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Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Cheyenne, WY
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NOUS45 KCYS 251453
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NEZ002-003-019>021-054-055-095-096-260600-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
853 AM MDT TUE MAR 25 2014

...PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...

2014 SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK FOR NEBRASKA.

TODAY IS TUESDAY AND MARKS THE SECOND DAY OF SEVERE WEATHER
AWARENESS WEEK FOR THE STATE OF NEBRASKA...WHICH CONTINUES
THROUGH FRIDAY MARCH 28TH.

SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK PROVIDES THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TEST COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND TO GET
POTENTIALLY LIFESAVING INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC. NOW IS THE
TIME FOR PEOPLE TO REVIEW THEIR SAFETY PLANS AND BE PREPARED FOR
SEVERE WEATHER SEASON.

THE TOPIC FOR TODAY IS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

A THUNDERSTORM IS CONSIDERED SEVERE WHEN IT PRODUCES HAIL THAT IS
ONE INCH IN DIAMETER OR LARGER...DAMAGING WINDS EQUAL TO OR
GREATER THAN 58 MILES PER HOUR OR A TORNADO.

THERE ARE NUMEROUS ASPECTS OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT POSE A
THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY. ALONG WITH THE THREAT OF LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES...EVERYONE MUST ALSO BE AWARE
OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND FLOODING.
LIGHTNING...FLOODING AND TORNADOES WILL BE DISCUSSED LATER DURING
THE WEEK.

HAIL IS PRODUCED IN A THUNDERSTORM AS RISING CURRENTS OF AIR
KNOWN AS UPDRAFTS...CARRY WATER DROPLETS TO A HEIGHT WHERE
FREEZING OCCURS. HAIL CONTINUES TO GROW INSIDE OF A THUNDERSTORM
UNTIL IT BECOMES TOO HEAVY AND CAN NO LONGER BE SUPPORTED BY THE
STORM UPDRAFT. ONCE THIS OCCURS... THE HAILSTONE FALLS TO THE
GROUND. LARGE HAIL IS AN INDICATION THAT A THUNDERSTORM IS QUITE
INTENSE WITH A VERY STRONG UPDRAFT. THE LARGEST HAILSTONE EVER
RECORDED IN THE UNITED STATES FELL ON JULY 23RD 2010 IN VIVIAN
SOUTH DAKOTA...WITH A DIAMETER OF 8 INCHES AND WEIGHT OF 1.94
POUNDS.

ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS DAMAGING
WINDS...WHICH CAN BE CAUSED BY AN EVENT KNOWN AS A DOWNBURST. A
DOWNBURST IS A SMALL AREA OF RAPIDLY DESCENDING AIR BENEATH A
THUNDERSTORM. ONCE THIS DESCENDING AIR HITS THE GROUND...IT
SPREADS OUT IN ALL DIRECTIONS. DOWNBURSTS AND THE RESULTING
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS CAN CAUSE DAMAGE COMPARABLE TO A TORNADO.

ANYTIME THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER EXISTS...STAY UPDATED ON
THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION BY GOING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE WEBSITE...HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV...OR BY TUNING IN TO
NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO
STATION. MAKE SURE TO WATCH FOR SIGNS FOR APPROACHING STORMS SUCH
AS DARKENING SKIES...INCREASING WINDS...FLASHES OF LIGHTNING AND
THUNDER.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CAN BE FOUND
AT...HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE.

$$
National Weather Service National Headquarters
