What's the Situation?
Analyze the weather forecasts below and try to determine what you should be concerned about, as well as the authors' purpose.
Weather information is provided in a variety of ways.
Below are forecasts from several sources about a real life event.
As you review the information, be prepared to answer these questions:
What weather hazards are the authors are concerned about?
What is the author's intent (inform, persuade, entertain)?
Who is the intended audience?
What information is being shared?
What types of media are being used (graphics, text, videos, etc.)?
NOAA = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NWS = National Weather Service
SPC = Storm Prediction Center
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Norman OK
610 PM CDT Tue May 3 2022
.SHORT TERM...
(This evening through Wednesday)
Issued at 338 PM CDT Tue May 3 2022
A weak upper ridge with high surface pressure building in will
maintain dry conditions through the rest of today. However, a
synoptic scale weather system will be setting up tonight resulting
in periods of up to severe thunderstorms with supercells possible
along with heavy rainfall for Wednesday and overnight. A surface
low is expected to develop tonight lee of the Southern Rockies
resulting in southeast winds bringing us a return of gulf moisture,
with the moisture transport as far west into eastern New Mexico
where a sharp dryline will be developing. An upper trough in the
westerlies will continue digging across the western U.S. with its
positively tilted trough stretched across the Central & Southern
Rockies by sunrise Wednesday. The moisture transport will increase
through Wednesday with upper 60s surface dewpoints possible across
our south to lower 60s across our central by noontime. Will see a
low-level jet start firing up tonight with strong 850-700 mph
moisture advection for Wednesday. Overall, plenty of moisture will
be available Wednesday to fuel convection east of the dryline when
the thermodynamic & dynamic forcing comes into the play, with over 1-
inch precipital water across our western CWA to 1.7-inches across
our eastern CWA over several periods.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Wednesday night through next Monday)
Issued at 338 PM CDT Tue May 3 2022
Strong to severe storms with a few supercells will persist through
Wednesday evening as the dryline continues to advance across the
Texas/Oklahoma Panhandle, with the severe threats gradually ramping
down during the early morning hours of Thursday. Will see the
dryline start coming through western Oklahoma early Thursday morning
while the surface low just ahead of the dryline will start pushing
the cold front through northwest Oklahoma. Could see a final line
of convection along the surface boundary as they push across our
entire area, exiting into southeast Oklahoma by noontime. However,
will keep POPs in through the afternoon for any additional storms as
the upper low continues to move across our north & Kansas. The
upper trough should exit the Central & Southern Plains by Friday
with ridging building in and a warming trend through the weekend.
Will see unseasonably hot temperatures return across our west, with
upper 90s across our southwest on Saturday and triple digits (up to
102 degrees for MaxT) south of the Red River across our western
north Texas counties by Sunday into Monday. Windy on Monday and
Tuesday as gusty south wind return. The hot temperatures could
start to increase fire weather conditions across our west this
weekend, especially by Monday. However, this will be dependent on
how much rainfall accumulates across our west during the short
term.
&&
You're not expected to understand all of the text here! Just remember what you're trying to identify for this activity.
