General Weather Discussion - April 2014

[PennyQuilts]

I have family in Tupelo. Not pretty at all.

Hope they are okay. I guess that's the source of your username?

[Mississippi Blues]

They okay?

Yes, everyone's okay. A bit of damage near my uncle's house, but they're all safe and sound. Thank you for asking!

Hope they are okay. I guess that's the source of your username?

They're a part of the reason, yes. Mississippi is my family's home state. Every time we go back, we run through Tupelo amongst other cities / towns in every corner of the state.

[PennyQuilts]

Yes, everyone's okay. A bit of damage near my uncle's house, but they're all safe and sound. Thank you for asking!



They're a part of the reason, yes. Mississippi is my family's home state. Every time we go back, we run through Tupelo amongst other cities / towns in every corner of the state.

Seeing those storms must be tough for you since you are so familiar with it and have family from there. I am glad your family is physically okay. Must have been terrifying for folks in those storms.

[SoonerDave]

Alabama is getting really pounded tonight. Multiple supercells, most have been tornado-warned at some point, from Tuscaloosa NE to and through Birmingham. Really concerned now about a possible rain-wrapped tornado down and doing damage right now south of Tuscaloosa. Watching an Alabama live stream and its *amazing* the difference between OKC-area coverage and an area not quite so used to it. They're wall-to-wall, but no spotters, remote cams, guys on the phone or radio, and the only remote videos are from (I think) traffic cams with a single meteorologist continuously narrating the radar images. Doing a fine job, mind you, very professional, but the texture of the coverage is entirely different.

[John1744]

Alabama is getting really pounded tonight. Multiple supercells, most have been tornado-warned at some point, from Tuscaloosa NE to and through Birmingham. Really concerned now about a possible rain-wrapped tornado down and doing damage right now south of Tuscaloosa. Watching an Alabama live stream and its *amazing* the difference between OKC-area coverage and an area not quite so used to it. They're wall-to-wall, but no spotters, remote cams, guys on the phone or radio, and the only remote videos are from (I think) traffic cams with a single meteorologist continuously narrating the radar images. Doing a fine job, mind you, very professional, but the texture of the coverage is entirely different.

Yes! It's been slow at work so we've been watching Alabama/Mississippi live streams of weather coverage and it's usually one guy with a Mac in front of a radar. Makes me so thankful for all of our storm spotters, helicopters, dominators even and so on. The coverage really isn't even close to being comparable.

[PennyQuilts]

Alabama is getting really pounded tonight. Multiple supercells, most have been tornado-warned at some point, from Tuscaloosa NE to and through Birmingham. Really concerned now about a possible rain-wrapped tornado down and doing damage right now south of Tuscaloosa. Watching an Alabama live stream and its *amazing* the difference between OKC-area coverage and an area not quite so used to it. They're wall-to-wall, but no spotters, remote cams, guys on the phone or radio, and the only remote videos are from (I think) traffic cams with a single meteorologist continuously narrating the radar images. Doing a fine job, mind you, very professional, but the texture of the coverage is entirely different.

Those poor folks.

And yes, I have a hard time watching them because they just sort of talk and it all starts running into a long sentence as they jump from cell to cell to cell to cell. Of course, I also don't know all the names of the towns and, apparently, there is no town in Mississippi that has an original name and it was confusing. Philadelphia, Louisville, West Point, Columbus, Cleveland (seriously?), Corinth, etc. We are used to more hands on information to compliment their frantic descriptions of what is happening where. I was afraid one guy would pass out because he didn't stop talking for so long. I told my husband it was different but I had to hand it to them - they were flying by the seat of their pants without much information beyond their charts and they were trying their best to explain technical things to a population less educated about such things. And they were just working so hard and it was such a rough situation. But it was weird. I kept wanting someone to send in something from the helicopter. Spoiled, are we.

But that sort of think would be so very hard for anyone. What a day!

