Monday Noon Update: Storm/Flooding Is Worse In Vermont Than Expected, Of Course

Town of Waitsfield posted this photo of a flooded
road in town to Facebook. Dozens of Vermont
roads are closed due to flooding this afternoon.

I've got a little time for a noon update.  

Rainfall has over-performed in Vermont, and the result has been some damaging flooding.

It's not as bad as in July, but it is serious. There are plenty of reports of road closures, and some property damage. Water got into the Moretown Elementary School, forcing it to shut down for the day. 

There have also been some road washouts reported across the state. Sections of a few dozen roads at least are closed or at least under water. Flood warnings cover large swaths of Vermont this afternoon. There's no one place it seems that has been hit particularly hard. It's every corner of the state. 

Among the roads closed are several around Chester, Route 14 in Sharon and numerous roads in and around Chester. This is kind of concerning because the area under the flood warning was especially hard hit during the July flood.

I don't know whether the landscape was left unstable after the July flood, making it more prone to problems now.  

Some pretty strong winds have been reported in eastern Vermont, and along the western slopes of the Green Mountains. Nearly 4,000 homes and businesses were without power as of 12:30 pm. 

The path of the storm so far, pretty much headed up the Champlain Valley, has caused some weird contrasts. There's record warmth, odd December humidity and gusty winds in most of Vermont. Temperatures are in the upper 50s to low 60s.

But in the immediate Champlain Valley, winds are much lighter and temperatures are holding in the upper 40s. 

It seems like most of the heaviest rain was just moving out of Vermont as of 12:30 p.m. There's one more batch to get through, with the storm center itself. That might help local runoff calm down a little bit. Another batch of heavy rain looks like it might move through during the mid-afternoon.

Mainstem rivers will get higher tonight, overnight and early Tuesday than earlier expected. Again, not July levels, but we'll see lots of moderate flooding at least.

Be careful on the roads through tonight. There's high water and potential washouts everywhere. 

I'll have a much more detailed update this evening. By then the storm should be waning, but there will be updated news and forecasts on flooding which will certainly be ongoing even if the rain is starting to taper off by then. 

Rain/Wind Lashing Eastern United States, Including Vermont As Monday Storm Roars Through

The normally tiny stream near my house in St. Albans, Vermont
was roaring this morning. It's normally just a two inch
deep little gurgle of water. This morning it was the
highest I've seen it since the big flood in July. 

 As everyone expected, it was a stormy night in the eastern United States as that intensifying storm moves northward toward New England and New York today. 

Tens of thousands of residents are without power up and down the East Coast, schools are closed in many areas as people hunker down from the wind and rain. 

Flood warnings and flash flood warnings extended before dawn from Maryland to New Hampshire.

On Sunday, severe flooding hit South Carolina.  Torrential rains, especially near the coast created a flash flood emergency, especially since high storm tides blocked the water from draining. The storm surge in Charleston, South Carolina was the highest on record for a non-tropical storm.

Up to a foot of rain fell in some parts of South Carolina. 

With the storm moving north, the biggest effects from it today will be in the Northeast, including here in Vermont. Flood watches cover virtually all of New England and New York. Wind advisories and high wind warnings also cover most of the region.

One area I've been really concerned about is the south and east facing slopes of the White Mountains in New Hampshire, where huge amounts of moisture are slamming into the mountains, forcing the air to rise and create torrential downpours. 

A flash flood warning went up for central and northern New Hampshire this morning, including areas around Conway and Franconia Notch. Two to five inches of rain, along with rapid snowmelt on frozen ground, is creating a dangerous situation in New Hampshire. 

Of course, we in Vermont are not escaping this storm. Let's dive in on how we are faring in the Green Mountain State

VERMONT EFFECTS

The worst of the storm was just moving into Vermont as of 5 a.m. this Monday morning. Expect a stormy day, especially this morning and early afternoon. Rain will come down hard at times. The flood watch certainly remains in effect.  High winds will cause some problems in a few areas, especially near the western slopes of the Green Mountains. 

Before dawn, the strong and strengthening storm had an elongated south to north orientation. One center seemed to be near near New Jersey and the other along the Virginia coast. This arrangement allowed rain to move in last evening.

