Real-Life Communication -- Solution
Here is a sample page from Don Lloyd's chase notebook:
From:
Don Lloyd
Subject: Chase Notes for Aug. 23
The ingredients for
this severe outbreak were already becoming apparent on the models Friday morning.
The biggest question mark was the amount of moisture available. Model updates
were consistent and began to show a tongue of moisture extending from the
southwest into southern Minnesota. It was enough for me to start setting up
the van, which had not been fully prepped for a chase since July 1st.
Final
analysis of surface data confirmed that the thunderstorm would likely initiate
around 5 p.m.
We left for the site at 1:30, driving through steady
rain and low overcast skies. Ragged bits of cloud scudded quickly across the
sky from the southwest, while robust building altocumulus (a cloud with round
masses) moved southeast in bands. Dewpoints, which were 60 F when we left,
were now at 68 F as we approached the site.
The surface temp was 82
F. By 5:45 we had a solid base at the northwest corner of a tower cloud. Structure
was crisp with a cumuliform anvil (cloud with a flat base and top). Another
tower that had gone up further west was developing the same structure, though
not quite as crisp.
With this structure, a tornado seemed almost inevitable.
But by 7 p.m., the storms started to weaken. They attempted to push up new
updrafts several times, but it was obvious their severe potential was finished.
Don
Lloyd says communications are used extensively by storm chasers, such as e-mail
for discussing forecast issues before a chase and logs (such as the example
above).
Lloyd notes that in the storm chaser's vehicle you'll find
a two-meter ham radio, CB radio and a cellular phone (which is
also used to connect to the Internet).
"After the chase, many chasers
will file reports of their chase on a home page, a newsgroup or with Storm
Track, the chaser magazine."