Protecting ourselves

In 1952, the National Weather Service began issuing “tornado forecasts”. The goal of these forecasts was to provide the public with warnings of impending dangerous weather.

Today, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma issues a “Convective Outlook” several times each day. These outlooks break the threat of severe weather into three categories: slight, moderate, and high. Check out the latest convective outlook by following the link above. Is Mid-Missouri in a severe weather threat area today?

Severe Thunderstorm Watches and Warnings

Severe Thunderstorm Watch
During the last several decades, severe storm forecasts have become increasingly accurate. When conditions are favorable for the development of severe storms, the National Weather Service will issue a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the area at risk. This information is provided to television and radio stations and is available on the Internet and on NOAA weather radio. Severe thunderstorm watches usually cover very large areas. Half of the state of Missouri could be under a severe thunderstorm watch at one time! When a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is issued, it is advised that the public stay close to a radio, a television, or the Internet for the latest information on developing storms.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Trained storm spotters have the responsibility of reporting the progress of developing storms to the National Weather Service. If these individuals witness conditions that meet severe storm criteria, a warning will be issued. Warnings are typically issued for only one or two counties at a time. Since spotters can not be everywhere at once, the National Weather Service also uses radar imagery to issue warnings. The radar can peer into the storm and indicate strong winds, hail, and even tornadoes.


Tornadoes
Tornadoes can cause more damage over a shorter period of time than any other type of weather phenomena on earth. Meteorologists have made great strides in recent years toward unraveling the mystery behind these powerful storms.

More tornadoes occur in “Tornado Alley” than any other place in the entire world, and this area is located right here in the Midwestern United States!

The reason this area experiences so many tornadoes has to do with its location. Cool dry air comes down from the Rocky Mountains and from Canada and interacts with warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. The contrast between these air masses helps to create enormous storms.

The strongest winds in the world are found inside tornadoes. Not all tornadoes are created equal though. The damage caused by these storms can range from dented car hoods to total destruction. The strength of each tornado is categorized using the Fujita Scale, or “F Scale”. Because it is almost impossible to get inside a tornado to record wind speeds, the strength of each tornado is determined by examining the damage.