Thunderstorm/Severe Weather Forecasting

“How did I ever get into this mess?”
Silent Skipper
“You promised me it would not be like this”
Not so silent Skipper's Spouse

This webinar demystifies storm forecasting by explaining both the dynamics of storms and the sources webinar participants can access to forecast them. Most of us are generally familiar with the forecasting of large weather systems using surface weather maps (and perhaps upper-air charts). Most of us, however, are strangers to the analysis of vertical airflow that is key to understanding and forecasting thunderstorms and severe weather.

Thunderstorms/Severe Weather Forecasting will appeal to inland boaters as well as coastal cruisers. Boaters will be introduced to special forecasting tools: Skew-T Plots, Stability/Shear Indices and Weather Radar. Topics include:

• A Review of Thunderstorms
• Sounding Diagrams and Data
• Weather Radar
• Professional Forecast Sources.

Webinar participants will have access to the following Seminar Materials:

• A Reference Guide (downloadable in pdf format); and
• A NWS Sounding Analysis interactive Help Page.

This webinar contains advanced material. While there are no prerequisites and everyone is welcome to take this webinar, those with some weather knowledge (e.g., preferably through the USPS Weather course, but also the Basic Weather and Forecasting seminar or its online version—Weather for Boaters) will get the most out of it.

The seminar will be recorded so those who cannot participate on the date and time it is given or those who would like to review the presentation will be able to do so later. A record will be kept of those who participate (not just register) and they will receive USPS credit for having taken it.

Public announcements will be made and notices will be sent in advance of the next webinar so those wishing to participate will have ample time to register. There is no fixed schedule.