"The Big Fork Super Beast" Bomb, The Thunderbirds, and STS-133

( Image: Graphical depiction of the unofficially dubbed "The Super Beast Bomb". Click on the blog title for the official Thunderbirds web site or here for details of the upcoming USAF Thunderbirds Air Show this weekend in Cocoa Beach, Florida)

RECAP: Bring in the Bomb Squad!!! The massive storm system that struck the central U.S. and was centered over Northern Minnesota bottomed out with at a minimum central pressure of 28.21" measured at 5:13pm at Big Fork in Itasca County. The previous record was 28.28" (958 mb), which was set on January 26, 1978. That storm system was dubbed - - "The Cleveland Superbomb" although I've also found references to the "Great Ohio Blizzard.

"Bomb Cyclogenesis" is a term meteorologists reserve for the most rapidly intensifying low pressure systems. "Bombs" undergo rapid pressure falls as they strengthen, and are defined by pressure drops of at least 24 millibars in 24 hours at 60°N latitude. The threshold for a bomb is a little lower in Minnesota, just 19 millibars in 24 hours at 45°N, the latitude of the Twin Cities.To illustrate how strong of a storm this is, 28.21 inches is equivalent to that which one might expect to find in a Category 3 Hurricane. Although the wind with the system was not nearly as strong as a Category 3 hurricane, the outlying affects were wind spread with over 100 wind damage reports and multiple tornado sitings. The lowest pressure for the storm that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975 was 28.95 inches. Even with the Armistice Day storm, the lowest pressure recorded was 28.55 inches. Of course, pressure is only one measurement of a storm.The strongest wind gust I could find was 77mph at Greenfield, Indiana. Note: These winds were pressure gradient winds and not like those one would find in the eye wall of a hurricane.

In other words, the storm of October 26, 2010 was a "Super Beast"! I'm sure this storm will officially be dubbed more appropriately, but for now I see no reason not to dub it the "Big Foot Super Beast"

"...Down in the cool air I can see..."

SYNOPSIS: A cold front is draped from just of the U.S. NE Coast Southeastward and through N. Georgia and further toward S. Texas. High pressure over the Atlantic is centered off the Florida East Coast, with the ridge axis extending across the North/Central Peninsula and into the Gulf. The high pressure will weaken a bit today and tonight as the front sinks south and through Florida over night Thursday and Friday.

TODAY: Warm! Orlando broke a record high temperature yesterday as well as on Tuesday and another option exists for another record yet today. And speaking of records, the NWS at Melbourne now is within the Top 5 periods of consecutive rain free days (those with a trace or immeasurably less). The all time record could be broken if they don't see rainfall by this Friday evening due to the nature of the extended outlook.

Otherwise, expecting a few patches of fog west of US-1 early this morning with partly cloudy skies shortly after sunrise. Showers possible along the east coast anytime during from mid-morning through mid-afternoon. Latest radar data is showing showers off the Florida Southeast coast before sunrise in association with a pocket of mid-level moisture approaching East Central Florida from the SSE. This moisture combined with weak, morning warming after sunrise might be enough to spark additional rain showers later this morning, and maybe a thunderstorm away from the coast by this afternoon. Any activity, if this were to occur, will be isolated and thunder chances look remote.

TONIGHT: An unseasonably warm and muggy night with the remote chance of a shower, but for all purposes there is such a low probability of this to occur that it's not worth mention.

FRIDAY: Looks like the front will enter and cross through all of Central Florida beginning a few hours before sunrise and be over South Florida by early afternoon if not sooner. There will be a very small chance of a shower associated with the front across eastern portions of the state, but should this occur it would be before 10AM. Winds behind the front will veer to the NNE with clearing sky conditions, particularly by sunset.

THUNDERBIRD WEEKEND/HALLOWEEN: High pressure over the Northern Gulf passes across Florida. Skies should be mostly clear with cooler temperatures from recent days but still quite comfortable. See link for schedule details. Looks like a great weekend for both events.

STS-133/MONDAY: The great weather continues for the 4:33pm slated launch time. Detailed information related to this missions is now available on Wikipedia.

TUESDAY: By this time, if it hasn't rained at the airport in Melbourne by this time, the all time record dry spree will be on the verge of being set. But there are implications of a storm system developing over the SE United States with ensuing rain chances and cooler air will be in the making. More fodder for future posts.