Flooding

The storm as of 6 a.m. was sending bands of heavy rain south to north across Vermont. The storm is sort of consolidating as it gets stronger and moves north. It seems like the center will be about over Burlington or the central Adirondacks by early afternoon. 

Most of us should still have a storm total of 1.5 to 3 inches of rain with this storm before it's over. Plus snow melt from the mountains. 

As of 6:30 a.m., there were not yet any flood advisories or warnings in Vermont, but I think that will change as we go through the morning and afternoon. 

During the day today, the problem will be smaller brooks and streams, which could erode back roads, wreck culverts, create sink holes, that kind of thing. Large puddles, standing water and hydroplaning will all be issues on the roads and highways. 

By this afternoon into tomorrow morning, all rivers in Vermont will be high with many going into minor flood stage, as has been anticipated right along. A couple rivers, like the lower Winooski and the Hoosick in southwestern Vermont, could hit moderate flood stage.

The lower reaches of the larger rivers should still be flooding and closing some roads Tuesday morning even after the rain has ended. That's because it takes time for the runoff to get all the down river. Both today and tomorrow morning, you'll want to check ahead to see if the low lying road you usually take to school or work is open or not. 

And for gawd's sake if you encounter flooding on a road, don't go past the barriers and plow through, stupidly thinking you can make it. You probably won't. Just turn around and find another way to get where you're going. It's not that hard. 

What I said last night still appears to be holding: There will be a fair amount of flooding with this We can expect road closures and some damage to very low lying property. But this won't be a repeat of the flooding from this past summer. The flooding this time is something to take seriously, but it won't be catastrophic.

High winds

This track is a wee bit further west than last evening's forecast indicated. That opens the door for a little more downslope winds along the western slopes of the Green Mountains. Especially since the east winds will be perpendicular to the Green Mountain ridge line for a time this morning.

That will allow wind to gather momentum and blast down the slopes of the mountains. That was already starting before dawn, as I've noticed a few power outages have started to crop up - about 750 of them as of 6:30 a.m..

The period of strongest winds along the western slopes should be brief, maybe just a few hours, but we could see gusts of 60 mph or more in the usual wind-prone places, like the Mendon, Ripton, perhaps Huntington, Underhill, Cambridge and Berkshire. 

I expect a few more power outages and reports of fallen trees and branches to crop up through the morning. 

Most of the rest of us should see gusty winds at some point today, but those winds shouldn't very damaging away from the western slopes. 

Record warmth

The storm is sending a surge of very warm, humid air northward for this time of year. By 6 a.m. temperatures were already well into the 50s in southwestern Vermont. The record high in Burlington today is 57 degrees, and the forecast high is 58.

Montpelier will probably shatter its record high for the date, which is 50 degrees. 

Behind The Storm

Temperatures will start to fall in Vermont by mid to late afternoon, but it will be a fairly slow process. Rain will become much lighter and showery tonight, and probably change to snow over the higher terrain. 

In most of the valleys, though, temperatures might not even be below freezing by dawn Tuesday. However, a cold front behind this storm should trigger some snow showers and falling temperatures during the day. A few of the snow showers might be kinda heavy, which would cause some problems with poor visibility and suddenly icy roads in spots. 

After that, we've got quiet weather to look forward to through Christmas. 

I'll have updates as warranted with this storm today. 

Sunday Evening Vermont Storm Update: Rainfall Totals Tick Up A Bit, Wind Threat (Maybe) Down A Little

Late afternoon Sunday updates from the National Weather
Service office in South Burlington, Vermont has slightly'
increased rain totals from tonight and Monday's storm.
A large portion of the state can expect at least two
inches of rain. Click on the map to make it 
bigger and easier to see.

 As I start to write this at 5:15 p.m. Sunday, the rain from the long awaited storm is just moving into Vermont in earnest. 

It will be a very wet night. That will continue on Monday. The flood watch for the entire state is very much still in effect. 

As of this evening, the track of the storm has ticked a little bit east. Sound familiar? That's what last Monday's storm ended up doing. 

In that case last week, the little bit of an eastward shift allowed more cold air to infiltrate the storm, which resulted in more snow and less rain.

That definitely won't happen this time. 

