Post on 26-Mar-2020
transcript
Storm
Spotter
Training
2018
Picture: Ryan Wubben
Madison, WI July 20, 2017
National Weather Service Milwaukee
DISCLAIMER!
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Spotting severe weather can be dangerous! If you do not feel safe, you should seek shelter immediately!
Your safety is more important than a report.
The NWS does not condone, endorse or recommend storm chasing. It is a
dangerous practice and should not be attempted.
Mobile Spotting Safety Concerns
Always spot with a partner.
Watch for water on the road.
Obey traffic laws.
Watch out for ‘the other guy’.
Make sure your vehicle is ready for action.
What are storm spotters?
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
The National Weather Service needs reports of
tornadoes, flash floods, wind damage and hail to
effectively warn the public of inclement weather.
Storm spotter volunteers provide ground truth to what NWS meteorologists interpret
on radar. They have an interest in the weather and a desire to serve their community.
Who are storm spotters?
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Private Citizens
Law Enforcement
Fire Personnel
EMS Workers
Public Utility
Amateur Radio Volunteers
Storm Chasers
Hospitals, schools, churches, nursing
homes, others w/responsibility for
protecting others.
Radar Limitations
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
-Radar typically doesn’t ‘see’ tornado
-Base of cloud that tornado descends from is typically 1,000-5,000 feet off the ground
-Sees rotation in the upper parts of a thunderstorm
MKX
1000ft
NWS Milwaukee Radar Height Above Ground
3000ft
5000ft
How do spotters/reports help?
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
People react to reports of severe weather as opposed to ‘radar indicated’.
May 16, 2017
528pm Tornado Warning
Barron County/Chetek
May 16, 2017
540pm Tornado Warning
Barron County/Chetek
...a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Sumner (Chetek)...
SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation
TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor....
...a confirmed tornado was located near Sumner...
SOURCE...Public confirmed tornado
To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. TAKE COVER NOW!
Timely Reports
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Reports that come in as the storm is in progress are much
more valuable than reports that come in hours after the storm is
done.
NWS relays this information through warnings.
Can trigger or keep warnings active.
Broadcast media relays reports.
People react! It’s a confirmation source.
What triggers a warning?
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
•Conditions favorable for severe weather?
Environment
•Signatures/thresholds met
Radar
•Less reliant on reports at night
Report
Typically need
2 out of these
3 to issue a
warning.
Storm Spotting Process
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Hour 1: Severe Weather Safety
• In-person, online training
• Sources of weather info
• Is it a day to potentially spot?
Training
Prepare
Deploy
Observe
Communicate
Hour 2: Spotter Training
• When to go observe
• Where/How to
observe
• What to observe
• How to
communicate report
(MOST IMPORTANT!)
Storm Spotting Process
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Deploy When and where should
you go out to look/report
on storms?
Hail/Damaging Winds: At your location, report hail size and wind
speeds/damage as soon as storm ends.
Flooding/Heavy Rain: Measure rain at your location.
Tornadoes: The following slides apply to tornado situations.
When should mobile spotters deploy on storms?
Watch Issued?
Warning Issued?
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Spotting Locations
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
• Stationary or Mobile
• Upstream from city – Avoid high traffic areas
• Good visibility – High Ground
– No trees
– No buildings
• Know your escape route – How long does it take to get to shelter?
Self Activating
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
• NWS Milwaukee does not activate spotters
• Stay ahead of the storms
• Monitor conditions/warnings in nearby counties
• Monitor radar trends
• Be pro-active!
• You may not see anything. That’s okay!
Radar is your friend
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Download a good app that shows your location
relative to storms.
Reflectivity
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
How much energy is
reflected back to the radar.
The more, the brighter.
Velocity
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Just because a storm has
rotation does not mean it will
be tornadic. Radar Location
RED: Moving away from radar
GREEN: Moving toward radar
The brighter the colors, the
faster the speeds.
Using Radar to Position Yourself
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Typically, you want to be
on the south/southeast
side of a thunderstorm.
On the north? See
mostly rain.
Run a loop of images to
see trends.
Heavy Rain
I see it!
Hail
Tornado
I can’t see it. Why’s it so dark?
I can’t
see it.
Storm Motion
Radar vs Reality
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training Photos: Tom Purdy
Why was the Chetek tornado hard to see?
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Poor terrain
Poor road network
Rain-wrapped
Storm mergers
Picture: Justin Phillips
Chetek, WI May 16, 2017
Rain Moving North
June 28, 2017 Monticello 2 EF1 Tornadoes
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
There are NO expectations
that you will be able to see
tornadoes with a squall line.
Video: Ron Mattson
Monticello, WI June 28, 2017
June 28, 2017 Monticello 2 EF1 Tornadoes
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Storm Spotting Process
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Observe What severe weather types
need to be reported.
