Theses and Dissertations
Issuing Body
Mississippi State University
Advisor
Mercer, Andrew E.
Committee Member
Dyer, Jamie L.
Committee Member
Brown, Michael E.
Date of Degree
5-12-2023
Document Type
Graduate Thesis - Open Access
Major
Geosciences
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.)
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Department of Geosciences
Abstract
Tornadic outbreaks occur annually, causing fatalities and millions of dollars in damage. By improving forecasts, the public can be better equipped to act prior to an event. False alarms (FAs) can hinder the public’s ability (or willingness) to act. As such, a probabilistic FA forecasting scheme would be beneficial to improving public response to outbreaks.
Here, a machine learning approach is employed to predict FA likelihood from Storm Prediction Center (SPC) tornado outbreak forecasts. A database of hit and FA outbreak forecasts spanning 2010 – 2020 was developed using historical SPC convective outlooks and the SPC Storm Reports database. Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulations were done for each outbreak to characterize the underlying meteorological environments. Parameters from these simulations were used to train a support vector machine (SVM) to forecast FAs. Results were encouraging and may result in further applications in severe weather operations.
Recommended Citation
Snodgrass, Kirsten Reed, "Tornado outbreak false alarm probabilistic forecasts with machine learning" (2023). Theses and Dissertations. 5804.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/5804