The Superstorm of March 1993
Another research project concerns the blizzard of March 13, 1993 on the East Coast of the United States (it's been nicknamed "Superstorm '93"). Those who lived in Albany recall the 27 inches of snow that came with this storm. The project arose from Prof. Lance Bosart's course in our department in order to understand this storm better. The results of our research show how this storm was initiated at several different levels. On the largest scale, we show that the planetary-scale jet stream was responsible for bringing two disturbances together to produce the rapid development of this fantastic storm. This work is now published in the September 1996 issue of Monthly Weather Review.
At the next level, we present evidence which supports our contention that the poor forecasts for the Superstorm in the Gulf of Mexico were principally a result of the misforecast thunderstorm activity in this region. A manuscript from this aspect of the research lead-authored by Mike Dickinson from SUNY Albany has been published in the December 1997 Monthly Weather Review.
I was also interested in the cold air behind the storm's cold front. The cold front pushed all the way down to Panama, bringing a sharp temperature drop, strong northerly winds, and overcast skies. Research on cold surges is discussed on this web page.
Schultz,
D. M., and W. J. Steenburgh, 1999: The formation of a forward-tilting
cold front with multiple cloud bands during Superstorm 1993.
Monthly Weather Review, 127, 1108-1124.
Steenburgh, W. J., Schultz, D. M., and B. A. Colle, 1998: The
structure and evolution of gap outflow over the Gulf of Tehuantepec,
Mexico. Monthly Weather Review, 126,
2673-2691.
Schultz, D. M., W. E. Bracken, and L. F. Bosart, 1998: Planetary- and
synoptic-scale signals associated with Central American cold surges.
Monthly Weather Review, 126, 5-27.
Dickinson, M. J., L. F. Bosart, W. E. Bracken, G. J. Hakim,
D. M. Schultz, M. A. Bedrick, and K. R. Tyle, 1997: The March 1993
Superstorm cyclogenesis: Incipient phase synoptic- and
convective-scale flow interaction and model performance. Monthly
Weather Review, 125, 3041-3072.
Schultz,
D. M., W. E. Bracken, L. F. Bosart, G. J. Hakim, M. A. Bedrick,
M. J. Dickinson, and K. R. Tyle, 1997: The 1993 Superstorm cold surge:
Frontal structure, gap flow, and tropical impact. Monthly Weather
Review, 125, 5-39; Corrigenda, 125, 662.
Bosart, L. F., G. J. Hakim, K. R. Tyle, M. A. Bedrick, W. E. Bracken,
M. J. Dickinson, and D. M. Schultz, 1996: Large-scale antecedant
conditions associated with the 12-14 March 1993 cyclone ("Superstorm
'93") over Eastern North America. Monthly Weather
Review, 124, 1865-1891.
If you have any further
questions about the research discussed here, or desire a manuscript,
please feel free to write to me: david.schultz@noaa.gov.
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David Schultz's homepage.