Buffalo Buried

on November 17-19 2014, a major lake effect snow storm hit Buffalo, New York. In those two days it is estimated 4 feet of snow fell, completely debilitating all communities affected, collapsing roofs, and stranding many people. Rescue efforts began on the 20th, but that day, another 3 feet of snow fell. Wind blew up to 55mph, and blizzard conditions were prevalent for most of the 2 days. This was one of the biggest snow storms in 30 years for Buffalo.




https://www.weather.gov/buf/lake1415_stormb.html

Decreasing Cyclone frequency in the 21st century.

In our text book at the end of chapter 10, the writers state that as global temperature rises, Rocky Mountain cyclones will occur with less frequency leading to inconsistent precipitation patterns. It is said in our book that the less frequently the cyclones happen, and the slower they become, they will bring more sustained precipitation over a period of time. Think of this past summer's rain patterns. There have been periods of drought, followed by intense rain, and flooding. This is something to watch as we push further into the 21st century.

Hurricane Nate

Hurricane Nate made landfall in Mississippi late Saturday night as a Category 1 hurricane with, a 12 foot storm surge in places. Hazardous conditions were present from Louisiana to Alabama until Sunday. The storm is the 4th hurricane to make landfall on U.S. territory in the gulf coast so far this year. The storm put water up to 4 feet deep in some coastal casinos, and ravaged many businesses. Sunday night 87,000 people were with out power.





http://amp.sunherald.com/news/local/counties/jackson-county/article177908281.html
http://www.ibtimes.com/hurricane-nate-flooding-beau-rivage-mississippi-alabama-captured-pictures-videos-2598959

Rapid Intensification

Rapid intensification is something that is a condition that happens when a hurricane increases wind speed by 30 knots or more in a 24 hour period. Such intensification causes storms to jump several categories in one day. The increase in wind speed is also coupled with a drop in pressure.The most fierce rapid intensification that occurs in the atlantic takes place in the Gulf Of Mexico.
















http://www.oleantimesherald.com/news/nation/rapid-intensification-fuels-major-atlantic-hurricanes-in/article_d537ed6d-df2e-5f87-b39d-1dc3bce8b2cd.html

Summer Heat in Autumn Comes to the Rescue of Farmers

The immensely rainy, and mild summer, and spring experienced this year put farmers behind on planting. Much of the planting was not able to be completed until several weeks after the normal start of planting. The constant deluge made the fields much to muddy to plant. Then during summer while the crops were already underdeveloped, vast standing pools of watered covered much of the fields, and killed off many more crops. Many farmers lost dozens, or hundreds of acres of crops to flooding.

The first week of autumn however, has brought a sigh of relief to the farmers, as their fields ripen quickly under our summer like heat wave. This 90-100 degree weather we are experiencing right now is serving almost as a counterbalance to the harmful conditions we have under went earlier in the season.












http://www.dairyherd.com/node/196185

Fire Tornado

A fire tornado is typically spawned in the presence of vast wildfires. The large area of burning rapidly heats the air above it, and starts a convection process. Winds converging on the fire then provide for the vortex of flame to shoot up. Most fire tornadoes are only about 100 feet tall, and a few feet wide. The hot air rising from a wild fire, if large enough, can form pyrocumulus cloud, a thunderhead like cloud. If this cloud provides a strong enough updraft, the small whirl of fire can start to look like a more conventional tornado, and become quite large.













https://weather.com/storms/tornado/news/fire-tornado-firewhirl-photos-20130814#/!

Raining Fish

For thousands of years people have written, and spoken of fish raining from the sky. They are certainly not wrong. It is very possible. When waterspouts form near coastal areas, or hurricanes pass through, occasionally, thousands of fish will be picked up, and thrown over land. One such event took place in Thomasville, Alabama in 1957. It was reported that a storm came through that dropped thousands of fish, frogs, and crayfish. A nearby F-2 tornado was the likely culprit.

https://weather.com/science/news/worlds-strangest-weather-thundersnow-firenado-hail-lightning-duststorm-20130822

Storm Surges

Storm surges are often the most devastating aspect of hurricanes. The storm surges essentially are abnormal risings in tide caused by the high winds of the hurricane around the eye, and the approach to land. Storm surges have capabilities of becoming quite massive. Recorded surges have been up to, and exceeding 40 feet in some parts of the world.

 The picture below was taken in the Phillipines after a cyclone passed through the country. The storm surge is estimated to have killed 10,000 or people. These high tides are perhaps the most devastating form a natural disaster can take.


https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/surge_world_records.asp

The Great Blizzard of 1888

The blizzard of 1888, or the Great White Hurricane as it has been called, was a monstrous storm that rocked North Eastern America. An estimated 50 inches of snow fell over 4 days from March 11th-15th. 400 people perished in this storm, and 200 of them in New York. Incredible snow, coupled with a cruel cold, and lashing wind was a quite the lethal combination of unusual weather.

In New York a newspaper wrote in regards to the storm; "All the artillery of Europe could not have reduced New York to such an awful condition of helplessness in such short time." The city of New York was completely cut off from all communications due to extensive telegraph lines collapsing, and railways becoming buried under snow.

The storm is still used today as a comparison of weather, and will remain one of the worst disasters of the American North East.

Belvidere '67 Tornado

On April 21st, at about 3:50 PM 1967 in Belvidere, Illinois, a deadly F4 tornado passed through the town. This storm passed through at a time when many children were boarding buses to leave school. There was hardly a warning for any of these people who were suddenly caught in a violent, and deadly conflict with a titan of nature.

This tornado was part of the system that spawned the Oak Lawn tornado, and Lake Zurich tornado. This system spawned  a total of 45 tornadoes that killed 58 people in Illinois. Multiple memorials have been erected to memorialize this terrible day.

 
 

 https://youtu.be/RXyVAHjsr6o


http://www.comportone.com/cpo/weather/tornado2.htm

Capron EF1 Tornado

 On the night of May 17th, a severe thunderstorm passed through Boone, Winnebago, and Mchenry counties. A tornado was produced, and touched down south of Poplar Grove, and traveled North East passing through Capron, and into rural Harvard. The storm produced large volumes of hail, and damaging winds. Two structures in Capron were collapsed.


This tornado passed through my subdivision while I was pulling up to my house on my way back from the gas station with my neighbor. The air was very still, and calm for about 10 minutes until I pulled onto my street, which is when the tornado moved through the small neighborhood. As soon as I turned onto my street the winds went from 0-100 mph with a torrential downpoor, and golfball sized hail. I felt my truck begin to be picked up, and nearly could not make it 100 yards to my house.


http://www.weather.gov/lot/SevereThunderstorms05182017