WCBI visits National Weather Service Memphis, Tennessee
MEMPHIS, Tennessee (WCBI) – The National Weather Service (NWS) in Memphis hosted a media workshop today, bringing in media partners from all corners of the Mid-South.
Several NWS meteorologists presented on a variety of topics, covering winter weather messaging to cool season severe weather setups. Important knowledge was shared regarding updated guidance on severe weather setups, new messaging techniques on winter weather, and new, consolidated messaging products stemming from the NWS.
Science and Operations Officer Mike Johnson shared updated warning statistics with the group over the last 20 years. Strides have been made with new management in the last 12-18 months of reducing the false alarm ratio. Furthermore, they recapped the extremely busy summer period of severe storms.
A transition into an El Nino pattern combined with persistent northwest flow was largely responsible for the busy severe weather summer season. Near-record hailstones as well as repeated rounds of thunderstorm wind gusts pummeled the Mid-South region from June to early July.
We then received a tour of the operations area. This is where NWS meteorologists put together the forecasts for the public, area airports, and other partners across their county warning area. We also got to take turns in the warning simulator hot seat, getting to issue “practice” tornado warnings from old events. Getting the experience to issue a practice tornado warning was quite the harrowing experience, even if it wasn’t for real!
Special thanks to everyone involved to NWS Memphis for hosting us!
