Tornado Tornado Alley USA 2020

Thanks Much, Good Buddy! Looking much forward to your well-done pictures & reports. Kind Wishes & Stay Safe!!! It's awesome to see you on this wonderful forum.

Wow some great shots there!

Pure weather porn. Looking forward to reading your weather/trip reports!

I think you've picked up a few subscribers here too.
Great shots. Well done.
Keen to hear how the season unfolds for you.

Will be following this thread closely. Nice work @Orebound and thank for sharing.

Yep, good stuff @Orebound

I'll be following this thread big time. Your pics and reports are sensational.
The best part is, you are now on a better medium (ski.com) to post your reports.
Bring it on.....and stay safe!!

Outstanding images @Orebound Looking forward to your journey over there. Be Safe, sadly i lost a good mate last year over there when he was hit by a car.

Orebound said:

Sorry to hear that @Gleno71 I assume you're talking about Dale? If so, I was fortunate enough to meet him for the first time last year. We had a mutual friend (Ty Shmitt) and we all caught up in far western Kansas on a chase one day. I remember how excited he was to finally be there for the first time. His photos were incredible, such a sad loss.

On the subject of Ty, here's some of his work from last season. A good mate and an extremely talented photographer, he chased with Dale a fair bit last season.



Thanks everyone for the kind words, hopefully we can snare some nice images throughout the season to keep the thread ticking along.

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Yes was Dale, we used to chase storms together around the SE QLD region during storm season, he was so passionate about severe weather and photography in general.

Well thought I better get back into this thread. Will be particularly difficult going back to virtual targeting after my first alley season last year. Wasn't the best tornado wise, given so many were rain wrapped or in the dark or roads were cut by wretched floodwaters given the insane rain but managed about 11 in total mixed with a couple of dreadful busts (Lawrence KS one especially, but the McCook one grates me the most as that was our original target before getting sidetracked by other issues). Least we got the Farnham/Cozad one that day in the end. Certainly storm wise though it was pretty impressive, think we only had 3-4 rest or down days in nearly 6 weeks!

Brilliant images as always Orebound, im sure this thread will cop many more.

Also indeed it was very sad about Dale last year. In his first trip as well like myself, how very cruel and tragic. I didn't meet him personally but drove past him a few times and saw him in the car etc.

TS

Epic. Storm (and tornado) chasing through the US is high on my to do list. Will be following closely with interest.

Already looking at the radars and only 2 days in over there and it’s starting to look good. Gorgeous hook to the E of Crofton, Kentucky not long ago

I’ll be watching with anticipation here as well, I followed Rowland and cameron on their trip last year and be doing the same

22 dead in Nashville
Massive tornado.

Hello Folks:
Yes, truly sad news from the storms in central Tennessee overnight.
4 Tennessee counties were hard hit--including Davidson County, where Nashville is located. Also hard hit was Putnam County (to the East of Nashville), where the city of Cookeville was very hard hit. Putnam County was one of 2 Tennessee counties that had apparent F-3 tornadoes (winds of 136-165MPH/219-265.7KPH). Watching footage (on the Weather Channel) of the terrible twister damage in neighborhoods of Nashville and in the town of Cookeville. Some houses leveled to their foundations. At current, it is unclear how many twister there were; as twisters were reported several times along a 145-mile/233.4-kilometer stretch. The town of Camden was hit just after 11PM CST (Sunday); Nashville was struck just after 12Midnight & Cookeville was hit shortly before 2AM.
Thus far at least 22 people have perished:
16 in Putnam County; 3 in Wilson County; 2 in Davidson County and 1 in Benton County.
Nashville's Germantown area, Donelson neighborhood and parts of east Nashville were hard hit. TWC's Mike Seidel has been giving reports from the Buena Vista neighborhood of Nashville for much of the day.
At least 50,100 power outages were reported statewide early Tuesday, including 47,000 reported by the Nashville Electric Service.
Update (now 4:38PM CDT Tuesday), 25 fatalities are now reported with this outbreak in Tennessee. It'll be interesting to see the storm reports on the SPC site.
Here's a youtube vid of drone footage of the destruction in Nashville, TN., Please see:

My thoughts & prayers go out to those impacted. The damage in this vid is around 450 miles/724.6 kilometers ENE of my town.

Wet Snow said:

H

My thoughts & prayers go out to those impacted. The damage in this vid is around 450 miles/724.6 kilometers ENE of my town.

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Prayers to who? The one that made the world in seven days is such an arsehole it added tornados to keep us on our toes?

Hello Folks:
Just after 5PM Thursday here. Watching the Weather Channel and they are interviewing a woman who survived the tornado with a good deal of debris in her yard. Among the debris was a "Terminal" sign, which came from John C. Tune Airport. This general aviation airport--to the West of downtown Nashville--is 20 miles/32.2 kilometers to the West of where this sign landed! This airport (JWN) sustained at least $US90 Million in damage (not including aircraft).
Also, just now saw (5:48PM Thursday) where this twister launched a car into a 3rd floor window of a nearby apartment building!

