The Baron Tornado Index, leading the next generation of tornado detection improvements

Baron Services Inc., a leading provider of weather data and display solutions for the broadcast industry, debuted in January 2008 a new ground-breaking tornado detection technology called the Baron Tornado Index. The BTI integrates real-time high-resolution radar data and high resolution mesoscale model data within the continental United States. Advanced algorithms process this data continuously in real-time to compare current storms to those of historical tornadic events and then rate the current tornadic potential for each thunderstorm accordingly.

This presentation will explain how the Baron Tornado Index is processed and displayed for use by broadcast meteorologists and the general public. It will also cover case studies to explain how the Baron Tornado Index has performed in recorded tornadic events in the 2008-2009 storm seasons. The presentation will conclude by discussing limitations of the current methodology, and upcoming improvements in tornado detection and tracking.