Tornado Charlie
Update #3: Martin Lisus got excellent video of this tornado as well as additional analysis. Check it out. Bill Tabor got some great close-up shots. All three of us were within spitting distance of each other.
UPDATE #2: I edited about 10 minutes of video into about 75 seconds. It's not tripoded because I had forgot to put the tripod shoe on the camera. Not bad though for hand-held. (for Windows Media Player). Click here for video clip.
UPDATED #1: Added a few video grabs below:
I intercepted a beautiful, graceful tornado west of Charlie, TX today. The storm report I think said it was 5 SE of Randlett, OK. Same thing. It appeared to have touched down on or within spitting distance of the Red River. This one goes into the "tie" column for OK/TX. LOL!!
I caught the entire lifecycle from wall cloud to it getting swallowed by an intense precip core before dissipating. I estimate it was around 8 minutes in duration...maybe 10. I got video of the developing wall cloud under the LP/Classic updraft structure to an ominous wall cloud lowering to the ground and then as I cleared some trees the developing funnel that slowly condensated to the ground...very gracefully and methodical. It started off as a qhispy tornado and grew into a stovepipe/elephant trunk. The precip core started dumping all around it and the tornado became rain wrapped...but looked very cool as the precip core was sharply defined with strong contrast and the tornado barely visible from within. It eventually disappeared into the precip or else it quickly dissipated. If it moved at all, it was only about 5mph to the ESE.
This was an awesome storm structure wise too. An incredible LP/Classic supercell that slowly crawled E and ESE and often stationary. I definitely need a nice fish eye wide angle lens. I was too close to really capture the awesome structure.
This was a tough navigation too around the Red River as I didn't want to punch into golf ball to tennis ball hail. So I had to make about a 20 mile detour to the east, drop south of the river, and then about 10 miles west again. I had only seconds to spare before the funnel started forming. Hey, I needed a little luck after this season's efforts so far. LOL!!! This all after a grueling hour drive through the DFW metromess traffic snarls for a trip that should take only 15 minutes. Everything was working against me logistically. Luck was definitely on my side today.
That was fun. Let's do it again. Pics/clips tomorrow evening. Sleep first. Workday tomorrow.
EDIT: Thanks to Dave Fick for pointing out that this was a "Tail-end-charlie Charlie Tornado". LOL!
UPDATE #2: I edited about 10 minutes of video into about 75 seconds. It's not tripoded because I had forgot to put the tripod shoe on the camera. Not bad though for hand-held. (for Windows Media Player). Click here for video clip.
UPDATED #1: Added a few video grabs below:
I intercepted a beautiful, graceful tornado west of Charlie, TX today. The storm report I think said it was 5 SE of Randlett, OK. Same thing. It appeared to have touched down on or within spitting distance of the Red River. This one goes into the "tie" column for OK/TX. LOL!!
I caught the entire lifecycle from wall cloud to it getting swallowed by an intense precip core before dissipating. I estimate it was around 8 minutes in duration...maybe 10. I got video of the developing wall cloud under the LP/Classic updraft structure to an ominous wall cloud lowering to the ground and then as I cleared some trees the developing funnel that slowly condensated to the ground...very gracefully and methodical. It started off as a qhispy tornado and grew into a stovepipe/elephant trunk. The precip core started dumping all around it and the tornado became rain wrapped...but looked very cool as the precip core was sharply defined with strong contrast and the tornado barely visible from within. It eventually disappeared into the precip or else it quickly dissipated. If it moved at all, it was only about 5mph to the ESE.
This was an awesome storm structure wise too. An incredible LP/Classic supercell that slowly crawled E and ESE and often stationary. I definitely need a nice fish eye wide angle lens. I was too close to really capture the awesome structure.
This was a tough navigation too around the Red River as I didn't want to punch into golf ball to tennis ball hail. So I had to make about a 20 mile detour to the east, drop south of the river, and then about 10 miles west again. I had only seconds to spare before the funnel started forming. Hey, I needed a little luck after this season's efforts so far. LOL!!! This all after a grueling hour drive through the DFW metromess traffic snarls for a trip that should take only 15 minutes. Everything was working against me logistically. Luck was definitely on my side today.
That was fun. Let's do it again. Pics/clips tomorrow evening. Sleep first. Workday tomorrow.
EDIT: Thanks to Dave Fick for pointing out that this was a "Tail-end-charlie Charlie Tornado". LOL!
posted by Steve Miller TX at 4/25/2006 12:54:00 AM
7 Comments:
Congrats Steve!! So if it actually touched down in NTX, the curse is broken!! :)
Thanks, man! Unfortunately, I believe that it actually touched down on the OK side of the river..within spitting distance. So, the N TX curse is still intact. It's funny to see all of the tornado watches stop dead at the Red River. The SPC guys aren't no dummies. :-)
Now I REALLY REALLY hate you.
LOL!! Thanks "KF". But to be my stalker, you've got to write a 10,000 word "drug store psychology" dissertation. ;-) I'll be glad when you stop working like a mule and get your butt out here on the plains. Just a few weeks away! Yeah!
Congrats Steve! Good to see you guys down south are getting some action less than 500 miles from home.
Congrats on the nader Steve!!! Your pics and video look awesome!!!
Nice catch Steve, what a classic.
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