Hail: Diameter size of largest stones
Winds: Estimated/measured speed and damage
Flooding: Rain measurements, washed out roads
Tornadoes: The tornado, funnel cloud, wall cloud, damage
Hail
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
-Measure the diameter of the largest
hailstones using a ruler or compare to
other objects
-The size of a quarter is considered severe
Chris Morehouse Greg Syvrud
Windsor Jillian Barber
Hail
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Pea = ¼”
Penny = ¾”
Nickel = 7/8”
Quarter = 1”
Half Dollar=1¼”
Walnut = 1½”
Golf Ball=1¾”
Egg = 2”
Pool Ball=2¼”
Tennis Ball=2½”
Baseball=2¾”
Grapefruit=4”
Softball = 4½”
SEVERE
Damaging Winds
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
-Measure or Estimate wind gusts
-Most over-estimate wind gusts
-Tree branches, limbs or uprooted? Most say
“trees down”.
-Rotted?
Estimating
Wind
Speeds
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
30-40 mph
• Whole Trees in Motion
40-50 mph
• Twigs or small branches breaking
50-58 mph
• Branches/Small Limbs breaking
58-75 mph • Threshold of visible structural damage
• Large branches broken
Over 75 mph • Loss of roofing materials/roof
• Trees uprooted/trunks snapped
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
30-40 mph
• Whole Trees in Motion
40-50 mph
• Twigs or small branches breaking
This is frequently reported as “Estimated 60-70mph gust”.
If you report that, we will ask what kind of damage there is.
If there is no damage, we will question the report.
Don’t use the wind speeds listed in the warning as your guide.
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
50-58 mph
• Branches/Small Limbs breaking
58-75 mph • Threshold of visible structural damage
• Large branches broken
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Over 75 mph • Loss of roofing materials/roof
• Trees uprooted/trunks snapped
Shelf clouds are pretty, but you don’t need to report them.
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Ben Miller
Tiffany Olson Jason Schwartzlow Holly
Flooding
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
-Rainfall
measurements/hour
-Helps collaborate radar
estimates
-Washed out roads...but
don’t search for them!
Tornadoes
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
-Precursors to a tornado: Wall Cloud, Funnel Cloud
-LOTS of questionable reports of funnel clouds
-In contact with the ground? Yes-Tornado No-Funnel Cloud
-Cloud movement does not mean rotation.
-Look for debris, power flashes
-Any damage?
C.J. Montour
Nichols, WI June 14, 2017 Monticello, WI June 28, 2017
Wall Cloud
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
-Isolated lowering
-Rear of storm
-Updraft area (up and in)
-Persistent feature?
-Watch for rotation
-Reportable to the NWS
-Having a wall cloud does not
mean that a tornado will form.
Edgerton, WI June 22, 2017
Funnel Cloud
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
-Rotation as the base of the thunderstorm
-Updraft area (up and in)
-Persistent feature?
-Watch for rotation
-Reportable to the NWS
-May not trigger a tornado warning
Sauk City, WI August 12, 2016
Matt Potratz Winnebago Co, WI
August 28, 2017
Katie Cardin, Fitchburg, WI
August 28, 2017
NOT a Funnel Cloud
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Justin Poublon
Bancroft, WI September 20, 2017
Scud Cloud
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
SVL Media
Durand, WI May 16, 2017
Tornadoes...not all look alike
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Starts up here
Ends up here
Woodmans
Madison, WI October 7, 2017
Madison-Sun Prairie
EF0 Tornado
Tornadoes...
not all look
alike
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Madison EF0 Tornado
From another perspective
Dave Meyer
Madison, WI October 7, 2017
Tornadoes
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
-Watch for debris
-Power flashes
-Is it on the ground?
-Rain wrapped? (Chetek EF3)
-Watch out for look-a-likes: Virga, Scud
Tornadoes are where spotters can
make a difference in saving peoples
lives!
People react to reports of tornadoes.
Night Spotting
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
CAUTION! -Spotting storms at night can be dangerous!
-Need to be experienced
-Radar support
How to spot a tornado at night?
-Lightning
-Transformers/Power lines
-Bright flashes
-Roaring sound.
-Tornado or High Winds
Storm Spotting Process
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Communicate How should you report the
severe weather?
This is the MOST IMPORTANT step in the process and why
spotters exist!
Reports must get to the National Weather Service.
Do NOT assume we know just because a warning is out.
Reporting Basics
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Use proper terms (Example: wall vs shelf cloud)
Be as specific as you can.
Do not exaggerate.
How confident are you? (Wall, Funnel Cloud, Tornado)
Location should be address/lat-lon/intersection (Can be estimated miles from city)
Follow up, if necessary.
