I Correctly Predicted a Thunderstorm Using a Free Weather App
The Future Radar is Your Crystal Ball
I wanted to know if it was going to rain on my picnic in a few hours. I stopped looking at the percentage chance of rain. Instead, I opened a weather app with a “radar” feature, like the one from the Weather Channel. I looked at the loop of the past few hours to see the direction the storms were moving. Then I used the “Future Radar” feature, which uses a computer model to predict the storm’s path for the next few hours. I could literally see the green and yellow blob of rain moving towards my town, and it arrived at the exact time the app predicted.
How to Read a “Doppler Radar” Like a TV Meteorologist
The Red and the Green
I used to look at a Doppler radar map and just see a confusing mess of colors. I learned the simple secret. The colors represent the intensity of the precipitation. Green is light rain. Yellow is moderate rain. Red is very heavy rain. And a dark, almost purple or white color in the middle of a red blob is often a sign of hail. By understanding this simple color code, I was suddenly able to look at a radar map and understand the severity of an approaching storm.
The Cloud Formation That Means a Tornado Might Be Coming
The Wall Cloud’s Ominous Sign
I learned that the most important and most dangerous cloud to be able to identify during a severe thunderstorm is the “wall cloud.” It is a distinct, isolated lowering of the cloud base, and it is often rotating. This is the area of the storm with the strongest updraft, and it is the area from which a tornado is most likely to form. If you see a rotating wall cloud, it is a sign that the storm is very dangerous, and it is time to take shelter immediately.
I Went on My First “Storm Chase” (Safely): Here’s What I Saw
The Majesty of the Supercell
I went on my first storm chase with an experienced chaser. I was expecting a chaotic, adrenaline-fueled race. The reality was a slow, methodical, and scientific process of positioning ourselves in the right spot to observe the storm. We stayed a safe distance away and watched as a massive “supercell” thunderstorm developed. It was a breathtaking sight, a massive, rotating, sculptural cloud that looked like a giant, alien mothership. It was one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring displays of nature’s power I have ever witnessed.
The Difference Between a “Tornado Watch” and a “Tornado Warning”
The Ingredients vs. The Cake
The difference between a tornado “watch” and a “warning” is a crucial distinction that can save your life. A “watch” means that conditions are favorable for a tornado to form. They have all the ingredients for the cake, but they haven’t baked it yet. A “warning” means that a tornado has actually been spotted, either by a person or on Doppler radar. A watch means “be prepared.” A warning means “take shelter now.”
The Most Underrated Weather Phenomenon That’s Actually Beautiful
The Magic of the Sun Dog
I was outside on a cold, winter day when I noticed two bright, rainbow-colored patches of light on either side of the sun. I learned that this beautiful and underrated phenomenon is called a “sun dog” or a “parhelion.” It’s caused by the sunlight refracting through plate-shaped ice crystals that are high in the atmosphere, in cirrus clouds. They are a surprisingly common but often overlooked spectacle, a little piece of atmospheric magic hiding in plain sight.
How to Set Up a “Personal Weather Station” in Your Backyard
Your Own Hyper-Local Forecast
I was tired of the generic weather forecast for my town, which was often wrong. I bought a simple, all-in-one “personal weather station” and mounted it in my backyard. It measures the exact temperature, humidity, wind speed, and rainfall right in my own backyard. It connects to an app on my phone, so I have my own, personal, hyper-local weather data. It’s a fascinating way to connect with the environment around you and to become your own amateur meteorologist.
The Science Behind Why Lightning Happens
The Static Shock in the Sky
I learned that lightning is essentially just a giant static shock. Inside a storm cloud, the turbulent air causes tiny ice crystals and water droplets to rub against each other. This builds up a massive static charge, with the positive charge at the top of the cloud and the negative charge at the bottom. When the charge becomes too great, the electricity is discharged as a massive spark—a bolt of lightning—either between the clouds or from the cloud to the positively-charged ground.
I Reported a “Hail” Measurement to the National Weather Service
The Citizen Scientist
A severe thunderstorm passed over my house, and it started to hail. Some of the hailstones were massive. I remembered that the National Weather Service relies on “storm spotters” to report severe weather. I took a picture of the largest hailstone next to a ruler (it was quarter-sized) and submitted my report through their website. A few minutes later, the NWS issued a “Severe Thunderstorm Warning” for my area, citing my report of quarter-sized hail. I had been a “citizen scientist,” and my data had helped to warn my community.
The Safest Place to Be During a Severe Thunderstorm
Away From the Windows, Away From the Water
I used to think that the biggest danger in a thunderstorm was being struck by lightning. While that is a risk, a much more common danger is the wind and the hail. The safest place to be during a severe thunderstorm is in a sturdy building, on the lowest floor, in an interior room, away from all windows. You want to put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. And you should never, ever take a shower or wash dishes during a thunderstorm, as lightning can travel through the plumbing.