Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: When You Can’t Avoid the Weather
By Jared Leighton, CCM, Senior Forensic Meteorologist
On numerous occasions, I have driven across the Kansas and Oklahoma prairies chasing thunderstorms – partially for recreation, partially for research. On a field research project called Hail Spatial and Temporal Observation Effort (HailSTONE) with the National Weather Service, we collected freshly fallen hail and compared it with the weather radar signatures associated with that hail. This research project took us from Texas to North Dakota in search of giant hail. My passion for seeing storms has never decreased, but the time to spend trying to see them unfortunately has.
On a recent trip to Tennessee to present Haag’s Forensic Meteorology services to a group of insurance adjusters, my flight out of Kansas City was canceled. I quickly rebooked a new flight through Charlotte. Remembering that severe thunderstorms would be moving through the mid-south, and that the flight would have to move around the southern edge of the thunderstorms, I intentionally booked a left-side window seat in the hopes of a great view of this storm while moving 550 mph. About an hour into the flight, the clouds out to my left kept getting taller, which meant we were approaching the strongest storms.
As we closed-in on the storms, I saw an imposing supercell come into view. I pulled out my phone and started filming. What I did not expect to see were the pointed flashes of light coming from under the base of the storm. Was that lightning? I saw the flashes of light again! Definitely not lightning. Excitedly, I hurriedly purchased the in-flight WiFi, so I could see the current weather radar. Just as I suspected, this storm was under a tornado warning by the National Weather Service, with a confirmed, on-going tornado. The flashes of light were “power flashes,” which occur when strong wind – usually a tornado – is tearing apart power lines and they spark brightly. I can’t believe I just saw a tornado from 36,000 feet!
Tornado Warning by Train: Storms Don’t Wait
A few weeks later, I took a train from Kansas City to St. Louis for a weekend trip. Before leaving, I mentioned to my travel companion that we may see a supercell once we arrived. As we approached St. Louis on the train, all passenger’s mobile phones started beeping with a Wireless Emergency Alert — TORNADO WARNING!
The moment we stopped, I sprinted off the train, over the platform, and out onto the street, just as the mile-wide, EF-3 tornado came into view. I quickly surveyed the storm structure and knew I was in a safe location, despite the ongoing destruction 2 miles north. It’s important to know your storm structure and its capabilities if you are going to stand your ground with an incoming behemoth. The best tell-tale sign of where a tornado might be, in an otherwise indiscernible dark storm cloud, is to watch for the clearing that comes in from the rear of the storm, called the rear flank downdraft (RFD).
When chasing storms across the heartland, you can generally name your terms; where you would like to target, which part of the storm you would like to interact with, what roads to take, etc. But in these cases, I was at the mercy of the timing and location of the plane and train, both of which I was certainly not in control. Using the experiences I have gained through my 17 years in the National Weather Service and decade plus chasing and researching storms, I was able to safely observe these storms.
Trusted Forensic Meteorology Servics from Haag
Haag Forensic Meteorology has built a team of meteorologists who have a combined 60 years of experience, observing, forecasting, broadcasting, researching, and issuing warnings for these storms. We have made meteorology our passion… even to the tune of scheduling flights to potentially catch a glimpse of a tornado from 36,000 feet on a 550-mph jetliner! That passion goes into each one of our projects.
Haag’s forensic meteorology services help clients determine weather condition at a given location and time. Using a combination of local weather data, surface observations, radar, and/or storm reports, we provide expert analysis that support insurance claims, litigation, wrongful death lawsuits, motor vehicle accidents, etc. This type of analysis can be performed on its own or in conjunction with an engineering evaluation by one of our licensed engineers.
Our team includes meteorologist with the Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) designation from the American Meteorological Society or work under the direct supervision of a CCM. We regularly provide expert testimony in cases involving:
- extreme wind and hail events
- heavy rain and flooding
- roof collapses
- slip and fall accidents
- vehicle accidents
- personal injury and wrongful death claims
Let's Talk about Your Assignment
When weather is a factor, precise and defensible analysis can make all the difference. If you need expert insight into past weather conditions, whether for a claim, legal case, or accident investigation, Haag’s forensic meteorology consultants are here to help. Submit an assignment or contact us to request a consultation with one of our experts.
Jared Leighton, CCM, Senior Forensic Meteorologist
Jared Leighton, CCM, is a Forensic Meteorologist with Haag, a Salas O’Brien Company. Based near Kansas City, Jared Leighton has over 16 years of experience in meteorology. He has spent the last decade as Senior Forecaster for NOAA National Weather Service in Kansas City, Missouri, and as a General Forecaster and Meteorological Intern prior to that position.
Mr. Leighton has extensive, comprehensive experience in NWS forecast operations across multiple geographic areas, including frequent supervision of severe and winter weather watch and warning operations. He regularly conducted storm surveys, both solo and as storm survey team lead, including multiple tornadoes in Kansas and Missouri, as well as the severe weather event on September 15, 2010, in which 7.75 inch hail occurred in Wichita, Kansas (the second largest certified hailstone recorded in the US). Mr. Leighton led and participated in several research teams, resulting in five peer-reviewed formal publications as well as presentations at local, regional, and national conferences. He also organized local storm spotter training in coordination with emergency management and led the Storm Ready community preparedness program.
Mr. Leighton earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Atmospheric Science from the University of California Davis. He is an American Meteorological Society Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM #783).
