Storm Chasers Describe Rapidly Changing Storm

The Iowa Storm Chasing Network chases the 2008 Aplington-Parkersburg EF-5 Tornado. Initially, the team thought there was a weakly rotating wall cloud typical of a “regular tornado”. The wall cloud turned into a mile-wide killer. 

• How did changes and interactions in air mass lead to the powerful tornado that hit Parkersburg?

• Why do tornadoes often take people by surprise?
• What did you notice about the weather leading up to the tornado?
• What is the relationship between air mass interactions and weather conditions? What happens when different air masses collide?
• How do weather patterns (such as temperature, air pressure, humidity, and wind speed) relate to air mass movement and changes in weather?
• What methods can be used to predict weather?

Students could:

• Gather data (evidence) to support a claim about how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions (examples of data can be provided to students such as weather maps, diagrams, and visualizations). 
• Create and present a visual representation of weather patterns (such as temperature, air pressure, humidity, and wind speed) and how they relate to air mass movement and change in weather.
• Brainstorm weather factors that impact tornadoes based on personal experience.
• Research and synthesize information about the factors that impact severe weather.
• Pair students up to research the various methods used to predict weather. Share methods with whole class. 

• KCRG | Timeline and Radar from Parkersburg Tornado:  Cedar Rapids news station provides pinpoint doppler radar of the catastrophic tornado in Parkersburg as well as a timeline of events.
• National Weather Service | Parkersburg Tornado: A report from the National Weather Service about Parkersburg 2008 EF5 tornado includes storm survey results as well as weather maps.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | Historical Records and Trends: In this article from NOAA discusses trends in tornadic activity such as timing and occurrence maps.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | U.S. Tornado Outbreak Interface: Use this historical weather database to search for a visual of the weather across the country on the day the Parkersburg tornado hit (May 25, 2008).
• National Geographic | Extreme Weather on Earth: In this lesson, students activate their prior knowledge of extreme weather, examine various cases of extreme weather, and construct a list of factors that impact tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, dust storms, floods, hail, and ice storms.