The interesting visible satellite animation of August 13, 2005
What happened
On May 12, 2006, it was a marginal day for severe thunderstorms. The main mitigating factor for having severe storms was that the moisture wasn't very high. As a result, a tough decision about whether or not to issue a watch and subsequent warnings was made: they were issued. The largest reported hail was in Vermilion, AB, at about the time of frames 28-30 on the animation. Dime-sized (18 mm) hail was reported--not quite at severe levels.
A few things to note:
- First, the boundary racing southeastward from the Edmonton region in the beginning of the loop
- Second, notice the persistent cu/tcu field over east-central AB/west-central SK; this is often a precursor to severe thunderstorm development
- Third, notice the cirrus shield moving over southern AB; this is a visible satellite representation of a shortwave trough moving into the area and the associated lift
- Fourth, notice the NW-SE boundary through about Kindersley SK, which later served for a focus for convective development
Would you have issued watches? Warnings?
Satellite images
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Last update to this page: May 14, 2006