Storm/Weather/Tornado terms we'd like to see

[Shane Adams]

Spinergy

Using the theory that all tornadoes have a certain, "pre-set" amount of spin to work with, this refers to said amount of 'spin'.

(n) "That tornado roped out forever...it had a ton of spinergy."

 

[Damon Scott Hynes]

"Training"--not the common usage, but when you drive 200 miles, your storm craps out or never got going in the first place, find the nearest railroad mainline and start taking train pictures!

 

[Bobby Eddins]

"Spotter Frogs" - When we see lot's of locals out in their "Spot" Spotting.

"Door Pong" - A game using the door's of those leaving their door's open while watching shelf clouds, etc.

"Pucks" - Individuals who left their door open. Used in Door Pong.

Note: The second 2 are really games we try to avoid.

 

[Darrin Rasberry]

TCAP TOR or TCAP - "Thunderstorm CApable of Producing a tornado." Easier to say on written reports and in discussion, since these are so common.

Yard Trash - Storms that are non-severe and are destined to remain so in a potentially severe area, or that are non-severe and stay non-severe in the vicinity of a severe storm. Throwback from my Everquest days where the term was used to apply to time- and resource-wasting battles before the really big fight.

Field Goal Bust - Chasing and busting in an area where severe weather is occurring both too far north and too far south (or the "crossbars") of your location.

White-Sky Bust - An expected severe chase where storms do develop, but all remain only yard trash. Worse than a blue-sky bust because you're tempted to stay around longer and waste more gas chasing storms that never turn severe, or at least interesting.

Thencasting - going back home at the end of the day, looking at a radar, and realizing the dumb mistakes you made on a chase gone wrong.

 

[Michael Thompson]

Visible CAPE

That steam you see rising from a hot road surface after a brief convective shower

 

[Dennis Sherrod]

I want to add this one: ROADKILL

This is the jerk who was standing in the middle of the road with his arms crossed, blocking all the traffic near Bonham, TX today with 5 car load of chasers on the side of the road. He was wearing shorts and a long sleeve jacket?? in 80 degrees, blocking traffic or trying to slow all the cars down, looking like he was daring anyone to run over him or go by more than 5 miles per hour.

Professional Elite.

 

[Darrin Rasberry]

Some more I thought of as I was waiting bored for my students to finish the marathon departmental Cal II final today.

Google Chaser - My own term for the academic bunch opposing the Yahoo Chaser. They like to know all of the information possible, and they have the setup in and on top of their vehicle to prove it. I know this one's probably been termed before, but I can't find that old thread.

Yoohoo Chaser - Like Quagmire at a night club, this chaser, whatever the setup philosophy is, is happy with everything on a not-totally-bust chase. They'll drive 2000 miles to, around and from Southern Oklahoma and return honestly satisfied - even after the gas money evaporates - after seeing structure and large hail from one storm. Even considers busts "learning experiences." Myself included.

Vampire Chaser - Has problems sleeping, so when storms roll through late-night that don't pose a serious threat, they'll hop in to do some local spotting at four in the morning and don't mind in the least that the sun is rising when they return, just to pass the time more than anything. Also favored as drivers because they can head back home late at night while all the normal folks sleep. Guess who's one of these?

Pigpin Chaser - You know the type. Their car hasn't been washed since the end of last Spring, old school papers are so piled up in the backseat that he can't take more than one person along, and always has to take a minute to "clean" the front seat to fit you in. Guilty as charged.

Optimist Chaser - Says "and hey, we'll return with five tornadoes and hippopotamus-sized hail!" even though the setup calls for a smaller event. Usually done tongue-in-cheek to lift spirits.

Howard Cosell chaser - I think I had this in the earlier chaser terms thread. Their videos have tons of excited play-by-play style commentary.

Pessimist Chaser - Will call off a high risk because of one questionable parameter. Usually a temporary term to almost all of us when a good local setup happens and we have to work.

 

[Heather Moser]

Dewpointy - an adjective describing the moist, heavy feeling of air in the warm sector

 

[Dennis Sherrod]

The Italian phrase - Dafunsalow translated as: The funds are low.

I can't chase this week because dafunsalow.

 

[Dann Cianca]

The Soup Being a drylander, The Soup would be any occasion that I'm on the wet side of the dryline. I don't even know how you wetlander people can see an inch in front of your face.

Boom Tower or Boom Castle Cb

Shouldn't have eaten the shelf-ish When a storm is poisoned by outflow.

Gettin' shelfy Again, outflow-dominate.

That guy (Don't be) So there's this guy I know that has never gone storm chasing in his life. However, he has modified his truck to be a storm chasing vehicle, more antennae than a cicada hatch, flashing lights, and tons of bumper stickers (most of them proclaiming how he is a dangerous storm chaser) ... also has tons of pictures of "wall clouds" from his bedroom window that are really just shelf clouds or just look ambiguous ... and plenty of tales of how he saw a tornado one time but didn't have his camera.

 

[David Draun]

Snowpercell: Elevated supercell thunderstorm in a near freezing surface environment. Looks awesome on radar for the time of year, but tornadogenesis is highly unlikely. Precipitation can fall as freezing rain, sleet, or a rain-snow mix. I witnessed one of these here in north central IL back at the beginning of February. I believe there were about 4 snowpercells on radar for a short time.

The ol'Chicago Split: I saw this term in a KLOT AFD referring to severe weather development in the CWA. Usually happens in situations where the best shear is to the north, and the best instability is to the south. Meaning all the time!! Severe storms end up developing in southern Wisconsin and south of I-80 into NW Indiana. An Izzi term.

Sloppy Seconds: Another KLOT AFD term used to describe when the CWA is in a severe weather risk due to left-overs of the previous day's activity. Initiation of new storms is unlikely due to convective cloud debris, and what storms are strong will likely weaken once they move north of I-80 and east of I-39, only to re-intensify in IN and MI. Yet another Izzi term.

 

[Dann Cianca]

Minesweeping Like corepunching, but purposely looking for the largest hail possible.

 

[Jason Boggs]

Next time you go out chasing, make sure you check the BFI.

 

[Michael Ratliff]

LMFAO Jason that made my nite!!!! How about

" place-aya-handsbe-hindyo-back"???

 

[david diehl]

Awsome Jason, Just awsome, Got me laughing