Teeneesee and surrounds the interest areas for severe weather with the Storm Predic Centre going a 10% chance of EF2-EF5 tornadoes.

Quote from the SPC:

" SPC AC 120503

Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1203 AM CDT Thu Mar 12 2020
Valid 121200Z - 131200Z

...THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PARTS OF
THE MID MISSISSIPPI...OHIO AND TENNESSEE VALLEYS...

...SUMMARY...
Severe thunderstorms with tornadoes, large hail and wind damage are likely across parts of the mid Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee. Valleys this afternoon and evening. Isolated severe storms will also be possible in parts of the Arklatex and Ozarks. A few marginally severe storms could occur in the Desert Southwest.

...Arklatex/Mid Mississippi Valley/Ohio and Tennessee Valleys...
An upper-level trough will move eastward across the Great Plains today as a 75 to 100 kt mid-level jet moves across the central Plains and upper Mississippi Valley. A secondary 60 to 80 kt mid-level jet will move into the lower Ohio Valley. Increasing low-level moisture ahead of a cold front will result in surface dewpoints in the 60 to 65 F range from southeast Missouri and northeast Arkansas eastward across western Kentucky and Tennessee. This will lead to the development of an east to west corridor of instability by afternoon. Thunderstorms are forecast to first develop across south-central Missouri this morning and spread eastward into western Kentucky and northwest Tennessee by early to mid afternoon. The instability combined with strong deep-layer shear will be favorable for severe storms.

Concerning the finer-scale details, scattered thunderstorms should develop near a surface low in south-central Missouri around midday with this convection moving eastward across southern Illinois and into western Kentucky early this afternoon. This activity should stay along and to the south of a warm front extending eastward from the surface low. Cells that can move into the air south of the warm front will likely be surface-based, and will have the greatest chance to become severe. Forecast soundings near Paducah this afternoon show MLCAPE near 750 J/kg and 0-6 km shear of 60-65 kt. Hodographs show strong speed shear in the lowest 1 km AGL with strong directional shear below 850 mb. This will be favorable for
supercells and tornadoes. The tornado threat will likely be greatest in association with the 850 mb and 500 mb jet couplet. Storm relative helicities of 450 to 550 m2/s2 will support a threat for significant tornadoes as well. Supercells that move along and parallel to the warm front should have the greatest potential for tornadoes. A threat for large hail and wind damage will also be associated with supercells. A wind-damage threat will also be possible with bowing line segments.

Further southwest across the Arklatex and Ozarks, a cold front will advance southeastward this afternoon. Model forecast suggest that a pocket of instability will develop ahead of the front. Convection that initiates along and ahead of the front will move east-southeastward across the region. Surface dewpoints in the mid 60s F, MLCAPE of 500 to 750 J/kg and 0-6 km shear near 50 kt will likely support the development of isolated severe storms with potential for wind damage and hail.

...Desert Southwest...
An upper-level low will move slowly eastward off the coast of southern California. A 75 to 100 kt mid-level jet will move through the southeastern part of the system with the exit region affecting the Desert Southwest today. A surface low will deepen beneath the mid-level jet as a moist airmass with surface dewpoints in the 55 to 60 F range remains in place across southeast California and southwest Arizona. Surface heating will allow a pocket of instability to develop by afternoon with MLCAPE reaching 500 J/kg in many locations. As scattered thunderstorms develop this afternoon, the instability combined with moderate deep-layer shear should be sufficient for a marginal severe threat. Wind damage and hail will be possible with the stronger multicell clusters and short line-segments.
..Broyles/Wendt.. 03/12/2020 "


Defintely going to be an interesting day ahead for them, only recovering from the last lot of tornadoes that hit not long ago.

Not that I am planning anything anytime soon but could you point us in the direction of who you would possible recommend that organises these chases. I would be curious on costs involved as it is something I would love to do one day.

Thanks @Orebound !

Orebound said:

G'Day @chunky I've personally never used any of the chase tour companies as we do it all ourselves but I can assure you there is no shortage of companies out there doing guided tours. These range from small single person operators doing more personal tours to the larger operations like Silver Linings and Cloud 9 etc. I do however have a good mate who I've chased with on occasions over the years that runs the more personal type tours and is extremely talented at finding tornadoes, there is some information on his prices etc here Manitoba Storm Chasers

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As never having done it I'd be a bit scared, not know how to find them, not know an escape route etc etc.

Hello Folks:
This vid may be of interest to some.
Where, exactly is "Tornado Alley"? Please see:

Looking rather volatile across the Mid West today....western IL, E IA especially.

