Derechoes have been in the news in Washington as of late. No, that’s not some new breed of super bureaucrat, but it is something from a supercell sized thunderstorm that crossed several states during its lifetime. You may have seen this NOAA image already on a few news websites:
That’s a time lapse radar image capture as the storm progressed from near Chicago to Chesapeake Bay.
They’ve been known over a century, and around far longer than that. Wikipedia says that Derecho comes from the Spanish word for “straight”.The word was first used in the American Meteorological Journal in 1888 by Gustavus Detlef Hinrichs in a paper describing the phenomenon and based on a significant derecho event that crossed Iowa on 31 July 1877.
They were further refined with the advent of weather radar. Derechos are typically bow or spearhead-shaped on weather radar, and hence they are also called a bow echo or spearhead radar echo. Here’s a WSR-57 radar image from Cleveland, Ohio in 1969:
July 4, 1969 “The Ohio Fireworks Derecho” spanning MI, OH, PA, WV
They are fairly common meteorological events, occurring from May to August, peaking in frequency during the latter part of June into July. According to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center, the Washington DC area gets a derecho about once every four years:
NOTEWORTHY DERECHOS IN RECENT DECADES
Many significant derechos (i.e., those that have caused severe damage and/or casualties), have occurred over North America during the last few decades. Most of these affected the United States and Canada. Listed below is a selection of some of the more noteworthy events in recent years; the list is not all-inclusive. Information provided in the links includes a map of the area affected, and a description of the storm’s impact.
Holiday weekend events
The human impact of the following events was enhanced by their occurrence on summer holiday weekends, causing many to be caught out-of-doors during the sudden onset of high winds…
July 4, 1969…………….”The Ohio Fireworks Derecho”….MI, OH, PA, WV
July 4, 1977…………….”The Independence Day Derecho of 1977″….ND, MN, WI, MI, OH
July 4-5, 1980…………”The ‘More Trees Down’ Derecho”….NE, IA, MO, IL, WI, IN, MI, OH, PA, WV, VA, MD
Sept. 7, 1998………….”The Syracuse Derecho of Labor Day 1998″….NY, PA, VT, MA, NH
Sept. 7, 1998 …………”The New York City Derecho of Labor Day 1998″….MI, OH, WV, PA, NJ, NY, CT
July 4-5, 1999…………”The Boundary Waters-Canadian Derecho”….ND, MN, ON, QB, NH, VT, ME
The derechos of mid-July 1995
The mid-July 1995 derechos were noteworthy for both their intensity and range…
Series Overview……….Montana to New England
July 12-13, 1995……..”The Right Turn Derecho”….MT, ND, MN, WI, MI, ON, OH, PA, WV
July 14-15, 1995……..”The Ontario-Adirondacks Derecho”….MI, ON, NY, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI
Serial derechos
Two well-documented, classic events over the eastern United States…
April 9, 1991……………”The West Virginia Derecho of 1991″….AR,TN, MS, AL, KY, IN, OH, WV, VA, MD, PA
March 12-13, 1993….”The Storm of the Century Derecho”….FL, Cuba
“Southward bursts”
“Southward burst” is a term coined by Porter et al. in a 1955 paper (see reference here) to describe a progressive-type squall line that surges rapidly southward rather than east…
May 4-5, 1989…………”The Texas Derecho of 1989″….TX, OK, LA
May 27-28, 2001……..”The People Chaser Derecho”….KS, OK, TX
Other noteworthy events
June 7, 1982…………..”The Kansas City Derecho of 1982″….KS, MO, IL
July 19, 1983…………..”The I-94 Derecho”….ND, MN, IA, WI, MI, IL, IN
May 17, 1986………….”The Texas Boaters’ Derecho”…..TX
July 28-29, 1986……..”The Supercell Transition Derecho”….IA, MO, IL
July 7-8, 1991………….”The Southern Great Lakes Derecho of 1991″….SD, IA, MN, WI, MI, IN, OH, ON, NY, PA
May 30-31, 1998……..”The Southern Great Lakes Derecho of 1998″….MN, IA, WI, MI, ON, NY
June 29, 1998………….”The Corn Belt Derecho of 1998″….NE, IA, IL, IN, KY
July 22, 2003……………”The Mid-South Derecho of 2003″….AR, TN, MS, AL, GA, SC
May 8, 2009…………….”The ‘Super Derecho’ of May 2009″….KS, MO, AR, IL, IN, KY, TN, VA, WV, NC
Here, thanks to modern radar technology and people who are interested enough to track storms on radar from start to finish, we have this life cycle of the derecho:
Timelapse of closest NEXRAD base reflectivity of the 29 June 2012 derecho. The timelapse moves from Davenport, Iowa to Richmond, Virginia over 14 hours.
