Weather News and Opinion

Tornado Threat in SE Texas

If storms can get going across SE Texas, a tornado threat will undoubtedly evolve. The SPC has an enhanced risk of tornadoes that runs from Houston to the west near San Antonio. The bottom two graphics show the 0-1km storm-relative helicity — where values of over 100 are widespread on the bottom left. On the…

INCREDIBLE supercell and cone tornado near Cole, OK (May 11, 2023)

This was the quintissential Oklahoma mid-May storm chase with supercells off othe dryline likely with tornadoes expected towards the late afternoon. Unlike the April 19, 2023 chase, I felt like the entire team had a much better handle on this day and what needed to be done. We were deep into streaming storm chases and…

Will a tornado threat evolve for Houston/SE Texas tomorrow?

There is going to be a risk of severe storms with tornadoes possible tomorrow across Southeast Texas. There are a lot of uncertainties with the forecast, mainly storm mode and the degree of instability — but we could see a threat evolve into the early afternoon in the shaded areas in the top-left graphic. What: Tornadoes…

NOAA’s Spring Outlook: Tornado Season Will Be…

The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) is tasked with long-term, seasonal forecasting for the United States. Their latest outlook from November has a few nuggets about the upcoming Spring. First, let’s look at the text: “below normal precipitation is favored over parts of the Northwest and Northern Plains, as well as in the Southern Plains from…

We Have Our Eyes on Thursday/Friday

A storm system will eject out onto the Plains and into the South from Wednesday to Friday — with the initial day to watch being Thursday, depending on your model of choice. There is quite a lot of variability in model solutions for this system. The Euro is further south; the GFS is more robust/more…

Winter Storm Ongoing

Titan Eugene Thieszen is reporting 4-8” of snow on the ground near Hanston, Kansas, this morning, with snow still falling. Back here at Titan HQ – West, we’ve had about an inch or two in Central New Mexico. As it looks right now, the heaviest snow will dissipate from west to east today as the…

Winter Storm Getting Underway

Here at Titan HQ west in Albuquerque, NM, we’re already seeing some flakes from this system that’ll track east through the weekend. Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are out for large portions of the region — with the heaviest snow expected from NE New Mexico into Kansas. Looking at radar trends and model…

Snow to Start Christmas Season Right!

The first snow of the season for many will unfold tonight into Sunday across the Central and Southern Plains, setting up the Christmas season for those of us with a bag of cheer. Looking at the image above, we see the 24-hour chances for 1” or greater or snow on the top-left. As you can…

High-Based High Plains Highway Supercells! (May 10, 2023)

This storm chase day was one that I left the house not expecting much at all. It was literally a “I am seeing tornadoes in Oklahoma tomorrow and this is on the way so why not” day. Have I ever mentioned on this channel you do not discount the High Plains on any day with…

Threat of Strong Tornadoes Across the South Today (11/20/23)

Today will be a pretty active day across the South, especially in a corridor along and south of I-20 from Louisiana into Mississippi. Tornadoes will be possible, with some strong tornadoes even a possibility. Hail and damaging winds are on the lower end of threats today, but if a line can form overnight, at least…

It’ll be a long day in the South

Morning thoughts are that storm mode will be a huge factor in what happens today. Models continue to show a consistent signal of spin with storms over Louisiana especially this afternoon. If you can get a dominant supercell mode into the late afternoon and evening when hodographs enlarge (bottom sounding) then strong tornadoes will be…

Strong Tornadoes Possible in the South Tomorrow

A potentially serious threat of severe weather will evolve tomorrow across portions of the south, roughly from Northern Louisiana into Western Mississippi. What: Risk of severe storms with strong tornadoes. Where: Portions of the South, most especially northern Louisiana and Western Mississippi.  When: Tomorrow afternoon into the overnight hours. Discussion: As an upper storm system moves into the region…

