Weather Apps That Warn When the Weather Turns Bad

Dalhart Weather Review

By Aaron Graves

Lightning bolt north of Dalhart last spring.

As we move deeper into spring, the chance of severe weather in our area grows more likely. When threatening weather approaches, how do you stay safe? Getting advanced warnings is important. 

In last week's blog, we talked about a free service called "Resolve To Be Ready", provided by the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission. It sends alerts by text message and e-mail for tornado warnings and other hazards. If you need help signing up for this service, check out the previous blog entry. 

This week, I have been trying out various mobile apps that would basically turn my iPad into a weather radio. I want the app to send a push notification with a noticeable alert tone if bad weather is on the way. Here is what I found. Keep in mind, there might be other apps out there I didn't see. Also, I was only able to browse and use apps from the Apple App Store. Hopefully, some of the apps I talk about in this article are available on other platforms. 

The first app is called "NOAA Weather Radio HD" by Christopher Coudriet. It actual streams the NOAA Weather Radio broadcast from the Amarillo office of the National Weather Service. It sends push notices and alarms for severe weather warnings. The app only costs a couple of bucks, which is not bad. An actual weather radio bought off the shelf usually runs $30 to $40. Right now, the app is only available for iPhone and iPad.

(Side note on this app. When I downloaded it, Dallam and Hartley counties were not in the list to receive alerts. I e-mailed the developer, and he fixed it within the hour. Now, both counties are included. Hats off to Christopher for being willing to do that.)

The next app is free and also available from the Google Play store. It is called "Tornado" by the American Red Cross. It seeks to educate the public on what to do before, during, and after a tornado. This app will also send push notifications and sound a very noticeable alarm if a tornado is threatening. Of note, the Red Cross has other disaster-related apps, including one for first aid.

I also looked for apps from local providers, such as the Amarillo NWS and the Amarillo TV stations. The Amarillo NWS does not have a mobile app, but they do post forecasts and alerts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Also, being a government agency, they could not outright endorse or recommend any app on the market, which is understandable.

As for the Amarillo TV stations, the app for KAMR Channel 4 is good. It has sent me push notifications for the Dalhart area. However, the alert tone it uses is one of the built-in iPad sounds. I would have to download a louder, more attention getting tone, but then it would sound for any push notifications I received. On the upside, though, the KAMR app is also available on the Google Play store.

KFDA Channel 10 has an informative app, but I do not believe it sends out alerts. KVII Channel 7 told me over the phone that an app is in the works for their station, although details were not available about what it would do.

Next I checked out the big name weather groups that service the whole country. The app for The Weather Channel claims it will send push alerts during severe weather for one location that you choose. I was able to pick Dalhart. The good thing about this is The Weather Channel app is available on several different platforms, including Windows phones.  

As far as I could tell, apps from Weather Underground, Accuweather, and Intellicast don't offer push alert notifications. 

Please feel free to contact me if you know of any other apps that would send advanced alerts to a mobile device. This includes anything that works on iPhone, Android, Windows 8, and Amazon Kindle. 

***

Rain clouds slowly drifted through the sky Sunday afternoon, dropping what little water they could squeeze out of the air. Officially, no rainfall was recorded at the airport, according to the National Weather Service in Amarillo. In town, we enjoyed light sprinkles. Our monthly rain total stands at 0.11".

A look at Texaspivot.com shows very spotty rain totals on Sunday. For example, farmland along North Sedan Road reported 0.04", but almost 0.30" fell on South Sedan Road. However, most of Dallam and Hartley counties saw little or no rain. 

Aside from the spotty showers, the weather was quiet. Daily high temperatures have been in the 70's the past week. Bird watchers are enjoying the warmth and the influx of shore birds at Rita Blanca Lake. American Avocets and the White-faced Ibis have arrived. The song of the Red-winged Blackbird fills the air. In the trees along the walking trail, keep an eye out for the Yellow-rumped Warbler.

The infamous panhandle wind machine cranked up again yesterday and is expected to blow throw this weekend. Spring thunderstorms fired up Wednesday, but they stayed well east of our area.

For the rest of the week, temperatures will reach the mid 80's by the weekend. Saturday and Sunday could see wind gusts as high as 45 mph. Overnight lows will be in the mid 40's to low 50's. No rain is in the forecast. 

High and low temps the past week

Apr 15: 69, 25

Apr 16: 70, 34

Apr 17: 56, 38

Apr 18: 77, 30

Apr 19: 76, 52

Apr 20: 71, 45

Apr 21: 77, 48

Weather and Other Warnings on Your Cell Phone and E-mail

Dalhart Weather Review
By Aaron Graves

It has been an interesting week for the weather geek! Storm spotter training was held over the weekend. There was a total lunar eclipse in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. And we enjoyed a mid-April snow. 

More on that below. First, something very important. What follows in this article is a bit technical, but please read the whole thing. It could be life-saving! 

Dalhart residents are able to receive text and e-mail alerts when severe weather or any other hazard is threatening the area. It is important for you to know about this service and to sign up for it. Why? Tornado sirens, while effective, may not be within hearing range. Dalhart is unable to receive the All-Hazards NOAA Weather Radio. Thus, the only thing that might wake you up in the middle of the night in a life-threatening emergency is your phone going off.  

