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Tornado, brief touch down. View south of Table Grove, IL, looking east. #ilwx

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Another image. Rising motion observed on right side. View southeast of Adair, IL, looking west. #ilwx

Lowering, possible wall cloud. Rising motion observed on right side

Poor contrast lowering on storm west of Adair, IL. #ilwx

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 08/05/2026

Ended up on new development east-northeast of St. Joe, MO. Intercepted one storm west of Bethany, MO. Decent shelf cloud and rising scud clouds in the correct spot as we approached, but the storm quickly went outflow-dominate. 2/3

Shelf cloud. Scud clouds (right) showed modest rising motion, but fell apart in less than a minute of our arrival.

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My university was silent until 7:26 p.m. CDT, when a #Canvas Update e-mail finally arrived 🤬. Students have been freaking out for hours.

Canvas Update statement from the University of Memphis reads:

Today, Thursday, May 7, Instructure — the company that owns and operates the Canvas platform — disclosed that a second security incident has resulted in a breach that has made Canvas inaccessible.
Students whose final assignments and tests were impacted will be given additional time to complete their coursework.
Here is the latest update from Instructure:
"Instructure has placed Canvas, Canvas Beta and Canvas Test in maintenance mode. We anticipate being up soon, and will provide updates as soon as possible."
The University will also provide additional updates as soon as possible.
At present, these incidents are being investigated and otherwise addressed by Instructure, assisted by third-party security experts and law enforcement. UofM ITS will continue to monitor the situation and work with Instructure to determine the impact on our community.
Further information will be made available on Instructure's status page: status.instructure.com.
For more information on how this impacts the UofM, visit: memphis.edu/its/security/instructure-canvas-breach-may-2026.php.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 07/05/2026

Sigh...the "scheduled" maintenance graphic is up and Instructure's status page (status.instructure.com) says they are investigating. Second outage in less than a week what a 💩show! Makes me want to consider completely abandoning the entire platform and go back to posting things on my own domain.

Image showing two robots doing construction on a ship with a note saying "Canvas is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance. Check back soon."

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 28/04/2026

Best thing we have seen here in Hayti, MO and it is not healthy. View looking south. #mowx

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 27/04/2026

University of Memphis is storm chasing today. We are in Hayti, MO waiting to see if storms will initiate before dark. Stiff south wind here. #mowx #arwx

US flag constantly in motion due to stiff south wind.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 26/02/2026

Seems a little hot in Deep South Texas. 🔥🔥🔥 #txwx

2223 UTC (4:23pm CST) surface observations over the southcentral U.S. show a number of locations in Deep South Texas over 90 degrees F and a several locations cracking 100 degrees F.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 24/02/2026

Some very impressive final snowfall totals from the recent Nor'easter! TF Green Airport in Providence, RI, broke their record for the largest single snowstorm with a total of 37.9" (old record was 28.6" from the blizzard of 6-7 February 1978). #wx Link to map: www.weather.gov/source/crh/s...

Map of snowfall totals from the National Weather Service showing 12 or more inches of snow from Maryland northeast to southern Maine. A number of locations over Rhode Island and southeast Massachusetts reporting 30+ inches.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 08/01/2026

Just updated the Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters time series I show in my Intro to Weather and Climate class. Thanks to @climatecentral.org for keeping this calculation going (see quoted post below for article and data). 1/3 🧪

Time series of consumer price index (CPI) adjusted to 2026 billion dollar weather and climate events and CPI adjusted cost from 1980 to 2025. Data from Climate Central.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 17/12/2025

Getting ready to celebrate with three colleagues who are being honored tonight at #AGU25.

Ed Cook will receive the Roger Revell Medal.

Ben Cook will receive Peter J Sellers Global Environmental Change Mid-Career Award.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 28/10/2025

National Hurricane Center's 10 a.m. EDT (1400 UTC) update. #Melissa has intensified with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph and minimum central pressure down to 892 mb.

Satellite image of Hurricane Melissa with the eye just off the southwestern coast of Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa Tropical Cyclone Update
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL132025
1000 AM EDT Tue Oct 28 2025

...CATASTROPHIC WINDS MOVING ONSHORE SOUTHERN JAMAICA...
...LAST CHANCE TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE...
...1000 AM EDT POSITION UPDATE...

