Marine Thunderstorm Wind · Atlantic South

Buoy 41004 measured a peak wind gust of 54 knots at 810 PM.

A severe quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) moved through coastal waters during afternoon and evening hours of April 5, 2022 as a mid-level shortwave ejected rapidly across the region in advance of a surface cold front. The environment ahead of the QLCS was favorable for severe local storms as southerly winds spread mid 60 dewpoint temperatures into a warm sector across the Southeast United States and favorable mid-level lapse rates and lifted index values helped produce mixed layer convective available potential energy (MLCAPE) as high as 1500-2000 J/kg during peak surface heating across coastal waters. Within the warm sector, strong shear associated with 50-70 knot low and mid-level jets beneath the left front quadrant of a 120 knot upper-level jet, 0-6 km bulk shear around 50 knots, and 0-3 km storm relative helicity in excess of 300 m2/s2 were supportive of well organized convection and potentially embedded supercell thunderstorms in a QLCS capable of producing a prolonged path of damaging winds and strong long-track waterspouts. As the QLCS swept through coastal waters, numerous thunderstorms were exceptionally strong with severe winds recorded/measured near or just ahead of the main line of thunderstorms.