What is the synoptic/atmospheric setup that is causing the U.S. severe weather outbreak in May 2019?

Okay, here’s a revised version of the article, aiming for a more human and engaging tone:

May 2019: When the Sky Seemed Angry

May 2019. It’s a month many in the Central Plains and Midwest won’t soon forget. It felt like Mother Nature was throwing a tantrum, unleashing an almost relentless barrage of severe weather. We’re talking tornadoes, hail the size of golf balls (or bigger!), and winds that could flatten anything in their path. The damage was widespread, and tragically, lives were lost. So, what was going on up there in the atmosphere to cause such a mess?

Well, picture this: way up high, a big dip in the atmosphere – meteorologists call it an upper-level trough – parked itself right over the central U.S. Think of it like a giant, slow-spinning top, acting as a magnet for storms. And within that big trough were smaller ripples, shortwave troughs, that kept kicking things off, triggering round after round of nasty thunderstorms. It was like a never-ending cycle.

Down at ground level, a strong low-pressure system was often brewing east of the Rockies. This low acted like a vacuum, sucking warm, moist air all the way up from the Gulf of Mexico. Now, warm, moist air is like rocket fuel for thunderstorms; it gives them the energy they need to grow and become monsters. And when that warm, soggy air bumped into cooler, drier air? Boom! Even more instability.

But here’s the kicker: wind shear. Imagine the wind blowing in different directions and at different speeds as you go higher up. That’s wind shear, and it’s crucial for tornado formation. May 2019 had it in spades. This shear made thunderstorms spin, turning them into supercells – the kind of storms that spawn the most violent tornadoes. The jet stream, a river of fast-moving air high in the atmosphere, also played a role, cranking up the wind shear even more.

So, to sum it up, we had a perfect storm (pun intended!). A big upper-level trough, surface low pressure pulling in Gulf moisture, and crazy wind shear. It was a recipe for disaster, and it played out in a big way. May 2019 was a stark reminder of the power of nature and why it’s so important to pay attention to those weather warnings.