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SPC1
Tue Nov 16, 2004
Listen in RealAudio 
Hi, I’m Bryan Yeaton for The Weather Notebook. Dan McCarthy is Warning
Coordination Meteorologist for the SPC. And what is that?
DM: Well, the SPC is the Storm Prediction Center. Our main responsibility – forecast
severe thunderstorms across the 48 contiguous states.
BY: But it’s not just thunderstorms. You’re responsible for all kinds of severe weather,
right?
DM: We’re responsible for all kinds of convective weather. So, we’re not only
concentrating on severe storms – that is storms that can produce _" diameter hail or
larger, winds 50 knots or greater, and/or tornadoes… during the winter months we get
into the heavier bands of snow and write discussions for local offices on why we think
maybe there’s more snow involved than we may originally think.
BY: Many people who see these severe weather forecasts on TV, or hear them on the
radio, don’t realize that they all come from Norman, Okla.
DM: We issue a severe weather outlook every day. In fact we do severe weather
outlooks out to three days in advance. That’s the time that you want to be prepared for
the possibility for severe storms.
BY: McCarthy says you should have fresh batteries in your radio—including your NOAA
Weather Radio—plus blankets, non-perishable food, and bottled water, all ready to go
in your storm shelter. Then:
DM: The second phase of the severe weather process is when the Storm Prediction
Center issues a tornado or severe thunderstorm watch. That is the flag that tells you,
you have to turn into TV, radio or NOAA Weather Radio to keep abreast of what is
happening in your area regarding severe storms.
BY: The eventual warnings, when severe weather is imminent, come from your local
weather service office.
We’ll be back at the SPC tomorrow. Our show is a production of the Mount Washington
Observatory, funded by Subaru of America. Check out our archive of past shows, at
www.weathernotebook.org.
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