[Part 3 of 3]  Within less than 30 seconds before dissipating, this gustnado assumed its broadest size, but also visibly weakened outside of one or two lingering subvortices, mainly the one now on the right edge of the dust plume.  Though not as intense as a real tornado, such a vortex still contains rapid accelerations in small spaces.  One would not want to try to walk through this without … [Read more...]

[Part 2 of 3]  As the Drummond gustnado surged toward the ESE (roughly right to left), over the lifespan of about a minute, it kept a multivortex structure that was increasingly obscured in the dust from empty ground it would encounter along the edge of the wheat field.  It also grew in width, while previously lofted dust tilted downshear (to the ESE, or left).  This showed that, as we should … [Read more...]

[Part 1 of 3] Blustery cold outflow surged across the plains, generating extra wind power in the background and a gustnado about a quarter mile out into the nearest wheat field.  This was a visibly multiple-vortex circulation too, fairly intense for what it was, and probably capable of minor damage such as thrown light objects and removed siding or shingles.  Yet even if it had done damage, it … [Read more...]