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It's just across the river from my hometown; the entire Metro St. Louis area had a few tornado sirens last night, as a wall of warnings swept across our region.

It's just across the river from my hometown; the entire Metro St. Louis area had a few tornado sirens last night, as a wall of warnings swept across our region. It seems like the worst tornado was this one that ripped through the warehouse (other pictures show some trees that had foliage stripped); you don't mess around with a tornado warning. It can drop pretty much anywhere along a storm front, or even sometimes in the middle or tail end of a front, especially when all the atmospheric conditions aligned like they did yesterday. There was a much larger storm that seemed to have a 200 mi or so path through Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and I think Ohio(?) last night. Some of these storms are still getting severe warnings this morning!

throwawayboise 5y ago
When I was a kid, a "Tornado Warning" meant that a tornado had been spotted and was something you took pretty seriously. There was another advisory called a "Tornado Watch" that meant conditions were favorable for tornados to develop. Now, it seems that every semi-heavy thunderstorm comes with a "Tornado Warning" based on radar returns and other metrics. They happen so often it's hard to get too worked up about them. Another case of boy who cried wolf.
- dredmorbius 5y ago
  Your understanding is incorrect. A WARNING means a funnel has been sighted or detected (e.g., by weather radar). A WATCH means tornadic conditions are highly favourable. From NOAA: What is the difference between a Tornado WATCH and a Tornado WARNING? A Tornado WATCH is issued by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center meteorologists who watch the weather 24/7 across the entire U.S. for weather conditions that are favorable for tornadoes and severe weather. A watch can cover parts of a state or several states. Watch and prepare for severe weather and stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio to know when warnings are issued. A Tornado WARNING is issued by your local NOAA National Weather Service Forecast Office meteorologists who watch the weather 24/7 over a designated area. This means a tornado has been reported by spotters or indicated by radar and there is a serious threat to life and property to those in the path of the tornado. A tornado warning indicates that you should ACT NOW to find safe shelter! A warning can cover parts of counties or several counties in the path of danger. https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/tornadoes/ https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/tornadoes/ It's quite likely that either detection (and so sightings) has improved, or that tornados are now more prevalent in actuality. There's good evidence for both.
  - heartbreak 5y ago
    Edited for clarity: A WARNING means a funnel has been sighted or detected (e.g., by weather radar). A WATCH means tornadic conditions are highly favourable.
    - dredmorbius 5y ago
      Gah! Thanks. Fortunately, inside the edit window for once, I've updated my comment. (Original repeated "warning" for both definitions in the part I'd written out rather than copied from NOAA.)

throwawayboise 5y ago

When I was a kid, a "Tornado Warning" meant that a tornado had been spotted and was something you took pretty seriously. There was another advisory called a "Tornado Watch" that meant conditions were favorable for tornados to develop. Now, it seems that every semi-heavy thunderstorm comes with a "Tornado Warning" based on radar returns and other metrics. They happen so often it's hard to get too worked up about them. Another case of boy who cried wolf.

dredmorbius 5y ago
Your understanding is incorrect. A WARNING means a funnel has been sighted or detected (e.g., by weather radar). A WATCH means tornadic conditions are highly favourable. From NOAA: What is the difference between a Tornado WATCH and a Tornado WARNING? A Tornado WATCH is issued by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center meteorologists who watch the weather 24/7 across the entire U.S. for weather conditions that are favorable for tornadoes and severe weather. A watch can cover parts of a state or several states. Watch and prepare for severe weather and stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio to know when warnings are issued. A Tornado WARNING is issued by your local NOAA National Weather Service Forecast Office meteorologists who watch the weather 24/7 over a designated area. This means a tornado has been reported by spotters or indicated by radar and there is a serious threat to life and property to those in the path of the tornado. A tornado warning indicates that you should ACT NOW to find safe shelter! A warning can cover parts of counties or several counties in the path of danger. https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/tornadoes/ https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/tornadoes/ It's quite likely that either detection (and so sightings) has improved, or that tornados are now more prevalent in actuality. There's good evidence for both.
- heartbreak 5y ago
  Edited for clarity: A WARNING means a funnel has been sighted or detected (e.g., by weather radar). A WATCH means tornadic conditions are highly favourable.
  - dredmorbius 5y ago
    Gah! Thanks. Fortunately, inside the edit window for once, I've updated my comment. (Original repeated "warning" for both definitions in the part I'd written out rather than copied from NOAA.)