{"id":2551,"date":"2011-05-27T12:44:17","date_gmt":"2011-05-27T17:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hwt.nssl.noaa.gov\/ewp\/internal\/blog\/?p=2551"},"modified":"2016-10-04T15:04:48","modified_gmt":"2016-10-04T20:04:48","slug":"week-3-summary-may-23-27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inside.nssl.noaa.gov\/ewp\/2011\/05\/27\/week-3-summary-may-23-27\/","title":{"rendered":"Week 3 summary (May 23-27)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Week #3 had a very interesting local event, with the following guest NWS forecasters:\u00a0 Jason Jordan<\/strong> (WFO Lubbock, TX), Daniel Leins<\/strong> (WFO Phoenix, AZ), Bobby Prentice<\/strong> (WDTB, Norman, OK), Pablo Santos<\/strong> (WFO Miami, FL), and Kevin E. Smith<\/strong> (WFO Paducah, KY).\u00a0 Other visiting participants this week will include Chris Jewett<\/strong> (UAH), Scott Rudlosky<\/strong> (UMD), Lee Cronce<\/strong> (UW-CIMSS), and Rudolf (Rudi) Kaltenb\u00f6ck<\/strong> (Austro Control, Vienna, Austria)<\/p>\n

Overview of week 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

Monday was primarily a training day, and was spent familiarizing the forecasters with the products.\u00a0 They examined both the playback case we have used consistently each week of the experiment, as well as some real-time storms that developed in western OK.<\/p>\n

Tuesday was possibly one of the more exciting days in the 5-year history of the EWP.\u00a0 The morning shift focused on examining the OUN WRF and other data sets, producing the discussion “Tornado Outbreak Likely over KS\/OK\/n TX<\/a>.”\u00a0 We met with the EFP for a combined discussion at 1 pm, and quickly regrouped in the Development Lab for a more detailed strategy session, and were into operations mode by 2pm.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Bobby Prentice briefs the joint EWP\/EFP (as well as a few media members) prior to the May 24th outbreak event.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As we moved into the mid-afternoon, supercells developed by 3:30pm, and by 4pm there were tornadoes being observed by spotters and shown in real-time on the Situational Awareness Display.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
A tornado is observed in real-time on the HWT Situational Awareness Display.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With several supercells approaching central Oklahoma, one group took responsibility for the northern cluster of storms, while the other group observed the southern storms.\u00a0 Forecasters were able to evaluate all the experimental products (GOES-R, 3DVAR, OUN WRF), although the pGLM feed stopped when one of the OK Lightning Mapping Array sites was damaged by a tornado.\u00a0 At 5:45pm, the National Weather Center security desk called for everyone to take shelter on the lower level of the NWC.\u00a0 A few forecasters stayed and observed the storm approaching on radar, but operations were suspended.<\/p>\n

As Jason Jordan wrote:<\/p>\n

The majority of the forecasters stayed in the HWT to watch the storms as they approached the National Weather Center. Live data from the PAR along with area TDWRs and the KTLX radar showed an impressive evolution of two confirmed tornadic debris balls as the storms moved towards us.<\/p>\n

The 3DVar products all handled the track and evolution of the storms very well and the combined radar products also have an excellent track of the tornadoes as well. Continuity was maintained as the storms moved into the cone of silence of the KTLX radar.<\/p>\n

As the storms started to move into the metro OKC area, attention to the details\/operations was lost as we watched live TV feeds and could see the hail falling outside the WFO window. The excitement rapidly turned to sorrow however as the live TV feeds showed homes and structures being ripped apart.<\/p>\n

One last item that made it very clear how close we were to being impacted by the tornadoes directly; leaf and light matter debris was falling from the sky when several EWP members went up to the roof of the NWC to see the dissipation of the tornado moving south of Norman.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Because Central Oklahoma was affected by several violent tornadoes, we suspended operations on Wednesday, and all EWP participants assisted the Norman NWSFO in surveying the damage.\u00a0 With the help of the EWP teams and others from the Norman community, 8-10 groups of 2-3 people each were able to survey a majority of the damage in one day.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Old Glory flies near Blanchard OK, in the path of an EF4 tornado's destruction.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thursday’s operations focused on convection in Pennsylvania and Maryland, which allowed additional use of the pGLM products from the DC LMA.\u00a0 The CI and Nearcast products were examined during the early shift, and the 3DVAR and other remaining satellite products were used during warning operations.<\/p>\n

Our usual Friday round-table discussion of the week’s activities provided a lot of additional feedback.\u00a0 Comments:<\/p>\n

UH CI:<\/strong><\/p>\n