Tornado Quest Top Science Links For December 4 – 11, 2021

Greetings to one and all. For much of North America, the start of the meteorological winter has gotten a mild beginning. In fact, as you man have heard, some of the higher elevations in Hawaii had a blizzard warning before one had been issued in the contiguous USA. The latest big weather news is the 10 December 2021 tornado outbreak across several states. This is a painful reminder that significant tornado events can occur in any month of the year. It will be many days before the National Weather Service can compile post storm data and complete comprehensive damage surveys. As usual, this is a developing scenario that will evolve a great deal over the next few days and weeks. There are many other interesting stories to review, so let’s get started.

This dinosaur was built like a tank with a tail that was a lethal weapon.
Here’s a very cool astronomy read. “Giant Stars and the Ultimate Fate of the Sun.”
The Omicron variant has a good chance of turning holiday gatherings into treacherous waters to navigate.
A very unusual type of ice that takes on the appearance of human hairs has been puzzling scientists for almost a century is now understood. Here’s what it looks like and how it forms.
Deforestation is a lot like cutting off your nose to spite your face, but we see that frequently in entities that put profits ahead of climate and environmental concerns. Why is deforestation so bad for our planet and why is it a global problem?
What’s behind the ‘wild’ weather in the USA as of late? Why do we have blizzard warnings in Hawaii and nothing of the sort in Colorado? Here’s a good, concise explanation.
This drone footage of tornado damage in Mayfield, Kentucky is only a small part of the damage that occurred on 10 December 2021, but gives a perspective as to the intensity of this particular tornado event. In Kentucky alone, it’s feared that as many as 70 fatalities may have occurred.

WINTER WEATHER SAFETY

This week, we’ll continue posts on winter weather safety with at wind chill. This is one of the most dangerous winter weather hazards, especially in regions where winters are long and high winds are common. This handy chart will help you quickly determine wind chill and how long you can be exposed before frostbite and/or hypothermia can become a serious health danger.

Infographic courtesy NWS Mobile, AL, USA

Please keep in mind that ONLY NOAA weather radio, your local National Weather Service office, or reliable broadcast media are the BEST sources of important, timely, and potentially life-saving information on winter storm watches, warnings, and other related weather advisories! None of the links on this page should be used for life-&-death decisions or the protection of property!

Infographic courtesy NWS Fort Worth, Texas, USA

That’s a wrap for this post! A big ‘Thank You’ to my followers in social media. If you’re on Twitter, Tumblr, or Instagram, let’s connect! As for the COVID-19 pandemic, get vaccinated, sport a good fitting quality mask, practice good hand-washing hygiene, mind your social distancing, stay positive, and test negative!

See you next Saturday!

Media inquiries: tornadoquest@protonmail.ch

Please note: queries regarding marketing, promotions, sales schemes, prizes, or papers/research that have not been under & approved by scientific peer review will not be accepted.

Tornado Quest Top Science Links For April 3 – 10, 2021 #science #weather #meteorology #severeweather #tornado #weatherready #weathersafety #climate #climatechange #environment #dinosaur #astronomy #mars

Greetings to everyone! This week, we’ll continue our focus on tornado safety and preparedness. Of course, there are also several new, interesting stories to review…so let’s get started.

For my fellow dinosaur fans, here’s some interesting news. Paleontologists have discovered a dinosaur that, compared to other dinosaurs, may have had exceptional hearing.
The helicopter that caught a ride on Perseverance to Mars finally took a short trip…and sent back it’s first photo!
Speaking of photos taken on Mars, this image brought speculation that rainbows occur on Mars. Actually, it was something totally different.
This image of Mars from NASA gives us a spectacular view of blue dunes on the red planet.
In spite of the ongoing pandemic and shutdowns taking place world wide, CO2 emissions continue to rise.
Have a few minutes? Here’s a good listen. “Why There Is A Change Coming To Your Local Weather Forecast.”
This is a timely and fascinating read from US Tornadoes on tornado occurrence patterns. The traditional ‘tornado season’ doesn’t always follow the rules.

SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Let’s start with an excellent two-page printable PDF file from NOAA that covers the basics of severe weather safety.

Tornadoes, Lightning, and Thunderstorms: Nature’s Most Violent Storms (20 Page PDF File).

This NOAA safety page has a plethora of good information on staying safe during weather and climate issues from air quality to lightning to tornadoes to wildfires.

This long-standing site has the basics of tornado safety rules.

Highway overpasses are often mistaken as a safe haven from severe weather and especially tornadoes. NOTHING ABOUT THIS MYTH IS REMOTELY CONNECTED TO THE TRUTH.

The Online Tornado FAQ…another excellent long-standing site with very important information.

THIS WEEK’S SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY INFOGRAPHICS…

TORNADO SAFETY!

Infographic courtesy NOAA/NWS Norman, OK

PREPARING AN EMERGENCY KIT FOR HOME, VEHICLE, AND WORK

This handy checklist from the American Red Cross will help you put together an emergency kit for a variety of weather scenarios. A kit like this is very helpful in a variety of other difficult scenarios from wildfires to blizzards to tornadoes and hurricanes.

Where you get your weather forecasts, warnings, and other important information is as important as being informed. Discretion is of the upmost importance when you’re trying to stay weather aware. As of late, it’s been brought to my attention that there have been amateur ‘forecasters’ using graphics with the intention of appearing as professional and official sources of information on Twitter, Facebook, et al. They should NOT be taken as official sources of potentially life-saving warnings and weather forecasts and updates.

Social media is a very useful tool that can be misused for misinformation, disinformation, and hype. While this infographic is geared towards, winter weather, it certainly applies to ALL types of weather year round.

Infographic courtesy NWS Fort Worth, Texas

That’s a wrap for this post! Be sure to check in next week when we’ll take a final review of severe weather safety. I’d like to extend a big ‘Thank You’ to my followers in social media. I’m glad you’re along for the fun! If you’re on Twitter, Tumblr, or Instagram, let’s connect! As for the COVID-19 pandemic, sport a spiffy mask, practice good hand-washing hygiene, mind your social distancing, stay safe, and stay healthy!

See you next Saturday!

Media inquiries: tornadoquest@protonmail.ch

Please note: queries regarding promotions, marketing schemes, prizes, or papers that have not been under & approved by scientific peer review WILL NOT be accepted.

Tornado Quest Top Ten Science Reads For February 7 – 14, 2020 #science #weather #meteorology #climate #climatechange #stateoftheclimate #environment #education #airquality #pollution #spaceweather #dinosaur

Greetings once again to one and all! Plenty of interesting topics to cover this week. In atmospheric science news, our changing climate is front and center and will be for many years as humanity grapples with the best path of adaptation. Antarctica may have set an all-time record high temperature and, according to some sources, we may see a repeat in 2020 of the devastating 2019 USA floods. On a more personal note, I appreciate the continued best wishes for recovery during my rehabilitation from prostate cancer surgery. On that note, let’s get started on this week’s reads.

Let us start off with a look at space weather and the spectacular views it can give us…the magnificent auroras that can be seen around the Earth’s north and south poles.
Here’s a real treat for my fellow dinosaur fans. The majestic Tyrannosaurus Rex has a newly discovered fearsome cousin who has been labeled the “Reaper Of Death.”
Mindset is often one of the most powerful tools for humans to use in order to adapt and deal with significant events. Attitudes of many young people regarding climate change are understandingly pessimistic…and we need to listen to them.
Speaking of mindset and young people, here’s an encouraging read on educators that are courageously conveying scientific knowledge of climate change into the classroom.
The Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010 saw nearly 800 million litres of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico, which satellite tracking suggested covered an estimated 149,000 square kilometres. New data indicates that it may have been much larger than we thought.
Air pollution doesn’t remain in the location where it originates. Quite often it travels great distances…and affects your health.
Flooding across several contiguous USA states during 2019 was devastating. There’s a clear signal that we may get a repeat performance in 2020.
If verified, Antarctica may have set an all-time high temperature. If current climate change trends continue, this will only be one of many records to come.
Thunderstorms are no stranger to northern Europe. What is problematic would be the increase in the many facets of severe thunderstorms in regions that are not familiar with how violent these storms can be.
Last but not least, here’s the latest NOAA State Of The Climate report. “January 2020 average global land & ocean temperature was the highest for January since records began in 1880.”

