In-depth discussion of the costliest severe thunderstorm event in US history: the great Midwest derecho of August 10, 2020. After a crash course on derechos, we'll take a deep dive into the meteorology and progression of the event and why this derecho was exceptionally long-lasting and powerful.

Thumbnail images from Daniel Acker, Lisa Schmitz (NWS Des Moines), and NWS Chicago.
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Chapters:

0:00 Introduction
1:52 Crash course on derechos
22:02 Meteorological overview begins
34:27 Initial storm organization, hail production
39:03 Bow echo catches cold front
43:49 Rear-inflow jet
47:45 DCAPE progression
52:02 Discussion of the derecho's longevity
56:09 Comparison to typical derecho parameter spaces
59:07 Satellite imagery discussion
1:02:04 Progressive or serial derecho?
1:02:29 Closing
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Resources:

NWS Des Moines event page: https://www.weather.gov/dmx/2020derecho

NWS Chicago event page: https://www.weather.gov/lot/2020aug10

NWS interactive story map on the event: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/...

SPC page on derechos: https://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDere...

"Derechos: Widespread Convectively Induced Windstorms" - Johns and Hirt (1987): https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/jou...

"Analysis of a Progressive Derecho Climatology and Associated
Formation Environments" - Guastini and Bosart (2016): https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/jou...

"Interpreting the Climatology of Derechos" - Coniglio and Stensrud (2004): https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/jou...

"A Synoptic Climatology of Northwest-Flow Severe Weather Outbreaks. Part II: Meteorological Parameters and Synoptic Patterns" - Johns (1984): https://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications...

"A Synoptic Climatology of Derecho Producing Mesoscale Convective Systems in the North-Central Plains" - Bentley et al. (2000): https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/cgi...

"Examination of Derecho Environments Using Proximity Soundings" - Evans and Doswell (2001): https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/jou...

"Satellite-Based Characterization of Convection and Impacts from the Catastrophic 10 August 2020 Midwest U.S. Derecho" - Bell et al. (2022): https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/jou...

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