Updraft: May 5, 2009 Archive

Storm reports

Posted at 7:06 AM on May 5, 2009 by Craig Edwards

The local National Weather Service office is the repository of regional severe weather reports. This allows the meteorologist to provide some quality control of reports from field observers, confirming the occurrence and the time of the event.

On the national scale, the Storm Prediction Center posts the entire listing of strong winds, large hail and reported tornadoes. This serves as a preliminary source for information. Eventually the National Weather Services publishes the formal document for historical records as the monthly Storm Data.

Storm reports from Monday.

Thunderstorms are expected to fire up in central Minnesota early this afternoon.

CE

Bumpy ride

Posted at 4:06 PM on May 5, 2009 by Paul Huttner

Nature sent us a message today. Be ready for severe weather.

A middleweight sized weather system sailing through the region today has triggered scattered showers and a few thunderstorms. A few storms have met the NWS new 1" hail sized criteria for issuance of severe thunderstorm warnings.

Drier air with dewpoints in the 40's is pushing into southern Minnesota this evening. That should end the storm threat tonight.

NWS Twin Cities warnings

It's a reminder that we're in severe weather season now. May and June are the peak months for tornadoes in the Upper Midwest. That thought will be top of mind at our 2nd annual MPR Severe Weather Forum Wednesday evening at the MPR studios in St. Paul. You can still get tickets which are free, but you have to reserve them online.

I will join Cathy Wurzer, Craig Edwards, Dr. Mark Seeley, Paul Douglas and others as we talk about all the severe weather Minnesota has to offer.

We look forward to seeing you there tomorrow night.

PH