Latest news with #KristenCassady
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Here's what you need to know about tornado season in Ohio
Ohio set a record for tornadoes in 2024. There were 74 confirmed tornadoes that year, according to NWS Wilmington meteorologist Kristen Cassady, more than in any other year. If you're still reeling from that year of severe weather, you may be eyeing your basement, just waiting for the tornado sirens to sound. If that's you, you should probably know when Ohio's tornado season is. Here's what you need to know. Ohio's tornado season is from March through May, according to Cassady. That doesn't mean tornadoes only occur in those months. They can happen any time of the year, including January and February. Ohio also has a second severe weather season in October and November, according to Cassady. Southwest and Central Ohio are more susceptible to tornadoes than other areas of the state. That's because these areas have more low-level moisture, which contributes to tornado formation, Cassady said. One of the state's deadliest tornadoes in history, the 1974 Xenia F5 tornado, occurred in Southwest Ohio. Tornadoes need atmospheric instability caused by warm, moist air near the ground, and cool, dry air up in the atmosphere, and wind shear to form, according to the National Weather Service. The instability creates updrafts, which are also strengthened by wind shear, creating the rotation needed for twisters. Tornadoes most commonly form out of supercells, which are large storms with strong updrafts, according to the NWS. The National Weather Service issues three levels of tornado alerts: watch, warning and emergency. A tornado watch is the lowest severity level and means tornadoes are possible. The conditions are there for possible tornadoes. Watches are usually large and can cover multiple counties or even states. A tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or is imminent based on weather radar in a small area. If a warning is issued for your area, you should seek shelter. A tornado emergency indicates a tornado has touched down in a watch area, and damage has been confirmed. Immediately seek shelter. Breaking and Trending News Reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@ and at @NathanRHart on X and at on Bluesky. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: When is tornado season in Ohio?
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Storm spotter training available this spring: Why is it important?
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — While meteorologists have lots of technology to detect storms, a volunteer set of eyes can be crucial during severe weather. The National Weather Service held a Skywarn storm spotter training Monday evening at Atrium Medical Center in Middletown. The training takes two hours to complete, allowing students to learn techniques for identifying severe weather. Even with all the technology meteorologists have at their disposal, tools like doppler radar have their limitations. Due to the curvature of the Earth, the further the radar beam goes, the higher it is scanning into the sky, missing critical data at the surface.'We can't see low into a thunderstorm, we may not be able to see a rotation in the lowest levels of a thunderstorm, say a couple thousand feet above the ground. So we really rely on our spotters to tell us what they are seeing from ground level,' said Kristen Cassady, NWS Wilmington meteorologist. These free sessions provide the knowledge to confidently report sightings of tornadoes — something an average observer could mistake for a simple cloud.'We talk about potential obstructions to your view, and we talk about the difference between a funnel cloud and like a scud cloud and a wall cloud and a shelf cloud,' said Cassady. 'And we give our spotters pointers on how to differentiate between those different look alike clouds and then be able to tell what that means for your particular location.'While some people shelter in a tornado warning, not all do, and ground truth of a tornado may make them rethink that decision.'If they know that what we are warning of is already happening, they're more likely to take action and to get themselves into a safe place,' said Cassady. 'At the end of the day, that's what we want at the National Weather Service to protect lives and property. And our spotters certainly help us with that.'The class on Monday has already convened. If you want to be trained in the future, there is a virtual session in May. You can find upcoming dates here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