There is really no cold air for this storm to work with. And the dynamic system is bringing a big surge of wet, warm air northward from the subtropics. So, we definitely have no snow-friendly air to work with. 

That means a LOT of rain. The only snow will be at the very back end of the storm, and that snow won't amount to much. 

Very much like last week's storm, a lot of thunderstorms south and east of the storm center this afternoon is affecting its track. Those storms tend to push the track of the storm a little more eastward than if those storms didn't really exist. 

FLOOD THEAT ASSESSMENT

This evening, the storm was over eastern South Carolina. It's forecast to move due north, which would take it right up the Champlain Valley around late morning or early afternoon Monday. 

On that path, the heaviest rain would come closer to Vermont, hence the higher rainfall expectations; Most of us in Vermont under this scenario would get 1.5 to 3 inches of rain, with the highest amounts along the eastern slopes of the Green Mountains and in far southeastern Vermont around Brattleboro.

For the third time this month, this amounts to a storm that's extremely wet by December standards. Winter rain and melted snowfall tends to be lighter in the winter than in the summer. That's because colder air can hold less moisture than warmer air. 

But since so much warm air has been entrained into this storm, and the two previous ones, these systems have been very wet. 

As mentioned this morning, very warm temperatures and high humidity would melt the snow rapidly in higher elevations, adding to the runoff. 

The expected flood crest along the Winooski River at Essex Junction has been increased to a crest of 15.8 feet, solidly in the moderate flood range. At those levels, North Williston Road goes way under water. Also, at that level, expect the water to close Route 2 in Jonesville, Bridge Street in Richmond, Poor Farm Road in South Burlington, and a good chunk of the Intervale in Burlington. 

The good news is at this time of year, unlike in July, there's no crops to destroy. And moderate flood stage won't flood houses along the Winooski River Valley. 

Elsewhere in Vermont, the Hoosick River will come close to moderate flood stage. Most other rivers will either go into minor flood or come close to it. That means field flooding, some low-lying roads closed, ponding of water on other roads, and a hydroplaning on wet highways if you're out there driving tonight and Monday. 

The bottom line, as I said this morning, I still believe downtown Montpelier, Barre, Johnson, Ludlow and other towns smashed by July flooding should fare much better this time. Though I'd still remove items from basements to be on the safe side. 

HIGH WINDS

The threat from damage due to high winds in Vermont have gone down somewhat in Vermont. The western slopes of the Green Mountains are under a wind advisory for gusts to 55 mph. That could  cause a smattering of power outages. 

In general, the highest winds from a storm like this hit east of the storm's path. That puts the eastern half of Vermont in the zone for stronger winds, sort of. The National Weather Service is forecasting highest gusts in the 45 to 50 mph range east of the Green Mountains.

This won't be like the powerhouse wind storm that caused so much damage in Vermont last December. 

CAVEATS

As always, we already know the storm won't play out exactly as we outlined above. There will always be surprises. Probably minor surprises, but there's a slight chance of big surprises, too.

If the storm veers well to the west of the forecast track, say over central New York and the middle or western Adirondacks, the wind threat would be much worse. If it goes a little further east than what I've outlined, rainfall will be slightly lighter, but still substantial, and the flood threat would remain. 

Some late breaking new data from around 5 or 6 p.m. this evening doesn't show much shift in the storm's forecast track compared to forecasts earlier this afternoon.

The new data shows heavy rain in Vermont, with that flood threat. But also similar to forecasts earlier today, the heaviest downpours look like they will go through western Massachusetts and Connecticut, western and central New Hampshire and far southeastern Vermont, and western Maine.

I expect to hear news of fairly substantial flooding in New Hampshire and Maine, probably worse than what Vermont sees. 

I don't think this will be a historic storm, at least around here, but will have quite a few impacts. We should take it seriously. 

Sunday Morning Storm Update: For Now, Flood Threat Increases A Bit, But Wind Threat Diminishes Slightly

Not a snow prediction map for a change. Here's the
National Weather Service in South Burlington's idea
of how much rain will fall with the upcoming storm.
Click on the map to make it bigger and easier to see.
Note that the forecast is subject to change.

