Reno NV NWS Radar taken down by 140 mph wind

joen7xxx · #1 (**permalink**) 12-21-2008, 11:28 PM

The NWS in Reno lost their local NEXRAD radar facility to 140+ mph
winds yesterday morning. For any who are interested in pictures of the
destruction, follow this link:

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/rev/current/KRGXDomeFailure.pdf

poltergeisty · #2 (**permalink**) 12-21-2008, 11:56 PM

God must have thought it was a golfing tee...

protias · #3 (**permalink**) 12-22-2008, 01:09 AM

Wow

Quote:

Originally Posted by poltergeisty

God must have thought it was a golfing tee...

lol

mikepdx · #4 (**permalink**) 12-22-2008, 01:31 AM

Yeah, WOW was my first thought.

The other night I was DX'ing AM radio and was listening to KKOH Reno

I heard the weather forecast for the mountaintops. They said gusts to 145 MPH.
Or so I thought. Hard to believe.

I had to listen to the next weather broadcast, 'cuz I didn't believe my ears the first time.
Sure enough - 145

MPSCS · #5 (**permalink**) 12-22-2008, 10:25 AM

I'll bet the radar didn't see that coming!

ScanManQSL · #6 (**permalink**) 12-22-2008, 06:44 PM

That's unbelievable!!!! 145MPH Wind gust = Category 4 Hurricane

rdale · #7 (**permalink**) 12-22-2008, 07:03 PM

No, the hurricane scale is based on sustained winds.

brentoli · #8 (**permalink**) 12-22-2008, 07:20 PM

But only an F2 tornado.... with the windspeeds.

Not alot of structures on mountian top to see how it would really rate though.

Interesting graphic:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...hnical.svg.png

Set up of the original F scale.

rdale · #9 (**permalink**) 12-22-2008, 07:26 PM

We don't use the F-scale anymore for tornadoes...

brentoli · #10 (**permalink**) 12-22-2008, 07:43 PM

Mea Culpa
Lets go with an EF-3

Damn you rdale! Just once in my life I try to look smart.....

ScanManQSL · #11 (**permalink**) 12-22-2008, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdale

No, the hurricane scale is based on sustained winds.

I am well aware the hurricane scale is based on sustained winds. I am just putting the wind gust into perspective.

rdale · #12 (**permalink**) 12-22-2008, 10:18 PM

Okay, but a Cat 3 hurricane would have 145mph gusts, so I'm still lost

Ray_Air · #13 (**permalink**) 12-30-2008, 08:57 PM

Damn, 145mph! I didn't check the elevation there, but I am assuming its high and maybe the velocity was amplified by the mountains?

I can remember back in May 1998 near Grand Rapids, MI they had 130MPH+ gusts in one of the worst derecho events ever. The winds actually took down multiple steel high tension electrical towers and them things are designed to withstand sustained winds of 90MPH with gusts to 120MPH. This was the first real derecho event I experienced. Our local FD recorded a peak gust of 86MPH. 4 out of 5 roads to town were blocked with trees. We had a good derecho event this past June with 82MPH winds hitting the subdivision just behind mine. I heard a frenzied SKYWARN report on the radio of a guy describing estimated 90MPH winds at his house with severe damage so I told the wife and kids to hit the basement and I went on the porch to watch the storm approach. I live right by an airport and I heard what sounded like a jet taking off , but it was coming from the other direction and then good sized tree branches at the end of my sub started going straight up into the air. I thought it was a tornado, it was so loud. If that's what a 82MPH down burst sounds like I would hate to hear a 145MPH wind gust or a real tornado for that matter!

poltergeisty · #14 (**permalink**) 12-31-2008, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdale

Okay, but a Cat 3 hurricane would have 145mph gusts, so I'm still lost

Why is it that meteorologists on TV are always saying, Hurricane force like winds?

In fact, I heard that same quote on the radio not too long ago.

I'm lost!

rdale · #15 (**permalink**) 12-31-2008, 02:00 PM

I can't speak for others, many people you see on TV are not true meteorologists, or they've been in TV long enough that they let the "science" slip by.