03/18/99 By the Dashboard Lights
by Dave Friedli
Meteorological Breakthrough
"So,
was it a blizzard?" my friend from
snowy display of nature two weeks ago.
"Well, not exactly a blizzard," I replied.
"Oh, just a snow storm."
"No. It was more than a snowstorm," I asserted. "It went beyond
your typical snowstorm. Twelve inches of blowing snow."
"So, it was a blizzard," my friend repeated.
"No, the experts didn't call it a blizzard. They just called it a
late winter storm."
"Then it was just a snowstorm. No big deal," said my friend.
"NO! It was terrible! Schools were shut down. Businesses closed.
Travel was recommended only in emergencies. It wasn't a blizzard,
but it wasn't just flurries either," I said as I searched for a
better description. "It was a...we experienced a, ah...."
"A 'snow-nado'?" my friend asked.
"A snow-nado? What is a snow-nado?" I pondered.
"Well," continued my friend, "A snow-nado is that powerful snow
storm that doesn't quite meet the definition of a blizzard."
"Did you just make this snow-nado thing up?" I asked.
"Well, actually, yes," said my friend. "It just seems like you need
a more accurate description for snowstorms there in
guess the only thing we Okies have to compare to that kind of weather
are tornadoes. Snow-nado sounds so...Nebraskan."
I think my friend has stumbled on to something, which is the way
most Okies discover anything.
I like the idea of calling strong snow storms snow-nadoes. This is
a meteorological breakthrough which will bring clarity to winter
weather predictions.
We, like
our
place when the possibility exists for tornado activity. We can
easily adapt the system to winter weather activity.
During tornado season, we are accustomed to hearing tornado watches:
the conditions exist in which tornadoes may form in the area. A
tornado watch means we need to watch out.
During tornado season, we are accustomed to hearing tornado
warnings: Warning! A tornado has been sighted, and everyone in the
area should seek shelter.
That's the kind of clarity we need in winter. We need to have
snow-nado watches and warnings.
A snow-nado watch would help us prepare for the possibility of a
large snowstorm. We would know we should buy milk, bread and eggs in
large quantities, bring the shovels into the house and be certain our
vehicle and snowblower gas tanks are filled.
A snow-nado warning would shut down everything. Schools would
cancel classes and all non-essential meetings would be cancelled so
people could go to safety.
When the National Weather Service issued a snow-nado warning, there
would be no questioning their ability to accurately predict the
amount of snow which might fall in our area. We would simply retreat
to our homes and eat all kinds of food prepared with milk, bread and
eggs.
Such a prediction system would eliminate the guesswork for countless
numbers of people including school superintendents, travellers and
business owners. When a snow-nado warning is issued, the standard of
activity will be to close the business doors, shut down, go home,
brew a cup of coffee and grab a book to read.
"Of
course, in
bit," my friend.
"How so?" I asked.
"Well,
in