Latest news with #stormchasers
CBS News
4 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Sunny Saturday gives way to possible rain Sunday in parts of North Texas
Meteorological spring wrapped up with a classic end-of-May day. Friday's high of 88 degrees matched the historical average for May 31. As the month closes, the tally shows more days with below-normal highs than those above average. This spring, covering March, April, and May, goes down as the seventh warmest on record and the 52nd wettest. As we approach the start of meteorological summer at midnight, the astronomical summer solstice remains 20 days away. While the majority of our tornado activity (about 55%) typically occurs during the 61 days of April and May, June still brings its share of severe weather. It ranks as our second stormiest month. It's no surprise that June is kicking off with two chances for storms on its very first day. The first round poses a lower risk and is expected to arrive overnight from the north. Storms will cross the Red River in the early morning hours and gradually weaken as they move across our eastern counties through the morning. The risk for damaging winds and one-inch hail remains low and does not include the Metroplex. By afternoon, the remnants of the boundary will linger over our southern counties. With the addition of daytime heating, conditions will be favorable for new storm development. These storms carry a significantly higher risk of producing damaging winds and large hail. A 'slight' risk - Level 2 out of 5 - has been issued for areas south of the Metroplex, including Johnson and Ellis counties. We'll be monitoring for hail up to two inches in diameter, or larger, roughly the size of an egg. This threat is expected to develop by late afternoon and continue into the early evening. More unsettled weather is expected through the first week of June. The First Alert Weather Team is closely monitoring Tuesday night, Wednesday, and Wednesday night for the potential designation of First Alert Weather Days. Storm chances are likely to persist into next weekend.
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Climate
- Washington Post
Cantaloupe-sized hail keeps bombarding Texas
Mammoth hail keeps pelting parts of Central Texas. Cantaloupe-sized hail — approximately six inches in diameter — was recovered following a series of rotating supercell thunderstorms earlier this week. One of the stones that fell in Menard, Texas, was 5.87 inches across, and was picked up by a team of researchers conducting a hail study field mission. While it just missed this threshold, the technical term for six-inch hail is 'gargantuan' (yes, really). A year ago this week, meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Lubbock issued the first-ever 'DVD-sized hail' warning, corresponding to stones at least 4.75 to 5 inches in diameter. Hail that large is difficult to detect on radar. Unless forecasters receive real-time reports from storm chasers or the public, most warnings are usually for softball-size (4.00 inches in diameter) or grapefruit-size (4.50 inches in diameter) hail. Sunday's biggest hailstones fell in Afton, Texas — about 70 miles east-northeast of Lubbock. The storm chasers who found them estimated they weighed nearly a pound and a half each. On April 24, storm chaser Adam Lucio posted on social media that he recovered a 5.22-inch hailstone near Cedar Hill, Texas. And on April 29, I found a 4.74-inch 'DVD-sized' hailstone during a storm in nearby Guthrie, Texas. The vicinity of Dickens County, Texas, had three 'DVD-sized' hailstorms in 33 days. And it's roughly the same area where a 7.25-inch stone fell on June 2, 2024. (That one hit the rural settlement of Vigo Park, Texas, and was approximately the size and shape of a pineapple.) The National Weather Service has implemented a standardized lexicon for talking about big hail. 'Baseball-size' hail is 2.75 inches in diameter, for example. Three-inch hail is 'teacup-size,' and 3.5-inch hail is 'large apple-size.' Meteorologists hadn't really thought of anything past DVDs given the rarity of six-inch hail. Now, storm chasers have gravitated toward 'cantaloupe-size.' Why is so much of this huge hail being produced in this part of Texas? The spring months feature something called a 'dryline' in west Central Texas. That's the border between bone-dry desert air to the west and moisture-rich Gulf air to the east. Those clashing air masses, which wage regular battles near Interstate 27 from Amarillo to Lubbock and then south to Midland-Odessa, spark rotating supercell thunderstorms that can produce massive hail. But east of Lubbock, there's also another factor at play — the presence of Palo Duro Canyon and the Caprock Escarpment. It's the transition zone between the lower-elevation rolling terrain to the east and the elevated high plains of the Llano Estacado, situated at more than 3,000 feet elevation, to the west. The rocky, uneven terrain of the Caprock makes for uneven heating, with sunshine on some features and shade falling on others. That can induce local circulations and air currents that frequently generate the first storms of the day. And whichever storm sprouts first often has access to the greatest supply of undisturbed storm fuel. The world record (and national record) is an 8.00-inch diameter hailstone, which was logged during an extreme storm in Vivian, South Dakota, on June 23, 2010. It weighed 1 pound 15 ounces, and left a crater in the ground.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Storm chances continue as temperatures heat up