Here’s a cross section, showing how the mesoscale thunderstorm dynamics make that bow echo. Image courtesy of the NOAA Storm Prediction Center page about derechoes:
What is troubling about this being linked to “global warming” is the Washinton Post Capital Weather Gang’s story by Jason Samenow, which ends with this gem:
As the intensity of the heat wave, without reservation, was a key factor in the destructiveness of this derecho event – it raises the question about the possible role of manmade climate warming (from elevated greenhouse concentrations). It’s a complicated, controversial question, but one that scientists will surely grapple with in case studies of this rare, extraordinary event.
Yet Samenow cites the same sources from the Storm Prediction Center page that I do, showing the exact same image above (after editing out the number 3). Yet somehow, he managed to conveniently ignore the historical context and the climatological frequency of derechoes on that page.
He’s gets the coveted WUWT Double BS award for his sloppy journalism.
Joe D’Aleo has more on the derecho event here at ICECAP.
UPDATE: I made an error. I got two different posts mixed up related to the heatwave, conflating the quote discussing the heat wave by Doug Kammerer (with thunderstorm radar loop in background video by Karins on the CP post) . I’ve removed the citation (and video) related to NBC Bill Karins quoted on Climate Progress. My sincere apologies for the error. My only defense is that I don’t listen to audio much anymore due to my hearing issues. Thankfully, I’ve got a big group of people that will let me know immediately that I’ve made an error, and thus I’ve heeded their advice and fixed the error within minutes of this posting. Thank you. – Anthony
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A little local coverage –
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2012/jul/01/24/tdmain01-thousands-swelter-without-power-ar-2026018/
Monday – Dominion Power recorded 90 mph winds, officially 80-85.
Friday – more straight line hurricane force winds (the derecho).
Last night (Saturday) – more straight line hurricane force winds.
Tonight (Sunday) – More storms possible, I’m keeping an eye on the radar.
All of the storms this week have been severe and we may be looking at more tonight. Trees are down all over. It’s not as bad as Isabelle or Irene, but there are lots of people sweating.
Bow-front squall lines are common as all hell across the midwest and down to the seaboard from spring to Christmas. Big ones, derechos, are not as common, but still pretty regular. Yup, that was a doozy, but there’ll be others global warming or no global warmng.
Trivia du jour: the July 2003 derchero is known locally in Memphis as “Hurricane Elvis” due to the level of damage sustained, aggravated by how the city was mostly knocked off the grid, and mass media failed to notice.
“Doug says:
July 1, 2012 at 10:33 am
I was in the Ohio Fireworks event, at the Fairport Mardi Gras, a beachfront event. Cottonwood trees were torn apart with branches 10 inches in diameter in the air. All the tents were leveled and Lake Erie was blown right up onto the midway. It was wonderful.”
A kindred spirit!
I find hurricanes full of wonder. The power of nature is a sight to behold. How anyone believes that humans could put a significant dent in her is beond my comprehension.
I think we can amend Anthony’s disclaimer*–which I’ve read half a dozen times because apparently his readers fact-checked–to “I tend not to listen to any climatological information that doesn’t agree with my opinion.” Jason Samenow’s coverage, with its rather timid “this-may-be-linked-to-global-warming” conclusion, needed no retractions, explanations, or apologies. He correctly correlates record-breaking temperatures (highest temps in 142 years of record-keeping in D.C.) with the “ring of fire” phenomenon of thunderstorms arising out of the jet stream riding on a “massive heat dome.” Climate change is less linear than derechos, it appears. But of course you’d know that if you’d fact-checked with the research that won the Nobel Prize in 2007, wouldn’t you?
