Here is some impressive surveillance camera footage from the First State Bank in Parkersburg, Iowa where an EF-5 tornado hit last week. This shows just how powerful a tornado can be.

This is also a good illustration as to why you would want to be in an interior room in your basment. You want to have as many walls between you and the tornado as possible. For more tornado safety tips, CLICK HERE.

Ray Petelin,
WSEE Storm Team Meteorologist

This is a great question that does not get asked enough. The definition of a severe thunderstorm is any thunderstorm that produces hail of 3/4" in diameter or greater, and/or has winds at 58 miles per hour or greater.

Many people think that the amount of lightning in a storm can play a factor in weather or not a storm is severe. This is not the case. Lightning is not a prerequisite.

Here is my disclaimer: Even though a thunderstorm may not have the attributes to be considered "severe", they should be taken seriously. Any thunderstorm has the potential to do damage!

Ray Petelin,
WSEE Storm Team Meteorologist

In a previous post, I provided Youtube video from the inside of a bank, as it was hit by a tornado. This same tornado, in Parkersburg, IA was caught by an ATM's camera destroying a house.

This really illustrates that being under ground is the best place to be, in the event of a tornado.

Ray Petelin,
WSEE Storm Team Meteorologist

Talk about a weather watcher! The Phoenix Mars Lander sends back frequent weather updates from the arctic region of the "Red Planet". You can catch the latest readings by clicking the above image.

Because the Mars Lander is carrying a Canadian weather station, these readings are in Celsius. So the high temperature was -20 fahrenheit, and the low temperature was -117 fahrenheit!

Ray Petelin,
WSEE Storm Team Meteorologist

For those who have been crying for warmer weather, it looks like you called down the thunder! We are expecting the warmest temperatures of the year, and near record heat (the record for Friday is 95, set back in 1925).

The warm front that sparked a few thunderstorms today, will continue its progression northward. This will allow tropical condtions to progress northward, right into our back yards (and front yards too, for those that like to be literal).

With the warmer temperatures, humidity is also going to play a factor. Dewpoints tonight are in the upper 60's and lower 70's. This means very muggy condtions, and it looks like these conditions will stick with us.

With the heat and humidity, you also can get into situations where the air quality suffers. It seems like it takes a lot to get an air quality alert for Northeast Ohio, and Northwest Pennsylvania, but New York is under an air quality alert for Friday. This means that those with respiratory issues may find it difficult to breathe, and they should remain in the air conditioning as much as possible.

Above, you will find some simple, common sense tips to beating the heat. Just remember not to over do it!

Ray Petelin,
WSEE Storm Team Meteorologist

Hot enough for ya? I hope so. Today we made it to 92 degrees (unofficially at blog time) here in the city, making today the hottest day of the year, so far, and the warmest since last September.

The heat will stick with us until the beginning of next week, so it looks like we will continue to ride the "heat wave".

Ray Petelin,
WSEE Storm Team Meteorologist

Last night (6/08/08), a line of severe thunderstorms developed inland. For the most part, these storms were classified as severe because of their winds that were in excess of 58 miles per hour.

As this line moved into Venango County, a trained weather spotter noticed a funnel cloud which prompted a tornado warning. Just for informational purposes, a funnel cloud does not become a tornado until it touches the ground. There has been, up to this point, been NO confirmation that it did touch the ground.

Vanessa Rockovich, in Oil City, snapped these impressive pictures as the storm passed over head.

If you ever snap a weather picture, or weather video, make sure to email it to us at weather@wsee.tv, just like Vanessa did!

Ray Petelin,
WSEE Storm Team Meteorologist

Ray Petelin,
WSEE Storm Team Meteorologist

Just before the storms rolled in, last night, the Casells snapped pictures of these clouds. The sunbeams that you see shining here are (warning: here comes a "weather nerd" word) crepuscular rays.

Sheri and Will in East Springfield sent in this picture of what are called SCUDs (Scattered Clouds Under Deck). With the sun in the background, it sure made for some great pictures.

Some of the storms that developed with these clouds did reach severe limits, based on wind speed and hail.

Ray Petelin,
WSEE Storm Team Meteorologist

Patty in Harborcreek caught a great picture of the storms that developed this morning. She is in Harborcreek, where the storms approached the "severe" limits (winds greater than 60mph & 3/4" hail). It is quite an impressive picture.

Our Live Eye also caught some great video, as the storms rolled through downtown. This is a time lapsed version. Thanks to director Bob Bohen & photographer Eric Nicastro for making this available.

Ray Petelin,
WSEE Storm Meteorologist

For the blog's 100th post (and my 99th), I thought long and hard about what to blog about on this great moment in the Storm Team Blog's history.

Should it be some fantastic explanation of how weather works? Should I post a "photoshopped" picture of Joey Stevens without his flower? The possibilities are endless. Any road I go with this one, I know it has to be important... This is the 100th entry, you know.

After a lot of thought, I figured I would post this:

You only get one 100th post, so if you ask me, this was a 100th post well spent! In the words of the Fonz, "AAAYYYYYYY"!

Above, you see a picture of Bob, Morning Live's director, and me in our "Bronze The Fonze" t-shirts. Bob is politely reminding me to set my Fonzie mug on the Fonzie coaster!

Ray Petelin,
WSEE Storm Team Meteorologist

A storm chaser ended up getting chased down by a tornado yesterday. A "twister" passed right over their storm chasing vehicle.

You can see the video, that is available on their website. To see it, CLICK HERE.

Ray Petelin,
WSEE Storm Team Meteorologist

Many people think that weather people have it easy. It is believed that we walk in, do a quick show, then take a nice long break. Wrong!

At WSEE, we are one of the hardest working television weather staffs in the country. In addtion to our forecasting, television, and radio duties in Erie, we forecast online and onair (over satellite) for the entire Caribbean and Central America.

You can get a litte taste of what we do at OneCaribbeanWeather.com.

Ray Petelin,
WSEE Storm Team Meteorologist

With the severe thunderstorms that rolled through the region tonight, we are starting to get reports of damage, and what people were able to see on the ground as the storms passed by.

According to the Crawford County Office Of Emergency Services, 2 Funnel Clouds were reported by residents in Linesville. The National Weather Services Radar, and Storm Track 4D were not able to to confirm this. Altough our radar algorithms (by WDT) were picking up on the potential for downdrafts in that area, which could produce cloud features that may slightly resemble a funnel cloud.

An area of State Route 98, was washed out near Route 86 in Crawford County.

Hafield Township on State Route 98 had some flooding, south of Littles Corners on South Moisertown Rd.

A tree was knocked down in Spring Township on Springboro Road.

A basement flooded in Saegertown.

**Here is my favorite** "Incidents related to this storm was cows on the roadway near Agnew Road and State Highway 18 In Summit Township".

Finally, ace weather watcher Bernie Feltz in McKean Township reported 1.05" of rain in 24 minutes. That may not sound impressive, but that is roughly the same water content of 10.5" of snow, in 24 minutes.

If you have pictures of these storms, or the damage, send them to weather@wsee.tv.

Ray Petelin,
WSEE Storm Team Meteorologist