Dangerous Rotating Thunderstorms Strike

Today’s warm front made considerable northward progress…and it was the model runs during the weekend which nailed this frontal placement….not the more recent model runs. Temperatures accelerated into the upper eighties and lower nineties with breaks in the clouds. Although we sided with the cooler guidance, as did the National Weather Service on Tuesday, we mentioned the possibility that temperatures could be several degrees warmer should this front nudge northward further than expected. As a result of the area entering into the warm sector, thunderstorms had plenty of instability and surface heating to feed on.

As is typically the case, areas just immediately south of the warm frontal boundary, when a wave of low pressure rides along it, is the prime spot for severe weather development, including the development of tornadoes. In past instances, the sweet spot for the tornado development was the Lehigh Valley into Northwestern New Jersey because these areas seem to classically fall just south of warm fronts that put on the brakes when energy rides along it. However, today the placement of the front was slightly different. The front was further to the south and thus it was areas from Bucks County to Warren County to Ocean County that saw areas of rotation.

A thunderstorm that did not prompt a tornado warning in Whiting, Ocean County is reported to have caused significant wind and structural damage. Unfortunately, one fatality was confirmed. Golf ball size hail also occurred in Whiting. Needless to say, Whiting saw a pretty impressive super cell. An additional thunderstorm prompted a tornado warning early this evening north of Lakewood. The local newspaper and law enforcement is reporting funnel cloud sightings. The Asbury Park Press has gone as far as to say that a tornado occurred in Jackson Township...but soon back tracked the report. We will wait for the National Weather Service to confirm any tornado damage and for potential pictures to surface (if there was anything).

Another thunderstorm around Warren County, which also prompted a tornado warning, caused significant tree damage according to the National Weather Service. Again, we will see if the National Weather Service performs damage assessments in these areas.

It is safe to say these were at least "rotating thunderstorms".