[SoonerDave]

Yes! It's been slow at work so we've been watching Alabama/Mississippi live streams of weather coverage and it's usually one guy with a Mac in front of a radar. Makes me so thankful for all of our storm spotters, helicopters, dominators even and so on. The coverage really isn't even close to being comparable.

Pretty sure we're watching the same stream.

What amazes me is that there's *zero* mention of anyone spotting things like wall clouds, lowerings, funnels, inflow/outflow dominance, rain-free bases, things that I'm just totally accustomed to hearing having lived here nearly all my life. And it's not as if the SE part of the US doesn't have at least its own share of severe weather of their own. I kinda feel sorry for the main meteorologist who is essentially flying solo - no anchor desk support, no live news reports, just nothing. Really stunning.

[soonerguru]

SoonerDave,

They don't really even have that stuff in Tulsa, either. We are spoiled in OKC. We watch live footage of the twisters, from multiple helicopter angles, narrated by some of the most skilled storm chasers and spotters in the business.

[ou48A]

There is a tornado on the ground taking aim on the Birmingham AL metro area right now.

Birmingham TV
Live Stream: Severe Weather Coverage - WVTM-TV: News, Weather, and Sports for Birmingham, AL

[ou48A]

Severe weather statement
national weather service birmingham al
1114 pm cdt mon apr 28 2014

alc073-290445-
/o.con.kbmx.to.w.0024.000000t0000z-140429t0445z/
jefferson al-
1114 pm cdt mon apr 28 2014

...a tornado warning remains in effect for jefferson county until
1145 pm cdt...

...tornado emergency for jefferson county including hueytown...

At 1112 pm cdt...national weather service doppler radar and storm
spotters were tracking a large and extremely dangerous tornado. This
tornado was located near north johns...or 6 miles west of bessemer...
Moving northeast at 30 mph.

[John1744]

Omg you can hear the studio getting pounded.

[Mississippi Blues]

Seeing those storms must be tough for you since you are so familiar with it and have family from there. I am glad your family is physically okay. Must have been terrifying for folks in those storms.

Very much. Never a good feeling to see familiar places with fond memories split into pieces, especially on a TV nearly 600 miles away from those places.

[Soonerman12]

Soonerguru... We do to have that stuff in Tulsa!? lol We have helicopters that fly around and have 24/7 coverage of it on severe weather days. Not too sure if your aware but channel 6 news here in Tulsa is channel 9 news in OKC's sister station. That means channel 6 has a helicopter that flies around when there's severe weather. The pilots name is Will Kavanaugh. Also, any time you have storms there in OKC we get live coverage of it in Tulsa and sometimes deploy our own chopper to cover the storm so we know what's headed our way. Also we have MULTIPLE chasers here in Tulsa that show us tornadoes live everyday they happen. Not too sure why you thought we didn't have any of that? A lot of the skilled chasers you have in OKC come to Tulsa too.....

[soonerguru]

Soonerguru... We do to have that stuff in Tulsa!? lol We have helicopters that fly around and have 24/7 coverage of it on severe weather days. Not too sure if your aware but channel 6 news here in Tulsa is channel 9 news in OKC's sister station. That means channel 6 has a helicopter that flies around when there's severe weather. The pilots name is Will Kavanaugh. Also, any time you have storms there in OKC we get live coverage of it in Tulsa and sometimes deploy our own chopper to cover the storm so we know what's headed our way. Also we have MULTIPLE chasers here in Tulsa that show us tornadoes live everyday they happen. Not too sure why you thought we didn't have any of that? A lot of the skilled chasers you have in OKC come to Tulsa too.....

Thanks for the correction. I just remember watching live feeds of a tornado situation in Tulsa a couple of years ago with Dan Threlkeld. There wasn't any of that then. Glad they are doing that kind of coverage now.

[Soonerman12]

Oh I see what you meant now i'm sorry didn't mean to sound rude. I just am passionate about my side of the state because I also chase. It's came a long way the past 5-7 years. Oh btw you chose the wrong guy to watch when you were here lol I understand why there wasn't much coverage because you were watching channel 2. (Dan Threlkeld resigned last year thank God lol) Channel 2 doesn't do much. But anyways channel 6 is the only station in this side of the state that does a lot. That's because they're the only ones with a helicopter and Travis Meyer is now with them.