The service, called “Resolve To Be Ready”, is made available thanks to the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission. The purpose of this column is to walk you though the online sign-up process. I have included screen shots of the website to help you, so as you read through the steps below, click on the embedded pictures to get a closer look. 

What follows is for the first-time user. Go to the website www.r2beready.com. Your browser will redirect to i-INFO.com, so don’t worry. Notice it says “Resolve To Be Ready” at the top of the web page. 

The Resolve to Be Ready Home Page

Towards the bottom of the page, you can pick the counties you want to receive alerts for. Select the counties where you live and work. For example, click on the box next to “Dallam/Hartley Counties”. When you have done that, click “NEXT” at the bottom of the page. 

The second page choices.

A new web page will load. On this page, you can fine-tune the type of alerts you want to receive. For example, click the box next to “National Weather Service Notifications” in order to receive tornado warnings. You can also select other types of alerts and advisories. For example, click the box “City of Dalhart Notifications” if you live within the city limits. 


Since you are a new user, click the box at the bottom of the page “New i-INFO Registration”. A new web page will load that says “Mass Notification Registry” at the top. Here is where you will set up your account and choose how alerts will be sent to you. 

On page 3 you enter your cell
phone number and e-mail address
to receive alerts. 

Enter your personal information. Note where it asks you for a cell phone number. Enter your cell phone number and then click the box that says “I want to receive text messages”. If you enter an e-mail address, you will also receive alerts by e-mail.    

After scrolling down, you have
further choices.

Scroll down. Here you can further fine-tune the alerts you receive. For example, if you clicked “City of Dalhart Notifications” on the previous page, you now have a choice to receive emergency notifications and public safety warnings, or just general announcements. Select those that interest you. 

Scroll down some more. Here is where you set up your user name and password so you can save your settings with i-INFO and change them later if need be. Below that, you have to accept the terms of service and type in a validation code. Finally, click “Submit” at the bottom of the page. 

To change settings in the future, go back to www.r2beready.com. If you want to change the counties you receive alerts for, you basically have to go through all the steps above, except on the second page. Instead of setting up a new account, you click the box “Enter my i-INFO Login”. 

If you just want to change your profile settings, including your e-mail or cell phone number, click the link on the first page http://www.i-info.com/MiProfile. Type in your user name and password. Note, by using this link, you have a couple of new options, including one to fine-tune the type of weather alerts you receive from the National Weather Service. (This is the only way I found to do that with the weather alerts.) 

Again, this service is provided free of charge. Of course, any cell phone costs are yours, so be aware if you have a limit on free text messaging. Please, take the time to sign up for it.

In future columns, we will talk more about the lack of NOAA Weather Radio coverage in this area, as well as look as some smart-phone apps that can deliver weather alerts. 

***

About an inch of snow was recorded in Dalhart Sunday night, which equaled 0.06” of moisture. It was all but melted off by Monday afternoon. The cold front, however, bumped us from daytime highs in the 70's and 80's back into the 50's and 60's. 

UPDATED: Rain chances, although slight, are in the forecast for Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures will finally warm back into the 70's this weekend. 

If you missed the total lunar eclipse during the early morning hours Tuesday, another eclipse is set for October 8. In fact, this was the first of four back-to-back total lunar eclipses over the next 2 years. For a detailed explanation, check out this video from NASA.  

High and low temps the past week: 

Apr 8: 73, 31
Apr 9: 85, 35
Apr 10: 75, 45
Apr 11: 82, 39
Apr 12: 88, 45
Apr 13: 63, 28
Apr 14: 44, 26

Ode to Joy - Rainy Edition

Dalhart Weather Review

By Aaron Graves

A rumble of thunder brought the family dinner to an abrupt end. Within seconds, everyone had evacuated to the front porch. The sky, previously a blue canvas spotted with fluffy cumulus clouds, was now purple and gray, heavy clouds blocking the sun. A cold wind was blowing. I pointed out the small beads of water visible on the car windshield. 

Rain.

We drove around town with the windows rolled down, the radio off, following the rain. From the lake, up Highway 87, to the cheese factory, the roads grew wet. The car tires produced that distinctive hiss as displaced water squeezed between the treads. Enough rain fell to run the windshield wipers, which we did with much rejoicing. Finally, we returned and sat in the driveway, listening to the sound of raindrops on the car roof.  

Rain. Not heavy. Not drought-busting. But rain nonetheless. 

It produced in us an odd sense of relief. My wife compared it to living near a construction site. You go about your day trying to ignore the constant noise. But then the workers stop, and the silence brings an almost overwhelming wave of relief to your ears. On Sunday afternoon, the worry and irritation brought on by three years of drought was suddenly silenced by the sound of rain. 

Officially, only 0.05” of rain was recorded at the airport and relayed to the National Weather Service office in Amarillo. A report of 0.04” was received from 3 miles east of Channing. A second round of rain showers on Monday proved to be small and short-lived, with only a trace of rain reported for Dalhart. 