That’s a wrap for this post! I’d like to extend a warm welcome to my new followers in social media. I’m glad you’re along for the fun! If you’re on Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr, so am I and I invite you to enjoy me. Once again I’d like to thank so many of you for all the thoughtful comments I’ve received over the past few weeks. I’m still recovering well from surgery. Cancer does not have to be an automatic death sentence and I have no intention of giving up this fight and will accept nothing but absolute and total victory. If you’re a male over the age of 40, you should discuss getting your PSA tested with your doctor. The Prostate Cancer Foundation is an excellent website with further information.

Cheers…and Good Luck!

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Tornado Quest Top Ten Science Links For March 23 – 30, 2019

Greetings everyone! Spring is in full swing across much of North American. March is a very histrionic month, especially for the USA. Seasonal changes can bring about wild swings in temperature, wind, precipitation types, and amounts. As usual, there are plenty of topics to cover this week…from dinosaurs to tornado climatology…so let’s get started.

For my fellow dinosaur fans, here’s a fascinating look at what is most likely the largest Tyrannosaurus Rex remains ever discovered. The most startling revelation is the idea that these exceptionally large carnivores were actually larger than previously thought.
The world’s climate zones are shifting…and that has serious ramifications for public health, food and water security, and local economies.
Cyclone Idai has devastated several southern African countries. There is growing evidence that climate change is playing a part in making such storms more intense.
The former UN high commissioner for human rights and special envoy for climate change speaks out on those who deny climate science. “Climate change denial is evil, says Mary Robinson.”
This is a good example of irresponsible regression at its best. “EPA Science Panel Considering Guidelines That Upend Basic Air Pollution Science.”
A billion people will be newly exposed to diseases like dengue fever as world temperatures rise due to climate change. According to the World Health Organization, mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world and carry diseases that cause millions of deaths every year.
Studying the climate of Antarctica isn’t easy, but it’s very important. This new study shows the importance of a few intense storms in Antarctica and how they control snow fall amounts across the continent.
The March 2019 floods across the plains states of the USA were devastating in so many ways. It’s estimated that approximately one million acres of USA cropland was covered by the floodwaters…and that has long-term deleterious ramifications for farmers and the vast amount of crops they produce annually.
Tornadoes are well documented and studied widely across the USA. In Canada, where they have their fair share of tornadoes, efforts to study the frequency of tornadoes is ramping up. “When something happens that forecasters didn’t understand, like a tornado occurs with a storm they didn’t expect, having that data allows them to look at the relationships between the meteorology…and the tornadoes.”
Speaking of tornadoes, here’s a very informative look at tornado occurrence and climatology across the USA and the rest of the planet.

SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS

One crucial element to being “severe weather savvy” is understanding the process of severe weather outlooks and local forecasts and warnings. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) will issue daily thunderstorm outlooks. The risk categories can run from ‘general’ thunderstorms to the very rare High Risk scenarios. Understanding what each risk category means is very important. Equally important is to remember than Marginal or Slight does not mean that storms will be ‘marginally’ or ‘slightly’ severe. Tornadoes have occurred on Marginal Risk days. The SPC has further information on risk categories at this page.

When a tornado warning is issued, those in it’s path are not always at their homes. Here’s an excellent infographic with safety information on what to do if you’re not in a sturdy, well-built frame house structure.

