####018000645#### NOUS43 KGLD 181200 PNSGLD Public Information Statement National Weather Service Goodland KS 600 AM MDT Thu Apr 18 2024 ...ON THIS DATE IN WEATHER HISTORY... In 2004, low pressure moving across Nebraska and strong jet stream winds over Kansas produced extremely windy conditions across the High Plains. Surface winds were southwest at 35 to 50 mph with gusts to 70 mph for an eight hour period. The strong winds produced areas of blowing dust which reduced visibilities to less than one mile at times. A 17 car pile up occurred on Interstate 70 approximately 10 miles east of Burlington Colorado. $$ ####018005818#### NOUS41 KBGM 181202 PNSBGM PAZ038>040-043-044-047-048-072-190400- Public Information Statement National Weather Service Binghamton NY 800 AM EDT Thu Apr 18 2024 ...PENNSYLVANIA SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK... This week is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Pennsylvania. Now is the time to prepare for the upcoming severe weather season. We are covering a different safety topic each day of this week. Our topic for today is Tornadoes and Tornado Safety. We will cover the difference between a Tornado Watch and a Tornado Warning, and give you tips on what to do when a watch or warning is issued for your location. What is a tornado? A tornado is a violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground. The wind speeds inside a tornado range from under 100 miles per hour up to 300 miles per hour. Tornadoes can travel with a forward speed as fast as 70 mph, and can destroy virtually everything in their path. While most tornadoes that occur in Pennsylvania are not as strong as their counterparts in the Great Plains or Southeast United States, strong and damaging tornadoes can and do occur here. In fact, Pennsylvania ranks in the top 25 for tornado occurrence in the United States, averaging sixteen tornadoes per year. Between May 31st and June 2nd of 1998, Pennsylvania was hit by 40 tornadoes, some of which had wind speeds over 200 mph. What does a Tornado Watch mean? A Tornado Watch is issued by the National Weather Service in order to alert you that severe thunderstorms are expected to develop, and to highlight the potential for those storms to produce tornadoes. A Tornado Watch usually covers an area as large as a state and is in effect for several hours, expiring only when the threat of tornadoes is expected to end. What should you do when a Tornado Watch is issued? Plan your day around the threat of tornadoes. Prepare your emergency kit if you have not already done so. Know a safe place to go if a warning is issued for your area. Periodically listen to NOAA Weather Radio or media outlets for updates and possible warnings. Find out what time the severe weather will threaten your area. Know which county you live in, and which ones border your community. Think of a safe place to move to quickly if a tornado warning is issued for your location, or if thunderstorms approach. What does a Tornado Warning mean? A Tornado Warning is issued when meteorologists spot a developing tornado using Doppler radar, or when a tornado has been sighted by trained SKYWARN spotters or law enforcement. The warning means a tornado is going to move through your area soon, so you need to take immediate action to protect your life and property. Tornado Warnings issued by National Weather Service meteorologists typically cover areas smaller than one county, and for a duration of generally less than 30 minutes. In the text of the warning statement, we try to make a specific list of towns that are likely to be in the path of the tornado. Pay close attention to whether or not communities or landmarks near you are mentioned in the warning. What should you do when a Tornado Warning is issued for your area? Take immediate action, but remain calm. If you are at home or in a small building, go to the basement or to an interior room on the lowest floor. Closets, bathrooms, and other interior rooms without windows offer the best protection. Avoid windows and get under something sturdy or cover yourself with a mattress. If you are in a school, hospital, or shopping center, go to a pre-designated shelter area. Stay away from large open areas such as gyms or auditoriums. Hallways and small interior rooms offer the best protection. Do not go outside to your car. If you are in a high-rise building, go to an small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible. An interior stairwell may also provide protection. Do not use the elevator. Mobile homes are easily tossed about by the strong winds of a tornado. Immediately take shelter in a substantial structure if a Tornado Warning is issued. If you are caught outdoors and cannot get to a safe building, as a last resort, you should: If you have access to a vehicle, get in and buckle your seat belt and try to drive to the closest sturdy shelter. If your vehicle is hit by flying debris while you are driving, pull over and park. Stay in the car with the seat belt on. Put your head down below the windows, cover your head with your hands and a blanket, coat or other cushion if possible. If you can safely get noticeably lower than the level of the roadway, leave your car and lie in that low area, covering your head with your hands. Your choice of whether to stay in your car should be driven by your specific circumstances. If you are in a car or if you seek shelter in a depression or ditch with a tornado approaching, you remain at risk. The safest place to be is in an underground shelter, basement or safe interior room of a sturdy building. For additional information on tornadoes and severe weather check out our web site at: www.weather.gov/ctp/severeweatherawarenessweek Tomorrow will be the last day of Severe Weather Awareness Week. Our topic will be Ways to become involved - SKYWARN spotters, Weather Ready Nation, StormReady, and HAM radio. Now is the time to prepare for this year's severe weather season. For local weather information...please visit: https://www.weather.gov/bgm $$ Mitchell Gaines Meteorologist National Weather Service Binghamton, NY