How has todays technology narrowed the gap in predicting severe weather such as tornadoes?
Advances in technology, such as Doppler radar , have made it easier for meteorologists to identify the types of storms that may produce tornadoes a few minutes before the tornado occurs. Also, improved computer models have led to a better understanding of tornadic thunderstorms. Unfortunately, improvements in forecasts of tornadoes have been slow to occur because we are still unable to observe and forecast some of the details that appear to be important to tornado formation. Some of these atmospheric details include how the low-level winds change with height around a storm, and exactly how warm or moist the air is that sinks near the back of a storm. Observations from project VORTEX, along with other scientific studies, suggest that these factors are important to the creation of a tornado. Q: What is the difference between a storm chaser and a storm spotter? A: Storm spotters are part of an organized group whose purpose is to watch the skies around different towns and tell the National
