NWS-Nashville promoted Sunday night’s near Page High School Shamnado to Tornado, an EF-0 of very little power.
Shamnadoes are more frequent than we think. Shamnadoes are most dangerous when they intersect us when we are most vulnerable, such as “during trapeze practice.” Severe Thunderstorm straight line winds are as damaging, many times more damaging, but a shamnado can tip or damage an unanchored mobile home, or send your vehicle’s wheels off the ground.
There was an almost-but-not-quite tornado yesterday in Will Co:
This was from the storm that got the Severe Thunderstorm Warning near Page HS in Will Co. There was rotation, briefly. Did it touch the ground, ehhh probably not. We talked to the NWS about it. We went out there and there was very little damage (a few trees, looked more like a severe thunderstorm). But was it a tornado? Ehhhhhhh nah. These are called “Shamnadoes.” They’re not quite tornadoes, they’re not exactly straight line winds, and they do no ratable damage that would classify them on the EF scale. They spin up superfast then fall apart just as fast. So, Shamnado. They’re “sham” tornadoes, a play on words, named after NWS-Nashville lead forecaster Sam Shamburger, who studies them. Great job by NWS on this, a Tornado Warning was unnecessary at the time, and in hindsight not issuing a tornado warning was a good decision. The Severe Thunderstorm Warning was exactly the thing to do. We’re blessed with excellent radar meteorologists here, making tough decisions about warning (or not), severe vs tornado. Good work, y’all.
A Wind Advisory is in effect until 7 PM for 35-40 MPH wind gusts.
Radar shows thunderstorms and heavy rain sitting off to our west this morning.
It looks like it’s going to drive straight into town before lunch and waterblast away all activities. That may happen, but the HRRR model has another idea and I am here for it.
11 years ago today the 2010 Flood was showing itself. 1 year ago tomorrow, the derecho.
For the next two nights you’ll need to have your NOAA weather radio and Wake Me Up app (StormWatchPlus) ready. You’ll need them tonight and Monday night.
Rain will enter Middle Tennessee late Tuesday night.
The HRRR model thinks the first drops will fall around 7 PM Tuesday night. Then a break in the rain. Then the heaviest rain arrives Wednesday, probably after midnight Tuesday night through sunrise Wednesday morning. The HRRR model (right now, at least, see below) thinks that heaviest rain goes just southeast of Davidson and Williamson Counties:
