Severe Weather Watchers Handbook

CONTENTS

  • TO THE WEATHER WATCHER

  • THUNDERSTORM BASICS

    how thunderstorm clouds move, change, and look— their structure and important parts explained

    • Life cycle of a thunderstorm cloud
    • Anatomy of a storm
    • Types of storms
    • How storms move and change
    • East-west differences
    • Every storm is unique

  • WHAT TO WATCH FOR

    advance clues and warning signs for severe weather

    • Being prepared
    • A day to watch
    • Reading the clouds
    • Storm features to check
    • Gust fronts and wind squalls
    • When the storm has arrived
    • How you can tell what's coming
    • A close look at lowerings
    • The wall cloud rotation
    • What severe events will depend on
    • Severe weather at night
    • Severe winter weather

  • TORNADOES AND FUNNEL CLOUDS

    how they form, look, and change– a range of examples and situations explored

    • How and why they form
    • No two are alike
    • Stages in tornado development
    • What it's like near a tornado
    • Other rotating structures

  • DON’T GET FOOLED!

    examples of “false funnels” and other deceptive signs– how to tell the real thing from the imitations

    • False funnels
    • False assumptions about tornadoes
    • When appearances are deceiving

  • WHAT TO REPORT

    • Hail
    • Damaging wind
    • Flooding rains
    • Tornadoes and funnel clouds
    • Other situations to report
    • Reporting procedures

  • INDEX

  • SAFETY TIPS

  • HOW TO REPORT QUICK REFERENCE