Severe Outbreak 1/22-23

[Thundersnow]

Wow... you're telling me that MEG and LZK couldn't even coordinate storm survey conclusions on a damage path at the boundary of their respective CWAs?

I suppose it's possible that a tornado lifted at the county line and then what followed was technically straight-line winds.  I'm no storm surveyor, but that does raise questions.

We already discussed the TDS cell damage in Hardeman County being ruled as SL winds, even though apparent airborne debris detected by dual pol at that location suggests otherwise.

 

[Kevin]

I think its a classic case of MEG being conservative...but two of the cases are being seen against some bad coordination and inconsistency against other data. MEG literally just released their last PNS which had  no changes to the above info...so I think that's all to be said about this event...right or wrong.

[Bigm33]

I think its a classic case of MEG being conservative...but two of the cases are being seen against some bad coordination and inconsistency against other data. MEG literally just released their last PNS which had  no changes to the above info...so I think that's all to be said about this event...right or wrong.

I'm puzzled as to why they would want to be conservative in this case with something different being indicated from the neighboring CWA  it's not like they are rewarded or otherwise have any incentive to classify a storm as something other than what it possibly was...oh well. It's over and done with as they say 

[Kevin]

I'm puzzled as to why they would want to be conservative in this case with something different being indicated from the neighboring CWA  it's not like they are rewarded or otherwise have any incentive to classify a storm as something other than what it possibly was...oh well. It's over and done with as they say 

Actually...keeping the damage in Phillips County straight-line keeps a TOR warning unverified...if they were to call it a tornado it would give them their only verified TOR of the event...technically there would be a "reward"...though that's not the reason to call it one thing vs another of course.

[Kevin]

FYI - MEG reversed course on the Phillips County damage and reclassified as an EF1 tornado (105mph) for 8 miles in their CWA...the remainder of that damage remains SL-winds.

[harlequin]

FYI - MEG reversed course on the Phillips County damage and reclassified as an EF1 tornado (105mph) for 8 miles in their CWA...the remainder of that damage remains SL-winds.

I e-mailed them about this on January 27. Basically politely implying that either LZK or MEG was wrong and how they were going to reconcile the discrepancy. I wonder if I contributed... haha.

It's a little concerning actually. If the damage had been completely in MEG's CWA and not carried over from LZK then they might have classified it as straight line winds and never thought twice.

[Kevin]

I e-mailed them about this on January 27. Basically politely implying that either LZK or MEG was wrong and how they were going to reconcile the discrepancy. I wonder if I contributed... haha.

It's a little concerning actually. If the damage had been completely in MEG's CWA and not carried over from LZK then they might have classified it as straight line winds and never thought twice.

Haha...maybe so! I can tell you from experience also...SRH does NOT like to see inconsistency between offices on something like that. I can bet both offices got a call and were told to get on the same page.

Somewhere earlier I made this point...but I will re-emphasize so as not to put MEG (or LZK either) in a bad light. Weak tornadoes often don't carry the classic tornado damage patterns you look for because the circulation is simply not as strong...Convergence, etc can be non-existent (especially in EF-0s).

Makes calling straight-line vs tornado harder...and WFOs often have to take liberties...and some will go further than others in that. I think you're right...if that was solely in the MEG area (or LZK in a reverse situation)...probably would not have been given a second thought.