4/17/04 NOW: IA/MN

Finally!!

Finally, after waiting all day for any kind of convective action we get a cluster of storms near the IA/MN border. Here's a link to the NWS radar out of Minneapolis, while its still active:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/radar/loop/DS.p19r...0/si.kmpx.shtml

NWS has already issued six severe thunderstorms warnings, five in MN and one in IA. All of the warnings mentioned large, destructive hails.

Let's get a good night sleep, folks. For tomorrow will be a better chase day. Today was about 99 and 44/100 percent bust. Sleep well. 8) LJK.
 
I hope those storms get some rotation....SPC says isolated tornadoes are possible with any storms along the warm front...
 
Thanks for the cross section fix! :eek: ... Storm looks like its pretty much upright with a slight tilt, so a decent combination of shear and CAPE seem to be present.
Looks like storms have a nice discrete structure, wouldn't be surprised to see a report of a isolated tornado (weak) in the cell just northwest of Mason, IA...Interesting how storms are doing in southern MN...0100Z OBS are showing Td's from the mid 30's to mid 40's, very dry air...

As for the L2 data...The more I look at it, the more I want, but I guess I'm gonna save for a NOAAport system when they come out with the new cheaper satellite systems sometime next year. Hopefully L2 will eventually make it on there.

Robert
 
Just checked out the latest RUC2 point soundings for north central IA, and they are looking pretty scary. SBCAPE values are between 2000-2500J/KG, and helicity is near 550m2/s2...Putting EHI values close to 8! Looking at the radar, storms appear to be SFC based so, I believe a tornado threat will develop very shortly, but it will be of short duration...Probably 1-2 more hours at most, before storms become elevated. Modified 00Z GRB sounding for southwest WI conditions show elevated CAPE of 2250J/KG (from 850MB) and decent shear...So expect a large hail threat in this region, but tornado threat will quickly diminish.

Robert
 
I would have to disagree with them...2 tornado warnings hot off the press...http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/ia/tornado.html

...THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING A TORNADO! TAKE COVER IN A
BASEMENT OR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR AND STAY AWAY
FROM WINDOWS!...

As I stated earlier though, I do expect this threat to be short-lived...

Robert
 
Back
Top