Hailers in Oklahoma on Sunday

Storms will be ongoing throughout the day across Oklahoma tomorrow, with the potential for a few to produce hailstones up to severe size (quarter-size or so). ? Taking a look at forecast soundings tomorrow reveals that the instability tomorrow will be concentrated above the cool surface layer for the most part. There is just enough…

Severe Weather Possible Sunday

It looks as if we will be due a severe weather setup for November after all out of this upcoming system, but the threat seems to be almost completely large hail on Sunday. On Sunday, an upper trough will emerge onto the Plains, with lots of upper lift in tow. However, strong moisture advection through…

Weather Satellite 101: Discerning Storm Strength and Targets

It’s time for another satellite 101 video! Did you know you can use satellite imagery to refine your forecasts to perfection? That’s what this series is hoping to teach you gradually through real-world examples! This one focuses on the June 21, 2023 storm day taking us from just before storms formed to just after major…

We Could Have a Wet-Ish Next 10 Days

The weather between now and Thanksgiving for the Central/Southern Plains will almost certainly be wetter than we’ve grown used to. Models are still showing a lot of spread, but we’re starting to see more agreement, lending a higher confidence forecast in the pattern into Thanksgiving. As of right now, it does look like we will…

This Scale from the NWS Will Help You Understand Winter Storm Threats

The National Weather Service (NWS) recently introduced the Winter Storms Severity Index (WSSI) — but you may not be familiar with what the graphics are saying. The official description of the product from the NWS says: The purpose of the Winter Storm Severity Index (WSSI) is to provide NWS partners and the general public with…

If You Could Dream Up a Weather Map for Calm Weather…

I’m not sure if you could draw up a more perfect map for calm weather across much of the country. Thanks to a cold front that dove through the lower-48 this past week, much of the country is mild and dry — with only very light precipitation across the country right now. This mild/dry pattern…

Minor Snowstorm In New Mexico This Morning, First of Many?

We’re seeing our first shot of snow here at the Titan HQ – West in New Mexico this morning. This begs the question, is this the first of several such shots this Winter? El Niño has a high correlation with cool and wet conditions across the Southwest and Southern Plains during the winter — this…

Upper Air Pattern Set to Undergo A Shift, What Will It Mean?

The upper-air pattern is set to undergo a pretty stark shift in the coming days, with a pretty progressive/flatter flow regime being replaced by a blocky/amplified pattern over the lower 48. The practical impacts of this will be a stormier/more active pattern for many of us, especially across the South/East parts of the country. A…

Gulf of Mexico Temperature Check, Storm Fuel Still There?

We’ve talked extensively about the Gulf of Mexico remaining warmer than average over the past few months. And when you talk basic meteorology, we know that warmer temperatures are capable of higher quality moisture.? Over the past week, the Gulf has cooled thanks to a strong cold front that dove south (bottom image), but you…

Annual U.S. Tornado Count Still Slightly Above Average

The active August in the country pushed us pretty far above average for the year on the tornado count, but a quiet fall is moving us back toward average again. This year has gone in fits and spurts, with us spending time above and below average at different points. The exciting thing about this year…

Zonal Flow Coming For the U.S.

The weather models are in consensus: our previously highly amplified patterns are settling into a steady, zonal flow across the country. This is likely to result in milder weather for the Plains, along with a notable temperature difference between the north and south. This calm trend is expected to continue until late next week. If…

A shelf cloud advancing across the Eastern New Mexico Pra…

A shelf cloud advancing across the Eastern New Mexico Prairie earlier this month as a marginally severe line of storms marched east. Shelf clouds are not typically our go-to storm cloud shape that we love shooting, but in some circumstances they are as photogenic as anything out there. In this case, the precipitation core was…

If There Was Any Doubt About the Season

A look at tonight’s temperature map across the country reveals a very cool airmass that has overspread much of the country. But the more telling map is this one, the WWA map from the National Weather Service (That’s Watch, Warning, and Advisory). Freeze warnings are up for a big chunk of the country, indicating many…

Drier Week Ahead

Look we get it: It’s cold out there for the first time in awhile. The cold front responsible for our wet/cold weather is still surging south, and it will take the moisture that would fuel any meaningful precipitation with it. I think it is very obvious now, but it appears we are well underway into the…

Is the Fall Season Finished?

