April 22nd 2010 Groom, TX classic Tornadic supercells
Powerful upper level low ejected out onto the plains. Neutral tilted trough with a few embedded shortwaves were rounding the base and being ejected out. Basic high plains surface pattern warm front lifting north, dry line ahead of surface cold front. Lots of action on the warm front due to surface heating and lots of moisture advecting north. Right around the triple point and portions a little east saw numerous tornadoes. A very busy day!
I opted to chase the dryline. In an area of forecasted enhanced shear. Plenty of instability and lift! And due to that area of TX being incredible scenic wise! Havent chased that area much.
I had trageted the Clarendon, TX area a few days before and found that very little had changed in between now and then. Action along the warm front nearer the low and upper level low had already began. Tornadoes were already being reported in CO and KS. Towers near us started going up around 4 pm. Really only one storm showed potential and we quickly intercepted it!
Below is an image around the time the first towers were going up. This cell was anviling fast. But couldnt quit get there!
Not soon after the image above a tower went up to the south of where we were on I-40. Great promise, large forward flank precip area growing. Really decent base developing. Looking west here!
Headed west toward it as things seemed to mature a little bit more. Ended up giving it a few minutes back there before heading towards it. At this point below the thing was strenghting rapidly. Pulling in inflow fast! Looking west here. Base was rapidly organizing into a classic supercell!
Not soon after the above shot. It started to really rotate. At least the rotation came into view. This thing was really pulling inflow in! It quickly developed a funnel with brief touch downs. The shot below may show it already touching down!
Quickly rotates around and forms a soild funnel! Inflow from the right is fast, at this point! Pics due it no justice.
Bam, Tornado. It quickly touched down for a few minutes. Muiltiple vortex!
Was on the ground for a few minutes beofre lifting. Other areas were trying to take over. Including areas above my head!
A little later another one touches down in the image below. The hill and distance is in the way, but you can see the cone. Right in the middle. RFD cutting in, classic! Great structure! I was going insane at this point! The tornado itself wasnt very strong and it was moving over open country, in between Groom and Boydston, TX moving northeast!
Severeal funnels were dropping down left and right from a line of two merging supercells. The main one to the north and a secound one that had fired to the south somewhat connected by precip. It was almost like a delayed, removed cycle. It had fired to far south. But was creating and evovling it into a more linear network of cells. So basically it was a evolving line or lewp of cells. Still dropping funnels and large hail as it plowed east approaching Mclean, TX.