• After witnessing the continued decrease of involvement in the SpotterNetwork staff in serving SN members with troubleshooting issues recently, I have unilaterally decided to terminate the relationship between SpotterNetwork's support and Stormtrack. I have witnessed multiple users unable to receive support weeks after initiating help threads on the forum. I find this lack of response from SpotterNetwork officials disappointing and a failure to hold up their end of the agreement that was made years ago, before I took over management of this site. In my opinion, having Stormtrack users sit and wait for so long to receive help on SpotterNetwork issues on the Stormtrack forums reflects poorly not only on SpotterNetwork, but on Stormtrack and (by association) me as well. Since the issue has not been satisfactorily addressed, I no longer wish for the Stormtrack forum to be associated with SpotterNetwork.

    I apologize to those who continue to have issues with the service and continue to see their issues left unaddressed. Please understand that the connection between ST and SN was put in place long before I had any say over it. But now that I am the "captain of this ship," it is within my right (nay, duty) to make adjustments as I see necessary. Ending this relationship is such an adjustment.

    For those who continue to need help, I recommend navigating a web browswer to SpotterNetwork's About page, and seeking the individuals listed on that page for all further inquiries about SpotterNetwork.

    From this moment forward, the SpotterNetwork sub-forum has been hidden/deleted and there will be no assurance that any SpotterNetwork issues brought up in any of Stormtrack's other sub-forums will be addressed. Do not rely on Stormtrack for help with SpotterNetwork issues.

    Sincerely, Jeff D.

Phenominal hybrid firewhirl-landspout

Joined
Nov 6, 2004
Messages
448
Location
Dodge City, KS
I had the priveledge and just flat out dumb luck of the atmosphere producing one of the most amazing vortices I've ever witnessed on June 30th in southern Kansas.

I was targetting the Hutchinson area for storm chasing late this afternoon, early this evening, and on the way, noticed quite a few wheat stubble fields burning. One of the fields was going pretty good, so I decided to do a little photography.

A slow moving boundary was almost right on top of this burning field, which provided enough ambient vertical vorticity at the surface to create one of the most incredible vortices I've witnessed. A strong, to violent at times, firewhirl developed in the middle of the field and persisted a good 15 to 20 minutes with various stages of appearance and intensity during this time. Looking back at the ICT radar and surface obs, vertical vorticity was maximized right along Highway 50 in Stafford County thru Reno County. Here are a couple images below.. many more are found here.

<img src=http://www.underthemeso.com/albums/2005jun30/DSC49661.sized.jpg>
<img src=http://www.underthemeso.com/albums/2005jun30/DSC49891.sized.jpg>
<img src=http://www.underthemeso.com/albums/2005jun30/DSC50061.sized.jpg>
<img src=http://www.underthemeso.com/albums/2005jun30/DSC50151.sized.jpg>

Mike U
 
Being a firefighter, i have seen many small vortices in grass fire but nothing like this Mike. Excellent photos. I would like to have one of those for a screensaver sometime. I'll contact you about it.
 
Wow - that's an incredible site, Mike. Did you share w/ any of the local TV stations down there? Was this during the time yesterday when there was that outflow boundary that was approaching Wichita from the NW?
 
Wow - that's an incredible site, Mike. Did you share w/ any of the local TV stations down there? Was this during the time yesterday when there was that outflow boundary that was approaching Wichita from the NW?

Mike, there was indeed a boundary moving slowly south right over where this control burn was occuring over a wheat stubble field. This is the main reason this incredible vortex was so intense and so long-lived... there was a pre-existing environment rich with vertical vorticity.... so add convection to that (the field fire), and you can concentrate that vorticity into what you see in the photographs. Amazing meteorology at work. I did not share with any media... I did not have any video. I Will, however, be working with Jim Reed marketing a few of these shots, and down the road, I'll make prints/posters available of this and other work :)

Mike U
 
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