A cold front moved slowly across SE GA and the Suwannee Valley during the ealry morning hours. Mid and upper level shortwave energy from the Gulf of Mexico coincided aloft near the front which produced strong to severe storms.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS JAX wrote it up.
A cold front moved slowly across SE GA and the Suwannee Valley during the ealry morning hours. Mid and upper level shortwave energy from the Gulf of Mexico coincided aloft near the front which produced strong to severe storms. The storm prediction center had a Marginal risk of Severe thunderstorms over the region and 40-50 knots of 0-6 Km Bulk Shear along with 500-1000 J/KG of MLCAPE.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Jacksonville, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 14, 7:02 PM EST, 6 hours 56 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Jacksonville FL 802 PM EDT Tue Apr 14 2020 .NEAR TERM [Through Tonight]... The front which was stalled near the state line this morning lifted northward as a warm front earlier this afternoon and has essentially merged or been overtaken by another quasi-stationary front to its north stretching across central GA into the FL Panhandle approaching weak cold front. In the warm sector to its south, the area is under mostly southwest low level flow with juicy dew points in the 70s across all but our northernmost GA counties. At the mid and upper levels a series of shortwave troughs will translate eastward through the night across the region, enhancing lift aloft. With 40 kt 850 mb winds and about 50 kts 0-6 km shear, there's still the potential for isolated severe weather with thunderstorms that develop ahead of the approaching front through the night. Damaging winds and hail remain possible, as is the a brief tornado. && .PREV DISCUSSION [757 PM EDT]... .Short Term.../Wednesday night through Saturday/... Frontal boundary will slowly sink south of the region Thursday morning, as high pressure builds to the north. Shower chances will linger Wednesday night into Thursday morning, in association with the boundary. This high will build to the northeast Thursday night, then east Friday. As the high builds to the east, the increasingly warm and moist southeast to south flow will yield the potential for late day convection Friday. A cold front will approach the region from the northwest Friday night, then cross during the day Saturday. Another round of showers and thunderstorms expected Saturday, with potential for strong storms. Temperatures will trend below normal through Thursday, with more seasonal readings expected for Friday, then above Saturday. .Long Term.../Saturday night through Tuesday/... Front will continue to move to the southeast Saturday night as high builds to the north. A warm front will extend east across area from low pressure developing over the western gulf on Sunday. Rain will overspread from the west with this warm front, with best potential over NE FL. This low will continue to track east along the gulf coast Sunday night, with boundary remaining near stationary over NE FL. This low will cross forecast area Monday, tracking along the location of the warm front, with focus of associated precipitation over NE FL. Could see another round of strong storms with this system on Monday. High pressure will build to the north Monday night, then to the east northeast Tuesday. While expecting much of Monday night and Tuesday to be dry, can not rule out enough moisture return for convection Tuesday afternoon. Temperatures are expected to trend above normal this period. .AVIATION... [Through 00Z Thursday] Scattered showers and potentially strong storms continue to move through the region this evening, with VFR conditions occuring outside of storm activity. Low ceilings are anticipated overnight, resulting in IFR and MVFR conditions with storms progressing through SE GA and NE FL in the early morning hours on Wednesday. Early morning storms are anticipated for Wednesday with winds shifting about from out of the SW to more out of the N-NW. .Marine... A nearly stationary southwest to northeast oriented frontal boundary will stretch across area waters through Wednesday night. This boundary will move to the southeast Thursday morning. High pressure will build to the north Thursday afternoon, then to the northeast Thursday night. The high will build to the east Friday. A cold front will move southeast across the region Saturday, with high pressure building from the northwest Saturday night. The high will build more toward the northeast Sunday, as a warm front moves in from the west. Rip Currents: Moderate Risk for Wednesday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AMG 59 68 51 73 51 / 30 30 20 0 0 SSI 66 71 57 69 60 / 50 80 30 10 0 JAX 67 74 57 72 59 / 50 80 40 10 10 SGJ 70 77 59 71 62 / 30 80 50 30 10 GNV 70 75 56 71 57 / 40 80 50 30 10 OCF 71 80 58 71 60 / 10 70 60 40 20 && .JAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...None. GA...None. AM...None. &&
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Jacksonville FL
1226 AM EDT Wed Apr 15 2020
FLZ021-035-222-150515-
Southern Columbia FL-Suwannee FL-Gilchrist FL-
1226 AM EDT Wed Apr 15 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN GILCHRIST...
SOUTHWESTERN COLUMBIA AND SOUTHEASTERN SUWANNEE COUNTIES UNTIL 115 AM
EDT...
* At 1226 AM EDT, National Weather Service meteorologists were
tracking a strong thunderstorm 11 miles northwest of Bell, moving
northeast at 35 mph.
* Small hail, winds in excess of 45 mph, and minor flooding due to
heavy rainfall is possible with this storm.
* Locations impacted include...
Ichetucknee Spring, Fort White, Branford and Hildreth.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement
agency. You can also share your report with NWS Jacksonville on
Facebook and Twitter.
&&
LAT...LON 3012 8278 2992 8260 2978 8294 2980 8292
2981 8293 2983 8292 2982 8291 2983 8289
2988 8287 2990 8290 2989 8292 2995 8292
2996 8293 2996 8295 3000 8297
TIME...MOT...LOC 0426Z 240DEG 28KT 2985 8302
KBSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Jacksonville FL
201 AM EDT Wed Apr 15 2020
FLZ021-222-150645-
Southern Columbia FL-Suwannee FL-
201 AM EDT Wed Apr 15 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL COLUMBIA AND
SUWANNEE COUNTIES UNTIL 245 AM EDT...
* At 200 AM EDT, National Weather Service meteorologists were
tracking a strong thunderstorm near Mayo, moving east at 40 mph.
* Small hail, winds in excess of 45 mph, and minor flooding due to
heavy rainfall is possible with this storm.
* Locations impacted include...
Live Oak, Obrien, Luraville, Mcalpin, Newburn and Houston.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement
agency. You can also share your report with NWS Jacksonville on
Facebook and Twitter.
&&
LAT...LON 3023 8324 3037 8297 3002 8270 2998 8296
2999 8296 3001 8298 3001 8300 3003 8301
3007 8307 3008 8307 3009 8311 3011 8312
3010 8314 3011 8316 3009 8319 3012 8323
3017 8323 3018 8325
TIME...MOT...LOC 0600Z 248DEG 34KT 3002 8325
KBThe Moody AFB radar (KVAX), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:58 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was snapped and fell on a mobile home and shed that caused both structure roofs to collapse. The time of damage was based on radar.
An EF0 tornado touched down in the Biscayne Downs Subdivision near the Broward River, just west of I-95. The tornado knocked down trees along Sarasota Lane and Secretariat Drive. One tree was snapped an fell on a home along Sarasota Lane. It destroyed a sunroom along Riva Ridge Drive. The tornado likely lifted before it crossed the Broward River with sporadic wind damage occurring through Oceanway before touching back down along Grover Road, where significant tree damage occurred. Tree damage occurred along Boney Road and Starratt Road near Edwards Creek including a snapped tree that fell on a truck with other uprooted trees in the area. Local broadcast media relayed a video of the tornado as it bypassed Black Hammock Island near the A1A and Nassau Sound bridge next to Amelia Island State Park. Tornado damage was not continuous along the path. The path width was estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Florida, 2020Warnings in Florida, April 2020
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 877505, 877504.