Detailed Account Of Vermont Supercell Storm

The National Weather Service in South Burlington has just released a very, very detailed account of the supercell thunderstorm that hit Addison and Rutland counties, Vermont on May 27.

Via the Addison Independent: Morgan Huestis snapped this
photo of the May 27 supercell in Bridport, Vt. That lower
cloud near the mountain is not a tornado, but a scud cloud,
indicating moisture and heat feeding into the storm.  

Click here to see it.

The account and explanation is somewhat technical, but it's written in such a way a layman can follow it.

The fascinating part is how they compare photographs taken of the storm by people who witnessed it, then explained how the clouds reflected what was going on inside the storm.

The explanation also explains how a supercell got going along the boundary between warm, unstable, humid air ot the southwest, and cool, stable maritime air to the north and east.

It also proves how sometimes, huge storms aren't always predictable in advance, but can really be analyzed after the storm. (The warnings for the storm were excellent once it developed, but I don't think anyone anticipated the strength of it in the hours before it developed in the eastern Adirondacks.)

The rotating supercell prompted tornado warnings in Addison and Rutland counties, though no actual tornadoes touched down.

It was an unusual storm, and it's interesting to see how it developed in the explanation.

It's worth the read.