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Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain Across the Southern and Eastern US; Heat and Fire Weather Concerns in the West

Showers and thunderstorms are expected across the southern and eastern US this week, with heavy rain and localized flooding, particularly near the Gulf Coast. Monsoonal moisture will bring rain and potential flooding to parts of the Southwest. Heat and fire weather threats will continue to impact the West. Read More >

Overview

A storm developed near La Junta shortly after 6 PM. At 6:06 PM, a tornado warning was issued for this storm as it was developing northwest of La Junta near Swink. Wind speeds over 60 mph were clocked at the La Junta Airport, north of town, as the storm intensified. As it approached Cheraw, rotation was clearly evident by the hook shaped echo in the reflectivity image below. Rotation was quite strong in the velocity image (lower image), as bright green colors, signifying strong wind flow towards the radar, were immediately adjacent to the bright red colors, indicating strong winds flowing away from the radar.

 

Trained spotters reported a tornado touched down at 7:21PM MDT several miles northeast of Eads.  Further investigation revealed minor damage from County Road W to County Road 50.  An old power pole was snapped off at the base on County Road W. The tornado propagated north-northeast, twisting and overturning a center pivot irrigation system. The tornado then crossed Country Road 50, ripping tree limbs from trees.

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Radar Reflectivity Volume Scan of the Storm near La Junta, CO.

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HP Supercell Associated with the Tornado Funnel Cloud That Later Spawned the Tornado
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