10/7/10 DISC: ID

[Nick Biermann]

Pictures of the tornadoes in northern Idaho yesterday afternoon have been posted on the websites of at least two Spokane news stations, with photos provided by their respective TV viewers...

http://www.krem.com/weather/Forecasters-confirm-tornado-touched-down-in-Lewis-County-104598724.html

http://www.khq.com/Global/story.asp?S=13289595

Unfortunately, it's difficult to make out much in terms of storm structure or rotation from the Missoula radar (KMSX) at the time.

 

[Dann Cianca]

For whatever reason, this day kind of reminds me of the first ever funnel cloud (possible tornado) that I ever saw. It was in Butte, Montana on June 12th, 1997. On that date in 1997, there was an upper level low across the Great Basin which seemed to be cut off (and stayed that way through the 15th or so). Now, there were active severe weather events across the plains unlike what we're seeing this week, but the storm in question in 1997 developed and moved NNW through the Butte, MT area and produced a decent funnel cloud which some reported touched down (it's even reported on the metar FC) on that date. I couldn't see the ground where it was because of buildings and trees in the way.

The storms on the 7th in Idaho County, Idaho were also moving NNW and occurred similarly along the northern periphery of the cut off upper level low.

The storm I remember back in 1997 didn't seem supercellular, but at the same rate, it wasn't a clean boundary-fired storm which would scream landspout either.

The storm yesterday, well, it was hard to tell from radar. The best look you get is from Spokane and it's cutting high in the storm. I couldn't discern any rotation on radar, but I would say that there was some storm-scale rotation in the mid to lower levels at least given all the vorticity around the low. Low-topped supes in this/both cases maybe?

Anyway, interesting case and it brings back some memories!