NEW. THIS MORNING, DOZENS OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE LAUNCHED THEIR STORM SPOTTER TRAINING. LAST NIGHT, WEATHER EXPERTS IN NORMAN HOSTED A FREE WEBINAR AFTER THE NEW MOVIE TWISTERS PIQUED INTEREST. THE REAL DEAL HERE. METEOROLOGIST JOSEPH NEUBAUER BRINGS US SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM YESTERDAY’S WEBINAR. JOSEPH, I SAW YOU WERE LOOKING AT THAT WEBINAR THIS MORNING. YEAH, IT WAS A TREAT. GUYS. TWO HOURS LONG. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN SPENDING THOSE TWO HOURS COVERING A VARIETY OF TOPICS, TOPICS RANGING FROM HOW THE CAST AND CREW PREPARED TO GET INTO THEIR ROLES, STORM CHASING IN THE MOVIE WAS PORTRAYED, AS WELL AS HOW THE SCIENCE STACKS UP. ONE TOPIC IN PARTICULAR THEY TOUCHED ON WAS HOW THE PEOPLE OF OKLAHOMA IN THE MOVIE BEHAVED ON STORM DAYS. THE WEATHER SERVICE SAYS THAT PART OF THE MOVIE, NOT QUITE AS REALISTIC, SO NOT REALISTIC. THE WAY THAT PEOPLE IN OKLAHOMA IN THE MOVIE ARE BEHAVING IN RESPONSE TO THOSE TORNADOES AND TORNADO WARNINGS, IT’S VERY UNREALISTIC HOW THEY’RE THEY SEEM TO NOT KNOW WHERE TO TAKE SHELTER. THEY SEEM NOT TO KNOW WHAT TO DO. THERE WAS A LOT THEY DID RIGHT, THOUGH. RICK SMITH, THE WARNING COORDINATOR METEOROLOGIST FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN, SAYS STORM DAYS LIKE YOU SAW IN THE MOVIE ARE OFTEN WELL WARNED AND COMMUNICATED. DAYS IN ADVANCE BETWEEN US MEDIA PARTNERS. RICK ALSO SAYS THAT THE AVERAGE LEAD TIME FOR TORNADOES, LIKE YOU SAW IN THE MOVIE IS 22 MINUTES IN. THE MOVIE THAT YOU ACTUALLY SAW WAS ONLY 3 TO 5 MINUTES. BUT OF COURSE, YEAH, IT’S A MOVIE, IT’S HOLLYWOO
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National Weather Service's webinar shows how 'Twisters' stacks up to real life
On Thursday, the National Weather Service got through two hours worth of topics that ranged from storm chasing realism in the movie to how the science holds up in reality.
Dozens of members of the Oklahoma community and weather enthusiasts had a treat as experts at the National Weather Service hosted a free webinar to talk all things "Twisters" and how the science of the movie stacks up to real life. On Thursday, the National Weather Service got through two hours worth of topics that ranged from storm chasing realism in the movie to how the science holds up in reality. "Twisters" got a lot right, according to the weather experts in Norman. There were, however, some key things they wanted to point out. "The storm chasing in the movie is definitely for drama, for dramatic purposes," said Rick Smith, the warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Center in Norman. "It's to be exciting. It's to be interesting. It is not realistic as storm chasing goes in every respect of the word." The No. 1 danger, as a storm chaser, is the drive to the storm. It's not as easy as it looks in the movie. "In reality, sometimes the roads are so crowded that you can't find a place to pull off to stop and look at the tornado," Smith said. "You can't find a place to safely park. You stop in the road, people aren't paying attention." Other topics, like the science in the movie, were discussed. Weather experts said the idea of "taming or dissipating a tornado" has actual scientific backing, but the application isn't practical just yet." "If you're going to tame the tornado, what you're really going to need to do is tame the super cell. Timing the tornado is not going to be enough. You need to tame this whole storm," Smith said. Another point the National Weather Service wanted to make was how storm preparedness was conveyed in "Twisters." "If the movie had been made realistically, the tornado would have hit an empty rodeo because the rodeo would have probably been canceled the day before, maybe the morning of," Smith said. In reality, the National Weather Service and its media partners, like KOCO 5, would have given many days' warnings for storms like what you saw in the movie. But of course, as we know, it's a movie. It's for fun. It's Hollywood. People interested in becoming a storm spotter can learn more on the National Weather Service's website. Top Headlines Ryan Walters issues guidelines for 'patriotic displays' at Oklahoma schools Dallas police officer killed, 2 officers wounded and shooting suspect killed after chase, police say Moore business close to closing due to problem students Police investigate after shot fired at car outside northwest Oklahoma City gas station Endangered 'ghost' owls spotted in Iowa
NORMAN, Okla. —
Dozens of members of the Oklahoma community and weather enthusiasts had a treat as experts at the National Weather Service hosted a free webinar to talk all things "Twisters" and how the science of the movie stacks up to real life.
Oklahoma-shot summer hit 'Twisters' now available to watch on streaming
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On Thursday, the National Weather Service got through two hours worth of topics that ranged from storm chasing realism in the movie to how the science holds up in reality.
"Twisters" got a lot right, according to the weather experts in Norman. There were, however, some key things they wanted to point out.
"The storm chasing in the movie is definitely for drama, for dramatic purposes," said Rick Smith, the warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Center in Norman. "It's to be exciting. It's to be interesting. It is not realistic as storm chasing goes in every respect of the word."
The No. 1 danger, as a storm chaser, is the drive to the storm. It's not as easy as it looks in the movie.
"In reality, sometimes the roads are so crowded that you can't find a place to pull off to stop and look at the tornado," Smith said. "You can't find a place to safely park. You stop in the road, people aren't paying attention."
Other topics, like the science in the movie, were discussed. Weather experts said the idea of "taming or dissipating a tornado" has actual scientific backing, but the application isn't practical just yet."
‘Twisters’ extra talks about new film, role in original film
"If you're going to tame the tornado, what you're really going to need to do is tame the super cell. Timing the tornado is not going to be enough. You need to tame this whole storm," Smith said.
Another point the National Weather Service wanted to make was how storm preparedness was conveyed in "Twisters."
"If the movie had been made realistically, the tornado would have hit an empty rodeo because the rodeo would have probably been canceled the day before, maybe the morning of," Smith said.
In reality, the National Weather Service and its media partners, like KOCO 5, would have given many days' warnings for storms like what you saw in the movie. But of course, as we know, it's a movie. It's for fun. It's Hollywood.
People interested in becoming a storm spotter can learn more on the National Weather Service's website.
Top Headlines
- Ryan Walters issues guidelines for 'patriotic displays' at Oklahoma schools
- Dallas police officer killed, 2 officers wounded and shooting suspect killed after chase, police say
- Moore business close to closing due to problem students
- Police investigate after shot fired at car outside northwest Oklahoma City gas station
- Endangered 'ghost' owls spotted in Iowa
