Thursday, July 5, 2012

July 2012 Opens Majestic, Stormy & Hot


July 1, 2012
Birch Knob of Pine Mountain
Majestic Sunrise Above The Cumberlands
Photograph by Roddy Addington - © All Rights Reserved.


July 2012 opened with a majestic Sunday morning sunrise amid an air mass laden with haze, bugs, and high octance fuel ( heat + humidity ) for thunderstorm development!

July 1, 2012
Colorful Beauty of Sunday Morning Sunrise
Photograph by Roddy Addington - © All Rights Reserved.


July 1, 2012
Pastel Colors In Advance of Thunderstorms
Photograph by Roddy Addington - © All Rights Reserved.



Morning Thunderstorm Cluster
July 1, 2012

Rod left the cloud of bugs just in time as a strong cluster of morning thunderstorms rapidly moved across Pine Mountain into northern Wise, Dickenson, and Buchanan counties.

Doppler Time Series

( Click consecutively on images to put into motion )

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:05 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:10 AM - July 1, 2012

Note the distinct outflow boundary represented by the green line southeast to southwest of the storm cluster. Outflow boundaries with strong gushes of ROARING wind have been a distinct part of thunderstorm events during this extended wave of Summer 2012 heat.

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:14 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:18 AM - July 1, 2012

A downpour began developing over Birch Knob of Pine Mountain in advance of the gust front and main storm cluster by around 9:15 to 9:20 AM.

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:22 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:27 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:31 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:35 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:39 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:45 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:49 AM - July 1, 2012

Gusty winds marking the outflow boundary reached northwestern slopes of the High Knob Landform by 9:50 AM, pushing across the City of Norton to the High Knob peak area of the massif by 10:06 AM ( with no rainfall ).

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:53 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:57 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:02 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:06 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:10 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:14 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:19 AM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:23 AM - July 1, 2012

This thunderstorm cluster caused tree and power line damage in Dickenson, Buchanan, Russell, and Tazewell counties as it raced southeastward and eventually weakened into the New River Basin.



The Big Show


July 1, 2012 at 11:18 PM
Awesome Lightning Display Above Wise
Photograph by Grant Stanley - © All Rights Reserved.


Photographer Grant Stanley of Wise captured a vivid display of lightning as the main thunderstorm event of July 1, 2012 put on a big show after dark 
( Mother Nature's Independence Day prelude ).


Doppler Time Series
( 9:48 PM to 11:44 PM )

( Click consecutively on images to put into motion )

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:48 PM - July 1, 2012

Once again a very distinct outflow boundary was gushing outward in advance of thunderstorms which developed over eastern Kentucky ( note the large GREEN line ).

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 9:57 PM - July 1, 2012

By 10 PM an isolated thunderstorm rapidly developed over the High Knob Landform, near the Buzzard Roost 
( 3192 feet elevation ) of Wallen Ridge, well in advance of the approaching outflow boundary.

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:01 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:05 PM - July 1, 2012

The Lee County thunderstorm went severe as it moved over the upper Wallen Creek Basin of the Powell River and across into Scott County of the Clinch River Basin 
( with a large hail core ).

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:15 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:19 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:27 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:32 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:36 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:40 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:44 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:49 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:53 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 10:59 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 11:01 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 11:06 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 11:10 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 11:14 PM - July 1, 2012

Grant took his awesome lightning photograph 
( seen above ) at 11:18 PM, stating that as the storm line approached lightning was so continuous and bright that it literally illuminated the entire sky!

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 11:18 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 11:23 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 11:27 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 11:31 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 11:35 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 11:40 PM - July 1, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 11:44 PM - July 1, 2012


Orographic Thunderstorm
Development Over The High Knob Massif
( July 3, 2012 )

Following a break during daylight hours of July 2 heating helped generate thunderstorms above the High Knob Massif area during July 3 ( orographic storm development with flow into the massif ).

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 1:20 PM - July 3, 2012

The first storm erupted on Little Stone Mountain along the northwestern flank of the High Knob Massif just after 1:00 PM on July 3, with 1-hour Doppler estimated rainfall of 1.00" to 1.50" .

July 3, 2012
Doppler Estimated Rainfall For 1-Hour Ending At 2:03 PM

Doppler estimates were verified by rain gauges in the town of Appalachia, with Superintendent Jack Pitts of Appalachia Lake Water Plant measuring 1.24" ( 1.09" reported by TVA gage in downtown Appalachia ).

Thunderstorms quickly expanded into the massif above the City of Norton by 2:00 PM, along its northern slopes, and across Big Stony Creek & Little Stony Creek basins toward Bark Camp Lake, Little Stony Gorge and Guest River Gorge with outflow helping generate new storms along adjacent Sandy Ridge of the Tennessee Valley Divide ( as illustrated by the Doppler series below ).

Like striking a match to dry tender, this initial convective development acted to trigger new activity into the Clinch & Holston river basins 
( to the southeast-south ) and the Russell Fork Basin 
( to the north ) during the next couple of hours.


Doppler Time Series
( 2:03 to 4:02 PM )

( Click consecutively on images to put into motion )

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 2:03 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 2:07 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 2:15 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 2:28 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 2:32 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 2:37 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 2:45 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 2:49 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 2:54 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 2:58 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 3:02 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 3:06 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 3:11 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 3:16 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 3:20 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 3:24 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 3:33 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 3:37 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 3:41 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 3:46 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 3:50 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 3:54 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 3:58 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 4:02 PM - July 3, 2012

The next stormy period came as a large outflow boundary from convection across the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee and southern Kentucky propagated northeast into the Cumberland Mountains ( i.e., Cumberland Overthrust Block ).


Doppler Time Series

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 5:02 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 5:06 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 5:10 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 5:15 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 5:20 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 5:24 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 5:28 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 5:33 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 5:37 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 5:45 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 5:50 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 5:54 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 5:58 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 6:02 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 6:07 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 6:11 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 6:15 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 6:19 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 6:24 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 6:28 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 6:32 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 6:36 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 6:41 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 6:45 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 6:49 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 6:53 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 6:58 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 7:02 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 7:06 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler Base Reflectivity At 7:10 PM - July 3, 2012

Doppler rainfall estimates for the two convective periods are combined in the last graphic.

July 3, 2012
Doppler Estimated Rainfall Ending At 4:58 PM

July 3, 2012
Doppler Estimated Rainfall Ending At 10:53 PM