 We're in what we call the windshield wipering phase of forecasts for the storm that will soon strike Vermont, the one that is already making Florida miserable and is or will do the same to the entire eastern U.S. 

By windshield wipering I mean that the expected storm track goes a little west, than a little east, then back and forth with each new computer weather forecast.

 Up here in Vermont the exact track of the storm will determine if this will be more of a flood risk or more of a wind risk. More info on that in a bit

The big pictures shows one bit of preliminary good news. So far at least, I've seen no reports of tornadoes in Florida or the Southeast. That's a good thing, of course, but the threat is not over yet. 

Flood watches, wind alerts and coastal flood watches extend from Florida to Maine, and on into southeastern Canada. 

Under normal circumstances this time of year, this would be one humdinger of a snowstorm or blizzard to the west of the storm's track. But there is incredibly little cold air available for this storm. 

On the tail end of the storm, snow showers will fall in the Appalachians from North Carolina to New England, but that part of the storm won't be a big deal. It's rain and wind that's the problem here. 

VERMONT EFFECTS

If you remember, the last time we had a storm, a week ago, we started with flood threats from expected heavy rains, but that diminished as the threat of snow pushed into that forecast.

That's absolutely not the scenario that's playing out here, so I think we'll have a flood threat throughout this storm and its immediate aftermath. The rain begins in earnest tonight and continues Monday. How much flooding still depends on the track of the storm. 

Flood Threat

Early, uncertain indications are the storm will go right overhead or just to our east. That would in general put us in some fairly heavy rain.  All of Vermont is under a flood watch for good reason. 

Current forecasts are for 1 to 2.5 inches of rain, with more on the southeast facing slopes of the Green Mountains, Adirondacks and New Hampshire's White Mountains.  Also the southeastern corner of Vermont is in play for up to three inches of rain 

What makes the flood threat a little worse this time is the early snow pack in the mountains. This is such a warm storm that above freezing temperatures will reach up to 10,000 feet overhead.

Snow doesn't melt all that much if temperatures in the 30s to around 40 while it's raining. This time, though, it'll be in the upper 40s and 50s for many of us. Dew points - a measure of how much moisture is in the air, will be at near record highs for this time of year even up on the mountain summits. 

High dew points allow snow to melt much faster than it otherwise would. This means the rain and melting snow would all gush down from the mountains at once Monday, filling up rivers statewide.

The flooding won't be nearly as bad as what we dealt with in July, but it could still cause problems. 

All rivers in Vermont will rise sharply. Many will go into minor flood stage, with a couple maybe reaching moderate flood stage. That's high enough to close some roads, flood basements and maybe even surround the lowest lying buildings with water.

At this point - and the forecast could still change - the best chances of moderate flooding seem to be along the Hoosic River in southwestern Vermont and possibly the Winoosk in and near Essex Junction

Downtown Montpelier, Barre, Johnson and Ludlow are safe from the kind of flooding that wrecked those communities in the summer.  But even there, people might want to take stuff out of their basements if they are especially prone to flooding, even if the storm isn't extreme.

If you have to drive anywhere Monday and early Tuesday, be alert for road closures due to flooding.  Remember the adage, "turn around don't drown."  Getting caught in flooding is even more dangerous than it is in the summer, since the water is so cold this time of year. 

Also, Monday night, note that you can't see flooding ahead of you easily in the dark. 

Strong Winds 

Winds were already gusty this morning along some of the western slopes of the Green Mountains, but those winds won't really ramp up until later tonight and Monday. 

Strong, damaging winds are definitely possible along the western slopes of the Green Mountains, and the Taconics of southwestern Vermont. 

Again, this could change, but the threat of high winds has diminished a bit with the latest forecasts. Enough questions remain about the wind to keep the high wind watches up for the areas most in danger.

There's no question winds will get gusty everywhere, especially the western slopes in this storm. But once again, how strong those winds get depends on the storm's track.

If the storm goes overhead or just to our east, as forecasters are indicating this morning, winds won't get as strong as they could.  If the storm goes more to our west, the amount of rain will be cut a bit, but the western slope winds would roar much more intensely and cause more damage.

In any event, it looks the best chance of the strongest winds would hit between 3 a.m. and noon Monday.

