A storm system is bringing strong winds and heavy mountain snow to the Cascades into the Northern Rockies. Santa Ana winds and dry conditions will support elevated to critical fire weather over coastal portions of California. Snow, strong winds, blizzard conditions, and high seas are impacting Southwestern Alaska. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the Florida Keys from Tropical Storm Rafael. Read More >
...EF-0 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN FRIENDLY MARYLAND... LOCATION...1 MI SOUTHEAST OF FRIENDLY IN PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY MD DATE...APRIL 27 2011 ESTIMATED TIME...7:06 PM TO 7:07 PM EDT MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF-0 MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...70 MPH MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...75 YARDS LENGTH...0.4 MILES BEGINNING LAT/LON...38.746N / 76.959W ENDING LAT/LON...38.750N / 76.954W * FATALITIES...NONE * INJURIES...NONE * THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT/S/ AND PUBLICATION IN NWS STORM DATA. ...SUMMARY... A BRIEF TORNADO OCCURRED AT POTOMAC AIRFIELD. SIX GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFT SUFFERED MINOR TO MAJOR DAMAGE. A CESSNA 182 HAD ITS TIE DOWN LINES SNAPPED AND THEN WAS TOSSED 120 FEET NORTHEAST ACROSS A TAXIWAY. A CESSNA 172 WAS LIFTED UP AND SMASHED NOSE FIRST INTO THE GROUND. A CESSNA 335 SKYMASTER WAS TOSSED ABOUT 25 FEET AND SMASHED ALONG THE GROUND. ALL THREE PLANES WERE DAMAGED EXTENSIVELY EVEN THOUGH ALL WERE SECURELY TIED DOWN. SEVERAL OTHER AIRCRAFT WERE MOVED AROUND BUT STAYED TIED DOWN AND SUFFERED LITTLE OR NO DAMAGE. THE TORNADO TRACKED CLOSE TO THE LONE AIRPORT RUNWAY 06-24. NO TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED ON AIRPORT PROPERTY...AND NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO NEARBY AIRPORT STRUCTURES...SOME OF WHICH WERE 100 FEET AWAY FROM THE DAMAGED AIRCRAFT. BASED ON EXAMINATION OF MULTIPLE RADAR DATA... PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE AND A POST-STORM SURVEY BY THE AIRPORT MANAGER...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CLASSIFIED THIS AS A TORNADO AND RATED IT AS EF-0. MAX WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 70 MPH WITH A WIDTH OF 75 YARDS AND PATH LENGTH OF 0.4 MILES. START AND END TIMES WERE BASED UPON RADAR DATA AND ARE CONSISTENT WITH SPOTTER REPORTED TIMES OF FUNNEL CLOUDS IN THE AREA.