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Athens, Ga. – After tornadoes touched down in the Southeast on April 27, 2011, many people in the storm’s path did the most logical thing they could—they posted images of the aftermath on Facebook.

The University of Georgia’s John Knox and his student researchers went one step further. They used the social media site to create and analyze a database of the debris, turning photos and comments into the most comprehensive study, to date, of debris trajectories from a tornado outbreak.

The project started when Alabama resident Patty Bullion compiled a Facebook page on “Pictures and Documents found after the April 27, 2011 Tornadoes.” Using the images and information there as a starting point, the UGA team compiled a scientific database and used geographic information system mapping software and high-resolution numerical trajectory modeling techniques to pinpoint the takeoff and landing points of 934 found and returned objects.

“Even 10 years ago, the items of debris left behind by a tornado outbreak—in our study, everything from metal signs to quilts and photographs—probably would have been thrown away, and that would have been the end of it,” said Knox, an associate professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of geography and a faculty member in the atmospheric sciences program.

“But with the wide reach of Facebook, Patty Bullion was able to reunite owners with items they lost from their homes, especially family pictures that traveled hundreds of miles in some cases. And we, in turn, were able to use the information Patty gathered to analyze that information scientifically. Our study highlights the still mostly untapped potential of social media databases in scientific research.”

The research team determined that objects traveled nearly 220 miles (353 kilometers), exceeding the previous record for the longest documented trajectory of debris from a tornado.

The study recently was published online by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. The study coauthors were two graduate students—current doctoral student Alan Black and former doctoral student Vittorio Gensini, now an assistant professor at the College of DuPage in Illinois—and nine undergraduate students—Jared Rackley, Michael Butler, Corey Dunn, Taylor Gallo, Melyssa Hunter, Lauren Lindsey, Minh Phan, Robert Scroggs and Synne Brustad, who is now at the University of Oslo, Norway.

“It’s great to have the opportunity to participate in research like this as an undergrad, especially when the study has real-world applications,” said Rackley, a UGA senior in geography and atmospheric sciences from Forsyth who is second author on the study. “Having research experiences now will certainly give me a head start when I begin graduate school in the fall.”

The researchers established, in a finding not previously documented, that the farthes ttraveling debris objects took a somewhat different path than the rest of the debris. “The winds turn clockwise as you go up in a severe weather situation, with southerly winds at the surface and very strong westerly winds at the tops of thunderstorms,” Knox explained. “Based on our analysis of the tornado debris data, we hypothesize that the longest-traveled objects went up the highest, where they encountered winds that blew the debris downwind and slightly to the right of the tornadoes’ paths.

“This could be of importance in the future if tornadoes loft toxic or radioactive debris. In such cases, it’ll be critically important for public safety to know where the debris will go, and our study is the most comprehensive work to date documenting where debris traveled during a real-life tornado outbreak.”

The tornadoes touched close to home for Knox, who emphasized the social and ethical aspects of research during the project. “This tornado outbreak was centered on my hometown of Birmingham, Ala.,” he said. “I repeatedly reminded the students of our obligation to respect the privacy of the owners of the debris objects and to honor the memories of those who died in the tornadoes.”

Full version of the study.

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

COLD START: Still doesn’t feel like March; temperatures are in the 25-32 degree range in most places with a clear sky. We will enjoy a sunny sky today, and the dry air will heat effectively with a high generally in the mid 50s this afternoon.

WARMING TREND: While tomorrow morning will be cold again with a low near freezing, we warm into the mid 60s tomorrow, and upper 60s Saturday. The air stays dry and the sky will remain sunny.

We note to the west SPC has outlooked parts of Central Texas for severe weather Saturday, but those storms will remain far to the west of Alabama.

Sunday will be dry and very mild; a good chance we reach the low 70s by afternoon. Scattered clouds will show up along with a good south breeze ahead of the storm system to the west.

RAIN RETURNS MONDAY: We will forecast a good chance of showers and thunderstorms Monday; with only limited instability severe weather doesn’t look likely at this point; rain amounts of one-half to one inch can be expected.

The sky clears Tuesday, and the rest of next week looks dry with temperatures about where they should be for mid-March in Alabama. See the Weather Xtreme video for the maps, graphics, and details.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.

