There is a whole vocabulary associated with these severe storms that the meteorologists like to toss out while they are real-time interpreting the Doppler. It comes so natural to them and, while you might think this is just geek-speak, the good ones at least throw you a bone with some context and explain what these terms mean to you. In some cases, you even learn something.
The jargon and terminology that I picked up on while glued to the tube and laptop most of the afternoon included: hook echo, velocity signature, inflow notch, super cell, and mesocyclone. I quickly came to the amateurish conclusion that almost all of these terms mean you are pretty much in deep shit. (That last paragraph sounds like I have been channeling Dave Barry sub-consciously here.)
For what its worth, I came across a well-written blog that explains how you too can recognize rotation on the Doppler Radar. While I found this article quite clear and useful, it strikes me that if you find yourself, as a layman, becoming fairly proficient at the application of this type of knowledge, you might be better served finding another place to live. Quickly.