National Weather Service Homepage

Storm Prediction Center

National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center

NOAA Weather Radio

Interactive NOAA Weather Radio Coverage Map

Sky Watcher Cloud Chart: An excellent 2 page PDF file from NOAA and NASA on cloud types and and information on how clouds form.

Tornadoes, Lightning, & Thunderstorms: Nature’s Most Violent Storms (PDF file)

Tornado Safety Rules from the Storm Prediction Center

Highway Overpasses As Tornado Shelters (Slide Presentation)

The Online Tornado FAQ

Facts About Derechos

American Red Cross Severe Weather Safety Information

Flash Flooding: Turn Around, Don’t Drown

Ready.gov Basic Disaster Supply Kit Info

Preparing Your Pets For Disasters And Emergencies

This excellent Emergency Kit checklist from the American Red Cross is very helpful in assisting you while you compile items for your kit. A kit like this should be available year round…there are many winter weather scenarios where the same items will come in handy.

Please keep in mind that ONLY your local National Weather Service office, NOAA Weather Radio, or reliable broadcast media are the BEST sources of important, timely, and potentially life-saving weather information, watches, and warnings! None of the links on this page should be used for life-&-death decisions or the protection of property!

That’s a wrap for this post I’d like to extend a very warm “Welcome” to my new followers in social media and a sincere “Thank You” for my long-time followers! Thanks to all of you for all the support and kind words!

Cheers!

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Tornado Quest Top Ten Science Links For March 16 – 23, 2019

Greetings to one and all. This has been a very eventful week across a vast area of our planet. Cyclone Idai has devastated a significant part of southern Africa with almost 1,5 million people affected and a death toll that will no doubt be rising for some time. The humanitarian crisis is beyond description. Meanwhile, the central plains USA has been under the wrath of unprecedented flooding that may go on for weeks. The severe weather season has gotten off to a robust start across much of the USA. The infographic below shows how your mobile device can be crucial to you getting severe weather watch and warning information.

There are plenty of other topics to cover, so let’s get started.

Before NASA’s Mars Opportunity Rover said it’s final goodbye, it captured some spectacular images that have to be seen to be believed.
For my fellow dinosaur lovers, an intriguing read. “There are More Dinosaurs to Discover from the Time of T. rex“
Recycling is an exceptionally important part of improving the health of our environment and reducing waste. Recently, China’s decision to no longer take a vast amount of recyclables is causing ramifications from Australia to the USA.
There’s an irrevocable link between air quality and public health. In spite of progress made in recent decades, air pollution remains a significant health hazard. While this article focuses some on the UK, it is applicable the world over. “Deadly Air In Our Cities: The Invisible Killer.”
This is a clear cut of ‘cutting off your nose to spite your face.’ To remove science from clean air standards is inhumanely irresponsible.
While variations in severe weather activity vary in the USA from year to year, this interesting map from NOAA can show your monthly risk of severe weather. Move the slider button at the bottom of the map to highlight the climatological activity of severe weather occurrence. It’s also helpful to keep in mind that severe weather, including tornadoes, has occurred in many regions during all seasons…including winter.
This spring 2019 outlook from NOAA has an ominous note…the possibility of further flooding in the USA could continue into May.
As of 21 March 2019, the staggering humanitarian crisis in Africa in the wake of Cyclone Idai is getting worse by the day. In the USA, the central Midwestern states are dealing with record setting flooding with billions of dollars in damage. Both of these stories are still developing and updates are
One of the most tragic elements of any severe weather event are fatalities and injuries that could have been avoided if warnings and forecasts had been heeded by the general public. The common refrain is, “We had no warning.” or “We’ve never seen anything like this before.” The social science dimension is crucial to understanding public reaction to life-saving warning information.
The latest State Of The Climate report from NOAA is out…February 2019 was yet another month that has set a world-wide climate record being the fifth warmest February on record for the globe.