By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Meteorologist Kelly Sugden of the Dodge City National Weather Service thinks this year will bring a little more active tornado season to Kansas.
He told Ellis County severe weather spotters at a recent training update in Hays, that based on climatological data, he feels "traditional Tornado Alley may become busier in 2024."
Tornado activity and other severe weather has been lower than average in Kansas the past several years.
There had already been two tornadoes in northeast Kansas on March 13. Then, severe weather struck western Kansas on March 24, including an EF-1 tornado in Garden City in southwest Kansas and more tornadoes in Gove, Decatur, Sheridan and Thomas counties in northwest Kansas.
Sugden and his colleague Bill Turner both stressed the need for more trained severe weather spotters in Ellis County.
"We need your help," said Sugden.
Meteorologists across the country look for low-level circulations as potential tornado indicators but their radar systems have limitations.
"Doppler weather radar typically can't detect the lowest layer of the atmosphere where tornadoes form," said Sugden.
Hays is the farthest eastern region covered by the National Weather Service in Dodge City and the system has a blind spot. Another blind spot exists in Elkhart in far southwest Kansas. Such blind spots exist across the country.
"It's just a function of the Earth being curved. The beam goes out and it gets higher up as it gets further away. There's no way to fix that. That's just how it works," Sugden said.
Radar also can't indicate big hail is, nor can it detail the impact of the severe weather.
That's where spotters, law enforcement and even the public can help.
"Any information helps us out immensely," Sugden said.
Sugden started with the basics, talking about the differences between a tornado watch and warning.
"Social scientists have found most people need more than one way to get a weather warning and to ascertain whether or not they're being threatened by severe weather."
The Dodge City office uses its Facebook page regularly to update weather conditions.
The presentation then became more specific about information about how tornadoes form, what to look for as a weather spotter, and how to be safe when spotting.
Ellis County residents interested in becoming trained severe weather spotters may contact Sugden by calling the Dodge City office at 620-225-6514.
Sugden and Turner both said having another radar system in Ellis or Russell county "would be perfect" but they don't anticipate federal funding for it anytime soon.