Category Archives: SKYWARN

SKYWARN

Spotter network.org: Another way to report weather

Spotter Network logo

One of the National Weather Service’s (NWS) favored ways to receive severe weather reports is a Web-based service, Spotter Network (SN). Spotter Network accepts reports from members and automatically forwards those reports via Internet to the appropriate NWS weather forecast office within one minute.

One advantage of SN is software that spotters can install on their computers and/or mobile devices. That software continuously reports a spotter’s GPS location to the network. That means that when the spotter enters a report, the exact location is already on the report form. In addition, SN members can see each other’s locations on a Web page and within popular radar applications like GRLevel3 and mobile apps like Radarscope and PYKL3. You can also display SN data on Google Earth. In addition to member locations, those same applications display member reports with icons that show where the spotter was when the report was filed.

Radar display with Spotter Network spotter positions and reports
Google map depicting radar echoes, SN member locations (green dots) and SN tornado reports (tornado icons) and funnel cloud reports (funnel cloud icons)

NWS meteorologists trust reports that arrive via Spotter Network because of SN’s training requirement and on-going report audits. Anyone can join Spotter Network. But the system accepts reports only from members who complete SN’s own online training module. There’s no charge for membership or for the training. On a regular basis, Spotter Network leaders audit the reports of members. The organization suspends members who violate rules (e.g. by submitting false reports or reports that don’t meet criteria).

A disadvantage of Spotter Network is that it requires an Internet connection. But it can be used on a computer at home (no GPS required … spotters manually enter their home GPS coordinates once) or on Internet-capable mobile devices in the field. Another disadvantage is that members can be sanctioned for filing reports that don’t meet SN’s criteria, even when those reports meet the needs of a local NWS office. Also, Spotter Network prohibits members from relaying the reports of others.

Get more information, create an account and get the training at www.spotternetwork.org.

SKYWARN

Tornado researcher Tim Samaras, WJ0G dies in Oklahoma storm

Tim Samaras portrait from Wikipedia

Update: Tim Samaras was also a licensed amateur (ham) radio operator and member of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). His call sign was WJ0G. See a story about him on the ARRL website.

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The meteorological world is mourning the death of respected tornado research Tim Samaras. Samaras died May 31 while conducting tornado research in Oklahoma. Tim’s son, Paul and a team member, Carl Young, also died in the storm.

Tim was a storm chaser. But he wasn’t the kind of storm chaser about whom I sometimes complain. In other words, Tim did not chase storms solely for an adrenaline rush. And he did not put himself or his crew in danger unnecessarily.

Tim was a true scientist and engineer who designed instrumentation to gather data about tornadoes. You can read more about his great work on the website of the TWISTEX organization he founded.

Tim’s loss is a major blow to the science. I pray the blessings of comfort for his family and all those who knew and loved him.

SKYWARN

Flooding the big problem today

Audra Streetman of WFFT-TV (audrastreetman) tweeted this photo of flooding at the intersection of Clinton St. and Elizabeth St. near downtown fort Wayne.

Only a tiny part of Indiana (a sliver in the southeastern corner) has a slight risk of severe thunderstorms today, according to the Day 1 Convective Outlook that the Storm Prediction Center issued at 12:08 p.m. EDT. All of Ohio, including counties served by the northern Indiana National Weather Service office, have a slight risk until 8 a.m. EDT tomorrow. The northern Indiana office, however, does not anticipate SKYWARN spotter activation today anywhere its county warning area (see this morning’s Hazardous Weather Outlook).

The big weather story for the Fort Wayne and surrounding area today is flooding, caused by last night’s heavy rain, with more rain forecast to arrive today. The NWS issued a new flood warning for the Fort Wayne area at noon that’s in effect until 6 p.m. EDT. According to the statement, Police in the area were reporting widespread flooding across the north side of the Fort Wayne metro area and  across much of central Allen and central Whitley counties. Areas of high water will continue to slowly recede through this afternoon.

The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo (@fwkidszoo) tweeted this photo of flooding that closed the Zoo for the day. The tweet indicated that all animals and staff are OK.
SKYWARN

Tornado watch #267 overnight

Map showing counties included in tornado watch #267

A huge portion of Indiana, including Allen County and its surrounding counties are under a tornado watch until 6 a.m. EDT. An ongoing severe storm system, over central Illinois when the watch was issued at 11:10 p.m. EDT, appearred likely to maintain intensity. If so, it could be capable of producing damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes as it rapidly progresses east northeastward across the watch area overnight.

Make sure your weather alert radios are working, because if the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning, you want to make sure you’ll be awakened. A text message from your cell phone might not suffice!

