Tag Archives: storms

Spring Storm Breaks Daily Rainfall Record in NYC

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A powerful spring storm lashed the New York City area on Monday. Strong winds and heavy rain were seen across the region.

According to the NWS, 1.92 inches of rain was measured in Central Park, setting a new record for the date. The previous record of 1.26 inches had been in place since 1920. On average, the Big Apple gets 4.5 inches of rain for the entire month of April.

Stong winds were also reported across the city. At JFK airport in Queens, wind gusts reached 53mph.

The robust storm caused a number of problems across the five boroughs, including downed trees and power outages. It also forced the closure of several tent-based coronavirus testing facilities.

Storm damage in NYC. Credit: weathercom

Active 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season Comes to a Close

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The 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially ended on Saturday.  It marked the fourth year in a row with above-average activity.

According to NOAA, there were eighteen named storms this season. Of these, six developed into hurricanes and three were major hurricanes with ratings of category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. It also posted an Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index of 129.8 An average season produces twelve named storms, six hurricanes, three major hurricanes, and an ACE of 106.

Officially running from June 1 to November 30, the season got off to an early start with Subtropical Storm Andrea forming in May. This was the fifth consecutive year to see a pre-season storm develop. The biggest names of the season, however, were Dorian and Lorenzo.

In September, Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas as a category-5 storm with winds measured up to 185mph and a minimum pressure of 910 millibars.  It was the strongest storm on record to hit the island nation, claiming the lives of at least 60 people and leaving several billion dollars worth of damage in its wake.

Dorian also marked 2019 as the fourth year in a row to see a category-5 storm develop in the Atlantic basin, a new record.

Out at sea, Hurricane Lorenzo became the second category-5 storm of the season. It was also the easternmost Category-5 storm in the Atlantic on record. As for a possible connection to climate change, it is interesting to note that twenty-eight category-5 storms have developed in the Atlantic since 1950 with fourteen of them occurring since 2003.

For the contiguous United States this season, Tropical Storm Imelda caused the most damage. Moving slowly across Texas and Louisiana, it dumped between 30 and 44 inches of rain on the area over the course of three days. It unleashed catastrophic flooding throughout the region and became the fifth wettest tropical cyclone on record in the continental US.

This active hurricane season, according to NOAA, was largely the result of above-average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic, a stronger than normal West African monsoon, and ENSO neutral conditions in the Pacific. In other words, the combination of warm water to fuel storms and reduced wind shear across the Gulf of Mexico allowed for unhindered tropical development in the Atlantic basin.

Credit: NOAA

Fall Nor’easter Transitions to Sub-Tropical Storm Melissa

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The nor’easter that has been battering the northeast coast of the US for several days transitioned to Sub-Tropical Storm Melissa on Friday. It is now the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.

Lingering offshore since Wednesday, states from the mid-Atlantic to New England have been feeling its impacts in the form of strong winds, heavy rain, and coastal flooding. On Friday, its sustained winds were measured up to 60 mph.

Classified as subtropical, Melissa is a hybrid between a tropical storm and a regular low-pressure system. A tropical system is fueled by the latent heat released by the evaporation of ocean water while a regular storm is powered by the temperature contrast between air masses. Hybrids are able to access both energy sources.

The National Hurricane Center expects Melissa to become post-tropical and move further out to sea over the weekend.

Subtropical Storm Melissa swirling off the coast of New England. Credit: NOAA

What Causes the Smell of Rain?

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Rain is often associated with particular smells. But, rain itself is odorless. So, where do these aromas come from?

The distinctive scent that lingers in the air after a rainstorm is known as petrichor. It is the product of two reactions that occur when rainwater hits the ground. Its main driver is a soil-dwelling bacteria called actinomycetes. These microorganisms thrive in moist conditions, but as the soil dries out, they produce spores. These are then released into the air by the moisture and force with which the rain hits the ground. This happens at the same time the rainwater is mixing with oils that were secreted by plants onto nearby rocks and soil during times of dryness. Together these reactions produce the musky petrichor smell, which is particularly strong after a long dry spell. The term was coined in 1964 by two Australian scientists, Isabel Joy Bear and RG Thomson. They derived it from the Greek words, “petra” meaning stone and “ichor”, the term used to describe the blood of the gods in ancient mythology.

A different, and often more pungent, rain smell is associated with thunderstorms. After the powerful electric charge of a lightning bolt splits the oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere, they often recombine as nitric oxide. This, in turn, interacts with other atmospheric chemicals to form ozone (O3). When people say they can “smell the rain coming”, this is the scent they detect as it often arrives in the wind ahead of an approaching storm.

Credit: freepik

Weather Lingo: Haboob

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During the summer months, a change in wind direction known as a monsoon brings a major shift in the weather for the southwestern US. The season is well known for producing intense dust storms known as haboobs.

Haboobs form when thunderstorms collapse and create a strong downward flow of wind. When this downdraft of air hits the ground ahead of the storm, it blows the loose sand and soil from the desert floor high up in the air, creating a giant wall of dust.  Rising quickly, haboobs often reach heights between 5000 and 8000 feet and can span out nearly 100 miles in length. Traveling at speeds ranging from 30 to 60 mph, they can cover large distances rather quickly.

