In-situ and aerial video observations confirm tornado "eyes" do exist

[Dan Robinson]

Journal papers that discussed low-reflectivity "eyes" in tornadoes measured either with mobile or close-range NEXRAD radars have been around for a long time, but in recent years, we've seen multiple visual confirmations that many tornadoes do in fact have actual, clear/calm eyes like hurricanes. Aerial drone videos show that debris clouds in some tornadoes are "rings" with clear eyes.

1.1M views · 12K reactions | Raw Video INSIDE the Wyoming, IA tornado today! Full flight will be posted soon. For sale email: [email protected] (918) 906-0427 | The OTUS Project

Raw Video INSIDE the Wyoming, IA tornado today! Full flight will be posted soon. For sale email: [email protected] (918) 906-0427

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[JamesCaruso]

Unless I’m missing it, nowhere on the YouTube page for that TIV video does it say what tornado that was. Looks like it was just posted yesterday, so I assume it might be from one of the 4/23 tornados, but if so which one?!?

 

[Warren Faidley]

Interesting, as the original Wizard of OZ nailed this, with Dorothy's house and the wicked witch of the west inside the eye.

Seriously, I'm assuming this feature is limited to steady state vorticies, similar to tropical cyclones. I remember the interior (eye) of dust devils when I rode my bike into them.

The big problem here is that you know some idiotic chasers are now going to try and drive into the "eye" of every tornado.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Agreed, it's apparent that this isn't the case with all tornadoes, just the ones that are maintaining a steady-state single-vortex structure. Higher ambient RH might never clear out. The 2013 TIV intercept didn't show any such feature, though that tornado was much larger, in heavy precip (high RH) and they might not have been in the true center.

Unless I’m missing it, nowhere on the YouTube page for that TIV video does it say what tornado that was. Looks like it was just posted yesterday, so I assume it might be from one of the 4/23 tornados, but if so which one?!?

Appears to be one of the Blackwell/Bremen tornadoes from Thursday.