Tag Archives: Kentucky

Tropical Storm Harvey’s Record Rains Continue Over Texas and Louisiana

The record setting rainfall from Tropical Storm Harvey continued over southeastern Texas and Louisiana on Tuesday morning.  A rain gauge southeast of Houston near Mary’s Creek at Winding Road has measured 49.20 inches (125 cm) of rain from Tropical Storm Harvey as of 9:00 a.m. CDT on Tuesday.  This total sets a new record for the most rainfall from a tropical cyclone over the contiguous 48 states of the U.S.  The previous record was 48 inches (122 cm) dropped by Tropical Cyclone Amelia in 1978 over Medina, Texas.

At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Harvey was located at latitude 28.4°N and longitude 94.3°W which put it about 115 miles (185 km) south-southwest of Cameron, Louisiana.  Harvey was moving toward the north-northeast at 5 m.p.h. (8 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 997 mb.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the portion of the coast from Port O’Connor, Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana.  A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the portion of the coast from Morgan City to Grand Isle, Louisiana.

The center of Tropical Storm Harvey moved back over the Gulf of Mexico late on Monday and it is currently over the northwestern Gulf.  Harvey is still producing heavy rain over southeastern Texas and parts of Louisiana.  There is still a well defined center and strong counterclockwise rotation in the lower levels of the atmosphere.  Dry air wrapped around the circulation of Harvey and there are mainly lighter showers near the center of the tropical storm.  There are several stronger bands of thunderstorms on the eastern periphery of the circulation.  Those bands are dropping heavier rain over eastern Louisiana and parts of Mississippi.  The strong counterclockwise rotation is transporting moist air over land.  Increased friction over the land is causing more convergence which is pushing the air upwards.  Stronger rising motion is generating areas of heavier rain over southeast Texas and southern Louisiana.  In addition, the land is warming during the day, which is making the lower atmosphere more unstable and contributing to the heaver rain.

Flood Watches and Warnings are in effect from Northwest Florida to Southeast Texas because of the potential for more heavy rain.  Tropical Storm Harvey is finally starting to move slowly toward the north-northeast.  It should make a landfall on the coast of Louisiana early on Wednesday.  Tropical Storm Harvey will weaken as it moves farther inland and it should move over the Lower Mississippi River Valley as a tropical depression late this week.  The rain over southeastern Texas and southern Louisiana should end once Harvey moves farther inland.

Elsewhere, a low pressure system designated Potential Tropical Cyclone Ten was bringing gusty winds and higher waves to portions of the Mid-Atlantic coast.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Potential Tropical Cyclone Ten was located at latitude 34.4°N and longitude 77.2°W which put it about 35 miles (60 km) west-southwest of Cape Lookout, North Carolina.  It was moving toward the northeast at 17 m.p.h. (28 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1006 mb.  A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect from Cape Lookout to Duck, North Carolina including Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds.  Potential Tropical Cyclone Ten is forecast to merge with a front and become a strong extratropical cyclone over the western Atlantic Ocean.

Tropical Depression Cindy Brings Stormy Weather to Southern U.S.

Tropical Depression Cindy brought stormy weather to parts of the southern U.S. on Thursday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Depression Cindy was located at latitude 33.1°N and 93.5°W which put it about 70 miles (115 km) southwest of Little Rock, Arkansas.  Cindy was moving toward the north-northeast at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 20 m.p.h. (30 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 30 m.p.h. (50 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1000 mb.

Tropical Storm Cindy made landfall early on Thursday morning near the border between Texas and Louisiana.  Cindy moved steadily northward during the day and it was centered over southwestern Arkansas by Thursday night.  Broad counterclockwise rotation around Cindy transported warm and very humid air over the southern U.S.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms dropped locally heavy rain in some places.  Rivers and streams were above flood stage in several southern states.  Flash Flood Warnings and Flash Flood Watches were issued for portions of the southern U.S. and Ohio River Valley.  Several tornadoes formed in the bands of thunderstorms.  A tornado in Alabama caused property damage.  Southerly winds blowing toward the shore were still causing storm surges along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

Tropical Depression Cindy is forecast to move northeast toward the Ohio River Valley on Friday.  It will continue to produce locally heavy rain.  A slow moving cold front will approach the region from the west.  A band of stronger convergence could develop where the counterclockwise flow around Cindy interacts with the flow along the cold front.  Higher rainfall totals may occur where this interaction happens.  Wind shear created by the interacting weather systems could also create the potential for some tornadoes.  Tropical Depression Cindy could merge with the cold front during Friday night or Saturday.