*(REPLY: Yes, this is my fault, I tend not to listen to audio due to my hearing issues. I’ve removed the citation, and thank you for pointing it out. – Anthony)
REPLY: Why would I look at the 2007 IPCC climate report for a local/regional weather event that happened in 2012? Your assertion makes no sense at all. Further, if you knew me, and know the trouble I have with a now 85% hearing loss, you probably would not have written something so stupid and insulting. – Anthony
P.S. You can read more about my issues with hearing in this article: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/09/10/a-note-about-hearing-technology/
Thank you, Mr. Watts.
By gathering all this pertinent information and links in one place, you saved me a lot of time. The fearmongers are active and must be countered.
I can’t think in my 50+ yrs of memory of a more intense lightning storm. It actually wasn’t that impressive as a wind or rain-maker — 1.37″ rain in an hr & maybe a brief 45mph gust. Luckily, despite all the lightning strikes (in seemingly every direction), only 3 or 4 got as close as ~100 yards.
Cathy says:
July 1, 2012 at 2:41 pm
He correctly correlates record-breaking temperatures (highest temps in 142 years of record-keeping in D.C.) with the “ring of fire” phenomenon of thunderstorms arising out of the jet stream riding on a “massive heat dome.”
=======================
The operative term is “jet stream”, which depends upon its location.
The “ring of fire” bit, only weakens the argument.
Your appeal to authority, is only that.
Have you more fodder for the cannon ?
Actually, there was an earlier derecho at the end of May that had more bite (wind & rain) here in w MD than this last one.
I remember a powerful derecho going thru Blacksburg, VA sometime around ~June 1990. Roof shingles & trees were everywhere. Blacksburg airport recorded a 102 mph gust.
If this were a first time event that would have never happened without CAGW, then there wouldn’t have already bee a name with which to describe it. Because “derecho” had already been invented, there is the implication that such events have happened before CAGW.
Wow, seems we have an infrastructure problem getting power where it needs to be. What a nasty weather event.
I look at those radar compilations and wonder how things would be with 1000’s of square miles of wind turbines and solar panels impacted by the same. Not an TRANSMISSION problem anylonger?
The simple word, creation, comes to mind.
I don’t look forward to that,,,,,,really, does anyone ?
… and still a sparse placement of balloon launch sites from which upper-air soundings (using Radiosondes) are initiated twice a day, and from the obtained atmospheric parameters from those twice a day launches the various forecast models are initialized (initial conditions entered, then the ‘model’ is started); IOW we still have ‘shortcomings’ in the system (inadequate initial data both spatially and temporally to ‘initialize’ the models).
Although, to give the NWS credit, they will launch additional sounding ‘balloons’ when conditions warrant.
List – U.S. LAND-BASED RAWINSONDE STATIONS –
. . . http://www.ofcm.gov/fmh3/text/append-c.html
Map – Radiosonde launch sites in US –
. . . http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~bordoni/ese132/docs/April2612.pdf
Routine radiosonde launches –
. . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiosonde#Routine_radiosonde_launches
“… Nearly all routine radiosonde launches occur 45 minutes before the official observation time of 0000 UTC and 1200 UTC”
.
Average wind generation being what it is (or isn’t), would that really be a problem?
During the little heat wave we had in Texas last week wind power output was often insignificant; shift the demand MWh figure three decimal positions to the right then divide that by half and that was roughly what wind-power was generating (wind speeds were _low_) … and I don’t think THAT part of the country (Maryland, Delaware etc) is defined as being in a “Class II” (or better) wind area like Texas is either …
.
Not a ‘meteorological construct’ (i.e.: term) I am familiar with; where and when and by whom was this minted?
The ‘Joe Romm Group” (think) team perhaps?