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION! TAKE
COVER NOW! Failure to adequately shelter may result in serious
injury, and loss of life. Residents in Jamaica that experience the
eye should not leave their shelter as winds will rapidly increase
within the backside of the eyewall of Melissa.

To protect yourself from wind, the best thing you can do is put as
many walls as possible between you and the outside. An interior room
without windows, ideally one where you can also avoid falling trees,
is the safest place you can be in a building. You can cover yourself
with a mattress and wear a helmet for added protection.

NOAA Hurricane Hunter Aircraft find that Melissa continues to
strengthen with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h).The
minimum central pressure has fallen to 892 mb (26.34 inches) based
on NOAA and Hurricane Hunter Air Force Reserve aircraft data.

The next update will be provided with the full advisory package at
1100 AM EDT (1500 UTC).

SUMMARY OF 1000 AM EDT...1400 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...17.7N 78.1W
ABOUT 45 MI...70 KM SSE OF NEGRIL JAMAICA
ABOUT 255 MI...410 KM SW OF GUANTANAMO CUBA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...185 MPH...295 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNE OR 20 DEGREES AT 7 MPH...11 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...892 MB...26.34 INCHES

$$
Forecaster Kelly

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 18/09/2025

The Mississippi River at Memphis, TN stage was at -5.44 ft at 3pm CDT today (figure below, downloaded from the dashboard). Forecasts indicate the low water threshold of -8 ft (significant, negative water-related industry/community impacts start) could be breached by the end of the month. 2/2 🧪

Observed and forecast stage of the Mississippi River at Memphis gauge. Forecast shows a steady decline through the end September with values falling below the low water threshold of -8 ft.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 21/06/2025

Note also in the upper-right corner of that website, there is a link to biodiversity stripes. The biodiversity stripes for the globe from 1970-2020 are below. 2/2 🧪

Biodiversity stripes illustrating a 73% decline in global biodiversity from 1970-2020.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 23/05/2025

Here's mine for Taxonomy Recognition Day. Pinus aristata Engelm. (Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine) at Mt. Goliath, Colorado. Photo by my Brazilian colleague, Ana Carolina Barbosa. 2/3 🧪 #NameItToSaveIt

Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine tree at Mt. Goliath, Colorado. Photo by Ana Carolina Barbosa.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 20/05/2025

Drifted back to Forrest City after a brief intercept south of Wynne. Saw a wall cloud (below), but couldn't see any rotation. Waiting to see what happens as the cell southwest runs into the cell northeast of Wynne. #arwx

Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 19/05/2025

Good morning from Enid, OK. I am wearing a certain t-shirt on today's storm chase. Considered a more southern target of Western North TX, but outflow boundary/confluence noted northcentral OK/southcentral KS. Choosing north. Departure imminent.

Bluesky t-shirt reading "Mundus Sine Caesaribus" (A world without Caesars)

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 19/05/2025

Finally got to the supercell in vicinity of Woodward, OK. Still following it. #okwx www.severestudios.com/storm-chaser...

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 01/05/2025

Look what came in my mail recently. 😃

Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 04/04/2025

This just in from the Memphis National Weather Service Forecast Office. They have a "...tremendous backlog of storm reports that still need to be posted." Full statement is below with alt text. #arwx #mowx #mswx #tnwx

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
212 PM CDT Fri Apr 4 2025

...Memphis Operational Status Update...

We have a tremendous backlog of storm reports that still need to
be posted. Due to the ongoing warning operations and the extremely
high volume of partner coordination, briefings, and media
interviews, we simply haven't had the bandwidth to post them in
real-time.

We sincerely ask for your patience as we continue to balance the
delivery of critical, life-saving information during this multi-
day event while also working to mitigate staff fatigue. We are
only half way through what is a marathon. Please know that all
reports are being carefully documented and will be posted in the
coming days. At this time, we have made the decision to hold and
post Local Storm Reports in bulk rather than releasing days-old
reports during active weather. Our concern is that trickling in
outdated information could unintentionally add confusion to an
already chaotic operational environment.

Additionally, we plan on focusing on warnings and communication
and will forgo the issuance of any Special Weather Statements for
sub-severe storms this afternoon and tonight.

