest, five inches near Peoa in Summit County and three inches at Upper Millcreek, according to the weather service.

By late-morning, the most powerful parts of the storm had moved to the east.

Severe weather swept through the High Plains on Monday as a low pressure system strengthened as it moved off the Northern and Central Rockies. Flow around this system pulled moisture in from the Gulf of Mexico, while it also created a warm front that extended eastward over the Northern Plains. At the same time, a cold front stretched southward down the Central and Southern Rockies. This kicked up widespread scattered showers over the center of the country, while moderate to heavy showers and thunderstorms developed along these fronts. Tennis ball size hail was reported in Callaway, Minnesota, hail one inch in diameter was reported in Agate, Nebraska, and gold ball size hail fell over Fort Stockton, Texas. Strong winds damaged trees in Scottsbluff, Nebraska and 59 mph winds were reported in Miller, South Dakota. A tornado was spotted in Gering Nebraska.

Severe weather swept through the Midwest on Memorial Day. A low pressure system tracked eastward through the Great Lakes and eastern Canada, and created a strong cold front that stretched down the Ohio River and Mississippi river Valleys. This system pulled moisture in from the Gulf of Mexico and allowed for scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop over the region. Some of these storms turned severe with periods of heavy rain, strong winds, and large hail. Most areas saw less than a quarter of an inch of rain, but Franklin, Illinois saw 1.23 inches and were associated with strong thunderstorms. Strong winds blew down numerous trees and power lines in Michigan and Illinois, while large hail was reported in Tiffin and Chardon, Ohio.

 

 

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