Patty Thundersnow

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Friday/Saturday

Continuing with weather here. Which of the following tornadoes produced the most damage (in dollar amounts)?

Answer: A. The 2011 Joplin, MO EF5 produced $2.8 billion dollars in damage.
The long track EF4 that hit Washington, IL on November 17th, 2013 produced $935 million dollars in damage.
THe 1999 Bridge Creek/Moore F5 (also known for the highest wind gust ever recorded) produced $1 billion dollars in damage.
The 1996 Decatur, IL F3 produced $6 million dollars in damage, and was included here because it was the tornado that sparked my interest in weather.

Sunday/Monday's question

Going to geography here. It's common knowledge that the Mississippi RIver is the longest river in the US. What's the second longest river in the US?

A: Ohio RIver
B: Missouri RIver
C: Hudson River
D: La Moine River

Answer will be posted at approximately 10 pm CDT Monday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Friday/Saturday

Going to geography here. It's common knowledge that the Mississippi RIver is the longest river in the US. What's the second longest river in the US?

Answer: B. THe Missouri River is 2,341 miles from its headwater in the Rocky Mountains in southwest Montana all the way to just north of St. Louis, Missouri.

Tuesday/Wednesday's question

Sticking with Geography here. The US states/territories are subdivided into counties/equivalencies. How many of these are there in the US? 

A: 5,440
B: 3,880
C: 3,243
D: 2,442

Answer will be posted at approximately 10 pm CDT Wednesday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Friday/Saturday.

Sticking with meteorology. As we all know, tornadoes can form from supercell thunderstorms. However, they can also form from non-supercell thunderstorms. What are these tornadoes known as?

Answer: C. Landspouts are tornadoes that form from non-supercell thunderstorms, such as a popup summer thunderstorm. These tornadoes can be extremely photogenic, and are generally weak. But, they can still do damage.

Sunday/Monday's question

Sticking with meteorology. Hurricane season is coming up rapidly for the Atlantic Ocean basin. What is the traditional first day for the Atlantic Hurricane season?

A: April 15th
B: May 15th
C: May 1st
D: June 1st

Answer to come with the next new question Monday around 10 pm or so.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Monday.

Staying with weather. Tornadoes can be small, but they can also be very wide. What is the record for the widest tornado (in diameter) ever recorded?

Answer: D. On May 31st, 2013, a tornado near El Reno, Oklahoma was 2.6 miles wide, the widest recorded tornado ever. This tornado killed 4 storm chasers when it expanded from a half mile wide to 2.6 miles wide in 30 seconds.

Tuesday's Question

Staying with weather. Central Illinois sees heavy snow events from time to time in the winter and early spring. What is the record for most snow from a single storm in central Illinois (since 1996)?

A: 22.4 inches (56.89 cm)
B: 18.5 inches (47 cm)
C: 24 inches (61 cm)
D: 16.6 inches (42.16 cm)

Answer will be posted at approximately Midnight Wednesday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Monday.

WIth Severe Weather preparedness Week this week in Illinois, this week will be focused on Severe weather trivia. The third question is a scenario. You're at home and you hear that there's a moderate risk for severe thunderstorms that day. Which of the following things should you have in preparedness?

Answer: D. All these items are important to prepare for severe weather, especially if your area is hit by a storm.

Wednesday's Question

WIth Severe Weather preparedness Week this week in Illinois, this week will be focused on Severe weather trivia. The fourth question is a bit of severe weather trivia. How big was the largest (in diameter) recorded hailstone in US history?

A: 8 inches (20.3 cm)
B: 11.3 inches (28 cm)
C: 6.1 inches (15.49 cm)
D: 12.6 inches (32.004 cm)

Answer will be posted at approximately Midnight Wednesday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Monday/Tuesday.

Continuing with geography here. Illinois has 102 counties, from its northern border with Wisconsin to the southern tip. Which of the following county names IS a county name?

Answer: C. Sangamon County is located in central Illinois, and holds Springfield, the capital of Illinois. Ralls, Pemiscot, and Moniteau counties are all counties in the state of Missouri.

Wednesday/Thursday's question

Heading back to weather here. Lightning is one of nature's most dangerous entities, striking Earth thousands of times per day. How close do you have to be to a strike of lightning to hear the thunder from it?

A: 8 miles
B: 15 miles
C: 6 miles
D: 10 miles

Answer to come with the next new question Thursday around 10 pm or so.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Monday/Tuesday.

