Significant Weather
Severe Weather
- Will give a detailed outlook plus a map displaying where severe weather will be a possibility.
- Our outlook maps go out to 7 days in advance.
- For day's 1-3 a more in depth forecast will be given as we show where the highest chances are that someone may see tornado, large hail, and/or damaging winds.
- For day's 4-7 we will display a short discussion to give a heads up on any potential severe weather, with a map pin-pointing the area of greatest concern.
- Our categorical maps will be color coded.
- Map one will display where severe weather is possible. All locations will be enclosed by either a brown circle, minimal severe weather, a green circle, slight severe weather event, a red circle, significant severe weather outbreak, and/or a black circle, dangerous severe weather outbreak.
- Minimal risk: Probability of seeing at least some form of severe weather
- Green-5% chance
- Slight risk: Probability of you seeing some form of severe weather
- Orange-10% chance
- Red-20% chance
- Significant severe weather: Probability of you seeing at least one form of severe weather.
- Blue-25% chance
- Pink-40% chance
- Dangerous severe weather outbreak: Probability of you seeing multiple severe weather events
- Black-60% chance
- The next maps will display 3 catagories for the threat for tornados, large hail, and damaging winds.
These maps are color coded with the following percents for tornados:
- Slight risk: Probability of 10 or more tornados within the colored circle.
- Green-2% chance
- Orange-5% chance
- Significant severe: Probability of 15 or more tornados with at least 3 strong or 1 violent tornado.
- Red-10% chance
- Blue-15% chance
- Dangerous severe weather outbreak: Probability of at least 15 tornados, or multiple long-tracking violent tornados.
- Pink-30% chance
- Black-60% chance
These maps are color coded with the following percents for Large Hail:
- Minimal severe weather: Probability of at least 5 severe hail reports.
- Green-5% chance
- Slight risk: Probability of at least 10 severe hail reports with max hail size of 1 1/2" expected.
- Orange-15% chance
- Red-20% chance
- Significant severe: Probability of at least 15 severe hail reports with max hail size of 2-3" expected
- Blue- 30% chance
- Dangerous severe weather alert: Probability of at least 20 or more severe hail reports and hail the size of baseballs can be expected.
- Pink- 45% chance
- Black-60% chance
- Pink- 45% chance
These maps are color coded with the following percents for damaging winds:
- Minimal severe weather: Probability of at least 5 severe wind reports.
- Green-5% chance
- Slight risk: Probability of at least 10 severe wind reports with max winds of 50-60 mph expected.
- Orange-15% chance
- Red-20% chance
- Significant severe: Probability of at least 15 severe wind reports with max winds up to 65 mph expected
- Blue- 30% chance
- Dangerous severe weather alert: Probability of at least 20 or more severe wind reports and winds of an excessive of 70 mph can be expected.
- Pink- 45% chance
- Black-60% chance
- Pink- 45% chance
- The severe weather page is updated twice a day. The times are as followed: 8:30-9:30 am, 0Z and 6Z model runs will be used. 4:30-6:00 pm a final outlook will be issued. Times are subject to change, especially during a potential major severe weather outbreak, where the page may be updated up to 4 times a day.
Winter Weather
- A winter weather alert will be issued when significant accumulations of snow is expected (where significant amounts are not known to occur to often; such as, the southeast receiving 6+ inches). Or for blizzard conditions and ice storms.
- A detailed map with accumulation predictions, and a forecast will be issued for each major winter weather event.
Tropical Weather
- All forecasts and outlooks will be used from the National Hurricane Center, nhc.noaa.gov. It will include projected path, current satellite imagery, and an detailed forecast.