Thanks for your continued support, and please keep the real time
reports coming as they are critical to the warning process. Stay
safe and take care of yourselves and others around you.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 04/04/2025

First tornado watch of the day issued until 9 p.m. CDT. #arwx #lawx #okwx #txwx

Tornado watch for portions of extreme southeast Oklahoma, northeast Texas, extreme northwest Louisiana, and much of Arkansas until 9 pm CDT. Hazard Information: Several tornadoes and a couple of intense tornadoes likely. Widespread large hail and scattered very large hail to 2.5 inches in diameter likely. Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated gusts to 75 mph possible.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 03/04/2025

Impressive tornado debris signature with the below tornado at 2344 UTC (6:44 p.m. CDT). #arwx

Four panel of base reflectivity, storm relative velocity, correlation coefficient, and normalized rotation product showing a tornado debris signature near Lake City, AR

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 02/04/2025

Particularly dangerous situation tornado watch hoisted until 12 a.m. CDT (see below). #arwx #ilwx #inwx #kywx #mowx #mswx #tnwx

Particularly dangerous situation tornado watch until 12 a.m. CDT covering eastern and south-central Arkansas, southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, southeast Missouri, northern Mississippi, and western Tennessee.

Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 31/03/2025

We had one solid intercept on yesterday's storm chase south of Greenway, AR. We observed a wall cloud (left image). No rotation could be observed from our location (~5 miles away), but rising motion was observed. Some cool structure too (right image, wall cloud more embedded in rain). 1/2

Wall cloud at 6:20pm CDT (2320 UTC) on 30 March 2025. View is south of Greenway, AR, looking northwest.

Supercell thunderstorm at 6:23pm CDT (2323 UTC) on 30 March 2025. Wall cloud was partially obscured by rain. View is south of Greenway, AR, looking northwest.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 29/01/2025

My university has put out a statement on the Office of Management and Budget memo. Screenshot below with alt text. I have redacted the e-mail address in the alt text to limit spam. Students nervous about student loans, please know your loans are not affected. 🧪

Dear Faculty and Staff,
A memo released on Jan. 27 from the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to heads of executive departments and agencies could have implications for the research enterprise of institutions across the country, including our campus. At this time, many of the potential consequences of the memo are unclear. NOTE: A federal judge has temporarily paused any actions included in the memo until early next week. However, we are not waiting until next week to consider the implications.
The University is working closely with our representatives in Washington, D.C., the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), our partners at other research universities and leadership at federal research agencies to understand all the potential implications regarding the memo. The federal research agencies will be releasing more concrete guidance in the coming days.
Unless faculty researchers receive explicit notification from their pertinent funding agency, they should continue applying for and executing their research projects as usual.
The U.S. Department of Education has stated this does not apply to student loans, Pell grants and other forms of Title IV financial aid distributed directly to individuals.
Please be patient as we gain further understanding of the potential implications and take the necessary steps. Please do not hesitate to contact me as the point person if you have questions or are anxious. Please also avoid taking any unilateral action based on rumors or false information. We will keep our UofM Campus community updated as information and resources become available to us.

Jasbir Dhaliwal
Executive Vice President for Research & Innovation

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 31/12/2024

There is an epilogue at the end of the 13Z Day 1 Convective Outlook--Roger Edwards is retiring. An image capture with alt text is below. See quote post below for a link to the Roger's final outlook. If you are still on X, give @SkyPixWeather a shout out. #wxsky

...Epilogue (RE)...
This is my final SPC outlook, forecast and shift. With a
cyclonically swirling storm of memories, I retire mourning the end
of a rewarding era, yet ever grateful, blessed with a career of
public service devoted to excellence. For a poor kid from
inner-city east Dallas, carrying a passion for tornadoes from
earliest awareness, and a relentless drive to research and forecast
them, it has been everything the dream promised, and more. I hope
the American taxpayers have found my time worth their money.

Even through this autumnal transition of life's seasons, I'll stay
as inspired as ever by the tempestuous sky above -- to observe,
photograph and study it, and keep giving back to the science in some
way, as long as physically and mentally able. It just won't be on
rotating shifts. The forecasting baton passes to another generation
of sharp minds, just as the lead crew in the 1990s did for us "young
pups of SELS" in Kansas City. The SPC is in great hands.