Continuing with weather here. What is a Radar Gap?

Answer: A. This was a bit of a meatball here. Radar gaps are regions of the US that aren't served by radar coverage at at least the 10,000 feet level. These are a major issue, especially in the central plains and midwest as the lack of coverage can prevent timely warning for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.

Saturday/Sunday's question

Continuing with weather here. With the latest wave of tech advances, the National Weather Service has modernized the radar network. Which of the following advances has been added since 2012?

A: Doppler Radar/wind velocity
B: Dual Polarization
C: Pulse polarization
D: Nexrad capability

Answer will be posted at approximately 10 pm CDT Thursday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Monday/Tuesday.

Continuing with weather here. With the latest wave of tech advances, the National Weather Service has modernized the radar network. Which of the following advances has been added since 2012?

Answer: B. Dual Polarization (beams that go both horizontally and vertically) allows radar to detect debris in tornadoes as it is lifted into the air.
A and D are early radar advances. A came in the 1970s, with Nexrad (the NOAA next gen radars) coming in the late 1980s/1990s. 
C is the next step in radar technology.

Friday/Saturday's question

Continuing with weather here. Which of the following tornadoes produced the most damage (in dollar amounts)?

A: The 2011 Joplin, MO EF5
B: The 2013 Long Track Washington, IL EF4
C: THe 1999 Bridge Creek/Moore F5 
D: The 1996 Decatur, IL F3

Answer will be posted at approximately 10 pm CDT Saturday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Monday/Tuesday.

Going back to history here. On December 3rd, 1818, Illinois was granted statehood. What town was the capital of Illinois for a few months after it became a state?

Answer: B. Kaskaskia was the first (and defacto) capital of Illinois. It was previously the capital of the Illinois Territory in the 1800s and 1810s.

Monday/Tuesday's Question

Going back to geography here. Illinois is not known for being hilly, but we do have some hills and the like. What is the highest point in Illinois elevation wise?

A: Mount Auburn
B: Blue Mound
C: Charles Mound
D: Starved Rock

Answer will be posted at approximately Midnight Thursday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Monday/Tuesday.

Sticking with geography here. Which of the following lakes is the deepest based on depth in the US?

Answer: C. Crater Lake in Oregon (created out of the collapse of Mount Mazama) has a depth of 1,949 feet (594 meters), and is known for the deep blue color of the water.

Wednesday/Thursday's question

Going back to meteorology. About two weeks ago, a derecho struck the Great plains of the US. This derecho was the most severe windstorm since the mid December 2021 derecho/tornado outbreak. HOw many high wind report (75+ mph) did this derecho produce?

A: 54
B: 62
C: 36
D: 43

Answer will be posted around 10 pm Thursday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Monday/Tuesday.

Sticking with Meteorology. All tornadoes have a ratings, from the weakest being EF-0 to the strongest being EF-5. What is the earliest (Widely accepted) first F5/EF5 in United States history?

Answer: A. THe West Prairie impacted several small towns in Christian County, IL, including my hometown Taylorville. Rated an F5, it's one of only two F5 tornadoes in recorded history to strike central Illinois. It is also the earliest widely accepted F5 tornado, because the Fujita scale did not come to be until the 1960s and 1970s. 

Wednesday/ Thursday's Question

CHanging it up with some history here. Christian County, IL was founded in 1839 out of parts of several surrounding counties. However, this was not the original name of the county. What was the original name of Christian County, IL?

A: Sangamon County
B: Bond County
C: Dane County
D: DeWitt County

Answer will be posted at approximately Midnight Thursday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Monday/Tuesday.

Sticking with weather for this one. Which of the following is NOT another name for a hurricane?

Answer: C. A mid latitude cyclone is the technical name for a 'storm system'. D is what the Joint Typhoon Warning Center calls cat 5 Typhoons.

Wednesday/Thursday's question

Got one more weather question here. Which of the following tropical storm/hurricane names have NOT been retired?

A: Gustav
B: Allison 
C: Dorian
D: Fred

Answer will be posted at approximately 10 pm CST Thursday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Saturday.

The final question of severe weather preparedness week deals with weather radar terminology. What is a three body scatter spike?

Answer: B. THis commonly happens when a radar beam gets refracted off of huge hailstones, producing a false radar echo. These can also happen when a tornado lofts debris very high up into the atmosphere. This, however, is pretty rare.

