Potential Deployment Upcoming? March 14-15

Written By Vince Waelti

March 13, 2025

Here's our situation report, which we distribute to our staff, but make public so you can follow along.  

Overview As of 04:34 AM PDT on Thursday, March 13, 2025, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) reports two Level 4/5 risk areas, based on Day 2 (Friday, March 14) and Day 3 (Saturday, March 15) Convective Outlooks. The entire deployment is premature due to a canceled Saturday practice. This report adjusts the plan with new personnel and strategy.  Current Weather Situation 

  • Day 2 Outlook (Friday, March 14): Moderate Risk in eastern MO, SE IA, IL, W KY, NW TN, NE AR. Expect damaging winds (>65 kt), tornadoes (some strong), and hail from an intense cyclone and jet streak (100+ kt) over the Mid-Mississippi Valley. Threat peaks late afternoon into Saturday morning.  

Day 3 Outlook (Saturday, March 15): Moderate Risk in SE LA, MS, AL. Significant tornadoes, gusts, and hail from intense supercells, with MLCAPE up to 2000 J/kg. Threat builds midday into night.

  • Today (March 13): No immediate risk; focus is on preparation.

Available Resources  -RDDs: 2 units.  

  • Personnel: 

    • Nowcaster: Evan r-5 (weather forecasting support).

    • Manager on Duty: Unassigned.

    • Vince r-1: Project Manager (oversees mission). Field operations (handles deployment/logistics).

    • Aidan r-6: Field Operations (handles deployment/logistics).

  • Vehicles: 2.

Deployment Plan  

  • March 13-14: Travel to Day 2 risk zone (e.g., central IL) today. Test RDDs Friday at noon CDT in a low-risk area (e.g., rural IL) to confirm functionality. Live stream (30 min) to update audience on delay and plan.

  • Friday, March 14: Deploy only 1 RDD if a special case or emergent need arises (e.g., confirmed tornado), minimizing risk to the limited fleet. Default to mobile streams.

  • Saturday, March 15: Reposition to Day 3 zone (e.g., MS/AL) early, accounting for drive time (e.g., leave by 6:00 AM CDT to arrive by midday). Deploy both RDDs if Friday test succeeds

  • Contingency: Request additional MOD/ Nowcaster assignment if needed, especially Saturday. Plan Monday debrief if issues arise.

Communication and Safety 

  • LTE Radios- Primary operations on STS Main. Secondary/non official on STS Talk. Field team back up radio- UHF simplex.

Can We Make Do? Yes: One RDD can handle Friday if justified, both can deploy Saturday. .Vehicles and mobile streaming cover gaps. Delay aligns with outlook.  Next Steps 

  • Monitor 1300Z SPC update.

  • Test RDDs Friday noon CDT.

  • Plan Saturday reposition ASAP.

This plan prioritizes safety and readiness for the bigger Saturday event.

Vince Waelti
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