Damaging Winds Blast Lawrence March 12th, 2006

Lake-effect Snow and Whiteout Conditions in the Great Lakes Region; Below-average Temperatures in the East

Heavy lake-effect and lake-enhanced snow will persist downwind of the Great Lakes and produce some whiteout conditions that could cause difficult travel conditions. A coastal low will produce moderate to heavy snow over parts of southern and eastern New England into the afternoon. Below average temperatures are expected across the eastern U.S., particularly with chilly morning temperatures. Read More >

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS SURVEYED THE WIND DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED ACROSS MUCH OF LAWRENCE AROUND 8 AM CST, MARCH 12. THE LARGE AREA OF WIND DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM MICROBURST OF 70 TO 90 MPH STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

MICROBURSTS ARE VERY STRONG WINDS THAT QUICKLY DESCEND FROM THE BASE OF A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND THEN SPREAD OUT QUICKLY UPON IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THESE STRAIGHT LINE DAMAGING WINDS CAN CAUSE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ACROSS A LARGE AREA.

VIDEO RECEIVED SO FAR TAKEN IN LAWRENCE SHOW THE SUDDEN DOWNBURST FROM THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM BASE AND THE FANNING OUT OF THE DOWNBURST AS IT HITS THE GROUND, WHICH ALSO CAUSED WIDESPREAD BLOWING DUST.

Lake-effect Snow and Whiteout Conditions in the Great Lakes Region; Below-average Temperatures in the East

Damaging Winds Blast Lawrence March 12th, 2006 - NWS Topeka, KS