There isn't enough room here to thank everyone from early childhood
through OU, NSSL, NHC, NSSFC/SELS, and SPC -- family, friends,
instructors, mentors, students, and colleagues -- but be assured I
do. Nothing has granted greater career fulfillment than to deliver
severe-weather forecasts with detailed, science-based insights,
customized for each situation, shift after shift for over three
decades, and to write related research papers. Thanks for reading
and using them, any or all. Stay weather-aware!

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 12/11/2024

New Bluesky Folks: You may notice that some of us use a domain name for our handle here (see image, my handle circled in red). If you have your own domain, check out the links below to see how to do this. Bluesky Blog: bsky.social/about/blog/4... YouTube Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP3O...

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 30/10/2024

ChaseSpectral from KVNX using GR2Analyst. Thanks for sharing these, Sam!

KVNX base reflectivity image of severe thunderstorms in Kansas and Oklahoma. Colors use a newly published ChaseSpectral color map.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 30/10/2024

Boom! Scheduled for 9 a.m. CDT (1400 UTC)! Watch Musk ban the butterfly emoji now.

Scheduled post for 31 Oct 2024 at 9 a.m. CDT on X of nothing but a blue butterfly.

Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 16/09/2024

Congrats @bsky.app on surpassing 10 million users. I was part of the first 10%.

Bluesky celebrating 10 million users. I was user #120,519 (first 10%).

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 15/09/2024

What's your "no one but me remembers game?" Hmmm...let's go with some space flight science fiction:

Box art of the StarLancer video game released in 2000.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 08/04/2024

Such a surreal experience! Saw two solar prominences. Batting 1.000 with success in 2017 and 2024. #TotalSolarEclipse

Lights are on at a nearby church in Black Rock, Arkansas during the total solar eclipse.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 09/02/2024

Go up to 200 mb and Amarillo is only five knots away from four flags!

A weather balloon sounding for Amarillo, TX at 12Z (6 a.m. Central Standard Time). A very strong jet stream is observed with 195 knot winds at the 200 mb pressure level.

Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 10/10/2023

Preliminary data for the Mississippi River at Memphis, TN suggests a new all-time record low stage of -11.01 ft was set today. Recent daily lows follow a record low that was set in October 2022. These data still need to be verified by the US Army Corps of Engineers, so they are preliminary. 🧪

Gage height data for the Mississippi River at Memphis, Tennessee is plotted from 1 October 2022 to 10 October 2023. A new all-time record low of -11.01 ft was recorded on 10 October 2023. A line is also plotted in dark red that denotes the minimum operational limit of the gage (-12 ft). These data are preliminary and still need to be verified by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 28/08/2023

Fair observation and gets right at the heart of the matter about residence time. CFCs have a long one. Back in 2005, the IPCC published the figure below in a special report predicting a slow improvement ozone levels. 1/n

Figure from IPCC (2005) Special Report showing observed ozone through 2005 and a range of computer model predictions to 2045 with a gradual recovery of ozone predicted.

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 28/08/2023

Dear authors of that article...

Meme of Luke Skywalker saying "Amazing. Every word of what you just said was wrong."

Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 11/08/2023

Great post by the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama! We know most supercells do not produce tornadoes, so just because you see a circulation on radar does not mean a tornado warning is warranted. The environmental conditions the storm is moving through are also important to assess. 🧪

A statement from the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama. They note that back on Wednesday "while wind shear aloft was enough to get storms to rotate, the wind shear near the ground wasn't quite enough to get the storms to the next stage--producing a tornado." Due to the environmental conditions, they "did not issue a tornado warning for any of the storms."

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Dorian J. Burnette @djburnette.com · 04/07/2023

Thomas Jefferson was an avid weather observer in addition to being an author of the Declaration of Independence. Below are his weather observations from Philadelphia, PA in July 1776. Happy Independence Day! More about his weather records can be found at: jefferson-weather-records.org

Written temperature observations by Thomas Jefferson. On 4 July 1776, the 6 a.m. temperature was 68, 9 a.m. temperature was 72.25, 1 p.m. temperature was 76, and 9 p.m. temperature was 73.5 (all degrees Fahrenheit).