Uncommon Virga Bomb Breaks Wind Record in Texas: Explanation of This Phenomenon
*Let's Chat About the Weird Weather Event in Texas***
Have you ever heard about the insane wind gust recorded in Midland, Texas? Well, prepare for a weather lesson that'll blow your mind.
Last Tuesday, the airport weather station in Midland clocked a wind gust of 111 mph, shattering its own 94-year record! That's right, a triple-digit wind like you'd see during a hurricane, but this time, no tornado or hurricane was involved. So, what gives?
The National Weather Service calls it a "dry microburst associated virga bomb." In simpler terms, imagine the atmosphere taking a swing at Texas.
But, what on earth is a "dry microburst associated virga bomb?" Keep reading, my friend. We're about to dive into the world of weather and get schooled.
Microbursts come under the umbrella of a phenomenon known as downbursts. These are strong wind events that occur as a result of how air moves up and down in thunderstorms. Here's the breakdown:
- Thunderstorms are fueled by an updraft of warm, rising air.
- Eventually, some of that air cools, forms precipitation, and then a combination of wind and precipitation rushes to the ground in a downdraft.
- A downburst takes a typical downdraft and cranks it up to 11. Picture yourself dumping a bucket full of water directly onto the ground—it hits hard and splashes out from the center. Downbursts do just that, but with powerful winds that then move outward at high speeds.
Now, here's where things get interesting. Typically, downbursts are either wet—meaning precipitation and wind reach the ground—or dry, meaning only wind reaches the ground. In this instance, we have a dry microburst. The "virga bomb" part of the NWS report simply means it was an impressively strong dry microburst.
Virga is precipitation that falls from the clouds but evaporates before it reaches the ground. Downbursts can occur fairly frequently in powerful thunderstorms, but one this extreme is rare. When it moves through a layer of drier air near the ground, a dry microburst like this one becomes more powerful. Dry air evaporates the precipitation in the downburst at the last second, which actually cools the surrounding air and makes it heavier. Heavier air hits the ground harder, producing stronger winds.
As for the 111 mph wind gust, it would have been more at home in a hurricane than a random thunderstorm. Category 2 hurricanes have sustained winds of 96 to 110 mph but often produce gusts stronger than that range. The strongest wind gust ever recorded in Texas stands at 180 mph and was produced by Hurricane Celia in August 1970.
Although the 111 mph gust did not cause damage at Midland's airport, it broke several power poles and knocked over a semi-truck in nearby Odessa. Additionally, other thunderstorms in the same area produced strong winds that kicked up dangerous dust storms.
Stay tuned for more weather updates, folks! Who knows what Mother Nature has in store next? 😉
[1] Weather.gov: Dry Microburst Virga Bomb (accessed March 19, 2023)[2] WeatherTAP: Dry Microburst vs Wet Microburst (accessed March 19, 2023)
- Weather lessons can be fascinating, as shown by the recent "dry microburst associated virga bomb" event in Texas.
- Climatology studies often delve into topics like microbursts, which are part of the larger category of downbursts in the field of science.
- The weather event in Texas serves as a reminder that topics such as health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise must also consider extreme weather events' potential impacts on our environment.
- Understanding weather phenomena like dry microbursts can help us build resilience against such events, benefiting both us and the environment.
- In learning about the weather, it's important to remember that science is constantly evolving, and there's always something new to discover – just like the mysteries of a tornado or the intricacies of a hurricane.