• After witnessing the continued decrease of involvement in the SpotterNetwork staff in serving SN members with troubleshooting issues recently, I have unilaterally decided to terminate the relationship between SpotterNetwork's support and Stormtrack. I have witnessed multiple users unable to receive support weeks after initiating help threads on the forum. I find this lack of response from SpotterNetwork officials disappointing and a failure to hold up their end of the agreement that was made years ago, before I took over management of this site. In my opinion, having Stormtrack users sit and wait for so long to receive help on SpotterNetwork issues on the Stormtrack forums reflects poorly not only on SpotterNetwork, but on Stormtrack and (by association) me as well. Since the issue has not been satisfactorily addressed, I no longer wish for the Stormtrack forum to be associated with SpotterNetwork.

    I apologize to those who continue to have issues with the service and continue to see their issues left unaddressed. Please understand that the connection between ST and SN was put in place long before I had any say over it. But now that I am the "captain of this ship," it is within my right (nay, duty) to make adjustments as I see necessary. Ending this relationship is such an adjustment.

    For those who continue to need help, I recommend navigating a web browswer to SpotterNetwork's About page, and seeking the individuals listed on that page for all further inquiries about SpotterNetwork.

    From this moment forward, the SpotterNetwork sub-forum has been hidden/deleted and there will be no assurance that any SpotterNetwork issues brought up in any of Stormtrack's other sub-forums will be addressed. Do not rely on Stormtrack for help with SpotterNetwork issues.

    Sincerely, Jeff D.

1/19/10 DISC: CA

Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
537
Location
Bryan, TX
Pretty impressive day for southern CA, 2 tornado reports and check out this wind gust:

93 NEWPORT BEACH PZZ655 CA 3361 11791 93 MPH GUST 1230 PM MEASURED BY LIFEGUARDS AT NEWPORT BEACH PIER. ALSO MEASURED GUSTS TO 72 AND 73 MPH. (SGX)

Didn't hear much about this event before things were in motion with the warnings, though there was the slight risk out there by SPC.

So are lifeguards carrying anemometers now?

The current MD explains at least for central N. CA why there's no watch:
--
CONCERNING...SEVERE POTENTIAL...WATCH UNLIKELY

VALID 192353Z - 200130Z

BKN/SEGMENTED BAND OF TSTMS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ENEWD 35-40 KT
ACROSS THIS REGION THROUGH ROUGHLY 0130Z...BEFORE ENTERING SIERRAS
AND WEAKENING. ISOLATED DAMAGING GUSTS AND HAIL APCHG SVR LEVELS IS
POSSIBLE.

VWPS AND RUC SOUNDINGS -- MODIFIED FOR OROGRAPHICALLY FORCED
BACKING/ENHANCEMENT OF SFC FLOW -- SHOW ENLARGED 0-1 KM HODOGRAPHS
WITH ENHANCED SFC STORM-RELATIVE INFLOW. SRH AROUND 150 J/KG IS
EVIDENT IN 0-1 KM LAYER...ALTHOUGH STORM MOTION VECTOR DOES CROSS
HODOGRAPH AROUND 2 KM AGL. MOSTLY LINEAR CONVECTIVE MODE FAVORS
POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT OF EMBEDDED/SMALL BOWS WITH CONVECTIVE
WIND GUSTS BEING PRIMARY CONCERN. PRIMARY LIMITING FACTOR WILL BE
LACK OF MORE ROBUST BUOYANCY...WITH SFC TEMPS ONLY IN LOW 50S F AND
WEAK LOW-MIDDLE LEVEL LAPSE RATES RESULTING IN MLCAPE GENERALLY
BELOW 100 J/KG IN MOST AREAS. COOLING ALOFT WILL FOLLOW THIS BAND
IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO MID-UPPER SHORTWAVE TROUGH.
HOWEVER...STABILIZATION OF NEAR-SFC AIR MASS FROM CONVECTION...ALONG
WITH SHEAR-LIMITING CHARACTERISTIC OF VEERING SFC FLOW...FURTHER
SHOULD REDUCE ALREADY MRGL SVR THREAT ONCE THIS BAND PASSES.

From recent forecast discussion out of Sacramento:
INTENSE THUNDERSTORM NEAR VACAVILLE EARLIER THIS EVENING
THAT MOVED INTO YOLO COUNTY BEFORE DISSIPATING IN THE MORE STABLE
AIR. PENNY SIZED HAIL COVERED SOME LOCAL ROADS UP TO A THICKNESS OF
2 INCHES.
 
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Yes, impressive day indeed. I have seen many winter storms in Southern California, but these are packing some of the most violent winds I have seen in recent memory. I work in San Juan Capistrano...and in the past two days...I have seen a 12" diameter tree fall across the main road in town, numerous other smaller trees and branches down, have lost power twice at city hall (monday afternoon and tuesday afternoon), and watched as the rain fell almost horizontally. The quick downpour along the front overwhelmed the storm drains for a period of time, turning a nearby street into a river (see picture).

The 93 mph wind gust at the Newport Pier is amazing, but believable based on what I saw at San Juan today. I'm sure some of the gusts I saw approached at least the 40-50 mph range...if not closer to 60.

Two more storms to go this week. The final one is still forcast to be the strongest, so I'll be taking my camera to work!
 

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Dennis, I'm afraid the link is incorrect. Whoever posted that video did it as a hoax. The radar animation might be correct, but the tornado video clips they included are from the Perris, CA tornado(es) of May 22, 2008. The damage footage is from yesterday's tornado in Huntington Beach.
 
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Sorry for the late posting on this event.

I chased this same storm as well. I was parked at the Seal Beach pier and awaited the arrival of the supercell. At about 1:15pm PST Seal Beach police evacuated the pier area after spotting a waterspout just offshore. I was not able to see it due to the intense rainfall, but the mesocyclone moved close enough for me to see broad circulation and the classic clear slot just offshore. I headed south on PCH into Sunset Beach and came upon the tornado damage minutes after it happened.

Here is my video at Seal Beach, time lapsed for effect:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiUKdapqwnY

Here is my tornado damage video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLbstoJ2JYA
 
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