WHO are you?
-Trained spotter, Law Enforcement, EM?
WHAT occurred?
WHEN was it?
WHERE was it?
NWS Milwaukee Spotter Phone #
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Highest Priority:
Tornado
Flash Flooding (Roads washed out)
Structural Damage (Winds/Tornado)
Uprooted Trees
Hail over 2” in diameter
1-800-545-8197
Reports only!
Twitter @NWSMKX
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Best way to send reports/pictures to NWS
Milwaukee via social media.
Photos are great!
Mention @NWSMKX and we receive an audible
alert on our computer.
#swiwx used in the past, but not monitored as
much.
We are always monitoring and try to ‘like’ each
report to notify you that we’ve received the report.
Quote tweet to @NWSMKX any other local reports
that you think may be of interest to us.
facebook.com/NWSMilwaukee
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Photos are great!
Send a message (BEST), write a
post on the page or comment on a
post that we start.
We monitor, but have to physically
refresh the page to get updates on
posts/comments/messages.
Share posts/information from
friends that may be posting about
damage/storms that may be helpful
to us.
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Like social media, but don’t want to be a spotter?
Join our volunteer social media search team!
We’re looking for people from each county to help out!
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Our Current Search Operations During Severe Wx
Searching a 125 mile radius.
Lots of noise!
Concerned we’re going to
miss something.
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Our Goal? Teams/volunteers in each
county or large city.
Volunteers search
Twitter/local contacts (FB)
and tweet to NWS.
Search a 10-15 mile radius.
Less noise!
Find more information that
can help w/warnings.
Contact Tom Kucharski at
tjkuch@execpc.com or
webmaster@sulcom.info to sign up.
Provide location, social media experience.
mPING
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Please use this for most/all
hail reports without pictures,
particularly sub-severe.
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
spotternetwork.org
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
cocorahs.org Use this to report rainfall
amounts, particularly
non-flooding type/lower
end reports.
Light rain reports via
other methods adds to
the data that we need to
filter through.
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Columbia County ARES/RACES Richard Green: kc9fnm@gmail.com Tyler Letlebo: tletlebo@gmail.com
Dane County Midwest SSTRC Dale Bernstein: dale.bernstein@midwestsstrc.org
Dodge County ARES/RACES Ryan Klavekoske: ryantiff@charter.net
Fond du Lac County Sullivan Committee webmaster@sulcom.info
Green County Sullivan Committee webmaster@sulcom.info
Green Lake County Sullivan Committee webmaster@sulcom.info
Iowa County Midwest SSTRC Dale Bernstein: dale.bernstein@midwestsstrc.org
Jefferson County ARES/RACES Paul Marowsky: paul@marowsky.com
Kenosha County Racine Co ARES/RACES Dave Whitham: vacuumtube.guru@gmail.com
Lafayette County Sullivan Committee webmaster@sulcom.info
Marquette County ARES/RACES Richard Green: kc9fnm@gmail.com Tyler Letlebo: tletlebo@gmail.com
Milwaukee County Milwaukee Area Skywarn Association Skip Voros: svoros@execpc.com
Ozaukee County OZARES ARES/RACES Don Zank: d_zank@yahoo.com
Racine County ARES/RACES Dave Whitham: vacuumtube.guru@gmail.com
Rock County Midwest SSTRC Dale Bernstein: dale.bernstein@midwestsstrc.org
Sauk County ARES/RACES Matt Noll: kc9upe@gmail.com
Sheboygan County OZARES/Washington County ARES/RACES
Walworth County Volunteer based spotter team Eli Larson: k9ilj.wx@gmail.com
Washington County ARES/RACES Steve Sundquist: realsnow@hotmail.com
Waukesha County MASA Skip Voros: svoros@execpc.com
Amateur Radio
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Safety is your #1 priority!!! It is your responsibility to stay safe.
Obey federal, state, local laws and directives from public
safety officials.
Do not put yourself (or others) in harms way.
Know your escape routes and how long it takes to get
back to shelter.
Communicate your whereabouts.
National Weather Service Milwaukee: Storm Spotter Training
Thank you for attending!
If you have questions, come up and ask! Please share any local weather
photos/videos with us!
Contact: Tim Halbach
Warning Coordination Meteorologist
Timothy.J.Halbach@noaa.gov
NWS Severe Weather Reporting NWS Milwaukee (800) 545-8197
NWS Green Bay (800) 788-6883
NWS La Crosse (800) 848-2199
NWS Chicago (800) 681-2972
NWS Quad Cities (800) 803-9357 Social Media Volunteer Search Team:
Email Tom Kucharski at
tjkuch@execpc.com or
webmaster@sulcom.info