Lab-made ‘Microtornadoes’ May Reveal Destructive Secrets Of Real-life Twisters
With meteorologists concerned about a possible worldwide intensification of tornado activity, scientists are proposing a new approach to studying formation of twisters, which pack Earth's most violent winds. It involves forming microtornadoes under millimeter-scale crystalline "igloos" according to a recent article.
Chasing Tornado Data To Engineer Better Buildings
Iowa State University researchers and students will soon be chasing tornado data in the lab and across tornado alley. It's all part of a research project designed to increase scientists' basic understanding of wind storms and develop innovative ways to make homes and buildings stand up to tornadoes, microburst thunderstorms, hurricanes and gust fronts.
NOAA Reports No Tornado Fatalities Since March, A Record
No one has died from a tornado since March in the United States--a first since official records began in 1950, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla. Normally, during the most active tornado months of April, May and June, 61 percent of all tornado fatalities or an average of 52 deaths occur.
Rapid-scanning Doppler On Wheels Keeps Pace With Twisters
A multibeam Doppler radar that scans storms every 5 to 10 seconds is prowling the Great Plains through June in search of its first close-up tornado. The National Center for Atmospheric Research helped develop the Rapid-Scan Doppler on Wheels and a powerful technique to analyze its data in 3-D.
Researchers Demonstrate NEXRAD Radar Helps National Weather Service Forecasters Save Lives
Tornado warnings have improved significantly and the number of tornado casualties has decreased by nearly half since a network of Doppler weather radars were installed nationwide by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service a decade ago, according to a study published in the June issue of Weather and Forecasting, a journal of the American Meteorological Society.
Rapid-Scanning Doppler On Wheels Keeps Pace With Twisters
A new Doppler radar instrument that can scan tornadoes every five to 10 seconds is prowling the Great Plains this spring in search of its first close-up twister. Newly enhanced for season-long thunderstorm tracking, the radar promises the most complete picture to date of tornado evolution, allowing for better tornado prediction in the future.
Funnel Vision: Student Storm Chasers Seek Tornadoes
They dodge twisters in Dodge City, witness big storms in Big D and follow hailstorms to Hale Center. Talk about your great field trip – this is it. Texas A&M University’s student storm chaser team is the only one of its kind in the state.
Scientists Unravel Midwest Tornado Formation
Although tornadoes are usually thought of as springtime storms that develop in early evenings out of isolated weather cells, storm watchers now say that conception often fails to hold, especially in the larger Midwest. The twist is that these tornadoes are more likely to form late at night and in colder months.
NOAA Reports Record Number Of Tornadoes In 2004
The total number of tornadoes reported in the United States reached a record high during the year 2004, surpassing the previous record by almost 300, according to officials at the NOAA Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla.
New NASA Technology Helps Forecasters In Severe Weather Season
NASA is providing new technology and satellite data to help forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) create the best possible forecasts of severe springtime weather.
keep looking »