The Stormtrack target forecasting game is back!

Filed Under zjbr.com |

  • http://www.stormtrack.org/game/detailed.php

    This is only a beta -- I've had to make some tweaks to the code and I'm not 100% it works correctly as it did back in 2004. Post any bug reports in this thread only.

    There are some "junk clicks" from today when the moderators were testing this. We will allow this for a limited time on non-convective days (i.e. no SPC risk) for you all to practice with it.

    Also we're accepting "scorers" to click where tornadoes actually occurred.

    Tim


  • Originally posted by Karen Rhoden
    Nah.....the map's been centered on where the *real* weather happens.

    :lol:

    J-U-S-T- -K-I-D-D-I-N-G.

    K.

    Good to know....badgers are VERY ill-tempered creatures :)

    Pat


  • Just preliminary ones, as per the SPC severe weather reports. It's fine if you only put in the significant ones. The minor ones can be added if someone is bored or has the time.

    Tim


  • Wow, this is such a cool idea! It's just the kind of thing to help a newbie like myself refine the "art of the chase". There are so many things I have to learn, and at least here I won't be burning up a lot of expensive gasoline. :wink:


  • I remember this in '04... I thought it was an excellent way to insure the convergence of first-time chasers, yahoos and virgin sky watchers with veteran chasers/forecasters. I think it's a brilliant mechanism to help us all party under the same storm.


    Hey Jeff Snyder... Put your X in the GOM


  • Sorry, I can't add autoscoring, zoom features, and so forth as I don't have a lot of time to work on this system. I might see if we can contract some of the work out later as time permits.

    Tim


  • This has been THE most greatly missed feature. Thanks for bringing it back, Tim!

    Darren Addy
    Kearney, NE


  • I would like to see a time of post included with the pop-up if at all possible.

    Pat


  • Originally posted by Andy Wehrle
    Is this the "real weather" you're talking about, Karen? :P


    http://www.stoughtontornado.org/images/ColinMcDermott_0882.jpg

    http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ilx/events/jul132004/071304_Roanoke_2.jpg

    :wink:

    Could be a bubble memory clog :)

    Pat


  • Should this be limited to the first tornado and first hail report, or should it be who is closest to any (multiple) tornado or hail report?

    I'm thinking that change might make it closer to a desk or virtual chase similar to chase case studies. As I mentioned before it may be cool to add the initial point and then maybe be able to move a maximum of 50 miles per hour as the day wears on. I would think the cut off would be close to sundown.

    I suppose this makes it more difficult to manage and score, but if there is a way to do it automatically it could be good.

    Any thoughts here? Anyone have any similar ideas? I guess I'm just thinking the first tornado isn't always the best or longest tracked or in the area of highest density of tornado reports. In a given day you could have a breakout of torns in KS in a small geographic area, and then you could have a separate area breakout in Tx later. This might occur if you compare a warm front forecast to a dryline forecast for instance. Neither is incorrect, and both would be good choices.


  • Originally posted by Tim Vasquez
    We still don't have any scorers. Anyone?

    I'd be interested in scoring. I usually try to keep records of tornado events as it is. It would be a pleasure to help with this. Would you want preliminary reports or final ones?


  • Nah.....the map's been centered on where the *real* weather happens.

    :lol:

    J-U-S-T- -K-I-D-D-I-N-G.

    K.


  • I'll score Tim. Contact me with details.


  • Originally posted by Gabe Garfield
    Is there a way to hide all of the forecast markers until you've entered your own forecast?

    For your own forecast, you can just bookmark the target entry page that comes up -- it is devoid of all markers. As far as doing this for all users, that would cause people to input garbage just to get to the results.

    Tim


  • Ok, I wondered what ever happened to that.

    Actually yesterday I was thinking of creating a 'virtual' or 'fantasy' chase for today's event and for tomorrow's. I couldn't chase so I thought it might be fun to somehow organize a virtual desk chase for the rest of us stuck at home - similar to fantasy football, etc. This would basically be similar to the case chase studies but would happen in the future rather than the past. Not sure how the rules would work. Seems it would be similar to a forecast post, with requirements to post your target at different times, and similar to your new chase case study tool you can only move 50 miles per hour, etc from start, and eventually see who finishes close enough for the pictures of the big tubes.

    Hmm, seems if combined with graphics it could be an interactive visual internet based game. You could hover over a particular point and see whose vehicle it is and what their current thoughts are and position with a reference to all their forecast remarks. Sound interesting?


  • Originally posted by Tim Vasquez

    We still don't have any scorers. Anyone?


    Is there any way you could automatically pull this data down like Anthony Petito does on stormreportmap.com?


  • Its too bad you can't zoom in on the map to gain some accuracy on your targeting.......or maybe enter a precise lat/long. I know of a way to do this using the esri internet mapping server but I'm sure you've already got things set how you want.


  • There are a lot of midwest chasers. I don't think this should be focused on plains people only.


  • A couple of changes...

    (1) The link to the Target game is now in the navigation toolbar at the top of this page.

    (2) I added some code that will properly reveal the contestant name when you hover over a forecast. Apparently the ALT= tag worked fine a couple of years ago, now the browsers want a TITLE= tag. Also this hover will not work in IE5 and earlier.

    We still don't have any scorers. Anyone?

    Tim


  • Originally posted by Tim Gonyo
    Is there a way to include more of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, etc?

    Yeah, I'd second that...


  • Is there a way to hide all of the forecast markers until you've entered your own forecast? I think that would add a degree of challenge for each forecaster (in other words, so I can't put my marker right next to Jeff Snyder's every time).

    Gabe

    P.S. Thanks for bringing it back, Tim! It should be a lot of fun.

    :D


  • I second the motion for including more of the tornado prone area's of the midwest and central southern area's - maybe Denver on the west ,eastward to Columbus Oh as the boundaries . Just a suggestion.

    Jon Miller
    KT8NDO


  • Ditto to what Darren said -- I'm so glad this is back. Thanks!


  • Is this the "real weather" you're talking about, Karen? :P


    http://www.stoughtontornado.org/images/ColinMcDermott_0882.jpg

    http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ilx/events/jul132004/071304_Roanoke_2.jpg

    :wink:


  • Sweet! Tim – thanks for resurrecting this. I loved this back on '04. really glad to see it again. Much appreciated!!!

    db


  • Is there a way to include more of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, etc?







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