NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

 

JUNE 2010

 

1st-5thThe US had active weather on Wednesday, with severe weather in the Midwest, rain in the Pacific Northwest, and scattered showers in the Southeast. A low pressure system north of the Great Lakes pushed a cold front through the Midwest and extended down the Mississippi Valley. This system allowed for scattered showers to develop over the Great Lakes region, while the front triggered periods of severe storms over the Ohio River and Mid-Mississippi. Hail was reported in Glenmont, Ohio, while 1.31 inches of rain fell over Peru, Illinois. Strong winds with gusts up to 20 mph were reported in Clifton, Ohio. Highs remained in the 80s to the south of the front, while north of the front only reached into the 60s. New England saw a few patchy clouds, as the system approached from the west throughout the day, but precipitation has not yet initiated.

In the South, high pressure in the Atlantic Ocean continued pushing moisture onshore from the Gulf of Mexico. This allowed for warm and humid conditions over the Gulf states, which are favorable conditions for afternoon thunderstorm development. This kicked up periods of heavy rain, but storms have not yet turned severe. In the West, another low pressure system in the Gulf of Alaska pushed a cold front over the Pacific Northwest. This system kicked up periods of heavy rain with 0.65 inches reported in Portland, Oregon. Light showers extended into northern California with rainfall totals remaining less than a quarter of an inch in most areas. However, Crescent City, California saw 0.81 inches of rain.

Severe weather popped up in the Midwest again on Friday, due to a cold front that sat over the region. A low pressure system moved eastward over the Great Lakes and created a strong frontal boundary that stretched down the Ohio River Valley and into the middle and lower Mississippi River Valleys. This system allowed for scattered showers to persist over the Great Lakes states, while severe thunderstorms developed along the front. This front kicked up periods of heavy rainfall, strong winds, and large hail. Tornado watches and warnings have also been issued, but have not yet developed. Hail has been reported from many locations of central Ohio, while 0.66 inches or rain fell in one hour in Richwood, Ohio. The front also extended northeastward, into New England, which allowed for increasingly cloudy skies throughout the day. To the south, another day of scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms developed in the Southeastern US, as warm and moist air continued to fill in from the Gulf of Mexico. These storms have not yet turned severe, but heavy rain has been reported and was associated with strong thunderstorms. In Port Barre, Louisiana, 1.12 inches of rain have been reported. Elsewhere, the Central U.S. remained under quiet weather, but the Northwest saw another rainy day. A low pressure system that hovered offshore pushed more moisture in from the Pacific, which triggered scattered showers throughout the day. This spread some scattered clouds into California, but precipitation remained confined to the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. Most areas saw less than a quarter of an inch of rain. However, Cambridge ID reported 0.87 inches.

 

6th-12thSevere weather developed in the Central Plains on Monday, while the rest of the nation had mild weather conditions. A low pressure system strengthened as is moved off the Central Rockies and into the Plains. This system pulled warm and moist air in from the Gulf of Mexico, and created a warm front that stretched from the Central Plains into the Mid-Mississippi River Valley. This front produced periods of heavy rain and strong thunderstorms, some of which turned severe. Golf ball sized hail was reported in Webster State Park, Kansas. Strong winds blew a semi-tractor and trailer off the highway and blew down shed in Ellis, Kansas. In Wichita, Kansas, 0.45 inches of rain were reported, while 1.11 inches fell over Dodge City, Kansas. This system also pushes some cloudy skies into the Midwest, but precipitation has not yet initiated. Highs reached into the 70s in the North, while the South approached the 100s. In the East, a ridge of high pressure brought sunny skies and warm conditions to most of the East Coast. The Northeast and New England saw highs in the 60s, while the Southeast reached into the 80s. In Florida, however, a front lingered over the region and pushed ample moisture onshore. This brought light and scattered showers and thunderstorms to the state throughout the day. Out West, a strong ridge of high pressure built over the West Coast and Southwestern U.S., which brought sunny skies with warm and dry conditions. This allowed for highs to reach into the 100s in the deserts. The region also saw strong winds with gusts up to 25 mph, These hot, dry, and windy conditions increased fire threats over the Southwest.

Severe weather returned to the Plains and pushed into the Midwest on Thursday. A low pressure system strengthened as it moved off the Rockies overnight, and created a strong warm front over the Northern Plains. This front kicked up periods of heavy rain and strong winds. In Colon, Nebraska, strong winds blew down tree branches between 3 to 5 inches in diameter. Most areas saw between a half of an inch and an inch of rain, but Ord, Nebraska reported 1.15 inches, while Pine Ridge, South Dakota saw 1.35 inches. Tekamah, Nebraska reported 1.47 inches of rain, 1.18 inches of that fell in one hour and was associated with strong thunderstorms. South of this front remained in the 80s and 90s in the Southern Plains, while the Northern Plains saw highs in the 50s and 60s.

