Los Angeles Tornado

[Matt Zumbrunn]

Looks like a damaging and relatively strong (for Los Angeles occurred a few hours ago. Convective Chronicles on youtube has a pretty good kinematic breakdown

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/03/22/montebello-tornado-los-angeles-california/

 

[Mike Smith]

Here is some other information:

Tornado Strikes Los Angeles Suburb of Montebello

A supercell thunderstorm moved across the Los Angeles Basin during the late morning. And, just like in the rest of the nation, it produced a...

www.mikesmithenterprisesblog.com

 

[Jamie H]

Video for those interested:

 

[cdcollura]

This was a truly unusual event and nearly impossible to forecast. There was little kinematics, 30 kts (or less) of bulk shear, veered flow, and CAPE around 100. But in this area, sometimes that's all you need with terrain and / or boundaries. Even more interesting was the "mini" supercell itself. The storm was basically 12,000 feet high (I usually skydive higher than that)! Low topped storms are typically 30,000 feet or so high. All the dynamics in this setup, albeit subtle, were confined to the lowest KM or so of atmosphere.

 

[Jeff Wright]

This might be the winner for weakest damaging tornado...the other videos of tiny vortices might be gustnadoes...entrained surface spawned spin ups---inflow jets curling around things---but this...thunderstorm and all in a jar almost.

Now wasn't the F-5 of Oak Grove Alabama in 1998 low-topped as well?

 

[Elizabeth Andrews]

This was a truly unusual event and nearly impossible to forecast. There was little kinematics, 30 kts (or less) of bulk shear, veered flow, and CAPE around 100. But in this area, sometimes that's all you need with terrain and / or boundaries. Even more interesting was the "mini" supercell itself. The storm was basically 12,000 feet high (I usually skydive higher than that)! Low topped storms are typically 30,000 feet or so high. All the dynamics in this setup, albeit subtle, were confined to the lowest KM or so of atmosphere.

Even though I am a SkyWarn Spotter - albeit for more than a decade - and a life-long weather enthusiast, I agree that this was a highly unusual event. When I first started seeing news outlets reporting on this I immediately thought of an old disaster movie, The Day After Tomorrow (for those who have seen it, you know what I'm talking about; for those who haven't, which would surprise me since it came out in '04, I won't spoil it). I never once thought this would actually happen in my lifetime. But at this point, nothing much will surprise me from here on out.

 

[Mike Smith]

immediately thought of an old disaster movie, The Day After Tomorrow (for those who have seen it, you know what I'm talking about; for those who haven't, which would surprise me since it came out in '04, I won't spoil it). I never once thought this would actually happen in my lifetime. But at this point, nothing much will surprise me from here on out.

Given the reference to global warming, it is highly unlikely that it caused the Los Angeles Tornado. Tornadoes are surprisingly common in the Los Angeles Basin when an El Nino is present. Please see the link below and scroll down for a map of tornado paths. This tornado was not nearly as bad as the storm that struck in 1983.

Tornado Strikes Los Angeles Suburb of Montebello

A supercell thunderstorm moved across the Los Angeles Basin during the late morning. And, just like in the rest of the nation, it produced a...

www.mikesmithenterprisesblog.com

 

[Elizabeth Andrews]

Given the reference to global warming, it is highly unlikely that it caused the Los Angeles Tornado. Tornadoes are surprisingly common in the Los Angeles Basin when an El Nino is present. Please see the link below and scroll down for a map of tornado paths. This tornado was not nearly as bad as the storm that struck in 1983.

Tornado Strikes Los Angeles Suburb of Montebello

A supercell thunderstorm moved across the Los Angeles Basin during the late morning. And, just like in the rest of the nation, it produced a...

www.mikesmithenterprisesblog.com

Thank you, Mike. I used to live on the coast in Southeastern North Carolina (and still live somewhat close by to this day) and didn't hear very much about tornadoes in Los Angeles growing up. This clarifies the confusion I initially experienced when hearing about the Los Angeles Tornado, and I stand corrected about my earlier comment.

 

[Jeff Wright]

I remember footage of the Twenty-Nine Palms event on TORNADO VIDEO CLASSICS.