Another Tornado Outbreak

I am as perplexed by this vicious season as much as anyone. I understand the atmospheric set-up. That part’s no surprise.

You will be excused if you don’t hit the Storm Prediction Center website especially on this idyllic day in Connecticut. They are expecting more doom and destruction in the Midwest. It’s scary. It’s sad.

Here’s how they set the plate. The following outlook was issued long before any watches or warnings. Consider it a general heads up!

PUBLIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1226 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

…MAJOR TORNADO AND SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK EXPECTED OVER PARTS OF
THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI…MID MISSISSIPPI…AND LOWER OHIO VALLEYS
THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT…

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS FORECASTING THE
DEVELOPMENT OF NUMEROUS TORNADOES…WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS…AND
LARGE HAIL OVER PARTS OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI…MID
MISSISSIPPI…AND LOWER OHIO VALLEYS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE

CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARKANSAS
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN INDIANA
WESTERN KENTUCKY
CENTRAL AND EASTERN MISSOURI
NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI
WESTERN TENNESSEE

The map I’ve attached show how tornado watches stand as I type this. Obviously those will pop on-and-off through the night.

I am as perplexed by this vicious season as much as anyone. I understand the atmospheric set-up. That part’s no surprise.

The question is why are all the factors gelling so often this year?

Bad luck? Probably.

At this point I’m dismissing any tie-in between this severe weather and global warming. You can’t easily connect anecdotal events with climate.

I am closely watching our chances for severe weather Friday and Monday.

4 thoughts on “Another Tornado Outbreak”

  1. Geoff – scary is NOT the word – Missouri, Indiana, Ohio. TWCBreaking via Twitter is just going NUTS

  2. Maybe it really is the end of the world? Seriously, my heart is breaking for all those families. I was looking up the street today at our neighborhood and all the houses, and trying to imagine them all flattened and all the trees clipped off. Words cannot describe to heartache. All the missing people. All the people already homeless and expecting more storms. Lord, have mercy.

  3. Factor in higher solar output, and some of this makes sense. We’re in a sunspot upswing, and that is an indicator of more output.

    More output means more heat to drive the weather, I suspect. It’s happened before, sadly.

    I pray for my family and friends in the region, regularly…

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