N TX Skywarn & TS Chris
I paid a visit to the NWS office in Fort Worth last week to drop off my video and picture donations for Gary Woodall's always-excellent Skywarn program for 2007. After chatting with him and reviewing my video, I'm going to resubmit a couple of clips with more brightness/contrast adjustment which appear too dark for a projector system display. I'm also submitting a time lapse clip of the second tornado from the 6/12/05 nader fest. I've donated video of the first four significant tornadoes from that event including the multi-spinups under the meso.
Adding to the list are the 4/24/06 Charlie, TX tornado; still pics of the "flying saucer" mesos in Stephens/Palo Pinto counties of 5/1/06; damage pics from the 5/5/06 100mph+ downburst event in Cooke County, a few lignting photos; and two clips from the tragic night of 5/9/06 in Collin County with an edited slo-mo clip of the lightning-illuminated beasts and a full video clip of almost the entire chase complete with the "loud and clear" Skywarn audio traffic.
I hope that my donated material will find a good place in the new 2007 training program for both the basic and advanced courses. Anybody that knows me knows full well that I take this aspect of my "hobby" seriously. We have endured many consecutive lackluster severe weather seasons around these parts, so keeping the public and spotters in this area as updated and educated as possible is more important than ever. (Maybe we can even do something about the bubble-headed TV-mets and clueless media we are cursed with here in DFW! LOL!) That includes making each pre-season training sessions new and fresh. In that regard, a huge credit goes to Gary Woodall, Al Moller, and the staff at the NWS Fort Worth in somehow outdoing themselves each and every year with perhaps the best spotter training sessions in the country. There is even something interesting in the works too that all of the EOC managers in this area have been asking for. Watch for details on that.
One year soon, the severe weather season will return with a vengence in these parts. May 9th of this year should be a major wake-up call. I hope to see even bigger turn-outs at the spotter training sessions next year. However, an outstanding NWS office and Skywarn nets won't do much good without a good media outlet to relay the information. We need a MAJOR overhaul of most our goofy and "inadequate" media weather teams here in DFW. It's a battle that will never be won in my opinion. After all, stupidity en masse is a formidable opponent...especially when 90% of complacent viewers in DFW are concerned more with missing an "American Idol" episode than being warned about a possible tornado approaching them or affecting their neighbors. A flood of threatening and irate phone calls to the TV station ensue with each and every weather break-in. So, I can't fairly lay complete blame on the media. However, for next season, I'll be trying to do some "Tivo" recording during local severe weather events to capture some examples of what I keep harping about. I welcome any donations to the cause. ;-)
OK...enough ranting about that. On to tropical stuff.....
If it weren't for tropical season in the long dog days of summer, I think I'd just go into a catatonic state and hibernate until the jet stream begins to wander through the southern plains again. So far, TS Chris has ignored the NHC forecasters and most of the models in general. It's a very tough forecast to say the least. Chris keeps defying the odds and conventional forecast wisdom.
The trend now is getting interesting. As I write this, the IR imagery is looking more impressive. I'm thinking he'll gain the notorious "H" status by tomorrow. Additionally, the models are starting to line up and indicate a more left turn in the track through Hispanola and emerging south of Cuba. It appears that the large expansive ridging will be stronger to the north of Chris thus steering him more westerly over time. Based on how strong the ridge has been this year and the long range forecasts, it is starting to look like Chris just may make a trek towards Texas.
As devestating and brutal this relentless record-breaking drought has been for my home state, a hurricane coming ashore and slowly trekking up through the heart of the Lone Star State would actually be MORE beneficial than harmful...even as a CAT 3 (if it doesn't zero in on Houston). We need copious amounts of rain and at this point, it appears the only way we are going to get any significant amounts. We have to fill up our reservoirs that are going dry right now. Another 6-7 months like we had in the last part of 2005 into 2006 and we'll be declaring Marshall Law on water rationing. This doesn't even begin to account for the massive wildfires we'll see. "God's country" will be turned into the bowels of hell.
Pray for Hurricane Chris.
Adding to the list are the 4/24/06 Charlie, TX tornado; still pics of the "flying saucer" mesos in Stephens/Palo Pinto counties of 5/1/06; damage pics from the 5/5/06 100mph+ downburst event in Cooke County, a few lignting photos; and two clips from the tragic night of 5/9/06 in Collin County with an edited slo-mo clip of the lightning-illuminated beasts and a full video clip of almost the entire chase complete with the "loud and clear" Skywarn audio traffic.
I hope that my donated material will find a good place in the new 2007 training program for both the basic and advanced courses. Anybody that knows me knows full well that I take this aspect of my "hobby" seriously. We have endured many consecutive lackluster severe weather seasons around these parts, so keeping the public and spotters in this area as updated and educated as possible is more important than ever. (Maybe we can even do something about the bubble-headed TV-mets and clueless media we are cursed with here in DFW! LOL!) That includes making each pre-season training sessions new and fresh. In that regard, a huge credit goes to Gary Woodall, Al Moller, and the staff at the NWS Fort Worth in somehow outdoing themselves each and every year with perhaps the best spotter training sessions in the country. There is even something interesting in the works too that all of the EOC managers in this area have been asking for. Watch for details on that.
One year soon, the severe weather season will return with a vengence in these parts. May 9th of this year should be a major wake-up call. I hope to see even bigger turn-outs at the spotter training sessions next year. However, an outstanding NWS office and Skywarn nets won't do much good without a good media outlet to relay the information. We need a MAJOR overhaul of most our goofy and "inadequate" media weather teams here in DFW. It's a battle that will never be won in my opinion. After all, stupidity en masse is a formidable opponent...especially when 90% of complacent viewers in DFW are concerned more with missing an "American Idol" episode than being warned about a possible tornado approaching them or affecting their neighbors. A flood of threatening and irate phone calls to the TV station ensue with each and every weather break-in. So, I can't fairly lay complete blame on the media. However, for next season, I'll be trying to do some "Tivo" recording during local severe weather events to capture some examples of what I keep harping about. I welcome any donations to the cause. ;-)
OK...enough ranting about that. On to tropical stuff.....
If it weren't for tropical season in the long dog days of summer, I think I'd just go into a catatonic state and hibernate until the jet stream begins to wander through the southern plains again. So far, TS Chris has ignored the NHC forecasters and most of the models in general. It's a very tough forecast to say the least. Chris keeps defying the odds and conventional forecast wisdom.
The trend now is getting interesting. As I write this, the IR imagery is looking more impressive. I'm thinking he'll gain the notorious "H" status by tomorrow. Additionally, the models are starting to line up and indicate a more left turn in the track through Hispanola and emerging south of Cuba. It appears that the large expansive ridging will be stronger to the north of Chris thus steering him more westerly over time. Based on how strong the ridge has been this year and the long range forecasts, it is starting to look like Chris just may make a trek towards Texas.
As devestating and brutal this relentless record-breaking drought has been for my home state, a hurricane coming ashore and slowly trekking up through the heart of the Lone Star State would actually be MORE beneficial than harmful...even as a CAT 3 (if it doesn't zero in on Houston). We need copious amounts of rain and at this point, it appears the only way we are going to get any significant amounts. We have to fill up our reservoirs that are going dry right now. Another 6-7 months like we had in the last part of 2005 into 2006 and we'll be declaring Marshall Law on water rationing. This doesn't even begin to account for the massive wildfires we'll see. "God's country" will be turned into the bowels of hell.
Pray for Hurricane Chris.
posted by Steve Miller TX at 8/01/2006 10:04:00 PM
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