How do you count tornadoes seen?

[Jeff House]

Regrettably we did not get any simultaneous multiple tornadoes. However Wed May 22 we did see two cycles of single tornado each. Two cycles certainly extends the show.

DDC is the ultimate example of multiple cycles, multiple tornadoes each. Clark, it doesn't get any better than that!

What part is better? If one measures by tornado minutes, do you double count twins?

Well, we have one day to help answer that. Rozel had two cycles. Second cycle had another funnel, which unbeknownst to us at the time touched down. We were far enough so no safety issue. While the double was nice, the two cycles is what extended the show.

Personal preference: I'll take two consecutive cycles (single tornadoes each) over a double at once. Two cycles is a longer show.

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

I kinda quit counting after the first one. No idea where my count is...maybe in the low 20's or so with Eads counting for the bulk of that.

 

[Ethan Schisler]

I count mainly for myself, not that it really matters all that much. Days with incredible structure+lightning combo sometimes outweigh tornado days for me, mainly because I'm into the photography side of things. Anyway, I'll play along. Here are a couple example from this last spring here:

1st image is south of Mangum, OK looking northeast from NW of East Duke. I was way out of position on the storm and couldn't discern anything visually with my eyes other than fast moving haze and what I thought was the right edge of something. Several days later after I got home from my trip and looked at photoshop. After contrasting the image and dehazing, and then seeing Matt Zuro's photo from a similar vantage point, I deduced what I saw was likely the Mangum tornado. Would I count this? I don't know. I was way too far away, so I really didn't get the "experience". So for me, probably not, but others might. Doesn't really matter, image quality is downright terrible:



Here is an example of something I would count. This was NW of Benson, IL on May 27th. Originally I thought this was a high based funnel cloud, however Hunter Anderson was able to videotape ground circulation as he was a lot closer than me and ILX confirmed a brief EF0 tornado in the area:



Final example of something I would count. Rushville, IL on May 22nd. I originally didn't count this because of the uncertainty, being at night, being a good distance away and all that jazz. However NWS Lincoln confirmed a 2 mile long damage path from an EF0 tornado just east of Rushville, IL in the direction I was looking and used my photo to confirm that. So that is an example of something I'd probably count, given I was able to help a local WFO confirm something, even though there was minor tree damage in the area so it probably still would have been confirmed had I not been there:





Anyway those are my few example from this year, sorry they couldn't be better, haven't had the best of luck this year...although it could have been worse I suppose.

 

[Quincy Vagell]

I also count Mayflower, even though I did not have a clear visual.

In the past, I did not count tornadoes unless they were verified by the NWS, but sometimes there are brief touchdowns that do no damage. Yes, NWS sometimes acknowledges EF-0s or EF-?s, but not always. In recent years, if I had enough evidence that there was a tornado, and/or it was collaborated by other chasers, then it makes sense to count it my personal records. Needless to say, it's pretty rare that I will see (count) a tornado that the NWS does not acknowledge.

For me, counting mainly comes down to stats. I have several chase spreadsheets that I maintain. In recent years, I've seen several tornadoes, but not many that were photogenic, or at least not ones that I was able to properly photograph. I like to go back and analyze where I saw tornadoes, when I saw them and under what conditions they were the most favorable. So, for me, it's about research and going back to see how I did with the forecast. I like to see what patterns there are and there are some periods of time that stand out as a sore thumb as being regular times in which I have seen tornadoes. For example, most chasers have had a lot of luck in mid to late May, as you'd expect, but aside from 2016, I've not had much success in that period. This year changed that a bit, but most of the tornadoes I saw were brief, rain-wrapped or otherwise not easily photographed during the same stretch. I've had more success in June and other periods stand out, such as the final week of April...

I also agree that I will take structure/lightning over a brief glimpse at a mushy funnel or something else that is low-contrast or rain-wrapped. Many of my best non-tornado chases were with long-lived supercells in the High Plains/northern Plains that, often, did not come close to producing a tornado.

 

[James K]

Since I haven't yet seen my 1st tornado, I'm going by thought alone on these.

1: I would count a multi-vortex as a single unit

2: I'd probably count then as separate tornadoes. (if the funnel didn't fully disappear, I'd probably count it as one)

3: That's a tough one..I really don't know if I would or not (I tend to think if I videoed it I'd say 'yes' , but if just a still photo 'no')

4: Yes I'd count a waterspout (even if it technically isn't a 'real' tornado)

5: Yes I'd count a landspout (even if it technically isn't a 'real' tornado)

6: Yes, as long as it was officially confirmed as a tornado, I would count it as well.

7: I'd just count it as a funnelcloud, not a tornado.

8: I'd probably count a satellite tornado as a separate...but it'd really depend on how close it was to the main one.

9: Dust devils.. I wouldn't count them as tornadoes, but might start keeping some track & even videoing if I get the chance.
I've seen YouTube videos of larger ones where the 'funnel' looks pretty darn tornado-ish, and have in person seen smaller ones on multiple occasions. (infact a small dust devil is the only thing I've ever got...lets just say a good up close personal view of :lol: )

 

[Bob Schafer]

"Officially confirmed as a tornado"? What, by the SPC? There have been tons of tornadoes that I can tell you right now were 100% absolutely positively real bona-fide tornadoes that were not "officially confirmed". FWIW.

BTW, that's not a knock on the SPC. It's not their job to document every single tornado, and there's no way they could possibly do that even if they were supposed to.

 

[Shane Adams]

I count based on visual observations. Basically, I count tornado cycles. Some chasers count mesocyclones, but IMO that's selling yourself (and the storm) short. I've seen multiple tornadoes come and go from the same mesocyclone without an obvious hard occlusion/handoff between tornadoes. May 3, 1999 is a great example. Ongoing tornado roped, disappeared, but the rotation above persisted and continued along with the storm. Minutes later, another tornado from the same rotation. That's two tornadoes by counting tornadoes, one by counting mesocyclones (which would be incorrect as far as actual tornado count).

To be "fair" I've posted a video clip that displays an example where I only counted the entire sequence as one tornado, while many other chasers credited themselves with multiple tubes. The reason I count all of this as a single tornado is simple: The parent rotation was continuous, and the ground circulation (even though the condensation vanished many times) was constantly present.......

 

[James K]

"Officially confirmed as a tornado"? What, by the SPC? There have been tons of tornadoes that I can tell you right now were 100% absolutely positively real bona-fide tornadoes that were not "officially confirmed". FWIW.

SPC, NWS, even just a local TV weather report (actually another chaser/spotter video would be enough for me too .. so I guess thinking about it, it doesn't have to be "official" by the books)