01/02/05: NOW: Midwest into the Gulf

[Kurt Silvey]

0248 pm eastern, tornado north of Elizabethtown, KY, nice catch on the radar Tyler.

http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/ky/public.html

 

[Michael Auker]

Its moving over the Muldraugh hill, anybody who's traveled I-65 will probably remember the long steep grade north of E-town. Looks like the tornado hit the Miracle Mile strip near E-town where I do most of my Christmas shopping.

 

[nickgrillo]

Very nice isolated supercell near Columbia, KY and has been exhibiting a low-level mesocyclone between Edmonton and Columbia (with a georgous hook echo). Mesoanalysis shows about 1000 j/kg of MLCAPE invof potentially-tornadic storms and at least 100m2/s2 of 0-1km SRH. I'd expect a TOR to be issued on this southern-most storm soon should it continue to intensify.

 

[Tyler_Costantini]

Thanks.

0248 pm eastern, tornado north of Elizabethtown, KY, nice catch on the radar Tyler.

Here is the 19:52Z KLVX SW image... (My amateur eyes would say very high chance of a tornado) also images seem to match ground reports.

http://pittkans.com/modules/pnGallery2/gal...95-1/klvxsw.png

 

[Andrew Khan]

They've just issued a tornado warning on the Columbia, KY isolated thunderstorm. It's anchored pretty well, and is developing a very well defined V-Notch, on the southern side of it. The rotation is strong and deep.

Edit: Look at this couplet....

 

[Scott Olson]

Damn couplet near Louisville, KY. Get to Wxnation.com and check out some webcams!

 

[Mike Johnston]

Things moving quickly now....Tor warning for cell SW of Louisville moving NE @ 30. TVS signature w/ 54 ks shear popped up for one scan only, then dropped...fairly close to radar site, so hard to discern.

 

[Michael Auker]

I am #%$@ off! The very same day I go back to college, a severe weather outbreak occurs in my neck of the woods. Here I sit and I can't chase...

 

[Mike Peregrine]

Damn couplet near Louisville, KY. Get to Wxnation.com and check out some webcams!

Here's the Louiville link ... http://www.wxnation.com/louisville/

Most of them are under heavy rain ... I just pulled up one on the south side of town, though - which was under clear air and it went offline as I was watching it ... definitely windy there -

 

[Scott Olson]

Damn couplet near Louisville, KY. Get to Wxnation.com and check out some webcams!

Here's the Louiville link ... http://www.wxnation.com/louisville/

Most of them are under heavy rain ... I just pulled up one on the south side of town, though - which was under clear air and it went offline as I was watching it ... definitely windy there -

There's a neat controllable cam at http://webcam.courier-journal.com/controlcam.html
Would have been of better use prior though. Looks like any possible tornado would have been further north, thankfully.

 

[Michael Auker]

Extensive damage reported in Larue County. What caused these storms to intensify so suddenly?

 

[nickgrillo]

Extensive damage reported in Larue County. What caused these storms to intensify so suddenly?

Possibley a variety of different factors... These storms have moved into stronger low-level shear (at least 100m2/s2 0-1km SRH) and into an axis of deeper boundary layer moisture. At any rate, these supercells should persist for quite a while (with pervasive development through the evening as lift near the shortwave / moderate low-level WAA should continue to support development). Glad to see my focus area has been playing out.

 

[George Tincher]

Extensive damage reported in Larue County. What caused these storms to intensify so suddenly?

These storms had to cross over a boundary of some sort or something. There was not much in the way of rotation on them until they were approaching I-65. Then suddenly all of them started showing signs of rotation almost simultaneously.

I have been without data since this morning, so what exactly occurred I do not know. I have noticed the sun is back out here, so perhaps that's another possibility. The temp is probably 8 degrees warmer here now than it was at noon.

 

[George Tincher]

BTW, just heard Bill Meck (WLEX-18 TV met) say there is a tornado on the ground near Columbia, which is in Adair County.

 

[Andrew Khan]

I knew it was going to produce a tornado, but I think what perhaps caused an inclination in intensity was the factor of some elevational topography that was just ahead of the storm's front and caused it to lift somewhat, which consequently built up more energy within the storm, and it was in quite an ample environment for a short period of time. And possibly because of a boundary overlapping with the one that had already been pre-established with the system, caused differential motion, which then produced tornadic circulation/rotation. It said to mobile homes were destroyed and, powerlines/garbage had been thrown everywhere from this tornado. There is another strong, Low-Level mesocyclone near Goshen, KY which is in Clark county. It's got deep shear.