beaudodson
EF5
Does anyone know the name of the group or organization/company that issues their own tornado watches/other watches?
Thanks
Thanks
Company that issues watches and warnings?
- Thread starter beaudodson
- Start date
Ben Prusia
EF4
rdale
EF5
I don't think any entity issues "watches" and "warnings" as a duplicate of NWS. But many private firms and TV mets do a similar thing, it's just noted as separate from the NWS products.
beaudodson
EF5
Yes, there are a couple of groups that actually do watches. I was not aware of the US site. Not sure they issue watches though? I see they have a severe weather outlook.
There have been a couple over the last few years that actually send out watches and a few that will even do some warnings - if you subscribe for your county.
One site that has been doing some of the severe weather forecasting is this one here -
http://www.weatherdata.com/index.php
"Redundant weather risk warning system
Around the clock, WeatherData meteorologists monitor weather conditions. Whenever there is a chance that the weather could affect one or more of your locations, a meteorologist personally assesses the situation and your pre-defined criteria to determine the likelihood of weather impact. If necessary, the meteorologist initiates our redundant warning system, which sets off alarms—delivered to you according to your preference—that let you know when to take action."
" SelectWarn also gives you the accuracy you need and should demand from your system. It's highly customizable to your jurisdiction with GIS plotting of your warning devices, and it issues National Weather Service warnings with latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates displayed over your maps. With the StormVision[SIZE=-1]®[/SIZE] upgrade, SelectWarn can track storm movement up to 30 minutes into the future, providing critical weather information so you can choose when and where to deploy sirens and warnings. No more generic"
(the above is more private though than public)
That may be the one I was thinking about (although the one I saw last year was open to the public)
Here is another site
http://www.nemas.net/hwu/swu/
Not updated recently though
Someone from one of the Oklahoma papers called - they wanted to do an article on blogs and severe weather forecasting.
Someone else might have some comments on the weatherdata site. Not sure just what products they issue or forecast.
There have been a couple over the last few years that actually send out watches and a few that will even do some warnings - if you subscribe for your county.
One site that has been doing some of the severe weather forecasting is this one here -
http://www.weatherdata.com/index.php
"Redundant weather risk warning system
Around the clock, WeatherData meteorologists monitor weather conditions. Whenever there is a chance that the weather could affect one or more of your locations, a meteorologist personally assesses the situation and your pre-defined criteria to determine the likelihood of weather impact. If necessary, the meteorologist initiates our redundant warning system, which sets off alarms—delivered to you according to your preference—that let you know when to take action."
" SelectWarn also gives you the accuracy you need and should demand from your system. It's highly customizable to your jurisdiction with GIS plotting of your warning devices, and it issues National Weather Service warnings with latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates displayed over your maps. With the StormVision[SIZE=-1]®[/SIZE] upgrade, SelectWarn can track storm movement up to 30 minutes into the future, providing critical weather information so you can choose when and where to deploy sirens and warnings. No more generic"
(the above is more private though than public)
That may be the one I was thinking about (although the one I saw last year was open to the public)
Here is another site
http://www.nemas.net/hwu/swu/
Not updated recently though
Someone from one of the Oklahoma papers called - they wanted to do an article on blogs and severe weather forecasting.
Someone else might have some comments on the weatherdata site. Not sure just what products they issue or forecast.
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Patrick Marsh
EF5
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2006
- Messages
- 783
WeatherData was at one time owned by Mike Smith. A member of ST.
Jay Cazel
EF4
WeatherData does do warnings for there clients, like when to stop a train before a storm things like that...I remember one time a few years ago that WeatherData issued a weather warning for the Boenig plant here in Wichita, Boeings warning sirenes went off and the workers took cover/shelter but the NWS here in Wichita never issued any type of weather warning for the city that day.
Robert Dewey
EF5
Mike is still the CEO, so I'm sure he could chime in with information on what exactly they do.
Mike Smith
Good morning, everyone.
Yes, WeatherData Services Inc., which is now part of AccuWeather, issues warnings for its clients apart from those of the National Weather Service. I am the founder of the company. After I sold the assets of the company to AccuWeather, they asked me to stay on as CEO. We are based in downtown Wichita.
Why is there a need for warnings (and, for some clients, watches) that differ from the National Weather Services? It is quite common for a given business to have different informational requirements than 3/4 inch hail and/or 50 knot winds. For example, we have one client that wants a wind warning for 20 mph winds. We have another that wants a warning for 35 mph. I doubt the public would be interested in warnings with the thresholds that low.
We have developed an excellent track record over the years. To take one example, we issued a tornado warning for the Union Pacific's track from 7 mi. west of Greensburg to 10 mi. east of Greensburg. Our warning was issued 7 minutes prior to the excellent warning from the NWS. Union Pacific's dispatcher in Omaha received our warning and radioed two trains headed for Greensburg and told them to stop at the respective edges of the warning. The trains did so and the two crews saw the tornado safely pass between them illuminated by lightning.
You may recall the day after Greensburg there was a tornado outbreak in about the same area. While we and just about everyone else was focused on the tornadoes, one of our meteorologists issued a flash flood warning for the same Union Pacific track at Bloom, Kansas, in the pre-dawn hours Sunday (6th). UP stopped their trains and sent out an inspector. They found two washouts. Had the train not been stopped, the train would have gone over the washout at 70 mph.
AccuWeather, our parent company, through its website, www.accuweather.com, its newspaper service, radio weathercasts, etc., provides a wide range of services to the public. WeatherData is focused on the business market. We do not issue warnings different from the NWS's to the public.
Hope this answers your questions.
On a side note: Please be careful chasing today.
Mike
Yes, WeatherData Services Inc., which is now part of AccuWeather, issues warnings for its clients apart from those of the National Weather Service. I am the founder of the company. After I sold the assets of the company to AccuWeather, they asked me to stay on as CEO. We are based in downtown Wichita.
Why is there a need for warnings (and, for some clients, watches) that differ from the National Weather Services? It is quite common for a given business to have different informational requirements than 3/4 inch hail and/or 50 knot winds. For example, we have one client that wants a wind warning for 20 mph winds. We have another that wants a warning for 35 mph. I doubt the public would be interested in warnings with the thresholds that low.
We have developed an excellent track record over the years. To take one example, we issued a tornado warning for the Union Pacific's track from 7 mi. west of Greensburg to 10 mi. east of Greensburg. Our warning was issued 7 minutes prior to the excellent warning from the NWS. Union Pacific's dispatcher in Omaha received our warning and radioed two trains headed for Greensburg and told them to stop at the respective edges of the warning. The trains did so and the two crews saw the tornado safely pass between them illuminated by lightning.
You may recall the day after Greensburg there was a tornado outbreak in about the same area. While we and just about everyone else was focused on the tornadoes, one of our meteorologists issued a flash flood warning for the same Union Pacific track at Bloom, Kansas, in the pre-dawn hours Sunday (6th). UP stopped their trains and sent out an inspector. They found two washouts. Had the train not been stopped, the train would have gone over the washout at 70 mph.
AccuWeather, our parent company, through its website, www.accuweather.com, its newspaper service, radio weathercasts, etc., provides a wide range of services to the public. WeatherData is focused on the business market. We do not issue warnings different from the NWS's to the public.
Hope this answers your questions.
On a side note: Please be careful chasing today.
Mike
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