The "Landspout" Fad

[Mike Smith]

I started noticing television and NWS meteorologists mistakenly calling "regular" tornadoes "landspouts" a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, the mis-naming of landspouts has reached epidemic proportions. I posted a piece this morning, got to Kansas City this afternoon, turned on the TV (wanted to hear about JLN's tornado) and .... "landspout." Which is clearly was not.

Details here: To Meteorologists: Regarding "Landspouts" - [4:05pm, Addition]

And, unfortunately, given what happened in 2011 with the poor quality warnings that led to very many deaths, the tornado warning this afternoon came out after the tornado was in progress.

 

[Mike Smith]

And, here is my piece regarding the -- yet again -- poor warning strategy of the SGF NWS office.
www.mikesmithenterprisesblog.com/2024/05/joplin-tornado-warning-redux.html

And........ guess what they called the black, dark, elephant's truck? You guessed it! A "landspout."