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I will be doing a weather program this morning for the kids at the Christ Harbor pre-school in Northport… and later we will be at Academy Sports in Tuscaloosa programming NOAA Weather Radio receivers from 3:30 until 6:30 p.m. Need help? Come see us. I won’t be able to post an afternoon Weather Xtreme video today due to travel, but I will have new forecast notes here by 4:00. Enjoy the day…

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

TOO COLD FOR MARCH: Temperatures are generally in the 40s across North-Central Alabama this afternoon, a good 20 degrees below average for March 6 (we should see a high in the mid 60s this time of the year). Clouds have been hanging tough over the northern third of the state; elsewhere the sky is blue and sunny.

A freeze is ahead tonight… we project lows early tomorrow in the 24-29 degree range. But, the good news, a warming trend begins tomorrow afternoon.

TOMORROW THROUGH THE WEEKEND: The high tomorrow will be in the mid to upper 50s, followed by mid 60s Friday. The weekend will be very mild; the GFS is printing 70 on Saturday, and 73 Sunday afternoon for Birmingham. Lots of sun both days; just a few scattered clouds Sunday along with an increasing south wind ahead of a developing storm system over the Great Plains.

NEXT WEEK: The 12Z runs of the GFS and the ECMWF agree the next round of showers and storms for Alabama will come Monday afternoon into Monday night. Rain amounts of 1/2 to one inch can be expected, and while a strong storm is certainly possible, the lack of surface based instability for now makes the severe weather threat look low around here.

Drier air arrives Tuesday with clearing sky; the sun returns in full force on Wednesday. See the Weather Xtreme video for the details, maps, and graphics….

NEED HELP WITH YOUR WEATHER RADIO? We will be at Academy Sports in Tuscaloosa tomorrow evening from 3:30 until 6:30… if you need a weather radio programmed, have questions, or need to buy a weather radio, come and see us. Remember, we are now in the spring tornado season and every Alabama home, business, and church needs one.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. Scroll down for the show notes on the new episode we recorded last night.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…

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I had a great time today visiting the kindergarten kids at Coldwater Elementary School in Calhoun County… be looking for them on the Pepsi KIDCAM today at 5:00 on ABC 33/40 News! The next Weather Xtreme video will be posted here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow…

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

BLUSTERY MARCH DAY: Windy and chilly weather is the story for Alabama today. I don’t think we can get out of the 40s, and a brisk north wind of 15-30 mph will make it feel colder. A good chance the clouds linger today over the northeast counties of the state, but for most of Alabama the sky will be partly to mostly sunny as dry air takes over.

We drop below freezing early tomorrow; most places will see a low in the upper 20s.

REST OF THE WEEK: A warming trend kicks in tomorrow afternoon as we rise into the upper 50s. That trend continues through the weekend; we reach the mid 60s Friday, upper 60s Saturday, and low 70s Sunday. The sky will be sunny each day, although scattered clouds will begin to show up Sunday along with a gusty south wind ahead of a storm system west of Alabama.

NEXT WEEK: The GFS and the ECMWF are in good agreement; showers and storms will return to our state Monday. For now the GFS shows no surface based instability over North Alabama, and with a positive tilt upper trough the risk of severe weather looks low. Drier air returns for the middle of next week with seasonal temperatures; highs in the 60s and lows in the 30s. See the Weather Xtreme video for the details, maps, and graphics.

NEED HELP WITH YOUR WEATHER RADIO? We will be at Academy Sports in Tuscaloosa tomorrow evening from 3:30 until 6:30… if you need a weather radio programmed, have questions, or need to buy a weather radio, come and see us. Remember, we are now in the spring tornado season and every Alabama home, business, and church needs one.

RAIN UPDATE: Birmingham’s rain total for the year is 14.83?; the surplus for the year is 4.60?. Tuscaloosa is drier; they have a deficiency of 0.44? since January 1. Anniston has a surplus of 3.71?.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. Scroll down for the show notes for this week’s new episode recorded last night.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…

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I will be doing a weather program this morning at Coldwater Elementary School in Calhoun County… look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 this afternoon. Enjoy the day!

