2011-04-23 REPORTS: TX

[Matt Starkey]

I didn't have a chance to consider chasing today as my son and I had plans to visit my uncle at his farm in Sadler to celebrate his birthday. My son took his car and wasn't about to let take it to go down Highway 82 towards Gainsville to intercept the tornadic storm which had developed late this afternoon. Nevertheless, it turned out I didn't need to worry about about chasing the storm. The storm approached us and a beautiful wallcloud came into view as we stood on the front porch from the house a few miles north of Hwy 82. Attached are a few photos from a not so good camera from around 7:25 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

 

[James Clarke]

Watch video > left Arlington and headed up I-...//www.flickr.com/photos/62089649@N07/?saved=1

 

[Doug Drace]

Incredible evening in NC TX Pics from Cooke/Grayson Counties after the Supercell Split west of Lindsey. The first fast developing wallcloud we witnessed from less than a couple city blocks away in South Ridge (approximately 3-4 mi south of Lindsay). The wallcloud developed so quick, and become rooted so close to the ground I just about wanted to s**t myself! The rotation was spectacular, along with amazing vertical motion in the meso and wallcloud. Produced a few funnel clouds in South Ridge, then just after it moved around 1/2 mi east of FM 3108 the meso got really large along with the wallcloud. Chased it through Gainesville with more strong rotation and possibly a couple brief touchdowns on the east side of Gainesville. Storm seemed to cycle from there to Whitesboro where it went nuts again right on HWY 82 with a mothership meso and a tight sculpted wallcloud. We witnessed a couple brief vorticies 3/4 of the way down on the north side of Whitesboro, so its likely the funnels were on the ground for a few moments at least. That wallcloud occluded and a new one developed...crazy structure and motion with it as well.

Pics are in order from initial wallcloud in South Ridge to east of Whitesboro near Sadler

 

[Matthew Crowther]

Fun storm. No tornado but plenty of wall clouds.

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/media/set/fbx/?set=a.1976071571118.2118800.1522969728

 

[Tony Laubach]

http://www.tornadoeskick.com/2011/04/4501

Drove 744 miles from St. Louis to meet up with this storm in Sherman... missed most of its early life, but given tomorrow's target and the drive we made to get down here, I will take the structure and lightning shots I pulled..

 

[Brandon Jenkins]

Due to prior obligations I had no intention of chasing today, but thanks to some late (and local) developments I was able to head southwest out of Fort Worth and intercept the storm near Lipan. Was able to find a nice clearing and caught this glimpse of a small and slowly rotating wall cloud. Watched it until it died a painful death about 20 minutes later. No complaints from me considering I only logged 80 miles.

 

[cstrunk]

I intercepted the Gainesville, TX supercell just west of Sherman, TX. I saw the beautiful wall clouds and structure. I just don't think there was enough low level inflow to get a good tornado this evening. This was my first time out with my new tripod. I don't know why I waited so long to get one. Anyways, I got some pretty cool pictures, some will need some editing before I put them all up. I'm still learning how to use this darn DSLR, LOL. After the storm began to get swallowed up in other convection I headed back home. I stopped a couple of times to get some lightning pictures and ended up with a few good ones. Overall a pretty good chase.

*Edit 1 - Pics

*Edit 2 - Full log and more pics at: http://www.centraliowastormchaser.blogspot.com

 

[Albert Rodriguez]

Fun storm. No tornado but plenty of wall clouds.

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/media/set/fbx/?set=a.1976071571118.2118800.1522969728

I agree with mcrowther a lot of wall clouds. I left Dallas around 4:00 p.m. and followed the first initial storm SW of Gainsville. The closer it got to I-35 where it started to ramp up. Hwy 82 just East of I-35 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZcDDFdqI3A&feature=player_profilepage

 

[Chris C Sanner]

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Same story as several others. Intercepted the Gainesville storm which threatened to produce a tornado for quite a good long while, even producing a few needle funnels and whatnot -- but just didn't get it completely done.

 

[Doug Drace]

Actually the storm did produce a couple brief touchdowns near a Whitesboro to Sadler line, which was confirmed by Jerermy Wilson of holytornado chasers. The brief vorticies were on the ground right next to his house. We as well witnessed them over 3/4 way to the ground through some wrapping rain bands in that area.

 

[Aaron Dooley]

I went with the south target yesterday and it paid off, well sort of. Had several wall clouds but hard to see on the roads. I spent most of my time between Stephenville-Comanche-Dublin. Ran into David Drummond on the tornado warned cell near Morgan Hill and then we decided to run south towards Stephenville to tail end charlie. Data was bad around Comanche as the best rotation was seen but due to the HP nature of the storms it also made it very difficult to see. I did have a great view around the time the tornado was reported and only saw a wall cloud. Not to say someone didn't see it, but given there were only 2 other chasers/spotters in the area I wonder who reported it. Has anyone heard about damage to correlate the report?

Props to Adam Cuker for nowcasting for me when I didn't have data. Also, good to see David Drummond again.

Now on to today...

 

[Jane Herbert]

Clyve Herbert & I chased the area near Cundiff yesterday afternoon - golfball hail, downbursts and funnels...

http://www.stormchasers.au.com/usa230411.htm

 

[Steven Howell]

Great job folks! I too was on the cell that came through Gainesville, I was watching it explode as I drove through Denton, and I was racing like mad to get up there. I stopped just short of Gainesville to pop a few shots and then took off again towards it. I arrived just in time to see a spectacular wall cloud lowering, and a small chaser convergence on the left hand side of the road. At this point I was getting some small hail, so I dove off the highway, bad decision, and got into some bigger hail (probably quarter sized, or possibly a little larger). I had to backtrack down a county road a few miles to the east, and found another good vantage point across a field, and held up shop there for about a good 30 minutes as the cell moved in. Right about the time that my wife called the tornado sirens went off in Gainesville, and of course she freaked =)

Here are a few shots from my chase day. I got a really good close up of the underside of the meso and circulation and a small funnel trying to lower. At this point the wind picked up and I high tailed it south about a 1/2 mile.