Meanwhile in the East, a low pressure system slowly moved off shore and into the Atlantic Ocean. Flow around this system continued pushing moisture over the Northeast, which brought light and scattered showers. Rainfall totals ranged between a quarter and a half of an inch and highs only reached into the 50s. This system created a front that stretch into the Tennessee Valley and Southeast. This brought some light and scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms to the northern Georgia and Alabama. In Texas, however, strong storms developed, as a low pressure system pulled warm and humid conditions in from the Gulf of Mexico. This brought periods of heavy rain with 1.68 inches reported in one hour, with a mid-day total of 2.03 inches in Corsicana, Texas. A tornado was reported in Latexo, Texas, after the reporter saw a funnel cloud touch the ground near a path of downed trees and power lines.

 

13th-19thSevere weather popped up over the Ohio River Valley on Monday, as a front hovered over the region. A low pressure system moved over the Great Lakes from the Central Plains and created a strong frontal boundary. A stationary front extended from the Mid-Mississippi River Valley into the Northeast and a cold front stretched into the Southern Plains. While the front to the east remained relatively stationary, it had maintained enough strength to kick up scattered showers and thunderstorms. Some of these storms turned severe with strong and damaging winds and heavy downpours. Multiple trees were blown down in Kentucky and Virginia. Meanwhile, the cold front to the south kicked up strong storms with periods of heavy downpours. Hail was reported in Wellman, Texas, while 0.91 inches of rain fell over Paducah, Texas and Ponca City, Oklahoma saw 1.43 inches of rain. Thus, the South continued to see problems with flooding. Highs remained near 90 in the South, while the North saw highs in the 60s on the northern side of the front and south of the front reached into the 80s. In the East, New England and the Northeast saw increasingly cloudy skies as the system moved in from the west. Highs remained in the 60s and 70s over most of the region. In the Southeast, a ridge of high pressure dominated and allowed for plenty of sunshine and warm conditions. Heat advisories have been issued as temperatures approached 100. Out West, a ridge of high pressure dominated the weather on Monday and brought sunny skies with breezy and warm conditions. In the north, a low pressure system approached from the Gulf of Alaska, which pushed overcast skies over the Pacific Northwest, but rain has not yet initiated.

A fairly active weather pattern developed across much of the nation on Wednesday. In the West, gloomy skies hung over the Northwest as a trough of low pressure in the region kicked up areas of light, scattered rain showers and chances of isolated thunderstorms from areas of the Pacific Northwest through the Northern High Plains. Precipitation and strong winds associated with a strong wave of low pressure that stretched across portions of Montana, Wyoming, southeastern Idaho, and northern Utah raised flood concerns across the Northern High Plains and kept the region under High Wind Advisories through the afternoon. Meanwhile, increasing moist, southerly flow, associated with the low pressure trough of the Northwest triggered additional High Wind Advisories across the Four Corners into the Northern Plains. This stream of moisture also interacted with the unstable air mass over much of the Central and Northern Plains and created slight risks of severe weather activity with damaging wind and hail through the day. To the south, high winds and warm and dry conditions over the Southwest raised fire danger concerns from southwestern California through most of northern New Mexico. In the East, another low pressure system supported chances of active weather in areas of the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic as it crossed Lake Huron during the afternoon. As the low progressed toward southeastern Ontario, precipitation in Upper Great Lakes tapered off and associated frontal disturbances moved into the humid, moisture laden Eastern Seaboard. A frontal boundary stalled over New England sparked light, scattered rain showers across areas of New York and Vermont. Additional patches of precipitation and thunderstorms developed in portions of the Mid-Atlantic, while a cold front extended through the Ohio Valley and a warm front lifted across the Lower Great Lakes and the northern the Mid-Atlantic. Areas from New York and Pennsylvania through eastern North Carolina saw slight risks of severe thunderstorms with isolated tornadoes and large hail as atmospheric conditions became more favorable for severe weather activity during the afternoon. Elsewhere in the East, a deep high pressure system continued to heat up temperatures across the Southeast. The combination of well above normal temperatures, high humidity levels, and high heat index values triggered Heat Advisories in the eastern Florida Peninsula.