WeatherBrains Episode 371 is now online (March 5, 2013). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

Our guest WeatherBrains was nominated by Paul Miller, a geography graduate student at Virginia Tech. Prof. Dave Carroll has been instrumental in the establishment of the meteorology program in Blacksburg, VA, and for years, he was Virginia Tech’s only meteorology faculty member, and he should provide a great perspective on meteorology education. He is an oustanding professor and has led an undergraduate stormchasing field experience every summer for years.

David Carroll is a native of Roanoke Virginia and studied environmental science as an undergraduate before completing his graduate work through the Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State. Connections to Virginia Tech spread through his family as five other family members completed either undergraduate or graduate degrees at the university. Before joining the Department of Geography’s new meteorology degree program, Dave spent several years teaching a dual-enrollment Applied Meteorology course for accelerated high school students and undergraduates through Virginia Tech’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He currently teaching the Weather Analysis sequence of courses, and runs the field studies in meteorology for the department. He is currently working on mobile mesonet applications for use in studying the near-storm environment of severe thunderstorms throughout the U.S. and cold-air damming events in the central Appalachians. He is accompanied tonight by other important folks from the program there in Blacksburg.

Guest panelist is Dave Williams, Chief Meteorologist from WCIV-TV in Charleston, SC.

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

Our email bag officer, Nate Johnson, is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners.

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: In the 101 continuation of a series on dual polarization radar, this week the episode looks at the improvements in detecting hail and the products which help to unravel this element.

TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of March 4th.

Listener Surveys: Okay, we continue to drive this topic into the ground, but we really do like to hear from you. Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to fill out the Listener Survey. The survey takes just a minute or two to complete and provides us with an opportunity to learn where you are and hear your thoughts and comments on the show. Click here to take the survey.

Web Sites from Episode 371:

Virginia Tech

Meteorology at VT

Virginia Tech Geography Department

Prof. Carroll’s web page

WCIV-TV ABC News 4

Picks of the Week:

JB Elliott – No Pick!

Nate Johnson – Most Accurate Snow Map

Bill Murray – 1. Get Well Card for Sally
2. Kathy Bell sent a pound cake

Brian Peters – Gets the Fog Horn!

Kevin Selle – 1. Haze weather app
2. WeatherCube weather app

James Spann – Meteorgram Generator

Dave Williams – makes weather observation instead of pick!

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like JB Elliott, Nate Johnson, Bill Murray, Kevin Selle, and Brian Peters. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.

WeatherBrains Episode 371 is now online (March 5, 2013). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

Our guest WeatherBrains was nominated by Paul Miller, a geography graduate student at Virginia Tech. Prof. Dave Carroll has been instrumental in the establishment of the meteorology program in Blacksburg, VA, and for years, he was Virginia Tech’s only meteorology faculty member, and he should provide a great perspective on meteorology education. He is an oustanding professor and has led an undergraduate stormchasing field experience every summer for years.

David Carroll is a native of Roanoke Virginia and studied environmental science as an undergraduate before completing his graduate work through the Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State. Connections to Virginia Tech spread through his family as five other family members completed either undergraduate or graduate degrees at the university. Before joining the Department of Geography’s new meteorology degree program, Dave spent several years teaching a dual-enrollment Applied Meteorology course for accelerated high school students and undergraduates through Virginia Tech’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He currently teaching the Weather Analysis sequence of courses, and runs the field studies in meteorology for the department. He is currently working on mobile mesonet applications for use in studying the near-storm environment of severe thunderstorms throughout the U.S. and cold-air damming events in the central Appalachians. He is accompanied tonight by other important folks from the program there in Blacksburg.

Guest panelist is Dave Williams, Chief Meteorologist from WCIV-TV in Charleston, SC.

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

• Extremes: 82 at Imperial and Ocotillo Wells, CA, and -16 at Yellowstone Lake, WY
• Snow storm hits upper Midwest again
• Snowing from eastern Illinois to West Virginia and Tennessee
• 1060 millibar high near the Pole
• and more!

Our email bag officer, Nate Johnson, is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners.

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: In the 101 continuation of a series on dual polarization radar, this week the episode looks at the improvements in detecting hail and the products which help to unravel this element.

TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of March 4th.

Listener Surveys: Okay, we continue to drive this topic into the ground, but we really do like to hear from you. Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to fill out the Listener Survey. The survey takes just a minute or two to complete and provides us with an opportunity to learn where you are and hear your thoughts and comments on the show. Click here to take the survey.

