Winter Severe Weather: A Case Study of the Intense Squall Line of 6-7 January 1995 in the Carolinas

• Main Author: Trayers, Jr, Robert W.
• Other Authors: AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1996
• Subjects: Meteorology; *STORMS; DAMAGE; THESES; MARINE ATMOSPHERES; WINTER; TORNADOES; GUSTS; NORTH CAROLINA; CYCLONES; SATELLITE METEOROLOGY; COASTAL REGIONS; CASE STUDIES; EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONES; SQUALL LINES; Arctic; Seymour
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA311708; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA311708

A case study was conducted of the evolution of the 6-7 January 1995 intense squall line in the Carolinas. This event was most intense over central and eastern North Carolina and produced wind damage of over 10 million dollars. A record straight-line wind gust of 64 ms-1 was recorded at Seymour-Johnson AFB in Goldsboro as the squall line passed the station. Numerous tornadoes also were confirmed. This case is worthy of study because of the rarity of such intense systems in this region in winter. Detailed synoptic and mesoscale surface analyses, upper-air analyses, radar products and satellite images are presented to support this case study. At 1200 UTC 6 January a strong arctic high pressure system moved off the east coast of the United States setting up an in-situ cold-air damming scenario over western North Carolina. A vigorous low pressure system developed in northern Mississippi with an associated warm front wrapping around the southern Appalachians and into central North Carolina. The front separated the cold 'dammed air' from warm, moist maritime air being transported northwestward from the coast.