You would be forgiven if you assumed the fall storm chase season was already done after a short/rapid burst in September and early October. And I’d be willing to forgive you for such things as well. The upper-air pattern has moved into something pretty unfavorable for severe weather in the middle of the country, but…

Severe Weather in the Central Plains Region Today

Storms will form in the early afternoon near an upper and surface low and swing north/east around the low center into the evening. As a cold front crashes, more storms may form in Kansas and as far south as Northern Oklahoma. The tornado risk is low today, but it is centered in a small time/space…

Plains Severe Threats Today/Tomorrow

A storm system is pushing north into Canada, with a trailing cold front and enough upper energy to touch off some severe weather today and tomorrow. Today, we will focus more on Kansas and Nebraska, with tomorrow’s action in Oklahoma/Texas. Let’s dive in. Today A storm system is skirting the Plains, but it is dragging…

LIVE Storm Chasing: Severe Storms in New Mexico (10/2/23)

GEAR I USE Panasonic G9: https://amzn.to/3CxdWLo Panasonic 12-35mm: https://amzn.to/3M4tOIl Panasonic 12-60mm: https://amzn.to/3e3pWuC Panasonic X1500: https://amzn.to/3Cx0NCc GoPro: https://amzn.to/3e1FL5h Insta 360 One X2: https://amzn.to/3SCPxcS Pelican Case: https://amzn.to/3SL06ue CONNECT WITH US Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.tornadotitans.com/our-newsletter/ Website: https://www.tornadotitans.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tornadotitans Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tornadotitans

A Few Severe Storms Today/Tomorrow

An upper trough is digging in out to the west. Enough energy and moisture will be sent east and overspread the High Plains to create an environment favorable for strong to severe storms across portions of Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, and Texas. The Big Picture That large upper trough is digging to the south today,…

Weird Tornado Tracks: Why El Reno (2013) Wasn’t That Strange

Tornadoes taking highly deviant turns is not really that unusual, even with large and violent tornadoes. That’s the inspiration behind this video, where I recount our storm chase of the infamous El Reno tornado in 2013 and also talk about how, at least when it comes to the track, it was a perfectly normal type…

We’re Transitioning Through A Quiet Pattern

After last week’s very active run, this week promises to be much tamer through at least Thursday before we start considering the possibility of severe weather again by the weekend. Tuesday The only day we for sure have a risk of severe weather on the Central/Southern Plains is Tuesday. Some moisture will be hanging around…

Huge Risk Area for Severe Weather Today

During the early Spring and Fall, you can get some really wildly huge severe weather risk areas. Today we have a risk stretching from north of Fargo, North Dakota to Abilene, Texas. The risk isn’t even along this stretch though, let’s break it down. Today’s risk area, with an enhanced risk that includes Kansas City…

Severe Storms Possible Today in OK/TX

Today might be the most robust severe weather threat of the week, with a supercell or two possible somewhere from central Oklahoma back south and west into western north Texas. Modest west-northwest 500mb flow will overspread the region, with a slight risk in place in a rough OKC-DFW and west region. At the surface, mid…

We Will Have Many Severe Risks This Week

While there may not be a super high risk of severe weather, or at least for tornadoes, through much of this week, we may have near daily risks of severe storms on the Southern and Central Plains. Big hail and damaging winds seem likely, but the day to day evolution of risks and threats will…

Weather Satellite 101: Discerning Environmental Differences

We’re starting a new series on Tornado Titans, “Weather Satellite 101”. This series aims to teach you everything we know about satellite imagery, which we’ve been using our entire chase career as one of the biggest weather data sources you can get. Satellite images can clue you in on what is going on in real…

Supercells Possible Today from W. Kansas to the Panhandles

There are going to be a lot of storms around this afternoon and evening, and a couple will likely organize into supercells with the threat of very large hail and perhaps even a tornado this evening. The tornado risk is very low, but it is not zero. The Setup The risk area today spans across…

