• Chapter 5: Storm Chasing (MetEd, Into the Storm)

• Chapter 6: Lightning, Thunder, Tornados

• Chapter 7: Tropical Storms & Hurricanes

Mr. Hartwell

UNIT B – SEVERE STORMS& STORM CHASING

A safety course in chasing, spotting, and

reporting Severe Weather

CHAPTER 5:STORM CHASING & SPOTTING

Inherent dangers

• Thousands of people chase severe weather in the United States

• Thrill seekers side by side with professionals

• Beware: Serious injury or death may occur

BASICS OF STORM SPOTTING

• Who can be a spotter?

• What spotters look for

• SKYWARN spotter training

• Types & stages of thunderstorms

• Severe weather mechanics

• Thunderstorms, tornados, hurricanes

• Safety when chasing & spotting

NO UNAUTHRORIZED STORM CHASING!

• Serious injury can occur

• Course does not certify you to be a chaser

• Course does raise awareness of threats and safety measures

• Course does certify you to be a NWS storm spotter & reporter

• Any trained person may be a storm spotter

Spotters look for:

• Tornados

• Funnel Clouds

• Wall & shelf clouds

• Rain free cloud base

• Convective supercells

• Downbursts

• Lightning, hail, gusty wind, flooding, snow

• Any weather-related hazard!

• This course covers the basics of being a SKYWARN Spotter.

• Goals:

• Provide baseline training for all spotters in communication and spotter report criteria

• Safety considerations for all hazards

SKYWARN SPOTTER TRAINING

SKYWARN MODULES

Module 1: Role of the SKYWARN Spotter

Module 2: SKYWARN Spotter Convective Basics

AT THE CONCLUSION OF SPOTTER TRAINING…

• Pass the 2 module quizzes

• Earn & print your certificate of completion

• Register with the NWS (National Weather Service) office in Binghamton

• Begin spotting & reporting severe weather!

SKYWARN SPOTTER TRAINING

GOAL #1: ENROLL IN SPOTTER TRAINING SCHOOLGOAL #2: PASS MODULE 1 – EARN CERTIFICATEGOAL #3: PASS MODULE 2 – EARN CERTIFICATEGOAL #4: REGISTER WITH THE NWS

www.meted.ucar.edu

Basics of Storm Chasing

• Types of Thunderstorms

• Single cell

• Multicell cluster

• Multicell line

• Supercell

• Rear flank

• Classic

• Front flank

SINGLE CELL

MULTI CELL CLUSTER

LINE (SQUALL LINE)

LINE (SQUALL LINE)

MULTICELL LINE

SUPERCELL STORM

SUPERCELL STORM

Types of Supercells

• Rear flank

• Classic

• Front flank

REAR FLANK SUPERCELLS

• Low precipitation (LP)

• Updrafts in “rear” of storm (trailing)

• Hail is difficult to discern

• No “bow echo” visible on radar

CLASSIC SUPERCELLS

• Large, flat updraft cloud bases

• Heavy precipitation

• Large hail

• Potential for strong, long-lived

tornados

FRONT FLANK SUPERCELLS

• High precipitation (HP)

• Updraft in front of storm (leading edge)

• Wall cloud formation likely

• Tornados wrapped in rain

• Extremely heavy precipitation and flash flooding

FRONT FLANK SUPERCELLS

WALL CLOUD IN HP SUPERCELLS

Dangers of Supercell Chasing

1. Bad driving

2. Gusty winds /Tornado death

3. Hail

4. Heavy rain / Hydroplaning

5. Lightning strike

6. Core punching

7. No escape plan

CORE PUNCHING

• NOT RECOMMENDED!

• Even for the most advanced and experienced storm chaser

CORE PUNCHING

• NOT RECOMMENDED!

• Rushing through rain/hail to catch up to a storm moving away from you

• The only way to glimpse the tornado, or you’ve missed it

• Highly dangerous

• Poor visibility

• Heavy rain/hail

• Tornados may be masked in rain, or just beyond the rain/hail boundary

• IT MAY BE TOO LATE -- DEATH MAY OCCUR!

CORE PUNCHING

CORE PUNCHING

CORE PUNCHING

CORE PUNCHING

Notes on Safety

• #1 most dangerous place: highways

• Pull all the way off the road

• Ensure you have plenty of fuel (1/2 tank rule)

BEGIN SPOTTING & REPORTING SEVERE WEATHER!

• Pass the 2 module quizzes (Sept./Nov.)

• Earn & print your certificates of completion

• Register with the NWS (National Weather Service) office in Binghamton

• Be safe!