Monday, September 10, 2012

For much of the eastern U.S., autumn calm replaces spring-like severe weather

Following a major severe thunderstorm outbreak (Sept. 7 and Sept. 8) that stretched from the southern Plains to the East Coast, cooler and drier weather has moved in across much of the eastern half of the Nation. The Storm Prediction Center received more than 625 reports of winds above 58 miles per hour (the threshold for a severe thunderstorm) or associated wind damage during the 48-hour period ending at 8am E.D.T. on September 9 (Fig. 1). There were also nearly 60 hail reports (some as large as 2.75 inches in diameter) and a couple of waterspouts that were reclassified as tornadoes, because they come ashore, in Queens, NY.
Severe weather outbreak reports - Sept. 7 - Sept. 9, 2012
   
In the wake of this spate of severe weather, calm has returned. And what a delightful calm it is. Temperatures have dropped to seasonal or slightly below seasonal values across much of the eastern U.S., skies have turned fair to partly cloudy and, most importantly perhaps, dew points have tumbled. There’s nothing quite like a day with temperatures in the 70’s or 80’s with dew points in the 40’s.

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