Fall Severe Weather Season Stirs to Life

We’ve had a pretty steady string of low-end severe weather setups the last week and that should continue over the next week. We talked about storms being possible near daily with lower-end severe chances last weekend and that pattern looks to largely continue. Today/Tomorrow It looks like the High Plains will be where the severe…

The Weather is Quiet…A Little Too Quiet

September has been one of our quieter weather months on the Central and Southern Plains most of the time for the last decade. Historically we tend to eek out a decent severe weather day or two this month, but summer is historically present as much as it is not the first half of the month…

Idalia On Track to Make Major Landfall Tonight/Tomorrow

We are on track to have a major hurricane make landfall somewhere in the Big Bend region of Florida tonight into tomorrow morning. Idalia continues to rapidly intensify and organize as it moves northwards towards the coast today. The track of Idalia has it making landfall somewhere in the Big Bend region of Florida. This…

Will Idalia continue the I’s rampage?

Tropical systems in the Atlantic starting with the letter ‘I’ have a real agenda and building reputation on their hands in recent years. Both Ida and Ian have been retired over the past couple of years, and Idalia certainly has the look of trying to make it three for three. A look at satellite tonight…

The Tropics Come Alive

By the time you are reading this, we very well might have a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico. This storm will make landfall somewhere in South Texas it looks, with sustained winds in the 45-55mph range and torrential rainfall likely.  Expect landfall to come tomorrow morning, with heavy rain/strong winds being likely across…

This Summer Can Just Get Wrecked

Listen, I know. It’s hot. Really, really hot. And the severe weather pattern is just perfectly boring for the Central/Southern Plains. A large dome of high pressure is sitting over the middle of the country, cranking the oven up and keeping severe weather chances to a minimum for now. And did I mention it was…

Enhanced Risk of Severe Weather Today

Moderate instability and strong wind shear will fuel a risk of severe weather today across portions of the Southern Plains into the Mississippi Valley. Storm mode is a big key today, as a more linear structure would have a lower overall tornado risk. Still, if those dominant supercells can develop, an enhanced tornado risk is…

Beautiful monsoon skies near Flagstaff, AZ

I absolutely love chasing the high desert of Northern Arizona during monsoon season. The landscapes are absolutely breathtaking, but in a different sort of way. The area around/near Flagstaff is one of my favorite places in the whole country, and seeing storms over this area is almost a yearly tradition. In this video, myself and…

That Darned Ridge is Dominating the Weather (And It’s Hot)

I really don’t have much to say at this point that hasn’t already been said about the heat. But this is my blog so let me say a few things anyways. This is an alarming level of heat across the globe this summer. The oceans are at their warmest level on record. A good reason…

SW Moving Supercells Today?

It’s not much today, but it is yet another shot at severe weather on the Southern High Plains of NE New Mexico today. Yesterday’s action didn’t disappoint either in Kansas and Colorado, but the ingredients are falling off a bit for today. Still, there should be plenty there for some severe weather. There is a…

Storm Chasing Update: The Chase Goes on Forever

In this video, storm chaser Raychel Sanner is taking a look back at the Spring storm season and then taking a look at what the rest of the summer holds. Additionally, get a sneak peak at some of the educational content we’ve got coming in the next several months. There’s a lot to discuss, let’s…

Supercells in NE New Mexico into the Panhandles

As expected, the summer season has continued without much of a break, with a couple of shots at supercells and tornadoes each week across the Southern/Central High Plains. Today’s event will be no different, with storms forming off of the higher terrain and marching south and east. Storms should form in the mid-late afternoon hours…

High Plains Set For An Active Week

Oftentimes as we move into July, storm season continues to crank across the Central and even Southern High Plains. This is especially true in years with some sort of an El Niño pattern ongoing. And 2023 will be no different at least for this week. It looks like we may have daily rounds of storms…