Spotter training day was interesting and very informative and lots of folks showed up to hear what Brian Smith and Dr. Ken Dewey had to offer.
Smith is a very interesting guy and a big asset to area weather needs. He is THE trainer for the National Weather Service in Omaha and is a former student of Dr. Tetsuya Theodore Fujita--yes that one--at the University of Chicago. He is also the one that goes out to damage sites and when he is done, the news media starts talking about "straight line" wind damage or there was a tornado with EF2 strength. So, the right teacher did appear and the students were ready.
The spotter program in Lancaster County, Nebraska is one of the best in the country. It relies on the Lincoln Amateur Radio Club (LARC) for manpower and ham radio contacts at some thirty plus sites around the county. When a storm moves through the county, eyes from these designated points track it and if clouds start rotating or dropping hail, these folks are on the front line to tell you. (You can hear some of these "nets" live on dark and stormy nights by going to http://146760.net.)
So much for that side of things. Dr. Ken Dewey is a very interesting guy, too. He is the patient and guiding force behind UNL's meteorology and climatology programs. He also developed the Central Plains Severe Weather Symposium and Family Weatherfest.
With those two presenters available, I finally had a chance to ask my two puzzling questions. Why do we not have those killer overnight tornadoes in Nebraska like they do in the Southern States? Has the tornado pattern shifted in Nebraska from Central Nebraska to the East?
Smith made quick work of the first one. The reason there are more severe overnight events in the South is they are much closer to Gulf moisture. Storms need fuel to keep going and those folks have more of it close by. Dr. Dewey chimed in that there have been overnight storms but as a general rule, he agreed most systems fizzle out in late evening. According to Dewey, the 7:00 am hour is the only hour with no historical storm.
Dewey also confirmed that Nebraska's tornado alley has shifted from the 1970-80's track that was common in Central Nebraska to a track that is more between Hastings and Beatrice with a little more emphasis on Northern Kansas as a breeding ground for trouble.
One last item. What is the severe weather outlook for this year? According to the two men, we could have a busier year this year. The battleground is over Nebraska and should stay there long range for most of the spring but the problem is the drought in Texas. There may not be enough moisture to support severe storms and tornado outbreaks.
Strange as it sounds, Minnesota had the most tornadoes last year with a whopping 145. Compare that to usual hot spots*:
105-Texas
94-Kansas
74-Oklahoma
66-Colorado
52-Iowa
46-Nebraska
*National Weather Service Data
Will the trend continue or is it a trend at all? Could Nebraska's move to the Big 10 be a stormy one? We'll have to wait and see!
Need something to do on April 9th? Check out Dr. Dewey's masterpiece-the Central Plain Severe Weather Symposium. It's a great event.
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