Here’s the list of counties included in the watch:

ILLINOIS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

   FORD                 IROQUOIS            

INDIANA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

   ADAMS                ALLEN               BARTHOLOMEW         
   BENTON               BLACKFORD           BOONE               
   BROWN                CARROLL             CASS                
   CLAY                 CLINTON             DAVIESS             
   DEARBORN             DECATUR             DELAWARE            
   DE KALB              FAYETTE             FOUNTAIN            
   FRANKLIN             FULTON              GRANT               
   GREENE               HAMILTON            HANCOCK             
   HENDRICKS            HENRY               HOWARD              
   HUNTINGTON           JACKSON             JASPER              
   JAY                  JENNINGS            JOHNSON             
   KNOX                 KOSCIUSKO           LAWRENCE            
   MADISON              MARION              MARSHALL            
   MARTIN               MIAMI               MONROE              
   MONTGOMERY           MORGAN              NEWTON              
   NOBLE                OWEN                PARKE               
   PULASKI              PUTNAM              RANDOLPH            
   RIPLEY               RUSH                SHELBY              
   STARKE               SULLIVAN            TIPPECANOE          
   TIPTON               UNION               VERMILLION          
   VIGO                 WABASH              WARREN              
   WAYNE                WELLS               WHITE               
   WHITLEY              

OHIO COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

   ALLEN                AUGLAIZE            DARKE               
   DEFIANCE             HENRY               MERCER              
   PAULDING             PUTNAM              SHELBY              
   VAN WERT
SKYWARN

This is stupid. Don’t do this.

Some foolish storm chasers got caught by one of the Oklahoma tornadoes today. You’ll see debris hit their car and damage its windshield. There’s never any reason to be this close to a tornado, whether you’re a storm chaser or a storm spotter. Let this be an example of what not to do! Thanks to WANE-TV’s Jonathan Conder for calling this to our attention.

SKYWARN

Severe thunderstorm watch #264

Coverage map for severe thunderstorm watch #264

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 264 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1200 AM EDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS:

INDIANA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE:
     
     ADAMS                ALLEN               BLACKFORD           
     CASS                 DE KALB             ELKHART             
     FULTON               GRANT               HUNTINGTON          
     JAY                  KOSCIUSKO           LAGRANGE            
     LA PORTE             MARSHALL            MIAMI               
     NOBLE                PULASKI             ST. JOSEPH          
     STARKE               STEUBEN             WABASH              
     WELLS                WHITE               WHITLEY
SKYWARN

New chance for severe thunderstorms

Map depicting area covered by Mesoscale Discussion #912

There’s a new chance for severe thunderstorms in north central and northeastern Indiana this evening. The Storm Prediction Center issued Mesoscale Disucssion #912, which indicates a 40 percent probability that SPC will issue a severe thunderstorm watch in Kosciusko and surrounding counties, possibly including Whitley and Huntington Counties. According to the mesoscale discussion, a cluster of storms over northeastern Illinois has evolved into a small bow echo along the eastern fringe of an environment where vertical shear and instability support organized storm structures. While the atmosphere downstream is not quite as favorable, it might support a threat for isolated damaging wind and hail in the next few hours.

Stay alert for a possible watch and then for possible warnings, especially in and near Kosciusko and Marshall Counties.

SKYWARN

Severe weather unlikely through this evening

Visible satellite image showing cloud cover over most of Indiana at 4:01 p.m. EDT

The northern Indiana National Weather Service office does not anticipate severe storms into this evening, according to an updated Area Forecast Discussion the office issued at 3:19 p.m. EDT. The discussion credits a lack of sunshine over the area, which prevented the atmosphere from becoming unstable enough to support severe weather.

In a revised Hazardous Weather Outlook (HWO) issued at 3:26 p.m. EDT, the office indicated that locally heavy rainfall in excess of an inch will be possible tonight, which could cause localized flooding of streets and streams. But the new outlook makes no mention of severe weather today or tonight and indicates that SKYWARN spotter activation is no longer anticipated this afternoon into tonight. For tomorrow and tomorrow night, the HWO suggests that additional rain and thunderstorms might lead to additional localized street and stream flooding. There’s also a slight risk of severe storms tomorrow afternoon into tomorrow evening.

SKYWARN

Today’s severe weather threat is somewhat conditional — here’s why

The infographic below from the northern Indiana office of the National Weather Service shows why there’s some question about how much severe weather our area will see and/or when. Click on the image to view a full-size version.

NWS Infographic explaning that breaks in today's cloud cover will be required to generate sufficient instability for severe weather
SKYWARN

Could be a long night for SKYWARN spotters

Categorical outlook map from Day 1 Convective Oultook

Almost all of Indiana — along with the Indiana, Michigan and Ohio counties served by the northern Indiana National Weather Service Office — are at slight risk for severe weather between 9 a.m. EDT today and 8 a.m. EDT tomorrow, according to the Day 1 Convective Outlook issued at 8:45 a.m. EDT by the Storm Prediction Center. The outlook indicates a 15 percent probability of damaging thunderstorm winds or wind gusts of 58 mph or higher within 25 miles of any point in the counties covered by the northern Indiana NWS office. It provides the same probability of one inch diameter or larger hail. The probability of a tornado, however, is two percent or less in northeastern Indiana, southern Michigan and northwestern Ohio.

Severe weather in these areas is most likely late this evening, according to a Area Forecast Discussion issued by the northern Indiana NWS office at 5:17 a.m. EDT. At that time, meteorologists were uncertain of the exact timing but wrote that a severe squall line could pass through the region this evening and/or overnight. In its Hazardous Weather Outlook at 6 a.m., the office indicated that SKYWARN storm spotter activation might be needed this evening and tonight.

Meanwhile, the latest Day 2 Convective Outlook continues to indicate a slight risk for more severe weather between 8 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday.

So spotters, make sure all your gear is ready for possible action tonight and then try to get some rest, because it could be a late night for us!