Tropical Depression Bill Bringing Storms to Lower Ohio Valley

The circulation around Tropical Depression Bill brought strong storms to the Lower Ohio River Valley on Friday.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Depression Bill was located at latitude 37.1°N and longitude 90.1°W which put it about 30 miles (50 km) west of Cape Girardeau, Missouri.  Bill was moving toward the east-northeast at 15 m.p.h. (24 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 25 m.p.h., but there were higher gusts in thunderstorms.  The minimum surface pressure was 1004 mb.

The circulation around Tropical Depression Bill retained enough tropical characteristics on Friday to be considered a tropical cyclone.  There was still evidence of a warm core in the middle troposphere with a strong center of circulation at the surface and divergent outflow in the upper levels.  Spiral bands of showers and thunderstorms continued to rotate cyclonically around the center, and some thunderstorms approached severe criteria.  A stationary frontal boundary ran from New Jersey across Ohio to central Missouri.  However, the circulation around the tropical depression was south of the boundary and it was clearly a distinct area of low pressure.

Tropical Depression Bill is expected to continue its east-northeasterly motion during the weekend.  It will pass south of Ohio on Saturday and cross New Jersey on Sunday.  The tropical depression will continue to produce locally heavy rainfall and the potential for isolated severe thunderstorms.

Tropical Depression Bill Bringing Rain to Arkansas and Missouri

Tropical Depression Bill continued its slow movement over the South Central U.S. on Thursday and it brought rain to Arkansas and southern Missouri.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Depression Bill was located at latitude 35.9°N and longitude 93.8°W which put it about 20 miles (30 km) east of Fayetteville, Arkansas.  Bill was moving toward the east-northeast at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 20 m.p.h. (30 km/h) and the minimum surface pressure was 1005 mb.

Even thought the center of Bill has been over land for more than 48 hours, it retains many of the characteristics of a tropical cyclone.  It has a well defined cyclonic circulation with a warm core in the middle troposphere and there is upper level divergence.  As a result, Bill is still officially classified as a tropical depression.

Bill is moving around the western end of a high pressure system centered over the Atlantic Ocean.  It should continue to move toward the east-northeast during the next several days.  On its anticipated track Bill will bring rain to northern Arkansas and southern Missouri on Friday.  It will move up the Ohio River Valley on Saturday and enhance the rainfall in those areas.  The circulation of the tropical depression could merge with a nearly stationary frontal boundary north of the Ohio River during the weekend.  Heavy rain falling on saturated ground could create the potential for flooding in some areas.

Tropical Depression Bill Crossing Red River Into Oklahoma

Tropical Depression Bill moved northward across north Texas on Wednesday and brought heavy rain to parts of Texas and Oklahoma.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Tropical Depression Bill was located at latitude 33.7°N and longitude 97.3°W which put it about 65 miles (105 km) north-northwest of Dallas, Texas.  Bill was moving toward the north at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 30 m.p.h. (50 km/h).  There were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) in some thunderstorms.  The minimum surface pressure was 999 mb.

Bill still has a well organized circulation at the surface and throughout the troposphere.  There is still a warm core in the middle troposphere and divergence in the upper levels.  The upper level divergence pumped out the same amount of mass as converged in the lower levels and the surface pressure remained constant on Wednesday.  Some drier air is wrapping around the southern part of the circulation and most of the rain is falling north and east of the center.  The slow movement of Bill has generated significant amounts of rain and flooding is occurring in some parts of Texas and Oklahoma.  A few thunderstorms have also produced damaging wind gusts.

Bill is expected to turn toward the northeast as is moves around the western end of a high pressure system centered off the southeast coast of the U.S.  It will move slowly across Oklahoma on Thursday and across Arkansas on Friday before moving up the Ohio River Valley during the weekend.