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WeatherMatrix
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From: Jesse Ferrell (WeatherMatrix) (jesse{at}weathermatrix.net)
Date: Sat Jul 20 2002 - 08:36:02 EDT
I received this through another email list, I thought it was an interesting
report.
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 21:39:51 -0400
From: Dan Robinson <>
Subject: Power plant-initiated convection w/lightning
I witnessed today one of the most fascinating weather phenomena I'd ever seen.
The AEP John Amos power plant is located on the Kanawha River on the border
of Kanawha and Putnam counties in west-central West Virginia, about 20 miles
west of Charleston. The plant sports three large cooling towers and two
tall exhaust stacks. Warm moisture in the form of steam constantly billows
from the cooling towers, on some days producing unusually tall cumulus-like
plumes. The base of the plumes is usually at the same altitude as
surrounding clouds.
In today's mildly unstable airmass over most of the USA, the power plant
started initiating and sustaining a small convective cell at around 7:00PM
EDT. The cell is still there now as of at 9:30PM EDT, though not as large.
Here is a WX Tap radar loop showing the cell over the plant, located just
northwest of Charleston and right on the border of the 'P' shaped county.
The cell remains stationary over the plant throughout the loop:
http://wvlightning.com/johnamos/plantradar.gif
I drove underneath the base of the cell near Cross Lanes, WV about 5 miles
east of the power plant, where to my amazement intracloud lightning
discharges were occurring. Unfortunately due to the daylight and the
lightning being deep in the clouds, I could not photograph it. A shaft of
heavy rain with a distinct boundary (you could almost walk up to it and stay
dry) stayed in the same location for nearly 45 minutes.
Here are some photos:
http://wvlightning.com/johnamos/southpan.jpg
View of the cell from 4 miles to the south. The power plant is behind the
mountain on the left, indicated by the plume of steam from the cooling towers.
http://wvlightning.com/johnamos/plantpan.jpg
View of the cell from the power plant itself.
http://wvlightning.com/johnamos/1.jpg
http://wvlightning.com/johnamos/2.jpg
http://wvlightning.com/johnamos/3.jpg
Views of the cell from the west just after initiation, at a distance of
about 6 miles. At one brief moment, a pileus cap formed (missed the shot of
it).
http://wvlightning.com/johnamos/fog.jpg
Rain-produced fog rising from a hill underneath the cell north of Cross
Lanes. Not a tornado in a million years, but kind of looks like one.
http://wvlightning.com/johnamos/rain.jpg
Heavy rain under the cell in Cross Lanes.
I have been watching this phenomenon for years and always wondered if it
could initiate a storm. Got my answer today!
Last year I put together a small page with a few photos on the phenomenon:
http://wvlightning.com/johnamos/
Dan
_______________________
West Virginia Lightning
http://wvlightning.com/
http://wvlightning.com/themessage/
http://wvroadtrip.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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