Katharine M. Kanak, PhD
@kmkanak.bsky.social
Atmospheric Scientist. Former Adjunct Associate Professor and Research Scientist, School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma. LES, dust devils on Earth and Mars, supercells, tornadoes, mammatus, hail, and cloud physics.
At first I thought the dust devil might have been moving in circular motion, but upon looking again, I think perhaps it is a multiple vortex dust devil. Great animation!
October 29, 2025 at 8:35 PM
At first I thought the dust devil might have been moving in circular motion, but upon looking again, I think perhaps it is a multiple vortex dust devil. Great animation!
Looks like MESH is not fully capturing smaller hail that your algorithm indicates for 2023 only, eg central KS, ne OK. Do you agree that some reporting holes are filling in since Wendt and Jirak (2021), at least based on 2023? Intriguing work! :)
October 14, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Looks like MESH is not fully capturing smaller hail that your algorithm indicates for 2023 only, eg central KS, ne OK. Do you agree that some reporting holes are filling in since Wendt and Jirak (2021), at least based on 2023? Intriguing work! :)
Late reports in Storm Data showed a 98-mi tornado on 15 May 1980 in TX was really four or five separate tornado reports - much more consistent with F1 rating. Late reports are sometimes so important!
October 14, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Late reports in Storm Data showed a 98-mi tornado on 15 May 1980 in TX was really four or five separate tornado reports - much more consistent with F1 rating. Late reports are sometimes so important!
Floating point exception NaN
October 13, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Floating point exception NaN
Very cool solver and visualization, Tim. Nice smoke video/solutions from @sebastianlague.bsky.social as well. I used to take photographs of incense smoke rising while illuminated by the sun. So here's a 3D challenge for you ;)
October 11, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Very cool solver and visualization, Tim. Nice smoke video/solutions from @sebastianlague.bsky.social as well. I used to take photographs of incense smoke rising while illuminated by the sun. So here's a 3D challenge for you ;)
That’s awesome - can’t wait to see your findings!
October 7, 2025 at 7:21 PM
That’s awesome - can’t wait to see your findings!
Maybe could look at MRMS MESH and see how it compares with Wendt and Jirak 2021 and see if the difference between MESH and observed is filling in at all.
October 7, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Maybe could look at MRMS MESH and see how it compares with Wendt and Jirak 2021 and see if the difference between MESH and observed is filling in at all.
Great work! Looks like 2023-2024 were definitely more intense in the Plains.
October 6, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Great work! Looks like 2023-2024 were definitely more intense in the Plains.
Took a better look on a bigger screen. Looks like straight-line dust movement (left to right) with embedded dusty updraft plumes. Maybe a larger dust devil in the foreground too. Nice imagery.
October 3, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Took a better look on a bigger screen. Looks like straight-line dust movement (left to right) with embedded dusty updraft plumes. Maybe a larger dust devil in the foreground too. Nice imagery.
I was distracted by the dust devils and missed that the focus was on the horizon. Wasn’t sure if the features on the right were dust devils or non-rotating surface-based updraft plumes, but I see now they are dust devils. I’m not sure what to make of the flat features. Interesting for sure! :)
October 3, 2025 at 9:45 PM
I was distracted by the dust devils and missed that the focus was on the horizon. Wasn’t sure if the features on the right were dust devils or non-rotating surface-based updraft plumes, but I see now they are dust devils. I’m not sure what to make of the flat features. Interesting for sure! :)
Plume or dust devil?
October 3, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Plume or dust devil?
2/2 and Kelly et al. (1985; MWR) who found only 4% of tornado reports had hail reports with them for 1955-1983.
September 17, 2025 at 12:53 AM
2/2 and Kelly et al. (1985; MWR) who found only 4% of tornado reports had hail reports with them for 1955-1983.
1/2 A couple of older papers that support this are: Morgan and Summers (1982; Thunderstorms, Kessler ed.) who discuss the tendency to report the most severe event such that hail reports take a backseat to tornado or damaging wind reports; ...
September 17, 2025 at 12:52 AM
1/2 A couple of older papers that support this are: Morgan and Summers (1982; Thunderstorms, Kessler ed.) who discuss the tendency to report the most severe event such that hail reports take a backseat to tornado or damaging wind reports; ...
Sorry deleted by accident. Thank you for repost! ejssm.com/ojs/index.ph...
View of Observational Study of Two Norman, Oklahoma Storms with Very Large, Damaging Hail in Long-Hodograph Environments
ejssm.com
September 4, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Sorry deleted by accident. Thank you for repost! ejssm.com/ojs/index.ph...
*to find the parcel that maximizes CAPE
August 8, 2025 at 11:47 PM
*to find the parcel that maximizes CAPE
I wonder if a possible method could be to start with the parcel with max theta-e in lowest 300 mb and with some really efficient code ;) check “adjacent” parcels that optimize the CAPE over the entire depth.
August 8, 2025 at 11:45 PM
I wonder if a possible method could be to start with the parcel with max theta-e in lowest 300 mb and with some really efficient code ;) check “adjacent” parcels that optimize the CAPE over the entire depth.
Max theta-e in the lowest 400 mb?
August 8, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Max theta-e in the lowest 400 mb?
Looks like both the links you posted go to the ttu doc
May 25, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Looks like both the links you posted go to the ttu doc
Edwards et al. (2013) cite it as WSEC (2006) with reference: WSEC, 2006: A recommendation for an enhanced Fujita
scale (EF-scale). Texas Tech University Wind Sci-
ence and Engineering Center Rep., 95 pp. [Available
online at www.depts.ttu.edu/weweb/pubs/fscale
/efscale.pdf.]
scale (EF-scale). Texas Tech University Wind Sci-
ence and Engineering Center Rep., 95 pp. [Available
online at www.depts.ttu.edu/weweb/pubs/fscale
/efscale.pdf.]
National Wind Institute | National Wind Institute | TTUNWI circle with text 9Like National Wind Institute on FacebookFollow National Wind Institute on X (twitter)Connect with National Wind Institute ...
www.depts.ttu.edu
May 25, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Edwards et al. (2013) cite it as WSEC (2006) with reference: WSEC, 2006: A recommendation for an enhanced Fujita
scale (EF-scale). Texas Tech University Wind Sci-
ence and Engineering Center Rep., 95 pp. [Available
online at www.depts.ttu.edu/weweb/pubs/fscale
/efscale.pdf.]
scale (EF-scale). Texas Tech University Wind Sci-
ence and Engineering Center Rep., 95 pp. [Available
online at www.depts.ttu.edu/weweb/pubs/fscale
/efscale.pdf.]
Very nice work and really interesting! Defining an”outbreak “ is certainly not easy. Thanks for your intriguing findings and for the discussion.
March 23, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Very nice work and really interesting! Defining an”outbreak “ is certainly not easy. Thanks for your intriguing findings and for the discussion.