Download Tornadoes How tornados form Predicting

5/22/2013
How tornados form
Tornadoes
Predicting Tornados
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• Several conditions are required for the development of
tornadoes. Abundant low level moisture is necessary, and a
"trigger" (a cold front) is needed to lift the moist air aloft.
• Once the air begins to rise, it will continue rising to great
heights and produce a thunderstorm cloud if the
atmosphere is unstable
• Tornadoes usually form in areas where winds at all levels of
the atmosphere are not only strong, but also turn with
height in a clockwise, or veering, direction.
• Tornadoes can appear as a traditional funnel shape, or in a
slender rope-like form. Others may be nearly invisible, with
only swirling dust or debris at ground level as the only
indication of the tornado’s presence.
Tornado distribution in the US
Spring is when the ingredients are most likely to all be in place, things are
not at the peak moisture, peak cold air aloft or wind shear, but in the in
between season when they’re all pretty good.
The most common time of day for this type of collision—and a resulting
tornado—is between 3 and 9 p.m., but that doesn’t restrict tornadoes
from hitting at other times.
Determining the severity of a tornado season is basically impossible, says
Roger Edwards, a forecaster with the NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center.
Even forecasting tornadoes just a day or two beforehand proves
challenging enough.
Doppler radar and hand-drawn analyses have become more intricate,
forecasters can now at least give some warning of conditions that could
potentially prove dangerous.
Fujita intensity scale
• Fujita Scale is the official classification system
for tornado damage.
Storm chasers
• Storm chasers are people who chase violent
storms around the country. Mainly in the
Midwest.
• They use tanks built around F150’s so that
they can withstand tornadoes.
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5/22/2013
Tornado watches and warnings
Tornado Safety
• When severe weather is approaching, watches
and warnings are issued to inform the public
of impending threats.
• Watches, are issued when weather conditions
are conducive for the event to occur.
• Warnings are different. A warning is issued
when the weather event is happening now. A
warning would mean a tornado has already
been found that has touched down.
• At home, have a family tornado plan in place,
based on the kind of dwelling you live in. Stay
away from windows and if you own a
basement go down and stay under the stairs.
• If you are outside when you were the warning
go off, find cover immediately. If you can find
a ditch and hide in it.
Quiz
Quiz
1. How are tornadoes formed?
a.
Toddler temper tantrums
b. Zeus
c.
People all blowing in the same direction at the same time
d. Merging of a warm and cold front
2. How are tornadoes predicted?
a. The prophet Marcus Arillious bestows his knowledge on the masses.
b. Cold fronts are watched closely
c. They’re not
d. Aluminum can contraptions
3. How fast are f-5 tornadoes?
a. 260 and up
b. As fast as speedy Gonzalez
c.
200-259
d. As fast as molasses
4. Where are most tornadoes located in the
country?
a.
Midwest
b. Southwest
c.
Hawaii
d. In Soviet Russia
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