Severe Weather ?

NOAA's Severe Weather Outlook for February 25

A powerful cold front will usher significantly cooler temperatures into the Mid-Atlantic Region.  Showers and thunderstorms will occur this afternoon in the DC Metro area.  However, Washingtonians have already enjoyed another day of unseasonal warmth with temperatures in the mid-70s – more characteristic of mid-May than late-February. 

Tomorrow’s high temperatures will be much closer to average in the upper 40s and low 50s across the DC Metro area.  Such dramatic swings in temperature can contribute to severe weather as highlighted below.

February 12, 2017: Another significant cold front passed through the eastern United States and brought with it some impressive wind gusts.  Although there weren’t any thunderstorms in the DC Metro area with this cold front, wind gusts did reach severe criteria in spots, such as National Airport which had a wind gust of 65 mph.  Dulles Airport saw a wind gust of 58 mph.  A thunderstorm that produces wind gusts of at least 58 mph is “severe.”  While these winds weren’t technically “severe” because the gusts didn’t occur in a thunderstorm, they did cause downed trees and power lines.

  

February 24, 2016: Last February, a more traditional outbreak of severe weather occurred.  This was a well-forecast episode of severe weather that brought the DC Metro area severe wind gusts which resulted in damage reports around town.  Unlike earlier this month, these wind gusts met the textbook definition of severe weather because they occurred during thunderstorms.  Tornadoes were also reported from Pennsylvania to Florida.
  

March 10, 2011:  Although this severe weather outbreak occurred in early March, it is included in this column since two tornadoes occurred locally.  One in Fairfax County and another in Fauquier County – both in northern Virginia.  Fortunately, there were no injuries and only minor damage was reported.

  

February 11-12, 2009:  A severe weather outbreak occurred on February 11, 2009, with damaging wind gusts.  High winds remained after the cold front had passed through the Mid-Atlantic Region on February 12.  Wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph were common in the DC Metro area, with gusts of 52 mph at National Airport, 65 mph in Rockville, MD, 60 mph in Leesburg, VA and 71 mph in Martinsburg, West Virginia.  Although not technically “severe” since they didn’t occur during thunderstorms, these winds did cause isolated power outages and downed trees.