Sunday/Monday's Question

Gonna change it up with some agricultural trivia here. Which of the following states produces the most pumpkins in the US?

A: Iowa
B: Indiana
C: Illinois
D: Ohio

Answer will be posted at approximately 10 pm CST Monday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Saturday/Sunday.

Heading back to meteorology. THere are several different types of lightning, and each one is unique. What is a sprite (referring to lightning)? 

Answer: D. It's a large scale electric discharge that is seen above thunderstorms. They are incredibly quick, so getting a picture of one is rare but awesome if you do.

Monday/Tuesday's Question

Sticking with Meteorology. All tornadoes have a ratings, from the weakest being EF-0 to the strongest being EF-5. What is the earliest (Widely accepted) first F5/EF5 in United States history?

A: 1880 West Prairie, Illinois tornado
B: 1905 Snyder, Oklahoma tornado
C: 1919 Fergus Falls, Minnesota tornado
D: 1925 Tri State Tornado

Answer will be posted at approximately Midnight Tuesday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Saturday/Sunday.

Switching to geography here. Illinois has 102 counties, from it's northern border with Wisconsin to the southern tip. Which of the following county names is NOT used in the state of Illinois?

Answer: A. There is no Lincoln County in the state of Illinois. There is a city called Lincoln in Logan County. 

Monday/Tuesday's question

Continuing with geography here. Illinois has 102 counties, from it's northern border with Wisconsin to the southern tip. Which of the following county names IS a county name?

A: Ralls County
B: Pemiscot County
C: Sangamon County
D: Moniteau County

Answer to come with the next new question Tuesday around 10 pm or so.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Sunday.

Going to weather this time. Wind is always going, always moving. HOwever, sometimes, the wind can get violent. What was the highest wind gust ever recorded?

Answer: A. A wind gust of 318 mph was recorded by a DOW (Doppler on Wheels) truck during the historic 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore F5 tornado in May of 1999.

Monday's Question

Staying with weather. Tornadoes can be small, but they can also be very wide. What is the record for the widest tornado (in diameter) ever recorded?

A: 3.3 miles (5.3 km) wide
B: 2.9 miles (4.7 km) wide
C: 4 miles (6.4 km) wide
D: 2.6 miles (4.2 km) wide

Answer will be posted at approximately 10 pm Monday evening.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Sunday/Monday.

Sticking with meteorology. Hurricane season is coming up rapidly for the Atlantic Ocean basin. What is the traditional first day for the Atlantic Hurricane season?

Answer: D. The traditional start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season is June 1st. But, there can be storms that form before the season even begins. 

Tuesday/Wednesday's question

Sticking with meteorology and hurricane season records. What is the earliest on record that a tropical storm/hurricane has formed in the year?

A: March 17th
B: January 3rd
C: April 19th
D: February 2nd

Answer to come with the next new question Wednesday around 10 pm or so.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Thursday/Friday.

Continuing the thunderstorm type discussion. What is the name of the type of thunderstorm that is most known for producing tornadoes and very large hailstones?

Answer: D. The supercell thunderstorm is most commonly known for large hailstones (often over golf ball size), damaging wind gusts, and, tornadoes. 

Saturday/Sunday's Question

Continuing on with the thunderstorm type thread here. These types of thunderstorms are common during the Spring and Summer months across the globe. What is a Mesoscale Convective System?

A: A complex of thunderstorms that can span hundreds of miles and last 6 to 12 hours
B: Another name for a tropical disturbance
C: A type of thunderstorm that primarily dumps hail
D: Another name for a flash flooding event

Answer will be posted at approximately Midnight Sunday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Thursday/Friday.

Going to geology. It's pretty common knowledge that the earth has had multiple ice ages that has made the central US the bread basket for the entire world. These glaciers did leave a mark on the earth through, including kame. What is a glacial kame? 

Answer: C. It's a large hill composed of gravel and other sediments that are found in generally flat areas, like the handful of glacial kames that are in central Illinois.

Thursday/Friday's Question

Heading back to meteorology. THere are several different types of lightning, and each one is unique. What is a sprite (referring to lightning)? 

A: Another name for cloud to ground lightning.
B: A lightning bolt that starts from the ground and goes up into a cloud
C: A lightning strike that strikes when there is blue sky
D: A large scale electric discharge that happens above a cumulonimbus cloud

Answer will be posted at approximately Midnight Sunday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Thursday/Friday.

