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Large Scale Setup/Discussion A large ridge of high pressure, or heat dome, has begun to set up over the central US this week, and will be strengthening as we head into this weekend and early next week. As a result, the main branch of the jet stream has been pushed […]
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Ever wonder what goes on inside a tornado? If you cut it all down to just basics, it’s pretty simple. A tornado is just a column of air violently rotating around an area of low pressure (how they form will be discussed at some future date). They work in the […]
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Large Scale Setup/Discussion A weak wave of energy is currently crossing Colorado’s Rocky Mountains and is forecast to undergo “lee cyclogenesis” (it’s actually more of a lee intensification) as it ejects off the Front Range and into the Great Plains on Thursday, ahead of a much more powerful upper level […]
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MOORE, OK — May 3rd, 1999. It’s a date that anyone with ties to Oklahoma knows very well. If you don’t know, an F5 tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma that day, packing winds of 318 miles per hour (no, that’s not a type-o), which to this day remains the strongest wind […]
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FREDERICK, OK — The April 17th severe weather event was easily the highlight of April. I got to chase as part of one of my classes, which was a lot of fun. A warm front had stalled over the Interstate 44 corridor, with extremely unstable air on the warm side […]
Read MoreNORMAN, OK — A day that started as an epic bust/lack of a storm chase turned out to be anything but disappointing. It was an event that nobody could have predicted (not even the models), featuring golf ball sized hail and freezing rain falling out of a severe thunderstorm at […]
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On May 19, 2012, I observed and photographed a landspout and two tornadoes near Harper, Kansas. The term “landspout” is not used very often so I will attempt to explain what it means and how it differs from a tornado. Tornadoes Most tornadoes are driven by a mesocyclone in a […]
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NORMAN, OK — Two straight days of taking a gamble and targeting areas close to home left me with the two extremes as far as results go: one day put me up close and personal with a fairly serious tornado less than a mile from my house, and the other […]
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On March 31, 2011, nine tornadoes broke out across West Florida as a strong front moved across the region, leaving heavy damage in its wake. While the Tampa Bay area does see the most tornadoes per square mile than anywhere else in the country, the tornadoes it does see are […]
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All thunderstorms, from the smallest rumblers to the biggest supercells, go through the same 3-stage lifecycle. Like anything that is actually living, thunderstorms do require a healthy balance and a constant fuel source to maintain them. Stage 1: Cumulus Stage If you’ve ever been outside on a nice day, you’ve […]
Read MoreMIAMI, FL — Tropical Storm Matthew has formed in the southwest Caribbean. According to the National Hurricane Center, at 8 PM, sustained winds were about 40 mph with higher gusts. The storm is forecast to strengthen before it goes over mainland Belize. Forecasters are unsure exactly where it’s going to […]
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ST. PETERSBURG, FL — One of the best storms of the summer so far tore through the St. Pete area on Monday evening. To put the icing on the cake, too, the storm came to me, so I didn’t have to leave the house to intercept it! The storm surely […]
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