The Calm Before The Superstorm
Fifteen years ago on Thursday, Philadelphia experienced one of the most powerful winter storms in the history of the satellite era. The 1993 Superstorm developed out as a classic triple phaser -- three streams of energy coming together to fire up one big, bad storm system. This storm combined a potent subtropical jet stream with polar and arctic energy to create a monster that just one day later would rock the East Coast with one of the most significant storms in modern history. It brought March snowfall to Mobile, AL, and brought a derecho (long-running squall line) to Florida and Cuba. The 1993 Superstorm was thought by many to be the first storm to be accurately predicted by computer forecast guidance several days out.
Here in Philadelphia, the Superstorm was the largest single-day snowfall in March on record and brought a record low barometric pressure to the city as well. However, what was the day BEFORE the storm like? You know, the "calm"?
It was relatively mundane in Philadelphia, a high of 44 and a low of 28 and it featured increasing clouds in advance of the storm. While we were enjoying a tolerable March day, the Southern US was dealing with the first signs of what was to come.
This satellite shot was from 7 AM on March 12th and shows the storm system developing rapidly across the Gulf Coast and across Texas. The first signs of the derecho line are taking shape in the far western Gulf of Mexico.
However, in Philadelphia March 12th was just the calm...part 2 of this story will talk about the storm's impacts here and along the East Coast in a bit more detail.
Here in Philadelphia, the Superstorm was the largest single-day snowfall in March on record and brought a record low barometric pressure to the city as well. However, what was the day BEFORE the storm like? You know, the "calm"?
It was relatively mundane in Philadelphia, a high of 44 and a low of 28 and it featured increasing clouds in advance of the storm. While we were enjoying a tolerable March day, the Southern US was dealing with the first signs of what was to come.
This satellite shot was from 7 AM on March 12th and shows the storm system developing rapidly across the Gulf Coast and across Texas. The first signs of the derecho line are taking shape in the far western Gulf of Mexico. However, in Philadelphia March 12th was just the calm...part 2 of this story will talk about the storm's impacts here and along the East Coast in a bit more detail.
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