[Part 2 of 2] A substantial tornado was playing hide and seek, and I wasn’t about to go in there and tap it. One of the better views I had was my last sure look here, shown wide-angle. It still was hard to make out: a dark barrel shape on and above the horizon, just to the right of lower center. Continuity from earlier peeks, combined with centering an obvious rim of fast rotation, and looking at my digital camera’s LCD screen (revealing it better than the eyes!), definitely helped. This tornado was buried in precip for all of its lifespan, rarely seen by any chasers, despite the presence of dozens around this storm. Part of its success in hiding from view was due to its tendency to roam open range, and when it crossed the few remote dirt roads, even the most danger-courting chasers wisely refrained from using them to penetrate the wildly rotating “bear’s cage”. Fortunately, it only hit enough utility poles and uninhabited structures to earn an EF1 rating. Because of their remoteness and lack of sturdy damage targets, many Great Plains tornadoes’ intensities never can be estimated well—only loosely inferred from known associations with storm environment, evolution and radar velocity presentation. Based on research done by my colleagues since this event, the surrounding shear and buoyancy environment, combined with radar-velocity signatures, suggest EF2–EF4 range, with EF3 most-probable damage potential. We’re all glad this one never realized that potential. I cringe at thoughts of the destruction this could have brought upon any of the few small towns in the area.
11 NW Harrisburg NE (22 Jun 13) Looking NW
41.6411, -103.9573
RADAR
Tornadic Hide and Seek
[Part 2 of 2] A substantial tornado was playing hide and seek, and I wasn’t about to go in there and tap it. One of the better views I had was my last sure look here, shown wide-angle. It still was hard to make out: a dark barrel shape on and above the horizon, just to the right of lower center. Continuity from earlier peeks, combined with centering an obvious rim of fast rotation, and looking at my digital camera’s LCD screen (revealing it better than the eyes!), definitely helped. This tornado was buried in precip for all of its lifespan, rarely seen by any chasers, despite the presence of dozens around this storm. Part of its success in hiding from view was due to its tendency to roam open range, and when it crossed the few remote dirt roads, even the most danger-courting chasers wisely refrained from using them to penetrate the wildly rotating “bear’s cage”. Fortunately, it only hit enough utility poles and uninhabited structures to earn an EF1 rating. Because of their remoteness and lack of sturdy damage targets, many Great Plains tornadoes’ intensities never can be estimated well—only loosely inferred from known associations with storm environment, evolution and radar velocity presentation. Based on research done by my colleagues since this event, the surrounding shear and buoyancy environment, combined with radar-velocity signatures, suggest EF2–EF4 range, with EF3 most-probable damage potential. We’re all glad this one never realized that potential. I cringe at thoughts of the destruction this could have brought upon any of the few small towns in the area.
11 NW Harrisburg NE (22 Jun 13) Looking NW
41.6411, -103.9573
RADAR