Monthly Archives: June 2011

Downburst vs. tornado damage

Posted on 28 June 2011 by tornatrix

My video montage of the 14 June 2011 Norman, Oklahoma downburst* now has over 4,800 views, and is, by far, my most viewed video. I’ve received a number of questions (mostly in the form of comments on the YouTube page) … Continue reading →

Posted in Weather | 1 Comment

20 June 2011: Central Nebraska tornadoes

Posted on 25 June 2011 by tornatrix

Dan and I were a bit late out of the gate on Monday morning, not departing Topeka until almost 11:30 a.m. We had gone to sleep the night before thinking that the primary action area would be along the Nebraska-Iowa … Continue reading →

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19 June 2011: Alta Vista, KS supercell

Posted on 22 June 2011 by tornatrix

We left Norman early in the morning, thinking we might have to make it all the way to E CO to see a supercell. By the time we reached Salina, KS around noon, however, we were waffling between the E … Continue reading →

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14 June 2011: Norman, OK high wind and hail event

Posted on 15 June 2011 by tornatrix

This video pretty much summarizes the story. Dan and I noticed a high-based updraft producing a slender precipitation shaft as we left the NWC yesterday around 6:30 p.m. We decided, on the spur of the moment, to grab our camera … Continue reading →

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11 June 2011: Texas panhandle funnel and tornado

Posted on 13 June 2011 by tornatrix

The southern Great Plains chase season is rapidly dwindling as the ridge builds in. But, we managed to squeak in at least one more chase in the Texas panhandle this past weekend. We brought along Michael H., who just recently … Continue reading →

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Is it time to modify the (Enhanced) Fujita scale paradigm?

Posted on 5 June 2011 by tornatrix

I received many thoughtful and passionate responses to my previous post regarding the upgrade of the El Reno / Piedmont /Guthrie tornado in Oklahoma to EF-5 based, in part on radar observations of 60 m AGL wind speeds. As I … Continue reading →

Posted in Radar, Research, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

EF-5 upgrade based on mobile Doppler radar data

Posted on 1 June 2011 by tornatrix

The El Reno / Piedmont / Guthrie tornado was upgraded to EF-5* this afternoon, based in part on measured RaXPol Doppler velocities of over 210 mph. Here’s the relevant portion of the NWS Public Information Statement: STORM 2… BINGER-EL RENO-PIEDMONT-GUTHRIE … Continue reading →

Posted in Radar, Research | 7 Comments