UPDATE: Tornado Watch Issued for Wilton; CT’s Dept. of Emergency Services Issues ‘Severe Weather Update’ with Warning about ‘Supercells,’ Storms & Tornado Watches

UPDATE, 3:10  p.m.–A tornado watch was issued for Litchfield County until 7 p.m., with a reported squall line containing a tornado in its southwest quadrant that is moving east/southeast from New York at 50-60 mph.

At its current track and speed this line will reach the northwest corner of CT by 3 p.m. This line also likely contains strong straight line winds of 60 – 70 MPH and large hail.

Several other thunderstorms in this line and in a line in MA approaching northern CT are showing moderate rotation at this time. Towns are strongly encouraged to continuously monitor all thunderstorms in these lines and be prepared for wind and hail damage.

ORIGINAL STORY, 2:30 P.M.–The CT Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) issued a Severe Weather Update to local authorities warning of an “enhanced threat of severe thunderstorms over Connecticut” for Thursday afternoon, Aug. 27. The update urged towns to monitor for thunderstorms and ‘supercells’ moving closely towards their areas.

Wilton is in the area in which some of the most dangerous storms are predicted to hit.

The update was prompted by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC) placing most of Connecticut in the Enhanced Risk Category for severe thunderstorms this afternoon. In addition, the update noted that severe thunderstorm and/or tornado watches may be issued early this afternoon.

According to the NOAA forecast, regional radar shows a line of strong thunderstorms forming in upstate New York. This afternoon the thunderstorms are expected to intensify and move quickly to the southeast at 60-80 mph and enter northern Connecticut between 2-3 p.m., and the most likely time frame for severe thunderstorms is from 2-8 p.m.

The forecast calls for the most dangerous storms to form over western and southwestern CT, noting that there will be “a few individual supercells” in those storms. “The SPC is forecasting that any thunderstorms that develop (especially supercells) will have a 30% chance of containing strong winds (60-70 mph), a 15% chance for large hail (2” in diameter) and a 5% chance of containing a tornado. Other hazards will likely include moderate urban flooding and dangerous lightning.”

The DESPP warning notes that the overall impact of these thunderstorms is “expected to be moderate however there could be some more significant impacts in any towns in the path of a supercell.”