How to successfully intercept a tornado and how to determine tornado vs. no tornado.

[Joshua Nall]

...... When and where did you shoot this? It reminds me of the April 23, '10 Nebraska event where a rain shaft was reported as a wedge.

I remember reading about that April 23 report.
This was taken on a local non severe storm day here in Southwest AR.

 

[Jordan Hartley]

Want to flip the coin and bring up a point that is fitting for this topic. 9/15/10 comes to mind on identifying a tornado that is difficult to confirm visibly. I intercepted the Wichita cell south of Derby ended up moving south and east of Mulvane. There I saw an area of scud that had vigerous tight rotation aloft but no condensation funnel extending to the ground as rain obscured most of that area for a short time. Over a period of a couple of minutes this area become clearly visible with a nice funnel extending out of the main base at an angle and was turning up a storm. Still there wasn't a full extension of the funnel to the ground so I didnt know what to think. Had I been alone out in the middle of nowhere I would have blown the call. I later confirmed that the tornado had been on the ground for some time from an eye witness. Now I can say that the rotation within the funnel was very tight and at one point the funnel extended over half way to the ground. So I could in a way visually confirm by rotation intensity and where the funnel was to ground based on that experience.

But I want to raise a question. If im several miles away with trees obscuring my view to the ground or rain for the matter, if I see something like what ive described do I go ahead and call it in as a tornado or as a rotating funnel extending halfway to the ground?

Heres a few pictures that might help. Want to thank Rebekah LaBar for these photos --- http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=4492&d=1284616832 http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=4493&d=1284616870

BTW whats up with tornadoes cork screwing into the rfd's around the Derby/Mulvane area? http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...&sa=X&ei=XhdLTa62NMKqlAfGgrkX&ved=0CBgQ9QEwAQ

 

[Skip Talbot]

But I want to raise a question. If im several miles away with trees obscuring my view to the ground or rain for the matter, if I see something like what ive described do I go ahead and call it in as a tornado or as a rotating funnel extending halfway to the ground?

The short answer is that you cannot confirm a tornado without a view of the ground. Always report what you see, not what you think you see. Report a funnel extending more than half way to the ground, and add a note that you have obstructions in your view and cannot confirm if its a tornado.

There are times of course when its more than obvious you have a tornado and your view is obstructed, such as a thick stovepipe that extends below the treeline from your view. For my chase logs/personal use, I generally count a tornado if the condensation funnel is 3/4's down. Chasers vary on this of course. Some use 2/3's and some use 1/3 down, lol.

 

[Jordan Hartley]

The short answer is that you cannot confirm a tornado without a view of the ground. Always report what you see, not what you think you see. Report a funnel extending more than half way to the ground, and add a note that you have obstructions in your view and cannot confirm if its a tornado.

There are times of course when its more than obvious you have a tornado and your view is obstructed, such as a thick stovepipe that extends below the treeline from your view. For my chase logs/personal use, I generally count a tornado if the condensation funnel is 3/4's down. Chasers vary on this of course. Some use 2/3's and some use 1/3 down, lol.

Well a 3/4 ratio would have fit at one point if you factor in the true height of the tornado More like 2/3 in the mentioned case. And I actually had a situation 5/05/07 south of Great Bend, KS where I had a stove pipe on the ground obscured be a near hedge row and spotted it through my side mirror looking behind me. Had I not caught it with my eye I would have driven 400 miles in a loop for nothing.

 

[Skip Talbot]

And I actually had a situation 5/05/07 south of Great Bend, KS

Was it this tornado (same day, sw of Great Bend)?

Here's a couple examples of 3/4's condensation or more than 3/4's. I didn't report these, even though they were confirmed by other chasers/spotters, and would not have without more evidence than these photos:

Both did fully condense at some point during their lifespan. Looking at just these pictures though, I can't technically confirm a tornado.

 

[Jordan Hartley]

Yep thats the one Skip. I camped on that E/W hwy somewhere near where you took that photo about 2-3 mi east of your location for a good 30 min waiting on that cell come up from Larned. My lack of radar and experience got the best of me there. The RFD came through and I mistook that for the storm becoming outflow dominate when in fact it was cycling. I left camp and bailed east while that tornado turned away. Caught it in the mirror and saw it for a couple of minutes before it dissipated.