Innovation: Observing weather in 360 degrees
Meteorologist
Monday, September 26, 2016, 9:41 AM - Innovation in weather moves as fast as the storms we chase.
When I think about innovation and a better future of observing and studying storms I drift back to the not-so-distant times I had a 36-inch TV sitting in the passenger seat of my car, hooked up to an antenna so I could get news and weather reports.
Today, innovation allows me to show a tornado in high-definition at the precise moment it touches ground. I can also bring you a 360-degree look at the storm that spawned that tornado in real-time. And to get those shots I can pull up almost beside the tornado while watching live radar telling me exactly where it’s going.
Stormchasing is, and always has been, a balance of art and science executed in new and ground-breaking ways. Gone are the days of the aforementioned 36-inch TV in the passenger seat, or early morning visits to the various governmental weather offices to be handed a large piece of paper showing weather maps with the morning observations written on it.
Innovative new ideas were conceptualized and evolved on the back roads of small towns that sat under some of the darkest summer skies. Chasers pushed the envelope and quickly faded the dark days of TVs in the passenger seat, instead opting for the ability to get data on the move.
And then everything changed.
When the cell phone and internet suddenly became available and cheap, these two pieces of technology turned storm chasing from something only a few well-trained and passionate people did to something almost anyone with a cell phone and a bit of knowledge could do.
That led to an explosion of chasers out on the Prairies.
As a result, new mobile apps like Periscope and Twitter let me broadcast exactly what I’m doing as I’m chasing and that’s made getting critical information out to the public easier than ever before. You can even chat with me about what I’m seeing, but I can’t guarantee that I can answer every question! Combine that with another app like RadarScope with Spotter Network and you can see exactly where I am while viewing what I’m seeing. It’s almost like being along for the ride.
The latest piece of innovation to propel us forward is the innovative 360-degree camera. Also known as an IR (Immersive Reality) camera, it gives me the ability to take you along on the ride with me. The video that the camera shoots is best viewed on a smartphone as it allows you to take a look in almost any direction as the clip plays. So, if you’re interested in the main updraft of the storm instead of the cloud base, you can check that out. Want to see what I’m doing as the storm rolls towards me? Move your view around and check it out. It's one of the most interesting innovations in video I’ve seen in a long time and I’m going to use it to put you in the passenger seat with me.
I’m still stunned at the level of technological change in the relatively brief time I’ve been stormchasing, but every new piece of innovation makes my job both difficult and easier at the same time. Keeping track of all the different feeds, cameras, social media is tough, but at the same time, it’s letting me get more information out to the public in a far faster way than ever.
And that’s my focus; keeping people safer by getting more information out faster than ever before.
And getting to see some amazing storms at the same time is great too. After all, I’m a still a weather geek at heart.
