URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 160
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
130 PM CDT FRI APR 13 2012
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
OKLAHOMA
A SMALL PART OF NORTHWEST TEXAS
EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 130 PM UNTIL 900
PM CDT.
TORNADOES...HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 60 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES WEST OF WICHITA FALLS
TEXAS TO 20 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF PONCA CITY OKLAHOMA. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).
DISCUSSION...STORMS ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP OVER SWRN OK AS THE CAP
HAS WEAKENED WITHIN A STRONGLY UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT WITH MLCAPE OF
2000-2500 J/KG. ALTHOUGH DYNAMIC FORCING FOR LARGE SCALE ASCENT IS
SUBTLE...NUMERICAL GUIDANCE INDICATES THAT STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO
DEVELOP TOWARD NRN OK THIS AFTERNOON...WITH CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL
ALSO INCREASING ALONG THE NWRN EDGE OF MOISTURE AS IT RETREATS NWWD
LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DEEP LAYER SHEAR OF 40 KT IN THE
LOWEST 6 KM WILL FAVOR FORMATION OF SUPERCELL STRUCTURES...WITH AN
INITIAL THREAT FOR LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WIND GUSTS. WITH
TIME...LOW LEVEL WINDS/SHEAR WILL STRENGTHEN WITH A SUBSEQUENT
INCREASE IN TORNADO POTENTIAL LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
So, heres the GRLevel3 map outlined with the days possibility, along with MESO discussion and radar. So its clear to say where my target will be today. I'm heading towards Stillwater. Departed town under overcast skies, but the satellite revealed clearing skies west of I-35. Were on the move.
(Below) So, I stop off near I-35 now and the skies not as clear as I hoped for daytime heating to build, but I bite my lip, check over the latest Mesonet readings and sit it out waiting.
By 3:30pm, it looks as though things are starting to look up. As I'm heading into Stillwater to gas up, I note the nice tower (below) building to my west. Impressive on Radar, top was around 34,000 and still building. Could this be the one?
I pull up the latest radar image on GRL3 and this cell looked to have potential. The chase is on as I allowed the cell to pass north of my location to get into position on the southside. To my luck, all cell tracks leaded northeast. Bonus, I'm chasing back towards home.
I'm north of Stillwater now, keeping the cell off to my left shoulder as it continues to grow. This cell screaming to do something interesting. Reports come over the spotter network and Ham Radioes, hail the size of tennis balls faling from this one. I find a place to pull off the side and wait for the storm to cross over me. (below) Time is 5:10pm CST.
As I'm watching the cell, I pull down the latest radar, and hers what showing. A lot of decent cells going up, but nothing extreme.
The cell passes by, drops a few dime size hail and wind gust about 40mph, and then it was over. I was thinking, really??? I wasn't about to let it go, top was still setting around 42,000 ft and the road network was easy to keep along size of this one as I zigzagged north and east back into Osage county. Lots of lightning, rain and wind, but that was the extent of this chase. Saw an interesting feature in the clouds and decided to take a snapshot in the pic below.
So what did the daily toll come to? One tornado reported in Norman and in California. That was the extend. I wasn't disappointed for the days chase, it was good to go out and see the beauty of nature. There were bigger fish to fry the next day. SPC is forecasting a major outbreak on April 14th. I wonder where the roads will take me next!
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