May 17, 2011 Severe Weather

Powerful Pacific System Impacting the West; First Significant Snow for Portions of the East

Power Pacific system will continue to bring significant impacts for Pacific Northwest into northern California the remainder of the week. Dangerous coastal affects, heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, and higher elevation mountain snow continues. Meanwhile, a storm across the east is set to bring the first accumulating snow to many higher elevations of the Catskills into the central Appalachians. Read More >

...TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR WOLFSVILLE IN FREDERICK COUNTY MD... LOCATION...WOLFSVILLE IN FREDERICK COUNTY MD DATE...17 MAY 2011 ESTIMATED TIME...535 PM TO 539 PM EDT MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF0 ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...75 MPH MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...50 YARDS PATH LENGTH...1.1 MILES BEGINNING LAT/LON...39.590N / 77.539W ENDING LAT/LON...39.603N / 77.551W * 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 A GROUND SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC AND EYEWITNESS REPORTS...A TORNADO HAS BEEN CONFIRMED NEAR WOLFSVILLE IN FREDERICK COUNTY MD ON 17 MAY 2011. DIRECT WIND DAMAGE ALONG THE TRACK CONSISTED PRIMARILY OF SNAPPED OR UPROOTED TREES AND SNAPPED LIMBS. THE TRACK BEGAN SOUTH- SOUTHEAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF FOREST SCHOOL ROAD AND BRANDENBURG HOLLOW ROAD AND ENDED SOUTHWEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF GARFIELD ROAD AND JOHN CLINE ROAD. MINOR SHINGLE DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO TWO STRUCTURES. SIDING PARTIALLY WAS REMOVED FROM A SINGLE- FAMILY HOME...WHERE A BACKYARD PLAY CENTER THAT HAD BEEN BOLTED TO THE GROUND WAS SNAPPED FROM ITS MOORINGS AND ROLLED. DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS OF 75 MPH...RATING THIS TORNADO EF-0 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE. APPRECIATION IS EXTENDED TO THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION DURING THE DAMAGE SURVEY.