WindPhoto

After our recent ice storm we say.  “Come on Spring ! “

   (copyright  S. + G. Windsor )

As you may have noticed, the Northeastern US is experiencing a frigid Arctic blast this first week of  January 2017.  In Damascus Maryland,  it’s bringing record low single digit temperatures and a long streak of  consecutive days without surpassing freezing.

It’s bone chilling,  but it does make for some nice Jack Frost.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Irma, was the strongest and longest lasting Atlantic basin hurricane ever recorded. Also the storm had maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph) which was a Category 5.

Below are some Satellite images in the Atlantic.

Infrared  Satellite  image,   courtesy NOAA / GOES

Visible Satellite image ,  courtesy CIRA / RAMMB

Below is a radar image of the storm that came through on Sept. 29th,2015
producing intense rainfall and a brief tornado. It took the shape of a bow echo
 radar signature. The report:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC HAS
 CONFIRMED A TORNADO NEAR LAUREL AND SCAGGSVILLE IN PRINCE GEORGES
 AND HOWARD COUNTIES MARYLAND ON TUESDAY EVENING  SEPTEMBER 29 2015.



        

(images NWS ) 

I was looking at some data regarding  historic tornado activity east of the Mississippi.    This  years  severe weather  has been active in Texas , Oklahoma and  Kansas .   I made this simplified graphic  to show the locations of the most extreme  (F3, F4,F5  ) tornados  in  ”Dixie Alley ” for the last 50 years .

Sources:   National Weather service ,    TornadoHistoryProject.com

February 2015  turned out to be the  coldest in the Maryland /D.C. area  since  1979.  Records were also set in much of the Northeast .  In this photo, warming roof  ice slowly bends as it hits the frigid  arctic air.