Comments on: Some more tornado information

By: Jessica

Jessica — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 21:58:35 +0000

Yeah, by golly, you’re probably right about the North Dakota scepeh pattern.Yeah, I did cover that other tornado in Belcourt and Rolla and found people very helpful then as well. The tribal PD were out helping guard the homes in Rolla during the night, which was pretty nice of them.

By: 1011_derrick_r

1011_derrick_r — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:28:44 +0000

very interesting blog. I live in the midwest so i am very well acquainted with bad weather. I’m actually planning on going to college to major in meteorology. so thank you, this blog had some useful information.

By: hoary puccoon

hoary puccoon — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 15:11:52 +0000

Greg–
Since you’re interested in violent weather patterns, you might be interested in the gales in the Golfo de Tehuantepec, in southern Mexico.

While I’m sure you’re right that the Rocky Mountains contribute to tornado formation, the US would probably not have tornados if Mexico were all sea-level swampland. The strong Caribbean tradewinds hitting the Mexican highlands and veering north up the Mississippi Valley begin the process.

Of course, when a strong high pressure system comes roaring out of Canada and down the Mississippi Valley, the trade winds have to go somewhere else. That’s when they funnel, with a lot of force and often with no warning, over the narrow, relatively low, Isthmus of Tehuantepec– and right out into the shallow water of the Golfo de Tehuantepec on the Pacific coast. The combination of high, wind-driven waves and shoal water is so potentially lethal that a rescue vessel is kept on call at Huatulco at all times.

Just thought you might be interested in how Midwest weather relates to the more global pattern.

By: gwen

gwen — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 02:34:42 +0000

My favorite part of the article:
“All of the 25 deadliest US tornadoes seem to predate radar and early warning systems. Science can save your life.”

We get the occasional F1 and F2 tornado in the Bay Area. We don’t have a well developed warning system because they are so rare, although they do seem to be increasing in frequency.It is just a matter of time before someone here will be seriously injured or killed.

By: Sue Ann Bowling

Sue Ann Bowling — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 17:38:37 +0000

Having grown up in Kansas and spent most of my life as an atmospheric scientist (in Alaska which has very few tornadoes) congratulations on a nice overview of tornadoes. I’m sharing this on facebook.

By: oldebabe

oldebabe — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 17:27:49 +0000

A really good and intersting blog, especially for those of us who do not personally know about and/or have not experienced a tornado… well, except on TV or online, second hand, from the media.