4/29/04 NOW: TX

Amos Magliocco

Amos Magliocco

EF5
Joined
Dec 11, 2003
Messages
1,196
Location
Denton, Texas
Just as I was emailing some friends about the supercell in the Texas panhandle, about how disoganized and elevated it probably was, I saw this:

* AT 436 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO 5
MILES WEST OF CHILDRESS...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.


http://kamala.cod.edu/svr/0404292138.KLUB.wfus54.html

This is with weak 850 winds and large dewpoint depressions, estimated LCL's of 2000mb per SPC Mesoanalysis Page. Goes to show that climatologically favored regions in climatologically favored times do not pay attention to models or rules.
 
Southern storm has a nice v-notch...definitely getting its act together. I can't imagine how interesting the reported tornado looked with a surface dewpoint of 56 at Childress. Unfortunately probably not too many chasers on that storm...ie...finals coming up at OU! Don't all you students wish you came to England to study abroad? I'm gonna grab a pint cuz it's almost last call. Cheers.
 
This is with weak 850 winds and large dewpoint depressions, estimated LCL's of 2000mb per SPC Mesoanalysis Page. Goes to show that climatologically favored regions in climatologically favored times do not pay attention to models or rules.
Click to expand...

LOL.. I don't know about that.... It's not like a storm can think to itself "Hey, it's May, perhaps I should put down a tornado"... LOL... I mean, it's governed by the same laws and processes as other storm environment... Just like how you can how a mega outbreak in January, if you have strong instability, favorable wind shear, low LCLs, etc...

With all the controversy about what is a tornado and spotter reported fakenados recently, even I'm starting to take these reports with a grain of salt. Granted, in real-time, you have to take what you're given, and if a spotter says tornado on the ground, you don't really have a whole lot of time to toss around the idea of whether or not to issue a warning... And I really feel like I should doubt every report unless I see evidence of it, but still... LOL

I do think it goes to show that we still can't perfectly forecast... That's kind of a stupid and blatently obvious statement for me to make. I don't really see too much favorable near that storm that would point to good tornado potential...
 
LOL.. I don't know about that.... It's not like a storm can think to itself "Hey, it's May, perhaps I should put down a tornado"... LOL... I mean, it's governed by the same laws and processes as other storm environment... Just like how you can how a mega outbreak in January, if you have strong instability, favorable wind shear, low LCLs, etc...
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LOL. Well, I think a lot of people feel like you do--which is why there are probably only one or two chasers watching that tornado. I know two experienced chasers who were headed that way this morning, and I suspect they're the ones on this storm. They might disagree with discounting May.

Addendum: there is now an LSR that cites a stormchaser as having reported this tornado.

0435 PM TORNADO 5 W CHILDRESS 34.42N 100.34W
04/29/2004 CHILDRESS TX STORM CHASER
 
I'm probably the only chaser in Norman that isn't there because he can't be. So I'm not at all shocked by this tornado report.

Also, I've noticed over the years that there's an uncanny knack for severe storms in a THUNDERSTORM watch to produce tornadoes. Whether this reported tornado verifies or not, the storm is tornado-warned, which doesn't at all surprise me. And you all thought I was crazy because I said tornadoes come out to play once they know I can't chase 8)
 
I noticed in the hour before the report the triple point was close to CDS and that CDS was reporting winds out of the due east. I wonder if the chaser who made this report is on Stormtrack - I'd be interested in hearing their report. I know a lot can change in 8-9 minutes but looking at this radar image from Lubbock 8-9 min before the report I have to wonder if this tornado really occurred WEST of CDS.....

http://home.earthlink.net/~jckssjeff/lbb0404292127.gif
 
I wonder if the chaser who made this report is on Stormtrack - I'd be interested in hearing their report.
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The official report said a spotter reported it, but sometimes they put that as a default no matter who calls it in.
 
Ok guys, I know this belongs in a reports thread and am sure a mod will move it for me but I just got back from chasing around childress. This storm was high based for a while and did have a persistant wall cloud for about 30 minutes. It really started to get it act together as it neard Childress with a major increase in CG's, the base lowering and a huge RFD. As it started to wrap in and the rotation increased briefly it dropped what appeared to be a small brief tornado right in the middle of the inflow notch. There wasnt full condensation to the ground and it only lasted about 30-45 seconds before the rain curtain cut it off. I saw a couple of spotters and 1 other chaser in the area. I dont know who reported the tornado (wasnt me) but from what I saw from about 2 miles away on a hilltop looking somewhat down at it I saw rotation above it and a definite debris swirl, I dont believe this was a gustnado because of its location under the wall cloud and it wasnt moving away from the RFD. Also the location reported was inacurate. we were about 7 or 8 miles due south of Childress and it was 2 miles west of the road. I have looked at what video I and my partner have of it and I am pretty sure it was a small spinup. After that we headed SE on 287 staying ahead as it started to bow out with winds of around 70. we decided to stop and head back to Amarillo and had to punch the line from the east. we ran into nickel size hail just SE of quanah. It covered the entire ground like a blanket of snow about an inch deep. It was over all a great chase with tomorrow looking better.

A note of interest.... THe west side of Quanah lost power from straight line winds as it moved through. As we passed through town we dicovered the cause. The pole the tornado siren was mounted on had fallen into the power lines. Good thing they didnt need to sound them.
 
I have uploaded pics and an account of my chase near Childress on my website at http://www.underthemeso.com/chase2004/apr29

-Mike U

A couple shots from the chase I'll submit here:
[Broken External Image]:http://www.underthemeso.com/chase2004/apr29/cds_funnel.jpg
funnel cloud looking west from about 10 SE Childress at 4:36pm CDT. This is likely the feature that was reported as a tornado and the same funnel that Jay McCoy observed a ground debris whirl beneath (vid still)

[Broken External Image]:http://www.underthemeso.com/chase2004/apr29/Dscn7586.jpg
Same location looking west at ~4:40pm CDT

[Broken External Image]:http://www.underthemeso.com/chase2004/apr29/cds_cg3.jpg
Staccato CG bolt around 4:43pm (vid still)
 
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