Tail-end Charlie produced a tornado south-southeast of Randlett,
Oklahoma in Cotton County I observed between 0130z and 0140z.
Other chasers with better vantage points report this tornado was on the
ground a full twenty minutes. The tornado began as a tapered
funnel and grew into a fully-condensed elephant trunk before growing
into a wedge, reportedly two hundred yards wide. This tornado was just
north of the Red River according to spotters closer than I was.
After teaching today, I checked data and saw that the dryline was
pronounced over southwestern Oklahoma and northwestern Texas. I
preferred the area north of the river because dewpoint depressions were
significantly lower, owing apparently to congestus earlier in the day, I
was told. Either way, the 90F surface temp at SPS was not nearly as
attractive as the more common low 80s over southwestern and south
central OK west of I-35. Winds were backed and there seemed enough low
level shear to offer the chance of rotating storms should individual
cells organize. I was aware of the problems with anvil level flow and
thought perhaps the earlier stages of any storm’s lifespan might hold
more promise for tornadoes than later.
I drove north to Ardmore and turned west on State Road 70 toward the
tail-end convection, which around that time (~2330z) was multicellular
and unimpressive. While the cells organized and split twice and
generally struggled, I noticed another storm to my north approaching
Lawton with a pronounced hook. It was fifteen miles away and too
tempting to ignore. I headed north and sacrificed my excellent position
but realized within five minutes the classic stupidity of what I was
doing and turned back south, now a little further east, to cast my lot
with the southernmost storm after all. This bit of wizardry probably
cost me a view that some spotters described as a "tall white" tornado.
At the very least, it forced me to play the storm from a half-dozen
miles away which yielded the lower-contrast, distant images I brought
home.
Today I was thinking how ironic it was that I drove to Kansas on
Saturday, chased all day Sunday, arrived home in time for a few hours
sleep before work, taught school, and then with five minutes forecasting
and preparation, raced out the door to my first real tornado of 2006 in
a target chosen by time and space constraints.
Another note: it's been so long between Oklahoma tubes that I had
forgotten the outstanding professionalism of spotters and Skywarn
networks in Oklahoma. These guys are succinct, smart, and relatively
bold with their positioning. The net controllers are coolly efficient in
the way they collect and disseminate information. Not only is it
immensely helpful to listen to the linked repeaters in Oklahoma, but
it's about the best weather programming on any radio or television
anywhere. |