The VORTEX2 team is checked into our hotel…in West Norman, Oklahoma! The steering committee decided this morning it was a “Down” day for operations…no potential for supercells in our domain. Teams took the opportunity to test the SASSI software: Situational Awareness Severe Storm Intercept software. SASSI is a revolutionary piece of software installed in every research vehicle that will transmit real-time data, as it is collected, to the Field Command vehicle. This means the data collected by mobile radars, mobile mesonets, etc. will display on a monitor in the FC (and in everyone else’s vehicle). The Coordinators will use this to direct teams towards the best locations around the supercell to collect data to accomplish their mission. Amazing! Go Erik and Doug!

My 13 year old requested I check the tread on the tires of the Mobile Mesonets. I asked if he wanted me to check the mobile radars too, and he just wanted the MM’s – he was worried about the minivans. The tread looks okay to me, but I am a meteorologist, not a mechanic. – Susan Cobb