1995 June 9 Farmer's Valley - Vernon, Texas Tornado

This is a video clip from the DVD program "Storm Chase 1993-1995 by Robert Prentice."

The video was shot about 8 miles northwest of Vernon, Texas near Farmer's Valley, Texas. This tornado is one of the closest and most startling multi-vortex tornadoes I have ever encountered. The parent supercell had already produced 15 - 20 weak, short-lived, "dust-whirl" tornadoes. But we were unprepared when one of the "dust whirl" tornadoes formed at close range then suddenly became a large, multi-vortex tornado and tracked right for us!

The complete DVD program listing and ordering information can be found at:

http://members.cox.net/rprentice/chase_1993-1995.htm

Copyright Robert A. Prentice, 1995, 1996, 2005

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[cape6000jkg]

All gustnadoes, tornadoes, waterspouts and dust devils are vertically stretched by uplift. The key to.this event is; did anyone see if this vortex actually extended up into the cloud base? If it did, then very weak tornado. If not, then gustnado. I would like to know myself, if it can be determined. Insofar as lightning frequency goes, It''s the updraft strength and ice above the freezing altitude that determines lightning frequency, not the mesocyclone.

[RobertPrentice]

@cape6000jkg

Yes, the circulation was stretched vertically into the mesocyclone's cloud base.

I only included the lightning observation as an interesting side-bar. However, many research studies (and my own personal observations) suggest there often is a strong relationship between mesocyclone evolution and CG lightning frequency, distribution, and even polarity.

[cape6000jkg]

Well it obviously was weak. Could you actually see this vortex continue up into the cloud?

[RobertPrentice]

@cape6000jkg

Shortly afterwards, I saw a video clip from a more distant chaser which also indicated this multi-vortex circulation was vertically stretched by a mesocyclone.

There was likely another supercell tornado before this one that was associated with a classic hook echo as seen from the nearby WSR-88D in Frederick, OK. Never saw the probable tornado since it was rain-wrapped. This occluding meso produced the most intense, frequent CG lightning barrage I've ever encountered.

[cape6000jkg]

I think this was just a gustnado on those very dry dosty fields that day. It was too small and weak as close as you were to it. It looks like the strongest wind gust in it were probably no more than 40 mph. A typical good sized dust devil on dusty ground on a clear day is about the same. I chased that day and saw a brief partially rain-wrapped tornado with a short, wide condensation funnel on the Red River. I missed the monster tornadoes the day before in the Texas panhandle

[RobertPrentice]

@cape6000jkg

I think this was a supercell tornado because it was stretched into an occluding mesocyclone. The AMS says a gustnado is a tornado; I disagree.

AMS Glossary of Meteorology:

tornado—A violently rotating column of air, in contact with the ground, either pendant from a cumuliform cloud or underneath a cumuliform cloud, and often (but not always) visible as a funnel cloud.

gustnado—Colloquial expression for a short-lived, shallow, generally weak tornado found along a gust front.

[THEJERALDNATION]

this is classic my friend. I been watching ur vids for years and years. Real good stuff bud. Mind if i join in on the tornados?

[cape6000jkg]

So yes, it was a very small weak tornado. And the lightning, yes because mesocyclone evolution is directly related to the strength of the updraft.. And the ice particles in a thunderstorm are just like the ash particles in a volcanic eruption, the more powerful the eruption, the more frequent the lightning is.

[cape6000jkg]

So much dusty ground that day. That was a strong supercell that produced softball size hail, but apparently no tornadoes as I differentiate between gustnadoes and tornadoes. If the vortex does not extend up into the cloud base I call it a gustnado.. This must have been the largest of the day. This one still looks too weak to damage anything. weaker than any actual tornado. I have seen larger and stronger dust devils on clear days in Arizona that were strong enough to do damage.

[RobertPrentice]

@cape6000jkg

Yes, interesting discussion! What exactly is a tornado? My severe storm colleagues have had many discussions on this topic.

Rich Thompson (SPC) and I observed many whirling dust columns ("spin-ups") from this supercell before this much more significant circulation occurred. I feel secure in calling this event a supercell tornado because is was associated with an occluding mesocyclone.