Severe spring weather season isn’t officially upon us yet — only because it isn’t March.
However, the National Weather Service in Kansas is marking Severe Weather Awareness Week all next week, and beginning Tuesday, the Storm Prediction Center will start using a new set of graphics to include what are called Conditional Intensity Groups. On KVOE’s Talk of Emporia on Thursday, National Weather Service Topeka’s warning coordination meteorologist, Chad Omitt, said these new graphics are designed to better demonstrate environments where more intense severe weather may develop.
Omitt admits the new graphics package, which relies even more on hatching than previous graphics to pinpoint areas at greatest risk, will take some time for adjustments.
The standard risk categories — marginal, slight, enhanced, moderate and high — will not change. However, there are now conditional intensity levels:
*Intensity Level 1 indicates EF2 tornadoes, wind gusts at least 74 mph or hail at least 2 inches (egg size) in diameter
*Intensity Level 2 indicates EF3 tornadoes, wind gusts at least 84 mph or hail at least 3.5 inches (between apple and softball size) in diameter
*Intensity Level 3 indicates EF4/EF5 tornadic activity or wind gusts at least 94 mph. There is no CIG3 level for hail
Click here and here for more information through the National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center.
