9/25/05 NOW: MS/AL

[Dan Cook]

Numerous tornado warnings going out in Mississippi and Alabama. I don't think I've ever seen this many couplets at one time ever:

 

[Jeff Snyder]

I've been watching the situation for the past few hours. Very strong low-level shear (which is pretty typical in situations like this) is juxtaposed with marginal/moderate instability (500-1250 j/kg CAPE in areas seeing insolation ahead of the main convective band in western AL). There has been a rise in discrete storms across Mississippi, which has increased the threat of isolated tornadoes in the area. I think I counted 12 counties under tornado warnings at one time a little while ago.

EDIT: 3 awesome low-level couplets lined up just WSW of Tuscaloosa.

 

[beaudodson]

Mississippi State Universtiy hit by a tornado.

 

[Dave Gallaher]

Interesting intercept situation here--I'm heading out to area west of Huntsville, AL to see what's catchable.

Dave Gallaher
Huntsville, AL

 

[nickgrillo]

Very strong low-level mesocyclones on twin storms just to the NW of Tuscaloosa... Storm is feeding off a prime atmosphere for tornadoes. Sufficiant SFC-based instability to coinside with strong low-level and deep-layer shear profiles favorable for mini-supercells.

 

[Dave Gallaher]

4:31pm cdt---Just observed a very short-lived wall cloud with off-and-on rotation (small scale) over Meridianville, AL. Overall circulation was vigorous, but lifespan was less than three minutes.

Dave Gallaher
Huntsville, AL

 

[nickgrillo]

There is currently nineteen counties under tornado warnings in MS/AL/TN. In addition, there is now discrete convection occuring across southern MS, and given the insolation, SFC-based instability in excess of 1500J/KG has been able to occur in addition to the strong low-level shear.

 

[Brandon Clement]

I have been in and out all day chasing and I'm not having much luck. I have been picking up the storms on I-20 and staying out in front of them then taking roads going south and west of Jackson. Most of the roads in the area are two lane with no shoulders, they have a lot of curves and the trees are so thick they actually act like a canopy over the road in many places. I have only heard a couple reports of actual tornado sightings since most of them are wrapped in heavy rain and since the LCL's are so low you can't even see over the trees. Every cell changes its structure so rapidly that it is impossible to follow visually in this terrain.

I actually had better luck yesterday when the storm motion was 50-60 mph to the North because the road options and terrain was so much better. It is very frustrating to say the least since there have been numerous reports of damage very close to where I have been, yet I have not seen one tornado. I have seen many brief wall clouds and a couple brief funnels, but it sure isn't what I was hoping for. I hope some other guys have had better luck. There had to have been well over 100 tornado warnings the last two days in central Ms alone.

SPC just extended the tornado watch until 1AM and the storms are still firing right along the Ms river moving east along I20 so looks like it will continue to be active well into the night.

 

[nickgrillo]

Rita has obviously been the best tornado-producing tropical system of the year, with 42 reports of tornadoes in the past 48hrs alone!

Widespread potentially-tornadic storms are still ongoing... Particularly, the supercell in Jasper county in southeast MS - which has a very nice low-level couplet to the north of Bay Springs. Latest mesoanaly shows moderate SFC-based instability in a strongly sheared (300-600 SRH) airmass. I'd have to say the threat will continue for the next few hours, but as the boundary layer cools and the northward advancement of the best low-level wind fields continues... The threat for tornadoes/supercells will slowly diminish.

 

[Jarrod Cook]

Originally posted by beaudodson
Mississippi State Universtiy hit by a tornado.

Wow. The second University to get hit directly by a tornado this month :shock:

22 tornado's reported so far today, and 21 yesterday.

 

[Ken Johnson]

I have pictures of a large torando produced by Rita, but don't know how to post them on there. Could somebody please explain[/url]