Questions tagged [severe-weather]
The severe-weather tag has no usage guidance.
32
questions
4
votes
1answer
56 views
What makes a typhoon suddenly turn by 90 degrees? (e.g. 2021 In-fa/Fabian)
The motion of Typhoon In-fa or Fabian made a hard 90 degree left turn and started heading towards Taiwan, slowed to 5 km/hr before reaching it, then took a hard 90 degree right turn and proceeded ...
5
votes
1answer
152 views
Why do 30% of all typhoons in the western north pacific (WNP) affect Taiwan?
A 300-Year Typhoon Record in Taiwan and the Relationship with Solar Activity (also here) shows that about 30% of all typhoons in the western north pacific (WNP) affect Taiwan. (Author's home page)
I'm ...
0
votes
0answers
43 views
How are weather intensity scales created?
I am interested in the development of scales to measure extreme weather.
For example, the Enhanced Fujita Scale for measuring the intensity of tornadoes, etc. How were they created? OK sure, I know ...
13
votes
5answers
3k views
With all the rain Seattle gets, why is widespread flooding relatively rare?
The Puget Sound region is wedged between the Pacific and the Cascades...you'd think with all that rain (and snowmelt in the warmer months), there would be catastrophic flash flooding in lowland areas, ...
0
votes
0answers
22 views
Which factors determine the predominant precipitation type of supercells during tornado outbreaks?
A tale of two outbreaks.
April 27, 2011 featured classic supercells that were extremely-fast moving (forward speeds of 60+ mph) in a northeast direction. James Spann noted this while covering the EF4 ...
1
vote
0answers
33 views
Weather data of very low visibility
I am looking for a database or api that stores historical data of very low visibility conditions. The data needs to be reliable and consistent without too many gaps and in an interval of 1 hour.
The ...
3
votes
0answers
58 views
Has a hurricane ever crossed the Atlantic Ocean more than once?
I noticed that Paulette (2020) is still a named storm and is now approaching northern Africa and Spain. It is forecast to begin moving west again in the coming week. Has a hurricane / tropical storm ...
1
vote
0answers
38 views
In a mesocyclone, why does wind shear create a horizontal axis of spinning air?
Take a look at this picture.
Moist updrafts interact with highly-sheared upper-level winds, which sets up a horizontal vortex. But why? What causes the air to be forced downward and to the right, then ...
0
votes
1answer
42 views
Average Snowfall for Snowy Places?
I just moved to Wisconsin, so my family is throwing snow statistics at me. But it seems to me that the most meaningful average US snowfall statistic isn't available (or easy to find).
The average ...
-2
votes
2answers
118 views
Tornados from landspouts or gustnados [closed]
Maybe tornados form from landspouts or gustnados that get pulled into the mesocyclone. Is there some way to look for a correlation between number of tornados on a given day and how conducive ...
3
votes
1answer
236 views
What is the synoptic/atmospheric setup that is causing the U.S. severe weather outbreak in May 2019?
I asked this in the chat and it was suggested I ask on the main site.
There's been a seemingly perpetual severe weather outbreak over the central and eastern U.S. over the past two weeks. Killer EF3s ...
3
votes
1answer
137 views
Why do hurricanes hitting the US East Coast seem to go north once hitting land?
Question says it all really. It appears that every hurricane hitting the US East Coast directs itself north once on land.
Hurricane Florence is predicted to hit North Carolina then turn toward Canada
...
1
vote
1answer
142 views
Does the Columbia Basin, North Cascades and Idaho Panhandle/Clearwater get a lot of violent, rotating supercellular thunderstorms?
Every storm season, supercells erupt in Montana and Wyoming. Wayward cold-core setups can trigger supercells or even long-tracked strong tornadoes in the Columbia/Willamette Valley and the rest of SW ...
1
vote
1answer
296 views
Why do tropical cyclones get more attention than extratropical cyclones?
For tropical cyclones we have carefully tracked every instance of them, and naming them as soon as they have reached a certain intensity... flying aircraft in to measure conditions... compiling ...
2
votes
1answer
176 views
Could a firestorm create a hurricane-like cyclone?
Mesocyclones form when air rises and rotates in a "pillar" of sorts. It's sometimes associated with thunderclouds and tornado formation.
A certain kind of cumulonimbus, the cumulonimbus flammagenitus,...
