Summary
In the week preceding July 31, a low pressure system sitting over southwestern British Columbia fed warm, humid air into central Alberta. Daytime heating along with near-record dewpoints over Alberta triggered a series of strong thunderstorms that persisted throughout the week. On July 31, a cold front developed over western Alberta, colliding with the warm moist air that persisted over the region. Forecasters recognized the elevated risk for severe weather early in the day. Weatheradio broadcasts and interviews with the media stressed "vicious thunderstorms" and "extremely strong and violent thunderstorms".
Severe thunderstorms developed rapidly over the foothills early in the day and quickly moved eastward. The first severe weather watches were issued over central Alberta late in the morning and continued early in the afternoon. At 1:40 PM, a severe weather watch was issued for the Edmonton area, as well as for Leduc, Parkland, and Strathcona Counties. The watch was later upgraded to a warning at 2:45 PM as the line of storms approached the area. As the cluster of storms approached the Leduc area, a violent cell rapidly developed ahead of the main line of storms and sharply turned northward.
The storm passed east of Leduc where the first tornado report made by a weather spotter at 2:59 PM. The tornado was on the ground briefly before dissipating. Shortly after 3 PM, the tornado again touched down in the Beaumont area, tossing granaries and farm equipment as it grew in size and strength.
At 3:04 PM, a tornado warning was issued for the city. The tornado moved into the southeast portion of the city as a multiple-vortex tornado, and tracked north along the eastern portions of Mill Woods, causing F2 to F3 damage. The tornado continued northward crossing the Sherwood Park Freeway and eventually hitting the Refinery Row area at F4 intensity. The tornado tossed several large oil tanks, leveled several industrial buildings, and several trailers were picked up and scattered at Laidlaw and Byers Transport. At one point the tornado came close to the building that housed the Alberta weather office, where several employees were forced to take cover.
The tornado weakened slightly as it passed over an open area between Baseline Road and the North Saskatchewan River. Still, it maintained F2 to F3 intensity as it tore through eastern parts of Clareview toward 4:00 PM, causing heavy damage to several homes in Kernohan, Bannerman and Fraser neighbourhoods. The tornado persisted as it headed northeast toward the Evergreen Mobile Home Park. There, the tornado completely destroyed nearly 200 mobile homes in the area and killed 12 people and injuring numerous others. The tornado dissipated shortly after.
Read more about this topic: Edmonton Tornado
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