Category Archives: Uncategorized

My top three SLS talks

Posted on 14 December 2012 by tornatrix

Proceedings of the recent 36th AMS Severe Local Storms conference in Nashville are now online. My new boss, Dr. Pam Heinselman, was one of the co-chairs. She never even broke a sweat! It was a terrific conference. Highlights included: Dave … Continue reading →

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Partial solar eclipse as seen from Norman.

Posted on 20 May 2012 by tornatrix

This was the view from the roof of the NWC at about 8:16 p.m., before the sun dipped behind a very inconsiderate cumulus cloud kicked out by a pulse storm near Watonga. It’s events like this that make me wish … Continue reading →

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First chases of 2012

Posted on 14 April 2012 by tornatrix

Southbound on I-35 after three straight days of chasing. The first two days (April 12 and 13) were busts. However, April 14 made up for them; I saw at least seven tornadoes today of all strengths, shapes, and sizes. I … Continue reading →

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Dallas tornadoes have a lesson for chasers

Posted on 4 April 2012 by tornatrix

Just after lunchtime yesterday, I was transfixed (as were many in the NWC) by live video of tornadoes near the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. I did not chase yesterday because (a) it was a work day and (b) every time I’ve … Continue reading →

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Tornado Alley (the IMAX film) arrives in Oklahoma at last

Posted on 18 March 2012 by tornatrix

Last weekend, I took part in an outreach event for the opening of the IMAX film Tornado Alley at the Oklahoma Science Museum. RaXPol’s caretakers kindly put me on the insurance for one day so that I could drive it … Continue reading →

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The “no warning” libel

Posted on 24 January 2012 by tornatrix

It happens without fail every year, sometimes several times a year. The world learns that a tornado has ravaged part of America, and it wants to hear more details about what transpired. Reporters swarm in, armed with colorful digit-bearing microphones, … Continue reading →

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Happy New Year!

Posted on 1 January 2012 by tornatrix

Yesterday, I closed out the year in which I earned my Ph.D., and in which the atmosphere reminded meteorological community, via new records for tornadoes and also tornado fatalities, that it still has a great deal to teach us. Let’s … Continue reading →

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A few words of advice for Ph.D. candidates

Posted on 27 November 2011 by tornatrix

I’m thankful for having had the pleasure of watching several of my classmates pass their general examinations this semester. “The general” constitutes the last major hurdle before the dissertation defense, and a successful examinee becomes “A.B.D.” (all but dissertation). As … Continue reading →

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Boom town

Posted on 24 October 2011 by tornatrix

Here’s a lightning shot from the storm that delayed he OU-Texas Tech football game on Saturday: This same round of storms had intermittent embedded supercells. One developing BWER appeared to pass right over our house. Farther northeast, a tornado was … Continue reading →

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Steel City Radar Conference

Posted on 16 October 2011 by tornatrix

I recently attended the 35th AMS Radar Meteorology Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This biennial conference gathers meteorologists and engineers to talk about recent advances in weather radar. A key word at this conference was calibration. Dr. V. Chandrasekar (author of … Continue reading →

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