Often called “black blizzards”, these storms turn day into night.  Engulfing entire communities in dust, they cause respiratory problems and create serious travel hazards both in the air and on the ground. Luckily, they usually only last a few hours.

Many dry regions of the world experience haboobs, but they were first described in Sudan, along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. As such, the word comes from Arabic and means, “blowing or blasting furiously.”

A haboob moves across Phoenix, AZ in August 2018. Credit: ChopperGuy/Twitter

Hurricane Barry Makes Landfall in Louisiana, Soaking Gulf Coast

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Hurricane Barry made landfall at Intracoastal City, Louisiana on Saturday. It was the second named storm and first hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic season.

Coming ashore with winds measured up to 75 mph, Barry was classified as a category one hurricane. But, it was rain rather than the wind that had the biggest impact on the area. Moving slowly at about 7mph, the storm dumped heavy precipitation across the region, causing widespread flooding.  Some parishes even saw the water overtop levees in spots. The highest rainfall total of 23.58 inches was reported near Ragley, LA.  

Extensive power outages were also reported across Louisiana. According to state energy officials, more than 120,000 customers were in the dark in the wake of the storm.

While downgraded to a tropical storm after landfall, Barry is still laden with moisture. It is expected to bring heavy rain and flooding to regions further inland as it travels north into Arkansas.

Hurricane Barry. Credit: NOAA

May 2019: A Soggy Month for NYC

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May was another month of wild temperature swings in New York City. Producing several cases of weather whiplash, highs ranged from a chilly 48°F to an unseasonably balmy 86°F. In the end, however, these extremes balanced each other out. The city’s mean temperature for the month was 62.2°F, which is only 0.2°F below average.

On the precipitation side of things, May was unusually wet. The month brought the city a relatively rare spring nor’easter and several impressive thunderstorms. One of which produced golf ball sized hail on Staten Island, one the city’s five boroughs. Overall, 19 out 31 days posted measureable rainfall that added up to 6.82 inches for the month. While that is a soggy statistic, it was not the wettest May the city has seen. That dubious honor belongs to May 1989 when 10.24 inches of rain was measured in Central Park. The city, on average, gets 4.19 inches for the month.

Credit: The Weather Gamut

Names for the 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season

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Today is the first day of the 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Although one named storm, Andrea, already formed, the season officially runs from June 1 to November 30.

Since 1950, each tropical storm or hurricane to form in the Atlantic has been given a unique name. They come from a set of six rotating lists produced by the World Meteorological Organization. A name is retired only when a storm was particularly noteworthy – causing a large number of fatalities or an extraordinary amount of damage.

Some notable retired names include:  Harvey, Irma, Katrina, Maria, Michael, and Sandy. The names for this year’s storms are listed below.

Credit: NOAA

Strong Storm Pelts NYC Borough with Large Hail

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A powerful thunderstorm moved through New York City on Tuesday night. Generating strong winds and heavy rain across area, it also brought hail to Staten Island, one of the city’s outer boroughs.

According to reports, hailstones measuring 1.8 inches in diameter came down in the Bull’s Head neighborhood. Roughly the size of golf balls, it was the largest hail reported in the city since 2011.

The storm was strong enough to warrant a tornado warning for the area, but luckily no twisters touched down in the five boroughs. Nonetheless, the large hail is a testament to the storm’s intensity. Simply put, the stronger the updraft of a storm, the longer hailstones remain suspended, allowing them to grow larger.

The largest hailstone ever recorded in the US was found in Vivian, South Dakota on June 23, 2010. It measured 7.9 inches in diameter and weighed 1.94 pounds.

Large hail fell from an intense thunderstorm over Staten Island, NYC on May 28, 2019. Image Credit: Staten Island Advance/ J Yates

The 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook

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The number of hurricanes that develop in the Atlantic basin varies from year to year. For 2019, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a near average season.

Tropical cyclones, known as hurricanes in the United States, develop around the globe at different times of the year. In this country, we are most impacted by the Atlantic hurricane season, which affects the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. It runs from June 1 through November 30.

Overall, NOAA predicts a 70% likelihood of nine to fifteen named storms forming this season, of which four to eight could become hurricanes, including two to four major hurricanes. An average season produces twelve named storms, including six hurricanes and three that become major hurricanes.

A major hurricane is one that is rated category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

This year’s outlook, according to NOAA, reflects several competing factors. On one side, there are above average sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic to fuel any storms that develop. Additionally, there is an enhanced west African monsoon in place that can initiate disturbances that turn into storms over the Atlantic. On the other hand, there is an ongoing El Niño event. El Niño conditions in the Pacific tend to cause increased wind shear in the Atlantic, which suppresses tropical development in that basin.

Last year, 2018, saw a very destructive hurricane season in the Atlantic. It produced fifteen named storms, including, Florence and Michael.

Regardless of the number of storms that actually form this year, it is important to remember that it only takes one land-falling system to make it an impactful season.