2012-09-08 REPORTS: PA

[TrumanBoyer]

Caught a tornado on I-80 in NE PA.

I got a short video by cell phone camera, trying to figure out how to upload, so...

More to follow...

 

[TrumanBoyer]

Ok, here it is. You might want to turn down the volume if the kids are around,
as I cuss a truck that was blocking my view.

This was a surprise.

Even though it was exactly in my target area, I had just about given up for the day.
I was trying to punch through the frontal line and get out front to catch an isolated cell, but the
line was moving fast, and left me driving for hours in the rain. In PA, I-81N is mostly NE direction,
so I was probably moving moving eastward at an effective 30-40 mph, maybe a little faster than
the front was moving.

I stopped at a rest stop in miserable drizzle, and got out of the car, turned around and saw this...

Watch video >

This was at Interstate 80E mile marker 270 rest stop looking SW. I did not realize that the phone's camera
was zoomed out, as I was aiming it out of the passenger-side rear window leaning over the seat, trying
to keep the camera dry. The funnel was maybe 1/2 mile away and moving directly toward me. It lifted about
1/4 mile away and traveled right over the parking lot. As I moved toward the shelter, the rain went horizontal,
and leaves went flying everywhere. Judging by tree motion, and the flag in front of the building,
I estimate 70mph rotational wind with the meso moving maybe 30 mph almost due east.

Camera was zoomed out, making it look much farther away than it was, and did not capture the fast moving
faint wispy "swirls" that were near the funnel at the ground/tree top-level. Almost like a multi-vortex, but I
hesitate to call this a multi-vortex EF-0. Not my best cinematography, but you can at least make out the rotation
and overall motion.

I was not expecting this at all. The cell was in a cold front, not isolated, not much lightning either.
There was a Tornado Warning on the cell earlier, and the mesoscale discussion stated that we might
expect QLCS tornadoes, but I did not take it seriously. When do we ever see those ?

I did not bother to report it (should I ?), as I went after it again as soon as it left my view,
I have a couple decent shots of the meso before I lost it completely, maybe I can edit and post them later.

This is the second tornado that I have caught in PA, the last time was June 2, 1998.
The 49th in my life total count. Once again "I shot my age" as the golfer's say...

-Truman