4
votes
0answers
75 views
Does solar wind perturb Earth's magnetic field ? If so, what are the consequences?
The Earth's magnetic field makes continuous battle with external disturbances to protect Earth from unwanted ramifications. Asteroids passing by, solar flares, and other ET disturbances may cause ...
2
votes
0answers
50 views
Visually Realistic Supercell Modeling
Are there any published descriptions of simple equations governing the formation, evolution, and decay of severe storms? Specifically, I am interested in equations that are able to produce tornadoes ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
What influences the movement (speed and direction) of tropical cyclones?
The recent cyclone to impact the Queensland coast of Australia (Cyclone Debbie, Category 4) tracked towards the coast at what was reported to be a very slow speed (between 6 and 7 km/hr).
Is that a ...
2
votes
1answer
474 views
How can I learn to make mesoscale/synoptic analyses of major weather events?
With the tornado outbreak in southern Georgia and northern/central Florida on Sunday that has tragically resulted in significant loss of life, eyes are once again on the weather. I was particularly ...
2
votes
0answers
174 views
Are thunderstorms on consecutive days due to distinct cold fronts
On the east coast of Australia, the predominant summer thunderstorm pattern seems to be the derecho variety that develops ~300-400 km inland in late morning / early afternoon, and reaches the coast by ...
6
votes
1answer
562 views
How are lightning and thunderstorm intensity linked?
I have lightning data that contains individual strikes and their location, time, polarity, amplitude and type (cloud-to-ground, intracloud). I am trying to develop some metrics that will help me ...
2
votes
1answer
200 views
Why is it so important to gather data from inside tornadoes?
Or, in other words, what kind of data can be gathered from inside tornadoes and how could it help in predicting them? Also, why isn't it possible to predict/estimate this kind of data from readings ...
8
votes
0answers
202 views
Modeling swirling storms
I'm looking to demonstrate the rotational behaviour of swirling storms with a numerical simulation. So far it includes pressure-gradient, Coriolis acceleration, frictional forces and the acceleration ...
1
vote
2answers
323 views
Appearance of Tornado
Does the appearance of a tornado come from the dust or is there some characteristic of swirling wind? Additionally many experiments shows a tornado-like phenomena in a jar of water, is this possible ...
3
votes
1answer
530 views
Website that contains the maps of atmospheric pressure and wind speeds
Is there a website that contains the maps of atmospheric pressure and wind speeds for specific climatic events such as hurricanes day after day ?
7
votes
2answers
287 views
Are Southern Hemisphere 'Polar Blasts' caused by global warming?
The SMH journalist writes about a cold snap hitting the East Coast of Australia in July 2015:
Proof of the big chill will be the extent of regions across Tasmania, Victoria and NSW experiencing zero ...
7
votes
1answer
180 views
The spiraling cyclone track - Cyclone Nathan
In the northern part of Queensland, Cyclone Nathan has had a spiral type of track, as can be seen below:
Image credit: Tropical Cyclone NATHAN Forecast Track (Joint Typhoon Warning Center)
As can be ...
12
votes
1answer
535 views
Two severe cyclones connected by a monsoonal trough
At the time of writing, areas around the Northern Territory (TC Lam) and Queensland (TC Marcia) in Australia are in the path of severe cyclones (category 4 at the moment, with the Queensland one - TC ...
10
votes
1answer
647 views
Snow from Fire: Could graupel, or even snow, fall from pyrocumulus clouds?
Pyrocumulus clouds often form in areas that experience prolonged fire conditions, particularly forest fires, but are also associated with volcanic eruptions and even nuclear explosions. This question ...
8
votes
1answer
834 views
About the effectiveness of sand-bags
Are there any recognized studies on the effectiveness of sand-bags in protecting property in some disaster or flood? Many times on the major news they talk about how sand-bags are used in a flood , ...
15
votes
1answer
943 views
How does a 'fire tornado' form?
A 'Fire tornado' or 'Firenado' or 'Fire whirl' are a fearful feature of forest fires world wide. Having seen one up close, I can attest that they are both awesome and utterly terrifying, but I am ...
23
votes
1answer
18k views
Do tornadoes have eyes?
In the movie Into the Storm (2014) near the end, storm chaser Pete sees the eye of a massive tornado.
In 1928 (real life), Will Keller was in his barn when a huge tornado passed through. He reported ...