Bottom Line

We're in for a stormy time tonight and Monday.  Today will be overcast, breezy and warm for the season. Rain chances will ramp up this afternoon and especially this evening. 

Rain will come down moderately to heavy at times later tonight and much of Monday. There might be lulls in the rain at times, but this is yet another very wet storm for this time of year.

Especially for those who live in or near the western slopes, get your LED candles ready today and charge up your devices. Scattered power outages are definitely something to watch for.

Rain will wind down Monday night and change to snow in the higher elevations especially but we don't expect much accumulation. The big "winners" might be the northern Green Mountains, which could get three inches of snow. 

That's not much compensation considering how much snow will disappear from Vermont, just in time for Christmas. 

After this mess goes by, no big storms are in the cards between now and Christmas Day.  Tomorrow will be the fourth Monday in a row with a nasty, potentially damage storm in Vermont, which is quite a streak.  

The Monday after tomorrow is Christmas.  The good news is that current forecasts indicate the weather on Christmas Eve and Day will be quiet.  That could change, but so far, I see no signs of big storm trouble for the holiday. 

Pick Your Poison: Heavy Rain Or Strong Wind For Vermont Monday Storm

Projected rainfall over the next seven days. Virtually all of
it in the East is from the upcoming storm over the 
next couple days. Areas shaded in purple would
get at least 1.5 inches of rain. Red areas get at least
three inches.Notice, too, after a dry start, California
is going to get into some decent rains. 

 That strong storm forecast to affect the entire eastern United States this weekend and Monday remains on track, but of course, how it affects us here in Vermont still has some question marks. 

Right at mid-afternoon today, the National Weather Service office in South Burlington hoisted flood watches for the entire state. They also posted high wind watches for the western slopes of the Green Mountains. 

So here's the Saturday update. Remarkably, the overall thoughts on the effects and path of the upcoming storm have so far not changed a while lot.   

As the storm gathers steam today and tonight, Florida remains under the gun for severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and heavy rain.  

This storm will be off to the races Sunday, racing northward and bringing a flood threat with it from Florida to - eventually - Maine and southeastern Canada.

As of midafternoon today, there were already a smattering of flood watches from Florida, up through the Mid-Atlantic States, southern New England and central Maine.  

It'll be quite windy along and near the storm track, too, but as they always say, results may vary.  Some places in the East will be windier than others.

Both flood and wind hazards are in play for Vermont. More below: 

Luckily, the fact the storm will be a fast mover means it won't be that big a problem for too long. And since the storm won't have much time to unload its downpours in any one place, we can cross our fingers that most of the flooding in the East will be relatively minor. 

So what does it mean for us in Vermont:

VERMONT EFFECTS

Broadly, we know the storm will give us kind of a brief shot at very warm, windy and wet weather. Especially for this time of year. 

Like so many storms in recent years, this is likely to be a Christmas spoiler, erasing the snow cover in many areas of the Green Mountain State that are snow covered this morning. 

Today is the calm before the storm.  A weak cold front passed through early this morning, but you wouldn't know it, given how temperatures were still above freezing in a good chunk of Vermont before dawn today. 

 If skies remain partly clear this evening, be on the lookout for possible northern lights, as there was a big solar flare the other night which could set them off. But the trend tonight will be for increasing clouds, as usual, so even if there is a show in the sky, chances are we'll miss it.

Sunday will be cloudy, warm with increasing breezes. It should be especially windy on mountain summits and around Lake Champlain.  Rain should start to move in later in the day. 

Between the relatively heavy rain Sunday night and Monday and snow melt from very warm air, we do have a risk of flooding.  This would involve both small streams and, later on into Monday and Monday night, some of the larger rivers. 

We'll also have to watch for a risk of strong winds along the western slopes of the Green Mountains, but that prospect is really iffy.  I don't expect a repeat of last December's intense, destructive wind storm in Vermont, but it could still be quite nasty.

At this point anyway, we're looking at possible gusts to 60 mph in those locations. If things play out perfectly, those western slope gusts could be stronger. Even in areas away from the western slopes, current forecasts have possible wind gusts Monday to 50 mph.

All that puts Vermont in play for possible power outages for the fourth Monday in a row. 

