Mar 15, 2012; 8:15 AM ET
Record-challenging warmth continuing across the eastern two-thirds of the country will combine with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico today to generate scattered thunderstorms.
Several of these storms, especially across the mid-Mississippi and the lower Ohio valleys, could turn severe and become capable of dropping hail and generating powerful wind gusts.
A much larger area will be at risk for a drenching thunderstorm at any time amidst today's warmth, from Texas and Oklahoma to New York and Pennsylvania.
Thunderstorms in Ohio resulted in flooding in Licking and Hocking counties in Ohio, forcing at least two water rescues, this morning. Hail-producing thunderstorms, with hailstones ranging from the size of peas to nickels, were also on the prowl across portions of Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and Tennessee.
However, it must be stressed that most of the time will be rain-free, and more locations will stay dry than experience a thunderstorm.
Such a setup is more typical for the summer months but just goes to show the unusual weather pattern gripping much of the nation here in mid-March.
In such patterns, pinpointing the exact area where severe storms will strike is nearly impossible.
AccuWeather.com meteorologists were able to designate an area extending from eastern Arkansas to southern Indiana as most likely to experience a severe storm.
This region includes Little Rock, Ark.; Memphis and Nashville, Tenn.; Bowling Green and Louisville, Ky.; Evansville, Ind.; and Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Of all the minor "disturbances" pushing through the upper atmosphere from the Plains to the East coast, the one moving over the aforementioned area is the most robust.
Hail to the size of ping-pong balls, as well as wind gusts above 50 mph, could accompany some storms. Combined with heavy rain, this will quickly reduce visibility for motorists and make driving hazardous.
Photo from Flckr user thehutch. Watch for towering thunderstorm clouds with an abundance of warm and humid air.
Thunderstorms early this morning awoke residents of Ohio, where some small hail fell from a few of the storms.
The threat of some locally gusty storms persist across the eastern half of the nation for at least the next few days as warmth, moisture and more disturbances continue to stir the pot
No comments:
Post a Comment