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Heavy Rain is Likely Across the Mid-Atlantic States Today Along With Potentially Damaging Wind Gusts; Critical Fire Weather in the Great Basin

Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are expected today across the Mid-Atlantic and forecast to contain heavy to excessive rainfall. Numerous instances of flash flooding are possible in southern Virginia and north-central North Carolina. Severe thunderstorms are also possible across the northern Great Plains today. Elevated to Critical Fire Weather located across the Intermountain West. Read More >

July 21-22, 2014, North Dakota/Minnesota Derecho and Hot Temperatures

Monday, July 21st, 2014, brought southerly winds and a very hot and muggy air mass to the region. Temperatures across the Northland reached into the upper 80s to low 90s. In addition to the heat, dew points were extremely high for this area and resulted in Heat Index values in the upper 90s to lower 100s. These hot temperatures and high dew points led to explosive instability that would sustain storms moving in from the west that night.

 

A strong low pressure system, fueled by abundant moisture and instability, swept across the Upper Midwest and Western Lake Superior region Monday night into Tuesday morning. A line of severe storms developed along the cold front, and brought widespread damaging winds over nearly the entire Northland. This derecho formed over North Dakota and moved east through northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and western Upper Michigan before diminishing over Lake Superior.

 

News coverage of the event from the Twin Cities

 

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