🌩️ SEVERE WEATHER: THE STORMS KEEP COMING

The severe weather pattern continues today, and I'm watching it very closely from the Great Lakes all the way down into the Mid-Atlantic states.

What we're seeing is a pattern where thunderstorms aren't just developing once and moving through. They're coming through in multiple batches, and then new storms keep forming behind them.

That's exactly what happened yesterday.

⛈️ ANOTHER ROUND OF STORMS TODAY

Yesterday, we saw numerous rounds of severe thunderstorms move across Pennsylvania and down into Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware.

The storms produced heavy rainfall and considerable wind damage, and what made the situation particularly interesting was how the storms kept reforming over the same general area.

And we're setting up for more of the same today.

We've already got batches of thunderstorms moving through western Pennsylvania this morning, with additional activity heading toward Virginia and Maryland.

But that's not all.

Behind those storms, we're watching another area of thunderstorms coming across the Great Lakes, including parts of Michigan and Wisconsin.

Those storms will continue cascading southeastward toward the Appalachians and eventually into portions of the Mid-Atlantic tonight.

So don't assume that once one batch of storms goes through, you're finished.

There can be another round behind it.

🌬️ THE JET STREAM IS HELPING FIRE UP THE STORMS

So why do we keep getting these repeated rounds of thunderstorms?

One of the key pieces of the puzzle is what's happening high up in the atmosphere.

We're getting these little jet streaks moving through the upper-level flow and riding over the ridge.

Each one of these jet streaks can help produce areas of upper-level divergence and upward motion.

And when you combine that upward motion with an atmosphere that already has plenty of moisture and instability, thunderstorms can quickly get going.

This is one of the reasons we're seeing these waves of storms develop one after another.

🌀 LOOK AT THE 250-MILLIBAR MAP

If you're looking at upper-air weather maps, one of the best places to see what's happening is up around the 250-millibar level, where we're looking at the jet stream.

Take one of those jet streaks and mentally divide it into four quadrants.

The areas we're particularly interested in are the left-front quadrant and the right-rear quadrant.

Those are regions where the upper-level wind pattern can favor divergence aloft and rising motion underneath.

And that's important because rising motion is one of the ingredients that can help initiate and maintain thunderstorms.

So when you're looking at that 250-millibar chart, don't just look at where the jet stream is.

Look at the jet streaks.

Look at where they're positioned.

And then look at those favored quadrants.

That's where you can often find clues as to where the atmosphere is going to be trying to produce thunderstorms.

⚡ MORE IMPULSES ARE COMING

And that's essentially what we're dealing with right now.

Another impulse comes along.

It moves over the ridge.

Upper-level divergence increases.

Air rises.

Thunderstorms develop.

Then another impulse comes along and does it again.

That's why this pattern can produce multiple rounds of severe weather over several days.

Eventually, the main cold front is going to make its way through, and that will finally help shut down the pattern.

But we're not there yet.

We're still going to have to deal with more thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and potentially other forms of severe weather.

So if you're across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Appalachians, or Mid-Atlantic today and tonight, don't let your guard down just because one batch of storms has already passed.

There may be another one coming.

The atmosphere is still loaded with energy, the jet stream is providing the triggers, and these little disturbances riding over the ridge are going to keep the thunderstorms firing.

It's another active day across the East.

And the Weather Madness continues! 🌩️