“I think the problem is that there’s just not enough of the right information.” “Some of the tools we have are kind of old, at least to the capability of the observations and the models,” he said. He said the state needs better climate models in the Willamette Valley to predict precipitation the region now receives. Oregon may also need to upgrade its forecasting tools, according to State Climatologist Larry O’Neill. Voss said emergency alerts could be a risk for the NWS, but that type of system might be beneficial for people who are on the road and need to know quickly updated driving conditions and road closures. “There’s still this danger about sending out messages based on forecasts.” “The question is: Where does the threshold exist where we think that an event has become so serious that we think that it’s necessary to pull out some of these other tools?” he said. They would need to avoid sending false alarms. But he said before the weather service uses this type of strategy, they need to ensure it’s the right tool to use for that moment. They also discussed using emergency text alerts to a select group of leaders, a tool Multnomah County has used broadly with the public during extreme weather, and that Director of Emergency Management Chris Voss said could help in these situations. “It hurts us, it hurts the public and we just want to find those solutions.”ĭuring Wednesday’s meeting, Fransen said the NWS may need to adopt virtual office hours throughout the day during serious storms and be flexible to rapid changes. “We’ve gotten so good at forecasting that when we do miss one it hurts,” she said. Myron Lee shovel, sidewalks in the Sylvan Hills neighborhood For the February snowstorm, she said none of their sources of forecast information hinted at the seriousness of the storm, even while it was happening. When we have a big weather event, we do try and bring in a few more to help.”įransen said some computer models run over different times during the day to give better forecasts. “I don’t think people realize that we really only have a staff of two, to maybe three people on during a shift. “We’ve got to slowly pivot things between the watches, warnings and advisories that we’re issuing to the aviation forecasts, to the marine forecasts,” she said. 22, it’s not easy to reverse course on public messaging. 24 to more than 800 of the agency’s partners who work in emergency management, apologizing for the lack of communication.įransen said when weather changes occur like on Feb. NWS Portland meteorologist-in-charge Tanja Fransen sent out a letter on Feb. While any single weather event could happen on its own, scientists attribute many of these events to climate change.Īs more extreme weather events occur, government agencies like the National Weather Service are working on finding better ways for the public to be better prepared, with the aim of reducing deaths and not having to shut down life with each new storm. (A county report this week linked five deaths from 2022 directly to extreme heat events.) Blazing hot summers in 20 killed more than 70 people in Multnomah County alone. In 2022, freezing rain and sleet toppled trees and left thousands without power. In 2017, a similar unforeseen blizzard shut down the city for days. It wasn’t the first time in recent years Portland has been hobbled by severe weather. The snowstorm and lack of preparation also potentially contributed to two cold-related deaths in Multnomah County. But the storm dumped a near record 11 inches that caused transportation chaos on highways and roads, as well as school closures across the region. Heavy snowfall began on Wednesday afternoon, making it the second-snowiest day ever recorded in the city.Īhead of the February storm, the agency forecasted there was a 10% chance the Portland metro region would get 3 inches of snow and a 1% chance of 8 inches. Chance of precipitation 50%.A driver gets a push after being stuck in the snow, in southwest Portland, Feb. Chance of rain and snow showers in the morning, then a chance of showers in the afternoon. Rain and snow in the morning, then rain in the afternoon. Chance of rain in the morning, then rain in the afternoon. A 40% chance of showers in the afternoon. Light wind becoming north 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a half of an inch. South wind 5 to 15 mph becoming 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 25 mph in the afternoon. Showers in the morning, then rain in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts around a tenth of an inch. Near the gorge, gusts to 30 mph Decreasing to 20 mph in the afternoon. Light wind becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain early in the afternoon, then rain late in the afternoon.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |