The Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center · 201 North Findley Street · Punxsutawney, PA 15767 · (814) 938-1000 · info@weatherdiscovery.org

Recent News from the Weather Center

Rich Kane, NWS Meteorologist, Presents Severe Weather Program at Weather Center

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Tuesday evening, April 8, the Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center and fifty local residents enthusiastically welcomed Richard Kane, National Weather Service’s Warning Coordination Meteorologist. He addressed all types of warm weather season severe weather that affects our region. Barb Hanley thought “he was very entertaining and informative, with a great sense of humor!” Students from Ryan Hayden’s Middle School science classes attended and learned some surprising weather facts:
• There are more tornadoes in the U.S. than in any other country.
• The U.S. ties with China for the most thunder storms in one year (10,000!).
• Flash floods kill more people in the U.S. than tornadoes.
• During the severe weather season peak (June and July), the most dangerous time of unstable weather is from 2 PM until 9 PM.
• There are 8.6 million lightning strikes a day around the world with Pennsylvania ranking third by state for the most injuries from lightning strikes.

The presentation moved quickly with a lot of reaction on the audience’s part when Mr. Kane displayed an authentic weather balloon and some startling pictures and video clips.
Mary Jean Johnston, Project Administrator at the Weather Center, agreed that “Richard Kane was the perfect person to kick off the Center’s first guest speaker night. His background is impressive, and he had all of us waiting for him to present the next weather story. Each one was better than the last!”