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Nov. 16th-17th Severe Event


Quincy

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Saw on AMA's Twitter feed that the first Pampa tornado has also been rated EF3.

 

Should be stressed that the Kismet tornado's signature maxed out significantly NE of where it actually produced its EF3 damage, so there's a high likelihood that one was in the EF4+ range.

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In a perfect world:

 

http://www.eas.slu.edu/CIPS/RTIME/PPF_realtime.php?date=201511171200

 

Meant to show the concentration of reports more than anything: 

 

Had some discussion with Ian about this and it got me thinking. The CIPS PPF analysis is great for showing the concentration of reports, but I also think that it's better for summarizing lower-end events vs. higher-end. It definitely skews a lot of the higher events, especially ones with multiple reports in a small area, and/or several reports from a populated area. (For example, if a marginally severe squall line moves through OKC, you'll probably get a lot of wind damage reports over a small distance)

 

Looking back, I don't think a high risk can be defended, at least not in a practical sense. Just looking at most high risk days since 2010 and the majorty of the high risks issued for tornadoes had 50+ confirmed tornadoes. With that said, I think a case could have been made for a moderate risk for 11/16. This 10% tornado outlook for 11/16 was followed up by another 10% tornado the next day - I don't think you can compare these two events whatsoever, including the atmospheric setup. I do think that 11/17 underperformed based the parameter space, even though it can easily be explained by a lack of discrete cells (mini cells started rotating in Louisiana, but storm mode was too messy) and considerably less impressive mid-level lapse rates. 11/17 has not yet had any reported tornadoes in the 10% outline, whatsoever. (Although I know the Little Rock area had some damage, but I haven't had the ability to closely look at the cause)

 

The 16th went generally as expected. I knew the panhandles would light up, but I was more torn about Kansas. High resolution guidance was excellent and consistent in the hours leading up to the event. Even the HRRR lit up Kansas first and I was tempted to pick the northern target, but it didn't bode well for chase prospects the next day in southern AR/LA. (Which didn't matter, because 11/17 was virtually unchaseable given what verified.) I'm not sure what would have been better for a chaser - getting the somewhat earlier tornadoes in Kansas, or bagging the eastern panhandle wedges.

 

I started in the day in the southeastern panhandle of Texas and didn't have to drift far west to get on the first decent looking supercell. Based on radar representation, I'm a little bit surprised it didn't put down a tornado for a while. I'm talking about the storm that came out of Tulia. I found myself chasing down in the canyon area and had no radar/cell service. Before going back into the canyon, I observed two brief funnel clouds. Just as I came out of the canyon, I was able to catch the brief tornado that the storm put down just east of TX-207.

 

That cluster of storms moved northeast and put down the Pampa tornado shortly after dark. I was on I-40 as the Groom/Pampa II tornado touched down. It went unwarned for several minutes. The initial survey says it touched down at 6:42, but I already saw it in progress by 6:39, so who knows how soon it started. A moot point I suppose, just my account of what took place. 

 

I headed east on I-40 and turned on TX-70 to go north and get a better view of the approaching storm. For a short time I had a visual of both tornadoes (Groom to the NW and Pampa to the NE). All of a sudden, there was debris and power lines down on the road. Long story short, there were damaged cars in the vicinity and others with flats. My front passenger tire was losing air, but fortunately a group of three kids (locals who never chased, but thought it would be cool to chase that night...) helped out with a hammer to pound the rim back over the tire and that did the job. I'm not sure if I was more concerned about being stuck in the middle of a tornado outbreak or potentially losing the ability to chase the next day.

 

Definitely an experience and a reminder that chasing at night is not only difficult, but potentially very dangerous. Not to mention, much harder to get good footage, unless you have equipment that's good at night. (or if you get out in front of the storms and can play with shutter speeds) For me, a good chase is about the experience and not necessarily how many pictures or videos you get. Many chasers got some incredible footage, much of which is posted in this thread.

 

I'm still working on a bit of video and a few photographs. I'll get some of those up later. (Mainly pre-tornado)

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The most impressive of nine tornadoes confirmed by DDC:

 

TORNADO 1  
 
RATING: EF-3  
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 155 MPH  
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 51 MILES  
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 2000 YARDS  

FATALITIES: 0  
INJURIES: 0  
 
START DATE: NOV 16 2015  
START TIME: 538 PM CST  
START LOCATION: 4 NE LIBERAL  
 
END DATE: NOV 16 2015  
END TIME: 656 PM CST  
END LOCATION: 7.5 NE MONTEZUMA  
 
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS DONE TO A FARM THAT IS LOCATED  
WEST OF KISMET IN SEWARD COUNTY. THERE WERE NUMEROUS PIVOT  
IRRIGATION SPRINKLERS DAMAGED OR DESTROYED, ALONG WITH MANY OUT  
BUILDINGS, POWER POLES, AND TREES.  

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That is likely one of the furthest west tornadoes on record to have a path length >50 miles.

A quick estimate from Ian's research would indicate about 17 tornadoes have tracked >50 miles as far west or further west since 1950. However, some of those are at roughly the same longitude, so it could rank in the top 15.

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Some amazing graphics in this article. 

 

http://www.ustornadoes.com/2015/11/17/november-2015-high-plains-tornado-outbreak-was-rare-and-historic-for-the-region/

 

Cold season tornadoes vs. November 16 tornado reports

MoJmNUL.png

 

Strong tornadoes including and beyond November 16 (11/16-12/31)

eIWgynZ.png

 

All November-December long-track tornadoes

hvOmJz6.png

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Links to storm surveys and other preliminary information about the plains tornadoes

 

http://kamala.cod.edu/ks/latest.nous43.KGID.html

http://kamala.cod.edu/offs/KGLD/1511172354.nous43.html

http://kamala.cod.edu/ks/latest.nous43.KDDC.html

http://kamala.cod.edu/tx/latest.nous44.KAMA.html

http://kamala.cod.edu/offs/KAMA/1511182246.nous44.html

I haven't found any further information from the OUN office about the tornado in northwest Oklahoma

 

Dallas/Fort Worth (no red dots on the SPC storm reports map)

http://kamala.cod.edu/tx/latest.nous44.KFWD.html

 

 

Houston/Galveston (no red dots on the SPC storm reports map)

http://kamala.cod.edu/tx/latest.nous44.KHGX.html

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Check this out.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205888396463159&set=o.121467212293&type=3&pnref=story

 

One of the Pampa tornadoes lifted a piece of corn stalk into the updraft of the storm where it became the nucleus of a hailstone. Or a cornstone? Not sure what to call it.

 

Anyone ever seen or heard of anything like this before?

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Does anyone know anything about the tornado in Harper County, OK? I've heard that there may have been some fairly significant damage that took place near Fort Supply, but I haven't heard a thing about surveys in that area. 

No word from OUN, just the storm report on the SPC page:

0346 5 WNW FORT SUPPLY HARPER OK 3660 9966 FIVE POWERPOLES BROKEN AT THE BASE. SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO IN THE AREA. (OUN)

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