CLEVELAND — Large tornadoes are the stuff of legend here in Northern Ohio. Each spring, we watch storm chasers breathlessly following the most significant tornadoes on the planet across the Plains states of the US.
I'm talking about the EF-4 and EF-5 tornadoes with 200+ mph winds. Doppler radar can see those coming from dozens of miles away, and they are relatively easy to track.
The last time we had an EF-5 tornado in Northern Ohio was in 1985. The last EF-4 tornado hit just south of Toledo back in 2010.
It's harder to see and track tornadoes here in Northern Ohio. That's because we mainly see the smaller twisters, the sneaky ones. The EF-0s and EF-1s that hide in severe thunderstorm squall lines. They drop down for a minute or two and create a whole bunch of damage, only to disappear as fast as they arrive. Yep.
It's harder to track tornadoes in here...unless you have the tools. You see, we can look for tornadoes inside storms by checking our wind velocities. Doppler radar can show you where winds are blowing toward the radar and away from it, and that helps us identify where the storm is "spinning."
But sometimes, that's not enough. The spins are so small and fast that not even our velocity scans can't find them.
So, we use another tool to help us locate and track these stealthy twisters. The Power of 5 Doppler Radar Network is the ONLY radar system in Northern Ohio equipped with a product known as Shear Rate.
This product pinpoints where the spin inside a thunderstorm has increased the most in the last five minutes between radar scans. It effectively identifies even the slightest potential tornadic rotation when other products can't.
Shear Rate is a product we regularly use when tracking severe storms, and it helps us find the danger faster and warn you sooner.
Shear Rate is one of the reasons News 5 is your trusted source for all your severe weather information. And another reason you need to always stay connected with us.
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