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| TOGETHER WE ROMANCE THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF STORMS!!
Supercell:
This is the tornado chasers dream storm.
Supercells produce a variety of wild and potentially dangerous weather
including: rotating wall clouds; funnel clouds; tornadoes; hail up to softball
sized; non-tornadic straight-line winds that gust to 80 MPH - in rare cases as
high as 120 MPH; torrential downpours that may accumulate to several inches per
hour and produce flash floods; and continuous science-fiction lightning
displays. It is especially awesome to watch one of
these storms develop. We have watched one towering cumulus cloud explode like a
bomb into a full-fledged storm producing tornadoes within 45 minutes. MCC (Mesoscale
Convective Complex): These storms
especially occur between late evening and the early morning hours.
They are formed when a cluster of storms over a given region merge and
share resources, becoming their own meteorological entity, comparable to a low
pressure system. They are prolific
rain producers and also create spectacular lightning shows. We may be up as late as 1 AM
watching and filming the relentless lightning that comes off these storms.
Because they usually do not produce windshield shattering hail, it is
frequently safe to Squall line:
Here a broken line of storms pull resources and march together in a line or arc,
sharing a common gust front. They produce spectacular thunderheads and ominous
looking skies that include a huge wing-like line of black clouds that stretches
across the entire western sky and approaches, breaking overhead into seething,
boiling lava lamp-like masses close to treetops. A sharp blast of wind sweeps
through, dropping the temperatures several degrees. Within 15-20 minutes, a wall
of rain, small hail and lightning rushes in. Squall lines rarely produce tornadoes, but
may produce “gustinadoes” or spin-ups caused by the sheering or veering of
winds across and just above the earth. Squall lines do produce wild, sometimes
destructive winds and occasionally dangerous hail, as well as spectacular
lightning, and very heavy rain that could cause flash flooding.
We must be careful while intercepting to avoid dangerous straight line
winds and damaging hail. Pulse Storms:
These are more common storms that develop, mature and die within an hour. On days where no rotating
storms develop, we may chase these storms for the sport of hunting and
interception as well as the enjoyment of their beauty.
They arise quickly and spectacularly into exquisitely beautiful
thunderheads, drop heavy rain and dazzling lightning bolts, then quickly peak
and dissipate as a new storm takes form near the dying one. Pulse storms never produce tornadoes and
rarely produce anything destructive. In rare cases, a towering thunderhead might
produce a brief needle-like funnel when it first arises. Tornado Alley Safari chases whatever
is available for us to work with on a given day and considers all of these types
of storms as chase-worthy, beautiful and awesome in their own ways.
Our first priority is the storm most capable of producing a tornado; if
none is available we consider any other storm to be game. Tornado Alley Safari
considers any good storm interception as successful. |
Send mail to thundereye@juno.com with
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