GOES-10 Science Test
Weather Synopsis - 03 April/12UTC to 04 April/12UTC 1998
Synoptic Situation:A strong and progressive upper level low over Oklahoma moved rapidly eastward across the Tennessee valley and into central Appalachians. Upper lows were also located along the West coast and over New England. A strong (110 knot) upper level jet was entering southern California, with another 110 knot jet streak along Gulf Coast states into the mid-Atlantic region.
At the surface, a low over Oklahoma moved eastward across the Tennessee valley and into the mid-Atlantic region (along a warm front that was lifting northward across those areas). A cold front extended southward from this low, moving east across the Gulf Coast states. A strong low level jet (50 knots) intersected the surface warm front, enhancing convergence and warm air advection lift for convection. Multiple convective boundaries existed from earlier and ongoing storms within the warm sector over the southeastern states.
A cold front moved ashore across central California, and into Nevada. Low pressure over New England was filling and weakening.
Weather Conditions:
Widespread strong convection occurred across much of the Southeast. Many of these storms developed along the west-east oriented warm front, with additional convection developing along the advancing cold front. Tornadoes were reported in Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Widespread hail and wind damage reports were received across Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Hail as large as 2 inches in diameter was reported near Charlotte, North Carolina.
In the West, moderate rainfall rates (0.25 inches per hour) were reported for a time at San Francisco, and heavy upslope snows were reported in the Sierra Nevada mountains. A few thunderstorms were noted across Nevada and California, with isolated waterspouts seen along the California coast.