The Midwest had another stormy day on Friday, as a cold front swept through the region. A low pressure system tracking eastward along the Canadian and U.S. border created a front that stretched from the Great Lakes, over the Mississippi River Valley, and into the Central Plains. This front triggered another round of scattered showers and thunderstorms, which have already turned severe over Iowa, Nebraska, and Illinois. Over an inch of rain has fallen over much of Iowa, while the rest of the region saw less than a half of an inch. Davenport, Iowa reported 1.18 inches of rain and pea to golf ball size hail covered the ground in Badger, Iowa. Strong and damaging winds with gusts over 60 mph were reported across most of the state, breaking 6 to 10 inch diameter tree limbs. Behind this system in the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains, sunny skies and mild weather returned on Friday. These areas did see some strong winds with gusts between 20-25 mph. Highs remained in the 70s and 80s over most of the Midwest. Problems with flooding persisted over the Mississippi Valley as these systems have been slow-moving and repetitive.

In the East, a ridge of high pressure hovered over the East Coast and brought mild weather throughout the day. The region saw plenty of sunshine with the North reaching into the 80s and the Southeast returning to the 90s. Due to warm and humid air moving onshore from the Gulf of Mexico, scattered showers and thunderstorms developed over Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. These storms have not yet turned severe, but have a history of producing strong winds and heavy rain by afternoon. Out West, cool and cloudy conditions return to the coastal regions as onshore flow pushes moisture over the West Coast. However, inland areas remained hot and dry, with the desserts reaching into the 100s on Friday.

 

20th-26thWet conditions persisted over the Central U.S., with severe weather over the Midwest on Monday. A low pressure system over the Central Plains created a front that extended over the Mississippi River Valley and up the Ohio River. This system kicked up scattered showers and thunderstorms with over an inch in most of the Central and Northern Plains. Lincoln, Nebraska reported 1.45 inches of rain and Sioux Falls, South Dakota reported 1.32 inches of rain. Hail was reported in Valley Falls, Kansas and Friendship, Ohio, while strong winds damaged many large tree limbs and power lines in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Most of the Midwest remained in the 70s and 80s. To the South, high pressure over the Southeastern U.S. pulled warm and moist air over the Gulf states. These conditions are favorable for afternoon storm development, thus, scattered showers and thunderstorms popped up over Florida and southern Georgia and Alabama. These storms have not yet turned severe, but 1.59 inches of rain fell over Panama City, Florida. Highs remained in the 90s, and approached 100 on Monday. In the West, mild weather persisted over the West Coast and Rocky Mountains as a ridge of high pressure hovered over the Southwestern US. A system in the north kicked up overcast skies with light showers over the Northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest, while the rest of the West Coast remained sunny and dry. Highs in the desserts reached into the 100s.

Hot and active weather developed throughout portions of the eastern half of the nation on Wednesday. In the South, hot and humid weather conditions remained camped over the Southeast as daytime highs climbed to well above seasonal averages and high pressure remained situated along the Gulf Coast. The system continued to pump gulf moisture northward and triggered high heat index values near and above the century mark throughout parts of Southeast, Eastern Valleys, and the Mid-Atlantic.

Moisture from the Gulf also spread further north and interacted with instability associated with a frontal boundary that stretched across the Central Plains and into the Midwest. These factors, along with daytime heating, translated into more rainfall and thunderstorms with chances of severe weather activity and localized flooding throughout the regions. The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center issued a moderate risk for severe thunderstorms from parts of northern Illinois to western Pennsylvania and upstate New York and a slight risk for severe weather activity from parts of the Southern Plains through the Mid-Mississippi Valley to the Appalachians. Elsewhere, calm and relatively cool weather conditions persisted throughout the West.

Multiple weather features brought active weather to the country on Friday. A trough of low pressure has dipped into the Upper Midwest from central Canada and kicked up scattered showers and thunderstorms over Minnesota and Wisconsin, some of these storms have turned severe. Large hail was reported in Delhi, Minnesota with heavy downpours in many areas of northern Minnesota with rainfall totals over an inch. Highs remained in the 70s over most of the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains. At the same time, a low pressure system developed over the Central Plains, as it moved off the Rocky Mountains. These systems started to combine on Friday, but have not yet triggered storms in the Central Plains. In the South, a stationary front moved into the Southeast from the Ohio River Valley. This system obtained moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, as a ridge to the south pushed ample moisture onshore. This triggered scattered showers and thunderstorms, with some areas of severe weather. Heaviest rains fell over southern Georgia and the Carolinas, with 1.04 inches reported in Andrews North Carolina. Strong winds blew down several trees in Ocilla, Georgia and Havelock, North Carolina. The region remained hot and humid with highs 90s. In the West, light sprinkles developed over the Pacific Northwest, northern California, and the Intermountain West as a trough of low pressure hovered over the West Coast. Cooler conditions persisted along the coasts, while the deserts reached into the 100s.

 


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



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