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Procedural changes for severe weather threads


Hoosier

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The next few days promise to be active in terms of severe weather. After receiving some feedback from members, we have decided to implement some basic guidelines for posting severe weather warnings/statements. These guidelines will probably apply to future events as well but the main focus is on the next few days. There will be a maximum of 3 stages and they are as follows:

Stage 1

This is the period prior to and shortly after convective initiation. During this time, anything goes as far as posting.

Stage 2

Only tornado warnings/statements or other "significant" severe thunderstorm warnings/statements can be posted. We are using the SPC definition of significant, which is 2" diameter hail (hen egg) or winds of 75 mph or greater.

Stage 3

Only tornado warnings/statements that mention a CONFIRMED tornado can be posted, with 3 exceptions:

- The thunderstorm recently produced a tornado

- Radar indicated warning text is accompanied by radar/velocity image

- Radar indicated warning is in a highly populated metro area (Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Nashville etc.) Use your judgement.

Severe thunderstorm warnings/statements that mention CONFIRMED 2" hail or 75+ mph winds can be posted.

Radar indicated severe thunderstorm warnings/statements can be posted in extreme circumstances, such as softball size hail or 90+ mph winds.

Just because there are 3 stages doesn't mean that every event will go that far. Lesser coverage days may never move past stage 1. A staff member (likely baro or myself) will use their discretion and announce any stage upgrade. Anyone who violates the guidelines will receive a warning via PM. Reoffenders may have their posting privileges restricted.

Thanks for your cooperation.

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Something I forgot to mention...

If your specific county/town is under a warning, feel free to post about it but try to post a shortened version of the warning or better yet something like "line coming toward me...warning out for 60 mph winds" with a radar grab or some other useful analysis. We are a finite group...the guidelines are not meant to be overly rigid but hopefully it's a good compromise between posting every warning or no warnings at all.

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Sounds good and somewhat similar to Janet/Janet's recommendations in the past. What should we do with LSR's as we progress through the stages?

IMO if it says "a tornado is on the ground" in a statement or warning, no reason to post the storm report for that event if it only says "tornado" now if it said "many homes damaged" or something then perhaps post it? (unless it mentioned that in the warning/statement too)

In other words only if they have new significant info????

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Sounds good and somewhat similar to Janet/Janet's recommendations in the past. What should we do with LSR's as we progress through the stages?

Janet was the inspiration so thanks to him. :scooter:

LSR's should follow the warning/statement protocol. Any LSR's in stage 1, only 2" hail/75 mph winds in stages 2 and 3.

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So when we're in stage 2 and 3, does this mean that the given types of warnings are the only things allowed to be posted in the thread at all? Or just that those are the only thyes of warnings that are allowed to be posted?

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While posting radar images, if it shows a significant couplet, and at the time it's only radar indicated, can the warning be posted with the image, to give reference of where it is?

I suppose...make sure it's just not the warning and nothing to accompany it. This particular circumstance would only apply in stage 3 anyway.

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It might be good as well to remind all of us to read the previous few posts before posting. Someone may have posted what you want to post. Of course, if posts come at the same time that is perhaps unavoidable.

There is the post delete button. No real need for having four posts in a row of the same warning.

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With the increasing amounts of chasers now members of the forum, has anyone thought about creating a report thread specific to chase reports coming from chasers? A good example would be the report threads over on StormTrack. That way they wouldn't get lost in a thread with 40+ pages.

I was thinking of an obs/warnings/reports page much like how we have an obs thread for winter storms. It would serve multiple purposes--just an idea right now.

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I was thinking of an obs/warnings/reports page much like how we have an obs thread for winter storms. It would serve multiple purposes--just an idea right now.

I think it worked well this weekend? I wasn't online for the complete event, but when I did check, it was easy to see how the storm progressed, and how the severity/impacts were playing out.

It seems like here, all real time events being in one thread works the best, and then after action in a new topic? Kind of like what was done with the pics/chase reports?

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  • 3 weeks later...

Aside from the off topic crap, you cant get away from, seems like the threads worked well. Only complaint this go round was the Central / SE divide.

Yeah I would have to agree it worked very well this time, the aftermath page probably could have had some of the OT spun off from it such that it wasn't clogging the thread. As for the divide it worked as well as could, when stuff went into Georgia people hopped from here to the SE section. The SE had a huge thread of their own also so it worked as well as it could.

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