Current Weather

Weather Status

Watches, Warnings, Advisories, & Hazards

Kamala COD Severe Weather
view this page
NWS Watch, Warning, Advisory Display
view this page
NWS Weather Alerts by State
view this page
SPC Current Convective Watches
view this page
NWS Alerts Map
view this page

Winter Weather

WPC Winter Wx
view this page
NDFD via Pivotal Weather
view this page
NDFD via NWS
view this page

Weather Models

CyclonicWx
view this page
ECMWF Charts
view this page
Penn State E-Wall
view this page
Upper Air Maps
view this page
Tornado Env browser
view this page
Meso Analysis
view this page
Pivotal Weather model
view this page
Weathernerds
view this page
HRRR Hourly Forecast Graphics
view this page
HRRR Subhourly Forecast Graphics
view this page
NWS Model Guidance
view this page
College of DuPage Model Viewer
view this page
Weathernerds Model Viewer
view this page
AllisonHouse Maps
view this page
Tomer burg’s Polar WX
view this page
College of Dupage
view this page

Surface Maps

NOAA Current Surface Map
view this page
NWS Current Surface Maps
view this page
OPC Unified Surface Analysis
view this page

Radiosonde data - Soundings

SPC Sounding Climate
view this page
University of Wyoming
view this page

Camera Feeds

Alert Wildfire Cameras
view this page

Aircraft Reconnaissance

NHC Aircraft Reconnaissance
view this page
National Hurricane Operations Plan
view this page
Tropical Tidbits Recent Missions
view this page

Aviation

NAV Canada
view this page
NWS Aviation Weather Center
view this page
ERAU Aviation Wx Tools
view this page

Sat

Weather Nerds Satellite
view this page
Tropical Tidbits Satellite
view this page
ERAU Wx Satellite Imagery
view this page
U. Wisconsin SSEC
view this page
NASA SPoRT
view this page
College of DuPage satrad
view this page

Sun

Weather Status
view this page

Historical Climate Data

Weather Status
view this page

✔ Surface-based CAPE > 1500 J/kg
✔ 0–1 km SRH > 150 m²/s²
✔ STP > 1
✔ LCL Height < 1000 m
✔ Strong low-level jet
✔ Surface boundary (e.g., dryline, outflow)
✔ Strong low-level convergence

(Radar-based)
1. Low-Level Rotation
Base Velocity (BV) or Storm-Relative Velocity (SRV):

Look for tight couplets of inbound and outbound velocities.

Stronger signal if this is observed close to the ground (~0.5° tilt).

2. Gate-to-Gate Shear
Found when inbound and outbound velocities are adjacent.

Often a precursor to tornadogenesis.

3. Normalized Rotation (NROT)
Product that highlights rotation strength normalized by distance.

Values above 1.0 are significant, above 2.5 are extreme.

Best used in combination with SRV.

💨 Supporting Velocity/Reflectivity Features
4. Tornado Debris Signature (TDS)
Confirmed tornado indicator when debris is lofted.

Needs:

Low Correlation Coefficient (CC) < 0.85

High Reflectivity (BR) > 35–40 dBZ

Low Differential Reflectivity (ZDR) < 0

Usually occurs alongside strong rotation.

5. Hook Echo
Seen in Base Reflectivity (BR).

Hook-shaped pattern in supercells often near the inflow notch.

6. Debris Ball
Localized high reflectivity blob (often > 55 dBZ) within the hook.

Often co-located with low CC and high NROT.

PTDS (Probability of Tornado Debris Signature)
Combines multiple parameters: BR, CC, ZDR, NROT, SW, PHI.

📌 Key Conditions to Check
Ingredient Ideal Indicator
BV / SRV Tight couplet near radar
NROT >1.0 is notable, >2.5 is extreme
CC < 0.85 indicates debris
ZDR Near 0 or negative with debris
BR Hook echo or debris ball (>50–55 dBZ)
TDS Confirmed debris via CC + BR + ZDR
PTDS >95% = strong detection
GR-MDA Persistent stacked rotation

🛰️ 1. Load Full Radar Volume
Ensure you’re viewing a complete Level II volume.

Recommended  Base Reflectivity (BR) or Storm-Relative Velocity (SRV).

📍 2. Identify Suspicious Area
Use SRV or BV at lowest tilt (0.5°) to spot a velocity couplet or rotational shear. Confirm in NROT for tight and strong rotation. Look for a hook echo or debris ball in BR.

3. Enter Cross-Section Mode
On the main toolbar, click the “Cross-Section” tool (ruler icon with a curved arrow). Your cursor will change to cross-section placement mode.

4. Draw the Cross-Section Line
Click once at the inflow side of the storm (ahead of hook). Drag to the rear-flank downdraft or rotation center. Double-click or right-click to finish the line.

5. Analyze Cross-Section Panel
You’ll now see a vertical slice of radar data:

What to Look for in a 3d volume:

SRV Gate-to-gate shear extending upward (tilted meso)
NROT Vertically stacked, persistent high values
BR Hook echo depth, debris ball reflectivity core
ZDR Collapse near debris zone
CC Vertical debris column – low CC values extending from surface upward
PTDS High probability zones aligned with debris column
If you see a narrow vertical column of low CC with strong NROT and BR > 55 dBZ at the base: confirmed TDS.