Tornado Warning Issued for north of Calgary: Update - TW for City of Calgary dropped

[KevanGuy]

Watches

City of Calgary
10:06 PM MDT Sunday 15 July 2007
Tornado watch for
City of Calgary ended

[someguy51]

looks like the thunderstorm warning is over now too. Although we can still see lots of lightning off in the distance.

[Dion]

Another pic of the hail.

[Mccree]

Originally Posted by Dion

High River got hit pretty good with some tennis ball sized hail. Siding got dinged in 3 spots. Was surprised no windows got broken.

Got some pics of the storn and the hail.

IS that a start of a funnel cloud? If so that is scary stuff.

[BlackArcher101]

Environment Canada is calling for a day very similar to yesterday. So be prepared this afternoon for some boomers.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

Environment Canada is calling for a day very similar to yesterday. So be prepared this afternoon for some boomers.

There has been a severe T-storm watch on since before lunch.

[Barnes]

Question for the weather nerds. Why are there always "storms" along the Rockies. Is it the reflectivity of the snow or the dramatic change in elevation? Why doesn't it appear elsewhere like the interior?

[Dion]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

Environment Canada is calling for a day very similar to yesterday. So be prepared this afternoon for some boomers.

Fingers crossed it doesn't hit us again.

Checked with neighbors and a few had busted kitchen windows from the hail. Supposedly the local gofl course here shut down due to hail damage to the greens. Just going out to check.

[KevanGuy]

The maps suggest the southern most line of storms tonight will stretch from the rockies, just a tad north of us, then in a east/west line into Sask. Things look like they will be moving north today (yesterday it was kinda east/southeast). Here is what the real dudes have to say about today (this was issued a 1pm MST):


HOWEVER ALBERTA WILL LIKELY BE ACTIVE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON WITH THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO WESTERN SASKATCHEWAN LATER IN THE DAY OR THROUGH THE
EVENING. HIGH SURFACE DEWPOINTS WILL HELP FEED THE STORMS AS THEY
MOVE EASTWARD AWAY FROM THE FOOTHILLS. EXPECT LARGE HAIL AND STRONG
OUTFLOWS WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. TORNADOES MAY BE POSSIBLE
ESPECIALLY ONCE STORM INTERACTION HELPS INCREASE HELICITY IN STORM
ENVIRONMENT.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Barnes

Question for the weather nerds. Why are there always "storms" along the Rockies. Is it the reflectivity of the snow or the dramatic change in elevation? Why doesn't it appear elsewhere like the interior?

Rain Shadow . . . . .The mountains are a physical barrier to weather advancing past that point . . . . hence it can be quite wet or snowy in the mountains but very arid and dry on the plains.

Not quite describing our situation but you get the idea:

The process starts on the windward side of the range where moist air is forced to rise over the mountain ridges. In the ascent, the air cools and its moisture condenses, forming extensive clouds and rain/snow. When ranges are high, like the coastal of western North America, much of the moisture in the air falls out on the windward slope. In the Pacific Northwest, this provides the conditions for the extensive temperate rainforests for which the region is known.


After crossing the ridge lines, the moisture-depleted air begins to descend and, in the descent, warms through compression. The downward motion has two effects on the air mass. First, by warming, the air re-evaporates a good portion of the liquid moisture remaining as raindrops/snowflakes and clouds. Second, the downward flow inhibits the formation of thick, precipitation-rich clouds, and thus the potential for precipitation decreases. The region of descending air and decreased precipitation is what we term the rainshadow.


Where rainshadows regularly form, the differences in precipitation can be extreme over rather short distances, in places a factor of ten in annual precipitation over a hundred kilometres or so. Some examples from the Pacific Northwest point this out ably. Spokane, in Washington's eastern arid zone received less than half of Seattle's annual precipitation total (16.7 inches (420 mm) to 37.1 inches (942 mm)); Kamloops in interior British Columbia receives less than a quarter of Vancouver's precipitation (279 mm (11.0 inches) to 1199 mm (47.2 inches)).

My favourite rainshadow place is Maui . . . . . . if you have the balls to circle Haleakala in a rental vehicle, past Hana, you go from rain forest to desert in as little as five miles. Remarkable.

Cowperson

[troutman]

I flew in from Ottawa about 11:00 pm last night. There was lightning all around the plane and turbulence. One woman at the back of the plane was quite distrought and sobbing uncontrollably.

An unsettling experience.

[ken0042]

Does anybody know of a good place to get accurate weather conditions for southern Calgary? Being in McKenzie Towne I'm almost 30 km from the airport and I find the weather is often quite different in the South.

Using Environment Canada- for Okotoks they use Calgary for conditions, and for High River they use Stavely.

[BlackArcher101]

Nothing that I know of. I use http://www.wx.ca/ but it's location (strathcona park) is probably only 200m closer to you than the airport.

[Bobblehead]

You could look at http://www.chinookzone.ca/ which was set up by CP's own Buzzard.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

You could look at http://www.chinookzone.ca/ which was set up by CP's own Buzzard.

Very cool, didn't know that existed. Do you know where the station is located? Can't seem to find it on the page.

[Burninator]

Wow I can't believe how many of you follow the weather so closely. I mean I barely look at the forecast, and a lot of you look at the radar! All I want is a personalized weather report that tells me what to wear, that's really my only concern.

The forecast today Burninator is calling for you to wear your light jacket.

Looks like a short sleeve shirt day Burinator.

It's hotter than hell Burinator, wear your banana hamik.

Is that so hard to ask?

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

You could look at http://www.chinookzone.ca/ which was set up by CP's own Buzzard.

I like that. Will put that one in my favourites.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

Very cool, didn't know that existed. Do you know where the station is located? Can't seem to find it on the page.

Buzzard mentioned the SE once, and if you go to the NOAA Style Reports
it gives map coordinates. In the About page it shows the equipment with what looks like a golf course in behind, so I'm guessing that is Maple Ridge or Willow park. If Buzzard sees this thread maybe he can clarify.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Buzzard mentioned the SE once, and if you go to the NOAA Style Reports
it gives map coordinates. In the About page it shows the equipment with what looks like a golf course in behind, so I'm guessing that is Maple Ridge or Willow park. If Buzzard sees this thread maybe he can clarify.

Ah yes, thanks. That looks to be it.

[ken0042]

Thanks Bobblehead. I couldn't find the location either.

Yeah, Mapleridge is much closer to me than the airport. Defenitely going into the bookmarks!