ONE HAIL OF A STORM, CHECK OUT THESE STONES...
Jeff Fichtner, a friend of TSwails.com and a Midwest transplant now living in Colorado is always keeping me up to date on unique weather events. Here's one that I thought was "big" enough to share with you. It happened in Tripoli October 27th. I never think of Libya when I think of severe weather but I guess I should. Get a load of these hailstones that fell in the capital city.
The storm produced exceptionally large, *giant* hail, possibly more than 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter. Early indications are that at least one of the stones could challenge for the largest ever recorded on Earth! Such hail size would definitely fit into the world’s Top 3 giant hailstone events reported globally. Besides the Vivian (south Dakota) hailstorm from 2010 and the so-called ‘gargantuan’ hailstorm in Argentina in 2018.
The event occurred on Tuesday afternoon (Oct 27th) when an upper trough was moving across the Mediterranean. A trough axis with a frontal boundary was moving from west to east across the southern portions of the Mediterranean sea. And one of the storms along the front brought an intense organized storm in the early evening hours.
Conditions ahead and along the front strongly supported severe weather, with very high to extreme instability within a strongly sheared environment. The winds ahead of the trough, strengthening with height, favored organized convective storms. Including rotating, supercell storms.
You can see in the NASA MODIS satellite image the band of storms moving along the front.
Some additional images of what chasers like me call "gorilla" hail from Saad Aldeen Hmouda
As they say even in Libya, that's one hail of a storm! Sorry, had to do it...
The next order of business is getting some warmer air in here for Halloween. After another chilly start Friday warm air advection begins in earnest Friday night paying some nice dividends Saturday with highs that in many areas have a shot at reaching 60. It will be blustery but that's the price you pay for mild air the last day of October. The EURO shows highs that look like this Halloween. Far better than last year when we had snow on the ground and readings in the 20s.
Here's a flashback to Halloween and tick or treating in 2019 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Certainly no treat.
Saturday night another cold front blasts quickly southeast bring a noticeable cool-down for Sunday and Monday. It will be a dry frontal passage with temperatures returning to the 40s.
On a positive note, south winds quickly Tuesday and that means fine conditions for those of you planning to vote (WHICH I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE). Under mostly sunny skies highs in most of the Midwest should be into the 60s. The weather will not be an excuse to exercise you right!
Additionally, the pattern looks mild and dry well beyond the election day. The EURO meteogram show this for temperatures through next weekend. These are a good 10 degrees above normal.
Additionally the pattern looks quite dry and the EURO shows no measurable rain or snow through the next 10 days.
Mild and dry is the new rule from election day forth. I'll vote for that! Roll weather...TS
Please pass the word that my book Derecho 911 is currently in pre-sales and is being offered at a discounted price. To get more information or purchase a copy click on the link above and view the video below