If the upcoming storm goes by to our west on Monday, we have a better chance of gusty winds and record high temperatures, but rain wouldn't be quite as heavy as forecast. If the storm goes by to our east, the rain would be heavier here, but the wind and the temperatures would be just a bit lower. 

It's a tossup as to whether the storm goes by to our west, east or right over the top of us. 

By the time the storm passes by and temperatures drop, a lot of snow will be gone. There is a decent chance of snow showers later Monday night and Tuesday with light accumulations in some spots, but so far, it doesn't look like a biggie.

And in the days leading up to Christmas, it looks like it will be mostly dry with kinda average temperatures for this time year. 

Glimmer Of Hope: Earliest Sunset Comes Before The Winter Solstice

The earliest sunsets of the year and the latest sunrises
of the year by latitude. Source: EarthSky.org

 Every day since December 3, the sunset has been at 4:13 p.m. at least as measured in Burlington, Vermont.

That's the earliest sunset of the year. 

Today, December 16, the sun sets at 4:14 p.m. one minute later than it's been for the past couple of weeks or so. 

How can that be? Especially since the winter solstice - definitely considered to have the shortest daylight of the year -doesn't come until Thursday, December 21. (10:27 EST local time to be exact).

As you'd expect, the answer is sort of complicated. 

I'll let EarthSky.org explain it:

"Basically, it's because of the discrepancy between the clock and the sun. A clock ticks off exactly 24 hours from one noon to the next. But an actual day - as measured by the spin of the Earth, from what is called solar noon to the next - rarely equals 24 hours exactly. 

Also, solar noon is simply called midday, because it refers to that instant when the sun reaches its highest point for the day. Thus, in the month of December, the time period from one solar noon to the next is actually half a minute longer than 24 hours, For example, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 7, the sun reaches its noontime position at 11:52 a.m. local standard time, Then, two weeks later - on the winter solstice - the sun will reach its noontime position around 11:58 a.m.. So that's six minutes later than on December 7."

In other words, the one minute later sunset tonight here in Vermont is something of an illusion. But one I will gladly embrace. 

Interestingly, the further south you go, the earlier the earliest sunset happens, if that makes any sense. 

For instance, around here, the earliest sunset of the season is around December. 10.  Head down to Key West, Florida, and the earliest sunset of the year hits around November 29.

Of course, there's a price to pay for the ever so slightly later sunsets starting today.  It also means later sunrises into early January. The sun in Burlington rose at 7:23 a.m. this morning.  The sunrise will continue to get later and later until December 30 - after the winter solstice - when the sun comes up at 7:29 a.m. 

The sun will keep coming up at 7:29 through January 5. After that, it will start going the other way. 

Of course, winter cold lags behind the lengthening days by about a month. "As the days lengthen, the cold strengthens," goes the saying.

On average, the coldest time of year is somewhere around January 21, but that varies greatly year to year. 

Even though the days are getting longer through the first three weeks of January, the sun angle is so low, and the sun is so weak, that the Northern Hemisphere continues to cool.

It's not until February that the increasing angle of the sun just begins to erode the winter chill.  

If you want something to look forward to, the latest sunset of the year in Burlington hits age 8:41 p.m. eastern daylight time. That latest of the year sunset goes from June 21 through July 2.

 

Proof That You Can't Bomb A Tornado Out Of Existence

The moment last Saturday when a Tennessee tornado 
struck an electrical substation, causing a massive 
explosion. The explosion did not really disrupt the
tornado circulation, and it went on to cause more damage

 Full disclosure: I have mixed emotions watching tornado videos. 

On the one hand, a as a weather geek, those damn things are so fascinating. Each one is so different. The violence, and yes, sometimes the beauty is something to behold.  

On the other hand, tornadoes obviously kill people. So there's a sense of guilt when watching a tornado video, knowing the storm ended the lives of innocent people caught in the path of these twisters.

That disclaimer aside, one of the most interesting tornado videos I've seen in ages was from this past Saturday in Tennessee.

One of the strongest tornadoes - one that killed three people - scored a direct hit on a Nashville Electric Service substation.  Video of the event is at the bottom of this post. 

When it hit the substation, it caused an explosion that caused a big orange fireball to erupt inside the tornado. Smoke from the explosion appears to get sucked into the tornado, but at the same time, you lose sight of the tornado's funnel.