.
.
“Ring of Fire” Google references – nothing about weather events on the first two pages returned …
.
Anthony, I have tried to make contact.
It is time to raise the bar. Live net interaction realting to the posts here would be a thing.
I will invest, along with others to make that happen.
Just sayin, opportunity knocks, and now!
[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVLhZ2-pCRQ ]
Sorry for the speako’s, voice to text does have some issues with accuracy 🙂
Thanks for the post and the corrections via comments. We moved west from Iowa in 1974 and miss the weather (fireworks) (from PA, GA, OH, & IA). Friends and family all over back there.
The commenter known as Cathy said
“the research that won the Nobel Prize in 2007”
This silly award was not for research. It was a “peace” prize for
“ their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change”
Translation: to further the UN’s Agenda 21
So, Cathy, here is a book you might want to read:
Trixy, Or, “Those Who Live in Glass Houses Shouldn’t Throw Stones”
by Maggie Symington (1885)
_Jim says:
July 1, 2012 at 8:01 pm
> “Ring of Fire” Google references – nothing about weather events on the first two pages returned ….
I’ve heard that on various TV Met segments for the last few years. It’s sort of a cute name, but it’s also sort of useful.
Take a big ol’ hot summer high, and the jet stream tends to flow around it, draging along and feeding various sized storms including tornado producers.
Try Googling |”ring of fire” thunderstorm|. I found several new references, here’s a Joe D’Aleo reference from 2009, it’s a good introduction.
http://www.intellicast.com/Community/Content.aspx?ref=rss&a=187 says in part
From 2010 Jul 20: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/severe-ring-of-fire-storms-fro/34232 which notes “often referred” but doesn’t offer references.
Adding 2008 to the search yields a 2007 reference, http://weatherbreak2.creighton.edu/?p=522
So, there ya go – the start of your very own Wikipedia page. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_fire confirms there isn’t one now.
The alarmist claiming this was “unique” and “never before seen” (at least in my area where it hit around 10pm) was confusing since they already had a name for it.
I am continually amazed at how contorted alarmists get in trying to blame everything on a phantom.
Here’s a nice weather forecast for Virginia and environs:
Plenty of catastrophes, but no CAGW.
/Mr Lynn
Sorry — can’t read the words “Ring of Fire” without hearing Johnny Cash.
Brian says:
July 1, 2012 at 10:03 am
I admire your research and whole heartily agree with you. However…first off, Doug Kammerer is the meteorologist in the video, not Bill Karins (name is in the title of the video). Second, I believe he was referring to the temperatures (heat) , not the Derecho event that had occurred. Not once did he mention the Derecho in his explanation of “global warming.” Nice explanation of a Derecho, though.
REPLY: Yes, this is my fault, I tend not to listen to audio due to my hearing issues. I’ve removed the citation, and thank you for pointing it out. – Anthony
==========================================================================
Admitting to and correcting mistakes. No wonder you’re not a “climate scientist”! 😎
Fred Beloit says:
July 1, 2012 at 10:22 am
On another note, an “all-time record” doesn’t mean for all time because thermometers weren’t around for all time, only since about the 1850s in the mid-west. So maybe this fellow is a jokester and not a real weather man?
====================================================================
Maybe he doesn’t read tree rings?
Cathy says:
July 1, 2012 at 2:41 pm
…… But of course you’d know that if you’d fact-checked with the research that won the Nobel Prize in 2007, wouldn’t you?
====================================================================
The Nobel Prize used to be an award for a real achievement. Now it indicates about as much as Michael Moore or AL Gore’s Academy Awards for “Documentaries”.
wazzel12 says:
July 1, 2012 at 7:32 pm
I look at those radar compilations and wonder how things would be with 1000′s of square miles of wind turbines and solar panels impacted by the same.
==============================================================
A similar thought occured to me. I still have friends without power here in central Ohio. At least “all” that needs to be done is reconnect the power lines, not rebuild the “power” plants.
What does an 80 or 90 mph (128 or 145 kph) gust do to a solar panel or a wind turbine?