Temperatures continue to heat up across New Mexico through this weekend. Isolated storm chances continue with widespread rain moving in by next Monday. Showers and storms again developed Wednesday afternoon in northern, northeastern, and eastern parts of New Mexico, along with the Sacramento Mountains. A couple of these storms turned severe in northeastern parts of the state. Temperatures were hotter today where drier conditions were in place. Storms have ended now tonight. An east canyon wind will again bring in higher humidity into the Rio Grande Valley by Thursday morning. Isolated rain and thunderstorm chances continue in parts of New Mexico through this weekend. The highest chances for rain will be across the central mountain chain and in eastern New Mexico. Although a few storms will also be possible in some of the western mountain and surrounding areas. Temperatures across New Mexico will also continue to heat up through Friday, when high temperatures will be well-above average statewide. The heat will stick around for most of the state through Sunday. A storm system will be approaching New Mexico from the west Sunday, drawing up moisture from the south as well. This will bring an increase in rain chances in southern New Mexico Sunday afternoon. But the storm will move into New Mexico Monday, bringing widespread showers and thunderstorms. Rain will start in western New Mexico Monday morning, becoming widespread across the state Monday afternoon. Temperatures will be cooler as this storm moves in and winds will pick up. Dry air quickly returns Tuesday as temperatures warm back up to around average again. Breezy winds will stick around early next week as well. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CTV News
7 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
WxBlast: May 28
Edmonton Watch Hot and windy Thursday – a dangerous day for wildfires, especially with the chance of lightning strikes from late-day storms. Risk of severe thunderstorms for some areas. Above-average temperatures through Saturday…then a big cooldown for early next week. Wednesday WxBlast video:
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Severe weather impacts central, southern US on Memorial Day weekend
Temperatures will be spilt across the country over the holiday weekend with cool temperatures in the Northeast and Midwest and warm temperatures across the western and southern U.S. Meanwhile, rounds of severe weather and heavy rain are expected across the Plains and parts of the South. This is partially due to the jet stream, where warm and cold air masses separate, being set up over the same areas that'll see rain and storms for the holiday weekend. This pattern will also bring a nationwide temperature divide this weekend. Severe weather was ongoing Saturday morning, with strong thunderstorms and heavy rain hitting portions of eastern Oklahoma, southern Missouri, and Arkansas. On Saturday, severe storms will be possible for parts of northern Texas, Oklahoma, southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri, Arkansas, northern Mississippi and west-central Alabama. Severe storms on Sunday will be possible again for parts of north-central Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, northern Mississippi, northern Alabama and southwest Tennessee. On Monday, severe storms are expected to push south and east into portions of central Texas. Some isolated strong to severe storms will also be possible from Texas and Oklahoma to Georgia. MORE: Rain and flooding could dampen Memorial Day weekend in the South In addition to the severe weather threat, heavy rain will set up across parts of the mid-South, presenting a flood threat for the holiday weekend. A Flood Watch remains in effect for portions of northeast Oklahoma, southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri, and northern Arkansas where up to 8 inches of rainfall are possible. This includes Tulsa, Oklahoma; Springfield, Missouri; and Russellville, Arkansas. A widespread 3 to 6 inches of rain will be possible throughout the weekend, with locally higher amounts in spots. Pleasant conditions will be settling in from the Northeast to the Midwest, but below normal temperatures will linger for the holiday weekend. For the Northeast on Saturday, the nor'easter is beginning to part ways from the region. However, some lingering light showers will continue to be possible across the Northeast. At the very least, cloudy conditions continue on Saturday. On Sunday, clouds are expected to begin to break up across the Northeast with the Midwest seeing plenty of sunshine. For Monday, the Northeast will see much more sunshine with the Midwest seeing more clouds. Over the holiday weekend, temperatures will be 5 to 15 degrees below what is normal for late May. Despite the storms and rain, much of the South will be warmer than normal. High temperatures across the region will be 5 to 15 degrees above what is normal for late-May. Meanwhile, dry and hot conditions will be building up across the West for this weekend. High temperatures across the region will be 5 to 15 degrees above what is normal for late-May. The warming trend across the West will continue into next week, with above normal temperatures very likely for the end of May and beginning of June. Wet, stormy, and unsettled weather continues across parts of the Plains and South on Memorial Day as travelers get ready to head home from their holiday destinations. A little bit of this stretches up into portions of the Northwest, but showers will be much more scattered for these areas. Gorgeous weather is expected for the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast. Plenty of sunshine and highs nudging into the 70s. Dry, hot, and sunny weather is expected for the Southwest. Severe weather impacts central, southern US on Memorial Day weekend originally appeared on