Did the explosion weaken or even at least temporarily short-circuit the tornado? Unfortunately, the answer is no. 

After hitting the substation, the tornado continued on with its path of destruction.  The fact that the funnel disappeared doesn't mean the twister went away, too. 

As the Washington Post explains, tornadoes can be invisible.

"The reason we can see a tornado is due to moisture, which produces a 'condensation funnel.' Water vapor the gas form of water is invisible - until it condenses and forms a cloud droplet. That happens when the tornado's low pressure expands and cools the air (and the water in it) to the point of condensation - described by meteorologists as the 'dew point.'"

Many tornadoes, especially in the drier Plains states, don't have a condensation funnel. Or at least don't have one that reaches the ground. The air is dry enough so the tornado doesn't form that condensation funnel, which is basically a cloud. 

Even though the visible funnel isn't touching the ground, the tornado will still damage or destroy any  house or other building that it encounters. 

In Tennessee, the air was wet enough so that when the tornado formed, the condensation funnel became visible. Then the explosion at the Nashville Electric Service substation hit.  The flames from the explosion heated the air within the tornado, making the temperatures rise above the that dew point. 

That made the condensation funnel disappear.  We'll let the Washington Post explain the next step:

"And for a moment, viral video captures footage of the tornado's vortex appearing to disappears the fireball explodes. But it doesn't, in reality.

Tornadoes themselves are technically, invisible. The definition of a tornado is just a 'rapidly rotating column of air extending vertically from the surface to the base of a cumuliform cloud,' according to the American Meteorological Society. And you can't see air."

The heat released by the fireball made that condensation funnel go poof. You couldn't see it anymore. But the tornado continued to spin violently. 

Sure, the explosion might have briefly disrupted the very bottom of the tornado circulation. If there was a house immediately next in line from the electrical substation, it might not have suffered as much damage as it would have had there been no explosion. 

But the overall tornado circulation remained intact, and the very bottom of it quickly regained its footing, do the twister continued on with its path of destruction. 

You would need a huge explosion to disrupt a tornado. You'd basically have to blow up the entire parent thunderstorm. And the heat released by a massive explosion could make the updrafts in the thunderstorm even more intense, worsening a tornado or other dangerous weather associated with the storm. 

The tornado gods and goddesses at the National Severe Storms Laboratory answer the "Can we blow up a tornado" question for us: 

"No one has tried to disrupt the the tornado because the methods to do so could likely cause even more damage than the tornado. Detonating a nuclear bomb, for example, to disrupt a tornado would be even more deadly and destructive than the tornado itself. Lesser tactics (like deploying huge piles of dry ice or smaller conventional weaponry) would be too hard to get into the right place fast enough, and would likely not have enough impact to affect the tornado much anyway."

So we're stuck with the only method of surviving a tornado: Getting out of its way. That means fleeing to a storm shelter or basement. Or, failing that, getting into an interior room without any windows, putting on a bicycle or motorcycle helmet, perhaps surrounding yourself with mattresses and hoping for the best. 

And don't even get me started on the idea of blowing up hurricanes out of existence. Even a weak tropical storms would be harder to murder than a supercell thunderstorm with a tornado.

In 2019, during his presidential administration, Donald Trump, while being briefed by a meteorological expert,  ridiculously said he wanted to blow up hurricanes to end them. 

According to Axios, the person giving the brief. politely said something to the effect of, "Sir, we'll look into that. Which is the exact equivalent of my husband telling me "Yes, dear." when I say something completely off the rails, which I tend to do.

The bottom line is, we have enough trouble waging war against our geopolitical enemies. Weather can be even a more formidable opponent.

Next: Video of the tornado and explosion:

In the video below, taken from a traffic cam,  you see power flashes for the first 11 or so seconds of the tornado footage. Those are power lines and transformers being destroyed by the twister. Then you see the big explosion.  After the explosion ends, you can see the tornado continuing to move on, smoke from the explosion entrained in its circulation. 

Judging by the power flashes of more power lines and transformers being destroyed the tornado after the explosion, you can tell it really lost none of its power.

To watch the video, click on this link, or if you see the image below, click on that.