Web Sites from Episode 371:

Virginia Tech

Meteorology at VT

Virginia Tech Geography Department

Prof. Carroll’s web page

WCIV-TV ABC News 4

Picks of the Week:

JB Elliott – No Pick!

Nate Johnson – Most Accurate Snow Map

Bill Murray – 1. Get Well Card for Sally
2. Kathy Bell sent a pound cake

Brian Peters – Gets the Fog Horn!

Kevin Selle – 1. Haze weather app
2. WeatherCube weather app

James Spann – Meteorgram Generator

Dave Williams – makes weather observation instead of pick!

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like JB Elliott, Nate Johnson, Bill Murray, Kevin Selle, and Brian Peters. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.

All counties in Alabama are now clear from the threat of severe weather. The National Weather Service has cancelled the severe thunderstorm watch that was in effect for East Alabama. Cold and stable air is ushering in behind the front pushing east across the state. There will be no more issues with thunderstorms today.

A line of showers and storms has formed over East Mississippi… that will sweep through Alabama through the midday and afternoon hours. Severe weather is not expected, generally speaking, but the storms could produce gusty winds and some small hail.

Storms could become severe along the line east of Alabama in Georgia, where SPC maintains a “slight risk” of severe weather…

The primary risk in that zone is from hail, but an isolated tornado is not totally out of the question. We do note far East Alabama is in the risk… mainly around Randolph, Chambers, Lee, and Russell Counties…

The SPC has outlined portions of extreme eastern Alabama in a slight risk for severe weather today. This risk includes portions of Randolph, Chambers, Lee and Russel Counties. The risk also includes much of north central Georgia including the metro Atlanta area.

There are a few ongoing elevated thunderstorms this morning across North Mississippi. This activity will continue to move east today across Alabama and should bring scattered showers and thunderstorm to much of the state. We will likely see some gusty winds and hail reports throughout the day, but most of the activity should remain below severe limits.

Low pressure over the Ohio River Valley is swinging a cold front across the state today. This will provide the uplift needed to get additional thunderstorms to develop. These storms should be out of the state by early this evening. Behind the front another shot of cold air for a couple of days, before warmer temperatures set in for the weekend.

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

WET TUESDAY: While the radar isn’t showing much across Alabama early this morning other than a few sprinkles, we expect periods of rain and the potential for a thunderstorm during the midday and afternoon hours. Rain won’t be too heavy; the NAM is printing only 0.21″ for Birmingham, while the GFS is at 0.22″.

It is interesting to note that SPC has introduced a very small “slight risk” of severe today along the I-85 corridor from Auburn-Opelika to Atlanta. High resolution mesoscale models are more aggressive with instability today, but most of the real surface based instability remains along and south of U.S. 80/I-85 (Demopolis to Selma to Montgomery to Opelika to Atlanta). There is a fair amount of low level shear, so we will keep an eye on radar trends, but for the northern half of Alabama the severe weather risk remains fairly low. But, we could certainly hear a little thunder this afternoon.

The main window for showers today will come from around 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. The rain will end from west to east during the mid to late afternoon hours.

COLDER TONIGHT: Much colder air returns to Alabama tonight following the rain as a deep surface low begins to develop on the mid-Atlantic coast. The sky will remain cloudy, and a few snow flurries are possible across the northeast counties of the state; places like Fort Payne, Centre, and Gadsden could see a snow flake or two after midnight tonight or early tomorrow morning.

We will be optimistic in the forecast and indicate a clearing sky tomorrow, but I would not be surprised if the sky remained mostly cloudy through the day Northeast Alabama. The day will be rather chilly with a high only in the upper 40s along with a cold north wind. Look for a low at or below freezing both tomorrow morning and Thursday morning.

WARMER DAYS: A warming trend begins Thursday afternoon with a high in the upper 50s, followed by mid 60s Friday. The air will be very dry and the sky will be sunny both days.

MILD MARCH WEEKEND: As opposed to last weekend when we were shivering, we project very comfortable temperatures this weekend. We will enjoy a high in the upper 60s Saturday, and a good chance we see low 70s Sunday. The weather remains dry, although south winds will begin to pick up Sunday.