Rain totals at texaspivot.com show anywhere from 0.04” to 0.05” close to Dalhart for Sunday and Monday. Similar rain totals can be found near Hartley. Some isolated places in both Dallam and Hartley counties (south of Texline, a bit east of Hartley) saw up to 0.20”, while other areas stayed dry (near Middlewater).

Nevertheless, thoughts of winter seem distant now. It finally, truthfully, feels like spring. The grass is beginning to show hints of green. The snow geese are gone. Robins, blue jays, grackles, doves, house sparrows,  finches, and other birds are making the trees sing. Keep your eye on the lake as shorebirds begin to arrive. I counted 10 pelicans on the water Monday morning. 

Look for temperatures to warm into the 80s for the rest of the week. A cold front on Sunday is expected to drop us back into the 60s with windy conditions and a slight chance of rain. Overnight lows will also warm up, staying in the mid 40s. 

The average first day for the NWS to issue a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning in the Texas panhandle is April 12. How do you get your weather warnings? In this high tech age of cell phones and tablets, there is no end to the tools you can download and use, alongside the more traditional methods such as watching the television. 

One such tool is the free local service found at the Resolve to Be Ready website www.r2beready.com. It will send out text message and email alerts when severe weather and other dangers threaten the area. If you are Internet savy, go ahead and sign up for the service. If not, next week I use this column to walk you through the website. 

High and low temps the past week

Apr 1: 75, 30

Apr 2: 82, 38

Apr 3: 56, 29

Apr 4: 65, 28

Apr 5: 64, 30

Apr 6: 60, 33

Apr 7: 59, 37

Wanted: Local Hero - Training Provided

Dalhart Weather Review
By Aaron Graves

Nice, but dry. 

The last week of March 2014 featured warm temperatures, blue (sometimes dusty) skies, and no moisture for the Dalhart area. We received only 0.09” of total precipitation for the month, all of that from the last snowfall back on March 2nd. Overall, we fell 1.08” short of our monthly normal. 

Daily high temperatures have been above 60 the past week, including a high of 81 degrees on March 30th, the warmest day of the month. Overnight lows are beginning to stay above the freezing mark.  

Dalhart was spared another dust storm on March 27th. Although the wind gusted up to 55 mph and some dirt was blown around, the worst of it stayed east and south of us. Visibility dropped to less than 100 yards on FM 281 outside Etter. Similar conditions were reported near Hereford.

This small thunderstorm was one of several that dropped
large hail in and around Dalhart back in July 2009.

As we progress further into springtime, the potential for severe weather grows. And so does the opportunity for you to become a local hero! 

That’s right, YOU, dear reader, a HERO! You don’t have to be bit by a radioactive spider, or run around in a multi-colored spandex jumpsuit, or talk in a deeper voice to disguise your identity. 

All you need is a telephone. The National Weather Service office in Amarillo is looking for volunteers to report dangerous weather in Dallam and Hartley counties. With this in mind, you are invited to attend a FREE two hour “Skywarn” training class on Saturday, April 12, at the Dalhart Volunteer Fire Dept. The class starts at 1 p.m.

“The class is geared for anyone that has an interest in severe weather and anyone that wants to help provide forecasters crucial information to issue better warnings,” said Justyn Jackson with the NWS. “The classes include topics such as severe storm identification, storm spotter and weather safety, and how to provide useful reports.”

Although radar is a handy tool in tracking severe weather, it cannot see below a certain point. “Due to the curvature of the Earth, the lowest height our radar sees in the Dalhart area is about 6,000 feet above the ground,” Jackson said. “We can’t detect what size hail may be falling at the surface, how strong the winds are at the surface, or if there’s a tornado… That’s why we value storm spotters so much.”

Thanks to the Internet and to reality TV, some have gotten the wrong idea about what it means to be a storm spotter. “The role of a Skywarn spotter is completely different from storm chasers and their videos that you see on YouTube and other media outlets,” Jackson explained. “We’re essentially training spotters to identify certain features in a storm that offer us forecasters clues about whether or not the storm is severe.” 

Some communities have organized groups that send spotters to predetermined locations to watch the weather. Others just report what is happening at their home. “The more spotters we have in any area, the more likely we are to know what’s happening at the ground with storms,” Jackson said. “We truly appreciate what spotters do for us, so we like having as many as possible.”

Thus, by attending the training class and getting a basic understanding of severe weather, you are able to call in accurate reports from the safety of your home. Such reports lead to better warnings and could help save lives. 

See, being a real hero is easy. Please, take the time to attend the class. Then, if you want to run around in a multi-colored spandex jumpsuit while reporting severe weather - who am I to judge. 

More information about Skywarn, including two very useful videos, can be found at www.weather.gov/ama. Click the “SKYWARN” link on the left side menu. 

UPDATE: High temperatures will stay in the mid to upper 50's through the weekend. We do have a chance of rain and/or storms Saturday and Sunday. Keep an eye on the weather this weekend, and stay safe.   

High and low temps the past week:

Mar 25: 63, 22
Mar 26: 76, 41
Mar 27: 73, 47
Mar 28: 61, 35
Mar 29: 70, 29
Mar 30: 81, 43
Mar 31: 75, 45