2003-05-15: Stratford, TX

[Chris Karstens]

All:

I'm actually doing some research on the multi-vortex tornado that passed NW of Stratford, TX on this day... if anyone would like to chime in and discuss their account on this day (especially if you were near Hwy. 287), that would be great! I'd love to hear what you have to say...

Also, if anyone has pictures of the tornado as it crossed Hwy. 287 NW of Stratford, would you mind sending them my way? I'd like to include them in my MS Thesis, and I'd give proper recognition...

Thanks!

Chris Karstens

 

[cdcollura]

Good day all,

Steve Miller and Amos Magliocco were on that storm (back in 2003 they were chasing with my group / Weathervine, with Jeff G as well) and shared some pictures with me to link on my web site (below).

My group and I arrived late this day (5-15-03) and was not able to chase with them but included them in my chase reports ... Please credit Amos Magliocco (cycloneroad.com) and Steve Miller (texastailchasers.com) with these photos!

Above: Coming up on a major tornadic supercell near Stratford, Texas. Here we see a developing wedge tornado to the right and a rope-type tornado, possibly anti-cyclonic, to the left.

Above: Here is another awesome view of the wedge tornado moving to the east before becoming rain-wrapped (note RFD clear slot in foreground to the left). The tornado moves over open country near Stratford, Texas.

Above: Stephen Miller steps out to take digital pictures as Amos Magliocco continues to shoot the wedge tornado as it moves off to the east over open country near Stratford, Texas on May 15, 2003.

 

[Steve Miller TX]

This was one of my all time best chases! Here is my condensed video clip including the big wedge crossing FM 807:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyrTXlJ9SPs

There was some debate as to whether the smaller elephant trunk was anti-cyclonic or not. After looking at others' video that day, it was clear that it was cyclonic.

I did my own little case study at the link below, but images and video links are not all working/valid. The cool DOW image links are working however.

http://texastailchaser.com/special/051503/

Speaking of the DOW, Project ROTATE was in excellent position on this storm. Their study is below:

http://www.cswr.org/projects/rotate/2003-05-15.html


I hope that helps. And as a note, we were SW of 287 and never went back to watch it cross the highway. So, no video or pics of that....at least what I have anyway. I remember seeing some awesome video of it though approaching some chasers on 287 and I believe several others were in close proximity.

 

[Jason Foster]

Hey Steve, was this the day of "Are you a storm chaser"? That story always stuck in my mind.

 

[Tony Laubach]

http://www.tornadoeskick.com/index.php/logs/older-seasons/2003-season/118-20030515.html

This was my first solo, out-of-state chase and lead to my third career tornado and first since 2000. Felt good to come home after this chase with a nader finally under my belt..

The problem is I should've had two this day... but my lack of experience and view from the north prevented me from realizing what was in the rain. I knew at the time of the ongoing wedge thanks to scanner reports, but never saw it. Thanks to Amos's photo, I later realized I had the wedge on my video most of the time... never even knew...

 

[Chris Hayes]

I chased on this day, but missed the wedge and rope tornado in Stratford I got on an evening supercell near Wheeler. First storm we saw was an LP then got on a more classic one that night. Highlights of the chase was a dust filled inflow jet of 50-60mph and some splatting hail up to baseball size. While near Wheeler I saw what appeared to be a wedge tornado lit up by lightning. I dont count it though because I cannot confirm that it was a tornado. Found out a few days later there was a mile wide F2 tornado in the area at about the time we were there, so we might have seen one.

 

[Jim Leonard]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG_wmyoUjBc&feature=channel_page
Here is my version of that day along with Charles Edwards and Dave Lewison and the Cloud-9 group.

 

[Paul Redmond]

LOL
You know it’s premature ridge time and a poor chase year when folks start reminiscing about previous years in late may.

 

[Shane Young]

We bitterly stuck to our Amarillo target too long, and missed these... though we did see some beautiful storms near dark.


I believe Jeff Piotrowski had a very intense video of the tornadoes that you may also find useful.

 

[tarone]

Remember this day well. It was my second season chasing but first tornado. Early in the afternoon we caught a beautiful backlit funnel just outside Boise City, OK.
We saw five tornadoes that day but after Boise City we were playing catch up all day. I remember the storm moving so fast and tumbleweeds flying past us into the inflow.