Tracking Storms with Google Earth
Some people are really into storms. They can sit for hours in front of the weather channel watching the current conditions around the world. They have the weather bug on their computer.
Some people are storm chasers. Their adrenaline pumps wildly as they hop into their customized vehicles heading off to the nearest storm cell to monitor tornadic activity. Remember Bill Paxton in "Twister"?
I've always had a healthy appreciation for the weather. I guess it comes from living in Texas where the weather can go from one extreme to the other in a short amount of time. Tornadoes, or at least the threat of them, has always been a part of the springtime as much as watching the peach trees beginning to bud and blossom.
Google Earth Storm Tracking
Google Earth is an incredibly versatile and handy tool that you have easy access to simply by getting the free download from Google.
One of the most useful features on Google Earth is storm tracking. Google Earth utilizes real-time information like live webcam feeds, satellite photos, sea surface temperatures, radar animations, severe weather alerts, and hurricane tracking from other sites like NOAA (National Oceanographic and Aeronautics Administration), GuiWeather.com, Tropical Atlantic, NASA and WeatherBonk and overlays the information. All of this information is bundled together into the Google Earth Weather and Storm Tracking Tools Collection.
The information is designed to be turned on one layer at a time, but some go together like lightning strikes and clouds. You can turn on the first layer of "Hurricanes-Live Positions" and see the latest storms. It shows you the track of the storm and it's strength if it's already classified as a hurricane. On the "Weather-Clouds" layer you can view the current cloud formation around the world.
Download Google Earth
I haven't played with this feature much yet, so I'm not able to tell you all the in's and out's of it, but I'm excited about the possibilities.
If you're interested in storm tracking, I would suggest you download the latest version of Google Earth and visit the links I've provided below and go through the tutorials available to learn all you can about the diferent features Google offers.
I hope you have as much fun with this feature as I've had with some of the other features on Google Earth. Be sure to check out all my other Google Earth hubs.
Great Google Earth Weather Tracking Resources
- Google Earth Blog
All about Google Earth... - Google Earth Forecasts and Displays Current Weather - Google - Lifehacker
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