NEXT WEEK: Showers and storms return to Alabama early next week; the GFS shows the best chance during the day Monday, while the ECMWF is slower, with the rain holding off until Monday night and Tuesday. See the Weather Xtreme video for the maps, graphics, and details.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. We will record this week’s episode tonight at 8:30 p.m. CST… you can watch live here.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…

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I have a weather program today at Vestavia Hills West Elementary School… look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 or so. Enjoy the day…

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

PLEASANT MONDAY: Temperatures are near 60 degrees across much of Alabama this afternoon; the actual range at mid-afternoon is from 52 at Fort Payne to 64 at Tuscaloosa. The sky is partly to mostly sunny as dry air remains in place.

ON THE MAPS: A strong disturbance moving through the Northern Plains is bringing blizzard conditions to parts of the Dakotas, and that will push eastward and will help to drag a cold front across Alabama tomorrow. Rain amounts tomorrow should be in the 1/4 to 1/2 inch range, and while there could be some elevated thunder, severe storms should not be a problem with no surface based instability.

ONE DAY SHOT OF COLDER AIR: We turn colder for one day on Wednesday; the sky becomes mostly sunny with a high around 50 degrees along with a chilly north wind. Then, by early Thursday, we will be below freezing with lows in the 27-32 degree range.

LATE WEEK WARM-UP: Thankfully the cold snap won’t last long. We warm into the upper 50s Thursday afternoon, followed by mid 60s Friday. The sky will be sunny each day Wednesday through Friday as dry air stays in place.

MILD WEEKEND: Sure looks nice here Saturday and Sunday. Lots of sun Saturday with a high in the upper 60s; we could touch 70 degrees Sunday with a mix of sun and clouds. The latest GFS run keeps the rain west of Alabama Sunday.

NEXT WEEK: The GFS finally brings in the next batch of showers Monday night, while the ECMWF holds off the rain until Wednesday. We will have to wait on future runs for better clarity.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. We will record this week’s episode tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m. CST.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…

Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus

I had a great time today visiting with the second graders at Onenota Elementary School…. be looking for them on the Pepsi KIDCAM today at 6:00 on ABC 33/40 News… the next Weather Xtreme video will be posted here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow…

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

COLD START: Temperatures are below freezing across most of North Alabama early this morning… Vic Bell at Black Creek, northeast of Gadsden, reports 22 degrees at 2:00 a.m. Most places are in the 27-32 degree range… not feeling like March at all. Temperatures this weekend were 25-30 degrees below average complete with snow flurries.

But, the good news is that we warm up nicely today. The GFS prints a high of 63 today (for Birmingham), while the NAM is at 61. Sure will feed good after the frigid weekend. The sky will be partly sunny, and clouds will thicken tonight.

WET TOMORROW: We will forecast periods of rain and possibly a thunderstorm tomorrow as a cold front pushes through the state. No severe weather is expected, although the lifted index does go negative over about the southern half of Alabama. Rain amounts of 1/4 to 1/2 inch are likely. I guess there could be a few snow flurries on the back side of the departing system late tomorrow night over Northeast Alabama, but they won’t pose any issues.

COLDER WEDNESDAY: The sky becomes mostly sunny Wednesday, but the day will be breezy and colder with cold air advection going on as a major storm impacts the middle Atlantic coast region; sure looks like a good snow for Washington/Baltimore, with potential for over two feet of snow west of Washington in spots. Our high Wednesday should be in the upper 40s.

WARMING UP: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will be dry with a sunny sky all three days, and we turn warmer. We project a high around 60 Thursday, low 60s Friday, and Saturday will feature a high very close to 70 degrees… quite the contrast to this past Saturday. It will finally feel like spring.

Moisture begins to return Sunday, and we will forecast a good chance of showers and thunderstorms Sunday night into Monday. Models are not in good agreement about the specifics of that system, but for now the severe weather risk looks low. See the Weather Xtreme video for the details, maps, and graphics.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. We will produce this week’s episode tonight at 8:30 p.m. CST… watch it live here.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…

Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus

I will be doing a weather program today at Oneonta Elementary School…. look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 this afternoon. Enjoy the day!

I have an interesting new Twitter account for you to follow if you are into Central Alabama Weather.

Follow https://twitter.com/CentralALNWA for local weather history, weather events and even a dose of weather folklore.

Please tell your networks too! Thanks!