The Development of the College Park Tornado of 24 September 2001

Abstract

The 24 September 2001 College Park, Maryland, tornado was remarkable because of its long-track that passed within a close range of two Doppler radars. This tornado featured many similarities to previous significant tornado events that resulted in widespread damage in urban areas, such as the Oklahoma City tornado of 3 May 1999. The College Park tornado was the third in a series of three tornadoes associated with a supercell storm that developed over central Virginia. This paper presents a synoptic and mesoscale overview of favorable conditions and forcing mechanisms that resulted in the severe convective outbreak associated with the College Park tornado. Convective morphology will be examined in terms of Doppler radar and satellite imagery. This study concludes with a discussion of the effectiveness of using MM5 guidance in conjunction with satellite and radar imagery in the operational environment of forecasting severe convection.