We have a strong dynamic setup with a deepening lee cyclone off the rockies rapidly translating eastwards with sfc pressures into the mid 980's and a massive mid and upper level jet aloft. Numbers at play here, 25-30knot SFC winds, 40-50knots 850hPa LLJ, 60-70knots 700hPa, 90-100knot 500hPa and 140-160knot 300-200hPa. Powerful winds and enormous evacuation of mass and lift. Such lift that waves of elevated storms are ongoing in the early hours through MO translating NE. A warm front extends across IL lifting north but this may be a little disrupted through the centre and eastern portions but the western section, especially closer to the sfc low over IA meeting the cold front axis with some backed winds will be a focus.

It's a tricky one as we have more isolated supercells closer to the sfc low with more E sfc flow over central to NE IA, but the greater instability and lower lcl's off the back of the morning convection in that warm moist sector between warm front and cold front, subtending NW with SE sfc flow looks bloody fine to me. Issue will be storm speed (off the charts) and the big fat Mississippi River.....IA initiation of the strongest supercells seems likely, more likely SE IA but trying to start west of the river and look for a crossing may be an issue, especially in this current world so will remain east of the river in IL and let the storms come to me....thinking somewhere around Roseville IL to St.Augustine IL for a target but geez it's a broad area with 60-70mph storm modes. Be hard for that perfect intercept so may need to get well ahead even more NE but time will tell.

TS

Looking very likely of a significant Dixie Alley outbreak in a couple of days time....will start with a target tonight for day 1 for the enhanced risk over TX and then tomorrow for the main course...MS/AL looking the pick atm for long-tracked tornadoes. Shear parameters right off the chops

Watching this one with interest as well.

Shooting from the hip here with a quick look but somewhere around Benjamin TX to Seymour TX for the enhanced risk tomorrow, couple of rounds of storms off the dryline area, should be discrete enough, bit of a bulge there and some backed winds which may enhance low level hodo's a tad.

Then a big drive east at night for the big day!

TS

Eyeing the radar and Tx is away big time. Some tasty couplets appearing as well, only early and the worst is yet to come.
I will go Cleveland MS, El Dorado AR, Tri Point of Louisana, Mississippi and Arkansas, Greenville MS. Many soundings there pegged by the past few runs of HRRR show PDSTOR so hanging around that area, so just slightly N of the ENHANCED area made via SPC. NAM looking decent as well. Satellite will be eye candy with some billowing overshoots.

Alright enough farting around just spent an hour in google maps trying to find a clearing in MS but thinking around Mathiston MS... was thinking more Brooksville to the SE but sticking NW for now.

Essentially a big day but a classic dirty Dixie day with strong tornado potential anywhere from E TX through LA AR MS into AL later on. Multiple rounds of storms but primarily there will be a broad MCS cluster from nocturnal storms currently on going which will be a focus for QLCS events early on before sfc based convection takes over.....and I'm eyeing off a lead/rogue cluster on an enhanced area of backed winds juxtaposed to the more linear feature advancing from the west, however eventually may be overtaken. More backed winds here in nothing short of violent kinematics...just the best chance to get a clean cell let alone clear views with the jungles all around. Could easily be many nasty tornadoes...in particular SE AR NE LA and W to N MS....into NW AL but tail end charlies may be a play down south out in the open but at the expense of larger critical angles near 90degrees more of these are with less sfc backing and smaller degrees in the 40-50 range. Most mode potential is linear to embedded but discrete storms in this envrionment will very quickly take old, especially in the 400-500SRH ahead of the line along that favourable area. These more discrete storms may take quite a bit more time to get going, even after many tornadoes have already occured but I want to be able to see the damn things so this gives me the best chance.

Praying for no deaths but potential is sadly there for some....

TS

Hello Folks:
There are PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation) issued for the S part of the US. The (US) Weather Channel will not be showing their peripheral shows today (Sunday) in order to stay on top of this Severe Weather Outbreak. They give TORCOM scores of 7 (7 in 10 chance of seeing a twister within 20-50 miles of a point) in N parts of Alabama & W parts of Mississippi as the evening progresses (currently 12:36PM CDT Sunday here). After 1.10"/27.9mm rain here on Saturday; I've received a further 1.60"/40.6mm rain today in AM thundershowers. The rain stopped around an hour ago & now the sun (temp. here now is around 60F/15.5C) looks like trying to show through the clouds. As per the Weather Channel, my area looks likely to see large hail in a few hours, as the back edge of the Low-Pressure crosses my area. My town doesn't get that much hail & what hail we do get is usually small.
Looks like another interesting--and potentially damaging & deadly--evening & night. Happy Easter to All & Keeping An Eye On The Sky!

Yeah Soso, Mississippi copping the brunt of it out there today.
There and Bassfield, MS.

Imagine living in a town called Soso? It's not a great place. It's not a bad place.....

Tornado porn.

Tornados in several counties in North Carolina near my home last night and into the early morning. Over 200,000 lost power.

April 13, WRAL TV News in Raleigh, NC
With storm threat over, focus turns to cleanup and strong winds
https://www.wral.com/with-storm-threat-over-focus-turns-to-cleanup-and-strong-winds/19050718/