[adaniel]

Alabama is getting really pounded tonight. Multiple supercells, most have been tornado-warned at some point, from Tuscaloosa NE to and through Birmingham. Really concerned now about a possible rain-wrapped tornado down and doing damage right now south of Tuscaloosa. Watching an Alabama live stream and its *amazing* the difference between OKC-area coverage and an area not quite so used to it. They're wall-to-wall, but no spotters, remote cams, guys on the phone or radio, and the only remote videos are from (I think) traffic cams with a single meteorologist continuously narrating the radar images. Doing a fine job, mind you, very professional, but the texture of the coverage is entirely different.

It's not just the TV stations.

We have lots of extended family on my dad's side both in rural Lee County MS (Tupelo) and the Bham suburbs. The level of tornado prepardness in these areas is nothing short of dangerously sparse. My dad's cousin actually took a direct hit from the outbreak in 2011; fortunately they were okay. When they got their home repaired they tried to get a storm shelter and could not find a company around Birmingham to do it. The nearest one was in Florence, nearly 150 miles away. Although I would add most homes there have basements.

There are no coordinated efforts to educate people about storms. A lot of schools don't do tornado drills and would rather just release the kids early into their ramshackle houses. You'd be hard pressed to find a weather radio for sale there, which is especially dangerous considering they have nocturnal tornadoes. A lot of the old timers actually still open up their windows when tornadoes come. We had to sterny correct an older relative after the 2008 outbreak to never do this.

Don't get me wrong I love the people down there. But considering by at least a few measures they are more at risk of tornadoes than even OK or KS, you would think they would be a little more on the ball with this stuff. I get a ping in my stomach every time an outbreak hits that area because I know those folks down there are pretty much sitting ducks.

[bchris02]

It surprises me that Birmingham doesn't have better coverage. Statistically speaking they are almost as prone to large, violent tornadoes as OKC is. Little Rock coverage is a joke as well.

[SoonerDave]

It's not just the TV stations.

We have lots of extended family on my dad's side both in rural Lee County MS (Tupelo) and the Bham suburbs. The level of tornado prepardness in these areas is nothing short of dangerously sparse. My dad's cousin actually took a direct hit from the outbreak in 2011; fortunately they were okay. When they got their home repaired they tried to get a storm shelter and could not find a company around Birmingham to do it. The nearest one was in Florence, nearly 150 miles away. Although I would add most homes there have basements.

There are no coordinated efforts to educate people about storms. A lot of schools don't do tornado drills and would rather just release the kids early into their ramshackle houses. You'd be hard pressed to find a weather radio for sale there, which is especially dangerous considering they have nocturnal tornadoes. A lot of the old timers actually still open up their windows when tornadoes come. We had to sterny correct an older relative after the 2008 outbreak to never do this.

Don't get me wrong I love the people down there. But considering by at least a few measures they are more at risk of tornadoes than even OK or KS, you would think they would be a little more on the ball with this stuff. I get a ping in my stomach every time an outbreak hits that area because I know those folks down there are pretty much sitting ducks.

It surprises me that Birmingham doesn't have better coverage. Statistically speaking they are almost as prone to large, violent tornadoes as OKC is. Little Rock coverage is a joke as well.

I actually took the time to watch several minutes of two or three different stations in the Birmingham area, and I must say it was consistently marginal. I was stunned at the lack of depth - and as adaniel points out, it must be an outgrowth of the broader, oh, nonchalance toward it. I didn't even see or hear anyone look for or even mention something as simple as powerflashes in the video coming from the outside cameras that were pointed to what they thought was the location of a tornado heading in. As I mentioned in the other post, just a meteorologist - maybe a backup - narrating a radar image...

