2009 Spring Storm Thread

With the previous threads about winter weather and tropical goings-on, etc., I hoped those of us who bet on an outbreak of severe weather about once a week during the spring and early summer months - or have an interest in such things - could maintain a fun and informative thread about all those dry lines, super cells, deluges, baseball-sized hail, and mesocyclones we'll encounter for the next couple of months.

This could fall flat on its face, or it could succeed. I'm hoping the latter, especially considering the number of folks who seemed interested in all the hurricane activity of recent tropical seasons.

I'll get it started. I'm not the computer wiz some of you are, so I'll just link to this brief breakdown of what the folks at NOAA are expecting in this region come Easter weekend.

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/exper/day4-8/

(Anyone who can teach me how to post this map/page in an actual posting while using a Mac, I'm indebted to you.)

 

We're getting dry thunderstorms with 70 mph winds right now. Could use some moisture, though. It's only rained three times since October in my city.

Oh, and great thread idea. I love the spring storms.

 

I love spring storms as long as they don't pound my ass.

 

Looks like my region could be affected by some storms today/tonight.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/shv/productview.php?head=NEW&pil=HWO&sid=SHV&version=0

We've already had a week or two where weather has wreaked havoc on our local baseball and softball schedules, and with everybody playing Thursday instead of the normal Friday because of Easter weekend, might run into the same problem this evening.

 

Right now looks like the bigger stuff will fire up mostly east of you. I don't get nervous unless I see a moderate or high risk designation.

 

I live in Indiana. It's rained every other day since March 24. Frankly, the shit's getting old.

 

Ooops! NOAA just upgraded to red in eastern Oklahoma / western Arkansas.

 

Yeah, it looks like this system will suck most of the energy way up north into Arkansas and Missouri. Happens pretty often. Rain chances here have been dropped to 30 percent this afternoon and 20 tonight. Still saying those few storms could still be severe, though.

 

Tornado very close to downtown Shreveport. NBC affiliate reporting from their downtown studio that they can see flashes of power lines going down in the near north of downtown.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/shv/

Numerous tornado warnings along the Texas-Louisiana border this evening as severe thunderstorms popped up on top of the region. So far, they've affected regions near Longview, TX, Marshall, TX, Jefferson, TX, and the Shreveport/Bossier metro area.

 

AP reporting towns along Arkansas/Oklahoma border were hit pretty hard by tornados. SAR teams reportedly going door-to-door.

Edit: Three dead so far

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090410/ap_on_re_us/severe_weather

 

My friend's account of tonight's tornado in Shreveport:

"things got a little hairy. about pooped my pants. close call. i could hear the tv in the other room saying 'people on Wells Island Rd, take cover immediately.' yea thats where i call home. lights flickered and it got quiet. thats when i decided to run down the road to my uncles. probably not the best of timing, but i guarantee you i ran a 4.3 forty. it passed and i saw it taking out power lines. sky was lighting up bright green."