Bill Tabor
EF5
Another thread touched on the subject of tornadic storms, lightning, and tornadogenesis. I think it will make a good topic so I repost my comments here (following).
***
Well, it's very interesting. You mention lightning and tornadogenesis. This would be good to start a new topic on. I was on the cell Sunday very early just about 10 miles south of Spur as the initial tornadoes were ongoing. Tornadoes directly to my west, and I was in some of the precip from the core and anvil nearby. I was getting constant violent 'staccato' type lightning right on top and around me. That is one of the main reasons I retreated rather than sit there and watch whatever tornadoes it was about to produce. Many of these were very strange bolts. As I recall most began right after the initial tornadoes but while the wallcloud was still churning and planning on dropping more (probably bigger) tornadoes. They were instantaneously fast. Snap of the fingers timespan and they would appear and be gone. Though very close, most were completely, bizarrely, silent. They would fork out from the base in mid air and many did not actually reach the ground. They were just zipping all around me. At the same time, there were also the typical CG's hitting nearby. It was a bit concerning that's why I backed off. As I recall one of the guys on this list is collecting data for a study related to lightning and tornadogenesis. There does seem to be some type of connection. This type of lightning I am describing is very rare and unique and seems to have different properties. I don't know if any other chasers saw any of this because at the time I thought I was the first chaser on the tornadic area that close out in the countryside. I suppose others could have been spread out on different back roads though and I just didn't see them, but initially I saw no other chasers except some parked and out of their vehicle that I had left about 5 miles to the northwest of my later position near the wallcloud.
***
Well, it's very interesting. You mention lightning and tornadogenesis. This would be good to start a new topic on. I was on the cell Sunday very early just about 10 miles south of Spur as the initial tornadoes were ongoing. Tornadoes directly to my west, and I was in some of the precip from the core and anvil nearby. I was getting constant violent 'staccato' type lightning right on top and around me. That is one of the main reasons I retreated rather than sit there and watch whatever tornadoes it was about to produce. Many of these were very strange bolts. As I recall most began right after the initial tornadoes but while the wallcloud was still churning and planning on dropping more (probably bigger) tornadoes. They were instantaneously fast. Snap of the fingers timespan and they would appear and be gone. Though very close, most were completely, bizarrely, silent. They would fork out from the base in mid air and many did not actually reach the ground. They were just zipping all around me. At the same time, there were also the typical CG's hitting nearby. It was a bit concerning that's why I backed off. As I recall one of the guys on this list is collecting data for a study related to lightning and tornadogenesis. There does seem to be some type of connection. This type of lightning I am describing is very rare and unique and seems to have different properties. I don't know if any other chasers saw any of this because at the time I thought I was the first chaser on the tornadic area that close out in the countryside. I suppose others could have been spread out on different back roads though and I just didn't see them, but initially I saw no other chasers except some parked and out of their vehicle that I had left about 5 miles to the northwest of my later position near the wallcloud.
