VORTEX2: June 7, 2009 - days 28. Operations provided for in the field: supercell in Missouri.
Miles traveled today: 545. Total miles traveled: 9575 .
For today we have a 10% share of tornadoes associated with a Moderate Risk centered on the corner of four states: Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. The situation at high altitude to see a 500 hPa closed cyclone with maximum winds of 35-50 knots and a shear 0-6km around 40-50 which is sufficient to support supercells along with a rather high SRH between Nebraska and Kansas. The energy available for today is good over most of eastern Kansas, where the values \u200b\u200bare around 2000-3000 J / Kg. On the ground there is a low pressure centered between Colorado and Kansas that provides good ventilation in the southern lower atmosphere.
In late morning we leave Kearney to head east along Interstate 80 near abandon that position ourselves better for dell'Highway 103 towards the development of convection that will soon be arrivare.Alle two in the afternoon the target is updated at Auburn in Nebraska; values \u200b\u200bof CAPE in the north-eastern Kansas raggiungno 4000 J / Kg and CIN it is almost reduced to zero, convection could start soon. The shear 0-6km today is good for supercells but is still low in the lower levels. If convection starts too early and with the cooling taking place at the level of CAP is possible that the time to organize themselves in a large mesoscale convective system rather than supercells.
Lunch arrives late and is consumed in the parking lot of the scuoal Bietress with the anxiety of having to start at any moment. After an hour the Storm Prediction Center issued a Tornado Watch (with a probability of 60% have 2 or tornado), and meanwhile develop the first storms to the west and along comes the order to cross the Missouri River to move eastward. The cell more 'intense Thunderstorm Warning is given immediately, and radar images today sull'intepretazione leave little doubt: we have the first supercell of the day. We head to Burlington Junction in an area that can provide greater mobility to all the ups and downs along armada in a landscape that is quite different from the nearby Kansas, however, the distance of almost 100 miles between the armada and the first cell and the presence of the Missouri River to induce half the coordinators to move the caravan to west near the river but remained in the state of Missouri.
The northernmost cell begins to display characteristics consistent with the formation of a tornado, and so the Thunderstorm Warning is associated with a Tornado Warning. The storm is located about 60 miles and a new cell has taken more lives in the south of the former. The armada then decide to focus their attention on their cell younger and radars are positioned for a first data collection. At 18:26 our cell is also allery with Tornado Warning when the storm to the north is progressively decreasing in intensity.
The caravan is to be located just below the mesociclone but the road network is not particularly easy to slow down operations and so early in the armada is forced to demobilize the positions on the field as soon as hunters become hunted by hailstones that are reported to have absurd dimensions. One of the radar (not ours thankfully) witnesses the fall of grains of 11 cm in diameter. The instruments are too precious to allow us to destroy them in a hailstorm, and so we move towards the east looking for a replacement. The unique location, however, allows us to admire the greatness of mesociclone and the beauty of this supercell that once again wins our attention and admiration.
us toward Savannah and St. Joseph then gained ground along Highway 36 on the progress of the supercell and reposition it in front of it just west of Maysville.
Here again the view is breathtaking with the sun low on the horizon and project beams of light onto the wall cloud. While we realize our transept with mesonet to collect data we find ourselves right on the tip of the hook of the supercell. It 's the place where it should form the tornado but the watchful eyes On Doppler radar Wheel 7, which leads us to a few miles away, we ensure the security of the position. On the radar there seems no particular signs of the impending formation of a tornado even if we see wind clouds over our heads. On the second transect near the town of Amity micro cross the fast-moving curtain of rain with strong winds from the west.
Just before step three of our branches are torn from the trees and projected onto the roadway out of the window while the strong gusts of wind bend the trees to our left. Through radio we learn that we've probably gone through a little weak vortex tornado since the Doppler radar is a weak pop-valued pair of opposing radial velocity, but nothing risky for us, just some emotion into the sunset più.Con close the operations of this long day that took us through three different states. All crews have been working great, once again demonstrating the great preparation and seriousness that everyone continues to make every day in the field despite being passed over one month of the project!
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