UPDATED 11 AM EDT, April 28, 2011
UPDATED By WeatherBug Sr. Meteorologist, James West
The deadly and likely-historical tornado and severe thunderstorm outbreak will finally reach its end later today, but not before rolling across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Coast this morning.
Tornado Watches continue from coastal Georgia to Maryland, including Columbia, S.C., Raleigh-Durham, N.C., Richmond, Va., Baltimore and Washington. Meanwhile,Severe Thunderstorm Watches are in effect across eastern Maryland, Delaware, eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, southeastern New York and northern Florida. This includes the greater Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan area.
WeatherBug Meteorologist Bay Scroggins has the latest on today`s severe storm threat in this exclusive WeatherBug Video.
These storms are continuing to fire ahead of the same cold front responsible for all the dangerous weather that devastated the Mississippi Valley and South this week. The front is making its advance into the Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas. An air mass producing summer-like temperatures and humidity ahead of the front is clashing with seasonably cool air behind the front, causing explosive thunderstorm development along the boundary.
WeatherBug Meteorologist Todd Nelson has the latest on today`s weather in this exclusiveWeatherBug National Outlook Video.
Coupled with shear, or twisting in the earth`s atmosphere, tornadoes are still possible across the Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas, along with winds that could gust as high as 70 mph, and frequent lightning. A few storms could produce hail to the size of golf balls. Even outside of this zone of the most powerful storms, strong to severe weather is still likely to occur as the strong cold front pushes through.
Major cities along the East Coast, including New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Savannah, Ga., and Jacksonville, Fla., are still at risk for severe thunderstorms.
This storm system has quite a history of dangerous weather as it has advanced from the Mississippi Valley to the East Coast. More than 201 people have died across the South. The worst devastation was seen in Alabama, where at least 131 people have been killed and parts of Tuscaloosa were destroyed. Another storm in Smithville, Miss., killed 8 people, and caused "major damage." Since Monday, more than 200 tornadoes have been reported in association with this system with the death toll reaching 178.
By the end of the day, the storm system will be a distant memory, as cooler and drier air slides into the East behind the cold front. The start of the weekend will bring seasonably cool weather to the Interstate 95 corridor.
Fuente: El Nuevo Día
Por Yashira Laboy
Para Noticias Velad