Failure to sound sirens irritates Downers Grove, IL residents in June 21 storms

http://triblocal.com/downers-grove/2011/06/23/village-sirens-werent-activated-because-funnel-cloud-wasnt-spotted/

Residents in Downers Grove, Illinois are fuming because sirens weren't sounded during the violent June 21 storms that actually produced an EF-1 tornado with winds 90-100 mph.

The local officials said the sirens weren't sounded because a funnel cloud wasn't spotted at night.

I have to say that I am disappointed in how this situation turned out. Besides how hard it is to spot a funnel cloud/tornado at night, all local governments should hold the best interests in their citizens and sound sirens if there is the slightest indication of a tornado occurring.

I do not condemn any local governments, but if you are concerned of this happening to you and want to take action, I would suggest you could call your local government to hear their tornado siren plans and what the guidelines are for when to sound the sirens.

Strong Pacific Storm could eventually impact the United States

In the next day or two, a very strong system will emerge from the West Pacific with central pressure forecast below 980 millibars. This surface analysis above projects the low about 42 hours out from the time of posting. The reason why I made this post is because, should this system remain as strong as it is forecast to be and make landfall in the US, it could spell out catastrophe in the way of severe weather or flooding concerns.

This image is the forecast for 84 hours away. We see the strong low pressure up by Alaska moving East Northeast towards Alaska. There is also a weaker low moving southeast that may eventually make landfall on the US as well. Right off the bat, we can determine that these systems are being pulled along by the jet stream, which appears to be nose diving towards the West Coast of the US after brushing Alaska as seen in the above picture.

24 hours later, the low off the West Coast of the US has intensified within the jet stream. More importantly is the low moving closer to Alaska. It remains at a very strong strength.
This whole jet stream pattern will be supported by a strong ridge in the atmosphere, as defined by the negative region in blue below the strong low in red.

Another 24 hours later, this ridge begins to weaken and collapse the jet stream pattern. The strong low has weakened slightly and how begins to move southward as the ridge weakens towards the United States. As the ridge weakens, the low just off the coast of the US will weigh down on the jet stream and get pumped into Canada. At the same time, the second low in Alaska may also be propelled into Canada unless some pattern sets up north of Alaska that forces the low more southward than anticipated and into possibly the Central Plains.

One day later, the ridge has nearly totally weakened, and the jet stream is now trying to thrust northward. This creates a dilemma for the low in Alaska. With the second low now in California and no longer weighing down on the jet stream, that loss of pressure also encourages the jet stream to shoot into Canada instead of stay in the pattern that would direct the low in Alaska towards the West Coast. The low moving south from Alaska i also weakening.

Finally, yet another 24 hours later, the low seems to still have a good amount of strength to force the jet stream south once again, which could lead to the possibility of this low also moving down to the US.

We will be watching this system closely over the next several days.

June 23- Morning Tropical Cyclone Discussion- Atlantic Ocean

Good morning everyone, this is the Atlantic Ocean Tropical Cyclone Discussion.
There are no depressions, storms or hurricanes ongoing in the Atlantic, so we will zoom in on other features.

There is a tropical wave around the middle of the Atlantic ocean in between Africa and South America. This wave, should it move to the west northwest, could prove an ingredient to make a tropical cyclone piece.

This is a fairly new territory that The Weather Centre is exploring in the way of ingredients necessary for tropical development, so we will learn from our mistakes along the way.

850-300 mb plots of shear are up to 20 knots, which looks to be a fairly good amount. What we don't want is high shear, which would heavily limit potential for TC development. However, when compared to the direction that 850 mb winds are going, it does look like there is a change in wind direction, but it is to an extent that appears to be somewhat sufficient for development as of the current time.

Looking ahead several hours, it looks like 300 mb wind direction will become opposite of 850 mb winds, which could prove to be a problem. Shearing will also increase in the area, up to about 25 knots.

Around 1 am Saturday, the shearing will have decreased once again to up to 20 knots, and directions will have improved.

All in all, this tropical wave looks like there is potential. However, once again, keep in mind we are only beginning to check out tropical cyclone ingredients and will likely be wrong on some counts of parameters or guesses.

June 23- Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky Tornado Report

Jefferson County Storm Survey Results

Tornado #1:
Preliminary evidence indicates an EF-2 tornado struck the Churchill Downs area.  This survey is still on-going.
Tornado #2:
DAMAGE TYPE: TORNADO
BEGIN TIME:  9:27 PM EDT
END TIME:    9:31 PM EDT
BEGIN POINT: 2.7 MILES WEST OF DOWNTOWN JEFFERSONTOWN AT THE
             INTERSECTION OF NACHAND LANE AND NACHAND SPRING LANE
END POINT:   0.9 MILES WEST OF DOWNTOWN JEFFERSONTOWN JUST EAST OF
             THE INTERSECTION OF LISA LANE AND CALAIS DRIVE
EF SCALE:    EF-1
WIND SPEED:  95-100 MPH
PATH LENGTH: 1.9 MILES
PATH WIDTH:  150 YARDS
INJURIES:    0
FATALITIES:  0

NARRATIVE: AT THE START OF THE PATH THE TORNADO WAS EF0 STRENGTH AS
IT DAMAGED SHINGLES AND SIDING AND SNAPPED MAPLE TREES. AT ORCHARD
LAKE BOULEVARD AND FALLEN APPLE LANE TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN AND LAID
OUT IN NORTH...NORTHEAST...AND SOUTH DIRECTIONS. THE TORNADO MOVED
INTO THE HURSTBOURNE WOODS SUBDIVISION AND RIPPED A LOCKED POOL GATE
FREE AND THREW IT OVER A BUILDING AND 35 YARDS DOWNWIND. THIS
LOCATION SUFFERED THE WORST DAMAGE WITH GUTTERS...SIDING...AND
SOFFITS RIPPED FROM BUILDINGS AND DEPOSITED 30 YARDS AWAY IN TREES.
NEXT A LARGE OAK TREE WAS UPROOTED AT 3705 MODESTO ROAD AND A
TRAMPOLINE WAS THROWN INTO A VOLKSWAGEN AND THEN OVER A HOUSE. AT
9407 WILLOW WOOD WAY THERE WAS ROOF DAMAGE AND MANY TREES...BOTH
HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD...WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. THE TORNADO
BRIEFLY MADE ABOUT A 25 DEGREE TURN TO THE NORTHEAST JUST BEFORE
DISSIPATING AND CAUSING SOME ROOF AND TREE DAMAGE AT ITS END POINT.

June 23: Place to Be- Wall, SD

Today's Place to Be is Wall, South Dakota.

Wall
HIGH- 79
Weather- Mostly Sunny
Wind- SE 8-13 mph

Additional information- Slight chance of storms overnight.