7/12/06: NOW: PA / NJ / NY

[HAltschule]

A Tornado Watch was just posted for parts of PA, NJ and NY. All of the paramters are in places for rotating supercells with the possibility of tornadoes. Many cells are rapidly developing and are showing the begining signs of a hook on them. This will be the place to be this afternoon to chase big storms. Will watch carefully and see if it's worth a 2 hour drive south to chase this afternoon.....

 

[Dave Kaplow]

A weak supercell just passed directly over New Haven, and there's another one out in the Sound headed for Long Island. This is all embedded in gunge, and outflow dominant, but the storms looked surprisingly healthy on radar, with all the typical supercell characteristics. Based on this, I'd say the atmosphere is primed for rotation and I also will be keeping a close eye on things. Probably won't chase locally unless this crap clears out and some real instability develops, but it could definitely be an interesting day further south. You don't see too many tornado watches that include Manhattan!

Edit: just noticed that there's a new MD out for CT concerning tornado potential and a possible watch this afternoon. Definitely going to have to monitor the situation closely...

 

[Dave Lewison]

Nice isolated mini-sup 20 mi ENE of New Haven has been tracking solidly for over an hour. I wish I was about 60 miles east of where I am now so I could go after it! Agree with Dave K. that the gunge makes this one particularly difficult to chase (not that it was ever easy to chase amidst the forests, mountains and winding roads of the northeast).

I'm still in a holding pattern at work here in Poughkeepsie... Got the laptop, cameras and WXWorx in the car, waiting to see if any of that stuff north of NYC shows any signs of being anything other than a big mess. So far no luck. I think the lack of heating will be today's downfall. Great kinematics though, which isn't too common in these parts.

 

[B Ozanne]

A tornado warning was just issued for Westchester (NY) and Fairfield (CT) county. Visibility is about .25 miles so I will not be chasing.

 

[Saul Trabal]

Hudson County, where I'm located, is one of the places in the tornado watch.

A tornado warning is in effect until 4:15 p.m. for Westchester County.

A waterspout was reported on the warned storm near the Tapanzee Bridge.

There's a moderate thundershower over me as I write this.

 

[HAltschule]

Tornado Warned cell now near Valhalla and heading toward the Clinton's house (Chappaqua, NY) has been pulsing and ever so slowly strengthening. Reports of trees down near White Plains with a separate supercell so we'll see if this thing gets intense enough to drop a tube.

 

[B Ozanne]

I'm in Norwalk, CT directly in this storm's path. Like I said before there is almost no visibility, just dense haze and fog.

 

[Saul Trabal]

Tornado warning issued until 4:30 pm for Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Quick question-can anyone guess how strong the twisters could be out of these storms?

 

[B Ozanne]

Tornado warning issued until 4:30 pm for Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Quick question-can anyone guess how strong the twisters could be out of these storms?
[/b]

Based on climatology F0 or F1, but anything is possible.

Sure wish I had some more visibility, tv is going crazy with warnings.....


Intense CG's all around. Keeping a careful eye on the large antenna across the street.

 

[HAltschule]

New Tornado warning just issued upstream for Fairfield County, CT. Cell still looks well organized and possibly producing a tornado. Incidentally, the storm looks more likely of producing a Tornado now than it did over the Tappan Zee Bridge area.

 

[B Ozanne]

No change in conditions outside my house. Still very calm and humid. No sign of cold air form the Sound being entrained yet.

 

[Dave Kaplow]

Very frustrating situation, surrounded by supercells that are almost impossible to chase because of visibility. I watched that supercell that passed directly over New Haven, and there really wasn't much to see, just an area of blackness in a gray sky. I saw no visible structure despite the very pretty presentation on radar - which is why I let the storm go by instead of following it. I kinda regretted that later, as the cell held together nicely and even intensified a bit after it moved east of the city - but really conditions are very far from ideal for chasing. Maybe one of us will get lucky, though...

 

[HAltschule]

NEW INFO:

WATERSPOUT was witnessed by Fire Department in Tarrytown on the Hudson River. A new report of a Tornado touchdown has been received by a trained spotter in Tarrytown reporting trees and wires down.

 

[Saul Trabal]

This radar zoom-in off Weather Underground seems to show the hook echo on the tornado-warned storm in Connecticut.

edited to add-radar shows more storms forming to my west.

 

[HAltschule]

From NWS:

THE STORM HAS ALREADY PRODUCED DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS AND WINDS OF AT
LEAST 58 MPH IN CENTRAL WESTCHESTER COUNTY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS
STORM![/b]