Urgent... real time Lightning data for Washington state

[Glenn Rivers]

Mount St. Helens is shaking every minute in the bigest swarm of tremors in 18 years! If any eruption ocurrs, even a small one, lghtning is almost certain to acompany it. Since there are no deep clouds over SW WA state and none are forcast for several days, the apearence of lightning over the SW part of the state is nearly a 100% indication that an eruption has comenced.

Does any body have access to real time Lightning Data.

 

[Alex Fisher]

Check out the free map from Vaisala.
http://www.lightningstorm.com/tux/jsp/gpg/...isplay_free.jsp

 

[David Wolfson]

This link should work pretty well, too. I expect you'd see an eruption even before there's lightning. http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/

 

[Glenn Rivers]

Thank you David. The Camera will be useful during the daytime and in clear conditions.

If an explosive eruption starts, lightning will commence within seconds. If the eruption is large, and the plume contains lots of marble to baseball sized pumice, the Portland WSR-88D will indicate a very high reflectivity echo within minutes. If the plume reaches to near the top of the troposphere, it will have very cold temps on the GOES ir images.

For people near the volcano, if low ceilings prevent direct observation of the eruption, the sudden overwhelming of AM radio with sperics and possibly the sounds of audible thunder may be the first cues that an explosive eruption has started. These cues may occur many minutes before the onset of darkness and pumice fall.

P.S. The siesmic swarm has really cranked up during the overnight hours. I would not be surprised to see an eruption within days!

 

[rdale]

"The siesmic swarm has really cranked up during the overnight hours. I would not be surprised to see an eruption within days!"

The links posted above to USGS and other agencies say that this is nothing special... Why do you think that assumption is so horribly incorrect?

- Rob

 

[Carrie Halliday]

I have a kid in that area (NE of Yacolt) and a cousin outside of Amboy and they are not tooooooo concerned at this time.

 

[Glenn Rivers]

Reply to Rdale

"The siesmic swarm has really cranked up during the overnight hours. I would not be surprised to see an eruption within days!"

The links posted above to USGS and other agencies say that this is nothing special... Why do you think that assumption is so horribly incorrect?

- Rob

Fair question Rob....

The following is a quote from the CVO website in their update on the Mount St. Helens situation issued just a few hours ago........


"USGS and PNSN personnel held a teleconference to discuss scientific issues and future needs. USGS and PNSN personnel also participated in a teleconference with Washington State and County emergency-management officials to discuss hazard and response issues."

True, MSH has had seismic swarms many times in the past 18 years, but none of them have ever come close to the episode that started a few days ago. CVO knows this and their language in the above quote expresses concern.

Even CNN has mentioned the concern over the volcano. Also, I think that Gifford Pinchet National Forest was slow to update their site but have since closed all trails near the volcano.

-Glenn

 

[Geoff Boyle]

Yeah this is gonna be really something if it blows. I don't live to far from it, considering the blast radius, so I'm bound to see some heavy ash clouds. One of my family members even heard the explosion from the last eruption. It would be cool if I went to have a look, but I don't think it would help the traffic getting out of the area.

Oh, and here is a good live lightning map from Enviroment Canada: http://www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/lightnin...ng/index_e.html

 

[rdale]

That data is FAR from live... It's delayed 2+ hours which is pretty close to useless in the weatherworld ;>

 

[Carrie Halliday]

The information I have read is that they possibly expect something, but not on a big scale. More of a burp than an eruption. At this time, we won't be reliving 5/18/80.

 

[Geoff Boyle]

That data is FAR from live... It's delayed 2+ hours which is pretty close to useless in the weatherworld ;>

Works fine for me when I am not out in the field. :wink: