Tropical Season before Tropical Season

Summer (Break) has arrived for many college students across the United States, and this is a much-needed break for many people I know. However, work never ends. Fortunately for meteorologists, work and play are synonymous. Forecasters in both KILM (Wilmington, NC), KCLX (Charleston, SC), KJAX (Jacksonville, FL) and KAMX (Miami, FL) have been working very hard in an attempt to accurately forecast the possible formation and propagation of what may be our first named storm of the season, which will actually form before the season that doesn't even officially begin until June 1!

Currently the National Hurricane Center has the map marked that there is greater than a 60% chance of tropical cyclone formation, and it sure is beginning to act like a TC in with respect to numerous factors: warm core system, upper level low atop surface low in the short-range trough, strong uniform counterclockwise rotation, and  rain bands beginning to form along the coastal fronts associated with the system. SC and GA are being affected currently, and SE NC should feel the effects of this storm over the weekend. Due to an El Nino event climatologically, this year is expected to be a less active tropical year than years past. However, if conditions are favorable, climate does not always drive the weather, and specific events like tropical cyclones are able to form even if climate suggests otherwise.

In addition, severe weather is really kicking up in the midwest. Yesterday and last night, a line of severe tornadic supercell thunderstorms moved through Oklahoma, causing far more than just wind damage. Tornadoes ripped apart structures, but flooding also "uprooted" homes and other structures which were never meant to leave the ground, like Storm Shelters. This image to the right is that of a storm shelter (by @KOCOdamonlane sent to Moore Oklahoma Tornado Recovery page on Facebook) which was displaced from its location in the ground due to the flooding of the water tables. Unfortunately, there was one death associated with these storms, and the ironic thing about it is that the individual died in a flooded storm shelter. Another interesting story is that loosed animals from the Tiger Safari Zoo in Tuttle, Oklahoma, have all been accounted for. Yes, Tigers were on the loose for some number of hours.

Unfortunately this is all the time I have for right now. I am going to try to post more often this summer. I hope everyone has a fantastic summer and is able spend some time soaking up the Vitamin D!