Waking Up To Snow

A quick follow-up to yesterday’s post, the tornado in Suffolk was confirmed as an EF3 (136-165 MPH) by the NWS Wakefield office late yesterday.

OK, on to something we didn’t think we would be talking about on April 30th. It is currently snowing in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Not in Philadelphia or Baltimore, but in the Appalachian highlands such as areas like Johnstown and Garrett County, MD. A shortwave rotating around an upper-level low well to the North was able to kick off some precip in those areas and with temps settling into the 30s its cold enough aloft and at the surface for snow. It is not sticking anywhere, but still an unusual and scary sight for a day before May. Elsewhere across our region, many spots have dropped well into the 30s with some frost forming, but mostly on rooftops and automobiles.

 

 

 

VA Tornadoes

Several tornadoes from a line of severe thunderstorms struck Southern Virginia yesterday afternoon. The worst of the damage occurred in a 25 mile path from Suffolk to Southwest of Norfolk and resulted in more than 200 injured. Several tornado warnings were issued by the National Weather Service yesterday afternoon in Wakefield, VA between 3:30 and 4:30 PM.

A few of the tornadoes in the area were categorized as a confirmed moderate EF1 (73-112 MPH) but the one that struck Suffolk was confirmed as an EF3 (136-165 mph). Pictures of the damage from the tornadoes can be viewed here.