How can storm chasers see tornados in the dark??
Nov 23, 2009
in
Tornado Questions
We are having a lot of tornados this season especially over night… HOW can storm chasers see tornados in the dark?
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
3 comments
Mr.Weather on November 23, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Storm chasers are able to see tornadoes in the dark primarily by using Doppler radar technology. There are a few types of Doppler radar such as the National Weather Service NEXRAD Doppler radars and portable Doppler radars which can be mounted on a truck. They allow chasers/meteorologists to see "inside" the storm. The radar that is shown on the weather channel and on your local news shows how much "stuff" (for lack of a better word) is inside the cloud. This "stuff" primarily consists of moisture/water vapor that has condensed. Storm chasers use this and look for a hook-like signature on the radar. This will indicate rotation and a tornado may be on the ground.
Now comes the "Doppler" part of Doppler radar. Chasers are also able to see which way and how strong the winds are blowing in the storm. The radar uses the moisture within the cloud to see which way it is moving and how fast it is going. Chasers look for the area on the radar where winds moving toward them are right next to winds moving away from them. This will indicate rotation which is a good sign of a tornado.
Besides technology, chasers are able to spot a tornado in the dark simply by using the bright flashes of light provided by lightning which will illuminate the tornado. It is not very helpful though because each lightning strike lasts for only a split second.
So as you can see, the only good way to find a tornado in the dark would be to use Doppler radar. This is why nighttime tornadoes are so dangerous. Most people don’t have radar at their disposal so they would have absolutely no idea that a tornado might be approaching.
ddizzl3 on November 23, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Storm chasers have lots of gadgets that help them see any type of storm in nearly any type of weather. They have two specific tools that help them see tornadoes in the dark. One of these is an infrared camera. This tool is specificly used with seeing in the dark. Another of these is the radar. This helps stormchasers keep track of the tornado within a certain range. I hope that this answers your question.
Je vous en prie d’avance et a la prochaine!
trey98607 on November 23, 2009 at 4:29 pm
You yourself can spot a tornado in the dark, by the sparks set off by electrical discharges from power lines, or from lightning when it flashes.