Latest news with #BradNitz
Forbes
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Forbes
Scud Clouds Are Often Mistaken For Tornadoes - What Are They?
A funnel cloud passes over Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Feb. 21, 2005. Storms continue to hit parts ... More of California Monday causing flooding, mudslides and power outages in parts of the state. (AP Photo/Brian Agnell) Social media was buzzing with pictures and videos of what many people in the Atlanta area thought was a tornado Tuesday evening. However, I instantly identified it as a 'scud cloud' and so did several of my meteorologist colleagues. What are scud clouds and are they harmful?A National Weather Service website defines them as, 'Low, ragged stratiform or cumuliform cloud elements that normally are unattached to larger thunderstorm or cold frontal cloud bases. Also known as scud, fractus clouds can look ominous, but by themselves are not dangerous.' Check out this website with pictures of 'fake tornadoes' that turned out to be scud, shelf clouds, or smoke. Atlanta was experiencing thunderstorms on Tuesday night and several pictures surfaced of an ominous looking cloud near the Atlanta Braves baseball stadium. The same cloud feature was also photographed from other perspectives too. Meteorologist colleagues like Brad Nitz in Atlanta and James Spann in Birmingham tried to post explanations to offset the viral misinformation. Storms in the Atlanta area during the afternoon and evening of July 1, 2025. To be fair, the cloud photographed in Atlanta looked very similar to a funnel cloud or tornado. However, the lack of rotation was the key indicator that this was not a tornado. Nitz, who happens to be my classmate in the Florida State University Department of Meteorology a few decades ago wrote, 'That's a scud cloud. Warm moist air rising in a thunderstorm updraft and the water vapor condenses. It's harmless, but scary looking. No rotation is the key to recognizing scud, not tornado.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
More rain, storms through this week before sunshine returns
We've had so much severe weather, showers and storms in recent days and weeks. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] We will see another round of showers and storms for Thursday and Friday, but Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz is tracking a pattern change behind the front moving in Friday. Once the front moves through, we won't cool off but will dry out. Sunshine returns, and we will enter a pattern of some quiet weather. Expect sunshine for your weekend, and that is going to extend into next week. Those forecast details will be discussed LIVE on Channel 2. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
3 tornadoes confirmed from Sunday's storms in north Georgia
At least three tornadoes touched down in north Georgia on Sunday, according to preliminary reports. Severe Weather Team 2 tracked the storms live on Channel 2 as tornado warnings were issued throughout the evening. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On Tuesday, damage survey teams confirmed two EF-1 tornadoes in Gordon County and one EF-0 tornado in Chattooga County. No injuries were reported. 'This makes 20 confirmed tornadoes in the WSB viewing area in 2025. Additional tornadoes may be confirmed from Tuesday's storms,' Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Moderate threat of damaging hail, low chance of tornadoes this evening
As we head through this evening, Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz is watching an area of thunderstorms moving in from the northwest and impacting us through the evening hours. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV Weather app for severe weather alerts] Here are the severe weather threats this evening and into the night: Damaging wind gusts in excess of 60 mph. Some large hail possible up to 2 inches in diameter, especially over north Georgia. The risk of a brief tornado is a low but not zero risk. The storms will start to move out overnight, with some lingering showers and thunderstorms across metro Atlanta around midnight before they move pretty quickly to the east. Severe Weather Team 2 will be watching the storms throughout the night. And anytime we have a tornado warning, we will have live coverage immediately on Channel 2. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued for parts of North Georgia as storms move toward state
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for the northern counties of the Channel 2 Action News viewing area as storms begin to move into the state. Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Gordon, Habersham, Hall, Lumpkin, Pickens, Rabun, Towns, Union, and White counties are under the Severe Thunderstorm Watch until midnight. Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz said the storms cold cause damaging winds, some large hail, and a low risk of a brief tornado. Severe Weather Team 2 will be watching the storms throughout the night. And anytime we have a tornado warning, we will have live coverage immediately on Channel 2.
