The potential for heavy snow at higher elevations in the western U.S. will continue for many spots through the weekend. In the meantime, the eastern half of the continental U.S. will transition to above normal temperatures ahead of a pair of cold fronts next week that will bring readings back to closer to normal as we approach Thanksgiving Day. Read More >
...TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR MAUGANSVILLE IN WASHINGTON COUNTY MD... LOCATION...MAUGANSVILLE MARYLAND DATE...17 MAY 2011 ESTIMATED TIME...810 PM TO 815 PM EDT MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF1 ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...90 TO 100 MPH MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...200 YARDS PATH LENGTH... 2.1 MILES BEGINNING LAT/LON...39.681N / 77.747W ENDING LAT/LON...39.701N / 77.777W * FATALITIES...0 * INJURIES...0 * 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... BASED ON EYEWITNESS REPORTS AND A GROUND SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC IN COORDINATION WITH WASHINGTON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND MAUGANSVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT...A TORNADO HAS BEEN CONFIRMED IN MAUGANSVILLE IN WASHINGTON COUNTY MD ON 17 MAY 2011. THE TRACK BEGAN JUST SOUTH OF WELLSPRING ROAD AND JENNIFER LANE AND EXHIBITED A CONTINUOUS DAMAGE PATH NORTHWEST TO NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF GREENCASTLE PIKE AND CEARFOSS PIKE. NUMEROUS SNAPPED AND UPROOTED TREES WERE ENCOUNTERED ALONG THE TRACK. SEVERAL SHEDS AND OUTBUILDINGS WERE OVERTURNED OR DESTROYED. A GARAGE DOOR WAS BLOWN INWARD ON A DETACHED GARAGE...LEADING TO FAILURE OF THE ROOF STRUCTURE. NEIGHBORHOODS BOUNDED BY GARDEN VIEW ROAD...MAUGANSVILLE ROAD AND CEARFOSS PIKE WERE ESPECIALLY HARD-HIT. NUMEROUS HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD TREES WERE SNAPPED...REQUIRING REMOVAL BY COUNTY SNOW PLOWS. SOME SMALLER SOFTWOOD TREES WERE COMPLETELY STRIPPED OF THEIR BRANCHES. A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE TRAILER WAS BLOWN ONTO ITS SIDE AND MOVED 45 FEET INTO A NEIGHBORING YARD. SHINGLE DAMAGE WAS VERY COMMON...AND A STONE 19TH-CENTURY HOME SUFFERED ROOF UPLIFT. THE WORST DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH WIND SPEEDS OF 90 TO 100 MPH...RATING THIS TORNADO EF-1 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE. APPRECIATION IS EXTENDED TO WASHINGTON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT...THE MAUGANSVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION DURING THE SURVEY.