4/25/10: Forecast Update - Severe Thunderstorm Watch

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
PARTS OF DELAWARE
MUCH OF MARYLAND
SMALL PART OF SOUTHERN PENNSYLVANIA
PARTS OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA
SMALL PART OF EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA
COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 440 PM UNTIL 1100 PM EDT.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 55
STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 65 MILES WEST OF
MARTINSBURG WEST VIRGINIA TO 40 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF SALISBURY
MARYLAND. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.

...

CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR CLUSTERS OF STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. ADDITIONALLY A SUPERCELL COULD FORM VICINITY OF SURFACE BOUNDARY ENHANCING BOTH THE LARGE HAIL POTENTIAL AND A BRIEF TORNADO THREAT.

...

...HALES

4/25/10: Forecast - Chance of severe storms today

Today is the first real threat of severe weather this year. Currently, there is a warm front setup right through Central Maryland which will move northward today. This will allow temperatures to climb to near 70 and will push dewpoints into the 60s.

Storms should develop to our west during the mid-to-late afternoon hours and move into our area early this evening.

The Storm Prediction Center has put the region in a "Slight Risk" for severe storms:

They forecast a 15% probability of damaging winds:

A 15% probability of hail 1" or greater:

...and a 5% probability of tornadoes:

If you have plans outdoors today, be sure to stay alert and be prepared to move to sturdy shelter should a storm threaten your area.

4/15/10: Article - Hail Hurts!

Runners Caught Outside As Hail Storm Hits

GRINNELL, Iowa --

Four Grinnell College students out for a run Tuesday were caught outside in a hail storm and had to be taken to the hospital.

Related Stories:

• Experts: Hail Can Hit At 100 MPH
• Storm Pushes Semis Off I-80

Pat Crawford told KCCI that she and her husband were driving near Grinnell when they found one of the students along the road.

"We saw right up here, there was a kid in the road looking like he was flagging things down. And you could tell he was a runner because he had the running shorts on, he was barefooted, and he looked pretty beat up," said Crawford.

ulocal: Pat Crawford Runner caught outside in hail storm.

The student told Crawford that he, another man and two women tried to hide in a ditch when the storm hit, but they were forced to seek shelter when the hail became too intense. They were also worried they might drown as water started flooding into the ditch.

"They thought it was a tornado, which a lot of us thought it was a tornado. So they laid in the ditch, which was a good idea but they were just getting the tar beat out of them and the ditches were filling with water, so they knew they couldn't stay there," said Crawford.

The students found a nearby empty house to hide from the storm in, said Crawford.

ulocal: Pat Crawford Runner's body covered by welts after hail storm hit.

The students were covered in red welts after being pounded by the hail. Crawford and her husband loaded the runners into their van and took them to the hospital.

PICTURES: Storm Damage

The Grinnell College cross country coach met the students at the hospital.

One of the students required X-rays to check for broken bones. They were all treated and released from the hospital.

Crawford said she had never seen anything like it.

"That's why I took the picture. It was unbelievable. I've never seen a human body that looked that beat up and they were still walking around," said Crawford.

There were also high school students outside when the storm hit, including the boys soccer team. We're told some players were slightly hurt. There was also damage at the tennis court.

Storm spotters in the area reported 1 to 1.5 inch hail.

The storm also snapped utility poles in the area, damaged trees and caused other damage, storm spotters reported Tuesday night. Wind gusts were clocked at 75 mph from the storm in the nearby town of Brooklyn around 5:44 p.m.

4/6/10: Forecast - If you can't stand the heat...

The warm-up that was forecast for the beginning of this week has over-performed and has reached record levels. Yesterday, the high at BWI hit 84, breaking the record of 83 set in 1942. Today, BWI tied the record high of 90 degrees, set in 1929. Tomorrow's record high of 93 set in 1929 looks to be safe, but highs will again be around 90 degrees.

Relief in the form of a cold front with showers and thunderstorms looks to come Thursday evening. Expect showers and storms Thursday evening through Friday morning, with highs near 80 on Thursday, but dropping off significantly Friday with a high around 60.

Clearing takes place during the day Friday, setting the stage for a clear and pleasant weekend with highs in the 60s Saturday and near 70 Sunday.