[venture]

Soonerguru... We do to have that stuff in Tulsa!? lol We have helicopters that fly around and have 24/7 coverage of it on severe weather days. Not too sure if your aware but channel 6 news here in Tulsa is channel 9 news in OKC's sister station. That means channel 6 has a helicopter that flies around when there's severe weather. The pilots name is Will Kavanaugh. Also, any time you have storms there in OKC we get live coverage of it in Tulsa and sometimes deploy our own chopper to cover the storm so we know what's headed our way. Also we have MULTIPLE chasers here in Tulsa that show us tornadoes live everyday they happen. Not too sure why you thought we didn't have any of that? A lot of the skilled chasers you have in OKC come to Tulsa too.....

KOTV, Channel 6, is actually owned by Griffin Communications/KWTV here in OKC. The helicopter KOTV has is owned by Griffin - FAA Registry - Aircraft - N-Number Inquiry - and KWTV pulls it in whenever they need it down here. The original SkyNews6 that crashed in 2007 was Ranger9 that they used down here until they got the newer one.

[Dubya61]

It's ALMOST funny to me that a lot of people in OK know all about drylines and dewpoints, powerflashes and hook echoes. I'd bet OK citizenry are all hobbyist meteorologists.
Thanks to the pros here who educate us and set us straight.

[venture]

It's ALMOST funny to me that a lot of people in OK know all about drylines and dewpoints, powerflashes and hook echoes. I'd bet OK citizenry are all hobbyist meteorologists.
Thanks to the pros here who educate us and set us straight.

No where else can you say on TV that there is "high CAPE" and people generally know what you mean. Gary, and the others, did a wonderful job over the years educating the population here with some basic weather terminology to where most understand. Where I grew up a severe weather day would always be forecast with the wording "Thundershowers today, some could be heavy." Then later in the day we would have golf ball hail or a couple tornadoes. Unfortunately that is what the market outside of the Plains, especially Oklahoma, wants. Jonathan Conder went to Fort Wayne and didn't work out - most on the station's facebook page were happy to see him go because they didn't get his style. Which is what we are use to here. Jeff George was in Toledo and flamed out as well because his Southern Plains style didn't work and now he is here on Fox 25.

Anywho. I would say we are well off topic, but this month is almost done.

[Soonerman12]

Venture... There's two now right? I'm pretty sure there is, one says news 9 and the other says news on 6. I watch there chases via the web when I can not get down there myself. You are correct though. The only station I use to watch up here was channel 8 because it was Travis Meyer, Frank Mitchel, and Taft Price. (the super group lol) But for some reason channel 8 must have problems keeping people because Travis left first then Taft went to channel 2 and Frank Mitchell completely left and isn't even doing meteorology anymore. (he sells insurance or something now) Channel 6 is the only one with a chopper which is weird cause it is a very good thing to have with severe weather. It gives a "birds eye" view.

[ou48A]

Frost possible on Thursday and Friday..... http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/

Next Tuesday and Wednesday is the next chance for severe weather per CH 9

PS: Tornadoes killed 30 yesterday and about 16 on Sunday.

[SoonerDave]

It's ALMOST funny to me that a lot of people in OK know all about drylines and dewpoints, powerflashes and hook echoes. I'd bet OK citizenry are all hobbyist meteorologists.
Thanks to the pros here who educate us and set us straight.

I obviously can't speak for anyone else, but educating myself over the years was the only way I could overcome my younger-days fear of the weather this time of year. I think back to how I was as a kid, and I probably should have seen a shrink If Jim Williams on WKY tossed out a "Tornado Watch," forget it. I didn't even want to leave the house.

Suspect at least a few long-timers here would tell at least an approximately similar story. Thinking about that is one of the reasons I have very little (well, no) patience for the fear-peddling crowd.

[PennyQuilts]

Frost possible on Thursday and Friday..... National Weather Service Forecast Office - Norman, Oklahoma

Next Tuesday and Wednesday is the next chance for severe weather per CH 9

PS: Tornadoes killed 30 yesterday and about 16 on Sunday.

The number who died - just so awful. Lot of people in mourning, today.