Post by Bennett D. Ebberly on Nov 14, 2003 14:06:45 GMT -5
Winds rock Air Force One
Friday, November 14, 2003 Posted: 2:40 AM EST (0740 GMT)
President Bush flew back to Washington on Thursday night -- and strong winds made it a bumpy ride aboard Air Force One.
Hailstorms in California, tornadoes in Ohio, damaging winds in the East, flooding in West Virginia -- CNN's Miguel Marquez reports (November 13)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Air Force One was rocked by strong winds Thursday night as it returned President Bush to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland after a fund-raising trip to Florida.
As the aircraft made its descent, the winds rocked it, causing several stomach-lurching drops, according to a pool reporter on board. It even provoked groans from Secret Service officers.
The winds were howling elsewhere in the Northeastern United States -- some even reaching hurricane strength -- and causing delays at airports. Trees and power lines were knocked down in some areas.
The Associated Press reported that more than 1.4 million customers were without power in the wake of the windstorms. At least two people were killed in weather-related incidents, the AP said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said residents from southeastern Virginia to parts of Maine felt winds of 30 to 40 mph, with gusts of 50 to 60 mph.
A non-thunderstorm wind was clocked at 74 mph in State College, Pennsylvania, the strength of a minimal hurricane, NOAA said.
Such windy conditions are not unusual in the fall, although this is the first such occurrence in at least two years, said Michael Wyllie, lead meteorologist at NOAA's offices at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York.
Cold, low-pressure air from Canada is being carried by the jetstream and plummeting into the mid-Atlantic states, where it mixes with warm, high-pressure air, he said.
"It's the gradient between the high pressure and the low pressure that's giving us these very strong winds."
Late Thursday afternoon, the winds showed no signs of easing, and high-wind warnings were posted through the early morning from New England through the Carolinas, Wyllie said.
At New York's LaGuardia Airport, the wind was measured at 55 mph. A Port Authority spokesman said flights into and out of the airport were delayed up to three hours, and he urged that travelers check with their airlines before heading to the airport.
In Boston, the winds were forecast to blow between 30 to 40 mph with gusts reaching 50 mph, though a spokesman for Logan International Airport said flights were running on time. And in Caribou, Maine, NOAA predicted wind gusts of up to 60 mph. The high winds will continue through Friday, NOAA said.
This tractor-trailer was blown over by high winds on Interstate 390 near Rochester, New York.
"Strong and gusty winds will make it difficult to drive, especially high-profile vehicles such as vans, tractor trailers and SUVs," Wyllie said on NOAA's Web site.
"People should be very careful when driving over bridges or overpasses."
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Newark Liberty International Airport was reporting delays for arrivals and takeoffs averaging more than two hours, with some flights reporting delays of nearly six hours.
Air traffic into and out of JFK International Airport in Queens was running on time.
Departures to Washington Dulles International Airport were averaging delays of nearly 2-1/2 hours, with some flights nearly four hours late.
Departure traffic bound for Philadelphia International Airport was reporting delays averaging 38 minutes, with some flights more than two hours late.
Friday, November 14, 2003 Posted: 2:40 AM EST (0740 GMT)
President Bush flew back to Washington on Thursday night -- and strong winds made it a bumpy ride aboard Air Force One.
Hailstorms in California, tornadoes in Ohio, damaging winds in the East, flooding in West Virginia -- CNN's Miguel Marquez reports (November 13)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Air Force One was rocked by strong winds Thursday night as it returned President Bush to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland after a fund-raising trip to Florida.
As the aircraft made its descent, the winds rocked it, causing several stomach-lurching drops, according to a pool reporter on board. It even provoked groans from Secret Service officers.
The winds were howling elsewhere in the Northeastern United States -- some even reaching hurricane strength -- and causing delays at airports. Trees and power lines were knocked down in some areas.
The Associated Press reported that more than 1.4 million customers were without power in the wake of the windstorms. At least two people were killed in weather-related incidents, the AP said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said residents from southeastern Virginia to parts of Maine felt winds of 30 to 40 mph, with gusts of 50 to 60 mph.
A non-thunderstorm wind was clocked at 74 mph in State College, Pennsylvania, the strength of a minimal hurricane, NOAA said.
Such windy conditions are not unusual in the fall, although this is the first such occurrence in at least two years, said Michael Wyllie, lead meteorologist at NOAA's offices at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York.
Cold, low-pressure air from Canada is being carried by the jetstream and plummeting into the mid-Atlantic states, where it mixes with warm, high-pressure air, he said.
"It's the gradient between the high pressure and the low pressure that's giving us these very strong winds."
Late Thursday afternoon, the winds showed no signs of easing, and high-wind warnings were posted through the early morning from New England through the Carolinas, Wyllie said.
At New York's LaGuardia Airport, the wind was measured at 55 mph. A Port Authority spokesman said flights into and out of the airport were delayed up to three hours, and he urged that travelers check with their airlines before heading to the airport.
In Boston, the winds were forecast to blow between 30 to 40 mph with gusts reaching 50 mph, though a spokesman for Logan International Airport said flights were running on time. And in Caribou, Maine, NOAA predicted wind gusts of up to 60 mph. The high winds will continue through Friday, NOAA said.
This tractor-trailer was blown over by high winds on Interstate 390 near Rochester, New York.
"Strong and gusty winds will make it difficult to drive, especially high-profile vehicles such as vans, tractor trailers and SUVs," Wyllie said on NOAA's Web site.
"People should be very careful when driving over bridges or overpasses."
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Newark Liberty International Airport was reporting delays for arrivals and takeoffs averaging more than two hours, with some flights reporting delays of nearly six hours.
Air traffic into and out of JFK International Airport in Queens was running on time.
Departures to Washington Dulles International Airport were averaging delays of nearly 2-1/2 hours, with some flights nearly four hours late.
Departure traffic bound for Philadelphia International Airport was reporting delays averaging 38 minutes, with some flights more than two hours late.