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NWS to implement tiered Severe Thunderstorm Warnings

Started by Pink Jazz, March 18, 2021, 03:02:12 PM

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Pink Jazz

NWS to Begin Implementing Tiered Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in April - WeatherNation (weathernationtv.com)

It looks like the NWS starting in late April will introduce tiered Severe Thunderstorm Warnings.

"Base" level SVRs will have no tag and will have the same criteria as the current definition.

"Considerable" level SVRs will have 1.75" hail (golf-ball sized) and/or 70 mph winds.

"Destructive" level SVRs will have 2.75" hail (baseball sized) and/or 80 mph winds.

Those in the "Destructive" tier will activate Wireless Emergency Alerts on mobile phones.

This will be useful for alerting those for the most destructive severe thunderstorms, since a derecho can be more destructive than an EF0 tornado.


GaryV

What did people compare hail to before there were various sports using balls?

hobsini2

Quote from: GaryV on March 18, 2021, 03:23:48 PM
What did people compare hail to before there were various sports using balls?

I'm going to guess coins. We still do.
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triplemultiplex

Quote from: GaryV on March 18, 2021, 03:23:48 PM
What did people compare hail to before there were various sports using balls?

Tree nuts?
Buttons?
Livestock testicles?
Or how about various animal poos?  Hail size could be anywhere from rabbit pellet to horse apple.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

Zeffy

Quote from: GaryV on March 18, 2021, 03:23:48 PM
What did people compare hail to before there were various sports using balls?

Reed Timmer (a well known storm chaser) uses GORILLA HAIL (yes all caps) for hail larger than 3 inches.

Quote from: triplemultiplex on March 26, 2021, 02:54:46 PM
Quote from: GaryV on March 18, 2021, 03:23:48 PM
What did people compare hail to before there were various sports using balls?

Tree nuts?
Buttons?
Livestock testicles?
Or how about various animal poos?  Hail size could be anywhere from rabbit pellet to horse apple.

That last one is so vaguely specific  :ded:
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JayhawkCO

Quote from: GaryV on March 18, 2021, 03:23:48 PM
What did people compare hail to before there were various sports using balls?

I don't think anyone really had to do any hail comparisons before 3000 BC.  It was just the gods being mad at you. 

Chris

triplemultiplex

Quote from: jayhawkco on March 26, 2021, 05:06:42 PM
I don't think anyone really had to do any hail comparisons before 3000 BC.  It was just the gods being mad at you. 

The larger the hail, the more you pissed off the gods.
In which case perhaps the hail stones are named based on how import of an animal you had to sacrifice in order to appease those gods.
And that's where we get the expression "raining cats and dogs". :-D
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

US71

Quote from: jayhawkco on March 26, 2021, 05:06:42 PM
Quote from: GaryV on March 18, 2021, 03:23:48 PM
What did people compare hail to before there were various sports using balls?

I don't think anyone really had to do any hail comparisons before 3000 BC.  It was just the gods being mad at you. 

Chris

Or just Thor
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Pink Jazz

#8
As a side discussion, NWS Phoenix never seems to issue Base level FFWs.  All recent FFWs issued by NWS Phoenix seem to be at least the Considerable tier; haven't seen any Catastrophic yet.  I just wonder if they are doing this just to send out Wireless Emergency Alerts or is there some other reason.  Base level FFWs no longer activate Wireless Emergency Alerts.  I'm not sure what is the exact criteria for the FFW tiers, at least for SVRs there are clear-cut criteria for each tier.

Pink Jazz

Going forward a year later, it seems like NWS Phoenix only issues Base level FFWs if it is in an urban area. FFWs in rural areas are always have at least a "Considerable" threat level or higher.

Road Hog

NWS bureaux in the South have been issuing PDS storm warnings, which I have dubbed "Pretty Damn Serious."

US 89

Quote from: Pink Jazz on August 04, 2022, 12:45:15 PM
Going forward a year later, it seems like NWS Phoenix only issues Base level FFWs if it is in an urban area. FFWs in rural areas are always have at least a "Considerable" threat level or higher.

NWS offices in Salt Lake and Grand Junction (among others) have done the same thing. Generally, this is because FFWs in rural areas in the southwest are generally for burn scars or slot canyons, which are generally much more dangerous than just general widespread urban street flooding. A "considerable" threat flash flood warning will activate WEA (Wireless Emergency Alerts), so if you want to make millions of phones buzz with your flash flood warning, you better have a good reason to do so.

paulthemapguy

Quote from: Pink Jazz on March 18, 2021, 03:02:12 PM
This will be useful for alerting those for the most destructive severe thunderstorms, since a derecho can be more destructive than an EF0 tornado.

And some derechos are even more forceful then some EF1's!
The Iowa derecho in August 2020 got me thinking about the viability of tiered severe thunderstorm warnings. Activating the emergency alert system was a good idea with that derecho packing winds over 100mph, but that activation may not happen with a mere severe thunderstorm warning in the current schema.

I definitely like the idea of two tiers for severe thunderstorm warnings. Three may be a little excessive, but I still really like that they're doing this.
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