Sticking with geography here. Rivers meander over time, switching paths and channels with time. What type of lake is formed when a wide meander of a river is cut off from the main channel?

Answer: D. There are dozens of Oxbow lakes along the Mississippi River, with one sitting in the Metro East of St Louis. Every river in the world creates these through processes of erosion.

Saturday/Sunday's question

Sticking with geography here. During and following the most recent ice age, enormous lakes were formed all over North America. Which of the following prehistoric lakes was the biggest?

A: Lake Agassiz
B: Lake Kankakee
C: Lake Monongahela
D: Lake Bonneville

Answer will be posted around 10 pm Sunday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Thursday/Friday.

Sticking with meteorology. A couple months ago, we learned about radar holes (holes in the US' nationwide nexrad network). Why are these holes so bad to have?

Answer: D. Radar holes create massive issues in seeing rotations inside of storms due to the height of the beam from the curvature of the earth, which causes the National Weather Service to rely heavier on ground truth in these regions. 

Saturday/Sunday's question

Switching to geography here. Illinois has 102 counties, from it's northern border with Wisconsin to the southern tip. Which of the following county names is NOT used in the state of Illinois?

A: Lincoln County
B: Logan County
C: Jo Daviess County
D: Winnebago County

Answer to come with the next new question Sunday around 10 pm or so.

ALright, here's the answer to the trivia question from today.

Back in December, a tornado broke the track length record for longest duration of a tornado. What tornado previously held the record?

Answer: A: The Tri State Tornado.
Occuring on March 18th, 1925, it touched down in southeast Missouri, and traveled over southern Illinois and into southwest Indiana over a 219 mile path. It is a F5 tornado, and part of a outbreak that occurred that day in the mid-Mississippi River valley, deep south, and Ohio Valley.

@Sovereign Leader Raritywins this one.

Wednesday's Question

THe movie Twister is universally loved by weather nerds like me and non-weather nerds alike. What were the names of the instrument packs that Bill and Jonas' teams were trying to get into tornadoes?

A: Dop2 & Charley
B: Dip4 & Charlotte
C: Dot3 & Dorothy 
D Dit1 & Toto

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Tuesday/Wednesday.

Heading back to weather here. THere are several different types of thunderstorms, and the US (and really anywhere in the world) can see them. What is a multicell cluster type thunderstorm?

Before the answer, there are technically two correct answers to this question. I didn't realize this until an hour after I posted it.

Answer: A. A multicell cluster is a type of storm that persists due to having storms in various parts of their life cycles. 
C. Is technically correct. Multicell clusters sometimes can and do last 6+hours, and can produce all types of weather, including flash flooding, large hail, damaging winds, and sometimes a tornado. 

Thursday/Friday's Question

Continuing the thunderstorm type discussion. What is the name of the type of thunderstorm that is most known for producing tornadoes and very large hailstones?

A: Squall LIne
B: Mesoscale Convective System
C: Single Cell
D: Supercell

Answer will be posted at approximately Midnight Friday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Tuesday/Wednesday.

Sticking with Geography here. The US states/territories are subdivided into counties/equivalencies. How many of these are there in the US? 

Answer: C. A grand total of 3,243 counties/equivalencies are spread throughout the 50 states and territories of the US. Texas has the most at more than 200, and Delaware has the least, at 3. 

Thursday/Friday's question

Sticking with Geography here. The counties/equivalencies of the US come in many shapes and sizes. Which of the following counties is the smallest in the US?

A: Kalawao County, Hawaii
B: Arlington County, Virginia
C: Nantucket County, Massachusetts 
D: Bronx County, New York

Answer will be posted at approximately 10 pm CDT Friday.

Alright, here's the answer to the trivia question from Tuesday/Wednesday.

Sticking with meteorology and hurricane season records. What is the earliest on record that a tropical storm/hurricane has formed in the year?

Answer: B. A hurricane formed east of the Azores islands on January 3rd, 1938 (found as part of an ongoing project by NOAA and the National Hurricane Center to catalog missing storms from the hurricane database.

Thursday/Friday's question

Sticking with meteorology. A couple months ago, we learned about radar holes (holes in the US' nationwide nexrad network). Why are these holes so bad to have?

A: Missing tornadoes due to distance from radar
B: Radar scans in a straight line/curvature of the earth
C: Heavier reliance on ground truth/storm chasers
D: All of the above

Answer to come with the next new question Friday around 10 pm or so.